Critical Importance of Personal Financial Education

I still cannot believe that our public schools completely ignore teaching peronal financial management.  I feel that this is the greatest intergenerational disservice we can possibly dump on our youth.  It would be appropriate for parents to provide their childen with these tools, but the truth is that the majority of adults do not have a strong grasp of these detrimental life skills.  Instead, we all stumble along, repeatedly losing and wasting.  Some folks eventually learn to do better, but the majority fall prey to the teachings of the system.  Just look at how many commercials promote checking your credit score.  People don't understand that a credit score is nothing more than a debt rating and we should not be in a race to carry greater debt.  Instead, we must each learn to live within our own means and then pass on that knowledge to as may other people, adults and children alike, as we possibly can.  The system is set up to enslave us all in a lifetime pattern of debt.  Just look at the massive amount of money the government will loan to young people who want to go to college.  My belief is that this is nothing more than a huge conspiracy to draw in young, ignorant people and attach them to a lifetime of paying debt service to the masters who run the system.  What other reason can you give me for the student loan program to deliver such incredible sums of money to people with no job, no assets, no work history and nothing at all to serve as collateral.  It is imperative that we cease this destructive cycle.

First Published February 17, 2017 at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C1qEmXn9sw

Who's Hair Is It Anyway?

Here is something I thought of recently. I cannot explain how I come up with these things sometimes, but it is the result of not yet finding the 'off switch' for my brain.

I came up with the question of how exactly do women who began their lives as men deal with male pattern baldness and receding hairlines? This isn't meant to be a joke...I really wondered about this. Once a cross-dressing man is diagnosed as transgender and eventually goes through the detailed procedure for a sex change...what else (other than the obvious) is changed? Anything? Nothing??

Of course, while I never did come up with an answer, I did develop further questions. If you can help me with any of them, please post a response. Here are additional questions that my pondering uncovered:

Do the injections of female hormones somehow combat the balding that men often deal with?

If those hormones do block the cause of balding in men; then can smaller doses be used to fix the problem for men who are not transitioning to the opposite gender?

Do these second-chance women still suffer balding, but deal with it by employing wigs?

I'm stuck with all questions and no answers on this one. Anybody got a clue???

Friends

At the commencement of a new calendar year, immediately following this spate of exhausting holidays, our ears continually bombarded with news of disasters and gloom from around the globe as well as negative connotations for our nation’s future, let us not forget what is truly most important and behave like a star. No, don’t look towards Hollywood for guidance, I mean the other kind of star. Position yourself at the nucleus of a positive universe. Pull into your individual orbit those people, values and beliefs most significant to you. Surround yourself with the family and friends most critical to your existence and shine on them like you never have before. Set the example. Provide the assistance, support and influence they require and these same blessings will reflect back upon you. Abandon selfishness and extend a hand. Reach out to a family member; call a friend from days long gone by. Our time here is limited, but our hearts have infinite capacity for love and friendship. May God bless you all.

“If I were a red bird flying high above the sea,
I would want some other bird to come and fly with me.
Though circling way up high beyond this troublesome land,
man could not survive without the touch of a helping hand.
A hand that guides you; if you’re lost shows you the way home.
But you might cry and so would I to find ourselves alone.
So throughout your long lived days be needed as a friend,
for someday you may need someone to
journey with before you reach the end."

{Excerpt from a poem titled “Alone” by Alvin Willie}

Motivations and Struggles of the Writer

Writing is a challenge: plain and simple. Crafting a piece of art from nothing but words
is akin to receiving an intricate piece of equipment which arrives disassembled and the
instructions are nowhere to be found in the box. The goal of setting your words in a perfectly placed pattern and then getting it in front of people is similar to trying to force water to flow uphill.

The long process initially begins with the sprouting of an idea. Mine seem to hit the
strongest when I am in the shower, obviously without paper; or in a business meeting when I’m bored with whatever the speaker is saying, but jotting an outline in the crowd is difficult when you appear to be the only idiot taking notes.

Once the idea builds into an urge of significant proportion, the wannabe writer is then
moved to confront the daunting sight of the blank page. Grabbing those little thought clouds floating inside your head and converting them to written words is a huge step. I have not yet been able to get my hands to write as fast as my brain seems to be able to find then lose ideas.

Building those sometime random words into coherent sentences and paragraphs is a
task undertaken only by the most driven. If the writer can keep this up long enough to
complete an idea, instruction or tale, then the real challenge of editing begins. I find the
melding of my random thoughts and words compiled on paper over the course of months and years to be the most harrowing and stressful part of writing.

The next step in the process is to walk the plank and plunge into shark infested waters
by inviting others to view, proofread and critique your work. This is when you learn whether the ideas you have moved from your mind onto paper can be successfully interpreted back into something similar by the reader’s mind. This is also where you get slapped by the reality that your spelling and grammar aren’t quite up to the level you’d hoped before handing out proof copies of your work.

From the friends and family members who eagerly volunteered to help, you may receive
a 15-20% response from those who actually followed through with the task. The writer must now incorporate their corrections and suggestions, then slog back through the entire project once again to thoroughly refine the product.

Having reached the point of completion, you are now ready to present your work to the
world. There is an initial high at feeling such an incredible sense of personal accomplishment; but this is soon followed by a sudden crash as you realize that hollow left in your schedule and in your life. The project you dedicated so much of your time and energy has left the desktop and is now on the bookshelves. There is a vacancy in your schedule and in your mind as the project which once consumed you has now moved onto a different stage of life. The care and pampering is no longer necessary as the product has matured and is now prepared to stand alone in this cruel world. Many writers attempt to fill the void by delving headlong into a new project, scribbling notes for a possible sequel or dedicating their newfound time to marketing the finished product. Either of these options or a combination thereof is an acceptable response.

Stand clear of the stampede of friends and family who will surely rush to support this
effort to which you have dedicated so much or your life and on which you have toiled for
countless hours over the course of several years. Don’t be surprised when the crowds don’t form. It is a sad lesson of experienced artists that oftentimes the people closest turn out to be the very least supportive. I do not know why it works out like that. I’d like to think that if a friend or relative authored an essay, book or novel that I’d have a sincere interest in reading it and congratulating him or her on the accomplishment. Maybe those who are not equally inspired don’t realize the extreme effort that such an achievement requires. I mean, if someone told me that he had written a book on his lunch break, then I’d probably not think much of the effort or expect much to result. Of course, in my case it could very well be that those who know me best feel that they’ve already heard too much of what I have to say.

Trying to encourage people you know to proofread or support your completed work is
an effort in futility. Most will express interest at having learned that you’ve been published, but when you inquire as to whether they’ve read it and what they thought, they will almost always revert to the tired old response: “I’d love to…are you going give me a copy?” Other frequent questions you’ll hear are: “How many pages is it?” and “How much money did you make?” At this point you should politely extract yourself from the conversation as you’ve stumbled across an obvious non-reader. Only if they question the subject matter or your motivation for writing will you detect a grain of sincere interest. Too often people trapped on the outside of our creative circle will assume it’s all about the money, and telling them it’s not only causes them to speculate further about both your sanity and financial situation. It comes down to a respect for toil and effort, as well as an expression of support.

A writer will write only because he or she feels compelled to do so. It is a rare individual
who can actually make money or a decent living by these means. The drive erupts from within and once organized on paper the only real reward is the personal achievement of having accomplished something most people on this planet will never endeavor. Do not expect a flood of adoration and recognition from others, but always be joyous when someone takes notice or offers praise. One spark is all it takes to start a roaring fire. Most of you who undertake this calling will have to collaterally serve as your own flint: write for yourself alone.

First Published May 10, 2010 at: http://writerunboxed.com/2010/05/28/the-only-way-to-know-if-youll-be-a-successful-writer/

Amnesty for Illegal Aliens is the Wrong Way to Go

The proposed fix to our nation's immigration system is extremely flawed and is absolutely the wrong thing for our country. Giving amnesty, by any name, to illegal immigrants is wrong. By sanctioning illegal entry or visa overstays we will be rewarding criminal acts. This runs counter to what should be our goal of a more orderly, law abiding society.

Teaching the people that you are inviting to become our nation's newest citizens that it is healthy and acceptable to display disrespect and distain for the rule of law is a dangerously harmful precedent to establish.

At the same time your actions are showing those who have spent careers attempting to enforce laws that their time has been wasted and their choice of careers quite dishonorable. Additionally it is a slap in the face of legal immigrants and those who have invested considerable time and effort with a dream of coming to the United States of America.

Sufficient laws exist to prevent illegal entry, remove illegal aliens, punish employers and to imprison those who abuse and traffic illegal aliens. We require no new legislation. What we are in dire, desperate need of are politicians and leaders willing to enforce these existing laws.

Don't be fooled by the ridiculous claims that enforcement of laws are meant to only target certain races. Laws are not discriminatory. You cannot expect to board a train without a ticket or visit some other country without proper visas and travel documents. Why should we use different standards? Open or extremely porous borders are a weakness. At a time of war it is unbelievably disastrous that nothing greater has been done to secure our homeland.

What is the next step in this path? Will our political representatives decide to close all of our prisons and release into the communities all convicted criminals for the reason that punishment doesn't seem to have stymied the level of criminal activity? Maybe simply forgiving them of their crimes, pointing them to the door and welcoming their integration into our population will work better. By those standards I guess we just have to issue an apology for our enforcement actions along with a friendly pat on the back and everyone will begin to behave appropriately.

Washington…..wake up from this dream and stop trying to lead us in the wrong direction with your distractive tactics.

Citizens…..pay attention to the issues, listen to what your representatives are really saying and keep a close watch on what they are really doing.

President George W. Bush's Greatest Mistake: Too Successful?

Having listened to President Bush's State of the Union Address, watched the news on television and read several periodicals including yours, I am overwhelmed by the amount of ridicule against our president, talk of more planned anti-war protests, outright refusals to reinforce and support our troops on the battlefield and of course the incessant calls for investigations and impeachment proceedings against members of the current administration.

I immediately realized that President George W. Bush's success has surprised us all. I admit that I too never would have imagined that nearly five-and-a-half years after the horrible attacks against our country on September 11th 2001 that we would so successfully deter and prevent additional attacks on our homeland. It is a sad realization that our country's massive efforts in tracking, monitoring and arresting terrorists have been so successful that millions of our own citizens have completely forgotten the evil acts we witnessed and suffered on that September morning. So many cannot remember that day and actually argue that we are not now and never have been threatened or involved in any real war! People are so fat and happy, riding the wave of economic successes and immersed so deeply in their own individual lives that they will not open their eyes and ears to what is truly going on. I agree that our comfort is a blessing and continually pray that my children will never have to witness such violence and feel such anguish. But I still recognize that there are threats out there. There are many who would end our lives, exterminate our families and completely erase the existence of our nation if they just once had the chance.

An international coalition of nations joined in a worldwide effort to confront terrorism in the many places it grows and hides. It is a fortunate result that Al Qaeda leadership stressed the importance of preventing the success of the new Iraqi government. They called for jihad, imploring indoctrinated Muslim youth to report for duty, encouraging radical imams to admonish the faithful, and for Middle Eastern families to forgo their futures by sending forth their untrained, sandaled children to carry the fight to the infidels. While I cannot imagine that the creation of an actual front in this war was an expected outcome, I do realize that it is a benefit to my family and fellow citizens. Before you condemn me for this attitude let me make it clear that I fell strongly for the plight of the Iraqi people. This war has spawned a new head on their soil. It is bad for the Iraqi people, but undeniably positive for so many others.

We entered this conflict without the desire to employ overwhelming force and have waned in our convictions and actions over the following four years. We have refused to confront our enemies on their terms and have often employed a useless strategy more appropriate for a children's game of tag rather than an all out war. Understanding of the situation is then more diluted by spiteful politicians treating the conflict in Iraq as a political tool. Using innocent civilians and our proud fighting men and women as pawns is disgusting and shameful. Prolonging the war by refusing to use the means necessary to win it will inevitably result in greater suffering by the Iraqi hosts as well as an increased number of both civilian and military casualties.

Many non-thinking people simply repeat the ridiculous slogan that our presence in Iraq has resulted in an increase in the number of new terrorist volunteers. I challenge you that there has been no greater terrorist recruiting poster than the ubiquitous photographs of our fellow citizens plowing into the Twin Towers upon hijacked commercial aircraft.

Somebody Save the Democratic Party!!!

The American public cannot be expected to truly support Democratic candidates until the party unifies behind a solid, respectable platform. Double speak and double standards are a sure sign of weakness, confusion and overwhelming disorganization. We cannot demand equal treatment for gays, then turn around and accuse Republican candidates and officials of being closeted homosexuals. We cannot claim that disadvantaged black Americans are capable of excelling provided access to opportunity, then publicly and maliciously deride some of our most educated and successful examples as "Uncle Toms", "Sell-Outs" and "House Negros".

We cannot use select terms both respectably and derogatively at our choosing. What kind of message does such behavior truly display? These mixed messages are conflicting, confusing and disrespectful to all. Democrats claim to support both diversity and equality. Well.....which is it?

Why must the modern Democratic Party be perpetually negative? We are more likely to succeed if we choose to compete honestly and by directly confronting the issues. The Democratic Party must cease the practice of passively allowing the most radically left mouth pieces be their only public representatives.

The Democratic Party must do better. Whining complaints can be substituted with serious solutions. Name-calling can be dropped to make room for open, informed debate of critical issues. We need a viable two party political system. America deserves better.

Published in the Miami Herald on October 18, 2006.