www.gen-we.org The first video has had more than 500000 people watch and share it in less than a week! Please pass this along, comment on it, post it to your YouTube channel, and inspire our generation! Millennials are the largest generation in American history. Born between 1978 and 2000, WE are 95 million strong, compared to the 78 million Baby Boomers. WE are politically, socially, and philosophically independent, and are spearheading a period of sweeping change in America and around the world. The new book, Generation We, explains the emerging power of our Millennial Generation, and shows how WE (and older people who think the way WE do) are poised to change our nation and our world for the better. FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE BOOK http BUY AT AMAZON www.amazon.com BUY AT BARNES & NOBLE search.barnesandnoble.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zJ6m-W921E&hl=en

Cynthia Lennon starts her autobiographical tale reflecting on the death of her famous ex-husband, John Lennon and within the first chapter reveals two insights into John's personality that haven't really been discussed before in books about the Beatles. It's a catchy start to a heartwarming, sweet, yet tragic tale.

As the book starts, Cynthia is a teenager beginning art college. Shortly thereafter she encounters John Lennon. The two make an unlikely couple. She was raised in a nice neighborhood to be a "good" girl and John Lennon is a teenager rebel with only one cause - rock and roll.

Cynthia points out they had several things in common in the book - they were both short sighted and bonded over losing their parents when they were seventeen. (Cynthia lost her father when she was seventeen and John lost his mother.) Soon, Cynthia and John embark on a relationship. Her love is what John needs. She's a steady constant in his life which is filled with uncertainty.

Cynthia is there before John and the Beatles make it famous. She talks of their humble beginnings and John's family. We learn John's Aunt Mimi, the woman who raised him, is a very totalitarian matriarch who very rarely showed John small, simple, loving gestures. John also has two younger sisters who adore him, Jacqui and Julia. There are so many sides to John. He's in love, yet has a ferocious jealous side to him. He can be kind and tender, yet John dislikes confrontation. An example of this is how Pete Best is told to leave the band. Brian Epstein breaks the news to Pete and John never sees him again.

Cynthia and John had been with each other four years before their son Julian is conceived. John marries her right before the Beatles begin to take off. As the Beatles ride the wave of fame, Cynthia is by John's side. It isn't easy for the couple, but their love gets them through.

The book shifts when Cynthia begins to talk of John's drug use. It's his use of drugs that drives a wedge between them. John's decline and destruction is sad to read about in such a personal way. The way he cuts Cynthia and Julian out of his life is quick, deliberate, precise, and very hurtful. Cynthia must find her own way with little financial support from John.

It's hard to put this book down. The beginning draws you in and the reader barely has a chance to catch their breath. Happiness quickly turns to misery, pain, and despair much in the same manner as the Beatles overwhelming success turns sour at the end of the sixties.

Cynthia offers fresh insights on a musical history that has been practically hashed to death by the number of books written by the Beatles. Her thoughts and impression on Yoko are not put out there in a mean-spirited way - instead Cynthia presents the facts as is and lets the reader come to their conclusions. This is a wonderful read for those who are true fans of the Beatles and John Lennon.

Written by: Cynthia Lennon
Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 0-340-89511-X
404 Pages
20 pounds
5 Stars

www.youtube.com/qtv Azar Nafisi, the best-selling author of the book "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is back with a new title "Things I have been silent about'. She joins Jian in Studio Q to talk about the book.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUOdLWMvr70&hl=en

Dr. Steven Pinker, a psychologist of language at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In a book, ''The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature,'' he seeks to create greater political elbow room for those engaged in the study of the ways genes shape human behavior. ''If I am an advocate, it is for discoveries about human nature that have been ignored or suppressed in modern discussions of human affairs,'' he writes. A principal theme of Dr. Pinker's argument is that the blank slaters -- the critics of sociobiology and their many adherents in the social sciences -- have sought to base the political ideals of equal rights and equal opportunity on a false biological premise: that all human minds are equal because they are equally blank, equally free of innate, genetically shaped, abilities and behaviors. The politics and the science must be disentangled, Dr. Pinker argues. Equal rights and equal opportunities are moral principles, he says, not empirical hypotheses about human nature, and they do not require a biological justification, especially not a false one. Moreover, the blank slate doctrine has political consequences that have been far from benign, in Dr. Pinker's view. It encourages totalitarian regimes to excesses of social engineering. It perverts education and child-rearing, loading unmerited guilt on parents for their children's failures. In his book he reproaches those who in his view have politicized the study of human nature from both the left and ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohNcoyjrMWs&hl=en

*PDF FILE HERE - playpdf.sa-media.com drscottjohnson.blogspot.com Scott's Homepage - www.sermonaudio.com Scott's Forum - www.endtimescurrentevents.freeforums.org contendingfortruth.com 13th December 2009 Freemasonry Exposed Teaching Overview In his book titled: Freemasons: Inside the World's Oldest Secret Society, H. Paul Jeffers refers to the United States as a Masonic project. His findings revealed that many of the founding fathers of the country were high degree masons. For instance, of the 56 persons who signed the Declaration of Independence document in 1778, 15 of them or 27 percent were Masons. Jeffers has also found out that 28 of the 40 signers of the USA constitution were high degree Masons. In view of the overwhelming influence of Freemasonry in the American society, it is no surprise that Freemasons have dominated politics in the US. Out of the 43 presidents that have ruled America from 1789 to date, 25 of them were Freemasons. Among them was George Washington, who was installed the first president of the country in 1789. He was initiated in November 1752 into Frederickburg Lodge N0.4, Fredereickburg, Virginia. He is the first and only Freemason to serve simultaneously as a lodge master and president. Jeffers has also come to the conclusion that Freemasonry was at the heart of the American Revolution as more than 50 percent of the generals who fought and won the war of American independence from Britain were Freemasons. That explains why Freemasonry has ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PeHcT8fokA&hl=en

Lee Smith, Fellow at the Hudson Institute and correspondant for The Weekly Standard and Tablet, discusses themes covered in his new book, "The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations" at the Center for Security Policy's National Security Group Lunch on Capitol Hill. For more information, see: www.amazon.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntHsAHJbGKI&hl=en

A lot of bloggers read blogs, but there are also some very valuable books out there on blogging. The three books that I recommend for bloggers are Blog! by David Kline and Dan Burstein, The Corporate Blogging Book by Debbie Weil, and Naked Conversations by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble.

1. Blog!: How the newest revolution is changing politics, business and culture by David Kline and Dan Burstein.

This book talks of the power and influence of blogs. It uses political examples. Through these examples we can learn what good blogging is (honest, open) and what it is not (poorly written, blatant marketing). It talks about freedom of the press and countries and companies that try to suppress blogs. It also warns and gives examples of blogs that share insider or confidential information and what happens.

To quote from it: "most people or at least most of the media's coverage of business issues in blogging are missing the fact that the real excitement here is not how much money business can make from blogging, but how dramatically blogging will reshape the world of business from top to bottom and create new sources of competitive advantage for firms that learn how to use this new medium intelligently... Bloggers not only tend to be more passionate about their interests and hobbies than other people, they also have marketplace influence far beyond their numbers."

This is a highly inspirational read for anyone who blogs. We live in revolutionary times and as bloggers (and blog readers) we see history being made. We are truly cutting edge. The world is changing before our eyes.

As A. J. Liebling, a great 20th century journalist, said: "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one." With blogs, anyone can.

2. The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get it Right by Debbie Weil.

Debbie is one of the pioneers of corporate blogging. She is not only an advocate but she explains the pros and cons of corporate blogs.

A section from the book: "Blogs are a key enabler of this new way of talking with customers, employees, the media and other constituencies. Packaged, filtered, controlled conversation are out. Open, two-way, less-than-perfect communications with your customers and employees are in....Listen, learn, debate, be willing to change, admit mistakes, be equals, with your children, be fair to others with whom you have an adversarial relationship. Acting like a dictator will get you nowhere."

She has top 20 questions about corporate blogging and in one of those she talks about the three most important things to know before starting blogging. The book also has good examples of blogging policies.One of her points is savvy bloggers read other blogs. My advice is the simplest way to do this is to subscribe to them.

One concept that she talks about is citizen journalist and citizen media. Blogs are a new media and it is run by the citizens. Blogger Halley Suitt explains, "The word PR will be gone; the word blog will be gone. Your employees will be your ad agency and your customers will be your back-up ad agency"

3. Naked Coversations:How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble

This is an excellent book. I am passionate about business blogs. I truly believe they have value for a business. The book re-affirms this. Naked Coversations is easy to read, fast and well organized. It combines advice on blogging (and why blogs help companies) with stories of real bloggers.

Blogs have dangers but those dangers tend to be overrated. Not blogging is a greater danger. As I have said many times, blogs are a new media. Companies that ignore it do so at great peril. At the same time, blogs cannot be blatant self or company promotion - readers (and other bloggers see right through that and can decimate a company).

How do I know if a book is good? If I make a change as a result. I turned off word verification on my blog to make it easier to comment (I still review all comments and don't let spam through but am trying to make it easier to have a conversation). I get twice as many emails as comments on my blog as a result of my blog. The book drives home that comments and conversations are good.

I also know a book is good if I buy multiple copies for people that I think should read it. And in this case I did.

All three of these books, Blog! by David Kline and Dan Burstein, The Corporate Blogging Book by Debbie Weil, and Naked Conversations by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble should be read by anyone who has a blog or anyone interested in blogging.

The BP oil rig disaster has once more demonstrated the urgent need for the development of two critical emergency response technologies.

Future deepwater drilling should be permitted only if dependable emergency closure equipment for leaking oil wells becomes available. Similarly, specially equipped vessels for cleaning quickly spreading oil spills from leaking oil wells must become available for immediate deployment in response to a pipe break or a blow out.

No such dependable emergency response technologies are presently available anywhere.

Multiple designs of surface skimmers are available but the technology is dated and is not capable of quickly corralling the oil from wells, which are gushing thousands of barrels of crude oil each day.

Small leaks can be cleaned with equipment designs that are most suited for shallow and calm waters. Out at sea, only larger vessels can be employed. The preferred oil skimmer design for offshore duty is still an oil boom acting as a barrier for floating oil. All oil booms look similar; none operates effectively in choppy waters.

Oil booms act as a vertical barrier and are made from a flexible material, which extends like a curtain for a foot or more beneath the water surface. The assembly is kept floating by a buoyant material or by air inside an airtight tubular chamber made from the same material as the submerged skirt.

The booms are manufactured in long sections, which can be joined and can be extended for miles. These very long barriers of booms are mostly used to close off estuaries or contain oil spills in rivers and near-shore locations.

Shorter sections of this type of boom can also be used as oil skimming devices. In this configuration, oil booms form a large loop, which is formed like a U, a V, or a J. A single vessel carrying one or two outriggers on its sides can pull one or two U-shaped or J-shaped loops. Three vessels can form a V-shape; two are towing, the third one is collecting the skimmed oil.

The U.S. Coast Guard is using some of their cutters for oil skimming duties. This type of vessel has been able to collect as much as 1500 barrels of oil on a single day under ideal conditions.

The BP oil leak is bound to leak oil until at least the middle of August. After more than one hundred days, more than five million barrels or more than two hundred million gallons crude will have been spilled into the Gulf. This oil is spreading unobstructed on the surface and is threatening wetlands, estuaries, and beaches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Some of the oil may eventually reach the East Coast of the US if not cleaned in due time.

During the last ten years, a more advanced design of a skimming vessel has been developed in Europe. Instead of towing the typical, flexible oil boom, this new design uses two solid, heavy, and very tall steel barriers. These two barriers are suspended on strong derricks or davits that are extending from both side decks of the skimming vessel. The two steel barriers are lowered into the water halfway and their outer ends are pointed towards the ship's bow at a slight forward angle.

The skimming vessel steams ahead, the oil piles up and flows toward the hull, where it is collected and pumped aboard the ship. This type of skimmer can operate under adverse weather conditions and does not have to wait for calmer waters.

Collection duties and collection efficiencies of these vessels are higher than those of skimming vessels with outrigger towed oil booms. This type of skimming vessel also has a rather large displacement and can stay offshore for skimming duties lasting several days. The vessel can run on its own bottom to the leak at rather high displacement speeds and can arrive at the spill in hours or at most a couple of days due to the much shorter distances between main shipping lanes in Europe.

An American design must take into account the very long coasts of the USA. Advanced emergency vessels must collect more than 5000 barrels of crude, which has not been given a chance to spread too far. Such emergency vessels need to reach the site of a major oil leak in less than twenty four hours. This means that vessels capable of maximum speeds of 25 knots must be stationed not more than 600 nautical miles apart. The design for such a high speed oil skimmer is not available, yet.

Similarly, no designs have been proposed for the reliable closure of leaks similar to the BP Deepwater Horizon well. This is utterly disturbing. An illustrious team of experts, professors, and a Nobel laureate disappointed when it could not come up with a workable solution for halting the leak.

A single, inventive mind can often beat a roomful of the "brightest minds". Analysis is distinctly different from inspired synthesis. Inventors and scientists approach problems in ways that are fundamentally different. Most scientists have great analytic skills. Inventors analyze, too. However, their strong suit is not analysis but inspiration. Great inventors can envision things that nobody else has ever seen before.

Unfortunately, the modern patent system has made life for this type of inventors very difficult. In the US, not that many new products are being developed inside the proverbial garages any longer. Only larger companies or new ventures can fund the development of a promising new product and can provide the resources for staying with a promising product from idea through concept confirmation, product design, patent application, and marketing. Many brilliant ideas never make it because they are subverted by well meaning but incompetent product evaluators, managers, and marketers.

The BP disaster is just another illustration for this systemic failure. There is no hope for saving the Gulf this time. We can only hope that we learn from the BP disaster and have an emergency preparedness system in place in time for dealing with the next large oil spill.

Dr S Radhakrishnan in his well researched book 'Hinduism' gives an exalted and philosophical view of the Hindu religion. There is no doubt that the Hindu religion is a vast ocean and tapping it can enlighten the thinker to the essence of life.The' Bagdad Gita' or The song divine gives us a glimpse of the higher echelons of man mind in the pursuit of truth.

But despite lofty ideals in practice there are a few things that are not desirable. The most important of these is the caste system. The originator of the caste system is attributed to the saint (rishi) Manu. He laid down 4 basic castes that included the Brahmin's, Kshatriya's, Vaish and Shudra. The last caste is supposed to be the untouchable who have in real terms no rights in the erstwhile Hindu society.

It is not known how and when this cast system came into being, but its origin can be traced to antiquity as the Mahabharata the epic book written almost 4000 years back repeatedly refers to the caste system. Over a period of time the caste system became the bedrock of the Hindu society and in some manner it also became the bane of an exalted and esoteric religion.

The Moslem's and the British who ruled India did not tinker with the Hindu caste system, but the British did bring in legislation to end the exploitation of the Shudras.Even after the British left India, the one aspect in their rule which they could not change -the caste system continued to bedevil Hindu society.

Thus now after over 60 years of the end of British rule, caste has again become the bed rock of Indian polity and culture. Not many people abroad will know that the Indian government has perpetuated the cast system and given it a legal cover.

The framers of the Indian constitution had envisioned reservations for castes in jobs and institutes for untouchable and the scheduled castes for 15 years. But these have been extended at regular intervals by parliament. In addition the scope of reservations has also increased and the so called 'other backward castes' have also been given reservations. Thus where India should have moved forward towards a class less society, exactly the opposite has happened and India has reverted back to caste system with all its faults. It is regression in the extreme.

As it stands the caste has become the most important factor in India.Knowledgeable persons do not see how this differs from apartheid which was vigorously opposed by the United Nations and all sane people. India is unfortunately caught in a time warp. The politics of political expediency has taken center stage and the cast system re introduced by the government. No reformer in India can eradicate the caste system, Gandhi failed and so did Nehru.

The only solution is for the world powers and the UNO to take cognizaton of this aberration in Hindu society and put pressure on the Indian government to do away with caste as the denomination for everything in India. In a way it is worse than apartheid and it is high time India was classified as a state that divides its own people on the basis of caste which in any case is a man made division and has nothing to do with the Hindu philosophy as such.

German American Business Association of California, Inc. and the MIT Club of Northern California Clean Technology Program invite you to this joint event. Towards Energy Autonomy New Politics for Renewable Energy. This is also the topic of Hermann Scheer's latest book. Hermann Scheer will discuss how policy models fostering renewable energy can pave the way for energy autonomy. He will also discuss the current trends regarding the upcoming review of the German EEG (feed-in-tariff) which is due by the end of 2007 / beginning 2008 and which has created the largest solar energy market in the world.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z7cdDYP_zg&hl=en

In the heat of the election season and as a life-long political junkie, I can't wait for election night. It is always one of the biggest nights of the year around my house. Glued to multiple TV's, tuned to every station (and now the Internet) I watch the returns roll in. Depending upon your investment in the campaign, the emotional highs and lows intensify. It's even better to be at a party. Some friends ask why I don't wait until the next morning to read the headlines. Would you turn off the TV before the end of the big game and find out the score tomorrow? This is an important political year full of excitement, so it's easy to be engaged. We're probably finding more people expressing their opinions about politics than ever before. But what about doing this at the workplace?

Political expression comes in a lot of forms. I have to admit I got a little uneasy when I pulled into my office parking lot and saw a bumper sticker that said something derogatory about meat-eaters. Now, I don't have anything against my vegetarian friends, yet I do like a nice steak now and then. What might people think about the opinions displayed at work? Might they be offended?

What about expressing strong political opinions in a small office environment to co-workers and clients? Unless you're working in the campaign office or at the legislature, this might have its limits. I did a little research on how well the workplace tolerates political discussions. We know that public employees (and many who work for private companies) have to adhere to specific guidelines. Those rules may include personal use of company computers and the wearing or distribution of political materials. In general, private, at-will employers have a great deal of latitude in how they manage their workplaces and what political tone they choose to set.

Even if the flexibility exists for employers, politics in the workplace can bring about workplace politics. There is some basic etiquette one can use to keep tensions down. How you handle yourself may depend if you're in management or not. There appears to be a tolerance for conversations among co-workers, but managers are held to a different standard. A national survey conducted in May and June 2007 by Harris Interactive, found that nearly one out of four U.S. workers says they are uncomfortable when their top managers openly express their political preferences at work. More than a quarter of those polled said they don't fit in with their company's culture in terms of politics. The survey found generational differences between younger and older workers regarding talking politics at work. Seventy-six percent of younger employees (age 18-34) would share their political views, compared to 64% of those age 50+. Eight-four percent of younger employees were comfortable telling their boss which candidates they support. This is compared to 68% of older workers who would do the same.

So do you tip-toe around your passion for R's or D's? How can you inspire an excitement for politics at work while not creating unnecessary tensions? At a very minimum, you can create an environment that values voting. It is not inappropriate to inquire is employees or coworkers need registration information. If the outcome of certain ballot measures could affect your business or clients that could also be acceptable for discussion. Alerting family, friends and co-workers to important debates, forums or community meetings may also create involvement and engagement without appearing bias. If you're in a politically charged environment that can be exciting, but what's most important is that you vote, your vote is yours, it's private and it's important. I hope you'll mail in your ballot and be part of this great process. Remember, on election night don't call, I'll be busy, unless you're having a party.....

In his newest book, Dr. Friedman draws on an exploration of history and geopolitical patterns dating back hundreds of years to explain where and why future wars will erupt and how they will be fought, which nations will gain and lose economic and political power, and how new technologies and cultural trends will alter the way we will live in the new century.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2e2p8IE_k&hl=en

Jackie delivers a speech on Starbucks. One of the many topics from his new best-selling book "Schmucks"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Mjnzqi5gs&hl=en

Fixing is undoubtedly rampant these days on several third world countries. And because of its continuing existence, most of the third world countries affected by it tend to slowly progress from poverty. Now here are essential vertical reforms a country must have in order to help fix the problem of fixing:

1. Impart more personal and interpersonal skills in public service. The bureaucracy can learn a lot from how professional fixers conduct their activities. What makes professional fixers effective is their personalized service and connections extended to their clients. It is just not bureaucratic effectiveness and efficiency that matters, but also interpersonal relationships and personalized services. Where bureaucracy lacks these characteristics, fixers offer the alternatives. The bureaucracy needs to be more approachable, humane, helpful and understanding. The people in the government need to learn more personal and interpersonal skills to enhance their service to the public.

2. Deploy mobile ushers and usherettes. Professional fixers are mobile service providers which make them more accessible and approachable to their clients. This is in stark contrast to the desk-bound employees who are sometimes cold, curt, rude, and indifferent and whose services may be inaccessible to the public. Deploying mobile ushers and usherettes may help in providing accessible services to the people. This will encourage people to transact their business only to the legitimate employees or representatives of the office. Ushers and usherettes can also serve as customers' relations managers who provide personalized services that attract people.

3. Set up information and complaints desks. Some offices do not have central information desks or complaints desks with full-time personnel. Conspicuously placed information and complaints desks help a lot in helping people in their transactions.

4. Redirect the focus of security guards. Often security guard acts as ushers and information officers at the expense of their work. In many instances, they act as gatekeepers of insider fixers. Security guards must not be allowed to do other work beyond their mandate to ensure public order, safety and security of the office premises.

5. Install information flowcharts. To augment public information, it is still very helpful to put up information flowcharts of transactional requirements, procedures, corresponding fees and length of time required in each of the procedures. These flowcharts should be placed in different conspicuous areas within the office premises.

If these vertical reforms would just be properly implemented then there is no doubt that fixers will be eradicated easily. We all have the right to set ourselves as platforms to bring reality to every human that has the right to know what is really going on this world.

Al Gore promoting his new book "The Assault On Reason" part one. Part 2 here, www.youtube.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtZv4PUmXg&hl=en

When George Washington crossed the Delaware, according to the famous painting, he was showing a body language stance of confidence. He did this by standing erect with his hands on his hips. There is evidence of the same stance by Woodrow Wilson during a time when he was lecturing at a university and by Walter Mondale during his presidential campaign.

Many presidents and presidential hopefuls have shown body language signs of confidence and dominance. In the 1992 presidential debates, much of this was going on. Former President Bill Clinton, Ross Perot, and former President George Bush were all showing a palms down gesture that symbolized their belief in their superiority.

Another nonverbal cue of body language is a way you tilt your head back and hold it there. This has shown up in speeches by Mussolini, Roosevelt, George Wallace, and even Al Gore. It symbolizes a feeling of being disdainful, arrogant, and superior.

Sometimes, body language shows how uncomfortable a politician is. In 1988, former Vice President Dan Quayle was speaking in a televised debate. His opponent came out with a rather cutting remark, and Quayle's response was an immediate "Adam's apple jump." This is a classic sign of nervousness.

The angle that you put yourself in relationship to others is a part of body language. Former President Richard Nixon was known for being uncomfortable around people. This was shown in the way he set himself at a ninety degree angle to others he was dealing with.

Much has been made of a 1988 Time magazine cover photo. It shows Jesse Jackson, who was making a run for president at the time. He is standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Some say this is a classic defensive pose. This may or may not be a correct interpretation of his body language.

A tense, pouting mouth can show uncertainty, frustration, and sadness. Photos were taken of former President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky ordeal. In them he is often displaying such a form of body language.

Former President Ronald Reagan and the Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev had important matters to discuss at summit. There were times when they did not agree. However, when they did agree, their body language showed it. At such times, they would face each other. They would also sit in similar postures.

A Republican pollster, R. Teeter, did an experiment about body language in politics. He showed people visual footage of politicians campaigning. They were doing their usual speech-making, hand shaking, and the rest. There was no sound, only video.

As it turned out, those who had only the body language of the candidates to read rated them the same way as those who knew their politics and views. It was shown that a lot is determined about choice of candidate by body language alone.

You wanna stir things up? Just blurt out to your family and friends that you are so disgusted with government, politics and elections that you will no longer be voting. God, you'd think I drew a cartoon of a sacred religious idol or something.

But, I truly have hit the wall with American politics. Granted, I do suffer horrific bouts of BTSD: Bush Traumatic Stress Disorder. And, I've read or listened to too many pieces by or about the likes of Paul Krugman, Simon Johnson (13 Bankers), Elizabeth Warren, Nouriel Roubini, Bill Moyers, Jim Hightower, et al.

I am convinced that as long as Wall Street, the big banks, Big Oil, Big Pharma and Big Corporate America own the government, there will be no change. Ever. Greed-fueled lobbying and campaign contributions mean our government is not about We The People and never will be.

Both parties are morally bankrupt, and a viable third party will always be out of the question unless you count the Tean Party, the Libertarians, or the Green Party, which I don't. Nope. It's a two-party system we are corruptly governed by that will always crush any true threat to its continued conniving ways.

So, call me crazy, call me an idiot, mock me, dis me, for I fully deserve it. But, I will no longer be a meaningless part of The Great American Pyramid Scheme. I will no longer participate in this exercise in futility called "voting in elections," nor will I deceive myself into believing that my vote matters. It doesn't. I will give not one more shred of cred to a political system that is so not "Of The People, By The People and For The People..."

At nearly 60, I am burning my voter registration card knowing that the more things don't change, the more they remain the same.

The decline of the great newspapers of America in our ordinary life could be seen as sad and tragic for grandparents and as an excellent opportunity for another disaster, the capital of an engaged, tech experts nephew.

The gap generation gap between the two is not so much a preference as a giant abyss. It is not only a difference of media delivery systems. There is also a difference of thought, faith, innovation, progress and hierarchy. We are a nationcelebrates and idolizes the young.

The old have little space in this new world, they are often respected or tolerated. And 'likely that they will be kicked to the curb. Imagine the television commercial where the boy gives his grandmother a ride to go where it is and when she opens the door when they arrived, he literally kicked out of the car screaming still moving, "Tuck and Roll, grandma, tuck and roll" .

Now we once respected andsee major newspapers. One area that was born in the colonial period, reached its peak first radio was posted, with the advent of television, and neglects the presence of the Internet and data protection, is now at risk of extinction.

It 'been a journalist, the source of expression and the distinction of being the "fourth state". The moniker was apparently rooted in 1789 when Louis XVI at Versailles was a plenary meeting of the "General Assembly convened. The estate consisted of 300 firstClergy, the Second Estate the nobility and the Third 300 600 congregations.

Years later, after the French Revolution, British politician and statesman Edmund Burke, looking at the press gallery of the House of Commons, said: "There sits the Fourth Estate, and they are the most important of all."

the use of the written word to denote the first printing by Thomas Carlyle in his book On Heroes and Hero Worship in the year 1841, when Carlyle remarks quoted Burke.

It 'wasNewspapers, the first on the proud tradition of exposing the misconduct of government officials who wanted to take the politicians and those who sought to gain advantages over others. Newspapers were the guards who kept a watchful eye on the rich and powerful.

The rapid decline and fall from grace of newspapers is really sad and tragic. I spent the first 20 years of my professional life as a publisher of several weekly newspapers, an investigative reporter, editor and sports managementPublishers of newspapers, and the owner of a newspaper publisher.

It was still an exciting ride, when I left the business in early 1980. In hindsight, I realize that the newspaper industry, already down, when I started my career in 1960.

The newspaper industry has been blinded by the Internet. owners and managers of newspapers simply do not realize, and calculating the loss of business in which cut heavily into their internet classifiedAdvertising revenue. They have been slow to market websites and re-establish their business in a changing economy.

Potential young readers have been sold on the Internet, and drew him like bees to honey. The revolution of video game reinforces exactly what the younger generation had already heard that newspapers were on the way out.

Newspapers also compounded the problem by rewarding a few bright, but stubborn to stop journalists recording and reporting the facts and allowsspits out all sorts of personal journalism in the name of the alert. The result is propaganda disguised as news.

Readers did not have the facts and allowed to draw their own inferences. Readers have led to an account, often idiosyncratic of writers who think they know more than their readers. How many times in history, the politicians thought they knew more and more common sense than the mass of people are gathered?

The list of the most importantAmerican newspapers that have already failed on the edge of the law or otherwise as a list of Who's Who in the history of journalism. And now some in Congress have launched the idea of saving money for members of a great wrong to this once venerable institution. This would be a grave mistake.

The same newspaper owners, publishers and journalists, who refused such a despicable level as to become mere political shills for politicians and government officials that they deserve. Get

If the newspaper industry deserves to survive in America needs to get back on the market for a population change rather than social and political tripe from a group of editors and journalists who are God's gift to journalism, when in reality they think they very unnecessary claims to serve.

great journalism begins in the heart is full of integrity, honesty and clarity succumb, not political pressure, social engineering agendas and disinformationand hatred.

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

On March 24, 2010 We Are Change Chicago attempted to confront Mitt Romney at a public interview/discussion followed by a book signing. Unfortunately, for some reason Borders would not allow it. However, Romney was given a copy of the nano-thermite report: www.bentham-open.org Also check out this great Mitt Romney confrontation by We Are Change Tampa: www.youtube.com wearechangechicago.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1GQealkU4I&hl=en

KEVIN PHILLIPS Bill Moyers sits down with former Nixon White House strategist and political and economic critic Kevin Phillips, whose latest book BAD MONEY: RECKLESS FINANCE, FAILED POLITICS, AND THE GLOBAL CRISIS OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM explores the role that the crumbling financial sector played in the now-fragile American economy.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syuSHElKjmE&hl=en

Open Letters to George W. Bush

Case Wagenvoord

iUniverse (2005)

ISBN 0595361978

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (6/06)

This book is a tongue-in-cheek satire of government and big business, told through a series of letters to President Bush from a fictional character called Belacqua Jones, described by the author as a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb.

Belacqua Jones is an ardent admirer of George W. Bush and possesses keen insight into the political machine. That insight is clearly evident in this book as Jones comments on every aspect of Bush's presidency and offers invaluable advice to further his political career. Some of Jones' suggestions: Enhance the value of death. If someone has an illness such as cancer, offer painkillers rather than medicine to fight the disease. Morphine is much cheaper than chemotherapy. Keep the rest of the world impoverished so that the US can maintain its standard of living. Shore up Social Security by making cigarette smoking mandatory for children. If he wishes to eliminate Social Security, he can just abolish retirement. Problem solved. The big corporations can take back all the money they put into the 401 (k)s and give enormous bonuses to the top executives as they so richly deserve.

Jones is also looking out for George's interests, such as warning him about the Ashlee Simpson debacle. It takes an astute player to recognize the potential harm Simpson could do the political machine.

At times Jones shows astonishing vision, such as urging the canonization of Judas Iscariot by the Vatican. How could anyone, except a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb, realize that Judas was a victim, actually a sacrifice to the greater good?

Although I don't agree with everything Case Wagenvoord writes, I found that I was in agreement with much more of what he has written than I anticipated. A brilliant, satirical book, I would urge everyone to sit down and browse through this work. Since the book is a series of letters, in no particular order, you can jump around, picking the chapter headings that intrigue you. Some of my favorites...The Iron Colon, Tree-Huggers, The Benefits of Torture, God Bless the Democrats, Stoning and Human Sacrifice.

Margaret Atwood is one of the world's pre-eminent writers, having won the Booker Prize, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the Governor General's Literary Award, among many other honours. The literary giant has earned the title Queen of CanLit. Atwood has always had a strong political voice but during this election she's made headlines, railing against the cuts to culture funding in Canada. Her new book of 2008 Massey Lectures, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth (House of Anansi), goes further than ever in tackling politics head-on. She examines the broad social implications of debt and our attitude towards it. As she puts it in the book, what we owe and how we pay is a feature of all human societies, and profoundly shapes our shared values and our cultures.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ookorsp8a8E&hl=en

Barack Obama whips up lunch for his wife Michelle Obama and their two daughters Malia Obama and Sasha Obama. Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. born August 4, 1961 is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 US presidential election. Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, he spent most of his early life in Honolulu, Hawaii. From ages six to ten, he lived in Jakarta with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before running for public office and serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. After an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the US House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for US Senate in 2003. The following year, while still an Illinois state legislator, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He was elected to the US Senate in November 2004 with 70% of the vote. As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation for controlling conventional weapons and for promoting greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the current 110th Congress, he has sponsored legislation on lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned US ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz_kr44N9so&hl=en

It is hard to specify exactly what genre Larry Roth's new book can fall into. Political, frugal living, gay rights, taking care of the body and more are covered in Political Frugality -Guerrilla Economics for the Demonized, Devalued and Disenfranchised.

Larry was a high income-earner who gave it up to be a relaxed gardener; he exercises, eats right and lives frugally. This retired professional walks-the-walk, and raises several interesting points of view on society and communities.

Discussions on how we dictate each other's belief system to one another without even realizing what we are doing were definitely thought provoking. Larry also brings to light the unrealistic discrimination that still slides in and out of our daily lives - and we find this normal.

I found the author's ideas on social security just fantastic. When you think about it, where does our money go if we die early and are not married? For that matter, why should the spouse left behind be penalized by receiving only a portion of the mate's coverage?

The true cost of climbing the social ladder is certainly a point well made by Larry and his thoughts on how consumerism is a vote with the wallet is enlightening. He talks about corporations that build items without replaceable parts or limited availability in order to force more consumer spending. According to Larry, it does not have to be like this.

Although Political Frugality begins a little heavy and political for my tastes, just past these first few pages the real life stories will entertain and shock the reader. Larry's nightmare situation with the credit bureau is pretty shocking. This is not another "victim of fraud" story folks, but rather a bureaucratic goof taken to an extreme!

Larry also makes some excellent arguments for the benefits of walking. It can be so much more than frugal and responsible transportation, exercise and meditation - it can actually bond communities. How? I can't tell you here, you'll have to read the book to find out!

So many beliefs and views on issues were similar to my own that I found myself thinking "Exactly!" repeatedly. Larry certainly brings attention to some very ironic and illogical social issues. Folks that read Political Frugality will learn new ideas on how to live in a more socially and fiscally responsible way.

ISBN#: 0962522848
Author: Larry Roth
Illustrated by: Andy Dandino
Publisher: Living Cheap Press

If you plan on working in New York City as a school nurse, you may reconsider your decision to enroll in a school nursing program. If you are already enrolled in one, you may consider switching your major to another field of medicine. According to Jenny Anderson, reporter for the New York Times, New York City Mayor Bloomberg has proposed eliminating nursing positions at schools with an enrollment of 300 students or less. Mind you, when you are referring to public school enrollment numbers, these numbers are not necessarily equal to the actual number of students attending a school. This is especially true in tightly budgeted schools, where funding is based on enrollment numbers. If this passes, what additional risks involved in not having a medical professional stationed at a school - especially in an uber-crowded urban city such as New York. What happens in emergencies? Will teachers be made responsible for the health and safety of students? Even if a teacher were given basic first aid instruction, who would attend to the rest of the students while he or she is caring for the ill student?

After experiencing the life of a teacher in New York City and elsewhere, in all likelihood, mayhem would break out if the teacher is forced to care for ill students, rather than attend to their lessons. Without a school nursing program, there is always the likelihood that students, especially the more brazen ones, will take advantage of the situation and feign an illness or condition to distract the teacher during important lessons or exams. Then there's always the inevitable mob mentality; in short order - classrooms in NYC will become places of bedlam - if they already are not! What happened to the "no child will be left behind" legislature? Is this part of Obama's healthcare overhaul?

Just to show you how much money our government officials waste is that the Mayor provided a loophole for his proposal, which states that schools with children who require daily medical attention, e.g. students taking medication that is administered by a licensed healthcare worker will be exempt. Haven't we been hearing report after report as to how many children are on controlled substances? Then there are those, such as the diabetic child who may require injections. Without a school nursing program on campus, what will happen to these children and those with potential emergency needs? Statistics prove that nearly half of all children have been diagnosed with some sort of chronic disorder or illness and that many of them require some sort of daily medication regimen. Without a school nurse, who is going to take care of these children? Are teachers, staff, and principals expected to also assume legal responsibility?

According to Judith Arroyo, president of the New York City nurses union, besides administering to daily health problems of school children school nurses are at the front line of defense when it comes to diagnosing or recognizing serious viral outbreaks, such as the swine flu (H1N1 virus), which was first reported to city health officials by a Catholic school nurse.

According to Henry Fortier, associate superintendent for public policy and government programs for the New York Archdiocese, public testimony will not be permitted. Therefore, in this writer's opinion, the Mayor's proposal is another strategic political ploy to stir up the pot to get a lot of people worked up over nothing. Indeed, this move of the Mayor's is another example of his reckless manner and hubris for strong arming his way through our weakened political stratum.

The bottom line is that it is probably not very prudent to enroll in a school nursing program in New York at this time. If you are considering medicine, there are many other opportunities, such as CNA, RN, and PhD Nursing online programs, where your education will lead to job security. NYC long ago lost its battle for solvency, and Michael Bloomberg has failed at his job despite his great success and brilliance when it comes to private enterprise. This nursing cut is just another reflection of how poorly mismanaged our tax system is. Billions of dollars pass through the hands of people who work off the books or run cash businesses and never make it into the New York tax coffers. Raising taxes on gasoline, cigarettes, and snack foods hurts the consumer more than it ever helps the state. If this were not true, New York would be in the black.

A Haunting Story of Seeking God's Purpose in Suffering

As an avid reader I sometimes find a book that deeply touches my heart. Jeanne Damoff's "Parting the Waters: Finding Beauty in Brokenness" is that kind of book. This is a poignant account of the trials and testing faced by the Damoff family when their fifteen year old son, Jacob, was left in a coma as a result of a near death drowning accident.

Jeanne describes the raw emotion and physical exhaustion she experienced throughout the years of Jacob's treatment, therapy, progress, set backs and victories. She candidly tells of her personal emotional pain, the absence of laughter in their home, and of how the family suffered with Jacob through his suffering. She writes of trying to banish fear and anxiety, while looking for a break through, a sign of complete restoration and healing.

Jeanne writes of the support of family, church friends, and of the community backing which enabled her with her husband George to focus on being with Jacob while health care professionals planned his treatment and therapy, during the time Jacob was in a coma as well as the months that followed. God graciously built a wall around Jeanne's pain as she persevered in prayer, pleading for a miracle while working through periods of resentment, anger, guilt, and desolation.

Beautiful testimonies from family members, caregivers, and friends tell of how they personally were touched and are being touched by Jacob's life. These words of affirmation add to the books authenticity and bring honor to God for the miracles seen in their own lives through the ongoing story of Jacob's simple, joyous faith, and his sense of personal contact with his God though worship. The book also addresses questions of God's purpose in suffering, His sovereignty, and His power to heal. Any parent who reads book "Parting the Waters: Finding Beauty in Brokenness" will be touched by the under current of a deep faith and positive hope displayed by the Damoff family. I found an unexplained beauty in Jacob's story. It has deeply moved me and touched my heart.

WinePress Publishing, 978-1579219505
As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

All congressmen should be required to read "The Law," by Frederic Bastiat. This 70-page book explains, like no other, what the role of the law and government should be. Having been written about one hundred and fifty years ago, it is amazing how relevant this book is today.

Today, the law has many purposes. If we think something is wrong or not as it should be, we are very quick to suggest a law that will fix the problem. We use the law for things for which it was not intended.

The law, Bastiat explains, is a collective force made up of individuals. Because of this, it should not be allowed to do what an individual himself should not be allowed to do. Legal Plunder, as Bastiat calls it, is an example of something that would be illegal for an individual to do, but it is considered legal when done by the government. This is a great example of how the law has been corrupted and it is being used to try to make everything that we might consider wrong, right. What is legal plunder? Here's a great quote by Bastiat:

"...how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime."

So what should The Law be allowed to do? It should be allowed to do only what an individual should be allowed to do. For example, everyone would agree that an individual should be allowed to defend himself and his property. In this case, you can think of the collective force that is the government, as a group of individuals who are helping you defend yourself against someone trying to take your life or property. There is nothing wrong with a group of individuals helping you defend yourself, but there is something wrong with a group of people robbing someone, just as it is wrong for an individual to rob someone. Once one starts viewing the government as a collective force made up of individuals, it is easy to realize that we have made certain crimes legal, as long as they are committed by the collective force that is the government. The law's purpose should be to protect the natural rights of individuals. These natural rights are the right to life, liberty, and property; nothing more.

One very important point that Bastiat makes in his book is that the law is supposed to play a negative role, not a positive one. What he means by this is that so often politicians use the law for what they consider to be justice, but justice cannot be created. Justice is only present in the absence of injustice. For example, The law should be used to protect me from the injustice of having my property taken away from me by someone else. This is an example of how the law makes sure justice reigns; by making sure the injustice of having my property stolen, doesn't take place. On the other hand, when politicians try to help those less fortunate by taking money from others, they are trying to create what they think is justice, when in reality they are violating the natural rights of the people they are taking the money from, and are thus creating an injustice, which is the opposite of what the law should do. If I cannot get five of my friends to legally rob someone, why is the government allowed to do it for me?

The law's role should be limited to one of protector; protector of our natural rights. If all Americans understood this, we would be well on our way to solving our problems, since most of our problems originate from the law being used for the wrong purpose. So how can we fix this corruption of the law? Quite simply. Make the same rules that apply to individuals, apply to the government

Meticulously articulated, Carla Lee Suson tells a tale of horrific terror, personal revenge, and future politics in her masterpiece novel, Independence Day Plague. Incorporating an insider's view into the government's military sanctioned secret biological weapons industry, the story takes place in the not-too-distant future, 2026 - the 250th Anniversary of America.

Police need to unravel the trail of a "lone wolf," a self-made domestic terrorist; set against the backdrop of the nation's 4th of July gala celebration being planned in the Metro-DC area. With sub-plots of international tensions posturing the USA against China over a satellite incident and military actions, all hell is about to break loose if this cat-and-mouse hunt isn't solved in time. The clock's ticking, and millions of lives depend on it.

Carla Lee Suson's authenticity to detail is extraordinary. Well researched and having lived in the worlds she wrote about, her book transported me into the tributaries of the government's secret programs with, at times, an eerie attention to detail. The future events imagined and portrayed in her book all have their roots in reality. She created a high level of credibility to her story by keeping within the bounds of believability of future events as well as her characters' motivations. Thus she authored a book I was immersed within while reading, and found to be as enjoyable as a blockbuster feature movie.

Picked up by Fireside Publications, Independence Day Plague is an unforgettable 249 page literary experience. Clad with cover art of an ominously penetrating stare of a woman wearing a gas mask, with the clear blue sky behind the iconic Washington Monument, the cover suggests a threat not seen nor sensed. I consider myself fortunate to have read this so early in the book's release, as I can only anticipate the frenzy of followers yet to echo my praise. A book, I can honestly say, "I was holding my breath until the end!"