PERSONAL SECURITY

by Michael Douglas Carlin
SECURITY MUST BE GUARANTEED FOR PEACE TO PREVAIL

Free Market Misconceptions—Free Hand isn't "Free" by itself—Law of the Jungle

In 1984, I wrote an essay for the Milton Friedman National Essay Contest. I won $1,500 for my essay on "Free Trade." I remember spending two weeks writing a single paragraph that was central to the essay. That paragraph is as follows:

"In the absence of government, free trade exists when individuals decide for themselves to trade. In the absence of trade, government has neither purpose, nor means of subsistence. With trade comes government. When purposeful government becomes essential, free trade is still permissible. When government ceases to be purposeful, it begins to unnecessarily restrict trade and hence erodes the sole purpose for its own existence."

This paragraph sums up what is happening today. In this era of big business, we have restricted trade to the point that our economy is eroding the purpose for the existence of government. The fact is that we are reverting to the law of the jungle. Big corporations are so big and influential that they are asking for and receiving legislation that allows them to be anticompetitive. The solution is to peel away unnecessary legislation to get back to the basics. So, let's start at the beginning.

The law of the jungle or the survival of the fittest: Under this form of government, the person or animal with the biggest muscles and best skills is able to take what he or she wants. There is little incentive for weaker vessels to produce, because the product of their labors will simply be taken from them. This form of government is extremely limiting and eventually breaks down to a very small group with a meager existence.

The first law of government must be to create stability, so that the product of one's labors can benefit the person and/or family of that person.

If you want peace, you must first create personal security. People must be safe in order to produce. Safety comes from laws that protect the rights of the individual from other individuals. These laws must have teeth with punishment for those who break the laws.

An excellent example of this comes from our occupation of Iraq. Each time American troops attempted to get electricity, water, sewage or other services flowing, a bomb would explode and service would be interrupted. The troop surge granted safety and security to get some of those services flowing, and the result was a more stable and safe Iraq. As services bring prosperity, recruiting insurgents becomes more difficult. Stability allows people to decide what services are important and is the basis for Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand."

The assumption of Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" does not consider that government interferes in the affairs of humans to create this stability so that a free market can exist. The government must exist in order for there to be free trade, or society will break down back to the law of the jungle, as in Iraq. Anytime a government creates a class of people who are "above the law," they are setting society up for a breakdown back to the law of the jungle.

A Prescription for Peace here is a police force that administers the law justly backed by a court system that enforces the laws and by judges who fairly administer justice to all equally.

It is equally wrong to hold one individual over another as it is to not hold corporations accountable for their actions. All players in society must exercise responsibility for their actions and be accountable to the law for those actions.

Some have the opinion that no laws governing trade should ever be made. This is the recipe for disaster. All laws concerning trade should maximize the public benefit and minimize the public risk. In 1929, we saw a financial meltdown caused by greedy speculators driving up stock prices to unrealistic levels. When the markets could no longer sustain themselves, we had the crash. In 2008, we had the leveraging of credit default swaps that fell into a grey area of non-regulation. 

These assets were already questionable but were being leveraged up to forty times their listed face value. This was another market that was being overpriced and was unable to sustain itself. When the crash came, it nearly bankrupted America and imploded our financial markets. If man can take from society without fear of retribution, then he will do so, as man works in his or her selfinterest. Government's role is to protect us from white collar thugs. Legislation already exists for stocks, bonds and commodities. It should exist for any and all asset classes. No asset should ever be leveraged more than five times the value of the collateral. Violating this law should lead to stern punishment.

In the United States, we have pockets where trade occurs freely. There are other pockets where thugs rule the streets and dictate to citizens. If we are to have peace in our time, these pockets need to be taken back, and the streets need to be made safe, so that all citizens can enjoy the freedom that is the promise of America. Whatever the cost, we need to provide safety for all of the citizens in America.

The costs of action today are far outweighed by the benefits that will play out over a hundred lifetimes.

Any neighborhood in America that isn't safe is the result of politicians turning a blind eye to the problems of that neighborhood. These politicians must be held accountable to make that neighborhood safe or be removed from office and replaced by someone who will make the neighborhoods safe. Not making any neighborhood safe is discrimination that cannot be tolerated in a renewed and equal America. There is no excuse for any neighborhood in America not joining in the pursuit of happiness.

If you want peace, then government has the obligation to protect its citizens from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Domestic enemies mean gangs that stop little boys and girls from getting to school. Domestic enemies also mean corporations that pollute streams and kill shrimp or fish. Domestic enemies also include men who run schemes to steal money under the auspices of legitimate businesses, as we experienced during the financial meltdown of 2008. We have spent so much time fighting our foreign enemies. Now, we need to focus on our enemies right here at home.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

NUTS AND BOLTS OF PEACE

by Michael Douglas Carlin

The holidays are in full swing. We have so many songs being sung of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. When we think about our roles in actually bringing about peace, we get that glazed-over look, because nobody taught us how to usher in an era of peace. Every year, we think about peace for a few months around this time, but we really all work on peace every day throughout the year.

I have seen peace, and it looks a lot like Century City. The 2010 Holiday Party in Century City is a collaboration of the Chamber, the Bar Association, and Rotary. These three organizations are the "nuts and bolts" of how peace will be achieved in our world.

The Chamber advocates business and facilitates relationship-building within the community to keep the engine of business flowing and functioning. Business is the engine that funds everything. Profits drive the flow of goods and services to fulfill needs and wants. Without the engine of business, we have scarcity that leads to conflict. Abundance, brought about by healthy business, is one of the keys to world peace.

The Bar is an association of lawyers. In America, there is no king, because here the law is king. Lawyers are the warriors who will forge a new world by legislating, litigating, advocating, judging, and innovating in ways that we cannot fathom to usher in the era of world peace. Lawyers are at every single intersection of bringing about this peace.

Rotary is a charity, and philanthropy is for those left behind by the law and business and for those that fall on hard times. The goal of philanthropy is to pick up the pieces and give a new start to people who have been left behind. Philanthropy is also at the intersection of creating world peace.

These three great sectors of life in America are what will lead us to world peace. As I have mentioned, I ride a motorcycle on the streets of Los Angeles. My experiences driving through traffic have shown me that we can and will usher in the era of world peace. The lines that are drawn keep traffic moving with an insignificant number of mishaps. Traffic and the laws that govern it in Los Angeles have led me to believe in world peace. Once the laws are drafted in every segment of society that keeps things moving, promotes the engine of business, and allows philanthropy to address unmet needs, we will usher in the era of world peace.

So, when you sing those songs about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, please think about the nuts and bolts of peace and do your part to embrace and usher it in.

The vision all comes together when the Beverly Hills High School Madrigal Singers begin singing in German, Spanish and Korean all at the same time. Three languages simultaneously sung in perfect harmony. Silent Night never sounded so good. Peace may be only a few generations away.

May you all continue to be a part of the next manifestation of the Peace Movement.

Happy Holidays!

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

THE LAST RESORT

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Our Galaxy has 100 billion stars. The Universe has 400 billion galaxies. We can see all of this and have yet to identify a single planet that can sustain life as we enjoy it. We should therefore protect Mother Earth at all costs.

Truth exists. The more fully you align yourself with Truth, the better your life will be. Frustrations come from being out of harmony with Truth.

Why Conservatives and Liberals should begin hugging their nearest tree:

I remember being a part of America as a kid and being swept away with the newest hit on the airwaves. I must have been one of the first to buy the album, "Hotel California." I played that album over and over on my record player. I was warned that I would damage the record, but that didn't stop me from listening to it again and again. I thought that I would just go down to the record store and buy another, because I was living in the disposable era of America. I am quite sure that I was not alone in discovering what I thought was an obscure tune on the other side of the album called "The Last Resort." I would sing that song, off key, for hours on end, because I connected with the simple meaning.

"Who will provide the grand design?

What is yours and what is mine?

'Cause there is no more new frontier.

We have got to make it here.

We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds. In the name of yesterday and in the name of God.

And you can see them there on Sunday morning.

                    Stand up and sing about what it's like up there.

                    They call it Paradise, I don't know why.

                    Callin' some place Paradise, kissing it goodbye."

We, as humanity, are obsessed with finding Paradise. Milton's Paradise Lost, the Bible's Garden of Eden, and Dante's Inferno all talk about the qualities of Paradise. There are many names for Paradise: Nirvana, Heaven, Elysian Fields,Tian, or in the poetry of Janna. There have been many great migrations throughout history looking for the greener grass…for Paradise. Columbus gave Europeans the "New World," where men and women could carve out their own personal Paradise. The Vikings migrated to the Mediterranean, Iceland and Greenland as well as the Continent of North America.

Today, finding our own Paradise has become a little more complicated. Nearly seven billion people occupy the planet, and every landmass has been identified and mapped. Today's flight from our circumstances includes the dream of space travel to another planet. The fact is that there is no place to go. Our neighboring planets are uninhabitable. Our moon is uninhabitable. The only home we know is Earth. The time is upon us as humanity to face this fact and to be careful about the choices we make to keep our home safe and comfortable. At least for the next five billion years.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I BECAME A MORMON

Like the line from the song, I was looking for the "grand design." I was searching for answers. I was on a quest to find more. I found the message of the Mormons very interesting in my youth for a number of reasons.

I still have many friends and family in the Mormon Church and have no axe to grind. I still have many beliefs that are couched in Mormonism. Their eleventh Article of Faith is: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

I would add to it a provision for the ever-growing population of agnostics or atheists to not worship at all.

Star Trek was a popular television series at the time I joined Mormonism. Close Encounters, ET, Alien and Star Wars all created alternate space-based realities that appealed to my sense of adventure. I was easily swept up in the belief that there were many planets to visit and that aliens were plentiful.

As one of their core beliefs, Mormons believe that being good in this life results in a reward that will lead to the right to have your own planet and to become a lesser "god in charge" to design and implement a plan for that planet. I have since thought that entire concept through and have no interest in that much responsibility. Additionally, if there are other planets out there to design, we have yet to discover a single instance of a Mormon-ruled planet.

A very good friend of mine was the production executive on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He influenced me by letting me in on a secret that the researchers didn't want to get out at the time the movie was released, and that was that all of their research up to that time had led to the conclusion that there is nothing else out there. Since the release of the movie, we have progressed so much. We created the Hubble Telescope, other ground and space observatories, and radio telescopes; we have sent numerous probes to the four corners of our solar system; and we have recorded images millions of light years away. So far, not a single planet has been discovered that is confirmed to be able to sustain life as we experience it.

THE GOLDILOCKS MISSION

Life is around us in many forms: viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, flora and fauna. Some life forms can exist in extreme conditions. The possibility that alien life forms exist is highly probable. Stephen Hawkings has warned us that the best course of action with alien life forms is to simply steer clear because of the threat they might pose to humans if we ever meet. Space is a gigantic place. The odds of us finding intelligent life before it finds us is rather slim. In the 1950's, SETI was formed to find life on other planets. Just on how many planets are they looking?

Let's look at some numbers. In our own galaxy, there are 100 billion stars. In the part of the universe that we can see, there are 400 billion galaxies. If we assume an average of three planets per star, that becomes an unfathomable number of planets in the universe. Environments that can sustain human life are very rare, even on our own planet. Extreme conditions of floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and droughts take human life. Man-made disasters also can destroy life.

We all remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too hot or too cold, too hard or too soft, too big or too small were all countered with the solution that was "just right." Our own planet is "just right." If the earth were spinning significantly faster, It would be too cold to sustain life; if the earth were spinning significantly slower, it would be too hot during the day and too cold at night to sustain life. The earth's distance from the sun is also just right. A little further, and we would be too cold; a little closer, and we would be too hot.

Water is another element necessary to sustain life. Too much water or too little water, and there is no ability to sustain life. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are elements that sustain life, as are plants, nutrients, animals, insects, microorganisms, viruses, bacteria, minerals and sunlight. Each element is important to the overall ecosystem.

According to Dr. Spencer Brown: "The Goldilocks Mission is the first dedicated organization to set, as its goal, the travel to and the colonization of another truly livable planet when it is discovered. It may take many decades before this mission leaves Earth and possibly many more, depending on future developments and discoveries in propulsion in space and time travel, before it arrives at its new home."

Criteria for a sustainable planet:

1. A star in the same class as our sun or perhaps a red dwarf.

2. A dense planet like our Earth.

3. High metallic content.

4. Not too hot or too cold.

5. Enough water but not too much water.

6. Plate tectonics and geological activity.

7. Presence of carbon dioxide and oxygen.

8. Absence of noxious gases or acids in concentrated amounts.

9. Absence of noxious bacteria.

10. Absence of noxious viruses.

11. Foundation for complex chemistry.

To further complicate the search for a place to go is the fact that, even though we have developed the ability to get into space, we have no means to travel the perhaps hundreds of millions of light years to get there. The possibility of a place to go will elude us for thousands of years at best.

If we do find a place to go and we develop the means to get there, we will have to wrestle with the moral issue of displacing other life forms to preserve our own existence.

TIME IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT COMMODITY

We have a home right now called Earth, and time is ticking away.

EARTH DAY

There was a method to the madness of walking two llamas from Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood all the way to Century City. The entire endeavor was without any commercial interests. One day a year, we have a day that honors our great home, Mother Earth. One day a year, it is okay to be motivated not only by profit, but also by giving back. Our goal was to honor Earth Day—not just any Earth Day, but the fortieth anniversary of a day dedicated to being grateful for a place to be, our home. Three of us walked with the llamas. Traffic stopped to photograph us in Los Angeles with these majestic animals.

I got a telephone call from my son when he saw the picture on the AP wire. He was mocking me for walking with the llamas, calling me a "tree hugger." I asked him what he had against trees. The few words that silenced him were these: we wanted to send a message that people could walk more and drive less. It emits less exhaust, saves precious oil, costs less, takes traffic off the road and burns calories. I don't see anything here that you are against. I don't see anything here that anyone is against. Everybody I know, of all political persuasions, wants a clean environment. No one wants one industry to cause other industries to perish due to pollution. All of us want people to take responsibility for their own actions—good or bad.

An environmental disaster caused thousands of birds to perish. The oil spill widened, carried by winds and swells. Seals and dolphins were washing up on shore, dead from oil. Oil was clogging the blowholes of the dolphins, leading to a painful and horrific lung hemorrhaging. The BP spill, you ask? No, this was the Santa Barbara oil spill of February, 1969, which was the impetus behind the very first Earth Day. Said Fred L. Hartley, president of the Union Oil Company, "I don't like to call it a disaster, because there has been no loss of human life. I am amazed at the publicity for the loss of a few birds."

Forty years later, coinciding with the celebration of Earth Day, another major environmental disaster threatens the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The oil will virtually kill the fishing industry in the area and the toll to avian wildlife will be catastrophic. There was loss of human life in this disaster, and Tony Hayward, chief executive of oil and energy company BP, said to the Guardian Newspaper, "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean: The volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." If we don't hold these polluters strictly accountable, they try to minimize the effect and skip responsibility.

Now is the time for all Americans to come together to prevent disasters of this magnitude. In Los Angeles, we have representatives from every country in the world. The most diverse population that has ever existed lives within our city limits. We have the ability to transform every Earth Day into an international event by having representatives from the four corners of the earth who reside in Los Angeles march from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier with llamas in tow. Picture an International Earth Day, where men and women from all cultures, political affiliations, religions, and walks of life celebrate our home on Earth without any commercialization of the event. After the successful march, we could have the participants reach back to their homelands to encourage participation from every recognized nation on the globe.

Senator Gaylord Nelson created the first Earth Day. We congratulate him on this accomplishment. We can make the day much more meaningful by following in his footsteps. We can use our own footsteps to honor the only home we have ever known, and the only home that we can see through our monster telescopes that can sustain life as we know it.

Thomas Storke spoke after the Santa Barbara Spill: "Never in my long lifetime have I ever seen such an aroused populace at the grassroots level. This oil pollution has done something I have never seen before in Santa Barbara—it has united citizens of all political persuasions in a truly nonpartisan cause."

We can give meaning to the loss of life–our flora and fauna—by coming together on April 22nd every year and honoring our home, Mother Earth. Who will march with us on this Earth Day?

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

FREE BLUE SHOT WITH A CHASE - ER

(This article originally appeared on August 10, 2010 in the Century City News)

by Michael Douglas Carlin

There is an arrogance in a bank that gets $25 billion dollars in TARP Funds and then spends $138 million to purchase two corporate jets and a hanger to house them. That arrogance starts at the top and can flow straight down to the branch manager. In fact, an incident inside the CHASE branch in Century City had a customer escorted out of the bank because he asked for change. The police were not called, no pepper spray was used and no arrests were made. But CHASE said to Sam Sharif, owner of Ummba Grill, we don’t want you here if you are going to be so demanding by asking our branch to keep a stock of five dollar bills around. The branch in the Palisades wants Sharif’s business and the business banker there has had a suitable relationship with Sharif for over six years going back to her time at Citi. Sam from Ummba isn’t the sort of man you would expect to be a trouble maker… in fact, Sam is one of the happiest people in Century City and Ummba has HAPPY HOUR all day on Monday and Tuesday and from 11-7 on Wednesday through Sunday. They offer half off all beers, well drinks and house wines and five dollar appetizers, five dollar specialty drinks, six dollar martinis, and twenty dollar specialty pitchers. Sam was so upset at being escorted out of the bank by security that he began a drink special at Ummba. For every customer that closes an account at CHASE he is offering a free blue shot with a “CHASEer”.


My blood boiled when we bailed out the banks and foreclosed on the little guy. Now that I have talked to the folks at CHASE in the media relations department who stood by the decision to throw Sam out of the bank it is bringing back the anger of the bail out. They are too big to fail. They no longer have to compete so having change for merchants isn’t a concern for CHASE anymore. They can’t lose. They don’t have to write loans. They don’t have to give customer service. Billions of dollars were given to them that they didn’t work for and that has led to this arrogance. I asked the Media Relations guy why they didn’t approach this straight up with Sam and call him up and ask him to take his money to another bank. He said, “We don’t want him to move his money. We just wanted him out of the bank.” That pretty much sums it up. They want our money but they no longer want us around. They no longer want to offer us the products we need. A merchant needs change and I wouldn’t blame Sam for being upset that his bank not only didn’t provide a tool he needed to run his business they refused to provide it and were incensed when he asked for it. The bank is appropriately named CHASE because they CHASE their customers away. It is time that we all stand up and toast Sam who had the audacity to ask for five dollar bills so that he could make change in his restaurant. It is time that we all stood toe to toe with Sam and didn’t wait for CHASE to CHASE us away. It is time that we voted with our dollars and moved all of our money, NATIONWIDE, out of the hands of arrogance and into banks that treat customers with respect and dignity.

They can continue to be arrogant as long as we support that arrogant behavior. I asked the media relations department to call Sam and work something out with him to make him happy because of his mistreatment. I told them that I didn’t want to write this story and that maybe they should offer him change for his restaurant whenever he needs it, or free checking for a year. But in the end all that happened is the two great managers at the Palisades Branch reached out to Sam on a personal level and told him that they stood by him for his loyal patronage and that there was nothing they could do.

Ummba Grill is an icon within Century City and is located at the Century City Mall. Pictured on the front cover is an amazing staff. It is the hip and happening place every summer as they have the best patio in West Los Angeles. Their patio is booked for events nightly and their success has led to large balances that are going to be moving to another bank, pronto. Those large balances are also leading to a second location at the best mall in Los Angeles – Santa Monica Place. This is the American Dream - two men who made good on their investment and won the hearts and stomachs of a finicky crowd to not just please but to exceed every expectation of their customers. Ummba Grill is the best Brazilian Restaurant North of the Border and people come back time and time again. I have held hundreds of events at Ummba and always had the best service from the staff and incredible food. When Abraham McDonald won the Oprah Winfrey Contest his celebration party was at Ummba Grill.

The time has come to focus all of that TARP anger on a single bank. So let’s satisfy that anger by voting with our dollars and pulling every last one of them out of CHASE. Let’s see how arrogant they are when all of their customers have left. If we focus this anger on a single bank, CHASE, we can send a signal to other banks that we are not to be mistreated when we ask for something a bank should provide in our business or in our life. We can send a message that America is a place where you must compete and provide products we need and customer service or we will CHASE you out of our country – that you are not too big to fail. Sam has offered a free shot with a CHASEer, what will other companies offer those that pull funds out of CHASE? Get on board!!!!

Sam is inviting all of Century City to come get a free blue shot with a CHASEer on Wednesday night the 18th of August beginning at 5pm. Come and show your support of Sam as a man who demanded that his bank provide him with change. Come slam your shot and then CHASE it down in support of Sam. Then tweet and retweet this information to all of your friends and families in America so that we can make a statement that banks shouldn’t be incensed when we ask for something we need.

Supreme Court decision in Brinker v. Superior Court provides clarity to employees and employers, will reduce costly litigation

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

In a unanimous ruling, the California Supreme Court determined in Brinker Restaurant v. Superior Court that employers are “not obligated to police meal breaks and ensure no work thereafter is performed.” Among other issues, the court finally answered the question of what it means to “provide” a meal break. The court’s opinion stated that an employer satisfies this obligation if it relieves its employees of all duties, relinquishes control over their activities and permits them a reasonable opportunity to take an uninterrupted 30-minute break and does not impede or discourage them from doing so.

“We commend Brinker for seeing this case through the judicial process to an end that will benefit employers from countless industries,” California Restaurant Association President + CEO Jot Condie said. “Employers have spent millions fighting and settling frivolous lawsuits on these issues and now have some clarity on how to move forward in compliance with the law.”

The court ruled that employers aren’t required to ensure that no work is done during a meal or rest period. The ruling provides much-needed clarity and relief to operators on an issue that has plagued the California courts with countless lawsuits that have been a significant source of costly class-action litigation for numerous industries.

Employers wishing to capitalize on the flexibility that Brinker provides should immediately ensure that they have written policies in place advising employees of their right to take meal and rest breaks, and emphasize the timing of those breaks. The court also made clear that employers may not in any way pressure employees to work through their meal breaks by way of “ridicule or reprimand.”

“It’s more important than ever to train management staff on the proper way to handle these breaks,” said Condie. “The bottom-line from Brinker is that those 30 minutes belong to the employee and they can choose for themselves how to spend that time.

“We’re hopeful that as the second-largest private employer in the state, the restaurant industry can get back to dedicating more time and resources to employing Californians, reducing the state’s nearly 11-percent unemployment rate, and helping the economy recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression,” Condie said.

Cultivating Love Is Like Growing Flowers

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

No matter who tries to tell you different, love at first sight is a myth. Love is not something that just happens, and building relationships that last a lifetime takes work. They don’t just spring into being, but they do grow like flowers if you give them what they need.

Just as love lies in everyone’s heart, every seed contains the flower it may become when given the right conditions. For a flower, those conditions include water, oxygen, sunlight and nutrients. Give a seed the right proportion of sunlight and dark, the right amount of water and a nutrient-rich growing medium and you’ll be rewarded with a strong, healthy plant that flowers and sets more seed. A plant can grow without the optimal mix of those conditions, but a lack of any one of them will result in a stunted plant, or one that is all stem and no leaves or one that wilts without ever flowering.

Love is no different. It requires specific conditions to blossom and set seed. Those conditions include trust, faith, honesty and respect. If you don’t provide each of those conditions for your relationship, you’ll still have a relationship and you may have something resembling love. But just like a plant deprived of sunlight or water will grow stunted and crooked, so a relationship without faith and respect and trust will never fulfill its potential.

Of the four qualities that help nurture love, the most important is respect. Love cannot exist without respect. It’s a prerequisite. Relationships without respect are unhealthy and harmful to the persons involved in them. When you respect another, you listen to them and consider their needs and desires and work to earn their respect. All of those things are vital to growing health relationships.

Many people exist under the misconception that respect is something that must be earned. In fact, respect is something that should be given freely. Unless you are open to respect, you’ll be shutting out any possibility of allowing love to grow to its fullest potential. If you only respect those who have earned your respect, you could be closing out many possibilities for loving others.

Like love, trust, honesty and faith also depend upon respect to grow strong and health. These four pillars of love lean upon each other and together, they create an arbor on which love can climb and grow and flower.

If you want love to flower in your life, if you want to build relationships that last for a lifetime, practice respect. Learn to respect everyone around you for the simple fact that they are, like you, a person.

About Dr. Jackson:

A veteran of 25 years of business ownership experience. A member of the United States Naval Submarine Service from 1979 to 1985. Founder and Chairman of G.E. Jackson & Associates, Inc., as well as River Eagle Media Group, LLC www.rivereaglemedia.com and The Examples of Excellence Foundation, Inc. www.examplesofexcellence.org And a member of Rotary International. A lover of life, nature, people, and the positive light in each and every one of God’s greatest creation - Humanity!

American Federale Movie Poster

Official Movie Poster - Makes a Great t-shirt

Inherent in the Problem is the Solution

by Michael Douglas Carlin
Originally posted 9/2008

Housing is a basic right!

We desperately need more affordable housing. Housing the poor or homeless is actually less costly than dealing with the issues of homelessness when we turn a blind eye to the issue. Offering shelters with services that rehabilitate people when they have hit a bump in the road, makes much more sense than ignoring them. Home ownership is part of the American Dream and yet it is becoming far too difficult for the average man or woman to achieve that dream.

Now we have Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with an estimated 5.3 Trillion Dollars in Mortgages. What could all of the real estate in America be worth? 50 trillion? 500 trillion? I don’t really know the answer to that question but just the number of homes in America must be in the 50 trillion range. Our National Debt is now about 10 trillion.

With the problems we have in America right now doesn’t it make sense to take some bold steps to fix what is wrong with America.

Step #1. Take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – ALREADY DONE

Step #2. Print currency and ship it to debt holders. Pay off the National Debt by increasing the money supply. This would free up 30%+ of our existing budgets in Government.

Step #3. Switch currency from being backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government to being backed by the Real Estate of the Country.

Step #4. Offer loans to any citizen (regardless of credit history) on any property providing that citizen comes up with 30% down payment for properties without Solar Panels on the roof or 20% if the property has solar panels. The government would back the properties with 80% loans on any property with Solar and 70% if the property doesn’t have Solar. In essence the currency would then be backed with by the mortgages on the Real Estate of America. Create a revenue share deal with the bank or financial institution that originated the loan so that they would receive an override on the loan when it was performing. They would also intercede if the loan defaulted. They would foreclose on the property and keep 80% of anything the property sold for over the amount of the loan and if the property sold for less they would absorb up to 20% of the loss as a fee to continue as a preferred lender and able to originate loans.

Step #5. Let’s not spend our resources tracking down illegal aliens any more…it is a waste of our resources. It is time for another amnesty program where we invite anyone here that has managed to keep out of trouble to become a citizen. The process would be a six month window to surface and provide proof that you have means of subsistence, followed by a five year waiting period that includes an education process and a vetting process to achieve citizenship.
Step #6. We know that Hurricanes, Tornados, Floods, Earthquakes, and Forrest Fires are part of the landscape of being American. Yet we have no provisions for thwarting their impacts. It is time that we prepare for the occurrence of these events by having our Army Corp. of Engineers develop permanent structures to minimize their effects. Every waterway in America needs to be prepared for taking on more water than usual. We need to develop a water grid in America where water can be moved from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. The Army Corp. of Engineers could develop a series of locks and canals to move water throughout the Country. When a drought leaves one area dry we could move water to mitigate the effects. In areas where housing is in the path of Tornados or Hurricanes any new housing would have to comply with building standards to withstand Category 5 winds. One structure that comes to mind is the geodesic dome house that seems to withstand the most extreme conditions. Places with Earthquakes must have structures built to withstand a 9 point Earthquake.

Now is the time for us to begin planning for the next thousand years. The five years plans of Capitalism are meaningless.

We went off the gold standard in 1971. Since then our currency has been backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Now with the failing of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae we need to establish United States Real Estate as the asset that backs our currency. With the new “Real Estate Standard” we will stabilize our economy and provide a solid asset to back our currency. The standard should be similar to banking where the consumer is able to borrow up to 90% of the value of the Real Estate based upon current market conditions.

Michael Douglas Carlin is a filmmaker, author, and journalist. American Federale is available on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay. Rise a Knight is available on Amazon. Peaceful Protests and A Prescription For Peace is available on iTunes.

LOVE BUZZ - SOUL MATE WHOLENESS

(This article originally appeared in the May 1, 2012 edition of the Century City News)

By Anita De Francesco, MA
Relationship Specialist

Some of us are still wondering when that true soul mate will enter our lives and help complete the wholeness that we so desire. It can take a lifetime and going through many failed relationships to finally connect with the right one. I often wonder how people even know what a true soul mate is. I hear some folk talking about their relationship they are still in which began at age 16. And how so many of us wanted to stay with the sweet sixteen lover forever. What makes a soul mate so special and how do we attract this person? Yes it has been a long journey for some of us and so long that we’ve forgotten what it was like to be desired, wanted, to have a man pull the sweater over your shoulder and have a woman look you in the eyes and say she loves you and means it. Some are in relationships because they have stopped growing and basically just exist with someone. After being married for so many years you may wake up one day and find yourself wanting a new relationship.

One thing about love is that you have to be ready or you will attract temporary and sometimes trouble. Soul mates are all around you, your best friend, your parents, your co-workers and so on but romantic soul mate is deeper and more of a yearning. I believe romantic soul mate requires us to go deep inside and face ourselves with love and understanding before we can attract our true mate. It is important to have healthy, bonding loving relationships with those around you. This is a pre-requisite for the soul mate to enter your life. The quest for love and happiness is really a yearning for wholeness. Having a soul mate can help you open up to a new exploration of the heart and find real true love that is beyond the ordinary. Sounds like the fairy tale but why do some of us get it and others continue to suffer.

The law of attraction is the new way to get what you want from love to career and so on. So how do we attract this power? One thing first is to identify your patterns in your last relationships. When we break patterns all kinds of possibilities show up. Let’s start by changing the places we go. Explore new territory and make new friends. Invite yourself in to connect with others. Go to different meet-up groups and try different types of dance places like ballroom or salsa. All of these things are to help you break patterns and make change, so we have begun. Sex sails with a partner when you have things in common. If you like to golf then go to those places, do things that you like to do and connect to people this way. If you like drama then join a theatre group. Start doing things that turn you on, stop following what your friends like.

Next let’s identify our challenges, insecurities and fears; begin to make a list. It is important to be honest with your challenges and facing them so that you don’t get into the habit of projecting onto your partner. Look at why your last few relationships have failed. Also make a list of what you past lover found irritating about you. Focus on the things you don’t like so that they don’t outweigh the things you do like in a mate. There should be some sort of balance.

Next let us focus on communication, openness and honesty. Begin with trusting yourself and cultivating this within and you will in turn begin to trust your mate. Learn to accept criticism and truth. Be upfront and communicate just what you need and want and where you are in your life. Be adaptable and open until you mesh as one with your mate. Be open to try new things your mate introduces to you.

Know your preferences such as what you want in a mate. If you want a non-smoker than put that out there. Make a list of what you will put up with. If you like to travel, best to find someone who does as well or you will be alone. Know what you like and find that in your mate. If you get someone who matches you at 40 percent it could work with some adjustments.

Let go of the past lovers that you still think about. Remove those energetic hooks that keep you connected. Energetic hooks in you or in someone else can prevent you from meeting someone. Before you can attract your soul mate you need to be ready on an emotional and physical level. You need to have your home ready as if this soul mate is already living in there. I suggest clearing the bedroom and make this area nice and ready. Get some real nice sheets and fancy curtains and rugs. Adorn it with flowers and candles and talk as if this person was in the room there with you. Write him/her poems about your feelings and how you can’t wait to be together one day. Use your imagination to create what you want, that is what it is for. Oh and go out and buy a new bed and fancy it up, and keep it sacred and pure for that soul mate to arrive.


Do you feel stuck and in a rut, depressed or anxious or overall sluggish? I practice Reichian, Gestalt, somatic movement, and counseling/bodywork integrative therapies which involves focused breathing to help stimulate the emotions thus re-patterning the nervous system. I help you to focus on the negative voices and thoughts that create the stress and to resolve those unwanted interruptions that get in the way of your life process. Those stiff armored muscles that block sensation and energy flow will eventually soften.

The rage sitting in the muscles will unfold allowing more feelings of pleasure, more creativeness, freeing blocked energies and sexual dysfunction. Modern society has forced the human character to live in unnatural ways holding back basic needs and instincts. This process of breathing deeply sends messages to the brain which is an effective way to release anger, to let go of baggage, and to feel more alive and trusting thus living in a higher self esteem.

Anita De Francesco, M.A.
www.tantrawisdom.com
info@tantrawisdom.com
310-210-1464

Investiture Into The Order of Humanity

by Michael Douglas Carlin

THE CEREMONY

Throughout history, the ceremony of elevating mortals to receive the mantle of Knighthood has occurred in many places and under a myriad of circumstances. The place isn’t the important element that makes a Knight. Many of the Knights in our order were Knighted in churches or in the field. What is important is that the ceremony be sacred in order to maximize the meaning, with all participants noting that something important has happened and that life will never be the same. I personally like having this giving done (and a Knighting is a gift) in person hand to hand, eye to eye, and heart to heart, as all giving in our order is done. It is important to note that no fee should ever be charged for investiture into our order. That would be breaking with our philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return.

There is no dress code for Knightings. Dress appropriately for the venue. If the Knighting occurs in a church, synagogue, or mosque, then dress as you would for a regularly scheduled service.

Kneeling demonstrates the willingness of a prospective Knight to become vulnerable and accept the mantle of responsibility and authority in humility. In this prone position, the prospective Knight makes an oath to those who have come before and to those who will come after to execute the duties of Knighthood to the best of his or her abilities. Once the prospective Knight has taken the oath, the sword or other implement is used to tap the right shoulder, left shoulder and head, as the investiture ceremony is completed, at which point the newly Knighted is commanded to "Rise a Knight." There is a practical matter associated with Knighthood. Some people may not be able to physically kneel; they should kneel and rise metaphorically.

SACRED OATH OF OUR ORDER

The postulant should read the following:

"I promise to protect the world and all of the vulnerable inhabitants. I promise to recognize nobility in others by their deeds and liveslife of service and to empower them by Knighting them into the rogue order of Knights of Malta, or Hospitallers, the order of Humanity. I also promise not to discriminate against anyone based upon race, religion, creed, gender, handicap, or sexual preference.

"I recognize that our order has power and influence only because of all of our collective good deeds, and I promise to work tirelessly to leave this world better than I found it. I also recognize that this gift of Knighthood is bestowed upon me without asking me for any recompense other than living a life of service.
"I promise that, when I give any gift, including bestowal of Knighthood, that it shall be done without expecting anything in return. On any humanitarian missions, I promise not to discuss politics or religion with any recipient and to never share my sacred oath with anyone who might trivialize it.

"I kneeled as a mortal, and I will rise accepting the mantle of Knighthood steeped in tradition and legacy that has lasted for over a thousand years."

The Knight performing the ceremony replies:

"With this sword, I Knight you honoring the gift you received with your first breath of life (taps candidate on the right shoulder with blade of the sword), the belief we all share, that a better world awaits (taps candidate on the left shoulder with the blade of the sword), and the acts of valor that you will perform wielding the mantle of Knighthood (taps candidate on the head with the blade of the sword). I now command you to rise a Knight.

"Pause for a moment and take in the transformation. As a Knight your life will never be the same."