Summary. In tough economic times, it’s even more essential to achieve the greatest value from money spent on defense and national security. A nation’s armed forces and military personnel must be fully trained and equipped to meet modern threats to national security. The threats we face today are like none we’ve ever faced before. For this reason, leaders in defense are redirecting resources and funding to humanitarian aid and sustainability efforts because such initiatives produce the greatest return on the investment.
Three-Pronged Approach. Natural disasters have now eclipsed terrorism as the greatest cause of death, damage, and injury. Scarcity of resources is resulting in conflicts, terrorism, and war around the world. A three-pronged approach is needed: (1) humanitarian aid to those impacted by natural disasters, and (2) development of sustainable energy solutions to reduce our negative impact on the planet, (3) creating communities of economic and agricultural abundance. The military establishment recognizes this and is taking immediate action.
New Military. At this very moment, thousands of people serving in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, National Guard, and other special forces are being rapidly redeployed to build schools, build clinics, assist in disaster relief, offer support with agricultural development, deliver humanitarian aid, and develop sustainable energy solutions. Combined military forces are now working on campaigns to deliver humanitarian aid such as the disaster relief to El Salvador. Hundreds of thousands of tons in food, water, and clothing, are being delivered and various forms of shelter are being constructed.
Maximize family time if at all possible
Renew old friendships
Do fewer things, but do them thoughtfully
Avoid the tyranny of the ‘hustle & bustle’
Look back to the history of our great national celebrations
teach the children
Rethink and Rediscover the truly valuable things of life
Try to recognize and accept family members as friends, just as they are
Be intentional in ‘random acts of kindness’
Choose to love, accept and forgive
Read the scripture
Pray for your military, your community, and your country
Sustainability. It seem that the armed forces and military leaders have accurately identified and responded to the greatest threats to humanity. Below is an image from the Army Sustainability website. The Army has placed Sustainability as a top priority because if humanity doesn’t survive due to scarcity of resources, then there’s nothing left to defend.
Creative Activism. This initiative is an interesting and innovative example of creative activism as a technique designed to reach beyond the existing base of supporters and believers. On the Press Kit page of his website, Ray Comfort describes the creation and evolution his idea to distribute this unique reprinting of Darwin’s classic:
“When I discovered that On the Origin of Species was public domain, I decided to publish it myself with a special Introduction (to give an alternative perspective) and give away free copies to university students.” ~ Ray Comfort
Controversy. The controversy surrounding the book and the source of criticism are primarily from atheists and creationists who feel the classic work is being used as a trojan horse to covertly and manipulatively deliver a Christian message to unsuspecting young people. By all appearances, the book presents itself as an unbiased reprint of the original. Nowhere in the beginning of the book is there a disclaimer stating something like, “This book was produced by an evangelical Christian ministry for the purpose of discrediting and criticizing Darwin’s 150-year old writings.”
Unbalanced Presentation. The 56-page introduction by Ray Comfort (about 20% of the book) offers some common sense arguments as well as a review of discoveries over the past 30 years that offer some enlightened criticism of Darwin. However, discoveries have also been made to support or elaborate upon Darwin’s original findings and assertions. The book presents a modern-day criticism of Darwin, yet a 150-year vacuum remains with regard to any supporting discussion of Darwin’s theories. A more balanced and fair presentation would have offered contemporary arguments for and against Darwin’s theories.
The Evolution of Publishing. In our age of news outlets that pander to the extreme camps of society, it’s refreshing to have a single text that attempts to present both sides of an argument. Ray Comfort could have simply distributed a small booklet sharing only his own views on creationism versus evolution. However, he chose to go to the extra expense of formatting and printing a 298 page book that offers the complete and unaltered text of Darwin’s original work. Has any evolutionist done the same? Who would have ever imagined that evangelical Christians would be volunteering on campuses across the nation and handing out full copies of Darwin’s Origin of Species? Perhaps the world of debate and social conflict has evolved to the point that people will allow equal time to their adversaries. Ray Comfort was asked, “How would you feel if an atheist wrote a scathing Introduction to one of your books and gave them to students?” To this he replied:
“I would be honored, especially if someone wanted to give another perspective and felt so strongly he paid for the books. That would be unheard of. I don’t feel threatened by criticism. When Richard Dawkins said that I was an ‘ignorant fool,’ I put that (his somewhat short) Introduction on the front cover of my latest book. He Introduces me to the readers, and I’m okay with that.” ~ Ray Comfort
Comments. In the interest of keeping our site fair, balanced, transparent, and open, we welcome comments from our site visitors. Contact us and we’ll add your views here, as long as they don’t duplicate opinions and views already presented.
Summary. As a company, Google is changing the way the world does business. The Google model of offering numerous services for free has been adopted by many companies. The book, What Would Google Do? offers a complete presentation of the Google business philosophy.
No Pop-ups. Like ResourcesForLife.com, Google has an anti-popup policy to help reduce annoying, harmful, and deceptive pop-up ads.
Ten Things. Google has a list of Ten Things that summarize the Google Philosophy and approach to business. They are reprinted below. These are guidelines that just about any business or individual could benefit from embracing.
Our Philosophy
Ten things we know to be true
“The perfect search engine,” says co-founder Larry Page, “would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want.” When Google began, you would have been pleasantly surprised to enter a search query and immediately find the right answer. Google became successful precisely because we were better and faster at finding the right answer than other search engines at the time.
But technology has come a long way since then, and the face of the web has changed. Recognizing that search is a problem that will never be solved, we continue to push the limits of existing technology to provide a fast, accurate and easy-to-use service that anyone seeking information can access, whether they’re at a desk in Boston or on a phone in Bangkok. We’ve also taken the lessons we’ve learned from search to tackle even more challenges.
As we keep looking towards the future, these core principles guide our actions.
1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.
Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user experience possible. Whether we’re designing a new Internet browser or a new tweak to the look of the homepage, we take great care to ensure that they will ultimately serve you, rather than our own internal goal or bottom line. Our homepage interface is clear and simple, and pages load instantly. Placement in search results is never sold to anyone, and advertising is not only clearly marked as such, it offers relevant content and is not distracting. And when we build new tools and applications, we believe they should work so well you don’t have to consider how they might have been designed differently.
2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well.
We do search. With one of the world’s largest research groups focused exclusively on solving search problems, we know what we do well, and how we could do it better. Through continued iteration on difficult problems, we’ve been able to solve complex issues and provide continuous improvements to a service that already makes finding information a fast and seamless experience for millions of people. Our dedication to improving search helps us apply what we’ve learned to new products, like Gmail and Google Maps. Our hope is to bring the power of search to previously unexplored areas, and to help people access and use even more of the ever-expanding information in their lives.
3. Fast is better than slow.
We know your time is valuable, so when you’re seeking an answer on the web you want it right away – and we aim to please. We may be the only people in the world who can say our goal is to have people leave our homepage as quickly as possible. By shaving excess bits and bytes from our pages and increasing the efficiency of our serving environment, we’ve broken our own speed records many times over, so that the average response time on a search result is a fraction of a second. We keep speed in mind with each new product we release, whether it’s a mobile application or Google Chrome, a browser designed to be fast enough for the modern web. And we continue to work on making it all go even faster.
4. Democracy on the web works.
Google search works because it relies on the millions of individuals posting links on websites to help determine which other sites offer content of value. We assess the importance of every web page using more than 200 signals and a variety of techniques, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, which analyzes which sites have been “voted” to be the best sources of information by other pages across the web. As the web gets bigger, this approach actually improves, as each new site is another point of information and another vote to be counted. In the same vein, we are active in open source software development, where innovation takes place through the collective effort of many programmers.
5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.
The world is increasingly mobile: people want access to information wherever they are, whenever they need it. We’re pioneering new technologies and offering new solutions for mobile services that help people all over the globe to do any number of tasks on their phone, from checking email and calendar events to watching videos, not to mention the several different ways to access Google search on a phone. In addition, we’re hoping to fuel greater innovation for mobile users everywhere with Android, a free, open source mobile platform. Android brings the openness that shaped the Internet to the mobile world. Not only does Android benefit consumers, who have more choice and innovative new mobile experiences, but it opens up revenue opportunities for carriers, manufacturers and developers.
6. You can make money without doing evil.
Google is a business. The revenue we generate is derived from offering search technology to companies and from the sale of advertising displayed on our site and on other sites across the web. Hundreds of thousands of advertisers worldwide use AdWords to promote their products; hundreds of thousands of publishers take advantage of our AdSense program to deliver ads relevant to their site content. To ensure that we’re ultimately serving all our users (whether they are advertisers or not), we have a set of guiding principles for our advertising programs and practices:
We don’t allow ads to be displayed on our results pages unless they are relevant where they are shown. And we firmly believe that ads can provide useful information if, and only if, they are relevant to what you wish to find – so it’s possible that certain searches won’t lead to any ads at all.
We believe that advertising can be effective without being flashy. We don’t accept pop-up advertising, which interferes with your ability to see the content you’ve requested. We’ve found that text ads that are relevant to the person reading them draw much higher clickthrough rates than ads appearing randomly. Any advertiser, whether small or large, can take advantage of this highly targeted medium.
Advertising on Google is always clearly identified as a “Sponsored Link,” so it does not compromise the integrity of our search results. We never manipulate rankings to put our partners higher in our search results and no one can buy better PageRank. Our users trust our objectivity and no short-term gain could ever justify breaching that trust.
7. There’s always more information out there.
Once we’d indexed more of the HTML pages on the Internet than any other search service, our engineers turned their attention to information that was not as readily accessible. Sometimes it was just a matter of integrating new databases into search, such as adding a phone number and address lookup and a business directory. Other efforts required a bit more creativity, like adding the ability to search news archives, patents, academic journals, billions of images and millions of books. And our researchers continue looking into ways to bring all the world’s information to people seeking answers.
8. The need for information crosses all borders.
Our company was founded in California, but our mission is to facilitate access to information for the entire world, and in every language. To that end, we have offices in dozens of countries, maintain more than 150 Internet domains, and serve more than half of our results to people living outside the United States. We offer Google’s search interface in more than 110 languages, offer people the ability to restrict results to content written in their own language, and aim to provide the rest of our applications and products in as many languages as possible. Using our translation tools, people can discover content written on the other side of the world in languages they don’t speak. With these tools and the help of volunteer translators, we have been able to greatly improve both the variety and quality of services we can offer in even the most far-flung corners of the globe.
9. You can be serious without a suit.
Our founders built Google around the idea that work should be challenging, and the challenge should be fun. We believe that great, creative things are more likely to happen with the right company culture – and that doesn’t just mean lava lamps and rubber balls. There is an emphasis on team achievements and pride in individual accomplishments that contribute to our overall success. We put great stock in our employees – energetic, passionate people from diverse backgrounds with creative approaches to work, play and life. Our atmosphere may be casual, but as new ideas emerge in a café line, at a team meeting or at the gym, they are traded, tested and put into practice with dizzying speed – and they may be the launch pad for a new project destined for worldwide use.
10. Great just isn’t good enough.
We see being great at something as a starting point, not an endpoint. We set ourselves goals we know we can’t reach yet, because we know that by stretching to meet them we can get further than we expected. Through innovation and iteration, we aim to take things that work well and improve upon them in unexpected ways. For example, when one of our engineers saw that search worked well for properly spelled words, he wondered about how it handled typos. That led him to create an intuitive and more helpful spell checker.
Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, finding an answer on the web is our problem, not yours. We try to anticipate needs not yet articulated by our global audience, and meet them with products and services that set new standards. When we launched Gmail, it had more storage space than any email service available. In retrospect offering that seems obvious – but that’s because now we have new standards for email storage. Those are the kinds of changes we seek to make, and we’re always looking for new places where we can make a difference. Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the way things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do.
Update: We first wrote these “10 things” several years ago. From time to time we revisit this list to see if it still holds true. We hope it does – and you can hold us to that. (September 2009)
Summary. We’ve compiled this list of considerations as a prerequisite for shopping at our online store. We think it would be good for every retailer and online store to have a sign or public service announcement similar to this one. Contact us with any suggestions for improving this list.
Smart Shopping Guidelines. Before going shopping, consider the following smart shopping guidelines:
Buy Locally. Have you considered purchasing locally? It’s common for local stores to have items competitively priced with Internet stores like ours. Supporting your local merchants invigorates your community’s economy and it’s more social than shopping online.
Buy Used. If you’re considering the purchase of something new, why not consider purchasing the item used? There are local and online sources for quality used items such as eBay.
Debt. Don’t Increase Your Debt. Are you using a credit card for a purchase because you don’t really have the money to buy whatever it is? Consumer debt is at an all time high. Consider making a list of priority purchases and then only purchasing items you can actually afford.
Discounts. Don’t Be Pressured By Sales Or Discounts. Is your purchase being influenced by a sale or rebate rather than a present need? You’ll save more by not buying the item at all. By having a wish list that is prioritized, you’ll simply buy things that are already on your list. If they are on sale, then that’s great, but don’t buy something that wasn’t on your list just because it is on sale.
Emotional Shopping. Are you considering a purchase because it will make you feel better? Did you know that much of the shopping people do is emotional shopping. Consider pursuing alternative activities that cost little or preferably no money at all such as: go for a walk in the park, exercise, do yoga, read a book, listen to music, take a bath, or meditate.
Ethical Shopping. When you shop, rather than purchasing disposable products, consider purchasing products that can be recycled or reused. Consider the labor practices involved with the product or service you are paying for. Buy the best quality products for low maintenance, durability, and longevity. Be sure to buy products that are energy efficient (see the EnergyStar.gov website). Make sure the product and services you buy, as well as the stores you buy them from, and the companies that provide them, are ethically supportive of your values. [More]
Prioritize Shopping. Have you prioritized your shopping list to be sure you are spending money and time on the items of highest priority first?
Share. Could you purchase the item with several other people and share it? Typically, expensive purchases are the things in our life that we use the least. For example, let’s say you are purchasing a high definition video camera. Perhaps you could share the cost and the camera with friends.
Shop Around. With any kind of shopping (online or offline) it’s a good idea to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes to find out what the going price is for a product. Our prices are usually fairly competitive, but they might not always be the lowest price. So, feel free to shop around a bit and price compare.
Wait. Do you need the item right now? Can you put off the purchase? Often, by waiting to make a purchase, a person is able to buy the item later at a discount. Or, maybe after waiting you’ll discover you really didn’t need or want the item as much as you thought. Stretching out the frequency of purchases saves money over time. For example, are you buying a new digital camera? Consider purchasing a new digital camera every three or four years rather than every year as new models are announced. Lengthen the timeframe for which your purchases serve you. Create a wish list of items and then purchase from that list that have been on it for a month or more.
Now that you’ve considered the above, we invite you to use our online store as a source for some of your shopping needs.
Anti-American Evangelical Religious Propaganda Slogan and Artwork by Canadian Free Press
Summary. During the George W. Bush presidency, evangelical conservatives would accuse liberals of being unpatriotic for criticizing the President of the United States. The following scriptures were among those cited as the basis for respecting those in authority.
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God…” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)
Disrespecting the President and the Bible. Now that Obama, a Democrat, has become president of the United States, some evangelical Christian conservatives are disrespecting the Bible as well as the President when they verbally attack the President and disregard the scriptures they once affirmed. Their political affiliations and loyalties seem to be stronger than their loyalty to God and the scriptures. Some critics of the Obama administration use fear tactics, exaggeration, and negative spin to criticize the President of the United States and First Lady. These verbal attacks upon the President reflect very un-Christian-like behavior that is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament.
The Separation of State and Church. We’ve all heard about the separation of Church and State. The implication is that, if given enough political power, the Church would legislate religion and force people to live according to one view of faith. However, not much is said about the Separation of State and Church. The Church is equally influenced by politics once intertwined with it. When evangelical Christians first landed on the beaches of the Republican Party (the GOP), they had high hopes of influencing the party and our nation. Soon, their boots became muddy. No longer were their “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15) Instead of following Jesus, they became followers of George W. Bush and the conservative leaders. The following quote from a war criminal describes this phenomenon quite articulately.
“Naturally the common people don’t want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” – This quotation is represented to be from Hermann Goering, uttered during the post World War II Nuremburg war crimes trials set up by the victorious Allies.
Freedom of Speech Abused. The Freedom of Speech is an important part of Democracy that ensures a diversity and plurality of voices whereby our collective thoughts, voices, and actions will ultimately produce the greatest good. It is a perversion of the Freedom of Speech when media outlets become bullhorns for a handful of extremists. Just as a lack of diversity in agriculture can harm the land when planting only corn or beans, a lack of diversity in politics can harm a nation. The “Deliver Us From Obama” praying hands image shown above is available for sale through the Cafe Press Store of Canada Free Press. The Canada Free Press is just one example of how a narrow viewpoint is able to have a huge impact. It’s also an example of how the fusion of church, journalism, and state can cause problems. While the CFP represents a conservative viewpoint, the same is true for liberal media outlets. The media is supposed to be fair and balanced, but it’s become clear in recent years that many media outlets are simply propaganda machines for extremist viewpoints. One might point out that people are free to read news from both liberal and conservative sources. However, that usually doesn’t happen because most people have only a few biased news sources to shape (or support) their existing views rather than provide insight, facts, and education.
Michelle Obama Has 22 Attendants or 26 Servants. The Canada Free Press has reported initially that Michelle Obama has 22 Attendants and then, in a later update, reported that Michelle Obama has 26 Servants. The stories about Michelle Obama are misleading and deceptive for various reasons (some identified by Snopes). Here are some considerations.
The news story overlooks the fact that the 26 paid staff people cited are doing more than just assisting the First Lady.
The 26 people are also given employment, yet with a modest income (very little compared to the Corporate CEO friends of Republican leadership). The combined salaries of these 22 employees are about the same as a college football coach, yet nobody is complaining about paying football coaches too much. Many of them are paid under $40,000 per year which is close to poverty level considering the cost of living in that area. Yet, the news story states that this is a waste of taxpayer money. Should they work for free?
The reason that Michelle Obama can make use of so many people is because she is a highly motivated and has a busy agenda. The article claims that previous First Ladies only required a few assistants. Yet, it’s obvious there would have been others attending their needs. We should be thankful that Michelle Obama is involved and concerned enough about the country that her passion and purpose requires that work be delegated out to 26 people. If she only had three attendants, the story title would have been, “Michelle Obama is the laziest First Lady ever. She only has three attendants!“
Such news agencies aren’t reporting the news, they are manipulating information for purposes of defaming people. What is reported is largely infused with opinion, exaggeration, distortion, and hype to manipulate the reader’s perception of the facts. We need a renewal of Journalistic Ethics.
Canada Free Press Partners with Deceptive Advertisers. Beware when visiting the Canada Free Press website. At the time of this writing, a deceptive and misleading pop-up advertisement was consistently being launched. When you see a page with the title “News 3 Insider Weekly News” with links to Easy Google Profit, just close that window. It is not a news story. It is an advertisement. Not only is the Canada Free Press deceptive and misleading in their reporting, but they also seem to have partnered with deceptive and misleading advertisers.
Summary. The Postville community in Iowa is a living example of diversity, vitality, longevity, and resiliency. The book Postville U.S.A.: Surviving Diversity in Small-Town America is a thoughtfully written multi-authored book with several perspectives on the community’s struggles and successes. [Buy]
Our Interest. Because of its cultural richness and historical significance, several stories and first-hand reports have been written and published on the ResourcesForLife.com website about Postville, including:
Who Should Read This Book. This most recent book about Postville offers an in-depth and thought provoking examination of many facets of life, religion, work, community, culture, and national identity. The writing style and stories are engaging. For this reason, just about anyone would enjoy and benefit from the book. It’s an excellent resource for anyone involved in community governance, and small-town revitalization. Learn more at www.PostvilleUSA.com
Summary. Our social problems (such as war, poverty, crime, drugs, vandalism, and exploitation) are to society what illness is to the body. Like illnesses, the majority of them are preventable and caused by human choices and actions rather than some phenomenon of nature.
Blame. The blame for our societal problems is often placed on religion, politics, or economics, with one group claiming that their model(s) will bring peace. The economic model of Capitalism is under attack by those who claim that Socialism is the answer. Political parties claim that the problems are caused by the other party and if everyone would just join their party, all social problems would go away. Religion is often blamed as the cause for most wars, although security or economic interests are often at the heart of military conflict.
Causes. It seems that whatever political, economic, and religious models are in place; corruption, greed, selfishness, ego, power, and other influences remain. The answer isn’t as simple as changing an economic model, political regime, or religion. We need a transcendent change that would result in equity and fairness for all people regardless of the models involved (political/economic/religious). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights may hold a key to solving this problem.
Seeking Good. There has always been a community of sometimes widely dispersed yet mysteriously cohesive people seeking to do good. These people are found in all religions, nationalities, political parties, ethnicities, and in various times of history. There have also always been people who are self seeking, ego driven, selfish, sectarian, insensitive, and inhumane. These people also are found in all religions, nationalities, political parties, ethnicities, and in various times of history.
About Villains. American physicist Steven Weinberg, apparently understood the physics of human nature when he stated, “With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil—that takes religion.” Of course, a world-view that sees only good and evil is overly simplistic. Yet, for purposes of this article, these labels will be used.
Failed Religious Leaders and Institutions. It’s true that religious institutions, indeed any institution, can potentially establish a mechanism that pressures good people to think and/or do evil. Villains depicted in plays or movies often seem to be aware of their evil deeds, yet callously unconcerned. These villains are sometimes examples of real-life villains. The most interesting fiction and real-life villains are those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The failings or hypocrisy of some religious people, particularly leaders, is a favored topic among those who would like to criticize religions. It’s true that bad people sometimes are drawn to religious practice and institutions for the purpose of:
Hiding behind religion and posing as pious in an effort to whitewash their villainy and true character.
Twisting religious teachings to support their own agenda, and justify their evil teachings and behavior.
Using positions of power to manipulate large numbers of people and thus creating a following.
Using the celebrity status of religious leadership to boost their ego, fame, power, and influence.
Using religious observance as a means to balance the scales and feel okay about other things in their life know are wrong — such as the pastor or religious leader engaged in infidelity, drug use, alcohol abuse, gambling, or some other self-destructive behavior.
Religion’s Potential for Good. Those who desire to do good in this world, and make the world a more peaceful and livable place for all, are comprised of religious and non-religious people. Some people see and embrace religion as an effective personal tool for more efficiently serving others and working toward a better world. Such religious people find that religious practice and study can help strengthen character and develop insights into the human condition. So, religion is simply a tool, intended (hopefully) for the good of the individual and society, yet unfortunately misused at times.
The Matter of Salvation. No single religion “is the answer” to the world’s problems. Increasing the number of people (religious and non-religious) who desire to individually and cooperatively do good and help heal the planet — this is the answer to the world’s problems. Most devout believers in any religion will tell you that their religion, in itself, is not going to eliminate all problems from a person’s life or the world. Religion can help people endure life’s hardship and grapple with life’s challenges, but not eliminate them. The primary point of disagreement between religions is with regard to salvation. Some sectarian religions preach that theirs is the only faith and practice that will ultimately lead to salvation and eternity in heaven. Yet even these religions would acknowledge that it’s not enough to simply put on a badge of membership to a group. According to the devout, you must truly, ultimately, have a one-to-one relationship with God. Teachings such as those found in the Christian scriptures of Matthew 7:21, Matthew 21:28-32, and Romans 2:13-15, suggest that it isn’t those who are self-proclaimed religious zealots (of any religion) that will be saved, but instead those who do right and good. In this, the humanists and people of religious faith are in agreement. This writing does not intend to define which religion, or denomination, has a corner on salvation and truth, but instead the point of this writing is to inspire people toward obedience to their inner conscience and impulse to do good, regardless of their religion or lack of religion (see Paul’s plea of Romans 2:13-15).
God’s Existence Proven in Nature. The argument is made that God’s existence is proven simply through observation of the order, beauty, and complexity of nature. The Christian scripture frequently sited is Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” While this is a persuasive argument, it leaves out the question of nature’s brutality, either in the animal world where lions ruthlessly tear apart their prey, or seen the the indiscriminate devastation of an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane. These characteristics of nature don’t support the notion of a “loving and caring” God, but instead a chaotic and irrational universe. So, the relationship between the nature of God and the nature of nature remains an incongruous mystery (unless it reveals that God is harsh and randomly destructive).
Good Will Triumph Over Evil. The idea that good will triumph over evil is a common theme found in many stories, plays, and movies. At the outset of this brief article, it was established, or at least the premise was set forth, that a universal community of inherently good people have existed throughout all time, in (and out) of every religion, and among all nationalities and ethnicities. It has been said that a positive future is possible, and inevitable, if we believe it to be so. If we don’t believe it is so, then it isn’t (or won’t be). Our actions are our shared future are simply the fruit of a tree that we call faith, hope, and belief. Our thoughts are the sap of that tree — for nourishment, or a withering demise.
Message. The song begins with these words, “My best friend gave me the best advice. He said each day is a gift but not a given right. Leave no stone unturned. Leave your fears behind, and try to take the path less traveled by. That first step you take is the longest stride. What if today is your last day, tomorrow was too late? Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past? Donate every dime you have? If today was your last day.”
Lyrics. The complete lyrics of the song are below.
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day’s a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
If today was your last day
Against the grain should be a way of life
What’s worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts ’cause there’s no second try
So live like you’ll never live it twice
Don’t take the free ride in your own life
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you’re dreamin’ of? Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are So do whatever it takes
‘Cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin’ stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you’re dreamin’ of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
Summary. Below is the video of Barack Obama’s Commencement Address at the Arizona State University (ASU) graduation ceremony in 2009.
Target Audience. This is an essential video for anyone involved in education at any level from K-12 and beyond. Entrepreneurs and business leaders should also watch this presentation. In the address, Barack Obama effectively describes the challenges we face as a nation, and as citizens of the world. Note: This is a public video made available by a state educational institution. It’s being placed on ResourcesForLife.com simply to provide a hosting solution for streaming video for non-commercial educational purposes. It was produced using public funds.
Transcript. Below is a transcript of Barack Obama’s Commencement Address at the Arizona State University (ASU).
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Thank you, President Crow, for that generous introduction, and for your inspired leadership here at ASU. And I want to thank the entire ASU community for the honor of attaching my name to a scholarship program that will help open the doors of higher education to students from every background. That is the core mission of this school; it is a core mission of my presidency; and I hope this program will serve as a model for universities across this country.
Now, before I begin, I’d like to clear the air about that little controversy everyone was talking about a few weeks back. I have to tell you, I really thought it was much ado about nothing, although I think we all learned an important lesson. I learned to never again pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA bracket. And your university President and Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS.
In all seriousness, I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t yet achieved enough in my life. I come to embrace it; to heartily concur; to affirm that one’s title, even a title like President, says very little about how well one’s life has been led – and that no matter how much you’ve done, or how successful you’ve been, there’s always more to do, more to learn, more to achieve.
And I want to say to you today, graduates, that despite having achieved a remarkable milestone, one that you and your families are rightfully proud of, you too cannot rest on your laurels. Your body of work is yet to come.
Now, some graduating classes have marched into this stadium in easy times – times of peace and stability when we call on our graduates to simply keep things going, and not screw it up. Other classes have received their diplomas in times of trial and upheaval, when the very foundations of our lives have been shaken, the old ideas and institutions have crumbled, and a new generation is called on to remake the world.
It should be clear by now the category into which all of you fall. For we gather here tonight in times of extraordinary difficulty, for the nation and the world. The economy remains in the midst of a historic recession, the result, in part, of greed and irresponsibility that rippled out from Wall Street and Washington, as we spent beyond our means and failed to make hard choices. We are engaged in two wars and a struggle against terrorism. The threats of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemic defy national boundaries and easy solutions.
For many of you, these challenges are felt in more personal terms. Perhaps you’re still looking for a job – or struggling to figure out what career path makes sense in this economy. Maybe you’ve got student loans, or credit card debts, and are wondering how you’ll ever pay them off. Maybe you’ve got a family to raise, and are wondering how you’ll ensure that your kids have the same opportunities you’ve had to get an education and pursue their dreams.
In the face of these challenges, it may be tempting to fall back on the formulas for success that have dominated these recent years. Many of you have been taught to chase after the usual brass rings: being on this “who’s who” list or that top 100 list; how much money you make and how big your corner office is; whether you have a fancy enough title or a nice enough car.
You can take that road – and it may work for some of you. But at this difficult time, let me suggest that such an approach won’t get you where you want to go; that in fact, the elevation of appearance over substance, celebrity over character, short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your generation needs to help end.
I want to highlight two main problems with that old approach. First, it distracts you from what is truly important, and may lead you to compromise your values, principles and commitments. Think about it. It’s in chasing titles and status – in worrying about the next election rather than the national interest and the interests of those they represent – that politicians so often lose their way in Washington. It was in pursuit of gaudy short-term profits, and the bonuses that come with them, that so many folks lost their way on Wall Street.
The leaders we revere, the businesses that last – they are not the result of narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose – the preservation of the Union or the determination to lift a country out of depression; the creation of a quality product or a commitment to your customers, your workers, your shareholders and your community.
The trappings of success may be a by-product of this larger mission, but they can’t be the central thing. Just ask Bernie Madoff.
The second problem with the old approach is that a relentless focus on the outward markers of success all too often leads to complacency. We too often let them serve as indications that we’re doing well, even though something inside us tells us that we’re not doing our best; that we are shrinking from, rather than rising to, the challenges of the age. And the thing is, in this new, hyper-competitive age, you cannot afford to be complacent.
That is true in whatever profession you choose. Professors might earn the distinction of tenure, but that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll keep putting in the long hours and late nights – and have the passion and drive – to be great educators. It’s true in your personal life as well. Being a parent isn’t just a matter of paying the bills and doing the bare minimum – it’s not bringing a child into the world that matters, but the acts of love and sacrifice it takes to raise that child. It can happen to presidents too: Abraham Lincoln and Millard Fillmore had the very same title, but their tenure in office – and their legacy – could not be more different.
And that’s not just true for individuals – it is also true for this nation. In recent years, in many ways, we’ve become enamored with our own success – lulled into complacency by our own achievements.
We’ve become accustomed to the title of “military super-power,” forgetting the qualities that earned us that title – not just a build-up of arms, or accumulation of victories, but the Marshall Plan, the Peace Corps, our commitment to working with other nations to pursue the ideals of opportunity, equality and freedom that have made us who we are.
We’ve become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn’t reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us there; but hard work and smart ideas -quality products and wise investments. So we started taking shortcuts. We started living on credit, instead of building up savings. We saw businesses focus more on rebranding and repackaging than innovating and developing new ideas and products that improve our lives.
All the while, the rest of the world has grown hungrier and more restless – in constant motion to build and discover – not content with where they are right now, determined to strive for more.
So graduates, it is now abundantly clear that we need to start doing things a little differently. In your own lives, you’ll need to continuously adapt to a continuously changing economy: to have more than one job or career over the course of your life; to keep gaining new skills – possibly even new degrees; and to keep taking risks as new opportunities arise.
And as a nation, we’ll need a fundamental change of perspective and attitude. It is clear that we need to build a new foundation – a stronger foundation – for our economy and our prosperity, rethinking how we educate our children, and care for our sick, and treat our environment.
Many of our current challenges are unprecedented. There are no standard remedies, or go-to fixes this time around.
That is why we are going to need your help. We’ll need young people like you to step up. We need your daring and your enthusiasm and your energy.
And let me be clear, when I say “young,” I’m not just referring to the date on your birth certificate. I’m talking about an approach to life – a quality of mind and heart.
A willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead to fortune and fame. A willingness to question conventional wisdom and rethink the old dogmas. A lack of regard for all the traditional markers of status and prestige – and a commitment instead to doing what is meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a difference in this world.
That’s the spirit that led a band of patriots not much older than you to take on an empire. It’s what drove young pioneers west, and young women to reach for the ballot; what inspired a 30 year-old escaped slave to run an underground railroad to freedom, and a 26 year-old preacher to lead a bus boycott for justice. It’s what led firefighters and police officers in the prime of their lives up the stairs of those burning towers; and young people across this country to drop what they were doing and come to the aid of a flooded New Orleans. It’s what led two guys in a garage – named Hewlett and Packard – to form a company that would change the way we live and work; and what led scientists in laboratories, and novelists in coffee shops to labor in obscurity until they finally succeeded in changing the way we see the world.
That is the great American story: young people just like you, following their passions, determined to meet the times on their own terms. They weren’t doing it for the money. Their titles weren’t fancy – ex-slave, minister, student, citizen. But they changed the course of history – and so can you.
With a degree from this university, you have everything you need to get started. Did you study business? Why not help our struggling non-profits find better, more effective ways to serve folks in need. Nursing? Understaffed clinics and hospitals across this country are desperate for your help. Education? Teach in a high-need school; give a chance to kids we can’t afford to give up on – prepare them to compete for any job anywhere in the world. Engineering? Help us lead a green revolution, developing new sources of clean energy that will power our economy and preserve our planet.
Or you can make your mark in smaller, more individual ways. That’s what so many of you have already done during your time here at ASU – tutoring children; registering voters; doing your own small part to fight hunger and homelessness, AIDS and cancer. I think one student said it best when she spoke about her senior engineering project building medical devices for people with disabilities in a village in Africa. Her professor showed a video of the folks they’d be helping, and she said, “When we saw the people on the videos, we began to feel a connection to them. It made us want to be successful for them.”
That’s a good motto for all of us – find someone to be successful for. Rise to their hopes and their needs. As you think about life after graduation, as you look in the mirror tonight, you may see somebody with no idea what to do with their life. But a troubled child might look at you and see a mentor. A homebound senior citizen might see a lifeline. The folks at your local homeless shelter might see a friend. None of them care how much money is in your bank account, or whether you’re important at work, or famous around town – they just know that you’re someone who cares, someone who makes a difference in their lives.
That is what building a body of work is all about – it’s about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up to a lasting legacy. It’s about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star – because one thing I know about a body of work is that it’s never finished. It’s cumulative; it deepens and expands with each day that you give your best, and give back, and contribute to the life of this nation. You may have set-backs, and you may have failures, but you’re not done – not by a longshot.
Just look to history. Thomas Paine was a failed corset maker, a failed teacher, and a failed tax collector before he made his mark on history with a little book called Common Sense that helped ignite a revolution. Julia Child didn’t publish her first cookbook until she was almost fifty, and Colonel Sanders didn’t open up his first Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his sixties. Winston Churchill was dismissed as little more than a has-been, who enjoyed scotch just a bit too much, before he took over as Prime Minister and saw Great Britain through its finest hour. And no one thought a former football player stocking shelves at the local supermarket would return to the game he loved, become a Super Bowl MVP, and then come here to Arizona and lead your Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.
Each of them, at one point in their life, didn’t have any title or much status to speak of. But they had a passion, a commitment to following that passion wherever it would lead, and to working hard every step along the way.
And that’s not just how you’ll ensure that your own life is well-lived. It’s how you’ll make a difference in the life of this nation. I talked earlier about the selfishness and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington that rippled out and led to the problems we face today. I talked about the focus on outward markers of success that can lead us astray.
But here’s the thing, graduates: it works the other way around too. Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what’s in it for you – those also create ripple effects – ones that lift up families and communities; that spread opportunity and boost our economy; that reach folks in the forgotten corners of the world who, in committed young people like you, see the true face of America: our strength, our goodness, the enduring power of our ideals.
I know starting your careers in troubled times is a challenge. But it is also a privilege.
Because it is moments like these that force us to try harder, to dig deeper, to discover gifts we never knew we had – to find the greatness that lies within each of us. So don’t ever shy away from that endeavor. Don’t ever stop adding to your body of work. I can promise that you will be the better for that continued effort, as will this nation that we all love.
Congratulations on your graduation, and Godspeed on the road ahead.
Summary. The Gullah Man is an ambassador, artist, and edutainer (educator and entertainer) for his city, Savannah, Georgia. He welcomes visitors, makes art, recites poetry, inspires, and shares love. His hand crafted roses and other objects made out of palm reeds are beautiful works of art. The High Definition video below was recorded by Jon Nelson using a Canon 5DMKII DSLR (Digital SLR) camera in video mode. The entire production process and workflow are described on Jon’s website.
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Summary. In tough economic times, it’s even more essential to achieve the greatest value from money spent on defense and national security. A nation’s armed forces and military personnel must be fully trained and equipped to meet modern threats to national security. The threats we face today are like none we’ve ever faced before. For this reason, leaders in defense are redirecting resources and funding to humanitarian aid and sustainability efforts because such initiatives produce the greatest return on the investment.
Summary. We’ve compiled this list of considerations as a prerequisite for shopping at 
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If today was your last day
If today was your last day
Swear up and down to God above
So do whatever it takes
Summary. Below is the video of Barack Obama’s Commencement Address at the Arizona State University (ASU) graduation ceremony in 2009.