These wooden bicycles can be found all over the world (I wonder why not so much in the United Sates). These handmade bikes are often larger-scale scooters that you sit on. Made with whatever wood can be found, they use small wooden home-made wheels covered with discarded rubber rims. Forward movement depends on the rider pushing with their feet. (more…)

This art work on the facade of the Tate Modern in London really caught me off guard.  I must admit that my first thought was WTF! Fortunately I gave it a second look.  I found myself lost in thinking… uhmm, and why did I have that first thought in the first place?

This message takes me back to when I first started writing my first book over four years ago.  I remember looking out my window in deep thought on what to do with the rest of my life.  I came to the conclusion that I was going to be in front of people utilizing my innate ablility to get people to think.

Many people told me that I was setting myself up for failure because the masses don’t want to think…they just want to be told what to do.  Obviously I’m not in agreement. I sincerely think the masses are MORE conditioned not to think, so my new mission in life became to spark all the dormant thinkers of the world.  I made that decision with the deep belief that I couldn’t be the only one who had grown tired of the “sugar water” mind sets that has become so status quo.

It’s the moments like these which make all the sacrifices worth it to me!!!

And before I end up getting all emotional, I’m going to end by saying to all…Thank You And You’re Welcome!

…according to a new study at Ulster University.

WARNING: The following article is for open minded thinkers only.  Please precede with caution if your belief system is fragile… (more…)

I found this video to be absolutely thought provoking and the presentation is just flawless!  It definitely gives you another perspective to consider. 

Now my question is…what do you do once you know different?

Worry looks around, sorry looks back, belief looks forward.

…but why are the names of the pastors of churches like these always “Lonnie” something?

We are always the greatest obstacle to ourselves in not getting what we want out of life.  Once you’re able to master yourself, the possibilities will seem endless.

…but I wonder how they keep that grass so green without a little extra watering?

…if you believe in the notion that everybody wants the same body. (more…)

Doug Pray’s documentary “Surfwise” is the tale of two parents who raised their nine children in a 24-foot camper – an experience their daughter would later describe as “like weird monkeys in a small monkey cage.”

Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz and his wife, Juliette, both avid surfers and radical thinkers, lived as nomads for decades with their eight sons and one daughter. In a rattletrap camper, they crossed the U.S., eschewing schools and living off the grid. “I just wanted my kids around me, surfing with me, education be damned,” says Paskowitz.

The ‘Uncontacted Indians’ of the Envira, who have never before had any contact with the outside world,  react to being photographed during an overflight in May 2008 at their camp in Brazil, close to the border with Peru.

Now I ask you…do you think their world has changed for the better? 

…even though I think the message applies to any and all dead beat dads.

Barack Obama celebrated Father’s Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are “missing from too many lives and too many homes,” to become active in raising their children.

“They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it,” the Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday at a largely black church in his hometown.

Reminding the congregation of his firsthand experience growing up without a father, Obama said he was lucky to have loving grandparents who helped his mother. He got support, second chances and scholarships that helped him get an education. Obama’s father left when he was 2.

“A lot of children don’t get those chances. There is no margin for error in their lives,” said Obama, an Illinois senator.

“I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle — that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls,” added Obama, whose daughters, Sasha and Malia, and his wife, Michelle, watched from the audience. (more…)

Now this is one of those type of movies that really requires you to open you mind. Although the concepts are very complex, the presentation is done in a very simplistic method.

Some of my not so smart friends think that I’m a weird-o because I get a slight erection when I watch stuff like this!!!

This transparent toaster allows you to see the bread while it is toasting so you’re never surprised by toast that comes out too dark. This idea is based on a transparent heating glass technology. Although the glass does not currently get hot enough to toast bread, the vendor explained with some R&D this application may be possible. The concept was developed by the Inventables Concept Studio.

I love when design is merged with innovation!!!

This is a future cell phone concept developed at Inventables. The concept was inspired by the e-paper developed by Mag-Ink and the Popout Map. The map uses origami paper folding technique to expand and collapse automatically as it is opened and closed. This concept addresses the need for larger displays on cell phones without sacrificing a small form factor.

 

Forever was FOREVER,
Time is all I had,
And my only wish was just for a kiss,

AND NOW
Forever feels like it comes tomorrow,
My time is spent before I get it,
AND JUST GETTING A KISS only gets me pissed!

This is the world’s first solar-powered ferris wheel located at Pacific Park along the Santa Monica Pier in California.  Even with 160,000 lights, the new ferris wheel is 75 percent more energy efficient than the one it replaced.

Now would it be correct to assume that the corporate heads of the energy companies are fully aware of this shift and now are trying to get all they can before their time is up?

I love how the Webby Awards forces all the recipents to think about what they’re going to say.  Instead of the typical “I want to first thank God” speeches, they limit the acceptance speeches to five words or less. 

I think this approach is much more interesting as well as entertaining because everybody is on edge to hear what will be said.

I’ve come to learn that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

Most are born with some type of talent. Just think of how many people you know who have said “I have always been good at ______.�  Now think of how many people you know who are making a living from their talent.  Unfortunately, most don’t take the time to develop their talents into skills and even less of them become disciplined in it.  What good is it to take the time to develop a talent into a skill and never become disciplined enough to know the how/when/where/why to apply it to its fullest. 

Think about it: Professional sports are full of talented and skilled individuals, but how many CHAMPIONS does it have?

Excerpt from Think Think Think And Think Again: The Power of Ideas Designed to Spark Change

There are four ways you can come into any situation:

1. With Frustration
2. With Desperation
3. With Dedication
4. With Inspiration

What ones will you choose?

Bryant “Preacher” Moss
www.PreacherMoss.com

 

I don’t know who the artist is or where this art piece is from, but I felt compelled to post it due to it’s originality.

If anyone knows, please share!!!

 

All My Politics!
by j. saKiya Sandifer

First let me say that I’ve never been into politics and that I have never followed or actively participated in any election of a government official to date.

And I am also not part of the uneducated demographic that certain media outlets pander too.  My lack of enthusiasm in American politics is nothing more than a well-thought decision that has absolutely nothing to do with my lack of understanding in the process.  I’ve always felt that politics has never had the intentions of serving the greater good of the masses and that a politician’s loyalty has and will always be to the highest bidder.

Now with that being said, this year’s primaries turned out to be completely different for me. My interest was peaked this past March when I just happen to see a clip of a debate while in the midst of my daily channel surfing ritual.

As I was captured by the intellect of Obama, I couldn’t help but notice how the various media outlets began to shape the Democratic primaries to play out as America’s hottest new soap opera. Being a recovering addict of All My Children circa the late 90’s, I know cleverly scripted drama when I see it.

With all of the decisive issues and/or story lines that gave this primary season its dramatic appeal, from the importance of race and gender, to being an elitist and thus being not relatable, to denouncing versus rejecting, to mis-speaking versus making shit up and so on…the one I felt had the greatest impact was being able to use the power of lowered expectations to one’s advantage. For Barack and Hillary equally had the “hey, it can’t get any worse” mindset working in their favor. And this is not said to marginalize the genius of anyone. I give both camps a lot credit for recognizing and then using it to their advantage.

I just kept wondering if this would’ve been such a close race ending with an Obama victory if there had been no war, if gas prices weren’t as high as a young Hollywood celebrity (feel free to pick one) or if people weren’t losing the homes they knew they couldn’t afford in the first place. When you really think about it, often we define what something is by what we’re comparing it to and not for what it actually is.

Mid season’s story line shifted to the media’s lame attempt to define the candidates and it seemed that Hillary was always behind the curve. The game had change and I don’t think she read the memo. In a way I began to feel sorry for her. It got to the point where it seemed that she was getting her cues from the George character from Seinfeld. You know when you are totally in wrong but you say something so ridiculous, it deflects from the point.

Now fast forward to the end of the first season’s cliff hanger…”the first African-American presidential nominee.” The build up was incredible! Make no mistakes about it; Obama is a phenomenal forward thinker. He has shown a keen understanding that America has been in a daze from operating in a constant state of fear. He crafted a message that only he could deliver of actually uniting the states. Wow, this really does reads likes a daytime soap opera!

Now I say all of that to make the point…just because there is a new, exciting actor in the show…it’s still the same show! The show format will always remain the same; whoever draws in the most money gets top billing. The message of “change” wouldn’t seem so heavenly sent if it wasn’t backed up with an economic based that raised over $200 million.

And again I must emphasize that I have no intentions in taking anything away from what Obama has accomplished, for it should be commended and sought to be duplicated.

For me, this whole process is best summed by a quote by Greek philosopher Plutarch…”Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity.”

CLICK HERE read more comments at www.TheHuffingtonPost.com.

Uhmm…I think this is one of the best questions I’ve ever come across and I’m not sure what this says about me…but I can’t seem to choose!

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something.  It’s as simple as that.  A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now.  Not tomorrow.  Not next week. But today.  The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese’s

I think whoever manufacturers these chairs should use this pic in a marketing campaign with the slogan…”When You Need More From Your Chair, No One Else Can Compare!”

Yep, this is actually one of the many ways that I like to have fun…playing with a wooden puzzle from Thailand just because the box said “Test Your Genius”.

These are the moments that inspire me to work even harder!!!

Could this be the sign that we as a country are ready to “turn the page” and embrace intellects in politics?  Not saying that others aren’t or haven’t been intelligent, but I’ve never seen anyone else base their campaign on it.  And just to think at one time the media (MSNBC’s Morning Joe) was defining being an intellect in politics as a weakness…WOW!!! 

This is a perfect lesson of someone knowing their worth and not allowing outside forces to define them.  Imagine if this way of thinking was to catch on…better yet, how about everyone who reads this adopting this way of thinking.  Don’t waiver on this one…once truly embraced, your life will change forever!!! 

And I’m sure to no one’s surprise…I really really really believe that the thinking man will always prevail!!!

Special Message To Obama Supporters: THE JOURNEY IS NOT OVER!!!  Although I’ve never been a part of an Obama strategy meeting, I’m quite confident that his goal wasn’t just to become a nominee, but to become PRESIDENT!!!  You guys still have alot of work to do.  Don’t get caught up in a strong sense of entitlement…you see how that approach worked out for Hillary!!!

This past Sunday, I took my daughters to Hot 97’s Summer Jam 08.  As I sit here in a moment of reflection, the quote by Sigmund Freud pretty much sums up my experience…”I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection”.

If anyone ever sees this product in real life, please pick me up a couple.  I usually end up with a bad taste in my mouth once I finish discussing the concept of God.  Hopefully this will do the trick?!

And if anyone is offended by this post, ask yourself…what good is it for you to have a belief if it can’t be tested?

The dialogue is clear, but peep the extremely stereotypical images used to convey the point. 

This is the type of imagery that I believe is used in an attempt to dull my senses.   

I recently learned that Will Smith is investing at least $1 million in the construction and development of a private school to be named The New Village Academy of Calabasas.  The academy will be run privately, and will include prekindergarten through grade 6.  The motto is “Spiral Up� and the tuition will range from $7,500 to $12,500.

The New Village Academy boasts: Organic low-fat breakfasts and lunches with no fried foods or refined sugar, as well as a curriculum, developed in cooperation with Will and Jada, featuring instruction in Spanish, Technology, and Robotics.

Yes…Yes…Yes…Yes…Yes!!!  This is something that I’m in total agreement!!!  I’m frequently telling all those who will listen that I’m going to start a school based on a foundation of progressive thought.  The driving force behind me wanting to do this is my daughters’ strong sense of self.  I feel it is due largely to them being home schooled until they were in the 4th and 5th grade.

And I absolutely love this quote by Will…“The date of the Boston Tea Party does not matter. I know how to learn anything I want to learn.  I absolutely know that I could learn how to fly the space shuttle because someone else knows how to fly it, and they put it in a book.  Give me the book, and I do not need somebody to stand up in front of the class.”

It reminds me of this great quote by Gandhi that says…”Those who know how to think need no teachers.”

To learn more about this great project, visit www.newvillageacademy.org.

This undated photo provided by Dunkin’ Donuts shows a recent online ad featuring Rachael Ray.  Dunkin’ Donuts has chosen to cancel the online advertisement after complaints of the scarf she wore in the ad offers symbolic support for terrorism.

This is proving the point of the art exhibition in the previous post “thought challenging art.”  There are no winners when we have knee jerk reactions which allow the weak and closed minded to set the pace.

I hate the fact that they’re still getting press on this dumbness!!!

One of the many things that this journey of mine has taught me is when you really want to do something, you’ll find a way…if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

This art exhibition at the Freud Museum in London examines cultural fear and paranoia in the Western world.

The three most important lessons I learned were all from the same book, The Intelligent Investor.  It was written first by (Benjamin) Graham in 1949.  They appear in chapters 8 and chapters 20.

The first is, to look at stocks as pieces of businesses, not as little items on a chart that move around, not as ticker symbols, not as something that might split next week or next month or something of the sort.  But, rather, to look at the business, value the business, divide by the shares outstanding, and decide whether you really want to own a piece of that business at that price.

The second one was his commentary about your attitude toward the stock market.  That it is there to serve you rather than to instruct you, and he used the famous Mr. Market example of that.  That attitude is fundamental to making money in stocks over time.

And the final item he talked about was margin of safety. When you buy a stock that you think is worth 10 dollars, you don’t pay $9.95 for it, because you can’t be that precise in estimating its value.  So you leave a considerable margin of safety for both what you don’t understand and for the vagaries of the future.

And those three ideas, which I learned when I was 19 years old, have been the bedrock of everything I’ve done since.

- Warren Buffett

Adam Osborne was a pioneer in the computer book industry.  He founded Osborne Publishing in 1972, specializing in easy-to-follow computer manuals.  By 1977 Osborne had over 40 titles in its catalog.  In 1979 he sold his company to McGraw Hill for a rumored $3 million, using the money to launch Osborne Computer.

In 1981, Adam Osborne introduced the first portable computer, the Osborne 1.  The computer weighed 23.5 pounds and cost $1,795, just over half the cost of a computer from other manufacturers with comparable features.  The computer ran the popular CP/M operating system and featured a full keyboard and a tiny 5″ built-in monochrome monitor.  The company shipped over 10,000 computers a month and was considered a huge success, earning $6 million in 1981 and by the next year into the $68 million range.

One version of the story says that Osborne Computers collapsed when Adam bragged to the media about two advanced computers the corporation was working on and destroyed the consumer demand for the Osborne 1.  The result was inventory glut and the company was forced to file bankruptcy.  But later research turned up that the machine Osborne had boasted of shipped and put the company back on track until a single executive built up massive debt trying to complete the assembly of older inventory.

This picture made me think how the one thing that’s absolute is there’s nothing that’s absolute.

 

Knowing what’s being sold in the first 3-5 seconds is a key factor that I’ve always found to be true in effective marketing.

The artist in me found this video just freaking inspirational!!! I couldn’t help but love how this creative expression invokes the masses to think…and better yet, to reveal their thoughts! All types of concepts came to me while watching!

(major Thank You And You’re Welcome to www.thephenomenal.com)

That’s way too much power for one woman to have……and I must admit…I’m kind of jealous!

(Thank You And You’re Welcome to www.atribecallednext.com where I jacked this the video)

I always embrace my moments of doubts (and trust me, I have many) because it often produces something greater.

Instead of allowing doubt to stop you, look at it more as a sign that you have more to discover.

A quote by Francis Ford Coppola to ponder…

“I don’t think there’s any artist of any value who doesn’t doubt what they’re doing.”