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Thank all of you who expressed your appreciation of my efforts. I do it for US. Congressman Porter really liked the hour glass, and expressed an interest in having one. He noted that it ran out at just about the five minute allotted time. I correct him saying 4 minutes and 56 seconds. I would have given him the one I had but I was lucky the prototype made it who my presentation. I have already made Porter one which I will present to him when next I'm in Washington. What I do I do totally as a volunteer. Some of my expenses are reimbursed. The Pittsburgh chapter is very supportive of my efforts. The NPF has also reimbursed some of my travel expenses. The balance comes out of my pocket. I have never asked for any financial support but I will ask now for your support in another way. I testified as chairman of the Parkinson Alliance Leadership Council. I wish that everyone on this list would join me as a member of the Parkinson Alliance. Our goals are: 1) Obtain full funding of the Udall Bill 2) encourage coordination among national organizations 3) encourage people with Parkinson's to make a difference As I said in my testimony, the Alliance is not another Parkinson's organization, but rather an overlay of people belonging to any national, regional, local organizations or no organization. Its simply people directly effected by Parkinson's who wish to assure we have the absolute best effort possible to find a cure for this sinister disease. When attempting to describe what the Alliance is, the best analogy I come up with is we're trying to be the conscience of the Parkinson's community. We want to reinforced and encourage all the many things the various organizations do well (and they all do a lot of things well) and we want to encourage them to do better those things they do not do so well (such as working together when it benefits the Parkinson's community to work together). Who are we to think we can be the conscience of somebody else? It's not so presumptuous if you understand that by conscience I simply mean that little figure who sits on your shoulder and tells you "radical" thoughts like: Take the high road. Do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. If you don't have something good to say, don't say anything. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Do unto others what you would have done to you. A little less "I" and a little more "we". Let bygones be bygones. Put curing Parkinson's first. Turn the other cheek. Swallow your pride. Why will people/organizations listened to the Alliance? I'd like to think because what we're advocating simply is the right thing to do. But, human nature being what it is, we are much more likely to be listened to if we have strength of numbers. If you agree with me regarding what I've just stated, then join me and JOIN THE PARKINSON ALLIANCE!!! INSIST THAT WE ALL PUT CURING PARKINSON'S FIRST!!! Jim Cordy Pittsburgh [log in to unmask]