Quote It Now

Ticket Brokers World Wide Are Welcome To Join FlipATicket The Ticket Revolution Has Begun

2011-01-28T17:08:00.000-05:00

FlipATicket.com - New From the Creators of BlueBucs.com

FlipATicket.com today announced that it is leading the charge of brokers who have united and said, "Enough is enough!". Over the course of the last several years, brokers have witnessed drastic changes the ticket industry has undergone; so drastic, in fact, that it is difficult to fully grasp. If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

Fewer places to list your tickets.
Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
Policy changes, sometimes daily.

And what is the result of these changes that we have all witnessed? You, the broker, are left holding the short end of the stick, working harder to earn less. Your choice of places to buy, sell, and trade tickets has been boiled down to making a decision between the lesser of all that is evil. That's how you grow a business, right? No, we didn't think so either.

A number of months back, the folks behind BlueBucs.com sat down and started working on ideas of how to counteract the absurdity that has transpired in our industry, and to help brokers regain control over their business and costs. They poured over so many ideas and options that it is impossible to enumerate, but their brainstorming team always came back to two primary "must do" points:

Control costs for brokers and consumers.
Keep it simple and effective, a la Google. Read More

FlipATicket.com - New From the Creators of BlueBucs.com

2011-01-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

* Fewer places to list your tickets.
* Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
* Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
* Policy changes, sometimes daily.

* Control costs for brokers and consumers.
* Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.

Brokers need to be able to effectively communicate with one another, and consumers need to be able to do a simple search, find the tickets they want, and make a purchase. Neither the broker nor the consumer should be gouged with a litany of fees. Folks are tired of the nickel-and-dime games!

Imagine, if you will..

* No more throwing away thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars in fees each year.
* No more ridiculous "rules" and policy changes each week that are impossible for anyone (including those imposing them) to keep up with.
* No more bowing to your "master", the ticket exchange. They should work for you, not the other way around!

The solution is FlipATicket.com, a brand new, back-to-basics site for brokers to buy and sell tickets, and retail outlet for consumer sales.

Will FlipATicket be the next StubHub, or EI, or TN? Absolutely not. And we don't want to be! Those guys define "ticket exchange", and "ticket exchange" is the problem that FlipATicket is designed to solve! Rather, the goal is to build a platform designed by, run by, and geared for ticket brokers. A platform that offers you an affordable and effective alternative for listing, buying, and selling tickets. A platform with a simple fee structure so that you don't need to hire an IRS agent to help you figure out how much revenue you just lost.

FlipATicket.com will attract customers who are just as tired as you are of dealing with a "ticket exchange". Customers that will appreciate never having to call the horrendous customer service line of a "ticket exchange", because they can now contact you, the seller, directly. The bottom line is, FlipATicket.com will provide you with more opportunities for sales to customers who are *yours*, and both you and your customer will be paying less fees!

We are currently operating in a beta test, which will run until Monday, February 28, 2011. During the beta test period, all ticket brokers will be able to buy, sell, and trade tickets - free of charge, our way of saying "Thank you!" for helping us work out any bugs and for providing feedback on features and future development ideas. As a special added bonus, during the beta test period, registered brokers will have free limited access to our flagship website, BlueBucs.com (the #1 source of presale and onsale information).

On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, all beta test accounts will be disabled, and broker accounts will be available for a nominal fee. A monthly subscription will be available for $39, or you can save 5% by choosing the annual subscription at a rate of just $444. There will be no additional fees to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.

However, we are offering special discount pricing for those who choose to partner with us during the beta launch period. We have allotted a limited number of FlipATicket memberships at deeply discounted prices. As of this posting, only 25 of these spots are available. They are available only while they last, or until the beta test ends, whichever occurs first. Choose from one of the following:

* Founding Member Lifetime Membership - A one-time fee of $999. Never pay another penny to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.
* Charter Membership - Annual subscription rate of just $365. Yes, you read correctly. Just $1 a day to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com, with no additional fees.

Again, these are being offered on a first come, first served basis. They are going fast, and will never again be offered.

Can we compete on sheer volume of sales from day one? No, we can't. But by partnering with FlipATicket.com, we can all work together and slowly but surely take back our industry, one-by-one as brokers decide for themselves: "Enough is enough!"

Big 12 Football Championship Game Tickets

2010-11-22T23:39:00.001-05:00

Need Tickets for the Big 12 Football Championship Game at Dallas Cowboys Stadium? We have Flippin' Great Seats! www.FlipATicket.com

Energy without the Jitters Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink

2009-12-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Efusjon EDGE is the 100% all-natural alternative to today's unhealthy energy drink market. This delicious, caffeinated drink is made with Acai Berry - natures powerful antioxidant. Acai Berry, one of the world's most potent super foods, is believed to deliver up to thirty times the anthocyanins found in red wine (anthocyanins are said to help aid in the prevention of heart disease, fight cancer cells and reduce memory loss). Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink contains no additives or preservatives and is made from the purest ingredients. Young or old, Efusjon EDGE delivers your body the power it needs to thrive throughout your demanding day and life.

# Caffeinated
# Made with Acai Berry - considered one of the top 10 super foods
# Rich, smooth flavor
# Made from 100% all-natural ingredients
# Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink contains NO preservatives or additives
# Helps your body fight the free-radical toxins
# Twelve - 8.4 oz. cans

Get Healthy and Get Paid!

Not only does efusjon offer the healthiest energy drinks anywhere, but also provides a unique opportunity to make a serious income! At the efusjon energy club, we believe in healthy bodies and a healthy income. You can enjoy the delicious and nutritious virtues of our amazing energy drinks and reap the rewards from your very own successful efusjon energy club business. Under the efusjon energy club revolutionary new community compensation structure, you get rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible. It's a unique opportunity never before seen in the network marketing industry!

CLICK HERE - To Find Out More and How to Join!

Win A Framed, Ernie Banks Autographed, Chicago Cubs Jersey

2009-12-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

Efusjon Home Run Team,

Starting today through December 31, 2009 every team member that personally enrolls 3 people will be placed in a drawing for a Framed, Ernie Banks Autographed, Chicago Cubs Jersey. This will be an incredible keepsake for our Home Run Club winner.

The Jersey is being provided by Mrs. Liz Banks, wife of Mr. Ernie Banks, of the 500 Home Run Club, and proud member of the Efusjon Home Run Club.

Each member of the Efusjon Home Run Club that enrolls 3 people in the month of December will have their name placed in a raffle.

Each time you enroll three your name will be entered into the raffle again.

For example if you enroll 6 people in December you would have two chances in the raffle, 9 would give you three chances and so forth.

End the year with a Home Run for your Efusjon business, let's knock the cover off the ball!

Ernie Banks
http://www.500hrc.com/ernie-banks.html

500 Home Run Club
http://www.500hrc.com/

Efusjon Home Run Club
http://seemymatrix.com/66079

Mangosteen Documented Health Benefits

2009-12-07T09:25:00.000-05:00

1. Anti-fatigue (energy booster)

2. Powerful anti-inflammatory (prevents inflammation)

3. Analgesic (prevents pain)

4. Anti-ulcer (stomach,
mouth and bowel ulcers)

5. Anti-depressant (low to moderate)

6. Anxyolytic (anti-anxiety effect)

7. Anti-Alzheimerian (helps prevent dementia)

8. Anti-tumor and cancer prevention (multiple categories cited)... shown to be capable of killing cancer cells

9. Immunomodulator (multiple categories cited) - helps the immune system

10. Anti-aging

11. Anti-oxidant

12. Anti-viral

13. Anti-biotic (modulates bacterial infections)

14. Anti-fungal (prevents fungal infections)

15. Anti-seborrheaic (prevents skin disorders)

16. Anti-lipidemic (blood fat lowering, LDL)

17. Anti-atherosclerotic (prevents hardening
of arteries)

18. Cardioprotective (protects the heart)

19. Hypotensive (blood pressure lowering)

20. Hypoglycemic (anti-diabetic effect, helps lower blood sugar)

21. Anti-obesity (helps with weight loss)

22. Anti-arthritic (prevention of arthritis)

23. Anti-osteoporosis (helps prevent the loss of bone mass)

24. Anti-periodontic (prevents gum disease)

25. Anti-allergenic (prevents allergic reaction)

26. Anti-calculitic (prevents kidney stones)

27. Anti-pyretic (fever lowering)

28. Anti-Parkinson

29. Anti-diarrheal

30. Anti-neuralgic (reduces nerve pain)

31. Anti-vertigo (prevents dizziness)

32. Anti-glaucomic (prevents glaucoma)

33. Anti-cataract (prevents cataracts)

34. Pansystemic - has a synergistic effect on the whole body

Efusjon Breeze - 100% Natural Mangosteen & Passion Fruit (with caffeine)

Efusjon EDGE is the 100% all-natural alternative to today's unhealthy energy drink market.

2009-12-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink contains no additives or preservatives and is made from the purest ingredients. Young or old, Efusjon EDGE delivers your body the power it needs to thrive throughout your demanding day and life.

# Caffeinated # Made with Acai Berry - considered one of the top 10 super foods

# Rich, smooth flavor # Made from 100% all-natural ingredients

# Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink contains NO preservatives or additives

# Helps your body fight the free-radical toxins

# Twelve - 8.4 oz. cans

Get Healthy and Get Paid! Not only does efusjon offer the healthiest energy drinks anywhere, but also provides a unique opportunity to make a serious income! At the efusjon energy club, we believe in healthy bodies and a healthy income.

You can enjoy the delicious and nutritious virtues of our amazing energy drinks and reap the rewards from your very own successful efusjon energy club business. Under the efusjon energy club revolutionary new community compensation structure, you get rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible. It's a unique opportunity never before seen in the network marketing industry!

CLICK HERE - To Find Out More and How to Join!

Efusjon Home Run Club December Sales Contest

2009-12-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Jersey is being provided by Mrs. Liz Banks, wife of Mr. Ernie Banks, of the 500 Home Run Club, and proud member of the Efusjon Home Run Club.

Each member of the Efusjon Home Run Club that enrolls 3 people in the month of December will have their name placed in a raffle.

Each time you enroll three your name will be entered into the raffle again. For example if you enroll 6 people in December you would have two chances in the raffle, 9 would give you three chances and so forth.

End the year with a Home Run for your Efusjon business, let's knock the cover off the ball!

With trillions of dollars at stake, Americans deserve some discussion of the climate-gate e-mails.

2009-11-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

With the Copenhagen climate talks starting next week, climate-gate keeps getting worse. There is no precedent for so many academics engaging in coordinated efforts to distort research for political ends. The problems go well beyond deleting e-mails to prevent their disclosure from a Freedom of Information Act request. The UN claims that "there is 'virtually no possibility' of a few scientists" biasing their reports. But it doesn't just involve a few minor figures: implicated are the most powerful and well placed people in academia -- heads of departments and centers.

The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia, which has been at the center of the scandal, has been incredibly influential in the global warming debate. The CRU collected the world's most extensive surface temperature data set by far and its research and mathematical models formed the basis of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 report.

But the CRU's temperature data and all of the research done with it are now in question. The leaked e-mails show that the scientists at the CRU don't know how their data was put together. CRU took individual temperature readings at individual stations and averaged the information out to produce temperature readings over larger areas. The problem comes in how they did the averaging. One of the leaked documents states that "our flagship gridded data product is produced by [a method that] renders the station counts totally meaningless" and "so, we can have a proper result, but only by including a load of garbage!" There were also significant coding errors in the data. Weather stations that are claimed to exist in Canada aren't there -- leading one memo to speculate that the stations "were even invented somewhere other than Canada!"

The computer code used to create the data the CRU has used contains programmer notes that indicate that the aggregated data were constructed to show an increase in temperatures. The programmer notes include: "Apply a VERY ARTIFICAL correction for decline!!" and "Low pass filtering at century and longer time scales never gets rid of the trend -- so eventually I start to scale down the 120-yr low pass time series to mimic the effect of removing/adding longer time scales!" The programmers apparently had to try at least a couple of adjustments before they could get their aggregated data to show an increase in temperatures.

All this could in theory be correctable by going back and starting from scratch with the original "raw" data, but the CRU apparently threw out much of the data used to create their temperature measures. We now only have the temperature measures that they created.

The extent to which these academics are willing to go to get the results they want can be seen in their attacks on others. Upset that the editor of Geophysical Research Letters, Jim Saiers, and the journal Climate Research had published research that questioned man-made global warming, these e-mails reveal an attempt to remove Saiers as editor, prevent others from publishing in these journals or citing their work, and, even worse, exclude work critical of the man-made global warming theory from being cited by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

-- Tom Wigley, a scientist with the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research wrote in one of the e-mails: "If you think that Saiers is in the greenhouse skeptics camp, then, if we can find documentary evidence of this, we could go through official AGU channels to get him ousted." Saiers' term as editor ended the following year. In another e-mail, Wigley wrote: "If we could reduce the ocean blip by, say, 0.15 deg C, then this would be significant for the global mean -- but we'd still have to explain the land blip."

-- Professor Mann, the Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, wrote: "Perhaps we should encourage our colleagues in the climate research community to no longer submit to, or cite papers in, this journal."

-- Professor Phil Jones, head of the CRU and contributing author to the United Nation's IPCC report chapter titled "Detection of Climate Change and Attribution of Causes," wrote: "I can't see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin [Trenberth] and I will keep them out somehow -- even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!"

Despite all this, ABC, CBS, and NBC have failed to even mention anything about this scandal on their news broadcasts. CNN has covered it, but has minimized any concerns. The Obama administration has also either dismissed these events as either irrelevant or just completely ignored them. With trillions of dollars at stake for the climate decisions that are going to be made next week in Copenhagen, Americans deserve some discussion of these e-mails and what they mean.

"Power of 3" Challenge: Here are three simple steps you can follow to get off to a fast start in Efu

2009-11-20T10:27:00.001-05:00

"Power of 3" Challenge: Here are three simple steps you can follow to get off to a fast start in Efusjon:

Step 1: Develop a deep-seeded belief in the Efusjon product by drinking it daily. Remember, people buy belief!

Step 2: Create a sense of urgency to immediately get your 3 and make yourself an Executive within hours or days. Congratulations! You have now earned $225 in Associate Product Volume Bonuses that will be paid to you the following week and you have a 115% return on your initial investment.

Step 3: You are also able serve as the Coach/Trainer for the 3 people that you personally sponsor into the club. For each of these 3 people that you help get to Executive within 30 days from the date they join, you will receive a $200 Coaching Product Volume Bonus paid the following week. Simply put, if you help each of your 3 personally enrolled members reach Executive within 30 days, you will receive a total of $600 in Coaching Product Volume Bonuses and you now also qualify to receive 100% of the money due to you in monthly matrix residual income ($5.10/month for direct distributors and $1.50/month for overlap distributors).

Following the above 3 steps will have made you $825 in total Product Volume Bonuses, and you will also be receiving $60 in monthly matrix residual income starting the following month. How powerful that all of this money is paid to you off of only having 12 people in your matrix (3 + 9 = 12)

http://www2.seemymatrix.com/forums/index.php/topic,350.0.html

Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny

2009-11-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbor http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny through information & ideas, empowering others & developing trust. D Kinlaw http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The greatest danger a team faces isn't that it won't become successful, but that it will, and then cease to improve. Mark Sanborn http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. John Wooden
http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

1.25 Million Contract Mystery Flu In Ukraine As Flu Cases Spike In Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia

2009-11-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

The latest numbers out of Ukraine indicate that 1.25 million people have now contracted what is being called "the mystery flu". Over 65,000 of those have required hospitalization and 239 are officially reported to be dead. As the situation in Ukraine continues to become more dire, many health experts continue to be absolutely perplexed as to why the WHO continues to refuse to release the sequences from the samples taken from patients in Ukraine well over a week ago. Meanwhile, there has been a dramatic spike in flu cases in neighboring countries such as Russia, Belarus and Bulgaria. In addition, a dramatic increase in flu cases is being reported in Serbia, Norway, India and Canada. In many of these nations there are reports of the flu virus absolutely disintegrating the lungs of patients just like it is doing in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Professor Viktor Bachinsky recently commented on the behavior of this mystery flu, and his assessment of this virus is very sobering.....

"The virus, which causes death, is very aggressive, it does not strike the trachea, but immediately gets into the lungs and causes heavy swelling and solid hemorrhage. Mixed types of parainfluenza and influenza A/N1N1 lead to this state. This is a very toxic strain, which has not yet answered to the treatment of the Ministry of Health."

So what in the world is going on there?

Hopefully world health authorities will have some answers for us soon.

Meanwhile flu cases across the globe continue to spike.....

source>>>

Russian cybercriminals target H1N1 Swine flu fears

2009-11-18T14:04:00.001-05:00

Report outlines massive affiliate campaigns pushing pharmaceuticals, including counterfeit Tamiflu, making Russian hackers millions.

Researchers at security vendor Sophos' Canadian-based research labs have released a report outlining how some Russian cybercriminals are making millions off the H1N1 flu by pushing counterfeit Tamiflu through well organized affiliate programs.

The cybercriminals have created an affiliate network to make it more difficult to track them down by distributing responsibility for different spam tasks while increasing advertising space to gain visibility and more potential victims. It's been an evolving process and today there are literally hundreds of malicious affiliate networks touting everything from phony dating websites, porn and pharmaceuticals such as Tamiflu.

Rather than direct spam campaigns that flood inboxes, the cybercriminals use Web marketing campaigns and drive potential victims to partner affiliate websites using a mixture of spam, search engine results (search engine optimization), blogs and forum posts, the report finds. Each affiliate gets a small cut but most of the profits go to cybercriminal gangs in Russia.

Many organize expensive parties for their members, send generous gifts for holidays, run lotteries where a top producer wins a luxury car, and the list goes on. In some cases, the war between different partnerkas turns ugly, where one portal may get DDoS'ed by a competing gang.

Members of the affiliate network learn how to mine Google Trends data for popular search terms, generate content and use appropriate linking to trick search engines into giving the malicious sites a higher slot in search results. The results are affiliate websites that have potential to get more than 10,000 page views a day, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

The good news says Sophos' Dmitry Samosseiko is that security researchers are gaining a better understanding of the affiliate networks and working closely with law enforcement to get rogue networks shut down.

source>>>

500 Homerun Club & Efusjon Invite you to come hit a home run

2009-11-07T23:43:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 500 Home Run Club®, LLC, the exclusively authorized, internationally recognized organization founded to celebrate the awe inspiring achievements of the greatest home run hitters in baseball history. The club operates with the endorsement and support of both Major League Baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Man Plans EBay Auction to Fund Defense of Accused Murderer of Abortion Doctor

2009-10-27T16:46:00.001-04:00

An anti-abortion activist Dave Leach, is planning an online auction to help support the defense of Scott Roeder, accused of entering a Church in Wichita, Kansas and fatally shooting abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.

Leach plans to launch an eBay auction to raise money to get Roeder a better attorney. Roeder currently is being represented by a public defender.

Leach believes a private attorney could get Roeder an acquittal, based on the necessity defense.

"The necessity defense is the only thing that allows the letter of the law to be set aside in situations where the author of the law never would have intended it to be enforced," said Leach.

According to U.S. criminal law, the necessity defense argues the defendant should not be held liable for their crime, because it was necessary to prevent greater harm.

That defense did not work for Shelley Shannon who tried and failed to kill MD.Tiller in 1993..

Shannon was convicted of attempted murder, and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Leach plans to auction prison cookbooks by Shelley Shannon, as well as drawings from Roeder in his online auction.

source>>>

MDA Telethon 2009, Labor Day

2009-09-07T15:58:00.000-04:00

Every year over the Labor Day holiday, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) holds an annual telethon. Although, many people dispute the effectiveness of the organization, MDA is responsible for doing an incredible amount of good for people severely disabled with a terminal illness known as Muscular Dystrophy.

Unfortunately, in recent years, many articles have surfaced questioning the cash flow of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The organization operates at a very high overhead and many people question just how much of the money goes to helping individuals with these life-changing diseases.

In fact, Muscular Dystrophy has over 40 different subtypes, each of which manifest in their own unique ways, and unfortunately many of which are fatal. As technology improves, more people with Muscular Dystrophy are living longer and healthier than ever before.

Technology has not yet brought us a cure; scientists say they are close every year but the years keep on ticking. I remember when I was only 14 the first news of mice being cured began to surface... this month I turn 29.

Living with muscular dystrophy is not an easy hand to have been dealt. Those years continually marched on in an unforgiving and cold kind of way. Yet, I sit here today, as living proof that just because you have a disease does not mean that it has you.

MDA sponsors many wonderful activities such as camps for the disabled but those things cost money. Does the majority of the money go to research for a cure?

I'm not sure.

I can tell you that many of our members have benefited from the MDA. They may not be the best organization in the world; they even turned me away after reaching the age of 18 because they could no longer provide me with services that would be useful.

Having said that, everyone with muscular dystrophy is touched by MDA one way or another, and I can honestly tell you that they could be the most corrupt organization in the world and it does not matter. The MDA has brought awareness of the disease and its impact on millions of people across the world.

Speaking as someone who is fighting to propel this nonprofit organization, just the fact that they make muscular dystrophy and headline for one day a year, is well worth what they do.

Please consider donating to the MDA not because I told you to, but because you care. You can donate anonymously, in your name, or even in ours. source>>>

Teach Kids the significance of Labor Day

2009-09-07T15:52:00.000-04:00

On Monday, September 7, our nation celebrates Labor Day--a holiday honoring all American workers, present and past. Typically spent around the grill with neighbors and friends, Labor Day has become the unofficial symbol of the end of summertime fun, as well as a last chance getaway for families with school-aged children.

Before heading out for a day of family fun, take a minute to let your kids know the significance of the holiday. According to the Department of Labor, the first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York. Over the next few years, more and more states celebrated this "workingman's holiday" and, in 1894, Congress passed an act, signed by then President Grover Cleveland, decreeing it a national holiday celebrated on the first Monday of each September. Although the holiday was originally associated with Labor Unions, it is now the celebration of all workers.

Although San Jose and other local banks, schools, post offices and the likes are closed on Labor Day, chances are that at some point during the day you'll encounter someone at work. Turn this into a teaching opportunity and talk to your kids about the person's job--what are they doing, why are they doing it, do you think they like their job, what we do without this type of worker, why do they need to be at work on a "holiday", etc. If you spend the day at home, take a minute to let your kids view the Bay Bridge construction project so that you have a fun discussion about American workers. source>>>

Temporary replacement for Senator Kennedy a clear example disgusting Massachusetts Politics

2009-09-02T16:48:00.001-04:00

THE DEBATE over amending the law so that the governor could immediately appoint a temporary replacement for Senator Edward Kennedy presents a clear example of why the Legislature and our current governor represent everything that's disgusting in Massachusetts politics today.

Are we going to change the rule again once the voters throw Governor Patrick out of office next election?

I'd like to hear this conversation between a Democratic state lawmaker and his son: "Well, it's like this. We have enough guys on our team so that we can change the rules any time we want. We're changing the rules now so that our team will have a tremendous advantage and it will be almost impossible for the other guy to win. I know it's not ethical or fair, and most voters would prefer we just have an election, but I'm a Massachusetts legislator, and that's how we do things.''

While the hypothetical young man may be very proud of his dad, I'd be ashamed to say he represents me. source>>>

Techs Stocks Slip As Apple, EBay Retreat

2009-08-27T14:43:00.000-04:00

Tech stocks reversed course Wednesday morning, slipping into the red as shares of Apple Inc. and eBay Inc. chalked up losses and chip makers turned in a mixed performance.

The sector earlier had posted modest gains as semiconductor shares rose after technology researchers Gartner Inc. updated its 2009 forecast for the chip industry and now foresees a smaller-than-expected revenue decline.

But the mini-rally lost steam by late morning as the Nasdaq Composite Index ( RIXF) fell 0.2% to 2,021, while the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) eased 0.1%.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) held on to a 0.2% gain.

As revised, Gartner sees the sector's revenue totaling $212 billion for 2009, down 17.1% on the year. Its prior projection had been for a 22.4% decline.

"The semiconductor market has performed better than expected, as was evident when second quarter semiconductor revenue increased 17% in sequential sales," Gartner Vice President Bryan Lewis said.

Shares of chip giant Intel Corp. (INTC) traded up about 0.6%, but other chip makers were in the red, including Texas Instruments (TXN) and SanDisk Corp. ( SNDK).

The tech sector was also weighed down by losses in shares of such bellwethers as blue chips Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) as well as Google Inc. (GOOG) source>>>

Obama Kenyan birth certificate on eBay called fraud

2009-08-26T15:43:00.000-04:00

The alleged Kenyan birth certificate offered by eBay seller Lucas Smith and displayed last weekend on YouTube.com is not a valid document, a WND investigation has revealed.

Screen shot of whole document from Lucas Smith's video; close-up views available in clip below

Administrators at Coast Provincial Hospital in Mombasa, the hospital named as President Obama's supposed birth hospital in the document, refused to authenticate the record when contacted by WND sources in Kenya.

Demand the truth by joining the petition campaign to make President Obama reveal his long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate!

The document appears to have the following defects:

1. Kenyan news sources have called into question the use of "Coast Province" or "Coast Provincial" as a correct reference to the official name of the Mombasa general public hospital in 1961, citing Professor Dan Branch of the University of Warwick who noted that the term "Coast Province" was not used in the early 1960s when Kenyan provinces were typically referred to as "regions."

2. Until 1964, Kenya was the Dominion of Kenya, not the Republic of Kenya, and Mombasa was part of Zanzibar until Dec. 12, 1963, not a coastal province of Kenya.

3. Dr. James O.W. Ang'awa, the physician who was named in the document as the attending physician at Obama's birth, was a physician who worked in Kenya during the 1960s; however, he worked at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. Dr. James O.W. Ang'awa never worked at any hospital in Mombasa.

4. The dates on the document are formatted in U.S. style, listing in order the month, day and year; this is not the British format which typically follows the order of day, month and year.

5. The footprint on the document appears nearly perfect in definition; real infant footprints typically show signs of smudging because of foot movement.

6. The footprint on the document is densely black, revealing few natural lines on the sole of the foot; footprints used for document identification are typically inked much lighter to allow for natural lines to be clearly apparent.

7. Footprints taken for document identification are typically taken for both feet, just as fingerprints taken for identification are typically taken for both hands.

8. The document does not look remotely like the 1961-era birth certificates used in Kenya; infant footprints were not displayed on Kenyan birth certificates in the 1961-era.

WND sources in Kenya described the Smith document as a clever forgery in that Helton Muganga is currently an administrator at Coast Provincial General Hospital
. source>>>

Bids pour in, and out, for crypt above Marilyn Monroe's

2009-08-25T14:16:00.001-04:00

It was a day of ups and downs when the online bidding ended Monday for the crypt above Marilyn Monroe.

Elsie Poncher, whose husband Richard Poncher is entombed in the crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, said she wanted to sell it to pay off the more than $1-million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home.

A bidder from Japan appeared to be the winner of the EBay auction, with an offer of $4,602,100 -- $100 more than the next highest bid.

But several hours after being sent an invoice, the bidder e-mailed Poncher's representative saying, "I am awfully sorry, but I need to cancel this because of the paying problem."

Steve Miller, a mortgage broker and banker who is representing Poncher, said he had e-mailed the 11 other bidders who offered at least $4.5 million for the crypt, giving them 24 hours to make an offer. He said that if the right offer isn't made, he and Poncher may try to find another way to sell the crypt.

No one from EBay could be reached for comment Monday night. Miller said EBay had been vetting the bidders and had cancelled several offers it considered bogus.

The bidding started at $500,000 on Aug. 14, escalated to $1 million two days later and then to more than $4.5 million Aug. 17. There were 21 bids. The closing bid would have made the crypt one of the most expensive items ever sold on EBay. In 2001, a Gulfstream II jet went for $4.9 million, according to the online auction site.

Richard Poncher, who was an entrepreneur who owned a number of companies, died 23 years ago at 81.

He bought the crypt from New York Yankee great Joe DiMaggio when the ballplayer was in the midst of his divorce from Monroe in 1954.

The Ponchers were at the Regency Hotel in New York when DiMaggio asked her husband, "You want to buy two crypts?"

Richard Poncher bought the one above Monroe, where he is -- for the moment -- entombed, and one next to it, where his widow was to one day spend eternity.

"To the man who gave us everything and more," says the plaque on Poncher's crypt. And indeed, he has continued to provide.

Elsie Poncher, who is in her 70s, plans to move her husband's remains to the crypt designated for her, and when the time comes, she'll be cremated. She said that when her husband was dying, he made a request. "He said, 'If I croak, if you don't put me upside down over Marilyn, I'll haunt you the rest of my life.' "

After the funeral, Poncher said, she conveyed her husband's wish to the funeral director. "I was standing right there, and he turned him over," she said.

The cemetery, hidden away off Glendon Avenue, is the final resting spot for many celebrities, among them Natalie Wood, Dean Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, Merv Griffin, Mel Torme, Truman Capote and Farrah Fawcett.

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner bought the crypt next to Monroe's in 1992 for $75,000. There is an unoccupied crypt in the Corridor of Memories mausoleum where Monroe and Poncher are entombed that the cemetery is selling for $250,000.

Miller said some of the e-mails he has received during the auction have been bizarre.

"I get comments from people thinking [Poncher's] rising from the dead," Miller said. "You can't believe the stuff I'm getting here."
source>>>

Miss USA goes NASCAR contesting Miss Universe

2009-08-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

Winning a Sprint Cup Series championship is a daunting challenge -- a 10-month grind with the best drivers in the world on your bumper.

But consider what it takes to be crowned Miss Universe.

Hopefuls at the ambitiously named pageant won't be coming from Venus and Mars. However, competition from this planet alone is formidable -- 80 stunning, tanned, toned, multitalented, multilingual women judged fairest in their respective lands.

America's representative, Kristen Dalton, happens to be a NASCAR fan, and she's counting on the sport for an extra edge at Sunday night's Miss Universe Pageant (9 p.m. ET, NBC).

Fans might remember Miss USA, a blue-eyed stunner from Wilmington, N.C., from the Coca-Cola 600 in May, where she belted out the national anthem in front of 165,000 fans. She hung out at her "local" track with drivers Kasey Kahne, David Ragan and Joey Logano, finding the stars of NASCAR to be regular guys who are a lot of fun and helped her understand the sport's popularity.
"
The national costume can be one last chance to truly separate yourself. ... As much as the Statue of Liberty is America, so is NASCAR.
"
MISS USA KRISTEN DALTON
Getty Images
Photo Gallery

* More of Miss USA, click here

But it was catching the thrill of speed close up at Lowe's Motor Speedway that truly hooked Kristen.

"I never realized the rush of adrenaline each lap around the track causes, the rush of wind from the cars, the overwhelming noise," she said. "I found out firsthand NASCAR truly needs to be experienced live to be fully appreciated."

As she prepared for Miss Universe -- the Olympics of pageants and a true source of national pride -- Kristen had to consider her "national costume." She was confident in her overall repertoire. In winning the pageants for North Carolina and the USA, she'd floored everyone in her evening gown. No one sizzles hotter in a swimsuit. And as an aspiring motivational speaker who studied Spanish and psychology at East Carolina University, Kristen aces her interviews.

The wild card would be the national costume. Dalton knew this item of clothing, which in the past had been inspired by the Statue of Liberty and Kentucky Derby, could be a final chance to put her over the top in the Miss Universe judges' eyes.

Remembering her NASCAR experience, Kristen chose a NASCAR theme. After all, is there anything more American?

"Every girl who gets that far to Miss Universe has a good attitude, can speak well in pressure situations, and wears a spectacular evening gown," Kristen said. "The national costume can be one last chance to truly separate yourself. I knew NASCAR was huge in my home state of North Carolina, and all over the U.S. As much as the Statue of Liberty is America, so is NASCAR. It was one of those ideas where as soon as you say it out loud, you know you've nailed it!"

A designer would be brought in to create a bold red zip-front, long-sleeved, cutoff unitard, decorated with silver sequins and rhinestones, and bearing the patches of her sponsors: NASCAR, Miss Universe, NBC, Atlantis, Trump, Sam Bass, Diamond Nexus and others. The words "Miss USA" with stars were added to the sleeves.

Complementing the racy look, Sam Bass, the first officially licensed artist of NASCAR, designed a stars-and-stripes helmet that would have made Evel Knievel proud. The helmet was autographed by the Sprint Cup field and auctioned last Thursday, bringing $4,500 to the Bahamas AIDS Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation.

So, when Kristen takes to the catwalk along with some of the most beautiful and talented ladies in the universe, she will have a bit of NASCAR in her bag of tricks as she looks to bring the biggest crown of them all -- Miss Universe -- back to North Carolina and the sport she loves. source>>>

sometimes the only antidote is something basic and simple

2009-08-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

KISS It

In a world where we are bombarded from every angle with one complexity after another, sometimes the only antidote is something basic and simple. You know what we're talking about; it's the KISS philosophy:

Keep It Simple, Silly!

And when it comes to making money on the internet, now is definitely the time for simple. Sure, you could spend thousands of dollars buying lists with tens of millions of email addresses on them. You could spend thousands more on software to spam the entire list. You could spend tens of thousands building your new uber cool online store attempting to sell your uber cool new product that no one seems to want to purchase. You could spend hundreds of thousands more attempting to get your site listed number one with all of the search engines. Continue>>>>

Sarah Palin can add another notch to her belt when it comes to influencing health care "reform."

2009-08-17T15:59:00.001-04:00

On a Facebook post, former Gov. Sarah Palin puts the lie to The New York Times' assertion that "the rumor that government-sponsored 'death panels' to decide which patients were worthy of living seemed to arise from nowhere" (emphasis added by The Stiletto).

Had Times reporters Jim Rutenberg and Jackie Calmes read her commentary -- which was posted the day before their article was published -- they would have known that the death panels are real, and where to read up on the details. Palin makes a solid case that health care "reform," as originally envisioned by Democrats, would lead to rationed care and put a price tag on the value of people's lives based on their economic productivity.

Palin cites and explains the ramifications of Section 1233 ("Advance Care Planning Consultation," pages 424 to 434) of the House's proposed bill, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,'' and quotes from "Principles For Allocation Of Scarce Medical Interventions" (The Lancet, January 31, 2009), a paper co-authored by one of President Obama's health care policy advisors, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel -- whose brother, Rahm, is the president's chief of staff.

Dr. Emanuel, a bioethicist, believes that doctors and hospitals should apply a rationing scheme he calls "complete life" for such medical services as ICU beds, heart transplants and vaccines during a flu pandemic. Under this scheme, adolescents and young adults would get priority over infants and the elderly, because "they have received substantial education and parental care, investments that will be wasted without a complete life. Infants -- have not yet received these investments."

Though the paper's authors admit that their scheme is ageist, they do not even bother to discuss exceptions to their hierarchical valuation of human life. For instance, is the average 14-year old more "valuable" to society than, say, Pablo Picasso in his later years? Objectively, no -- but (s)he is valuable to a circle of family and friends, and that should be enough. Ditto Grandma, even if she isn't in Picasso's league as a world renowned artist. And so is -- too bad it doesn't go without saying -- Trig Palin. But try convincing Dr. Emanuel's fellow bioethicist, Peter Singer, who believes that the lives of animals deserve more protection than the lives of people (see second item in this link).

Believe it or not, the rationing scheme Dr. Emanuel advocates in The Lancet is a softening of his views on which lives are worth saving. Though Palin was mocked -- surprise! -- for her "death panel" analysis, it's now Dr. Emanuel who is backpedaling from an article he co-authored 13 years ago, The Washington Times reports:

"When I began working in the health policy area about 20 years ago ... I thought we would definitely have to ration care, that there was a need to make a decision and deny people care," said Dr. Emanuel ... during a phone interview. ...

He wrote [in a short article published in a bioethics journal in 1996] that "services provided to individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens are not basic and should not be guaranteed."

"An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia," he wrote in the paper published by The Hastings Center, a nonpartisan, non-profit bioethics research institute. ...

The charges of rationing, or concerns about his language in journal articles, Dr. Emanuel said, is somewhat understandable given that he was "writing really for political philosophers, and for the average person it's not what they're used to reading, even if they've had a good liberal education."

Palin can also put another notch on her belt when it comes to influencing health care "reform" -- the Senate will drop language "encouraging" doctors to initiate conversations with patients about hospice and palliative end-of-life care from its bill, The Boston Globe reports:

Senator Chuck Grassley, the Senate Finance Committee's top Republican and one of six committee members trying to hash out a bipartisan bill, said yesterday that the provision could be misinterpreted and that it will not be contained in the committee's proposed legislation. ...

Yesterday, Grassley criticized the House bill, saying there was a difference between a "simple education campaign, as some advocates want,'' and paying "physicians to advise patients about end-of-life care'' and rating doctors "based on the creation of and adherence to orders for end-of-life care.''

Public support for Obamacare and Congressional Dems has fallen another five points from just two weeks ago, with just 42 percent of U.S. voters now in favor, according to a nationwide Rasmussen telephone survey. Oh, and voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats now on health care (44 percent to 41 percent).

Palin was hardly the only one to look at the House bill and realize its implications. In a commentary posted on The Daily Beast, "thinker" Lee Siegel -- who believes "the absence of universal health care is America's burning shame" -- calls rationing end-of-life care "morally revolting":

Determining which treatments are "cost effective" at the end of a person's life and which are not is one of Obama's priorities. It's one of the principal ways he counts on saving money and making universal health care affordable.

This is the Big Brother nightmare of oppressive government that the shrewd propagandists on the right are always blathering on about. Except that this time, they could not be more right. ...

[T]he argument that fruitless tests and "senseless" procedures are bankrupting the health care system, that is an insult to the intelligence. No one knows which tests and procedures will be effective beforehand. No amount of "study" and research is going to address the particular case and the particular condition, let alone the particular, desperate, irrational will to live -- which, in animal terms, is pragmatic and rational.

The Stiletto seems to recall pundits across the political spectrum writing Palin off as irrelevant after she voluntarily stepped down from public office in July. Guess they were -- what is the word? -- wrong. source>>>

Christian Creationism Exhibit at Tulsa Zoo a Top Priority for Mayoral Candidate

2009-08-12T17:53:00.001-04:00

A mayoral candidate in Tulsa, Okla., is reportedly putting a Christian creationism exhibit in the Tulsa Zoo among her top priorities, along with addressing crime and budget issues.

Republican Anna Falling says the people of Tulsa must recognize that God needs to be honored in the city, Tusla World reported.

"If we can't come to the foundation of faith in this community, those other answers will never come," she told the paper.

As part of that effort, Falling has resurrected a failed push for an exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo that would tell the Genesis story of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, originally proposed by Christian activist Dan Hicks in 2005, Tulsa World reported.

"Installation of this exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo was raised in 2005, discussed, vetted and resolved in a very public process involving the entire community," Zoo officials said in a prepared statement, "A public vote four years ago by the Parks Board resolved the issue."

The zoo currently has a display of the earth's creation from a scientific point of view and an elephant-like statue said to represent the Hindu god Ganesha, Tulsa World reported.

Falling, a former city councilor and founder of several Christian non-profit groups, also stressed the need to reserve leadership positions for those who will "honor God," the paper reported.
source>>>

Political gamesmanship takes over health care debate

2009-08-12T17:47:00.001-04:00

The politics of health care reform are overwhelming the policy discussion. That's inevitable, although nonetheless regrettable.

The Democratic strategy is to recast health care reform as a political melodrama. The villain has been cast: the evil health insurance companies, who are standing between the American people and a beneficent government that wants to shower them with quality health care for everyone.

Hence President Obama and his administration now refer to health insurance reform, rather than health care reform, and inveigh against the cruel and rapacious insurance companies at every opportunity.

There's just one rather large problem with the Democratic narrative. The health insurance companies, by and large, are actually supporting the Democratic plan.

The heart of the Democratic proposal is to treat health insurance as a public utility. The government will decide the benefit packages companies can offer. Medical underwriting is prohibited. Price differentials based upon other factors - age, gender, geography - are sharply limited. Profits are capped.

The health insurance companies are willing to accept being treated like a public utility. They have asked for only one thing: a mandate that everyone purchase their product. That way the subsidy for the health care of those older or with chronic illnesses will be borne by the young, who will pay much higher premiums than if medical underwriting were permitted.

The health insurers have also asked not to be subject to one thing: a government-owned competitor, the much-debated public option. But they are playing an inside lobbying game against the public option, not engaging in a scorched-earth outside public education and grassroots mobilization campaign against the public option or the Democratic reform proposal in general.

There is, however, such a scorched-earth campaign going on, manifested most visibly in the congressional town hall protests. These protests are the subject of remarkable disingenuousness by Republicans and hypocrisy by Democrats.

Republicans are portraying protesters as citizens who are just so upset they have spontaneously dropped their plows and frying pans to go yell at their congressman. In reality, they are being mobilized by fiscal conservative organizations, primarily FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity, to turn these public meetings into an act of political theater.

Using protest politics and treating public meetings as political theater, however, has been a staple of the left since the Progressive Era. Democrats just can't get over the shock of it being used against them rather than for them.

Those tut-tutting such tactics tend to have false memories of an era in which Americans discussed political issues civilly and with respect. Such an era never existed. American political discourse has always been dominated by partisan sniping, hyperbole and bluster.

The federalists and republicans had substantial philosophical differences. But in political combat, they rarely debated them. Instead, they mostly maligned each other's character. Occasionally, there were even duels fought over the insults.

We've moved beyond politicians shooting at each other, but our political discourse has rarely risen much above the scurrilous.

What's new and different aren't the tactics. It's that fiscal conservatives are using them.

Social conservatives have always been able to mobilize. Fiscal conservatives appeared to be unorganizable. These town hall protests, and the tea party protests that preceded them, suggest they may be organizable after all. That would be a new dynamic in American politics.

Protest politics aren't my cup of tea. I prefer civil discourse, even if I don't have any expectation of actually seeing it.

Still, in this case the protests reflect the hard edge of a broader resurgent skepticism about the reach of the federal government that I had feared had faded away. So, it's welcome, even if I wish it were expressed with more decorum. source>>>

New York Jets' Jay Feely equally adept at football, politics

2009-08-11T18:14:00.000-04:00

Jay Feely regularly tweets about his family, has talked sports as a guest radio host and criticized President Obama on a national news television program.

The New York Jets kicker certainly isn't afraid to speak his mind, or have a game riding on the strength of his right leg.

"I've never worried about the implications," Feely said Monday. "I've always felt that if I do my job the best I can and I'm one of the best at what I do and am honest with what I say, then people will respect that."

Feely, entering his second season with the Jets and ninth in the NFL, prides himself on being well-read, well-spoken and well-rounded. He's the rare athlete who can debate sports and politics , and be equally adept at both.

"If somebody asks me my opinion, you can be honest and still respectful at the same time," he said. "I think that's part of the problem in our country is that we've got this discourse now politically where if you disagree with somebody, you attack them rather than respectfully disagree with them."

During the offseason, the 33-year-old Feely pulled no punches when he was a guest panelist on Fox News' "The Sean Hannity Show."

"I think that the magic act that Obama put on during the election, the curtain is kind of being pulled back," Feely said on the show in June, "and the American people will see what is behind the stage, and they don't really like it."

There was also this zinger: "He's creating a foundation from which he must lead from, and that foundation does not have the same character traits that have made this nation great."

Whoa. Pretty heady , and controversial , stuff for an NFL kicker, no?

"One thing I love about Jay is that he's brutally honest," long snapper James Dearth said. "Jay says whatever's on his mind and doesn't really care what too many people think. He's a straight shooter."

And some contend that has gotten him in trouble during his football career. Despite setting a Dolphins franchise record with a 91.3 field-goal rate in 2007, Feely was cut, many believe because his outspoken nature clashed with the new Bill Parcells-led regime in Miami. He was also inexplicably cut a day after signing a one-year deal with Kansas City last summer, losing a "kick off" with two less-experienced players.

"I think anytime you go through adversity, your character's tested," Feely said. "The way in which you respond to that will define what kind of man you are."

When Mike Nugent went down with a leg injury in the season opener last year, the Jets jumped at the chance to sign Feely. He became their kicker the rest of the year, and the Jets re-signed him in March after he was 24 for 28 on field-goal attempts. Feely is the only kicker in camp this summer, and has looked impressive.

"We couldn't find a kicker that could tackle like a linebacker, so we decided to stay with the one that can," coach Rex Ryan quipped. "If you don't think you have somebody that can give him legitimate competition for the job, then why do it?"

Feely enjoys being the lone placekicker in camp, and knows Ryan expects big things because the Jets plan to play a ball-control offense.

"It makes it more exciting for me," Feely said. "In that kind of style of football, you need a kicker who's going to make his field goals, and I like that."

Besides his TV appearances, Feely spent part of the offseason co-hosting a sports talk show with ESPN Radio's Seth Everett, discussing everything from the Jets to the NBA playoffs to baseball. He also wrote a blog in which he called for Michael Vick to get another chance at playing in the NFL.

"What you see on TV and hear from him in the media and what you read on Twitter, that's just him," punter Reggie Hodges said. "That's really who he is. That's one of the things I really like about him. He's so consistent and he's always the same Jay Feely."

Feely is considering a second career in politics after his playing days. He has already rubbed shoulders with some pretty good company, including former presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

"It's something that if I didn't have kids, yes, I'd do it in a heartbeat," said Feely, who has four children with his wife, Rebecca. "My first priority is my children. I want to be a great father. I don't want to be an OK father. The way I approach football is the same way I approach parenting. I don't ever want to have any regrets." source>>>

Is Sarah Palin's Schlafly-style fear rhetoric ethical politics?

2009-08-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

Sarah Palin's beloved child Trig, born with Down Syndrome, is safe and so is everyone else who has been terrified by her hyperbolic "death panel" rhetoric on President Obama's health care reform efforts.

I'll leave it to our editorial page to debunk the unsubstantiated and preposterous Palin press release -- a wild distortion of an optional benefit already offered under Medicare to pay doctors for helping patients and their family face end-of-life decision making according to their own values.

What interests me here is the tactical gimmick of arguing-by-extremes. Palin reflects the teachings of the master -- Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the Eagle Forum and a conservative-right tactician extraordinaire.

I profiled Schlafly for The Miami Herald (full text here) in 1987 after she had brilliantly, almost single-handedly stomped the Equal Rights Amendment ratification campaign into a powder by turning it into a gay-sex-rampage-enabling amendment. How, I never quite understood.

So, I asked Schlafly about the formidable skills she deploys in a heartbeat on any public topic. See who she reminds you of...

Schlafly adores absolutes. It's an efficient way to reason in debates.

A serious debate requires an opponent of equal intellectual weight and moral force. Schlafly says she can't think of any honorable spokesman for the opposition -- someone of knowledge and integrity with whom she can respectfully disagree -- on any issue.

People who think differently than she does are either lying, laughing or not truly confronting the issues, she says.

In our 1987 interview, Schlafly likened American families to endangered species deserving vigorous protection.

Don't we have a new line that every time we pass a law, we should have an environmental impact statement? Isn't that exactly what the environmentalists do? They say it might hurt some bird that might possibly perch, even though that bird isn't from that neighborhood. Maybe that bird never comes to that part of the country...

Schlaflyx-blog200 In short, it's what "could" or "might" happen, no matter how far-fetched or disengaged from reality.

She showed me how this worked in her (unsuccessful) efforts to defeat parental leave legislation as "a windfall for yuppies... who could use their mandated leave for vacationing instead of parenting."

She acknowledged that was hardly likely but, she crowed, "That is what you could do..."

At Women on the Web last year, writer Andrew Belonsky mused that Schlafly might be the "most dangerous woman in America" with the routine and deliberate detachment of verbal fire-power from facts.

He points out that her career as an activist took off with her support for Barry Goldwater, the Arizona senator campaigning for the Republican nomination in the 1964 presidential race, Schlafly spun his campaign slogan, " A Choice Not an Echo," into a book title, calling him " the epitome of American Constitutional principles."

He ultimately lost the presidential race to Lyndon Johnson but Schalfly won big -- launching her career as a writer and activist on the far right. According to Belonsky (who doesn't give his source for this) she once said: "Most political writing is just to rev up your juices of your prejudices. And my writing was persuasive."

Soon she was in the thick of the ERA battle where she discovered that the basic political opposition argument -- whether the Equal Rights amendment would expand federal powers -- wasn't cutting the mustard. She flipped it into an attack on the nuclear family, Belonsky says. source>>>

William Jefferson's political family has rough times ahead

2009-08-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

It's been a bad year for the Jeffersons.

And it could get worse.

The downward spiral began in December when, tainted by criminal charges, nine-term incumbent U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was defeated by a virtually unknown Republican. Last week, Jefferson was convicted on 11 counts of public corruption. A federal judge could send him to prison for the rest of his life.

This week, a legal assault on the family continues. The curtain is scheduled to rise on the bribery trial of Mose Jefferson, the former congressman's older brother and confidant, whose name was often invoked during the Virginia corruption trial.

In the spring, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office upped the ante on another pending case against Mose Jefferson; his sister, 4th District Tax Assessor Betty Jefferson; and other close associates, securing a new indictment that accuses the group of skimming money from government-financed nonprofit groups. A trial on those charges is set for early next year.
Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneWilliam Jefferson

Taken together, federal prosecutors in Virginia and New Orleans portray the Jeffersons as a political crime family, in two cases even charging members under the federal racketeering law created to bring down the Mafia.

It's a disturbing image.

In the government's telling, William Jefferson often agreed to flex his congressional muscle only after he and his family members were cut into business deals. Mose Jefferson is accused of bribing the Orleans Parish School Board president to influence the purchase of an algebra curriculum he was hawking. And Mose and Betty Jefferson -- along with her daughter, Angela Coleman, and Mose Jefferson's longtime girlfriend, former state legislator and City Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt -- conspired to steal taxpayer money allocated to help the poor, prosecutors say.
John McCusker / The Times-PicayuneMose Jefferson

"It is a shame, it really is," Mose Jefferson said of prosecutors' depiction of family members on Thursday as he left federal court in New Orleans. "If we have been a crime family, where is the money?"

Mose Jefferson's attorneys asked a federal judge to declare him indigent, arguing he couldn't pay his legal bills because the federal government has tied up his commercial property with notices of possible forfeiture. The request was denied.

In the Virginia trial, William Jefferson's defense attorneys offered up a competing narrative, telling jurors that although some of the former congressman's actions might be perceived as unethical, he committed no crimes. His business dealings were purely private and had nothing to do with his official work as a congressman, they argued.

That line of attack on the government's case failed -- at least for now. Jefferson plans to appeal his convictions.

Although not offering strategy details, Eddie Castaing, the attorney for Betty Jefferson, said her defense won't be shaped by what happened in the Virginia trial.
Ted Jackson / The Times-PicayuneBetty Jefferson

"The William Jefferson case and verdict have nothing to do with Betty Jefferson. The evidence in his case is totally irrelevant to Betty Jefferson," Castaing said. "She looks forward to her day in court. In the end, she will be exonerated."

The grand sweep of the federal scrutiny of the Jefferson family has been derided by defense attorney Arthur "Buddy" Lemann III in court filings. In his trademark colorful prose, Lemann called the case involving nonprofit groups "a patchwork of discordant and clashing designs hemmed together, not by a conspiratorial thread, but by Jefferson consanguinity," or blood ties.

Lemann charged that the prosecution by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, who was originally appointed by a Republican president, is "political." He said the government seeks to "ride on the high tide of the public outrage over the cold cash found in brother William's freezer," referring to $90,000 in marked bills given to the congressman by a federal informant to bribe an African official.

The money was found by the FBI stashed between veggie burger and frozen pie crust boxes inside William Jefferson's freezer four years ago and became the defining image of his corruption trial.

"I guess the government is at first base," Lemann said after the Virginia verdict came down.

Noting he is prepared for guilt-by-association tactics, the defense attorney said: "Ultimately it is up to the jury to decide. Just because Cain killed Abel doesn't make Abel a murderer."

Defense attorney Michael Fawer, who represents Mose Jefferson in the School Board bribery case, said indictments against various members of the Jefferson family are bound to make an impression on the public.

"God forbid one of them should be innocent," he said.

Fawer on Friday filed a motion seeking a trial delay or a change of venue, saying the storm of publicity surrounding William Jefferson's trial and verdict makes it "virtually impossible to obtain an impartial jury."

But U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, in a two-sentence order Friday, refused to immediately delay or move the trial, saying questioning of prospective jurors "will reveal the extent of prejudice, if any, resulting from media coverage of the trial of defendant's brother."

One sibling defects

Although most of the tight-knit family has closed ranks, saying it never did anything illegal, there has been one defection. Brenda Foster of Covington, one of 10 Jefferson siblings and a sometime employee of nonprofit groups controlled by the family, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony last year, or failure to report a crime she knew about. Foster is expected to testify, offering evidence of how Mose and Betty Jefferson, along with Coleman, the assessor's daughter, spent money on themselves that was intended for the poor.

Not every member of the extended Jefferson clan is facing federal charges. One of the still-living sisters, who doesn't live in the New Orleans area, is never mentioned in court proceedings. Three other siblings passed away during the past couple of years, while a brother and sister died years ago.

Ironically, the former congressman's younger brother Archie is the only one of the local siblings not facing charges recently. As a felon convicted a decade ago of writing worthless checks who was permanently disbarred from legal practice by the Louisiana Supreme Court, Archie Jefferson was once considered the family's chief source of scandal. But prosecutors have mentioned him only in passing as a possible beneficiary of his brother's business ventures in Africa.

Even the ex-congressman's five daughters have been dragged into the fray. Prosecutors argue that their tuition at expensive colleges and law schools was paid with ill-gotten money. The government has argued the children are the main reason Jefferson was so desperate for extra cash, although none has been accused of any wrongdoing.

Dominating the landscape

The decline of the family that that held a dominant place in New Orleans politics for two decades has been precipitous.

Just five years ago, William Jefferson was an influential member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, and his daughter Jalila Jefferson-Bullock had finished her first session as a state legislator. His protege, Renee Gill Pratt, the longtime companion of Mose Jefferson, held the Uptown-based seat on the City Council, while sister Betty Jefferson was the 4th District tax assessor. Everywhere, it seemed, the Jeffersons wielded clout.

"They were on a roll," said Lambert Boissiere Jr., the Orleans Parish constable and a sometime ally of the Jefferson clan. "Politically, they ran some of the best campaigns. They didn't win them all, but you couldn't find a better political organization for street work."

The Jeffersons' political organization, the Progressive Democrats, began to unravel after the FBI raid on William Jefferson's home and offices in August 2005, said Silas Lee, a pollster and Xavier University political scientist.

"That is when the organization started to witness and experience leaks in the political infrastructure," Lee said.

Spotlight shifts

With the Virginia trial over, it is now Mose Jefferson -- often described as the man responsible for running the Progressive Democrats street operation -- who is in federal prosecutors' crosshairs. He was frequently mentioned during the Virginia proceedings, a fact that Mose Jefferson's defense attorneys say poses a threat to his chance at a fair trial.

Indeed, prosecutors brought in witness after witness who testified that William Jefferson, in exchange for his offer to help work out regulatory or other issues with African governments, demanded that companies hire his brother as a consultant or otherwise cut him in on the deal. In most cases, the deals failed to pan out. But prosecutors still emphasized to jurors jury that Mose Jefferson had stood to gain hundreds of millions if the brothers' plans were successful.

In the trial scheduled to begin for Monday, Mose Jefferson is accused of bribing former Orleans Parish School Board President Ellenese Brooks-Simms in exchange for lining up board members' support in favor of buying $14 million worth of an algebra curriculum he was selling.

Jefferson has denied bribing Brooks-Simms, pointing out that the "I CAN Learn" program was unanimously approved by the School Board.

Although the case lacks the dramatic image of $90,000 stashed in a freezer, there are large numbers involved. Jefferson made more than $900,000 in commissions off the School Board's purchases and allegedly channeled $140,000 to Brooks-Simms. source>>>

The resignation of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez ignites blasts from the political past

2009-08-10T17:44:00.001-04:00

The resignation of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez means the unusually early start in the race to succeed him gets even more interesting before its time.

Martinez's announcement Friday leaves Gov. Charlie Crist with two unappealing options: Either appoint himself to the job, inviting resentment inside his party and easy shots from outside, or appoint a seat-warmer, somebody guaranteed not to hold onto the job after 2010.

Little wonder Crist ruled out the first option within hours of Martinez's announcement.

But the second option has drawbacks, too. There's always the off chance the person selected might come to like a job that Crist already is running hard for.

What to do?

The obvious choice is to reach back into the political past. Find somebody too old to be looking for a new political career and who comes to the job with the goodwill that comes from having been on the sidelines for a while. Someone who looks good compared to some of the clowns running things these days.

Your correspondent is no political genius, so it's no surprise this political calculus already has been performed by many others. But the names being mentioned are such blasts from the past that he believes he can perform a reader service just by explaining who these guys are.

Here are the frontrunners:

- JIM SMITH: What he used to be: attorney general, 1979-1987; secretary of state, 1987-1995; perennial gubernatorial candidate. Political benefits: You can't get more bipartisan than appointing a guy who's run statewide as both a Democrat and Republican. Heck, he might have even run as a Whig before. Unlikely to run on his own since he's untelegenic in a way you don't see much in politics anymore. Plus, he doesn't go over well south of Interstate 4. Drawback: Is distrusted by Republican activists because of his Democratic ties.

- BOB MARTINEZ: What he used to be: Florida governor, 1987-1991. Political benefits: Zero charisma and not all that well-known anymore so there's little chance he'll go rogue and run for office himself. Bonus: He makes Crist's governorship look good by comparison. Plus, he could cross Mel's name off the letterhead and reuse all the old stationery and signage. Political drawbacks: Won't mollify the base. Reminds Republicans that it's theoretically possible to lose gubernatorial races.

- CONNIE MACK III: What he used to be: U.S. Senator, 1989-2001. Such a perfect choice that reportedly he has already been asked and turned it down.

- ALLAN BENSE: What he used to be: Speaker of the Florida House from 2004-2006. Benefits: Liked by party establishment and has a reputation as a good soldier. His agenda as House speaker was to do what Gov. Jeb Bush wanted done. Drawbacks: At 57, he's hardly at the end of his career -- in Senate years he's just a kid. He might get ideas.

- TONI JENNINGS: What she used to be: lieutenant governor, 2003-2007; Senate president, 1997-2000. Political benefits: Who says Republicans are just a bunch of old white guys with Southern drawls? She's efficient, smart and so responsible and prudent that few party activists want to see her back in public life. Political drawbacks: The base won't be happy. At 60, is young enough in Senate years to get ideas.

- KATHERINE HARRIS: Ha-ha! Just seeing if you're the kind of reader who reads all the way to the bottom and doesn't just skim the bullet items. Florida columnists can still dream, though. source>>>

The resignation of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez ignites blasts from the political past

2009-08-10T17:44:00.000-04:00

The resignation of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez means the unusually early start in the race to succeed him gets even more interesting before its time.

Little wonder Crist ruled out the first option within hours of Martinez's announcement.

But the second option has drawbacks, too. There's always the off chance the person selected might come to like a job that Crist already is running hard for.

What to do?

Here are the frontrunners:

- CONNIE MACK III: What he used to be: U.S. Senator, 1989-2001. Such a perfect choice that reportedly he has already been asked and turned it down.

- KATHERINE HARRIS: Ha-ha! Just seeing if you're the kind of reader who reads all the way to the bottom and doesn't just skim the bullet items. Florida columnists can still dream, though. source>>>

Political tweets a growing fad

2009-08-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

When Attorney General Jack Conway's daughter was born a couple of weeks ago, he announced it on the social networking tool Twitter.

And when the University of Kentucky basketball team blew a game it should have won last year, Secretary of State Trey Grayson used Twitter to urge a player he blamed for the loss to transfer to another school.

Twitter has become the latest fad in politics, as office-holders and candidates across the country have taken to sending out "tweets" to followers who hang on their every word.

"I think it humanizes us," said Conway, a Democrat running in next year's Senate race who uses his Twitter account to reach out to younger voters. "They're an amazing generation. ... They vote in much higher numbers than my generation did at their age."

Twitter allows people to post short missives that go out to those who choose to "follow" them on the social networking platform. Messages are limited to 140 characters and can be about anything.

Most people have the messages delivered directly to their cell phones so they can always check in and see what others are saying at any time.

Accounts are free and allow anyone from your next-door neighbor to the biggest Hollywood star to opine about life, politics or, often, nonsense.

It has a language all its own -- eliminating extraneous words and letters and substituting longer words with just a few letters. In Twitterese, for instance, the word "you're" becomes "ur."

Politicians in Washington who tweet are so plentiful that The Hill, a Washington-based political publication, has a long list of tweeters on its Web site. source>>>

KISS IDENTITY: KISS CLUB General Compensation Plan

2009-08-05T21:29:00.000-04:00

KISS CLUB General Compensation Plan

Compensation Plan

* General Compensation
o Drivers earn .50 on every product sale within their matrix through nine active levels.
o Additionally, Enrollers earn an additional $.50 on every product sale from each personally enrolled driver, regardless of their sponsor or what level they are placed on in the organization.
+ Enroller Commission is in addition to general compensation.
# Example: One of your personal enrollment sale is sponsored on your 5th level, you earn:
* $.50 since they are within your 9 levels, and
* $.50 from the enroller override commission as the enroller

* Fast Start Bonus
o The fast start bonus pays the enroller a one-time bonus of $4.00 on each NEW unique product sale, regardless of where they are placed in the organization or who their sponsor becomes.
o Additionally, the Fast Start Bonus Allows the sponsor and the sponsor's sponsor to earn $.50 on that unique enrollment product sale.
+ Fast Start is a onetime bonus paid on each NEW product sale, in the month of enrollment.
+ This bonus is only paid in the month of enrollment on that unique enrollee sale.
# All future monthly product sales to that unique enrollee are paid through the general compensation program through nine active levels.

* Brand Builder Bonus
o Drivers earn Brand Builder Bonus Points when they personally generate 3 or more *unique NEW driver sales during the calendar month.
o This bonus is calculated monthly.
o Bonus points are earned monthly based on the number of NEW driver enrollment sales. The more driver sales you generate the more points you receive, and the more bonus you can earn.
o One point is generated when you enroll 3 *unique driver sales within a calendar month.
+ You can qualify for up to 10 points for enrolling 12 *unique driver sales in any calendar month.
# 3 Unique Drivers = 1 point
# 6 Unique Drivers = 3 points
# 9 Unique Drivers = 7 points
# 12 Unique Drivers = 10 points

* Unique is defined as enrolling 3 separate people, drivers or entities... all using different social security or tax id numbers

* Driver Leadership Bonus Pool
o Drivers participate in the 1% Driver Leadership Bonus Pools when they personally generate 30 or more *unique NEW, active driver sales during their lifetime as a Driver.
+ These 1% pools are divided equally amongst the qualified leaders in that pool.
# 30 Personally Enrolled Active Drivers = Executive Club Pool
# 60 Personally Enrolled Active Drivers = Presidents Club Pool

The Efusjon Energy Club is a referral-based membership

2009-08-05T19:50:00.001-04:00

What is Efusjon?

The Efusjon Energy Club is a referral-based membership club patterned after a wine club. Instead of featuring wine, however, the Efusjon Energy Club offers a lineup of healthy energy drinks. The company was founded in September 2008 by Rob Towles, and began its public membership drive in January 2009.
Why Energy Drinks?

When considering any business, it only makes sense to take advantage of a market segment that is growing. One such sector today is the energy drink market. As a matter of fact, sustained double-digit growth trends over the last several years has led to projections that the U.S. energy drink market will nearly triple over the next two (2) years, expanding to more than $9.3 billion in annual sales. Read More Here

KISS is offering a way for anyone, and I mean anyone, to make a fantastic monthly income.

2009-08-05T19:47:00.001-04:00

KISS is offering a way for anyone, and I mean anyone, to make a fantastic monthly income. For your 10 dollar monthly investment, you'll be placed into an affiliate program that offers little KiSS mints (kinda like Tic-Tacs), lip balm in a bunch of tasty and fun flavors, and an opportunity to clothe children in need and send them to school. To some, that would be exciting enough, but it gets BETTER!

In your first month, you'll get $4.00 for each person you enroll. Enroll just 3 people and you've paid for your initial investment. KiSS is now a forced 3x9 matrix, which means once you enroll more than 3, they begin to build under those people you've enrolled, helping everyone! How does this benefit you? You'll get 50 cents for everyone under you, and everyone under them, down 9 levels. The people above you are building as well, and their overflow will spill under you, creating income without you having to do anything!

GET IN NOW because KiSS will be time-stamping people who saw the vision of velocity marketing early. You'll experience overflow RAPIDLY as they make the necessary updates and changes to the new matrix plan. This is urgent, people. Take a chance. Get in for $10 and get excited!

The days of 'if it sounds too good to be true' are over. The internet is changing the way we live, buy, sell, and think. The viral marketing plan that KISS offers is unbelievable, and keeps getting better, AND they have the math on paper to back it up. Sign up only 3 people and watch them get 3 people each, on down the line 9 levels deep and you'll be making over $14,000 a month. It's that simple, and with the new matrix in place, you'll experience first-hand the explosion of your own downline with minimal work on your part.

KISS CLUB, where it actually pays to Kiss and Tell!

2009-08-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

KISS CLUB, where it actually pays to Kiss and Tell!~

KiSS Identity™ is an internet based viral marketing company with a twist.

Using the communication power of the internet you can create an income stream

WITHOUT attending any meetings, conference calls or trainings,

WITHOUT having scientific knowledge of unknown products,

WITHOUT buying an expensive starter pack, or business builder system,

WITHOUT committing to purchasing hundreds of dollars of product every month,

WITHOUT having to figure out how to get paid, or qualifying for pay,

WITHOUT spending hours and hours recruiting, and

WITHOUT spending hours and hours of training and encouraging others

Why I joined KiSS Identity™ as soon as I found out...

1. It will be affordable...$10 for the first and every monthly order.

In our present economy, virtually everyone needs additional money. KiSS Identity™ will be an affordable option to generate income because it is based on a minimum $10.00 per month purchase requirement while building a substantial brand... together.

2. No games in the compensation plan...it is simple and rewarding

There will be no requirements beyond the $10.00 per month to qualify to be paid on all the people in your organization down to the total depth of the plan limits. You will be paid $1 each month for everyone you personally sponsor. 50 cents for each additional person that is recruited by your team members within your 3x9 matrix. *Special enrollment bonus within the first 30 days is $4.00 for everyone you personally enroll. The plan is simple and deep. Barriers to entry are thereby eliminated and barriers to retention are destroyed. Want to do something fun? Do the math on a 3x9 matrix and see what your income could be! The answer....$14,500 per month!!! More details on the comp plan here: http://www.mykissid.com/kissingisfun

*Here's a tip...Own multiple spots and earn up to $14,500 with every spot you own. Yes you can actually get paid on the same people in your matrix with multiple ownership. Just make sure you recruit atleast 3 people with every spot you own.

3. Products that are fun and don't have to be defended or explained.

Over the years marketing people have to exaggerate, falsify, embellish or just make up stories to sell their products. And even if the claims are true...you have to be able to understand and explain them. KiSS Identity™ will be marketing fun, everyday, consumable products with a zing or twist to enhance the emotional experience of using those products.

4. The marketing will be done with the latest technology. The goal: TO HAVE FUN!

The sales vehicle will be video links that you email to your contact list. The website will have simple, self-directed training and duplication videos. Viral Marketing on the internet will generate interest and fun. The recruiting, training and motivating of people will be done by the videos and the Website. Your success will be dependent on the level of effort you put forth sharing the available tools.

5. It pays to be involved.

The sooner you start the sooner you get rewarded. Earlier you get the higher up you are in the matrix. That means you have a better chance of participating in the growth of the company!!! You can build a business no matter when you get involved. BUT, the simple truth is, the earlier you get in the fewer existing distributors you run into. There will be fewer people that you contact that will have already joined or looked at your business opportunity.

6. The business philosophy.

We will be cooperating in the development of a KiSS Identity™ Brand Name. The business model, compensation plan and marketing strategy are all centered on management and distributors working together to use modern technology to accelerate word of mouth marketing to a faster rate of growth. The things that stop people from joining, make people quit or cause people to fail have been removed.

http://www.mykissid.com/kissingisfun

Make Money on Facebook with the kiss quiz

The application works like this; after taking the quiz you will see a pop up video with your results. (Ex. Kiss Me Cool, Kiss Me Strong, Etc.) Once you click "OK" it will post the results to your wall. (This is great exposure for your business!!!)

Once this is complete you will be prompted to check out a brief video. After viewing this video it will take you to another page which is the Corporate KiSS video. This allows those that are interested to enroll, and then come back to the site and enter in their new KiSS identity.
The KiSS identity is crucial if you want to get credit for anyone that signs up after your forward on the application!!! Everyone that chooses to join, as a result of you forwarding on this quiz will be placed automatically in your organization. Pretty cool huh?

Facebook will initially allow you to share this quiz with 24 of your friends after completing the quiz. I would recommend bookmarking the quiz so you can return to it each day and invite a new group of friends. For maximum exposure make sure to hit everyone on your friends list!

This is just one of many ways the KiSS corporate team is working hard to help our Driver's build their business.

http://www.mykissid.com/kissingisfun

KISS ME YOU FOOL

2009-07-31T10:34:00.000-04:00

KISS ME YOU FOOL

KiSS Identity™ is an internet based viral marketing company with a twist.

Using the communication power of the internet you can create an income stream

WITHOUT attending any meetings, conference calls or trainings,

WITHOUT having scientific knowledge of unknown products,

WITHOUT buying an expensive starter pack, or business builder system,

WITHOUT committing to purchasing hundreds of dollars of product every month,

WITHOUT having to figure out how to get paid, or qualifying for pay,

WITHOUT spending hours and hours recruiting, and

WITHOUT spending hours and hours of training and encouraging others

http://www.mykissid.com/kissingisfun

KiSS Identity™ is an internet based viral marketing company with a twist.

2009-07-30T17:06:00.000-04:00

KiSS Identity™ is an internet based viral marketing company with a twist.

Using the communication power of the internet you can create an income stream

WITHOUT attending any meetings, conference calls or trainings,

WITHOUT having scientific knowledge of unknown products,

WITHOUT buying an expensive starter pack, or business builder system,

WITHOUT committing to purchasing hundreds of dollars of product every month,

WITHOUT having to figure out how to get paid, or qualifying for pay,

WITHOUT spending hours and hours recruiting, and

WITHOUT spending hours and hours of training and encouraging others

Why I joined KiSS Identity™ as soon as I found out...

1. It will be affordable... $10 for the first and every monthly order.

2. No games in the compensation plan...it is simple and rewarding

There will be no requirements beyond the $10.00 per month to qualify to be paid on all the people in your organization down to the total depth of the plan. : $1 first level... $0.50 levels 2-9. No limits on width and no width requirements to be paid on depth. The plan is simple and deep. Barriers to entry are thereby eliminated and barriers to retention are destroyed. (Want to see something fun? Do the math on an organization 3 wide on all 9 levels and see what your income could be!)

Additionally there are some very significant bonuses added when you build the brand bigger. See the brand builder bonus, where you earn monthly shares of an additional 10% pool.

3. Products that are fun and don't have to be defended or explained.

Over the years marketing people have had to exaggerate, falsify, embellish or just make up stories to sell their products. And even if the claims are true, you have to be able to understand and explain them. KiSS Identity™ will be marketing fun, everyday, consumable products with a zing or twist to enhance the emotional experience of using those products.

4. The marketing will be done with the latest technology. The goal: TO HAVE FUN!

5. It pays to be involved.

The sooner you start the sooner you get rewarded. Earlier you get in the greater the reward for your efforts. You can build a business no matter when you get involved. BUT, the simple truth is, the earlier you get in the fewer existing distributors you run into. There will be fewer people that you contact that will have already joined or looked at your business opportunity.

6. The business philosophy.

We will be cooperating in the development of a KiSS Identity™ brand name. The business model, compensation plan and marketing strategy are all centered on management and distributors working together to use modern technology to accelerate word of mouth marketing at a faster rate of growth. The things that stop people from joining, make people quit or cause people to fail have been removed.

China to ban violent online games

2009-07-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

China has banned Web sites from advertising or linking to games that glamorize violence, another step in China's censorship campaign aimed at ensuring social stability ahead of the 60th anniversary of communist rule on Oct. 1.

A notice posted on the Culture Ministry Web site on Monday said games that promote drug use, obscenities, gambling, or crimes such as rape, vandalism and theft are "against public morality and the nation's fine cultural traditions."

"Such online games promote the glorification of mafia life ... and are a serious threat to the moral standards of society causing vulnerable young people to be adversely affected," the notice said. The ban on the Web sites starts immediately.

No details were given on how the law would be implemented, but the notice called for law enforcement bodies to ensure Web sites adhere to the new law.

China has the world's largest population of Internet users, more than 298 million, and the world's most extensive system of Web monitoring and censorship.

While the government claims the main targets of its Web censorship are pornography, online gambling, and other sites deemed harmful to society, critics say that often acts as cover for detecting and blocking sensitive political content that can be found on sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, which are all blocked in China. source>>>

Crime and Political Crises in an Already Weak Honduras

2009-07-27T17:32:00.001-04:00

As signs pointed toward a coup d'état in Honduras in late June, the mainstream media quickly shined a light on this all but forgotten Central American country. Weeks later, as we closely follow miniature power moves between ousted president Manuel Zelaya, his replacement Roberto Micheletti, the Organization of American States (OAS), and other minor actors, much more important issues have managed to escape the focus of the investigation.

Beneath the surface of the coup in Honduras, we find a country dangerously close to losing its grip on public security, and it doesn't matter who the president is now or will be tomorrow. Neither man is capable of rescuing Honduras without continued support from neighbors, such as Mexico and Colombia, and from the international community.

In the first five months of 2009, Honduran authorities seized over 6.5 metric tons of cocaine, yet many analysts agree that this amount is probably less than one-third to one-fourth the total amount passing through any given point at any given time.

With a more conservative, back-of-the-envelope estimate, the calculation tops five metric tons of cocaine flowing through Honduras every month, which may, in part, explain a spate of recent killings. Early in the second week of June, Honduran police reported 13 homicides in less than 24 hours. There is no indication that even one murderer has been brought to justice.

Intelligence reports out of Central America indicate that members of organized criminal groups operating in Honduras have opened an assassination school. Former military soldiers and policemen serve as training officers, and graduates would certainly have no trouble finding work in Central America, or Mexico, where assassinations are a daily reality of the drug trade.

Compounding the certainty of Honduras' newly flourishing role as a transit country in Central America's drug trade, the Honduran National Register of Persons disclosed in June that documentation trafficking is running rampant. Officials believe that personnel within the agency are responsible for falsifying birth certificates and national identity documents.

Relaxation on visa requirements for visitors from China, Russia, Cuba and the Dominican Republic - all serious players in global black markets - has likely catalyzed this business of documentation falsification.

Meanwhile, due to a lack of stable well-paying jobs, Hondurans continue to depend heavily on remittances sent from family members and friends working in the US. Yet remittances have seen a steady decline since last year, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, leaving many Hondurans without an important source of income.

By 30 March, the US had deported some 10,000 Hondurans in 2009, with a monthly average of 3,330.

Continued deportations from the US will further exacerbate political instability, as many deportees find themselves in a country they chose to leave, where there is no legitimate work and little incentive to start a new life. Temptation to pick up a job in the lucrative drug trade, or even to start taking classes at the assassination school, is strong.

We are certain to follow the fate of Zelaya and the Honduran government's status well into the next few weeks. But as we do so, it is important to look beneath the surface tension and beyond the street protests to understand the complete picture.

Honduras is no longer a Banana Republic. It is an independent democracy plagued by very serious public security problems. Zelaya's fate is important to cover, but it is just one of this country's many problems. source>>>

Politics Sole Cause Of vicious Attacks on Sarah Palin

2009-07-27T17:18:00.001-04:00

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin left office on Sunday, rather than continue to allow the business of her beloved state to be affected by vicious partisan attacks against her on the national stage.

Palin has become a lightning rod for those on the left, simply because of her ability to espouse the basic values in which so many Americans believe.

Her political enemies filed a variety of ethics complaints against Palin - and in every case, she was exonerated. Now, the ultra-partisans are taking a different tack. They claim she was wrong, while governor, to raise money for her legal defense against the ethics allegations.

Solely because of attacks based on partisan motives, Palin - far from a rich woman - was forced to pay substantial costs to defend herself. Money raised for her legal expenses was used for just that, not to enrich her.

We remember another national figure, former President Bill Clinton, who, while in office, raised money for legal expenses in the infamous Monica Lewinsky case. We do not recall liberals expressing outrage at him.

Palin's political enemies placed her in a Catch-22 situation: They filed groundless ethics complaints against her, forcing her to defend herself. Now, she is being criticized for doing just that.

We think most Americans will recognize the assaults for what they are - more of the vicious, unfair politics we recall being assured were about to change. source>>>

Health care debate could affect 2010 races

2009-07-27T17:05:00.001-04:00

When anesthesiologist Andy Harris appeared on a cable news show last month in his white doctor's coat to discuss the health care debate in Congress, his message was about more than the pros and cons of the legislation.

Harris, a Maryland state senator who is running for a U.S. House seat, was also making a subtle political statement: The health care debate shaping up in Congress is likely to have big implications for the 2010 election.

"Health care has been pushed to the forefront," said Harris, a Republican whose race against Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil is a tossup, according to the non-partisan Cook Political Report. "Almost regardless of what Congress does, it's going to be an issue for debate."

Fifteen months before the midterm congressional election, health care is appearing in candidate stump speeches and interviews -- particularly by Republican challengers, such as Harris, running in districts recently claimed by Democrats.

On Sunday, Pelosi told CNN's State of the Union that she remains confident a bill will pass the House. But Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., said on CBS' Face the Nation that Democrats have "a long way to go" before reaching a deal.

A top Senate Democrat, meanwhile, acknowledged there isn't enough support within the party to pass health care. "There are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said on ABC's This Week.

Obama has said he wants lawmakers to finish health care by the end of the year, in part because it could become mired in election-year politics. All 435 members of the House and 36 members of the Senate are up for election in 2010. "The election tends to shorten the life of the Congress," said Duke University political scientist David Rohde.

Democrats have added 24 seats in the House and nine in the Senate since last year. Kratovil, who beat Harris for the eastern Maryland congressional seat last year, is one of 52 fiscally conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dogs. The group, which has been holding up the bill, wants more savings to pay for it.

"I'm doing my best to look at neutral information," said Kratovil, who said he is concerned about the cost of the bill and that it doesn't do enough to encourage doctors to practice in rural areas.

"I'm not here to make decisions based on how I can guarantee getting back. I'm making the best decisions I can."

Yet candidates across the country are raising the issue and putting pressure on incumbents. Among the talking points: A government-run health benefits program will put private insurers out of business.

"Having the government involved in health care to that degree is really counterproductive," said Steve Chabot, a Republican running to reclaim the Ohio seat he lost to Democratic Rep. Steve Driehaus last year.

Driehaus responded with an argument Democrats are likely to use in races across the country: Complex legislation like health care requires votes that won't make everyone happy. "When the Republicans were in charge, they didn't do anything about health care reform," he said. "Now they want to suggest that all of these challenges facing us started on Jan. 20."

Former U.S. congressman Steve Pearce is a Republican who ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign last year and is now trying to reclaim his House seat. Pearce made health care part of his announcement speech this month, arguing that the House bill would raise taxes in a tough economy.

Pearce's Democratic opponent, Rep. Harry Teague, said he also has "serious concerns" about some provisions, including a proposed surtax on families earning more than $350,000 a year. That, spokeswoman Sara Schreiber said, "could have a disproportionate impact on small businesses."

Schreiber said Teague is focusing on an overhaul that makes "eliminating waste and cutting costs top priorities." source>>>

The Politics of Attention Deficit Disorder

2009-07-21T16:09:00.000-04:00

Six months of scrambling on all fronts-bank bailouts, economic stimulus, climate change-have brought the President lower approval ratings from a public suffering from crisis overload and left him needing a Hail Mary pass to score on his key issue.

"With skepticism about the president's health-care reform effort mounting on Capitol Hill-even within his own party," the Washington Post reports, "the White House has launched a new phase of its strategy designed to dramatically increase public pressure on Congress: all Obama, all the time.

"Senior White House aides promise 'an aggressive public and private schedule' for Obama as he presses his case for reform, including a prime-time news conference on Wednesday, a trip to Cleveland, and heavy use of Internet video to broadcast his message beyond the reach of the traditional media."

This test of presidential clout, coming up on a complex issue against the background of other trillion-dollar commitments that have still to bear fruit, leaves him exposed not only to Republicans with their simple-minded message of tax phobia and deficit fear but increasing anxiety among 2010-vulnerable Democrats who now sense a potential lack of visible progress on all fronts by next fall to keep them in office.

In this kind of ADD political climate, health care legislation lends itself to demagogues' cover on all sides, with providers "promising" non-binding new efforts to cut costs as Republicans line up with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus to "back" a future public option for health insurance with trigger mechanisms that will never be pulled off. source>>>

this date in history

2009-07-15T17:06:00.000-04:00

On this day in 1965, the NASA space probe Mariner IV sent back the first close-up photographs of Mars. Live on a Florida TV broadcast of July 15, 1974, newswoman Christine Chubbock announced: "And now, in keeping with Channel 40's policy of always bringing you the latest in blood & guts, and in living color, you're going to see another first -- attempted suicide." She pulled out a revolver and shot herself in the head, dying 14 hours later at a hospital. source>>>

Iran singer gets 5 yr. jail term for Koran disrespect

2009-07-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

An Iranian singer and composer who has been likened to Bob Dylan has received a five-year jail sentence in absentia for disrespecting religious sanctities, according to Iranian television.

An Iranian Koran scholar filed a complaint against Mohsen Namjoo, who also plays a traditional Persian lute, for the way he had performed using verses from Islam's holy book, English-language Press TV said on its website late on Monday.

The scholar, who Press TV did not name, accused Namjoo of "an insulting, sneering performance of Koranic verses with musical instruments."

It quoted the singer's brother and lawyer as dismissing the accusation, saying he "did not mean any disrespect." Press TV said Namjoo, who apologized a few months ago for the incident, was abroad but did not say in which country.
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Iran's Fars News Agency quoted a judge on Monday as confirming that Namjoo was found guilty "subsequent to an investigation of the complaint against him" but he did not give details on the sentence.

In a report posted on its website last week, the semi-official IQNA news agency (Iran's Quran News Agency) named the plaintiff as Abbas Salimi and quoted him as saying Namjoo was accused of "derisive rendering of Koran verses and disrespect toward" the holy book.

IQNA said the sentence against Namjoo, who is in his early 30s, was handed down last month.

In a 2007 profile, New York Times said Namjoo's "playful but subtly cutting lyrics about growing up in an Islamic state" had made him "the most controversial, and certainly the most daring, figure in Persian music today."

It added, "Some call him a genius, a sort of Bob Dylan of Iran, and say his satirical music accurately reflects the frustrations and disillusionment of young Iranians." source>>>

The Audacity of the Pope

2009-07-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

Papal encyclicals are supposed to be written with one eye on two millenniums of Catholic teaching, and the other on eternity. But Americans, as a rule, have rather narrower horizons. As soon as the media have finished scanning a Vatican document for references to sex, the debate begins in earnest: Is it good for the left, or for the right? For Democrats, or for Republicans?
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This was true in the 1950s, when the young William F. Buckley Jr. famously feuded with liberals over how much respect he owed to papal pronouncements on economic matters.

It was true in the 1990s, when conservatives eagerly cited John Paul II's condemnations of abortion and euthanasia, while liberals countered by noting his criticisms of the death penalty.

And it's especially true today, when a document like "Caritas in Veritate" ("Charity in Truth"), the third encyclical of Benedict XVI's papacy -- whose release, last Tuesday, was slightly overshadowed by a celebrity funeral of some sort -- can be wrangled over endlessly within hours of showing up online.

These arguments never seem to go anywhere. When a pope criticizes legalized abortion, liberal Catholics nod and say that yes, they agree, it's a terrible tragedy ... but of course they can't impose their religious values on a secular society. When a pope endorses the redistribution of wealth, conservative Catholics stroke their chins and say that yes, they agree, society needs a safety net ... but of course they're duty-bound to oppose the tyranny of big government. And when the debate isn't going their way, left and right both fall back on flaccid rhetoric about how the papal message "transcends politics," and shouldn't be turned to any partisan purpose.

"Caritas in Veritate" has been no exception. It's a "social" encyclical, in the church's parlance, covering issues ranging from globalization and the environment to unions and the welfare state. Inevitably, liberal Catholics spent the past week touting its relevance to the Democratic Party's policy positions. (A representative blast e-mail: "Pope's Encyclical on Global Economy Supports the Principles of the Employee Free Choice Act.") Just as inevitably, conservative Catholics hastened to explain that the encyclical "is not a political document" -- to quote a statement co-authored by the House minority leader, John Boehner -- and shouldn't be read as "an endorsement of any political or economic agenda."

Boehner is half right. The pope is not a Democrat or a Republican, and his vision doesn't fit the normal categories of American politics.

But Benedict's encyclical is nothing if not political. "Caritas in Veritate" promotes a vision of economic solidarity rooted in moral conservatism. It links the dignity of labor to the sanctity of marriage. It praises the redistribution of wealth while emphasizing the importance of decentralized governance. It connects the despoiling of the environment to the mass destruction of human embryos.

This is not a message you're likely to hear in Barack Obama's next State of the Union, or in the Republican Party's response. It represents a kind of left-right fusionism with little traction in American politics.

But that's precisely what makes it so relevant and challenging -- for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

We're passing through the worst economic dislocation of the past 80 years. Our politics are polarized; our institutions gridlocked. The governing party is mistrusted, the minority party despised.

Yet there's remarkably little radical thinking taking place. The Republican Party is retrenching, falling back on Reagan-era verities. His promises of post-partisan change notwithstanding, Barack Obama's agenda looks like the same old Democratic laundry list, rewritten in a sleeker, Internet-era font.

This doesn't mean that America needs a third party with "Caritas in Veritate" as its platform. The church is not a think tank, and there's room for wide disagreement about how to put its social teaching into practice.

But Catholics are obliged to take seriously the underlying provocation of the papal message -- namely, that our present political alignments are not the only ones imaginable, and that truth may not be served by perfect ideological conformity.

So should all people of good will. For liberals and conservatives alike, "Caritas in Veritate" is an invitation to think anew about their alliances and litmus tests.

Why should being pro-environment preclude being pro-life? Why can't Republicans worry about economic inequality, and Democrats consider devolving more power to localities and states? Does opposing the Iraq war mean that you have to endorse an anything-goes approach to bioethics? Does supporting free trade require supporting the death penalty?

These questions, and many others like them, are the kind that a healthy political system would allow voters and politicians to explore.

But for now, at least, you're more likely to find them being raised in Benedict XVI's Vatican than in Barack Obama's Washington. source>>>

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she's not leaving politics

2009-07-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she's not only staying involved in national politics, but she plans to jump back into the national scrum when she leaves office at the end of the month.

The former Republican vice presidential nominee said she plans to write a book, campaign for political candidates from coast to coast -- even Democrats who share her views on limited government, national defense and energy independence -- and build a right-of-center coalition.

"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," she said during an interview published Sunday in The Washington Times.

Palin shocked critics and allies alike when she announced on July 3 that she would leave the governor's office while in the middle of her first term. The governor chose not to seek re-election and suggested it was unfair to hold onto the office as a lame duck. Instead, she will step down July 26 and pursue a national profile. She has not said whether she is building toward a presidential campaign for 2012.

Republican Women Federated of Simi Valley announced Palin was scheduled to speak to the group's private gala on Aug. 8 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. The event -- reporters will not be allowed to attend -- will take place in an airplane hangar that houses a retired presidential aircraft Air Force One and will stir more questions about he curious resignation.

Palin defended the decision because "pragmatically, Alaska would be better off" if her state weren't spending time on ethical complaints against her. She also said the plan to resign had been in the works for months.

Her 2008 running mate disputed suggestions the telegenic and plainspoken soon-to-be-former-official was a quitter.

"Oh, I don't think she quit," said Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008 who plucked Palin out of near-obscurity and made her a household name. "I think she changed her priorities."

For now, though, Palin isn't detailing those priorities.

"I'm not ruling out anything. It is the way I have lived my life from the youngest age," she said in the Washington Times interview. "Let me peek out there and see if there's an open door somewhere. And if there's even a little crack of light, I'll hope to plow through it."

The self-described hockey mom plans to write a memoir but declined to discuss any potential deal for her to become a television commentator.

"I can't talk about any of those things while I'm still governor," she said.

Yet she's already reminding audiences of her bipartisan and family-oriented appeal.

"People are so tired of the partisan stuff even my own son is not a Republican," Palin said.

Like his father, 20-year-old Track Palin is registered as "nonpartisan" in Alaska, she said.

McCain said he believes Palin will play a major role in politics, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that "she has the ability to ignite our party and to galvanize us and get us going again and give us a strong positive message."

That said, McCain declined to endorse a Palin for President campaign.

"We've got a lot of good, strong, young, attractive, articulate spokespersons for our party and our principles," McCain said, citing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. source>>>

California IOUs Hit Ebay, Craiglist

2009-07-08T15:31:00.001-04:00

California's state tax revenues continue to sink with rising unemployment and falling retail sales. Meanwhile, credit unions have stopped accepting the state's IOUs, but a market for the registered warrants with a 3.75% annualized interest rate the state is paying on them until October 2, has sprung up on Web marketplaces including Craigslist and EBay.

From Reuters:

As California continues to issue "IOUs", more controversy is brewing over their use.

On one side, IOU recipients are beginning to trade them like currency, forcing the California state treasurer's office to issue guidelines if they are sold through eBay (EBAY), Craigslist or other means.
...
California's treasurer is telling recipients of the IOUs that if they sell them to third parties, they will be redeemed by the state treasurer's office only if accompanied by a notarized bill of sale signed by their listed payee.

"We are in the process of contacting officials of eBay and Craigslist to post a notice of the policy on their sites," the statement said.

Speculation is rising over whether California's tax-exempt IOUs... can be bought, sold and traded.

The [SEC] must first determine if the IOUs are securities to regulate them, said Ernesto Lanza, general counsel to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, adding that the board was not working directly with the commission on that decision.

"It looks like it has all the hallmarks of a security," Lanza told Reuters. "If they are securities, I think they're pretty clearly municipal securities."

At least one website aims to offer a platform for selling the registered warrants. Obed Dorceus, owner of ioumarket.com, said he sees a potential secondary market for the IOUs -- and potentially other government promises to pay.

Since when IOUs are condisered securities? California has to put its act together. State bonds moved a step closer to junk status yesterday because of the budget mess, and a group of the biggest U.S. banks ; BofA (BAC), Citigroup Inc. (C), Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) and J.P. Morgan (JPM), said they would stop accepting states''s IOUs on Friday. What next. source>>>

Remembering Billy Mays 'the OxiClean guy"

2009-06-30T17:46:00.001-04:00

The first time I ever saw Billy Mays in person nobody could actually remember the poor guy's name.

I was sitting at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., in December, and out of nowhere my cousin turns to me and says, "Hey, isn't that the infomercial guy?"

The man he was pointing at was standing on the field wearing a blue polo shirt and carrying a camera. After a couple of more minutes went by, a few other people in our section noticed the same guy. "It had to be him," everyone agreed. So to get his attention my cousin started chanting the one thing he knew he remembered about the man in the blue shirt: OxiClean. He knew that the man sold a product called OxiClean during one of his infomercials, so chants of "OxiClean, OxiClean" started to fill the air in Section 131 at the Florida Citrus Bowl that night. Within a matter of moments, the bearded man turned around and had a huge smile on his face.

I'm still not exactly sure how we did it, but we convinced our new pal to come into our seats and take some pictures. He literally had to climb over the little railing in our section, but he did this without any problem. The fans were going crazy. As he made his way to us, I finally remembered that the man's name was Billy Mays. When he got to our seats the chants had switched from "OxiClean, OxiClean!" to "Billy Mays, Billy Mays!" Mays' smile got even bigger as he came over and shook everyone's hand and posed for pictures.

My brother, who had gone up to the concession stand to grab some more beers for our group, came back and couldn't believe his eyes. "The guy from the commercials," he said in amazement. He tried to give Mays one of his precious beers, but the pitchman graciously declined, he was on assignment for ESPN, after all.

What struck me more than anything was that when he spoke, he wasn't screaming the way he did in all those commercials. He was just an average guy (with a regular voice) who enjoyed hanging with his fans. He stood near our section for another 10 minutes or so posing and talking to more people. He seemed like a genuine guy who was just happy to be recognized. His appearance was the highlight of an otherwise boring game between FSU and Wisconsin.

When I heard the news of his passing on Sunday morning, that story is the first thing that crossed my mind. In fact, a few hours later, I got a text message from one of my friends who had been with us that night: "Did you know that the OxiClean guy died today??? Ahhhh Champs Bowl." I'm sure Mays' presence made a lot of people smile over the years, and my story is no different. The only reason I'll ever remember that football game is because the "OxiClean guy" appeared and brightened everybody's day. source>>>

This Day in History

2009-06-26T16:08:00.000-04:00

On this date in 1284, it was said that the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Germany lured 130 children out of town, and they were never seen again. On June 26 1963 President John Kennedy gave his, "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) speech in West Berlin. On June 26, 1974, supermarket scanning of UPC codes began with a pack of chewing gum in Troy, Ohio.

This date in History

2009-06-23T17:50:00.001-04:00

IN 1611, The mutinous crew of English explorer Henry Hudson, after a harsh winter with their ship frozen in Hudson Bay, puts Hudson and eight others adrift in a small boat. They are never seen again. In 1845: The Congress of the Republic of Texas agrees to join the United States, following the wishes of the republic's leading figure, Sam Houston.

This date in History

2009-06-22T16:12:00.001-04:00

On this date in 1815 Napoleon abdicated his throne for the second time after his defeat at Waterloo. In 1981 Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock musician John Lennon.

This date in History

2009-06-19T17:49:00.000-04:00

this date 1862 Congress abolished slavery in the U.S. territories Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-18T16:53:00.001-04:00

Happy Phi Day! Phi, also known as the Golden Ratio, is the irrational number equal to aprx. 1.618033...(not to be confused with that other curious ratio, Pi, which has its own day on 3-14). Phi is used in astronomy, architecture, and the Fibonacci Sequence. On June 18, 1178, five Canterbury monks saw "two horns of light" on the moon's surface, and it was later proposed they were witnessing the formation of Giordano Bruno crater. source>>>

No Gambling Expansion In Kentucky, But Anti-eBay Legislation Passed

2009-06-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

First Governor Steve Beshear went after the online gambling industry, claiming that they were taking money that could have stayed in Kentucky, out of Kentucky. Now, the governor appears to have his sights set on eliminating online bargain shopping in the state.

The legislature is meeting this week in a special session to iron out budget problems in Kentucky. Gambling expansion was supposed to be a main subject, but as he so often does, Beshear went off course on Wednesday.

"I am introducing legislation that would make it illegal for Kentuckians to place bids and buy merchandise on eBay," said Beshear at a news conference, "the people of Kentucky should be spending money at state racetracks, and state racetracks only."

Beshear has kept with the notion that if the racetracks are failing financially, it must be because of an outside influence, such as online gambling or eBay. He has not yet conceded the fact that it may be the economy that is hurting the tracks.

Track owners will be put in an awkward situation if the legislation is passed. Many of the owners have said that if they had to downsize their operations, they would use eBay to rid themselves of their excess assets.

"I was going to put some of the old pictures of Kentucky Derby winners on eBay in the hopes that a collector would buy them," said the owner of Churchill Downs, "if this law goes in effect, I don't know what I will do."

Beshear, in a separate statement hours after the first press conference, contradicted his reasons for the eBay ban. He claimed that too many children were stumbling into their parents accounts and being exposed to the dangers of shopping.

"The children are the real losers with the eBay phenomenon," said Beshear, this time at a press conference held in front of a mirror in his house, "there is just no way to safeguard the site. Let's say a five year old gets on the Internet, and types in Tonka trucks. He finds that there is a shiny red truck available. What is to stop the child from stealing his parents credit card, knowing how to set up an eBay account, and bidding on the truck? Now, we have parents who can't pay the bills at home, committed to buying a Tonka truck on eBay."

After convincing himself in front of the mirror that he made the morally correct decision. Beshear signed the legislation he proposed into law. source>>> Disclaimer: All news articles published on this online craps site are spoofs, parody, or satire. None of the information contained in these articles should be taken seriously.

This date in History

2009-06-16T15:44:00.001-04:00

On this day in 1959, TV's Superman, George Reeves, was found dead in an apparent suicide. It was to be the start of the urban legend known as the Superman Curse. On June 16, 1963, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-15T17:35:00.000-04:00

On this date in 1878, Eadweard Muybridge used a series of cameras set on trip wires to film a running horse. Legend has it that his goal was to win a bet over whether or not horses had all four feet up at some point during their gait. His ingenious solution to this wager is credited as being the birth of the motion picture industry. source>>>

Advantages Offered by Acai Berry

2009-06-15T12:58:00.001-04:00

Acai berry diets have gained a lot of coverage in the media of late as "super fruit" diet that can do miraculous things to your body. While most of it is true, you need to be aware of all the advantages offered by an acai berry diet before you decide if that is what you need.

Acai berry diet reviews say that the strongest part of the food is that it has strong energy providing capabilities while at the same time inhibits your hunger and your desire to gulp down a ton of food. Hence, you get the benefits of eating on a restricted intake plus you have the energy to work out as well exercise at your will.

There are many more advantages to an acai berry diet as well. It is one of nature's most powerful antioxidants capable of fighting germs and other bacteria that would otherwise cause you to fall ill. It is also known to be a good controller of blood pressure and regulates your cholesterol, if it is in small ranges.

Acai berry diet information also specifies its advantages of being a natural sleep inducer. If you have trouble sleeping at night, then this tiny berry can help you with that as well. If taken in the right amount, you can sleep well in the night in addition to having a lot of energy in the day to work with.

The acai berry diet is not something new but it has only just been discovered in the western world. Brazilian civilizations have consumed it for centuries together and have had no known problems with them. The acai berry diet is also known to be a good source of fiber. Fiber is required in excess for any established diet and hence, acai berry diet satisfies on that realm as well. Fibrous foods are easily digested and don't take a toll on your health.

This date in History

2009-06-12T17:34:00.001-04:00

On today's date in 1923, Harry Houdini freed himself from a straitjacket while suspended upside down 40 feet above a crowd in New York City. It was on June 12, 1957 that Monsanto opened its House of the Future at Disneyland. The striking structure had four wings elevated on a central pedestal, and a giant (non-working) wall mounted TV set. source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-11T17:11:00.001-04:00

On this Date in 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood successfully enrolled at the University of Alabama following Gov. George Wallace's famous "stand in the schoolhouse door." In 2001 Timothy McVeigh, the 1995 Oklahoma City bomber, was executed.

Scareware's pitches for fake security showing up everywhere on the Internet

2009-06-11T15:31:00.000-04:00

Scareware has become the scourge of the Internet.

Those deceptive promotions crafted to panic you into spending $30 to $80 for worthless antivirus protection can hit you just about anywhere you turn on the Web. They arrive as booby-trapped Web links in e-mail and social network messages. They lurk hidden, and set to activate, when you click to popular, legitimate websites.

And now scareware purveyors are embedding triggers in places you wouldn't expect: on advertisements displayed at mainstream media websites; amid search results from Google, Yahoo Search and Windows Live search; alongside comments posted on YouTube videos; and, most recently, in "tweets" circulating on Twitter.

"Scareware is becoming a dominating force," says Joe Stewart, director of SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit. "There are hundreds of criminals using every tactic they can think of to push these programs."

a trigger and you'll get caught in an unnerving loop impossible to abort. A scanner window will appear with red-letter warnings listing viruses purportedly infesting your hard drive. A series of dialogue boxes will follow giving you choices that all lead to the same screen: a sales pitch.

Make the purchase, and you get a bogus inoculation. Try to cancel it, and you'll get repeated offers. "It's like stepping into quicksand," says Paul Royal senior researcher at security firm Purewire. "The more you try to get out of it, the deeper you sink."

Scareware has been a prominent part of the Internet since 2004, when a cybergang based in St. Petersburg, Russia, launched the iframecash.biz website and began offering commissions to anyone who helped them spread the SpySheriff fake antivirus program. Hackers began to taint legitimate websites so that pop-up ads for SpySheriff would launch on the PC of anyone who visited a corrupted Web page.

That simple arrangement has evolved into a steadily growing industry that marked a banner year in 2008. By late last year, more than 9,200 different types of scareware programs were circulating on the Internet, up from 2,800 at midyear, according to The Anti-Phishing Working Group. Microsoft recently reported that scareware infections rose 48% in the second half of 2008 vs. the first half. Microsoft analyzed data collected by use of its Malicious Software Removal Tool and found one specific fake security program on 4.4 million PCs.

"These guys are very innovative," says Roel Schouwenberg, senior virus researcher at Kaspersky Lab. "They're constantly looking for newer and easier ways to make money."

Cutting-edge scareware marketing campaigns are being delivered via:

-YouTube and Twitter. The bad guys sign up for a handful of new YouTube or Twitter accounts. In the case of YouTube, crooks recently used about a dozen new accounts to begin posting comments on 30,000 videos, says Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs. The comments enticed users to click on a link that triggered a scareware promotion.

In a variation of this ploy, crooks in late May created new Twitter accounts and began broadcasting tweets declaring "Best video" with a Web link of http://juste.ru, says Schouwenberg. Clicking on the link launched a sequence that replicated the message to everyone on the victim's friends list, then launched a scareware promo.

-Search results. The bad guys create malicious Web pages and fill them with words and phrases that are likely to be popular search queries, such as "American Idol winner" or "NCAA tournament bracket," says Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CTO of security firm Finjan. Next they insert tiny copies of their bad links on popular, legit websites that don't do a thorough job of preventing such hacks.

"Search engine optimization" then takes over. SEO is the technology that determines the relevance of Web links to search queries. By embedding a malicious link on a popular website, the hackers imbue their Web page with high relevance. So when the legit site turns up as the No. 1 or No. 2 result for a popular search query, their bad link turns up as the No. 4 or No. 6 result. Anyone who clicks on the bad link gets a scareware pitch.

-Online ads. The bad guys purchase blocks of ad space on popular websites through a legit ad agency, says Roger Thompson, senior researcher at AVG. Next they instruct the ad agency to begin posting innocuous ads. To avoid detection, they only sporadically feed a corrupted ad into the mix. The bad ad looks safe, but carries instructions to route anyone who clicks to a scareware pitch. "It's the most common attack we see every day," Thompson says.

Mind-boggling profits

Powerful incentives undergird scareware. Security researchers say the industry is run by no more than a dozen or so top-level suppliers orchestrating the activity of several hundred "affiliate" distributors.

The top-level groups supply bogus scanners and cleanup tools -- actual software -- and collect payments and pay commissions. Bonuses can be generous. One top supplier, for instance, recently ran a contest offering a $36,000 Lexus sedan to the top-selling affiliate, says F-Secure senior researcher Mikko Hypponen.

"The top-level groups incentivize the affiliates and don't get their hands dirty," says Hypponen. "If they get any complaints, they can just blame the affiliate."

Top-level groups typically work with 100 or more affiliates, who can earn commissions many different ways. Last fall, SecureWorks researcher Stewart infiltrated a Russian group known as the Baka Software gang. He accessed documentation showing one affiliate earned $146,525 in 10 days by spreading promotions for a worthless program, called Antivirus XP 2008, to more than 154,000 people, and closing sales to 2,772 of them. Another record showed five top Baka Software affiliates earning weekly commissions averaging $107,604.

"The sheer amounts of money involved in installing just one rogue program are mind-boggling," Stewart says.

A few scareware affiliates have been slowed by regulators. Last fall, Microsoft and Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna filed civil lawsuits against Branch Software, of The Woodlands, Texas, and Alpha Red, of Houston, charging that they were marketing scareware. And last December, the Federal Trade Commission obtained court orders prohibiting Innovative Marketing, of Belize, and ByteHosting Internet Services, of Cincinnati, from selling WinFixer, WinAntivirus, DriveCleaner, ErrorSafe, and XP Antivirus, all worthless.

The top-level suppliers, however, continue to operate with impunity, mainly based in Russia. And new affiliates crop up every day, full of fresh ideas to spread increasingly invasive promotions, security researchers say. source>>>

this date in history

2009-06-10T17:00:00.001-04:00

In 1801 The Tripolitan War, between the United States and the Barbary States, began.

In 1942 The entire male population of the Czech village of Lidice was massacred in retaliation for the death of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich. source>>>

this date in history

2009-06-09T17:00:00.001-04:00

It was on this day in 1822 that Charles Graham received the first patent for false teeth. On June 9th, 1944, a foxhound named Lena in Pennsylvania gave birth to a record litter-- 23 puppies source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-08T16:32:00.000-04:00

Sixty years ago today, George Orwell's prescient classic 1984 was published. On June 8, 1937 the world's largest and smelliest flower, the 8 1/2 tall ' corpse flower' (Titan arum) bloomed at the Botanic Garden in New York. The flower's putrid odor is meant to attract pollinators such as carrion beetles and flesh flies found on the plant's native island, Sumatra. source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-05T15:40:00.001-04:00

On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley introduced his new single Hound Dog on "The Milton Berle Show," stirring up controversy with his swiveling hip motions. On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan.

source>>>

This date in History

2009-06-03T15:05:00.001-04:00

n June 3, 1948, Ed Brown Jr., an ex-Navy pilot, opened the first drive-in, fly-in movie theater, with space for 25 planes, outside Wall Township, New Jersey. And on this day in 1965, astronaut Edward White became the first American to spacewalk during the flight of Gemini 4. source>>>

Hong Kong’s two largest supermarket chains pulled Red Bull GmbH drinks from their shelves

2009-06-03T14:27:00.001-04:00

Hong Kong's two largest supermarket chains pulled Red Bull GmbH drinks from their shelves after the government said samples were found to contain traces of cocaine. The Austrian company said its products are free of the drug.

ParknShop and Wellcome said they removed the drinks yesterday after the Department of Health and Centre for Food Safety reported finding "extremely low" levels of cocaine in Red Bull Cola, Red Bull Sugar-Free and Red Bull Energy Drink imported from Austria and the UK.

"It would have been absolutely impossible for the Hong Kong or any other authorities to have found traces of cocaine in Red Bull Energy Drink," Daniel Beatty, Red Bull's Hong Kong-based marketing director for Asia-Pacific, said in an e-mail today. "We expect the Hong Kong authorities to recognize their error soon."

The Hong Kong tests follow the seizure in Taiwan of 17,165 cases of Red Bull Energy Drink by authorities on May 30. Germany raised concerns last month about the use of de-cocainized coca leaf in another of the company's drinks not sold in Asia. source>>>

Derek Broes, Facebook, Efusjon, and the Matrix create a once in a lifetime opportunity

2009-06-03T08:22:00.001-04:00

In alternative health, açaí is all the rage. While relatively new to the American consciousness, açaí has been around for centuries and has helped many people with its healthful qualities. In order to benefit completely from açaí, however, one must truly understand what it is and what it does.
(See the 59 benefits below)

Get Healthy and Get PAID!

Get healthy and get paid! At the efusjon energy club, we believe in healthy bodies and a healthy income. You can enjoy the delicious and nutritious virtues of our amazing energy drinks and reap the rewards from your very own successful efusjon energy club business.

Under the efusjon energy club revolutionary new community compensation structure, you get rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible. It's a unique opportunity never before seen in the network marketing industry!

Our "Community Overlap" plan rewards you not only for your efforts and your organization's efforts, but even for the efforts of people beside you and above you! With overlapping support from active Associates from the left, the right and above your organization, you can get paid for the efforts of people completely unaffiliated with you.

How do I get paid? In the efusjon energy club, you have two distinct ways to change your financial future: Do yourself a favor, take 10 minutes and WATCH THIS, we can promise you have never seen a payout plan like this ANYWHERE!

1. When you join the efusjon energy club as a Member, you earn 4.25% of total sales volume in commissions for each order of efusjon's energy drinks when

* Customers order efusjon energy drink products from your replicated website

2. As an efusjon energy club Associate, you have an opportunity to earn even more - a whole lot more - as you build an organization of other motivated efusjon energy club Associates

* Once you have enrolled 3 people as an efusjon energy club Associate, you will be promoted to an Executive. As an Executive you will receive 4.25% of total sales volume for each active, personally enrolled Associate and your personally enrolled Associate's down lines every month. As your organization grows, so does your income. (See Compensation Plan)
* Add to that the efusjon energy club "Community Overlap" (where you are able to receive 1% of the total sales volume for each Associate enrolled by others that overlap into your community matrix) and you have the potential to increase your income dramatically.

3. efusjon energy club Associates are eligible for other incentives - in addition to their lucrative commissions! That sounds amazing - but I bet it's expensive to join. Actually, joining the efusjon energy club is a very affordable way to start a business - and for less than the price of a nice dinner out, you can begin changing your life today.

For just $30, you can become an efusjon energy club Member. As a Member, you are encouraged to retail efusjon energy drinks for a healthy profit. By joining, you get:

* Free replicated Website and personal ID number.
* Direct Deposit for your commission payments or a printed check sent through standard U.S. mail.
* Electronic access to a wealth of company information and materials. Electronic copies also contribute to a cleaner environment

Once you become a Member, all you need to do to become an Associate is to place an order for at least $120 - and you'll be able to take full advantage of the efusjon energy club difference.

What do I get for my $120?
Associates pay just $30* per 12-pack of 8.4 ounce cans of efusjon's acai berry energy drink. So an order for $120* gets you four 12-packs!

And remember, when you purchase efusjon's energy drinks at our wholesale prices, you then can retail product for a very nice profit!

*Plus tax and shipping. Tax may vary from state to state. Shipping charges are $9.00 per 12-pack.

What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

Description

The all natural antioxidant/energy drink you have been looking for is finally here. It offers remarkable taste, packs tremendous energy, and delivers health and vitility! Whether your 18 or 80, Efusjon's "RAW," is a delicious energy drink that gives your body exactly what it needs to thrive throughout the day! The rich, smooth flavor of Efujon's "RAW," is a taste you can enjoy anytime - completely guilt free.

So start your day with the delicious, nutritious energy your body and taste buds will crave! Cheers!

Nutrition Facts

The Acai berry is super rich in antioxidants and has proven itself time and time again. The ingredients that make it so healthy include dietary fiber, lipids, amino acids, antioxidants, Omega 3,6,9, phytonutients, anthocyanins, protein, plus minerals like potasium, calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Polluted air, junk foods, even strenuous exercise produces free-radicals in our bodies. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer as well as damage to our immune system are all caused in part by free radicals.

The Acai's antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" to neutralize free-radicals, slowing and preventing the oxidative stress they cause to our cells.

Dr. Perricone's 10 Superfoods

No. 1: Açaí

Nature's Energy Fruit

It may seem odd to start this list of superfoods with one you've likely never even heard of. But studies have shown that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Açaí (ah-sigh-ee) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree.

Learn the truth about Oprah and claims about açaí.

Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. Açaí is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although açaí may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I

highly recommend that you choose this form of açaí.

What is Acai?

There is a lot of buzz about acai in the market place, but a lot of people don't know much about the fruit itself. Since Acai Roots ™ was started and is currently operated by Brazilians who grew up with acai with strong Roots in Brasil, they decided to share some of our knowledge about this wonderful fruit.

The Fruit - Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-eeh) is a Tupi (Brazilian indigena language) word that means "fruit that cries". This dark purple little fruit looks very similar to a jaboticaba (another very popular Brazilian fruit), grape or blueberry (very common in the US), with the difference that the majority of the fruit is seed (~ 95%), and only the skin around the seed is utilized to make acai juice or pulp.

Acai Benefits - Acai on the top of the chain when it comes to antioxidant concentration - the berry scores 67% more antioxidants than pomegranate, and over 500% more antioxidants than blueberry, as demonstrated on the chart below:

What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

1. Prolongs Your Life

2. Increases Your Energy

3. Increases Your Overall Strength

4. Helps you Look and Feel Younger

5. Helps You Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure

6. Prevents Cancer

7. Helps You Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels

8. Promotes Normal Blood Sugar

9. Enhances Sexual Function

10. Helps You Lose Weight

11. Relieves Headaches and Dizziness

12. Improves Quality of Sleep

13. Improves Your Vision

14. Strengthens Your Heart

15. Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation

16. Improves Disease Resistance

17. Strengthens Your Immune System

18. Helps Your Body Fight Cancer

19. Protects Your Precious DNA

20. Inhibits Tumor Growth

21. Reduces the Toxic Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation

22. Helps to Build Strong Blood

23. Helps with Chronic Dry Cough

24. Fights Inflammation and Arthritis

25. Improves Lymphocyte Count

26. Improves Menopausal Symptoms

27. Prevents Morning Sickness

28. Improves Fertility

29. Strengthens Your Muscles and Bones

30. Supports Normal Kidney Function

31. Improves Your Memory

32. Supports Healthy Liver Function

33. Alleviates Anxiety and Stress

34. Improves Your Mood

35. Improves Your Digestion

36. Helps You Maintain Healthy Gums

37. Fights Fibromyalgia

38. Prevents Allergies

39. Protects Children's Health

40. Promotes Overall Wellness

41. Increases workout recovery

42. Increases injury recovery

43. Helps to Reduce Physical Injuries

44. Relieves Arthritis Pain

45. Helps to Clear Skin of Warts

46. Reduces the Occurrence of Seizures

47. Helps Improve & Even Cure Leukemia

48. Fights General Depression

49. Supports Weight Loss through Fat Loss

50. Helps Slow Down the Aging Process

51. Provides all Vital Vitamins

52. Contains Several Important Minerals

53. Is an extremely Powerful Free Radical Fighter

54. Acai has very High Levels of Fibers

55. Cleanses and Detoxifies the Body of Infectious Toxins

56. Helps to Prevent Heart Problems

57. Improves Mental Clarity/Focus

58. Improves Circulation

59. Cures Osteoporosis

Red Bull products taken off the shelves in Hong Kong, traces of cocaine found

2009-06-03T08:05:00.000-04:00

Hong Kong government met with Red Bull Hong Kong Office representatives, importers and retailers of Red Bull products today (June 2). They were informed that Government Laboratory had conducted tests on samples of Red Bull products and found traces of cocaine, a dangerous drug controlled under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, in some of the samples coming from Austria and the United Kingdom.

As Government had all along adopted a zero tolerance attitude towards dangerous drugs, they were advised of the legal position under the ordinance. Having regard to the specific circumstances of the case, including the absence of prior knowledge of the cocaine content in the product, no prosecution is intended in relation to the dealing in such products in the past. However, should they continue to deal in any products containing dangerous drugs in future, they might be liable to prosecution.

Noting that the major retailer chains had already taken off Red Bull products from the shelves, the Commissioner for Narcotics, Ms Sally Wong, advised those retailers who had not done so already to follow suit as a precaution since some of the samples were found to contain the dangerous drug. It was also suggested that they consider returning the products to their suppliers. The retailers were receptive to the advice.

The test results of further samples were available this afternoon. No cocaine was detected. Government would further contact the Red Bull Hong Kong Office for more comprehensive product information, lot and serial numbers and samples for testing in order to establish whether the existence of traces of cocaine in some samples is a systematic issue or whether it relates to any particular lot or serial number.

Department of Health and Centre for Food Safety advised that given the extremely low level of cocaine found in the products, normal consumption of the products concerned is unlikely to pose psychotropic or adverse health effects.

In the case of consumers, all indications are that they are not using the products as dangerous drugs. No prosecution is intended. But as cocaine is a dangerous drug, consumers are advised not to buy or consume the products concerned. Source>>>

Try Efusjon Energy Drinks 100% natural

This date in History

2009-06-02T17:08:00.001-04:00

On this day in 1910, pygmies were discovered by explorers in Dutch New Guinea. On June 2, 1966 Surveyor I soft landed on the moon and began transmitting detailed photos. The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawned 66 confirmed tornadoes across four states, starting on today's date in 1990. source>>>

Efusimo- The most amazing cocktail you will ever taste

2009-06-02T14:57:00.000-04:00

Efusimo- The most amazing cocktail you will ever taste

Ingredients: Limes, Vodka, Triple sec, Ice, Sweet and sour mix and EFUSJON RAW https://www.myefusjon.com/mmi

Things you will need: Metal Mixing shaker, Muddler (smashing stick)

Fill the mixer a quarter of the way with ice
Cut 1/2 lime into slices and throw on top of the ice
Place hand over top of the shaker and use the muddler to smash ice and limes together (about 15 seconds)
Add 1 ounce Vodka
Add 1/2 ounce Triple sec
Add a splash of Sweet and Sour mix
Add 1 n 1/2 ounce of Efusjon RAW

Cover the shaker and (shake, shake, shake)

NOTE: When shaking you will have to pause and vent the air from the shaker since RAW is lightly carbonated. If you do not do this you might have a efusibomb

Shake well, Strain into a martini glass with no ice.
The color of the drink is amazing and the drink tastes even better

This date in History

2009-06-01T15:57:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the month named after the Roman goddess, Juno. On this day in 1831, British explorer James Clark Ross discovered the North Magnetic Pole. However, this location gradually moves over time, and it's currently drifting away from North America towards Siberia. On June 1, 1843, it snowed in Buffalo, Rochester, and Cleveland.
source>>>

Derek Broes announced he is leaving Paramount Studios to Devote Full time to efusjon!

2009-06-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

A group of us attended an efusjon meeting at the little America Hotel last night. We enjoyed the rock band ( Ok not so much that LOUD music) and great company and a great speaker, Derek Broes, who announced he would be leaving his vaulted position at Paramount Studios as Senior Vice President and be committing completely to efusjon! We are all very excited about this! It was an amazing evening and we are so happy to be involved in the fastest growing company in the world! efusjon will be launched on face book sometime in July and will explode! Thanks for the great night Gold team!
Some have asked"what is efusjon?" Here is a brief overview of the company:

1. A Great Company- e-Fusjon is debt free with tens of millions of dollars of personal funding, and outstanding leadership.
2. A Great Product - e-Fusjon RAW is a natural non-cafinated energy drink made up of the very latest natural health discovery's including Acai Berry. The Energy Drink industry is enormous, and e-Fusjon is tapping into that with a healthy alternative.
3. A Revolutionary Compensation Plan- e-Fusjon's compensation plan is revolutionary and unbelievable. It's community overlap design allows for associates of distributors above and to the side of you, to spill over into your matrix. With this, you truly only need three people. Help them each get there three, and face book wave will take care of the rest.
4. Technology- e-Fusjon has secured the first and only agreement with Facebook to brand face its distributors Facebook pages with there product. For more Info Click Here source>>>

This date in History

2009-05-29T17:24:00.001-04:00

On this day in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to conquer Mount Everest. "A symmetrical, beautiful, snow cone summit," Hillary said of the peak that is 29,028 feet above sea level. May 29, 1954 saw the first meeting of the annual Bilderberg group, a secretive, invitation-only gathering with the elite from such fileds as politics, commerce, and banking. source>>>

Derek Broes, Facebook, Efusjon, and the Matrix create a once in a lifetime opportunity

2009-05-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

Get Healthy and Get PAID!

1. When you join the efusjon energy club as a Member, you earn 4.25% of total sales volume in commissions for each order of efusjon's energy drinks when

* Customers order efusjon energy drink products from your replicated website

2. As an efusjon energy club Associate, you have an opportunity to earn even more - a whole lot more - as you build an organization of other motivated efusjon energy club Associates

For just $30, you can become an efusjon energy club Member. As a Member, you are encouraged to retail efusjon energy drinks for a healthy profit. By joining, you get:

Once you become a Member, all you need to do to become an Associate is to place an order for at least $120 - and you'll be able to take full advantage of the efusjon energy club difference.

What do I get for my $120?
Associates pay just $30* per 12-pack of 8.4 ounce cans of efusjon's acai berry energy drink. So an order for $120* gets you four 12-packs!

And remember, when you purchase efusjon's energy drinks at our wholesale prices, you then can retail product for a very nice profit!

*Plus tax and shipping. Tax may vary from state to state. Shipping charges are $9.00 per 12-pack.

What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

Description

So start your day with the delicious, nutritious energy your body and taste buds will crave! Cheers!

Nutrition Facts

The Acai's antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" to neutralize free-radicals, slowing and preventing the oxidative stress they cause to our cells.

Dr. Perricone's 10 Superfoods

No. 1: Açaí

Nature's Energy Fruit

Learn the truth about Oprah and claims about açaí.

highly recommend that you choose this form of açaí.

What is Acai?

What are the 59 Health Benefits that Made Acai Berry So Famous?

1. Prolongs Your Life

2. Increases Your Energy

3. Increases Your Overall Strength

4. Helps you Look and Feel Younger

5. Helps You Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure

6. Prevents Cancer

7. Helps You Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels

8. Promotes Normal Blood Sugar

9. Enhances Sexual Function

10. Helps You Lose Weight

11. Relieves Headaches and Dizziness

12. Improves Quality of Sleep

13. Improves Your Vision

14. Strengthens Your Heart

15. Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation

16. Improves Disease Resistance

17. Strengthens Your Immune System

18. Helps Your Body Fight Cancer

19. Protects Your Precious DNA

20. Inhibits Tumor Growth

21. Reduces the Toxic Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation

22. Helps to Build Strong Blood

23. Helps with Chronic Dry Cough

24. Fights Inflammation and Arthritis

25. Improves Lymphocyte Count

26. Improves Menopausal Symptoms

27. Prevents Morning Sickness

28. Improves Fertility

29. Strengthens Your Muscles and Bones

30. Supports Normal Kidney Function

31. Improves Your Memory

32. Supports Healthy Liver Function

33. Alleviates Anxiety and Stress

34. Improves Your Mood

35. Improves Your Digestion

36. Helps You Maintain Healthy Gums

37. Fights Fibromyalgia

38. Prevents Allergies

39. Protects Children's Health

40. Promotes Overall Wellness

41. Increases workout recovery

42. Increases injury recovery

43. Helps to Reduce Physical Injuries

44. Relieves Arthritis Pain

45. Helps to Clear Skin of Warts

46. Reduces the Occurrence of Seizures

47. Helps Improve & Even Cure Leukemia

48. Fights General Depression

49. Supports Weight Loss through Fat Loss

50. Helps Slow Down the Aging Process

51. Provides all Vital Vitamins

52. Contains Several Important Minerals

53. Is an extremely Powerful Free Radical Fighter

54. Acai has very High Levels of Fibers

55. Cleanses and Detoxifies the Body of Infectious Toxins

56. Helps to Prevent Heart Problems

57. Improves Mental Clarity/Focus

58. Improves Circulation

59. Cures Osteoporosis

Join today!

This date in History

2009-05-28T17:25:00.000-04:00

A solar eclipse in Asia Minor occurred, leading to a battle truce. Historical astronomy set May 28th, 585 BC as the likely day for this event, and this became a cardinal point from which other dates in ancient history have been calculated. On this day in 1959, two monkeys, Able and Baker, became the first living creatures to survive a space flight. Their voyage reached speeds of 10,000 mph and lasted 15 minutes. source>>>

this date in history

2009-05-27T17:17:00.001-04:00

In 1647

The first recorded execution of a witch reportedly took place in Massachusetts when Achsah Young was hanged. On May 27, 1941, the British navy sinks the German battleship Bismarck in the North Atlantic near France. The German death toll was more than 2,000.

this date in history

2009-05-27T17:17:00.000-04:00

In 1647

This date in History

2009-05-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

On May 26, 1977, George Willig climbed the South Tower of the World Trade Center in NYC. Known as "the human fly," Willig was subsequently fined by New York's Mayor Beame for $1.10-- one cent for each of the skyscraper's 110 stories. On this day in 1984, Don Cain of Philadelphia set the record for keeping a frisbee aloft-- for an astonishing 16.72 seconds. source>>>

Save Money, Online and Off ; six money-saving tips that can help you reduce bills

2009-05-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

In this economy, cutting your costs is a sure way to save your sanity. Keeping your finances under control doesn't have to be complicated. These simple money-saving tips--for locating cheap tickets and drinks, cutting your bills, and managing your funds--will help you reduce your stress as well as your debt.

Buy Cheap Event Tickets at SeatKarma

Ticketmaster may be the king of event tickets, but when Ticketmaster can't deliver the results you want, you still have plenty of options. Apart from the usual suspects like Craigslist and eBay, you would do well to check out Seat Karma, a search site that scours all the popular ticket sellers and helps you find the best seats for the price at any venue for sporting events, concerts, and other shows, complete with seat maps.
ad_icon

Reduce Recurring Bills

If this bearish economy has you worried about your finances, it may ease your mind to remember one thing: The companies that provide your cable, Internet, and other monthly services are just as concerned as you are. That's good news for you.

The easiest way to reduce your monthly bills? Just ask. Give your cable company a call, explain that the service is too expensive for you right now, and listen as the reps fall all over themselves to keep your business. Do your homework, too: If a competing company has a better deal, tell your current provider so. Don't worry if you have no luck the first time. Try again later, and the next person you talk to may be more ready to compromise. And if your current provider still won't play ball, you may be better off going with that other company's promotional offer after all.

While you're at it, try the same approach with your credit card debt. Just as telecom service providers are struggling to retain their customers, credit card companies are bending over backward to keep their debtors from going into bankruptcy. If excessive credit card balances have your back up against a wall, phone your creditors and tell them so. In the end, you could walk away with as much as 70 percent forgiveness on your debt, for the low, low price of leveling with the credit card company about your financial situation.

Use Cellswapper to Get Out of a Cell Phone Agreement

Not getting what you want from your current cell phone but reluctant to fork over the cash for the cancellation fee? Point your Web browser to Cellswapper, a site where you can pass your cell phone contract along to someone who wants it. Say, for example, that you get terrible service in your neck of the woods, but you have five months left on your contract. With Cellswapper, you can list your plan and reach someone who enjoys great service from that provider and would be happy to assume your contract for the remaining time. You get your freedom back, and the other person gets a good deal with no activation fees.

Find Out If a Company Is in Financial Trouble

Whether you're already heavily invested in the market or you're interested in riding undervalued stocks up from the bottom, these are volatile times, and hardly any company is out of trouble yet. Before investing, use the power of the Internet to get a sense of which companies are near collapse. Set up a Google Alert for any company you're interested in, and you will receive automatic notifications whenever Google spots a news story or blog post about that company. That way you'll never be the last to know when your stock values are in trouble.

In addition, you might keep your eye on advocacy blogs like The Consumerist to get a sense of how customers feel about the company.

Save Money With Online Banking

If you haven't done so already, set up automatic bill payment through your bank online--and while you're there, be sure to take advantage of any rewards programs or money-saving tools that your bank makes available, such as Bank of America's Keep the Change savings program.

Some of the businesses you deal with might not support online payments through your bank, but most banks offer the option of automatically mailing a check to anyone on a recurring schedule. So even small monthly payments for local services can become a stress-free, automated affair.

Find Free Drinks With MyOpenBar

Shelling out $10 for a cocktail in any major urban center makes a night out more hassle than it's worth. But you can find good, cheap drinks without scouring every dive in town: MyOpenBar rounds up free-drink promotions in major cities across the United States. It even gives reviews of the watering hole in question and what drinks it offers, so you can tailor your visits to your libation of choice. source>>>

Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk: Australian study

2009-05-26T12:13:00.000-04:00

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them "wings", caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

"One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease," Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.

Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company's head office in Austria.

"The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range," Rychter told Reuters.

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull.

The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink.

Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks listed on its cans, but the company last year sold 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries. One can contains 80 mg of caffeine, around the same as a normal cup of brewed coffee.

The Austria-based company, whose marketing says "Red Bull gives you wings", sponsors Formula 1 race cars and extreme sport events around the world, but warns consumers not to drink more than two cans a day.

Rychter said Red Bull could only have such global sales because health authorities across the world had concluded the drink was safe to consume.

But Willoughby said Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting.

"If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it," he said.

Source>>>

Try a healthy Energy Drink alternative, 100% natural!

Derek Broes (Vice President of Paramount Pictures) teams up with Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of FaceBook)

2009-05-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

Derek Broes (Vice President of Paramount Pictures) teams up with Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of FaceBook) to create an opportunity like no other!

Facebook MASSIVE SPILLOVER! 3X15 Global "Company filled" Matrix!

Efusjon:: Company Launches with Facebook partnership to expose opportunity to 200 MILLION Facebook members!

Efusjon:: Never been done in history, network marketing with Facebook!
Efusjon:: Paramount Pictures VP is behind it!
Efusjon:: Viral marketing with Facebook!
eFusjon teams up with Facebook! Facebook application will launch on Facebook next week! Get in now, Massive spill over!
Efusjon:: Get your high up top position now!
Efusjon:: Derek Broes (Vice President of Paramount Pictures) teams up with Efusjon:: Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of FaceBook) to create an opportunity like no other!
Efusjon:: One million people joining Facebook per day!
Efusjon::This application works with facebook, and you send it out to all your contacts, and there contacts to millions of people!
Efusjon:: Making money with eFusjon is as easy as Two steps!

Efusjon::Step 1.

Efusjon:: WATCH THE MOVIE! Learn how to make a fortune online in just 10 minutes:

Efusjon bullets to remember (then scroll down to join!):
Efusjon:: - Global "Community" Matrix ensures your success!
Efusjon:: - It's a fun business!
Efusjon:: - No PV or BV, no legs to fill. A community Matrix (everyone helps everyone)
Efusjon:: - Derek Broes (efusjon, Senior VP for Paramount and former consultant to Microsoft ) is friends with Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) he was on Oprah last week!
Efusjon:: - Innovative business plan to market efusjon at a (never done before) incredible level, on the most populated internet site.
Efusjon:: - The most powerful social networking site (Facebook) has partnered with efusjon.
Efusjon:: - The beta test on the widget for Facebook drew 30,000 people in 2 hours. 2,000 of the 30,0000 wanted more information!
Efusjon:: - 1 million subscribers added daily to Facebook
Efusjon:: - 50% of Facebook subscribers play interactive games which includes all age groups
Efusjon:: - The release date for the Facebook widget is mid April. Get your 3 in before the wave of people do after the implementation of this incredible widget
Efusjon:: - Microsoft team is constructing the widget
Efusjon:: - Get 3 to be an Executive and get paid on every level!
Efusjon:: - Because it's a community matrix anyone can help anyone else get three, or even give someone to someone else who needs it.
Efusjon:: - New pay plan gives 4.25% of your total volume! We just got a raise from $5 per Associate!
Efusjon:: - Fantastic product that replaces soda, and is actually very good for you!
Efusjon:: - You can quickly get your autoship for free by just simply showing your three how easy it is to get their three.
Efusjon:: - The widget teaches people about efusjon and the company pay plan
- Easy to understand business model, very streamlined, anyone can do this.
Efusjon:: - No product training, wellness coaching, no home parties needed.

Efusjon:: IF YOU MISSED OUT BEFORE DO NOT MISS OUT AGAIN!

Efusjon:: Step 2. SIGNUP!

JOIN Efusjon TODAY! 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!

You must signup at the Associate level to participate in the global company filled matrix for only $197 Do not signup UNLESS you can personally REFER at least 3 people to qualify for the Company wide Matrix! BUT ALL YOU HAVE TO REFER IS 3! The system will do the rest!

Has Derek Broes and Efusjon Energy Club created the next Amway?

2009-05-20T19:44:00.000-04:00

Remember Amway Global? Those people took a great opportunity and benefited from it when the company first started. Well 35+ years later another just arrived, called "Efusjon Energy Club" here is your chance another great opportunity. Coming soon to facebook.

If you could be one of the first 30,000 people to join Amway, would you do it?

Once or twice in a lifetime a real chance to make serious money comes around.

We have all heard this before, but this really is it.

Sure, it could be like everything else you have seen because you have seen them all.

But what if it's not, and you chose not to at least look at it with an opened mind.

I implore you to take just 10 minutes and watch this video ,and see for yourself, if this is not truly different than anything you have ever seen.

If it's not then you have lost 10 minutes, but, if what I am telling you is true, you can change your financial situation forever.

After you watch the video please go here for more information or to join and your life will never be the same.

This date in History

2009-05-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

On May 20, 1916, the small town of Codell, Kansas was struck by a tornado. But what was truly incredible was Codell was hit by a tornado on the same date in 1917, and yet again in 1918. Further, all three storms came through around the same time-- in the early evening.

source>>>

Derek Broes, Facebook, Efusjon, and the Matrix create a once in a lifetime opportunity

2009-05-19T22:09:00.000-04:00