Back on May 2, 2009 my wife and I attended Houston Community College’s annual graduation ceremony at the invitation of a friend who was one of the graduates. I found the keynote address to be rather peculiar insofar as it was not within the general theme of what I expected for a graduation ceremony. At these kinds of events, I have come to expect the keynote speaker to encourage and exhort the graduates as they are entering the next phase of their lives. The commencement speakers I have seen usually gave the graduates their counsel, wisdom and insight on how to navigate through the obstacles and challenges that lies ahead them. However, this was not the case with this keynote speaker. Although he may have had some words of encouragement, the vast majority of speech, was nothing but a bunch of bloviating about the so-called virtues of Affirmative Action. So, who was the keynote speaker at this event? It was none other than the distinguished Harvard professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
After hearing about his July 16th arrest for disorderly conduct after being verbally abusive to a white police officer, I can’t say that I was all that surprised based on what I heard from his boring speech back on May 2nd. The thing that really strikes me odd about this whole thing is that this racially charged incident did not take place in the South. The officer was not a racist redneck who was having a slow shift and was looking to roust a brother. Sgt. Crowley did not hit him in the head with a billy club and called him a “boy.” Nor did he call Dr. Gates the dreaded “N” word. This incident took place in the North, in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts, which happens to be one of the most (if not the most) liberal states in the Union. Dr. Gates lives in a very Pro-Affirmative Action state and he is the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
In spite of living in the most pro-affirmative action state in the country and having his own department at Harvard, Dr. Gates still wants to belly-ache and play the race card after a police officer responds to a 911 call from someone who thought that a burglar was breaking into HIS HOUSE. I thought Affirmative Action was intended to right the wrongs of the past and bring healing and harmony between the races. Gee, a lot of good all of this Affirmative Action stuff has done. It sounds to me that Affirmative Action is neither, affirmative, or action.
MEMO TO DR. HENRY LOUIS GATES
The few times that I have seen your name published, I saw additional words such as, “Scholar,” “Professor,” “Author,” and “Lecturer,” accompany your name. When I associate those words with an individual, I usually think of a person who is smart. However, the hearing the news of your behavior that led to your arrest, it sounds to me that what you did was… well, shall I say… not smart. In fact, I would say that you behaved, “stupidly.”
Since you pride yourself in being an expert in black culture, I think it would be safe to say that you know who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is. This is one guy who has probably been arrested more times than you have and has probably suffered from more police abuse than you have. Never at anytime was Dr. King ever rude or impolite when encountering law enforcement officials. He made it a point to keep his conduct and behavior above reproach. I can never imagine Dr. King saying, “yo mama” to a police officer as you did.
You might want to think about using a similar approach as Dr. King did when dealing with the police by being polite. After the encounter is over, and both of you have gone your separate ways, if you think that the officer has acted unprofessionally and that his/her actions were racially motivated, then you deal with it at that time. This is why most police departments have internal affairs divisions and this is why we have civil courts.
Your actions on July 16th will have more of a teaching impact on your students than what you will be telling them in the classroom. You are doing the black community a great disservice by teaching them to have a chip on their shoulder and play the race card every time a mishap, a misunderstanding or a miscommunication occurs between a white and black person. Playing the race card and alleging racism where it does not exist only makes it that much harder for those who are the real victims of racism.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
My Solution To The High Cost of Health Care
The reason President Obama and the Democrats can’t get the health care issue right is because their worldview is out of whack. Their thinking is based to two flawed premises:
1 No system that can be created that will ensure that everyone will get full comprehensive health care coverage regardless of one’s ability to pay. This is a pipe dream. No matter what health program is implemented, somebody somewhere will fall through the cracks and not get the health care that they actually need.
2. Whether you like it or not, no matter how you slice it and dice it, health services are a consumer product just as any other type of goods and services that you purchase. Given that, if you want to lower the cost of health care and make it accessible to as many people as possible, it needs to be done according to the same economic principles that are used to lower the price of any other consumer product.
Once you understand those two givens and that we are in a health care cost crisis as opposed to a health care crisis (there is a difference), then the solutions are quite simple. Here is my plan:
1 Implement a sound tort reform plan. Make laws that will prevent frivolous mal-practice lawsuits against Doctors. Also, if a case does go to trial, have it where the looser pays the court costs. This will reduce the amount of mal-practice insurance a Doctor will need to buy, and thus reduce the Doctor’s overhead. This will also prevent the Doctors from over prescribing tests and treatments in order to prevent lawsuits in the first place.
2 Implement a uniform pricing policy regardless of who the payer is. First, allow the heath care providers to set the cost for their services. Then, what ever price the health care provider sets, the cost for that service should be the same whether the service is being paid for directly by the consumer, private insurance, or medicare/medicaid. If the health care providers want to charge an administrative surcharge to cover their cost for processing the non-cash paying costumers, then I would be okay with that as long as it is within reason. Let’s say 5% of the cost, but not to exceed $100 (Those figures can be negotiated, but you get the idea).
3 Implement laws that will encourage the insurance companies to write policies that will cover only the high dollar and catastrophic cases. This will lower the insurance premiums. In the long run, it is a waste of resources for insurance companies to cover routine Doctor visits for minor illnesses and injuries. Those expenses should be paid for out of pocket by the consumer.
4 Implement laws that will encourage and enable the insurance companies to write national policies. This will give the consumer the option of having some mobility. As of now, the medical policies are written per each individual state. The problem with that is, if one wants to move to another state, one has to change policies.
5 Revise the tax code and allow individuals to have a tax break on their health care costs. Allow everyone to pay up to $5,000 per year for their insurance premiums or regular out of pocket medical expenses with non-taxable income. Business are not taxed on the money they spend on insurance premiums, so I say give the individual the same benefit that the businesses have.
6 Revise the tax code so it will encourage Medical Savings Account tax shelters. The more money the consumers have to spend, the more they are impowered to shop around and choose their health care providers.
These are just a few ideas that I have thought of, I am sure there is more. Will any of those ideas that I just outlined create the perfect health care system if they are fully implemented? I don’t think so. However, I will submit to you that if they are fully implemented, our health system will be far better than it is now. When it is all said and done at the end of the day, any solution to our health care problems should be free-market based and should incite competition between the health care providers. Competition is what will drive the cost of health care down, not government intervention. And the lower the cost of health care, the more accessible it will become to those who need it.
1 No system that can be created that will ensure that everyone will get full comprehensive health care coverage regardless of one’s ability to pay. This is a pipe dream. No matter what health program is implemented, somebody somewhere will fall through the cracks and not get the health care that they actually need.
2. Whether you like it or not, no matter how you slice it and dice it, health services are a consumer product just as any other type of goods and services that you purchase. Given that, if you want to lower the cost of health care and make it accessible to as many people as possible, it needs to be done according to the same economic principles that are used to lower the price of any other consumer product.
Once you understand those two givens and that we are in a health care cost crisis as opposed to a health care crisis (there is a difference), then the solutions are quite simple. Here is my plan:
1 Implement a sound tort reform plan. Make laws that will prevent frivolous mal-practice lawsuits against Doctors. Also, if a case does go to trial, have it where the looser pays the court costs. This will reduce the amount of mal-practice insurance a Doctor will need to buy, and thus reduce the Doctor’s overhead. This will also prevent the Doctors from over prescribing tests and treatments in order to prevent lawsuits in the first place.
2 Implement a uniform pricing policy regardless of who the payer is. First, allow the heath care providers to set the cost for their services. Then, what ever price the health care provider sets, the cost for that service should be the same whether the service is being paid for directly by the consumer, private insurance, or medicare/medicaid. If the health care providers want to charge an administrative surcharge to cover their cost for processing the non-cash paying costumers, then I would be okay with that as long as it is within reason. Let’s say 5% of the cost, but not to exceed $100 (Those figures can be negotiated, but you get the idea).
3 Implement laws that will encourage the insurance companies to write policies that will cover only the high dollar and catastrophic cases. This will lower the insurance premiums. In the long run, it is a waste of resources for insurance companies to cover routine Doctor visits for minor illnesses and injuries. Those expenses should be paid for out of pocket by the consumer.
4 Implement laws that will encourage and enable the insurance companies to write national policies. This will give the consumer the option of having some mobility. As of now, the medical policies are written per each individual state. The problem with that is, if one wants to move to another state, one has to change policies.
5 Revise the tax code and allow individuals to have a tax break on their health care costs. Allow everyone to pay up to $5,000 per year for their insurance premiums or regular out of pocket medical expenses with non-taxable income. Business are not taxed on the money they spend on insurance premiums, so I say give the individual the same benefit that the businesses have.
6 Revise the tax code so it will encourage Medical Savings Account tax shelters. The more money the consumers have to spend, the more they are impowered to shop around and choose their health care providers.
These are just a few ideas that I have thought of, I am sure there is more. Will any of those ideas that I just outlined create the perfect health care system if they are fully implemented? I don’t think so. However, I will submit to you that if they are fully implemented, our health system will be far better than it is now. When it is all said and done at the end of the day, any solution to our health care problems should be free-market based and should incite competition between the health care providers. Competition is what will drive the cost of health care down, not government intervention. And the lower the cost of health care, the more accessible it will become to those who need it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
And The Winner Is... Donny Osmond!
During the decade of the 70s there was a sort of a perceived rivalry by many between Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson. Donny, Michael and myself are contemporaries. I am 11 months older than Donny and 19 months older than Michael. So I had the opportunity to observe of both of their careers and draw comparisons. When it comes to sheer talent, there is no question in my mind that Michael far surpassed Donny. Michael won more Grammys and sold more records than Donny could ever dream of. And, Michael had a much broader fan base and had a farther reaching influence on pop music.
As is the case with any area of life, talent is not everything and Michael’s death only proved that. So what does Donny have? Well, for starters, he is STILL ALIVE. Michael may have had more talent than Donny when he was alive, but Donny was a better steward of his talent than Michael was of his, and Donny is still able to use his talent. The bad choices that Michael made over the course of his life put him on a path of self-destruction. So much so, that Michael’s talent could not even save him from the consequences of his bad choices.
I am not privy to Donny’s financial situation, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that Donny is far more financially solvent than Michael was. Although Michael made more money, his obsessive and compulsive spending habits left his estate more than 400 million dollars in debt when he died. Donny may have had his ups and downs since his hay days in the 70s. In spite of that, I would contend that proportionately, Donny has done more with less. There is no doubt the Michael was a great entertainer. However, he failed in the areas of life that mattered the most. So, as for the so-called, “rivalry” between Michael and Donny, I officially declare Donny the winner by default.
MEMO TO DONNY:
Donny, in the event that you read this, I would just like to say that even though I do not know you personally. I think I know you well enough to know that you do not take any pleasure in winning this so-called, “rivalry” with Michael. Also, you don’t strike me as the type of guy who would have begrudged the fame and success that he achieved. I think we would agree that we would have preferred that Michael would have made better choices and put his life on a more constructive path.
If I may, I would like to offer you some words of encouragement. We are both still in our early 50s. Even though we have crossed the halfway point in our lives, we still have some productive years ahead of us. Whatever you do, don’t stop working in show business. You have a God given gift. Remain a good steward of your talent and God will reward you for it. Keep on working your projects. If one fails, don’t worry about it. Just get back on your horse and move on to the next one. You have a broad enough fan base and are well respected and loved enough that an occasional failed project will not kill your career. It is important that you keep working and get your projects in. This way, people will be able to judge you based on your entire body of work.
Take a look at Melissa Gilbert. You two have something in common insofar as both of you started in show business when both of you were a child. Melissa is at a point in her career where she realizes that she will probably not get the big blockbuster projects. She has resigned herself to the fact that she may not get all the millions and the Oscars. However, she has set her sights on getting the Life Time Achievement Award. Although most of her projects were not blockbuster hits, they were successful enough for her to put food on the table and hopefully money in the bank before moving on to the next project.
My advice to you is to take a similar approach to what Melissa is doing. As the old adage goes, “How you finish is far more important than how you start.” If you take this approach, I think you will leave a good legacy that you and your family can be proud of. See ya at the finish line.
As is the case with any area of life, talent is not everything and Michael’s death only proved that. So what does Donny have? Well, for starters, he is STILL ALIVE. Michael may have had more talent than Donny when he was alive, but Donny was a better steward of his talent than Michael was of his, and Donny is still able to use his talent. The bad choices that Michael made over the course of his life put him on a path of self-destruction. So much so, that Michael’s talent could not even save him from the consequences of his bad choices.
I am not privy to Donny’s financial situation, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that Donny is far more financially solvent than Michael was. Although Michael made more money, his obsessive and compulsive spending habits left his estate more than 400 million dollars in debt when he died. Donny may have had his ups and downs since his hay days in the 70s. In spite of that, I would contend that proportionately, Donny has done more with less. There is no doubt the Michael was a great entertainer. However, he failed in the areas of life that mattered the most. So, as for the so-called, “rivalry” between Michael and Donny, I officially declare Donny the winner by default.
MEMO TO DONNY:
Donny, in the event that you read this, I would just like to say that even though I do not know you personally. I think I know you well enough to know that you do not take any pleasure in winning this so-called, “rivalry” with Michael. Also, you don’t strike me as the type of guy who would have begrudged the fame and success that he achieved. I think we would agree that we would have preferred that Michael would have made better choices and put his life on a more constructive path.
If I may, I would like to offer you some words of encouragement. We are both still in our early 50s. Even though we have crossed the halfway point in our lives, we still have some productive years ahead of us. Whatever you do, don’t stop working in show business. You have a God given gift. Remain a good steward of your talent and God will reward you for it. Keep on working your projects. If one fails, don’t worry about it. Just get back on your horse and move on to the next one. You have a broad enough fan base and are well respected and loved enough that an occasional failed project will not kill your career. It is important that you keep working and get your projects in. This way, people will be able to judge you based on your entire body of work.
Take a look at Melissa Gilbert. You two have something in common insofar as both of you started in show business when both of you were a child. Melissa is at a point in her career where she realizes that she will probably not get the big blockbuster projects. She has resigned herself to the fact that she may not get all the millions and the Oscars. However, she has set her sights on getting the Life Time Achievement Award. Although most of her projects were not blockbuster hits, they were successful enough for her to put food on the table and hopefully money in the bank before moving on to the next project.
My advice to you is to take a similar approach to what Melissa is doing. As the old adage goes, “How you finish is far more important than how you start.” If you take this approach, I think you will leave a good legacy that you and your family can be proud of. See ya at the finish line.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Christianity & Yoga
A few months ago I signed for a family membership at our local YMCA. Afterward I acquired a copy of their schedule to see what kinds of group fitness activities were available. Their fitness activities ranged from aerobics to cardio boxing to power flex to cycling to zumba dancing to yoga and more. I attended a few of these classes to get an idea of which one would be best suited for my personal fitness goals. Finally I attended a yoga class.
After attending about four or five classes and liking the results, I made an announcement in Facebook that I have begun studying yoga. Not long after that, one of my Evangelical Christian brothers sent me an email and expressed his concern about me taking up yoga, thinking that I might be compromising my Christianity due to the fact that yoga has its roots in eastern mysticism. For many years, I had avoided yoga for that reason; I was a little hesitant going to my first class and wondered how much of this eastern stuff I was going to have to sift through.
As for the yoga class that I am attending, there is nothing going on that I would consider to be in conflict with Biblical Christian values. The most eastern thing we do was at the very end of the class where we all sat in the lotus position and folded our hands and they said a word in Sanskrit that means peace. Other than that, it was all a bunch of stretching, breathing and balancing exercises.
Keep in mind, I have attended less than a dozen classes at only one location so far. I can't say that the class that I am taking at the YMCA is representative of all the yoga classes given or even the average yoga class. The class that I attend doesn't get into the meditation part of yoga and I think that's probably where it takes its turn to the east.
I take the attitude that yoga is similar to the martial arts insofar as you can master the physical techniques of the discipline without embracing the eastern philosophy. However, after I did an internet search on Yoga & Christianity, I discovered that not all Christians are in agreement with me on this point. I read arguments on both sides of the issue in the various web sites that I perused. There are even a few books out on this subject as well.
I read one opinion on the con side of the debate that stated that Christians should not engage in yoga in any way shape or form. And, that one can achieve the same degree of agility and flexibility by taking up low impact aerobics, gymnastics and ballet. I don’t agree with that opinion at all. Although flexibility is needed in order to be good at those disciplines, stretching and flexibility is one of the main cornerstones of a yoga workout. Yoga contains a vast vocabulary of stretching exercises covering all the major muscle groups that the other exercise disciplines just don’t offer. Of course, I recall being involved in a similar debate over 30 years ago concerning Christianity and Rock Music. There were those who argued that Christian rock was not a legitimate form of Christian Music.
I read another opinion from one of those hardcore swami/guru Hindu types from India who believed that if one wants to be a true student of yoga, then one must embrace the entire yoga package. He said, if you are doing only the exercises, then you are not really studying yoga, you are just doing yoga exercises. This guy might have a legitimate point. If he is right, then maybe I should amend my April 28, 2009 announcement on Facebook. Instead of saying, “I have started studying yoga,” maybe I should say, “I have started studying yoga exercises.”
The main thing I think that has gotten lost in the debate among Christians over yoga is the concept of us being a good steward of our temporal earthly body and trying to keep it as fit as possible in order to be in a position to better serve God during our finite amount of time here on Earth. I think the best way for a Christian to approach yoga is to approach it from a fitness perspective as opposed to a spiritual perspective as the Easterners do.
In closing, allow me to offer some tips for those Evangelical Christians who might be contemplating a yoga exercise program:
1. Try to find a yoga class at your local YMCA or someplace like the Y. Those kinds of venues tend to teach a more westernized version of yoga as opposed to going to a Hindu Temple;
2. Remember that yoga is an art form as well as an exercise program. So, not all yoga classes are exactly the same. The degree to how eastern the class is will depend on who the instructor is. Some classes hardly contain any eastern stuff at all. While other classes may vary in degrees. If the class contains a little bit of eastern elements, you can always abstain from those activities. It the class has more eastern stuff than you are comfortable with, then you might want to just look for another class. Let your conscience be your guide.
3. Talk to the yoga instructor and let him or her know that you are a Christian and that you are only interested in studying the physical exercise side of yoga. Even if your instructor may be more eastern in his or her thinking, he or she might still be supportive of you just pursuing the physical side. Remember, your yoga instructor is more than likely getting paid to teach this class. Yoga instructors are not any different than any other kind of instructors teaching in the private sector. They want to have as many students as possible in order to keep their job. If there are enough Christians that speak up and let their light shine before all men, they will be more open to adjusting their program to fit their audience.
4. Try to find a beginner level class if one is available. The class that I am attending is a mixed level class because there are not enough beginners to form an entire class. If you find yourself in a mixed level class, approach each exercise (or pose) with caution. Some of these poses will take several weeks and months and sometimes years to master. If they are too difficult for you at first, ask your instructor to show you the beginner level version of that pose. In most cases your instructor will be more than happy to show you the beginner version of a pose if there is one. But, you might have to take the initiative and ask.
5. Yoga exercises are best done on special mats designed for that purpose. More than likely the place where the yoga class is being held may have a mats for those who don’t own their own. However, once you have decided that yoga is something that you will want to continue doing, you might want to buy your own mat. Yoga exercises are best done with bare feet and you don’t exactly know where other people’s bare feet have been when using a shared mat.
6. Be sure and drink a lot of water before attending your class in order to prevent any muscle cramps. Some of these poses will be exercising and stretching muscle new groups that are yet not accustomed to a yoga workout and you might experience a cramp or two. Hydration is the best way to prevent cramping.
And now for the bonus tip. WARNING!!! If you are a prude, do not read this last tip.
7. Avoid eating any flatulentary foods before attending your session. Some of these yoga poses may feel awkward to you at first and the last thing you would want to do is to create any embarrassing noises while executing these poses. Plus, controlled deep breathing will play a big role in executing these poses. So you don’t want to do anything that will adversely affect your air quality.
After attending about four or five classes and liking the results, I made an announcement in Facebook that I have begun studying yoga. Not long after that, one of my Evangelical Christian brothers sent me an email and expressed his concern about me taking up yoga, thinking that I might be compromising my Christianity due to the fact that yoga has its roots in eastern mysticism. For many years, I had avoided yoga for that reason; I was a little hesitant going to my first class and wondered how much of this eastern stuff I was going to have to sift through.
As for the yoga class that I am attending, there is nothing going on that I would consider to be in conflict with Biblical Christian values. The most eastern thing we do was at the very end of the class where we all sat in the lotus position and folded our hands and they said a word in Sanskrit that means peace. Other than that, it was all a bunch of stretching, breathing and balancing exercises.
Keep in mind, I have attended less than a dozen classes at only one location so far. I can't say that the class that I am taking at the YMCA is representative of all the yoga classes given or even the average yoga class. The class that I attend doesn't get into the meditation part of yoga and I think that's probably where it takes its turn to the east.
I take the attitude that yoga is similar to the martial arts insofar as you can master the physical techniques of the discipline without embracing the eastern philosophy. However, after I did an internet search on Yoga & Christianity, I discovered that not all Christians are in agreement with me on this point. I read arguments on both sides of the issue in the various web sites that I perused. There are even a few books out on this subject as well.
I read one opinion on the con side of the debate that stated that Christians should not engage in yoga in any way shape or form. And, that one can achieve the same degree of agility and flexibility by taking up low impact aerobics, gymnastics and ballet. I don’t agree with that opinion at all. Although flexibility is needed in order to be good at those disciplines, stretching and flexibility is one of the main cornerstones of a yoga workout. Yoga contains a vast vocabulary of stretching exercises covering all the major muscle groups that the other exercise disciplines just don’t offer. Of course, I recall being involved in a similar debate over 30 years ago concerning Christianity and Rock Music. There were those who argued that Christian rock was not a legitimate form of Christian Music.
I read another opinion from one of those hardcore swami/guru Hindu types from India who believed that if one wants to be a true student of yoga, then one must embrace the entire yoga package. He said, if you are doing only the exercises, then you are not really studying yoga, you are just doing yoga exercises. This guy might have a legitimate point. If he is right, then maybe I should amend my April 28, 2009 announcement on Facebook. Instead of saying, “I have started studying yoga,” maybe I should say, “I have started studying yoga exercises.”
The main thing I think that has gotten lost in the debate among Christians over yoga is the concept of us being a good steward of our temporal earthly body and trying to keep it as fit as possible in order to be in a position to better serve God during our finite amount of time here on Earth. I think the best way for a Christian to approach yoga is to approach it from a fitness perspective as opposed to a spiritual perspective as the Easterners do.
In closing, allow me to offer some tips for those Evangelical Christians who might be contemplating a yoga exercise program:
1. Try to find a yoga class at your local YMCA or someplace like the Y. Those kinds of venues tend to teach a more westernized version of yoga as opposed to going to a Hindu Temple;
2. Remember that yoga is an art form as well as an exercise program. So, not all yoga classes are exactly the same. The degree to how eastern the class is will depend on who the instructor is. Some classes hardly contain any eastern stuff at all. While other classes may vary in degrees. If the class contains a little bit of eastern elements, you can always abstain from those activities. It the class has more eastern stuff than you are comfortable with, then you might want to just look for another class. Let your conscience be your guide.
3. Talk to the yoga instructor and let him or her know that you are a Christian and that you are only interested in studying the physical exercise side of yoga. Even if your instructor may be more eastern in his or her thinking, he or she might still be supportive of you just pursuing the physical side. Remember, your yoga instructor is more than likely getting paid to teach this class. Yoga instructors are not any different than any other kind of instructors teaching in the private sector. They want to have as many students as possible in order to keep their job. If there are enough Christians that speak up and let their light shine before all men, they will be more open to adjusting their program to fit their audience.
4. Try to find a beginner level class if one is available. The class that I am attending is a mixed level class because there are not enough beginners to form an entire class. If you find yourself in a mixed level class, approach each exercise (or pose) with caution. Some of these poses will take several weeks and months and sometimes years to master. If they are too difficult for you at first, ask your instructor to show you the beginner level version of that pose. In most cases your instructor will be more than happy to show you the beginner version of a pose if there is one. But, you might have to take the initiative and ask.
5. Yoga exercises are best done on special mats designed for that purpose. More than likely the place where the yoga class is being held may have a mats for those who don’t own their own. However, once you have decided that yoga is something that you will want to continue doing, you might want to buy your own mat. Yoga exercises are best done with bare feet and you don’t exactly know where other people’s bare feet have been when using a shared mat.
6. Be sure and drink a lot of water before attending your class in order to prevent any muscle cramps. Some of these poses will be exercising and stretching muscle new groups that are yet not accustomed to a yoga workout and you might experience a cramp or two. Hydration is the best way to prevent cramping.
And now for the bonus tip. WARNING!!! If you are a prude, do not read this last tip.
7. Avoid eating any flatulentary foods before attending your session. Some of these yoga poses may feel awkward to you at first and the last thing you would want to do is to create any embarrassing noises while executing these poses. Plus, controlled deep breathing will play a big role in executing these poses. So you don’t want to do anything that will adversely affect your air quality.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
My Position on Illegal Immigration
INTRODUCITION
This position paper IS NOT about taking a position against immigration. This paper IS about drawing the distinction between LEGAL and ILLEGAL immigration. As is the case with most Americans (in this paper, Americans are defined as those who are citizens of the United States), all my ancestors at one time or another immigrated to the U.S. It may also interest you to know that I am married to a Latin lady who also immigrated to this great country. However, let it be known that my ancestors and my wife immigrated to the U.S. LEGALLY.
This paper is also about proposing a reasonable and fair plan for slowing down the tide of illegal immigration and dealing with the illegal immigrants who are already in the U.S. I fully understand that most of the people who enter the U.S. illegally from Latin America are looking for opportunities to work and make a better life for themselves. I also acknowledge that there are a lot of jobs in the American job market that illegal immigrants will take that a lot of Americans are less inclined to take. However, as true as this may be, the fact is that we have approximately 15 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. today and it is taking its toll on the American health, education, welfare and criminal justice systems and our economy.
PREVENTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
When addressing this whole topic of illegal immigration, it is very easy for Americans to look upon illegal immigrants with contempt because they are violating the law. The fact of the matter is, the Americans need to first look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they are just as much a part of the problem with illegal immigration as the illegal immigrants are. The reason illegal immigrants are here is because American businesses are willing to provide illegal jobs for them. The American consumer is willing to buy products from companies that hire illegal immigrants. So, while I do support some changes in our immigration laws, I also think that our government should enforce the laws that we already have concerning businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
One of the problems with the U.S. immigration policy (besides the lack of enforcement) is that it is actually easier and more convenient for someone to come here illegally than legally. So, the answer to this problem is quite simple. The U.S. Government needs to come up with a way to make it more convenient to enter the country legally while at the same time coming up with a way to make it more difficult to enter illegally. Therefore, I am in favor of granting some sort of guest worker permits for those who immigrants who want to find work and can pass a criminal background check and a physical. And I am in favor of closing the border with Mexico by building a wall on the entire length of the border. Furthermore, I think we should hire legal immigrants with guest worker permits to build the wall because this type of project will provide a lot of jobs for several years.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE U.S.
I am not in favor of granting amnesty to those illegal immigrants who are already in the U.S. However, I am in favor setting up a system that will enable them to become legal residents and remain living in the U.S. Here are a few of the conditions I think illegal immigrants should meet in order to be allowed to stay:
· Pass a criminal background check;
· Pay a fine and processing fee of $2,000.00;
· Forfeit the right to become a U.S. citizen;
· Forfeit the right to receive public welfare and medical benefits;
· Score at least a 70% on a standardized English proficiency test.
I think those who do not meet the above conditions with in a reasonable timeframe shall be deported. If one does not have the $2,000.00, they can work it off by helping the U.S. Government build the wall on the border. If an illegal immigrant meets those conditions, then I think their children who were born in the U.S. should be considered legal U.S. citizens. Otherwise, the law should be changed and not allow children of illegal immigrants to be U.S. citizens automatically. Their children should be required to wait until they adults to seek citizenship if they so choose.
CONCLUSION
If you are an illegal immigrant please don’t think that I hate you. Or, that I hate Latin people in general. As I have already stated, my wife is Latin and we both attending a Spanish speaking church and I am learning to speak your language. If you don’t agree with what I just wrote, that is okay. The ideas expressed in this paper are solely my opinions on how I think things should be.
At this point in time, I doubt that any of my ideas will actually be implemented anyway. So, you should not have much to worry about. However, let me give you a few facts that you might find interesting. Did you know that:
· The Mexican Constitution prohibits their immigrants from protesting against the Mexican government at anytime;
· Being an illegal immigrant in Mexico is a felony with a possible punishment of two years in prison;
· A legal immigrant or naturalized citizen in Mexico can be deported at anytime without due process;
· A naturalized Mexican citizen cannot:
Run for public office;
Be a officer in the Mexican military
Be a member of the clergy.
· Mexican Soldiers are stationed at their boarder with Guatemala to prevent illegal entry into their country;
· The Mexican Government does not provide public welfare benefits to their immigrants;
· Bilingual education does not exist in the Mexican school systems;
· The Mexican Government requires their immigrants to speak Spanish when conducting government related business;
· Mexico deports more illegal immigrants a year than does the U.S.
Do you think it would be fair if the U.S. did whatever Mexico does about immigration?
This position paper IS NOT about taking a position against immigration. This paper IS about drawing the distinction between LEGAL and ILLEGAL immigration. As is the case with most Americans (in this paper, Americans are defined as those who are citizens of the United States), all my ancestors at one time or another immigrated to the U.S. It may also interest you to know that I am married to a Latin lady who also immigrated to this great country. However, let it be known that my ancestors and my wife immigrated to the U.S. LEGALLY.
This paper is also about proposing a reasonable and fair plan for slowing down the tide of illegal immigration and dealing with the illegal immigrants who are already in the U.S. I fully understand that most of the people who enter the U.S. illegally from Latin America are looking for opportunities to work and make a better life for themselves. I also acknowledge that there are a lot of jobs in the American job market that illegal immigrants will take that a lot of Americans are less inclined to take. However, as true as this may be, the fact is that we have approximately 15 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. today and it is taking its toll on the American health, education, welfare and criminal justice systems and our economy.
PREVENTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
When addressing this whole topic of illegal immigration, it is very easy for Americans to look upon illegal immigrants with contempt because they are violating the law. The fact of the matter is, the Americans need to first look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they are just as much a part of the problem with illegal immigration as the illegal immigrants are. The reason illegal immigrants are here is because American businesses are willing to provide illegal jobs for them. The American consumer is willing to buy products from companies that hire illegal immigrants. So, while I do support some changes in our immigration laws, I also think that our government should enforce the laws that we already have concerning businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
One of the problems with the U.S. immigration policy (besides the lack of enforcement) is that it is actually easier and more convenient for someone to come here illegally than legally. So, the answer to this problem is quite simple. The U.S. Government needs to come up with a way to make it more convenient to enter the country legally while at the same time coming up with a way to make it more difficult to enter illegally. Therefore, I am in favor of granting some sort of guest worker permits for those who immigrants who want to find work and can pass a criminal background check and a physical. And I am in favor of closing the border with Mexico by building a wall on the entire length of the border. Furthermore, I think we should hire legal immigrants with guest worker permits to build the wall because this type of project will provide a lot of jobs for several years.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE U.S.
I am not in favor of granting amnesty to those illegal immigrants who are already in the U.S. However, I am in favor setting up a system that will enable them to become legal residents and remain living in the U.S. Here are a few of the conditions I think illegal immigrants should meet in order to be allowed to stay:
· Pass a criminal background check;
· Pay a fine and processing fee of $2,000.00;
· Forfeit the right to become a U.S. citizen;
· Forfeit the right to receive public welfare and medical benefits;
· Score at least a 70% on a standardized English proficiency test.
I think those who do not meet the above conditions with in a reasonable timeframe shall be deported. If one does not have the $2,000.00, they can work it off by helping the U.S. Government build the wall on the border. If an illegal immigrant meets those conditions, then I think their children who were born in the U.S. should be considered legal U.S. citizens. Otherwise, the law should be changed and not allow children of illegal immigrants to be U.S. citizens automatically. Their children should be required to wait until they adults to seek citizenship if they so choose.
CONCLUSION
If you are an illegal immigrant please don’t think that I hate you. Or, that I hate Latin people in general. As I have already stated, my wife is Latin and we both attending a Spanish speaking church and I am learning to speak your language. If you don’t agree with what I just wrote, that is okay. The ideas expressed in this paper are solely my opinions on how I think things should be.
At this point in time, I doubt that any of my ideas will actually be implemented anyway. So, you should not have much to worry about. However, let me give you a few facts that you might find interesting. Did you know that:
· The Mexican Constitution prohibits their immigrants from protesting against the Mexican government at anytime;
· Being an illegal immigrant in Mexico is a felony with a possible punishment of two years in prison;
· A legal immigrant or naturalized citizen in Mexico can be deported at anytime without due process;
· A naturalized Mexican citizen cannot:
Run for public office;
Be a officer in the Mexican military
Be a member of the clergy.
· Mexican Soldiers are stationed at their boarder with Guatemala to prevent illegal entry into their country;
· The Mexican Government does not provide public welfare benefits to their immigrants;
· Bilingual education does not exist in the Mexican school systems;
· The Mexican Government requires their immigrants to speak Spanish when conducting government related business;
· Mexico deports more illegal immigrants a year than does the U.S.
Do you think it would be fair if the U.S. did whatever Mexico does about immigration?
Saturday, March 7, 2009
BHO and The Teleprompter
Carol E. Lee of Yahoo News broke a story on March 5th about BHO using teleprompters for all of his speaking engagements regardless of the size of the event. She made the point that past Presidents only used the teleprompter in the larger venues and that it is a bit unusual for BHO to use it all the time. Carol went on to report how the teleprompter proved to be awkward and cumbersome in smaller speaking venues such as press briefings where the President announced his cabinet selections. She also reported that the teleprompter make work "tricky for the television crews and photographers" and suggested that it could be a "crutch" or a "safety net."
One thing I learned a long time ago is that communication (especially public speaking) is an art form. So, there is no one absolute single technique or tool one should use that is superior to another. Although, I would have to agree that using a teleprompter at a press briefing seems a bit over the top and it would not be something that I would use, I say if BHO feels more comfortable using it and he feels more effective with it, then more power to him. As a conservative, ultimately, I am much more concerned about the words and the message that BHO is communicating than the communication tools that he is using.
If I may, I would like to offer some advice to BHO in case he or one of his staff happens to read this piece. Before the technology was available to make teleprompters possible, people were using cue cards. A teleprompter is nothing more than an electronic cue card anyway. Although a hard copy cue card does have it limitations, it would be a lot more versatile than a teleprompter in the smaller venues. This is what one of your predecessors did. His name was Ronald Reagan. Try it, you might be surprised how effective it is.
GW Bush was much maligned by his opposition for being, "dumb" and "stupid" throughout presidency. The next time I hear a liberal impugn W's intellect, I will have my snappy comeback ready to go. I will just say, "Well at least he did not need to use a teleprompter at his press briefings!"
One thing I learned a long time ago is that communication (especially public speaking) is an art form. So, there is no one absolute single technique or tool one should use that is superior to another. Although, I would have to agree that using a teleprompter at a press briefing seems a bit over the top and it would not be something that I would use, I say if BHO feels more comfortable using it and he feels more effective with it, then more power to him. As a conservative, ultimately, I am much more concerned about the words and the message that BHO is communicating than the communication tools that he is using.
If I may, I would like to offer some advice to BHO in case he or one of his staff happens to read this piece. Before the technology was available to make teleprompters possible, people were using cue cards. A teleprompter is nothing more than an electronic cue card anyway. Although a hard copy cue card does have it limitations, it would be a lot more versatile than a teleprompter in the smaller venues. This is what one of your predecessors did. His name was Ronald Reagan. Try it, you might be surprised how effective it is.
GW Bush was much maligned by his opposition for being, "dumb" and "stupid" throughout presidency. The next time I hear a liberal impugn W's intellect, I will have my snappy comeback ready to go. I will just say, "Well at least he did not need to use a teleprompter at his press briefings!"
Sunday, February 15, 2009
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PICTURES
Judging from the montage of photos above, one would think that BHO loves babies. Before you continue down that path and draw any conclusions, you might want to first give pause. One key thing to keep in mind is that all nine of those babies have one thing in common. They all have already been born. While he may have the appearance of loving the born babies, BHO’s track record concerning the civil rights and protection of unborn babies is another thing altogether.
In August of 2008, he responded this way to a question from Rick Warren concerning the issue of when a baby gets human rights: “Well, uh, you know. I think whether you’re looking at life from a theological perspective or, uh, a scientific perspective, uh, answering that question with specificity is, is, is, uh, above my pay grade.” That answer sure had a lot of stammering and stuttering from a guy who is lauded to be so articulate by his followers. BHO was a US Senator at the time he made that statement. The annual salary of a US Senator these days is $169,300. So, based on his answer, am I to assume that the average Theologian and Scientist makes more money than BHO did as a US Senator?
If you look at BHO’s track record as a politician, you will see that he has already made the decsion about the human rights of the unborn. The National Right to Life News reported in the January 2009 publication that:
“During his years in the Illinois state Senate, (1994-2004), Obama was a leader in opposing pro-life legislation, including bills to ban partial-birth abortions and the protect infants who are born alive during abortions. During his four years in the U. S. Senate (2005-08), he always voted against the pro-life side, and he cosponsored the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA), a proposed federal law that would invalidate virtually all limits on abortion.”
On January 23, 2009, BHO signed an Executive Order that will channel millions of taxpayer dollars towards organizations that promote abortion as a means of population-control in third-worl contries. This EO overturns a policy known as the “Mexico City Policy” which stipulates that any overseas population assistance funds coming from the US shall not go to those organizations that perform or promote abortions.
I realize that when any politician runs for most any kind of public office, holding babies for a photo op. is part of territory. However, don’t you think it is just a bit ironic, if not even down right hypocritical for Pro-Abortion politicians to use babies for photo ops? If the mothers of those nine babies in the above pictures chose to hire a hit man and have those babies stuffed out at their local abortion mills when they were all still at the pre-born stage of their development, that would have been nine less babies BHO could have gravy-trained for his photo ops.
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