Whats on World

Internet Increases News Turnover

2011-11-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Twenty years ago trending news was provided by CBS, NBC, ABC and a handful of national newspapers. Then, in 1980, Ted Turner created the Cable Network News (CNN). For the first time, news was delivered on an hourly rather than daily basis. Since then other cable news powerhouses have emerged including Fox News and MSNBC. These organizations dominate the cable news airways. Today, however, and even more powerful medium has emerged to transmit news: the internet.

The internet has numerous advantages. It's instantaneous. It has an unlimited of number of citizen reporters. Lastly, it is becoming universally pervasive in all cultures. The news cycle brought on by 24/7 cable news outlets demanded an inexhaustible source of news regardless of quality or voracity.

Since then our consumption of news has become an addiction. Internet news sites have literally destroyed the old trending news model. In today's environment journalism often suffers due to the rigorous demands of simply publishing a story before the competition. News stories that broke more than an hour ago are sometimes considered old. Rarely do stories stay current for more than 24 hours. When they do, it's a story that is rated based on news site traffic rather than one that affects your daily life.

If a news organization is to survive it must constantly publish new stories. With the internet able to react instantly to all forms of news, and with massive distribution channels available to the average person the internet literally drives the news.

Like snowballs rolling downhill the speed is not slowing but increasing. Now we have massive social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook that can easily reach millions of readers in seconds. These sites can drive a news story into national or international prominence within minutes. At no time in our history have 140 characters been able to make or break national fortunes. Now they can.

Look at more recent events surrounding the "Arab Spring". Thousands of average people reported on events occurring within their borders. Most of the news dissemination was done through texting and social networks. Protests were actually coordinated and reported through the use of these networks. The native governments found themselves powerless. Only now are we seeing how governments are reacting.

The recent blacking out of cell tower sites in San Francisco to stop a planned protest is a premonition of what we can expect to see more of as internet based news generation increases.

While the speed of the news cycle has accelerated, the type of reporting we are exposed to has also changed. More bloggers today are breaking top news, putting them in direct competition with traditional media outlets. In addition, the amount of information we are exposed to often leads to information overload. Fortunately, news sites are emerging to filter information for us into a more readable form.

2011's Cyclist Fatalities Already Alarming: What Can Be Done?

2011-11-24T04:21:00.000-08:00

Fatality Spikes

The last few weeks have felt like an epidemic to many cyclists in Los Angeles. BikingInLA reported 52 cyclist fatalities as of September 24, 2011, and there have been more since then.

Likewise, Seattle q13fox.com reported 10 fatalities so far this year. Three of those have occurred since July, according to StreetsBlog.

Spikes Not Pervasive

The spike hasn't been seen everywhere. In the San Francisco Bay Area, various news agencies have reported less than 10 for the year. But that's down from 15 in 2009, according to this Bike Accident Tracker. In New York City, Gothamist.com reported the city's 10th fatality on September 4. But that's down from 12 fatalities in NYC in 2009, according to stats cited in the Village Voice. Obviously, the year is not over yet but these numbers are relatively flat given the growth in cycling's popularity and compared to Seattle and LA.

So, as many are asking, "what is going on?" And how do we prevent this? Despite an incredible, perhaps cynical, lack of data collected by our governments on cycling fatalities, we know from experience where solutions lie: improved infrastructure, law enforcement, and training. More detail can surely be revealed about the cause of the spikes this year but simply reviewing some of the cases shows these 3 components would help a lot.

In Seattle, Seattlebikeblog and others have already identified incomplete and/or poorly designed bicycle infrastructure as a cause. In LA, a common cause is hit and runs by drivers. In New York, one cause was a cyclist going the wrong way down a street. Studies to analyze all the incident causes precisely take time. What can be done to prevent more people from dying right now?

Short Term Solutions: Few

Among improved instrastructure, law enforcement, and training, only law enforcement is quick to implement. As of this writing, San Jose, California and several other cities are implementing "Operation Safe Passage", a collaboration of police agencies and the CHP to implement "zero tolerance" of hazardous driving around schools. This operation was planned in advanced but it started just a day after of 6 year old pedestrian was killed.

Although the speed of implementation is high, such a program is tougher to scope to address cyclist risks since they are not concentrated in one area like a school. Nevertheless, something similar could be designed and implemented quickly if the political will exists.

That's a big "if", of course. Another big condition for this is whether the right laws are in place. Right now, California cycling advocates are in the midst of their third attempt to pass a "3 feet rule": SB910. But again, with enough political will this is all surmountable.

So where to get political will? Bike summit, perhaps? Seattle's mayor plans to hold a bicycle safety summit to address these larger questions. However, that doesn't necessarily lead to a solution as Los Angeles knows all too well. Their mayor held a bike summit last year. Despite a lot of great cycling developments in LA since then, the deaths keep coming.

In order for such events to be effective, they need the focus of the greater majority and not just the cyclist community. As Alan Dershowitz's experience shows, as he tries to identify all those involved in his sister-in-law's death, going it alone to get justice is tough. If one of the foremost attorney's in the country can't get justice, it is clear other forces need to be employed.

With a high enough profile, Mr. Dershowitz would get a cooperative DA and Los Angeles could immediately find/raise money for officers to clamp down on texters, speeders, and drunks causing the hit and runs. Without that larger audience, no summit or anything else will generate enough political will to do much more than is already being done.

Nevertheless, getting that focus is not impossible. Good lessons for how to do this lie in how AIDS awareness was expanded beyond the minorities that first experienced the disease. Again, the problem is time.

So what can be done in the short term? The group Occupy Wall Street is showing one way right now: a protest. However, this is having limited success because their message is not clear and they are not appealing to the majority's self interest. This lack of focus may be intentional but it still leaves the mainstream confused and apathetic.

If you want a distracted person's attention, you can't waste time telling them what you are against, you've got to tell them what you are for, what you want and why they should care, and do this instantly. That's more rally or vigil than protest.

One way to instantly get people to care is to simply get familiar faces associated with your event. The Occupy Wall Street protest really took off when Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon showed up: shallow but true. The other way to engage is to illustrate the magnitude of the loss, again instantly, e.g. the AIDS quilt.

This is what cyclists can do in the short term. Hold a vigil or rally for those we've lost with something visual and large of which distracted passers by or TV viewers will take note, and with a clear way for empathetic people to respond. With a high enough profile to the event, it is possible to obtain substantial new resources quickly.

Long Term Solutions

A lot of the long term work is already being done. The goal is obviously to do it more effectively and swiftly. One well-known key to that is to fill the data gap. Enact legislation that forces officers and other officials to collect detailed data on bicycle traffic volume and accidents.

Data gives the few intrepid politicians out there the foothold they need to take unpopular or unprecedented action. Unfortunately, many industries like the oil, tobacco, and auto industries know this so they sometimes lobby against collecting the data. Nevertheless, from good data can come good infrastructure, training, as well as the good laws and enforcement.

After supporting any rally in support of better law enforcement, my focus is going to be on legislature that improves data collection on all cycling activity including these accidents. At best, we need to know as much detail as possible about the cause of these tragedies. At least, we need to concretely document for the powers that be how many more of us are now out there.

None of this will bring those victims back but for those of us that feel we must do something, these are constructive and tenable.

9/11 And Where We Stand A Decade Later

2011-11-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

As you all know, it's been ten years since September 11, 2001 - when we Americans witnessed the worst terror attacks perpetrated on our soil. This September, there many commemorative events and heart-rending stories that tracked the lives of those most profoundly impacted. And while we will never forget those who died on the planes that hit the Pentagon or the heroes who lost their lives in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, let us also remind ourselves, that two of those four planes attacked the Twin Towers - symbols of America's economic might in the heart of Wall Street. The terrorists were hoping they'd do us long-term damage with their cowardly acts but we stood strong - and came together as a nation in the face of a common enemy.

It's also been a pretty crazy decade since then. Through the years following 9/11, home prices rallied remarkably and Americans witnessed a period of high consumer confidence. While there is no denying that it's been a roller coaster ride with the severe housing collapse in 2007 and 2008 and subsequent market drop, the markets handled the situation very well and bounced back amazingly from their 2008 lows.

But we also must recognize that there is little we can do if the world around us starts to grind to a halt - economically, politically, and as a direct consequence, socially. A global slowdown is making it all the more challenging for American companies to shine like they mostly do. Our banking and financial institutions emerged quite well after the 2008 crisis, with strong leadership from the Federal Reserve, but the European Union does not intrinsically have the solidarity that America has, and may lack the same resilience. We will have to wait and see.

I recently came across a piece titled "Ten Years After" by Sam Stovall, the Chief Investment Strategist at Standard and Poor's, and wanted to share some of his analysis on key economic metrics over the past decade.

• In 2001, the U.S. contributed 28% to world GDP. Since then, our GDP has rallied 47% from $10.3 trillion to over $15 trillion. So we've done rather well on the GDP front. That said the past decade has also seen the emergence of countries such as China and India, which has caused our share of global GDP to dip to about 25% today. This decline is to be expected as other countries grow and prosper-it is even welcome, as long as we keep our edge and continue to innovate and improve our standards of living.

• After 9/11, as we all know, housing rose remarkably... but, the debacle around mortgage financing put a dent into an otherwise stellar performance. As a result, housing went into a bad slump causing housing starts - a simple term for the number of new homes, condos or apartments being built - to fall 61% from 2001. I believe this slump will clean out the excesses in inventory and prices, and set things right - so while this is causing a lot of pain short-term, it will make us stronger for the long run.

• Employment has also been a roller-coaster - jobs were plentiful post 9/11 but a shaky world economy has resulted in a sharp increase in unemployment from 4.9% in 2001 to 9.1% today - Many, including Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has acknowledged recovery may take a while, so I urge you to batten down the hatches, focus on your work, save aggressively and invest regularly - down markets offer tremendous opportunity to buy quality companies at less than fair market value.

• And while we did okay financially with our war on terror, we are now dealing with a slowing world economy and we've had to borrow significantly to ride all this out. As a result, U.S. debt has increased significantly - from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to $14.7 trillion today. Moreover, there were many who predicted the collapse of U.S. Treasury bonds - the source of our borrowings - but were wrong; the simple truth is that the world still sees the U.S. as an unparalleled safe haven - and while other nations may purportedly be fiscally stronger, they lack the sheer magnitude and liquidity of the U.S. Treasury market.

• Oil - a key commodity - has increased considerably from $27 per barrel (for West Texas Intermediate) in 2001 to $80 per barrel today - caused largely by extraordinary demand from emerging economies and to some degree from speculative betting that may have artificially elevated the price of oil.

• Global political uncertainty and the possibility of bank failures - more imagined than real - have resulted in a rush to gold, which has rallied considerably from $273 an ounce to about $1600 today. It is interesting how Gold continues to hold considerable allure as a store of wealth in troubled times. But here again, speculators have a large role in taking it to current levels.

• Because of all these macroeconomic factors, the S&P 500 only delivered a 2.7% annual return, way below its 60-year average of 10.4%. Now, the good news here is that many sectors such as Energy, Materials and Consumer Staples performed reasonably well, but were primarily dragged down by a negative 4.3% return in financial stocks, and positive but low returns from other core sectors such as technology and healthcare.

So... it's never easy re-living a tragic event, but my takeaway for you is this - our numbers are down, but that has little to do with 9/11. Rather, it has to do with global factors and some of our own shortcomings. The good news is that the world is looking to America, directly or indirectly for leadership, and Americans are not one to squander two opportunities - one, to magnanimously help those in genuine need, and two, to not shy away from making an honest buck through a crisis. I believe U.S. stocks will again shine and come out ahead over the long run, but there well could be a few more bumps - I call them buying opportunities - along the way. And my advice is stay the course with U.S. equities because our economic fundamentals, business prowess and democratic institutions continue to be unmatched across the world.

Visit http://onthemoneyradio.org/ for weekly commentary and money advice that covers the entire financial spectrum which also airs on my weekly radio show, "On The Money!"

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Steven L. Pomeranz, CFP is a 29 year investment management veteran and host of "On The Money!" which airs on NPR station, WXEL in South Florida. He concentrates on serving high net-worth individuals and has been named one of the Top 100 Wealth Advisors 2007, by Worth magazine (October 2007 Issue), honoring America's premier financial and wealth strategists.

The Pyschology of Fear and the State

2011-11-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

At the heart of most debates about the necessity of the state is a latent fear. Partly a fear of the unknown, and partly a fear of freedom.

All societal paradigm shifts are preceded by incomprehension and followed by incomprehension. People argued long and loud that the slaves should never be freed based solely on the fact that they couldn't fathom the world functioning without slavery...total incomprehension led to great fallacy and evil. Today we cannot begin to fathom or comprehend how anyone could ever think slavery was ok, and we cannot understand the irrational fear that some people had before the slaves were freed. The same thing can be said of the women's suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement. Irrational fear led to incomprehension and a lack of vision or imagination. They feared the unknown, which blinded them.

Do you feel fear at the prospect of a stateless volunteer society ran by a free market where we are able to exercise our basic human nature to freely contract and exchange value for value? Do you feel a nagging doubt that it wouldn't work? What you fear is essentially change. Afterall What would we do without our handouts? What would we do without the strong arm of the law to protect us? After all, won't the strong always prey upon the weak? The fear is almost palpable, You can see it in their eyes as they express concern that without the state no one would build any roads, that without the state no one would be able to live for fear their neighbors would rob and kill them, that humans are vicious and violent and psychopaths will take over and rule us without mercy or provocation. The trite retort would be, 'and how is that feared outcome any worse than our current existence?" Should fear of the possibility of some future cancer prevent us from seeking a cure for our current cancer? For is it not true that psychopaths are in power all over the world, that they have no love for humanity and lack any sort of decency? That some 260 million innocents were killed in Democide last century, does not that qualify as something to rightly and rationally fear? That certain elites would prefer if 90% of us would just up and die to leave them the world to re-create in a Utopian vision for sadomasochist's? Read: Georgia Guidestones. Is not that something to rationally fear? That virtually every war ever fought in this country was fought on false pretenses and sold to the public through a never ending stream of lies and propaganda.

That even now plans are in place to re-create a technologically based Feudalism with everyone reading this as just another vassal beholden to the lords that would rule in tyranny.

Think I'm crazy? I think your crazy if you think your society is the one exception to the rule, without any evidence or logic to substantiate the claim. I think anyone who implicitly or explicitly thinks or claims, "It can't happen here," Is living in a exceptionalist fantasy world. By what law of physics or reality, by what evidence do they purport to claim, "It Cannot!". Will some god intervene on our behalf?! If we are so exceptional that we will be passed over and escape the fate that 99% of all humanity has ever had--Tyranny--what evidence or intution or logic allows this fortuitous turn of events? How are we so blessed...or is it just Faith afterall and some magical wand will be waved and we will be spared like the Hebrews on Passover....

Maybe, just maybe magical thinking will be dispelled and we can move on to rationality...ie. what is the evidence? All of this is well known to those who look, but like a horse dying of thirst but refusing to drink, most will pass this information by.

War is a Racket, a book written by a disillusioned career marine corp Major General (pretty high up the chain) goes into great lengths as to why wars are really fought, and shows us a picture of things from the inside, behind closed doors, as deals are forged in the blood of millions for the profit of a few sleazy men. The same thing happens now, as men are shipped off to war wearing sub-par armor because the General in charge has ties to the manufacturer (getting paid off in other words), and despite the fact that other cheaper and higher quality armor is ready and available. The General in charge even went so far to produce falsified research to "prove" the competitions armor failed testing, while he and his buddies, the FBI and elite forces continued to use it... This is also well known in the Military, why didn't you know about it? The powers that be didn't deem it conducive for their propaganda machine, that's why.

Consider also that The Sinking of the Lusitania, Pearl Harbor and the Gulf of Tonkin, were all fabricated lies to get us to enter a war for political expediency and nothing more. All empire's like to be self-deluded in their supposed righteous cause as they march off to war. War is Very Profitable to the arms dealers, and very profitable to the politicians who get a chunk of that blood money. Could they do it without a state apparatus to manipulate the levers of society? Could they pull off such a grand charade without force and coercion?

The point of all this is that corruption follows corruption, and there will always be corruption in government because government itself is a corruption at the core of human societies. Force is the antithesis to prosperity, it is anathema to progress, and government is nothing if it isn't force. If the fear is that chaos will reign without big brother, I think the emotive function of fear has skewed our perception, for it is surely chaos already, and we are irrationally fearing the one and only thing that would solve it...freedom. We fear freedom because we have never known it, and we cannot fathom or comprehend a world based upon it, this does not make it impossible, merely improbably. This does not make it undesirable, merely it shows humanity has a ways to go yet. How do we get there? It was asked of me: what can I do about it? Well I can tell the one thing you don't do is ignore it. And the first and foremost thing you can do about it is educate yourself so no further propaganda and disinformation can skew your already diseased mind, and make no mistake, any person who went through public education was brainwashed to be loyal to the state and to not question to loudly the powers that be. The antidote to that is information, is research, and lastly education from sources that at the very least uphold the principle that you deserve to live free, that you deserve to keep the profits of your own work, that you are a sovereign individual in your own right. A source of information that doesn't uphold these principles, that doesn't grant you these presuppositions of basic human decency is out to deceive and destroy to get power over you...end of story.

It is no urban myth that Dogs kill more people per year than Sharks, and yet we fear the Shark far more than we fear fido next door. This demonstrates that fear is at best Irrational and ill suited to guide our political leanings and understandings. To view things dispassionately we must go to the evidence and see what has worked, and also use deductive logic based reasoning to guide our thinking when empiricism will not be sufficient. Whenever we let fear grip our mind, when we feel the sinking feeling of doom enter our guts, know that at that exact point in time our Rational mind has ceased to function, and any hope of accurate deduction is gone.

My conclusion is thus: If humanity hopes to survive itself, if we hope to win past our ape heritage of violence and coercion and truly bring prosperity to our species, to escape to the stars, our only path is peace. As an athiest I realize we are not exceptional, there is no higher power that will intervene to save us, and no "American exceptionalism" except the principles of peace and freedom that our generation has taken for granted and has now lost. There is no manifest destiny that gaurantees our success or our survival, and frighteningly we are now more than capable of completely wiping ourselves out of existence. State concentration of power brought us to this impasse, violence centered societies brought us to this fate, not some vengeful god, us. If we hope to live, then we must evolve.

Freedom brings prosperity wherever it has been tried. The wealthiest society the Earth has ever witnessed was created solely because of its adherence to economic freedom. Those times are over. We have forsaken our libertarian roots for the evil twins welfare and warfare, and we have a high price to pay. Is it too late for freedom? Possibly, but I have hope that technology and communication will prove to be formidable this time around, and the powers of corruption will be stymied in their push for domination...

The Author is just your average Guy looking for some sense in the world. An objectivist philosophy stands at the heart of his world view, with a little anti-establishment thrown in for good measure. If you want to find out more about Objectivism, or read some of his other works, please stop by my blog.

The Earthquake That Ate Washington!

2011-11-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Just Kidding - DC's Still There, Eating The Economy

Happy Labor Day, Mr. President! When you promised to "radically transform" America, Brother, you weren't kidding. You're moving Heaven and Earth! Well, Earth, anyway. Actually, just some of the Earth (who knew D.C. could have earthquakes?). Actually, I guess you said the other day that "shovel ready" wasn't as shovel-ready as you thought.

So what are you moving, again?

Not employment, I guess: on the occasion of Labor Day, reports say only half the jobs we thought were created in July actually were created - but more impressively, not a single job was created in America in August. Wow... that's a new record! It's never happened in U.S. history, since monthly tracking began in 1945! The president must be proud, because world records are hard to come by, and because this certainly represents a radical transformation. A prominent pro golfer recently noted, essentially, "President Obama has played more golf than I have this month... and I have created more jobs than he has this month."

Not moving the economy either, I reckon - at least not in a positive direction. August saw many economic firsts: we had the first debt downgrade in our history, we raised our debt level to the highest ever, the Fed announced an unprecedented two FULL years of continued zero-interest (and promised more money would be printed ASAP), and the stock market had one of the most volatile months in its history as it teeters on the brink of a crash. More records shattered! You go, Mr. President!

And foreign policy? Let's just say it's been years (three) since any movement has been made on American diplomatic goals, such as denying nukes to Iran or standing up to Chinese assertiveness.

I get it. Mr. Obama, as he promised on the campaign trail three years ago, is moving the entire nation from the world's top position as a strong, free-market republic (where people have the guts to start a business or build opportunity-creating wealth), backward into the ranks of the unexceptional collectivist states that have done such a boffo job governing the world for most of its history.

Recall those t-shirts we saw lots of in 2008, which said "January 20, 2009 - Bush's Last Day!" Candidate Obama successfully got a majority of us dreaming of that happy day. On that happy day, gas was $1.84, unemployment was around five percent, the national debt was well under ten trillion, and we still had a triple-A credit rating. So on the occasion of his third Labor Day in office, Mr. Obama can reflect with pride on the fruit of his own labors, and note that the "radical transformation" is undeniably underway.

Seismologists watching California fear the "San Andreas Fault," because it can cause earthquakes that bring a lot of damage. President Obama talks more about "Bush's Fault," which apparently caused the unlikely recent D.C. earthquake... though it's the current president's policies that're doing all the damage.

by Michael D. Hume, M.S.

Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.

Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael's web site at http://michaelhume.net/

Black Psychosis

2011-11-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Psychosis is a dirty word so I don't expect much appreciation for writing this. But we Blacks need to start owning our circumstances. Racism and discrimination persist but that isn't the point here. The Black community has cultivated a belief system and mental state that have become entrenched into our DNA. I call this the "Black Psychosis" and in contemporary America it is just as responsible for holding our people back as institutional racism.

In its basic form, psychosis means a distorted view of reality, usually including false beliefs about what is actually taking place, which then impact how one goes about their daily life. Black psychosis is a form of group psychosis where deep seated emotions, distorted beliefs and behavioral characteristics may not be apparent in any one individual. However, when the Black community is looked at as a group, a shared pathological state emerges.

Any attempts to improve circumstances for Blacks are restricted from the start unless key aspects of black psychosis are recognized, understood and addressed. Key aspects of black psychosis include:

* Shame

* Fear and Anger

* Paranoia

* Victim Mentality

* Jealousy and Envy

* Entitlement

* Exaggerated Success

* Scapegoating

* Empathy

* Hopelessness/Helplessness

Aspects of Black Psychosis

1. Shame

There comes a point in a child's life when he realizes that being Black is more than having darker skin and curlier hair. It starts to mean that he cannot feel what others feel. He cannot experience the pride of knowing his rich heritage. People begin treating him differently because he looks different. The child learns that Blackness comes with a stigma and it's unsettling. Everything seems harder and he wishes he were someone else.

As Black children, we grow to realize that Blackness is undesirable. It is undesirable to mainstream America and to ourselves. American society sends a clear message. Images of beauty, power and intelligence are reserved for white. If not white, then maybe Asian or Latino but certainly not Black. The media and pop culture present role models for how to look, talk, and act. Well, Blacks can't change how we look. And African-American cultural expressions are typically rejected by mainstream America as crude and unrefined, that is until they become co-opted through the back door. Even to children barely old enough to hop on a school bus, the message is plain.. No matter what they do, they cannot look as good, talk as good or act as white as the model. We soon realize that we are not only different, but our differences are stigmatized as undesirable. Suddenly, we don't want to be Black anymore. We are first rejected by society and then we reject ourselves. Shame consumes us.

As we get on in years, we spend our time proving to the outside world that we are a proud people and we have something to contribute to society but deep down, we don't believe it. We remain a shameful people. Who can blame us? Slavery is not something to be proud of. It is difficult to come to terms with the fact that our ancestors were captured in Africa, shackled, chained and shipped half way around the world, sold like cattle, and worked to the bone for over 200 years under the constant threat of physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

Slavery is an embarrassment and while it should be more embarrassing to the white perpetrators, it is far more damaging to us Blacks who continue living with it. Whites find it convenient to disassociate from slavery saying the atrocities were at the hands of their ancestors. They did not have a direct hand and, therefore, should be absolved. Or, they proclaim to be recent immigrants, arriving on American soil long after slavery was abolished. How can they possibly be held accountable? Blacks have no such fortune. We cannot turn a blind eye. We look in the mirror and the truth reveals itself. We are African and we were brought here against our will. We are the descendants of slaves.

This painful realization slaps us in the face at an early age. White 3rd graders proudly display their family trees during "show and tell", tracing their lineages to the old country and inserting a coat of arms for effect. Black children shyly unveil sparse trees with broken limbs, proceeding from the shallow roots of slavery. Where are the bragging rights in this? As children, we are forced to confront our shame and put it on display for all to see. We crave the pride of our peers. It is a time when we want to fit in and be accepted. Instead, we cower in shame.

2. Fear and Anger

Blacks live in fear. Our history is filled with tales of violence and repression. The statement was emphatic, "Stay in your place and you may live. Get uppity and face the consequences." Blacks tend to stay within a comfort zone. Comfort may mean sticking to our own kind, within our own communities and circle of peers. Those who move into the mainstream play it safe, careful not to ruffle feathers or rock the boat. When becoming outspoken, we typically pick our battles well, finding white advocates who are more sympathetic to our cause. But fear isn't reserved for times of imminent conflict or confrontation. Fear travels with us every day. It strikes when the Black family drives through a white neighborhood and everyone stops and stares. It surfaces when the Black couple sits down at a high class restaurant and the vibrant conversation ceases. A young Black stock broker goes to the pub with some friends after work and catches the attention and frowns of belligerent white patrons across the bar. The college student is unsure whether to accompany his friends in Europe next summer because he has heard that eastern Europeans are blatant racists.

Blacks are afraid of the unknown and distrustful of the actions of others. We believe in our intuitive talents to size up a room, predict conflict and label others as racist. It doesn't matter whether our fears are justified or paranoid. We believe in them. But the fear does not serve us well. It stirs up deep conflicts within us. We sacrifice the things we want. We move away from what is in our hearts. We choose a path that's safe. We shun challenges. We become incapacitated by fear and complacency. And we get angry. We get fed up with the pain and fears and frustrations. We turn the rage onto ourselves and we hate ourselves more. The anger consumes us from within. Eventually, we act out, unleashing our fury on unsuspecting innocents.

Anger is the salvo for fear. While fear makes us feel vulnerable and weak, anger empowers us. We become stronger. We have the gall to defy our conscience. We put on airs of defiance. We see the wilting faces of our enemies and we are emboldened. We mistake their fear and pity for respect. We summon the anger to douse the fear and self hate. But the power we feel is fleeting. Eventually, we are left alone with only our thoughts and feelings. The pain and fear percolate deep inside and we are powerless to repress it.

3. Paranoia

Blacks believe that race is the predominant factor in every negative experience. Racism or racialization is always the cause of our misfortunes. We are continually victimized by white America who singles us out and prematurely judges us based on the color of our skins. A speeding ticket? "Of course it's racial profiling because I was going the same speed as everyone else on the freeway." A death sentence? "Murder is murder so why are Blacks overwhelmingly sentenced to death in higher proportions than whites for similar crimes? And it's no coincidence that those crimes are prosecuted in the deep South where Jim Crow festers just below the surface." Didn't get the job? "It was because I was Black and that whole office was white. They didn't want me anyway." Hurricane Katrina is a great example of group paranoia and racial accusation. "There is no way that the government would be so slow to respond if most of the victims in New Orleans were white." Blacks went on to level charges of blatant racism on President Bush, his administration (never mind that a couple key members of the cabinet were Black), the media and the American public. "The severity of the Katrina tragedy was due to racism", Blacks claim. Take any situation, inject Blacks and the situation becomes significantly worse. This is what Blacks believe.

We even inject race into events that have positive outcomes for ourselves and our communities. We believe that when a white person witnesses something good happen to a Black person, they secretly whisper, "the only reason that happened is because he is Black." In other words, despite achieving success, Blacks are paranoid that mainstream America thinks the success was undeserved. It is viewed as a gift and whites are more resentful and racist towards Blacks as a result. Black person gets a job? Whites think he is a token, a beneficiary of affirmative action or an unofficial quota system. Black person gets into Harvard? The school wanted to present a false image of diversity and political correctness.

Put quite simply, Blacks are paranoid. By injecting race into failures and successes, we are incapable of taking ownership of our shortcomings or taking pride in our accomplishments. Not only are we labeling all Americans racists, we are confining ourselves to perpetual victim-hood.

4. Victim Mentality

"Our failures are because everyone is against us and they don't want us to succeed. We would get ahead but the system is stacked against us." Such beliefs are closely coupled with Black paranoia. However, victim-hood is the internalization of paranoia. Since Blacks believe the cards are stacked against us and the whole world is keeping us down, we become justified in our paranoia. Our failures of a people are not our responsibility. They are the responsibility of those in power who seek to keep us down.

A victim who adopts a victim's mentality must never take responsibility else they run the risk of being called to action. He will be expected to take charge of his life. Victim-hood is the perfect excuse for inaction. And inaction is always easier because there are no expectations and no failures. "Of course Black kids are joining gangs and killing each other. There's nothing for them to do. There's no jobs for them to work at and the city keeps tearing down playgrounds. Of course they are going to find trouble just like any other teenagers." We wear the excuses like badges of honor. Never mind that Koreans and Ukrainians have quickly gotten their footing and succeeded despite being recent immigrants. "The white government gave them loans to move into our neighborhoods and set up shops. Why didn't they give those loans to Blacks? We could set up our own shops. No people have had it so bad," we tell ourselves. "Blacks are the lowest of the low and white America will do anything to keep us at the bottom rung of the ladder." This is what we believe and we sleep easy as a result.

5. Jealousy/Envy

Deep down, Blacks have intense envy. We want what everyone else has. We want success. We want riches. We want the spoils. We want the fame. We want recognition for our contributions to society. Other groups that move ahead of Blacks become the targets of our envy, jealousy and rage. And the comparisons drive us mad. It's rubbed in our faces that the Jews have survived thousands of years of persecution and were almost eliminated by the Nazis, yet they prosper throughout the world. The Jews become targets for our intense jealousy. We see the Mexicans flooding the country, moving into our neighborhoods, taking our jobs and compelling institutions to cater to them. Despite American push back on the tidal wave of immigration, Mexicans are given credit for working hard and their sacrifice to work for very little pay. Mexicans become the targets of Black envy.

Black jealousy is so rampant that we are even jealous of each other. One might say the intense competition and gang warfare occurring across our nation's cities is the result of jealousy in others' success. In the 1980s, basketball shoes were a major status symbol. They were so coveted that kids were killing each other over sixty dollar pairs of sneakers. Nothing has changed. When Blacks are on the path to success, it is common for members of the community to find ways to hold us back. And if the upwardly mobile manage some success, the community is quick to consider them outcasts for not giving back to the community.

Blacks are not merely envious of what others possess, we are envious of the credit others receive. What is remarkable is that in many cases, there are opportunities to form strong alliances and to learn something from other groups as well as ourselves yet Blacks choose to isolate ourselves in victim-hood and turn potential allies into enemies.

6. Entitlement

The deep envy and jealousy inevitably lead to a sense of entitlement within the community. For all that Blacks have suffered and for all that Blacks have invested through blood, sweat and tears, we want pay back. The dire circumstances within the community only heighten the calls for restitution. America owes us something. It makes no difference whether it takes the form of government reparations or affirmative action programs in the workplace and schools, just so long as America shows some goodwill for all the trouble it has caused Blacks from Columbus' arrival through the present day. As some tragic events in history have shown, when Blacks don't get the payback we deserve, we will steal it. When we loot, we steal. When we live out our lives on welfare, we steal. When we expect quotas and affirmative action ad infinitum without measuring progress and continued need, we steal.

Stealing is a rationalization because we feel justified in taking what should be ours in the first place. The longer we receive handouts, the more reliant we become. The more reliant we are, the more eroded our self confidence and will to pull ourselves out of our situation. Restitution may be justified but the sense of entitlement will persist until the community feels it has received adequate payback and that the playing field is leveled. And that will require an admission by Blacks that we are ready to compete and earn what we feel is ours. Viewed in that sense, the price for paying down the debt of entitlement is steep.

7. Exaggerated Success

You know the story. It's played out every day on the TV screens and across the newspaper headlines. The Black guy makes a little money, he turns around and drops a working man's yearly salary on diamond studs that swallow both ear lobes. It's not the spending of the money that makes this part of the Black psychosis, it's the spending of the money in a way that lets everyone know he has (or had) money. It's the exaggerated and very public display of success. Heck, even the kid in the projects is blowing every last cent on chrome rims for his rusted out 1975 Chevy Monte Carlo. "If you can't afford the car, at least buy some rims", he boasts. Business men and professionals are not exempt in case you thought this was an affliction of the underclass, the drug dealers and the entertainers. The buttoned up professional shows off in a more subtle way but it reeks all the same. He leases a Mercedes when all he could afford was a used Toyota. We have a need to stand out and be recognized. It is imperative that we announce to the world that we made it. A well chosen accessory is the accessory that garners the most attention and respect. And this isn't merely a pronouncement of pride. Sadly, this is a cry for attention and affirmation. We are telling the world we made it and we expect the world to love us in return. Unfortunately, the plan backfires. The world ridicules us as children who don't know how to accept success with humility. Stodgy Americans are disgusted by the gaudy display.

Flamboyant accessorizing is an extension of the way we carry ourselves on the field of play, be it an office, a concert stage or a football field. The public has come to expect a style of play and sportsmanship from Blacks. For instance, NBA players routinely dance down the court after an acrobatic dunk. Football players act out choreographed dances following a touchdown. In concert and mid verse, rappers re-create sexual acts with star struck groupies. Blacks say our cockiness is simply self-expression in the heat of competition. We are an expressive people and yes, we rub our competitors' noses in it. We say it's a part of normal gamesmanship. White America sees it very differently. Cockiness is disrespectful because it seeks to make others look bad publicly. In other words, it's the ultimate of poor sportsmanship.

There is nothing wrong with expression and individual style, especially over major events or achievements. It's human nature to show outward expression of joyful emotions. What is disturbing is how these expressions are often exaggerated over the most trivial accomplishment. A receiver who makes a first down in a football game pops up off the ground and points to the end zone as if to say, "We're rolling and you can't stop us." Never mind that his team is losing by 30 points with two minutes to play in the game. The psychosis isn't the expression, it is the exaggeration of success and the unquenchable thirst for public adoration and respect.

8. Scapegoating

Those Blacks that are fortunate enough to be in the public eye often find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. When a Black person is under the spotlight, they are a model for the race and we scrutinize everything they do. Inevitably, they do something even the most ardent supporters among us can't get behind. The community has to face the facts that this person is guilty. It may be a major crime or it could be a simple embarrassing act worthy of public ridicule. Regardless of the severity, everyone in the community gets that nauseating feeling deep in the pits of their stomachs. If the act is bad enough, the person is vilified and considered a discredit to the race. "Why did this idiot have to do this?" "He is giving us a bad name." "Here I am trying to make it in this world, trying to win people's respect, and this fool has set us back a hundred years." Blacks feel ashamed and we scapegoat controversial Blacks as the cause of continued racism and inequality. Yes, it's a severe reaction. It's an unfair position to put someone in. It is undoubtedly assigning too much responsibility to an individual. And it gives whites no credit for seeing the public figure as an individual not a representative of all Blacks. But it doesn't matter. Blacks believe it and our collective scorn is leveled against the evil doer for ruining it for the rest of us.

Scapegoating and representation don't work only in the negative. Black representatives stand atop a high pedestal within the community. Let's face it, Blacks feel we are the best at everything. The Black musician, the Black singer, the Black actor, they are all the best at their trade. A Black pitcher throwing to a white batter... guess who all of the Blacks are rooting for? A boxing match between a Black and Mexican fighter, 100% of Blacks are rooting for the Black fighter, guaranteed. And we'll be damned if we ever lose a 100 meter sprint to a Russian or German. If a U.S. Black can't win, it better be a Jamaican or Nigerian. Black must always win. In the public eye, each Black is a representative of the race and a central component of our tenuous pride.

9. Empathy

Scapegoating is an emotional reaction to our own inadequacies. Deep down, we have an incredible sense of empathy and an undying support for our brothers and sisters. We often find ways to excuse and rationalize even the most hideous offenses. It's good to be compassionate and empathetic. But excessive empathy is testament to an intense identification with the wrongdoer. We understand their pain. We believe that deep emotional stress led the person to do horrible things. They are victims as well. We want them to overcome and come out ahead. We want justice served but will secretly rejoice if leniency is shown by the public or the legal system. We feel sorry for our murderers because we understand the pain and rage they feel. The Black stars who fall from grace have our deepest sympathy because we know that society is out to get them and knock them down. "No one wants to see a Black man rise", we proclaim. Mainstream America may not see this side of us because we may not feel safe in expressing it to them. But even when we shun someone publicly, we usually pull for them privately.

Scapegoating and empathy are two sides of the same coin. In both cases, Blacks have a very hard time disassociating themselves from other Blacks. Despite internal conflicts within the community, Blacks will identify with Blacks that are under public scrutiny. We see them as models not as individuals. We see them as representatives of the race. And what they do becomes part of our collective identity. We are part of the same being. Individually, we have different characteristics and features but, collectively, we are one organism. The psychosis is that we are affected in major ways by the public treatment of our brothers and sisters. We are affected by the perception and scrutiny of those under the public microscope. They are not only our models and representatives, they are ourselves.

10. Hopelessness/Helplessness

Helplessness is felt by many Blacks in different ways. Many of us are so far behind in education and gainful employment that is nearly impossible to imagine our transformation into an empowered people that can rise out of our current situation. Some are living in the shadows of a Jim Crow south. As if it weren't enough to overcome severe poverty and a lack of education, we are also striving to overcome an insidious form of racial discrimination that is hidden from or shunned by contemporary mainstream America. These people feel helpless.

Despair is rampant. Helplessness is the urban Black youth who is living under a cloud of gang violence, drug peddling, addictions, abuse, rotting schools and corporate abandonment. He is in survival, look out for myself mode because no one will look out for him. He cannot get the most, if anything, out of schools because of the dysfunction, threat of violence and ill equipped teachers. He is not merely undereducated, he is woefully uneducated. How is he going to rise up from his circumstances? The problems are so big they feel beyond anyone's control. He feels helpless.

Helpless are the Black professionals, tokens in the sterile corporate offices, medical practices, law firms, classrooms and plumbers' unions. They live in mainstream America and confront racism every day. They see glass ceilings, they remember the communities they left behind, and they feel pain for their less fortunate brothers and sisters. They stand alone, isolated in mainstream America, realizing too few are following in their footsteps. Try as they may, they fail to change the stigma and perceptions of mainstream America. They hear the whispers that say they are the exception, not the rule and they cannot deny it. Racism, prejudice and bias persist and they are helpless to change it. They are resigned.

Helplessness naturally progresses into hopelessness. If people live in a state of helplessness long enough, they lose hope that their situation can change. The Black community has lost hope. We don't have hope that our situation or social stature will change. We don't have hope for our children's future. We don't have hope that our children will improve upon the lives of their parents. We don't have hope that the country will change its views of Blacks. We believe that Blacks will continue being the lowest of the low. We don't have hope that we will break the glass ceiling and realize equality of pay and opportunity. We don't have hope that we will be free from fear and racial intimidation. We don't have hope that discrimination will end and we can live in neighborhoods of our choosing. We don't have hope that we will be treated fairly by the legal system, that cops will stop racial profiling, that juries will stop pre-judging, and that death sentences will be doled out equitably. We lost hope that equality is inevitable.

We, as a people, are chained by false promises. Hopelessness, helplessness and despair find us, no matter where we hide, no matter how we adorn ourselves. A few may survive their torture, fewer still may thrive, but most fall victim to the death grip that chokes the hope from us. Many give up. Many accept that this is all they will ever have and will ever be. They stop dreaming, if they dreamt to begin with. They tell themselves they don't deserve better. Deep down, we believe we will never overcome.

Freedoms a Princess Surrenders When She Gains Her Official Regal Title

2011-11-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

The highly publicized wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton was an event that took the world by storm. Interested viewers in the United States woke up at 4am to watch the ceremony and to catch a glimpse of the new princess. Every detail of the wedding was captured, analyzed and commented on. Catherine's dress, her make-up, her hair, every inch of her was analyzed and scrutinized. Can you imagine what amazing gifts the couple would get for such a special day? However, instead of accepting royal princess gifts from their high profile guests, Catherine and Prince William instead provided a list of recommended charities for their guests to give donations to in their family's name. But what was missing from this fairytale? Reality! This particular wedding wasn't just a union between a man and a woman; it was a change in the way of life for both of these young people. By signing the marriage license and saying her vows, Catherine was also certifying that she would change a few things in her life. With all the things that Catherine will be able to do now that she is princess there are some things she can't do. Is becoming princess really worth all the hype?

As a freshly minted princess, Catherine is prohibited to vote. Now as royalty, she must refrain from voting because it would be seen as unconstitutional for her to do so. Catherine's new public role dictates that she must appear to be politically neutral. As a member of the Royal Family, Catherine must follow in the footsteps of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family when Prince William and Kate present themselves as identifying with every faction of society. Catherine must display strong support for all English constituents and part of that is giving up her right to vote. Is this something you would be able to give up? Is giving up your right to vote to become princess a fair trade? It seems as though as soon as you marry into royalty you are under the rule of the family you just married into.

In addition to giving up her right to vote, Catherine is also prohibited from holding a job. Now I'm sure most of you are thinking, "She's a princess, why would she want to work?" But what if she wanted to work? What if she were passionate about her career? Due to the fact that she married a prince, Catherine's career came to a halt. Luckily for Catherine, she has a degree but doesn't seem to be in a rush to do anything with it. She has decided that she is content with just being a housewife to her prince and will make public appearances with her husband when necessary. Why shouldn't Catherine be able to choose for herself whether or not she would like to work? Why does this decision have to be made for her? Is this "royal rule of law" setting a good example for the future women of the world? Leave all of your ambitions behind because now you're married and have to become HIS housewife. Is this sending the message that it's acceptable for women to be educated, but if you're lucky enough to find a wealthy man early on, you won't have to use your degree? Is a degree to some women a "nice to have" and only serves the purpose to complete your "MRS" degree? Catherine is considered the oldest spinster to get married to a future king at the age of 29.

Most people might think that once you're a princess you have some authority to boss people around and do whatever you want, but in fact you are still under the reign of the Queen. And when the princess has the pleasure of eating with Her Majesty the Queen, she is to stop eating the minute the queen does, fork in hand. No matter how hungry Princess Catherine might be, once the Queen decides she is done eating - so must all princesses stop eating. Not that she looks like she eats a lot, but Catherine or any princess for that matter should have the option to finish her meal if she wants to. What if she has to go to the bathroom during dinner and by the time she walks all the way down the palace hall to the restroom and comes back and the Queen has since been stuffing her face and she's now full and Catherine can't finish her meal? That doesn't sound like something that is desirable. It seems like a princess would be able to decide when she's full and when she's not. Princesses should be setting the example of healthy eating.

Additional liberties that Princess Catherine gave up when she took her royal title is the ability to sign unofficial papers (I guess that includes the right to sign autographs!), do or say anything controversial, and believe it or not - Catherine can no longer play Monopoly - it's true. Prince Andre Duke of York found that the game got "too vicious" when played by the Royal Family, so it was banned from royal grounds. Are these prohibitions easy to adjust to, or are they going too far? For us "common folk" it seems that with royalty comes freedom and the authority to do whatever you choose, but it seems that in some respects it's the complete opposite. Catherine's royal ways will be so severely scrutinized that everything is predetermined for her all the way down to what board games she is allowed to play. Does that sound like happily ever after?

Is wearing the tiara worth relinquishing freedoms that most of us take for granted? It depends on the woman, but one thing is for sure, being a real princess is a lot different from what the fairy tales portray and for some it may not seem worth it. There are lists of other specific liberties Catherine has given up now that she's a princess, but only a few examples were discussed here. She is now going to live her life under a microscope and under the control of the Royal Family with particular guidelines to follow. Is she sacrificing too much? Is she sacrificing anything really, besides the opportunity to play Monopoly?

We don't have royalty in the US, but we do have Everything Princesses where you can select a great princess gift for your royal-in-waiting family members, and for those ever so special events in her life, including princess birthday supplies.

Another 'Lost Cause' In Charleston, SC

2011-11-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

For some, a ride on Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,056-passenger Fantasy would indeed be a fantasy come true. Others, however, just fantasize about kicking the ship out of their town.

The Fantasy is the first cruise ship to be based in Charleston, S.C., and its arrival there raised a storm of questions about the limits of municipal authority and the value of historical preservation versus economic growth.

In June, the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Coastal Conservation League, the Preservation Society of Charleston, and several Charleston neighborhood groups sued Carnival, claiming that the ship's presence violates Charleston's strict zoning laws. They maintain that the ship is a "structure," subject to the same regulations on height, signage and other matters as buildings on land.

The lawsuit also alleges that the ship violates a view corridor protection statute prohibiting construction that blocks views of the harbor. Mayor Joe Riley, who opposes the lawsuit, responded that the boat is part of the view. The statute exists "so you can see ships," he said.

Other history lovers are unwilling to sign on to the lawsuit, but want the city to pass an ordinance that would prevent cruise visits from becoming more frequent. Currently, the South Carolina Ports Authority limits cruise visits to Charleston to 104 per year and allows only one ship to call in the port at a time. The cap is voluntary, however, and can be increased by the Ports Authority at any time. The Historic Charleston Foundation - a separate group from the Preservation Society of Charleston - is seeking a city ordinance to make the 104-visit cap mandatory.

The Historic Charleston Foundation and other history buffs are fighting a proposed measure, currently before the City Council, that they view as too weak. The ordinance, written by Mayor Riley, would require the Ports Authority to follow a public process to increase the number of cruise visits beyond 104, but would not make an increase impossible.

Adding to the controversy is the fact that Ports Authority plans to build a new passenger terminal at the city's Union Pier. Both the current terminal and the proposed terminal are outside the bounds of the historic district, but docking at Union Pier brings ships closer to the city center.

Charleston is indeed a beautiful city. Its historical district is both one of the loveliest and one of the most lovingly preserved in the nation. But because Charleston is far from I-95, it is not on anyone's route to anywhere, so relatively few people get to experience its charms. Increased cruise departures would change that, allowing Caribbean-bound passengers to soak in a dose of history before or after they sail. The Fantasy draws most of its passengers from within driving distance, but some come from farther away and would otherwise never set foot in Charleston.

Charleston residents may not care much about their potential guests' historical education, but they should care about the boost cruisers bring to local economies. The cruise ship industry contributes around $37 million annually to the Charleston metropolitan area, according to The Wall Street Journal. More ships coming to port would mean more passengers in search of on-shore food and lodging.

Since I spend a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., I'm no stranger to the downsides of living among cruise ships. Personally, I still agree with Riley that ships are part of an ocean view, not an obstruction of it, and I enjoy watching them from the balcony of my downtown apartment. Unfortunately, I also spend a lot of my time on that balcony trying to mop up the ever-present layer of black soot left by the ships, as well as by smaller boats on the nearby New River. I suppose some of my neighbors would gladly sacrifice their view of the ships in exchange for a cleaner balcony.

The truth, however, is that the number of ships that call in our town is not up to my neighbors and me, nor should it be. From portside residents' perspective, the personal nuisance caused by cruise ships is not worth the dispersed economic benefits they bring. From the perspective of a city or state as a whole, however, a few people's annoyance is a reasonable price to pay for something that benefits everyone. If the price can be brought down, through tighter federal pollution standards for marine diesel fuel (and those tighter standards are on the way), that's a good thing; if not, a less appealing view or a few sooty balconies is no reason to put the brakes on a valuable and relatively clean industry.

People tend to put their own interests first, which is why issues like maritime traffic generally fall under state or federal purview. Individuals, neighborhood associations and city councils are free to express how they will be affected, but they don't get the final say.

The lawsuit against Carnival seems destined to fail. The attempts to control the state Ports Authority by city ordinance likely will as well. Cities generally cannot tell state agencies how to do their business.

Charleston's most famous moment in history came on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter. Then, as now, residents were eager to challenge a distant governing power. Eventually Southern secessionists came to see their movement as a "Lost Cause." Today's cruise opponents are likely to find their NIMBYism is similarly ill-fated. This time, fortunately, the battle will not involve bloodshed.

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Producing Fair Results From An Unfair Process

2011-11-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

In nearly a year and a half, Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), has managed to spend around $5.3 billion of BP's money to compensate people who suffered, or said that they suffered, financial losses because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

That money has been paid out of the $20 billion fund the Obama administration bullied BP into establishing in the wake of the spill. Of the more than 500,000 claimants whose requests the GCCF has received thus far, only 211,579 have been paid. BP will also have to pay court judgments from those who choose not to use Feinberg's claims process, as well as any damages assessed by the federal government under environmental or oil development laws.

As far as I can tell, Feinberg has done his best to balance fairness and efficiency. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, he dedicated around $2.6 billion to Emergency Advance Payments to offset losses incurred in the first six months. Since then, claimants have had three options. As a first option, they can accept a "quick payment" of $5,000 for individuals or $25,000 for businesses. The quick payments require no additional documentation beyond what was used to determine the Emergency Advance Payments. However, claimants who accept a quick payment are required to waive their right to make any other claims against BP in the future.

Alternatively, those who believe their losses were greater than the quick payment amounts can submit thorough documentation and receive a final payment offer based on the specific information they provide. Claimants then can choose either to accept the offered amount as full compensation for past and future losses and to waive their right to make additional claims, or they can request interim payments based on the damages that can currently be ascertained while waiting to get a clearer idea of actual future losses before agreeing to a final settlement.

The third option is to reject the claims settlement process completely and go to court. It will be some time before we know how many residents and businesses choose that path, how much money they demand and how successful they will ultimately be. Litigation stretched on for decades after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

Critics of the Gulf claims process have argued that many claimants, especially fishermen, have been pressured by financial necessity to accept the quick payments despite having larger documented losses. An independent audit will soon investigate those claims. There is also a great deal of discussion over the methodology that should be used to determine losses for oyster fishers, since the oyster season does not align with the calendar year, making comparisons between 2010 and other years misleading. Meanwhile, longer-term trends toward lower fishing yields have made the effects of the spill difficult to isolate.

Overall, however, it seems that most people who suffered damages will be fully compensated. Because of the limited documentation required to receive quick payments, more than a few who did not suffer damages, or who suffered only minimal damages, will likely be paid as well. But that may be a necessary cost of getting payments made as quickly as possible for the benefit of those who need them.

None of this, unfortunately, helps much to determine the amount of damage BP was actually responsible for, or to ensure that its costs end up being reasonably in line with its real liability.

BP was not the only party involved in the goings-on at Deepwater Horizon, and it was likely not the only one that made mistakes in drilling the Macondo oil well, whose gusher triggered the disaster on April 20, 2010. Investigators pointed fingers at BP for the decisions it made in drilling the well, but also at Halliburton, which was responsible for the cement that should have safely sealed the well, and at Transocean, which operated the Deepwater Horizon and was responsible for maintaining the rig's safety systems. It will likely be a long time before blame is apportioned among the companies. In the meantime, it is only BP's money that provides relief and compensation for victims.

Furthermore, the $20 billion does not provide a full settlement for BP. In an ordinary settlement, companies are able to make a rational choice between the costs of settling and the costs of litigation. When BP agreed to lay down the $20 billion, however, it had no way of knowing what portion of its costs that money would cover.

In the aftermath of the spill, rapid action was required. Individuals and businesses needed money to restore their property and to weather the lengthy clean-up period. Establishing the GCCF accomplished that, but it also accomplished other less savory objectives, such as directing responsibility onto a conveniently non-American target and allowing President Obama to show he was doing something about the spill, even if he had no authority to do it.

It would have been more reasonable to let BP administer its own claims process, without arbitrarily tying up $20 billion in escrow, or to have the government use its own money to review and pay claims, seeking compensation later from all the responsible companies once their liability is established. Or BP could have been released from all other liability in exchange for its $20 billion, which would have least bought the oil company some financial certainty, albeit at what seems certain to prove an excessive price.

The waters of the Gulf are returning to normalcy. The handling of the spill, however, has shown American regulatory waters can also be a dangerous place.

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Internet, Smarphones Give Rise to On-Demand News Consumption

2011-11-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago the best way to get informed was to watch the nightly news on the television, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper. Things have changed dramatically over the last decade or so. With the advent of the Internet we are no longer dependent on the television or the radio for trending news. Just a few mouse clicks and we have the entire world literally at our finger tips. We can instantly access millions of news articles tailored to our specific interests.

News sites have replaced television channels and the day's top news is available through RSS feeds, email alerts, and shared comments on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. With laptops, wireless Internet connectivity, and a host of applications we are now able to communicate with others with unprecedented ease, no matter where we are at any time during the day or night.

With the emergence of smartphones this trend has simply boomed. Smartphones and other such devices have simply revolutionized the way we search for news and share interesting articles with others. A revolution in Syria is followed on Twitter using a Smartphone. Updates are shared in real time with supporters from across the globe. A high school party invitation is sent out using a message that quickly snowballs until it reaches everyone at the school. From news that can topple a government to harmless Tweets directed at one's sweetheart, information moves much faster than at any other time in world history.

People have the power to decide when they want their news to be delivered and how it will be personalized. Smartphone applications provide unprecedented functionality that leverage innovative features such as location. We can easily get news specific to our location at any point in time. The convenience and power of such targeted content makes the tasks associated with consuming news much more efficient. With traditional methods we spent more time and received reports less-tailored to our interests. We would watch the nightly news for a half hour just to find one or two stories interesting. Contrast that with the personalized news we can receive today within just a few seconds. Search engines and news aggregators can be accessed within seconds from just about anywhere, whether it be through laptop computers or smartphones.

Looking ahead, technology will only become even more integrated into our lives. The social networking revolution is just beginning. With millions of people joining Facebook and Twitter monthly, the efficiency with which we consume news will only increase.

While there are many news sites to choose from, technologies have emerged to make the tasks associated with consuming top news even more efficient. Web sites exist that will consolidate articles into a much more refined list. You can find them by doing a simple search on Google.

Celebrating Elvis Week

2011-11-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

During August, we celebrate the life of Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock 'n Roll" and what better way to honor this cultural icon than with a rental projector and an Elvis film fest? Here are our best tips for planning a good time for all.

How Big Will You Go?

Elvis was a larger than life character, one that young and old can appreciate. The question is, how large do you want to take your film fest celebration? Consider these potential options:

- Invite people to attend in costume, either dressed as the King himself, as Priscilla, or representing a theme from one of his famous movies, like "Blue Hawaii."

- Play Elvis music between films - Insist that everyone speak like the King throughout the party ("thank-ou ver-much.")

- Give a prize for the best Elvis impersonation

- Choose just one famous Elvis film to showcase, or host a weekend-long film fest of all the King's best work

- Host an Elvis trivia contest

- Give prizes of Elvis CDs or memorabilia replicas

- Create your own "Graceland"

Choose the Flicks

Which Elvis movies will you choose? With thirty-one options to select from (plus all the movies that feature Elvis the character, but not starring the real Elvis Presley), the possibilities are plentiful. Here is a list for your reference:

Love Me Tender

Loving You

Jailhouse Rock

King Creole

GI Blues

Flaming Star

Wild in the Country

Blue Hawaii

Follow that Dream

Kid Galahad

Girls! Girls! Girls!

It Happened at the World's Fair

Fun in Acapulco

Kissin' Cousins

Viva Las Vegas

Roustabout

Girl Happy

Tickle Me

Harum Scarum

Frankie and Johnny

Paradise, Hawaiian Style

Spinout

Easy Come, Easy Go

Double Trouble

Clambake

Stay Away, Joe

Speedway

Live a Little, Love a Little

Charro!

The Trouble with Girls

Change of Habit

Here are some additional ideas, either to break up the stream of Elvis films (while keeping to the Elvis theme) or to engage a younger audience:

Finding Graceland

Elvis Has Left the Building

Honeymoon in Vegas

Start Planning Now!

To celebrate Elvis Week in a big way, it's time to get busy - this year, the official Elvis Week runs from August 10 through August 16. In fact, once you rent a projector, you may not need to find Elvis movies to rent - search online to see which television and cable stations will be celebrating Elvis week with you, and plug into their excellent resources. But it's time to get busy - start inviting your friends and making plans, otherwise you ain't nuthin but a hound dog (sorry, we couldn't resist!)

Need an LCD projector rental for your next business presentation or after-hours get-together? Renting a projector is as easy as 1-2-3 at http://projector123.com/. Discover the fast, easy, affordable, hassle-free way to procure a professional grade rental projector today.

Only 45% of US Employees Like Their Job - Reason Not Surprising

2011-11-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

A ten-year study conducted in Scotland reveals that 20% more heart attacks occur on Monday than any other day of the week. Nearly 80,000 men and women who died of heart disease were studied between 1986 and 1995.

Heart attacks among women under 50 with no previous heart disease history rose by a fifth on Mondays compared to the daily average. Men under 50 with no earlier heart issues, showed a 19% heart attack death increase on Monday. In contrast, Tuesday showed the lowest number of heart-related fatalities.

Dr Christine Evans posits the Monday peak in heart attacks can be attributed to increased drinking during the weekend and work related stress. After a weekend of hedonistic, carefree pursuits many people dread going back to work, maybe to a job they dislike. Although, conducted in Scotland this study is applicable in U.S. culture as increased drinking during the weekend is evident based on DUI statistics.

Reported January 2010 a Conference Board research group study revealed that only 45% of U.S employees like their jobs. Some speculate that national economics is causing a generalized malaise due to a tight job market. However, statistics show that employee discontent has been steadily rising for over fifty years.

Universal Laws dictate each person creates their reality-specifically the Law of Cause and Effect. The Law of Cause and Effect states that; nothing transpires by chance or outside the Universal Laws. Every thought, word, feeling and action has a reaction or consequence and you - 'Reap what you sow.'

While your job might be less than ideal; you are in control of deciding to accept, 'what is;' work to make changes in your work environment or find a new job. All three choices are equally viable and feasible.

Many people have adopted the conditioned belief that work is to be disliked and endured. TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) has become a revered cliché, a badge of honor to carry until retirement.

What if you reversed this conditioned belief? 'Thank God It's Monday' - I have the honor and opportunity to create a week of creative contribution in the world. I have the unique opportunity to commit my energy of intention, out of design rather than conditioned default. This moment on this Monday is a brand new moment. I can create a record of efficiency and productivity like no other. I can open my mind to the miracle of my contributions.'

Miracles transpire every moment of existence you can be in the flow of miracles. Every breath you take is a miracle. Thank God it is Monday - eight hours of opportunity to create and give to the world. It is a choice. It is a decision. Deciding is fundamental to creating. What will you decide to create today - more of the same or a different experience? This moment is the first moment of the rest of your life - choose well.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Metaphysician - Certified Hypnosis Practitioner, Author and Speaker. Dr. Dorothy facilitates clearing blocks, fears and limiting beliefs. You can live the life you desire. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net/

Our Changing Values

2011-11-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

In our family, we always heard that a person's word is his bond and that you're as good as your word. We also lived by the creed that a deal can be sealed with a handshake. Years later, with the changing values, people were advised to seal their deals in writing and in an attorney's office.

We seemed to live in simpler times where white hats represented the good guys and black hats represented the bad guys. You could identify the bad guys because they always looked bad. They were dressed in sleazy clothes, smelled bad, and were poorly educated. In today's society, those same bad guys are dressed in Armani suits, wearing a designer watch, and some woodsy cologne, and quite possibly are Ivy League graduates.

I take promises very seriously. If I promise to do something, I do it. If I promise to not do something, I don't do it. End of story. Therefore, I make it my business to not promise anything that I might not be able to fulfill. And even worse, if someone promises me something, I expect them to come through with it. When that fails to happen, my respect for that person plummets by several notches and I know not to believe anything they tell me. Harsh. But there you have it. That's how I was brought up and I've never been able to break away from what I learned at my parents' knees.

Stress has been blamed for a lot of things, e.g., rudeness, breaking promises, theft, quitting a job or ending a relationship by email or by texting, continually breaking appointments or being late for appointments, etc., but what it boils down to is really a lack of character. When a person is under a lot of stress, that is the time when we get to see a person's true character.

It's easy to talk about the importance of integrity but it's not so easy to live it. If it isn't a soul-deep commitment, it crumbles under adversity. There are a couple of old axioms: "talk is cheap" and "actions speak louder than words." There have been a lot of jokes like "whoever says that talk is cheap has never had to pay a telephone bill", but not too many jokes have surfaced about actions speaking louder than words.

One of the most amazing assumptions that many people make is that they can do all sorts of nefarious things and, when called on the carpet, apologize for the act, be forgiven, and then repeat the same action with impunity. And why shouldn't they think they can do what they like if we let them get away with it?

I think each of us has a cutoff valve that tells us when enough is enough. Some people become abusive, shout, and storm off. Others retreat behind a wall of silence and lick their wounds in private. Some people express their feelings verbally or physically while others go into the passive-aggressive mode. But, for many others, they just avoid unpleasantness by pretending it doesn't exist or by avoiding the people who are causing it.

We seem to have lost our moral compass. We used to adhere to the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Nowadays, it seems as though people have adopted a new Golden Rule: "Do unto others before they do unto you" with the oft repeated mantra: "no good deed goes unpunished."

With accountability at an all-time low and people trying to see how much they can get away with, it's no wonder that scams are proliferating in a way they never have before. And even with proof that our actions come back to haunt us, people are still not able to connect the dots. They still don't see that when you cheat someone, then someone will cheat you. When you betray someone, you can expect someone to betray you. When you take advantage of someone, you can almost predict that someone will take advantage of you. We see this precept in action every day and still there are so many who are oblivious to it and think it doesn't apply to them.

Life doesn't have to be so difficult. On the premise that we create our own hardships, we can also choose to create an easier life. For that to happen, we have to choose to live with kindness, dignity, and respect for all. We have to treat people as we would like to be treated.

by Connie H. Deutsch

Connie H. Deutsch is an internationally known business consultant and personal advisor who has a keen understanding of human nature and is a natural problem-solver. She is known throughout the world for helping clients find solutions to problems that are often complex and systemic in nature and part of a corporation's culture or an individual's pattern of behavior.

Connie has hosted her own weekly radio show, been a weekly guest on a morning radio show, done guest spots on radio shows around the country, and appeared as a guest on a cable television show. Connie wrote a weekly newspaper Advice Column for sixteen years and has been invited to speak at local colleges and given lectures around the country. She also wrote the scripts for a weekly financial show on cable television.

Connie is the author of the book, "Whispers of the Soul" and is the co-author of an E-book, "Getting Rich While the Rest of the World Falls Apart" which is being offered as a free download on her website. She has also written and produced two CDs on Meditation and Relationships and has done coaching on customer service and employee relationships. Her website is: http://www.conniehdeutsch.com/

News Landscape Changing

2011-11-19T01:03:00.000-08:00

The world is changing in so many ways and the news landscape is no exception. News delivery is rapidly changing its face and we are now seeing newer forms of delivery channels with the rise of the internet.

Slowly but surely the days when we bought newspapers and magazines to read the latest reports on a regular basis are becoming a thing of the past. Traditional delivery methods have become the thing of the past. The present and the future is all about the instant news delivery channels such as the internet. News sites deliver more targeted content faster and more relevant than ever.

More and more people today are getting easy and affordable internet access to their computers and mobile devices. With the help of this internet connection, people can receive reports of events happening all around the world on their mobile or computer screen. The internet is a huge global village which congregates all the reports from all the corners of the world and shows them instantly on the top news sites

Trending news can be read instantly using popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing news sections. Top news breaking at any given time can be found on news sites like CNN.com, BBC.co.uk, ABC, CBS, USAToday.com, etc.

Because of the rise of internet-based news consumption, more and more people are abandoning channels such as radio, print, and television. Any person from any part of the world who is hungry for latest news can read about national as well as international news, breaking news, world events, major sports, latest movie reviews on the above online news websites.

The internet as a technology provides vast benefits unavailable to more traditional channels. In recent years the rise of social networking has demonstrated the immense value derived from social channels. In the context of reading about current events, social commenting on reports and blog postings provides individuals with a voice they never had. People can post and share news with friends, an activity once limited to less-structured and less efficient forms of communication such as phone, fax, and email. In many cases, individuals can even interact directly with authors and actors close to the stories.

In addition, internet-based news can leverage more rich forms of presentation including audio and video. On-demand video clips from news websites can be more appealing and convenient relative to set programmed television news. Thus news landscape is really changing in terms of delivery channels and most people are now favoring popular news websites rather than conventional newspapers, magazines and TV news.

With the power of the internet people need to be extra careful when reading news sites. Sources for trending news can be biased just as traditional news sources may be. People should take caution when interacting with online news sources.

Life Lessons On Occupied Wall Street

2011-11-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

The young people who started the Occupy Wall Street protest a few weeks ago are about to learn some important lessons about life in the grown-up world.

Lesson One: If you don't have an objective, someone else will be glad to give you one. In this case the "someone else" means both labor unions, which have been fighting a losing battle to mobilize popular support, and the Democratic Party, which is searching for ways to feed public antagonism toward the financial industry without reducing the value of anybody's 401(k).

Lesson Two: Protesting against something is useful if you want to prevent change. If you don't want Wal-Mart coming to your town, you protest against Wal-Mart. But if you actually want change, you have to be for something. Until the union activists moved in, Occupy Wall Street was not for any particular thing that I could determine. It was just against Wall Street, whatever that means.

Lesson Three: You don't drive a car from the outside. You need to have your hands on the controls. This, incidentally, requires you to learn how to drive. People marched for civil rights, which was good and important, but the civil rights movement ultimately progressed because Congress changed laws, lawyers brought lawsuits and judges made judgments. If you want to make an individual impact, rather than just be part of the crowd, you have to acquire skills that put you in the driver's seat. Most protest gatherings, like the anti-austerity protests ongoing in Greece, simply vent public frustration without ultimately changing anything. Change requires an achievable goal and the know-how to achieve it.

There is both naiveté and cynicism surrounding the Occupy Wall Street protest. It reminds me in many ways of the protests by young French citizens in 2005 and 2006 against "précarité," or precariousness, in their lives. A photo of a Paris march from that time shows a banner that reads, "No to précarité, for a real increase in buying power, no to dismantling the labor code," as though the state could somehow guarantee jobs for life and rising productivity. (1) There were similar sentiments here at the time, and many complaints about rising income inequality and a stagnant minimum wage (which was raised in 2007). Now, a lot of people look back on 2005 or 2006 as the good old days.

I suspect a more direct inspiration for the current protest was the tent city that sprouted this summer on one of Tel Aviv's most fashionable boulevards. It was started by young Israelis who were upset at the high cost of housing in Israel, though it morphed into a broader demand for "social justice," apparently defined as some combination of higher wages and lower prices.

Even in the current post-bubble era for U.S. real estate, young people in New York City have much to complain about when it comes to housing prices. They seldom make the connection between the absurdly tight rental market, which makes New York one of the few places where renters customarily pay commissions to brokers, and the price controls on rents that have been in effect (in varying forms) since the city declared a housing emergency in 1947.

Many of these young people are saddled with debt left over from college, and they are struggling in a stagnant economy and stalled job market. It is probably safe to say that many were Obama supporters in 2008 and that most will still favor him next year - if they are motivated enough to vote at all. And I suspect a lot have a history of "progressive" sympathies, such as advocating for living wage laws back on their college campuses. I apologize for the generalizations, but there is, as yet, no "Occupy Wall Street" platform that I can quote.

But outsiders will be happy to provide one soon enough. Unions have taken a drubbing in elections and state legislatures all over the country, and they are happy to make common cause with the protesters. Unlike unemployed twenty somethings, however, the unions know exactly what they want: card-check organizing rules, collective bargaining rights for public servants (who bargain against the politicians they help elect), pension and health benefits that don't exist in the private sector, and higher taxes - which most of the Occupy Wall Street protesters will someday pay - to cover the bill.

Some friends told me last weekend that their 23-year-old son was among the marchers in lower Manhattan. I don't know the young man, but he is unemployed and looking for work as a computer programmer. Knowing his parents and his educational background, I am certain he is very smart, and probably going to earn a good living for himself someday.

Which makes me wonder: If some of those Wall Street firms being protested set up a table and held a job fair across the street from the protests, would they draw a crowd? It's an interesting mental image.

Such events always pose the risk that fringe elements, such as the clowns who rioted in Seattle during a 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization, will subvert the protest to their own agenda. Police overreaction, the granddaddy of which was at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968, is also a risk, but one which - in a mild way - protesters would welcome for its publicity value, as in last week's arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The more likely outcome, though, is that these protests will simply be co-opted by the existing power structure of the political left. Democrats are eager to find someone to run against in 2012 as they struggle with their party's own record on the economy. The bogeymen of choice have thus far been the Tea Party, the elusive "millionaires and billionaires" and, intermittently, Wall Street. The party that produced the economy that left these young people frightened and unemployed will tap them to protest their own fear and unemployment.

That's the cynical part.

I have a warm spot in my heart for young people. It's hard to make your way in an adult world where you gradually, but inevitably, learn that a lot of people will cheerfully lie to you or manipulate you to their own purposes. You find out that there are at least two sides to every story, that there are very few pure heroes or villains, and that problems are easy to identify but maddeningly complicated to solve. And you find out that despite all your parents may have done to make your life secure, the world is, indeed, filled with précarité, and that no amount of protest can make it go away.

Source:
1) Cicilie Among The Parisians, "Security à la français: précarité and insécurité"

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Ghetto in a Ghetto

2011-11-18T02:54:00.000-08:00

The security wall soon to be completed around Jerusalem conjures up Ghetto and having come back from Israel recently I have had this ghetto obsession. I realize, of course, that Israel isn't a ghetto in the conventional sense of the European ghettos that our ancestors lived. We aren't herded into a confined area, nor are gates locked and a curfew maintained nightly. We are an independent country, enforcing our own laws and enter as well as exit the country when we please. As an independent nation we are masters of our own collective destiny. When necessary, to protect our citizens and our independence we raise hell with our Muslim neighbors. Nevertheless, I keep on wondering whether Israel has become another ghetto, but this time larger, self--sufficient and more potent than our previous experiences as ghetto dwellers, thus giving the word ghetto a new meaning. I can't help but think that if it were true it would be one of the cruel ironies of Jewish history. After all, the whole point of the Zionist enterprise was to free us from the ghetto mentality, to build the new Jew in a new land. Yet, when coming back from my past visit I couldn't shake this intuitive feeling that I just experienced what my ancestors must have felt in the European ghettos.

In the European ghettos we were locked in at night, subjected to horrific indignities and intolerable discrimination at the hand of the government and good Christian neighbors. Sometimes, and not infrequently, Christian neighbors ganged up on us, a "free for all" by the "pogromchiks" (perpetrators of massacres against Jews) when they decided to have some fun with us on our own turf. They would storm our villages, pillage, rape and murder, and then recede for a while until the next time. But you all know that. What you may not realize however is that a similar pattern has unfolded in the moledet (homeland). We aren't at liberty to pass passport control at any of the exit points to travel to the immediate neighborhood without special entry visas to the Palestinian territories. We can't travel at will to neighboring countries which border Israel, underscoring our minority status in a very hostile environment as we were once before in Europe. Add to that the constant barrage of rockets from Gaza and we have pogroms operated through remote control. When we go in to clear out the "pogromchiks" we are condemned by the world with a resounding: "shut up Jew, stop complaining, be happy you're allowed to breath."

That's the macro ghetto, the nation of Israel living daily in the shadow of an angry and cruel neighborhood and an antisemitic United Nations. But then I wonder about the micro ghetto, you know, the ghetto within the ghetto. The ultra orthodox communities haven't yet reconciled itself to joining the larger community and seek to separate itself socially, physically and culturally from the greater corpus of the Jewish people. It seems that the greatest of the culprits is non other than in Jerusalem.

Interestingly, the new tram that will be starting operations shortly has been shrouded in controversy from its very inception. There were those that claimed that it wouldn't meet the transportation needs of a significant Jerusalem population and therefore the budget wasn't justified. Others maintained that it would destroy the businesses in the city center since it would shift population away from the commercial center that has been ensconced there for a hundred years. These arguments had merit and were worth consideration. Now however, a new and totally unnecessary controversy has arisen around the tram. Will the tram provide the necessary separation between men and women, and will there be provisions for public prayer? So when the municipality made arrangements that the last car would be designated as the haredi car where only men would be seated the question arose if it was appropriate for them to have the second car, which meant that they would be seated behind women! Pathetic and insulting to a country that prides itself in being counted among the enlightened West.

And if this wasn't enough, Jerusalem haredim are seeking to establish a new market place because the classic and historical one, the Shuk Mahane Yehudah sponsored the Balabasta Festival, which according to the rigid Puritanical standards of the haredim wasn't halachically appropriate, not measuring up to the standards of the "Badatz" (ultra orthodox organization certifying foods that are kosher) sniff test. The new and improved market will have separate shopping hours for men and women. Frankly it sounds quite colorless, and a significant deviation from Jewish religious standards - even haredi standards.

In my youth I lived in Jerusalem having attended university there and was well--integrated in this universal city. Then, it was a cosmopolitan city, an intellectual magnet for students, artists and professionals. It wasn't a ghetto. It attracted the best and the brightest from all over America and Europe. Since those halcyon days, Jerusalem has been slipping backward with no end in sight, preferring the backwater flavor of a shtetl, a ghetto, where there is little room for intellectual curiosity and growth beyond which is offered in a yeshiva. A ghetto within a ghetto.

Educated in the United States and Israel, Shael Siegel was ordained as a rabbi at the Hebrew Theological College and attended the Hebrew University where his graduate studies focused on Jewish Thought & Hassidut. He served in the IDF reaching the rank of captain. He is an observer and commentator of the Jewish ethical, cultural, social and religious landscape in the United States and Israel. His essays can be read at: http://www.shaelsiegel.com/

Volunteer Services - Unexpected Benefits of Working for a Charity

2011-11-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

This article will take you on a laconic journey throwing some light on the diverse aspects of volunteer services and how individuals around the world are enrolling for such kind services.

As the name implies, volunteer work indicates donating your time and services benevolently to an organization that is based outside your country. Those individuals that embark on such a compassionate journey receive no payment or a minute payment for their deeds. The volunteer work suitably fits within the definition of the term "volunteer services." You can get your hands on countless such organizations that greet such volunteers. Nothing can repudiate the fact that there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people who are beginning to actively take part in some kind of community volunteer work.

It indeed is wonderful news as there is a plethora of communities all over the world that have such unique needs where they require individuals from diverse cultures from a specific country to undertake such a remarkable endeavor of spreading education and sharing knowledge with the underprivileged ones. It is a sure thing that you establish a long-term association with a voluntary charity organization. Once you are connected with it, you will get a feeling of bliss and self-satisfaction because your inner most senses would make you feel good and at the same time, takes you on an unforgettable journey.

It has been perceived that in several cases, the overseas volunteer work opportunities mean that the participants will be constructing houses for those residents who hail from awfully poor communities, or digging ditches to bring water to the community, or pits and drains in order to enhance sanitary amenities.

If you are on your vacation in some remote corner of the world where you are having the time of your life, how about caring for a little philanthropy?

It truly seems that there are innumerable individuals who feel the need to hunt for opportunities for travel abroad volunteer work. It undeniably is an adventure that will inflict quite a change in their lifestyle which in turn, would have them acquainted with people with diverse backgrounds, traditions, surroundings and perhaps language as well. Taking into consideration these major changes, venturing on a volunteer work abroad will prove to be a spectacular experience of a lifetime for those who put their heart and soul into their charity work being taken abroad. When these contributions are given abroad, they pave the right path for those people who really yearn to earn their livelihood and give them great opportunities to dwell and work in another land and have a taste of its culture and mingle with the people, not as a tourist but on the same level that is being taken by the local citizens.

It's true that being a volunteer abroad and opting for volunteer services do not provide you any monetary compensation for the time spent. Nevertheless, the time that you spend for volunteers services can enhance the community and the world to a great extent.

Some of the benefits of undertaking volunteer work abroad are mentioned below:

Support for a Cause

In your mundane life, you have a close encounter with situations that need your help. Your passion to help others can be fulfilled by volunteering for work abroad. Dedicating your time and energy for a noble cause will certainly bring you enormous satisfaction.

Enhancing Your Skills

When you opt for a volunteer work, you get the privilege of changing and improvement in your skill and you also get to share your skills, understanding and experience with others.

Helps in Confidence Building

You would come across several challenges when you opt for volunteer services in a country other than your own. Such challenges are really helpful when it comes to nurturing your skills and boosting your self-confidence.

Go Voluntouring is a company that provides volunteering services all over the British Columbia region. Volunteer Programs organized by the company provides diverse opportunities to individuals.

Top News Sites

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

CNN is an American news company. It was the first of its kind to provide full daily news broadcasts. The company's 24-hour coverage became an instant success and helped to launch their company from a mainly US-based platform to a world-wide sensation. It was also the first company in the US to strictly provide news coverage. CNN is available in almost 100 million US homes, being one of the most popular sources for news in all of US history. CNN has now gone online, and is one of the top news sites on the internet, available to subscribers world wide instantly through a web browser.

Fox News is run by the Fox Entertainment Group and is available to almost 1/3 of the US population. Fox first began its journey into the fast-paced world of trending news coverage in 1996 when its reach was limited to 17 million viewers. In the late 1990s, Fox News became a prominent source for news coverage and is still known as one of the tops news organizations today. The company's online version went live in 1995. In 2009 Fox introduced an extended news site that allows readers to comment on what they read and interact with others regarding the latest news.

MSNBC is a top news site that provides trending news for the NBC news company. MSNBC has seen a number of changes in the past few years, including an increase in viewership by over 61%. As a television network, the company saw a huge improvement in viewership during the 2008 presidential election, when ratings increased by an amazing 158%. Its website was launched from Washington, DC on the Microsoft University Campus. In 2007, MSNBC attempted to renew its image based on the slogan "A Fuller Spectrum of News."

The Huffington Post blog was first created by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Leyer, and Jonah Peretti. The blog offers information on a myriad of topics, ranging from politics, to the green movement and comedy. The news site is truly versatile. The company has resisted urges to limit the site's topics and prefers to cover whatever is hot or interesting at any given instant. The Huffington Post and its other associated news sites have a number of regular contributors including Dr. Harold Katz and Diane Ravitch. In 2006, the company received $5 million dollars to help fund an expansion for the web site. It has seen steady growth ever since.

While most of these organizations still report quality news, the internet has spawned a number of sites that comment more than report current news. Other sites have emerged to consolidate the top news. People should do some research before relying too much on a single service.

Restoring The National Mojo

2011-11-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

On Wall Street (the free part, not the occupied territory) they talk about "animal spirits." Economists measure consumer and business confidence. Politicians track approval ratings like batting averages. Business schools teach entrepreneurship alongside marketing, finance and accounting.

These are all aspects of our national mojo - the seemingly innate American confidence that notwithstanding today's problems, tomorrow will be better if we work hard enough to make it so.

Our mojo has taken a big hit lately. We ought to ask ourselves why - and, more importantly, what we can do to get it back.

Let's start with a few obvious explanations for its decline, on the theory that being obvious does not automatically make them wrong - though it doesn't make them completely right, either. This is a big, complicated country. Anything as large as the national spirit is going to be the product of a lot of factors.

But we can be confident that the crash in housing and stock prices that began a few years ago has played a major role in undermining our self-assurance. Economists Karl Case, Robert Shiller and John Quigley used the dramatic decline in housing prices to update an earlier study about the "wealth effect" that encourages consumers to spend money when their net worth increases. As reported in a recent New York Times article, the economists, unsurprisingly, found that there also is a negative wealth effect; consumers pull back on spending when asset values drop. Also, less intuitively, the negative effect is bigger for a drop in home values than a drop in stock portfolios. (1)

So the sharp drop in home values has a lot to do with the economy's slow rebound, because it makes a lot of people feel poorer, even if their disposable income, which comes mainly from paychecks rather than houses, has not changed.

We might speculate that there is another psychological component at work. A lot of people who bought property during the recent boom thought they were savvy investors, only to discover that they had fallen into a trap long familiar to stock traders. That trap is summed up in the phrase, "never confuse brains with a bull market." I suspect people feel not only poorer thanks to the housing crash, but less sure of their own financial acumen. (A decent level of humility is a good thing in the long run, but it does not make for a fast recovery from a market crash.)

Then there is the sense that we are not making progress on the day's major economic and social issues. Unemployment lingers at painfully high levels. The federal government relentlessly spends $100 billion more than it takes in every month, a total annual deficit - and addition to the national debt - of more than $1.3 trillion, which has held that dreadful pace for three years running. Health care remains a flashpoint as insurance costs continue to climb for families and businesses. Students and their families are burdened with debt that may take a lifetime to repay, with little chance for relief even in bankruptcy. A quarter-century of arguing over immigration law has produced no solutions.

A lot of people across the political spectrum feel alienated and angry. So what do we do about it?

For starters, let's recognize that we have been in straits this dire - and worse - in the past. Think this country is polarized now? Consider the Civil War, or the protests of the 1960s. Today's politics are a love fest by comparison.

Think we've lost our national will? We've waged a 10-year war on terrorists and their sponsors, and they have had a far worse year than we did. We have waged this struggle through Republican and Democratic administrations. For contrast, consider the beginning of the 1940s. After a decade of Depression, this country stood frozen while Nazis invaded Poland, captured Paris and blitzed London. Only the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor mustered the national will to resist a world where tyrants slaughtered millions of innocents.

Sometimes a nice winnable little war provides a helpful morale boost. President Reagan helped banish the national malaise over Vietnam by invading the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada in 1983. I'm not advocating another invasion, especially since we have plenty of military action these days anyway. But that dreary North American winter is almost upon us. Just making an observation.

More usefully, Reagan found ways to work with Congress to change tax policy, unshackle business and put reasonably long-term fixes in place on immigration and Social Security. His budget deficits soared, but they pale in comparison to ours. And his policy changes gave business executives something they could plan with and count on. Nowadays, tax laws and Social Security changes expire faster than unpasteurized milk. Nobody can count on anything.

If we want to shake the national malaise, we have to confront our problems rather than continue our recent game of "extend and pretend" that things are going to get better on their own. We can't fix everything overnight, but we can start. Things have to stop getting worse before they can get better.

What if we can't agree on how to fix things? Well, that's why we have elections. We'll have one next year, and I suspect that one way or another, it's going to produce enough of a mandate to allow things to move forward. I won't like the direction that everything moves, and neither will you. But after the stagnation of the last few years, it will be progress.

I suppose that is what it takes for a country to rediscover its mojo. We never arrive at a perfect future, but our history has been that we do arrive, if sometimes haltingly, at a better one.

Source:
1) The New York Times, "Gloom Grips Consumers, and It May Be Home Prices"

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Cloaking Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Assets Within Large Schools of Fish

2011-11-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

When it comes to submarine warfare it really is a game of hide and seek. A stealthy submarine or an unmanned robotic submarine can give vital information and do important surveillance during times of war, but also in times of peace, or political unrest. Currently we see that the Chinese are pushing their weight around in the Sea of Japan, the Straits of Taiwan, and they've had incidents now with Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and other nations as to who owns those ocean territories near their coast. You might also recall the P-3 Orion incident several years back with the US.

And if you think this doesn't matter, it very much matters to the Chinese, because some of these ocean areas are rich with minerals, and oil and gas resources. These resources are needed by all of these nations which are expanding their industrial base, and have strong GDP growth. Whether the United States likes it or not, we are involved when China starts pushing around our allies in these regions. Therefore, we need constant information, and sometimes we need information that we can't get by satellite alone. Therefore we need to deploy more unmanned robotic underwater vehicles.

There was an interesting article in the August 2011 edition of IEEE Spectrum Magazine which was titled; "Unidentified Floating Objects - New Sonar Imagery Reveals Mysterious Echoes to Be Enormous Schools of Fish," by Nicholas Makris. The new type of sonar being researched and developed at MIT sheds some light on just how large some of these schools of fish are. It appears that we could hide a submarine, or unmanned autonomous underwater assets within these giant schools of fish, or use them as cover.

There are some eight different species which have been identified as congregating in absolutely enormous schools. All we really need to do is find a way to get them to congregate around our underwater unmanned autonomous vehicles, and we could send swarms of these units into enemy territory, or use the cover for our surveillance operations without them ever being detected.

This might be great if we wanted to get close to a Chinese aircraft carrier for instance or enter a harbor undetected or go into a geological straight, and then allow our underwater assets to hide themselves at the bottom. We need to immediately do more research in this regard, and find out ways to attract these schools of fish to go where we would like them to go, and to follow them where they are already going so that we can infiltrate closer to those places we need to be to do proper underwater surveillance. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,500 articles by August 24th or 25th will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

Inflation and the Economic Crisis

2011-11-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, you're not in the category of non believers thinking the government will save you. Doing your best pretending the day of reckoning is never going to come upon your doorstep, regardless of all the evidence you might have heard or read about. Regardless what level of defiance you carry around with you history will always be on the side of the truth. There is no prejudice here that will enter the equation regardless of what you think you would be entitled to. If I am sounding a little pessimistic, then I am making my point. There is nothing that will keep this economic crisis from coming and there is too much hard evidence and monetary history surrounding this to look the other way.

Some facts which are not open for any analyzing or debate.

• Fiat Currency - this is currency that is backed by the good faith of the government that issues it. It has no real or tangible value. It is printed "out of thin air"

• All national currencies are fiat currency.

• A universal example of a non-fiat currency. Gold and Silver are real money. Governments are incapable of creating this kind of money out of thin air. Gold and silver cannot be granted a "value" and then suddenly have that value removed or reduced by any action government or otherwise.

• The last "Real Money "in the United States was from 1944 -1971. When the US. Dollar was backed by 10% gold. In 1971 President Nixon signed an Executive Order that suspended the Bretton Woods Agreement that took the US. Dollar off the gold standard up to this day.

• Fiat currencies have a 100% failure rate throughout history. 11th century China was the first country to use and issue fiat currency.

All national currencies including the dollar, yen, euro, and pound are all fiat currencies. And remember, this subject cannot be analyzed or debated upon: Every single fiat currency that has ever been created throughout history wound up eventually being mismanaged and destroyed by world governments that created and controlled it.

Why it is that fiat currency has a 100% failure rate?

All through history world governments have been unable to maintain their currencies. There have always been two sides to any government constantly driving an escalating and tumbling dynamic. With this you have those who don't want taxes or new taxes and on the other side you have those who want the government to give you everything for free.

In theory a sensible government might actually tell the truth to their citizens. Letting them understand that taxes are the price of evolution and progress and we are not in any business of handing out free meals. However the reality of governments is fat cat politicians enjoy living the high life on tax payer money. So no way would they turn sensible.

So consequently for the elected government politicians only one choice really exists. Lie to everyone, promise the moon and borrow into tomorrow so your kids and grand kids get stuck with all the bills. Believe it or not after enough time has passed people actually start to believe this is normal and nothing out of the ordinary is really wrong because they see businesses growing, taxes level off or drop and government hand-outs given to all.

The big problem with the economic crisis is governments having to borrow their way into financing their massive spending habits while not allowing taxes to increase enough to pay for new programs creates deficits. It is easy when you "Own" the printing presses, by flipping the "ON" switch you can generate all the "Money" that would ever be needed to satisfy any and all debts and obligations. The Federal Reserve purchases US debt from the US Treasury in the form of bonds, then they lend out the money to the markets with a simple push of a button from a computer. Then Bam that money is now in the money supply.

We have two groups, those opposing taxes along with those in favor of spending getting what they want year after year while little ever gets noticed, at least not right away. But there is a small reduction in value of the currency which was caused by the rising supply demand. All things being what they are all governments will in time choose the second course which with very few exceptions creates a continuing loss of confidence in every national currency. This is called inflation.

Inflation can be like a drug over time the space in between tax and revenue grows just as dependency on that drug grows over time using it. While spending, borrowing and generating more currency demands grow interest rates begin to increase.

This causes inflation to speed up eventually causing the process of currency debasement or the annihilation of people's savings. The currency is then abandoned by all, who at the same time are trying to spend it or convert it into more secure forms of money as quick as then can. This situation causes the value of the currency to plummet while driving up costs for even the most basic items such as milk, eggs, bread and sugar to skyrocket. As this happens the savings of an entire generation can be destroyed. Thus the fate of all fiat currencies.

Here at this point is where you stand now. Each year, each decade you have noticed the purchasing power of your currency keep buying you less and less. The reality for people in the United States is they have been living in a hyperinflation society ever since President Nixon took the dollar of the gold standard in 1971 killing our money and changing it into fiat currency. Since the dollar was taken off the gold standard the dollar has actually lost 80% of its purchasing power. Remember the dollar is not money it has no value, the only thing the dollar has is a pre determined fate.

What has value is gold and silver. Which have been used since man left the cave. Throughout history gold and silver have always been a storage of true value. One 1 ounce gold coin back in the Roman Empire would have been able to buy food for a small family for about 2 months. That same one ounce gold coin today can still by a small family food for about 2 months. During these insane economic times buying physical gold and silver are your best chance to ride out the economic crisis and come out on top. "Cash is Trash" a quote from Robert Kiyosaki. Don't save it as it has no value, owning hard assets is the key.

Tom Genot -

For information, news, articles and videos to invest in gold and silver and where the best places are to buy it. You will also find information for preparing and protecting you, your family and your assets from the pending economic crises and destruction of the US. Dollar. Author Tom Genot provides information and resources helpful to everyone. Insure your prepared beforehand, check us out at http://www.coinbullion.net/.

USA Today: America's Newspaper

2011-11-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

USA Today is America's most widely read print newspaper, with 1.8 million copies in circulation in 2010. Published by Gannett Company, Inc., the national daily newspaper is distributed in all fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Canada and the United Kingdom. USA Today publishes a weekend magazine in lieu of daily issues on Saturday and Sunday. Founded September 15, 1982 by newspaper industry mogul Al Neuharth, USA Today was more than a capitalistic effort; the mid-market national paper did not make a profit until at least 1993, some sources say 1998! However, continuously funded by Gannett, the daily would go on to become the largest publication of it's kind in the nation, bringing a different approach to news, and carving a niche in mainstream media.

Some analysts believe that USA Today was a media response to the post-Watergate-era press. With scandal and negativity prevailing in news media, USA Today served as an opposing force, reporting what was going right with the nation instead of what was going wrong. Utilizing an atypical newspaper layout and use of color to denote various sections, the articles are written in easy-to-read language and arranged in an easy access format. USA Today not only informs, but entertains and provides relevant statistics and stories that speak to the American culture and the quality of life of American readers.

Some media scandals:

1992: Tennis superstar Arthur Ashe contracted HIV through a blood transfusion he received during heart surgery in 1988; however, he and his wife decided to keep his illness private. Reports that USA Today planned to publish a story about his condition forced Ashe to make a public statement about having the disease on April 8th of that year.
2004: When long-time correspondent and Pulitzer Prize nominee Jack Kelley was accused of fabricating stories in March 2004, scandal rocked the paper. Tedious and thorough investigation on the claims were conducted by USA Today, including travel to Cuba, Israel, and Jordan to check facts and records in an effort to prove whether or not Kelley was where he claimed to be while researching and writing his stories. Although he denied the claims, Kelley resigned from the paper, and then publisher Craig Moon issued a public apology on the front page of the magazine.
2006: By far the biggest scandal involving the paper, in May 2006 the newspaper reported that AT&T, Verizon, and BellSouth had been working with the National Security Agency to compose "the largest database in the world." The sources were anonymous NSA insiders who decided to go public. This expose upset the White House, particularly in light of reports from the New York Times revealing how the Bush Administration authorized NSA wiretaps of international phone calls and emails transmitted within the U.S.

USA Today currently sells for $1.00 on newsstands, but complimentary copies of the newspaper are distributed at many American hotels and airports.

At the United States Prime Rate website you can find some great discounts, including subscription savings for the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

Steve Jobs: Artisan Techie Titan

2011-11-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Renegade, revolutionary, re inventor, Steve Jobs transformed the mundane world of technology into the realm of art.

Endowed with a charismatic towering ego, boundless creativity, and a flair for showmanship, Steve Jobs was on a mission to change the world. He was quite comfortable being in the company of such celebrities like Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Joan Baez and Maya Lin, and were it not for his abrasive personality, he quite possible would have been on the Time's Man of the Year cover. Mr. Jobs understanding of social trends was remarkably uncanny and who knew how to make better gadgets that were smart, elegant, simple and very user friendly. Alan Deutschman in his book: 'The Second Coming of Steve Jobs' had this memorable line: "He succeeded in becoming the Jackie Kennedy Onassis of business and technology"

Jobs remaking of Pixar Studio was in itself quite epic, but his lasting legacy will be with Apple and the trans formative products that he gave birth to. The product development was painstaking with its losses and failures, but Jobs focus and determination saw them through as he wisely changed his strategy from hardware to software and content. Mr. Jobs leadership and power of example made Apple into a renegade culture that overturned the music industry with its iPod, iTunes and iTunes Music Store launches. With user-friendly designs and interfaces, he single handed reinvented the PC industry and was in excellent position to later on challenge Microsoft's stranglehold in the personal computers market.

Mr. Jobs was a rebel very on in life who had a taste for misbehavior, but also was fascinated with electronics. His cultural horizons were broadened with the hippie lifestyle generation and dabbling in Zen eastern spiritualism. He even once traveled to India wearing nothing but rags as he blended in with that country's teeming population. Coming back to California, he teemed up with Steve Wozniak in a business venture that built and sold "blue boxes" to make free long distance phone calls for users. It was in 1976 that Jobs with Wozniak began a computer business for hobbyists that they named: Apple Computer.

It was in showmanship and presentation that Mr. Jobs truly excelled. Using stage props, slides and an inspired script, he blew away audiences time and time again with his product launches. He became the envy of every Hollywood studio and shocking the corporate world with their entrenched business advertising models. The concept behind these presentations were simple slide shows but with very high impact visuals. Powerful in its efficiency and commanding attention, the imagery had even less words than a power point slide, but it had explosive mass marketing appeal. Making it 'more alive' as Jobs would like to say, required considerable practice and orchestration beforehand.

Mr. Jobs became a very wealthy man, but monetary gain was never his primary motivation, as he knew very well the descent into debasement that transpires every time monetary goals become paramount. His passion was in changing and enriching people's lives even with something as small as an iPod and done with a business model that reduces emphasis on technicality and giving credence and value to artistic expression so that a brand name can actually stand for something in this day and age. "To make the world a better place" was his motto, his creed, and his inspiration. May you rest in peace Steve Jobs.

For more about Steve Jobs, his biographies and book reviews, please visit: http://tidbitreviews.com/

Cannabis Controversy

2011-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

Perhaps not any time since the 1960s and 70s has there be more of a call to legalize marijuana. Celebrities, politicians, and even Presidents all admit to having either tried it in the past or to currently using it for recreational purposes. Medical marijuana is available in more states than ever, and fewer states are bothering to prosecute those found to possess the substance. So how did we get to this point?

Depending on your beliefs, cannabis is illegal because of it's status as a psychoactive drug or because hemp presented a real threat to the paper and timber industries and they lobbied to get the substance made illegal to protect their financial interests. Either way, cannabis use, even if only once, in the United States has grown in the last 20 years to something that wasn't spoken of to something that is accepted.

Recent studies show that as many as 42% of Americans have tried marijuana at least once, and there's increasing demand for products made from hemp, with a large market for shoes made from the durable fibers of the cannabis plant finding increasing demand. With the large number of Americans that have tried the substance and the demand for products using the non-drug part of the plants, it's no surprise that the calls to legalize the substance have increased in recent years.

Medical marijuana is legal in numerous states, most notably California, but is still illegal to the federal government, setting up something of a contradiction where dispensaries and medical patients can be legally using the substance according to California state law, but breaking federal law. This has caused the DEA to shut down dispensaries in numerous states, even though they were sanctioned by the state. The current administration has state they will curtail this practice.

With studies showing that cannabis is no less harmful than nicotine and alcohol, and some studies showing it to be less harmful, the calls for it to be decriminalized have grown in recent years. Several attempts have been made to have the federal government pass laws that would allow for the sale and purchase of marijuana much in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes - with age restrictions and only from certain retailers. This idea has been fought by those that believe cannabis is incredibly harmful, presenting long-term risks to the health of those that use it beyond what you would find with alcohol or tobacco.

So is marijuana really that bad? Should it be legalized and taxed like a number of other substances that are also technically drugs and legal? It's not the role of this writer to determine the legality of marijuana, and as I'm not a scientist or doctor, I won't comment on the health issues. I will state that change is coming, and that something will be done that will have an impact on the cannabis debate, be it for the better or not.

Aiden Owens has battled is own addiction problems, including a problem with alcohol and gambling addiction that he got help with by visiting Williamsville Wellness a Virginia alcoholism treatment center. To learn more about how Williamsville Wellness can help you with your addiction problems, visit them online at: WilliamsvilleWellness.com.

Nostradamus Predictions About the End of the World

2011-11-14T03:04:00.000-08:00

The rumors regarding the end of the world have been attracting more and more people as the year 2012 comes near. It is speculated that an all around immense and vast catastrophe will be caused in the year 2012 resulting in the demise of the earth. More and more curiosity is being raised by people as the coming year approaches, even though the end of the world has been predicted from around many years. People should be aware that these rumors are coming from a variety of sources, some of which are alarmingly accurate.

One of these rumors and the most significant one is that the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar will occur on the 21st of December, 2012. Thus, a lot of people are engaged onto finding out what might happen on that date, even though there are no concrete predictions as to how the end of the world will happen. This has in fact even resulted in getting people more worried about what might happen on this particular date. People have been taken to another perspective thanks to the end of the world predictions. There are also people who actually raised their efforts to increase their knowledge regarding this possible occurrence since these rumors were beginning to consume many of them.

Nostradamus, who is a well renowned apothecary and seer, also predicted the end of the world. Since Nostradamus's have been noted to have cleared the doubts of people therefore he is regarded highly skilled and experienced in the field of predictions. The Second World War and the collapsing of the World Trade Center were also predicted by him. The end of the world in 2012 was also predicted by him as well.

He predicted that a comet, somewhat the size of Jupiter, will approach the earth and while not directly hitting the planet; catastrophic damage will be caused such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis. He also predicted that these disasters will have a tremendously high destructive level.

The reason that so many other interpreters today are regarding Nostradamus predictions with the highest possible concern is because they were so remarkable in their time. We can certainly expect these rumors to keep circulating as long as 2012 continues approaching us as the supposed, dreaded year.

A majority of the people of today still hope for the best even though a lot of them feel apprehended and worried a bout the possibility of the end of the world in the year 2012. We can certainly expect that the viewpoint of almost every person on the planet will be changed forever after whatever happens in the coming year, on the 21st of December, 2012. Nonetheless, these can still be merely assumed as speculations rather than solid facts, so nothing can really be said what actually will happen. The fate of the planet is definitely not something which can just be speculated or predicted, 2012 might even pass away just like any other year as the world as the world gets ready to live another 365 days.

Get to know more facts about nostradamus predictions that contributes to the revelations of what will happen in December 21 2012.