As we prepare to close out this month of love, romance is still on my mind. Of course it is. I'm a hopeless romantic.
Have you ever thought about that phrase? I just ask, because that's what's keeping me awake right now. I should be sound asleep in bed, getting a good night's rest for what will inevitably be a very long day in the office, tomorrow, but I just keep thinking, "Why IS it so hopeless?" If you read my most recent post, you know that that mental hum accompanies me throughout every moment of my life, but it's times like these (wow, the grammar there)--it's a time like this, when I can't turn it down enough to fall asleep that I really wonder how people function without the mental hum. How do you people keep going, without the constant thoughts?? Do you sometimes just shut down and stop moving until your brain kicks back in?? Digression in progress..
So, tonight, instead of sleeping, I'm sitting in my bathrobe, with my glass of Pink Truck and the world wide interwebs, thinking about the hopelessness of romance. Why IS it so hopeless? I don't know that I'll have an answer to that question by the time I sign off tonight, but I'll at least be keeping myself amused by putting my thoughts into words. The easily bored, quickly distracted, and those who need a concise, three-point outline should check out now...
I know that I am one. A hopeless romantic, that is. Why such a downtrodden prequel to such a grandiose term? I think it works. It's desperate phrasing, and that's how it feels. It's a sigh on the end of a long kiss goodnight. It's a tear for the end of a love story. It's that final resolution of a dissonant chord that makes you kinda miss the dissonance, just a bit. That breathlessness that feeds on the anticipation of a touch is something physical, not just emotional. I don't know. Romance to me isn't the roses and candlelight. But it is. I mean, that's a kind of romance, the prequel to foreplay, I suppose. The seduction scene. But that's not ALL that it is. I see romance everywhere, and it's not all sexual stimulation and rushing endorphins. It's a jointness. Maybe romance is so hopeless because it's so big.
Ok, just TRY to tell me that any of these things is not romantic, and I promise I will immediately cease to hear your voice and mentally hum my way to a happier place than whatever you think you're selling me.
--At the end of The Notebook, as they fall asleep in each others arms...
--The man at the hospital physically feeling the pain of his wife giving birth...
--The young couple at the pricy restaurant. He's sweating with something sparkly in his pocket, and she's glowing, knowing that tonight's the night the story begins all over again...
--The scene in Fireproof where she stays home sick from work and he brings her soup...
--A gentle peck on the cheek over morning coffee...
--A small child who hands his mother a badly bruised dandelion that he picked just for her...
--The man who warms up his wife's car on a cold morning so that she won't be uncomfortable when she takes the kids to school...
--The moment at the end of a long day when there are no more words to be said, when just the knowledge that someone loves you is enough...
OK, so maybe romance doesn't equal love, but that's a part of it, right? It's not always the sexual or seductive, but just the patterns of loving in life. It makes me physically ache inside to see it, and I do know it when I see it. That's why I listen to love songs and watch sappy movies. It's a beauty that sparks a fond desire. But it's not just the desire to receive. It's that swell within your heart that longs to GIVE that to someone else, too. To SHARE that experience with another soul and know that no matter what else happens in life, THAT was real.
Romance isn't every moment. If it was, it wouldn't be special, and it wouldn't be hopeless at all. It is its very fleetingness that makes it so precious, so elusive, so finite... That's it. That's the thing. That's why. I did figure it out before the end of the post. Yay, me. Romance is hopeless because it slips away so quickly, in the bat of an eyelash. So those of us who are hopeless romantics live from romance to romance--not in a pathetic way (well, not always). It's just that those breathless anticipations, when you feel really alive, they help guage the remainder of reality... And the remainder of reality makes sure that you really feel those heightened timeless seconds.
Hopelessly romantic,
L~
24 February 2010
23 February 2010
Known
In the last year, we have had a church-wide emphasis that is designed for us to know ourselves and one another better. The catalyst is the book "Living Your Strengths" and the Clifton strengths assessment and development tool that is linked to it. This book was created by the faith-based portion of the Gallup organization, and as I understand it, there are other studies that range beyond the scope of the faith-based that are now capitalizing on its development.
The rundown: The basic premise is that there are 34 basic areas of individual development that are inherent to all humans, in varying degrees, regardless of cultural development or bias, and that if the the top 5 areas of talent are identified, it would more accurately help individuals understand themselves and each other. (VERY basic.) If these signature themes, as they're called, are accurately identified and encouraged, the organizations of which these individuals are members could tailor themselves to their populations and be more effective.
So, our church has been going through the process of having everyone who cares to participate tested, and coached, so that, as a community of believers doing life together, we can exist more fully as the body of Christ-- living and acting as one cohesive unit, instead of many little unknown quantities.
To be honest, when I took my assessment, I wasn't 100% convinced that my results were accurate, but as they've grown on me, I've really embraced the fact of the matter. I am now in a class (yay) to discuss and be coached in a group setting. Tonight was the first class, and I'd forgotten how invigorating it was to be in an active learning environment. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, here...
OK. Here are my top five:
1) Input
2) Learner
3) Intellection (which my Input and Learner tell me is not an actual word)
4) Maximizer
5) Individualization
And, just for the record, yes, it does annoy me that the 34 signature themes are not consistently all the same part of speech, but I didn't make them up.
Basically, these five things tell you a LOT about who I am, why I function the way I do, and what I value in life, should you choose to acknowledge and understand them, and subsequently, me. Here's what they mean, very basically: Input means that I collect things. I collect information, quotations, words, and physical things. I catalog the things that I collect, either physically or mentally. Learner means that I find the learning process to be fascinating and enjoyable. I want to learn everything I can. I enjoy going from ignorance to competence. Intellection means that I have a "mental hum" that is interminable. My mind is always working. Intellectual stimulation, the flexing of my mental muscles, is just part of who I am, and I thrive on it. Maximizer means that I take something that's great and turn it into stupendous. It has to be the VERY BEST it can be. Good enough is simply not good enough. Individualization means that I relate to each person according to who they are. I interact individually, and I tailor my interactions to the ability or personality of the person with whom I'm interacting.
So, all of these things work together in my every thought, breath, motion, action, relationship, etc. That is WHO I am, not just something about me. That is how I live, move, and have my being. I am hard-wired to function extremely highly, without exhaustion in those 5 things. I am most productive, most valuable, most tireless, when I live there, and when I get out of those 5 things, I get run-down and defeated.
As an example, take my relationships. In relating to people, I deal with them through my Individualization. I will relate differently to my friend Pamela than I do to my daddy, and differently to him than I relate to my mother. I tailor each relationship to the most effective communication and relation with each. (Side bar: This is why I speak all 5 love languages fluently, though I don't receive them as equally.) My Individualization relates to each individual, but it is my Input, Learner, and Intellection that drive my relatability. I take in everything I can. I observe people, learn things, find things fascinating... I'm a big picture person. I want to know how everything works and how this cog fits into the bigger machine, not just how to spin the cog. So I learn everything I can, and that applies to the people about whom I care, and the things that they care about. Because of my Maximizer, I can't stop at just being able to relate to someone. I want to relate to them and understand them and REALLY know them. Good enough simply isn't good enough, remember? So I take all of my catalogs of knowledge from my Input, that I've Learned, and I use my Intellection to process them and Maximize how to Individually relate. Got it? That's me and my relationship bent, in a nutshell.
Well, knowing these things made it much clearer to me (remember the Input, Learner, Intellection-- I learned all about the whole Strengths thing, and what that meant for me, and all 34 of the strengths so I could relate better to others) how I actually function, and the more I think about that (Intellection-- my mental hum), the more I apply it to myself, the more I understand why I function the way I do.
In younger years, I had a tendency to find relationships unsatisfying. I wanted to know all about this person, and I wanted to tell him/her all about me, but he/she didn't want to know about me like I wanted to know about him/her. Frustration. It feels so one-sided. In recent years, I've grown up enough to be able to listen to my friends without expecting them to listen to me in the same way. I've learned to not divulge who I am, and answer concisely when people ask polite questions. The reality is, the VAST majority of humanity simply doesn't want to know. That may be why I find comfort in having my own blog. It is an outlet for me to make myself known without boring the people I love. hahahaha
I desire strongly to be known deeply, for who I truly am. Since others in my life don't have the raging desire to know me that way, I content myself with knowing them as best I can. There IS great fulfillment in this for me. It is wonderfully contenting to know WHY my brain works that way, and to be able to absorb all the tiniest little details about someone without having to spew all of my details at her. It is beautiful to have an intimacy that isn't spoiled by expecting the other person to be who I am or to function the way I function, and I'm much happier, on the whole, with my Individualization, because I know that my friends and family members truly love me. Really. They don't have to KNOW me, know all ABOUT me, know every thought I think as it passes through my head, to love me. They just love me. Now, how they function that way is beyond me, but I have that all catalogued away so I can relate to them, regardless of whether I think they're nuts for not having my top 5 the way I have them...
I love the idea of being known, and I've loved it for so long that one of my favorite movies, inexplicably, is "The Mirror Has Two Faces" with Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges. She talks about it early in the film-- the idea of someone loving her enough to know the little things about her, how she takes her coffee, for instance.. One of the defining instances in the movie is when she sees him know her like that, as he answers the waiter's question about her preferences, without consulting her. No she doesn't care for any pepper. When you get a chance, could you bring a little side dish of extra dressing for her salad? She'd like that. And the heart inside me sighs a little sigh of desire. Yeah. I'm pathetic like that.
I suppose that's why this quote stuck out to me so much that I underlined it in 3 colors in my copy of The Shack (by William P Young). "So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it. Love is just the skin of knowing." (pg. 155) Love is just the skin of knowing. I love that. I love that because I love knowing. I love learning and understanding better. I love the idea that my love for those that I hold dearest is evident in my strengths-- the knowing. I love it that God knows me that way, and that He loves me in all the abundant wealth of His knowledge of me, not in the little bit of my knowledge.. I also love it that because I understand WHO I am and how I function, that I don't have to expect anyone else to know me the way I want to know them, and that THAT doesn't DECREASE how much they love me, either.
But, I still want to be known.
Much love.
L~
P.S. Apparently, there is a newer version of the assessment out now that you can purchase separate from the book. If you'd like to complete StrengthsFinder 2.0, you can go here to have your strengths assessed and identified.
22 February 2010
12 January 2010
Reevaluating Life
It's time. You know that feeling? When you stop and think that the time has come to reevaluate who you are and what you do? That's where I am.
As some may know, I turned 30 just a shade under 2 months ago, and perhaps it's the combination of not being where I thought I'd be at this place in my life (more on that later) and the new year, but somehow this became the right time. A lot of things are under reconsideration, at this point, but there are a few things I know for sure.
1) I'm too fat. Yeah, I said it out loud. I'm over it. Time to move on.
2) My life is on track. Really.
3) I'm content, but that doesn't mean I don't need to make some changes.
4) I still miss karate. It's time to check out what there is in the dojo world here.
I've taken the effort to have a few tough conversations, send a few mea culpas, and generally cut loose some of the baggage, but there's more to do. I've started cleaning up my eating and exercise habits, but there's still more to do. I've stopped traveling (for awhile, anyway), but there's a way to go before I'm stabilized here. I've taken a fairly objective look at where I am, and overall it's good. Maybe I haven't done some of the things I thought I'd do by 30, but that doesn't mean the things I have done aren't the right ones.
Some changes that I need to make:
1) I need a mentorship relationship with an older woman who can provide godly counsel to me. I don't even begin to know where to look. I think, perhaps, she should not be a part of my church, so that she can provide a more objective look at my contributions there.
2) I have to lose weight. Yeah, at some point the extra 10 or 15 lbs will have a serious adverse effect on my health, and now's the time to do something about it. Getting hooked up with a local dojo will help a lot.
3) I need to document where I am now. It's been almost 9 years since I had professional photographs taken. Perhaps there won't be posterity to care, but when I'm an old woman, I think I'll like to look back and remember.
4) Dad's right. I need to stimulate my intellect. While I have no desire to reenter academia, perhaps the idea of auditing some post-grad classes isn't such a bad idea. At the very least, I need to embark on some more specific educational pursuits. My habit of reading 60+ books a year doesn't necessarily translate to advancing my education in any area.
Perhaps I need to start journaling. Perhaps putting me down on paper will help me to more correctly evaluate my existence. I need to have the proper perspective to know where I'm going, how I need to get there, and what I need to change to do that. I guess that's what I'm doing by writing this post. A life documented seems to mean something more than one that just goes by. Without someone to bear witness to me, I suppose it's down to me to bear witness for myself.
Just some thoughts.
Happy New Year.
Love.
L~
As some may know, I turned 30 just a shade under 2 months ago, and perhaps it's the combination of not being where I thought I'd be at this place in my life (more on that later) and the new year, but somehow this became the right time. A lot of things are under reconsideration, at this point, but there are a few things I know for sure.
1) I'm too fat. Yeah, I said it out loud. I'm over it. Time to move on.
2) My life is on track. Really.
3) I'm content, but that doesn't mean I don't need to make some changes.
4) I still miss karate. It's time to check out what there is in the dojo world here.
I've taken the effort to have a few tough conversations, send a few mea culpas, and generally cut loose some of the baggage, but there's more to do. I've started cleaning up my eating and exercise habits, but there's still more to do. I've stopped traveling (for awhile, anyway), but there's a way to go before I'm stabilized here. I've taken a fairly objective look at where I am, and overall it's good. Maybe I haven't done some of the things I thought I'd do by 30, but that doesn't mean the things I have done aren't the right ones.
Some changes that I need to make:
1) I need a mentorship relationship with an older woman who can provide godly counsel to me. I don't even begin to know where to look. I think, perhaps, she should not be a part of my church, so that she can provide a more objective look at my contributions there.
2) I have to lose weight. Yeah, at some point the extra 10 or 15 lbs will have a serious adverse effect on my health, and now's the time to do something about it. Getting hooked up with a local dojo will help a lot.
3) I need to document where I am now. It's been almost 9 years since I had professional photographs taken. Perhaps there won't be posterity to care, but when I'm an old woman, I think I'll like to look back and remember.
4) Dad's right. I need to stimulate my intellect. While I have no desire to reenter academia, perhaps the idea of auditing some post-grad classes isn't such a bad idea. At the very least, I need to embark on some more specific educational pursuits. My habit of reading 60+ books a year doesn't necessarily translate to advancing my education in any area.
Perhaps I need to start journaling. Perhaps putting me down on paper will help me to more correctly evaluate my existence. I need to have the proper perspective to know where I'm going, how I need to get there, and what I need to change to do that. I guess that's what I'm doing by writing this post. A life documented seems to mean something more than one that just goes by. Without someone to bear witness to me, I suppose it's down to me to bear witness for myself.
Just some thoughts.
Happy New Year.
Love.
L~
13 July 2009
The Study Group
So, I have been asked to co-facilitate the discussion of William P Young's "The Shack" in my ladies' small group. This is going to be exceedingly interesting, extremely gratifying, and a whole stinkin' lot of fun.
Last night was our first session on this book, and our fearless leader asked me to take it. I gotta say, I love studying. I love researching, cross-referencing, preparing a lesson, and then executing it by facilitating a guided conversation. This is a whole host of my strengths just bouncing up and down and waiting to get out of my head. :)
God has given me the ability to learn vast quantities of information, and the further (more useful) ability to applicably regurgitate my studies. I have created and taught entire orientation and training programs, since high school, and this whole concept of studying and comparing notes on topics that interest me with people I love is not a new love in my life. This stuff is FUN!
Anyway, I'm thinking of posting the study guide to "The Shack" as I create it and we move through it. Maybe it could help someone else, if it's on the World Wide Interweb.
Much love.
L~
Last night was our first session on this book, and our fearless leader asked me to take it. I gotta say, I love studying. I love researching, cross-referencing, preparing a lesson, and then executing it by facilitating a guided conversation. This is a whole host of my strengths just bouncing up and down and waiting to get out of my head. :)
God has given me the ability to learn vast quantities of information, and the further (more useful) ability to applicably regurgitate my studies. I have created and taught entire orientation and training programs, since high school, and this whole concept of studying and comparing notes on topics that interest me with people I love is not a new love in my life. This stuff is FUN!
Anyway, I'm thinking of posting the study guide to "The Shack" as I create it and we move through it. Maybe it could help someone else, if it's on the World Wide Interweb.
Much love.
L~
04 July 2009
Happy Independence Day!
Yeah, so independence is over rated. Says the single woman as she sits in front of her computer after watching yet another year's July 4th fireworks show by herself.
If you're going to read this, you must know that it is not going to be fluid, and I'm not going to re-read it forty-six times before I post it, like I usually do. Here's what I've got:
Vero Beach's fireworks show is, in my opinion, much longer and SIGNIFICANTLY better than Washington D.C.'s is. Go figure. It has the added bonus of not being as much of a nightmare to navigate, traffic-wise. Maybe I shouldn't post this online where people in DC can see it and flood VB next year...
I don't remember the last time I watched Independence Day fireworks with anyone. I've been alone too long. Last year (2008), I didn't go, because I was working my corner at Walter Reed. The year before (2007), I watched the fireworks over the National Mall, alone, from the park by the DCA runway(DC Reagan International Airport, for those of you who don't fly to the District). 2006, I watched the DC fireworks on my TV and out my balcony window and didn't leave my apartment. The year before (2005) was when I was in the middle of moving to DC, but I don't recall what I did or where I was. I don't think I watched an "official" display, though. I think I was at a party. I don't recall the ones in the three or four years before that, though I've tried. Anyhoo, every 4th display I see, I always dream of the day when it's me and my SO (boyfriend, fiance, husband) going together, and eventually the day when it's me, my husband, and our small children... Every year, it's not.
This brings me to the next point-- as awful as it sounds, and I'm not trying to be hurtful with this-- SOMETIMES spending holidays alone is better than spending them alone with people who care about you. Sometimes, it's just easier to be alone and lonely than be lonely with people who are all paired off.
Yet again, as I was walking back to my car from watching the spectacular display over Indian River, I wondered, "How many more holidays am I going to spend alone? How many more seasons are going to pass me by, without a hand to hold, without a future to plan?"
And yes, before you ask, I'm turning 30 this year, and as that hallmark birthday approaches, I'm beginning to be a little depressed. I have a wonderful life. Don't get me wrong. It's just a lonely one, sometimes.
Anyway.. Happy Birthday, Land of the FREE and Home of the BRAVE! There's certainly no better place to be all alone. :)
Gnight.
L~
If you're going to read this, you must know that it is not going to be fluid, and I'm not going to re-read it forty-six times before I post it, like I usually do. Here's what I've got:
Vero Beach's fireworks show is, in my opinion, much longer and SIGNIFICANTLY better than Washington D.C.'s is. Go figure. It has the added bonus of not being as much of a nightmare to navigate, traffic-wise. Maybe I shouldn't post this online where people in DC can see it and flood VB next year...
I don't remember the last time I watched Independence Day fireworks with anyone. I've been alone too long. Last year (2008), I didn't go, because I was working my corner at Walter Reed. The year before (2007), I watched the fireworks over the National Mall, alone, from the park by the DCA runway(DC Reagan International Airport, for those of you who don't fly to the District). 2006, I watched the DC fireworks on my TV and out my balcony window and didn't leave my apartment. The year before (2005) was when I was in the middle of moving to DC, but I don't recall what I did or where I was. I don't think I watched an "official" display, though. I think I was at a party. I don't recall the ones in the three or four years before that, though I've tried. Anyhoo, every 4th display I see, I always dream of the day when it's me and my SO (boyfriend, fiance, husband) going together, and eventually the day when it's me, my husband, and our small children... Every year, it's not.
This brings me to the next point-- as awful as it sounds, and I'm not trying to be hurtful with this-- SOMETIMES spending holidays alone is better than spending them alone with people who care about you. Sometimes, it's just easier to be alone and lonely than be lonely with people who are all paired off.
Yet again, as I was walking back to my car from watching the spectacular display over Indian River, I wondered, "How many more holidays am I going to spend alone? How many more seasons are going to pass me by, without a hand to hold, without a future to plan?"
And yes, before you ask, I'm turning 30 this year, and as that hallmark birthday approaches, I'm beginning to be a little depressed. I have a wonderful life. Don't get me wrong. It's just a lonely one, sometimes.
Anyway.. Happy Birthday, Land of the FREE and Home of the BRAVE! There's certainly no better place to be all alone. :)
Gnight.
L~
11 June 2009
Financial Attack on Political Opponents
Here's a really klassy move on the part of the current administration. I'm trying really hard to be shocked, but I called this one.
OBAMANOMICS
Chrysler's 'hit list' targets GOP donors
Dealers who give to Republicans much more likely to be shuttered
Posted: May 27, 2009
7:54 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
As part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Chrysler is terminating one-fourth of its franchises – but some say its catalog of doomed dealerships looks more like a hit list that specifically seeks to put Republican donors out of business.
Chrysler will now be eligible for up to $8 billion in taxpayer-funded federal aid. The federal government has already provided $8.58 billion to Chrysler and Chrysler Holding between the months of January and May of this year. The Treasury also loaned $1.5 billion to the automaker's lending arm in January.
President Obama has said the bankruptcy will give the company "a new lease on life," after his administration spearheaded a plan requiring the company sell to Italian automaker Fiat. Chrysler's stronger operations will be owned by Fiat, labor and the U.S. and Canadian governments. The sale could close as early as this Friday.
Obama said the bankruptcy would be a "quick" and "efficient" step toward Chrysler's "survival."
"The necessary steps have been taken to give one of America 's most storied automakers, Chrysler, a new lease on life," Obama said. "This is not a sign of weakness."
But WND reviewed the list of 789 closing franchises and databases of political donors and found that of dealership majority owners making contributions in the November 2008 election, less than 10 percent gifted to Democrats while 90 percent gave substantial sums to Republican candidates.
The listed franchise owners contributed at least $450,000 to Republican presidential candidates and the GOP, while only $7,970 was donated to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign and $2,200 was given to Sen. John Edwards' campaign.
Obama received a combined total of only $450 in donations – $250 from dealer Jane Baldock in Wenatchee , Wash. , and $200 from Waco, Texas , dealer Jeffrey Hunter.
Many of the majority owners who donated to Republican campaigns last year also contributed additional thousands to George W. Bush's presidential campaign in 2004 and to help elect GOP representatives.
The first dealership on Chrysler's list of facilities marked for termination by June 9 is located in Venice , Fla. , and belongs to Republican Rep. Vernon G. Buchanan.
Buchanan gave $2,300 to John McCain in 2008 and has contributed nearly $150,000 to GOP candidates and organizations since 2007. He discovered that his location was scheduled for closure when he crossed paths with Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich.
According to the Associated Press, Miller told Buchanan, "I heard you're going to lose your Dodge franchise."
"Oh, really?" Buchanan said in a state of surprise.
The dealership's operating partner, Shelby Curtsinger, said he was astonished by Chrysler's decision because the location has been profitable – selling more than twice the stock of an average Chrysler dealership every year.
Houston dealer Robert Archer is one of 330 people contesting Chrysler's decision to close their locations. He donated $1,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee and $500 to Americans for a Republican Majority.
Archer told the New York Times he ordered 700 new vehicles and $1.7 million in new parts after Chrysler told him he could survive unless he stocked more cars. He sacrificed his profits to help the company survive.
Now he is set to lose his franchise.
Other GOP contributors include Michael Maroone, a dealer in Ft. Lauderdale , Fla. He gave $20,000 to the Florida Republican Party, $12,700 to the Republican National Committee and $2,300 to presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Likewise, Menomonee Falls , Wis. , dealer Russ Darrow and his family gave $19,000 to the Republican National Committee, $6,029 to the Wisconsin Republican Party, $2,300 to John McCain and $1,000 to Rudy Giuliani. Bedford , Texas , dealer Eric Grubbs gifted $11,500 to Mike Huckabee, $4,600 to Rudy Giuliani, $6,500 to Texas Republican Congressional Committee, $1,085 to the RNC and $500 to National Republican Congressional Committee. Midlothian , Va. , dealer Max Pearson donated $18,000 to National Republican Senatorial Committee, $6,900 to the RNC, $6,900 to John McCain, $3,600 to Virginia Republican Party and $1,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee.
The list continues with more than 60 political donors who are scheduled to lose their franchises – many of whom gave thousands of dollars to Republican candidates – and only seven dealers who contributed a total of less than $12,000 to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
Blogger Doug Ross reviewed patterns on the closure list and noticed the unmistakable trend.
"I took all dealer owners whose names appeared more than once on the list," he wrote.
"And, of those who contributed to political campaigns, every single one had donated almost exclusively to GOP candidates."
With 2,392 Chrysler dealerships remaining, some bloggers claim to have already begun the exhaustive process of checking each majority owner to determine whether Chrysler has been more merciful toward those who donate to Democrats while simultaneously giving walking papers to Republican contributors.
Chrysler has not responded to WND's requests for comment. The company claims it evaluated the dealerships based on raw sales volume, location, market, history of experience and market share. According to the company's bankruptcy court filing, the 789 dealerships listed for closure "lack the operational, market, facility and linemaker characteristics necessary to best contribute to the ongoing dealer network under current or future ownership."
Dealer Jim Anderer told Fox News' Neil Cavuto he doesn't understand why Chrysler is shutting down his Long Island dealership because he claims his dealership is quite profitable – with sales volume ranking in the top 2 percent.
Asked why he believes the company targeted him, Anderer said, "They won't tell us. They seem to be running for cover right now because they won't give us a solid explanation. They come up with all these reasons, but none of them seem to make sense."
He continued, "This is insanity. The government is stealing my business. And they're telling me there's nothing I can do about it."
Anderer said Chrysler claims it wants to combine its stores or that dealers cost the manufacturer money to stay in business.
"In the dealers that they cut, there seems to be no cohesive way that they did it," he said. "There was no process that you could put your finger on and say, 'Hey, we cut 25 percent of the lowest performing dealers.' They didn't do that. Nobody will give us a real clear explanation of the formula that they came up with."
An anonymous employee affected by the dealership closings blogged at Cars.com:
"This isn't about business. It's about politics and control. My dealership is in the top 125 out of the 3,500-plus dealerships nationwide ... yet we are on the list. We are not small nor are we rural. We are in a large major metropolitan area. Our new vehicle inventory alone is well over $4.0 million. Is that small?"
The employee continued, "This is so much more than 'just business.' This is about control and power by our present administration in Washington . An administration that will stop at nothing to bring complete socialism to this once great country. Wake up people or get in line now to 'drink the Kool-Aid.'"
Chrysler's bankruptcy court review process began May 14 and is scheduled to end by June 9. According to a May 14 Chrysler memo, dealers learned of their fate via UPS letters arriving earlier this month. A Senate committee is conducting hearings this week as dealers file their requests to block their termination.
George C. Joseph, owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu in Melbourne Fla. , has sent out his plea to several online media organizations, including WND.
Joseph said his family paid for his franchise 35 years ago and employs more than 50 people. The company is active in the community and the local chamber of commerce, and he claims it is financially profitable.
"On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them," Joseph wrote. "My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009."
He said that without the franchise his family can no longer sell Dodge inventory as "new" or conduct any service warranty work. Joseph wrote that his parts inventory – worth $300,000 – is now practically worthless because Chrysler will not be required to buy vehicles, tools or parts from terminated dealers under bankruptcy rules.
To make matters worse, Joseph said Chrysler recently required his facility to be renovated, requiring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage.
"This is a private business, not a government entity," he wrote. "This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through no fault of our own. We did nothing wrong."
Joseph continued, "This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy. This will cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? … How in the United States of America can this happen?"
OBAMANOMICS
Chrysler's 'hit list' targets GOP donors
Dealers who give to Republicans much more likely to be shuttered
Posted: May 27, 2009
7:54 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
As part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Chrysler is terminating one-fourth of its franchises – but some say its catalog of doomed dealerships looks more like a hit list that specifically seeks to put Republican donors out of business.
Chrysler will now be eligible for up to $8 billion in taxpayer-funded federal aid. The federal government has already provided $8.58 billion to Chrysler and Chrysler Holding between the months of January and May of this year. The Treasury also loaned $1.5 billion to the automaker's lending arm in January.
President Obama has said the bankruptcy will give the company "a new lease on life," after his administration spearheaded a plan requiring the company sell to Italian automaker Fiat. Chrysler's stronger operations will be owned by Fiat, labor and the U.S. and Canadian governments. The sale could close as early as this Friday.
Obama said the bankruptcy would be a "quick" and "efficient" step toward Chrysler's "survival."
"The necessary steps have been taken to give one of America 's most storied automakers, Chrysler, a new lease on life," Obama said. "This is not a sign of weakness."
But WND reviewed the list of 789 closing franchises and databases of political donors and found that of dealership majority owners making contributions in the November 2008 election, less than 10 percent gifted to Democrats while 90 percent gave substantial sums to Republican candidates.
The listed franchise owners contributed at least $450,000 to Republican presidential candidates and the GOP, while only $7,970 was donated to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign and $2,200 was given to Sen. John Edwards' campaign.
Obama received a combined total of only $450 in donations – $250 from dealer Jane Baldock in Wenatchee , Wash. , and $200 from Waco, Texas , dealer Jeffrey Hunter.
Many of the majority owners who donated to Republican campaigns last year also contributed additional thousands to George W. Bush's presidential campaign in 2004 and to help elect GOP representatives.
The first dealership on Chrysler's list of facilities marked for termination by June 9 is located in Venice , Fla. , and belongs to Republican Rep. Vernon G. Buchanan.
Buchanan gave $2,300 to John McCain in 2008 and has contributed nearly $150,000 to GOP candidates and organizations since 2007. He discovered that his location was scheduled for closure when he crossed paths with Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich.
According to the Associated Press, Miller told Buchanan, "I heard you're going to lose your Dodge franchise."
"Oh, really?" Buchanan said in a state of surprise.
The dealership's operating partner, Shelby Curtsinger, said he was astonished by Chrysler's decision because the location has been profitable – selling more than twice the stock of an average Chrysler dealership every year.
Houston dealer Robert Archer is one of 330 people contesting Chrysler's decision to close their locations. He donated $1,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee and $500 to Americans for a Republican Majority.
Archer told the New York Times he ordered 700 new vehicles and $1.7 million in new parts after Chrysler told him he could survive unless he stocked more cars. He sacrificed his profits to help the company survive.
Now he is set to lose his franchise.
Other GOP contributors include Michael Maroone, a dealer in Ft. Lauderdale , Fla. He gave $20,000 to the Florida Republican Party, $12,700 to the Republican National Committee and $2,300 to presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Likewise, Menomonee Falls , Wis. , dealer Russ Darrow and his family gave $19,000 to the Republican National Committee, $6,029 to the Wisconsin Republican Party, $2,300 to John McCain and $1,000 to Rudy Giuliani. Bedford , Texas , dealer Eric Grubbs gifted $11,500 to Mike Huckabee, $4,600 to Rudy Giuliani, $6,500 to Texas Republican Congressional Committee, $1,085 to the RNC and $500 to National Republican Congressional Committee. Midlothian , Va. , dealer Max Pearson donated $18,000 to National Republican Senatorial Committee, $6,900 to the RNC, $6,900 to John McCain, $3,600 to Virginia Republican Party and $1,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee.
The list continues with more than 60 political donors who are scheduled to lose their franchises – many of whom gave thousands of dollars to Republican candidates – and only seven dealers who contributed a total of less than $12,000 to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
Blogger Doug Ross reviewed patterns on the closure list and noticed the unmistakable trend.
"I took all dealer owners whose names appeared more than once on the list," he wrote.
"And, of those who contributed to political campaigns, every single one had donated almost exclusively to GOP candidates."
With 2,392 Chrysler dealerships remaining, some bloggers claim to have already begun the exhaustive process of checking each majority owner to determine whether Chrysler has been more merciful toward those who donate to Democrats while simultaneously giving walking papers to Republican contributors.
Chrysler has not responded to WND's requests for comment. The company claims it evaluated the dealerships based on raw sales volume, location, market, history of experience and market share. According to the company's bankruptcy court filing, the 789 dealerships listed for closure "lack the operational, market, facility and linemaker characteristics necessary to best contribute to the ongoing dealer network under current or future ownership."
Dealer Jim Anderer told Fox News' Neil Cavuto he doesn't understand why Chrysler is shutting down his Long Island dealership because he claims his dealership is quite profitable – with sales volume ranking in the top 2 percent.
Asked why he believes the company targeted him, Anderer said, "They won't tell us. They seem to be running for cover right now because they won't give us a solid explanation. They come up with all these reasons, but none of them seem to make sense."
He continued, "This is insanity. The government is stealing my business. And they're telling me there's nothing I can do about it."
Anderer said Chrysler claims it wants to combine its stores or that dealers cost the manufacturer money to stay in business.
"In the dealers that they cut, there seems to be no cohesive way that they did it," he said. "There was no process that you could put your finger on and say, 'Hey, we cut 25 percent of the lowest performing dealers.' They didn't do that. Nobody will give us a real clear explanation of the formula that they came up with."
An anonymous employee affected by the dealership closings blogged at Cars.com:
"This isn't about business. It's about politics and control. My dealership is in the top 125 out of the 3,500-plus dealerships nationwide ... yet we are on the list. We are not small nor are we rural. We are in a large major metropolitan area. Our new vehicle inventory alone is well over $4.0 million. Is that small?"
The employee continued, "This is so much more than 'just business.' This is about control and power by our present administration in Washington . An administration that will stop at nothing to bring complete socialism to this once great country. Wake up people or get in line now to 'drink the Kool-Aid.'"
Chrysler's bankruptcy court review process began May 14 and is scheduled to end by June 9. According to a May 14 Chrysler memo, dealers learned of their fate via UPS letters arriving earlier this month. A Senate committee is conducting hearings this week as dealers file their requests to block their termination.
George C. Joseph, owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu in Melbourne Fla. , has sent out his plea to several online media organizations, including WND.
Joseph said his family paid for his franchise 35 years ago and employs more than 50 people. The company is active in the community and the local chamber of commerce, and he claims it is financially profitable.
"On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them," Joseph wrote. "My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009."
He said that without the franchise his family can no longer sell Dodge inventory as "new" or conduct any service warranty work. Joseph wrote that his parts inventory – worth $300,000 – is now practically worthless because Chrysler will not be required to buy vehicles, tools or parts from terminated dealers under bankruptcy rules.
To make matters worse, Joseph said Chrysler recently required his facility to be renovated, requiring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage.
"This is a private business, not a government entity," he wrote. "This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through no fault of our own. We did nothing wrong."
Joseph continued, "This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy. This will cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? … How in the United States of America can this happen?"
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