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0 Views
05:52:47 01/14/12
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi in Sidhauli (U.P) Part 4
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 05:52:47 01/14/12
Addressing a mammoth rally at Sidhauli, Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh as part of the third phase of his campaign for Congress All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi once again criticized the twenty two years non-Congress Governments in U.P for the bad state of affairs. Rahul Gandhi promised that, given a chance, the Congress will bring back developments in Uttar Pradesh like it did in all Congress ruled states. Taking another dig at the opposition Rahul Gandhi went on to say “whenever we make policies for the poor, the opposition including Mayawatiji raise a number of questions. They ask from where we would have the money for the welfare schemes. But we showed them from where we can have money. There is no shortage of funds today. We believe that the country cannot shine even a single poor man is left”. He then repeated his anguish about leaders not visiting the masses and said “Today your leaders do not come to you, talk to you or listen to you. There was a time when Mulayamji used to come to you to realize your problems. But he changed now and stopped coming to you. Till the leaders come to you and interact with you they cannot understand poverty. You will feel that all is well when you travel by helicopter. The conditions at grass root level are pathetic here.” To substantiate his leader-aam aadmi theory Rahul Gandhi cited one of his personal experiences. “I went to a hospital in UP where some painting and renovation works were going on. I went inside. There were no doctors, patients or nurses. Four-five dogs were scampering inside. I asked them what is going on. They said that Mayawati is on a tour to this area and she will be visiting the hospital and therefore the renovation. As she was expected to take the road route from the helipad the roads were being repaired and the hospital building was being painted. This is the state of affairs ion your state.”
11 Views
05:00:00 12/15/11
Design for Liberty: Private Property, Public Administration, and the Rule of Law
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 05:00:00 12/15/11
(http://www.amazon.com/Design-Liberty-Private-Property-Administration/dp/0674061845/catoinstitute-20)Without question, the most profound domestic change in America over the past century has been the vast expansion of government under the progressive worldview. Defining itself in opposition to once-dominant classical liberal theories that stressed the roles of private property, individual liberty, and limited government, progressivism received its highest expression during Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, yet its influence continues to dominate our politics today. The signs are clear, however, that government is creaking under the enormous weight of this expansion. In his new book, Richard Epstein argues that our overregulated state allows too much discretion on the part of regulators, which results in arbitrary, unfair decisions, rent-seeking, and other abuses. Please join us for what promises to be an illuminating exchange of ideas about our current state of affairs.
5 Views
18:22:00 10/12/11
Bryan Ferry Lets It Rock ... again
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 18:22:00 10/12/11
Bryan Ferry_LetItRock_cov , a photo by Doctor Noe on Flickr.
Bryan Ferry "Cherry-Poppin'' Stories
I'll go first:
I anticipate Bryan's show at the Greek Theater Oct. 15.
My favorite Roxy show of many was in a little town in Lorraine (Salzbourg, actually), France, circa 1974. The band played in a high school gym, which they transported to the sophisticated realms of Radio City once the music started. I think I wrote about it in my piece on the trip for Crawdaddy , but being now a denizen of the"aging crowd," I can't find this piece of writing anywhere except in the smoke dreams of my mind.
This just in!
I did go to the concert and grabbed this little snippet of Chris Spedding on vid .
... to which Bruce Malamut adds the following comment:
> "I remember you also liked Spedding's first three solo albums Songs Without Words, Backwoods Progression (recorded in-between Nilsson Schmilsson sessions) and The Only Lick I Know. Spedding is copious!"
Like Ferry, I like to think I have aged like a fine wine.
But the ultimate erudite benediction comes from the great Bruce Malamut, of the Kings Crown Radio (WKCR) mavens and the Crawdaddy Magazine punters – what are you, some kinda rock crit or sump'n?:
"Style + Substance, well hell yeah – the thrill of it all! I saw Roxy play The 100 Club London, June, '71 and was floored by the hooks, the asymmetries, the film noir refs, the pounding pose of ennui and anti-romanticism, electronic sheen and wailing sax ... oboe, even – these guys screamed avant-garde, loud, hard rock, but I just fully dug the hooks!
"Then the first album was released in '72 and it became clear to all – some of the best players in UK in one band tossing off hooks and choruses effortlessly – sweet! I give it an A- for Side One, which was Ferry's full-tilt rock, and A+ for Side Two, which debuted Eno's virtual keyboard world. There seemed a palpable tension between these two guys live – each a forceful leader in his own right – and it was clear on their first album as well. One of them might need to leave this band, I'd thought, and chart his own path. To me, Roxy the band is far from Brian the singer.
"Roxy the band is the drug for me – look no further than Mackay's wailing sax, the Great Paul Thompson's brutal beats (similar, yet just a few yards to the left of John Bonham's) but mostly the uncredited compositions and bold guitar work of Phil Manzanera. I think people sell Phil's "real time" composing short – true, Bryan would write a new lyric so it's "his song" and bring it to the band – but what the band, invariably lead by Phil, did with a new Ferry song was to de- and re- construct it into a wholly different beast than Bryan had first proposed. This process changed Ferry's songs musically, thus thematically too, marking them as 100% Pure Uncut Roxy Music.
"Their first U.S. tour, they naturally came up to WKCR-FM (how could they not??) for a delightful evening including a white-copy spin of For Your Pleasure. Members present were Ferry, Manzanera, Eno, Mackay (The Great), Thompson.
"In a six-hour interview, one gets a fair impression of one's guests. Everyone endorsed the theory of how Phil is Bryan's equal in the band's composition process, but that's as much as they'd give at least on this First U.S. tour. A fun time was had. Phil and I discovered that we were raised a stone's throw from each other– most unexpected news!
"–B:)"
OK, so now flashforward to 2011. I come across this great photo by Lorenzo Lessi, taken on July 28, 2011 .
Bryan Ferry Live at Bolgheri Melody
Copyright © Lorenzo Lessi 2011 I am lovin' this one. Bryan is playing blues harp through a hand-held mike.
• My cousin Larry , who is five years my junior, had this response:
"You know. Sorry I missed it.. I knew he was coming , Shyster.
"He is great. … I just read yesterday's article in the Financial Times. He is a wine schmecker
"Anyway, Noë, what I do remember, is that a long time ago, I was at your house on 95th street when I first saw that album. You might have even opened it in front me, with the hot girls [Country Life].
"I was really young. That's where I got my first exposure to Roxy Music.
"It is still fresh in my mind."
• Erika Anderson , from the road, on tour, has this to say:
"I would love to go to that show. ... He keeps playing the same theaters we are but we're always about a week off!"
69 Views
21:32:04 10/10/11
Your Boy Peeing on the Seat? Gamify the Toilet
[LESS INFO] 69 VIEWS | ADDED 21:32:04 10/10/11
Kevin Richardson, senior producer at MTV Network's Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group, shows how "fun theories" can dramatically alter unpleasant behaviors with positive reinforcement trough simple games. Want to get your boy to stop peeing all over the seat? Gamify the toilet.
Complete video at: http://fora.tv/conference/gamificationsummit_nyc_2011
Changing Behavior with Positive Reinforcement: Speed Camera Lottery and Beyond
Kevin Richardson, MTV
Our world is full of negative reinforcement and punishment for a job done poorly. Games teach us that positive reinforcement works better for creating most kinds of behavior change and adherence. What about in the real world? How can we leverage those behavior-modification lessons from games and apply them to our world to improve outcomes and get the best out of people? Internationally-renowned designer Kevin Richardson will share his vision for inspiring change through Gamification based on his experience and case studies, including his work designing the sensational “Speed Camera Lottery” in Sweden.
21 Views
22:30:00 09/06/11
Studio guest: Thomas Straubhaar
[LESS INFO] 21 VIEWS | ADDED 22:30:00 09/06/11
Thomas Straubhaar, Director of the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).DW-TV: "Thomas Straubhaar joins us now from the Hamburg Institute of International Economics. What do you think? Are they learning something the economists of today missed out on?" Thomas Straubhaar: "Hopefully, yes. I think it's time to revise out theories and to implement insights we have received from the financial crisis and my belief was before that financial markets are efficient and today I think that the market failure is also something that hits financial markets and that it is not the exception it is the rule that financial markets may fail." DW-TV: "So have you had to change your way of thinking?" Thomas Straubhaar: "Absolutely. I was before much more optimistic about the efficiency of markets and especially the financial markets. I thought they really deal with all the information they have and nowadays I think that interests are more relevant for actors, their personal interests and what they really try to change." DW-TV: "Now, we're in unchartered waters in this euro crisis and economics involves a lot of theory. How much of it is actually base on practical experience?" Thomas Straubhaar: "Quite a lot. I think the new trends in economics goes toward empirical tests of the theories and I think macro economists of today they always have to look at the data and if the data confirm the theories and whether they have to change theoretical arguments." DW-TV: "The head of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, has warned there are a lot of banks that could go under. Haven't the lenders learnt anything since the Lehman Brothers crisis?" Thomas Straubhaar: "I think they really learnt the lessons but the real question is what are the consequences? How quickly can you change politics to implement all these insights? I think the difficult part is you have to convince all the countries to get toward global rules for the global actors in the financial markets. And this is a difficult task because the interests in the United States, in Great Britain are different from the interests of continental Europe." DW-TV: "Economists, politicians - none of them seem to have the right solution, and of course there isn't just one solution. But are we going to get some workable proposals some time soon?" Thomas Straubhaar: "Yes absolutely. I think that today we should think in the techniques of scenarios. For example this fall we shall probably see different scenarios for the Eurozone, whether they will go forward toward a kind of fiscal transfer union to make Europe even stronger than before, or another scenario could be that it breaks up and that some countries leave the monetary union. So I think the insight is that we should probably think in scenarios and indicate what they mean and what should they really tell politics." DW-TV: "Eurobonds have sparked heated debate. But everyone I've spoken to is against them? Do they stand a chance?" Thomas Straubhaar: "I'm not sure if this is a typical German view. In Germany we are against Eurobonds because it means Germany is the payer of all the costs that may come with it. But I think it may be one of the scenarios, one of the solutions to take that we have kind of a Eurobond, kind of a common facility to give weaker countries a kind of credit." DW-TV: "A GLOBAL ban on short-selling?" Thomas Straubhaar: "Yes absolutely. But again this is definitely something we should do immediately, but again it is difficult to find an agreement on a global basis because if you do not go toward a global agreement you always have gaps you can go in to. DW-TV: "Is it the case that we HAVE to start thinking more globally? Globalization took a hold a long time ago." Thomas Straubhaar: "Indeed I think this is the key question. I think the markets have become global the actors have become global, but the regulations, politics is still kind of national and this is a discrepancy you have to overcome sooner or later, hopefully sooner or later." DW-TV: "Thomas Straubhaar. Thank you very much for your insight." (Interview: Ben Fajzullin)
101 Views
01:01:30 12/11/10
Lera Boroditsky: How Language Shapes Thought
[LESS INFO] 101 VIEWS | ADDED 01:01:30 12/11/10
How does language affect our thoughts, and what are the implications for culture and society? Stanford psychologist Lera Boroditsky examines these questions and more in this insightful look at the developing field of cognitive linguistics. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Long Now Foundation, on October 26, 2010.
Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? For example, how do we think about time? The word "time" is the most frequent noun in the English language. Time is ubiquitous yet ephemeral. It forms the very fabric of our experience, and yet it is unperceivable: we cannot see, touch, or smell time. How do our minds create this fundamental aspect of experience? Do patterns in language and culture influence how we think about time?
Do languages merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express? Can learning new ways to talk change how you think? Is there intrinsic value in human linguistic diversity?
Join us as Stanford cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky re-invigorates this long standing debate with data from experiments done around the world, from China, to Indonesia, Israel, and Aboriginal Australia. - The Long Now Foundation
Lera Boroditsky is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology. Professor Boroditsky does research in cognitive science with a specific focus on cognitive linguistics. She studies language and cognition, specifically focusing on interactions between language, cognition, and perception.
Her research combines insights and methods from linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. She has received several awards for her research, including an NSF CAREER award, the Marr Prize from the Cognitive Science Society, and being named a Searle Scholar.
Her work has provided new insights on the controversial question of whether the languages we speak shape the way we think (see Sapir-Whorf hypothesis). She has discovered important empirical examples of cross-linguistic differences in thought and perception that stem from syntactic or lexical differences between languages. This work has been influential in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and linguistics in countering the notion that human cognition is largely universal and independent of language and culture.
117 Views
01:01:30 12/11/10
Lera Boroditsky: How Language Shapes Thought
[LESS INFO] 117 VIEWS | ADDED 01:01:30 12/11/10
How does language affect our thoughts, and what are the implications for culture and society? Stanford psychologist Lera Boroditsky examines these questions and more in this insightful look at the developing field of cognitive linguistics. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Long Now Foundation, on October 26, 2010.
Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? For example, how do we think about time? The word "time" is the most frequent noun in the English language. Time is ubiquitous yet ephemeral. It forms the very fabric of our experience, and yet it is unperceivable: we cannot see, touch, or smell time. How do our minds create this fundamental aspect of experience? Do patterns in language and culture influence how we think about time?
Do languages merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express? Can learning new ways to talk change how you think? Is there intrinsic value in human linguistic diversity?
Join us as Stanford cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky re-invigorates this long standing debate with data from experiments done around the world, from China, to Indonesia, Israel, and Aboriginal Australia. - The Long Now Foundation
Lera Boroditsky is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology. Professor Boroditsky does research in cognitive science with a specific focus on cognitive linguistics. She studies language and cognition, specifically focusing on interactions between language, cognition, and perception.
Her research combines insights and methods from linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. She has received several awards for her research, including an NSF CAREER award, the Marr Prize from the Cognitive Science Society, and being named a Searle Scholar.
Her work has provided new insights on the controversial question of whether the languages we speak shape the way we think (see Sapir-Whorf hypothesis). She has discovered important empirical examples of cross-linguistic differences in thought and perception that stem from syntactic or lexical differences between languages. This work has been influential in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and linguistics in countering the notion that human cognition is largely universal and independent of language and culture.
7 Views
00:00:33 11/22/10
This Week: Are We Going To Be Taken Seriously By The Very Serious People On The Debt Ceiling?
[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:33 11/22/10
Nothing reminds me to take my blood pressure medicine like another Sunday morning in Absurdistan! Is it just me, or is it crazy to turn the deficit "crisis" into a political argument, and not an economic one? Have the Villagers so completely bought into the Grand Bargain narrative that it doesn't even occur to them that this is a really bad idea?
Oh, you already know the answer. These shows are nothing more than a high school vanity project for the Village elders. And that, of course, includes the media "journalists" who take part. What an incoherent mess.
Why does multimillionaire host Christian Amanpour [$2m salary, married to James Rubin , executive editor at Bloomberg News, adjunct professor at Columbia University, salaries unknown] allow Sen. Jon Kyl [worth between $519,090 to $746,082 ] to get away with saying a targeted tax increase on billionaire hedge fund managers is a "job killer"? She probably asks tougher questions of her 11-year-old son.
And OMB head Jacob Lew [In 2009, got $944,578 bailout bonus after working for Citigroup, where his salary was $1.1 million and "additional compensation". Current salary unknown] speaks in spin, all of which whizzes past Amanpour like a whiffle ball.
Could we just once have a real discussion on the nuts and bolts of the issues, instead of partisan spin? >
AMANPOUR: This morning there are reports of a resurrected grand bargain. So, is a breakthrough on the horizon? Joining me, a man at the heart of these tense negotiations, White House budget director Jack Lew.
Thank you for joining me.
LEW: Good to be here, Christiane.
AMANPOUR: How worried should the American people be? Is the country going to default? Is a deal at hand?
LEW: I do not believe that responsible leaders in Washington will force this to default. I think that all of the leaders of congress and the president have acknowledged that we must raise the debt limit. And the question is how?
I think the question is, do we do more than that? Do we do as much as we can to reduce the deficit and provide some assurance that we're taking seriously the fiscal problems this country faces?
AMANPOUR: So is there a grand bargain still on the table?
LEW: Well, I think that there's multiple tracts that are being discussed. It's not a given how we get to raising the debt limit. There are some extreme voices that are saying, we should push it over the edge. I think the risk of taking that path is just enormous. The present referred to it as Armageddon. It would mean higher interest rates, which are taxed on all Americans, it would undermine our standing in the world and it could have a cloud for a long time over the United States.
I think the question how we get there -- Senator McConnell, Senator Reid have been working on a path that would, in fact, give congress perhaps a way to get that done.
I [think] the challenge is doing more. It's not enough for us just to do what we have to do. We have to do as much as we possibly can to deal with the fiscal challenges.
AMANPOUR: Sitting here today with the time ticking away. What do you think is the realistic? Will it be the McConnell sort of last-ditch effort which allows the president to raise the debt ceiling and allows Republicans or anybody to register their disapproval of it?
LEW: I think that what we face now is not a challenge of do we have the time. It's a question, do we have the will.
The president has shown through his leadership that we must take action, we must take it now. He's spoken to the issue in his State of the Union, in his budget, he spoke to it over the last few days to the public. He is pressing these discussions forward that we should do as much as we can. And he's willing to take on some very, very difficult issues that will require for both sides to move into areas to make them uncomfortable to get this done.
AMANPOUR: Well, let's talk about entitlements. The Democrats, you've heard Nancy Pelosi, you've heard Senator Reid talk about not touching entitlement. Is that just a public posture or will that be part of a deal?
LEW: I think it's very, very hard for Democrats to make these changes in entitlement programs and for good reason. They have an effect on people that's really very significant.
We are concerned first and foremost about the stability of Medicare as a system to provide for the medical needs of our elderly. It does contribute to the problems we face in terms of rising costs over the years. The challenge is could we get a balanced package together? It's not fair to ask senior citizens to pay a price, to ask families paying for their college educations, for their children to pay a price , but to leave the most privileged out of the bargain.
And everything has to be on the table.
Um, Jack? We've already paid a price. High unemployment, declining wages and public services. We had our turn, leave us out of this "balance" argument. It's their turn, the rich people. The people like you - and Christiane. >
AMANPOUR: But who would be part of the big deal -- entitlement cuts, correct?
LEW: I think the president made clear that, depending on the size of the package, there would be different kinds of things that could be done in entitlements. There are some relatively small technical changes and there are structural changes.
In order to get the kinds of structural reforms that would be needed in a long run, there has to be a balanced package that puts taxes, revenues as well as spending on the table.
There's that "balance" fetish again. Hey Jack, WE PAID AT THE OFFICE!!! >
AMANPOUR: Does the president have his own plan? What is on the table? You saw Speaker Boehner saying where are the president's cards?
LEW: I think Speaker knows quite well how far the president is willing to go. There have been detailed conversations on many, many subjects. And I think the president has shown that he's willing to move into space that is a very hard place for Democrats to go . And the challenge is, can we find a place where there will be some kind of fairness and balance.
And leadership takes partnership as well. The president has shown a willingness to go there. We need a partner to work with.
Yes, and apparently leadership takes deep cynicism and an abiding faith in disreputable economic theories -- that just happen to dovetail with the desires of the elite. Funny how that works out! >
AMANPOUR: If it gets down to that, would the president, as Representative Cantor suggest, do a one-year extension to save the country from going into default?
LEW: The president has been very clear on that subject. It would be a very unacceptable outcome to have...
AMANPOUR: But would he do it?
LEW: He's made clear that he will not have this debate over should we raise the national debt a year from now. It would be a bad thing for the economy and a bad thing for the country.
AMANPOUR: So to be clear, he could be pushed into default then?
LEW: I do not believe the country will be pushed into default. I think congress knows what it has to do. It's got time do it. The president has made clear what he is prepared to do and the parties are going to have to come together.
It's kind of unfortunate that things always have to get to the last minute. Sometimes there are no consequences, right now, we're in a place where the world is watching. And we should get our business done, congress should get its job done and the president has been working every day for the last month trying to work with them to get it done.
AMANPOUR: And some kind of a deal, whether it's the grand bargain, or the Mitch McConnell last-ditch effort, plus whatever it might be. Would the president agree to any deal that does not include revenue raising?
LEW: I think the president made clear that there are reasonable steps that can be made to reduce spending. We've already made many, many deep cuts in spending. There's more restraint that we think is in order. He has made it clear that for a big deal, there will have to be balance between revenue and spending.
The question is how much can we get done? And the president's view is clear. We should get as much done as we possibly can to give assurance to the market and to the American people that we got our fiscal house in order.
No matter who we have to screw and leave by the side of the road. Tough luck, chumpies! >
AMANPOUR: So if you had to predict right now, what would be the deal that will get done to avoid this deadline, this potential catastrophe as we're calling it?
LEW: So I think the minimum is I believe the debt will be extended. I think notwithstanding the voices of a few who are willing to play with Armageddon, responsible leaders in Washington or not.
Our efforts over the next days will be to, in addition to that, do as much as we possibly can to make the tough decisions -- this is a question of leaders coming together and saying, we are going to do hard things on both sides. And the time is now, as the president said, if not now, when.
Yes, because that's what disaster capitalism is all about : Seizing the opportunity. >
AMANPOUR: On that note, Jack Lew, thank you so much of you for joining us.
LEW: Thank you.
NOTE: I'm continuing my little experiment (inspired by this ) of illustrating just how large a class divide exists between us and our elected representatives. As has been reported elsewhere, members of Congress seem to have amazing luck with the stock market - frequently beating the Street by significant margins. So let's keep in mind that their interests may not always align with ours.
10 Views
00:00:33 11/22/10
This Week: Are We Going To Be Taken Seriously By The Very Serious People On The Debt Ceiling?
[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:33 11/22/10
Nothing reminds me to take my blood pressure medicine like another Sunday morning in Absurdistan! Is it just me, or is it crazy to turn the deficit "crisis" into a political argument, and not an economic one? Have the Villagers so completely bought into the Grand Bargain narrative that it doesn't even occur to them that this is a really bad idea?
Oh, you already know the answer. These shows are nothing more than a high school vanity project for the Village elders. And that, of course, includes the media "journalists" who take part. What an incoherent mess.
Why does multimillionaire host Christian Amanpour [$2m salary, married to James Rubin , executive editor at Bloomberg News, adjunct professor at Columbia University, salaries unknown] allow Sen. Jon Kyl [worth between $519,090 to $746,082 ] to get away with saying a targeted tax increase on billionaire hedge fund managers is a "job killer"? She probably asks tougher questions of her 11-year-old son.
And OMB head Jacob Lew [In 2009, got $944,578 bailout bonus after working for Citigroup, where his salary was $1.1 million and "additional compensation". Current salary unknown] speaks in spin, all of which whizzes past Amanpour like a whiffle ball.
Could we just once have a real discussion on the nuts and bolts of the issues, instead of partisan spin? >
AMANPOUR: This morning there are reports of a resurrected grand bargain. So, is a breakthrough on the horizon? Joining me, a man at the heart of these tense negotiations, White House budget director Jack Lew.
Thank you for joining me.
LEW: Good to be here, Christiane.
AMANPOUR: How worried should the American people be? Is the country going to default? Is a deal at hand?
LEW: I do not believe that responsible leaders in Washington will force this to default. I think that all of the leaders of congress and the president have acknowledged that we must raise the debt limit. And the question is how?
I think the question is, do we do more than that? Do we do as much as we can to reduce the deficit and provide some assurance that we're taking seriously the fiscal problems this country faces?
AMANPOUR: So is there a grand bargain still on the table?
LEW: Well, I think that there's multiple tracts that are being discussed. It's not a given how we get to raising the debt limit. There are some extreme voices that are saying, we should push it over the edge. I think the risk of taking that path is just enormous. The present referred to it as Armageddon. It would mean higher interest rates, which are taxed on all Americans, it would undermine our standing in the world and it could have a cloud for a long time over the United States.
I think the question how we get there -- Senator McConnell, Senator Reid have been working on a path that would, in fact, give congress perhaps a way to get that done.
I [think] the challenge is doing more. It's not enough for us just to do what we have to do. We have to do as much as we possibly can to deal with the fiscal challenges.
AMANPOUR: Sitting here today with the time ticking away. What do you think is the realistic? Will it be the McConnell sort of last-ditch effort which allows the president to raise the debt ceiling and allows Republicans or anybody to register their disapproval of it?
LEW: I think that what we face now is not a challenge of do we have the time. It's a question, do we have the will.
The president has shown through his leadership that we must take action, we must take it now. He's spoken to the issue in his State of the Union, in his budget, he spoke to it over the last few days to the public. He is pressing these discussions forward that we should do as much as we can. And he's willing to take on some very, very difficult issues that will require for both sides to move into areas to make them uncomfortable to get this done.
AMANPOUR: Well, let's talk about entitlements. The Democrats, you've heard Nancy Pelosi, you've heard Senator Reid talk about not touching entitlement. Is that just a public posture or will that be part of a deal?
LEW: I think it's very, very hard for Democrats to make these changes in entitlement programs and for good reason. They have an effect on people that's really very significant.
We are concerned first and foremost about the stability of Medicare as a system to provide for the medical needs of our elderly. It does contribute to the problems we face in terms of rising costs over the years. The challenge is could we get a balanced package together? It's not fair to ask senior citizens to pay a price, to ask families paying for their college educations, for their children to pay a price , but to leave the most privileged out of the bargain.
And everything has to be on the table.
Um, Jack? We've already paid a price. High unemployment, declining wages and public services. We had our turn, leave us out of this "balance" argument. It's their turn, the rich people. The people like you - and Christiane. >
AMANPOUR: But who would be part of the big deal -- entitlement cuts, correct?
LEW: I think the president made clear that, depending on the size of the package, there would be different kinds of things that could be done in entitlements. There are some relatively small technical changes and there are structural changes.
In order to get the kinds of structural reforms that would be needed in a long run, there has to be a balanced package that puts taxes, revenues as well as spending on the table.
There's that "balance" fetish again. Hey Jack, WE PAID AT THE OFFICE!!! >
AMANPOUR: Does the president have his own plan? What is on the table? You saw Speaker Boehner saying where are the president's cards?
LEW: I think Speaker knows quite well how far the president is willing to go. There have been detailed conversations on many, many subjects. And I think the president has shown that he's willing to move into space that is a very hard place for Democrats to go . And the challenge is, can we find a place where there will be some kind of fairness and balance.
And leadership takes partnership as well. The president has shown a willingness to go there. We need a partner to work with.
Yes, and apparently leadership takes deep cynicism and an abiding faith in disreputable economic theories -- that just happen to dovetail with the desires of the elite. Funny how that works out! >
AMANPOUR: If it gets down to that, would the president, as Representative Cantor suggest, do a one-year extension to save the country from going into default?
LEW: The president has been very clear on that subject. It would be a very unacceptable outcome to have...
AMANPOUR: But would he do it?
LEW: He's made clear that he will not have this debate over should we raise the national debt a year from now. It would be a bad thing for the economy and a bad thing for the country.
AMANPOUR: So to be clear, he could be pushed into default then?
LEW: I do not believe the country will be pushed into default. I think congress knows what it has to do. It's got time do it. The president has made clear what he is prepared to do and the parties are going to have to come together.
It's kind of unfortunate that things always have to get to the last minute. Sometimes there are no consequences, right now, we're in a place where the world is watching. And we should get our business done, congress should get its job done and the president has been working every day for the last month trying to work with them to get it done.
AMANPOUR: And some kind of a deal, whether it's the grand bargain, or the Mitch McConnell last-ditch effort, plus whatever it might be. Would the president agree to any deal that does not include revenue raising?
LEW: I think the president made clear that there are reasonable steps that can be made to reduce spending. We've already made many, many deep cuts in spending. There's more restraint that we think is in order. He has made it clear that for a big deal, there will have to be balance between revenue and spending.
The question is how much can we get done? And the president's view is clear. We should get as much done as we possibly can to give assurance to the market and to the American people that we got our fiscal house in order.
No matter who we have to screw and leave by the side of the road. Tough luck, chumpies! >
AMANPOUR: So if you had to predict right now, what would be the deal that will get done to avoid this deadline, this potential catastrophe as we're calling it?
LEW: So I think the minimum is I believe the debt will be extended. I think notwithstanding the voices of a few who are willing to play with Armageddon, responsible leaders in Washington or not.
Our efforts over the next days will be to, in addition to that, do as much as we possibly can to make the tough decisions -- this is a question of leaders coming together and saying, we are going to do hard things on both sides. And the time is now, as the president said, if not now, when.
Yes, because that's what disaster capitalism is all about : Seizing the opportunity. >
AMANPOUR: On that note, Jack Lew, thank you so much of you for joining us.
LEW: Thank you.
NOTE: I'm continuing my little experiment (inspired by this ) of illustrating just how large a class divide exists between us and our elected representatives. As has been reported elsewhere, members of Congress seem to have amazing luck with the stock market - frequently beating the Street by significant margins. So let's keep in mind that their interests may not always align with ours.
20 Views
07:24:51 01/25/10
Driving Lesson Road signs and Markings
[LESS INFO] 20 VIEWS | ADDED 07:24:51 01/25/10
I have always taught my learners during driving lessons to look out for and pay attention to road signs and markings not just to pass the test but as it is a good habit to be aware of the information being conveyed to the driver.
In fact I posted on my driving school videos website over a year ago because I noticed that many provisional license holders failed to develop a habit of paying attention to these signs just because they've passed the theory and the students think that signs can be ignored because the DSA Examiner will not specifically ask them about markings or signs as they go past them.
Well with the recent media attention on the new driving test changes in october 2010 , I thought it would be a good time to remind learners the importantance of noticing and paying attention to road signs during driving lessons or while out on private practice in your own car, so have a look at the video below. Independent driving on the test is not just about following signs to navigate a course, but you also might have to remember and follow a series of instructions or diagram, but there is enough debate about that out there, so make of it what you will.
I've always mentioned that the easiest way to pass the driving test first time is to develop a habit of the right skills during lessons as expected by the DSA, that way you don't have to think hard about what to do in a situation once on the assessment.
If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032 .
Thinking about becoming an instructor? Well red driving school has had enough publicity for you to know the importance of doing the proper research and know all the instructor ADI training options available to you before making a decision or changing careers.
Subscribe to my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click. Please let me know your views by posting a comment on the blog at http://www.ukadi.co.uk
58 Views
23:47:54 12/16/09
Daniel Dennett and John Haught - Is Intelligent Design an Immoral Argument?
[LESS INFO] 58 VIEWS | ADDED 23:47:54 12/16/09
Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/11/17/Great_Issues_Forum_What_Is_Religion
Philosopher Daniel Dennett argues that it is immoral for pastors to teach intelligent design. Theologian John Haught criticizes Dennett's language but expresses agreement with his position, identifying creationism as "not only bad science, but horrible theology."
-----
The Forum's year-long exploration of religion launches with a program featuring distinguished philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett and noted evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson.
They are joined by additional participants to discuss questions such as: What is the nature and purpose of religion? Is it a product of our evolution and something we can now do without? Is it a system of belief and practice that humans require in order to build communities and construct meaning for their lives? What in human make-up renders religion possible? How has religious belief developed and changed over the years, and how does it continue to do so? - CUNY
Born in Boston, Dr. Daniel Dennett received his B.A. in Philosophy from Harvard University in 1963, and earned his Doctorate in Philosophy at Oxford University in 1965. After teaching at U.C. Irvine for six years, Dennett joined the faculty at Tufts University in 1971, where he is now a Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University.
Dennett has written extensively about the mind, consciousness, and evolution. He published his first book, Content and Consciousness, in 1969 and is perhaps best known for his 1995 book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea, which explores the implications of natural selection on humanity's place in the universe. He has also published more than one hundred scholarly articles in professional journals, ranging from Behavioral and Brain Sciences to Poetics Today.
John F. Haught (Ph.D. Catholic University, 1970), is Senior Fellow, Science and Religion, Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University. He was formerly Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University (1970-2005) and Chair (1990-95).
His area of specialization is systematic theology, with a particular interest in issues pertaining to science, cosmology, evolution, ecology, and religion.
1 Views
00:05:31 11/23/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey Finally Confesses "9 11 Commission Could Not Do It's Job" Part 3 Of 3
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 00:05:31 11/23/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job" Part 3 of 3www.framingtheworld.comCREDITS:Staring: Robert Kerrey, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, Bruno Bruhwiler, Katy Krutzman, Dan Noel and Paul WittenbergerCamera: Paul WittenbergerEdited: Paul WittenbergerDate: October 30, 2009ABOUT VIDEO:9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job"ARTICLES ABOUT VIDEO:Coming Soon.ARTICLES ABOUT EVENT:REDLANDSDAILYFACTS.COMEXAMINOR.COM9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey to speak in Redlands October 29, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin Hill Former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, member of the "911 Commission" will speak at the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series on Friday, October 30, at 5:00 p.m. The website requests that attendees register in advance, and links interested parties to a form which requests personal information.The venue touts Kerrey's appearance as one where he "will voice his thoughts on current economic events and changing public policy as well as environmental global warming issues" and "present his views on the future of education and on using technology and design to help solve urban issues such as those encountered in New York City". Kerrey is known for having taken part in the Thanh Phong Massacre in Vietnam, outlined by Wikipedia to be a gruesome bloodbath: "On February 25, 1969, he led a Swift Boat raid on the isolated peasant village of Thanh Phong, Vietnam, targeting a Viet Cong leader that intelligence suggested would be present. The village was considered part of a free-fire zone by the U.S. military. Kerrey's SEAL team first encountered a peasant house, or hooch, and killed the people inside with knives. While Kerrey says he did not go inside the hooch and did not participate in the killings, another member of the team, Gerhard Klann, said that the people killed there were an elderly man and woman and three children under 12, and that Kerrey helped kill the man." A scathing Counterpunch article from May 2001 outlined how Kerrey is wanted as a war criminal for doing the CIA's dirty work and killing innocent civilians, as well as the fact that Kerrey is referred to by former Nebraska Senator John DeCamp as "emotionally disturbed" as a result of his Vietnam experience. Regarding the investigation into the 9/11 attacks, Kerrey wrote in a March 2009 book review that "It was simply too time-consuming for part-time service" and that the "examination of this conspiracy should go on, though not by the 9/11 Commission". Kerrey went on to address the public's pervasive doubts of the official government story, and as he puts it, "why so many people have come to believe alternative conspiracy theories". A Newsweek columnist from March 2009 explains that Kerrey had feared that the 9/11 investigation "depended too heavily on the accounts of Al Qaeda detainees who were physically coerced into talking" and that "Kerrey said it might take "a permanent 9/11 commission" to end the remaining mysteries of September 11" The 9/11 Commission Report, considered by many to be a coverup , and sham , is often dissected by the alternative media and best-selling author Theologan David Ray Griffin. OPEDNEWS.COMCommissioner Bob Kerrey confronted with questions regarding 9/11/01 November 2, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin HillBob Kerrey, former U.S. Senator and member of the 9/11 Commission, spoke Friday at the the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series.Kerry was questioned by several audience members regarding the 9/11 commission report, which is the government's official version of events regarding the attacks on September 11th 2001. John Shanahan P.E., licensed member of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, attended the event. "I had no idea what the subject of his discussion would be", Shanahan explained, "but I went there with some preparation for asking a hostile question about his involvement on the 9-11 commission and why did he NOT resign instead of going along with the program. I was not selected to ask a question." Shanahan, in addition to owning an engineering firm, is a Constitutionalist who has successfuly beaten seat belt tickets and stop sign tickets in court. "The auditorium was fairly large", Shanahan continued, "with graduated level floor seating and balcony seating--capacity of possiblly 350, and was at least 80% full. Kerrey started at about 5p.m. and could not have been speaking for more than about a half hour. I thought that we would have the balance of the time for questions. Even though they cut the questioning off at slightly before 6PM, every time there was an opportunity, at least 6-8 people raised their hands". "Pretty much Kerrey revealed how he supports big government and its involvement in health care. He's grateful to big health care for the prosthetic that he received after his wound in Vietnam--he said nothing about the lies told by big government to get our military involvement in the first place). He says that we must address climate change or it will be our undoing, and advocated much more money to be spent on education and affirmative action." Shanahan, who regularly wears a lapel pin debunking the government version of events, got a chance to meet Kerrey afterwards. "My head was reeling with all of the hostile questions that I was developing even though I never got a chance to pose a public query. When I met him for the cookies and coffee outside the auditorium, he started reading word by word the pin that I had on my shirt 'The--official--911--story--is--a--big--lie'. You should have seen the sour expression that came over his face. He did not appear to appreciate my questions and statements on global warming, either." "I shook hands with him after the meeting, introduced myself to him and challenged him on his views on global warming. He knew nothing about www.oism.org and Dr. Art Robinson's 1998 petition against the Kyoto Protocol; he changed the subject and one of his handlers rescued him from me." Bruno Bruhwiler, founding member of We Are Change L.A., took the opportunity to confront Kerrey, asking him how he sleeps at night, to which Kerrey responded with bathroom humor, joking "I don't think I do sleep well at night, I get up to take leaks." Bruno said he intended to admonish Kerrey that now is not the time for levity, but Kerrey went on to admit that the commission did not answer all the relevant questions, that he came onto the commission late, and lacked both the proper time and funding. We Are Change has confronted many politicians and insiders regarding the events of 9/11. "You try to get in touch with their humanness", Bruhwiler explained. Kerrey's son was born on 9/10/01, and during their exchange, Bruhwiler addressed how the world has changed a lot since that time, with torture and tyranny occuring as a result of 9/11. "You pull the audience in", he explained. "Whoever's listening, they get educated and snap out of whatever false reality they're in." In the hopes that the general public will learn about the issues surrounding 9/11 and government corruption, Bruhwiler suggested that the audience look up world trade center building seven. We Are Change LA took several videos of their exchanges with Kerry, and will release them in the coming weeks. Shanahan remarked on Kerrey's bathroom humor as well. "He's obviously a complelety soulless individual. But when all is said and done, he's a CFR member. What else needs to be said?"
5 Views
17:35:29 11/20/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey Finally Confesses "9 11 Commission Could Not Do It's Job" Part 2 Of 3
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 17:35:29 11/20/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job" Part 2 of 3 www.framingtheworld.com CREDITS:Staring: Robert Kerrey, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, Bruno Bruhwiler, Katy Krutzman, Dan Noel and Paul WittenbergerCamera: Paul WittenbergerEdited: Paul WittenbergerDate: October 30, 2009ABOUT VIDEO:9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job"ARTICLES ABOUT VIDEO:Coming Soon.ARTICLES ABOUT EVENT:REDLANDSDAILYFACTS.COMEXAMINOR.COM9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey to speak in Redlands October 29, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin Hill Former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, member of the "911 Commission" will speak at the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series on Friday, October 30, at 5:00 p.m. The website requests that attendees register in advance, and links interested parties to a form which requests personal information.The venue touts Kerrey's appearance as one where he "will voice his thoughts on current economic events and changing public policy as well as environmental global warming issues" and "present his views on the future of education and on using technology and design to help solve urban issues such as those encountered in New York City". Kerrey is known for having taken part in the Thanh Phong Massacre in Vietnam, outlined by Wikipedia to be a gruesome bloodbath: "On February 25, 1969, he led a Swift Boat raid on the isolated peasant village of Thanh Phong, Vietnam, targeting a Viet Cong leader that intelligence suggested would be present. The village was considered part of a free-fire zone by the U.S. military. Kerrey's SEAL team first encountered a peasant house, or hooch, and killed the people inside with knives. While Kerrey says he did not go inside the hooch and did not participate in the killings, another member of the team, Gerhard Klann, said that the people killed there were an elderly man and woman and three children under 12, and that Kerrey helped kill the man." A scathing Counterpunch article from May 2001 outlined how Kerrey is wanted as a war criminal for doing the CIA's dirty work and killing innocent civilians, as well as the fact that Kerrey is referred to by former Nebraska Senator John DeCamp as "emotionally disturbed" as a result of his Vietnam experience. Regarding the investigation into the 9/11 attacks, Kerrey wrote in a March 2009 book review that "It was simply too time-consuming for part-time service" and that the "examination of this conspiracy should go on, though not by the 9/11 Commission". Kerrey went on to address the public's pervasive doubts of the official government story, and as he puts it, "why so many people have come to believe alternative conspiracy theories". A Newsweek columnist from March 2009 explains that Kerrey had feared that the 9/11 investigation "depended too heavily on the accounts of Al Qaeda detainees who were physically coerced into talking" and that "Kerrey said it might take "a permanent 9/11 commission" to end the remaining mysteries of September 11" The 9/11 Commission Report, considered by many to be a coverup , and sham , is often dissected by the alternative media and best-selling author Theologan David Ray Griffin. OPEDNEWS.COMCommissioner Bob Kerrey confronted with questions regarding 9/11/01 November 2, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin HillBob Kerrey, former U.S. Senator and member of the 9/11 Commission, spoke Friday at the the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series.Kerry was questioned by several audience members regarding the 9/11 commission report, which is the government's official version of events regarding the attacks on September 11th 2001. John Shanahan P.E., licensed member of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, attended the event. "I had no idea what the subject of his discussion would be", Shanahan explained, "but I went there with some preparation for asking a hostile question about his involvement on the 9-11 commission and why did he NOT resign instead of going along with the program. I was not selected to ask a question." Shanahan, in addition to owning an engineering firm, is a Constitutionalist who has successfuly beaten seat belt tickets and stop sign tickets in court. "The auditorium was fairly large", Shanahan continued, "with graduated level floor seating and balcony seating--capacity of possiblly 350, and was at least 80% full. Kerrey started at about 5p.m. and could not have been speaking for more than about a half hour. I thought that we would have the balance of the time for questions. Even though they cut the questioning off at slightly before 6PM, every time there was an opportunity, at least 6-8 people raised their hands". "Pretty much Kerrey revealed how he supports big government and its involvement in health care. He's grateful to big health care for the prosthetic that he received after his wound in Vietnam--he said nothing about the lies told by big government to get our military involvement in the first place). He says that we must address climate change or it will be our undoing, and advocated much more money to be spent on education and affirmative action." Shanahan, who regularly wears a lapel pin debunking the government version of events, got a chance to meet Kerrey afterwards. "My head was reeling with all of the hostile questions that I was developing even though I never got a chance to pose a public query. When I met him for the cookies and coffee outside the auditorium, he started reading word by word the pin that I had on my shirt 'The--official--911--story--is--a--big--lie'. You should have seen the sour expression that came over his face. He did not appear to appreciate my questions and statements on global warming, either." "I shook hands with him after the meeting, introduced myself to him and challenged him on his views on global warming. He knew nothing about www.oism.org and Dr. Art Robinson's 1998 petition against the Kyoto Protocol; he changed the subject and one of his handlers rescued him from me." Bruno Bruhwiler, founding member of We Are Change L.A., took the opportunity to confront Kerrey, asking him how he sleeps at night, to which Kerrey responded with bathroom humor, joking "I don't think I do sleep well at night, I get up to take leaks." Bruno said he intended to admonish Kerrey that now is not the time for levity, but Kerrey went on to admit that the commission did not answer all the relevant questions, that he came onto the commission late, and lacked both the proper time and funding. We Are Change has confronted many politicians and insiders regarding the events of 9/11. "You try to get in touch with their humanness", Bruhwiler explained. Kerrey's son was born on 9/10/01, and during their exchange, Bruhwiler addressed how the world has changed a lot since that time, with torture and tyranny occuring as a result of 9/11. "You pull the audience in", he explained. "Whoever's listening, they get educated and snap out of whatever false reality they're in." In the hopes that the general public will learn about the issues surrounding 9/11 and government corruption, Bruhwiler suggested that the audience look up world trade center building seven. We Are Change LA took several videos of their exchanges with Kerry, and will release them in the coming weeks. Shanahan remarked on Kerrey's bathroom humor as well. "He's obviously a complelety soulless individual. But when all is said and done, he's a CFR member. What else needs to be said?"
2 Views
06:39:26 11/07/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey Finally Confesses "9 11 Commission Could Not Do It's Job" Part 1 Of 3
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 06:39:26 11/07/09
9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job" Part 1 of 3www.framingtheworld.comCREDITS:Staring: Robert Kerrey, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, Bruno Bruhwiler, Katy Krutzman, Dan Noel and Paul WittenbergerCamera: Paul WittenbergerEdited: Paul WittenbergerDate: October 30, 2009ABOUT VIDEO:9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey finally confesses "9-11 Commission could not do it's job"ARTICLES ABOUT VIDEO:Coming Soon.ARTICLES ABOUT EVENT:REDLANDSDAILYFACTS.COMEXAMINOR.COM9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey to speak in Redlands October 29, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin Hill Former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, member of the "911 Commission" will speak at the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series on Friday, October 30, at 5:00 p.m. The website requests that attendees register in advance, and links interested parties to a form which requests personal information.The venue touts Kerrey's appearance as one where he "will voice his thoughts on current economic events and changing public policy as well as environmental global warming issues" and "present his views on the future of education and on using technology and design to help solve urban issues such as those encountered in New York City". Kerrey is known for having taken part in the Thanh Phong Massacre in Vietnam, outlined by Wikipedia to be a gruesome bloodbath: "On February 25, 1969, he led a Swift Boat raid on the isolated peasant village of Thanh Phong, Vietnam, targeting a Viet Cong leader that intelligence suggested would be present. The village was considered part of a free-fire zone by the U.S. military. Kerrey's SEAL team first encountered a peasant house, or hooch, and killed the people inside with knives. While Kerrey says he did not go inside the hooch and did not participate in the killings, another member of the team, Gerhard Klann, said that the people killed there were an elderly man and woman and three children under 12, and that Kerrey helped kill the man." A scathing Counterpunch article from May 2001 outlined how Kerrey is wanted as a war criminal for doing the CIA's dirty work and killing innocent civilians, as well as the fact that Kerrey is referred to by former Nebraska Senator John DeCamp as "emotionally disturbed" as a result of his Vietnam experience. Regarding the investigation into the 9/11 attacks, Kerrey wrote in a March 2009 book review that "It was simply too time-consuming for part-time service" and that the "examination of this conspiracy should go on, though not by the 9/11 Commission". Kerrey went on to address the public's pervasive doubts of the official government story, and as he puts it, "why so many people have come to believe alternative conspiracy theories". A Newsweek columnist from March 2009 explains that Kerrey had feared that the 9/11 investigation "depended too heavily on the accounts of Al Qaeda detainees who were physically coerced into talking" and that "Kerrey said it might take "a permanent 9/11 commission" to end the remaining mysteries of September 11" The 9/11 Commission Report, considered by many to be a coverup , and sham , is often dissected by the alternative media and best-selling author Theologan David Ray Griffin. OPEDNEWS.COMCommissioner Bob Kerrey confronted with questions regarding 9/11/01 November 2, 2009 - LA County Libertarian Examiner Martin HillBob Kerrey, former U.S. Senator and member of the 9/11 Commission, spoke Friday at the the University of Redlands Town & Gown Cultural Series.Kerry was questioned by several audience members regarding the 9/11 commission report, which is the government's official version of events regarding the attacks on September 11th 2001. John Shanahan P.E., licensed member of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, attended the event. "I had no idea what the subject of his discussion would be", Shanahan explained, "but I went there with some preparation for asking a hostile question about his involvement on the 9-11 commission and why did he NOT resign instead of going along with the program. I was not selected to ask a question." Shanahan, in addition to owning an engineering firm, is a Constitutionalist who has successfuly beaten seat belt tickets and stop sign tickets in court. "The auditorium was fairly large", Shanahan continued, "with graduated level floor seating and balcony seating--capacity of possiblly 350, and was at least 80% full. Kerrey started at about 5p.m. and could not have been speaking for more than about a half hour. I thought that we would have the balance of the time for questions. Even though they cut the questioning off at slightly before 6PM, every time there was an opportunity, at least 6-8 people raised their hands". "Pretty much Kerrey revealed how he supports big government and its involvement in health care. He's grateful to big health care for the prosthetic that he received after his wound in Vietnam--he said nothing about the lies told by big government to get our military involvement in the first place). He says that we must address climate change or it will be our undoing, and advocated much more money to be spent on education and affirmative action." Shanahan, who regularly wears a lapel pin debunking the government version of events, got a chance to meet Kerrey afterwards. "My head was reeling with all of the hostile questions that I was developing even though I never got a chance to pose a public query. When I met him for the cookies and coffee outside the auditorium, he started reading word by word the pin that I had on my shirt 'The--official--911--story--is--a--big--lie'. You should have seen the sour expression that came over his face. He did not appear to appreciate my questions and statements on global warming, either." "I shook hands with him after the meeting, introduced myself to him and challenged him on his views on global warming. He knew nothing about www.oism.org and Dr. Art Robinson's 1998 petition against the Kyoto Protocol; he changed the subject and one of his handlers rescued him from me." Bruno Bruhwiler, founding member of We Are Change L.A., took the opportunity to confront Kerrey, asking him how he sleeps at night, to which Kerrey responded with bathroom humor, joking "I don't think I do sleep well at night, I get up to take leaks." Bruno said he intended to admonish Kerrey that now is not the time for levity, but Kerrey went on to admit that the commission did not answer all the relevant questions, that he came onto the commission late, and lacked both the proper time and funding. We Are Change has confronted many politicians and insiders regarding the events of 9/11. "You try to get in touch with their humanness", Bruhwiler explained. Kerrey's son was born on 9/10/01, and during their exchange, Bruhwiler addressed how the world has changed a lot since that time, with torture and tyranny occuring as a result of 9/11. "You pull the audience in", he explained. "Whoever's listening, they get educated and snap out of whatever false reality they're in." In the hopes that the general public will learn about the issues surrounding 9/11 and government corruption, Bruhwiler suggested that the audience look up world trade center building seven. We Are Change LA took several videos of their exchanges with Kerry, and will release them in the coming weeks. Shanahan remarked on Kerrey's bathroom humor as well. "He's obviously a complelety soulless individual. But when all is said and done, he's a CFR member. What else needs to be said?"
18 Views
15:30:49 09/26/09
Dr Karl Morris – Episode #12 Part 2
[LESS INFO] 18 VIEWS | ADDED 15:30:49 09/26/09
In this episode I am joined by Dr Karl Morris one of Europe's top golf "mental game" coaches. Karl works with the following players: Darren Clarke, David Howell, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Richard Finch, Phil Archer, Alison Nicholas and Trish Johnson.
Here is the transcription of our 20 minute interview.
Andy: Hi and welcome to episode 12 of Home of Golf TV. Today I’m joined with Dr Karl Morris, one of Europe’s leading golf mind coaches. Welcome Karl to the show.
Karl: Hi there Andy, thanks.
Andy: Now Karl, you’ve worked with Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, all the top players in Europe over a fantastic career you’ve had so far, helping them with their coaching. What tips can you give the viewers, takeaways from their games?
Karl: I think the big thing that I’ve found over the years is that the individual is sacred and what works for Darren Clarke certainly wouldn’t work for David Howell or Paul McGinley. So it’s very much about finding your own way of playing the game. And one of the big things I’ve worked in the last couple of years and it’s such a simple understanding about the game, but I think its so relevant for everybody that there’s really only two things in golf that you’re trying to control. You’re trying to control the golf ball and you’re trying to control yourself.
So that obviously, everybody, they need to keep working on the technical side of the game. They need to find a golf swing and a method that they can trust, but also there’s gonna be an element of what do you need to do to control yourself? What are the things that you let yourself down with on the golf course because from Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, downwards, everybody hits bad shots occasionally, so you’re always willing to work on the second part as well as the golf swing.
Andy: And the dialogue you would have with Darren Clarke obviously would be different to Lee Westwood I suppose.
Karl: It would be completely different. I mean, Darren is probably one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen, if not the most gifted. He’s very much a feel orientated player; plays his best golf in a very non technical approach to the game. Darren gets bogged down by theory occasionally, whereas Lee’s far more, more of a structured way of approach. He needs to know why he’s gonna do something. If there’s a good reason for doing it, Lee will go and do it, but very, very different in the plays.
Andy: I think you were saying earlier that Paul McGinley he’s now looking at practicing so he can recreate the anxiety you would have on the course.
Karl: Yeah, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell in particular this last two years, last year was a particularly good year for Graeme. He played in the Ryder Cup for the first time. But one of the things that we did in the whole of last year was really try and make sure that there was an element of his practice that was trying to simulate golf. And one of the big mistakes I see golfers making is aimlessly hitting golf balls on the range, hitting it well and it doesn’t represent anything that’s gonna happen on the golf course.
Andy: Karl, how long have you been in the industry for, teaching golf psychology?
Karl: My background originally was as a player, but I’ve probably been involved in the psychology side of things for about ten years now and it’s been a really interesting journey. One of the things I’ve tried to develop over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of work with the PGAs around the world. I’ve been fortunate to speak to the Australian PGA, the Swedish PGA, South African PGA as well as the Europeans.
And my real passion has always been to try and pass on some of these things that have worked tour players to the golf coach, because I really believe that the coach of the future will be able to teach not only the technical side of the game, but he’ll also have an understanding of how the mind works, as well, so that we can bring the two things together. I think the problem with golf has been that there’s almost been two camps. There’s been technical coach to work on the range and so well, you’re swinging it a lot better than this mind coach who says “Well just go out there and don’t think about it” and it never really comes together.
And I really passionately believe that good coaching in the future will develop both of those sides probably as well being able to define mechanics, as well. I think a great coach in the future will be much more rounded, perhaps, than we’ve all been in the past.
Andy: Oh yeah, I mean, I can see that happening ‘cause as a kid, that never happened.
Karl: Yeah I think we’ve all had the experience of having a golf lesson. The pro stands there, we’re maybe working on something in the swing. We start getting it perfectly on the range, start flushing it. The pro say’s, “Right go away take that to the golf course.” He thinks that you’re gonna go and play well. You think you’re gonna go and play well and then you have to make a phone call to him and say, “That was dreadful. I hit it all over the place.” And that, to me, is where this necessity to understand the mental game is so important, because if you can repeat an action on the range over and over again, and then on the golf course it’s terrible, that’s not just your golf swing. There is an element of the mind side going on there.
Andy: Like you, I probably get bogged down with so many swing thoughts and so, how many swing thoughts should I have as I sort of prepare myself?
Karl : The interesting thing again, with all this is what really frustrates me is when I hear the phrase "golf’s 90 per cent mental".
Andy: Yeah, you hear that all the time.
Karl: Well it isn’t. You hear that golf’s 80 percent, 90 percent. Well it isn’t because when it’s doing well, golf is not a mental game. Golf is a physical game. It’s a physical club, a physical ball, a physical body and actually, you play your best golf with a reduction in thinking rather than thinking too much. I think that if there is one sport in the whole of the world that we’re not short of things to think about it, it's golf. I read somewhere once that we’re drowning in information but thirsting for knowledge.
And in answer to your question, to me it’s paramount that a golfer should never have more than one swing thought and rather than looking at it as a swing thought, I look at as a place where you’re occupying your mind. You’re placing your attention. One of the things that the human mind does and in the East they call it the ‘monkey mind’, it jumps from one thing to another. And that’s the classic the golfer’s mistake, that he stood over the ball and he’s thinking about this, thinking about that and thinking about something else, “Don’t go left, don’t go right don’t go in the water.”
Actually a really effective focus brings your attention to one point and to one place and that should be the goal for everybody, to actually keep your attention in one place throughout the motion of the golf swing. That then gets the best out of your swing thought, but also occupies your mind.
Andy: And when you’re teaching the pros, do you teach them pro routine where they would have a swing thought and then they, like Darren Clarke, for instance, then he can play his natural game?
Karl: Yeah. One of the most effective things that we’ve used over the years is something we’ve called the thinking zone and the playing zone whereby, if you can imagine that you’re playing golf now and if your golf ball is here, just behind the golf ball is a line. Now anything behind the line is what I call the thinking zone. So that’s where you would do your process, you would maybe visualize a shot.
You would program in the movement that you feel is essential for your golf swing. You would in effect be using the left side of the brain, the analytical part of the brain, doing all the thinking. Once you’ve done all of that though, you see this line and you literally step over that line and I call that ‘Nike golf’, then because you step over the line and you literally just do it.
Andy: Just do it, yeah.
Karl: You get into the golf ball and actually, what this does is the reverse of what most people do in a sense, that they spend very little time here, especially if they’re playing on their golf course all the time, “Oh, it’s the six iron ‘cause it’s the 12th”. They step over the line and then they start to think.
Andy: I know it's weird why they do that.
Karl: And then they freeze. So what this does is actually prepare you here in the thinking zone, but you get over the line and then just relax a little bit more, so the game becomes, actually striking out, much less of a mental process and much more of a physical one.
Andy: We all go to the range. We see everyone hitting the ball, hitting the ball and really they’re not concentrating on their mental game, are they? Is there takeaways that we can use?
Karl: I honestly think on that, I would never ever have had a role in golf the way that I have, if golf was practiced correctly. It’s the number one reason why there’s a huge frustration in between what people see that they can do on the range and then what actually comes out on the golf course. We’ve all gotta understand golf is incredibly unique because there are a very few games where you’re trying to score as low as possible.
Most games, football, cricket, whatever it is, you’re trying to get as many as possible, whereas golf you’re trying to get as little as possible, and yet, with practice, we equate a good session, I even hear it on the TV, as I hit 1,000 balls. Well the only thing that you can guarantee if you hit 1,000 balls, is that you trained yourself to hit a 1,000 shots. And as far as I am aware 1,000 wouldn’t be that good a return on a golf course, you need to split your practice into two segments.
One part of your practice, yes, you should be working on your technical side that you’re working on with your method or your coach or whatever it is, but a part of your practice should simulate a game. And the only way you can simulate a game is to add in consequence. There needs to be a consequence to each shot. I get all the players, they’ll hit a certain number of balls where it’s a particular game that they’re playing and what they’ve got to do is hit the shot and then they’ll note down the scores for that particular game.
Andy: So that reduces the anxiety out on the course.
Karl: The very act of being in practice is actually having to take a notebook out and writing the score down that you do in practice, simulates that sort of competitive element in the real game. And I would say less than one percent of golfers do this. So I think that for the viewers, really ask yourself, “Am I hitting a lot of shots? Or am I getting better at golf?”
Andy: Because one thing that you can commit to is a routine. That’s what Harrington has said in the past.
Karl: Yes. It’s a great point, that, because all golfers hear the phrase, “Well you need a routine” and I sit down with players and it’s “Oh, yeah, I’ve got a routine.” And I film them on the golf course and they haven’t got a routine. They think they’ve got a routine. The routine is as fundamental to the mental game as the grip is to the physical game. To develop a routine, you’re actually giving yourself something that you can genuinely rely on under pressure.
The mind needs a series of steps to follow under pressure. That’s the reason why in an aircraft they give you the drill, the safety procedure before you take off. I’ll never forget Harrington saying that, I heard him once say, “There’s no way I can swing it well every day, but there’s no excuse for not having a good routine every day.” And I think these great players reflect that.
Tiger Woods has been working on the mind side of things from the age of 11 and everybody assumes he’s just this born entity, but he’s not. It’s something his father was in the Special Forces. His father made him practice in a certain way and Earl Woods said to him, “When you get in competition, the training will take over.” And I take that as being that his practice was very geared to simulating the game.
Andy: It’s a really big takeaway, isn’t it?
Karl: I think the first question for the viewers would be to really ask yourself, are you getting better with the practice that you do? And it wasn’t a golfer but I think Einstein said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.
Andy: That’s brilliant Karl. So the next time I’m the range, I’m going to be spending at least 25 percent on the mental game. Karl, is there any way that I can conquer my first tee nerves? I mean, we all get it to some degree. What’s your take on that?
Karl: The take that we’ve had the last few years that seems to have worked well with all of the plays is the concept of what is nervousness? Well, nervousness is actually a feeling in your body. It’s a sensation running through your system. Now, as kids we were all told, “When you get to the first tee and you’re feeling these things in your body, it’s ‘first tee nerves’. And immediately, the perception is that these feelings are bad.
Well, just imagine as a kid if you were told that when you get to the first tee, these feelings that you get are actually first tee energy? All of a sudden, you’d actually look forward to those feelings. It’s actually resisting the feeling that’s the problem. You know, Tiger Woods, when he’s walking to the first tee in the Masters, I guarantee you he’ll be getting certain feelings through his body. But what he’s learned to do, he’s learned to channel those feelings and not see it as a bad thing.
I remember years ago reading that Jack Nicklaus talked about it. He said that he didn’t win majors. He waited for other people to lose them. But he said, “Just give me that feeling on the back nine of a major. That’s what I hit all the balls for.” He didn’t say, “Give me that feeling of nervousness.”
Andy: Just give a feeling.
Karl: So in his mind he created a label that this feeling was a good thing. So that would be one of the things to reframe the actual term ‘nervousness’ as an energy, but also then learn how to control it a little bit more. And one of the most effective ways is breathing. And centuries old advice has been around far longer than any of us have, a lot of the Eastern traditions talk about this.
It’s pretty much impossible to maintain a state of nervousness and breathe correctly. And nervousness, you actually have to be in the future thinking about what might happen to be nervous. Now, when you bring your attention to your breathing, not only are you physically starting to calm down, but mentally, you’re right back here in the now, in the moment. So, just that simple process of focusing on breathing. And we’ve all heard it, but very few people do it and in practice it’s really profound.
Andy: Right. Karl, a big problem I have is I tend to surround myself with people that in the clubhouse afterwards, talk about their bad shots. “I had a 70, I had an 80, but the triple bogey on #14, that sort of conversation. The conversations doesn’t sort of go on to, “Yes, but I did this part and you know, single putts on these five greens.” It’s a funny sort of conversation us golfers get into. I want to almost get away from it because I think that must be better for my golfing.
Karl: It’s a crazy thing, Andy, really because I think we’ve almost been conditioned that misery loves company. I do call it the ‘but syndrome’, I shot 68 but! And you know the number of times I’ve sat with very good players and they almost love to tell me how bad they’ve putted. You know, “I hit the ball so well, but I three putted four times” or whatever, almost as though that’s a badge of honor that they’re wearing.
And I think it’s something that we should all look at in the way that we talk about the game because there’s no question, one of the things I’ve become fascinated with over the last few years is how memory plays such a big role in our performance. You know, the certain shots that you stand over that you just know that you’re gonna hit a good shot, because a memory has been triggered of a previous result that you’ve had in that situation.
And I always think back to the lovely story about how Harvey Penick that Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite were sat with him many, many years before they went out on tour. I think it was Tom Kite said to Mr. Penick, he said, “If there was one single piece of advice that you would give us out on tour, what would it be?” And Harvey Penick just said, “Make sure that you go to dinner with good putters.” And in effect what he was saying, he was being a great psychologist in that moment. He was saying, “Make sure you hang out with and be with people who hole putts, who talk about holing putts rather than ones who just drag us down into the sort of misery of what should’ve been.”
One practical thing that the viewers might want to think about is something that’s been really successful with players over the last few years is something that I call the three shot diary. And literally, what the three shot diary is that when you finish playing golf, what you do, maybe after you’ve got back, you’ve gone home, you actually sit down and think about the three best shots that you’ve hit that day and actually then, write them out. Write them out in detail what you were thinking, what you were feeling.
There are a couple things are happening with this simple process. One is by writing the shot out, you’re solidifying the memory of that, strengthening the memory, but the other thing is, you’re going to start to find a pattern of what you do when you play good golf. You know, people go for a golf lesson, the first thing they say, “Tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Which we’ve gotta look at our faults, or actually, what do you do when you do it right?
Andy: Yeah, and what you consistently do right.
Karl: What do you consistently do when you do it right? You know, I once said, “Success leaves behind a trail”, but you’ve gotta look for that trail. And I think that good plays do this. Tiger Woods, he said he felt that the secret to the game was to instantly recall past success and to let go of failure. Most people do the opposite.
Andy: Exactly, yeah. That’s human nature, I guess.
Karl: Probably the best example I’ve ever seen about this and mental toughness was Bernhard Langer when he missed that putt at Kiawah Island. A four foot putt to win the Ryder Cup, he missed it. You imagine that impact that could’ve had on him, but Langer went away. He said, “I went through a routine. I did everything I could. I shot the putt the right way. It didn’t go in. It just didn’t go in.”
And then the very next week he went over to Germany and he won the Mercedes Masters the next week. I just think that’s incredible. It just shows you, he had the ability to let go of what happened, get the best out of it and move on.
Andy: Yeah, incredible story and that’s one takeaway for all of us. Langer, back in ’91. Can you imagine that?
Karl: The world’s watching.
Andy: The world’s watching. Everyone doubting that he can hole a putt and then two weeks later he goes and wins the Mercedes Masters. Incredible story there. Something we can all learn from. That’s fantastic Karl. So much advice there. I really appreciate your time. If there’s anyone out there that wants to find out more about what you’re doing with the players or just to help their own game, where can they go to find out the information?
Karl: There’s a couple of websites and one of the websites is GolfTrainingProducts.co.uk and if people go to that site they can get some free videos, some downloads and some things that we’ve talked about here today. The other website is Golf-Brain.com and anybody signs up there they get a free monthly newsletter that keeps them informed of what’s going on with the players and some of the courses that I run, etcetera. The product that’s worked really well this last 12 months, a new product is a CD called 5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing .
Andy: Oh, we all want that, yeah.
Karl: Something that you can play in the car, a series of tools that you can use, similar to what we’ve talked about today. This stuff needs reinforcing. We all fall back into our old patterns and our old habits. And you know, we’re so keen on being warmed up physically, but we need to be warmed up and tuned in mentally.
Andy: This is a CD you can put in the car?
Karl: A CD you can put in the car and you can listen to it at home, you know, the players that I’ve worked with say that they keep listening to it over and over and just to keep their mind, the mental stages in all of it, like I say five shots lower without changing their swing.
Andy: So, hope you thoroughly enjoyed the show with Karl. I have. Thanks very much for coming Karl.
Karl: My pleasure, Andy.
Andy: Hopefully we’ll talk in the near future.
Karl: Look forward to it.
Andy: Okay. Well that’s the end of the show. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.
More about Dr Karl Morris
Free Golf Mind Factor Video Training Course
5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing
The Mind Factor
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What’s the biggest mental challenge in your game? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
3 Views
00:12:24 08/21/09
Dr Karl Morris – Episode #12 Part 1
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 00:12:24 08/21/09
In this episode I am joined by Dr Karl Morris one of Europe's top golf "mental game" coaches. Karl works with the following players: Darren Clarke, David Howell, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Richard Finch, Phil Archer, Alison Nicholas and Trish Johnson.
Here is the transcription of our 20 minute interview.
Andy: Hi and welcome to episode 12 of Home of Golf TV. Today I’m joined with Dr Karl Morris, one of Europe’s leading golf mind coaches. Welcome Karl to the show.
Karl: Hi there Andy, thanks.
Andy: Now Karl, you’ve worked with Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, all the top players in Europe over a fantastic career you’ve had so far, helping them with their coaching. What tips can you give the viewers, takeaways from their games?
Karl: I think the big thing that I’ve found over the years is that the individual is sacred and what works for Darren Clarke certainly wouldn’t work for David Howell or Paul McGinley. So it’s very much about finding your own way of playing the game. And one of the big things I’ve worked in the last couple of years and it’s such a simple understanding about the game, but I think its so relevant for everybody that there’s really only two things in golf that you’re trying to control. You’re trying to control the golf ball and you’re trying to control yourself.
So that obviously, everybody, they need to keep working on the technical side of the game. They need to find a golf swing and a method that they can trust, but also there’s gonna be an element of what do you need to do to control yourself? What are the things that you let yourself down with on the golf course because from Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, downwards, everybody hits bad shots occasionally, so you’re always willing to work on the second part as well as the golf swing.
Andy: And the dialogue you would have with Darren Clarke obviously would be different to Lee Westwood I suppose.
Karl: It would be completely different. I mean, Darren is probably one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen, if not the most gifted. He’s very much a feel orientated player; plays his best golf in a very non technical approach to the game. Darren gets bogged down by theory occasionally, whereas Lee’s far more, more of a structured way of approach. He needs to know why he’s gonna do something. If there’s a good reason for doing it, Lee will go and do it, but very, very different in the plays.
Andy: I think you were saying earlier that Paul McGinley he’s now looking at practicing so he can recreate the anxiety you would have on the course.
Karl: Yeah, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell in particular this last two years, last year was a particularly good year for Graeme. He played in the Ryder Cup for the first time. But one of the things that we did in the whole of last year was really try and make sure that there was an element of his practice that was trying to simulate golf. And one of the big mistakes I see golfers making is aimlessly hitting golf balls on the range, hitting it well and it doesn’t represent anything that’s gonna happen on the golf course.
Andy: Karl, how long have you been in the industry for, teaching golf psychology?
Karl: My background originally was as a player, but I’ve probably been involved in the psychology side of things for about ten years now and it’s been a really interesting journey. One of the things I’ve tried to develop over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of work with the PGAs around the world. I’ve been fortunate to speak to the Australian PGA, the Swedish PGA, South African PGA as well as the Europeans.
And my real passion has always been to try and pass on some of these things that have worked tour players to the golf coach, because I really believe that the coach of the future will be able to teach not only the technical side of the game, but he’ll also have an understanding of how the mind works, as well, so that we can bring the two things together. I think the problem with golf has been that there’s almost been two camps. There’s been technical coach to work on the range and so well, you’re swinging it a lot better than this mind coach who says “Well just go out there and don’t think about it” and it never really comes together.
And I really passionately believe that good coaching in the future will develop both of those sides probably as well being able to define mechanics, as well. I think a great coach in the future will be much more rounded, perhaps, than we’ve all been in the past.
Andy: Oh yeah, I mean, I can see that happening ‘cause as a kid, that never happened.
Karl: Yeah I think we’ve all had the experience of having a golf lesson. The pro stands there, we’re maybe working on something in the swing. We start getting it perfectly on the range, start flushing it. The pro say’s, “Right go away take that to the golf course.” He thinks that you’re gonna go and play well. You think you’re gonna go and play well and then you have to make a phone call to him and say, “That was dreadful. I hit it all over the place.” And that, to me, is where this necessity to understand the mental game is so important, because if you can repeat an action on the range over and over again, and then on the golf course it’s terrible, that’s not just your golf swing. There is an element of the mind side going on there.
Andy: Like you, I probably get bogged down with so many swing thoughts and so, how many swing thoughts should I have as I sort of prepare myself?
Karl : The interesting thing again, with all this is what really frustrates me is when I hear the phrase "golf’s 90 per cent mental".
Andy: Yeah, you hear that all the time.
Karl: Well it isn’t. You hear that golf’s 80 percent, 90 percent. Well it isn’t because when it’s doing well, golf is not a mental game. Golf is a physical game. It’s a physical club, a physical ball, a physical body and actually, you play your best golf with a reduction in thinking rather than thinking too much. I think that if there is one sport in the whole of the world that we’re not short of things to think about it, it's golf. I read somewhere once that we’re drowning in information but thirsting for knowledge.
And in answer to your question, to me it’s paramount that a golfer should never have more than one swing thought and rather than looking at it as a swing thought, I look at as a place where you’re occupying your mind. You’re placing your attention. One of the things that the human mind does and in the East they call it the ‘monkey mind’, it jumps from one thing to another. And that’s the classic the golfer’s mistake, that he stood over the ball and he’s thinking about this, thinking about that and thinking about something else, “Don’t go left, don’t go right don’t go in the water.”
Actually a really effective focus brings your attention to one point and to one place and that should be the goal for everybody, to actually keep your attention in one place throughout the motion of the golf swing. That then gets the best out of your swing thought, but also occupies your mind.
Andy: And when you’re teaching the pros, do you teach them pro routine where they would have a swing thought and then they, like Darren Clarke, for instance, then he can play his natural game?
Karl: Yeah. One of the most effective things that we’ve used over the years is something we’ve called the thinking zone and the playing zone whereby, if you can imagine that you’re playing golf now and if your golf ball is here, just behind the golf ball is a line. Now anything behind the line is what I call the thinking zone. So that’s where you would do your process, you would maybe visualize a shot.
You would program in the movement that you feel is essential for your golf swing. You would in effect be using the left side of the brain, the analytical part of the brain, doing all the thinking. Once you’ve done all of that though, you see this line and you literally step over that line and I call that ‘Nike golf’, then because you step over the line and you literally just do it.
Andy: Just do it, yeah.
Karl: You get into the golf ball and actually, what this does is the reverse of what most people do in a sense, that they spend very little time here, especially if they’re playing on their golf course all the time, “Oh, it’s the six iron ‘cause it’s the 12th”. They step over the line and then they start to think.
Andy: I know it's weird why they do that.
Karl: And then they freeze. So what this does is actually prepare you here in the thinking zone, but you get over the line and then just relax a little bit more, so the game becomes, actually striking out, much less of a mental process and much more of a physical one.
Andy: We all go to the range. We see everyone hitting the ball, hitting the ball and really they’re not concentrating on their mental game, are they? Is there takeaways that we can use?
Karl: I honestly think on that, I would never ever have had a role in golf the way that I have, if golf was practiced correctly. It’s the number one reason why there’s a huge frustration in between what people see that they can do on the range and then what actually comes out on the golf course. We’ve all gotta understand golf is incredibly unique because there are a very few games where you’re trying to score as low as possible.
Most games, football, cricket, whatever it is, you’re trying to get as many as possible, whereas golf you’re trying to get as little as possible, and yet, with practice, we equate a good session, I even hear it on the TV, as I hit 1,000 balls. Well the only thing that you can guarantee if you hit 1,000 balls, is that you trained yourself to hit a 1,000 shots. And as far as I am aware 1,000 wouldn’t be that good a return on a golf course, you need to split your practice into two segments.
One part of your practice, yes, you should be working on your technical side that you’re working on with your method or your coach or whatever it is, but a part of your practice should simulate a game. And the only way you can simulate a game is to add in consequence. There needs to be a consequence to each shot. I get all the players, they’ll hit a certain number of balls where it’s a particular game that they’re playing and what they’ve got to do is hit the shot and then they’ll note down the scores for that particular game.
Andy: So that reduces the anxiety out on the course.
Karl: The very act of being in practice is actually having to take a notebook out and writing the score down that you do in practice, simulates that sort of competitive element in the real game. And I would say less than one percent of golfers do this. So I think that for the viewers, really ask yourself, “Am I hitting a lot of shots? Or am I getting better at golf?”
Andy: Because one thing that you can commit to is a routine. That’s what Harrington has said in the past.
Karl: Yes. It’s a great point, that, because all golfers hear the phrase, “Well you need a routine” and I sit down with players and it’s “Oh, yeah, I’ve got a routine.” And I film them on the golf course and they haven’t got a routine. They think they’ve got a routine. The routine is as fundamental to the mental game as the grip is to the physical game. To develop a routine, you’re actually giving yourself something that you can genuinely rely on under pressure.
The mind needs a series of steps to follow under pressure. That’s the reason why in an aircraft they give you the drill, the safety procedure before you take off. I’ll never forget Harrington saying that, I heard him once say, “There’s no way I can swing it well every day, but there’s no excuse for not having a good routine every day.” And I think these great players reflect that.
Tiger Woods has been working on the mind side of things from the age of 11 and everybody assumes he’s just this born entity, but he’s not. It’s something his father was in the Special Forces. His father made him practice in a certain way and Earl Woods said to him, “When you get in competition, the training will take over.” And I take that as being that his practice was very geared to simulating the game.
Andy: It’s a really big takeaway, isn’t it?
Karl: I think the first question for the viewers would be to really ask yourself, are you getting better with the practice that you do? And it wasn’t a golfer but I think Einstein said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.
Andy: That’s brilliant Karl. So the next time I’m the range, I’m going to be spending at least 25 percent on the mental game. Karl, is there any way that I can conquer my first tee nerves? I mean, we all get it to some degree. What’s your take on that?
Karl: The take that we’ve had the last few years that seems to have worked well with all of the plays is the concept of what is nervousness? Well, nervousness is actually a feeling in your body. It’s a sensation running through your system. Now, as kids we were all told, “When you get to the first tee and you’re feeling these things in your body, it’s ‘first tee nerves’. And immediately, the perception is that these feelings are bad.
Well, just imagine as a kid if you were told that when you get to the first tee, these feelings that you get are actually first tee energy? All of a sudden, you’d actually look forward to those feelings. It’s actually resisting the feeling that’s the problem. You know, Tiger Woods, when he’s walking to the first tee in the Masters, I guarantee you he’ll be getting certain feelings through his body. But what he’s learned to do, he’s learned to channel those feelings and not see it as a bad thing.
I remember years ago reading that Jack Nicklaus talked about it. He said that he didn’t win majors. He waited for other people to lose them. But he said, “Just give me that feeling on the back nine of a major. That’s what I hit all the balls for.” He didn’t say, “Give me that feeling of nervousness.”
Andy: Just give a feeling.
Karl: So in his mind he created a label that this feeling was a good thing. So that would be one of the things to reframe the actual term ‘nervousness’ as an energy, but also then learn how to control it a little bit more. And one of the most effective ways is breathing. And centuries old advice has been around far longer than any of us have, a lot of the Eastern traditions talk about this.
It’s pretty much impossible to maintain a state of nervousness and breathe correctly. And nervousness, you actually have to be in the future thinking about what might happen to be nervous. Now, when you bring your attention to your breathing, not only are you physically starting to calm down, but mentally, you’re right back here in the now, in the moment. So, just that simple process of focusing on breathing. And we’ve all heard it, but very few people do it and in practice it’s really profound.
Andy: Right. Karl, a big problem I have is I tend to surround myself with people that in the clubhouse afterwards, talk about their bad shots. “I had a 70, I had an 80, but the triple bogey on #14, that sort of conversation. The conversations doesn’t sort of go on to, “Yes, but I did this part and you know, single putts on these five greens.” It’s a funny sort of conversation us golfers get into. I want to almost get away from it because I think that must be better for my golfing.
Karl: It’s a crazy thing, Andy, really because I think we’ve almost been conditioned that misery loves company. I do call it the ‘but syndrome’, I shot 68 but! And you know the number of times I’ve sat with very good players and they almost love to tell me how bad they’ve putted. You know, “I hit the ball so well, but I three putted four times” or whatever, almost as though that’s a badge of honor that they’re wearing.
And I think it’s something that we should all look at in the way that we talk about the game because there’s no question, one of the things I’ve become fascinated with over the last few years is how memory plays such a big role in our performance. You know, the certain shots that you stand over that you just know that you’re gonna hit a good shot, because a memory has been triggered of a previous result that you’ve had in that situation.
And I always think back to the lovely story about how Harvey Penick that Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite were sat with him many, many years before they went out on tour. I think it was Tom Kite said to Mr. Penick, he said, “If there was one single piece of advice that you would give us out on tour, what would it be?” And Harvey Penick just said, “Make sure that you go to dinner with good putters.” And in effect what he was saying, he was being a great psychologist in that moment. He was saying, “Make sure you hang out with and be with people who hole putts, who talk about holing putts rather than ones who just drag us down into the sort of misery of what should’ve been.”
One practical thing that the viewers might want to think about is something that’s been really successful with players over the last few years is something that I call the three shot diary. And literally, what the three shot diary is that when you finish playing golf, what you do, maybe after you’ve got back, you’ve gone home, you actually sit down and think about the three best shots that you’ve hit that day and actually then, write them out. Write them out in detail what you were thinking, what you were feeling.
There are a couple things are happening with this simple process. One is by writing the shot out, you’re solidifying the memory of that, strengthening the memory, but the other thing is, you’re going to start to find a pattern of what you do when you play good golf. You know, people go for a golf lesson, the first thing they say, “Tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Which we’ve gotta look at our faults, or actually, what do you do when you do it right?
Andy: Yeah, and what you consistently do right.
Karl: What do you consistently do when you do it right? You know, I once said, “Success leaves behind a trail”, but you’ve gotta look for that trail. And I think that good plays do this. Tiger Woods, he said he felt that the secret to the game was to instantly recall past success and to let go of failure. Most people do the opposite.
Andy: Exactly, yeah. That’s human nature, I guess.
Karl: Probably the best example I’ve ever seen about this and mental toughness was Bernhard Langer when he missed that putt at Kiawah Island. A four foot putt to win the Ryder Cup, he missed it. You imagine that impact that could’ve had on him, but Langer went away. He said, “I went through a routine. I did everything I could. I shot the putt the right way. It didn’t go in. It just didn’t go in.”
And then the very next week he went over to Germany and he won the Mercedes Masters the next week. I just think that’s incredible. It just shows you, he had the ability to let go of what happened, get the best out of it and move on.
Andy: Yeah, incredible story and that’s one takeaway for all of us. Langer, back in ’91. Can you imagine that?
Karl: The world’s watching.
Andy: The world’s watching. Everyone doubting that he can hole a putt and then two weeks later he goes and wins the Mercedes Masters. Incredible story there. Something we can all learn from. That’s fantastic Karl. So much advice there. I really appreciate your time. If there’s anyone out there that wants to find out more about what you’re doing with the players or just to help their own game, where can they go to find out the information?
Karl: There’s a couple of websites and one of the websites is GolfTrainingProducts.co.uk and if people go to that site they can get some free videos, some downloads and some things that we’ve talked about here today. The other website is Golf-Brain.com and anybody signs up there they get a free monthly newsletter that keeps them informed of what’s going on with the players and some of the courses that I run, etcetera. The product that’s worked really well this last 12 months, a new product is a CD called 5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing .
Andy: Oh, we all want that, yeah.
Karl: Something that you can play in the car, a series of tools that you can use, similar to what we’ve talked about today. This stuff needs reinforcing. We all fall back into our old patterns and our old habits. And you know, we’re so keen on being warmed up physically, but we need to be warmed up and tuned in mentally.
Andy: This is a CD you can put in the car?
Karl: A CD you can put in the car and you can listen to it at home, you know, the players that I’ve worked with say that they keep listening to it over and over and just to keep their mind, the mental stages in all of it, like I say five shots lower without changing their swing.
Andy: So, hope you thoroughly enjoyed the show with Karl. I have. Thanks very much for coming Karl.
Karl: My pleasure, Andy.
Andy: Hopefully we’ll talk in the near future.
Karl: Look forward to it.
Andy: Okay. Well that’s the end of the show. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.
More about Dr Karl Morris
Free Golf Mind Factor Video Training Course
5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing
The Mind Factor
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What’s the biggest mental challenge in your game? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
