on the last day they awoke together

he tried to describe the imaginary city where his dreams were set

it was unlike any place he'd every visited

he told her that

if you ever see it, it'll grab you by the balls and won't let go

it's never dark but there is no sun, no center

I can take it or leave she said

besides

phallocentric metaphors don't do much for me

soon she left for the west and he went back to the apartment they once shared

once inside

carefully remembering not to throw his hat on the bed

he caught himself deep in thought

      standing naked

before the mirror

he wondered why she had decided to leave without telling him

why?

where was it that she was going to go?

it was a shockwave

he'd known her for so long

seen her transform into something unique and beautiful

but now

like a stranger

she'd stopped smiling when he got home

     spent more time alone

     and now she was

     farther away than ever before

     out of touch in every way

so this is what death is like he thought

tracing the growing lines on his face with his eyes

as the sunset his reflection grew faint

and he couldn’t help but walk away

I couldn't have cared less about the photographs themselves, but the whole brouhaha registered in my midconscious (that's what I call the back of the mind: not subconscious and not actively being thought about; another submission to the lexicographic powers-that-be is probably necessary). The thing festered and fermented and finally emerged as the question (with apologies to Thurber and White): Are Celebrities Necessary?

I know it sounds glib, but I'm trying to be serious here. Is our society capable of surviving without the existence of celebrities? What if, in a flash of metaphysics, celebrities and celebrity culture disappeared? Aside from the superficialities of supermarket checkout aisles having nothing to display and the blessed disappearance of the brain-vegetizing Entertainment Tonight, what would it be like?

Not so long ago we weren't so thoroughly obsessed with celebrity. For instance, the majority of professional athletes drew regular salaries, lived in regular homes, drank in regular bars. But nowadays we seem obsessed. In addition to the longstanding exalted status of actors and actresses (only exacerbated with the advent of cinema) and British royalty, we now follow the lives of marginal athletes and musicians, reality television wannabees, and internet flashes-in-the-pan. We seem hell-bent on manufacturing new celebrities at a breakneck pace, but live in a culture that is simultaneously throwaway and archived for all time.

So what would it be like?

Envision all the time not wasted on scrutinizing the day-to-day minutiae of Madonna, Oprah, or Leonardo. Imagine television programming without unchecked hype, where the nightly news doesn't have the doings of American Idol contestants as lead stories. What would happen? As I see it, there are two basic scenarios, but the ultimate result is inevitable.

On the one hand, all of the celebrity-fostering apparatuses would cease to exist and we would enter an Age of Documentaries. Free from the distraction, everyone would be more engaged in the world. More engaged in the natural world, more engaged in the world of the mind, and so on. Of course, it could only last so long. It's human nature to be dissatisfied and to create. In the absence of the time lost mindlessly following the doings of celebrities, idle hands will stir. There's an inherent need in us to create stories, to create characters who are better than us (to admire), who are worse than us (to feel superior to), and who are similar to us (to identify with). Once the characters are created, their eventual rise to prominence is unavoidable.

In the second scenario, the vacuum would be quickly filled and the celebrity status-quo would be restored before you could say, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night."

The truth is that we are stuck with celebritydom. Unless we are willing to destroy the machines and catapult ourselves back in time to a neo-Luddite existence in which we are too busy breaking our backs making a living to bother with shallow distractions (which I think nearly all of us would agree is a bad idea), celebrities are a necessary evil. Or a necessary good, depending on your levels of self-reflection and self-absorption.

Therefore, I proffer the following metaphysical equation:

Humanity + Technology = Celebrity

By-products of celebrity include, in the negative column, lowered self-esteem, inadequacy, greed, and jealousy. On the positive side we have ambition, which in moderation is very helpful. Somewhere in middle there is self-righteousness and entitlement, which can be good or bad, depending.

In conclusion, it's my belief that without destroying the technology that pervades our everyday existence, it's simply impossible to avoid the phenomenon of celebrity.

I bet all of this is incredibly self-evident and I just wrote a long-winded post to point out what everyone already knows. *sigh*

Shortly after Obama “that Great one” took office, something miraculous happened: people started believing. It’s funny, I was so negative and skeptical about him, at first I resisted; I thought nothing of the Hope he claimed to bring to the world. I was too blinded by my neoconservative views to see that I was suffering from hopelessness and to notice that He was hopeful; and like a contagion His hopefulness spread to the people winning hearts and minds, not only Americans but Europeans also.

Europeans were the first as a people to notice – they were truly enlightened indeed. And the Change he came to bring, I derided that thing as chump change, I even wrote a blog titled “I DON’T NEED YOUR CHUMP CHANGE, OBAMA”. Change came quickly, my piggy bank felt it, I felt it, and the Nation felt it. Obama like a nurturing mother took care of us and nurtured us. I wouldn’t say I was living off the government, but now I could manage to be a full-time blogger doing what I love while living on the monthly stipend I was receiving from the government. Also, I finally got my teeth and back fixed with the universal health care program passed by the democratic congress and signed by President Obama. I’m not broken anymore, and Washington is not broken anymore also.

Obama brought the blacks and the whites together, they both combined to make Mexicans. He eliminated racism, sexism, feminism, capitalism, nucular bombs (He actually rounded up all the nucular weapons and with his mighty grip launched them into the sun) and all the evils America brought into the world. Religious fanatics didn’t have the need to cling to their bibles and guns anymore; they felt safe in this brave new world. The Islamic extremists, well they are still ranting about. You can spot a bearded punk preaching every now and then on a corner somewhere but they each keep a picture of “that Great One” in their homes. His soothing presence and kind eyes keeps them calm.

I have the Leader's portrait in my great family room, and I swear sometimes I feel like He can tell when I’m feeling angry or stressed out because I’ll glance at Him and He’s staring at me also. No matter where in the room I am, He always tries to calm me down.

We are now glad to call Africa America’s greatest friend; after making Oprah Grand Ambassador to Africa, things drastically changed in that poor country. America opened its arms and embraced Africans and we managed to inoculate our brothers and sisters with new vaccines developed with government sponsored research. After that we opened our borders to our new immigrants with "The Bridge to Everywhere" project. We restored the umbilical cord back to the Motherland and declared “We’re all Black now, like our forefathers”. Soon after that, I don’t know how but Kenyan Immigrants sending the salary they earned in America managed to transform Kenya into Africa’s first Superpower.

I love Kenyan food, and as testament to the open society we live in we have opened our palates to an abundance of various foods. The Obama administration encouraged this via the creation of a new government initiative called “Open Society, Open Palates” which managed to change people's culinary sense of taste and save the world from global food shortage. Now I enjoy a plethora of food such as Culonas Colombianas and fried worms. I always keep a flask of Scorpion Vodka wherever I go also.

Oh, shit! I just dropped a load of Peruvian kitty chunchurria I was chewing on on my crocs. Now I’m pissed!

Some hag sitting next to me: Say it aint so, Joe! You just dropped kitty shit on your croak.

Me: It ain't croaks, it's crocs, stupid! (trying to restrain my anger).

Crazy hag: My name is Louise Heath. How do you do? I'm related to the late Princess Diana ya know.

Me: You must be from England, you have a weird accent. I'm from the past; I've been living in the future for a while and I'm going back to give an account of the future.

Louise: Yeah, I've been taking a looksee every now and then at your notepad. Your story is right on the money also.

Me: OH OH OH, I got to get one last photo of the White House before the Kenyans paint it black. The Kenyan Painting Company of America won a huge contract to handle all painting services of the Nation’s monuments and government buildings; they are going to paint it all grim and black.

Louise: Yeah, d'you hear that the Haitian Landscaping Company of America got a similar job. They brung a boatload of cats also. I got an apartment full of cats. I'll never go hungry again.

Me: I like my cats Peruvian style. Thank God for Obama's stink, He saved the world you know.

Cat Lady Louise: How d'that happen?

Me: Here's how it happened: The reason the White House is being painted black is to cover up all the poopie smears and boogies on the Presidential walls and...

Cat Lady: Why don't they just get Mr. Clean to clean it up?

Me: Don't interrupt, bitch! I gotta keep my anger under control, I don't want to be approached by another member of the Stepping Chill Squad again, alright.

Me: Look you wipe off the boogies and poopies and you get rid of the stink. You get rid of the stink and you get rid of the rats attracted to the stink. No rats, NO CATS! No cats, NO FOOD! Save the stink, save the world from food shortage. Obama realized this and this is why he created the "Open Society, Open Palate" initiative to get people to try eating out of their range of comfort and hence start eating the cats that over-populated the Capitol when the new landscapers brought them. Now, he is trying to recreate the same thing with all government building and monuments. Obama's boogies and poopies are being spread everywhere, so we can make it stink and feed more people when we run out of insects.

Cat Lady: Oh golly, I get it now! So he just stinks up the place right? Thank golly for those immigrants they do the jobs American Blacks and Hispanics are too lazy to do anymore.

Me: Yeah, look, this was first reported when he was running for President of the United States against the old man and the milfy chick. Well, the media that was traveling with him started noticing a bad stink; he was just badly organized and messy, left half-eaten cheeseburgers everywhere, farted all over the place, toilet paper was always running out, and his campaign officials left buggers everywhere just to fuck with the media covering his campaign.

Me: And then when he got to the White House, he continued the practice. Men are creature of habits. Look you can read all about it here:

Reporter's Notebook: Seeing How The Other Half Lives

Louise the Cat Lady: Say, I gotta restaurant slash shooting range with a machine gun, wanna shoot up some cats in a barrelful. We can cook it up however you like. We can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, cat gumbo, pineapple kitty, pussy soup. That- that's about it.

Me: Unbelievable, I was actually heading there. I've been here all day but the bus hasn't come yet.

Louise Heath the Cat Lady: Ya dummy! It's right down the street.

Me: Then what the hell are you doing here?

Louise: I don't know? I was thinking about taking the bus also. I guess I had a brain fart.

Me: You got Jive gravy sauce.

Her: You betcha! (she gives me a flirtatious wink)

Me: I like my pussies Peruvian style.

Her: I like eating those too! (another wink -- this is going to turn into another blog)

]]> http://scudmark.wordpress.com/?p=960 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:27:38 +0000 JMAC http://scudmark.sv.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/the-kindness-of-strangers/ I went to a "Top of the Hill" birthday party tonight...a friend of mine just turned 39 and his wife threw him a surprise party.  Very fun.

I didn't know more than 2 or 3 people at this party when I got there, but I knew everybody by the end of the night.  Great group of people!

When you meet strangers, you end up talking about everything under the sun, which in this case happened to include fly fishing.  I mentioned to one of the 'older' gentlemen (in his 50's) that I was planning to go fishing in the morning and suddenly he was my best friend.

He explained that he had been fly fishing for over 30 years and started giving me all these tips, which I just soaked in.  He was a great guy and I really enjoyed talking with him.

When I went to leave the party later that night, he stopped me at the door and said "Wait just one minute..."  When he came back, he had a little packet of flies that he gave me, flies he had tied himself...

I don't care if I ever catch a fish with this fly...I love the fact that this virtual stranger shared something with me that he MADE that he thought would help me catch a fish on my first solo adventure tomorrow.

Awesome.

                          The Oprah Winfrey show, Oct 21, 2008.  

Breath be With You!

Dr. G.

According to Oprah Winfrey's introduction page on the world-wide-web, the Oprah Winfrey Show is the highest-rated talk show in television history, seen by 15-20 million viewers each day in the U.S. in 205 television markets, and in 132 countries. In fact, it has been the number one talk show for 12 consecutive seasons. Since it's beginning in 1986 it has received 32 Emmy awards.

In 1996, Oprah began Oprah's Book Club designed to get America reading again. Each of the books selected has become an instant bestseller averaging sales of over 1 million copies each.

In 1997, Oprah was named Newsweek's "Most Important Person" in books and media, T.V. Guide's "Television Performer of the Year," the People's Choice Award for "Favorite Television Performer," and in 1996, Time Magazine recognized Oprah as one of America's "25 Most Influential People."

Tragically, America is almost obsessed with celebrity idol worship. Recent Gallup polls demonstrated how true this is when it asked Americans to list and rank the most influential women in recorded history. Oprah Winfrey ranked fourth! There is a common recognizable refrain that "When Oprah speaks, people listen."

However, the primary issue here is not that Americans tend to look to media celebrities as role models, although these people lead probably some of the least ideal lives to emulate. The issue before us is the steady stream of messages and advice that Oprah and her favorite guests communicate to the millions of people who are starved for meaning and purpose in life.

Clearly, Oprah Winfrey has been converted into the New Age Movement. And one of the biggest deceptions is that she apparently doesn't know it. Many of her favorite guests are major New Age proponents and authors, and Oprah contributes to the enormous popularity and sales of their books.

Some of these New Age guests (and a number of them make repeat appearances) are, Marianne Williamson, Barbara DeAngelis, LaVar Burton, Richard Carlson, Betty Eadie, Dannion Brinkley, M. Scott Peck, Sophy Burnham, Marilyn Ferguson, Kevin Ryerson, Shirley MacLaine, Sara Breathnach, James Hillman, and psychic medium and best-selling author, James Van Praagh.

Oprah is on a mission. Repeatedly stated, her "mission" is, "I want people to see things on our show that makes them think differently about their lives...To be a light for people. To make a difference...to open their minds and see things differently…how to get in touch with the spiritual part of their life." Unfortunately, the "light" Oprah offers is the "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), and "opening their minds," in this case means their brains fall out-they become empty headed (Romans 1:21-25).

Oprah was raised in a black Baptist church in Mississippi. It is not known whether she had a healthy exposure to Christianity or a distorted one, but she is clearly in the process of deconstructing Christianity and reframing it into a New Age perspective.

One of the most revealing examples was a recent show with guests Betty Eadie, (new age/Mormon author of Embraced By The Light and The Awakening Heart), Dannion Brinkley (new age author of near death experience books Saved By The Light, and At Peace With in the Light) and Sophy Burnham (new age author of A Book of Angels and Angel Letters).

During the show Oprah related, "I was raised a Baptist and we were too hung up on traditional ways. I was sitting in church and heard that God is a jealous God. I asked 'Why?' Come on-let's get over it!" She related a "jealous God" to an insecure God.

In the program Oprah revealed that she doesn't think God is hung up on what you believe about God-whatever that "force" is, it doesn't care what you call it. He doesn't have an ego problem. She states, "I believe in the FORCE-I call it God." She also said if you believe in a rhythm of nature and in love, then you believe in God.

Oprah, in typical New Age fashion, has reduced God to human limitations, and dismisses objective absolutes, substituting emotions as the criteria of truth. This constant refrain of a nebulous concept of love as a guiding principle is very deceptive.

God warns us that the heart is very deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 12:20). Jesus warns that the heart is an untrustworthy guide for truth, especially the "uncircumcised" heart (Matthew 12:33-35, 15:18,19). New Agers have raised the level of feelings or emotions (intuition) as a navigator beyond all rational proportions.

Particularly instructive for us all is the fact that Oprah doesn't seem to be aware that she has been seduced deeply into the New Age world-view. We say instructive because one could relate to the subtle and deceptive processes that Oprah appears to have fallen prey to.

On one recent show a Christian in the audience challenged Oprah about being a "New Ager." Oprah responded, "I am not new age anything and I resent being called that. I am just trying to open a door so that people can see themselves more clearly and perhaps be the light to get them to God, whatever they may call that. I don't see spirits in the trees and I don't sit in the room with crystals."

Oprah has made the mistake of narrowly defining the New Age Movement. However, read the following beliefs expressed by Oprah over the last few years.

Oprah's close friend and sometimes guest, Shirley MacLaine described on a show how to meditate, going inside yourself, asking your own "intuitive Self" to seek answers to life's questions. Oprah responds, "You know, that is the same as the Bible says, 'Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find'." Shirley confirms.

Oprah then asks Shirley, "When you connected to the higher Self...knowing that you can do anything that you want to do-is it what other people describe as being 'born again'?" Shirley nods, "Yes, probably."

It is amazing that so few people catch the duplicity of New Agers when they attack the authority and trustworthiness of the Bible and the Christian church, but then quote it-almost always out of context-or twist it so support their position. For example, Oprah had as her guests a New Age panel consisting of Don Curtis (a Unity minister and trance-channeler), Kevin Reyerson (Shirley MacLaine's channeler), and Marilyn Ferguson (New Age leader and author of The Aquarian Conspiracy. After comparing the evolution of the New Age Movement in our culture with the "new understanding" advent of the Protestant Reformation, Oprah states, "As I read more of Shirley MacLaine, crystals, and The Aquarian Conspiracy, it seems to me to say what the Bible has said for years. It is just that many of us were brought up with a more restricted, limited vision of what the Bible said."

(The Christian should require Oprah or other New Ager to explain on what basis they reject the clear historical communication in literary forms of the Bible in lieu of their very subjective, esoteric, surrealistic interpretations).

Don Curtis responds that the problem comes from "the literal interpretation within denominationalism, because no one really knows, (apparently no one but Mr. Curtis) through the filter of translation down through the ages, what the Bible really says...most of it and reincarnation was thrown out in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicea." Oprah responds, "Right."

When this kind of pseudo-scholarship goes unchallenged the effect can be serious. How many non-Christians or even Christians are knowledgeable of church history, the early church councils and the science of Biblical textural criticism which through tedious research and archeology has allowed us to see how accurate and preserved the Bible is? Very few; and certainly not Oprah.

Oprah also related that, "One of the most important books I've read is Eric Buttterworth's (a New Age Unity leader) Discover the Power Within You. In it he said "Jesus did not come to teach us how divine He was but to teach that divinity was within us." Later she said that "It (claiming exclusive Divinity) would make Jesus the biggest egotist that ever lived."

On the recent show with new age panel Betty Eadie, Sophy Burnham, and Dannion Brinkley, Oprah positively alluded to the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, stating in summary, "..that one of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe that there is only one way. Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you call God."

When corrected by a Christian in the audience that Jesus said He was the only Way, the panel lost their composure, coming unglued. Oprah reacted, "There couldn't possibly be only one way...Does God care about your heart or whether you called His Son Jesus?"

Oprah's consistent theme is to inspire people to take control of their lives, to not be controlled by others or by circumstances. She is always advising "You can choose what happens." While there is some truth and value to this philosophy it is fatally tied to the New Age philosophy. As Oprah states, "You are responsible for your life-the power of God is within you [whether you are a Christian or not], above you and through you. You control your life."

What this fails to acknowledge is that man does not define reality; man does not determine what truth is. The source of truth for our decisions and power is the one true God of all reality and He has communicated plenary propositional truths to us in the Bible and remarkably, uniquely in His incarnation in Jesus Christ.

Oprah, as with other New Agers, is not in pursuit and in communion with God but is in pursuit with the "image of God"-by elevating man to Divinity. The problem with this is the God of the universe has not called us to join ourselves to the creation but to Himself, "the Creator who is blessed forever" (Romans 1:25).

For an expanded version of this article or additional information regarding this subject contact our Birmingham office and request, "The Gospel According to Oprah."

http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artNewAge.article_1

This is indeed objectively awesome.

[Via E! Online]

first, there's this.  louis farrakhan, leader of the nation of islam and silver-tongued deceiver of many, has gone as far as to hail barack obama's words as the words of "the messiah".  excuse me?  there are so many things that are disturbing about this.

the only thing more disturbing than that has to be this, a site dedicated to crowning obama as a deity. you must be out of your mind!

as i was reading all these things, this passage from the gospel of luke immediately came to me...

what sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets. - luke 6:26

the niv translates it this way...

woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets

and the message translation says it like this...

there's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

all this is disturbing on many levels and i can't get away from it.

i know this isn't going to make me popular, but i really don't care.  but i must be honest and say that i have great concern, as a follower of Christ, supporting someone in this capacity who has the glowing adulation of so many who not only do not espouse my views and values, but many of whom have views and values at the far other end of the spectrum.

when i see so many people in morally-bankrupt hollywood practically foaming at the mouth to get obama into office... i'm not going to lie to you... i must ask deeper questions and wonder why.  i must question the motive.  what is lying underneath and driving this seemingly unquenchable passion that they exhibit and I must ask myself...

is my voice synonymous with those whose vehement disdain for anything of virtue is second only to their lust for power, money and greed ?

does oprah winfrey, who can't seem to make up her mind exactly who it is she serves, represent me?

do i lift my voice in concert with those whose "art" vigorously decries the values that are central to family to say, "i'm with you"?

do these people who day in and day out push the envelope of godlessness, immorality and indecency on a global scale actually speak for me?

i'll tell you.

hell to the naw!

The mom said, “Okay, this is the situation. I can't change this, so I might as well surrender to it.”  The article continued and said, “When she does that, she is able to move forward in peace.”

It made me think about my own life and where God has me at the current time and place. I may not be satisfied, but I’m learning to be content and learning to be content is being able look at the situation and say, “This is the situation.  I can’t change this, so I might as well surrender to where God has placed me.” 

When we surrender to God and submit to His ways then peace is inevitable.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Is it sad that when I write the word ‘beautiful’ I think in my head, “that’s just b-e-a-utiful” from Bruce Almighty?

I hope not.

So let’s take an honest look at what’s going on.  Is there a financial crisis happening around the world? Yes there is.  Are you going to be affected by what’s happening in the markets? Well, if you are an average North American who has put money aside for the past 20+ years for your retirement, yes it’s going to have an effect.  If you planned on retiring next year, it will have a larger affect than if you have a few more to go to allow the markets to recover.  BUT freaking out and worrying yourself sick makes things worse not better. 

If we look at the pace at which we all were spinning out of control, not taking care of the basics in all of our lives in the past decade or two, well it only seems to make sense that we all needed the proverbial slap in the face (like Cher gave Nicolas Cage in the movie Moonstruck) and said “Snap Out of It!”

I saw Oprah speak in Seattle a few years back and she indicated that we all get little messages to try and wake us up, and when we don’t listen to the little messages they tend to come at us a bit stronger.  So when the tap on your shoulder goes unnoticed, perhaps a slap will come next, but when we also ignore the slap eventually we run into a brick wall.  So in retrospect, we have not only run into a brick wall, the wall is now falling on us and probably will for a little while longer.

Here’s the thing, none of us are going anywhere.  We are all going to tie up our shoes and roll up our sleeves and move forward and for now, our wallets will be a bit lighter.  If we don’t learn from this world-altering event then we will have really missed the point.  So what can you do in the mean time to keep yourself healthier, stable and avoiding worrisome ulcers?  I know that there are some personal characteristics that some of us have that allow us to handle stressors better than others.  Consider this as you move forward through the next 12 months. 

As we all know, handling stress improperly – or ignoring it all together – can lead to The Big “B,” or burnout. Naturally, burnout conjures up negative thoughts and emotions in most of us and especially in those of us who have experienced it.

The image of burnout is negative, so in order for us to get out of the survival mode and take on more control, we need to change the messages we are sending to our brains. Everyone experiences stress everyday. Some of us lead extremely stressful lives, and experience stress as being not so bad. What are the skills required to be more stress resistant?

Recent studies have found that people with high levels of stress but low levels of illness share three characteristics. They are called the three “C’s”:

1.                             Control – a sense of purpose and direction in their life.

2.                             Commitment – to work, hobbies, social life, or family.

3.                             Challenge – seeing changes in life as normal and positive rather than as an irritant and a threat.

Tips to keep you healthy during challenging times:

Here’s what you can do literally to keep yourself and your families healthier this year. 

1.      Move your body, get more oxygen in your blood system more often.  This one is so important and is non-negotiable.  You simply must get outside more and move!  Movement literally moves stress through your body more effectively than anything else.  And yes that means alcohol.  Most folks think that having a drink calms them down when it actually messes up their metabolism and lowers the quality of sleep we receive.

2.     Laugh more.  Find your own funny faster and make it a mandate to hang out with people who see life the same way you do.  Do not stick your head in the sand and pretend this financial crisis is not happening, but don’t join the “Oh Wows Me, stitch and bitch in the coffee room, whine your way to alienation club.”  Take in a funny movie or better yet, rent one it’s cheaper. 

3.     Enjoy more moments in your day.  Notice the fall colors if you have them in your area.  Be thankful for the things you do have in your life and if possible give back to someone who has less than yourself.  Nothing makes us feel better spiritually than giving to others, however that looks to you.

4.     Do one or two things each week that are things you love to do.  Now you might want to see how you can do some of these joys in a less costly way, but this one is very doable. 

5.     Be thankful for this current wake up call.  We all needed it and we all know that.  In truth it’s just one more step towards a better world and a better life for all of us.

Linda Edgecombe, Best Selling Author, Award Winning Speaker and Consultant

“Life Perspective Specialist”

Accountability with an Edge

www.lindaedgecombe.com  info@lindaedgecombe.com 1-250-868-9601

Linda Edgecombe’s new book “Shift …Or Get Off The Pot, 26 Simple Truths About Getting A Life” will be available in stores Nov 200

Do you love books? Oprah loved her book recently sent by a Heritage Makers consultant!  O Magazine will feature Heritage Makers in the December issue--favorite things!

Do you have digital photos languishing on your computer? Are you tired of dragging out the scissors, glue and paper for scrapbooking? Do you have old worn out photo albums sitting in your closet? Are your family photos sitting in a plastic bin?

This amazing custom online storybook publishing system is ready for you to try out! Visit www.pixmixstorybooks.com to begin navigating the world of storybooking using your pictures and stories using 30,000+ embellishments, templates, and products. Contact us or just set up your FREE account online--and we will assist you with the process. Easy! If you'd like to upgrade your account and earn extra money and commissions; access promotions and receive free books--become a consultant and share your excitement with others!  We will help you upload photos on the computer; write your story; scan photos; and create your first storybook... www.pixmixstorybooks.com  Ask Terri anything! That's what I am here for :)

I don't want to be the one to say I told you so........But__________so!  Are you still letting your money sit in the stock market?  That is plain insanity!  I am begging you to start thinking outside of the box.  There are many safe investments out there that will allow you to rebound from this crazy stock market. 

 But before I get into that, I would like to comment on an investor who has a ton of money in the market.  I introduced the concept of private money to him a couple a few months back.  He seemed to be very interested in what my company had to offer as far as a safe return on their investments. He   went and did there research on Equity Trust Company.  They found out that everthing  I said was true.  He couldn't believe that you can get double digit returns on your money (tax free*). 

 This couple had never heard of a self directed IRA, so obviously they didn't know that you can buy real estate in their IRA. 

So everything was great until He went and talked to his broker.  first of all, he didn't even know that you can buy real estate in your IRA.  So what do you think his advice was to them ?  Exactly!  He told them that it was a bad idea. 

 This so called "expert" told him that he should diversify, and only take a little bit of his money out.  So he did.  He came back and told me that his "broker" (salesman) advised him to keep his money there.  Now even if you do live under a rock, you know what has happened in the market lately.

I can't tell you how many of these horror stories I hear about people who only listen to conventional wisdom.  The only silver lining here is that he did take some of his money out of the stock market to invest with  a self directed IRA.

Take Action Now!

How many of you are still procrastinating with this valuable information that I freely give away every day to the masses.  Are you telling your loved ones that there is a better way?  Please email me at cljones2008@gmail.com if you have any questions about self directed IRAs.

Worlds Safest Investment

Many people overlook this precious investment vehicle that the government has given us.  It guarantees your return on your money.  Its not fickle like the stock market.  You will never wake up broke.  And if you take the time to do your due dillegence, it will make you a fortune.  Ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about Tax Liens! 

Do to time restraints, I am going to leave you with those two powerful words for you to study.  I will do an introduction on Tax Liens tomorrow.  Please check back here tomorrow and every day for free life changing information that I share with Intellient Investors Only!   Are you one?    We'll see!

Until tomorrow,

Keep God 1st, Invest in  People

CL Jones

here is a question i asked myself.  would i be prepared for the results of being on OPRAH?  are you prepared for exposure? 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

Nå sitter jeg hjemme og venter på bussen, har ikke så inmari lyst til å dra på skolen, men må,. Sånn som alle andre. Gleder meg til helga, Christopher kommer i dag, og jeg skal i Bursdag til Margrethe og Marisel på lørdag, og Theodor(lillebror) blir 6 år på søndag, litt hektisk helg men, Typisk at alt skjer de små 2 og 1 halv dag som jeg og Chris får være sammen. Det er ikke lett å være sammen med en som bor 2 timer langt   borte fra seg og bare se han i helgene, men kanskje det er det som holder oss sammen. Tlf regningene blir ganske så store men. Leser om det i Oprah Magazin nuh! "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Scram!" Liker Oprah Magazin asso <3 Men nå må jeg stikke til bussen, skriver mer senere ;D

In a new study conducted by marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman, it's estimated that one in 2.7 men will cheat -- and most of their wives will never know about it

Do men really cheat for reasons other than sex though?  And if they do, why would they admit it?  We're here to tackle that topic today.

InstructorX:

 92% of the people the good Doctor surveyed said it wasn't about sex.  Now, that's just not even possible, and here's why.  Everything is about sex!  I repeat, everything is about sex.  It's not about feeling unappreciated or anything else, it's just how men (for the most part) are built.  When I walked to work in NYC each day I would see approximately 77 women each day that I wanted to have relations with (i just love that term - so PC, so clean).  That's it, I didn't care about what they were thinking, or where they were going, I just thought to myself - "Self, wouldn't it be great if we could just take a break and have sex right now."

Now, we all know this isn't rationale thinking.  Women are far too reserved to ever go for such a strange idea, but if they did, well then 100% of men would cheat for sex.  It's that simple.  The reason 100% of men do not cheat is because getting a woman into bed is difficult when you're married or in a relationship.  The risk is exciting, but it's also what holds you back.  You have to have an elaborate plan, and a way to get in and out of your one night stand that meshes with your day-to-day routine.

These men, this 92% that say they didn't cheat for sex, they lied.  They, more than likely, weren't quite satsified with WHO they cheated with and therefore justify it on other grounds.  If it was good, well then, it was all about the sex.  The problem for this group is that clearly they are still married, therefore, that means the other relationship ended.  If it ended after one day, they're feeling guilty and need to justify it, if it ended because they were a loser, or it just fizzled out, well then it's about something else entirely.  At a certain point even THAT relationship stopped being about sex, and the guy doesn't think of it in the same way he did when it first started and was just about the sex.

That's my take, IZ?

InstructorZ:

Z is still working on his entry and the update will be posted soon.  Until then, you will have to eagerly await the entry.

First of all, in case you don't know who Dodie Bellamy is, Sonic Youth reference her.

Second of all, Sonic Youth are fans of Dodie Bellamy's work.

OK. So I'm a huge fan of Sonic Youth and Dodie Bellamy so their friendship excites me on many levels.

A few months ago I was able to go to the book launch for "Barf Manifesto" and then I went home to visit my family a few days after. I finished reading the book on the plane then gave "Barf Manifesto" to my mom and cousin to read to see what their reactions would be since both are avid readers - neither had heard of Dodie and neither really looks at books as having any weight outside of what the Oprah Book Club says a book is worth (so basically book burning isn't happening - which Sarah Palin is for btw - but making sure pop culture only sees that Oprah Book Club books are important is just as good as burning as far as I'm concerned because no other ideas are tolerated). After they both read the book they each looked at me a bit bewildered and said they'd need to know a lot more about the movements she is apart of to understand what she is talking about, unfortunately both will most likely remain more obsessed with putting gas in their cars than caring to think about art and contemporary ideas.

Anyway, if you aren't well versed in feminist theory, critical theory, contemporary poetry, ect then Dodie's "Barf Manifesto" will projectile all over you and if you are well versed then I'm sure you sat open mouthed as the reigning Queen sprayed all over you - you water sport slut - Dodie Bellamy barfs on that idea - a good old fashion chunky barf that I'm sure Sally Jessie Raphael would take the time to try and understand.

HERE IS AN EXCERPT:
"Passion in writing or art—or in a lover—can make you overlook a lot of flaws. Passion is underrated. I think we should all produce work with the urgency of outsider artists, panting and jerking off to our kinky private obsessions. Sophistication is conformist, deadening. Let's get rid of it."
—Dodie Bellamy, from Barf Manifesto

The image on the cover of Barf Manifesto is a Raymond Pettibon image, when I asked Dodie about her cover choice she said she wanted the cover to represent a disheveled crazy women so she could, in theory, pass out her newest chap book on street corners. I pictured a Valerie Jean Solanas type character passing out their manifesto and working the street corners as I included the above image of me, naked, holding the book, I admit it, I do look fat in the image but that is because I had yet to finish reading and projectile vomit all over my signed collectors copy (OK - I didn't barf on it but I did puke in the ocean, it's only cause I ate a gigantic burrito before opening up the essay and my petite bod couldn't handle the ridiculous amount of beans and cheese I dumped into it but the fish ate the puke, I'm sure and I know cause I put on a snorkel and watched)! I couldn't write a review of Barf Manifesto without somehow including myself because I want to be an extension of her new call to literary vomit, I sat through plenty of college English courses and I've talked to enough pompous assholes to know this conclusion is not unwarranted. Dodie Bellamy is the professor everyone goes to college wishing for, she fights Academia and all the boundaries and hierarchies they perpetuate. Check out Academonia!

In Barf Manifesto, Dodie Bellamy challenges one of the last places in the literary world where subjectivity has yet to be considered appropriate - the academic essay. Dodie was asked to write an essay about alternative forms to memoir and she chose to discuss a work by Eileen Myles. Dodie doesn't believe readers must sit through objective essays alone, instead she has brought her innards into the world of the essay - the food yet digested. Readers watch her struggle with Eileen Myles essay, "Everyday Barf" and with Eileen herself, as they battle over a toilet bowl with pleasure and power and barf. The end product is a conversation between two female writers about the very things writers discuss; each other, fiction, toilets, pets, egos, narrative forms, and more.

So basically, get yourself a copy of the book, head to the beach, stock up on some food and alcohol along the way, grab yourself a notebook that you plan on writing in, then get there, get naked, read the damn essay "fingers down throat, one, two, three, bleh" then send me your own manifesto as you step into the squiggly circle inhabited with all those that are a part of the barf that is "feminist, unruly, cheerfully monstrous.... The Barf is messy, irregular, but you can feel in your guts that its going somewhere, you can't stop it, can't shape it, you've just got to let it run its course."

PS. I didn't cite where in the essay the quotes come from intentionally.

First we have the Flip Mino. Now you might remember that Oprah listed this little device as one of her favorite things for 2007. Well, back in June Flip came out with an updated version that is a smaller and more elegant design. The Flip Mino is practically idiot proof in that it has only two true button, one for power and another for recording. There are some secondary controls for zooming, viewing and deleting clips but these are surface touch controls and not buttons. In order to upload your captured video to your PC, all you do is 'flip' out the USB connector, slide it into your USB port on your PC and the Flip does the rest for you.

Second we have Adobe Premiere Elements. The Flip Mino comes with some bundled in software, but the second you want to do anything even a little bit fancy you realize how limiting the bundled software really is. Adobe Premiere is widely considered to be one of the best video editing programs available for the PC and plays nicely with almost any video format. I says almost because as you may have guessed by now Premiere and the Flip don't recognize one another.

The problem boils down to the video format that the Flip Mino uses to store an hour worth of video footage, MPEG-4. Because this is a compressed video format it doesn't take to kindly to being edited. Sure it will play in Quicktime or your Microsoft Media Player, but actually trying to edit your video inside Adobe Premiere is one long dead end.

Now, I took it upon myself to write both Adobe and Pure Digital Technologies (the makers of the Flip), but after an initial response saying they were looking into the issue no future contact has been made. So, my recommendation is save yourself the $150 for the Flip Mino and $100 for the Adobe Premiere and instead put that money towards a Sanyo Xacti HD700.

The Sanyo Xacti HD700 cost about $150 dollars more, but comes with the Adobe Premiere software. Additionally it can not only record video, but also be used to take still digital photos. It has a viewing screen that can rotate 180 degrees in order to take self portrait, uses standard SD cards for memory and best of all no compatibility problems with your editing software.

We all have heard the old phrase you get what you pay for, well in this instance it couldn't be more true. Just say no to the Flip and yes to the Sany Xacti HD700.

What brought two Grammy® winners, an Oscar® winner, an Oscar nominee and an acclaimed 14-year-old actress together for the first time? It's a story that's captured the hearts and minds of readers around the world.

Executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith has assembled this all-star cast to bring Sue Monk Kidd's beloved novel The Secret Life of Bees to the big screen. In the film, actresses Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo and Dakota Fanning infuse the story with heart and soul.

Set during America's turbulent civil rights movement, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of a lonely, South Carolina teenager named Lily who's haunted by the death of her mother. Lily runs away from home and seeks refuge on a honey farm. There, she discovers true happiness in the home of the Boatwright sisters, strong black women who introduce her to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey.

In The Secret Life of Bees, Queen Latifah plays August Boatwright, the nurturing oldest sister. When Oprah first read the book, she says she imagined Latifah in this role.

Latifah says she immediately felt connected to her character. "August is so solid, so nurturing and just so caring about her family," she says. "She just reminded me of my mother in a lot of ways and my grandmother."

Though the book has been read by millions and spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, Latifah says she relied on director Gina Prince-Bythewood's script for character cues. "A book is a book, and a film is a film," she says. "Your mind takes that journey when you're reading a book, and the characters look all kinds of different ways and the scenery is so different in each individual's mind. But when you bring it to screen, there's certain criteria that have to be followed in order for you to really make it happen."

While shooting the movie, Latifah juggled two roles—actress and Jenny Craig spokeswoman. Determined to improve her overall health, Latifah joined the weight loss program in December 2007. Since then, a new diet and exercise plan has helped her lose 20 pounds.

Latifah has also gotten her loved ones involved. "I knew some of my family members had health concerns, and I read an article in a magazine that said if you lost 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, you could cut your chances of heart disease in half," she says. "Many of my family members are affected by that ,so I said, 'What do you all think, you want to do this? Let's do this.' They were with this—they wanted it."

Unlike many Hollywood actresses, Latifah says she isn't concerned about her clothing size. "It wasn't about body image. I don't feel self-conscious about my body. I feel proud of myself," she says. "I feel confident in myself, but [I signed on] for health reasons."

Whether she's on a film set or at home, Latifah's Jenny Craig meals are always close at hand. "They definitely go with me everywhere I go," she says. "It's kind of convenient."

Every few weeks, Latifah says she meets with a Jenny Craig counselor to weigh in and discuss her progress. "It really makes you more cognizant of the way you eat or how much you eat," she says. "I just exercise a lot more, and I try to be conscious of what kind of portions I'm eating, but it hasn't been a bad trip. It's actually been great. I feel good."

Rita, Latifah's mother, is Skyping™ from her home in Wayne, New Jersey, to share her weight loss success. Since her daughter inspired her to join Jenny Craig, Rita says she's also lost 20 pounds and improved her health.

"I was dealing with a lot of health issues, which are a lot better," she says. "I'm doing awesome."

As additional motivation, Rita says she recently got engaged and is now focused on losing weight for her upcoming wedding. "My mama's getting married!" Latifah says.

Latifah's new co-star in her Jenny Craig commercials is her real-life aunt Angel. Over the past few months, Angel says she's lost 36 pounds.

"I really feel good about it because I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I was really at risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, and I definitely did not want that to happen to me," Angel says. "As a result, this weight loss has given me normal blood pressure. My cholesterol is back to normal, and I feel good. I feel really good."

Since she was barely old enough to read, actress Dakota Fanning has been moving audiences with her thoughtful performances. She's starred in films like I Am Sam, War of the Worlds, Man on Fire and Charlotte's Web. Now, this child star is in her teens, and she's taking on a more mature role alongside Latifah.

Dakota says she first read The Secret Life of Bees when she 10 or 11 years old. At the time, she knew she wasn't old enough to play Lily. "I knew the movie wasn't able to be made quite yet, so I was hoping when they were ready to make the movie, they would still want me to be in it, because I absolutely loved the story," she says. "I loved the relationships that I would get to have with all these wonderful, wonderful ladies."

In the film, Dakota has many emotional scenes, which she says she looked forward to filming. One such scene features Dakota's character Lily tearfully confessing her true feelings. "It was such a pivotal moment for my character. It's kind of when she tells the truth to Latifah's character, August, and so it was a really challenging scene," she says. "I really knew Lily very well, so I was able to put myself in her situation."

Tearful confessions don't phase Dakota…and neither do kissing scenes. In one of her first forays into romance, Dakota and co-star Tristan Wilds share a kiss in the film.

"I really have to thank Tristan because he really made me feel comfortable," she says. "I think we really knew each other well, and we made each other feel very at ease with that. There was no awkwardness going on, and [the director] didn't make us do it a million times."

Off-screen, Dakota says she and Tristan are friends, but when the director said action, they became their characters. With so many technical aspects to consider, there also wasn't time to get lost in the moment. "When you're setting up, [they say] 'When you go in, hold your head here, and then at this point, turn your head here,'" she says. "You're like, 'Okay. We do have to kiss at some point. It can't be all about the face angles.' But, you know, it was good. He's such a nice, nice, nice person."

After having worked with legends such as Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington, what could Dakota possibly do next? Cheerleading camp, of course! Dakota, now a sophomore in high school, is on the varsity cheerleading squad. "I was homeschooled from second grade to eighth grade, and when it was time for ninth grade and high school, I felt like no matter what age people were, they always talked about their high school experience," Dakota says. "I wanted to have that experience."

This summer, Dakota participated in the USA Cheer Camp in Santa Barbara with 600 other cheerleaders. She and her team were evaluated on their cheers, dances and stunts. "I get really nervous because you have to learn the cheers, and there are other people watching you and the other girls are watching you," Dakota says. "But it's fun because you actually make friends with the other teams."

Grammy winner Alicia Keys plays June, a fiercely independent music teacher in The Secret Life of Bees—a role she says held special meaning for her. "There's a lot of similarities between myself and June that I don't think I really recognized before. ... The way that she guards herself so fiercely. She puts up this persona of strength when, underneath, she's very vulnerable," Alicia says. "I find that I guess I did that in many ways in my life that I didn't really recognize. So when June came to me, it allowed me to release a lot of those things that I didn't really realize I did."

Whether she's acting or playing her music, Alicia prefers to challenge herself in hopes of improving her performances. "I never want to ever find myself too comfortable anywhere, because I don't think you can grow if you're too comfortable. Even with my music, I like to do things that I'm not quite comfortable with, because it pushes me to do better."

In the film, Alicia's character is afraid of marriage. Alicia believes that June has a perfect man in her life, but she constantly pushes him away, worried that she will be hurt again. In thinking about her character's relationship, Alicia believes she understands what June was going through.

"Not until recently have I kind of come to terms more that—marriage is a beautiful, beautiful thing," she says. "I think marriage takes work and it's commitment and it's equality and it's tough, but I don't think it's impossible. But I do understand why June felt so scared about it."

The last time Jennifer Hudson visited The Oprah Show, she was celebrating her Oscar®-winning performance in Dreamgirls. Given that Jennifer's initial pursuit was a singing career, becoming an actress has been an amazing turn of events. "I've been introduced into a whole new industry and a world that I didn't expect such as acting. I had never thought of it before, and so it's such a beautiful surprise," Jennifer says. "My favorite part is that I get to be someone else and then do things that I would normally get in trouble for."

Jennifer's rise to stardom started in 2004 when she was a contestant on the television show American Idol. Since competing on Idol, Jennifer says she is grateful for all that she has experienced. "Every moment, each and every day is another beautiful surprise after another," she says. "I have to take a moment out of all of that and just say, 'Wow.'"

Releasing her first album—titled Jennifer Hudson—and starring in The Secret Lives of Bees aren't the only exciting things happening in Jennifer's life. She's also engaged! "[David and I] met through a mutual friend, and we actually haven't parted since the day we met," Jennifer says.

David says he had no doubt that Jennifer is the one for him. "It just clicked that one day like, 'Wow, we've spent almost every day together, and I just love every moment of it.' It's just a feeling. I can't explain it. You just know when it's right," David says. "I've never met somebody who's more giving, more humble and just so down-to-earth. She's just such a regular person."

Oscar®-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo plays May Boatwright, a sensitive soul who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. To prepare for her character, Sophie says she read the script many times to get into May's head. "I ask myself, 'What are her hopes and fears? Where does she want to go in her life?' Those sort of questions," she says.

Sophie also had to ask herself what it would be like to lose a twin sister, a life-altering tragedy in May's life. Sophie says she researched twin bereavement and watched Spike Lee's film Four Little Girls, a documentary about the bombing of an African-American church during the civil rights movement. "There is one part where one of the sisters talks about losing her sister, and I played this all the time because it was such a phenomenal documentary," she says. "I felt it really got me inside the atmosphere and what was happening at the time."

Sophie says she had to delve deep into her character to act out an intense range of emotions. "All her nerves are on edge all the time, and everything she feels is like a 100 watts up from everyone else," she says.

Sophie needed to be able to cry on a dime to play May, something she says you can only prepare so much for. "I just sort of stay very open and then just really listen and watch what everyone else does and then just react," she says. "I didn't really try and work out what I'm going to do. I do all the research, massive research before I start—but as soon as I get on the set, throw that all away and just see what happens. Just trust that it would happen."

The London-born actress had another challenge—to transform her British accent into May's South Carolina drawl. Sophie says she had an excellent dialect coach while working on the film but can't put into words exactly how she found May's voice. "It's divine intervention," she says. "I don't know—it's just part of acting. I've hardly used my own accent in any part I've done."

The Secret Life of Bees director Gina Prince-Bythewood says she was thrilled to work with a cast of such phenomenal women. "When this first started and [I began] meeting each of them, I had to take off my fan hat because I was a fan of every single one. I had to know at some point to step up and direct them," she says.

"Alicia said at the end of the filming: 'Can you feel it? Can you feel how special this is?'" Gina says. "To be able to work with all these women—that we got all of them in the same film—was just a dream."

Between juggling a film and a singing career, Alicia says sometimes she just needs a break to do something for herself. "We all work very hard and we have a lot of responsibilities, and it just kind of started weighing down on me and I realized I needed to kind of break away and see something I'd never seen before. Do something I never did before," she says. The getaway Alicia chose was to the awe-inspiring pyramids of Egypt. "It's historic, and I just felt renewed because I felt if such wonderful human beings could build such structures that can never be broken down, then neither can we. We can never be broken."

Latifah says she was inspired by Alicia's trip and decided to take one of her own! She traveled to Cairo and Sharm el Sheikh. "It's one of the best places to snorkel in the world," she says. "And [see] wonderfully handsome Egyptian men!" When she can't take an elaborate trip, Latifah says she finds ways at home to center herself. "I'll get on my motorcycle and ride—I've got a helmet on and nobody knows it's me, so I can kind of dip around and be free. Be at one with myself," she says.

Dakota says she turns to her loved ones when she needs a break. "I love to be at home with my family and friends. I think that's important," she says. "I also ride my horse."

For Jennifer, sanctuary is in her art. "I like to draw," she says. "That's what I call finding my inner peace. Put my music in my ears and just draw and it helps me escape."

When Sophie needs to get away from work, she goes back to what she says is her real full-time job—being a mom. "And I daydream an awful lot," she says.

Alicia Keys takes the stage to sing her hit song "Superwoman" from her triple-platinum album As I Am. As she sings, images of superwomen from all walks of life, including Oprah viewers, appear on the screen behind her.

Watch Alicia's moving performance.

"[This is] dedicated to my superwoman cast, my superwoman director and writer, Gina, and all the superwomen watching right now," Alicia says.

Go buy those tickets for the most talked about movie, soon to be released on October 17, 2008 across the (USA). I can't wait to see it for myself. YAY!!!

[Source: Oprah.com]

Let's face it 2008 has been a miserable year for the economy.  Unemployment was up, single day drops in the Dow wreaked havoc, the mortgage industry dropped a deuce on the economy and gas was scarce in areas and unaffordable in most others.  We laid the groundwork for our segue into becoming a leading 3^rd world power this year. Below we list a few, just a few, of the indicators that we will look to for some kind of reprieve from this economic quagmire.   

Oprah:  Oh that “O”, she is a cog in the mechanism that drives our nation's economy whether we want to admit it or not.  Write a book and get "O" to push it and duck as the books fly off the shelves.  Oprah as a brand has become bigger than most governmental agencies and for better or worse her King World Production camp has given us the hugely successful Rachel Ray and Dr. Phil.  Everything she touches turns to gold, hopefully her magic touch works on Obama this year, I might worship a golden President. 

Mobile Media: This is changing the way we operate as a nation, oftentimes for the worse, if legislation is any indicator.  We are no longer allowed to hold a phone to talk on and/or text while we drive, all it seems, for the greater good of man.  However, thanks to insane advances in technology we will soon be able to do almost anything that we would do on our PC on our phones.  If theories are correct expect everyone's fingers to adapt to the growing trend and we will all have pinkie sized index fingers and thumbs by 2030.  I am very excited for that development.

Green Businesses:  It's all the rage and the move to make all things green could have me recycling some relationships by year's end.  The ungodly heat this summer left some calling global warming a "myth" and others saying that it will lead to melting ice caps and polar bears cannibalizing themselves.  I don't know, I err to the side of caution as do others and it is BIG business.  Entrepreneurs that wish to improve their existing systems to emit less carbon dioxide and heat trapping gases will reap the benefits.  If there are no benefits to be reaped find solace in the fact that Al Gore would probably really, really like what you are doing. 

Telecommuting:  My sister does it and by mid 2009 some 14 million people will be doing it as well.  This will open up a whole new crop of services and programs to simplify the telecommuting process.  Telecommuting doesn't necessarily mean the standard work- from- home practice.  With today's technology, we can become work-from-anywhere warriors.  Coffee houses will no longer simply be the home to out of work screenwriters or people watchers. Predict more TPS reports getting fired off out of your local Starbucks.

Trust:  Lastly, we look to trust as it pertains to us as an indicator.  Let’s be honest, the Lehman Brothers fiasco, E-coli in our spinach and lead in our toys all sounds like the ingredients to a 3^rd world stew.   Want to add more ingredients?  How about a dash of Dubya and a government that has been more disappointing than 90% of the Oakland Raiders first round draft picks?  Yeah, we really went down a wayward path this year…let us not forget how Elliot Spitzer let us down....damn you Elliot Spitzer!!!  We are a forgiving nation and we love an underdog, why do you think Rocky plays on TNT every weekend?  But, if we are to rebound as a nation on any level we will have to again trust in our direction and begin to spend and invest. 

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