The reason the economy hasn't rebounded has befuddled the current administration in Washington. Honestly, we're about to find out their weapons against the failing financial market are completely out of bullets when the President regurgitates his new economic plan. It'll be a complete rehashing of failed policy with little or no new ideas. I'd like to make a suggestion!
In his book Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, Francis Fukuyama points out that every culture that has been able to advance it's economy, achieve technical proficiency, and develop innovative organizations has been a society where trust is entrenched in the society.
Healthy functioning communities are built on trust!
One of the warning signs of a society that has lost it's way is when you find a burden of over regulation, which make it nearly impossible to negotiate and litigate business dealings. High trust societies are able to minimize the cost of doing business by eliminating the regulation burden placed on business, advancing the culture to a higher level. Health communities rely on people who invest in one another, serve one another, provide for one another, and defer to one another. They don't rely on the government to do this for them!
Here's my last thought. When you seek to have a surgery, do you find a surgeon who has read all about the practical application of the task, and teaches it to others without ever having applied the technique personally, or do you seek a seasoned veteran who has applied the knowledge and performed the procedure? I know my choice, I'm assuming your is similar. Why, oh why, do we keep getting nominees from this administration that are academics who have never applied their theories? Wouldn't a wise man seek counsel from someone with "fruit on the tree?" Perhaps this is why their guns are out of bullets?
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Let's Hold The Media Accountable!
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."-George Orwell
The media will be all over Michelle Bachman today about her comments in Florida yesterday concerning drilling for oil in the Everglades. I'll betcha not one of them lets America know there already is, and has been oil wells drilled and in production in the Everglades.
Barron G. Collier, was busily purchasing land in the sparsely populated southwest part of the state. Between 1921 and 1923, he acquired about 1.3 million acres that would eventually become Collier and Hendry counties, including what is now the “Big Cypress Preserve.”
Barron Collier's advocacy and personal financial backing was key to successful completion of the Tamiami Trail in April 1928. Ever the savvy businessman, Collier negotiated his first oil lease in the county with Gulf Oil Company in the mid 1930s, despite Florida's still unbroken string of dry holes.
Gulf Oil brought in 50 men to conduct seismic testing, using the first big-wheeled “swamp buggy” vehicles of their type in the county. Gulf established headquarters in Everglades City, then the county seat, and began the search.
For 10 years, Gulf searched. The company drilled a number of wells, some to a depth of about 6,000 feet, but ultimately, seismic tests convinced them that full scale drilling was not warranted and in 1938, Gulf Oil pulled out.
Collier's confidence nevertheless remained unshakeable. His son relates of the time, “I said to dad, ‘You know, perhaps we have to face the fact that maybe there is no oil in Collier County.’ Well, he was just absolutely furious. He shook his finger under my nose and said, ‘Just don't let anybody tell you that there isn't any oil in Collier County.’ And when I looked at him, he smiled and said, ‘I can smell it.’”
Following their Monroe county disappointment, Peninsular executed a lease assignment to Humble Oil and Refining Co. and Humble began searching near the Sunniland watering stop on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Barron Collier remained confident that oil would be found in southwest Florida, but when he died in 1939, oil in Florida remained an unrealized dream.
At Sunniland, the search continued, with the drilling done by the Hoffland Brothers of Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the foremost drilling companies in the country.
Then, on the 26th of September 1943, after expending about $1 million and reaching a depth of 11,626, Humble Oil Co. brought in Sunniland No. 1, Florida's first producing oil well. The well's site is about 12-miles south of Immokalee, by present day Big Cypress Preserve and a 30-minute drive from the resort city of Naples.
Initial daily production was 140 barrels of oil and 425 gallons of salt water, which eventually settled down to 20 barrels per day. This was no gusher, but it proved the tenacious Barron Collier's wildcatter intuition to have been right on target.
Predictably, the Humble Oil Co. find sparked a flurry of lease purchases and wildcat wells. By 1954, the Sunniland field was producing 500,000 barrels per year from eleven wells at average depths of 11,575 feet. Sunniland remained Florida's top producer until 1964, when Sun Oil Co., after spending $10 million on 34 dry holes, discovered the Felda field in nearby Hendry County.
Pleased with its discovery of the Sunniland oilfield, Humble Oil accepted the $50,000 prize offered by the state, added $10,000 – and donated the $60,000 equally between the University of Florida and the Florida State College for women.
Humble would later become the Exxon Corp., now Exxon/Mobil.
Yet Bachman will be mocked as unintelligent, but who really are the fools here?
God Bless
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
The media will be all over Michelle Bachman today about her comments in Florida yesterday concerning drilling for oil in the Everglades. I'll betcha not one of them lets America know there already is, and has been oil wells drilled and in production in the Everglades.
Barron G. Collier, was busily purchasing land in the sparsely populated southwest part of the state. Between 1921 and 1923, he acquired about 1.3 million acres that would eventually become Collier and Hendry counties, including what is now the “Big Cypress Preserve.”
Barron Collier's advocacy and personal financial backing was key to successful completion of the Tamiami Trail in April 1928. Ever the savvy businessman, Collier negotiated his first oil lease in the county with Gulf Oil Company in the mid 1930s, despite Florida's still unbroken string of dry holes.
Gulf Oil brought in 50 men to conduct seismic testing, using the first big-wheeled “swamp buggy” vehicles of their type in the county. Gulf established headquarters in Everglades City, then the county seat, and began the search.
For 10 years, Gulf searched. The company drilled a number of wells, some to a depth of about 6,000 feet, but ultimately, seismic tests convinced them that full scale drilling was not warranted and in 1938, Gulf Oil pulled out.
Collier's confidence nevertheless remained unshakeable. His son relates of the time, “I said to dad, ‘You know, perhaps we have to face the fact that maybe there is no oil in Collier County.’ Well, he was just absolutely furious. He shook his finger under my nose and said, ‘Just don't let anybody tell you that there isn't any oil in Collier County.’ And when I looked at him, he smiled and said, ‘I can smell it.’”
Following their Monroe county disappointment, Peninsular executed a lease assignment to Humble Oil and Refining Co. and Humble began searching near the Sunniland watering stop on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Barron Collier remained confident that oil would be found in southwest Florida, but when he died in 1939, oil in Florida remained an unrealized dream.
At Sunniland, the search continued, with the drilling done by the Hoffland Brothers of Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the foremost drilling companies in the country.
Then, on the 26th of September 1943, after expending about $1 million and reaching a depth of 11,626, Humble Oil Co. brought in Sunniland No. 1, Florida's first producing oil well. The well's site is about 12-miles south of Immokalee, by present day Big Cypress Preserve and a 30-minute drive from the resort city of Naples.
Initial daily production was 140 barrels of oil and 425 gallons of salt water, which eventually settled down to 20 barrels per day. This was no gusher, but it proved the tenacious Barron Collier's wildcatter intuition to have been right on target.
Predictably, the Humble Oil Co. find sparked a flurry of lease purchases and wildcat wells. By 1954, the Sunniland field was producing 500,000 barrels per year from eleven wells at average depths of 11,575 feet. Sunniland remained Florida's top producer until 1964, when Sun Oil Co., after spending $10 million on 34 dry holes, discovered the Felda field in nearby Hendry County.
Pleased with its discovery of the Sunniland oilfield, Humble Oil accepted the $50,000 prize offered by the state, added $10,000 – and donated the $60,000 equally between the University of Florida and the Florida State College for women.
Humble would later become the Exxon Corp., now Exxon/Mobil.
Yet Bachman will be mocked as unintelligent, but who really are the fools here?
God Bless
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Monday, August 29, 2011
"Hope And Change!"
Our current president ran on a platform of "hope and change," it's a wonderful slogan and attracts people by design. But what is the path to "hope and change," we are so desperately searching for? It's a good idea to define what your goal is, so first let's examine the definition of hope!
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.[1] It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or "feel[ing] that something desired may happen.
Or in short, confidence of a positive outcome. If we take that a step further, hope is the absence of fear. And what is the quickest path to overcoming your fears? Action! Personally confronting your demon. Has the government a role in you taking action to confront your fears? Not in my world! It all boils down to personal responsibility, only you can take the action required to relieve your fears.
When he speaks of change, the president's actions lead us to believe the government is responsible for behavior modification. One of his first acts was to raise the tax on tobacco in an effort to change a habit by punishing those who weren't complying to the government's idea of a healthy society. He threatens to tax sugar products to control the obesity epidemic our nation faces. We've heard him threaten to tax coal fired electric plants to the point of bankruptcy, all negative actions to modify America's behavior. Then there is this obsession he has with taxing the rich, apparently he's trying to modify their income earning by impacting their tax returns.
If you want something, (animal or human) to modify it's behavior, you get more results with honey than you do with vinegar, (Grandma told me that). Reinforcement and rewarding the behavior you seek, and ignoring the actions your not so fond of is the path to change. Is a wealthy person more likely to donate to charity if it lowers his tax bill, or less likely to be as generous if the government takes that income away to redistribute? Is your spouse more or less likely to put the cap back on the toothpaste if you complain endlessly, or reward the behavior when it's done?
If you want "hope and change" here is the secret. You'll supply hope by lowering fear if you change the government back to the original design. You know, limited. The change you seek will come when government takes it's hands off the free market, and those who take the risk facing their fears are allowed to prosper, free of government interference. "Hope and change" comes from the people, not the government...
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.[1] It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or "feel[ing] that something desired may happen.
Or in short, confidence of a positive outcome. If we take that a step further, hope is the absence of fear. And what is the quickest path to overcoming your fears? Action! Personally confronting your demon. Has the government a role in you taking action to confront your fears? Not in my world! It all boils down to personal responsibility, only you can take the action required to relieve your fears.
When he speaks of change, the president's actions lead us to believe the government is responsible for behavior modification. One of his first acts was to raise the tax on tobacco in an effort to change a habit by punishing those who weren't complying to the government's idea of a healthy society. He threatens to tax sugar products to control the obesity epidemic our nation faces. We've heard him threaten to tax coal fired electric plants to the point of bankruptcy, all negative actions to modify America's behavior. Then there is this obsession he has with taxing the rich, apparently he's trying to modify their income earning by impacting their tax returns.
If you want something, (animal or human) to modify it's behavior, you get more results with honey than you do with vinegar, (Grandma told me that). Reinforcement and rewarding the behavior you seek, and ignoring the actions your not so fond of is the path to change. Is a wealthy person more likely to donate to charity if it lowers his tax bill, or less likely to be as generous if the government takes that income away to redistribute? Is your spouse more or less likely to put the cap back on the toothpaste if you complain endlessly, or reward the behavior when it's done?
If you want "hope and change" here is the secret. You'll supply hope by lowering fear if you change the government back to the original design. You know, limited. The change you seek will come when government takes it's hands off the free market, and those who take the risk facing their fears are allowed to prosper, free of government interference. "Hope and change" comes from the people, not the government...
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Sunday, August 28, 2011
You Have To Know Why!
I find it interesting that sectors of our society go to great lengths to diminish God. You can't even have a simple discussion about weather events without an assault on Christianity. I actually had a person tell me yesterday that hurricanes were a product of mother nature. So I had to ask; You believe in a higher power called mother nature, but denounce God as a factor? The thought process is pretty incredible, they go to great lengths to radicalize those who suggest God has his hand in anything.
So I did the research. 78% of Americans define themselves as Christians, 34% define themselves as "born again," 6% of our population subscribes to the Jewish faith. So if we do the math, 84% of America believe in God, which in my mind hardly makes us a fringe element. Yet somehow we are assigned the label of a minority school of thought. In fact, those who deny God will announce at the top of their lungs we are stupid, uninformed, and a herd of mindless sheep. They make every attempt to embarrass believers and marginalize them as the lunatic fringe. Why do we accept that?
Well they've picked at our perimeter. Scientific theory has been accepted as fact and taught to our youth, dismissing historical accounts. Biblical teachings have been removed from our school system, so the option to weigh both sides and make a personal decision isn't viable. Honestly most of the population who define themselves as Christian, don't have a solid grasp on the teachings of their faith. So when they are assaulted by those who don't believe they cannot defend what they believe and why they believe it. We also are infected with those who pervert the teachings of the Bible, a subversive attack on the truth.
In America we are free to believe and practice religion without interference from others. It's critical to know what you believe and why you believe it, and it's even more important your children understand. Because someone points a finger and tries to pick apart your faith is no reason to cower. What is driving that individual? Is it God, or is it evil? Satan loves for you to falter in your belief, that's his mission. Understand those who call you out; those who question your principles, they are not driven by our Lord and Savior, but by Satan himself. Christians are not a minority voice, unless they choose to be.......
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
So I did the research. 78% of Americans define themselves as Christians, 34% define themselves as "born again," 6% of our population subscribes to the Jewish faith. So if we do the math, 84% of America believe in God, which in my mind hardly makes us a fringe element. Yet somehow we are assigned the label of a minority school of thought. In fact, those who deny God will announce at the top of their lungs we are stupid, uninformed, and a herd of mindless sheep. They make every attempt to embarrass believers and marginalize them as the lunatic fringe. Why do we accept that?
Well they've picked at our perimeter. Scientific theory has been accepted as fact and taught to our youth, dismissing historical accounts. Biblical teachings have been removed from our school system, so the option to weigh both sides and make a personal decision isn't viable. Honestly most of the population who define themselves as Christian, don't have a solid grasp on the teachings of their faith. So when they are assaulted by those who don't believe they cannot defend what they believe and why they believe it. We also are infected with those who pervert the teachings of the Bible, a subversive attack on the truth.
In America we are free to believe and practice religion without interference from others. It's critical to know what you believe and why you believe it, and it's even more important your children understand. Because someone points a finger and tries to pick apart your faith is no reason to cower. What is driving that individual? Is it God, or is it evil? Satan loves for you to falter in your belief, that's his mission. Understand those who call you out; those who question your principles, they are not driven by our Lord and Savior, but by Satan himself. Christians are not a minority voice, unless they choose to be.......
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Saturday, August 27, 2011
So, What Part Gets You?
It's always befuddled me why any individual could hold issue with someone practicing faith. I mean, what's the down side? If as Christians or Jews we live as the text of the Bible tells us to, who is the loser? Are the people who oppose religion offended when we don't kill, or is it the not committing adultery thing that gets them? Perhaps they take exception that we are told not to steal or that's it's really not a good idea to bear false witness against our neighbor. Why not honor your father and your mother? Is it ever a good thing to be obsessed with envy and covet your neighbors possessions or wife? We could all use a lot less verbal abuse of the Lord's name, so it cannot be that offending them. Everybody enjoys a day off, so resting on the seventh day shouldn't be an issue either. That leaves the first two, and maybe that's where the problem lies.
We're are told not to have other god's before our Creator, and we it's not acceptable to create false idols to worship. Does religion step on their toes because it detracts from the attention those who oppose it get? If we are honoring just one God, that leaves absolutely no room for them to be adored. Are they jealous wanna be's? Because honestly nothing in the first paragraph detracts from society, it only enhances it! What is the agenda of those so anti-religion?
Look, we were all born sinners, and I get there is a level of hypocrisy. We never follow the commandments, the only one who did they crucified, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Nothing listed above detracts from society. In fact, if we all strove to live those laws there isn't a person alive that should complain. The world would be a better place. Even the most devout Atheist has to admit they would feel better about leaving his or her house with a practicing Christian living next door, because the alternative is moral anarchy.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Mentoring
Community
We're are told not to have other god's before our Creator, and we it's not acceptable to create false idols to worship. Does religion step on their toes because it detracts from the attention those who oppose it get? If we are honoring just one God, that leaves absolutely no room for them to be adored. Are they jealous wanna be's? Because honestly nothing in the first paragraph detracts from society, it only enhances it! What is the agenda of those so anti-religion?
Look, we were all born sinners, and I get there is a level of hypocrisy. We never follow the commandments, the only one who did they crucified, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Nothing listed above detracts from society. In fact, if we all strove to live those laws there isn't a person alive that should complain. The world would be a better place. Even the most devout Atheist has to admit they would feel better about leaving his or her house with a practicing Christian living next door, because the alternative is moral anarchy.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Mentoring
Community
Friday, August 26, 2011
Man's Best Friend!
I couldn't help be touched by the story of Hawkeye, the brown lab who chose to lie near his master's casket, Jon Tumilsons, a deceased navy seal. Jon Tumilson lay in a coffin, draped in an American flag, in front of a tearful audience mourning his death in Afghanistan. Soon an old friend appeared, and like a fellow soldier on a battlefield, his loyal dog refused to leave him behind.
Tumilson’s Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, was photographed lying by Tumilson’s casket in a heart-wrenching image taken at the funeral service in Tumilson’s hometown of Rockford, Iowa, earlier this week. Hawkeye walked up to the casket at the beginning of the service and then dropped down with a heaving sigh as about 1,500 mourners witnessed a dog accompanying his master until the end.
Leave it to man's best friend to lead by example and teach us about devotion. It's not a wonder that the dog was so faithful though, his master died in the service of others. Leadership teaches us that those who follow will watch and emulate, Hawkeye is proof.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Tumilson’s Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, was photographed lying by Tumilson’s casket in a heart-wrenching image taken at the funeral service in Tumilson’s hometown of Rockford, Iowa, earlier this week. Hawkeye walked up to the casket at the beginning of the service and then dropped down with a heaving sigh as about 1,500 mourners witnessed a dog accompanying his master until the end.
Leave it to man's best friend to lead by example and teach us about devotion. It's not a wonder that the dog was so faithful though, his master died in the service of others. Leadership teaches us that those who follow will watch and emulate, Hawkeye is proof.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Genesis Style Leadership!
As we learn about the true history of our country, we discover that the founders based our government on Judeo-Christian principles, or basically the Old Testament. Every society has their share of problems. Like Orrin likes to say, "the larger the herd your responsible for, the more do-do in the barn." It stands to reason that kind of conflict, constantly, would deflect from a leader's responsibilities. It's hard to tend to matters when your involved in constant conflict resolution. So how does a leader handle the societal disruptions and balance other matters at hand? Let's look at what life's owner's manual says!
In Genesis chapter 18 we are told the story of how Moses' father-in-law meets up with him after he and the Jewish nation have defected from Egypt. Jethro finds Moses consumed with the daily grind of counseling people on conflict resolution. Jethro, being an outstanding leader himself and totally inspired by God, gives Moses some quality leadership mentoring. He tells Moses, "Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens." -Genesis 18:21 He tells Moses to teach them God's statutes so they can make the daily decisions leaving Moses free to lead his people toward the land of milk and honey.
What a great example of the necessary qualities for leadership, brought to us, from all places, life's owner's manual. Learn to delegate. Develop leaders of character and integrity. Keep the main thing, the main thing.
There is a reason our founding fathers turned toward Judeo-Christian principles when designing our government, and there is a good reason for everyone to read and understand the Bible.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
In Genesis chapter 18 we are told the story of how Moses' father-in-law meets up with him after he and the Jewish nation have defected from Egypt. Jethro finds Moses consumed with the daily grind of counseling people on conflict resolution. Jethro, being an outstanding leader himself and totally inspired by God, gives Moses some quality leadership mentoring. He tells Moses, "Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens." -Genesis 18:21 He tells Moses to teach them God's statutes so they can make the daily decisions leaving Moses free to lead his people toward the land of milk and honey.
What a great example of the necessary qualities for leadership, brought to us, from all places, life's owner's manual. Learn to delegate. Develop leaders of character and integrity. Keep the main thing, the main thing.
There is a reason our founding fathers turned toward Judeo-Christian principles when designing our government, and there is a good reason for everyone to read and understand the Bible.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Time For A Check-up?
"One must not hold one's self so divine as to be unwilling occasionally to make improvements in one's creations."-Ludwig Van Beethoven
Orrin as always stressed to me the importance of what he calls PDCA, (plan, do check, adjust). It's a critical process to moving forward on the leadership journey. If you stop and think about it, we evaluate things daily. Every time we voice an opinion or promote anything that we've found adds value to our lives, we've actually used this process. If we apply the same scrutiny to our lives, then adjust positively, we can ultimately move forward on our leadership journey.
Here is a great process as outlined in Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady's best selling book, Launching The Leadership Revolution. It's called the tri-lateral leadership ledger. Break down your effectiveness into three categories, character, tasks, and relationships. Take each one and honestly give yourself a grade of 1 to 10; 1 being on the low end and 10 being excellent. You then have a starting point and can see where you need to work to improve. Here's an idea for the bravest of leaders, have your spouse or significant other rate you like this as well. Do you both see the same thing? There's a test of relationship skills for you!
Often times others don't see us in the same light, so it's not a bad idea to get outside input. It helps you to avoid breaking the 11th commandment. "Thou shalt not fake thy self out." Nothing can be more sobering than an assessment from an outside source, and at the same time nothing can be more beneficial to personal growth if taken in a mature manner.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Orrin as always stressed to me the importance of what he calls PDCA, (plan, do check, adjust). It's a critical process to moving forward on the leadership journey. If you stop and think about it, we evaluate things daily. Every time we voice an opinion or promote anything that we've found adds value to our lives, we've actually used this process. If we apply the same scrutiny to our lives, then adjust positively, we can ultimately move forward on our leadership journey.
Here is a great process as outlined in Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady's best selling book, Launching The Leadership Revolution. It's called the tri-lateral leadership ledger. Break down your effectiveness into three categories, character, tasks, and relationships. Take each one and honestly give yourself a grade of 1 to 10; 1 being on the low end and 10 being excellent. You then have a starting point and can see where you need to work to improve. Here's an idea for the bravest of leaders, have your spouse or significant other rate you like this as well. Do you both see the same thing? There's a test of relationship skills for you!
Often times others don't see us in the same light, so it's not a bad idea to get outside input. It helps you to avoid breaking the 11th commandment. "Thou shalt not fake thy self out." Nothing can be more sobering than an assessment from an outside source, and at the same time nothing can be more beneficial to personal growth if taken in a mature manner.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Drink Deeply
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God!"-Romans 12:2
A childlike man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a chance of continuing to develop long after most adults have muffled themselves in the cocoon of middle-aged habit and convention.-Aldous Huxley
How much more does one need than quote from life's owner's manual, (the Bible), suggesting it is in our best interest to improve our minds daily? In fact, it says it's the will of God, but I'm preaching to the choir here. Share this knowledge with others. We need to drink deeply of good books and information.It's a L.I.F.E. principle!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
A childlike man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a chance of continuing to develop long after most adults have muffled themselves in the cocoon of middle-aged habit and convention.-Aldous Huxley
How much more does one need than quote from life's owner's manual, (the Bible), suggesting it is in our best interest to improve our minds daily? In fact, it says it's the will of God, but I'm preaching to the choir here. Share this knowledge with others. We need to drink deeply of good books and information.It's a L.I.F.E. principle!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Monday, August 22, 2011
She Thanks God, She's A Democrat!
I have a vice! To satisfy my inner choleric need to debate, and my melancholy desire to correct stinking thinking, I often peruse liberal slanted blogs and interject. I found one this weekend where a woman was thanking God she was a democrat because after a non work related back injury she was able to collect Social Security disability checks. Actually she was initially denied and had to seek legal counsel to be eligible for the income. She had worked as a nurse for 17 years paying into the system prior to the injury.
Then I had to burst her bubble. I informed her that over those 17 years as an employee her and her employer had donated 15% of her income to the Social Security system. If she had earned an average of $50,000.00 a year, (I use this figure because it's close to an RN's annual income depending on the region and the math is easy), it came to a donation of $7500.00 a year. Had she disciplined herself to save that amount over the span of those 17 years, and there wasn't a government mandated deduction, she would have amassed $301,126.96 @8%,(a conservative growth rate). That means she could have lived off just the annual interest of $32,190.96 per year, which breaks down to $2682.58 a month. And she still wouldn't have touched the principle amount of $301,126.96 that's held in reserve for emergencies. It's not a tremendous income, but it's better than the government offering, and no one defines what actual amount your receive but yourself. That's called liberty, because your not at the whim of politicians, and the principle is not in jeopardy of being insolvent, (like we're told daily SSI is).
Now the government offering for those funds they withheld from her amounts to...
Example 3 - if you are age 35 and earning around $50,000 annually, your disability insurance benefits would be $1,577 per month, with a maximum family benefit of $2,901 per month. (taken from the SS website)
$1577.00 per month is smaller than $2682.58, and since she had to hire an attorney to recover the money due, it's been my experience they take 30%, leaving her with about $1000.00 a month to live on.
Does anyone believe she's still elated to be a democrat?
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Then I had to burst her bubble. I informed her that over those 17 years as an employee her and her employer had donated 15% of her income to the Social Security system. If she had earned an average of $50,000.00 a year, (I use this figure because it's close to an RN's annual income depending on the region and the math is easy), it came to a donation of $7500.00 a year. Had she disciplined herself to save that amount over the span of those 17 years, and there wasn't a government mandated deduction, she would have amassed $301,126.96 @8%,(a conservative growth rate). That means she could have lived off just the annual interest of $32,190.96 per year, which breaks down to $2682.58 a month. And she still wouldn't have touched the principle amount of $301,126.96 that's held in reserve for emergencies. It's not a tremendous income, but it's better than the government offering, and no one defines what actual amount your receive but yourself. That's called liberty, because your not at the whim of politicians, and the principle is not in jeopardy of being insolvent, (like we're told daily SSI is).
Now the government offering for those funds they withheld from her amounts to...
Example 3 - if you are age 35 and earning around $50,000 annually, your disability insurance benefits would be $1,577 per month, with a maximum family benefit of $2,901 per month. (taken from the SS website)
$1577.00 per month is smaller than $2682.58, and since she had to hire an attorney to recover the money due, it's been my experience they take 30%, leaving her with about $1000.00 a month to live on.
Does anyone believe she's still elated to be a democrat?
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Hardships?
It was suggested to me to remember those who are suffering due to the current economic downturn. I have a problem with that. What is the definition of suffering? How much have we had to sacrifice because our economy is a little less that idea? Has the black plague infected our population, or do we have to down grade our cable package? Are we really talking about suffering, or just a little inconvenience? Has anyone had to go out daily and hunt their food, or is the shopping cart just a little less full? Are we out seeking shelter from the elements, or do we just have to turn the thermostat up a degree or two?
Let's face it, we are hardly suffering. We can practice our religion without persecution, we can openly speak our mind, food is readily available, and even if we are indigent healthcare is available to us. There is plenty of shelter available to everyone who seeks it, and our possessions are protected from anarchy by the rule of law.
Perhaps some cannot live the lifestyle they wish, but a diminished 401K is inconvenient not a sacrifice. We are not unprotected from attacks from wild animals, nor under the immediate threat of a communist dictator. Our homes are lighted by electricity, not by candles we had to make and secure the wax for. Not one of us has been nailed to a cross for our belief. I'm thinking this is just a bit of inconvenience and as resilient as we are, it's just a bump in the road. Buck it up cupcake!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Let's face it, we are hardly suffering. We can practice our religion without persecution, we can openly speak our mind, food is readily available, and even if we are indigent healthcare is available to us. There is plenty of shelter available to everyone who seeks it, and our possessions are protected from anarchy by the rule of law.
Perhaps some cannot live the lifestyle they wish, but a diminished 401K is inconvenient not a sacrifice. We are not unprotected from attacks from wild animals, nor under the immediate threat of a communist dictator. Our homes are lighted by electricity, not by candles we had to make and secure the wax for. Not one of us has been nailed to a cross for our belief. I'm thinking this is just a bit of inconvenience and as resilient as we are, it's just a bump in the road. Buck it up cupcake!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Saturday, August 20, 2011
L__E Explained!
The other day I posed the question, "What if we took the if out of life?" Then proceeded to finish with a joke, "we'd be left with L__E," time to expand on that thought. Should we be able to remove the "what if" from life we'd be left with "living excellence," (L__E). What a grand idea!
"You don't have to be a person of influence to be influential. In fact the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me."-Scott Adams
Humans learn best by example. You can speak truth into their lives till your blue in the face from lack of oxygen, but a physical example of what or where they want to be is the best influencer. They are watching you! Remember the popular Nike campaign to "be like Mike?" It inferred if you bought their shoes you could bring your game to the level of Michael Jordan We love to emulate those we respect. How better to influence people than by living excellence? We don't have to be a certified counselor holding diplomas in mentoring and life coaching, just be an example and the rewards you reap from doing the things intentionally for excellence works just fine. If you grow as an individual in a positive direction, you create a vacuum for others to fill. Others will draft in your wake and be sucked toward the path of excellence you've laid before them. An example is a power method of teaching!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
"You don't have to be a person of influence to be influential. In fact the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me."-Scott Adams
Humans learn best by example. You can speak truth into their lives till your blue in the face from lack of oxygen, but a physical example of what or where they want to be is the best influencer. They are watching you! Remember the popular Nike campaign to "be like Mike?" It inferred if you bought their shoes you could bring your game to the level of Michael Jordan We love to emulate those we respect. How better to influence people than by living excellence? We don't have to be a certified counselor holding diplomas in mentoring and life coaching, just be an example and the rewards you reap from doing the things intentionally for excellence works just fine. If you grow as an individual in a positive direction, you create a vacuum for others to fill. Others will draft in your wake and be sucked toward the path of excellence you've laid before them. An example is a power method of teaching!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Friday, August 19, 2011
Where Is The Courage?
Okay, this one just bugs me. Rick Perry was out on the stump in New Hampshire, when a mother placed an elementary school child in front of him and used the child as a puppet in front of the camera. The mother fed the child her talking points, trying to call into question Mr. Perry's faith.
The first one was, " how old is the earth?" She didn't have to feed him that one he had it memorized, but when Mr. Perry told the child he didn't know, she fired questions through the child fast and furious. Her main issue was repeated over and over, "why don't you believe in science?"
First thing that bothers me is a parent using a child to parrot their opinions. Why not just ask the politician yourself, instead of putting an innocent child between you and the conflict your trying to create?
The second thing is Mr. Perry lack of courage. He answered the question like a politician, not a man of faith. It's important that we know what we believe and why we believe it. If you truly don't believe in evolution, say so. Personally I'd have told the young man that the Bible tells us the earth is about 6000 years old. Then I'd have informed his mother, that I certainly do believe in science, especially gravity because that can be proven, it's not a theory. Science didn't create the universe, so I choose to believe in my creator first. The wonderful thing about this country and what I am most thankful for is you can choose to believe in anything you like, and I am free to do so as well. If I liked your OPINION, I'd adapt it as my own, but for now it's safely yours.
Now exactly what point was that woman trying to make? Does she believe someone of faith isn't qualified to run this country? Isn't it a wonderful idea that one who believes in the Ten Commandments and the morality they insist upon, be one of the choices we have in the voting booth? They have a written mission statement, others...not so much.
The whole situation was flat out ugly. The mother didn't have the courage to ask her own questions and hid behind a child, and the politician didn't have the spine to state what he believes in.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Removing The "IF"
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read nor write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn!- Alvin Toffler
People go to the driving range everyday and rent a bucket of golf balls trying to perfect their golf swing. Dedicated baseball players hit hundreds of balls off the batting tee so when the game is on the line, their chances of hitting the sweet spot improve. Tennis players launch a plethora of balls over the net searching for that perfect serve. But what if those who work so hard are were taught the wrong technique? We can't improve anything in our lives with the wrong information! So, where does your input come from?
We live in the information age. While there is an abundance of it ever at our fingertips, of what quality is the input? We are defined by the information we receive, it's how we form our opinions and how our resulting actions are created. Honestly, it's the big "IF" in life.
What if....what if I showed you how to remove the "IF" from life? Then we'd be left with just L__E, no seriously. Imagine being capable of filtering all the garbage out and living a life of purpose aided by correct information and guided by a mentor who actually has success. A personal guru if you will, who has the fruit on the tree, giving you advice and information on which to base our decisions.
Welcome to "Living Intentionally For Excellence," or what we like to call L.I.F.E. LIFE is in it's pre-launch mode and set to begin 11/1/11. I can't relay to you the excitement this movement is causing already, it's very difficult to express the magnitude and the excitement this concept has generated. The thought of being able to remove the "IF" caused by incorrect information is a very popular idea. Success will no longer be defined by birthright or fate. Those who choose can write their own ticket, and remove doubt from the equation. It's no longer a Vegas lottery deciding who succeeds, and to what level they can attain. The decision has been place squarely in our hands.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
People go to the driving range everyday and rent a bucket of golf balls trying to perfect their golf swing. Dedicated baseball players hit hundreds of balls off the batting tee so when the game is on the line, their chances of hitting the sweet spot improve. Tennis players launch a plethora of balls over the net searching for that perfect serve. But what if those who work so hard are were taught the wrong technique? We can't improve anything in our lives with the wrong information! So, where does your input come from?
We live in the information age. While there is an abundance of it ever at our fingertips, of what quality is the input? We are defined by the information we receive, it's how we form our opinions and how our resulting actions are created. Honestly, it's the big "IF" in life.
What if....what if I showed you how to remove the "IF" from life? Then we'd be left with just L__E, no seriously. Imagine being capable of filtering all the garbage out and living a life of purpose aided by correct information and guided by a mentor who actually has success. A personal guru if you will, who has the fruit on the tree, giving you advice and information on which to base our decisions.
Welcome to "Living Intentionally For Excellence," or what we like to call L.I.F.E. LIFE is in it's pre-launch mode and set to begin 11/1/11. I can't relay to you the excitement this movement is causing already, it's very difficult to express the magnitude and the excitement this concept has generated. The thought of being able to remove the "IF" caused by incorrect information is a very popular idea. Success will no longer be defined by birthright or fate. Those who choose can write their own ticket, and remove doubt from the equation. It's no longer a Vegas lottery deciding who succeeds, and to what level they can attain. The decision has been place squarely in our hands.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Retirement Security
Back in FDR's administration people were sold a bill of goods called Social Security. The idea was an insurance like plan where you paid in during your working career and were paid back when you retired. It was a guaranteed income, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America.
"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both" - Ben Franklin
They put their savings in the hands of politicians to do what they could have easily done themselves,( save for retirement), and are now angry because Washington has squandered their money. The job of government is to do for people what they are not capable of doing themselves. The government forces you to put side 7.5% of your income because people are not disciplined enough to do that by themselves. Which brings to mind another saying.
You can either discipline yourself, or have someone else do it for you. If you feel it's an invasion of your freedom to have the federal government dictate the amount of income you'll have to spend during your retirement, and be at the whim of the economy and political policy as to how that income is adjusted, then perhaps you'd do well to provide for your own retirement income.
Harsh words, or sound advice? Social Security is in direct violation of the principles this nation was founded upon. Who among us is surprised it's not a sustainable program? When you wander astray from your mission statement, it's not unusual to find failure.
Don't allow the government to fool you into thinking they will, "take care of you." Or there is a wonderful chance they will, and not in the manner your accustom to.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both" - Ben Franklin
They put their savings in the hands of politicians to do what they could have easily done themselves,( save for retirement), and are now angry because Washington has squandered their money. The job of government is to do for people what they are not capable of doing themselves. The government forces you to put side 7.5% of your income because people are not disciplined enough to do that by themselves. Which brings to mind another saying.
You can either discipline yourself, or have someone else do it for you. If you feel it's an invasion of your freedom to have the federal government dictate the amount of income you'll have to spend during your retirement, and be at the whim of the economy and political policy as to how that income is adjusted, then perhaps you'd do well to provide for your own retirement income.
Harsh words, or sound advice? Social Security is in direct violation of the principles this nation was founded upon. Who among us is surprised it's not a sustainable program? When you wander astray from your mission statement, it's not unusual to find failure.
Don't allow the government to fool you into thinking they will, "take care of you." Or there is a wonderful chance they will, and not in the manner your accustom to.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Same Message...Different Source!
The Native American nation has always had a history of understanding life through the eyes of their elders. They actually took advice from those who had experience, or as we've heard before, those with "fruit on the tree." I'd like to introduce you to Barney Bush, Shawnee.
Barney Bush was born in Illinois in 1946. After completing high school, Bush hitchhiked across the United States for several years. He graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 1972 with degrees in Art and History. He became involved in the American Indian Movement, and helped to establish the Institute of the Southern Plains, a Cheyenne Indian School in Oklahoma. In 1980 he earned a Master's degree in English and Fine Arts from the University of Idaho. He is a poet and author, and also performs and records his own music, and has taught creative writing at the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Barney has a series of writings where he imparts the wisdom of the elders, here are a couple of examples you might enjoy...
The Creator told everyone of us in our tribal beginnings to look after our ceremonies, and each other."
--Barney Bush, SHAWNEE
Our ceremonies are important and each has a purpose. They teach us about the Creator and about each other. The ceremonies teach us to be humble and teach us to pray. They teach us to look inside ourselves. We should remember to pray each morning. Ask the Creator to guide our thinking. Think only good thoughts. Think good thoughts about our relatives and about our brothers and sisters. Pray for our children in ceremony. Give thanks to the Great Mystery of life. All life is sacred. Pray in a sacred way.
Oh Great Spirit, I come to You this morning in ceremony. I come to this sacred place to talk to You. I thank You for Your guidance and protection. Give me Your eyes today so I may see the beauty in all things
Not only did the elders speak on spiritual matters, they also understood the power of a dream....
Praying to seek a vision, to seek truth is always right. Truth builds upon itself - as the true mark of a warrior who conducts himself/herself accordingly - so that its beauty may shine in the faces of our children." --Barney Bush, SHAWNEE
We move toward and become like that which we think about. What we think about creates our vision. If our thoughts are wise and good, then our vision becomes strong and truthful. If our thoughts are junk, then our vision becomes contaminated. It's important to be aware of what we are thinking about. As I live my vision, my children watch and live their lives the same way. We need to live the walk of the Warrior. We need to walk in beauty and respect.
Oh Great Spirit, give me a vision for today. Let me see truth. Let me walk in beauty. Let my heart guide me in truth. The law says the truth shall set you free. Let me be free today.
Isn't it interesting the same message is passed down to us from many different sources? Looks like the culture doesn't matter, the path to success is the same.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Mentoring
Leadership
Barney Bush was born in Illinois in 1946. After completing high school, Bush hitchhiked across the United States for several years. He graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 1972 with degrees in Art and History. He became involved in the American Indian Movement, and helped to establish the Institute of the Southern Plains, a Cheyenne Indian School in Oklahoma. In 1980 he earned a Master's degree in English and Fine Arts from the University of Idaho. He is a poet and author, and also performs and records his own music, and has taught creative writing at the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Barney has a series of writings where he imparts the wisdom of the elders, here are a couple of examples you might enjoy...
The Creator told everyone of us in our tribal beginnings to look after our ceremonies, and each other."
--Barney Bush, SHAWNEE
Our ceremonies are important and each has a purpose. They teach us about the Creator and about each other. The ceremonies teach us to be humble and teach us to pray. They teach us to look inside ourselves. We should remember to pray each morning. Ask the Creator to guide our thinking. Think only good thoughts. Think good thoughts about our relatives and about our brothers and sisters. Pray for our children in ceremony. Give thanks to the Great Mystery of life. All life is sacred. Pray in a sacred way.
Oh Great Spirit, I come to You this morning in ceremony. I come to this sacred place to talk to You. I thank You for Your guidance and protection. Give me Your eyes today so I may see the beauty in all things
Not only did the elders speak on spiritual matters, they also understood the power of a dream....
Praying to seek a vision, to seek truth is always right. Truth builds upon itself - as the true mark of a warrior who conducts himself/herself accordingly - so that its beauty may shine in the faces of our children." --Barney Bush, SHAWNEE
We move toward and become like that which we think about. What we think about creates our vision. If our thoughts are wise and good, then our vision becomes strong and truthful. If our thoughts are junk, then our vision becomes contaminated. It's important to be aware of what we are thinking about. As I live my vision, my children watch and live their lives the same way. We need to live the walk of the Warrior. We need to walk in beauty and respect.
Oh Great Spirit, give me a vision for today. Let me see truth. Let me walk in beauty. Let my heart guide me in truth. The law says the truth shall set you free. Let me be free today.
Isn't it interesting the same message is passed down to us from many different sources? Looks like the culture doesn't matter, the path to success is the same.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Mentoring
Leadership
Monday, August 15, 2011
Paul Sets It Straight!
I've made it a habit to begin each day with a reading from the Bible. One from the Old Testament and another from the New, and I've been told that you really don't begin to grasp what's being said till your on your second or third trip through. You know it's the truth, just like any read or movie you get more out of it, and pick up things you missed the first time with repeated review.
So I was scanning The Letter of Paul To The Galatians and came across something that holds timeless value. "If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?"- The Letter of Paul To The Galatians 1:9-10
What a great question! How many "men of God" in today's society are teaching a perverted message to gain their agenda? It's not just the Bible this question applies to; what of those of other faiths that have altered the text to promote man's agenda? Radical Islam and those who preach the race centered reparation text come immediately to mind. It's not only a sin against our Creator, but a sin against society to abuse people who believe and follow the teaching of a higher power. Those who preach a perverted tongue are easily identified by their words. Do they first seek to do no harm, and hold true to the golden rule? Are they preaching to love one another as you do yourself? Those in my mind, are the qualifiers of the truth.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
So I was scanning The Letter of Paul To The Galatians and came across something that holds timeless value. "If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?"- The Letter of Paul To The Galatians 1:9-10
What a great question! How many "men of God" in today's society are teaching a perverted message to gain their agenda? It's not just the Bible this question applies to; what of those of other faiths that have altered the text to promote man's agenda? Radical Islam and those who preach the race centered reparation text come immediately to mind. It's not only a sin against our Creator, but a sin against society to abuse people who believe and follow the teaching of a higher power. Those who preach a perverted tongue are easily identified by their words. Do they first seek to do no harm, and hold true to the golden rule? Are they preaching to love one another as you do yourself? Those in my mind, are the qualifiers of the truth.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Educators Of Old!
American glory begins to dawn at a favourable period, and under flattering circumstances. We have the experience of the whole world before our eyes...It is the business of Americans to select the wisdom of all nations, as the basis of her constitutions—to avoid their errours, —to prevent the introduction of foreign vices and corruptions and check the career of her own, —to promote virtue and patriotism, —to embellish and improve the sciences, —to diffuse an uniformity and purity of Language,—to add superiour dignity to this infant Empire and to human nature. -Noah Webster
More successfully than any other, Noah Webster, of West Hartford, Connecticut, provided tools—spellers, grammars, and dictionaries—essential to a nation digesting dialects and regionalisms into a more or less national literate voice, and he made a fortune doing it.
This is how America's youth used to be taught in school. It all hinged on Webster's "blue-backed" speller. Public school teachers used to teach a pragmatic curriculum of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Not so much today. In fact I challenge you to find more than a handful of teachers that show the dedication of the first paragraph, that is above and beyond their loyalty to their union. To those who live the dedication of teaching our youth above all else, God bless you! To the remainder, I pray you find your true calling.
Here is a last thought on the education of our youth from a man who found his calling.
"The strictest attention will be paid to the studies, the manners and the morals of youth..." He signed himself, "the public's very humble servant."-Noah Webster
Words to teach by............
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
More successfully than any other, Noah Webster, of West Hartford, Connecticut, provided tools—spellers, grammars, and dictionaries—essential to a nation digesting dialects and regionalisms into a more or less national literate voice, and he made a fortune doing it.
This is how America's youth used to be taught in school. It all hinged on Webster's "blue-backed" speller. Public school teachers used to teach a pragmatic curriculum of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Not so much today. In fact I challenge you to find more than a handful of teachers that show the dedication of the first paragraph, that is above and beyond their loyalty to their union. To those who live the dedication of teaching our youth above all else, God bless you! To the remainder, I pray you find your true calling.
Here is a last thought on the education of our youth from a man who found his calling.
"The strictest attention will be paid to the studies, the manners and the morals of youth..." He signed himself, "the public's very humble servant."-Noah Webster
Words to teach by............
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Saturday, August 13, 2011
How Does Financial Peace Sound?
After losing many battles to Web behemoth Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT) finally won one. On Oct. 24, the software giant prevailed in its bid for a stake in the social network Facebook. Microsoft agreed to buy a $240 million piece of the company in a transaction that values Facebook at $15 billion.
So what does Facebook do? Why it builds communities of people! What is the produce it offers? Great question! A place to vent?
How would you like to be in on the ground floor of a company that concentrates on building communities and has a return like that? As luck would have it, that opportunity has risen. I'll let Orrin Woodard, the #7 leadership guru in the world and top community builder, explain the concept.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q3vp4wupXVM
Now, we are going to build this operation to a million people and beyond in the next five years. Can you imagine what your piece of this start up will be worth in that short time period? Here's the best part, effective 11/1/2011 it'll start to pay you dividends in proportion to your effort to increase the community size. This is like giving Bill Gates a couple of hundred dollars for a piece of his start up company Microsoft. Can you afford to miss out on an opportunity like this? For the price of a couple of tanks of gas, you can secure your, and your family's financial future.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
So what does Facebook do? Why it builds communities of people! What is the produce it offers? Great question! A place to vent?
How would you like to be in on the ground floor of a company that concentrates on building communities and has a return like that? As luck would have it, that opportunity has risen. I'll let Orrin Woodard, the #7 leadership guru in the world and top community builder, explain the concept.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q3vp4wupXVM
Now, we are going to build this operation to a million people and beyond in the next five years. Can you imagine what your piece of this start up will be worth in that short time period? Here's the best part, effective 11/1/2011 it'll start to pay you dividends in proportion to your effort to increase the community size. This is like giving Bill Gates a couple of hundred dollars for a piece of his start up company Microsoft. Can you afford to miss out on an opportunity like this? For the price of a couple of tanks of gas, you can secure your, and your family's financial future.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Dumbing Down Of American Youth
Teaching has traditionally been dominated by women. A hundred years ago , it was one of the few jobs available to women that didn't involve cooking, cleaning, or menial labor. Nursing was another profession, but teaching was held as a more prominent position back then. During that time period nearly 6% of the female work force were teachers, where women working as laborers 19%, or as servants 16%, or as laundresses 6.5% rounded out the work force. As of 1940, 55% of all college educated female workers in their early thirties were employed as teachers. Now be mindful that a woman working outside the home was not the normal situation, most were housewives and stay at home mothers. All that was soon to change!
Enter the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They were key factors in a societal shift that opened the door for the multiplication of opportunities for women. The day of the stay at home mom and full time housekeeper were numbered! More women went off to college and more women enter the work force. They started to take their place in more prominent positions of employment that used to be define as a male only club: law, medicine, business, finance, etc. (One of the unsung heroes of this revolution was the widespread use of baby formula, which allowed new mothers to get right back to work).
You might beginning to wonder where I'm going with this! Read on...
These demanding, competitive professions offered higher wages and attracted the brightest and best of the best women available. No longer was the female work force corralled into only menial labor, nursing or teaching employment. Our stockpile of teaching talent has now aspired to higher calling, well, higher paying callings. And as my high school physics (female) teacher taught me, for every action there is an equal reaction, at least that what I remember of that law.
Suddenly all of those educated women who might have chosen a position education our youth had other options. Consequence? The schoolteacher corps experienced a brain drain. In 1960 about 405 of female teachers scored in the top quintile of IQ, and other aptitude tests. A mere twenty years later (circa 1980), fewer than 20% were in the top quintile, with more than twice as many in the bottom. Here's another contributing factor, teachers wages have fallen significantly in relation to those other jobs. "The quality of teachers has been declining for decades," the chancellor of New York City's public schools declared in 2000, "and no one wants to talk about it."
Now it's not such a mystery why children of late suffer from a lack of a quality education. Despite the introduction of the computer and the dawn of the information age, the youth of today have to attain a college education to reach the level of education just a few decades ago was considered competency in a high school graduate. As you dumb down the elementary education, it falls in line higher education suffers as well.
Try this...Ask a child to write you something in cursive. Quiz them on the most commonly known history facts, the ones you had drilled into you as a youth. Lay out for them a math problem you were expected to solve at their grade level. After they disappoint you with the results, tell them to pull their pants up to their waist, get a belt, quit spending so much time playing video games and on the computer, and go read a good book.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Mentoring
Community
Enter the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They were key factors in a societal shift that opened the door for the multiplication of opportunities for women. The day of the stay at home mom and full time housekeeper were numbered! More women went off to college and more women enter the work force. They started to take their place in more prominent positions of employment that used to be define as a male only club: law, medicine, business, finance, etc. (One of the unsung heroes of this revolution was the widespread use of baby formula, which allowed new mothers to get right back to work).
You might beginning to wonder where I'm going with this! Read on...
These demanding, competitive professions offered higher wages and attracted the brightest and best of the best women available. No longer was the female work force corralled into only menial labor, nursing or teaching employment. Our stockpile of teaching talent has now aspired to higher calling, well, higher paying callings. And as my high school physics (female) teacher taught me, for every action there is an equal reaction, at least that what I remember of that law.
Suddenly all of those educated women who might have chosen a position education our youth had other options. Consequence? The schoolteacher corps experienced a brain drain. In 1960 about 405 of female teachers scored in the top quintile of IQ, and other aptitude tests. A mere twenty years later (circa 1980), fewer than 20% were in the top quintile, with more than twice as many in the bottom. Here's another contributing factor, teachers wages have fallen significantly in relation to those other jobs. "The quality of teachers has been declining for decades," the chancellor of New York City's public schools declared in 2000, "and no one wants to talk about it."
Now it's not such a mystery why children of late suffer from a lack of a quality education. Despite the introduction of the computer and the dawn of the information age, the youth of today have to attain a college education to reach the level of education just a few decades ago was considered competency in a high school graduate. As you dumb down the elementary education, it falls in line higher education suffers as well.
Try this...Ask a child to write you something in cursive. Quiz them on the most commonly known history facts, the ones you had drilled into you as a youth. Lay out for them a math problem you were expected to solve at their grade level. After they disappoint you with the results, tell them to pull their pants up to their waist, get a belt, quit spending so much time playing video games and on the computer, and go read a good book.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Mentoring
Community
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wealth Principles!
I was rereading, "The Richest Man in Babylon," and I thought it might be a great idea to remind everyone of the "five laws of gold," of which I'll substitute wealth for gold to make it current.
1) Wealth comes gladly and in increasing quantities to any man who will put on tenth of his earnings to create and estate for his future and that of his family.
2) Wealth works diligently and contently for the wise owner who finds it profitable employment, multiplying and compounding for it's owner.
3) Wealth clings to the protection of the cautious owner, who invests it under the advice of those who have the fruit on the tree.
4) Wealth slips away from the man who invests it in business or purposes that he knows little or nothing of, or which are not approved by those skilled in keeping wealth.
5) Wealth flees from the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who follow the advice of tricksters and schemers or would trust it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.
Great words to live by!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
1) Wealth comes gladly and in increasing quantities to any man who will put on tenth of his earnings to create and estate for his future and that of his family.
2) Wealth works diligently and contently for the wise owner who finds it profitable employment, multiplying and compounding for it's owner.
3) Wealth clings to the protection of the cautious owner, who invests it under the advice of those who have the fruit on the tree.
4) Wealth slips away from the man who invests it in business or purposes that he knows little or nothing of, or which are not approved by those skilled in keeping wealth.
5) Wealth flees from the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who follow the advice of tricksters and schemers or would trust it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.
Great words to live by!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Facebook Driven Propaganda
And the propaganda begins. It wasn't enough to run a commercial having a Paul Ryan look alike push Grandma off the cliff in a wheelchair, now the liberal faction has invaded Facebook with their lies. Here's what they are having unsuspecting seniors post......
Entitlement my ass. I paid for my Social Security Insurance! Our benefits aren't some kind of charity or handout! Congressional benefits - free health care, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days - now THAT'S welfare. And Congress has the nerve to call my retirement an Entitlement? Re-post if you are sick of their crap, and ashamed of our "leaders
First thing they do is try to make current recipients of this benefit believe they are going to alter the income they are currently receiving. Not true! There isn't a plan out there that alters any current benefits, those are "Grand fathered" in. No one over the age of 55 is affected by any of the plans to save, (note I said save) Social security. Now there has been a bit of income altering for seniors recently, but I've not seen any propaganda to announce any of that. The Social Security crowd didn't get a cost of living increase this year as they have in the past. The current administration has held inflation to nil, and those increases are tied to inflation rates. I think we all noticed the dip in the stock market driven by the debt Washington has accumulated. Where is the outcry for the loss of all those retirement plans that lost 10% of their value in one day because of runaway debt? The seniors took the biggest hit, all those IRA's and 401K's lost value. It was an adjustment in lifestyle forced on the population because Washington fails to address the debt. Would you rather discipline yourself and make the reforms in Social Security that it needs to survive, or have a stock market crash do it for you? You can control the reforms, you can't control how far the stock market falls.
Now they also play on the emotions of the proud seniors by linking Social Security to welfare and food stamps labeling it an entitlement. The liberals are trying to purposely stir up the senior mob by playing on their pride. Let's look at the definition of the word entitlement....
An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation.
Sounds like Social Security to me. They have a right to that money, as they paid into the system; a system created by legislation! Yet the liberals are trying to fire up the seniors by making Social Security look like a handout, which it is not. All done to paint the conservative movement as the demons, because they want to take the steps to conserve the program. Allowing it to run amok as it is will have a disastrous end, no money, no checks. So again, we can discipline ourselves, or allow outside factors to discipline us outside of our control. The choice is yours America, and it begins when you vote.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Community
Mentoring
Entitlement my ass. I paid for my Social Security Insurance! Our benefits aren't some kind of charity or handout! Congressional benefits - free health care, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days - now THAT'S welfare. And Congress has the nerve to call my retirement an Entitlement? Re-post if you are sick of their crap, and ashamed of our "leaders
First thing they do is try to make current recipients of this benefit believe they are going to alter the income they are currently receiving. Not true! There isn't a plan out there that alters any current benefits, those are "Grand fathered" in. No one over the age of 55 is affected by any of the plans to save, (note I said save) Social security. Now there has been a bit of income altering for seniors recently, but I've not seen any propaganda to announce any of that. The Social Security crowd didn't get a cost of living increase this year as they have in the past. The current administration has held inflation to nil, and those increases are tied to inflation rates. I think we all noticed the dip in the stock market driven by the debt Washington has accumulated. Where is the outcry for the loss of all those retirement plans that lost 10% of their value in one day because of runaway debt? The seniors took the biggest hit, all those IRA's and 401K's lost value. It was an adjustment in lifestyle forced on the population because Washington fails to address the debt. Would you rather discipline yourself and make the reforms in Social Security that it needs to survive, or have a stock market crash do it for you? You can control the reforms, you can't control how far the stock market falls.
Now they also play on the emotions of the proud seniors by linking Social Security to welfare and food stamps labeling it an entitlement. The liberals are trying to purposely stir up the senior mob by playing on their pride. Let's look at the definition of the word entitlement....
An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation.
Sounds like Social Security to me. They have a right to that money, as they paid into the system; a system created by legislation! Yet the liberals are trying to fire up the seniors by making Social Security look like a handout, which it is not. All done to paint the conservative movement as the demons, because they want to take the steps to conserve the program. Allowing it to run amok as it is will have a disastrous end, no money, no checks. So again, we can discipline ourselves, or allow outside factors to discipline us outside of our control. The choice is yours America, and it begins when you vote.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Community
Mentoring
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Leadership 101
When leadership is absent it's very apparent.
"Never Whine,Complain or make Excuses! When you make excuses you are a dead leader. " Orrin Woodward
Let's do a little civics lesson, either most of America was absent the day they taught this, or the teacher didn't relay the information. Budgets do not come from the White House, and for the last few years they haven't come from Congress either, but they should come from Congress as mandated by the Constitution. The party that has controlled all of Congress from 2007 has been the Democrats. They have had complete control over fiscal year 2007 through 2011, the 2012 budget will be on the backs of the newly elected Republican House of Representatives. Note; it still has to get through the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats, and the White House, again a Democrat stronghold. Our current President prior to his election to the highest office was a voting member of the Senate. As soon as the liberals got control of the House, Senate, and the Oval Office the deficit grew from just over $400 billion to a whopping $1.85 trillion (2009) and have continued this fiscal policy of trillion dollar plus deficits ever since.
If our current President inherited anything, as he is fond of assigning blame, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, Obama inherited the deficit he voted for then he signed into legislation fiscal policies that expanded that deficit four fold since January 20th when he took office.
Now this is Bush's, God's, Standard and Poor's, Arab Spring, and the weather's fault. Did I miss anyone? I'm sure it was Orrin who told me, "leaders accept responsibility." Leaders find solutions, leaders handle conflict resolution, leaders get people who disagree to work in harmony. Leaders do not pass the blame.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
"Never Whine,Complain or make Excuses! When you make excuses you are a dead leader. " Orrin Woodward
Let's do a little civics lesson, either most of America was absent the day they taught this, or the teacher didn't relay the information. Budgets do not come from the White House, and for the last few years they haven't come from Congress either, but they should come from Congress as mandated by the Constitution. The party that has controlled all of Congress from 2007 has been the Democrats. They have had complete control over fiscal year 2007 through 2011, the 2012 budget will be on the backs of the newly elected Republican House of Representatives. Note; it still has to get through the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats, and the White House, again a Democrat stronghold. Our current President prior to his election to the highest office was a voting member of the Senate. As soon as the liberals got control of the House, Senate, and the Oval Office the deficit grew from just over $400 billion to a whopping $1.85 trillion (2009) and have continued this fiscal policy of trillion dollar plus deficits ever since.
If our current President inherited anything, as he is fond of assigning blame, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, Obama inherited the deficit he voted for then he signed into legislation fiscal policies that expanded that deficit four fold since January 20th when he took office.
Now this is Bush's, God's, Standard and Poor's, Arab Spring, and the weather's fault. Did I miss anyone? I'm sure it was Orrin who told me, "leaders accept responsibility." Leaders find solutions, leaders handle conflict resolution, leaders get people who disagree to work in harmony. Leaders do not pass the blame.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Monday, August 8, 2011
Keeping Your Income!
Since we've all been told there is a possibility of a credit rate interest hike, I think it's time we addressed a credit issue I found myself in a discussion over. I had noted that it was a stellar idea to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible, that extra income could work marvels for one's financial outlook, when I was attacked by the committee of "they." I'm sure you've heard of them, that anonymous group that has no fruit on the tree to offer as evidence "they" have a clue about the opinions "they" offer. It seems that "they" have opined to the world that the tax implications of having a mortgage far outweighs the interest penalty folks pay for the privilege of borrowing money to own a home. This is absolute stinking financial thinking, let me show you why.....
First of all these numbers are fictitious but represent factual formulas. Let's say Bob, (again a fictitious individual), earns an income of $100,000.00 per year, and he is federally taxed at 35%. His tax burden for the year prior to deductions is $35,000.00. So Bob needs a place to live and obtains a mortgage that requires he pay $500.00 per month in interest, or $6000.00 a year. His tax burden isn't lowered by the $6000.00 per year, it's deducted from his gross income, then taxed. So his taxable income goes from $100,000.00 per year to $94,000.00 per year. Hence the taxes he pays goes from $35,000.00 per year to $32,900.00 per year. He paided the bank $6000.00 to get a return of $2100.00 from the I.R.S. If Bob had paid off the house he'd have an additional $3900.00 per year in his pocket. Write offs are not sound financial policies. While it's nice to have Uncle Sam send you a refund check, it's your money he took in the first place, and your only getting a portion back.
Here's another example...
Say your annual income was around $70,000.00. To erase all of your tax liabilities and get a refund check of approximately $7600.00 back, you'd have to spend $25,000.00 in taxable write-offs. Let's do the math $25,000.00 is greater than $7600.00, ($25,000.00>$7600.00). Those "tax write-offs" "they" say you need to combat the I.R.S. are actually better off as income in your pocket. It's a game you cannot win, the above individual is sacrificing $17,400.00 that could be cash in pocket.. Not to say you shouldn't use all of the legitimate deductions you can amass from everyday spending, but using a mortgage to cut tax liabilities, is throwing spendable income away. Pay off debt as quickly as possible, and avoid listening to anonymous financial advice.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Prosperity As A Nation!
Our prosperity as a nation depends upon the personal financial prosperity of each of us as individuals. Despite what Nancy Pelosi tried to feed the nation when she proclaimed every dollar of welfare and unemployment payment produced two dollars of economic prosperity, our nation has achieved it's much envied wealth by the financial success of the individual. Personal financial freedom is the key, and learning to manage your income is a prerequisite to success. Our financial success as a nation has led some of us to a "here today gone tomorrow," attitude, and frankly the nation's economy is reflecting that. We've had our credit downgraded for exactly that reason. America is the wealthiest nation of the last two hundred years, because we are the richest people of that time. Not because we collected entitlements. There was a time when we truly appreciated the value of money, used sound financial principles, saved money, and made our money work for us. We practiced fiscal slavery, creating incomes for the future and our heirs. Now our government seeks to steal money from those who earned it, and redistribute it so those who lack ambition can spend it recklessly, in hopes of "stimulating" the economy.
Let me remind us all how fiscally responsible citizens act. First make your wallet grow. Deciphered...earn an income! Second, control your expenditures, or understand where every penny you spend goes and for what! Third, make your money multiply, safely invest to make our money your slave. Make it work, and any of it's offspring work for you. Fourth, guard your income from loss. Fifth, own your own home. Don't pay rent throwing money out the window, gain equity. Sixth, insure a future income. and finally increase your ability to earn, or as I like to say, "never stop learning!"
Would someone forward these sound financial principles to Washington?
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Let me remind us all how fiscally responsible citizens act. First make your wallet grow. Deciphered...earn an income! Second, control your expenditures, or understand where every penny you spend goes and for what! Third, make your money multiply, safely invest to make our money your slave. Make it work, and any of it's offspring work for you. Fourth, guard your income from loss. Fifth, own your own home. Don't pay rent throwing money out the window, gain equity. Sixth, insure a future income. and finally increase your ability to earn, or as I like to say, "never stop learning!"
Would someone forward these sound financial principles to Washington?
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Leadership And Math!
Has anyone else wondered if they teach math at Harvard, Columbia, or any of those elite learning institutions? They seem to do an outstanding job of instructing their students on how to confuse people with less than truthful statements, but basic math skills are absent. I can't tell you how many times in the past two years I've heard the phrase, "most economists will tell you...." Apparently some of those economists have jumped ship, at least those at Standard and Poors. The math of running a deficit has caught up with our country. Since Congress and this administration refused to rip up our national credit card, the issuing agency has decided to make it difficult to carry on this reckless behavior. I hope this didn't catch anyone of you by surprise, like it did our fearless leaders(?).
Here's the funny part, well if there is one. Washington is crying foul, claiming that S&P made a 2 trillion dollar accounting error. The same people who can't figure out that tax income of $2.4 trillion is way less than government spending of $3.7 trillion. It escapes their reasoning why this formula could possibly lead to trouble. Yet these financial geniuses are calling out S&P's math.
Not all of them are completely inept. Some of them jumped ship when they saw the water was up over their chests, at least they were taught survival instincts. The scary part is they retreated into the anonymity of teaching these principles to our youth back at those same institutions of higher learning I mentioned above. It's almost poetic justice, (not to be confused with social justice), that President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Timothy Geithner are left to hold the bag and blaming George Bush.
Now how do we fix this. Let me use some of the math Sister Janice beat into my head way back in 6th and 7th grade, what is know as grade school. A balanced budget amendment in concert with a federal spending cap tied to GDP so they cannot tax us out of prosperity. Bingo! Instant restoration of our AAA credit rating. Math not being the only problem Washington faces, we need some leadership. It's so apparent in life when leadership is absent! If your tired of waiting around for politicians to fix this, and tired of waiting for them to grasp solutions lying right in front of their nose, please investigate TEAM leadership development, and specifically, L.I.F.E., (Living Intentionally For Excellence). It's a crash course in living the principles that made this nation great.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Here's the funny part, well if there is one. Washington is crying foul, claiming that S&P made a 2 trillion dollar accounting error. The same people who can't figure out that tax income of $2.4 trillion is way less than government spending of $3.7 trillion. It escapes their reasoning why this formula could possibly lead to trouble. Yet these financial geniuses are calling out S&P's math.
Not all of them are completely inept. Some of them jumped ship when they saw the water was up over their chests, at least they were taught survival instincts. The scary part is they retreated into the anonymity of teaching these principles to our youth back at those same institutions of higher learning I mentioned above. It's almost poetic justice, (not to be confused with social justice), that President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Timothy Geithner are left to hold the bag and blaming George Bush.
Now how do we fix this. Let me use some of the math Sister Janice beat into my head way back in 6th and 7th grade, what is know as grade school. A balanced budget amendment in concert with a federal spending cap tied to GDP so they cannot tax us out of prosperity. Bingo! Instant restoration of our AAA credit rating. Math not being the only problem Washington faces, we need some leadership. It's so apparent in life when leadership is absent! If your tired of waiting around for politicians to fix this, and tired of waiting for them to grasp solutions lying right in front of their nose, please investigate TEAM leadership development, and specifically, L.I.F.E., (Living Intentionally For Excellence). It's a crash course in living the principles that made this nation great.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Friday, August 5, 2011
Say A Prayer!
Living intentionally for excellence demands that we set the example. As leaders, it's important we strive to be the best we can in all of the "eight F's." Leadership is defined as influence, and while we promote living intentionally for excellence, (L.I.F.E.), our influence will be expanded through the laws of attraction. People will want the peace L.I.F.E. brings while striving to excel in all areas. It's natural for them to gravitate toward the comfort of having control over every situation. Because once we realize that things are going to happen and the only thing we do control is our attitude while dealing with them, we begin to understand that our destiny is something we contribute to. It's a great feeling to grasp that life is not a series of random events, and we are not like a ship without a rudder; we do have a say in the outcome.
There are going to be detractors, nothing good comes without critics. If you Google God it only take three web sites before you find a negative, nothing is exempt. L.I.F.E. will also have it's naysayers. I'm certain there are individuals right now designing or contributing to web sites that will try to punch holes in our efforts. Is that really putting your efforts toward excellence? One would have to wonder what their motives are? Who wouldn't want to live a better life? When the negative does surface it's because we've drawn our share of attention, we are making an impact! Every great leader has attracted his or her share of critics. We will be in some excellent company, God, Jesus, George Washington, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few, all continue to share negative assaults.
So I've chosen to be the example they are not. I'll hit my knees and pray those special individuals someday understand they contribute nothing to society. When you lower yourself to argue with those of hidden intelligence, haven't you in fact joined their ranks? Rise above and continue the great work we were handed to do. Eventually they'll see that they are living the definition of insanity. In the mean time, keep them in your prayers.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Community
Leadership
There are going to be detractors, nothing good comes without critics. If you Google God it only take three web sites before you find a negative, nothing is exempt. L.I.F.E. will also have it's naysayers. I'm certain there are individuals right now designing or contributing to web sites that will try to punch holes in our efforts. Is that really putting your efforts toward excellence? One would have to wonder what their motives are? Who wouldn't want to live a better life? When the negative does surface it's because we've drawn our share of attention, we are making an impact! Every great leader has attracted his or her share of critics. We will be in some excellent company, God, Jesus, George Washington, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few, all continue to share negative assaults.
So I've chosen to be the example they are not. I'll hit my knees and pray those special individuals someday understand they contribute nothing to society. When you lower yourself to argue with those of hidden intelligence, haven't you in fact joined their ranks? Rise above and continue the great work we were handed to do. Eventually they'll see that they are living the definition of insanity. In the mean time, keep them in your prayers.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Leadership
Community
Leadership
Thursday, August 4, 2011
You Have to Have Faith!
"History tells us, that from the moment when moral forces on which a civilization rested have lost their strength, it's final dissolution is brought about by those unconscious and brutal crowds known, justifiably enough as barbarians.-Gustave LeBon
You cannot complain about a mother who walks from a jury of her peers a free woman, after the death of her child, with the evidence pointing strongly toward her as the killer, and in the next breath condemn the posting of; "Thou shalt not kill," in public.
How can one complain about a politician who fathers a child with a woman other than his wife, yet deny the teaching of "Thou shalt not commit adultery, " to our children in school?
One would be foolish to announce anything but man is flawed; we are all sinners. But in order to keep ourselves from returning to a barbaric society, we need reminders of our moral compass. It's natural for us to stumble and fall, especially if the Ten Commandments are hidden from view. Are there not stop signs placed at corners we travel daily in our vehicles, to remind us not to forge ahead without looking?
Flash mobs of out of control youth, break into businesses and flee with goods that are stolen with blatant disregard of the law, yet there is nothing presented to them in their government controlled education to enforce, "Thou shalt not steal."
Where does the responsibility lie, and who's agenda are we fulfilling when we fail to instill and reinforce a moral compass in our society? Aren't we in fact protecting the very demon the Ten Commandments were written to foil? Satan hides behind the shield in this country of separation of church and state, and the perversion of the establishment clause. Isn't that what he does best? He was the original creator of "spin," the twisting of the truth to rationalize a cause. Remember that the next time a politician stands before you and bends the truth to fit their agenda. God had an answer to that too; "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." You see just like our Constitution, the Ten Commandments is also a document of negative liberties. Isn't it interesting those who abhor one, also abhor the other? News flash....neither is a living document subject to changing times. They are both extremely concise and pertinent.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
You cannot complain about a mother who walks from a jury of her peers a free woman, after the death of her child, with the evidence pointing strongly toward her as the killer, and in the next breath condemn the posting of; "Thou shalt not kill," in public.
How can one complain about a politician who fathers a child with a woman other than his wife, yet deny the teaching of "Thou shalt not commit adultery, " to our children in school?
One would be foolish to announce anything but man is flawed; we are all sinners. But in order to keep ourselves from returning to a barbaric society, we need reminders of our moral compass. It's natural for us to stumble and fall, especially if the Ten Commandments are hidden from view. Are there not stop signs placed at corners we travel daily in our vehicles, to remind us not to forge ahead without looking?
Flash mobs of out of control youth, break into businesses and flee with goods that are stolen with blatant disregard of the law, yet there is nothing presented to them in their government controlled education to enforce, "Thou shalt not steal."
Where does the responsibility lie, and who's agenda are we fulfilling when we fail to instill and reinforce a moral compass in our society? Aren't we in fact protecting the very demon the Ten Commandments were written to foil? Satan hides behind the shield in this country of separation of church and state, and the perversion of the establishment clause. Isn't that what he does best? He was the original creator of "spin," the twisting of the truth to rationalize a cause. Remember that the next time a politician stands before you and bends the truth to fit their agenda. God had an answer to that too; "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." You see just like our Constitution, the Ten Commandments is also a document of negative liberties. Isn't it interesting those who abhor one, also abhor the other? News flash....neither is a living document subject to changing times. They are both extremely concise and pertinent.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Community
Leadership
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Principles Never Change!
Once again I have to credit Milton Friedman for today's wisdom. I feel it's important that everyone understand these principles of economic, first because they have worked historically, and secondly because when it comes to our government, the people who enjoy an informational advantage have a tendency to exploit those who don't. Even if that information appears to be fraudulent or skewed. So here's a short tidbit of economic wisdom, not long enough to bore you, but interesting enough to put some ammo in your pouch. After all, information applied is power.
" In fiscal policy as in monetary policy, all political considerations aside, we simply do not know enough to be able to use deliberate changes in taxation or expenditures as a sensitive destabilizing mechanism." (You have to love a guy who starts out humbly). "In the process of trying to do so, we almost surely make matters worse." ( Would someone notify Washington of this). " We make matters worse not by being consistently perverse- that would be easily solved by simply doing the complete opposite of what seemed at first the thing to do. We make matters worse by introducing a largely random disturbance that is simply added to other disturbances."
I think what he's saying here is to quit micro managing the economy. Whatever fluctuations there are work themselves out. Specifically, it's against common sense economic policy to try to stimulate an economy that'll right itself if just left alone, as we'll find in this next text.
"What we need is not a skillful monetary driver of the economic vehicle continuously turning the steering wheel to adjust to the unexpected irregularities of the route." (Quick note, this is how the car got into the proverbial ditch Obama is always trying to drive out of). " But some means of keeping the monetary passenger who is in the back seat as ballast from occasionally leaning over and giving the steering wheel a jerk that threatens to send the car off the road."
You'd have thought Milton Friedman wrote this yesterday, not back in 1982. But you see, principles never change, methods always do. Stick to the economic principles and everything will be just fine. Quit meddling with the ship, it'll right itself.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
" In fiscal policy as in monetary policy, all political considerations aside, we simply do not know enough to be able to use deliberate changes in taxation or expenditures as a sensitive destabilizing mechanism." (You have to love a guy who starts out humbly). "In the process of trying to do so, we almost surely make matters worse." ( Would someone notify Washington of this). " We make matters worse not by being consistently perverse- that would be easily solved by simply doing the complete opposite of what seemed at first the thing to do. We make matters worse by introducing a largely random disturbance that is simply added to other disturbances."
I think what he's saying here is to quit micro managing the economy. Whatever fluctuations there are work themselves out. Specifically, it's against common sense economic policy to try to stimulate an economy that'll right itself if just left alone, as we'll find in this next text.
"What we need is not a skillful monetary driver of the economic vehicle continuously turning the steering wheel to adjust to the unexpected irregularities of the route." (Quick note, this is how the car got into the proverbial ditch Obama is always trying to drive out of). " But some means of keeping the monetary passenger who is in the back seat as ballast from occasionally leaning over and giving the steering wheel a jerk that threatens to send the car off the road."
You'd have thought Milton Friedman wrote this yesterday, not back in 1982. But you see, principles never change, methods always do. Stick to the economic principles and everything will be just fine. Quit meddling with the ship, it'll right itself.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Community
Leadership
Mentoring
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Dollars And Sense!
The polar opposite of the theory of Keynesian economics that the current administration practices as a guideline to operate our country's fiscal policy, is the Austrian policies as preached by Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman. While the Keynesian theory has no success stories, actually it has a dismal failure in both Japan and the attempts of FDR's "New Deal," the Austrian school of thought is what President Ronald Reagan used to correct the failures of the Jimmy Carter administration. Unfortunately before I begin, I have to point out that the Progressive movement in this country has attempted to revise history, and paint FDR as a model of success, despite the admission of his own treasury secretary, Henry Morgenthau, that their policies were a hopeless failure and they were out of hope and ideas. The only saving grace for the whole program was the onset of a war and increased demand in American manufacturing, a fact conveniently painted over by those who tout the same fiscal policy as our current salvation.
We hear a talking point daily from Progressive's in Washington that we need a balanced approach to solve our debt crisis. They have stated the need correctly, yet their implementation is lacking. The balance they seek is a balanced budget, not the balance of raping increased income tax revenues. Our country desperately needs a balanced budget amendment to constrain the spending in Washington. Without such a measure, the balanced wheel government uses to avoid taxation hindering the business community, becomes a debt laden, out of kilter monster, shaking loose our pillars of economic freedom. Milton Friedman said it best," Far from being a balance wheel offsetting other forces making for fluctuations, the federal budget has if anything been itself a major source of disturbance and instability."
Let me continue with his wisdom...
" Because government expenditures are now so large a part of the total economy as a whole, the federal government cannot avoid having significant effects on the economy. The first requisite is therefore that the government mend it's own fences, that it adopt procedures that will lead to reasonable stability in its own flow of expenditures."
In English..... balance the budget.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
We hear a talking point daily from Progressive's in Washington that we need a balanced approach to solve our debt crisis. They have stated the need correctly, yet their implementation is lacking. The balance they seek is a balanced budget, not the balance of raping increased income tax revenues. Our country desperately needs a balanced budget amendment to constrain the spending in Washington. Without such a measure, the balanced wheel government uses to avoid taxation hindering the business community, becomes a debt laden, out of kilter monster, shaking loose our pillars of economic freedom. Milton Friedman said it best," Far from being a balance wheel offsetting other forces making for fluctuations, the federal budget has if anything been itself a major source of disturbance and instability."
Let me continue with his wisdom...
" Because government expenditures are now so large a part of the total economy as a whole, the federal government cannot avoid having significant effects on the economy. The first requisite is therefore that the government mend it's own fences, that it adopt procedures that will lead to reasonable stability in its own flow of expenditures."
In English..... balance the budget.
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
Monday, August 1, 2011
To Hell In A Handbasket!
Today we woke to the news that Congress and the President have come to a historic deal to solve the debt crisis. First of all that headline is extremely misleading, actually it's a lie. Let's do some simple math. The budget we don't have calls for an increase of federal spending of 8%. So the 1.3 trillion dollars we spent last year above and beyond what we collected in tax revenue automatically will be increased by about $300 billion dollars. Now the rocket scientists,(I call them rocket scientists because they apparently aren't math majors) in Washington have reduced the additional spending we couldn't pay for before by 8%, or $24 billion dollars. So instead of being overspent by $2.1 trillion we will only be overspent by $1.576 trillion. This is the kind of accounting that got Enron executives thrown in jail, which is not a bad idea for anyone who accepts this treasonist concept as something good for our country.
If you remember a few posts back I suggested they weren't serious about addressing our nation's debt because of the verbiage they were using when discussing it. All this proposal will do is require us to raise the debt ceiling once again in approximately two more years. It does absolutely zippo to create solvency. We all need to get on the phone and express our feeling to our representative in both the House and the Senate, because this is not a plan to address fiscal responsibility, it's a plan to bankrupt our country. We have turned our Treasury over to a bunch of crack head like spend-oholics. If we love our country, we must free ourselves from the tyranny of financial irresponsibility.
It sticks out like a sore thumb when leadership is lacking!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
If you remember a few posts back I suggested they weren't serious about addressing our nation's debt because of the verbiage they were using when discussing it. All this proposal will do is require us to raise the debt ceiling once again in approximately two more years. It does absolutely zippo to create solvency. We all need to get on the phone and express our feeling to our representative in both the House and the Senate, because this is not a plan to address fiscal responsibility, it's a plan to bankrupt our country. We have turned our Treasury over to a bunch of crack head like spend-oholics. If we love our country, we must free ourselves from the tyranny of financial irresponsibility.
It sticks out like a sore thumb when leadership is lacking!
God Bless!
Capt. Bill
Mentoring
Leadership
Community
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