The Knowledge Effect

There is a principle some call "the butterfly effect".
It says a random event in one part of the world
can have a dramatic effect on another.
Chaos is said to reign.

I believe in a different principle.
The knowledge principle
That knowledge allows us to steer
the course of events to grow economies.
Promote justice.
Even save lives.

The right information in the right hands
leads to amazing things.

In My Lifetime

In my lifetime I wish to see
A world where no child grows up hungry
and permanently disadvantaged through early malnutrition

A world where the threat of nuclear destruction
is nothing more than an exotic memory

A world whose inhabitants live in dignity
and pride and no longer feel the need
to act out of cruelty vengeance or retribution.

A Better Way

Instead of putting a mop or broom in the hands of a child, how about giving them science and architecture and the stars and sky to study?

There is a great program called "Destination Imagination" that was popular at my children's school.
http://www.idodi.org/index.php/2011-12-season/2011-12-challenge-previews

This is what our children deserve.

I Am One Of The Dreamers

The dreamers are the saviors of the world.
The world is beautiful because they have lived.
He who cherishes a beautiful vision,
a lofty ideal in his heart,
will one day realize it.

Stainless beauty and perfect peace.

If We Are Related We Shall Meet

It's time to change perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Both sides must be understood through thier specific history and accept that our destinies are linked.
Instead of asking who started it, we should ask who will take the decisive steps to end it.

The Real Things We Desire

I have an idea~ a very clear idea about what makes a community or a particular region more desireable to live and work in.
Instead of our politicians concentrating on finger pointing we should be focusing on creating these elements so that we may attract buisness to our nation.
Globalization is here to stay so we had better get onboard with the idea that we can not think in terms of us vs. them.
The deciding factor for engagement should be how a potential partner treats their own people.
Are they a democratic nation or a dictatorship?
We need to pound away at the things that will create a better economy.
Great schools are paramount.
Reasonable taxes.
Less regulation.
A responsive government.

The quality of the workforce is what brings good companies to a region.
Quality of life is the determining factor.

Why do politicians neglect to concentrate on these basic principles now when we need it now more than ever?

More Precious Than Gold

Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet tempered balanced life?
It does not matter whether it rains or shines
or what changes come to those possessing these blessings,
for they are always sweet, serene and calm.
That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity,
is the last lesson of culture,
it is the flowering of life,
the fruitage of the soul.
It is precious as wisdom
more to be desired than gold
yea, than even fine gold
How insignificant mere money seeking looks
in comparison with a serene life
a life that dwells in the ocean of truth
beneath the waves
beyond the reach of tempests
in the eternal calm.

As A Man Thinketh
James Allen

How I Wish He'd See It

I had another disagreement with my father ,Willie, on the way to Barnes & Noble this afternoon.
I don't know if it has anything to do with his Eastern European heritage or his age but all I hear is complaining.
He complains about his part time job.
He complains about his health.

He always does this in the car when he's driving.

I say he should be thankful he has work, even if it is part time.
He is the healthiest "80 something" year old I know.

OK so he's never been "money rich".
He has two daughters.
He has two grandchildren (my 2 children).
He has a wife who has taken care of him for 50 years.

Why is he so insistent on seeing life as "half empty"?

It used to discourage me and I have learned how not to let it get to me.
He is who he is.
I just wish he'd see how blessed he is.

(sigh) maybe tomorrow...................

Freedom

"They knew that to put G-d in the US Constitution was to put man out.
They knew that the recognition of a diety would be seized upon by fanatics and zealots as a pretext for destroying the liberty of thought.
They knew the terrible history of the church too well to place in her keeping or in the keeping of her G-d, the sacred rights of man.
They intended that all should have the right to worship or not to worship.
That our laws should make no distinction on account of creed.
They intended to found and frame a government for man and man alone.
They wished to preserve the individuality of all; to prevent the few from governing the many, and the many from persecuting and destroying the few."

Robert Green Ingersoll

Make Mine Supreme

Here are some big cases coming soon to the US Supreme Court

FCC vs. Fox
Can the FCC prohibit the nasty filthy language that is used on broadcast tv?
Fox says it should be treated like cable and say whatever the @#$%^&*() it wants!

I think FCC oversight goes bye bye!

First American vs. Edwards
This case could allow lawyers to file "gotcha" class action lawsuits anytime they catch a company violating a law even though no money was lost.
Here it is in "he said, she said" verse......
Plaintiff says she/he suffered because defendants hurt her/him by not playing by the rules.
Defendant says the Constitution says you have to be hurt before you sue.

I say that it's going to be a "no boo-boo no moolah" decision.

Prometheus vs. Mayo
Prometheus labs patented a method of adjusting the dose of a drug acoording to a person's metabolic rate.
The Mayo Clinic says it's a basic technique that all med-nerds know and understand.
Big Pharma is scared that a decision in favor of Mayo could threaten many patents on drugs and treatment methods already on the market.

Is it time for Miracle Whip?
Can a thought process be patented?

Knox vs. Service Employees International
Can employees in Union contract be forced to contribute money to politics?
The SEIU says it can and will and then refund it later

Yeah, after the candidate is in office?!
Im rooting for the employees. "Down with The Man!"

Obamacare
Healthcare reform requires us to buy insurance from private companies.

This one is going to the administration.

The Key

Andrew Carnegie insisted men be agreeable and harmonious in conduct.
The importance of a pleasing personality is stressed because it is a factor that enables one to render service in the proper spirit.
If one has a personality which pleases, and renders service in a spirit of harmony, these assets often make up for deficiencies in both the quality and quantity of service one renders.
Nothing, however, can be successfully substituted for pleasing conduct.
~Napoleon Hill

Where To Go To Get The Big Ideas

1 Demo
demo.com

2 Global Entrepreneurship Week
unleashingideas.org

3 Milken Institute Global Conference
milikeninstitute.org

4 Opportunity Green
opportunitygreen.com

5 South By Southwest
sxsw.com

6 Ted Leadership Conference
ted.com

7 Tiecon
tiecon.org

8 WBENC
wbenc.org

9 Web 2.0 Summit
web2summit.com

10 World Economic Forum
weforum.org

Pop Culture

Listening to a popular radio station here in Atlanta, mostly hip-hop based, I understand the degradation of our children's standards in themselves and society.
Every other word I heard was a profanity, or the "N" word or some disgusting reference to violence or women or drugs.
It is not cool to break the law or treat young women as sex objects and curse.
I yearn for the days when positive standards of respecting ourselves first so that we can respect others  returns as "cool" and it becomes totally "uncool" to curse, refer to young ladies as "b*tches" or strong black youth as "N*".
I commit to bringing about positive change in our world
anything less is unacceptable.

What We Need

We do not need more material development
we need more spiritual development
We do not need more intellectual power
we need more moral power
We do not need more knowledge
we need more character
We do not need more government
we need more culture
We do not need more law
we need more spirituality
We do not need more of the things that are seen
we need more of the things that are unseen


President Calvin Coolidge

Wealth

I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure
unless built upon truth and justice.
Therefore, I will engage in no transaction
which does not benefit all whom it affects.
I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces
I wish to use and the cooperation of other people.
I will induce others to serve me
because of my willingness to serve others.
I will eliminate hatred, envy,
jealousy, selfishness and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity
because I know that a negative attitude
towards others can never bring me success.
I will cause others to believe in me,
because I will believe in them and in myself.

Napoleon Hill

The Greatest Thing On Earth

What is the greatest thing on earth?

The master called it love
not man made rules, criticism, bitterness, slander or political "marriages"
but love.

What Congress Should Remember

"Let this happy day give birth to an American Republic.
Let her arise not to devastate and to conquer,
but to re-establish the reign of peace and of law.
The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us.
She demands of us a living example of freedom
that may exhibit a contrast, in the felicity of the citizen,
to the ever increasing tyranny."
                                                                          
                                                                       Continental Congress
                                                                        Richard Henry Lee

The Real Joys of Life

The grasp of a child's hand in my own
the flavor of an apple
the embrace of a friend or lover
the touch of a man's hand
the sunlight on rock and leaves
the feel of music
the bark of a tree
the abrasion of granite and sand
the plunge of clear water into a pool
the face of the wind

Reading a newspaper

Reading newspapers are serendipity to me-the black ink on newsprint-the chance of being informed of some delicious turn of events, delighted by some aspect of civilization or perhaps an appreciation of an unknown person or group.
I love the chance to learn and be surprised when I turn the page.

The Moment

"Generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment.............when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."
                                                               President Barack Obama
                                                               June 3, 2008