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Posts tagged scotus
Posts tagged scotus
In the Hobby Lobby cases, five male Justices of the Supreme Court, who are all members of the Catholic faith and who each were appointed by a President who hailed from the Republican party, decided that a huge corporation, with thousands of employees and gargantuan revenues, was a 'person' entitled to assert a religious objection to the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate because that corporation was 'closely held' by family members. To the average person, the result looks stupid and smells worse…
Next term is the time for the Supreme Court to go quiescent–this term and several past terms has proven that the Court is now causing more harm (division) to our democracy than good by deciding hot button cases that the Court has the power to avoid. As the kids says [sic], it is time for the Court to stfu.
(Source: herculesandtheumpire.com)
Can we sidewalk counsel people going into urology clinics? Y'know, they might be going in there for a vasectomy and I believe that's against God's will. Doesn't matter they're seeking perfectly legal medical care — I just feel compelled to compassionately counsel them about how they're facing eternal damnation because every sperm is sacred.
It's not like there's a buffer zone in place or anything…
When followers of a particular sect enter into commercial activity as a matter of choice, the limits they accept on their own conduct as a matter of conscience and faith are not to be superimposed on the statutory schemes that are binding on others in that activity. Granting an exemption from social security taxes to an employer operates to impose the employer's religious faith on the employees.
United States v. Lee (1982), a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court found requiring an Amish employer to withhold and pay Social Security taxes for his workers was constitutional even though "the Amish faith prohibited participation in governmental support programs."
Justice Samuel Alito brushed the precedent of Lee aside by dismissing it as a case that did not concern the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but only the Free Exercise clause, so therefore the Court need not consider it. The implication is that pre-RFRA precedent doesn't matter. And that's a frightening departure from precedent.
Too bad I was born a woman instead of a corporation :(
A piece I wrote in March about Hobby Lobby and the contraceptive mandate is featured on xoJane today. Check it out!
An excerpt:
"Your boss doesn't get to dictate what you do with your paycheck, whether it's buying groceries, donating it all to orphans, or splurging it on hookers and blow.
Your boss might take issue with you buying pork because he's Jewish, donating it to orphans because she thinks they're godless, or on the hookers and blow because that's not very Christian of you. However, your bosses would be ridiculed for thinking they have the right to tail you to make sure you're spending YOUR money in accordance with their faith, right? There's not much difference here. Set aside that the insurance is not directly offered by Hobby Lobby, or that they could pay taxes/penalties instead of lawyers and legal fees by kicking everyone onto the exchange, thereby taking away their supposed moral conundrum. Spoiler alert: HEALTH BENEFITS ARE COMPENSATION FOR YOUR LABOR. Why would you think for one second that your boss gets to dictate what you do with your compensation?"
And boom goes the dynamite…
Time to fight fire with fire.
The Supreme Court unanimously struck down Massachusetts' abortion buffer zone law on Thursday, ruling in favor of anti-choice protesters who argued that being required to stay 35 feet away from clinic entrances is a violation of their freedom of speech. The decision rolls back a proactive policy intended to safeguard women's access to reproductive health care in the face of persistent harassment and intimidation from abortion opponents.
Birth control when they want to invest, abortion when they want to deny access to women.
Never mind that their health plan covered said objectionable contraceptives until 2012, when they chose to file suit against the Affordable Care Act….
First off, just stop. Your boss doesn't get to dictate what you do with your paycheck, whether it's buying groceries, donating it all to orphans, or splurging it on hookers and blow.
Your boss might take issue with you buying pork because he's Jewish, donating it to orphans because she thinks they're godless, or on the hookers and blow because that's not very Christian of you. However, your bosses would be ridiculed for thinking they have the right to tail you to make sure you're spending YOUR money in accordance with their faith, right? There's not much difference here. Set aside that the insurance is not directly offered by Hobby Lobby, or that they could pay taxes/penalties instead of lawyers and legal fees by kicking everyone onto the exchange, thereby taking away their supposed moral conundrum. Spoiler alert: HEALTH BENEFITS ARE COMPENSATION FOR YOUR LABOR. Why would you think for one second that your boss gets to dictate what you do with your compensation?
Second, I want you to try a thought experiment. Let's say the owner of a for-profit business is a devout Muslim. It is forbidden in the Muslim faith to consume pork. You've gone to the doctor for pneumonia, and your doc gives you antibiotics. Unfortunately, many medicines in gel capsules contain gelatin, which is usually derived from animal protein. Due to fears about mad cow, it's more common for it to be derived from pigs. Your boss claims to have the right to bar you from taking that antibiotic because your health plan is paid for in part by the company, so therefore your boss gets to dictate the company's (their) religious belief trumps your doc's opinion because the for-profit company is an extension of their faith. Can you imagine the pearl-clutching if Muslim business owners told these good Christians (or anyone else, for that matter) that they could not have potentially lifesaving medicine because of the owner's beliefs? Richard Dawkins might stroke out from rage. Fox News might never recover. Michele Bachmann would require a fainting couch for the resulting vapors.
How about if it's medicine in a gelatin capsule for high blood pressure, depression, or even erectile dysfunction medication? How about if your devout Catholic boss would only cover erectile dysfunction for married men because premarital sex is a sin, and ONLY if said medication was used with no contraception and in pursuit of conception because sex is only for procreation and every sperm is sacred? Or dictating no treatment for HIV or AIDS because only "sinners" get it and their god says no dice?
Or what if your boss says no insulin because it was derived from animal protein long ago or no Heparin to treat a blood clot because it still contains animal tissue, and their vegatarianism is a deeply-held belief too, isn't that kinda sorta like religion, please Justice Scalia?
I cannot wrap my head around Hobby Lobby's view that medical treatment is their business because said treatment might maybe have something to do with their employees doing the sex on their time away from work — y'know, their private lives. Not all contraceptives and reproductive health visits are for preventing maybe babies — hormonal contraceptives have a myraid of uses beyond preventing conception. The only time the sex lives of Hobby Lobby employees is their business is if employees are boning on the clock — THEN Hobby Lobby has every right to say "No sex time 'til break time, please." They can't say, "No sex time 'til ring time, please. Because Jesus."
Working for a for-profit employer in the U.S. does not mean you must also swallow their religious dictates hook, line, and sinker. To claim otherwise in the name of religious freedom is a complete fallacy and wholly offensive to the very idea of religious freedom itself.
In the long history of our country people have fought and died for democracy. Democracy means one person, one vote. The fact that all of us have the opportunity to be involved in the political process to stand up for what we believe in. Three years ago, or so the Supreme Court decided that corporations are people. They decided that through independent expenditures billionaires could spend unlimited sums of money to impact elections.
Let me say one word to you right now about how relevant that is. As all of you know, the government of the United States shut down. Hundreds of thousands of workers are suffering, millions of people are not getting the services they need. Right now, as we speak, in the House of Representatives there are people who are being threatened that if they vote for a clean CR to open the government without destroying the Affordable Care Act then huge sums of money will be spent against them in the next election.
We are living in a society where a handful of people with incredible sums of money, folks like the Koch brothers and others, are undermining what this democracy is supposed to be about. The bottom line here is that if we do not want to move this nation to an oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires can determine the outcome of these elections, then it is imperative not only that we overturn Citizens United, but that we put a lid on how much people can contribute in elections.
Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government.
And Scalia's dissent IS full of quotable bitter lemons.
However, as allies for queer and trans* communities, and people of color, our work is not done. There's the recently-overturned crucial aspects to the Voting Rights Act. And DOMA doesn't address inequalities faced every day by queer and trans* people.
So yes, let's celebrate, but let's not forget queer youth fighting for a place to stay, trans* people fighting to keep their jobs, or people of color fighting to keep their right to vote.
The Pledge of Allegiance still ends, in my opinion, with: "…and liberty and justice for SOME." So as we celebrate DOMA today, remember, there's much more work to be done tomorrow.
After today's debacle of striking down Section IV of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, I'm nervous. I'm almost sure Scalia's wetting his pants with glee over getting to release a dissent like his "legendary" dissent in Lawrence v. Texas (2003).
Predictions, kiddos?
Todd Starnes: And yet, there seems to be this opinion on the other side that says, you know what, you and I don't deserve the same rights. You know, it's as if we're second-class citizens now because we support the traditional, Biblical definition of marriage, or perhaps we are pro-life, and that means we're somehow second-class citizens who don't deserve to be in the public marketplace of ideas.
Sandy Rios: Absolutely. In fact, it'll be worse than that. You know there's going to be punishment. There will be tremendous punishment. If gay marriage is embraced by the country, if the Supreme Court goes south this week in its hearings, we are in for – of course, we're not going to hear about it until June – but we are in for persecution like we have never seen it.
Starnes: Well, it's already started.
Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes and American Family Radio's Sandy Rios displaying a jaw-dropping lack of awareness when discussing marriage equality.
I nearly choked on my goddamn coffee when I heard this fuckery come out of their mouths. Let's just hit the basic point: EVERY bill passed for marriage equality has a religious exemption. Period.
And clergy have every right to refuse to marry anyone. Don't believe me? Go to a Catholic priest, demand he marry you and your significant other on the spot, and mention that neither of you is Catholic, but he just HAS to do it. Hint: He won't.
P.S. — If you want to uphold "traditional, Biblical" definitions of marriage and think it's one man and one woman, you clearly didn't read that book closely.
I just can't with some people…


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Ralph Lauren meets T.I.T.S. with the Business Polo. Not named for being work-friendly attire, the Business Polo features the Big Richard Logo (which features a dude "giving her the business"). Let everyone know what's on your mind without drawing attention immediately for being that huge douche with people screwing on a t-shirt. Instead be a much funnier, understated douche with a classy embroidered polo with people screwing on it.
The Business Polo

subset: commoncrawl


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Jimmy Fallon's Debut As 'Tonight Show' Host A Smooth One
Stays true to form that made him success on "Late Night"; Welcomes array of guests…
Russian River Resort Fire Hospitalizes 4, Shuts Down Highway In Guerneville
Four people were hospitalized and power lines knocked down after a two-alarm fire broke out early Monday morning at a Russian River resort, a Sonoma County Fire dispatcher said.
San Mateo County Looks At Zoning Regulations For Pumpkin Farms
At issue is whether the farms can add to their businesses with tourist attractions like what the Arata Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay is doing.
San Francisco Restaurant Reopens After Carbon Monoxide Leak
A San Francisco Indian restaurant has resumed meal service not more than a day after it was shut down for a carbon monoxide leak that hospitalized several people, according to the restaurant manager.


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Suppers that satisfy more than hunger.
From appetizers and desserts to main dishes, use Hungry Jack® in these family favorite recipes.
Meal planning got you down? Get a dinner idea for every day of November with these 30 super suggestions. (And yes, we've got your T-Day turkey and ideas for leftovers covered!)
For savory red meat alternatives, try these recipes using fish, shrimp, crab, or all of the above!
Use your own pre-cooked tomato sauce and white beans in this hearty soup.
Kids love the fried onions, so this casserole is great for getting them to eat green beans.
The best part of this colorful, tasty, broth-based dish? Everyone at the table can customize their serving with add-ins of their choice.
From the kitchen of Julia, Greeley, Colorado
This grand American meat recipe submitted by Amy H. is the perfect dish for a busy homemaker/professional woman.
These hearty comfort food recipes will chase away your child's winter blues.
Terrific foods to pack for your next family road trip!
When the temperature drops, there's nothing better than some good ol' comfort food to hit the spot.
Meal planning got you down? Get a dinner idea for every day of October with these 31 super suggestions.


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Monitor your kids text messages with text message spying software and find out whether they are up to no good in an instant. Parental Control for Cell Phones at its best. Kids nowadays are fond of their cell phone especially when it gives them the power to stay in touch not just with their parents but also with their friends. Studies show that a teenager is capable of sending more than 3000 text messages in a month. This is not a surprise especially when they love to keep in touch with their friends. The only problem is whether you have any idea what their messages contain?
Most parents wonder if there is any way of monitoring their teenagers' text messages without having to steal their cell phones and browsing their contents. Fortunately, application developers have come up with an ingenious software that can monitor text messages without any difficulties. There are several text message spying software that are being sold today that are designed to monitor and record all cell phone activities including text messages, call history, emails, photos, videos, browser history, calendar, phone book and also track their location.
The text message spying software can be downloaded and installed in less than five minutes. Once it is installed, it will automatically monitor and record all activities happening in the cell phone and send the data to an online account that you alone have access to. The software sends the data every 15 minutes which means you will always be updated to all the happenings in your children's cell phones. As long as you have access to the Internet whether through your phone or your desktop, you will be able to monitor your children no matter the time of day. The best part when using text message spying software is that once it has been installed in the target phone, the other user won't even know that they are already being monitored.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to protect your children at all times. Even if they are already teenagers, it is still your right to keep an eye on them whether they like it or not. If you don't want them to know that you are actually monitoring their every move, you can always install text message spying software into their phone so you will be able to track and monitor them in stealth. This way, your teenagers will be able to do the things they love and only when you see that they are going in the wrong direction will you help them out.
If you are interested in learning how to monitor text messages, you have come to the right place. Text message spying is now available to anyone for download online. There is text message spy for Android phones, text message spy software for iphone, text message spying for Blackberry and even text message spy for Nokia. Read our text message spy reviews and news to learn more.
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The collection being unearthed at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram principally comprises contributions from the Travancore kings over a long period, say researchers.
Several kings of the Travancore dynasty, from Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma (regnal years 1729 to 1758 CE) to Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who passed away in 1991, would have contributed handsomely to the treasures that have been discovered at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, say scholars knowledgeable about the history of the dynasty and the royal family. An inventory of the fabulous collection, kept in secret subterranean vaults near the sanctum of the temple, is under way on orders from the Supreme Court.
Anizhom Thirunal would have made the most significant contribution, assert scholars. Read more.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the videography of the ongoing unearthing of the treasure trove inside the chambers of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
A bench of justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik also proposed the appointment of a curator of a museum to preserve the treasure being unearthed from the centuries-old temple.
The apex court's directions came during the hearing of a petition by the heir of the erstwhile king of Travancore Raja Rama Varma, challenging a Kerala high court ruling of January 31 this year, ordering the takeover of the assets and management of the shrine by the state.
The court also barred the observer, supervising the unearthing of the temple's treasure, from giving any interview about the process, saying the matter is related to the state.
After brief proceedings, the court posted the matter for further hearing on Friday. Read more.
Inspectors unearthing priceless treasures from a South Indian temple have had to halt their search because the final vault cannot be opened.
Five vaults replete with precious stones, gold and silver have already been opened in Kerala state's Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The haul's value is now thought to have risen from 25 billion rupees ($500m) to 900 billion rupees ($20.3bn).
Historians say assessing the treasure's true value will be very difficult.
The goods have not been officially valued and inspectors are merely taking an inventory.
The inspectors managed to open the outer doors of the sixth vault but found an iron wall inside it. The vault was last opened 136 years ago, according to temple records. Read more.
Treasure, thought to be worth billions of rupees, has been unearthed from secret underground chambers in a temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Precious stones, gold and silver have been found at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, unnamed officials say.
The riches are thought to have been languishing in the temple vaults for more than a century, interred by the Maharajahs of Travancore over time.
They have not been officially valued and inspectors are taking an inventory.
Inspectors say they will continue cataloguing the treasure for at least one more week.
Unofficial estimates say that the treasure discovered so far over four days of inspections may be valued at more than 25 billion rupees ($500m). But historians say that assessing the true value of these objects is likely to be extremely difficult.
Nevertheless security has been stepped up at the temple: "I have instructed the police chief to reinforce security further following the findings and it would be there permanently," Oomen Chandy, the state's chief minister said. Read more.


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Rachel Zeffira
Rachel Zeffira is a Canadian-Italian singer from a small town in Western Canada. She is an accomplished opera singer and multi-instrumentalist. In 2012 she released her debut album "The Deserters". Besides performing solo she collaborates with Faris Badwan of The Horrors in Cat's Eyes, a 1960s influenced two-piece band.
Rachel Zeffira on Last.fm.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
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mailing list archives
At 9:46 AM -0500 on 99/12/30, Paul Schinder wrote:
The initial Apple patch for this problem fails for a variety of machines...
Please note that the current info says that the problem exists only
in certain configurations and that the patch applies only to those
From the Apple article on the subject
...This tuner is only recommended if you are connected to the
Internet all the time and have a static IP address. If you obtain
your IP address dynamically (from DHCP for example) or if you
connect to an Internet Service Provider via a modem, your machine is
not likely to be involved with DoS issues...
OS Required
Mac OS 9; Mac OS 8.6 for PowerMacintosh G4, iBook, and iMac
(Slot-loading) computers.
Note: This is only for Mac OS 8.6 if you have one of the three
computers mentioned above. It is for all Mac OS 9 users...
Many of the reports of difficulties with "OT Tuner" seem to be coming
from folks for whom installation is not recommended.
- Marc
Seeking to challenge and be challenged in systems engineering and/or
software engineering. Systems of preference: Mac and Unix.
Resume: <http://together.net/~mvgfr/resume.html>
By Date
By Thread


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"Totally Awsome Story!"
Here is a book that can't be sat down! I have loved other of her books but this one is just fantatic. The story is gripping and heartwarming. There is not annoying profanity, or uncomfortable sexual scenes. This book is one that makes you sit in the car long after you have finished your trip and keep listening. The characters are developed well, and maybe the best thing is that I found myself wanting to have the character and integrity of Paul.
Thank you Mildred Taylor and thank you Audible!
Jack Rose
"Makes the Afghan War Real &Exposes Brass Stupidity"
I can see why a nation needs to pay for the wars they fight and not charge it to the next generation. If we were feeling the financial cost of this war we would be more focused on the real cost and tragedy of losing so many great young men and women. I hope our President and the congress read this book!
Profanity and violence are abundant but they are appropriate considering the situation and dialogue.I felt Trapper revealed a little too much prejudice against religions and the powerful influence for good they are in the military. I especially take issue with his inaccurate portrayal of the LDS Church's stand on war and the military.
"Good Stories and Old Bigotry!"
Sir Arthur Doyle is the Shakespeare of detective writing. He is amazing and brilliant!
One thing disappointing me was the jarring bigotry of his writing about the Mormons. I know at the time of his writing there was a lot of misunderstanding and wildly inaccurate stories going around about the Mormons in Utah. So I will cut him some slack on that issue. These outrageous stories have been disputed and long ago put to rest by historians. Still it was troubling to see them once again showcased in print.
"Typical Grisham"
Good story, a lot of the old John Grisham pag turner, low profanity, no graphic sex. One reason i enjoy reading his books.
I do weary of Grisham's continual haranguing of law enforcement. I am not sure what his beef is with law enforcement in general and our prison system in particular. As a retired law enforcement officer i know he is way over the top on his descriptions of the ineptitude and conniving of the cops. There are some bad eggs but they bug the regular honest dedicated officers far more than they bother the public. I just wish he would just give it a rest!
All of his really great early classics
"Good Liberal Perspective"
John Grisham again delivers an intense novel. If you can look past the liberal ranting against the death penalty and his continual ripping against conservative values you will enjoy the book. Mr. Grisham is a passionate activist for the causes he believes, and I cannot fault him for that. His writing style is engaging and I like it. He uses very little profanity and no gratuitous sex references. I do tire of his bashing of law enforcement officials and clergy leadership. He tends to take outrageous stereotypes and serve them up as the general rule not the exception. If you believe his perspective, all churches are hypocrites, all cops corrupt, all whites are shallow and bigoted and all blacks oppressed.
"What Happened to the ENDING?"
Joel Rosenberg is a very refreshing and exciting author. I enjoyed all of his books! It is wonderful to read a truly exciting and intriguing book without all of the garbage profane language and graphic sex. And i was not disappointed with this story until the last 30 seconds. Joel, were you under pressure by your editors to wrap it up or did you just run out of gas at the end. i haven't seen a more disappointing ending since the 9th grade when a student finished a short story with, "...and then I woke up!" Is there a book 2? I hate to be left hanging on so many points. Come on, buddy, finish the story. A guy of your talent can surely wrap up the lose ends.
"Stick with one Author"
This actually is a pretty gripping story until one of the middle authors starts dripping the "F" bomb for no apparent reason. i can never understand why authors think dropping the "F" bomb improves the story. I never finished the book after that!
"Pure bigotry"
Zane Grey is one of my most favorite western writers. But, sadly, the release of this long forgotten book has reminded me of another era when Mormon bashing was popular and acceptable. This hate filled story against the LDS people of the 19th century should have remained unpublished and not have reminded us of Zane Grey's darker side.
This inaccurate portrayal of the early Mormon way of life is disgusting and offensive to anyone who knows the LDS people. I found the story so offensive that I eventually had to turn it off!
Unless you are a bigot don't waste your money on this book...buy one of his other ones.
"Great potential but drifts into the sick"
This book had great potential. The writer is creative and clever in his language and story. However after enjoying about half of the story i was disappointed the writer let the story drift into the three big "S's" (Sick, Sex & shock) that tend to reduce wonderful stories to the common cheap variety. He let the story drift into a dark senario where the reader felt no edification. Sorry for the bad review but editors have got to learn that thee S's don't seel as many books.
I have to say that this is one of the best books I have listened to. The story is easy to follow and all of the characters are vivid. The reading is well done, easy to understand and yet maintains the flavor of Irish.
I wanted a book to help me see an over view of Irish history and this was perfect! The best part is the writer didn't drag you through graphic episodes of sex or violence. You were aware that these things were happening in Irish history, but the reader didn't have to smeared with it.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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Health Information - Med Help
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rash buttocks
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I have continuing soreness in the crease of my butt...above anus..how do I get rid of it?
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Want to Sell Your Stuff? eBay Will Do It All for You.
Ever stared at your closet and said to yourself, "I should sell this on eBay", but wimped out at the thought of taking it further? Well, your fantasy has caught up with reality since eBay is now testing out a new program. Here is how the pickup service works: eBay will send an employee to your home, carefully log your entire inventory, and sell it for you. This is a pilot effort and in test phase in limited markets. The pickup itself is no charge, but you do cough up 25% of your cut in exchange for the service — fair enough! If items are not sold, you can either choose to have the items be returned or donated. For more info, check out eBay Selling Assistant. Out with the old. In with the new!
(Photo: Sourced at Korrneliaa.blogspot.com)
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Awesome way to get rid of past seasons outfits that everyones already seen you in on Instagram
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New Rules: Punching In
An interesting choice
Forgoing more liberal candidates, the Working Families Party has decided to endorse Gov. Cuomo.
A win for Mother Nature
The Environmental Protection Agency released a new set of laws to protect the environment and temper global warming by regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, owners aren't happy.
Bad news for offshore accounts
77,000 foreign banks will now share tax information with the IRS, as part of a law targeting Americans who hide assets overseas.
Official like a referee with a whistle…
Seattle's $15 minimum wage went through a final vote yesterday, approving the wage hike and making it the city with the highest minimum wage.
Income inequality akin to civil rights movement
Former secretary of labor Robert Reich makes some bold statements on inequality in America.
Key Quote: "The current struggle of low-wage workers across America echoes the civil rights struggle of the 1960s."
An unlikely paring, Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell will come together to testify before the Judiciary Committee on freedom of speech and political donations.
It's primary season. Today, primaries will be held in Mississippi, Iowa, Alabama, California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Tags: income inequality, minimum wage, primaries, taxes


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Gibson Supports the Emerging Music Scene Through Partnership and an Interactive NH7 Gibson Guitar Area at the Festival on November 18-20
Pune, India: Gibson Guitar announced that it will partner with Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2011 which is a multi-genre, multi-stage, first-of-its-kind annual music festival that started in 2010. In just one year, Bacardi NH7 Weekender has become the most anticipated music festival in the country.
Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz says, "Gibson Guitar has been working with artists and musicians in India since 2007. We see this partnership as a natural progression to supporting the emerging contemporary music scene."
The Gibson Booth at the festival will be the ideal place for visitors to experience Gibson and Epiphone Guitars. Other activities at the booth include:
About the Festival
The Bacardi NH7 Weekender has become the happiest and most anticipated music festival in the country. This year the festival promises 150 artists (over the festival and pre-parties), 75 pre-parties, 6 stages, 17 acres and 3 days of non-stop, unprecedented music and performances including sets by internationally acclaimed musicians, Imogen Heap and Basement Jaxx. The festival is scheduled to take place from the 18th to the 20th of November in Pune. Tickets for Bacardi NH7 Weekender are available on the website: www.nh7.in/weekender. The 3-day ticket is Rs 2,000, the 2-day ticket for the weekend is Rs 1,500 and day passes are Rs 750.
About Only Much Louder
OML delivers ways of working with artists, brands, venues, advertising agencies and event agencies, developing music-themed properties to meet their needs. Its group companies include a booking and artist management agency, production house, digital firm, and publishing. With nine years of experience in the Indian independent music scene, Only Much Louder (OML) is recognized as the most prominent promoter of Indian independent music having produced live music festivals such as Bacardi NH7 Weekender (2010), Eristoff Invasion (2011) and Big Chill (2007) in India and having promoted some of the most significant Indian indie acts such as Pentagram, Shaa'ir + Func, Raghu Dixit and Swarathma. Visit www.oml.in for more information.
About NH7
NH7 is a division of Only Much Louder and is a web based platform that gives fans a unique way to explore music from India and around the world. The site provides days of (free) streaming music, profiles and discographies of over 200 artists, top-notch editorial content updated daily, exhaustive gig listings from around the country and a robust online store.
About Gibson Brands (gibson.com) Gibson Brands, one the fastest-growing companies in the music and sound industries, was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Nashville, TN. Gibson Brands is a global leader in musical instruments, and consumer and professional audio, and is dedicated to bringing the finest experiences by offering exceptional products with world-recognized brands. Gibson has a portfolio of over 100 well-recognized brand names starting with the number one guitar brand, Gibson. Other brands include: Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. Audio brands include: KRK Systems, TASCAM, Cakewalk, Cerwin-Vega!, Stanton, Onkyo, Integra, TEAC, TASCAM Professional Software, and Esoteric. All Gibson Brands are dedicated to innovation, prestige and improving the quality of life of our customers.
More information is available at www.gibson.com, www.facebook.com/gibson, www.twitter.com/gibsonguitar
Gibson, 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) or www.gibson.com


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This is what Prince George might look like as a young adult.
The royal baby is predicted to show William's nose and lips but Kate's dark hair and almond-shaped eyes.
Researcher Nickolay Lamm was commissioned by the website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk to help create the image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son.
The result shows an adult whose features are a combination of his royal parents.
Prince George is predicted to have a dark mop of hair combined with his dad's nose, lips and masculine jawline.
He will have his mother's slight olive complexion and almond shaped eyes.
All the predicted features are said to be "dominant" traits and are likely to supersede others.
This means the royal baby should inherit Kate's dark hair rather than William's lighter crop and the duke's fuller lips over the duchess' thinner ones.
Mr Lamm said: "The boy has William's jaw, lips and blue eyes. The main difference between William and his son is his dark hair and olive skin complexion like Kate."


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By Dawn Krebs
Friday, Jan. 18:
A spelling bee will be held at C.A. Moore Elementary School in Fort Pierce at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 19:
An awards breakfast will be held at the IRSC public safety complex training in Fort Pierce, with guest speaker St. Lucie County Commissioner Kim Johnson from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
A Family fun day will be held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Whispering Pines Park, 800 S.W. Darwin Road in Port St. Lucie. Admission is free and will include bounce houses, kids' activities, music, food, a "march through the park," and guest speaker State Representative Larry Lee Jr.
Monday, Jan. 21:
A grand parade starting at Avenue I and MLK Boulevard in Fort Pierce will start at 10 a.m., with lineup beginning at 9 a.m. The parade will travel to Lawnwood Stadium on Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce.
A festival in the park will be held starting at 12 p.m. at Lawnwood Stadium on Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce.
The Caribbean American Cultural Group will hold an ecumenical service honoring the life and work of Dr. King from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 260 S.W. Prima Vista Blvd. in Port St. Lucie. The speaker will be the Rev. Randolph Bracy, Jr., senior pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando.
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We're so excited about the line up of speakers and workshops we've got on the 2013 Healthy Living Summit agenda! With so many great sessions on the line up, we know it will be another year of difficult decisions on which sessions to visit. In order to help make your choosing a smidge easier, we've asked each speaker to share a bit about themselves and what to expect in their sessions.
Blogger and the Brand: A Best Practices Session for Building Relationships
New to the blogging business and wondering how to get the attention of brands you admire? Or for more seasoned bloggers, does it seem like every brand out there is courting you but there simply isn't enough time in the day to do it all?
Whatever your situation, this session will open a dialogue about the best practices for building meaningful and lasting relationships with brands from the people who know best. Leading brand marketers, PR professionals and bloggers will come together for an engaging discussion on best practices from all perspectives. Topic highlights include:
- Just Say No: Not every brand is the right fit for your blog. Learn how to know what is a good fit and also how to say "no" in order to say "yes" to the right opportunities.
- Call Me, Maybe: Sometimes the best relationships are ones bloggers proactively initiate with a brand. Discuss how to be proactive and reach the brands you admire and really want to work with.
- Keep it Above Board: Take part in a quickie review of FTC guidelines to protect you and your blog.
- Show me the Money: Of course, everyone wants to know how to monetize their blog, but if we're talking about "relationships," this has to go beyond a paycheck, right? Let's discuss what value both bloggers and brands bring to the table and how everyone can come out feeling richer.
Stonyfield, Chandra Carson
As Communications Project Manager, Chandra Carson is the woman behind social media and public relations for YoBaby, YoToddler and YoKids. As a new(ish) mom herself, she's passionate about sharing with other parents the newest and most relevant information about making healthy choices for their little ones. That includes working closely with the Yo-Getters, a group of over 75 blogger moms who are passionate about organic food and the Stonyfield brand. And just like this group of dynamic women, Chandra advocates the same message: We're all invested in feeding our families in a healthy way, one spoonful at a time.
Tiffany Gale, HHC, LE is Applegate's Digital and Social Media Manager and a certified health counselor with a BSBA in Marketing and CIS. At Applegate, Tiffany specializes in innovative marketing strategies to increase the company's visibility, website traffic, and brand awareness through integrated marketing campaigns including email marketing, blogging, social media, SEO, and online advertising. Key to this strategy is establishing relationships with bloggers and online influencers, who help to advocate for the brand and generate awareness via their blogs and social media channels.
Tiffany has worked with companies such as www.foodfacts.com, and has worked one-on-one with nutrition clients. She is passionate about gluten-free eating, inspiring others to reach optimal health through their nutritional choices, green juice, social media, and dancing!
On Tap for Today Blogger, Elizabeth D'Ascensao
Elizabeth D'Ascensao has successfully partnered with over 30 brands since starting her blog, On Tap for Today, in 2009. Elizabeth enjoys writing about fitness, entertaining, and life in Boston while balancing her blog with a career as Executive Director of an international non-profit organization. She has been featured in Fitness Magazine, Whole Foods Magazine, on Boston.com, and in other local media.
360 Public Relations, Victoria Renwick
Whether visiting her local farmer's market, whipping up homemade baby food or reading her favorite food blogs, Victoria Renwick is immersed in healthy living and has the pleasure to work with some of the best brands in that space, helping them reach fans like herself through PR and social media. As Senior Vice President of 360PR's Healthy Living practice, Victoria and her team represent a roster of clients that are better-for-you and better-for-the-planet, from the garden to the grocery store to the kitchen and everywhere in between –Stonyfield, Balance Bar, Ball® brand Canning, Nasoya, Kretschmer Wheat Germ and Peapod by Stop & Shop, among others.


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In Pursuit of Financial Education for All
Published on - April 18th, 2009 (by J.D. Roth)
This is a guest post from Sharon Lechter, co-author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. She is the CEO of Pay Your Family First and founder of YOUTHpreneur.
Our current economic condition has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that we, as a nation and as individuals, need financial education. It's an unfortunate truth that many students leave high school or college knowing the molecular weight of a carbon atom, but have no understanding of the difference between an asset and a liability. Which of these proves more useful in their day-to-day lives?
It's a no-brainer.
An important message
As a member of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, it is my goal and the goal of the Council to see that every student receives some form of financial education. We came closer to that goal in March with the introduction of H.R. 1325 by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. This widely-supported bill would require every college and university receiving federal funds to provide a four-hour course on financial literacy. This course would be a requirement for every college student receiving a guaranteed student loan.
It's a big step in the right direction, but we need to work harder to ensure every student gets the financial education they need. Today's financial crisis might have been avoided if everyone had received basic financial education about good debt versus bad debt. However, changing our educational system takes time — time that we do not have. We all need to stand up and commit to educating our children, grandchildren and youth groups.
How can we teach a subject when so many of us are also in financial trouble? Great resources like Get Rich Slowly provide a wonderful place to begin the journey and learn more both for ourselves and our children. Take the time to review your finances with your CPA, investment advisor, or a financially savvy friend. Learn together as we all start to rebuild during this economic crisis.
Lessons learned
In 1992, my son Phillip ran into financial trouble in college. Unbeknownst to me he had racked up $2500 of debt on a credit card that I didn't know he had. I was mortified. I thought I had educated him about money and staying out of debt. In fact, I had taught him the same lessons my father had taught me — except there were no credit cards when I went to college.
Even though I had told my son plenty of times how to be financially fit, I never showed him by teaching him about the perils of credit cards. He was with me when I used my credit cards during the "just charge it" times. But he was not with me when I paid off the bills each month, and he didn't realize that I made sure to pay them off each month to avoid interest charges.
It was this sobering experience that started me down the path to educate as many children and adults as I could on how to be financially smart. That same year I started working with our school system to try to include financial education in their programming. But it was far from easy. There were a number of road blocks in the way, and I started to look for other ways to provide financial education outside the traditional school curriculum. Fortunately, by 1994 my son Phil was firmly back on-track and out of debt.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
In 1997, I co-authored the book Rich Dad Poor Dad with Robert Kiyosaki. Together, we formed the Rich Dad Company and co-authored 14 other Rich Dad books that have been translated and sold around the globe. Rich Dad Poor Dad's success as a New York Times Bestseller for over six-and-a-half-years proves the tremendous need and importance of providing financial education.
In 2007, I decided to refocus my efforts back to where it all started — the passion I had when Phil got into credit card debt — financial education for our youth. I left the managerial board of the Rich Dad Company to pursue that goal.
Today, I have developed a combination of educational and experiential learning tools that help parents and interested adults teach their kids financial education — not by just telling them what to do, but by showing them in ways they can understand. In fact, they have the opportunity to earn while they learn, by becoming YOUTHpreneurs and owning their own companies. It is through setting goals and achieving those goals that we can turn the "entitlement" attitude back into the "empowerment" attitude! As these young people learn how to create their own wealth, you not only see their self esteem sky rocket but you also see their willingness to give back to those less fortunate.
A brighter financial future
We need to give our kids a chance to succeed or fail while they are still at home. Let them have some responsibility with a job. Encourage them to save some of their earnings, give some to charity, and then spend a little. They will learn much more through trial and error than through lectures and assignments. They will most definitely surprise you.
As you teach your children, you may find that you are learning something about money as well. The true bonus will be the memories created from the time you spend with your child and the knowledge that you are giving your child the gift of a lifetime — financial education!
With your help, we can all truly create a brighter financial future.
Although it is great that this organization wants every kid to have 4 hours of financial literacy ed in high school, the lessons need to start much earlier.
From the time my kids were babies, every time they saw me charge something, I told them I was only charging because I already had the money in my bank account. We have always talked about major family purchases in terms they could understand: Would you rather go to Disneyworld once, or have family dinner at Friendly's once a week for two and a half years? We also talk about commercials, what they try to make you think about the product, and whether we believe it.
Congratulations Sharon and keep up the great work you are doing!
I believe that most financial training starts in the home. Even if a child is trained to curb his spending habits, he is much more likely to give way to bad habits if his family is stuck in the same problem. For this reason, I think that we should hold "family financial training" classes in which the entire family is taught good financial practices.
Sound financial education should definitely be in schools…assuming we can get *real* financial education and not something sponsored by Visa…but more importantly, the example needs to be set at home.
Not that I blame anyone other than myself for my financial mess, but I never heard any sort of smart financial advice when I was growing up. I spent every dollar I received and no one ever told me I should stop to save any of it.
What ever happened to personal responsibility and parents teaching these things? I'm concerned financial planners will see this federal money as a pot of gold and create a new welfare for their industry. If as a society we insisted on having people (and companies, for that matter) pay for their mistakes rather than get a bailout we'd all be better off.
I think this is a great article and I'm happy to see that someone is working hard on getting our children educated. Although I believe the education has to start much younger than high school/college, I think some education at any age is better than nothing. Unfortunately I think most people won't learn the true lessons of finance until they are forced to really think about their spending due to a job loss, sickness, recession etc. Most people (especially teenagers) have the "it won't happen to me" attitude. Spending habits need to be learned at an early age and kids need to learn the difference between wants and needs not just how a credit card works.
I'm surprised to see Get Rich Slowly inviting the author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" to post an article. This is the most dangerous financial advise book out there. It shuns diversifying, frowns on higher education, advocates multilevel marketing, and promotes those widely expensive "get rich quick" seminars.
John Reed has detailed analysis of the book that is worth a look to anyone considering following the advise of Rich Dad Poor Dad:
Some of his most damning points on the book:
Law-breaking advice
* Advocates committing a felony: have rich friends for trading stock based on non-public inside information, he says "That's what friends are for."
* Recommends tax fraud by deducting vacations and health club dues
* Brags about using a partner weasel clause in which his cat is his partner
Education is KEY to freedom, and key to financial success. With good education, you better know how to manage your life. Also, you need these diplomas in general to help you get past blockades.
It all starts in High School. Those who studied hard, got good grades, and went to good universities generally do better in life, at least financially. It's obvious. Education is key.
I agree with above comments that financial education needs to begin much earlier. While I do believe that educating the public about the knowledge of personal finance is important, I think teaching them the *behaviors* needed to be secure financially is more important. And, if you are going to teach behaviors, yes it needs to begin much earlier.
I work with young children every day as a teacher. If I ask any of them if they could build savings by spending more than they earn, they would reply "no." It's simple math. Obviously adults are aware of this too. To change the tide of consumerism and overspending we need to first teach sound money behaviors.
My wife teaches kindergarten. Many of the students who come to her don't know how to stand in line, say please and thank you, wait their turn, and many other social skills that everyone else thinks should be common knowledge. She spends the better part of the year teaching these *behaviors.* By the time they reach me in 4th grade the behaviors have been reinforced so much that it's all second nature and they don't have to think about what is correct or not. That's where they need to be in their personal finance decisions when they get out of school.
That brings me to the second issue facing our young people. Marketing. Large companies are allowed to market directly to children, through television and now directly in schools. We saw this as an issue with the tobacco industry, yet we fail to see the harm if every company is telling our children "you need our product to make you happy."
@Appleman you say "What ever happened to personal responsibility and parents teaching these things?" but the comment directly above you states "that no one ever told me I should stop to save any of it." In schools now we teach about character education; how to be responsible, honest, caring, to have integrity, and many other character traits. While there are a lot of great parents out there teaching their children important characteristics, there are a lot of kids that come to school who know very little about these traits. I see personal finance in the same realm. To ensure as many kids as possible are exposed to the information they need to be taught the behaviors early and often to make sure they stick.
I applaud your efforts and your decision to shift your focus on core principles of personal finance and leave the "Rich Dad" group. The message with Kiyosaki has changed to market to the "get rich quick" mind set, clearly not the demographic of the readers here.
I read both the Rich Dad books years ago. Because I grew up with no real financial training beyond general prudence, the material was truly helpful. Yet I don't see the message as one that builds character or community, and those are just as crucial to a good life as financial education. The 6th commenter made points we should note.
I'm surprised that the Rich Dad series ignores the many parts of personal finance where our self-interest overlaps with the public interest, i.e. we can do well by doing good. For instance, when we learn basic techniques for saving gas, we both save $500/year and create less pollution in our community. Tips here http://www.diamondcutlife.org/how-to-save-money-on-gas/
I'm happy to see someone fighting to get financial education in schools. It's really crazy to me that I spent hours and hours learning things I never use in real life. Luckily I had parents who taught me the value of money and how to never go into debt.
Some people aren't as lucky and personal finance in school could provide the guidance that their parents never gave them.
-Gen Y Investor
While I applaud the idea of a required course in financial literacy in principle, in practice the federal law being proposed would cause an uproar on college campuses (campii?) across the nation.
Right now, there are no federally-mandated courses at the college/university level in the US. Many States have mandated college courses (in State history or government, for example). And universities often struggle with incorporating those mandates into an ever-shrinking degree. (In the State of Texas, we recently capped all four-year programs to 120 semester hours — many disciplines had to drop numerous courses within their major requirements to get in under the wire.)
In this environment, having the federal government come in and legislate four additional hours of credit into every degree program would be effectively untenable. I support the aims, but this is not a winning strategy.
Find out what the losers and slackers in HS and College are doing now. You'll understand education is key
Well, it turns out that the author of this post, Sharon Lechter, actually sued her co-author Robert Kiyosaki (the book 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad).
Settled out of court.
First, long-time reader first-time commenter.
Second, I see eye-to-eye with Juan234. "Rich Dad Poor Dad" may be a 'best-selling' book, but that does not mean that the information in the book is worthwhile. In fact, the 'advice' given in the book is actually a story about growing up in Hawaii around 2 different fathers. While there are 'some' good lessons learned the overall lesson of not worrying about college, climbing the corporate ladder and simply owning your own business (and therefore destiny) is something from a Utopian world for most people.
I'll let this article do the rest for explaining: http://www.slate.com/?id=2067175 However, I must say Bravo to Ms. Lechter for using this forum as a shameless plug to sell more books. Hopefully the level of educated people on this site exceeds those that would typically purchase this book.
Thirdly, I am all about Financial Literacy, but that has absolutely nothing to do with reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and it is not going to be solved in a 4 hour class held in universities and colleges.
Financial Literacy MUST start at a very young age, around the 3rd grade if you asked me and should be taught at least and hour or two per week! Think about, after college or even high school, how much time do we spend thinking about money, our careers, paying bills, budgeting, etc. This same percentage of time should be reflected in our classes rather than spending 20% of our time learning about why Australia was originally a penal colony (worthless).
I blogged about this same topic a couple weeks ago here: http://www.twentysomethingsense.com/2009/04/why-doesnt-the-us-teach-personal-finance.html
Education begins at home and, preferably, before kids reach their teen years.
The best way to do this is to teach your kids money management skills via a ledger to track their allowance and other income.
My kids, ages 9 and 11, are becoming very adept at bookkeeping and are also now much more aware of their finances because of it!
Best of all, it's an easy task for kids as young as six years old!
For more, see my post:
I agree. Rich Dad has the tone that is common in the personal finance blogging scene (GRS excluded for the most part), which is "the way to lots of money without having to work is entrepreneurship" and "don't think; just dive in". Both are ridiculous and dangerous. I too have wondered how many lives have been ruined because people read these words (in Rich Dad and in PF blogs), took the advice, invested their savings and credit in a business, and — as most businesses do — failed.
As one of the richest countries in the world — one in which average people have bank accounts and credit cards and retirement accounts and own stocks — I find it hard to believe that our education on financial matters is really lacking that much. Sure, lots of people abuse their credit, but that's not because they don't know how it works. Go ask any smoker if they know that smoking is bad for them, and they'll tell you that, yes, they know, but they do it anyway. I'd figure the same is true of credit card debt. People lack the willpower to give things up, even when keeping those things will probably get them into trouble farther down the line.
It feels a lot like anti-drug programs, or sex education programs, who's real goals aren't to teach you about the actual effects of drugs, or the actual experience of sex, but to discourage you from participating. Are these "financial literacy" classes any more than an anti-credit-card seminar in disguise? We can all see how well the sex ed and anti-drug programs are working. Why do we think this will work any better?
Like J.D. says — personal finance is more mental than mathematical. Teaching kids about compound interest or how minimum credit card payments work isn't going to compete with the feeling of having that new flat screen TV in their dorm room, where the whole floor comes to watch football games. When one of your options is "have the place where everyone comes to party", it's going to be hard for a lot of college students to see the downside, even when they mentally know it's going to be difficult to pay the debt off.
Anyone trying to implement a program like this should think long and hard about what they're really trying to accomplish, and whether their proposed plan is likely to have any actual effect.
As long as the government is giving out loans the stuff about financial literacy from the government is bogus. I bought into the "good debt, bad debt" thing. I never got a credit card, I lived on campus, ate on the meal plan, and very rarely went out – always using cash when I did. My only debt was (and is) my school loans. What I didn't expect was to become ill after finishing school. Since I am not totally disabled I have to pay loans (which is fair) but I can't work in my given profession or for as many hours a week as I would need to to really pay off the loans. I've gone on graduated repayments and keep seeing my loan amount go up instead of down. I could have taken two years longer to finish school and worked my through — I was told not to, that it was a waste of time and not to worry becuase student loans are "good debt." I certainly don't feel that way now. A government program for student loan holders would not have helped me and I suspect will do a disservice to many students who would be willing to take longer to get through school so as to do it debt free.
There are essentially two major parts to financial literacy:
1) Learning to manage your finances so that you avoid excessive debt (remember not all debt is bad particularly if it at low locked in rates and is for an appropriate acquisition e.g. your house) and save money over the long term.
2) Learning how to invest.
Unfortunately, Sharon Lechter's post, and many of the comments focus on teaching kids how to achieve part (1) above, with no attention paid to part (2).
And let's face it, federally mandated education programs and mandatory classes will only go so far – they will be competing with all of the distractions that go with childhood and teenage years that are far more exciting.
Which is why I would suggest using games as a method of teaching finance where possible. But unfortunately for the US, it has pretty much banned the use of a game which would be very effective at teaching young people about risk, reward, investing, and money management – poker.
In the 1800s, poker was actually used as a way of figuring out which people were good at managing money – "The Poker Face of Wall Street" describes this well.
So really, there are two parts to the problem of creating financial literacy. The first is to actually make finance a part of the education program, which can be made law until the cows come home. The second is to make finance education interesting – which is where massive opportunities exist, but which will require some creativity to achieve.
I got about an hour and a half's financial education at school when I was about 15, and it was useless. We learnt how to write a cheque. Initial any changes you make and make sure no one can add any extra zeros. We were given a fantasy budget for a university student, but obviously no one would actually spend as little as they said on going out and as much as they said on eating properly. The fantasy budget was just that – a fantasy!
Financial education has to be interesting and pointful, because what I got was awful and nearly put me off learning about personal finance for life.
I think Financial Literacy at a young age is key. I give Ms. Sharon Lechter a lot of credit for volunteering as part of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. What I find interesting is that the President failed to include Mr. Dave Ramsey of The Lampo Group, Inc., Mr. Howard Dayton of Crown Financial Ministries and Mr. Phil Lenahan of the Veritas Financial Ministries. I think these gentlemen would have helped out tremendously as well. A four-hour course in financial literacy at the college level though will be woefully ineffective. I think non-profit organizations such as Crown and Veritas do a much more effective job and it definitely takes more than four hours, even for a young person of limited assets and means.
I am sure Sharon has some amazing information on her website, and being 20 with an 'entrepreneur' mind, I was pretty excited. However, that website just has too much going on and would be a lot more useful if it was presented better ~_~.
Rich dad, Poor dad was actually the start of my own 'financial education' and I think it is a good book. Saying that, I do not agree with everything in the book, but I also do not agree with everyone on GRS.
As far as having seeing schools start teaching more on financial education, I doubt it will prove much of an impact if it does happen. The only way I can see success in it is if the schools have some sort of real life simulation courses. A class where you have fake money, fake job, fake bills, etc. You would get a 'paycheck' every week based on your fake job and then you could do what you wanted with it (save, spend, pay bills, etc). They could apply for credit cards, invest in stocks, etc. You also could get fake cash from reading and writing reports on various books, but it would be optional and not just some 'required assignment.' You're grade would be based on how much money you had @ the end.
This would have a disadvantage as well because there wouldn't really be anything that the students could spend there money on that was 'fun.'
Unless they really incorporated it into the school system. Allow students to buy food, homework passes, computer game time, etc. I would have loved a class like that and it definitely would have taught me a lot about money.
Haha, I went on a tangent there .
@Tyler Karaszewski:
While I agree with you that government needs to stay out of higher education (the last source of education that is somewhat shielded from politicization), I don't agree that there is no need for financial education. I think it is a huge failure that colleges aren't already offering courses like this in their core classes. The thing you miss is that the human mind is tailored to think linearly and has a LOT of trouble doing non-linear calculations like exponentiation (which is what compounding is).
It is not as simply as "doing something one knows is bad". There is a lot of evidence indicating that individuals do not KNOW how bad getting into debt can be until they go through the experience. That's why we need education. After all, isn't that the whole POINT of education? Otherwise, we would learn everything by trial-and-error…
I totally agree that we need to do a better job of financially educating everyone in this country, however a government mandated program – especially at the federal level – is a terrible proposal. The President's Counsel on Financial Literacy will have the same effect as Sex Ed, DARE, the President's council on physical fitness, etc. More federal spending, more bureaucracy, and less freedom.
Our federal government needs the financial education. It encourages poor mortgage loans, it encourages large amounts of student debt, its programs always lose money. The federal government always spends more than it takes in and it only invests in companies with a proven track record of poor money management.
Furthermore, if colleges really taught good money management, most of them would go out of business because students would quickly figure out that the cash that they are laying out for an education is a poor investment.
There are much better ways to teach good money management.
I can't take any advice from a CPA who signs off on a book containing unlawful advice who then doesn't at least condemn the book even when the advice on its own merits is good.
It's like Charles Manson telling you that you should brush your teeth twice a day. That may be good advice, but taking it from that source is difficult.
Using schools to educate people about financial literacy is a noble goal, but I'm not sure how effective yet another required course can be in making a real difference. For many youth–not just those who rely on parents for financial support, but also for those who earn some kind of income–money matters are really very abstract and take time and experience to learn and absorb. Maybe a four-hour course can teach some practical techniques and a few platitudes about debt and credit, but it will likely not change most students' attitudes about more deeply rooted issues, such as balancing self-esteem with "retail therapy," looking through and analyzing our media-driven, hyperconsumerist culture, understanding the real function and value of money, and so on. These "base" problems–the stuff that makes up our values and even our psychological leanings–need to be addressed at length (preferably early on in life) via good parenting, role models, exposure to suitable experiences and media, and other features of culture.
Sure, a four-hour course can't hurt, but where's the funding for this coming from? And will it increase the workload of already overworked teachers and counselors? (Schools are constantly being asked to take on more and more roles. Can they really be everything to everybody?) If the goal of this program is to give a brief overview of techniques and scenarios to students, then maybe that can help. But as I said, it's all very theoretical to many students. Unless the lessons are reinforced somehow, the course will simply be yet another forgettable and inconvenient obligation that the student has to squeeze into a busy schedule of studying, working, partying, shopping, and so on.
I'm sorry if I sound too cynical about what really is a laudable goal. However, I do teach college students, and for many, even studying current events (!) is abstract–many don't pay much attention to what's going on in the world. (Many don't even pay much attention to the course syllabi!) The ones I work with are generally concerned about balancing schedules, getting high grades, meeting mates and friends, and other things related to immediate needs and navigating obstacles in the here-and-now. Perhaps a better, but less charitable approach would be to require that students demonstrate financial literacy skills in order to qualify for financial aid or a loan. Of course, this would probably limit opportunity to a great degree, but that's the rub: open opportunity with great risks, or limited opportunity with fewer risks.
I'm a little disappointed in the quality of this post- it sounds a bit too sale-y to me – either for RDPD or for the other work that the OP is doing… I like reading this blog because in a lot of the articles, salient points in books are summarized and evaluated, rather than it being a sale point for one to buy other things. I dunno – not my favourite post.
I think the key for financial education, however, is responsibility. Either a kid at 18 is responsible for his/her finances or he or she isn't, but there are definite mixed messages going on here.
Take my coworker for example – her stepdaughter has a trust fund for education, and the daughter goes to school, parties, works about 20 hours per week and lives with relatives to reduce costs. The thing that aggravates my coworker is that she will then come home for the weekend and ask for money for food/gas/ cigarettes, etc. So, my coworker's husband was going to let the daughter have full access to her educational trust fund, and give her ultimate responsibility for it. My coworker thought it would be a bad idea, and instead wanted to give her less access to the fund.
For this, I'm of two minds. My coworker said that she wanted the stepdaughter to get her degree, and that the fund was there to help with tuition, not partying. But I think that is part of *responsibility* is to be given that level of trust to be able to screw up if necessary. I'm sure everyone has goofed up with money at least once, part of the whole package of being fiscally responsible means being given the authority over your own money.
I'd love to see them say to her that this was her money to do what she wanted with – but that there would be no more – ever. This could be her downpayment for a house if she watched her pennies, or it could be gone in a summer – but either way that was it. That gives the girl the authority to make decisions, but it also gives her a reward for being frugal. Right now her only reward for being frugal is that it means she wouldn't be able to party with her friends, and she would be saving her dad's money – which isn't much of a motivation.
I think the same goes for credit cards and etc with kids – give them to them I say – but also explain what happens with interest rates, payments, credit scores, etc if payments aren't made on time. Talk about what debt does, how payments are caculated and then let them figure their path – if they screw up a bit, they can dig themselves out just fine. Knowing how to manage money, for some, comes from doing, for others it comes from reading. It also depends on the class of the person as well – if someone is from a poorer household, they may be able to be frugal when they have little money, but when they get money they may not have the skills or knowledge about how to save… likewise when someone who is from a richer class has to cut back, they may not have those skills. I think parents would have the best clue as to what their kids need for education in this regard, rather than the state…. but it also means that parents have to be honest about their *own* financial situations, which often doesn't happen…
I had a lot of financial education as a child and still ended up with significant debt. It took actually going through real life "learning experiences", and I STILL have a high tolerance for debt. I doubt I am unique. Heck when I see stories about debts of $2500 I have a tendency to think "That's nothing. You can pay that off in a month with hard work and frugal spending."
While many are ignorant, a lot of highly educated people still have problems and issues due to personality traits,preferences, stubbornness, whatever. I am skeptical that mandated financial education is going to do much to change that. People are going to ( and should be free to) make bad choices.
Nutrition and Physical Education have been mandated for a long time. At least when and where I grew up and for decades previously. I don't really think that's working out. The same can be said for math, science, English, civics,etc.
I am 30. I am young enough to feel like I was a teenager not that long ago, but just old enough to sometimes feel old in some environments. When I was in high school we had to pass 4 or 5 state tests ( Reading, Writing, math, Citizenship, something). I thought they were reasonably difficult. Anyone who graduated should at least have basic knowledge in these areas. Yet if I tried to have a conversation with most of my peers, I would feel like the Luke Wilson character in the movie "Idiocracy." This applies to many college graduates as well.
I realize the legislation discussed pertains to the college level. But I am sure most supporters advocate mandated state education for younger students as well.
Health and PE are mandated. People are typically obese and sedentary. Math is mandated and most people probably can't convert a fraction or multiple two digit numbers. Civics is mandated and most can't name the President let alone the branches of the federal government.
Education is good, but meaningful education can't be mandated. People who have an interest will seek it. They will read blogs like Get Rich Slowly or Google specific information,etc. Forced to sit in a classroom, 90%+ will "learn" something long enough to pass a class or test.
There are any number of important things that people SHOULD know that aren't taught in school. Kids already go to school way too much, IMHO. Even when taught at home by parents many things just don't really "take" until a kid grows up or really wants to learn.
I truly believe that most of the mess our country is in is due to our lack of financial literacy. Ideally, financial responsibility should be taught at home beginning at an early age. That age should be when the child receives an allowance.
Given that many adults do not understand nor know much about financial literacy, it is up to the schools to educate this next generation before they become adults. I want to emphasize that not all adults lack financial literacy, but enough do.
In my experience as a business owner who teaches money management and financial literacy to adults and teens, many adults who want their teens to be financially educated, ask me to help them as well.
It saddens me when I read that freshmen entering college are already have $1500 in credit card debt.
Finally, I have written two letters-to-the-editor supporting the need to teach financial literacy in the schools. These may be found on my website under "in the News". (JD, I respect your comment #29 and will not include a link, since anyone reading this comments knows what to do.)
I think it's critical that kids get sound personal financial education, however the authors of Rich Dad/Poor Dad are not where I'd go as a resource.
I do think we spend so much time defending our points of view (We must do this! or We can't do that!) that it makes us myopic.
Look as a community, I think 99.9% of us believe financial education is necessary. We have more choices than our parents did.
We don't have to be locked into one delivery system. We can mix and match.
There could be online education learning modules that could deliver self-learning options.
Education does not have to be bound by a physical classroom.
Another option is that it does not necessarily have to be tied to an academic program but included as part of freshman orientation, a sophomore symposium or a pre-existing club on campus could help to deliver this information.
I'd also would want it as a pre-requisite for vocational financial aid packages as well.
Before students obtained education loans you would have them work though a financial module that visually showed them the amount of debt they are taking on.
I understand that many of you feel your tax dollars should not cover every possible social contingency that a citizen might face. Neither do I.
Financial education is necessary. If we could come up with an expanded view of how to deliver that information that isn't necessarily parent dependent it would be worth it.
@Michael #23, I agree on both counts. College is too late. The credit card companies are marketing to young children. The financial teachers you mention have outstanding resources, especially Dave Ramsey who has a high school cirriculum "Foundations in Personal Finance" and also resources for parents to teach small children "Financial Peace Junior".
We wouldn't have had a subprime mortgage crisis (or even a MARKET for it) if people understood half of what Ramsey alone teaches, let alone all three men you mentioned.
That's a great book– but some of its advice must be taken in moderation . . .
I strongly agree with this article. I was always taught from a young age about saving money. My parents were never in debt (except for a house and cars). I had a bank account when I was under 10 thanks to my Dad. I didn't know much about credit cards until I hit high school, but I did know that I didn't want to pile up debt at 18 years old. I made it through 5 years of college with $0 debt, not even student loans.
I have many 20-something friends who are really struggling to make ends meet because of credit card debt that started the day the turned 18. Some of them try to fix their credit history by going further into debt with car loans. That is NOT the way to improve your credit score, paying off your old debt is the way to help your credit so you can buy a home in the future. It makes me wonder what their financial background was like growing up.
I grew up in the 60′s with 2 sisters and a brother. My father worked 4 jobs and my stay at home mom was a seamstress. No credit cards–if they needed something they would save up for it. My youngest sister and myself absorbed these lessons and we are currently only holding mortgages as debt. We save for the things we need or want and use credit cards wisely. My oldest sister and brother both had major financial problems–one had to go into bankruptcy and the other has no savings.
My point is that you can live in a fiscally responsible environment but it is personal what you take from it. I have two sons now–my husband and I are prudent with our money and have taught our sons by example and explanation. However, my oldest son got two credit cards in college and went wild–he is still paying off debt and will be doing so for the next few years. My youngest son works hard and saves; he only buys things he truly wants and has the philosophy to save for the cost of the item.
"I understand that many of you feel your tax dollars should not cover every possible social contingency that a citizen might face."
This isn't the issue. The issue is that our economy is built on spending, the government's economists are Keynesian, and the government's interests are misaligned with those of prudent personal finance. Even *right now* you have people in the government "cautioning" of a reflex to "over-save". We had "be patriotic; go spend!" messages being sent by Bush and others after 9/11.
Whether you agree with these items is not the point. The point is that if you establish a mandated personal finance course, funded by federal tax dollars, it will become another tool to promote the economic agenda of the federal government and probably its special interests.
What really needs to happen is for us not to pass *legislation* to create these courses, but simply go to the universities and present our case. It seems to me that passing legislation is just a way for us to not have to convince individual universities that it is the right thing for their students. Otherwise, I don't know why we would choose forcing their hand over presenting a convincing business case.
That way, we can keep the politics out of personal finance.
Ind. Contractor – you hit the nail on the head. We all agree on the problem, but viewing our government as the solution to that problem is a problem.
Financial education is paramount for all ages. Kids are too easily slipping into bad habits because they were never taught anything better! I think Sharon makes some great points.
The best mix result is going to be a combination of education from parents at home AND in schools. Another bill has been introduced in the House and Senate, the Financial and Economic Literacy Improvement Act of 2009, that I think has some real potential. It would bring financial education to both secondary schools and K-12 students.
@Independent Operator, look I did say that there were other ways to deliver the information. The U.S. Government does publish consumer financial information via the Consumer Information Center at Pueblo. There is free content available.
Now let's jump the grid a little bit. What if our government put out the call for Free/Open Source programmers, gamers or what have you to create a financial education application?
It would be a donated gift to the American people. Financial professionals who choose to could prepare content that would be reviewed by the opposing side and neutral parties to get to the nub of what is needed. I'm just brainstorming here.
Volunteers from all economic levels could give it a shake down. This is not impossible.
Now, if some smart entrepreneur type person took a look at it and said it was crap and built something better, score.
You don't want it governmental based fine, I get it. Would you be willing to kick in a few dollars to support a national non-governmental initiative to create said program?
What about a hybrid program?
Having said all that if we as a country are proving financial aid to college students I think there should be some way to make sure they understand the obligations they are signing. The three point type on the form is not enough.
I will say this again; there is not just one way to do this. It could be governmental, it could be a non-profit with community based support. It could be something not yet imagined.
There are options if we'd just be willing to see the possibilities.
I think that financial literacy should be taught in schools. From Kindergarten through college. Some posters have commented that this should be something taught at home. I think from our current economic climate it is obvious that the parents wouldn't know where to begin. Much like sex ed, financial literacy is a taboo topic that many parents are unwilling or unable to discuss with their children.
I'm still not sure that it would do any good. Our cultural climate promotes a completely different image than the one that would be taught at school, and culture always wins. Until fiscal responsibility is cool, children will be marching down the road to debt.
Looks like Sharon also has been running a blog and posting a financial tip a day on her Web site, http://www.sharonlechter.com.
Also, I believe Sharon left the Rich Dad group because of the new directions it has been taking. The work she is doing now is mostly youth based, and definitely needed!
45Since writing this blog I am happy to announce that there are now additional bills on the floor of the Senate (S. 638)and House (H.R. 1645) that will require financial education of K-12 students as well as post-secondary students. I encourage you to review this legislation. I have a summary of these bills on my website http://www.slechter.com/critical-financial-education-bill-introduced-in-senate. These bills address appropriate non-profit involvement to work with the states to provide quality financial education.
I also agree with many of your posts that experiential learning is the best way to learn, that financial education must start at much earlier ages, and that the education must include curriculum about saving as well as investing. While it is true that most people learn about money at home, would not their parents benefit from their children learning about it at school? Then the parents may also be able to learn from their children. I ask for you to use your passion about this topic to help demand that relevant financial education be taught to our children and our families. My intent is not to "sell" anything but to raise awareness and support for the need for financial education. Please join me.
Thank you!
Just food for thought – how about if you send a child to a public school the parent/s be required to take a 4 hour course on financial education?
Regardless of the whole Rich Dad Poor Dad association I happen to like Sharon. I have met her personally and she has pure intentions. Her advice saved me lots of money when I was setting up my company.
One particular interest of mine is the financial services advertisements often promoted by Google through Adsense and Adwords. A number of these advertisements are promoted on the blog posts of Get Rich Slowly. Indeed on the "Pursuit of Financial Education" there are / were Google Ads for the following services:
- Tips £174,934.50 Profit; Copy a Genuine Professional Punter £495pm – One Week FREE Trial HorseRacingPro.co.uk (not sure of the origin of this but it seems somewhat over-promising)
- Stock Market Secrets; Interested in trading shares? Free Stock Market Course (a course promoted by the infamous Darren Winters of WinInvesting – you can see some of the critiques of him by Googling)
My feeling, as an investment professional, is that these services are highly unlikely to produce anything like the promised returns, and that frankly they are dangerous to investors, particularly novice investors.
And unfortunately, since they appear on JD's site here, they may be taken seriously by some readers of the site.
I recommend that JD tests out the new Category Filter Feature being developed by Google to remove advertisements from such entities (under the "Get Rich Quick" category I hope), since the message these advertisements tend to promote is completely at odds with the excellent message and ethics of this site.
I would be very interested to hear readers' thoughts and feedback on this topic.
I do not trust anyone affiliated with Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It is one of the most poorly written books I've read. It was full of silly advice. I laughed out loud while reading some of it; wondering how this could ever be a best seller. That was when I realized I had spent my money on it due to popular sentiment. I vowed never to follow the crowds like that again.
My daughters and I did something that was really cool (in a financial sort of way!)yesterday. Our public library offered a financial literacy program for teens offered by our county extension office. There were about 10 adult volunteers from the community (Kiwanas, I think). Each sat in front of a sign that read "Housing", Utilities", Transportation" Food, Child care, etc… Each kid pulled cards from 2 bags: 1 was for what career he or she would have and how much that career paid, and what amount of education was needed for this job, and the other was whether they were married, and how many kids they had, and if their spouse had an income.
Each volunteer talked with each kid about their options in housing, transport, etc.. based on their income. They all had to start at the tax table.
They had to visit every station to see how much they could spend on all that is involved in life. One daughter picked being a HS dropout working for minimum wage, and my other one was in the military as a 2nd Lutenant. Both were very wary in how much they spent on this or that, and they both asked for the help of the "financial advisor" table to help them make ends meet
I advise a group of middle and HS aged Girl Scouts and am going to invite them to come and talk to our girls. If you work with teens,check out your extension office and see what they offer. This was a really great program!


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Don't you love this? Kinda experimental what with the squacks and bleeps but it's approachable. Tempered tribal beats won't frighten the not-so-granola crowd but still provide enough of that communal feeling for the dirtier hippy. And the pop influences are just sweet enough - not enough to rot your teeth or turn your stomach but enough to bring a smile to your lips and a nod to your head.Yawn has offered their EP for free on their site. Go grab it! It'll help wash the bad horchata/philly cheesesteak taste out of the mouths of you Vampire Weekend haters.
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How to Develop a Successful Strategy for your Ministry in the Digital Age
- Monday, November 04, 2013
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of David T, Bourgeois' book, Ministry in the Digital Age: Strategies and Practices for a Post-Website World (IVP Books, 2013).
Since Jesus has called Christians to communicate the greatest message of all – the Gospel – to the world, it's vital for all church ministries to do their best to spread the Gospel through the greatest worldwide communication tool: the Internet.
But it's not easy to minister to people successfully online, since digital technologies are constantly changing, and so are the expectations of people who use the Internet. The key to success is developing a strategy for proceeding with online ministry and relying on God's day-to-day guidance to carry it out.
Here's how you can develop a successful strategy for your ministry in the digital age:
Go to where the people are rather than expecting them to come to you. It's not enough to simply set up a website and hope people will find it online. While you do need a website as a basic place where people can get information about your ministry on the Internet, you need much more than that in order to reach lots of people online. That's because, today, most people use the Internet to build relationships with others instead of just searching for information. Social media sites such as Facebook are immensely popular, and so are sites that allow people to broadcast messages, such as YouTube and Twitter. It's important to do your research to find out where people in your ministry's target audience are going online – and then to establish a presence for your ministry in those places by participating in the online communication taking place there.
Learn about the people in your ministry's target audience. Get to know the people you're trying to reach online by gathering demographic information about them (such as their age range and where they live), their current perspectives on faith and how mature their faith is or isn't right now, and the ways they typically use the Internet. One free and thorough resource you can use to conduct research into people's Internet usage is the Pew Internet & American Life Project at www.pewinternet.org.
Identify various content streams and their potential roles in your ministry's overall digital strategy. Content streams are different types of digital content that flows into the lives of your target audience's lives regularly. Some examples are: Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, email, text messages, search engine results, blogs, podcasts, photo sharing, and RSS news reader feeds. Ask God to give you the wisdom to figure out how your ministry can participate in each of those streams: what type of content to post there and how often, how to engage in conversations taking place there, etc.
Make your digital presence compatible with mobile devices. Since many people are now using mobile technology to get online, you should make sure that your ministry's presence online is compatible with mobile devices. Design or change your ministry's website so that it appears well on mobile devices, which display simple layouts the best. Consider whether or not your ministry should use a mobile app, keeping in mind that the cost of having one designed is expensive but may be worthwhile if the app would be especially effective for your ministry.
Identify your ministry's functions and form. Pray and reflect on your ministry's functions (what it does) and form (how it accomplishes that work). Make sure that everyone involved in creating your ministry's digital strategy understands both the functions and form so they can keep them in mind when deciding how to invest time, money, and people's effort into the strategy.
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