Archive for April, 2009
04.30.09
Posted in Radicals and Others at 10:43 am by admin
Richard Nixon was by far a most fascinating and colorful character in our nations history. Richard Nixon, well even his dog’s past was checkered. Richard Nixon was an excellent diplomat, negotiator and politician. Anyone who studies Machiavelli, Carl von Clauswitz, Politics and the reality of the human species has to understand what really goes on. Without praise or condemnation Richard Nixon was a man who indeed, did care very much for this country and served our nation very well in many regards. His foreign diplomacy and tough negotiations came in handy at a time when those skills were needed. And yes there was the other side of history as well. I recommend an Audio Book, which has many excerpts of his secret tapes on them to better understand the man;
“Abuse of Power-The New Nixon Tapes” By Stanley I. Kutler.
This was an incredible insight into the Nixon Administration. I am glad to have reviewed these tapes. Although I have to wonder, who the hell is running this great nation; is it really the president? Great nations need great leaders and it appears it is not a pre-requisite to have all the necessary qualities to be the leader of the free world. Nixon got some real interesting advise from a whole lot of people, who I question their judgment. Watergate was of little real importance in the scheme of running a nation. This thing went way too far and got way out of hand. Too bad really; it destroyed the image of the presidency and leads people to continually think ill of the now in office administrations. Also of value were the books by Woodward, and Biographies of Regan, Bush Sr., Ford, Clinton and Bush GW. Also the first ladies had some great insight as to what the administrations job really is. Maybe we do not need great advisors since the government machine is so large and obtrusive. Maybe we are better off having little real leadership in the white house? Maybe the Presidential Powers should be greater. I can remember my own political career and can attest to the fact that there is a lot of hanky panky going on, on all sides. Politics in America are not about who is best, most deserving or even smartest. They are about who lies the best or whose political group is able to character assassinate the other.
I wonder should we blame Richard Nixon or should we blame such a flawed process. Politics is no way to run the human race, think about it. And definitely buy this set of audio books for a better understanding of the man.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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04.28.09
Posted in Help 4 U, World Of Home Improvement at 9:51 am by admin
One of the most important things when designing your room is to make sure there is enough storage space. Above any other room in your home its important that your bedroom is comfortable. Work from the bottom up making sure you get the carpet right first, the carpet will have a huge influence on the overall feel of the room. Before deciding on a particular carpet, perhaps not kitchen carpet tiles - you should consider what kind of style and feel you are trying to create. If you are having a clear-out you should take the opportunity to dispose of as much of your clutter as possible.
Once you have chosen a suitable carpet you should also have a think about the ceiling. If a lot people overlook the importance of choosing the right carpet, nearly everyone overlooks the possibilities of adding colour to your ceiling. Done right colour on the ceiling can bring a room to life, darker tones can add warmth and depth. Darker tones can make smaller rooms feel a bit claustrophobic, however on the other hand can make bigger rooms feel much more intimate. Ensuring your bedroom is correctly lit can also affect the general mood of the room. It’s a well known fact that humans react physiologically to different levels of light, brighter more intense lighting is likely to have the effect of keeping people more alert and energetic. Dimmer light is likely to evoke a more tranquil feeling and put you at ease. If you are fitting new lighting in your bedroom it’s a good idea to install a dimmer switch as they are cheap and quite easy to sort out. Energy saving light bulbs are also a fantastic idea as not only do they save you money but they also tend to last longer as well.
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04.27.09
Posted in Radicals and Others at 5:29 am by admin
Translation of Russian political analyst Alexey Pushkov’s article of the same name.
Handing over power to Vladimir Putin in 1999, Boris Yeltsin sought to preserve the political alignment of forces and coordinates he set during his rule in Russia in 1991-1999. The project ‘Heir’ did not only imply selecting a man from Yeltsin’s ‘camp’, but the one who would preserve the status quo of the regime. This is indicated, among other things, by the fact that he insisted on his ‘key men’ Alexey Voloshin and Mikhail Kasyanov to have the longest possible term in office.
However, the overall results of Putin’s five-year office show that he has discarded most of Yeltsin’s heritage.
First of all, he bridged the basic gap of Yeltsin’s epoch, the gap between the left and the right wings. Under Yeltsin, there was a continuous struggle between the authority, on the one hand, and the communists, patriots and socialist-oriented part of the population, on the other. The country was fevered by constant strife; the State Duma, where the communists had majority, being in the vanguard of struggle with Yeltsin and the elite, could not carry out the legislative process, as their laws did not suit the executive and were virtually directed against the latter.
Putin neutralised the left, adopting much of their arguments: Russia does have the acute demographic problem (the low birth- and high death-rates), the oligarchy dominance, corruption and weak army. These points were taken upon by Putin in his election program, at least as a rhetoric (in the part of olgarchy limitations and army financing they were put into actual practice). Then, Putin broke the Communists’ ‘monopoly’ on patriotism, thus rendering their traditional ‘anti-people’s regime’ rant meaningless.
Communists are now heard only when the authority initiates rash, unprepared and ill-grounded laws, like the monetisation of perquisites for pensioners - the measure, which was not enough elucidated in the press.
Secondly, the President was able to revamp the pattern of power and unite the elite. Putin assigned the issues of economy to liberal democrats, those of security - to the military and law enforcement, and entrusted the administrators who succeeded in retaining power in later Yeltsin’s weakened hands with domestic policy. These are all very different people representing differents parts of the elite, but to a certain extent united under Putin.
Why did the Union of the Right Forces (the SPS) lose the recent election? Because it was no longer indispensable: many government officers, such as German Gref, Alexey Kudrin, Igor Shuvalov pursue the rightist policy as it is. The perquisites monetisation, drafting the hyperliberal Forest Code, cancellation of State Standards for pharmaceutical products and even motioning prison privatisation are the telltale signs of the liberal course in Russia’s domestic policy (whether these measures are for the good or for the bad is another matter).
V. Putin has in his arsenal not only the leftist, but also the rightist ideas. It is not accidental that Anatoly Chubais tried to throw in the catchphrase ‘a liberal empire’ to define the present political system in Russia - the SPS was losing its ‘property right’ for liberal reforms. Neutralisation of the right wing is the third accomplishment of Putin’s office.
Fourth. Putin was able to considerably weaken the influence of big business on the State machinery and policy. Mikhail Khodorkovsky made an attempt of directly converting money into power, like at a bureau de change - he offered 15 billion roubles for power in Russia. His plan was frustrated by Putin. Some people say, it is not democratic. But did Khodorkovsky act in a democratic way? How were the 15 billion rubles obtained? In general terms, does big money entitle a person to power purchase? The history of Russian oligarchy is essentially about converting money into power. Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky were doing it through mass media, for example, when in 1996 Gusinsky helped Yeltsin win the elections enlisting the services of the establishment-sponsored television channel NTV, it was the direct conversion of a media resource into power.
Earlier in 1994 Alexander Korzhakov, the then Chief of the President’s Security Service, conducted - by Yeltsin’s instructions - the ‘mug in snow’ operation against Gusinsky, so that the oligarchs could understand that authority should not be conflicted with, but paid off (not necessarily with direct finance). So the oligarchs began to finance media to brainwash people by meting out, distorting information, misinforming, launching media attacks as a punishment for public figures, orchestrating public opinion, spin control and fixing elections… For such services Berezovsky even obtained an office in the government - he became deputy secretary of the Security Council and was responsible for the Chechen issues (a glaring absurdity from today’s perspective!).
Berezovsky and Gusinsky believed that Yeltsin’s apointee Vladimir Putin would let them play their games as before. They were baulked in their plans. However, certain agressive representatives of big business persisted in their struggle for power - the inertia of complete license was too strong, the sense of omnipotence struck root. ‘We would beat Yeltsin all the same - while he had been learning to play domino, we had mastered chess’, said Leonid Nevzlin, a businessman and public relations expert. Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s logic was of the same strain: the sense of exclusiveness prompted him to attempt to use financial clout and gain control over the State Duma and the Federation Council, thus becoming the ‘power broker’, de facto leader of the country. That splendid coup was thwarted - Putin’s government wouldn’t play either domino or chess with Khodorkovsky, it simply upturned the table. Some say it wasn’t nice or fair. Perhaps. But it was not fair play on the part of Khodorkovsky in the first place.
Khodorkovsky’s political failure as the failure of converting money into power was logical. Yeltsin depended on the oligarchs, as he had no other ‘point of rest’, being politically and physically infirm, unpopular, and undergoing persistent pressure from the left wing. Contrariwise, Putin is popular; he succeeded in uniting the elite and was able to move away from the oligarchs.
Some political scientists maintain that the restriction of big business power is wrong, as it entails the omnipotent power of State bureaucracy. True, the official powers should be counterbalanced, otherwise the State becomes overpowering (this was Russia’s permanent political bane, but the country needed it because of its size, climate and a number of other factors). But Yeltsin’s immoral big business is not the kind of counterbalance the community needs. While Russia was historically better off unter total power, the oligarchs would retain it, but make it inhuman and anti-national - even more unscrupulous, mercenary and corrupt. State totalitarianism would turn into oligarchal totalitarianism. There was but imitation of democracy under Yeltsin, but if Khodorkovsky could have gained power, the political pseudodemocracy might have turned into oligarchal pseudodemocracy, with its arsenal of manupulative and venal media. The restriction of oligarchal influence on the policy and strategy of the State is necessary. Giving a resolute check to Khodorkovsky’s plans, Putin made him understand that individuals (even very rich ones) cannot dictate the policy to the State.
Fifth. Putin proclaimed the foreign policy based on national priorities. Under Yeltsin it was based on absolutely different principles: the first postulate was that Russia should at all costs become the part of civilised world, implying the West; the second was that Russia has no national interests basically different from those of the USA; the third was that Russia should completely reject the use of force in solving its political problems, as it is ‘undemocratic’.
Over the past 10 years we have seen other nations solve their problems by various methods, including, alas, the use of force as, for instance, in Bosnia or in Iraq.
We also realised, that the course of equating Russia’s political interests with those of US or EU is not absolutely correct. Putin agreed with the USA in the crucial issue of fighting terrorism, but he made it clear that our countries’ views on some other issues differ. He is not afraid to say that Russia has inherent interests in the countries of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), even if it may annoy some political parties abroad. However, the practical realisation of Russia’s national interests may be impeded by two factors: the cosmopolitan character of big business and the ‘anational’ mentality of the younger generation of Russians, formed during the past 10 years.
‘Paying taxes is our only duty, and we owe nobody but God and our conscience’, Peter Aven, a business and media tycoon, said in his interview. Yes, but if an individual knows neither God nor conscience? Why should big business detach itself from the rest of the nation? Russia’s big business is essentially cosmopolitan, not to say anti-national.
As for the ‘anational’ mentality, it becomes apparent from the fact that younger people, even those whose major at universities is political science, sometimes question the necessity of Russia’s ’special attutude’ towards certain issues. ‘Why don’t we just trim ourselves to the US position?’, they ask. The notion of ‘national interests’, as well as patriotism, has been decried as narrow-minded anachronism.
Russian politicians still argue which party to pattern our economy and policy on - Europe or the USA. Oh, but we must pattern them on Russia, the total of its interests! Checking our interests with those of other counrties, of course.
Sixth. Under Putin the country’s controllability was restored, its slow desintegration was stopped. When Yeltsin was in office the national republics fell off the Union, break-away sentiments appeared in the Chechen, Tartar and other autonomous republics, even certain Russian regions began to claim autonomy (let us remember the Urals Republic proposed by the Urals governor Eduard Rossel). This process was slow, but it endangered the country’s integrity. Meanwhile Yeltsin took the ‘gulp as much sovereignty as you can’ stance.
Zbignev Bzhezinsky, a well-known American political scientist, published a map where Russia was divided into three countries: European, Siberian and Far Eastern. That was his tentative project for Russia. Yes, there was a possibility of such an outcome - take the town of Khasavyurt in Dagestan, a part of Russia that was given 5 years’ independence. The danger of disintegration is still looming, although the Center is keen on consolidating the country. Putin lifted the national morale and showed that separatism will not go unpunished. He should beware, though, putting too much pressure on the national republics and divesting them of their rights, as it may cause an outburst of nationalism.
Seventh. Despite all the drawbacks of the present government, V. Putin was able to win back people’s trust for public authority. There is no trace of ‘devilry around the throne’, so glaring in Yeltsin’s time and headed by Boris Berezovsky. Even the liberal journalists, who criticise, sometimes unreservedly, the present government, admit that there was a mafia-like ‘family clan’ around Yeltsin, which held power in the country. True, there are various factions and influential groups, promoting their interests and struggling with each other in today’s administration, but none of these claim to have entire power, to be the only decision-makers.
Some people say V. Putin’s team is not united. Yes, there are controversies in it. But, on the other hand, there is no ‘family’ either. St. Petersburg’s representatives were at first considered more ‘close’ to the President than others, but it was not born out, say, Dmitry Kozak, was dispatched to the Southern Federal District as the President’s plenipotentiary to deal with the Chechen Republic and terrorism. Under V. Putin the ‘office politics’ (the code of relations between officials) became fundamentally different - meritocracy was established.
However, there are serious problems ahead for Putin. He ’steered the ship about, but has not set a well-defined course for her’.
First. The economy grows largely due to the oil price rise. Russia hasn’t begun forming a competitive economy - developing high technologies, launching large-scale target programs, renovating the defense establishments, etc. All these could only be attained with the participation of the state, but it left the economy to its devices. The positive dynamics of Russia’s economy won’t keep, if the oil prices drop.
The economy remains passive: it absorbs enormous sums of money and yields 6-7 percent growth, but Russia keeps selling its staple raw materials and does not work up new foreign markets. There is no growth in mechanical engineering exports, nor in high tech production. However, the competitive strength of an economy is determined by these two factors, and not by raw materials, but by finished goods. So far Russia’s economy has not been set for efficiency, no innovative breakthrough has been made.
Second. The situation in Chechnya is much more serious than it may seem, and the Chechen leader Ahmad Kadyrov’s assassination is a heavy blow to the peace in this region. Though there is no war in the classic sense there, as separatists have no power to ‘fight on fronts’, Chechnya is pervaded with separatist and terrorist agents. Raids and acts of terrorism still obtain in the region, and even spread to the country at large.
Third. Vladimir Putin has not yet created an efficient state machine. For example, the events in Beslan on September 1-3 2004, when more than 4,000 children and teachers were held hostage, prove the low efficacy of security service. Under B.Yeltsin the KGB was being consistently wrecked under pretence of fighting communism (the consequences of this act are not yet fully overcome). Yet not one democratic state could manage without strong security services, what was really needed is to reform the former Soviet intelligence.
Fourth. Russia should vindicate its positions in foreign policy with more firmness. American politicians spoke to me (Alexey Pushkov) about the surprise Russia’s refusal to back the war in Iraq caused with the US administration. Why did Russia give an impression that it could be counted on in any matter, or that it shouldn’t be reckoned with? Because it had settled for anything the USA was doing, be it the withdrawal from the Anti-Missile Defence Treaty (the Russian government’s comment: ‘a deplorable error’) or the second round of the NATO expansion. The US administration overestimated its influence on Moscow, but it was Russia who gave cause for this, adopting a policy too ‘comfortable’ for the USA.
Unfortunately, many features of Yeltsin’s administration devolved on that of Putin. The lack of publicity in legislature is one of them. We are faced with political reforms, which come as if out of the blue - nobody has taken the trouble to explain their essence and prove their necessity. This is said to be the traditional Russian authoritarian style of administration. But bad traditions should be changed, unless the government is willing to stand aloof from its people.
The main dangers impending over Putin’s administration are as follows.
The first is the situation in Chechnya. The efficiency of Putin’s policy largely depends on his ability to settle the Chechen conflict. If the ‘vertical of power’ built by him does not yield fruit in that region, he will fail to convince the country in the necessity of exerting control. It is precisely the issue of Chechnya that will be the touchstone of Putin’s policy, both in Russia and internationally. The Chechen war and terror became Putin’s gravest challenges, which demand the consolidation of power, strengthening of the State, and in some cases, turning the screw. But if the screws are tight, and the vehicle does not move, the question of the adequacy of such a policy will arise.
The second danger (more prominent during his second term in office) is the appearance of consolidated opposition. It includes the liberal politicians who lost the election in the Duma, but have a solid support of big business, their own financial resources, and a substantial backing from abroad. They are eager to score political points using the government’s mistakes. For example, against the logic of their liberal market views, they are attacking the monetisation of perquisites for pensioners. They are doing it, because the authority is vulnerable in this poorely prepared reform. The next power standing in opposition to Putin is the ‘exiled’ oligarchs. Berezovsky, Gusinsky, Nevzlin are people with resources, and have connections in the West. Berezovsky is quite frank in saying that his principal goal is to weaken Putin’s regime. Then, the government is opposed by certain liberal media (which include several central TV channels of Russia), especially their aggressive part backed by the oppositional big business. A part of national and regional elite, displeased at the decision that regional governors be appointed by the President (and apprehending the restoration of the unitarian state), may also join the opposition. A part of liberal intelligentsia and the communists joining the liberals on certain points also swing against the administration. Finally, the anti-Russian and anti-Putin forces in the West are also opposed to Putin. All the mentioned forces are, however, largely outnumbered by Putin’s supporters (in Russia the ratio is about one to ten). Nevertheless, they should be reckoned with.
Putin has few propagandists of his ideas and proposals. He himself has to explain his home and foreign policy, the ideas of his political reforms. His press secretaries and information services keep silence, although it is their duty to compete with the huge bulk of anti-Putin propaganda. The system lacks people with active ideological and political thinking, capable of supporting its plans and decisions. And this is in the face of strong opposition, nostalgic for Yeltsin’s Russia - weak, docile, corrupt, and disintegrating.
However, if the efficiency of administration rises, the economy grows, the opposition will have to bear Putin’s ‘authoritarian liberalism’. Conversely, if there are no tangible results, he will be accused of sacrificing democracy. Putin must prove that his model is efficient.
The period of authoritarian development is inevitable. The liberals condemn Putin’s policy as restoration, but restoration is a normal practice for any country after a sharp ’side slip’. If a nation loses capacity for correcting its ’side slips’, it may, like a car, roll over at a sharp turn of history. Restoration is the nation’s adaptation to new conditions, its self-regulation, aligning a car after a drastic side slip.
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04.25.09
Posted in Life Of Sports, Recreation Resources, Universe Of Shopping at 11:04 am by admin
Sports shoes is probably the most significant piece of equipment you’ll acquire so it is essential that you pick & choose the best shoes. Find superb deals from sports equipment shops online today.
A great number of people do not recognise that there are big differences in the way in which sports shoes help your feet. It is not great for your feet if you play football or tennis in the identical footwear you use whilst running.
“Unfortunately, sixty five percent of the UK’s recreational men sportsmen and women athletes put on the wrong footwear for their chosen leisure activity,” he says. “Shoes are the most critical piece of sports gear you’ll ever get hold of & varying what you wear on your feet can put off damage.”
Football can put a great deal of stress on the feet, particularly when playing on non-natural pitches like that of AstroTurf. The football boots can also put stress on your feet, and it is not rare for a footballer to suffer from corns, calluses or damaged, thickened and ingrown toenails. A tremendous, well-fitted pair of football shoes is crucial & there shouldn’t be any signs of pressure on the foot after a match or training session.
Racquet sports: It is imperative when participating in racquet sports, for example table tennis or badminton, to choose trainers expressly designed for the purpose. These sports activity involve a great deal of right-to-left movement & running footwear will not provide the right solidity. Racquet sport trainers are heavier & stiffer than jogging trainers, since their toes are manufactured for stop-&-go action. Comfort is recommended to be your core concern and it is important to replace your sports footwear frequently.
Hill walking is a splendid way to start off a mild exercise schedule, whereas the more experienced go for hiking. It’s excellent for your cardiovascular health but is lower impact and so comes with less risk of injury.
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Posted in College Education, Healthy Stuff at 10:15 am by admin
Having Dyslexia essentially comes down to overcoming dyslexia. More specifically, dyslexia would indicate that a person who is very smart in most areas and who has had access to education, over time continues to show trouble reading. Being dyslexic definitely doesn’t mean a child is debilitatingly disabled or stupid, just the opposite! By its very nature, Dyslexia exists only in intelligent humans and often creative spirits. Despite how and quick {dyslexics may be, they struggle learning to readlearn to read more slowly than most kids. Several early symptoms of dyslexia related reading difficulty include instances like not understanding even phonetically simple common words or a ongoing hardship learning new words individually, or faking it through reading entirely. Perhaps your child may not be keeping up with other children, dyslexia could very well be a a cause. Reading difficulty may also cause troubles and stress in other subjects So what is the prognosis with Dyslexia? Might a Dyslexic child finally learn how to read easily, and correctly interpret what he/she sees? Might a dyslexic adult develop phonemic awareness to reading fluency? Yes. Sally Shaywitz, internationally known Dyselxia researcher and co-founder for the Yale’s Dyslexia Research Center, {makes that point clear in her book Overcoming Dyslexia. But, there may exist a lot of conditions that are associated with dyslexia reading struggles. They will typically be identified by a knowledgeable speech-language pathologist or dyslexia evaluation.
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04.24.09
Posted in Radicals and Others at 3:53 pm by admin
Leadership and Overcoming Adversity: Senator Orrin G. Hatch story, United States Senator (R-Utah)
By Howard Edward Haller, Ph. D.
This groundbreaking leadership research by has received extensive endorsements and enthusiastic reviews from well-known prominent business, political, and academic leaders who either participated in the study or reviewed the research findings.
You will discover the proven success habits and secrets of people who, in spite of difficult or life threatening challenges shaped their own destiny to become successful, effective leaders. The full results of this research will be presented in the upcoming book by Dr. Howard Edward Haller titled “Leadership: View from the Shoulders of Giants.”
The nine initial prominent successful leaders who overcame adversity that were interviewed included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Dr. John Malone, Larry Pino, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.
The data from the above nine research participants was materially augmented by seven other successful leaders who overcame adversity including: Jack Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, J. Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, and Dr. John Sperling.
Additionally, five internationally known and respected leadership scholars offered their reviews of the leadership research findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.
This is a short biography of one of the principal participants who generously contributed their time and insight for this important research into the phenomenon of how prominent successful leaders overcome adversity and obstacles.
This Senator Orrin Hatch’s story: Orrin Hatch is the surviving son of a lower middle-class Mormon pioneer family from Utah. During the Depression, his family, though penniless, moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Orrin’s older brother was killed in Europe while serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II.
Orrin noted, “I was always someone who was kind of strange to them, in that sense, but they still liked me, because I was a good student, and a good athlete. But there were things I just wouldn’t do.” Orrin and his family belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as “Mormons,” which was a relative rarity in Pittsburgh at that time. “I had to prove myself, always being kind of a ’square.’ I had to set certain things aside, because of my religious beliefs. I never drank, I never smoked, I never caroused, [and] I never committed sexual sin.”
Orrin said, “My parents scraped together a little money, bought a wooded acre of land, and then purchased secondhand materials, including partially burned lumber . . . and built their home, board by board with their own two hands.” His father was a “union-card carrying” wood lather.
Orrin learned his father’s trade and worked as a wood lather while still in high school. Later, Orrin worked his way “through Brigham Young University as a janitor.” He interrupted his education at BYU to serve a two-year unpaid mission for the Mormon Church. He then returned to BYU, got married, graduated, and returned to Pittsburgh to work at his union construction job.
He got a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, College of Law, and worked his way through law school while providing for his growing family. When Orrin was in law school, he said that he and his “wife and children literally lived in a converted chicken coop” behind his parents’ home.
Hatch and his young family returned to his parents’ home state of Utah so that Orrin could accept a corporate legal position. Shortly after arriving in Utah, Orrin left that corporate job and opened a law firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the senior partner.
Although he had absolutely no political experience, Hatch decided to pursue the Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate race in 1976. He was up against an experienced Republican politician. Hatch won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator.
Now the difficult part began, as he “ran a campaign against a well-entrenched Democratic incumbent, U.S. Senator Moss.” Senator Hatch shared with me that his “confidence was not improved” by the fact that in 1976, “Moss was a three-time incumbent who could not be beaten. U.S. News and World Report that year had said that Senator Moss’ seat was the ‘most safe’ seat in the Senate.” But Orrin won the battle against the incumbent Senator, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976. Senator Hatch has since been re-elected by his adopted state of Utah four times.
It is customary for new U.S. Senators not to speak out in their freshman terms, but Senator Hatch did not follow that custom. In his first term in the U.S. Senate he led a filibuster to defeat a major labor bill that was heavily backed by the Democrats.
The proposed labor bill, before the U.S. Congress, was critical to the union movement of the late 1970s. “Union membership was starting to decline, and this bill would have legislatively forced more union membership.” Hatch was very concerned about what some had referred to as the most important labor union bill in four decades. The bill was strongly supported by George Meany, head of the AFL-CIO, and was supported by President Jimmy Carter, as well.
Hatch took on the defeat of this bill as his own “personal cause.” He said, “I strongly felt that the proposed labor bill was not in the best interest of the country and would be very detrimental to the U.S. economy, which was already starting to see high inflation entering the picture in the late 1970s.” Hatch added, “I believed that if this labor bill passed that millions of workers could be forced to join unions and inflation would skyrocket.”
Since 1976, Orrin has been a key member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He has served on that Committee during his entire tenure in the United States Senate. Senator Hatch and his wife Elaine live in Vienna, Virginia, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Hatches are active in their Mormon faith; they are happily married with several children and many grandchildren. Orrin, a returned Mormon missionary, also served as a Bishop in the Mormon Church before being elected to the U.S. Senate.
His insightful and informative biography, “Square Peg: Confessions of a Citizen Senator” (2002), provides a unique inside perspective of Capitol Hill.
Copyright 2006 © Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.
Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. Chief Enlightenment Officer The Leadership Success Institute
www.TheLeaderInstitute.com
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Posted in Betting, Gambling World, Lifestyle Stuff at 9:44 am by admin
The probabilities of scooping up the Euro Millions jack-pot is a distant one in seventy-six million but the chances of winning a money prize is a somewhat decent one in 24. If the jack-pot is not won in a given week, it is brought forward to the following lotto draw that will result in an ever increasing jackpot value. Recent regulations brought in on the 9/02/2007 limit the number of consecutive rollovers to eleven, with the jackpot rolled out to smaller value levels on the 11th lotto draw if the prize is not collected.
The Euro millions lotto or the Euro lotto, as it is ordinarily well-known, gathers the lotto ticket revenues of the 9 partaking Euro countries showing a sizeable Euromillions jackpot. With the quantity of countries joining the Euro on the increase, this will without a doubt lead to more states participating in the European lotto. An increase in the number of people partaking in the Euro millions lottery will result in a prolonged growth of the already large euromillions jackpots.
The new rules also initiated EuroMillions Super Draw which go on twice each year and offer jackpots in the region of 100 million pounds. The difference with Super-Draws is that the jackpot has to be won during the calendar week of the draw; as a result, if there is no lottery ticket corresponding, all the drawn numbers then the top prize will be allotted to the ticket bearer(s) on the succeeding winning prize tier.
Every participant must select 5 main numbers from 1 to 50 plus 2 Lucky-star numbers from 1 to 9. During the Euro millions draw five primary plus 2 lucky star numbers are then selected at random from 2 draw machines containing numbered lottery balls.
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Posted in Radicals and Others at 8:16 am by admin
Robert Novak, who ignorantly writes about “Menaced Holy Land Christians,” clearly doesn’t have a clue as to what constitutes a true Christian or anything about the real Jesus. The real Jesus was sent to JUDAH, His fellow Jews, and rarely spoke to Gentiles like the covetous and murderous Arabs of Aboud.
This is just another opportunity for the bloody Roman Catholic Church to get involved and exploit feigned interest for traditional “Christians” to further demand UN/EU occupation of the Jewish homeland. The stooge Robert Novak couldn’t bring himself to utter the word “Israel” within his putrid piece, but used the generic “Holy Land” since apparently, like the accursed Vatican, doesn’t recognize the God-given right of Judah to their Jewish homeland of ISRAEL.
If those Arabs are truly Christian they would follow Jesus’ example and keep the biblical Sabbath, biblical festivals and biblical dietary laws rather than the sloppy swill they’ve received from pagan Rome.
Watch for the concerted efforts of the “concerned” - staged by the Vatican and its collaborators - to increasingly demand the implementation of UN Resolution 181 to undermine Israeli sovereignty and breach Jerusalem.
It is Jews who are menaced in Israel by the Vatican, as the sorcerer-pope already has his evil eye on Mt. Zion and won’t stop until Rome again occupies the Holy Land!
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Posted in Radicals and Others at 2:20 am by admin
“It regards reality as the sole enemy and as the source of all suffering, with which it is impossible to live, so that one must break off all relations with it if one is to be in any way happy. The hermit turns his back on the world and will have no truck with it. But one can do more than that; one can try to recreate the world, to build up in its stead another world in which its most unbearable features are eliminated and replaced by others that are in conformity with one’s own wishes.”
– Sigmund Freud
“Civilization and Its Discontents,” by Sigmund Freud, chapter 2
If a generation that cherished love and affectionately adored honesty were to create two gods, they would be pessimism and optimism. The first gave them the sight and vision to realize what is wrong, without holding steadfast to prejudice and bigotry. The second gave them the strength and endurance to create a better world, even if it started and ended with one changed soul. The bible of this generation, the religious text and scripture which they would refer to in their daily lives, would consist of dialogue between these two gods. Pessimism always seemed to represent apathy, a sense of deadness accompanied by lost dreams. But, then again, it was the agitator, the creator, the mover. Optimism would always seem to represent activity and growth, a sense of life and a desire to do something about it, as well as ecstacy and pleasure. This generation of lovers and thinkers would worship these gods through acts of kindness, mercy, and love. The names they would give their children would have hidden meanings, like “romantic poet,” or “moment of orgasm.”
If a good person were to try to live up to the expectation of change and growth with the bold honesty to look forward, he ould be a cynic as much as an optimist. His sacred scripture would simply be: “A Better World Is Possible.”
When we look upon our own society, examine its ways and its manners, we discover a great deal that we wish to change. We see crime, we see poverty, we see drug addictions, murder, war, domestic abuse, child abuse, rape, theft, brutality, and abuse of every power. Those of the humane way have always believed that it was the goodness of men that brought them together for unity and strength. Today, we stand on the corpse of modern life. It may have been the social instinct which has brought us together and has formed our families, our towns, our cities, and our nations, but there is so much more to it than that. Cities have become the hives of vice and misery, the perfect strangers to loneliness. Our modern poets and romantics stand before this marvel of life, and are speechless.
When we think of pain and suffering, what do you think it is that is the most ominous source of suffering? There is no doubt that it is from some relationship within society, or at least within human civilization. Perhaps it is the unjust social relationship between men and women, resulting in sexism and domestic abuse? Perhaps it is the unjust relationship that exists between nations, resulting in economic embargos and wars? Maybe it is the relationship between citizens, involving crime and theft, or the relationship between employer and employee, resulting in poverty and misery? Whatever it is that is the greatest cause of suffering in the world, there are some things that must be considered. First, we are analyzing the relationships that exist between each other to discover the roots of this suffering. It is an internal problem. It is not a question of natural disasters and the fury that nature has wrought on mankind. No, it is a question of the way that we act among ourselves, the customs we forge anad the rules we make. Second, as Freethinkers and those genuinely concerned with justice, when we analyze these relationships in society, we do so with the intent of creating a more free and more just system.
The essential difference today between an Anarchist and a Liberal is this: the Liberal wants to repair the damage done by the system, the Anarchist wants to repair the system. The first looks to poverty and creates welfare, completely leaving the economic system untouched. The latter wants to completely abolish any economic system that will lead to homelessness, poverty, or misery.
It was not uncommon or rare in our past for these social relationships to change, become altered, or become completely abolished. It was once tradition that men treat women like property, that wars between nations were glorious events, that poverty was god’s naturally awarded condition for a certain class of people, that crime was simply second nature to each human, and therefore indefeatable. All of this was believed by the people, they took it in as unquestionable truths. Well, it was the liberating experience of any honest individual, to realize that every conscious organism simply wants to be free. From such a humble start, the progression of humane thought has come a long way. Citizens have collectively allocated women’s rights, worker’s rights, children’s rights, citizen’s rights, etc., etc., protecting the freedom, security, and happiness of those who have been oppressed for so long.
Do you think the happiness of the average person, from these prehistoric times to our current situation, has increased? I imagine that few would disagree with me. It was by altering and changing these relationships between the different groups that a better, more peaceful terms of living came about. So, when we decide to examine the social mores and relationships of our own era, and discover such large amounts of suffering, the only reasonable response to these situations is this: we must reorganize society, change the relationships, repair (or revolutionize) the system itself, before we will stop seeing the damage that it causes. What we would be doing would be a revolutionary activity, in that we would be altering our own world to attain our own ends, in the most radical way possible. It would also be the tradition of spirited independence to overthrow oppressors and cast off any chains or bondage they have given to the innocent.
Our questions must be twofold. 1) What are the relationships that are causing so much stress, misery, pain, and suffering on others? 2) What can we do to change them?
Crime. What causes it? Any educated person will give the same answer: the desire or need of material objects. If the wages offered by employers do not satisfy the needs of the workers, that is to say, the people who have no property, then criminal activity becomes the result. Psychologists and psychiatrists might try to classify criminal behavior, trying to put boundaries and lines through it so that they can understand it. The one thing that they do not understand about criminal behavior is that it is not unique, that it is not special, that it is perhaps the most natural part of animal life. If a mother bear is interested in obtaining food for its young, does it ever consider the fact that it is violating trespassing laws in doing so, or does it ever consider the opinion of other bears? Maybe only insomuch as it concerns her and her cub’s welfare, but beyond that, not at all. The creature is simply committing an act that is required for life. So, too, is the human who commits crime to survive, when no legitimate means of income will suffice.
The psychologist might be right that the brain changes somewhat with criminal behavior. New instincts, behaviors, reflexes, and understandings are required in group behavior. All of the shoplifters that I know, including myself, have developed group senses — we develop a subconscious that analyzes and understands where everyone in the room is and where they are looking. This allows us the capability of seeing if we are being watched, an invaluable skill for us lifters.
Without poverty, there is no crime. Crime is caused only by the poor conditions in which human beings live, and their dire attempts to escape those conditions. At least, this can be considered true with all those conditions in which property crime is involved. We want to develop a system, an order of society, in which crime is completely eliminated. That is our objective. What ways would we mend or forge the current system so as to complete our objective? Well, when we look at those who have been inflicted with the miserable profession of criminal, what class in specific are we examining? The working class. Their relationship that brings them to poverty and eventually crime is the their relationship with the Capitalist class, or the employer class.
The only way to mend this relationship, between the haves and the have nots, is to make it so the result of it is more wealth in the pockets of the have nots. This could be done with a policy so limited and conservative as minimum wage, minimum working hours, safe working conditions, lowering the work hours per week, etc., etc.. All of these laws, if they were be implemented into a government’s laws, should be based on the collective’s understanding that the working man must be protected — not from other working men, but from those whom they work for. With these limited policies, the employer class would be viewed much like the government: a necessary evil, without which we would have tranquility and peace, at least for a little while.
In a more concerned effort, we might eliminate the employer class entirely, dissolve it into the working body of citizens. It has been said that to establish Democracy, every citizen must be treated like a king. If we apply the same reasoning to economics, in an effort to eliminate the poverty that comes from Free Trade, then every citizen must be treated like a Capitalist. Using this system, the entire conflict that would arrise in a Capitalist system — with workers fighting for living wages and the employer class fighting for worsened sweat shop conditions — this entire conflict would be removed, and something called Communism or Socialism would take effect. The relationship that causes poverty, misery, and so much abuse of the spirit is the relationship that exists between those without property, who must sell their labor to survive, and those with property, who employ the masses to work for them. To eliminate this relationship, thus eliminating the conflict, we are establishing a better world. Among the most important revolutions, Socialism and Communism are of the highest degree for any revolutionary.
When we try to think of the relationships in society that allow for a great deal of unnecessary suffering and misery, we tend to think about the relationships that exist between us and those that we love and care about. In literature of every culture and every era, we find that adultery has been at the source of misery for so many lovers. It has been the inspiration to a volumes of sad poetry. It has been the cause of so much conflict, so much fighting, so much quarreling and violence. I admit that some cultures were intelligent and thoughtful enough to avoid such useless brutality and misery. However, as we see it in our modern world, it is quite easy to see that the relationship that exists between lovers is one of great distress and pain. We are attracted to it by the thought of happiness, pleasure, a feeling of connection and mutual understanding. The origins of intimate relationships are the same in any culture: they come from the most natural desire to feel love, as though the universe could end and all a lover could do would be to welcome it.
Yet, we see so much abuse come from this relationship that exists between lovers. The time for a new moral code is necessary. The time has always been ripe. I suggest that lovers learn to love more openly, that their relationships are not confined to one person only — what in fact has been the cause of all these problems. If sexual activity with other partners was accepted in our modern society, then the problem of the lonely and disheartened lover disappears. When we learn to accept that sharing sexuality with others is a positive aspect of life, in that it creates affection, something beautiful, and a connection — when we learn to accept this, then so much misery, pain, and depression would be swept out. But, the problem of the matter is in changing ourselves, in learning to accept that you cannot tell anyone what to do with their bodies, even in a relationship. I’m not evading a double standard. Men should be as promiscuous as they like, as should any woman. It may be difficult and long for individuals to overcome these social prejudices. We wince every time the thought of a forgotten lover comes to mind, and we are reminded of the pain that comes from a dead passion. We do not forget the misery that we have suffered, that others have, that others still will, and it is our intention as revolutionaries to uphold our scripture: a better world is possible.
There are so many origins of pain and so many other great reforms and alterations that could happen in our modern society to abolish the sources of misery. The animals of the world are slaughtered for the taste of their decomposing carcasses. Presidents and tyrants switch places constantly as I find more and more people confused at the political situation. Books are banned at the same moment courts rule guilt by association is “reason to convict.” Men and women are thrown in jail when they make the personal decision to inebriate themselves, and gain a gentle happiness via artificial means. Workers slave away at work, hours of their lives taken away with dreams crumbling and sinking.
I want to explode when I see the walls of chain convenience stores and rip apart the monotony of a “brick after brick” architecture. In my dreams, I am taking enormous buckets of paint to make child-like paintings of clouds on the side of every Walmart. I want to place a paper-mache rose on the doorstep of every girl who feels alone, give a confident speech to every boy who feels alone. I want to scream for every rape. I want to die for every resurfaced memory. I want people to worry less about death, and think more about their life as a unique and beautiful experience. I want people to stress less about life, and concentrate on the parts of living that give a feeling of ease. Everywhere that I turn, every voice of the strangers I talk to, they are based on so many petty things. I want swing my arms and lose understanding of my consciousness, and… let go… I want to let go… And maybe find a little peace, a little understanding, a little “the beautiful part of life is that society can be called the collective experience of every living and breathing creature,” maybe in the bossom of intoxication.
www.punkerslut.com
For Life,
Punkerslut
Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website http://www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for “subversive activities,” and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.
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04.23.09
Posted in Jewelry Infos at 10:40 pm by admin
For anyone in the sales industry, the ultimate accomplishment is making a great sale. When it comes to a luxury item like jewelry, the sale can be an even harder goal to achieve. With the right approach, doubters and misers buy products and services everyday. So why not that 3-carat diamond ring? Here is a review of a few fundamental techniques used by the best jewelry sales people:
1. Know Your Product
Know everything about your merchandise: strengths, weaknesses, and any unique features. Also understand factors that influence its demand in the industry and popularity in fashion. All of these will strengthen your presentation and make the customer more willing to buy. There should be nothing that anyone can tell you about your own product that you don’t already know. You will definitely be asked questions and be given myriad objections, so be prepared to elaborate on all aspects of your merchandise in response.
2. Know Your Customer
Make every effort to know all you can about your potential clients. Gain an understanding of their purchasing habits and what motivates their choices. Why have they come to you? What are they looking for and for what occasion? Tailor your approach to suit their needs. When you know the buying habits of your prospect, you can use it to develop a relationship that will lead to repeat business. Learn their names and use them in conversation. Don’t forget to be friendly!
3. Build Value, Create Desire
Jewelry purchases are oftentimes emotional decisions. By building the value of a piece, you will be one step closer to making that sale. Apply the information the customer shared by joining the beneficial features with his/her buying motivation. Draw on their sentimentality to identify the right item for them. Tell them the rewards of owning such a piece. This will add that needed sense of value and will help quell potential objections.
Creating desire involves building your customer’s interest and excitement. Compliment the customer’s taste in order to validate their choice. Allow them to try it on, or suggest modeling it for them. Show your own interest in the piece as you respectfully hand it to them. Subtly play to their reactions. Create scenarios involving the jewelry that will appeal to your customer’s excitement, intrigue, or even vanity. Remember, you’re not just selling jewelry; you are selling a relationship as well.
4. Trial Close
Attempting a trial close tests your customer’s readiness to buy. Ask questions that imply the customer already owns the piece: “Shall I wrap it up?” “I’ll have your ring ready momentarily. Size 7, right?” Possible objections will arise here. Depending on their reasons for not committing, ask them questions to figure out what will make them more comfortable. Reinforce the positive aspects of the jewelry to remind your customer how much they like the piece. The more they talk, the easier it is to find the main objection. Then attempt another trial close. Stay happy!
5. The Close
This is when you ask for the sale if necessary. The customer might offer the sale with, “Do you accept credit cards?” If you’re not so lucky, ask a few more questions that receive positive feedback then ask something like, “How would you like to pay for that?” Attempt an add-on close after making the initial sale. You will come across as helpful (so long as you’re not too aggressive) by suggesting matching items. If the add-on sale isn’t made right away, you have already planted the seed for future purchases.
Making the sale does not mean you are finished. Remind them when they need to get their jewelry serviced and cleaned. Teach them proper storage and handling. Follow up with your customer and keep the relationship going. Give them your card and collect their information so you can call on birthdays and other special occasions to remind them of important dates when jewelry would make a great gift. Send “Thank You” cards or written notes for memorable dates that you should keep on file. Keeping these tips in mind will increase your chances of making more sales and will boost your career.
About the Author: Vicky Therese Davis, A.J.P. is the Founder and President of Indulgence Jewelry Corp. (www.indulgencejewelry.com), based in Miami Beach, Florida. Her company has specialized in the wholesale of sophisticated and unique fine diamond jewelry since 2003. Her pieces can be found in jewelry stores and boutiques nationwide.
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