Search Episodes (A Simple Reminder)

Added 05/05/12
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Added 03/21/12
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Driving Test Tips 10 steps to pass

[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 12:49:27 03/21/12
Special Driving Lessons Offer! 2 hrs for £40 Limited Time Only (normally £25 per hr) Call 07956233032 today, quote UKADI2 *T%C apply, Driving Tests not included. As an experienced London driving instructor who has helped many learner drivers pass the driving test over the last 10 years, I would like to give you some free tips to pass your next car test. It is important that you realise that the DSA car test is tough, and it is not easy to pass as evidenced by the low national pass rate of about 40%. It only takes one mistake for a candidate to be failed by the DSA examiner if that driving error was deemed serious or dangerous, so these videos and the additional 10 Driving Test Advice Tips have been put together to help you pass the DSA practical car assessment on your next attempt. The information might be simple and obvious for some of you, but all the same bear them in mind and concentrate fully during the 40 minutes the examiner is assessing you so that your dream of driving a car unsupervised can be realised on your next attempt, as my experience from almost 10 years of helping various people pass the driving test has shown that many capable and well prepared provisional licence holders fail not because they are bad drivers, but made simple avoidable errors either due to lack of knowledge or not taking my advice seriously enough! Visit my special website for those of you who are taking your driving test in the Mill Hill centre NW7 London . Video 1 Multi-Lane Major Roundabouts Before I begin, may I remind you that this website of mine is full of invaluable advice based on almost 10 years of ADI experience, so if you are really serious about passing, I strongly suggest you bookmark this blog, subscribe and go over the many other free online articles and videos posted here, you can never be overprepared, and who knows which tip it might be that saves you from making a serious error. The DSA is making a major change to the theory test in January 2012 . Video 2 Independent Driving on the Test Practical Tips To Help You Pass Next Attempt. 1. Arrive at the DSA driving test centre on time. Know your centre location (make sure you have the right details as many candidates have turned up at the wrong address), how to get there, and if possible visit a day earlier to know if there are any road works or local restrictions in place (important if you are not using an approved driving instructor ADI ). Arriving for your appointment early will allow you to be more at ease. If you don't follow this tip and arrive more than 5 mins late for your driving test appointment, the DSA examiner will not take you out, you will lose your booking fee and not be able to get another appointment for at least another 10 days. 2. Master the UK highway code!. This is probably one of the most ignored advice tips that I constantly give to all my learner driver clients. It is one of the simplest, cheapest and easiest ways of making sure you are fully prepared (apart from practicing driving a car according to DSA standard) for the test. The small highway code booklet should be your closest companion once you have a driving test booked, take it everywhere you go, reading it in your free time, as it will help with understanding road signs and markings, lane disicpline, how to deal with different types of junctions, other road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and generally solidify your knowledge of how to drive in the UK. Many times test candidates are not sure of how to deal with a particular situation, with different views being given even by qualified instructors! If you have read through the highway code a couple of times, you will always know the correct procedure, as DSA examiners will follow the highway code as this is the accepted standard. Just because you have passed the theory test doesn't mean you know everything or will remember it if you do not revise. It does not matter if people around you know that you are preparing for a driving test, what is more important is that you are not one of the drivers that the examiners tell "sorry you have not passed on this occasion, would you like me to tell you why?". Go and find your highway code booklet NOW and start reading it, what have you to lose? You do have a lot to gain from it! 3. Get a good night's rest before the day of your driving assessment a tip easily overlooked. 4. A test tip to help anxious candidates is that Rescue remedy or Kalms might help with your driving test nerves (seek professional advice before using medication if you are driving), and remember being a little nervous is okay as it gets your adrenalin flowing, which helps you to perform in high pressure situations. 5. Use the toilet before you depart to the driving test centre (not all have facilties for learner drivers, DSA Barnet is an example), as you don't want to be caught short just before meeting the dsa examiner. A driving test tip I regulary give to my learner drivers. 6. During the 40 minute drive, deal with the present, don't try and predict the dsa examiner route, what set exercises you are going to get, which direction you are going to be told to go. You will pass the driving test if you successfully and safely carry out each step at a time. 7. Another driving tip is to make progress if it is safe to do so, but obey all road signs and markings, slow doesn't always mean you are being safe, and you could fail the test for driving too slow ! 8. Make sure you understand any instructions you are given, if in doubt, ask for the driving examiner to repeat it. 9. Don't panic if you make a mistake, correct it and move on, dwelling on a driving error could cause a snow ball of errors, and the first one might not have failed you! 10. Make sure you are prepared before presenting yourself for the DSA driving test, you have a better chance of passing if you've taken professional training, know what the dsa examiner is looking for and had enough practice during your driving lessons . I've left this driving test tip till last, but it is the most important advice that you will get. Bonus Tip: Watch the video below: If you require high quality practical driving lessons to help pass the DSA test in Mill Hill, Hendon or Borehamwood centres from a knowledgeable instructor who is patient and tailors tuition to an individual's abilities, then give me a call on 07956233032 Special Driving Lessons Offer! 2 hrs for £44 Limited Time Only Call 07956233032 today, quote UKADI2 *T%C apply, Driving Tests not included. Mill Hill Driving Test Help If you are taking your driving test at Mill Hill test centre, you might be interested in the video below, especially if you are not local to the area, as it covers the hardest route in use by the DSA examiners where you have to deal with the dreaded Apex Corner multi-lane roundabout during independent driving as well as the 70mph A1, turning right at sterling corner as well as some other tricky locations. The video has full commentary to point out the failing areas. Download Video for £3.99 Follow UKADI on twitter for more tips and help to pass the sriving test. Additional driving test tips Driving Test Major and Minor Faults . Most Common Failing Faults on the Car Test Provisional licence cant drive a car ! Driving Test Car Hire . Want some cheap driving lessons . Test Coming Up? Find the Biting Point . Don't talk to examiner on the driving test ! The DSA driving test moving off and Stopping How many driving lessons do I need before I book the driving test ? Taking the driving test in a private car . DSA use of car horn on the test. Top ten dsa driving test errors . Nerves during practical car test 5 facts about the test you might not know. The Red Driving School training scam or con. Drive down petrol prices . Please let me know your views by posting a comment on the blog at http://www.ukadi.co.uk

Nobel winner: why waste is a bigger threat than war

Added 01/03/12
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Episode 200 Part 4: The Number One Challenge in Project Manage...

Added 11/26/11
23 Views

Creating Alarms, Reminders and Timers with Siri (MacMost Now 630)

Added 11/11/11
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Vetoing Democracy: In Athens or Washington, Elites Still Call ...

Added 11/05/11
7 Views

Vetoing Democracy: In Athens or Washington, Elites Still Call the Shots

[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:07 11/05/11
Greeks protest austerity measures, October 19 (RT Television) This week was a sharp reminder that the ancient ideal of democracy is just as threatened -- and to some, just as threatening -- as it's ever been. In government offices in Athens, G20 meeting rooms in Cannes, and "Super Committee" chambers in Washington, we learned that there are still places where the will of the people can be overruled by the whims of the powerful. From the Parthenon to the Potomac, it was the same story: Elites still hold veto power over the democratic process, and they're not afraid to use it. Democracy: 'Radical,' 'Irrational,' 'Dangerous' Ironically, this week's ferment began in the country that's usually credited with creating democracy. In many ways the Greek economy couldn't be more different from our own. The government's fiscal problems there are due in large part to widespread corruption and massive tax evasion -- not tax breaks , tax evasion -- which are very different from our own problems. The government's finances dramatically worse than our own -- almost like night and day -- and a default could create the next major financial crisis. A certain level of fear and concern was understandable when Greek President George Papandreou announced there would be a referendum on the new bailout plan imposed on his country. The global economy is still unstable, top-heavy, and still riddled with too-big-to-fail institutions. In a worst-case scenario, Greece could trigger another financial meltdown. Yet the fear was rarely balanced with an understanding of what's really happening in Greece. There was no acknowledgement that the bailout's terms might be grossly unfair (they are), that they're likely to make a terrible situation even worse (they will), or that Greece is in chaos, misery, and despair. (It is.) And what was most striking was the assumption the elite -- the 1%, if you will -- have veto power over the democratic process. In most of the commentary that flowed from the powerful and the press, a surprising number of world leader didn't even acknowledge that Greece had the right to its own democratic decision-making process. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, whose nation will benefit from "bipartisan" U.S. actions to create a free trade agreement between the two countries, said that "The world has plunged into fears again because of the Greek prime minister's radical step to hold a referendum." Closer to home, French President Sarkozy said that "the Greek's gesture is irrational and, from their point of view, dangerous." The first part of that statement is a slur against democracy. The second part is, of course, a threat. What's the Greek word for 'shafted'? Few are asking who created the Greek debt problem, or who benefited. As in the United States, deficit-creating behavior primarily served the wealthy, the powerful, and the banks. Tax collections for corporations and the wealthy have been very low in Greece. And while tax evasion is commonly for everyone from taxi drivers to millionaires, it takes a lot of cheating cabbies to equal one rich tax dodger. Bankers didn't give Greece these loans out of kindness, either. They saw an opportunity and they took it. That's why they're being asked to take "haircuts" and lose part of the loan repayment (a reasonable measure that hasn't been yet considered in the US mortgage crisis.) Greeks are struggling with devastating levels of unemployment, a declining standard of living, and widespread social unrest. While the austerity measures imposed on it do include tax hikes and measures to reduce tax evasion, they will have an especially devastating impact on already hard-hit middle class Greeks. They're the ones who went to work, paid their taxes (wage earners were disproportionately taxed because of the evasion), and paid into their Social Security and health funds with the expectation these services would be available when they were needed. It doesn't matter now. They won't get their say. Once again the elites were given veto power over democracy. A "bipartisan" revolt of politicians in both major parties made sure of that, and today George Papandreou is looking forward to joining the swelling ranks of Greece's unemployed. The public's widespread dissatisfaction is understandable, and this stifling of democracy should raise even more fears for Greece's future stability than the referendum did. What will happen if the Greek people continued to be denied a place at the bargaining table as their fate is decided? Given that nation's troubled past, and its tormented present, there's always John F. Kennedy's quote to consider: Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. Elites Only But what does this have to do with us? We certainly don't face Greek-level problems. In fact, it serves the elite's narrative to suggest otherwise. Our currency is the dollar, which helps a great deal. We're a commanding world economy. We have the money and resources to fix our joblessness problem, if we only had the will, and we're not part of a larger group like the European Community. Bet we are part of the G20, which this week reaffirmed its obsession on austerity measures even as Europe sinks under the weight of those already imposed. Washington's Powers That Be are still obsessing about austerity, too. Here, as in Europe, public opinion is expected to take a back seat to the elites. Yet another poll has been released which shows that a majority of people in all age groups oppose cutting Social Security to fix the deficit. Past polls have shown that strong majorities of Republicans, independents, and even Tea Party member oppose such measures. Yet despite the strong public objections, and despite the fact that there's overwhelming evidence these cuts are unnecessary and counterproductive, an elected "Super Committee" is likely to recommend them anyway. The usual Congressional rules have been waived in order to force their proposal to a simple up-or-down vote, with no possibility of filibuster and no chance to offer amendments. And US politicians will be under as much pressure to vote for this austerity measure as their Greek counterparts were. Vetoing Democracy The same week that democracy was under siege in Greece, the "Super Committee" heard from a blue-ribbon panel representing the austerity elite: a Republican hater of Social Security recipients; a Democratic member of Morgan Stanley's Board of Directors; a Republican ex-Senator; and an economist aligned with the Democratic establishment advocates for entitlement cuts. The activities of all four been funded by Republican anti-government-spending billionaire Pete Peterson. In words that echoed those of the South Korean and French Presidents, the quartet told the unelected committee that if it fails to offer austerity measures which the public rejects, "We haven't got a prayer and neither have you." The elites have spoken: The public is to be ignored. Democracy's been vetoed. Here's what they didn't teach us in civics class: Democracy has always been controversial. "Democracy... is a charming form of government," said Plato, "full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike." He could sound like a Tea Partier at times. "Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy," he said, " and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty." Plato's aversion to democracy is shared by a lot of powerful people these days. But politicians, especially those whose party derives its name from the democratic principle, would be better off remembering another Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said that "The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law." Representatives from groups that represent Social Security and Medicare recipients, the disabled, and the elderly requested an opportunity to address the Super Committee. They wanted to present their case for preserving these programs, a position that's supported by compelling evidence and supported by majorities in all political parties and of all generations. Their requests were ignored.

Vetoing Democracy: In Athens or Washington, Elites Still Call ...

Added 11/05/11
3 Views

Vetoing Democracy: In Athens or Washington, Elites Still Call the Shots

[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:07 11/05/11
Greeks protest austerity measures, October 19 (RT Television) This week was a sharp reminder that the ancient ideal of democracy is just as threatened -- and to some, just as threatening -- as it's ever been. In government offices in Athens, G20 meeting rooms in Cannes, and "Super Committee" chambers in Washington, we learned that there are still places where the will of the people can be overruled by the whims of the powerful. From the Parthenon to the Potomac, it was the same story: Elites still hold veto power over the democratic process, and they're not afraid to use it. Democracy: 'Radical,' 'Irrational,' 'Dangerous' Ironically, this week's ferment began in the country that's usually credited with creating democracy. In many ways the Greek economy couldn't be more different from our own. The government's fiscal problems there are due in large part to widespread corruption and massive tax evasion -- not tax breaks , tax evasion -- which are very different from our own problems. The government's finances dramatically worse than our own -- almost like night and day -- and a default could create the next major financial crisis. A certain level of fear and concern was understandable when Greek President George Papandreou announced there would be a referendum on the new bailout plan imposed on his country. The global economy is still unstable, top-heavy, and still riddled with too-big-to-fail institutions. In a worst-case scenario, Greece could trigger another financial meltdown. Yet the fear was rarely balanced with an understanding of what's really happening in Greece. There was no acknowledgement that the bailout's terms might be grossly unfair (they are), that they're likely to make a terrible situation even worse (they will), or that Greece is in chaos, misery, and despair. (It is.) And what was most striking was the assumption the elite -- the 1%, if you will -- have veto power over the democratic process. In most of the commentary that flowed from the powerful and the press, a surprising number of world leader didn't even acknowledge that Greece had the right to its own democratic decision-making process. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, whose nation will benefit from "bipartisan" U.S. actions to create a free trade agreement between the two countries, said that "The world has plunged into fears again because of the Greek prime minister's radical step to hold a referendum." Closer to home, French President Sarkozy said that "the Greek's gesture is irrational and, from their point of view, dangerous." The first part of that statement is a slur against democracy. The second part is, of course, a threat. What's the Greek word for 'shafted'? Few are asking who created the Greek debt problem, or who benefited. As in the United States, deficit-creating behavior primarily served the wealthy, the powerful, and the banks. Tax collections for corporations and the wealthy have been very low in Greece. And while tax evasion is commonly for everyone from taxi drivers to millionaires, it takes a lot of cheating cabbies to equal one rich tax dodger. Bankers didn't give Greece these loans out of kindness, either. They saw an opportunity and they took it. That's why they're being asked to take "haircuts" and lose part of the loan repayment (a reasonable measure that hasn't been yet considered in the US mortgage crisis.) Greeks are struggling with devastating levels of unemployment, a declining standard of living, and widespread social unrest. While the austerity measures imposed on it do include tax hikes and measures to reduce tax evasion, they will have an especially devastating impact on already hard-hit middle class Greeks. They're the ones who went to work, paid their taxes (wage earners were disproportionately taxed because of the evasion), and paid into their Social Security and health funds with the expectation these services would be available when they were needed. It doesn't matter now. They won't get their say. Once again the elites were given veto power over democracy. A "bipartisan" revolt of politicians in both major parties made sure of that, and today George Papandreou is looking forward to joining the swelling ranks of Greece's unemployed. The public's widespread dissatisfaction is understandable, and this stifling of democracy should raise even more fears for Greece's future stability than the referendum did. What will happen if the Greek people continued to be denied a place at the bargaining table as their fate is decided? Given that nation's troubled past, and its tormented present, there's always John F. Kennedy's quote to consider: Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. Elites Only But what does this have to do with us? We certainly don't face Greek-level problems. In fact, it serves the elite's narrative to suggest otherwise. Our currency is the dollar, which helps a great deal. We're a commanding world economy. We have the money and resources to fix our joblessness problem, if we only had the will, and we're not part of a larger group like the European Community. Bet we are part of the G20, which this week reaffirmed its obsession on austerity measures even as Europe sinks under the weight of those already imposed. Washington's Powers That Be are still obsessing about austerity, too. Here, as in Europe, public opinion is expected to take a back seat to the elites. Yet another poll has been released which shows that a majority of people in all age groups oppose cutting Social Security to fix the deficit. Past polls have shown that strong majorities of Republicans, independents, and even Tea Party member oppose such measures. Yet despite the strong public objections, and despite the fact that there's overwhelming evidence these cuts are unnecessary and counterproductive, an elected "Super Committee" is likely to recommend them anyway. The usual Congressional rules have been waived in order to force their proposal to a simple up-or-down vote, with no possibility of filibuster and no chance to offer amendments. And US politicians will be under as much pressure to vote for this austerity measure as their Greek counterparts were. Vetoing Democracy The same week that democracy was under siege in Greece, the "Super Committee" heard from a blue-ribbon panel representing the austerity elite: a Republican hater of Social Security recipients; a Democratic member of Morgan Stanley's Board of Directors; a Republican ex-Senator; and an economist aligned with the Democratic establishment advocates for entitlement cuts. The activities of all four been funded by Republican anti-government-spending billionaire Pete Peterson. In words that echoed those of the South Korean and French Presidents, the quartet told the unelected committee that if it fails to offer austerity measures which the public rejects, "We haven't got a prayer and neither have you." The elites have spoken: The public is to be ignored. Democracy's been vetoed. Here's what they didn't teach us in civics class: Democracy has always been controversial. "Democracy... is a charming form of government," said Plato, "full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike." He could sound like a Tea Partier at times. "Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy," he said, " and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty." Plato's aversion to democracy is shared by a lot of powerful people these days. But politicians, especially those whose party derives its name from the democratic principle, would be better off remembering another Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said that "The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law." Representatives from groups that represent Social Security and Medicare recipients, the disabled, and the elderly requested an opportunity to address the Super Committee. They wanted to present their case for preserving these programs, a position that's supported by compelling evidence and supported by majorities in all political parties and of all generations. Their requests were ignored.

Are Business Cards Dead?

Added 10/29/11
37 Views

Are Business Cards Dead?

Added 10/28/11
0 Views

2011 Hollywood Film Awards Red Carpet Fashion

Added 10/25/11
5 Views

Koch Brand Found to Have Cain in It!

Added 10/18/11
10 Views

Koch Brand Found to Have Cain in It!

[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:04 10/18/11
In June of this year, AlterNet quietly published an article about Herman Cain's deep ties to Americans for Prosperity . At the time, no one paid close attention because most people had no idea who Herman Cain was or why they should care. But now that Cain is the current frontrunner of the day in the Republican primaries, it's worth revisiting and re-examining Cain's close relationship to the Koch brothers and Americans for Prosperity. From the AlterNet article: > Not only is Cain a frequent speaker at AFP Foundation events, he was also, by his own account, tapped by [Mark] Block to be one of the faces of Prosperity 101 , a workplace seminar program, designed for employers to present to their employees at "voluntary" workplace gatherings where they are told that the legislative initiatives typically embraced by Democrats -- health-care reform, energy reform, higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans -- could so hurt their employers as to force layoffs. The program was set in motion during the lead-up to the 2010 elections. (AlterNet, working in collaboration with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, published an expose on Prosperity 101 last week.) Mark Block is Herman Cain's campaign manager now. And about Prosperity 101? Here's an excerpt from that expose published in June : > The idea behind Prosperity 101 is simple: Employers gather employees for a "voluntary" seminar where nervous workers, already sweating in an economy that is shedding jobs, are told that government regulation, unions and tax increases -- even if only on the wealthy -- are bad for their employers, thereby threatening the workers' own livelihoods. Then they're reminded to vote -- for example, in last year's midterm elections. (The Prosperity 101 textbook includes a sample voter registration form from the State of Wisconsin.) And in the program textbook, employee participants are urged to join Americans for Prosperity, which has a history of alliances with GOP candidates. In the textbook's introduction, Hansen, Prosperity 101's creator, plays on workers' fears of economic insecurity, stirred up by the lingering recession: 'You go to work every day, giving your best efforts in hopes of keeping your job through every economic cycle and every corporate downsizing…Will you be included in the next round of layoffs?… Do you know your job security is not just dependent on your performance?...Prosperity 101(TM) is designed to empower you, the employee, to go beyond your paradigms and look at job protection in a new way.' It isn't just Herman Cain involved in Prosperity 101, either. The Wall Street Journal 's Stephen Moore and John Fund were also involved. > In addition to workplace "education", Prosperity 101 is actively involved in voter registration drives in the workplace. From The Nation Institute : " A key component of Prosperity 101 is working with employers to help them encourage voter registration among their employees, " Hansen, trim and stylish at 52, explained to the crowd. "So when Herman [Cain] first heard the concept here, he said, 'You've come up with the answer to ACORN!'" Hansen then played the Prosperity 101 promotional video, which features Cain and the Journal's Stephen Moore. Moore's segment confers a crucial air of legitimacy upon Prosperity 101 by virtue of his post at the world's premier financial newspaper, an affiliation that is highlighted both in the video and in the program's other promotional materials. "Washington is working against employers," Moore tells viewers. "It's working against people who are trying to create wealth and are trying to employ workers." Each audience member received a copy of the program's textbook, a slender paperback that features material by Cain and Moore, among others. Suddenly Herman Cain's "surge" begins to fall into place. The combination of workplace indoctrination and voter registration last year means many workers have a clear idea of who he is, as compared to others. At this point, he may be the single candidate with name recognition. There's an even larger strategy at work here, coordinated with tea party groups and others who seek to drive a wedge into the African-American community and shave away some of Barack Obama's popularity. They do this by playing the "Cain would be the first 'REAL' black President" card. That initiative has begun and is spreading via conservative radio talkers and tea party groups, who see it as an opportunity to push back on the perception that they're racists. Think Progress : > That notion, however, spurred Ingraham to contemplate the GOP’s African-American presidential candidate Herman Cain. In comparing the “blackness” of the two African American politicians, Ingraham wondered whether Cain would actually be 'the first black president' because he doesn’t 'have a white mother, white father.' Therefore, isn’t he the real black candidate ?: > INGRAHAM: And what happened with Obama is that he gets this job that he’s not qualified for… OK, so [Obama is] Constitutionally qualified for but he’s not really qualified for. And guess who pays the price? All of us. Because we had such a yearning for history. Well I have a question. Herman Cain, if he became president, he would be the first black president, when you measure it by — because he doesn’t — does he have a white mother, white father, grandparents, no, right? So Herman Cain, he could say that he’s — he’s — he’s the first, uh — he could make the claim to be the first — yeah, the first Main Street black Republican to be the president of the United States. Right? He’s historic too. Listen to it here: By the way, this really is an issue in the African-American community. Mixed race is another layer to the already-complicated race issue, which is why the Kochs hope it will effectively divide them. As much as I'd like to shrug Herman Cain off as the newest Republican shiny thing, it's difficult to do when he enjoys the corporate backing of Rupert Murdoch, Charles Koch and David Koch. I expect they will throw as much mud and money as need be to get their guy in the front of the pack. T he Wall Street Journal is moving full-tilt boogie to attack the President on as many fronts as possible, including this ridiculous editorial published yesterday, which once again begins with the even more ridiculous premise that President Obama is a "loner." Ann Althouse joined the echo chamber with her own laudatory review of Cain's Meet the Press appearance yesterday, practically falling over herself in adoration of his heritage: > Notice how simply and vividly he struck a chord — the classic black American experience — and made it resonate for anyone who works for living. There is a quality of nobility , that fits with the idea of heritage . The bottom line here is that Charles and David Koch are patient men with a lot of money. Cynical patient men. They will stop at nothing to enrich themselves at the expense of every citizen in this country, including grooming and backing a completely unqualified candidate , extolling his heritage as being "authentic African-American," and positioning him as the guy with the awesome tax plan that will cripple the working poor in this country more than they already are, even as they clamor for it . David Axelrod may think Cain isn't a top-tier candidate , but David and Charles Koch see that differently. As long as they have the money and resources to pour into his campaign, my suspicion is that he will continue to 'surge', at least until he implodes like the rest of them seem to do. In the meantime, I expect we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of Herman Cain.

Koch Brand Found to Have Cain in It!

Added 10/18/11
8 Views

Koch Brand Found to Have Cain in It!

[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:04 10/18/11
In June of this year, AlterNet quietly published an article about Herman Cain's deep ties to Americans for Prosperity . At the time, no one paid close attention because most people had no idea who Herman Cain was or why they should care. But now that Cain is the current frontrunner of the day in the Republican primaries, it's worth revisiting and re-examining Cain's close relationship to the Koch brothers and Americans for Prosperity. From the AlterNet article: > Not only is Cain a frequent speaker at AFP Foundation events, he was also, by his own account, tapped by [Mark] Block to be one of the faces of Prosperity 101 , a workplace seminar program, designed for employers to present to their employees at "voluntary" workplace gatherings where they are told that the legislative initiatives typically embraced by Democrats -- health-care reform, energy reform, higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans -- could so hurt their employers as to force layoffs. The program was set in motion during the lead-up to the 2010 elections. (AlterNet, working in collaboration with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, published an expose on Prosperity 101 last week.) Mark Block is Herman Cain's campaign manager now. And about Prosperity 101? Here's an excerpt from that expose published in June : > The idea behind Prosperity 101 is simple: Employers gather employees for a "voluntary" seminar where nervous workers, already sweating in an economy that is shedding jobs, are told that government regulation, unions and tax increases -- even if only on the wealthy -- are bad for their employers, thereby threatening the workers' own livelihoods. Then they're reminded to vote -- for example, in last year's midterm elections. (The Prosperity 101 textbook includes a sample voter registration form from the State of Wisconsin.) And in the program textbook, employee participants are urged to join Americans for Prosperity, which has a history of alliances with GOP candidates. In the textbook's introduction, Hansen, Prosperity 101's creator, plays on workers' fears of economic insecurity, stirred up by the lingering recession: 'You go to work every day, giving your best efforts in hopes of keeping your job through every economic cycle and every corporate downsizing…Will you be included in the next round of layoffs?… Do you know your job security is not just dependent on your performance?...Prosperity 101(TM) is designed to empower you, the employee, to go beyond your paradigms and look at job protection in a new way.' It isn't just Herman Cain involved in Prosperity 101, either. The Wall Street Journal 's Stephen Moore and John Fund were also involved. > In addition to workplace "education", Prosperity 101 is actively involved in voter registration drives in the workplace. From The Nation Institute : " A key component of Prosperity 101 is working with employers to help them encourage voter registration among their employees, " Hansen, trim and stylish at 52, explained to the crowd. "So when Herman [Cain] first heard the concept here, he said, 'You've come up with the answer to ACORN!'" Hansen then played the Prosperity 101 promotional video, which features Cain and the Journal's Stephen Moore. Moore's segment confers a crucial air of legitimacy upon Prosperity 101 by virtue of his post at the world's premier financial newspaper, an affiliation that is highlighted both in the video and in the program's other promotional materials. "Washington is working against employers," Moore tells viewers. "It's working against people who are trying to create wealth and are trying to employ workers." Each audience member received a copy of the program's textbook, a slender paperback that features material by Cain and Moore, among others. Suddenly Herman Cain's "surge" begins to fall into place. The combination of workplace indoctrination and voter registration last year means many workers have a clear idea of who he is, as compared to others. At this point, he may be the single candidate with name recognition. There's an even larger strategy at work here, coordinated with tea party groups and others who seek to drive a wedge into the African-American community and shave away some of Barack Obama's popularity. They do this by playing the "Cain would be the first 'REAL' black President" card. That initiative has begun and is spreading via conservative radio talkers and tea party groups, who see it as an opportunity to push back on the perception that they're racists. Think Progress : > That notion, however, spurred Ingraham to contemplate the GOP’s African-American presidential candidate Herman Cain. In comparing the “blackness” of the two African American politicians, Ingraham wondered whether Cain would actually be 'the first black president' because he doesn’t 'have a white mother, white father.' Therefore, isn’t he the real black candidate ?: > INGRAHAM: And what happened with Obama is that he gets this job that he’s not qualified for… OK, so [Obama is] Constitutionally qualified for but he’s not really qualified for. And guess who pays the price? All of us. Because we had such a yearning for history. Well I have a question. Herman Cain, if he became president, he would be the first black president, when you measure it by — because he doesn’t — does he have a white mother, white father, grandparents, no, right? So Herman Cain, he could say that he’s — he’s — he’s the first, uh — he could make the claim to be the first — yeah, the first Main Street black Republican to be the president of the United States. Right? He’s historic too. Listen to it here: By the way, this really is an issue in the African-American community. Mixed race is another layer to the already-complicated race issue, which is why the Kochs hope it will effectively divide them. As much as I'd like to shrug Herman Cain off as the newest Republican shiny thing, it's difficult to do when he enjoys the corporate backing of Rupert Murdoch, Charles Koch and David Koch. I expect they will throw as much mud and money as need be to get their guy in the front of the pack. T he Wall Street Journal is moving full-tilt boogie to attack the President on as many fronts as possible, including this ridiculous editorial published yesterday, which once again begins with the even more ridiculous premise that President Obama is a "loner." Ann Althouse joined the echo chamber with her own laudatory review of Cain's Meet the Press appearance yesterday, practically falling over herself in adoration of his heritage: > Notice how simply and vividly he struck a chord — the classic black American experience — and made it resonate for anyone who works for living. There is a quality of nobility , that fits with the idea of heritage . The bottom line here is that Charles and David Koch are patient men with a lot of money. Cynical patient men. They will stop at nothing to enrich themselves at the expense of every citizen in this country, including grooming and backing a completely unqualified candidate , extolling his heritage as being "authentic African-American," and positioning him as the guy with the awesome tax plan that will cripple the working poor in this country more than they already are, even as they clamor for it . David Axelrod may think Cain isn't a top-tier candidate , but David and Charles Koch see that differently. As long as they have the money and resources to pour into his campaign, my suspicion is that he will continue to 'surge', at least until he implodes like the rest of them seem to do. In the meantime, I expect we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of Herman Cain.