LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA NAMES DAREN FUSTER DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION

Daren Fuster has been appointed Director of Operations and Artistic Administration for the acclaimed Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), announced Executive Director Rachel Fine, who added that Fuster will oversee artistic administration, production, general operations, as well as education and community programs. Fuster replaces long-time LACO administrator Andrea Laguni, who is stepping down after 19 years at LACO to serve as an arts consultant.

"We are pleased to welcome Daren to the Orchestra’s administrative staff," says Fine.  “His broad expertise in production, operations and artistic administration of the classical music field will serve LACO well as he steps into this key position with the Orchestra.  It is also with deep gratitude that we thank Andrea Laguni for his dedicated service, astute leadership and invaluable contributions to LACO during his long and fruitful tenure.  We wish him the very best in his future endeavors."

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Fuster’s impressive career in the music industry includes arts administration, violin and viola performance and entrepreneurial ventures.  He joined the Columbus Symphony Orchestra as orchestra personnel manager and sold performance manager in 2012, managing full-time and per-service orchestra personnel and programming, producing and managing performances.  Prior, he served as production manager, donor records manager and artistic and orchestra operations manager at Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.  As an entrepreneur, Fuster is the founder and managing partner of the entertainment agency Pro Art Music LLC.  Under his leadership, the business accumulated numerous awards and provided music and musicians for thousands of private events and large productions.  Pro Art served as the orchestral tour contractor for Princeton Entertainment’s concert production of Legend of Zelda in Columbus and Cincinnati and orchestra contractor for performing artist and composer A.R. Rahman’s (Slumdog Millionaire) Unity of Light tour in Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Vancouver.  With his string quartet in Cincinnati, Fuster performed and recorded with k.d. lang on her 49th Parallel tour for NPR’s Mountain Stage.  His artist management agency has managed solo engagements for violinists Nicolas Kendall and Alexandre DaCosta, and cellist Joseph Johnson.  A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (Bachelor of Music) and the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati (Master of Music and doctoral studies), Fuster has performed as auxiliary violist for Cincinnati Symphony and Pops, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Chamber orchestras; an auxiliary member of Columbus Symphony Orchestra (violin and viola); and a member of Fundación Sinfonía, Dominican Republic.  Fuster has also appeared at the Heidelberg (Germany), Lancaster Music (Ohio) and Grand Teton Music festivals; and as a concerto soloist with the 18th Century Music Ensemble in Italy.

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (LACO), proclaimed “America's finest chamber orchestra” by Public Radio International and “resplendent” by the Los Angeles Times, has established itself among the world's top musical ensembles.  Since 1997, LACO has performed under the baton of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as “visionary” and “a conductor of uncommon intellect, insight and musical integrity” with “undeniable charisma,” “effortless musicality and extraordinary communicative gifts.”  Under Kahane’s leadership, the Orchestra maintains its status as a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and a champion of contemporary composers.  During its 46-year history, the Orchestra has made 31 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America and garnered eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, LACO presents its Orchestral Series on Saturdays at Glendale’s Alex Theatre and on Sundays at UCLA’s Royce Hall; Baroque Conversations at downtown Los Angeles’ Zipper Concert Hall; Westside Connections chamber music series, designed to illustrate the relationship between music and other artistic disciplines, at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica; and an annual Discover concert, which features an in-depth examination that sheds new light on a single piece of music, at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium.  LACO also presents a Concert Gala, an annual Silent Film screening and several fundraising salons each year.  Additionally, LACO outreach programs, Meet the Music, Community Partners, Campus to Concert Hall and the LACO/USC Thornton Strings Mentorship Program, reach thousands of young people annually, nurturing future musicians and composers as well as inspiring a love of classical music.

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Hagel Meets with Western Hemisphere Defense Ministers in Peru

By Claudette Roulo
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2014 - The Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas, which began yesterday in Arequipa, Peru, provides a forum for the defense ministers from 34 nations to discuss their common interests.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hosts a news conference following a tour of the Compania de Jesus Church in Arequipa, Peru, during the Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas, Oct. 13, 2014. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met informally with several of his counterparts from South America at an Oct. 12 reception before the official start of the conference.

Yesterday's plenary session was particularly significant, Hagel told reporters, as it was an opportunity "to hear from ministers on different points of view regarding different challenges and opportunities in a more formal setting."

Following the full session, the defense secretary held bilateral discussions with some of his counterparts, where they "were able to talk more specifically about some of the challenges that we face bilaterally, as well as multilaterally," he said.

The Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas was created in 1995 to increase defense and security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. The meeting serves as a venue for discussions on confidence- and security-building measures, peace support operations, civil-military relations and emerging threats such as transnational organized crime and terrorism, according to the conference's website.

"The importance of the Western Hemisphere to the world as represented by so many different cultures and ideas and values is important to recognize at a time when the world is undergoing an extensive challenge to its present world order," the defense secretary said.

All countries and all people deserve support in their efforts to guarantee human rights and dignity -- whether they struggle for themselves or for others -- Hagel said. "At the same time we also are mindful of some of the manmade and natural disasters and threats that face our world today," he added.

RUCKSACK SWIM

10/14/2014 12:21 PM CDT

Army Sgt. Max Wolfer exits the water carrying his rucksack after jumping from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter into American Lake on Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord, Wash., Oct. 9, 2014. Wolfer is a combat engineer assigned to 571st Sapper Company, 864th Engineer Battalion.

FLIGHT DECK

10/14/2014 12:22 PM CDT

AV-8B Harriers and an MV-22 Osprey sit on the flight deck at night aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 8, 2014. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group is on a scheduled deployment supporting maritime security operations, providing crisis response capability and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.

UNITED FOOD MOVEMENT

by Michael Douglas Carlin

         When was the last time you were hungry? Really hungry? I sat in a meeting on Friday and my stomach growled. That is the only time in recent history I have been mildly hungry. Right around us there are families that are really hungry. Many of them are hungry through no fault of their own. Some of them have made bad choices, but is that any reason to abandon them? Is that any reason not to provide them with the tools to make good choices moving forward?

Hurricane Sandy is an example of people who fell on hard times through no fault of their own. I recently met a woman, Loren Asha Tirone, who I know will change my life. She started a non-profit called United Food Movement. Her organization recycles food to those who are hungry. She collects food before it spoils and gets it into the hands of the hungry who are in our midst. When she learned about the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, she called and asked me what we were going to do to ease the pain.

I started making telephone calls. Soon, I was speaking to the District Governor of Rotary in the affected region. He had just arrived to survey the situation, and what he found was staggering. Entire communities were still underwater, and, in his own town, the shops had flooded. All of the wares inside the stores had been washed out to the streets. The mess was daunting. He was overwhelmed. I called Loren. We decided to support a boots-on-the-ground effort that the District Governor was formulating. I passed his number on to her and went about my life.

Loren thundered away in the community to let people know how they could help. She organized a number of donation boxes to receive clothing and other needed relief. She organized a two-night fundraiser to pay for the shipping to get donated relief items to New Jersey. I got a call from her on the day of the fundraiser letting me know that she expected me to show up. How could I refuse? I arrived and found her working the crowd as they entered Studio Restaurant and Lounge in Hermosa Beach. She politely asked everyone to make a contribution to this effort.

I was deeply touched by the people that dug into their pockets and made contributions to get relief shipped. I was also touched by the people that brought warm coats, shirts, new underwear, new socks, and other relief items to ease the pain of those suffering from a natural disaster that was clearly out of their control.

Berry Bly and Mike Shribnet donated their venue, Studio Restaurant and Lounge, to raise money and collect the relief items. DJ Adam Nello, who hails from the New Jersey Shore, teamed up with local Danny Olsen to collect 17 bags of clothing. Tati Souza held her own fundraiser, and I worked the door with Annie Giammarco, who many of you might know from Ummba Grill, French 75, or Toscana. Faiz Mattar also volunteered and helped get funds from the crowd. Big Lots of Hermosa Beach donated all of the boxes, and, once those boxes were packed, there was the little issue of shipping.

How many of you remember Bobby Chandran from Mail Boxes Etc. that used to be in Watt Plaza? I reached out to Bobby, and he agreed to ship all of the charity items at his cost, which is significantly lower than that of UPS. He saved us almost half of the shipping costs by donating his profit back to the cause of helping ease the suffering on the East Coast.

What came out of this is much more significant than a small relief effort. What came out of this is a team that can help ease the pain of those suffering in our own community. I would walk down any battlefield with Loren, Bobby, Faiz, and Annie. I didn't get to know all of the other participants as well, but these people have tremendous hearts. They are some of the best of humanity.

Loren has been taking food to the homeless in our community for a few years. Her story is worth noting, because you will get tremendous insight into a cause that can have a multiplier effect on the time or money that you donate. She calls her non-profit United Food Movement. This is the next movement that will feed Southern California. Loren has identified corporations that are willing to donate food to feed hungry people. These corporations will not pay for the shipping and distribution to get this food into the hands of the hungry. Loren has committed to tackle this gap and has already delivered 100,000 pounds of food into hungry hands.

She has additional commitments from corporations that she is unable to accept at this time. She needs volunteers to pick up the food and deliver these valuable relief items to shelters and other service-oriented operations that feed hungry people. Think about the number of workers who need to be up early to drive to work. Picture getting up an hour early and picking up food from a convenience store that is turning their shelves at 4 am. That food is delivered an hour later to a homeless shelter, and you arrive at work having just done something of service and perhaps an hour early to get some of that work done that will be impossible once the telephones begin to ring.

Or picture taking a single day and abstaining from eating anything. Take the money you would have spent that day and donate it to the United Food Movement to take care of transportation costs. A tank of gas might feed 500 people. That is an investment that pays in multiples. Will any of you join with me to volunteer or donate to her boots-on-the-ground non-profit?

We have all had a hand in the Sandy Relief Effort. What are we going to do in our local community? What are we going to do to ease the human suffering right in our backyard? Get on board and become involved in the United Food Movement. If only five percent of discarded food were collected and provided to the hungry, there would be no hunger in our midst. Says Loren: "We don't have a shortage of food, we have a distribution issue." The movement of food is one area that can unite us all. Join the United Food Movement!

PLEASE DONATE FUNDS, FOOD OR TIME!!!

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

Known for the sapphire-blue waters of its lake, Whiskeytown...

Known for the sapphire-blue waters of its lake, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in Northern California has more to offer visitors. This 39,000-acre recreation area is also home to pristine mountains, 70 miles of hiking trails and stunning waterfalls — like Boulder Creek Falls pictured here.

Photo by Jesse Barden, Lava Beds National Monument.

Face of Defense: Soldier Traces Service Ethic to Hispanic Roots

By Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
99th Regional Support Command

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J., Oct. 14, 2014 - Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose Flores locked his rifle's bolt to the rear, placed the butt of the weapon firmly against his shoulder, took aim and fired over the bow of an aircraft carrier in New York Harbor.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose Flores leads the rifle team from the Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command during the Memorial Day commemoration at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, May 27, 2013. Volunteering to go the extra mile in his military career is something Flores credits to his background as a Hispanic-American and combat-arms soldier. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

It was Memorial Day at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan, and Flores and his fellow honor guard soldiers were firing the first volley of blank rounds in a 21-gun salute to their fallen brethren.

Going the extra mile

This wasn't the first time Flores -- a native of Nicaragua and a 16-year Army veteran -- participated in such a ceremony. Volunteering to go that extra mile is something he credits to his background as a Hispanic-American and as a combat-arms soldier.

"With a Spanish upbringing, especially if you're coming from another country, you've got to be able to go above and beyond, such as learning the culture, learning the language," said Flores, who came to the United States when he was 4 years old. "Once you do that, you also have to remember your roots."

Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens with ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The theme of this year's observance is, "Hispanics: A Legacy of History, a Present of Action and a Future of Success."

Striving to do better

"'You must try to be better' is drilled down in our culture," Flores said, recounting a bit of his own history. "Growing up, they always tried to push you, push you, push you to try to be better.

"The biggest thing in Hispanic culture is family, and I do everything for my family," he continued. "And with the military being a big part of my life, I consider the military a kind of family also."

Flores serves as a finance noncommissioned officer with additional duties as the physical security and voting officer for the Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command, headquartered here. He also works for the 99th RSC in his civilian career.

"Being in the military gives you a sense of place, especially if you had the proper mentorship when you first came in," Flores said. "I was lucky enough to have key leadership when I first joined the military. I went straight to a combat unit, and the leadership developed me into who I am now."

Military mentorship

That leadership "mentored me; they showed me how a good leader leads,"said Flores, a husband of 10 years to his wife, Ki, with whom he has two children, Raymond and Sofia.

Today, Flores continues to mentor and lead those with whom he serves, sharing the sense of duty instilled within him by both his cultural and military upbringing.

"If there's a mission, and you're an NCO, figure out how to do it," he explained. "We have personnel who are always doing the mission, because it needs to be done."

Stuck on the Rings

Like a drop of dew hanging on a leaf, Tethys appears to be stuck to the A and F rings from this perspective. Tethys (660 miles, or 1,062 kilometers across), like the ring particles, is composed primarily of ice. The gap in the A ring through which Tethys is visible is the Keeler gap, which is kept clear by the small moon Daphnis (not visible here). This view looks toward the Saturn-facing hemisphere of Tethys. North on Tethys is up and rotated 43 degrees to the right. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on July 14, 2014. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 22 degrees. Image scale is 7 miles (11 kilometers) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visithttp://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

10/14/2014 10:34 AM CDT

An F/A-18C Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 15 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf, Oct. 10, 2014. The George H.W. Bush is supporting maritime security operations, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

DISABLED KNIGHT IS ENABLED

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Here is a man who fully qualifies for disability, and no one would hold it against him if he decided to go down to the government offices and fill out the application with his one good hand. There would be scores of people along the way to sign off on all of the forms to get him public assistance. Doctors would vouch for him saying, "Yes, he is fully entitled to get public money." Mountains of paperwork would be generated, filling lots of file cabinets and costing tax payers so much more than the monthly support checks from pushing all of that paperwork around and constantly re-evaluating his disability claim. The reality of the situation is that no amount of monitoring will be bringing back mobility to Duke Earl Walker's left side. But, Duke isn't going to allow the government to tell him how much he is worth. Duke may qualify for public assistance, but he isn't going down to the government offices anytime soon to fill out that paperwork to get the money he is entitled to receive.

Duke has elected to allow the private sector to determine his value to society by spending his time helping others because of the valuable lessons that life has taught him. In 1992, Walker was involved in a high speed chase that sent him away for a stint. Addiction was the root cause behind Walker's troubles, and, when he got out of the slammer, he again began pushing the limits. He was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him partially paralyzed. "My dad came and took care of me for six months."

Dad said: "Son, if you need to take that $742 a month in disability, then go ahead and take it but remember that the government is telling you that that is all you are worth." So, Duke decided not to let the government determine his value to society.

At a crossroads in life, he met a woman, and they decided to get sober together. The couple decided to adopt Courtney, a three-month old baby girl. So many people told them that it was never going to happen. During the process, it was determined that Courtney had cerebral palsy and would require special care. That didn't stop the process, because Duke was already in love.

Adoptions are not usually granted to a man with a criminal record. Adoptions are not usually granted to the physically challenged and with a child that has special needs. And, during the adoption process, his relationship with the woman dissolved, so that he was left single, and adoptions clearly are not granted to single men. That didn't stop Duke, because he felt at the core of his being that little Courtney was meant to become his daughter.

Every time he went to court, a miracle happened. The judge granted visitation at first. That led to weekends and overnights. Progress was being made. Parenting classes and drug testing provided powerful evidence that the judge evaluated throughout the process. At one point, Duke's mother got into the mix as a potential strategy to complete the adoption, but Duke wanted to adopt Courtney himself. At the final court hearing, the opposing counsel was vehemently opposed to this adoption. The lawyer brought up every single reason why Duke should never be allowed to make this adoption. After hearing all of this and weighing it against the now mountain of paperwork supporting Duke's case, and sensing the love that Duke could provide along with his positive role model as a man who made a choice not let his handicap define him, the judge ruled in favor of Duke and granted the adoption.

"This beautiful little girl saved my life," says Duke. He now works as an instructor at InterCoast Colleges in the Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor Program. He teaches students how to deal with addiction, just one of the obstacles he overcame in his road through life. "See that Corvette over there? That car is mine."

He points out an immaculate late model black Corvette. No doubt he never would have afforded it if he had decided to take the dole the government offers. Just because a man made some bad choices that led him to a bad place doesn't mean he must continue to make those bad choices. America can learn a lot from Duke to get moving again. How many people are on government assistance who could help others deal with life's real problems? Battling addiction, overcoming handicaps, learning math, English and reading? How many youths can benefit from these positive role models?

Duke now deals with his need for speed on the racetrack, where he races drag cars. His car is modified with a shift solenoid that shifts the gears for him. His car is appropriately named, "The One Armed Bandit."

(Update: Duke passed away recently, but he worked until the day he died, tirelessly helping others. His life and choices provide an example for all of us.)

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

SUPPLY CHECK

10/14/2014 10:55 AM CDT

A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules airman checks to ensure containers filled with meals, ready to eat and fresh water sit on a C-130 Hercules aircraft in preparation for an operational resupply airdrop near the area of Bayji, Iraq, Oct. 10, 2014. The C-130 dropped bundles totaling 3,800 meals and 1,400 gallons of water. The airman is a loadmaster.

IS HONESTY THE BEST POLICY

by Michael Douglas Carlin

You talk to your kids, and you have a teaching moment. Do you tell them that they shouldn't lie? Seriously. Do you?

Everything around us today is a great big lie. The only thing that matters is money. We don't care where you got it. All we care about is that you have it. "Okay, you killed babies in a foreign country–now read the retainer agreement and give us a check and we will represent you. Oh, and don't forget to sign it. We will be sending you monthly bills that we expect you to pay on time."

Sound farfetched? To what extent do oil companies go to get their multi-billion-dollar pipelines built in Burma? Afghanistan? What happens to the people that are in the way? I think we all know the answer.

How about sweat shops that manufacture clothing in foreign countries? How about businesses tired of dealing with our own Environmental Protection Agency that move their companies across the border so they can pollute at will.

How about companies that outsource to countries that violate the civil rights of the people?

A trillion dollars of aid has gone to Africa under the guise of making it better, and it is now aid dependent. Was this unintentional or were there people who knew what they were doing? Wasn't the motive to keep the focus on other things while the resources could be stolen, a warlord paid off, and the people left with the mess? The warlord ends up in a mansion in the south of France, big business ends up with the resources, and the aid dependent people end up dead or downtrodden.

Have we really reached a point in our human existence where money is so sought after that we throw all morals out of the window?

Cash is the true religion in America today. Christ? Mohammad? Allah? Elohim? Devil worship? None of them compare to cash. Ask a religious zealot to sacrifice his Lamborghini, and you will understand what it is that he worships. If we can steal from the bowels of Mother Earth the resources that we need to fatten our bank accounts, then why should we worry about the consequences?

If we can release software before it is ready and then offer patches to cover up the flaws, then by all means release the inferior product. If we can offer health insurance and then cancel the policy when our policyholder gets sick, then we get to collect and not deliver. Sign any contract for any product or service, then deliver nothing but keep the money. Hire good attorneys to get your back and vacation in the Bahamas. Sound like a plan?

Finally, if you can manipulate markets to suck your cash out of the system without producing anything, why go to all of the trouble to manufacture anything? Why have any employees? Why add any wealth to society?

Is honesty the best policy? Not in the America that we have created today. Let the cable TV wash over the people, so that they get their amusement and fail to act to save us from ourselves.

If you want to give your kids an immediate leg up, you should teach them that money is the only thing that matters. Of course, "Don't get caught." That goes without saying. Honesty? Well, try to create an air of honesty. I mean lie to everybody and make them think that you are honest, but get the cash, because that is the only thing that garners respect. Those of you who care about the long term health and well-being of your kids, the community, and planet should teach them that Honesty is the Best Policy. Because the problem with lies is that truth is hard to find after a pack of them have been thrown around. Remember the "Cry Wolf" fable. Companies that can think beyond the next quarter will find that providing an honest product for a fair price will provide them with longevity.

There is a promise in and of America. Integrity needs to be restored. The pool man who cleans your pool once a week and gets fifty bucks for it is a hard-working American who needs to have the promise of America restored. The gardener who mows lawns and plants seasonal flowers to make America look nice is a hard-working man or woman who needs to have integrity brought back to America to be able to save money for his or her college education. She needs to have a safe place to put this money as part of the promise of America. The bus driver, restaurant worker, school teacher, plumber and mechanic all need to have the promise of America restored.

We allow people who have money to get huge bailouts from the government, then we spit on those who are on public assistance. All need to be encouraged to be responsible for their own actions. All need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and have the means to do so. When we promise a kid that, by working hard and getting educated, there will be a job waiting for him, there needs to be a job waiting. The reward for hard work and diligence needs to be tangible. We all need to be a part of restoring the Promise of America, so that honesty once again becomes the best policy.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

CREATING OPPORTUNITY IS NOT SOCIALISM

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Giving every man, woman and child access to opportunity is not socialism. It is the right thing to do. Providing each person with this opportunity will actually eliminate the drag on the system and promote long term peace and prosperity. In fact, this is allowing the true free market economy to function with checks and balances in place to ensure that all participants adhere to sound business principles. The sense of entitlement, wherever it exists, needs to be educated out of the American people. Nobody is owed influence, and nobody is anointed to influence. Anyone that has played a team sport in a competitive environment knows that each player must earn his or her position every single day. This keeps the team sharp and playing at the highest level.

By eliminating "special interest" influence from Washington, we restore the truly competitive engine of capitalism. No longer will we have one company with an artificial leg up on their competition. We will make it easier for the ingenuity of the individual entrepreneur to bring innovations to market. Too many big corporations fear an upstart business, because its low overhead exposes the fat within big business ranks. Through legislation, big business makes it hard for a lone business person to get started. This strategy is short-sighted, as we face competition from outside of America.

We are now in a global economy. We must restore and reinvent America's Engine of Competitiveness to be able to compete with all companies and countries that are embracing capitalism. Manufacturing can and will return to our shores if we can eliminate shipping costs, control environmental affects, and build innovative products that match the needs of America as well as the needs of other areas of the world.

The responsibility to take care of those who are less fortunate throughout the world is the responsibility of all humanity. Government takes the lead with foreign policy, military, civil affairs, and membership in the world's organizations. Faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, corporations, non-profit organizations and individuals must bridge the gap by ensuring three square meals a day, shelter, access to quality health care, personal safety, an education and a job to every man, woman and child alive. This giving must be done hand to hand, eye to eye, and heart to heart.

The education of every man, woman, and child alive must include a strong curriculum of personal responsibility as well as charity.

Moral responsibility rests with everyone who enjoys the benefits of capitalism.

This is A Prescription for Peace.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

LAYER OF SOCIALISM

by Michael Douglas Carlin

         Capitalism vs. Socialism—why not have both? Not the type of socialism where the government owns all of the implements of our economy, but where everybody has the basics they need to succeed, and they enter the free enterprise system to get more.

We can have peace in our lifetime if we all do our part.

This must be a partnership of every individual, non-profit organization, corporation, and government—all working together to bring the basic needs to all of humanity.

It is time for humanity to grow up. Our "Identity Crisis" is ridiculous. We run around like little spoiled brats sweeping our messes under the carpet rather than deal with them in a forthright manner. Turning a blind eye to problems like homelessness ends up costing more than facing the problem with housing, meals, and services that recycle lives and get them back on the road as productive members of society.

The debate between socialism and capitalism continues because of the merits of each system. We hear the entrepreneur say: "I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps and was never given a thing, why should we give them anything?" We also hear those who have been helped by social programs say: "I reached out to the government for help during a time of crisis in my life and now, I own my own business." The engine of capitalism cannot be refuted. It is what drives the global economy. The benefits of socialism cannot be refuted either. That is why the debate is so compelling.

The overused phrase, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime," also has merit. We need to assume nothing during the education process that teaches men, women and children to "fish." We need to understand that, in today's complicated world, the process of teaching men, women and children to fish may take time. Not everyone can fish while learning. We should help people who can't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, because it is the right thing to do.

Helping people while they learn is more humane and costs less than sweeping them under the carpet. Civil rights activist, Connie Rice, has a plan to fix the inner cities. Central to that plan is opening the schools from 7 am to 9 pm. All children in the inner city community would have a safe place where they could eat nutritious food that keeps kids engaged in music, sports, reading, arts, computers, and science. The cost of her program in the inner city communities of Los Angeles is a billion dollars. Not fixing the inner city communities will cost us twenty times as much.

Let's put the debate of capitalism and socialism to rest. Turning a blind eye to people who have no ability to fish is no longer acceptable. We need a layer of socialism, in which, not only do we teach men, women and children to fish, but the burden is shared by government, corporations, non-profits, and individuals, fueled by capitalism for those who take personal responsibility and want all that capitalism provides. Two systems living side by side coexisting and flourishing makes sense.

Let's move the debate forward to renewable systems that prepare and plan for the next thousand years.

This is A Prescription for Peace:

1. Food

2. Shelter

3. Health Care

4. Personal Safety

5. Education

6. Livelihood

7. Empower Women

All leading to HOPE

Thomas Jefferson wrote the words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…"

If we have the right to life, then we have the right to three square meals a day, a roof over our head, access to quality health care, personal security, an education and a job. For, how could we ever begin to experience liberty or pursue happiness without our basic needs being met? This is A Prescription for Peace.

"Our work will not be done until every man, woman, and child alive has three square meals a day, a roof over their head, access to quality health care, personal security, an education and a job."  —Michael Douglas Carlin

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

SEIZE THE DAY

by Michael Douglas Carlin
BE THE WRITER, PRODUCER, ACTOR AND DIRECTOR IN YOUR OWN LIFE

 I grew up in the movie business. Every element that can be controlled pretty much is. Sometimes the weather cooperates, and sometimes it doesn't. But, always the show must go on. The Writer conceives of the story, the Producer handles the finances, the Director calls the shots, and the Actor takes direction. There are many other minor positions on the movie, all of them important to the overall quality of the finished product. Life imitates art, and art imitates life.

In life and movies, we have atmosphere—people that blend into the scenery–Extras. They have almost no responsibility or authority, but they provide a necessary function. The responsibility and authority grow with every promotion from Extra to Grip to Art Director all the way to the highest point, that of the Director.

Many people in America are the Writer, Producer, Director and Actor in their own story. This is the pinnacle of personal responsibility in America. Capitalism functions with a high degree of personal responsibility. Installing capitalism in a place where people are not comfortable taking responsibility doesn't make much sense, any more than having an Extra direct a movie. Not that an Extra might not have some real talent and the ability to direct. Given time and training, an Extra can rise to become the Writer, Producer, Actor and Director of the Extra's own movie.

Not everyone is ready or able to become master of his or her own personal movie. Some require a Writer to dream up the plot. Some require a Producer to handle the finances. Some require Direction. Some are not even that well equipped to be the Actor. But every human alive has a story. Every life is worthy of being lived. And each of us has the right to progress through the ranks to become our own personal master.

Some try to force personal responsibility and authority onto people who have no ability or knowledge to care for themselves. They must first be educated and then accept personal responsibility. It is easy to play the victim when you don't know any better. Educated people make better decisions. They write better scripts and they live better movies.

Getting Extras to become full-fledged members of capitalism takes an investment from the community. They need all of the basics from A Prescription for Peace. In the inner cities and the Third World, that includes personal safety. Children who are abused are poor candidates for functional families. They find dysfunctional families in the form of gangs. They spread their dysfunction to successive generations. That cycle must be broken. This is a great place for faith-based organizations to intercede. They can help children receive an education and an alternate family-like place to learn and grow.

The investment from the community in these members may resemble a brand of socialism. I actually believe that a layer of socialism can coexist with capitalism. Socialism provides Extras with the ability to learn and grow into productive members of capitalism. Without this layer, Extras have no direction, no education and no ability to grow. With this layer, there is a path toward full membership in writing, producing, acting, and directing each individual movie.

Mark Green was my father's attorney. He was responsible for the vision that transformed my father's company from a small mom and pop operation to a fully functioning company with middle management installed. As an attorney, he decided that he needed drama instruction. He met one of the most influential drama instructors of the day and signed up for some personal instruction. After a brief moment or two of discussion, she asked him to go outside and knock on the door. He was unsure of the exercise but agreed to play along. He knocked, was asked in, and he entered the room a bit unsure. He was invited into the living room, where he sat down. Then, his instructor said to him: "Say to yourself prior to entering 'I am going in.'" He stepped out again. This time, before entering, he said to himself: "I am going in." He entered the room with confidence, walked right over to his seat in the living room, and sat down. We all need to say to ourselves: "I am going in."

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

POSITIVE & NEGATIVE MILESTONES

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Humans are amazing creatures. The development of the computer is but a single milestone in the evolution of human thinking and accomplishment. With every milestone come positive practical applications that move humanity to a new level. Negative milestones are also attained. Humans also created computer viruses.

Now every computer system, out of necessity, comes standard with anti-virus software.

The average human, faced with a situation of whether to acquire something wanted or needed with a questionable origin is easily swayed by the temptation of a bargain. Additional questionable origins might include items made in sweatshops with slave labor, in countries that abuse civil rights or in countries that allow businesses that contaminate the environment and counterfeit products.

This is the dilemma that America finds herself in today. Our need for cheap goods is greater than our conscience to protect the rights of foreigners, Mother Earth or copyright holders. Encouraging theft by purchasing stolen goods might not be good in a local community, as that theft begins to escalate and spill onto those who benefitted from it. Bargains today from sweatshops, human rights violators, polluters and counterfeiters may not be such a good deal in the long run. The consequences are coming home to roost. Offshoring all semi-skilled and non-skilled jobs has cost America an enormous amount of wealth. Offshoring all manufacturing has left America vulnerable to the whims of manufacturing countries that supply products without any recourse if there are defects or toxins. Offshoring has left America vulnerable at the highest national security levels.

I was managing a studio in Valencia during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. One of the stages had a low budget film shoot, and many of the crew had taken up residency on the stage. The shoot was for a few weeks and any form of legal action to stop the squatting would have taken much longer than that. So, it became easier to wait for the shoot to end than to pursue kicking the crew off the stage. When the riots broke out, I had already agreed to purchase a film for a friend that was out of town making a movie. I had around ten thousand dollars in cash for the purchase. I circled Studio Film and Tape for 45 minutes before parking, running in, and getting a receipt for the cash. I witnessed Fredericks of Hollywood burning in the background, and I also saw rioting and looting. I got out of Hollywood as soon as I could.

The entire film crew that was living on the stage disappeared during the riots. When they returned, it was with vanloads of electronics that they had looted from inner city electronics stores. They had seen people on television looting and decided to join this profitable venture. Obviously, there are clear laws against theft and purchasing stolen goods. I wasn't shocked to see people who were working on a low budget feature rush off to steal. What did shock me was that ordinary citizens in Valencia lined up to purchase stolen goods and take advantage of a good deal in violation of the law. What were the odds that they were going to get caught? Probably pretty slim. I don't think many of the looters were captured and prosecuted either. I know some, who got on the local news and bragged about their newly acquired stuff, were eventually arrested and publicly prosecuted to make a statement, but there were simply too many participants to prosecute them all.

It is important to examine why it is illegal to steal. If that type of behavior were allowed, it would eventually mean the breakdown of our entire system. Pretty soon, even the people who purchased stolen goods would come back to an empty home, as all of their stuff became the target of the latest theft and bargain on the streets. It would be very difficult for businesses to remain afloat, as they coped with increasing losses due to theft. They would choose to invest their capital elsewhere to avert the risk of theft. We clearly need the laws that curb this type of behavior, and, more importantly, citizens need to respect these laws and fear them.

The problem today is that citizens and companies do not respect the laws and circumvent them. When the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) cites businesses that pollute, instead of complying, they simply offshore their operation. The damage to the Earth continues, America loses jobs, and consumers support bad behavior. This is also true of companies that enable governments to abuse human rights by offshoring their manufacturing for cheap labor. If these laws are continually circumvented, then humanity could hang in the balance, as this leads to the breakdown of society.

I was in the inner city the other day. I had a meeting down there and found myself eating at an El Pollo Loco. After a few minutes, the meeting was interrupted by a man selling DVDs. He had all of the latest movies that are in the theaters. He was selling these DVDs for $5.00 each. Clearly, this is another type of theft that is going on in America today. We all see the FBI warnings on the movies, but few cases are prosecuted, and the penalties are so much less severe than drug trafficking that there is a major incentive for criminals to carry out this type of crime rather than sell drugs.

The counterfeiting is not just happening with our motion picture industry. Any product that you can think of today is very possibly being knocked off. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that this counterfeiting is costing businesses $600 billion a year.

What can be done about it? Not much is being done. Unfortunately, law enforcement budgets are being squeezed to the point that they can afford to go after only the low-lying fruit. A case that has all of the elements in place has a possibility of prosecution. Most of the criminal activity is going unchecked.

Offshoring pollution isn't the answer. Offshoring human rights violations isn't the answer. Offshoring piracy and counterfeiting isn't the answer. Offshoring manufacturing isn't the answer. Controlling our supply chain from the energy we need all the way through to the finished products is the answer. Renewable energy is the foundation for a clean and productive America. Controlling our supply chain isn't a luxury; it is a necessity as we protect our nation's security interests.

When all of things are equal, free trade is a tremendous thing. All things are not equal, and our unfair trade is causing pollution, human rights violations and counterfeiting. Humanity may hang in the balance, but legislation to save humanity may be just around the corner. Riotous behavior cannot be supported, and it cannot be tolerated. The behavior that we as Americans support is the behavior that will continue.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.