Etattle Blog

2011-04-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

I find it interesting how certain directors and producers are always pushing the envelope to bring us a new level of production attainment. It also helps to have some funding. http://amplify.com/u/byz7h

Article titled Obamas New World Disorder

2011-03-30T21:09:00.001-04:00

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011...

I often comment on this page but have seldom shared it with my twitter comrades.

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Long Term Study about Diabetes 1

2011-03-30T20:37:00.001-04:00

Amplify’d from www.businessweek.com

Some Type 1 Diabetics Seem Shielded Against Complications

In one group that had diabetes for 50 years, many never developed expected problems, study finds

"We have identified a group of people who can clearly live well with diabetes for a long time," said the study's senior author, Dr. George King, chief scientific officer at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. "Now, we're in the process of finding out why. In the meantime, if you have type 1 diabetes, try to control your disease. The reason that most of them eluded the problem of complications is that they manage their disease pretty well," said King.

In a group of people who'd had type 1 diabetes for more than 50 years, nearly 43 percent remained free of serious eye disease, while about 87 percent never developed kidney disease, nearly 40 percent were free of nerve damage and more than 50 percent were free of cardiovascular disease, according to the study.

Almost 26 million Americans have diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 percent of those have type 1 diabetes, the CDC estimates. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that's necessary for the body and brain to be able to use the sugars found in carbohydrates as fuel. People with type 1 diabetes must take replacement insulin, through injections or an insulin pump, all of their lives.

Vinick also pointed out that many of the drugs that are commonly prescribed today to help people with diabetes live longer and better lives -- such as ACE inhibitors to control their blood pressure and statins to control their cholesterol levels -- raise sRAGE levels.

King said that while the researchers figure out how to better protect people with diabetes from complications, good blood sugar control remains the cornerstone of diabetes management. He added that the medalists as a group tended to be very proactive and involved in their diabetes care.
Read more at www.businessweek.com

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"Live from Japan" Tsunami Recovery News-- Explosion Nuclear Power Plants and Radiation

2011-03-16T19:36:00.001-04:00

Live video by Ustream

Bashing Teachers! The Greed God Keeps Going!

2011-03-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Seven Billion People on Earth by National Geographic

2011-02-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

Its only taken 130 years to go from 1 billion to 7 billion people on earth. This is a rather interesting video on the subject being explored by National Geographic.

Video Sharing the New Wave of Learning Anything Anywhere!

2010-09-16T22:31:00.001-04:00

I keep thinking how much time I can waste blogging and watching video, but shared videos as part of learning are definitely a way to speed up the learning curve. Whatever the process or subject you can almost certainly find people around the world who share the same interests. Chris Anderson on TED discussing "How Web Video Powers Global Innovation"

Consolidation of Power--Where does it end and should you care?

2010-07-09T10:56:00.000-04:00

Although times change people and their motivations do not. We seem to be in a world where large corporations, the military and big government are becoming more powerful while ordinary people are becoming less empowered. Much of our acceptance is that we enjoy peace and are distracted in our personal economic battles to maximize our resources and get the most for our dollar. In my lifetime I have witnessed the growth of all these large entities, while many Americans now find themselves battling over a smaller and smaller piece of the economic pie leftovers. If we are to learn anything from the past it is that we are not alone in our concerns and that our actions or inaction have great consequences. A few quotes--hopefully to remind us that complacency and comfort may come at a very high price if we are not vigilant in our efforts to protect personal freedom.

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless.” – Abraham Lincoln, from a November 21, 1864 letter to Colonel William F. Elkins

“By this means government may secretly and unobserved, confiscate the wealth of the people, and not one man in a million will detect the theft.” – Lord John Maynard Keynes, “Economic Consequences of Peace”

“I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by it’s system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the world… no longer a government of free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.” – Woodrow Wilson

“The one aim of these financiers is world control by the creation of inextinguishable debts.” – Henry Ford

“The study of money, above all other fields in economics, is one in which complexity is used to disguise truth or to evade truth, not to reveal it.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, in his book “Money: Whence It Came, Where It Went”, 1975

“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.” – Benjamin Disraeli, First Prime Minister of Britain

“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will one day reach himself.” – Thomas Paine

“If you’re in a card game and you can’t figure out who the patsy is, you’re it.” – Warren Buffett

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1755

“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad.” – James Madison

2010-07-05T22:19:00.000-04:00

Interview on Fox 59

2010-07-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

Recently I was interviewed by Scott Jones of Fox 59. Its always interesting to see what you look like on TV. It's somewhat of a humbling experience. It makes one have a much greater respect for Newscasters.

The link from interview on Fox 59 on Paintless Dent Repair

Another great Video by Bob Parsons-- Getting out of your comfort zone!

2010-06-07T23:02:00.001-04:00

I switched this video so that it is no longer the video "Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone". This video is about "How To Make it in a Tough Economy".

The Not So Complex Successes and Failures of Technology & Automobiles

2010-05-28T00:34:00.001-04:00

As you may or may not know I work on a lot of cars. All kinds of Cars! Most times things are predictable or at least understandable in terms of how and why automobiles are put together. Competition has written a whole new rulebook for innovation and economics when it comes to automobile manufacturing. Most times if I take apart a headliner or a door panel its quite easy to put it back to its original condition with of course some notable exceptions. Ironically those exceptions are not typically done for innovation but for economics. Companies who have prospered the most seem to be those who have carefully studied where to cut corners in the least notable manner to the end consumer. Let me give you a few examples that are changing the way your vehicle is put together and how it is quite apparent that some car manufacturers have been more clever than others.

The use of plastic has become extremely important to some manufacturers by substituting it for metal parts with screws. In most cases this has been a success, especially where companies like Honda or Toyota use more twist and pull plastic push parts that hold firmly in metal frames. I find German automobiles have indeed went to more technology and robotics than apparently the Japanese or American made automobiles, although it also creates unique problems. For instance if I have a part placed in by a robot prior to a windshield being put in then I also do not allow for the possibility of making changes without the windshield being removed to do things in a natural sequence when making changes to say a headliner. Often specific brands or types of companies use similar ideas to put things together. For instance German cars like Mercedes and VW may use some similar ideas, while KIA and Hyundai, Honda and Toyota etc. American manufactures ironically may use ideas from foreign manufactures but not so much say between Ford and GM.

This all sounds like a lot of "what does it really matter", but as I've mentioned from my personal experiences companies that can best hide these cheaper parts in places that are seldom noticed seem to be the best at getting higher consumer satisfaction and getting the resulting higher profits. For instance Trucks do not all now come with completely metal liners in wheel wells, but does the customer care -- probably not.

Personally I think the German concepts have a lot of long term value by using technology as in the video below, however they too can get caught in the web of unintended consequences when certain types of body work must be done and there are no easy solutions to a human correcting what a robot originally manufactured. Toyota recently has shown that things can begin to unravel, when problems are not anticipated but most likely created to save production costs.

On the other hand some companies may be losing because they simply haven't made necessary changes while other manufacturers are cutting those corners in ways that cheapen the product, but rely on the adage "What the customer doesn't know won't hurt them." This of course means you shouldn't be surprised when some little things of your must prized automobile are surprisingly oddly put together by a machine, made of cheap plastic or simply no longer there, because the prize ultimately in the long run goes to the manufacturer who does it the best and at the lowest cost.

Gulf Oil Spill -- Is it a big disaster or not?

2010-05-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

I think its interesting to see Brit Hume downplay the oil spill. I'm only putting this up so we can remember who was right and who was wrong. He seems to believe that the natural release of oil from the ocean floor is just as bad and that this spill does not compare to the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. I'm not sure how comforting this video is to Beach Front Homeowners or those people planning a beach front vacation to the region.

Coming Soon! Preview my new How Too Book!

2010-04-07T00:50:00.006-04:00

"People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy after." Oliver Goldsmith

Benefactors and Discriminators Run the World?

2010-03-31T12:07:00.006-04:00

Thought I'd write a note today! Its amazing how we constantly are reminded what to believe which often contradicts with our experience. Although I would like to limit this to religion it is intertwined with the basic concepts of reality we face each and every day. Its in education, politics and economic theory. It is most certainly about change. What changes should be made and who will benefit from those changes. Most of us have been the recipient of these decisions ultimately made by an individual or group of individuals. For instance you made or got cut from an athletic team, got hired or fired from a job or got accepted or not accepted to a prestigious school. What's even more interesting is what makes one successful---getting to the opportunity or learning from the opportunity. Its most often a little bit of both.

This sounds like a small fries idea, but it is the basic framework for the biggest questions of our time. As a business owner this is a constant reality that I have tested on numerous occasions. Donald Trump may host a show to support the concept that finding and developing a restaurant in New York is all about the management-- But is it really? I might for instance claim that it is based on location and who owns the real estate where the restaurant will be located. The concept that the very best will survive may ultimately be factual in most cases in our Capitalistic society. But often I look at good people who could have been or should have been more successful but unseen or unknown obstacles stood in the way. Often conglomerates, unions, associations and groups of people get together like corporations to basically control markets and people. This is why the US is in such a particular quandary at this moment in time. Capitalism is the ultimate victor and takes no prisoners. We either comply or find others (even foreigners who do not support our Democratic ideas) to help us comply with the only rules of the game which undermine our rights to choose as we wish more so than as we should. The rules must be broken or many of us will ultimately lose.

This leads us to the biggest benefactor/ discriminator and that is those who wish to control change. Typically this is our leaders in government, corporate and military establishments. Unfortunately they have found all kinds of rules they say they abide by to keep this change fair. But this is the most dangerous contradiction to the primary rule they want us all to believe. That we get what we deserve. That our efforts and accomplishments are due solely to our aptitude and efforts. When enough people look around and say they no longer believe or even trust these leaders in a real democracy this should mean change.

Unfortunately these leaders control this concept too! The necessity to stop opposition, make accusation and enhance real forces of control like the military or police forces is often about controlling not bad people but people who might create changes that would be adverse to their rights as benefactors and discriminators. Ultimately change is inevitable but these leaders would be advised to promote it not control it.

Window on the Future

2010-02-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

Are We Beginning to Doubt our Super Hero?

2009-12-22T23:21:00.002-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

How to Make the World's Easiest $1 Billion

2009-12-15T23:51:00.000-05:00

This is how they do it in Baseball!

2009-11-01T23:39:00.004-05:00

As a Cub fan it is only fitting to show the ex philly ex met and the wisefinancial advice of Jim Cramer who obviously was also overpaid at Goldman Sachs

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Lenny Dykstra's Financial Career

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

The Colbert Report: Capitalism's Enemy - Michael Moore

2009-10-30T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Colbert Report: Capitalism's Enemy - Michael Moore

Etattle Blog: Dylan Ratigan Exposes Goldman Sachs

2009-10-21T22:00:00.003-04:00

This Is Really Pretty Amazing How Goldman Sachs Made Huge Profits Via The American Taxpayer.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

September Morning playlist by Randy

2009-08-13T22:52:00.002-04:00

September Morning playlist by Randy

Shared via AddThis

Sheryl Crow Rolling Stones Classic

2009-04-07T23:58:00.001-04:00

2 ideas from Bill Gates

2009-03-12T00:51:00.000-04:00

New World Order of Global Economics

2008-11-25T01:58:00.002-05:00

Presenting Public Policy initiatives that recognize their importance in a world dominated by Global Economic Forces (Globalization) should be a goal of the Obama administration... Globalization in the real world without American Public Policy Constraints will undermine the American ideologies especially in regards to Human Rights, Civil Rights and Environmental Issues. This is not only an issue which is changing the American landscape, but will result in a less authoritative and less bona fide United States constitution. During the past thirty years Americans have become mesmerized by Globalization philosophies that impose Free trade at all costs as something close to a moral choice. Nationalism, Religious Ideologies, National Pastimes and Professional Sports support these concepts with unfettered voracity. The Laws of Supply and Demand have been so firmly ingrained in the culture that to sway from these results by suggesting that Democratic values can approve of socialistic programs or programs that support the general welfare of our citizens are in fact treasonous. Our Constitution was established by ideas about Democratic freedoms not pure capitalistic and economic motives.

The General welfare statement can be interpreted to include citizens or immigrants who want to be citizens who must swear to the Constitution. In the words of Aristotle; “In a Democracy the Poor will have more power than the rich because there are more of them, and the power of the majority is supreme.” The nature of capitalistic wealth as the primary goal of a government approves in the objective of winning the game of attaining the most wealth as the “highest” directive. This is similar to Darwin’s natural selection and professional sports in that it elevates the very best or most prominent, while suggesting that weakness and lesser performing constituents be discarded by some Divine Right or natural selection. This divine selective process demands and justifies the highest price. The divine directive suggests this very fair process ultimately results in everyone else prospering too. Most Religions especially Christianity suggests otherwise in that the poor and needy should in fact be cared for not discarded. Ironically, the religious right even the Catholic Church is a primary constituent of the Greed philosophy as it is the better of two choices of a Democrat or Republican. Their real divine directive which promotes the necessity to support the Greed pundit might very well be protecting the “rights of the unborn”. The reality is that both our political parties at the federal level are purveyors of the greed philosophy and realize they can control the population by “guilt” whenever necessary by bringing up these moral issues on demand. For this reason “greed” contributes to more moral decline by undermining the ‘general welfare” to such a state that the “moral issues” the right fundamentalist propose to take such a stand upon are viewed by the “public” as more about “greed and power” than conviction.

Many groups who have other ideas about protecting and supporting the general welfare on issues such as Global Warming, the environment or Health care are deplored as socialist deviants seeking to take away the divine rights of the greed protecting pundits. Sadly many of these pundits must rely on the programs and policies they want so much to deny to everyone else. Their programs for the military or education or whoever they work for are reasonable while, huge deficits become acceptable because we can have the benefits of a tax that no one ever has to pay. However, we know these deficits actually protect the wealth of the rich while placing the debt on a majority of Americans for generations to come.

Anyone who has listened to Limbaugh or numerous other right wing pundits during the past twenty years can testify to their oath that Politics and Social Welfare should be at the mercy of those who are the best because they after all deserve the most. Professional Athletes, Giant Hedge Fund managers or Multi Billionaires provide us with incentive to achieve and admire their greatness. This achievement and ability to push the work ethic and success at all cost requires that all Americans especially the poor recognize their place and to oppose the philosophy of Greed is in fact Un-American. According to these right wing pundits, the true American or Great American is someone who is willing to give it all for the Greed philosophy in that we must protect Warren Buffett’s wealth, Tiger Woods Skills and Michael Milken’s Genius at all costs. The millions of Americans who are in foreclosure are expendable, while bailing out large banks is the greed version of doing the greater good. If competing in a Globalized world means selling assets to other nations that have no intention or belief in our ideologies then Global economics rules. Human rights in China, The Middle East or India as well as starvation in Africa become acceptable while we are willing to protect the ideas of Globalization and Greed at the expense of the moral document we call the American Constitution.

We truly do have a New World order that is indeed more important than our Constitution, and the leaders of our nation have sworn to this new Government by declaring their absolute allegiance to the power of this new Globalization God in this New World Order of Economics.

the official PETER STROUD appreciation thread

2008-08-20T23:53:00.001-04:00

source: Sheryl Crow

Often overlooked and quite underrated, in a way he is to Sheryl what Keith Scott is to Bryan Adams, so much more than just "the guitar player". He rea… more

2008-08-04T21:22:00.001-04:00

Looking Back at the 2004 Olympics

2008-08-04T00:15:00.003-04:00

For the time being since the Universal Tattletale sight is no longer available I thought I'd post a few of the things that were posted on the Olympics by myself in 2004.

Terrorism and the Olympic Games

Terrorism and the Olympic Games. Sadly the two have become a pair, one seldom seen without the other. The Munich Olympics, the Atlanta Bomber and of course all those incidents which could have been terrorist acts, but we will never know the truth about them. Thomas Homer Dixon in his article The Rise of Complex Terrorism discusses how the rise of advanced Western nations has amplified the destructive power of terrorists and the psychological/ financial damage they can inflict.

August 24, 2004

A few days ago two airliners went down in Buchalki, Russia. Already these incidents have basically been recognized as terrorism although the presses immediate reaction was to deny them as terrorist acts.. The timing of two planes and a total of 89 people made this one a little harder to sweep under the rug.

July 17, 1996

Another plane went down in New York on July 17, 1996. This crash to was riddled with rumors of a conspiracy to cover up the evidence. Jack Cashill Article: “ Silenced: Flight 800 and The Subversion of Justice describes the eyewitnesses and accounts which were so conveniently overlooked to support the ruptured fuel tank theory. In fact more than one eyewitness would be silenced for there candor. (see article)Was a missile fired to prevent a disaster of even larger magnitude? Since September 11, 2001 we could now expect this type of response.

Other Possible Terrorist Acts

April 3, 1996

The air force plane a T-43, a military version of the Boeing 737, carrying Ron Brown and many from his Department of Commerce staff, CEO’s from 12 different companies and the flight crew crashed killing all aboard. Brown’s mission was to visit Bosnia and Croatia with US executives hoping to get contracts in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged former Yugoslav republics. The investigation and media reported that this crash was due to inclement weather. This evidence and statement is controversial in itself according to the article “Ron Brown May Be Victim of Foul Play”

November 12, 2001

American Airlines jet crashes into Queens on November 12, 2001. Device size of a shoe bomb used to blow off wing. Claim made the Farouk the Tunisian or Abderraouf Jdey was responsible. US Transportation Safety Board says there is no evidence that there was any kind of event in the cabin of the plane at the time of the event. See article

These are a few well acknowledged events, but there is certainly many more.

Deferentially, but very insistently, the media, government and intelligence departments make their preferred assumptions about events the accepted norm. Evidence in so many conspiracy laden events is scrambled, abused and denied to prevent the outcomes from having the intended results the culprits would want the American public to see and believe.

Therefore, it is plausible to question and seek out the logical truth even though those in power and position may deny the relevance of normally accepted truthful information.

Lighter Side

(Letterman’s Top Ten Olympics)

Top Ten Signs Athens Isn't Ready For The Olympics

10. Organizers lobbying for new event: Yelling at contractor to hurry the hell up

9. Committee still hasn't selected really gay theme for opening ceremonies

8. Makeshift Olympic symbol made of five interlocking poppy seed bagels

7. Yesterday, Athens' mayor said, "Wait, we're hosting the Olympics?"

6. Thanks to mailroom blunder, all the steroids were shipped to Crete

5. Builders brought only one hammer and a box of wood screws

4. Olympic visitors center to be ready in early 2006

3. The athletes have to share a gyro

2. All the "Greece" signs have a photo of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

1. "Olympic Stadium" just a bunch of lawn chairs in an Applebee's parking lot.

2004 Olympic Statistics Medals Per Person by Country

					2003 Population	Medals Per 10 million people	Ranking

United States	35	39	29	103	290,342,554	2.818	31
Russia	27	27	38	92	144,526,278	6.365	19
China	32	17	14	63	1,286,975,468	.4890	44
Australia	17	16	16	49	19,731,984	24.832	1
Germany	14	16	18	48	82,398,326	5.825	23
Japan	15	10	12	37	127,214,499	2.908	30
France	11	9	13	33	60,180,529	5.483	25
Italy	10	11	11	32	57,998,353	5.517	24
United Kingdom	9	9	12	30	60,094,648	4.992	26
South Korea	9	12	9	30	48,289,037	6.212	22
Cuba	9	7	11	27	11,263,429	23.972	2
Ukraine	9	5	9	23	48,289,037	4.762	27
Netherlands	4	9	9	22	16,150,511	13.622	10
Romania	8	5	6	19	22,271,839	8.53	16
Spain	3	11	5	19	40,217,413	4.724	28
Hungary	8	6	3	17	10,045,407	16.757	4
Greece	6	6	4	16	10,665,989	15	7
Belarus	2	5	8	15	10,322,151	14.532	9
Canada	3	6	3	12	32,207,113	3.725	29
Bulgaria	2	1	9	12	7,537,929	15.921	5
Poland	3	2	5	10	38,622,660	2.589	32
Brazil	4	3	3	10	182,032,604	.54	43
Turkey	3	3	4	10	68,109,469	1.468	41
Thailand	3	1	4	8	64,265,276	1.244	42
Denmark	2	0	6	8	5,384,384	14.858	8
Kazakhstan	1	4	3	8	16,763,795	7.4	18
Czech Republic	1	3	4	8	10,249,216	7.805	18
Sweden	4	1	2	7	8,878,085	7.884	17
Austria	2	4	1	7	8,188,207	8.549	15
Ethiopia	2	3	2	7	66,557,553	10.51	14
Kenya	1	4	2	7	31,639,091	2.212	34
Norway	5	0	1	6	4,546,123	13.198	11
Iran	2	2	2	6	69,018,924	1.44	39
Slovakia	2	2	2	6	5,430,033	11.05	13
Argentina	2	0	4	6	38,740,807	1.548	37
South Africa	1	3	2	6	42,768,678	1.402	40
New Zealand	3	2	0	5	3,951,307	12.655	12
Taiwan	2	2	1	5	22,603,001	2.212	34
Jamaica	2	1	2	5	2,695,867	18.545	3
Uzbekistan	2	1	2	5	26,410,416	1.893	36
Switzerland	1	1	3	5	7,318,638	6.831	20
Azerbaijan	1	0	4	5	7,830,764	6.384	21
North Korea	0	4	1	5	22,466,481	2.225	33
Georgia	2	2	0	4	4,934,413	8.107
Indonesia	1	1	2	4	234,893,453	.17
Egypt	1	0	3	4	76,117,421	.525
Latvia	0	4	0	4	2,306,306	4.336
Mexico	0	3	1	4	104,959,594	.381
Croatia	0	2	2	5	4,422,248	11.307
Slovenia	0	1	3	4	1,935,677	20.661
Morocco	2	1	0	3	31,689,265	.946
Chile	2	0	1	3	12,576,742	2.385
Lithuania	1	2	0	3	3,592,561	8.349
Zimbabwe	1	1	1	3	12,671,860	2.367
Belgium	1	0	2	3	10,348,276	2.899
Portugal	0	2	1	3	10,524,125	2.85
Estonia	0	1	2	3	1,341,664	22.354
Bahamas	1	0	1	2	299,697	66.889
Israel	1	0	1	2	6,199,008	3.226
Finland	0	2	0	2	5,214,512	3.835
Colombia	0	0	1	1	42,310,775
Nigeria	0	0	2	2	137,253,133
Cameroon	1	0	0	1	16,063,178
Dominican Republic	1	0	0	1	8,833,634
Ireland	1	0	0	1	3,969,558
United Arab Emirates	1	0	0	1	2,523,915
Hong Kong	0	1	0	1	6,855,125
India	0	1	0	1	1,049,700,118
Paraguay	0	1	0	1	6,191,368
Serbia and Montenegro	0	1	0	1	10,655,774
Eritrea	0	0	1	1	4,362,254
Mongolia	0	0	1	1	2,712,315
Syria	0	0	1	1	18,016,874
Trinidad and Tobago	0	0	1	1	1,104,209
Venezuela	0	0	2	2	24,654,694

Sheryl Crow on Today Show

2008-08-04T00:02:00.002-04:00

2008-07-26T18:47:00.000-04:00

Not much has changed Reprint from 06 Lack of Virtue

2008-07-17T23:24:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

United States Plagued by Lack of Virtue

The lack of virtue allows politicians and the media to accept and use information they otherwise would question. One of the major difficulties with employment opportunities for many prospective students (young or old) in the United States today is recognizing what to learn which will be regarded enough to provide ample economic opportunity. This is not a new problem but one which has existed for hundreds of years. In H.W. Brands book, “The First American” he quotes Ben Franklin from his book “The Art of Virtue”

Many people lead bad lives that would gladly lead good ones, but know not how to make the change. They frequently resolved and endeavored it; but in vain, because their endeavors have not been properly conducted. To exhort people to be good, to be just, to be temperate &c. without shewing them how they shall become so, seems like the ineffectual charity mentioned by the Apostle, which consisted in saying to the hungry, the cold, and the naked, be ye fed, be ye warmed, be ye clothed, without shewing them how they should get food, fire, or clothing.

Today, politicians including President Bush, economists and reporters have displayed their lack of virtue when understanding trends in the

United States

. They tend to view education as a means in itself to employment. The rhetoric about all the new jobs relies heavily on people actually understanding how to accomplish these new tasks put before them. It also ignores economic realities that exist for many people who work for much less money. Many of the jobs now provided to illegal immigrants or sent to

Mexico

require less knowledge, but are still being taken away from Americans who in turn have little to offer that provides adequate income. We raise interest rates when we could raise taxes on the rich which would promote more competition. The rich and powerful must give to promote the cycle of opportunity to others. Virtue must be a part of the repertoire of the powerful and the rich or we continue to take from the have nots to give to the haves. In the words of Franklin:

It is as properly an art as painting, navigation, or architecture. If a man would become a painter, navigator, or architect, it is not enough that he is advised to be one, that he is convinced by the arguments of his advisor that it would be for his advantage to be one, and that he resolves to be one; but he must also be taught the principles of the art, be shewn all the methods of working, and how to acquire the habits of using properly all the instruments. And thus regularly and gradually he arrives by practice at some perfection in the art.

This lack of sharing or virtue is not an intentional consequence of actions of the past administrations, but the result of a continual pattern of abuse of debt instruments, media conglomerates and corporate excesses through lobbyist in congress and greed at the expense of the masses in the

United States

. Currently the 8 trillion dollar deficit is the elusive creature that allows all this excess to go unnoticed. The new policies adopted for bankruptcy are just a precursor to bigger problems that are arising concerning individual rights. More power to fewer and larger banks who lend money with less risk to people with less freedom and ability to repay the higher interest loans. More drugs, more casinos, more mafia mean more prisons and jails are needed to maintain and protect this new found wealth of the elite bankers, drug lords, politicians and large corporate owners as they continue this ongoing policy of abuse which Franklin described as “LACK OF VIRTUE”

(Please note in 30 months the deficit has risen to close to 10 trillion dollars)

In Memory of Terry Hoeppner

2008-06-15T00:40:00.001-04:00

"Don't Quit" -- Hep's Poem

IU football coach Terry Hoeppner passed away June 19, 2007.

Coach "Hep" always displayed a wonderfully optimistic attitude. This attitude is reflected in Hep's favorite poem, "Don't Quit."

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow --
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
(author unknown)

Poem and Info From RT Blog
ESPN Obituary

Sheryl Crow--Brandi Carlisle--KT Tunstall

2008-06-15T00:29:00.004-04:00

This was done by me for a banner contest--rather difficult to understand and quickly done but with unique artistic flavor.

Indianapolis Sheryl Crow Concert Pics / Brandi Carlisle/ KT Tunstall
Category: Music

Link to Pictures From Redwine Lover (Kay) and the Sheryl Fan Forum

Tickets Photo Link
..

The concerts were excellent. The Whitelawns venue and weather cooperated for a great evening of music.

Fortunately, I was able to attend both the Sheryl Crow/ Brandi Carlisle concert and the KT Tunstall concert recently.

2008-05-13T00:09:00.004-04:00

Every couple of years there seems to be major disasters all around the world. If you would like to give to help victims in Myramar or China here are a few well known organizations. Below are a few links to go directly to these reviewed home sites of organizations. Please remember to specify the general area where you would like your donation to go.

This is a short list, but these are reputable organizations.

Operation Christmas Child

Donate Now! -- American Red Cross

World Vision www.worldvision.org

Unicef The Giving Gift

Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org/

United Way www.unitedway.org

Directory of Reviewed Christmas Charities

Backstreet Missions www.backstreet.org

FAME Partnering in Medical Evangelism

Catholic Charities USA

Chinese Proverb: When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one and a lilly with the other.