There is a right and a wrong way to do everything; writing journalistic headlines is no different.

Correct: British tabloid, News of the World to shut down amid phone hacking scams.

Incorrect: Fox News’ sister publication, News of the World to shut down under suspicion of phone hacking; the latest in Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets failing to live up to journalistic integrity.

Sensationalism is the name of the game in news/journalism these days. One of the negative effects of capitalism is its effects on information dissemination. Regardless of the information a news outlet is sharing, and despite their purpose as defined by the FCC, news outlets exist for one reason, and one reason only: to make money and grow profits and fan-base (readership, viewership, listenership etc). Stations that air news make “ends meet” by selling advertising, advertisers want consistency (same audience with the same buying habits, watching the same programs, at the same time, with the same socio-economic demographic information). One of the ways that outlets attract this coveted stable audience is to air programming with the same slant, in the same time slot daily/weekly. Unfortunately, this creates a culture of pontificating opinions, editorializing facts and fear mongering to name a few. Do yourself a favor, try your best to receive your news from an unbiased source. Look for the actual news, don’t listen to a pundit editorialize.

The efforts to mobilize communication over the past quarter-century has reduced the overall level of communication and discourse; there is no arguing this. Communication from a physical medium (letters, handwritten, typewritten) was more deliberate. Due to the laborious nature of having to recreate part, or all of a work, if errors were present people took more time, and pain to ensure everything was correct and well written. With the digitization of the written word (word processing programs, etc) and television becoming the dominant medium for information dissemination, the level of communication skills has diminished even further. With more recent mobile technological advancements (iPhones, iPads, other handheld devices) people are becoming even more flippant with their words, their logic, and their communication skills.

I often find myself guilty of dumbing down an argument, or a point to get it across over Twitter, a web/app based, 140 character limited social networking platform. Unfortunately it seems as we move forward with social networks, and a larger population engaging them, we will see further deterioration of the English language, and the art of argument and discourse.  I’m reminded of the initial short message system, the telegraph. The first telegraph ever written was from Samuel F.B. Morse for the opening of the Baltimore Washington telegraph lines; it simply said, “What hath God wrought.” Never has there been a better statement of signs of things to come.

Last year I traveled with Children of the World Choirs across the United States raising awareness for children, like these, that have gone unnoticed and unloved by society for far too long. I heard all the stories, I read the book, “Cause Life”  I knew the statistics, and I knew the importance of one simple issue, with one inexpensive fix that could eradicate the majority of this disease, poverty, and premature death.

That simple fix is water. It really is that simple, I could spout off the statistics about children walking two hours one way to fill a 5 gallon (40lb) jeri can with water from a disgusting pond with water that really isn’t safe to drink. They then use this water to clean dishes, wash clothes, drink from, and bathe in. This filthy, disease infested water is literally in everything they have.

This is why clean water is so important, it gives these children the chance to be healthy (taking medication with dirty water nullifies any health benefits from the medicine). Clean water sources in villages frees up the 8 hours a day a child spends walking to the pond, or stream. This will allow the young child to receive an education, and become a contributing member to their society.

Today is World Water Day, and I’m begging you, imploring you even to join me (that’s right, I donated too) in donating at least $20 to The Adventure Project a fantastic organization that several of my friends are involved with. The Adventure Project is repairing broken hand wells in Uttar Pradesh, India. With donations from people like you, and from people like me; we can help change the world.

The picture above is of me. It is from the happiest day of my life. In June of 2010, I had the privelege to join one of our partners in Uganda for the dedication and unveiling of a well that we helped to build. Nothing is more exciting than knowing that you are part of saving the world, and making an impact. Join me today in doing so. Donate here. Check back all day, and even in subsequent days.

This Christmas, Make a Difference

Today is “Black Friday” where retailers across America are slashing prices, and consumers across America are punching each other to get the best deals. Why? So we can save money, and still purchase a ton of gifts for the ones we love. Here’s the thing, I get Christmas presents every year, as we all do. For the most part I cannot think of a single gift I’ve received with the exception of the backpack I got last year, that I still use. This isn’t a slight on the gifts I’ve received, but they’re just “things.” Things that I don’t really NEED; but things, at the moment, I wanted.

This year, lets all give gifts that matter. Which isn’t to say we have to abandon the tradition of giving gifts to loved ones. I’m still going to get gifts for my family, but for every dollar I spend doing that, I’m going to match with a gift to someone who NEEDS gifts more than ever.

World Help and WorldVision are offering a chance to partner in global ministry and aid, this year. While campaigns like Operation Christmas Child are cool, and its great to give gifts like that, families need food/water. WorldVision has launched a gift a goat campaign. For $75 you can give a family a goat. I know what you’re thinking. “Really, a goat, Really?” But consider this from the World Vision website

“Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market.

A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens.”

Another cool thing that WorldVision is offering, is a chance to give hope to sexually exploited girls. It’s estimated that 2,000,000 children are currently involved in the global sex trade, most of them girls.

Consider this year partnering with World Help or World Vision this holiday season, and give the gift of hope. Also, consider sponsoring a child, it’s a bit more of a financial commitment, but for a moderate monthly fee, you can literally change a child’s life.

Dear Contemporaries,

Do something with your life. Stop wasting your life being comfortable, and underachieving. Stop making excuses for why you aren’t moving forward in life, and just start moving forward. You have tons of potential, tons of promise, and no followthrough. You’re better than this, prove it. Make something of your life.

Stop Being Comfortable: I get it, college isn’t for everyone, however, if it’s not for you then just drop out already, and join the work force.  However, if you do finish college,and even in four years, put the same effort into finding a job. As a generation, we are wasting our potential on easy and available work. You were made for more than making coffee, working at chipotle, and various other less than glamorous jobs. If you have your degree, put it to use. If you don’t have a degree, still actively pursue bettering yourself, even if it outside of the typical arenas of learning (college, university). Live up to your potential, not down to your apathy. We can all be much better than we are right now.

Stop Making Excuses: I didn’t get my dream job right out of college, very few people do, but that didn’t stop me. I didn’t make an excuse on the state of the economy or the complexity of the job market, I got a less than glamorous position doing something I loved, and doing something that mattered. I was privileged to have that opportunity, and I hope someday each of you realize what it is you love, and you do it. However, don’t sit around and complain because the job market is difficult. Of course it’s difficult to find a job, it’s even harder when you don’t send out resumes, go to job fairs, attend interviews, and follow up with perspective employers. You are only limited by your effort. Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.

I get it, we aren’t all lucky enough to have a great job fall into our laps, let alone twice. I get that we can’t all get PhD.’s, I get that we can’t all afford to go to college, I get that we can’t all afford to go to college full time. What I don’t get is being comfortable and stagnate.  We have such a great opportunity to succeed, with so much technology and resources at our fingertips, yet we fail to take advantage of any of it. The average teen spends 31 hours a week on the internet, or roughly 4.5 hours a day. Do yourself a favor, read some good websites, don’t let yourself just sit on facebeook hitting the refresh button on your live news feed continuously.

You are doing yourself the greatest disservice of all time by allowing yourself to fail. Shoot your television, read a book, and stop being so damn apathetic.

With Love,

Mike.

P.S.— We are the middle children of history, with no purpose or place. We have no great war, or great depression. The great war is a spiritual war. The great depression is our lives. We were raised by television to believe that we’d be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars — but we won’t. And we’re learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed-off.—

Terrorist Attacks have occured in 4 U.S. Cities- Currently in the Obama administration, America has not fallen victim to any terrorist attacks.
Christian doctors, nurses, counselors and teachers have either been fired or quit- In these economic times, many people are now without jobs. I believe what Dobson was trying to convey was a the Obama administration would actively seek, and persecute Christians. It simply isn’t happening.
Iran perpetrated a nuclear attack on Israel, drastically reducing the size of it’s borders- Iran has just as of yesterday, powered it’s first Nuclear Reactor, no word on who they will target if they actually move forward on this. However, the Obama administration has taken a stance against Iran, maybe not as strong of a stance as some would have liked, but I’m pleased with my President’s reaction.
Pornography is freely displayed- Nope.
Inner city violent crime has dramatically increased due to gun control- There hasn’t as of yet been any gun control laws, however, this does not keep the inner city from becoming increasingly more violent each day.
Russia has occupied 4 additional countries- Those commie bastards haven’t occupied any countries yet.
Gas tops $7 a gallon- $2.95 In West Palm Beach, I’ve always found WPB to be on the expensive end of the spectrum.
Euthanasia becomes commonplace- If you believe the conservative pundits and they’re talk on “Death Panels” then you’d probably believe this has already happened, and people are being killed left and right, however it simply isn’t the case.
Blackouts occur throughout the country- Working on smarter energy grids, which will provide more power, more efficiently. No blackouts to date though, that I’m aware of.
Homosexual marriage becomes law in all 50 states- While it has not become law in all 50 states, it has become law in a few. Homosexual marriage in my opinion, isn’t the real opponent to families. I think heterosexual divorce, and broken families are the opponents we need to be worried about.
Bush officials are jailed and bankrupt- To my knowledge not many of Bush’s officials have been jailed or bankrupted. I know there are several who were less than ethically solid, which could come back to bite them in the rear end, later.
Taliban-like oppresion overtakes Iraq and death of American sympathizers reaches millions- America did end their unnecessary, and poorly planned invasion of Iraq. Seems semi-stable, or at least as stable as a country in that region could be.
Home School families immigrate to Asia and New Zealand by the thousands- For the vast majority of home-schoolers I have come across, I’d be completely fine if this were true, however, its not. I’m sure there is still a large contingency of home-schoolers in America, most likely getting ready to be the subject of the yet to be announced documentary “Jesus Camp 2″
Homosexuals are given a bonus to enlist in the military- are heterosexuals given bonuses to enlist in the military? If so, maybe I should think about joining the military. Obama’s administration has challeneged a ruling that would repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”

The point of all this is. Just as I’m looking back at my old articles and posts, that when one writes from an angry place, they often write stupid things that look very bigoted, and cheap when revisited down the road. While I don’t agree with all, or even most of what President Obama has done while president, or necessarily like the direction he has taken the country thus far; he is still the President of the United States of America, and I will follow the Biblical call to submit to leadership.
One thing that is becoming important to me, when I attempt to write is to write with a tone of grace, and love. I apologize for missing that mark when I first started writing.

Perhaps the most prescient senate race to come from Florida in a while. Charlie Crist, current governor and former republican, has changed his party alliance to independent. Frustrated with party politics, Crist moved independent, and seems like a legitimate candidate capable of reaching both sides of the aisle. However, in a recent television ad, Crist called Marco Rubio (republican) an extremist for wanting to overturn Roe V. Wade (410 US 113 (1973)). However naive Rubio may be in wanting to overturn Roe V. Wade, that doesn’t make him an extremist. Choose your words wisely, Charlie; I’d hate to see this cost you the election.

Marco Rubio, a young upstart State Representative, and Speaker of the State House has taken the Republican nomination. Running on a partly Republican, partly tea-party movement, Rubio has picked up a ton of steam moving forward. His platform is evident in his commercial script, “Washington isn’t just broke, it’s broken.” The republicans are hitting this rhetoric hard across the nation, as they seek to overturn the power held by the Democrats in congress. With many voters disenfranchised by the current state of legislation that is coming out of Washington: tax increases, “Obama-Care,” stimulus packages, etc. the republicans stand a good chance at overthrowing incumbents nationwide

Kendrick Meek, also a state representative, like Rubio is vying to get out of state legislature, and punch a ticket to D.C. Meek is famous/infamous (depending on how you view the issue) for his 25 hour sit in, protesting Jeb Bush’s “One Florida” initiative in 2000. Meek also pushed for legislation that would lower class sizes statewide.

My pick: Charlie Crist.

House Race 25th District:

This is a four horse race, featuring candidates from the whig party, the tea party, the republican party, and the democrat party.

David Rivera- Republican, is taking a lot of heat from bloggers, he was involved in a domestic violence case in 1994. Big deal, move on and forgive the dude. He’s a conservative catholic and could be good for florida in that respect. Rivera was instrumental in the 2000 elections especially in the Hispanic Community as it related to activating voters, and campaign contributions for other republicans.

Joe Garcia- Democrat, wants to extend tax cuts to middle and lower class families, as well as small business owners, is a fan of health care for all. Garcia is promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants, pay taxes and earn your status his website says.

Roly Arrojo- “Tea Party” I put tea party in quotations, because Arrojo is actually a registered democrat. Miraculously on the ballot without a campaign website, and no campaign funds. If he draws any sort of credibility, it could be damaging to Joe Garcia, as it could split his voter base.

Craig Porter- This breath of fresh air is Florida’s first Whig Candidate for congress since the 1850′s. From the issues on his website, one could make a convincing argument that Porter is a tea-party candidate, small government, control spending, pay down debt, cut small business taxes, and then a bunch of non-answers on the rest of the issues.

My Pick: David Rivera

Governor:

This race is really tricky, mostly because it’s a “lesser of two evils” situation.  Rick Scott, the republican Candidate has a history of being a shady businessman, being deposed several time on charges of Medicare, and Medicaid fraud, defrauding senior citizens, etc. To add to his shadiness, Scott refuses to release the depositions, as the have no relation to the campaign. This is completely fine, if it were true. However, you can’t run for Governor based on your business record, and then when you get deposed regarding your business practices, claim that it is completely unrelated. If elected, he could very well wind up facing ethical sanctions (as perceivably any governor could or has).
Across the aisle, also running on her business platform is Alexandra “Alex” Sink. Sink, formerly of Bank of America, and also formerly Chief Financial Officer has had some trouble in her business past. According to the commercials, as quoted by several prestigious Florida news publications, Sink had some ethical mis dealings as well: high dollar no bid contracts to your former company, is never a good thing. Also, she is blamed for losing billions of dollars from The Florida Pension Fund

My pick Alex Sink

Florida Amendments:

1. Repeal of Public Campaign Financing: This amendment would repeal the provision in the State Constitution that requires public financing of campaigns of candidates running for any office, statewide, so long as they agreed to spending limits.– I don’t want my tax dollars paying for political advertisements that I don’t care about (paper mailers thrown in the trash, or occasionally recycled, tv ads- channel changed, phone calls– cross you off my ballot). However, by affording a candidate some money, it does lessen the amount they need to campaign, which could in turn limit the amount they take from special interest groups.
My verdict PUSH

2. Homestead tax credit for deployed military Extends to deployed, or previously deployed military additional tax benefits on property taxes. While I understand, this could be paid for by a tax increase, I’d much rather my taxes go to support our veterans, and active service members, than say campaign financing.
My Verdict- YES

4. Local Government Comprehensive Land Use Plans– before a government can make or amend comprehensive land plans, they are subject to vote of the electors of local government in the form of a referendum. There is enough inefficiency and bureaucracy in the legislative and governing process as it stands, do we really need to add more?
My Verdict- NO

8. Revision of Class Size requirements for Public Schools- Reduces average number of students in a class to 25 at the senior high level. Education is important, and while I understand not everyone takes advantage of the public school system, still pay into it, smaller class sizes benefits more people, gives less privileged kids a chance to learn and receive some one on one attention. Pay a little now, reap the benefits down the road.
My Verdict- YES