Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
What Does Vince Lombardi Have to Do With Prepping?
The other day a prepper curious friend asked me what kind of gun he should buy. I was excited that he was thinking of taking care of his need to protect himself and his family. The ability and right to protect our persons, family and property come with being human. They are a God-given right, not as some would consider a man-made right.
Before I gave him an answer about weapons, I had to stop and think a bit. (usually I just say something then think later, ask my wife, she'll agree) This time, I asked him a question instead. "Do you have the basics covered?" "Do you have a one year supply of food and water for your family?"
I kind of expected the answer I received, "No, I don't have any food stashed...yet." I didn't want to discourage him about protecting his family but at the same time I feel that FEEDING your family is protecting them also. I gently encouraged him to start thinking about starting his food purchases FIRST, then as money allowed to consider purchasing his weapons.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his theory of Hierarchy of Needs. The basic necessities at bottom of his list of needs are the physiological needs. Breathing, food, water, shelter. Just above that comes security.
So many times we want to get the coolest gadget, radio, solar panel, gun, that we forget about taking care of the basics FIRST. Even though I am constantly ADDING to my already deep larder, I am able to move up and concentrate on security of body, family and property.
The Green Bay Packers' legendary head coach, Vince Lombardi led them to 5 world championships in 7 years including the first two Super Bowls. Although each season, many hardened veterans would return, to the Packers, Coach Lombardi would start with the basics. On the first day of practice each year, Lombardi would hold up a football and say, "Men....this is a football!"
You can't get any more basic than that. So, remember in your quest to prepare your family for uncertainty, start with the basics. Take care of those, then move up.
This link is a really neat little tool that helps calculate just how much food you need for a given amount of people. It is developed by some Mormons. I am not Mormon, but I do respect their deep knowledge and (food) preparedness beliefs.
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm
As well as encouraging people to start their own business. William Feller also teaches how to survive in a possible severe economic downturn. Through his blog/audio podcast, http://awareandprepared.com/ William reaches thousands of people worldwide with practical tips and tools on how not only to survive but thrive in any downturn.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Pitching Journalists Via Email
According to the 2010 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey, more than 70% of around 1600 PR practitioners still consider that using email is the most effective way to pitch journalists. However, journalists receive a lot of emails and they may not have enough time to read them all. Here you are some guidelines to increase your email chance to be read.
1. Target your pitch
Journalists receive tens or may be hundreds of Pitching Emails; your email may be at risk if it's not grabbing their attention enough or if it's not sent in an appropriate time through the day.
To pitch a journalist, you should act like a sales person who is showing his merchandise to a customer. If you (the sales person) are offering a medical product or service, your customer (journalist, editors and producers) should be a specialist in the field of healthcare, not someone who is working as a sports reporter.
Usually customers don't have much patience to listen to sales persons or to read long ads; so if you are pitching journalists via email, you should get their attention from the first glance, from the subject line. You should give life to your email; make it like you are doing a face-to-face presentation, this will give a better effect on the reader.
You also should make your research to know if your story has been covered before or not. If you have a new idea in expressing your story, a new perspective for a specific topic, be sure that journalists would like to get new ideas and stories, but you should also be sure you are expressing your idea in an attractive way.
2. Have a clear, concise subject
Getting a journalist attention to your email takes only one second. If you want your email to be read, not to be deleted and not to be considered as a spam, your subject line gives the first impression. Your subject line should be descriptive enough to let the journalist know what this email is talking about. E.g. Subject: SME News Release - PR's Secret.
Don't try to be funny in the subject line; the reader might not get your joke. Avoid using common words that are used by spammers. Also it's not preferred to use the word "pitch" in the subject line.
3. The body should be conversational, to the point
Around 30 seconds will decide the destiny of your email, whether to be read or to be neglected and deleted; especially if it's the first time to contact the journalist. Journalists don't have much time to read long emails, so you must keep your body brief and to the point. Format the body of your email before sending and make it easy and clear to read by using bullets or whatever. Don't include smiley faces or emoticons, make it serious and formal.
The objective of the body is to convince the journalist to contact you after getting interested in your story. To achieve this you have to include enough information to answer all the questions of a journalist. Put yourself in his shoes, think about why he should contact you later, how your topic will add a value to his publications.
Avoid attaching any clips to your email, let the journalist know the resources and samples that you have and he will request them. Get their attention in the body of your email, and then you can send more detailed information after they contact you.
After writing your body, be sure that your signature include your contact information, email address, website and phone number. Let him choose his favorite method to contact you.
4. Let them opt out
One aspect of courtesy and being polite is to give them the freedom of choice whether to receive your future updates or not. This will be appreciated by them; they will feel your respect to them and will exchange it. As a result, they might pass your email to the appropriate place and get another one to benefit from your email.
5. Paste your news release directly below your signature
It's a good idea to paste your news story below your signature. In case the journalists are interested in your story after reading your email body, they can easily scroll down to the read the exact story in details. This will save some time and save one communication step of contacting you telling that they are interested and want you to send further information about your story.
Passing this step means that you will get happy news in the first reply of the journalist.
The Benefits of Online Theft Classes
There are many reasons why people are compelled to steal. It is not legal or right by any means. Stealing can cause you to land jail time or be asked to take an online theft class. An online theft class can be very beneficial for people as an alternative to sitting in a jail cell. They are learning about what they did wrong and how to self improve their lives. Some people only steal items that they need, and some individuals steal to help fund their drug or alcohol habits.
Shoplifting classes can help a person understand their actions of stealing and change their behavior to stop the stealing all together. A lot of thieves are very apologetic when they steal, but many are addicted to it. Many people experience a rush when they are stealing and it becomes very easy for them to do often. People who feel very sorry for their stealing are often times the ones that have an easier time quitting the habit and benefiting most from a theft class they take online.
A lot of individuals that steal often start off by taking small items and then gradually stealing more expensive and larger items. Theft classes help a person find ways to get in a better mindset and have a new attitude towards stealing. Theft classes online can often make a person feel that they are in control by watching and learning on a computer screen from any state in the country. For example, in Alaska a person can sit in the comfort of his own home and take Alaska online shoplifting classes. They are not forced to sit in a jail cell with other criminals that are not willing to change their habits.
Many judges from a lot of different states will order a class to be taken to help improve a person's life after a stealing issue. There are 4 hour theft classes, or as long as 16 hours. Once you complete your theft class online you will get a certificate or some kind of proof that you can show that you have completed the class. You can learn a lot of information about the law and yourself as a person when taking these courses. By taking the class online you are free to reflect on yourself and figure out what you can do to make yourself stop stealing and get better for your own good. No one wants to end up in jail for stealing or becoming addicted to the thrill of it.
Many people have to pay out-of-pocket for their online theft class. In some states there is funding available for people with low incomes, but for the most part it will be on your wallet. By getting caught stealing you not only risk getting yourself put in jail for a long period of time but also run the risk of not being trusted again. Having a theft charge on your record can follow you around for many years. Online shoplifting classes can be wonderful for people who have even thought about stealing but never have actually done it. Online theft classes also really help people learn the consequences that can occur if they do steal. They are very worth the time and money a person puts into them to change their lives.
Dr. Ari Novick is the President of TheftClassOnline.com. A website dedicated to educating people about theft education. Click here for more information on Theft Classes Online
Click here for more information on 10 Hour Theft Classes
Get to Know Your Neighbours - Organise a Community Lunch
How many of your neighbours do you know? And what's your relationship with them? Do you even say hello? Long gone are the days when neighbours could be counted amongst your closest friends and could always be relied on for a cup of sugar if needed. Nowadays, upon running into a neighbour most people are likely to just say a reserved hello and retire back to their house or flat without sparking up a conversation. That's if they even recognise each other!
The growing trend of keeping to oneself has sparked new initiatives like the Big Lunch in the UK, a project directly aimed at rebuilding community spirit and getting to know those physically closest to you. It is essentially exactly what it says on the cover - a big lunch hosted by the community for the community with tables set up in streets, parks or village greens to which each person is invited to contribute.
If this sounds like something you'd like to take part in, in the UK you can express your interest by registering on the Big Lunch website. The next event is scheduled to take place nationwide on June 3rd to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
You don't have to play a part in a larger project to organise a similar event. If you're a keen advocate for getting to know your neighbours and encouraging a safe and welcoming community, host your very own lunch. Once you start talking you'll probably be surprised to hear how many people would welcome the initiative and how many helpers you could line up.
The Basics
You'll need to work on your confidence because your role as chief organiser will require you to knock on doors, persuade your neighbours to take part in the event and help you arrange the details. Decide on how big the area you're targeting will be. Your street, your cul-de-sac, your apartment building? Once you've sussed out whether people are keen on the idea, start laying plans.
Pick a venue like your street or the local park and confirm it's ok to host the event with your local council. Chances are they'll be eager to help you out! Set a date and time and either prepare invites or do the rounds again chatting to all your neighbours. Posters and flyers are a great way of spreading the word too.
Get your children involved as there are no greater messengers.
If you've gathered a team of helping hands, assign everyone tasks and arrange weekly meetings to check everything's being carried out. Roles could include publicity people, volunteers to help you set up on the day and a decorating committee in charge of table cloths and bunting etc.
Check and double check that everyone knows when and where the lunch is scheduled to take place, and that they know to bring along foods to contribute to the table pot-luck-style. This is a particularly wonderful feature in multicultural communities where you could get to savour flavours from around the world.
Equipment Hire
Whether or not you'll have to hire tables and chairs depends on what kind of area you live in. If it's a suburban neighbourhood where houses have gardens, people are likely to have garden furniture they'd be willing to use. If, however, it's a neighbourhood with apartment blocks you might have to look into renting some cheap picnic tables and chairs. Just ask everyone to chip in a bit of money for the cause or speak to your local council to see if they could lend you some furniture or contribute funding.
If you'd like your lunch to feature a barbeque see if someone might be able to bring one along from their backyard. For big groups with big appetites though you could look at hiring a bigger grill either powered by gas or electricity, in which case you could have to consider power generator hire too, which is readily accessible across the world from South Africa to Canada to Russia.
To avoid disappointment make sure you have a back-up plan in case of bad weather. You could try the local community centre, village hall or church.
Harvey McEwan writes to offer information and advice on a variety of areas, from technology to holiday destinations. Read through Harvey's other articles here to find out more.
Friday, April 27, 2012
The "Lincoln Flag"
The evening of April 14,1865 at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC would indeed change history.
Unseen circumstances would produce The "Lincoln Flag" from the common 36 star U.S. flag that had been used as frontal bunting on the State Box at Ford's Theater the night of the assassination.
After the assassin John Wilkes Booth had pulled the trigger, firing a .44 caliber ball point blank from his derringer into the back of President Lincoln's head, this flag you see to the left was pulled down, folded and carefully placed under Abraham Lincoln's bleeding head as he lay mortally wounded on the floor of the State Box.
The flag is a National Treasure and I am honored to have seen The "Lincoln Flag" close up (I did not expect that) and to have stood next to this invaluable piece of colorful and exciting American history...the author
How these historic moments unfolded and how The "Lincoln Flag" came into being is a story of a large and more or less common 36 star U.S. flag. This flag would become a personal and familial keepsake, a symbol of the "National Sadness" that would shroud the north after President Lincoln's assassination. A continuation of the "National Sadness" that had already enveloped the nation after 4 long years of bloody Civil War. This person was Thomas Gourlay, his descendents would become caretakers of this national heirloom.
The large 36 star U.S.flag was draped over the front of the State Box at Ford's Theater where President Lincoln, Mary Lincoln and guests sat watching the evening's performance "Our American Cousin" starring the well known and beautiful actress Laura Keene.
John Wilkes Booth's plan was unfolding even better than planned so far. Even Lincoln's bodyguard for the evening was not present. Booth had mapped out every move so that he could complete his deadly mission and escape into the Maryland night, planning to meet with his accomplices later down south where he expected to have a heroes welcome.
At approximately 10:15pm he will steal into the shadows of the State Box through the unguarded rear door and shoot the President point blank. Abraham Lincoln once attended to by physicians present is lain on the floor of the State Box so the doctors can examine his wounds. The theater crowd is in pandemonium and confusion after understanding the consequences of the gunshot.
The lead actress, well known and talented Laura Keene is pushing through the mob trying to reach the State Box, and the wounded President. She will finally reach the President and will sit down beside him, cradling his head on her lap.
Actor and stage manager Thomas Gourlay also has reached the State Box and as Laura Keene stands, Gourlay not wanting the Presidents head to be on the floor, reaches for the bunting flag and folding it puts it beneath the bleeding head of President Lincoln.
Within minutes, the decision to move the injured President is made and he is carried out of the State Box.
Thomas Gourlay, the man whose intention to offer a small comfort to the dying President Abraham Lincoln takes the blood stained flag home.The flag is kept exclusively by the Gourlay family.
Also in attendance as an actress in the play "Our American Cousin" was Thomas Gourlay's daughter Jeannie Gourlay who will inherit the flag from father Thomas upon his death in 1885.
Jeannie Gourlay and The "Lincoln Flag" will later relocate to Milford, Pennsylvania.
This once common flag, now stained with the blood of one of our most beloved and well known U.S.Presidents, his name spoken with reverence and eternal thanks for preserving this Union we call " The United States of America", this once common flag now becomes a historic piece of America's struggle for unity and sacrifice. An American heirloom and National Treasure.
This is The "Lincoln Flag", later passed on by Jeannie Gourlay Struthers to her son V.Paul Struthers of Milford, Pa. when Jeannie passed away in 1928 in Milford, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Struthers, the direct grandson of Thomas Gourlay the very man who placed the flag under President Lincoln's bleeding head, donated this invaluable piece of our American Heritage The "Lincoln Flag" to The Pike County Historical Society in 1954. Thank you Mr.V Paul Struthers.
The "Lincoln Flag" has undergone several tests has been declared authentic. The color dyes used in the manufacture of the flag are Civil War era, the blood stain confirmed to be human blood and a "contact stain" that would be expected from a head wound being in contact with the flag such as described.
If I may quote from the Pike County Historical Society...
In 1996, Joseph E. Garrera, current president of the Lincoln Group of New York, an organization dedicated to studying the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, concluded an independent year-long study regarding the authenticity of a bloodstained, 36 star, American flag which played an important role in the events at Ford's Theatre on the night President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. His findings and conclusions, subsequently published in a 125 page research document, THE LINCOLN FLAG OF THE PIKE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, declare the flag "authentic."
The flag may be viewed at the Pike County Historical Society's Museum.. "The Columns" in Milford, Pa.
Hi, I'm Brian K. Gallagher. The Civil War was a fascinating and important time in our American history. Visit our site http://thecivil-war.com/ and learn a few facts about the war you might not know!
Check out our books and DVD's as well. Our links to important Civil War sites will help your research.
Young People Not the Only Ones to Fall Victim to a Cyberbully
Most people associate the word cyberbully with a disgruntled young person texting and emailing the object of his malice 30-50 times per day and setting up smear campaigns on social networks to destroy said object's social life. While this is the accepted portrait of the young cyber bully, there are also other, older people being victimized as well. Adults are reporting that they too have been victimized by a cyber bully in the course of their dealing online, on social networks and in electronic media. Many of these adults report a cyber bully "stalking" them from network forums and group discussion sites to Facebook and email. Others report that hateful, negative and derogatory comments have been leveled at them for taking a stand on issues such as animal cruelty, horse slaughter or other controversial topics. Another adult reported that she was in a domestic custody dispute over a child, and that she had to block access to certain parties from harassing her night and day. Another made enemies of a cyber bully who signed her up for adult porn sites and mail ordered items in her name, having them shipped to her home address. She is still getting intermittent messages through other channels, and proxy servers from this cyberbully.
Ways for adults to prevent cyberbullying range from closing forums to the public to making discussion group websites available by "invitation only". One of the only ways to prevent cyberbullying is to block the bully's access to these social forums. One woman stated" if they can't play nice and be respectful, they will not be allowed in". The woman in the domestic dispute was forced to cancel her email accounts and get all new account names, blocking the cyber bully from access to her phone, text and email accounts and reporting the cyber bully to the authorities and web carriers in an attempt to have that person banned from using these sites as they are in clear violation of the user agreements for the websites. The only true way to prevent cyberbullying is to have and enforce a zero tolerance for the cyber bully and his/her activities on all electronic media, websites, email and social networks. This is not only a youth problem, and must be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. Showing a zero tolerance will put a clear message to the culprit that this type of behaviour is not worth it.
Checkout chatsec's child protection Facebook app http://www.chatsec.com/ that protects your child from cyber bullying, sexual predators, abductions and much more. Chatsec uses a complex algorithm that monitors your child's account so no one except you, the parent, can see what is going on. Chatsec's displays all concerning content on an easy to read platform for your convenience.
Chatsec puts parental control back in your busy life at the click of a button.
Are You Sure You Want to Live in Heaven?
I was not aware at all that issue would start nagging at me eventually...By the time my little one popped up the question: "Dad, where is the Heaven?"
Yes, I heard this question being asked for many times before. Nevertheless, I never chased after the answer...Phew! Where is that Heaven for Heaven's sake?
"It's up above the sky..." I replied to my son. He eagerly kept asking: "O.K., where in the sky?"
When you have nothing to say, you just either stall for time or talk nonsense...and I did the second one:
"Look son! In heaven, everybody lives in peace and there is no death to us, humans..."
He interrupted impatiently:
"Dad, I know it there. But I don't know where it is."
I asked him to give me some time to find out a better answer (Yes I said that!)
Other than that stinging question; one gets curios about other facts of it...like "how big is It?" and "Is It next to the Hell?"
While those tough questions were parading through my mind, I just remembered my college days... I was seeking for the divine truth like any other peer of mine at school...During those days; it was trendy to question almost everything abstract or dogmatic. But this time...C'mon, it's different now. Lots of changes swept through my life since then. Imagine yourself...Over time you start a career...a marriage and kids following afterward. You learn to stand on foot firmer than those old days. The Heaven turns into a blurry word just like many others as time passes along...
On the other hand, I still had to find an answer for my kid. Once I looked through all the written texts telling the Heaven, there is no an exact clue where the spot of Heaven is. Honestly, I did not expect to find out a GPS coordinate showing the location; but at least a description would work for me.
It's been said there are 6 layers of skies up (Some say 7). Everybody must be pure and without sins to deserve to live there. Angels will welcome the lucky residents (like meJ)
I guess I started being more curious than my son regarding the next life.
Regarding the answer, I decided to tell him it's in another galaxy that we did not discover yet (This will not satisfy his curiosity, thoughL).
Stop right at this point and answer please; you really want to go to Heaven, right? Is there any one among you who does not want to live in Heaven? Cool! So, all of us want to go and live there.
Now we can proceed...
This Afterlife being is known to all; Nonetheless, nobody's been there yet. If the location is in a far-away galaxy, how will so many spirits -waiting for the end of the worldly life- be transferred to the Heaven? What a big organization! I'm not an atheist and believe in God. However, I'm really curious about this big journey.
The devil's advocate in me is waking up...For a moment, are we really sure the Heaven is a great place to live in?
Billions of spirits will start living in a much-loved place and their lives will be eternal. No more wars no wore working...So, what will happen next? I believe we have some missing parts which we are bound to uncover in future. Imagine, we wake up and have a great breakfast and o not go to office. Whatever we want to do, we will do it there... Say, we would want to go swimming someday. And we would start swimming right away anytime we want...What about my brother he hates swimming...What if I wish to swim with him and want him swimming for the first time...I'm sure he would not wish to swim there...So, our wishes will clash....However, we were said there will definitely be no problems or conflicts there...So now?
I should say there would be some drawbacks of leading a Heavenly life. It would be boring to take a trans-heaven trip on a seat next to a caveman. We will not see any parade on a veterans day (Gosh! how boring!). And also, we will not know who will explore Mars first either.
What language will people speak to each other? What if the Chinese is picked as the official Heaven language? I don't want to spend my time taking Chinese classes (It would not work, though) C'mon this is Heaven and I want to be happiest. That's why I'm here; but, not for Chinese classes, right?
By the way! How am I supposed to travel? Shall I drive? Chances are people will take light-speed trips. But I would be dizzy at high speed. Shall I be able to take a more conventional vehicle like my car? Maybe they would say: "Sorry, we do not have highways to drive on here buddy!"
No wars and no guns...my cousin will be bored to death there...He's a big hunter...It's like killing him to strip all the shotguns of him.
Stop yelling for a Big Mac! You cannot find any fast food there. It's not healthy, remember? Rumor has it, even Gatorade is banned there. Don't mention the coke.
Now say again: "Do you really want to live there?"
I'm really confused now. I believe our Afterlife interpreters miss something...If you find it out please let me know.
You can follow all my articles at my blog, http://www.junateswindow.com/. You can also subscribe to my articles feed. That option give you the privilege of hearing first once my new articles are published. And finally, the blog is open to everybody with "everthing's free content"
Texting Not the Only Danger in Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has been a growing topic over the past few months. The problem is, fleet managers are realizing that texting is not the only danger in distracted driving.
With the National Transportation Safety Board placing a ban on texting while driving commercial fleet vehicles, it has industry companies realizing there are other ways drivers are being distracted while driving.
Amazingly enough, reports have shown that while efforts to reduce texting while driving have worked, distracted driving is still on the rise.
Accessing the Internet
Though it would seem as if common sense would dictate, "I'm driving here," people are taking time management to the extreme, by accessing the internet while behind the wheel.
This type of activity can be anything from checking bank balances to visiting entertainment websites.
Infotainment while driving is increasing. In December 2011, a major insurance company released a report showing that in 2009, among drivers aged 18 to 29, 29% were found accessing the internet while driving. In 2011 that number grew by 14%.
When compared to all driving ages, there was a five percent increase in the number of people driving and accessing the internet from nine to 14% in the two year period from 2009 to 2011.
These numbers almost mimic the same statistics for reading and updating social media network.
Reading Social Media
During a time when a driver's focus should be on the road, it seems to have become the perfect time for some to get in a bit of social media reading.
In 2009, statistics showed that approximately nine percent of drivers were found reading social media while driving. These numbers increased by five percent to 14% in 2011.
The problem is that people are not only reading social media news and updates while driving, drivers are also keeping their profiles current with their own updates and news.
Updating Social Networks
In addition to reading, drivers are also taking the time to keep their friends and followers updated on whatever is going on at the time.
Between reading the information and actually updating, this is a major instance of distracted driving.
This begs the question, is a ban on texting really going to have enough of an impact on driver accountability and road safety?
Distracted Driving Policies and GPS Tracking
Establishing a clear and understandable distracted driving policy for your fleet drivers, along with using a GPS tracker can provide additional safeguards against distracted driving.
Adding a distracted driving policy will provide employees with guidelines they are expected to follow and the repercussions to expect when those policies are broken.
Using a GPS vehicle tracking system will create additional driver accountability, as drivers who know they are being monitored will improve their behavior. This will help to reduce the instances in which drivers will engage in texting, reading, or updating social media while driving.
L.A. Turner is the GPS Press Contact for GPSTrackit dot com. With a passion for news, safety, and all things green she is recreating how news about GPS tracking, vehicle location, and asset monitoring and protection is presented. Looking to improve driver accountability among your fleet? Open this page to review your solutions.
Pink Slime or Lean Finely Textured Beef?
The subject of "Pink Slime" goes deeper than just a surface perusal would give. Were you also fooled into thinking that this was pretty much a laughing matter? After all, who would have thought anybody could seriously consider loading our precious hamburgers with something as obnoxious as "Pink Slime"? And especially if the meat industry is the one who is doing it and pulling the wool over our eyes in order to make a few more bucks.
And, my goodness, I said to myself, how could I eat such an objectionable substance? Food has to look good, taste good, have a pleasing texture in my mouth, and display good color that uplifts my spirit and it should be nutritionally sound, and I will add, it should not be laced with harmful additives, At first glance I went for all the emotional reasons one might employ to talk me into believing something outrageous! Digging a little deeper, I found other points of view that started pulling on me.
The question I ask myself, that is hopefully,the bottom line: Is Pink Slime as it has been dubbed in the TV Industry, healthy and safe for the American public to eat on a daily basis? Since Americans eat three hamburgers per week which would equal 156 hamburgers per year, not to mention the hamburger consumed in casseroles, meat loaves, stuffed cabbage and bell peppers, I will say that we eat a lot of hamburger which up to now has been laced with Pink Slime.
What is Pink Slime? It is the fat and scraps of the better cuts of meat which are trimmed of fat, heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, centrifuged and separated out into fat and lean meat: adding these meat trimmings actually adds to the hamburger's lean content. The lower fat product is then compressed into blocks and mixed in ground meat and treated with Ammonium Hydroxide gas which is dispersed throughout the meat to kill the E. Coli and Salmonella.
That ammonia is a safe product is borne out by the fact that our bodies produce 4200 mg per day. It is a natural component, one that is expected and accepted to render good effects in our bodies and is essential to life. Ammonia is made up of Nitrogen and Hydrogen. It is the fighter against organisms like E. Coli that has a powerful ability to spread disease when it ends up in spinach, strawberries and lettuce. The US Department of Agriculture declares this meat is nutritious and safe to eat, meeting food safety standards.
Have I convinced anyone but myself? Should we go back and rename this component of hamburger as "lean finely textured beef"? Many schools have discontinued their use of "lean, finely textured beef" with all its benefits due to opposition by parents and others who are actively on the emotional bandwagon.
There are a number of large supermarket firms mainly located in the east that are phasing out their requirements for "lean, finely textured beef:", fast food corporations and food markets. This all came about because of customer hysteria not science or logic or good sense. The social media, of course, have been deeply involved in proliferating information that could be detrimental to our pocketbooks and our diets And on the other hand if the meat companies had made this beef process a widely known piece of information, would people have been so surprised, acting fast and furious to emphasize pink slime, and feeling justified by the sensationalism it stirred up?
Margaret Heaps is a native born Californian who sees life as not long enough to fit everything in. She has grass roots in Petaluma, California and Nicasio, California, where her great grandfather bought land from gold that he mined in the Gold Rush of 1848 and created a high yield dairy farm. With this background legacy, she married and raised six boys, went back to school and became a registered nurse; this was her profession for many years. Now that she has retired, her energy level still high, she has undertaken to build and market a new website: http://bloodcirculationhealth.com/
Shop all day and all night on the internet. No hurry! We can serve you. Make the above URL work for you, and we will introduce you to a variety of physical fitness equipment at a reasonable price. See our exercise bicycles, wobble boards, punching bags for kids and adults, weight lifting iron, jumping ropes, Pilates, charts showing the muscles of the body, home gyms and much more.
Volunteer Week Supports Organizations
The idea of Volunteer Week may confuse people. If participants are volunteering, they expect nothing in return, no pay, no compensation, just the satisfaction of giving to the cause and helping out. So the act of handing out gifts and throwing celebrations for volunteers may seem a bit contradictory. Regardless, organizations set aside budgets for National Volunteer Week, spending on locations, decorations, and gifts for volunteers. The value in doing so is not as obvious to outsiders but it is very real, and comes in the form of recruitment, retention and promotion.
Keeping volunteer organizations stocked with capable and motivated volunteers is a goal of every coordinator and director. Outreach to communities, schools and the public can come in the form of a public celebration of Volunteer Week. Seeing a group of volunteers who are being honored, listening to testimonials from beneficiaries who may speak and receiving a gift of appreciation can influence someone to inquire about the organization. This display of satisfaction and reward can be very attractive to someone who is curious about volunteering and may be on the fence. Recruiting these potential participants is critical to injecting new blood into the organization, and in turn can spark existing members to new enthusiasm.
Retention is the second biggest personnel issue facing coordinators. Volunteers may become bored or disillusioned with the cause of an organization over time. After years of giving to the same group, interest may naturally wane. Holding a Volunteer Week celebration can remind the veterans of why they volunteered in the first place. With the event including a lunch or dinner where representatives may hand out years of service awards and speak highly of the contributions of the group or guests who may have benefited from the work of the organization relating how much they appreciate the group, members can be refocused. A special volunteer gift of budget friendly promotional item can be kept as a reminder of their noble work, while keeping event costs low.
Volunteer groups are held to the same requirements as any business or organization, having to promote themselves to the communities, supporters and government. A properly planned Volunteer Week event can provide great public relations value, educating the public on the accomplishments of the group and what their goals are. Volunteer Week gives supporters and politicians the ability to associate themselves with the organizations while they don a t-shirt, cap or other promotional product with the logo or slogan of the group. Local news organizations, social media and websites will go out of their way to report on the event, highlighting the presence of public officials and philanthropists.
So while the volunteers may be the immediate beneficiaries, receiving gifts and praise from their constituents, the added value to the organizations that produce the Volunteer Week event validates its expense. Carryover effect on volunteer recruitment, retention and public relations come as a benefit of the celebration, supporting the organization and furthering its cause.
Michael Lerner is a recognized expert in the field of promotional products and volunteer recruitment techniques.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Traveling To Singapore: Some Top Things To Do
Singapore is one of the main air travel hubs in Southeast Asia. Traveling to Singapore from Europe, from the US or from destinations in Asia is easy and convenient. Many major airlines offer frequent flights to the Changi Airport in Singapore and you can find daily connections to other main cities in Asia. Singapore is also popular stopover on flights from European countries to Australia. Many travelers decide to take a few days' break in this modern and interesting Asian city.
Shopping and Dining
Singapore is one of the most developed and most modern Southeast Asian capitals. This small city state is affluent and safe and it is a good introduction to Asia for first-time visitors. It has an effective public transportation system, some of the highest quality hotels in Asia, and a lot to see and do. The city is most famous for its shopping and for its food. Department stores are everywhere in Singapore and shopping is one of the main hobbies especially on weekends.
Eating out in Singapore is affordable and the food is delicious. Singapore is one of the best places in Southeast Asia to sample local food and street food. Street food is cheap and safe to eat and it is popular with visitors and with locals. Hawker centers are collections of food stalls and they can be found everywhere in the city. The stalls serve foods from around Asia and the hawker center is a great place to try different cuisines for little money.
Getting Around Singapore
The MRT is Singapore's metro system. The MRT (Mass Rapid Transportation) trains run frequently and are air-conditioned, and although they get crowded during rush hour, the trains cover most areas in Singapore. A comfortable bus network connects you to those parts of Singapore that are not served by the MRT. Most long-term visitors and locals buy the pre-paid EZ-Link smart card that can be used in the metro and in the buses, and that can be topped up at any MRT station.
Interesting places to visit in Singapore include its different ethnic areas, especially Chinatown and Little India. Chinatown has colorful street markets, good restaurants, clinics that offer treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine and shops that sell Chinese herbal products. Little India is a haven of Indian restaurants, shops and markets, and it is also a good place to stay if you are traveling to Singapore on a budget.
Want the most convenient hotel Singapore accommodation for your vacation? There are certainly lots of choices, but only choose that perfect hotel at Singapore.
Famous Beards: Do People Become Known Because of Their Famous Beards?
This is a crazy world we live in today. People become famous for many reasons. Some are huge and deserve recognition. Fame garnered from an act of bravery or some esteemed position or benevolence seems like an honor well-earned. On the other hand, some reasons that people become famous seem quite silly or even petty. Could famous beards be one of them?
On the seemingly well-deserved side we have reasons like: war heroes, presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners, etc. Then we have the more mundane but worthy people like singers, actors, authors, athletes and a whole bunch more famous for something. Then we come to things like serial killers, just plain outlaws, some guy in a YouTube video and people who invent useless things like the "Pet Rock" that make the national and even the global news.
It's clear that we people bestow fame on many people for many different reasons. The real question at hand is: Do people become known because of their famous beards. It may seem silly. But just hearing the words famous beards probably conjured up images of certain people in your mind. Well let's discuss some people who are known because of their beards.
Before we get too far we should define what a beard is. It is a collection of facial hair found on the chin, cheeks, neck and the jaw area. It generally does not include hair in the area of the upper lip. However, in a broad sense facial hair on the upper lip is considered part of a beard or beard style. Generally only adult males have or desire to have beards. Some women have been known to have excessive facial hair growth, such as the bearded lady in the circus.
So when you first hear the words "famous beards" what images come to mind? Here are some of the most common men named:
Jesus Christ has been respected and acknowledged all these years as our Savior and Redeemer. While we don't have any photographs of him, the pictures that we generally see of Him show Him with a beard. If you saw a painting of Jesus without a beard would you recognize who the artist was depicting in the painting?
Leonardo Da Vinci is another famous bearded man. He is known as a painter of some of the most famous works like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. He was also a sculptor, inventor and architect. What would this famous Renaissance man look like without his beard?
Abraham Lincoln often donned a curtain beard with no mustache. He was one of America's great presidents. But would you recognize him without his beard? Even the statue of Honest Abe at the Lincoln Memorial shows him with his beard and stovepipe hat.
Santa Claus is also known by many other names. The legend says that this fictional character is fashioned after a real man known as St. Nicolas. In any case everyone knows that Santa Claus has a full white beard. He is probably the next well-known character next to Jesus. His beard is famous and he is famous. The two are inseparable. Mrs. Claus wouldn't even know Santa without his beard.
If these examples don't convince you, then consider Brian Wilson. He is a modern major league baseball pitcher who grew a full black beard that has really created his image. His fan's mantra is "Fear the Beard". Again we can ask what would he look like without his beard? Who would recognize him? I submit to you that he would not be Brian Wilson without his famous beard.
Many people from way back to today are known because of their beards. Some may argue that their real claim to fame is their achievements and contribution to mankind and society, and that their famous beards just make it easy for others to remember and describe them. I guess everyone needs to answer for themselves: Does the beard make the man?
Randall Webster enjoys writing on various subjects. For more information about Famous beards you can click here.
Corruption Is a Great Curse
Corruption is a great social evil. It indicates the activities which are quite opposite the values and norms of an organization or of the society. In the context of Bangladesh it becomes a big problem. For this problem our country is now troubled to such an extent that the existence of the country is under threat.
Corruption means illegal and immoral activities. And such types of immoral activities are prevailing in every sector of our country. Morality has gone from the society. There is no justice. Good work has become unfair means and unfair means has become good work. Corruption is common everywhere.
According to the 2011 corruption perceptions index the level of corruption in the Asia-Pacific region's public sector is very alarming. This index covers 183 states where countries were given score on a scale from 0-highly corrupt to 10-very clean. Maximum countries of this region score lower than five which denotes a serious corruption problem.
From these countries, a quite number appear at the bottom of the ranks. But few countries like New Zealand, Singapore and Australia secure places in the top ten and other sixteen countries score below three. Our country, Bangladesh is also included in this low scoring countries having score 2.7. This poor score of our country signifies clear risk of corruption here. For this reason, unequal distribution of wealth will be occurred.
Due to corruption economic growth of a country is hindered. It can say without any confusion that most of our political leaders are involved with corruption. Recently our railway minister has resigned for a big corruption in his own department. Not only our minister but also other officials like GM, APS and Commandant from railway department are also associated with it. And they are also suspended from their post.
So corruption is a world-wide problem. No country can rightly boast that she is absolutely free from the problem of corruption. In fact, corruption is a common phenomenon in almost all countries of the world both developed and developing. In some countries like Bangladesh, it is so gigantic in stature and so vast in proportion that it may throttle them to death if proper and accurate steps are not taken to stop corruption immediately. This is why the governments all the world over are engaging their serious attention to see its end. Many ways are being devised to root it out. But will a time to come when there will no corruption on the face of the earth?
Is There Prejudice Against Dark Skin Jamaican Women?
The plantation regime of slavery had a major impact on the Jamaican society long after the abolition of slavery. The lighter the skin, the more valuable you were during slavery and even today, after coming such a long way, that mentality still stands.
As recent as the 1960?s, dark skin Jamaican women were not the faces you would normally see serving in the banks, at the airline counters, at the hotel counters or at any of the higher positions in larger companies. It was well accepted that the place for the darker skin Jamaican women was certainly not in the better or more prestigious jobs. This took a major toll on the self-esteem of Young black Jamaican women, who accepted the position of living as a second class citizen. Darker skin women during the 1960?s did not bother much with higher education for various reasons, such as affordability, self-worth, having babies, not enough schools for higher education and not much in the future regarding better jobs.
The early 1970?s saw a new beginning and a turn in the direction regarding skin colour. A young politician by the name of Micheal Manley (very light complexion man) became the Prime minister of Jamaica and spoke out strongly regarding prejudice against the darker skin Jamaicans. He constantly preached about equality among all skin colour. Mr. Manley himself fell in love with and married Beverley Manley, a dark skin Jamaican woman, who sported an afro. Micheal Manley was loved by Jamaicans and was able to get his message across to many. Self-esteem among darker Jamaicans on a whole was on a high. Slogans like-PROUD TO BE BLACK and BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL were extremely popular. Songs included words like EMANCIPATE YOURSELVES FROM MENTAL SLAVERY, NONE BUT OURSELVES CAN FREE OUR MINDS ( Bob Marley ) and YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (made popular by Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths were soaring on the charts in the 1970?s. Darker skin women were getting a boost of self-esteem. They were "proud to be black" and sported their neat afro, dressed confidently in their pedal pushers, mini skirts and hot pants. The faces that greeted customers at the service desks, banks and persons who represented companies as senior staff and managers were now including a number of Dark skin Jamaicans. As people became more aware of their self-worth, education became a priority.
SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE IN JAMAICA
You have to have one or all of the following to be socially accepted. Money, Education, Lighter complexion. Although Jamaica had never lost the whole stigma of the fair skin Jamaicans being the superior, the darker skin Jamaicans had become very aware that if they educate themselves, they could achieve greatness and become whatever they want to be. Black Jamaicans are now Bank Managers, Hotel Managers and owners, Doctors, Teachers, business owners and Might I say Prime minister!! Education has played quite an important roll in the lives of black Jamaicans who started achieving more, becoming bosses and professionals.
BLEACHING:
What could have brought on the recent craze for lighter skin among dark skin Jamaicans especially women!! This activity is identified mostly among the poorer class and the less educated. Could this be that the quest to be socially accepted has left them with no other choice? The poorer class obviously has no money, without money it is hard to get a higher education!! So the lighter skin might be the easiest of the three!! This certainly is no excuse for bleaching of the skin, as this is an extremely dangerous practice, which can negatively affect ones health.
HAVE BLACK MEN BETRAYED DARK SKIN WOMEN?
The darker skin women are losing the battle against the lighter skin women in the quest for love. Jamaican men seem to much favour the "brownings" (women with lighter complexion) and women of different race with lighter complexion. It is very obvious to see the pride and adoration in the faces of some black men when they walk down the street hand in hand with a light complexion woman!! One explanation given to me by a black man was "Black women do not groom themselves as well and things like going to the gym and spa are not very common among them". A very famous DJ unleashed a monster among Jamaicans when he released the popular song-"mi love mi car mi love mi bike mi love mi money an ting, but most of all mi love mi browning ". That popular song (although very catchy and I must admit, I danced to the beat a few times) took us back several years, as many Jamaican men felt and still feel the need to follow suite.
A LOOK AHEAD
The future looks very promising for the Dark skin Jamaican women, who have gotten far ahead in life, becoming Lawyers, doctors, Bank managers, Hotel managers even Prime minister, achieving Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees. The future looks very bright, however loyalty from Jamaican Black men would be good. Most Black women are confident enough not to be needy, but to move forward to where they are appreciated and needed.
The question is have we really moved forward as a nation? It is really sad that a lack conscious thinking can hold a whole nation in the past.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Concept Behind Geoarbitrage
Geoarbitrage is a way of cutting costs and gaining free time by outsourcing mundane time-sucking tasks and using resources where they are found at a lower price. Many are familiar with Tim Ferriss, the author of the best seller "4-Hour Work Week". Ferriss was largely responsible for popularizing geoarbitrage by demonstrating that a person could get more out of a busy day without working harder. Since his book became a best seller, geoarbitrage has become a common term amongst businesspeople and travelers. It has become a way to work smarter, and easier.
Outsourcing is a common tool that life hackers use to increase their daily productivity and maximize their free time. Life hackers do this by calculating the dollar value of their time, and hiring virtual assistants overseas to accomplish any tasks that can be completed for less than the value of their time. By outsourcing the less-important tasks in their day, life hackers are able to focus on important tasks and accomplish more with their day.
Life hackers also use geoarbitrage to reduce their cost of living. They do this by relocating to countries where living costs are lower and benefits are higher than in their home country. For example, a U.S. citizen running an online business may benefit from moving to Panama or the Cayman Islands, where the cost of living is much lower or the tax benefits are much higher than in the US.
Geoarbitrage is also used to acquire resources and use services at lower prices. In "4-Hour Work Week, Ferris uses the example of getting dental surgery while on vacation in a country where dental bills cost significantly less than in the United States - hitting two birds with one stone so to say. Other examples may include buying diamonds duty free in the Cayman Islands at prices well bellow retail prices or traveling to countries like Vietnam where nice hotels can be found for less than $15 a night.
Outsourcing is a concept where you make use of services other people are willing to perform at a lower rate than what you are getting paid doing the same task. Outsourcing any given task is an excellent way to illustrate how the quality of your life may improve. Example: You have an important meeting to attend, but someone else paid you to complete an important task and it clashes with your meeting. But, you are in luck as you have a virtual assistant elsewhere that are able to do fulfill the given task. She does it for $10 while you are being paid $20 for arguments sake.
Geoarbitrage Helps You To Be More Productive
It is not a case of ripping anybody off when you outsource work that was originally assigned to you, it is a matter of being efficient. Just because you are paying someone $10 for doing a task that you are being paid $40 for, does not mean the person you allocated the task to is losing out. Ten dollars an hour can be good money for someone in a country of lower financial resources. Geoarbitrage is very useful as a life hack that helps you to be more productive, and enjoy longer days. Leveraging geoarbitrage as a life hack will certainly improve the quality of your life. It is no wonder that life hackers everywhere are now starting to use the power of geoarbitrage as a lifestyle hack.
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In What Ways Has Homeland Security Changed Over The Past Decade?
Over the last 10 years, many striking changes have taken place in our Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Just this past summer, Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that the DHS would be implementing an updated National Terrorism Advisory System that will be able to provide accurate, up-to-date information regarding serious terrorist threats. This advisory system does away with the color-based alert system that was previously in place. Since 2002, the face of the DHS has changed many times, and so have its functions.
From 2002 to 2012 - a Decade of Changes
In 2002, many changes took place within the Department of Homeland Security, starting with a series of initiatives that were designed to enhance communication and coordination throughout all government levels and among the general public. President George W. Bush unveiled the Homeland Security Advisory System in March of that year, which was at Yellow at the time of its introduction and was raised to Orange in September of that year, based on intelligence reports that suggested plans for attacks on various large but lightly secured U.S. buildings. It wasn't lowered back down to Yellow until February of the following year.
In the following years, the Homeland Security Advisory System switched its alert from Yellow to Orange and back to Yellow several times, based on various pieces of intelligence information. There was only one incident when the threat level was raised to Red, and that was in August of 2006, following the previous month's bombings in London. The United States Federal Government decided to raise the terrorist level from Yellow to Red for all commercial flights from the U.K. to the U.S. as a precaution. All flights destined for or operating in the United States were raised to at least an Orange security level, regardless of their origin. The Red security level was lowered to Orange for all flights a few days later, though, based on new intelligence information.
Most of the security level advisory information and warnings relate to aviation. Higher security levels meant stricter security checks at airports, which in turn meant longer waits. The general public was not always aware of what the different security levels meant, though, as each color-coded level was rather ambiguous. With the new National Terrorism Advisory System, the government hopes to provide more accurate and detailed information to the general public regarding the current status of our Homeland Security.
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The Nigerian Awakening
Now that the Nigerian government has suddenly enforced the fuel subsidy removal policy, the Sleeping giant of Africa is finally waking up from her slumber. The cost of transportation and other services and goods have expectedly risen astronomically. The nation is paralyzed by strike and protesters have taken over the streets. The Nigerian awakening is here and the masses are making a plethora of uncoordinated demands.
Some have asked that the president be impeached, others that he should resign. Majority have insisted on the return of fuel price to 65 naira, some have argued that it should even sell for less than that. Only a few have seen the opportunity that these protests presents us to address some of the even more fundamental and critical challenges that we face as a nation.
The boko haram crisis and the senseless killings in the north for instance have claimed scores of lives since January 1st 2012 when the fuel subsidy removal took off. How many lives have been lost so far to the fuel subsidy removal? Yet, there hasn`t been much talk about the former. In fact, there are reports that Christians in the north have been asked to evacuate and the evacuation is going on en-masse.
Many have welcomed the national assembly`s condemnation of the fuel subsidy removal and some legislators participation in the protests but they have not asked themselves, how much does these legislators earn in total salaries and allowances? Why can`t they also give up a reasonable percentage of these ridiculous largesse? And how distant are these legislators from the oil cartel that is benefiting from oil subsidy or are they one and the same?
The reactions of Nigerians of the Igbo ethnic nationality however have been instructive. There has been a relative silence on the issue of fuel subsidy removal among Igbo`s. Instead, the Igbo`s are demanding an end to the killing of Christians in the north (mainly Igbo`s). This however is a demand that cannot be settled at a round table. Neither can protests alone solve that crisis. It is neither a matter of policy reversal nor a question of commodity price control. Much more diplomatic steps will have to be taken.
An emergency meeting of church heads had concluded 'that the pattern of the killings does suggest a systematic ethnic and religious cleansing and the Christian leadership resolved to work out a means for Christians to defend themselves against the senseless killings' - This is according to pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Similarly, there are indications that Southerners may be preparing for counter attacks. Reports are widespread about Hausa`s fleeing the south already. Some ex-militants are also planning to re-group in other to react.
Meanwhile, infrastructures remain dysfunctional, political office holders get the larger part of our budget while an oil cartel claims an even larger amount as non-budgeted subsidy grants. All these have been going on for years without any major reaction from Nigerians who seem to be well suited to the situation.
It has taken the president's decision to remove oil subsidy to finally bring out the fury in Nigerians. All the same, it is yet to be seen how these protests will evolve.
One can only hope that we somehow find a way to make use of these protests to get this government to:
1. Slash the over subsidized legislative and executive largesse in allowances and basic salary including presidential feeding allowance, bullet proof car vote etc. by up to 75%
2. Reduce the over bloated cabinet of fat cows by 50%
3. Pass the petroleum Industry bill at once
4. Pay the new minimum wage
5. Start the mass transit program and functional rail system
6. Start a well mapped out deregulation process
7, Privatize the refineries I the next few months
8. Privatise PHCN in the next few months.
9. Continue to implement the 2011 budget until march and start implementing the 2012 budget in April as proposed originally, meaning that fuel price would go back to sell at 65 naira until the budget as passed by the House, when it is passed, decide if and how subsidy is to be removed, in which case, protests can be discontinued on the streets but there will be need to "OccupyNASS" and state assemblies until all our conditions are met.
If we are serious, these protests will be sustained at the level of NASS in the next one year or more. We have so much catching up to do, so many changes to make. In other to reduce the ethno-religious friction amongst us while retaining a one Nigeria and avoiding a descent to Naijanistan, we must have a new constitution that allows us to practise a well-adapted kind of federalism that allows for the independent evolution of major ethnic groups, otherwise we will simply need to split.
As for the removal of fuel subsidy in itself, it is doing the right thing under the wrong circumstances and in the wrong way. We should not be satisfied with a mere price reversal to 65 naira. That alone will not help us in the long run. A well-informed, well planned holistic approach is necessary. Fuel price is the least of our problems; we should seize this opportunity to tackle real issues.
Thus, I consider the above as an appropriate course of action as we "OccupyNigeria"
Over and above all these, we should now begin to realise, that mankind today stands in spiritual judgment and purification. All that is wrong and evil will be brought out and swept away; all that is right and good will be uplifted. Let he who has ears, let him hear "Everything must become new."
By
Charles Adeyemi
Becoming Cheap!
I don't know what pushes me to set up and write in a blog. How come am I attempting such a laborious task? Anyway, I'll let you know once I find it out.
For those who don't know me, I should say I'm an accountant. I wrestle with numbers. Whenever I disclose my profession to somebody I met first, I see their serious expression on their faces. That's their initial reaction giving me the message they think I do a boring job. What surprises me is that they usually say in return: "Oh! It should be very interesting!" Yeah...but not for you!
People tend to forget about the fact that life is actually part of accounting. I'm not talking about tax returns you get once every year.
If you have kids and if they want to go to movies, what is the first thing coming to your mind? Name of the movie? Or what movie theatre you should go to? Or pop corns? Maybe all! However I know some people who rush to calculate the sum of the total ticket costs and other extras for the event. They decide according to the calculated cost and they might say to their children:
"Sorry kids! It was really a tough week. I feel so exhausted...Maybe, we can find something to watch on TV, huh?"
More examples can be brought up...
Now say...Have you ever thought how much credit left in your card? Or, have you ever thought of buying a high quality no-name silk neck-tie instead of a Burberry?
Don't we bear a cheap side deep inside that shows up once our budget pinches us into a corner?
If we are not somewhat "cheap", who are those sleeping overnight in Black Friday lines? Aliens? Or, who are those called "Door-Crashers?"
When you hear somebody starting his/her words like "I don't mean to be cheap, but...", chances are, you are facing a 100 % purebred "cheap fellow".
Who knows? Maybe those who we call "cheap" are great accountants.
It would help us to figure it out to ask a simple question. Do economic crises correlate to individual behavior patterns? Who trigger the crises most? The "Cheap People" or the "Others"? Some identify the "Others" as "The Reckless".
If you already placed yourself within the "Others", I can imagine your face turned soured and scared now. Actually, if you really are one of those "Others", you have a good reason to be worried about.
On the other hand, I feel Jack Handy (*) has a point when he said:
"I can't stand cheap people. It makes me real mad when someone says something like, "Hey, when are you going to pay me that $100 you owe me?" or "Do you have that $50 you borrowed?" Man, quit being so cheap!"
It goes without saying that there are levels of being cheap. The following experience makes up the highest level ever. In other words, it's an "irrational level of cheapness".
Below is quoted from a web site where I read recently. It's a kind of forum an a lady recounts her experience there:
"An old friend of mine used to tell me stories about this guy she met in college several years ago. She said that he was a really nice guy and they became fairly good friends, but he was about the cheapest person she had ever met. I guess he admitted to her one day after he had drank too much that he would wear his underwear for two days in a row. The first day he would wear them right-side out, then he would turn them inside out come the second day. When she told him how gross she thought that was, he responded with, "hey, I'm a college student on a budget. I need to worry about tuition and book fees, not how much it's going to cost me at the laundromat."
Again, she goes on telling about the same guy:
"One day she went to visit him in his dorm and had brought a bag of McDonald's with food for both of them. After they had finished their food and she tried to throw the bag in the trash, he yelled at her not to throw the bag away because it had ketchup packets in it. He dug the ketchup packets out of the trash, and my friend proceeded to watch as he opened each individual packet to transfer them to a ketchup bottle he kept in his mini-fridge. He told her that you never knew when you'd run out of ketchup, so whenever he was in a fast-food restaurant he always grabbed handfuls, just in case.
She told me that he was also guilty of buying two-ply paper towels and toilet paper, so he could get twice the use out of them when he separated them. Whenever he stayed in hotels he would take not only the complimentary soaps and shampoos, but the towels and pillows as well. Whenever he started getting low on milk, he would add some water to it, to make it stretch longer. He said it didn't taste much different from skim milk."
Wow, Man! What the heck...
No, this level is not the one we are talking about...Actually it's a mental problem.
Maybe, I need to cut it short here.
Oh! By the way, you can share any idea or comments with me here. If you want to get a response from me, I don't mean to be "cheap"; but, I'll charge you with a small fee
(*)- Jack Handy quotes (American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. Famous for his Deep Thoughts comedy sketches.)
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Give Bees A Chance
The Sweet Deal:
Honeybees provide us with honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bees wax. When raw and un-pasteurized, they are nutrient dense and exhibit an amazing array of health benefits. They boost energy and enhance the immune system with anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. But the bee's gifts to humanity don't stop there. We are indebted to them and their tireless work for most of the foods we put on our plates every day. For over 100 million years bees have been doing their thing; pollinating crops, securing bio-diversity in plants, gifting us with plentiful and nutritionally powerful food sources.
The Players:
Bees are a perfect blend of form and function. Their bodies are uniquely designed to travel long distances, pollinate plants, store and bring their bounty (and driving directions) back to the hive. They have a keen sense of direction, and are able to share this with their hive mates via an intricate dance. Think of it as "Map Quest" for bees, or should that be "Pollen Quest"?
The Problem:
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is the term describing the declining bee populations worldwide. Farms and bee-keepers have found themselves going into bankruptcy due to declining hive numbers, with bees infected and dying from overexposure to our increasingly toxic planetary environment. This isn't just bad news for those working directly with bees, it also has far-reaching consequences for each and every one of us - now, and into the future.
Bees are up against an increasingly larger array of concerning factors worldwide. They are suffering from many of the same things we are. Research is showing us very clearly that as the bees go, so do we. Numerous culprits are responsible for the decline in hive vitality. Pesticides, fungi, viruses, parasites and a variety of toxins are, perhaps separately and definitely in combination, taking their toll on the bees.
If there is anything good that has come from CCD it is that the spotlight has been placed on the situation. Extensive studies are underway to address the problems currently facing bees, and measures are being taken to keep them healthy. Not to mention that we humans are becoming more aware of our actions affecting their health.
The Solution:
Bee-come aware. We live in an increasingly global community with far-reaching effects and consequences. It is crucial that we are aware of our habits and how our actions and choices affect the world we live in.
If you are satisfied with a diet consisting of wheat, corn and rice on your table (i.e. non-pollinated crops), then by all means ignore the problem. Nutritionally speaking that would be bad news, for all of us. For just as science has confirmed that getting more, not less, of the health-giving benefits of an abundant and varied diet (from crops requiring pollination by bees) is ideal for us humans, we are faced with not having them available at all.
Unless you want to pollinate your crops yourself (and it isn't as easy as the bees make it look!), it is important that you take steps to a) become more aware of the current situation, and b) support the bees in any way you can. With a little care and tending, bees do a job that takes humans 100 times the effort to accomplish. There is no good substitution for animal pollination, and NOTHING works as efficiently as a bee.
Bees = cross pollination = crop diversity/abundance = healthy and tasty food on our plates.
If you still want to have flowers, fruits, vegetables and nuts available in your lifetime and for generations to come (in your pantries/refrigerators/garden plots) please do your part.
What will happen if we ignore the problem and continue to pollute our environment as we have for the past several decades? Do you really want to find out?
How you can help:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/silence-of-the-bees/how-can-you-help-the-bees/36/
Welcome to whatsyourpop!
This site is intended to be a place to share your passions and your purpose with a broader audience. It is also a reminder to all of us to grow more conscious about our lives and our presence here on planet Earth.
I would like to extend to you an invitation to join me in both posing and answering the question, "What's your purpose on the planet?"
If you haven't yet defined what your purpose is, perhaps this is a good time to think about it? Consider what are your strengths and combined experiences, and what you'd like to achieve or do during your 'stay' here on planet Earth.
What's Your Purpose On the Planet?
http://www.whatsyourpop.com/
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Some Aspects of Contemporary Indian Art
As wealth creation increases in the emerging markets of India and China the wealthy are looking for new avenues of investment and pleasure. Traditionally the rich of India invested primarily in gold and property. Over the last century a portion of the assets of the wealthy have gone into company shares and financial institutions. However there is a limit to how much one can invest in property and gold. Beyond the possession of a couple of properties the management and upkeep of land and building becomes an encumbrance. Money kept in banks and shares has its attendant risks especially in these times of inflation, distressing national and private debts. Therefore, with growing wealth, the rich in India have begun exploring other avenues of investment. An investment in art has emerged as one of these options. It is new to India albeit traditional in the already developed economies. These investors seek not just global works of art but also homegrown ones. To meet the need new artists are emerging that are producing quality art objects and paintings.
As opposed to art that is merely decorative, investment grade art has some characteristics of its own. First and foremost it must employ materials and techniques that are long lasting. The object of art must not just outlive the owner but his children and grandchildren besides. Secondly like a title deed, such a work must have a certificate of authenticity. An established gallery, reputed auction house or the artist must issue such a certificate. Incase the certificate is issued by the artist he or she must be a person of established reputation who certifies that the work of art is an original one. This also implies that the work must be signed and have a title; some of its essential history, such as when the work was created and who has owned it since its creation must be known. It goes without saying that the work of art must be visually appealing not just to the creator and the owner but a wide cross section of the public that includes discerning connoisseurs of art. Just as jewelery enhances the beauty of a graceful woman, a good painting enhances the charm of a graceful dwelling.
The style of the new painting of India ranges from the modern to postmodern. Postmodern art combines in it the elements of modern and classical styles while being representational at the same time. This art embraces the philosophy of postmodernism as described in the words of Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, Professor of Art History in the Department of Art History at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, USA,
"Constructive postmodernism claims to offer a new unity of scientific, ethical, aesthetic, and religious intuitions. It rejects not science as such, but only that scientific approach in which only the data of the modern natural sciences are allowed to contribute to the construction of our world view. Constructive postmodernism desires a return to pre-modern notions of divinely wrought reality, of cosmic meaning, and an enchanted nature"
Examples of postmodern art of Indians are due to Painters like Jitish Kallat, Anish Kapoor as well as this author. It may be said without hesitation that the postmodern art scene of India has finally emerged. With the growth of art and theory in India, artists and writers increasingly find an international audience.
Examples of contemporary postmodern art of India by Dr. Ashok Malhotra can be viewed in his art blog at http://formandcolor.blogspot.in/ The selected images in that blog may be freely copied if required subject to some conditions as mentioned in that blog in order to illustrate this article if it is published elsewhere.
The Media in the US Is Much Better Than in Other Nations - But Still Not Good Enough
If you are a reporter in some countries, you are a marked man and the government is watching you, and one slip up and you are history, you disappear, or are thrown in jail. In the United States we have freedom of the press thankfully, and although we export our products, know-how, and services all over the world, don't expect us to be able to export that as a "new found freedom" to ports afar. In fact, many nations are busy tightening down the reins on the media, and not just newspapers and TV either. Okay so, let's discuss this for a moment shall we?
Not long ago, an acquaintance from Australia said to me; "Modern media today such as news channels do not perform a truly non biased account of the events they broadcast on."
True, but we should expect them too considering how they are paid. If a media company gets money from, oh let's say the Obama Campaign for president, then they are going to run more favorable news content when his name is mentioned, and really this happens at all levels of government, no surprise there, local newspapers cater to those who spend the most on ads too, generally. I find the Murdoch scandal in the UK interesting with the cell-phone spying as well.
It's too bad that people believe everything they view in the media, my acquaintance notes that part of the challenge is the folks are just not educated as to how the media really works, true enough I say; yes, especially kids, and the lower IQ folks just take it all in as gospel, not that gospel is any better or reality based in and of itself. For instance, as my acquaintance correctly notes; "The child grows up looking at the television for both learning and entertainment, the TV becomes effectively a third parent and in doing so we lose the battle for the child's mind."
Right and a child's mind may not recognize the difference between advertising and reality, and to my acquaintance's comments, indeed, he's right; this is an empirically proven fact, he is correct. Do we need to teach our children better about these realities, it seems we do.
As a capitalist, I do not wish to diminish the media, it's a business, and that's fine, still a little education could go a long way. Now then if we'd teach children to think and question authority we'd be there, but we teach them to submit to authority instead, perhaps as a way to ensure they grow up and do not become trouble makers to the system or status quo.
Of course in doing so, eventually some of them will wake up and be VERY Pissed-Off for being lied too, which is probably why we have Hacker Groups, Disruptors, and even some mild-version terrorists. For the "powers that be" it's a challenge of getting the mix right, and it's a trade off.
If we teach kids early on of all the deception in our society, we are indeed, teaching them to deceive, and a lack of integrity also can bring down a society or prevent it from giving future generations a fair deal. We are also teaching them to be distrustful as well. Perhaps, we ought to be teaching the "philosophical" aspect, rather than the tactics.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Fire Department Equipment - The Wise Choice of Obtaining Hydraulic Rescue Tools Part I
Is your fire department active in vehicle and accident rescue? If so, you might consider requesting rescue tools from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant in 2012.
An excellent set of equipment in this category should consist of all hydraulic rescue tools. Be sure to include at least a 28" spreader with no less than 57,000 pounds of spread force. A good set should also include a very large cutter with 121,000 pounds of force. Additionally, it should have a mini-cutter with at least a 1.5" opening, a ram set, a pulling and lifting accessory kit, and multiple sections of color coded extension hose. Do not forget to request all mounting brackets so that your department can properly affix the equipment inside of your vehicles. You will also need to purchase a power unit or generator.
Your department should budget about $32,000 for the equipment and about $11,000 for the power unit or generator.
Why would you consider purchasing this equipment? There are many possible reasons for the request, but first and foremost would be the improved safety offered to entrapped victims. The second reason would be for the safety of firefighters responsible for freeing victims at accident scenes.
Let's start with the tools' ability to free victims. If your department has no such tools and uses sledge hammers and crow bars, then these may have worked for you in the past. Certainly they did not make rescues easy, but they sufficed if that is all you had. Today this is not a possibility. Why? The high grade steel used for automobile manufacturing today is not able to be plied open with crow bars. The cage construction will not allow such tools to effectively get to a victim for medical care. They are not easily extricated from vehicles. Within an entrapment a victim cannot be properly treated, and there is always the potential for fire. The longer the victim remains untreated or only with partial medical care, then the greater the chance for complication.
Now for firefighter safety. Every minute that a firefighter spends on a roadway, there is danger of being hit by a passing car or truck. Every time a firefighter operates equipment, there is strain on muscle and back; this can lead to injury. So herein lies the argument for good equipment. It is lightweight and easy to operate. Many older hydraulic tools require two firefighters to operate. These two firefighters must attend to the victim. If the space is confined no one can help the victim while the entrapment is being resolved. Treatment time is lost.
Most older units weigh well over 100 lbs. Injury to rescuers is always a concern and we will have firefighters end up with major back injuries. Certainly, many have already had minor ones on many occasions and this could lead to greater issues.
The bottom line is - get the new equipment as soon as you can. It will help both rescuers and victims.
Friday, April 20, 2012
You Are a Terrible Person Because Someone Took Something You Said Out of Context - Huh?
The other day, I was looking at a media poll, it was on one of the left-leaning news stations, and I was alarmed at their reasoning. You see, they had taken something at of context that one of the GOP candidates had said on the road. Then they played it over and over again critiquing his words. Now mind you it was definitely out of context, nevertheless at the end of the programming they did a little survey and asked people to Twitter, or text message the answer to their survey.
Next, they put the survey on TV showing that 67% of the people disapproved of what was said, and thought that the politician in question should not be president. Okay so, let's talk about this for second shall we?
It seems to me this is mass mind manipulation and brainwashing. Basically the media company is leading the answer to the viewers, and then posting the results of how many people they were able to snooker who called in to participate in a survey. This shows me of their ability to brainwash, and has very little to do with the individual who said something, that perhaps they should've said, because they should've known that the leftist media would've taken it out of context, which they did.
Apparently, our media has the ability to slander and berate someone as a terrible person, after they take something they said out of context. That's interesting isn't it? But isn't that really just office gossip gone wild? Isn't the media in this case just pandering to the inherent behavioral challenges of humans in mass mobs? Is that really all the better we are, is that all the better we can do in America? Is that the level of intelligence that we've come to expect? How is it that America has been so dummied down that they fall for this garbage hook, line, and sinker like a school of fish?
You are not a terrible person because someone said you were, you can only be a terrible person if you are a terrible person. Slandering someone's good name just because they are a politician is exactly why we don't have very many good people running for office. Because as soon as someone who is decent runs for office, this is what the media does to them, and our society follows. They build them up just to burn down, and the reality is they just don't care. Of course, a politician can run for office without saying anything, but as soon as they say something, someone blows it out of proportion, takes it out of context, and sends it viral across the Internet.
It's time for America to grow up. It's time for the media to catch a clue. If they have to use these types of innuendos, and create this type of sound and fury just to get people to tune in, then there's no wonder why they are going out of business. And if that were not for election seasons, they'd already have gone bankrupt. Maybe they are no longer needed, maybe their future demise is their own fault? Please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Internet and Media. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Closing of Hull House
A month ago, The Hull House Association announced that it was closing its programs and filing for bankruptcy. Most people likely shrugged their shoulders and moved on, barely taking time to read the article that accompanied the headline. But the closing down of one of the longest running social service institutions has profound implications not just on the lives of the individuals and neighborhoods that it served, but also on helping professionals and on the fabric of the social safety net for our society's most vulnerable populations.
As a first year student in my MSW at UC-Berkeley, I took a class that discussed the history and context of social welfare in the US. The work of Jane Addams was presented as a seminal event within this history. Ms. Addams came from an upper class family and was drawn, as many of her peers were, to do something about the social ills that she saw within her city. But she was not one to simply hold fundraisers or volunteer. Her idea was to open a home in a poor neighborhood where she and other volunteers would live to serve the needs of the people.
She wanted to be a part of the community that she was serving. Her feeling was that it was only by getting to know who she served could she provide what was needed. Hull House, a national historic treasure, was this settlement house and was expanded through the following century into a range of services, which at last estimate provided services to 60,000 individuals yearly in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Although it was initially privately funded, the Hull House Association had come to rely on public funding for its programs. At some point, it had become almost completely dependent on the whims of political factions and what they believe about providing for the basic needs of people in this country. The debate over the size of the government which rages currently in the GOP Primary campaigns seem a bit like the death knell of organizations like the Hull House which serve the poor in our communities.
Over the past several years, proceeding even the recent recession, I have worked as a social worker in a medical setting. The benefits and programs for the aged and disabled in this country have slowly been whittled down to the nubbins. While programs like Medicare Part D coverage for medications, or recent changes in health care insurance laws allowing people with pre-existing conditions to get coverage have helped, they do not change the fact that the resources for people who are vulnerable are scarce and frightening to those who are living with disabilities day to do.
In a recent appearance, a prominent GOP front-runner, commented that he was not worried about the very poor in our society. That is what the safety net is for, he quipped. It seems like he has not been paying attention to what is happening to the safety net in our country because it is becoming frayed and on the verge of ripping open altogether.
There are some who see this as a good thing. They believe that those who must use benefits provided through government-funded programs are lazy or malingering. People need to earn the right of being considered worthy of assistance in some way. This is a direct affront to Jane Addams' ideal that all people are inherently worthy of dignity and respect, and part of treating people in such a way is to provide for basic needs when an individual or family cannot do so on their own.
Social workers and other helping professionals are being asked to do more with less and less. The options that are available are untenable for most of their clients and would seem like an affront to someone who has not had to deal with any part of the social welfare safety net. They are also suffering the losses of colleagues and friends to layoffs. In Chicago, the closing of Hull House means the loss of positions and an additional burden on surrounding social service agencies - a burden which likely they will not be able to fully shoulder.
It may seem like a local problem for Chicago, but the same is happening in cities all around the country. And despite the optimism of trickle-down economics, there are no big donors stepping in where government programs are cutting off. The middle class is too anxious about its own financial security to give in substantial amounts, and the wealthiest have not necessarily increased their giving.
So what does all this mean? It means that we are creating a more desperate impoverished class. It means that those who are middle class are closer to being poor than ever before. It means that we are choosing a government which sits back and allows those with the most needs suffer.
When I first went to Social Work school, it was recommended that students read Unfaithful Angels by Harold Specht. The book decried the flight of trained social workers into private practice therapy...they were the "unfaithful" angels. But social workers, and other helping professionals, are not angels. We are people who know how to make the most of the tools we are given in a variety of situations. The book by Specht missed the larger societal trends, however; it is our country that has become "unfaithful" to the neediest in its midst.
Even angels cannot fly without wings.
Kari Petersen, LCSW is a psychotherapist working in Emeryville, CA. You can find out more about her and her practice at http://www.emeryvilletherapy.com/
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Ah, But the Libyan Civil War Continueth - Next Comes Syria?
Apparently, some folks are calling for a coalition and "no fly zone" in Syria to prevent the slaughter of civilians from the Assad government and military there. Yes, it has been nothing short of brutal and atrocious. There has been a case precedents here recently, namely Libya and thus, perhaps the cash-strapped nations of NATO in Europe might go for another foray. There is also a green-light coming from the Arab neighbors for intervention, aid to the people, or even weapons for the rebels there. The humanitarian crisis is big, and it's serious.
Syria isn't exactly the same situation as in Libya, but it might be at least similar enough to have such an option on the table, and still look the international community in the eyes if something doesn't work out as planned, as in a much larger scale war erupting involving Russia and Iran for instance. There was a rather unfortunate story in the world media recently; "Libya's oil-rich east declares autonomy," which was reported on March 8, 2012, one of the more popular stories running through the internet stated;
"The declaration of an autonomous region in Cyrenaica in eastern Libya, which contains most of the country's oil, is the most serious threat to central authority in post-revolutionary Libya and could disrupt oil flows already threatened by the Persian Gulf crisis. The congressional declaration of 2,000 eastern political and tribal leaders in Benghazi, is a potentially serious blow to the shaky and fractious National Transitional Council, Libya's interim government based in Tripoli in the west."
Ah, a declaration of independence do we have now, well as you know those are generally considered fighting words, but with a now weakened central government in Libya, I ask; will we see some more re-drawing of maps on the African Continent in short order. It wasn't that long ago when Sudan divided itself in half, after a civil war, and with huge implications to oil flows.
If we are looking at Libya for the model here, well, it isn't exactly going too well, or over yet. If we are looking for Tunisia for the model of an Arab Spring or even Egypt for that matter, well, nothing is settled there either, including the dust. Therefore, if we do decide it is prudent to move on Syria, then we have to treat it as a totally separate case, unlike the others in many regards, and with even more far reaching implications for the region, some outcomes could be extremely fruitful, others, well, not so much.
Indeed, we should approach any potential solution with skepticism based on what we've learned, and yet not assume too many congruent similarities or potential eventualities the results of any action taken. Please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
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