Politics and Government Articles

Adolf Hitler

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau,
Austria, a small town across the Inn River from Germany.
Soon after Hitler's birth, his father, Alois Hitler, moved
the family to Linz, Austria. Hitler attended school in Linz
and at first was a good student, but in high school he was
a very poor student. Hitler's academic abilities angered
his father because his father hoped that Hitler would study
to become a government worker as he had been. Hitler,
however, wanted to become an artist. In 1907, Hitler went
to Vienna Austria in an attempt to fulfill his dream of
becoming an artist. This attempt ended when he failed the
entrance exam to the Academy of Fine Arts.

When Hitler's mother died in 1907, he decided to remain in
Vienna. He took the entrance exam a year later and failed
again. He did not have steady work in Vienna, but, instead,
took a variety of odd jobs. He lived in cheap rooming
houses or slept on park benches and he often had to get
meals from charity kitchens. During his time in Vienna
Hitler learned to hate non-Germans. Hitler was a
German-speaking Austrian and considered himself German. He
ridiculed the Austrian government for recognizing eight
languages as official and believed that no government could
last if it treated ethnic groups equally. In 1913, Hitler
went to Munich, Germany and when the First World War began
in 1914, he volunteered for service in the German army.
Hitler was given the job of despatch-runner. It was a
dangerous job as it involved carrying messages from
regimental headquarters to the front-line. Hitler won five
medals including the prestigious Iron Cross during the
First World War but only rose to the rank of corporal. When
the First World War ended Hitler was in a hospital
recovering from temporary blindness caused by a poison gas
attack. Hitler went into a state of deep depression when he
heard of the German surrender.

The Versailles Treaty that ended the war stripped Germany
of much of its territory, forced the country to disarm, and
ordered Germany to pay huge reparations. The country was
bankrupt and millions of people were unemployed. In 1919,
Hitler joined the German Workers Party. In 1920 the party
was renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party
(the Nazis) and published its first programme which became
known as the "25 Points". In the programme the Nazis called
for all Germans to unite into one nation, a strong central
government and the cancellation of the Versailles Treaty.
In 1921 Hitler became leader of the Nazi party and built up
membership quickly, mostly because of his oratory skills
and powerful speeches. Hitler organized an army for the
Nazi party called the Storm Troopers ("Brown Shirts") who
were called upon to fight groups seeking to disrupt the
Nazi rallies.

On November 9, 1923, Hitler led more than 2,000 Storm
Troopers on a march to seize the Bavarian government - the
Munich Putsch. The putsch failed and Hitler was arrested
and sentenced to prison for five years for treason. While
in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In this
book he stated his beliefs and plans for Germany's future.
Hitler only served nine months in prison and when he was
released, he began to rebuild the party again. He realized
that to gain power he needed to use legal means rather than
violence. He also set up a private elite bodyguard known
as the "Schutzstaffel" (SS). By 1929, the Nazis were only a
minor political party. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 and
subsequent depression gave Hitler and the Nazis their
chance to achieve power. Hitler protested that the Jews and
Communists were the cause of Germany's problems. He
promised to rid Germany of Jews and Communists and to
reunite the German speaking part of Europe.

In July 1932, the Nazis received about 40% of the vote and
became the strongest party in Germany. On January 30 1933,
President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor
of Germany. Once in this position, Hitler moved quickly
toward attaining a dictatorship. When von Hindenburg died
in 1934, Hitler already had control of Germany and he gave
himself the title "Fuhrer" (leader). Under Hitler's
government, called the Third Reich, there was no place for
freedom. The government controlled every part of one's
life. Hitler used extensive propaganda to brainwash the
nation into believing his theory about creating the perfect
Aryan race. Therefore, it was Hitler's plan to rid the
nation and eventually the world of Jews, Gypsies, Negroes,
handicapped, and mentally ill persons. This plan was called
the "Final Solution." The Second World War began in 1939
when Hitler invaded Poland to begin his unification of all
German-speaking peoples. By this time extermination camps
were being established throughout Germany, Poland, and
Russia.

Many people tried to assassinate Hitler. The most dramatic
of these attempts was the July Plot. On July 20, 1944,
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who was attending one of
Hitler's military conferences, placed a bomb in a briefcase
under the table. When the bomb exploded it killed four
people and seriously injured ten others, but Hitler only
suffered minor cuts and burns.

In January 1945, the Soviet troops entered Nazi Germany.
It was suggested that Hitler should try to escape. Hitler
rejected the idea as he feared the possibility of being
captured. He had heard stories of how the Soviet troops
planned to parade him through the streets of Germany in a
cage. To prevent this humiliation Hitler decided to commit
suicide. Two days before his death Hitler married Eva
Braun. Braun agreed to commit suicide with him. On April
30 1945 the Soviet troops were only 300 yards away from
Hitler's underground bunker. Defeat was inevitable. Hitler
made a will leaving all his property to the Nazi Party.
After saying their farewells Hitler and Eva Braun went into
a private room and took cyanide tablets. Hitler also shot
himself in the head. His body was then cremated and his
ashes were hidden in the Chancellery grounds. Seven days
later, Germany surrendered.

----------------------------------------------------
The author is a teacher and writes on a wide range of
subjects.
http://vondix.com

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Universal Health Care? NO!

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:51:00 +0000

Many people think that Universal Health Care is the answer
to our problems. People have looked at universal health
care plans in Canada, Britain and other countries and wish
that we had their universal health care. Not so fast. It
isn't very pretty up close. Countries with universal
health coverage are economically worse off than the U.S.
Also, A hard lesson about socialized medicine

Let's look at what is wrong with the current solution.

* Pre-existing conditions can make health insurance
unavailable or unaffordable.
* Forty-Five million people are not covered by a plan.
(That number is not true, but we will use it for now.)
* People with health issues must pay more to get coverage.
*Preventive medicine is not practiced like it should be.
*Duplicated, inaccurate medical records are inefficiently
handled because they are not electronic. Too many
mistakes, excessive tests, and misdiagnosis are being made
as a result of poor quality data.
* People view health care as a health coverage plan instead
of a catastrophic insurance plan
* Third-party pay system. When you go to the hospital for
an operation, you don't check the bill you receive when you
check out. Why? You don't care. It's not your money. An
insurance company, a third-party, has paid the bill for you.

If I were the person in charge, here's what I would suggest:

If you opt-in to an insurance plan within a prescribed
period of time, then pre-existing conditions would not be
considered. For example, when you turn twenty-one, you need
to purchase your own health plan. We would use attained
age to determine the premium quote. There is no question
that older people use more health services than younger,
healthier people.)
* We can argue about how many people are uninsured, but
whatever that number is, everyone has to have coverage. A
friend's blog shows that the real number is closer to
11,260,150 only 3.75% of the population of the US, not the
near 16% according to the political left.
* All children up to the age of twenty-one would be covered
by plan that would cost about $20 per month per child.
(Illegal aliens would be required to purchase their own
insurance coverage at the same rates as citizens of the
US.)
* H S A (health savings account type plans, also called
high deductible health plans,) would be the only type of
plans available. Catastrophic plans should address
preventive medicine. The free annual physical examination
would be provided. This extent and depth of the physical
exam would be determined by the doctor. I would suggest
that the HSA type plans have a deductible in the range of
$3,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a family.
Certainly, these can be different numbers, but they need to
be high deductibles. After the deductible is met, the
insurance company would cover 100% of the costs. All
covered expenses go toward meeting the deductible —
including medications.
* If you compare what people want in their health plans to
what they get with their auto insurance, you will see the
difference. Your auto insurance doesn't have, oil changes,
tire changes, car washes and other related items. Auto
insurance simply helps you pay for a catastrophic event - a
car wreck. Health plans should be catastrophic in nature,
but after the deductible is met, then the company would pay
100%.
* All people, whether they are dealing with health issues
or not, will pay the same premium.
* All medical records would be required to be electronic.
There would be a medical database that all doctors and
hospitals would be able to access that contains your health
conditions, health history, medications taken and other
related medical data.
* Get rid of third-party payer system.

What will happen if the government plan is adopted?

"The new government health plan that many politicians
support would compete with private plans. The government
would set benefits, premiums, commissions and payment rates.

The Lewin Group estimates more than 118 million people
would shift to the government plan almost overnight,
resulting in more than 2 out of every 3 Americans in a
government plan. The reason for this dramatic shift is that
the government would continue to use Medicare payment
rates, so premiums would likely be 30 percent less
expensive than current plans.

With more Americans under a government plan, health care
system costs would shift from the government program to
private plans. As a result, private premiums would
skyrocket, making private health insurance unaffordable for
most. Clearly the more affordable government plan could
have devastating effects on private individual and group
insurance plans." Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South
Carolina.

If you wonder if this will happen to the United States,
just consider how well the government runs the USPS. The
United States Postal Service is not even close to being as
efficient as FedEx, UPS or any of the private firms. They
are continually raising the cost of sending letters and
packages around the world.

Another government mistake: Medicare is said to be
insolvent. Study Claims Medicare Debt Will Rise $32.4
Trillion

Social Security is in a crisis.

If you further wonder what is likely to happen if we choose
universal health care, simply look at what is happening in
Canada and Britain

We all have a critical stake in health care reform, and it
is important that our voice is heard.

----------------------------------------------------
Are you unhappy with your health care plan? Do you think
that universal health care is the answer? Don't jump too
quickly into what has not been very successful in other
countries. Consider the solutions put forth here. Also,
you can purchase a high deductible health plan for about
50% less. http://richdayhealthplans.com/blog/?p=75

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Tax Planning After April 15th - 5 Secrets to Massive Tax Savings

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Many people view April 15th as the end of tax season and
enjoy the idea that they don't have to deal with their
taxes for another year. I look at April 15th a little
differently. I see April 15th as the time to start
planning your taxes for the next year (and the next year
and the next year).

The best potential to create massive tax savings comes from
planning your taxes not only throughout the year, but years
in advance.

This doesn't mean you have to treat your tax planning like
a part-time job (although I've seen tax savings that yield
more than a part-time job!). It simply means take a few
hours now to create a tax strategy that is specific to you,
then integrate your strategy into your daily routine and
take a few hours a month to keep it on track.

I think most people dread tax planning because it's
something they have found to be boring and confusing (and
sometimes painful) in the past. Traditional tax planning
can be all of this!

This is why I've made it my mission to make taxes more
understandable. I've just recently taken the hundreds of
strategies I use with clients and broken them down into 5
secrets that cover the scope of how to create massive tax
savings.

5 Secrets to Massive Tax Savings

Secret #1 Rules the IRS Won't Tell You

Secret #2 Creating Permanent Tax Savings

Secret #3 Forming Your Personal Tax Strategy

Secret #4 Tax Saving Entity Structures

Secret #5 Reducing Your IRS Audit Risk

I'm so excited to share this information!

I'm going to share more about each of these secrets over
the next few weeks, but before getting into those details,
this week I want to share the common theme behind each of
the secrets.

Behind Every Secret is... Knowledge! Now, I'm not
referring to the type of knowledge that will have you
quoting Internal Revenue Code sections - that falls into
the category of boring and confusing. The knowledge I'm
referring to is the type of knowledge that makes you aware
of what creates massive tax savings so you begin to see
your daily routine a little differently.

Here is an example most people can relate to:

Have you ever noticed that right after you buy a new car,
you see that same car everywhere and you don't remember
ever seeing that many before? The reality is the cars have
always been there, it just takes awareness to see them.
Once you become aware of the car, you see it everywhere.

The same is true for tax savings! The opportunities are
there, it's just a matter of being aware of them.

----------------------------------------------------
Many people view April 15th as the end of tax season and
enjoy the idea that they don't have to deal with their
taxes for another year. I look at April 15th a little
differently. I see April 15th as the time to start
planning your taxes for the next year (and the next year
and the next year).
http://www.provisionwealth.com

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How State Taxes Can Become Very Scary

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Last week, I shared how I get a shock every April 15th by
the number of phone calls my office gets from the public
looking for help with filing an extension. This April 15th
didn't disappoint!

Several of the callers knew they needed a federal
extension, but they weren't always sure about the state
extension. Of course, the callers knew if they needed to
file an extension for the state they lived in, but my team
also asked them about other states and the response was
usually silence.

This part of April 15th does not shock me because I'm
constantly asking prospects and new clients about their
state tax obligations and the response is always
uncertainty.

More Than Just State Income Tax - State taxes usually come
in three forms:

Property tax
Sales tax
Income tax

Many business owners (and real estate investors!) get into
trouble by not even realizing they aren't complying with
the state tax laws. Here is a very common situation I see
time and time again.

A couple has been investing in rental real estate in their
home state for several years. They branch out and purchase
2 new rental properties in a neighboring state. The couple
knows they need to pay real estate taxes in the neighboring
state and that they need to file a state income tax return
in the neighboring state. The couple thinks they have
their state taxes covered.

Not so. Based on the above list, the couple has covered
the property tax and income tax, but not the sales tax.
And yes, many states have a sales tax on rental receipts.
This couple was in one of those states.

The Scariest Part of State Taxes - The scariest part of
state taxes is the huge accumulating expense that comes
with non-compliance.

With this couple, the 2 new properties were in a state that
had a 5% sales tax on rental receipts. The couple never
knew about it, so they never collected it from their
tenants. The state caught up with them 3 years later and
required them to file sales tax returns for the past 3
years.

Here's how it added up: The monthly rents for the 2
properties averaged $3,000. At 5%, the monthly sales tax
due was $150. This totaled to $1,800 every year, so for
the 3 years, the couple owed $5,400. And with penalties
and interest the grand total was over $6,500!

The nice thing about sales tax is it can be passed through
to your customer (or tenant), so you are allowed to collect
it from your customer and remit it to the state. But, if
you don't know you are suppose to collect it and don't
collect it, it doesn't mean you are off the hook. In this
situation, you have to come up with the money yourself.

This couple had an unexpected sales tax bill of over
$6,500. Fortunately, they had the funds to pay the bill
but it significantly hampered their ability to continue
their real estate investing as they planned.

The Solution - The solution for this couple is very simple.
Collect the sales tax from their tenants and remit it
timely. It can be an expensive lesson to learn and I see
too many people learn it the hard way.

----------------------------------------------------
I get a shock every April 15th by the number of phone calls
my office gets from the public looking for help with filing
an extension. This April 15th didn't disappoint!
http://www.provisionwealth.com

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England And Saint George Racist?

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:55:00 +0000

Today, April 23rd, I made lots of little flags for work.
They had St Georges flag on one side and Polish, Czech,
Slovak, Isreali and Indian flags on the other. You might be
surprised at how many "foreigners" are happy to fly our
flag. It is white middle class lefties obsessed with
political correctness that usually cause all of the
arguments about racism and stuff like that.

However, despite my good intentions to include the foreign
workers in our national Saint day celebrations, I got into
a blazing row with a supervisor over my flags!!!! We, that
is, me and the foreigners, all had our flags stuck proudly
to our benches when this supervisor came along,
specifically to me, and said that we had to take down the
St. George flags because they are racist and lots of
people, including her, were offended by them!?

This supervisor is white, female and english? I was
extremely embarrassed to have an english person, and a
representative of the management of the company I work for,
say very clearly in front of my fellow foriegn work friends
that she, and therefore the company, believed that St.
George represents racism because it is "English"!

Naturally I exploded and told her that I thought her
attitude was disgusting and based on ignorance and
stupidity (Actually my words were much stronger!)

Later, she went to one of the Polish lads and told him that
he could put his flag back if he wanted to.

She did not come to me, and she did not apologise for
causing such embarrassment in front of my work friends,
especially as I had gone to so much trouble to make "St.
Georges Day" a multi-national celebration at work.

I can't help wondering how many other british companies are
guilty of this institutional racism.

Once again it was not a foreign person who complained about
our "English" flag and patron Saint, but an ignorant stupid
white english person obsessed with the misguided political
correctness which invades and infects every level of our
society.

There is no other country in the world where the people of
that country are forced to feel guilty about their national
heritage.

There is no other country in the world where it's
government actively condemns it's own people (and voters)
as "racists" if they try to demonstrate any pride in
belonging to that country.

There is no other country in Europe where the people would
put up with being labeled racist for any of the above
reasons, except in England, where the English people have
completely lost all sense of pride, dignity and self worth.

Who's fault is it? Well it is "our" own fault! It is us the
English people of England who are guilty of rolling over
and allowing our governments and any bored middle class
little hitlers to dictate how we should feel about our
"Englishness".

It is unlikely that englishmen will ever find the nerve to
dare to be proud of being english ever again, because our
government has turned us all into effeminate wincing wimps.
God help England, because you can be sure the English will
not!

----------------------------------------------------
Tony Cordingley. Guilty as charged for being English and
therefore racist, at least according to our government and
many british industries and institutions.
http://www.tonycordingley.com

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A Blessing in Disguise

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:53:00 +0000

I'm tired of being the messenger of bad news, so this week
I'm going to talk about something different... something
positive!

Hey, it wasn't me who burned the economy by allowing banks
to leverage their assets by 30:1, I'm just the spectator
trying to make my way through the aftermath. Politicians
and economists are clowns in a circus- all I can do is
watch and be entertained by them.

Right now, you're hoping for the best. You're hoping that
everything will be okay soon and your lifestyle will return
to normal. You'll have income security, the value of your
home and assets restored and life will get back to normal.

Great.

But what if life is trying to teach us something?

A wise man once told me that whenever you feel life pushing
you around, don't get upset; it's trying to give you a
lesson... to make you a better and happier person.

It's one thing to learn from our mistakes, but there's
something even more special about seeing an inner message
in those mistakes...

What I'm saying is: instead of stressing about your
lifestyle being threatened, perhaps the greater lesson is
that your lifestyle was flawed in the first place.

We as a people lost our way long ago. For many, hardship
has become not being able to show off the latest Chanel
purse, or not being able to trade up to a house with the
same square footage as your buddy's or not having the
newest cell phone.

As a society, we got addicted to 'stuff'. Material
possessions. The world grew to count on Americans as the
chumps of last resort to sell crap to. China's economy was
built on the fact. All the time Americans use credit cards
in shopping malls, the world continued to turn.

Life is teaching the brief inhabitants of the third rock
from the sun a lesson. Maybe it's to stop us blowing each
other up. After all, if we're prepared to fight an illegal
war (i.e. a war that the U.N. did not sanction) to keep gas
prices down so we can drive ludicrous gas-guzzlers, it's
fair to argue something needed to change. On a side note, I
don't care what car you drive, just don't bitch about gas
prices if you drive a Suburban! And no, I don't drive a
Prius.

Maybe you've lost your job. Maybe it's threatened (and you
usually won't know it's threatened until you're actually
fired).

What's the worst that can happen? Will you starve?

Maybe in the last depression, but not this one. If you and
your loved ones have shelter, food and water you're in
better shape than a lot of the world.

And did/do you actually enjoy that job anyway?!

Did you need a certain level of salary just so you could
live in the good part of the town where your job was? Well
guess what, now you don't need to live in that town! In
fact, you may not even want to live in a town at all. Now
you can move somewhere you've always wanted to.

Life is giving us a chance to re-evaluate our lives. To
take a step back.

Many are saying crime will now rise and I don't doubt it
will and the media will enjoy reporting this. What you
won't read is the GOOD that will come out of this;
community spirit will strengthen...

A person's true colors come out in a crisis. Some yes, will
turn to the dark side, but you'll also see the better side
of human nature. Life is making us connect with each other
once again; we've not only lost touch with what life's all
about, we've lost touch with each other.

A long period of prosperity as we had until recently can
actually be very stressful. People feel pressured to get
indebted just to keep up with everyone else.

I for one try to maintain a reasonably modest lifestyle,
though towards the end of the boom I succumbed to certain
pressures to keep up with the Jones's. But the Jones's
lifestyle was a big façade...

As the saying goes, "When the tide goes out, you see who's
been swimming naked."

Well, you're about to see so many naked bodies you'll think
you're in a nudist colony! As the savage process of
de-leveraging goes on, the people who had the American
Dream on revolving credit will be forced to give it all up.

The good news is we're all on a level playing field again.
No facades, the tide has gone out. No more BS.

In other words, peoples' egos got ahead of them and now
they're being made to reel it back in. Again, life's
lesson. Interesting to note that Buddhists constantly teach
a person to let go of the ego as it's a path to destruction.

I know there's all those toys, but take it from someone
who's been there and done it, toys don't fill the soul. And
they make you a lot poorer!

If you've been sucked too far in to the 'game', I don't
doubt your family missed you. Their Mom and/or Dad were
gone for a while there, but now they're back- physically
and mentally... THAT IS, if you can let go and basically
get off the merry go round and OPT OUT of the race with the
Jones's. Re-evaluate what you actually need and want from
life.

As Jesse Jackson once said, "Your children need your
presence, not your presents."

Yes, this is an ugly recession that will get uglier. You
may or may not lose your job or business. But this will
pass, just like it always has and I'll be guiding you every
step of the way to not just survive, but also to prosper.

But just take a moment to wonder if this isn't a blessing
in disguise. Maybe life's giving you a second chance or
giving you time-out to regroup and reconnect. Maybe the
thing you feel you're clinging on to by the fingernails
right now isn't worth clinging to.

"Failing" is a subjective word. Until next time,

Mark Patricks

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Patricks is an author, publisher, and businessman. You
can read his weekly writings in Freedom by Friday a
newsletter published by the League of Power. To learn more
about this newsletter or the exclusive secret society The
League of Power please visit http://www.leagueofpower.com
While there you can also claim a free $27 gift.

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Abstinence Education Cut, a Good Thing?

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:21:00 +0000

A survey of mainstream media would lead you to believe that
abstinence education is a useless construct of the Right.
The Truth, should it ever get out, is shocking. There is
overwhelming evidence that shows abstinence education
decreases teen pregnancy and teen sexual activity. Just
because the main stream media does not cover this favorable
evidence does not mean it is not our there. Examining the
evidence is critically important now that the
Democratically controlled congress has cut funding for
abstinence education.

In Georgia, since adopting abstinence education the teen
pregnancy rate has dropped 46 percent. The sharpest
declines occurred when abstinence was at its highest
funding percentage. This pregnancy decline started in 1995
when the state of Georgia made abstinence its statewide
policy. Consider, a 46 percent decline in teen pregnancy
as a result of a statewide abstinence program. Shouldn't
that have received at least a footnote in the anti
abstinence campaign the mainstream media has been waging?

A randomized controlled trial conducted by jimmott it al.
found that abstinence-only intervention significantly
reduced sexual initiation among young African American
adolescents after a 24-month follow-up period, and did not
reduce condom use for those virgins who did become sexually
active (p<.05).

An evaluation of "Reasons of the Heart" abstinence
curriculum found that adolescent program participants were
approximately one half as likely as the matched comparison
group to initiate sexual activity after one year (p<.05)
The program effect was as strong for the African American
subgroup in the sample as it was overall(p<.05)

The "Sex Respect" and "Teen Aid" abstinence-only programs
reduced the rate of initiation of sex by more than one
third (p<.01) for the high-risk students in a Caucasian
high school sample after 12 months.

These are just a few of the many peer reviewed studies out
there that show abstinence education get positive
measurable results. Have your heard of any of them? Why
did the media ignore peer reviewed studies that showed
abstinence education works? And, if the evidence that
abstinence education works is so prevalent, why has funding
for Title V been discontinued?

There is one study however, that enjoyed wide exposure and
acceptance. It was quoted and covered by all the major
news outlets. Can a study become a media darling? The
Mathmatica Study did. The Mathmatica study showed
conclusively that abstinence education doesn't
work...right? If you read the headlines that is what you
would have come away with. Headline after headline:
"Abstinence Education Proven Ineffective". The Mathmatica
study was championed by all the mainstream media and quoted
by politicians that wanted to do away with abstinence
programming. So, let's take a look at Mathmatica

The Mathmatica studey examined four abstinence programs,
that's right, four. Those four programs showed no positive
outcomes for teen sexual behavior (of this there is no
debate, the four programs were not effective in reducing
teen sexual activity). take a close look at the number of
program Mathmatica examined: four. That's it. Now the
headlines and articles never mentioned that only four
programs were looked at. Why? The headlines and articles
that ran in the national newspapers and were story leads on
ABC, CNN, NBC, and CBS were clear: "Abstinence Education
Ineffective". Wouldn't a much more honest and accurate
headline have been, "Mathmatica Study shows four abstinence
education programs ineffective"? Why did the mainstream
media withhold the information that Mathmatica only looked
at four programs? Can you honestly evaluate a national
movement with thousands of programs by looking at four of
them?

All four of the programs Mathmatica evaluated used a
non-representative study sample. The four programs served
African American youth from poor single-parent households.
Why didn't the mainstream media cover this?

The programs themselves were flawed. I know that's an
extreme judgment, but these program had no chance of
changing teen sexual behavior, mainly because none of them
intervened with student when they were...teens. The very
structure of the programs guaranteed they would not be
successful. The four programs that Mathmatica looked at
had intervention ages that were young. Some students were
involved with the program as young as 4th and 5th grade.
And then never again. That's right, none of the programs
had any contact with the students during the 9th, 10th, or
11th grade when transition to sexual activity typically
occurs. Of course the programs failed. How could they
succeed? How can you expect to impact sexual behavior if
you don't intervene during the years that sexual behavior
starts? They were failed programs to begin with.

Why did Mathmatica pick such poorly structured programs to
look at in the first place? Or perhaps more importantly,
why didn't Mathmatica study vibrant ongoing abstinence
programs that had contact with students throughout the teen
years...could it be because those programs were successful
in reducing teen pregnancy rates? Yet congress cut
abstinence funding based largely on the Mathmatica study.
This would be like judging the American Auto industry after
test driving four Ford Pintos.

Why cut a program (title V) that has been proven to work?
Because of one flawed study? Because the "Abstinence" word
is not popular with certain groups? Think about it. Teen
pregnancy rates went through the roof during the 70s and
80s when comprehensive sex ed (condoms) reigned supreme.
They only started to decline in the mid nineties after
abstinence education came on the scene. And congress wants
to stop that...why?

The health of the nation's teens is more important than
party affiliation. Abstinence education programs have been
proven to reduce teen pregnancy rates and sexual activity
rates. The overall decline of pregnancy rates since the mid
90s (the start of the modern abstinence movement and the
beginning of Title V funding) should be enough to guarantee
Title V funding. Yet congress killed Title V. Why?

----------------------------------------------------
Keith Deltano is an award winning educator that uses clean
comedy to deliver his message. Go to =>
http://www.VirginityRocks.com
for direct links to the studies listed in the article or to
bring him in for a tour/presentation in your community.

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Your Government Is Betraying You

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:54:00 +0000

I spoke at a seminar recently. It's always fascinating to
meet the people who go to these events, but this was the
first time I'd been to one after the crash of last October.

Needless to say, the mood wasn't a happy one...

The speakers at this event were some of the best investment
minds I know and the consensus was that inflation was in
our future because of the government actions I've spoken
about at length in this newsletter (a consensus always
worries me though- more about this shortly).

The bottom line message to the audience: your government is
betraying you by indirectly making YOU pay for all these
handouts through stealth taxes and devaluing the dollars
you hold with the printing press.

No surprises to readers of this newsletter there.

During the break, and elderly gentleman came and spoke to
me. He wore a "Rangers" military pin and his name was
Frank. Frank risked his life for his country in both Korea
and Vietnam against Communist forces (forces we are now
friends with and even pander to because they lend us so
much money).

How do you think Frank felt to hear about this betrayal?

And as he spoke, I wondered: "How many Franks are there out
there? Worse, how many don't even know about this betrayal?
At least this fellow is warned now!"

Now, let's take a look at what's been going on...

The overall sentiment seems to be picking up. We can see
this as the Dow gingerly edges upwards and the gold price
sinks somewhat (the safe-haven appeal of gold is not so in
demand).

Dow up, gold down is precisely the short term scenario I've
outlined in recent weeks, each giving you a sell and buy
opportunity respectively.

There's evidence to suggest a stabilization in house
prices- another event I anticipated would occur in tandem
with all this (see my 2009 forecast).

From here I think the Dow bounces around between around 8
and 9000 unless sentiment solidifies more- still a lot of
nerves out there and for this reason I can't say we're
truly in a big bear market rally just yet. For now, my
guard is up and all I like right now is gold, silver, oil,
cash, mining stocks. There are many stocks I have my eye
on, particularly in biotech, nanotech, oil equipment and
geothermal energy, but ultimately this market is going
lower than even 6500 and I will wait.

I imagine that right now you've seen your investments rise
again BUT you're worried you could lose your gains?

This is an appropriate time to talk about 'gain-locks' with
you...

Let's say you bought a stock for $100. It's now worth $200.
Great! (And by the way, if you'd been reading this
newsletter through winter you could have easily seen gains
like this).

Okay, but remember, a profit is not a profit until you're
out of that stock. As homeowners know, this is only a
paper-profit.

A sensible thing to do is install a 'gain-lock' to lock in
profits. We now say: "Okay. If that stock drops back to
$170 I will sell and take profits. BUT, if it keeps going
higher, I will raise this gain-lock accordingly."

This is the sensible move. Same goes for if you bought a
stock and it's going down. Say you bought it for $100. What
you should do is sell if it drops to $80 and live to fight
another day. Don't let an acceptable loss turn into a
catastrophic one.

You can also 'hedge' your positions. The 'Diamonds' are a
proxy for the Dow. If you have a sell position on these
(contact your broker) you make money if the market falls,
thus protecting your bullish positions.

Anyway, back to that seminar. As a contrarian, it's truly
worrying for me that almost the whole world is now saying
parrot-fashion: "Fed is printing money so that means
inflation. Buy gold.

I've re-examined my case as a result. I still think gold
will ultimately rise but not for the reasons everyone
thinks AND gold will scare all these people away from this
thesis in the meantime...

There's absolutely no doubt that what the Fed is doing is
going to have an undesirable outcome. Money is being
created out of thin air to lend the government (by buying
Treasury Bills). With this magical money, the government is
throwing money at bailouts and other spending in an attempt
to compensate for the estimated $50 TRILLION the world has
lost.

Demand for goods is and will remain flat for some time
though. And if that's the case, how can prices rise
(inflation)?

It won't in the medium-term and interest in gold will
die-off a bit (barring any more new unforeseen disasters).
People are watching the gold price but they think they'll
buy it as and when inflation and/or danger looms generally
(gold is a safe-haven of wealth). But history shows
inflation can sneak up on you and rise dramatically. I fear
that when the time comes that people want to buy gold,
they'll simply be shut out from the rush. Gold is a
survivalist tool and one things survivalists know: when the
time comes when something is needed in a crisis situation,
you can't get it, so get it now, not then.

Other points...

Anyway, I mentioned Geothermal power earlier. This is where
you drill a hole, channel steam up from the ground and use
it to power a turbine. Simple, but virtually nobody has the
skills to achieve this apart from giants like General
Electric and small companies like Raser Technologies. It
will take a while to catch on, but when it does...

G-20 summit. Obama was well received but meanwhile China
and others are demanding an end to the Dollar as the
world's reserve currency. Not content with that, they're
bypassing the dollar mechanism anyway by doing currency
swaps with other countries directly like Argentina. Anyone
from MN? Your congressman is a moron- she is on record as
saying we should pass a bill to stop the dollar being
replaced as our currency. Nobody is saying the greenback is
replaced by another currency you ignoramus, merely the
status it has as the world's RESERVE currency! The proposal
is the IMF have a super-currency which is backed by gold.
The implications of this would be very bad for the US, but
ultimately, good. The US has abused it's position of world
reserve currency holder.

Leaders emerged from the summit "triumphant" about some
"New World Order" declaring that banks should have stronger
regulation. Isn't that like locking the stable door after
the horse has bolted...?

They also gave over $1 trillion to the IMF for new bailouts
of broke countries. Where did that money come from??
Taxpayers? Printing presses??

If anyone needs regulating, it's the politicians. Only
fiscal responsibility through a return to some sort of gold
standard can do that.

Meanwhile, sit tight. Sometimes, the best course of action
can be no action and right now, the picture is just too
muddy.

Best regards,

Mark Patricks

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Patricks is an author, publisher, and businessman. You
can read his weekly writings in Freedom by Friday a
newsletter published by The League of Power. To learn more
about this newsletter or the exclusive secret society The
League of Power please visit http://www.leagueofpower.com
While there you can also claim a free $27 gift.

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Health Informatics Specialists are key to the Obama Health Information Technology Policy

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:38:00 +0000

As someone who has been teaching health informatics
students for a number of years, it is rewarding to find
this discipline finally receiving the attention and
interest it demands. Most health experts have agreed for
some time that the two academic disciplines of informatics
and genomics are the key disciplines that will shape the
future of American healthcare by enabling doctors to have
access to personalized healthcare information at the point
of care.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes
specific wording supporting increased funding of health
informatics programs around the nation. A recent article in
the New York Times has noted that there is a greatly
increased demand for "health informatics specialists" who
have expertise in medical records, insurance claims,
clinical care and computer programming as health care
providers look to utilize the $19 billion in stimulus
funding directed at implementing and expanding electronic
health records.

Health informatics specialists usually start their career
or education in computer programming or as health care
professionals, and later earn a degree in health
informatics and take midlevel or senior jobs at a hospital,
doctor's office, insurance company, drug firm or other
organization working with health care data. The experience
of the UC Davis Health Informatics program, which I direct,
is that most of our graduates have found senior positions
in health informatics in both public and private sectors,
including a number who have become faculty in health
informatics programs, and are now teaching future
generations of students.

William Hersh MD, Chair of the Department of Medical
Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health and
Science University was quoted in the New York Times as
saying , "The health IT people run the servers and install
software, but the informatics people are the leaders, who
interpret and analyze information and work with the
clinical staff." It is crucial to have highly trained
experts in informatics who are able to work across both the
disciplines of health and information technology, and who
understand and are expert in both. Without these
informatics experts it is hard to see how the Obama
Administration policies for Health Information Technology
can possibly be implemented.

The American Medical Informatics Association is the main
professional body relating to health informatics experts
and Don Detmer MD, the Chief Executive Officer, said, "My
rough estimate is that we need about 70,000 health
informaticists" to meet Electronic Health Record goals laid
out in the stimulus bill. Prior to the stimulus bill, most
experts agreed that just to keep progressing with Health IT
implementation at our current relatively slow rate, it
would be necessary to have another 10,000 health
informaticists by 2012. All that is now changed, and there
is an urgent need for many more highly trained health
informatics specialists, and programs such as UC Davis are
planning to more than double their current output of
students within the next three years, assuming extra
stimulus funding.

It is interesting how the public has caught on to the need
for increased numbers of health informatics specialists.
This is demonstrated by the already dramatically increased
numbers of applicants to the UC Davis program, where we are
currently working with more than 50 applicants to our
Masters program, having recently also enrolled 30 students
in the first quarter of our new Certificate program.

It is crucial that the health workforce is retrained for
21st Century medical needs, and with health being one of
the relatively few expanding sectors of the workforce,
training in disciplines such as health informatics is
essential if we are to improve the way health services are
delivered to the nation. We have to be realistic about the
fact that there will be increased needs in future as the
current 46 million uninsured are likely to be covered by
some form of universal insurance and offered more
comprehensive care than they have been able to receive in
the past. This can only happen if we use Health Information
Technology intelligently, and universally, and for that to
happen we have to dramatically increase the number of
health informatics experts around the country.

----------------------------------------------------
This article is based on excerpts from "Your Health in the
Information Age - how you and your doctor can use the
Internet to work together" by Peter Yellowlees MD.
Available at http://www.InformationAgeHealth.com and most
online bookstores. An eBook version, for download to
iPhones and mobile devices called "4 simple steps to better
health - an insiders look" is available at Smashwords at
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1271

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Ending Corrective Rape Against Lesbians in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:04:00 +0000

The purpose of this article is to inform you of the issue
of corrective rape on lesbians in South Africa. It seems
that the men are raping these women in hopes to cure them
of their sexual orientation. The women in towns like
Johannesburg and Cape Town are reporting massive accounts
of these brutal attacks. However they seem to fall on
death ears. According to Action Aid, of every 25 reports,
24 men walk free. These numbers are not acceptable. Africa
has turned into the rape capital of the world with a
quarter of all women being raped by the age of 16.

No woman regardless of sexual orientation should fall
victim to these grotesque and inhumane acts of hate. They
aren't the only ones suffering; the children are suffering
as well. Nonhlanhla Zwane reported that her 13 year old
twin daughters were gang raped because her sexual
preference. She also stated that the rapist told her
daughters "we just wanted to show you that you don't have
to be like your mother." One of the twins committed
suicide shortly thereafter.

Another account was on Sizakele Sigasa who was a lesbian
activist and outreach worker with the Positive Women's
Network who was found dead with her friend. Her hands were
tied behind her back with her pants and her ankles tied
together by her shoelaces with three bullets to the head
and to the collarbone.

Simangele Nhlapho along with her two year old daughter were
raped and murdered, her daughters legs were broken as well.

Madoe Mafubedu who was 16 at the time was raped and stabbed
repeatedly until she died.

These are just some of the accounts of this behavior and it
has turned into a major epidemic. I truly believe that
whether you agree to gay rights or not, there should be
something in your heart that tells you that this is not
right. There should be something within you that should
make you want to reach out to these women.

One such group has decided to do just that. During the
month of June, The Uzima Collective Group will be launching
the project "Because of Who I Am" which focuses on bringing
awareness of these brutal attacks against South African
lesbians to the forefront. According to the founder, "This
is our outreach...this is our mission, and we invite
you...gay or straight to unite with us against this
epidemic. This could be you, your daughter or a loved one."

----------------------------------------------------
Maya Wilson, The Uzima Collective Group. To learn more
about ending corrective rape against the lesbians of South
Africa or to provide your support, please visit
http://www.uzimacollective.ning.com . You may contact me
directly at m.wilson@uzimacollective.org.

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Is Fidel Castro dead and has a stunt?

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Fidel Castro has died and has a stunt?

Since his illness, when he withdraw from the government and
give it to her brother Raul, Fidel Castro has been rarely
seen. Leaders and 'progressists' intellectuals who have
gone to see him, they found him just emaciated and weak.

Today its business is to write reviews of the press for
publication. But ... Interestingly, it has not been taken
even once a month on a wheelchair to visit his brother Raul
at the seat of government. The press has not been allowed
to view him outside the clinic, even in the distance and
with the condition of not asking questions. Which reminds
this columnist the camouflage of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Do
you remember that he had three stunts?

Well, in this case, to avoid the collapse of the myth of
Cuban revolution, we face a similar fraud. It is probably
that one actor is impostering Fidel and -following the
kilometrical speeches given in life - a writer take the
task of writing the press columns. On the other hand,
feared from a flood of refugees or a bloody revolution, the
U.S. government remained in silence about the matter.

Is the Fidel Castro we´ve seen real? Will there be
scars on his abdomen from the surgery? It is so difficult
that once a month will be transported to visit his brother
Raul on ambulance and wheelchair?

For me is dead and I believe that Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales,
Rafael Correa, Cristina F. de Kirchner, Tabare Vazquez,
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Eduardo Galeano, Jose Saramago and
others know this. When he died and where he was buried is a
mistery.

What will happen if he really died? Perhaps the greatest
shock won´t be in Miami but in Caracas and Buenos
Aires. The fact that the ´Greatest Revolutionary of
America´ is dead will turn upside down many believes
between South American people. Of course, the biggest
question would be why his death was kept in silence and
didn´t allowed Presidents, the Cuban people,
admirers, etc., to give him the latest honors. Perhaps the
explanation is the very critical situation related to
housing. It´s a very difficult issue to Cuba´s
people to find even their own room to live. Lots of
buildings and houses are suffering for the fact that there
are becoming older and older. After hurricane Ike, is
happened that... South American governments send help to
the island in order to avoid a counter-revolution because
this fact!

Let´s wait and see. But it´s too late, in my
opinion, to explain why the cuban leader was so hidden from
the press and the people and access to him was only
available to close political friends or by his press
articles.

----------------------------------------------------
This article was originally published by the author on
http://www.squidoo.com/fidelcastrodied .
See the original for complementary info links.

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Greenhouse Gas Tracking To Become Mandatory In The United States

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) tracking and reporting will soon
become mandatory in the United States, with the first
reports due in early 2011 for the emissions data collected
for the 2010 calendar year. The proposed federal law
affects businesses and governments with heating,
ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration
and air-conditioning systems, as well as those who produce
industrial chemicals, fossil fuels, cars and engines, and
any organization consuming electricity. It is the
responsibility of companies to review and comply with the
new EPA GHG regulations or face substantial fines down the
road.

Greenhouse Gas tracking is outlined in The Climate Registry
Protocol, which details the requirements for mandatory
monitoring and tracking. The fundamental ideas stimulating
GHG reporting are part of the U.S. Clean Air Act, aimed at
improving air quality and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes
mandatory reporting of the gases contributing to global
climate change from about 13,000 facilities nationwide.
These facilities account for the majority of greenhouse gas
emissions within the United States and present a logical
starting point for emissions reductions in the US. The
regulation would cover companies that either release large
amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG) directly or produce or
import fuels and chemicals that when burned emit large
amounts of carbon (CO2) gases.

One of the major focuses of the Greenhouse Gas tracking
protocol is refrigerant gases used in refrigeration and
cooling systems by numerous facilities, including
manufacturers, food processors, retailers, grocery stores,
office buildings, municipalities and hospitals, just to
name a few. Because of their chemical makeup, refrigerant
gases contain significant levels of carbon in the form of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). Use of these compounds
has been regulated under the U.S. Clean Air Act for several
years.

Greenhouse gases absorb and release radiation into the
atmosphere, setting off a global warming effect on earth.
The purpose of Greenhouse Gas tracking is to pinpoint the
main origins of greenhouse gases and monitor the amount
discharged into the atmosphere. This provides environmental
officials with a base line in which to measure all future
usage and evaluate progress. With this accurate
information, it can be determined if the guidelines are
effective in lowering the harmful effects of these
substances to the ozone layer.

Greenhouse Gas tracking involves measuring direct and
indirect emissions and keeping extensive records on its
usage, maintenance, leak containment and disposal. Heating
and cooling systems, as well as other energy consumption,
are defined as direct emissions.

Greenhouse Gas tracking was among the major goals of the
Obama administration as the United States aims to protect
the future of the environment by reducing the carbon
footprint of today. By taking no action, the earth's makeup
would significantly change, with humans and animals
adversely affected and marine and plant life severely
damaged.

Greenhouse Gas tracking will become law because it was
determined that certain manmade compounds contribute
substantially to global warming. The substances are carbon
dioxide, chlorine, bromine, nitrous oxide,
chloroflurocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, methyl
bromide, methyl chloroform, sulfur hexafluoride, hydroxyl,
perfluorocarbobs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, fluorine,
and the fluorinated gases hydrofluorinated ethers and
nitrogen trifluoride. The mandatory law is aimed at
reducing the use of these substances to lower the effects
of global warming.

Although Greenhouse Gas tracking was optional for large
emitters in the United States, it becomes mandatory in 2010
with the regulation requiring companies and municipalities
to submit exact information on how much of the global
warming substances they use everyday and if any leaks
occurred. The requirements are so extensive that vendors
who are knowledgeable in the area have developed software
programs and web-based applications to assist companies in
complying with the law across distributed facilities down
to the individual asset level.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Stouffer, Product Manager at Verisae, has much more
detail on the importance of carbon emission management,
tracking, and reporting. Refrigerant Tracker makes it easy
to monitor, manage, and report refrigerant gas usage across
multiple locations. Learn more at:
http://www.Refrigerant-Tracker.com

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Nigerian Scams

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Many times a day my email inbox is filled with emails
stating that I am the beneficiary of some amount of
money...or that I am the winner of a lottery I have never
heard of...or that my name is on a list of upaid invoices.
I am afraid that many people are like I was when I received
a letter from Nigeria addressed to a Mrs. Cathy Palmer at
my address. This letter arrived many times and finally
when these letters continued to come to my address I
decided to open to see what was so important. The Mrs.
Palmer was married to an Attorney General of Mississippi so
the letter stated. After much inquiry I learned that Mrs.
Palmer was, in fact, the widow of a late Assistant Attorney
General of Mississippi. It was at this point that I was so
curious that I decided to answer the letter which had
included an Email address.

After I sent an email to the address in the letter I soon
received another telling me of a Dr. Ahmed who had been a
close friend of the Attorney General. Upon learning of the
death of the AG Dr. Ahmed told me of the purpose of his
contacting the AG. It seemed that Dr. Ahmed was a high
government official in Lagos and had control of a large sum
of petroleum US dollars which was the result of the failure
of the Petroleum Commission of Nigeria. The total amount
of this sum was $8.5USD of which he was willing to give me
ten per cent if I would only help in getting this money out
of Nigeria.

After many emails back and forth I told Dr. Ahmed that I
would be willing to assist in the transferring this fund to
my bank account in the US. This was an attempt to catch
Ahmed in his own scheme.

I was issued many official documents complete with Nigerian
Letter Head and seals of the Government of Nigeria.

It was not until I carried all the documents I had received
to an attorney who told me of the scams coming out of
Nigeria and that I should be cautious.

The last correspondence I had with Ahmed was when he told
me that it would require a fee of $4800.00 to be paid in
advance of transmitting the funds to America. It was at
this point that I told Ahmed that I was not interested.
Ahmed became upset and began screaming about how much money
and time he had spent in trying to get the money out of
Nigeria. This was a conversation over the telephone which
Ahmed had begun using with a secret code when I would
answer the phone and a secret code I would utter when he
answered.

If you know of anyone thinking of entertaining the thought
of entering into any of these scams please let them know
that these scams have been going on for years and only
those who almost were caught up in them really know that
they are nothing but scams.

----------------------------------------------------
Walter Berryhill is the owner of
http://www.DollarsInTheMail.com">http://www.DollarsInTheMail
.com and reviews popular home business ideas and
opportunities. Walter's most popular home business
recommendation is the Plug-In Profit Site at:
http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/main/26146/

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Capitalism imbedded with Socialism

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:44:00 +0000

President Borack Obama has a heart of gold in my opinion
wanting to help so many of us that need the help yet are
others paying the price? Our country as we see it today
has its fundamental principles based on Capitalism with a
thread of socialism finding its way in.

The economic practice "Capitalism" was derived from a word
called "mercantilism" originated in Rome, the Middle East,
and early middle ages. Mercantilism simply means a
distribution of goods in order to realize a profit. Goods
are moved from one site as a dollar amount and then moved
to another to sell at a higher price. As time went on in
Europe the name "Capitalism" replaced "mercantilism".

The capitalistic nature is simply having productive labor
necessary to produce and distribute the goods for a wage.
What is nice about this structure is that we have the
economic freedom to decide where we will work and what we
will do. This gives individuals the right to earn lots of
money if they choose and dream and own whatever they can
imagine.

Socialism is a system that advocates the vesting of the
ownership and control of the means of production and
distribution of capital, land, etc. in the community as a
whole. So instead of the individual having their rights
of complete ownership of businesses and properties the
government and state have their hand in it. This means
that they will distribute evenly within a society rather
than the ones that work the hardest for the capital.

In 1949 Albert Einstein penciled the need for socialist
economy to eliminate the evils of unemployment, competitive
economy, and the educational system. New Harmony was a
community that helped with free libraries and public
schools. There are some very positive sides to a
socialistic approach to help others who need help.

President Obama has great ideas for healthcare across the
board and helping the average business person get started.
While the taxes are still in line with Social Security,
Medicare, and state programs we continue to keep plugging
away. I believe giving a piece of the pie is better than
having it all because we never know in life whether our
life could take a turn and we may need government help.

In conclusion, Sweden may have something on us as they do
have a blend of both Capitalism and Socialism and their
country works, not perfectly but it works. Although we
need to keep our American rights as citizens and not let
this socialistic mind set prevent ourselves from working
hard and fulfilling our dreams. We are in such a good
Country and have a lot to be grateful for with our "free
enterprise" and ability to create and design businesses of
our choice. We have so much here and many resources and
sometimes it just takes some time! When I am rich and if
my taxes help another that is fine. We just need to
balance out and be aware of what is going on here. In my
opinion we have the best president yet and I look forward
to his changes that incorporate the threads of mild
socialism to get this economy moving again.

----------------------------------------------------
If you found any of this article interesting and would like
to know how you can help your own financial status please
visit, http://www.MaverickMoneyGain.com

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Federal Agent and Intelligence Agency Analyst Jobs Move Toward a Southern Border Focus

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Recent media reports have brought attention to the U.S.
border with Mexico and the crisis brought about by an
exploding and increasingly dangerous drug trade. Examples
of this crisis include countless reports of local Mexican
officials being murdered by those associated with the drug
trade in Mexico. While much of the intelligence focus in
the U.S. for the past seven years appears to have been upon
the Middle East and South Asia, a crisis does exist on the
U.S. southern border with Mexico and requires dedicated
intelligence analysts and federal agents to ameliorate the
situation. This article explains the current border crisis
along with the Obama administration plan to address this
situation, as well as some analysis on how intelligence
agency 'related jobs might be affected by this recent
legislation.

The Crisis

The deterioration of security along the U.S.-Mexico border
has increased significantly over the past year. Drug
cartels, bolstered by the increasing U.S. demand for
illegal drugs as well as the ease with which sophisticated
weapons can be purchased in the U.S., are growing in
influence throughout the border region. One report
indicates that over 90% of drug cartel weapons originate
from the U.S. and that around 90% of illegal drugs that
come into the U.S. enter through Mexico.1 The "drug war"
has been linked to around 7,000 deaths in the past sixteen
months in the border region.2

U.S. Response

In early March, President Calderón of Mexico ordered
over 7500 soldiers and 1700 federal officers into Ciudad
Juarez, the Mexican city across the border from El Paso.3
In addition to the Mexican military bulking up its border
presence, U.S. authorities are becoming more prominently
involved in this crisis. The Obama administration recently
announced a number of steps which would be taken to address
this crisis:

- The Obama administration will spend close to $700 million
in 2009 to work with Mexican law enforcement; around $30
million in stimulus funds will be applied to local and
state law enforcement agencies along the border.

- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that
360 agents will be sent to both Border Patrol and ICE units
on the U.S./Mexican border, along with 100 ATF agents.

- DHS, the Department of Justice, and the Treasury
Department are increasing efforts and personnel along the
southwest U.S. border. This plan includes doubling border
security task force teams, increasing the number of local
law enforcement officers and intelligence analyst
positions, tripling the number of DHS intelligence analysts
working along the southwest border, and increasing ICE
staff in the U.S. embassy in Mexico.

- The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will now allocate 29%
of its domestic agent positions to southwest border field
divisions, along with an increase in ATF agents.
Furthermore, the FBI is creating a Southwest Intelligence
Group, which will become a clearinghouse of all FBI
activities related to Mexico.4

Southern border crisis effects upon Intelligence Agency
Analyst and Federal Agent Jobs

Given the increase in attention and funding for southwest
border security initiatives, intelligence agency jobs and
federal agent job opportunities will be increasing
significantly. This could mean that in the coming year,
more openings for intelligence agency jobs and federal
agent jobs that focus on border security will be available
for qualified individuals that have the education and/or
work experience to help this cause. Those individuals with
a Spanish language background, regional experience, or
specific functional experience or advanced education, such
as a master's degree in a security-related field will be in
demand. Despite the current global economic crisis, U.S.
government agencies such as DHS, FBI, and DEA, among
others, will continue to hire individuals to fill
intelligence agency-related jobs such as intelligence
analysts as well as federal agent positions in order to
mitigate the crisis brought about by illicit drug trade.

1 "U.S. Taking Steps to Control Violence on the Mexican
Border," New York Times, 25 March, 2009.

2 "Clinton Visits Mexico as Strains Show in Relations,"
New York Times, 25 March, 2009.

3 "Mexico Bulks up Border Forces in Drug War," USA Today
online, 3 March, 2009.

4 "Obama Lays Out US-Mexico Border Strategy," The Boston
Globe, 24 March, 2009.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sommer is Director of Marketing at Henley-Putnam
University. Henley-Putnam offers accredited online Bachelor
and Master of Science Degrees in Intelligence Management,
Terrorism & Counterterrorism Studies, and Management of
Protection Management, and a Doctoral Degree Program in
Strategic Security. For more information on Henley-Putnam
University, or Intelligence Agency Jobs, visit
http://www.Henley-Putnam.edu .

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Generation X (1965-1976)

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:15:00 +0000

I am part of this generation as I was born in 1970. Our
parents were either hippies or only one went to work for
money each week and one stayed home to take care of the
children. I think our generation deserves much more
respect than we receive as we were in the beginning times
of all this technology and changes in careers and what was
expected of women today. Yes Generation X had exploration
of trends and drugs and music too as we were a descendant
of Generation B, "Baby Boomers". It was through our
generation that we shaped society with our independence
and beginning a better tomorrow.

Generation Y was born roughly around 1977-2002 and they
were rearing to go with their changes! This is a generation
of intellect regarding financial matters while watching
layoffs and the economy making them very savvy when it
comes to money and savings. 401 K and retirement plans in
place and savings for their future are something this group
was aware of. This group in my opinion had a lot of
advantages considering their parents were probably both
professionals and the computer was part of their daily life
along with other great technology. There were also many
more activities for them growing up as the world got
broader. This group deserves respect as they are excellent
with money and also very computer literate as well. The
only issue I see is that most of them are our bosses and
respect should be mutual.

Generation W comes here with a boom on health and is anyone
born around1980-2000. This group is very health conscious
and unlike the other two groups less likely to explore
trends and drugs as the body and mind is a primal focus
here.

Let us not forget the Baby Boomers, "Generation B" anyone
born around 1946-1964. Some would refer to this group as
aging hipsters and yet they deserve the most respect of
all. This generation started the great music, computers,
trends, and beginning of a lot of what we see today. They
worked at one job most of their life and raised their
family with their one wife! This is a very loyal
generation that we are not alike here with many morals.

In conclusion of all this my goal is to let us all see how
each generation is connected to each other and each has
special gifts to offer. We as generation X will be taking
care of B and Y as far as our taxes are fed into this
system and generation Y will be taking care of us. There
is respect in age no matter what we do both with the
younger generations and the older ones and no matter how
you slice it we are all in this together.

----------------------------------------------------
If you found any of this article interesting then please
view my website on how all generations could gain.
http://www.MaverickMoneyGain.com

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An Open Letter - My Prayer for President Barack Obama and the Future of Our Great Nation

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:01:00 +0000

My prayer for you, President Barack Obama, is that you will
be able to answer the call of solitude when it beckons.

It has been such a tumultuous start to your presidency. You
came with an open mind, a clear conscience and a good
heart. It may well have been your intention to make every
decision in your presidency with right thinking and right
motives. You have now discovered that the very people you
trust can make it otherwise.

Unfortunately, you cannot implement all of your ideas
without the help of thousands of people, few of which, if
any, you can control. You can control yourself; the others
may not be as malleable. They have their own agendas, their
own turf to protect, and their own march to prominence to
think about.

You surely appreciate that first job of government is not
to serve others; it is to perpetuate its existence by first
financing its activities and programs so that it is in a
position to do so. That is part of the
problem—government and its architects serve
themselves much better than they serve their constituents.

For example, the same government architects that design a
retirement program for their constituents design a better
one for themselves. This priority of self-centeredness has
made career politicians wealthy beyond their wildest
dreams. You, Mr. President, are just as susceptible of
falling into this abyss.

You have put your trust and confidence in people to help
you on your journey to a new tomorrow and some have already
disappointed you. Perhaps they do not have the same moral
and ethical fiber that you do. Perhaps their agendas are
more self-centered than other-centered.

If curing our nation's economy was as simple as spending
our way to recovery, you have succeeded marvelously. It was
Lincoln, you will remember, who created the national
banking system with the National Banking Act in 1863,
resulting in a standardized currency.

Consider too, for a moment, this admonition from President
Thomas Jefferson: "I am for a government rigorously frugal
and simple, applying all the possible savings of the public
revenue to the discharge of the national debt."

You are an admirer of President Abraham Lincoln. Consider
these words by Lincoln as he struggled to keep our nation
together during the Civil War:

"I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly
that events have controlled me."

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of
the people all the time, but you can not fool all the
people all of the time."

"What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and
tried, against the new and untried?" Yes, Lincoln, a
Republican, said that, and he also said this:

"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people
who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the
existing government, they can exercise their constitutional
right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to
dismember or overthrow it."

In such turbulent times, it might be wise to revisit some
thoughts by President Ronald Reagan, who guided our nation
through an earlier recession:

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a
few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving,
regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm
from the government and I'm here to help."

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this
Earth is a government program."

"The Taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal
government but doesn't have to take the civil service
examination."

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest
profession. I have learned that it bears a striking
resemblance to the first."

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there
are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always
write a book."

"I have wondered at times about the what the Ten
Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them
through the U. S. Congress."

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we
will be a nation gone under."

Amen, President Reagan, amen.

M. D. Garbrick had this to say about humanity's problems:
"Should one look through a red glass at a white lily, he
would seem to see a red lily. But there would be no red
lily. So it is with humanity's problems. They consist of
false mental pictures."

When the tumult and the shouting of special interests
becomes too loud to bear, President Obama, I pray that you
will answer the call when solitude beckons.

Many times he who talks a lot says little. Silence is a
true friend that never betrays. Silence makes no mistakes.
Thought works in silence; so does virtue. While all of
these thoughts on silence are great, here is an even
greater one: It is in silence that we find ourselves.

----------------------------------------------------
Unemployed? Get the job you need. A FREE 6-Part Series on
Email Resume Management can help. You will also receive
Valuable Information and Updates on Jobs, Careers,
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Political Satire - "W" - The President Millions of Americans Hate With a Vengeance

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:58:00 +0000

From Maine to California, from Florida to Washington, and
from North Dakota to Texas, all across the country, there
are at least 20, if not 40, million Americans who have
hatred for the 43rd President of the United States, a man
dubbed "W".

From print publications as well known as the New York Times
to the Internet site of the Huffington Post, the purveyors
of the hate "W" campaign have let their invective out for
the world to see.

They spew venom for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and their
extreme malice and bitterness is way beyond a political
difference of opinion. If you are not on board for their
particular political agenda then you are wrong in your
opinion and are to be hated and ridiculed for your
ignorance, stupidity and arrogance.

There is their opinion, the right opinion, and no other
opinion should be considered. This is because they have
studied an issue thoroughly, have determined how the issue
should be viewed, have come to a logical conclusion about
the truth, and have developed a plan of rational action
that should be taken in regard to the issue being examined.

It is really all very simple once you have all the facts;
that is because liberal, educated, literate, intelligent,
secular progressive people are always right. But how do we
know that? I am glad you asked. Everyone knows that, and
especially liberal, educated, literate, intelligent,
secular progressive people.

Please, do not be so naïve as to not know that.
Exactly what part of liberal, educated, literate,
intelligent, secular progressive do you not understand?

Hence, "W" was responsible for just about everything bad
that happened in America during the last 8 years. You can
cite the big things, like his unilateral decision to invade
Iraq. His pretext of using "weapons of mass destruction" to
invade Iraq when everyone knew there were no weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq.

There is his incredible arrogance in declaring "Mission
Accomplished" when he didn't know his butt from a hole in
the ground, and, of course, his inhumane disregard for the
innocent women and children he was ultimately responsible
for killing in Iraq by starting an illegal, unwarranted war
on another country.

There are also the lesser sins of "W". A flooding in any
state naturally came as a result of "W" ignoring the
warnings of global warming; a lot of flooding in the
Midwest, for example, came from ice caps melting in the
Arctic Circle.

A botched abortion on a 12-year-old girl in a back alley is
clearly the result of "W" trying to restrict the use and
distribution and contraceptives to young girls who have
made an innocent mistake in judgment. Any understanding,
compassionate person would understand this. What exactly
was "W's" problem?

In the face of all of this, "W" just sat there, consumed by
his own stupid self, ignoring the great advice and counsel
he was receiving, and continued to do what he thought was
right for America, just like he didn't know any better. It
makes you wonder just how stupid some people are, not to
mention a President.

It is an amazing and equally irrelevant fact that there
were no more terrorist attacks or successful terrorist
attacks in the United States after 9-11 during the 7 years
"W" was continuing to serve as President of the United
States. Some people are stone, cold lucky; it is amazing
how coincidence favors lucky people.

The citizens who voted for Bush to serve a second term as
President of the United States got exactly what they
deserved. They re-elected a stupid, incompetent President
who did not have the good sense to shut down the war and
pull out of Iraq, thus allowing the United States to save
face with its allies. He also refused to negotiate a peace
treaty with the terrorist organizers who planned the attack
that killed 3,000 of our citizens. He neglected to
apologize to the leaders of every country around the world
who did not support him in his madness.

This is exactly what you get when you elect some stupid,
incompetent President who is really a bigger terrorist than
the focus groups he is attacking, the so-called terrorists.
Do I need to remind you who really planned the 9-11 attack
so a war could be started in Iraq to take over and control
its oil deposits?

I mean, really, doesn't the Constitution of the United
States clearly state that there is freedom of religion?
That you must allow people to worship as they wish, and be
compassionate and understanding even if their beliefs
require them to kill people who do not agree with their
religious beliefs, or their political point of view?

"W" is now history. He will fade into the woodwork soon and
be forgotten by the liberal, secular progressives as
quickly as throwing out yesterday's garbage after dinner.

And yet, I wonder. Whenever I hear a man or woman express
hatred, I wonder just what it is in a person that causes
him or her to hate so much. It seems to me that you cannot
express hatred for anything or anybody unless you make use
of the supply of hatred within yourself. The only hatred
you can really express is your own personal possession.
Just how much hatred can you express without it affecting
you? Is there anything good that has ever come from hatred?

In the end, you can only give what you have. If you are
filled up with love, you can give love. If you are filled
up with hate, you can give hatred. You can admonish a
person's thought process, decision-making ability and
errant behavior without hating the person.

Hating someone is like giving yourself poison in a fit of
retribution.

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Japan and the philosophy of garbage

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:48:00 +0000

Fred and I were sitting on the bullet train, speeding
across Japan, going to yet another meeting. We glanced out
the window as usual, making sure that we couldn't see Mt.
Fuji. We knew it was there and we were 99.99% sure that we
would not be able to see it. Still, we looked just the
same. Indeed, obscured by clouds, pollution or both, we
couldn't see it. I balled up my trash from my 7-11 salmon
rice ball, three tangerines, and my Crunky chocolate bar,
stuffing it into the 7-11 bag and commented, "I do miss
trash cans."

I should have known better than to make such a comment
around Fred. After 9-11, all the garbage cans on the bullet
trains were taped shut and people had to take their garbage
off the train with them, or leave it on the train. Fred
immediately responded, "You know, trains in Japan were
always one place that you could be sure of finding a
garbage can. Where can we be sure of finding garbage cans?
Certainly not on the street and certainly not in parks. Did
I ever tell you about Mike and his garbage can inquiry?"

I nodded my head, but my nod was in vain. Fred started to
tell me all about Mike and his garbage, again, "Mike made
the foolish mistake of replying to one of those let's ask
the foreign residents for their feedback about life in
Japan inquiries. Mike was tired of taking his son to the
park, tired of not finding any garbage cans, and tired of
seeing all the trash scattered around. Mike thought that if
there were trash cans, people would use them. Mike believed
that trash cans were an obvious municipal service. So, he
replied to that effect. Would you believe that two guys
from city hall went all the way out to Mike's house to
explain why there were no trash cans in the park? They
explained that trash cans would be an added expense that
the city did not want to pay for, which was why they had
the take your garbage home with you approach. When Mike
pointed out that the take your garbage home approach was
not working and people were just dumping their trash in the
park, what do you think they said?"

I started to reply, but Fred cut me off, "They explained
that it was an added expense that the city did not want to
pay for, which was why they had the take your garbage home
with you approach. Yes, they said the exact same thing all
over again. So Mike is wondering why he ever gave feedback
in the first place. Even more, he is wondering why they
even asked for feedback."

Fred went on, but I just tuned him out, thinking that we
certainly did not have a meeting of the minds here. Mike
wanted garbage cans in the public parks. He thought this
was a basic municipal service. He thought providing
feedback might lead to improvement. Little did he know that
city hall was not really open to change. There was one way
to do things - the city hall way. City hall was open to
explaining what they were doing. They thought that
explaining how they did things would help people to
understand what was going on. They thought that
communication would help to reduce problems. They did not
have a clue that people providing feedback expected change.

Mike never gave any feedback again.

----------------------------------------------------
Aaron Language Services (http://www.aaronlanguage.com/ )
provides translation, proofreading, and online English
coaching to a primarily Japanese client base.

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3 Tax Strategies to Maximize Your Tax Benefits Even When Your Income is "Too" High

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:11:00 +0000

The tax law offers many tax deductions, credits and other
benefits that can save a taxpayer thousands of dollars
every year. However, many of these tax benefits are
eliminated when a taxpayer has income that is "too" high.
Knowing how to legally get around these limitations can
save you thousands in taxes!

When I use the term "too" high, I am referring to income
that is over the limits the IRS has set. These limits vary
based on the specific rules. For example, up to $25,000 of
rental real estate losses can be deducted every year
against any other income. This can be a significant tax
benefit often resulting in tax savings of several thousand
dollars every year. However, once a taxpayer's income
exceeds $100,000, the $25,000 allowance begins to phase out
and it is completed eliminated when income reaches $150,000.

Of course, my goal for everyone is to have massive amounts
of income! That is why I am ready to share these
strategies that maximize your tax benefits even when your
income is over the limits set by the IRS.

#1 Get Your Children in the Game

If you have a business, and you have minor children, then
here is one thing you can do. Have your business hire your
children. This reduces your business income, which reduces
your taxable income. The goal here is to reduce your
taxable income so you can take advantage of the tax
benefits that are otherwise unavailable to you because your
income is too high.

This strategy gets even better though!

You can use your children's lower tax rates. Your children
can earn up to $5,700 in 2009 and pay zero income tax. So
not only are you reducing your taxable income, you are
shifting income out of your tax rate and into a 0% tax rate!

Depending on how your business is structured, you may or
may not have to pay payroll taxes on your children's wages.
Even if you do, that is a 15.3% tax, which may still be
less than your tax rate!

Overall, this one strategy can save you over $10,000 in
taxes every year!

#2 Make the Most of a C Corporation

Add a C Corporation to your structure! Like your children,
a C Corporation is its own separate taxpayer. This means
that shifting income to the C Corporation reduces your
taxable income which works toward the goal to reduce your
taxable income so you are eligible for more tax benefits.

There are even more tax savings!

You can use the C Corporation's lower tax rates. C
Corporation's have an initial tax rate of 15%. If your tax
bracket is higher than 15%, not only are you reducing your
taxable income, you are shifting your income into a lower
tax rate which means even more tax savings!

Plus, the money in your C Corporation can be used for
certain employee benefits that work best in a C Corporation
environment.

Overall, this one strategy can save over $15,000 in taxes
every year!

#3 Bunch Your Income and Expenses

Bunch your income and expenses so your net income
alternates between high and low every year. In many of the
tax situations that I analyze, income is just over the
point that eliminates the tax benefits. By using the
bunching strategy, there is an opportunity to have income
low enough to take advantage of more tax benefits every
other year!

Overall, this one simple strategy can save over $3,500
every other year!

Simple planning can save you thousands in taxes!

Tax planning works in many ways and there are ways to
reduce your taxable income without making less money! Now
is the time to start planning your taxes for 2009.

----------------------------------------------------
When I use the term "too" high, I am referring to income
that is over the limits the IRS has set. These limits vary
based on the specific rules. For example, up to $25,000 of
rental real estate losses can be deducted every year
against any other income.
http://www.provisionwealth.com

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New bailout plan for struggling homeowners

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Hopefully there's good news for struggling homeowners fom
President Barack Obama's new plan to try to stem the
rapidly growing number of home foreclosures in this
country. The plan of course does not help every homeowner
in need but the plan is a very positive step in the right
direction toward attempting to stabilize a rapidly
declining real estate market.

There are millions of people all over this country who are
losing their homes to the bank because they cannot afford
the mortgage. There are over two million Americans whose
homes have been foreclosed by lenders.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama presented his
$275 billion mortgage rescue plan to attempt to help
distressed homeowners. Many feel the American dream is
being tested by this crisis that threatens the stability of
our economy and the stability of families and
neighborhoods, indeed the very fabric of this country.

The Presidents' plan could help over 9,000,000 homeowners.
One group it will help is made up of homeowners who owe
more on their mortgage than the house is currently worth.
Another group are homeowners who can no longer afford the
monthly mortgage payment due to ARM adjustments.

This year, approximately 1 in every 466 houses was already
in some stage of distress. When bank owned foreclosures go
on sale, they flood an already overly supplied real estate
market. We need to reduce the number of homes reaching the
market from bank foreclosures to help bring stabilization
to home prices.

Among other things, there are eligibility limits to the new
Presidents' plan, unfortunately, not every homeowner in
trouble will be helped. There are still going to be
millions of distressed homeowners that will foreclose. The
fact that distressed homeowners facing foreclosure cannot
go to court to declare bankruptcy and then change the terms
of their mortgages is a topic that Congress is addressing
and is actually considering rewriting the law so that the
judicial system would have authority to work out a
settlement with the bank to help homeowners stay in their
homes.

Mortgage bankers nationwide oppose these changes stating
that changes in the bankruptcy law could have expensive
consequences. They feel investors might not be willing to
buy US mortgages for fear that a judge may change the terms
on them.

They feel giving judges the ability to change the value of
home mortgages will force investers to require a higher
price for mortgages going forward, or in a worse scenario,
they will not make loans any longer.

Mortgages are often sold and resold to international
investors, who will be unwilling to change the terms of a
mortgage even when it's in everyones interests.

The Presidents new plan is limited to Americans who owner
occupy their homes. 2nd homes, or investment properties are
not covered by the new plan.

Many feel that some people will still be unable to pay
their home mortgages, even after the terms are changed.
They point out that OVER 20% of the people who had their
mortgages modified last year were still behind in their
payments.

Experts predict more than eight million foreclosures are
expected in the years to come.

----------------------------------------------------
As a licensed Mortgage Broker and Real Estate Broker in
Charlotte, NC. for over eight years, I have seen the ebbs
and flows of the real estate market. I do feel confident
this economy will recover from this current downswing. For
more news on the real estate market and homes for sale in
the Charlotte, NC. area, please visit,
http://www.ilovemynewhome.net

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Potential for obtaining intelligence jobs is enhanced by focus in intelligence studies

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:33:00 +0000

While daily reports indicate massive private sector layoffs
in the United States, government employment appears to be
relatively safe. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report
indicated that government job growth will come primarily
from increased homeland security needs ("Career Guide to
Industries 2008: Federal Government;" Bureau of Labor
Statistics, December 2008). A study conducted by the
Partnership for Public Service discovered that the majority
of federal government new hires will come from five
specific areas, including security, enforcement, and
compliance, among others. These statistics suggest that
strategic security careers within the federal government
will continue to be in demand. Specifically, the demand for
intelligence jobs will continue to increase. If you are
interested in such a career, one way to boost your
employment potential and provide you with a competitive
edge is by obtaining an education with a focus in
intelligence studies, or other areas of strategic security.

Overview of Intelligence Jobs

Government agencies have literally thousands of
intelligence jobs available for qualified individuals. A
career in intelligence requires employees to analyze and
effectively report on political, economic and social trends
in countries around the world in support of policymakers.
Major U.S. intelligence agencies, such as the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency
(DIA), and the National Security Agency (NSA) seek to hire
individuals with a wide variety of skills and expertise. In
addition to these standard intelligence agencies, other
government agencies also employ intelligence analysts.
These agencies include the following: Air Force
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
(AIA/ISR Agency); Army Intelligence and Security Command
(INSCOM); Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI); Department of
Energy, Office of Intelligence (DOE/IN); Department of
Homeland Security, Office of Intelligence and Analysis
(DHS/OIA); Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and
Research (DOS/INR); Department of the Treasury, Office of
Intelligence and Analysis (DOT/OIA); Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA); Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI);Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA); National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA);National
Reconnaissance Office (NRO); and the Navy, Office of Naval
Intelligence (ONI) .

State and local agencies also employ intelligence analysts.
Among other initiatives, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) has worked with state and local governments
and law enforcement agencies to create Intelligence Fusion
Centers located around the country, which help local and
state officials respond to threats in their particular
jurisdictions.

The private sector also has many intelligence career
opportunities, including employment in major corporations,
think-tanks, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
NGOs employ researchers with specific area and tradecraft
expertise in intelligence. Many NGOs, such as Human Rights
Watch and International Crisis Group, have watch centers
around the world in which intelligence analysts monitor and
analyze current events.

Finally, large corporations often maintain intelligence
units that employ former military intelligence officers or
civilian intelligence analysts. Recent corporate
intelligence job openings from Fortune 500 companies and
government prime contractors that provide intelligence
services to the government include: BAE Systems, Boeing,
Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI International, Lockheed Martin,
Northrop Grumman, Science Applications International
Corporation, and SRA International.

Benefits of Educational focus in Intelligence Studies

By obtaining an education with a strategic security focus,
such as intelligence studies, students and professionals
alike can set themselves apart from the competition for
intelligence jobs. An educational focus in intelligence
studies enables students and professionals to learn how to
think strategically and problem solve effectively. In
addition to learning about the history of intelligence,
students often learn many of the skills mentioned, which
are necessary to succeed in this field. Agencies looking to
hire intelligence analysts look for individuals with these
skills. Advanced education in intelligence studies is
especially relevant for those professionals interested in a
career change into the intelligence field. By furthering
your education through studying relevant fields within the
strategic security sector, you will be one step closer to
gaining employment in this growing field.

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sommer is Director of Marketing at Henley-Putnam
University. Henley-Putnam offers accredited online Bachelor
and Master of Science Degrees in Intelligence Management,
Terrorism & Counterterrorism Studies, and Management of
Protection Management, and a Doctoral Degree Program in
Strategic Security. For more information on Henley-Putnam
University, Intelligence Studies or Intelligence Jobs,
visit http://www.Henley-Putnam.edu .

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Don't Bring Up Race, It's Poor Salesmanship

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:58:00 +0000

I never did get around to adequately dismissing Attorney
General Eric Holder's claim that Americans are cowards for
not discussing race. Here is part of what Holder said on
Wednesday before Justice Department employees

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an
ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been
and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation
of cowards," said Holder, nation's first black attorney
general.

Race issues continue to be a topic of political discussion,
Holder said, but "we, as average Americans, simply do not
talk enough with each other about race."

"It is an issue we have never been at ease with and, given
our nation's history, this is in some ways understandable,"
Holder said. "If we are to make progress in this area, we
must feel comfortable enough with one another and tolerant
enough of each other to have frank conversations about the
racial matters that continue to divide us."

Vanderbilt Torch writer Mike Warren rightly takes issue
with Eric Holder's assertion that we people are afraid of
discussing race, primarily because, well - we discuss it
all the time

"At a university, where discussion is a critical tool for
learning, I think it's good to at least talk about these
things. But the conversation is stitled, predictable, and
really not too free. I am pretty outspoken about several
issues in class, but I don't exactly rattle off the numbers
on the rise in black crime and its correlation with the
rise in black single motherhood without being extremely
measured.

The point is that we talk about race all the time; some
professors believe it informs a lot more than it probably
does. What MacDonald notes and what Holder really means is
that we need to have a discussion about expanding
entitlement programs to racial minorities (and whites, too,
while we're at it!)."

Of course, Mike is still at Vanderbilt, and I haven't been
in a Vanderbilt classroom in a nearly a decade. However, I
do recall no shortage of discussions of race in the
pertinent class setting (I do go on record hoping race
never comes up in, say, calculus). If there is a problem to
be addressed, it is certainly not a lack of discussion.

Indeed, let us address the real problem. I say we need to
stop being cowards in discussing Eric Holder's comments.
Let us move toward a more relevant discussion, and dissect
the difference between what Holder said and what he meant.
Because, quite frankly, if you take his words at face value
in light of current events and the general realm of reality
we all inhabit, they do not mean much of anything at all.

Let us begin discussing what a "frank discussion" actually
means. He isn't talking about "talk". If you don't think we
talk race, or talked race during the latest and longest
presidential campaign in history, I cannot help you. If
that is Holder's true opinion, the threshold for racial
cowardice is simply too low, and we as a country will never
rise above it. Certainly, if that is what he meant, talk is
cheap, which is why I'd generally be for it over widening
the trap door under urban black individualism by passing
more entitlement programs.

And that is just it - this was a clarion call for more race
pandering, not a broader race discussion. We already have
race discussion, but when it is "frank", it just does not
seem to be well-received. Certainly, Eric Holder remembers
what happened to Bill Cosby when he dared mention the real
problems in minority communities. Unlike a century ago,
white oppression can no longer be deemed the cause for
black poverty. Growing single motherhood, higher male
incarceration rates, and the growing masses of ignorant,
uneducated young people are the plague of urban America.

Indeed, the only way we can truly address the root causes
of this ongoing urban societal disaster flick is by getting
to frank discussions that move past race. The
aforementioned problems began to accelerate after World War
II, and have gotten even worse as racial issues have been
materially addressed. In fact, the urban areas that have
seen the most societal breakdown along with the surrounding
white suburbs are the populations who voted overwhelmingly
for Barack Obama and propelled the first black president
into the White House.

Something is certainly amiss with our black urban
populations, but it is not a frank discussion about race
that we need. We need something more substantive than that.

----------------------------------------------------
Nathan Moore is a rare breed - a conservative thinker,
author and criminal defense attorney. He lives in
Nashville, Tennessee, and co-authors the political blog
MooreThoughts.com (http://www.moorethoughts.com ) with his
wife, and maintains his own criminal defense blog, the
Moore Law Blog (http://www.moorelawblog.com).

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What The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Means For First-Time Home Buyers

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:31:00 +0000

The bill entitled "The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act," signed into law on February 17, 2009, is a great step
on the road to economic recovery and sustainable abundance
for all Americans. While there are a great deal of
important and relevant provisions in this act and I
encourage you to read it through for yourself (if you are
so motivated), the extremely dry and coarse nature of this
type of legislation makes it hard to stay awake while
reading through the hundreds of pages of seemingly
repetitive dross.

The act itself numbers over 400 pages, and may be even more
effective at putting you to sleep than a bedtime story!
Jokes aside, this is not to discount the tremendous
importance that this piece of legislation has for all
Americans and especially those who are actively involved in
maritime agencies such as the Air Force or Army.

The purpose of this article is to take all of that drab and
provisional legalese and synthesize out of it the important
parts that pertain to current homeowners, potential
homeowners, the future home construction . To keep things
simple, I will just say "The Act" from now on.

What The Act Means For The Military

There are several sections that discuss the military, but
the most relevant section is called Title X (10). This
portion goes into detail about the large amount of money
given to fund new military housing construction projects in
America.

President Obama has laid out his plan for ending the war,
and if we are serious about the transition from a war-time
economy to a peace-time economy then the conscription of
members of our armed forces into benign and peaceful
infrastructure construction projects and housing
construction projects is paramount.

There are many provisions in Title X that discuss "Family
Housing Construction" projects for the air force, army, and
military, as well as the creation of a homeowners
assistance fund.

What The Act Means For Current or Potential Homeowners

For anyone who currently owns a home that is having trouble
staying current with your mortgage payments or is even at
risk of foreclosure, there is a provision in Title X about
the temporary expansion of the homeowners assistance
program to respond to mortgage foreclosure and the credit
crisis. There is special attention given in this section to
veterans and members of the armed forces.

In the section entitled "Economic Recovery Tools" there is
special attention paid to low-income housing projects and
$2.25 billion worth of tax credits for financing low-income
housing projects. This is good news for anyone in the
market for a new house but does not have a lot of money to
spend on it, as over the next few years we will see a large
amount of new jobs and new homes built as a result of this
provision.

What The Act Means For Broadband Access In America

In terms of infrastructure development, there is a section
of the Act entitled the Broadband Technologies
Opportunities Program that discusses the expansion of
broadband service across homes, schools, and libraries all
across America.

Particularly excellent about this section is the focus on
providing broadband service to customers in unserved areas
of the United States, which means that more people will be
coming online every day and the web development and website
industry will be going nowhere but up.

Recap Of Total Amount Of Money Spent For Housing

I have intentionally avoided listing many of the specific
dollar amounts so far in order to avoid confusion, but here
I will recap exactly how much money goes where to address
housing issues.

Over $12.7 billion dollars will be spent in total on
housing projects, with the largest portion of that money
($4 billion) going to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for the construction and repair of public
housing.

Also there will be a full $7.2 billion spent on broadband
infrastructure development and wireless internet access.
This is very good news for those small business owners
whose income depends on a website or online store.

----------------------------------------------------
Nathan Navachi is an expert in the mortgage industry and
offers his expert advice at
http://MortgageRefinancingSolution.com

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Present Day News IS So Boring.

noreply@blogger.com (myGPT Team) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:35:00 +0000

I could not help but to comment on the News Networks, and
many of the cable networks and their consistently reporting
about the sensatial, disaster, pain, agony and misfortune.
The news is responsible for much of the current condition
of the economy. Instead of giving the American people hope
and confidence in the United States of America, the
networks always paints a bad picture of doom and gloom,
with out any hope for the future. Clearly, some of this
information they spew is news, however the majority of the
news today focuses on doom and gloom.

I can remember as a boy, times were different then,
technology was still in its infancy, and what was happening
today, we only learned of the following days. It was a much
easier time in which to live. Life was difficult, but there
was hope in the future. Trust was a word that meant
something. The Wall Street Gang, Corporate America, CEO's
and Congress could be trusted. Those days are gone with the
wind. It's everybody for themselves which is a terrible
indictment on the world today. Hopefully, American will
come to its senses and return to the principals of
Christianity, Charity, Brotherhood, and the regard of one's
fellowman.

The further down the slippery slope that we slide it
becomes harder and harder to have hope for a bright and
happy tomorrow. We can only hope that human beings will
once again become human beings and not animals which much
of society has become. In the words of a wise old man, now
is the time to come to the aid of one's country. We cannot
spend our way to a brighter and happier tomorrow.

The economy will certainly improve by itself, without the
help of congress spending on silly ear marks and pork. It
is time for conservative America to speak up and be heard.
We have to recover the opportunity, through the vote, of
being able to become once again a nation with intergrity
and principles and not just a nation controlled by a group
of people who have completely lost their sense of
direction. A group of people who have their own interest
at heart and not the Nation's. For Congress to vote to
spend billions on frivolus items such as grass for the
national monument, STD control, planned parenthood, and
many more that we can not afford at this point in time.

----------------------------------------------------
Walter Berryhill is the owner of <a target="_new"
href="http://www.DollarsInTheMail.com">http://www.DollarsInT
heMail.com</a> and reviews popular home business ideas and
opportunities. Walter's most popular home business
recommendation is the Plug-In Profit Site at: <a
target="_new"
href="http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/main/
26146/

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