THE ENTERPRISE--AMERICAN FREEDOMS: LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--AND INNOVATION

CAN BUSINESSES GROW IN A STAGNANT, LOW GROWTH PERIOD--LIKE NOW?

Absolutely, YES. However, it takes considerable skill, wisdom and fortitude (guts) to believe it is possible and discern how to do it. There are some excellent books around, including "Blue Ocean Strategy" by Kim and Mauborgne, that describe how to find the areas of markets (the "blue ocean areas") that have not been exploited. Genuine innovation sells--just look at Apple. Market dominance sells--look at amazon.com. Superb customer service sells--consider Southwest Airlines (and its new acquisition AirTran). Powerful recreation sells too--whether it is movies, or books, or music (Harry Potter books and movies, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, the Hunger Games books and movie, and the Twilight series along with numerous best selling authors, and musicians too numerous to mention.

Better products sell too: consider Corelle dinnerware, a product with which I am very familiar. It is a true 3 layer glass dinnerware with the pattern fired into the glass so it never fades. Corelle is incredibly light, AND it is chip and break resistant too--AND it can stand up to the heat of most ovens and microwaves (but not stove-tops). Corelle is a worldwide best-seller--a great product. (Disclaimer: I am a board member of the company that makes and sells Corelle.)

HOW DO YOU FIND THESE "WINNERS?" LOOK HARD…INSIGHTFULLY…AND CREATIVELY: IMAGINE NOT WHAT IS, BUT WHAT COULD BE

Who imagined the enormous power and capabilities of an iPhone ten years ago? Or an iPad? They would have been considered impossible, imaginary dreams or futuristic gadgets. They are now selling in the tens of millions. Derivations of current products are harder to ride to success: hybrid cars, even battery operated cars, are incremental improvements that cannibalize the older, proven technology. High-Definition TV caught hold, and is now undergoing incremental improvements, but no quantum leaps. What will be the "Next Big Things?" The interface between humans and electronics is crumbling. Expect medical diagnosis via devices like enhanced iPhones and WiFi connections with Doctors. Most of the tests done in a common doctor's visit could be done remotely. Visual examination of many things, monitoring and perhaps even treatment? Certainly integrated prescription ordering with automatic drug interaction checking--if you create your own version of a Facebook page for your medical information and treatment.

HOW ABOUT ENHANCED SECURITY MEASURES TO PROTECT ALL THAT VITAL INFORMATION ALREADY OUT THERE

There must be many ways to encrypt it, to protect it, and to render it useless in all but the authorized sets of hands and eyeballs. The biggest downside of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. is that of privacy--or lack thereof. Somebody, somehow, sooner rather than later will hack these, or sell the content, or both. Perhaps they will use it for illicit purposes too. It scares the hell out of me.

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ONE WEEKEND; THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS; JUST LET YOUR IMAGINATION WANDER

Or better yet, spend some time with a 7 year old, a 15 year old, and any number of youth that are a fraction of your age. If the adult in you doesn't stifle them you will see a world of creativity beyond your fondest imagination. Remember the now famous words of my old friend Steve Goubeaux: "If you don't go, where you don't go, you won't know, what you don't know." Drive to work a different way; read magazine and web sites and blogs you never normally read; watch TV or movies you normally ignore; eat at places you've never been--or even imagined going. And then talk to strangers…they will tell you the darnedest things.

BUT AMIDST IT ALL, RUN EVERYTHING THROUGH THE SCREEN OF YOUR JUDGEMENT, YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Filter out the junk and there will be more than enough good stuff left to innovate for a long time. AND don't compromise your values in doing so--because there are a lot of bad people and a lot of bad stuff out there too. Duck it, dump it, bury it, and move on.

THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE SIMPLY NON-NEGOTIABLE IN LIFE--AND AFTERWARDS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9vQt6IXXaM&hd

FAIRNESS--AND THE DISTORTION OF THE MEANING OF THE WORD:

WHAT'S THE STORY ON THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE? HERE'S ONE CURRENT SURVEY THAT IS USUALLY VERY ACCURATE

Obama and Romney Tied with Registered Voters, Romney has Slight Edge among Likely Voters, According to New American Pulse™ Analysis

Lack of Confidence Likely to Prove Challenging for the Incumbent

WORTHINGTON, OH – 5/3/12 – President Obama and Mitt Romney are tied with Registered Voters, according to a recent analysis of the latest American Pulse™ Survey (APR-12, N=3,666). If the election were held today, 39.7% would cast a ballot for the incumbent, while 39.3% would choose the challenger. Romney has a slight edge among Likely Voters with 41.5%, compared to 40.8% for the President.

In what’s expected to be a closely contested battle, the key to the election will likely be Undecided Voters. Studies have shown that typically those who haven’t made up their mind break for the challenger, making President Obama’s bid for re-election more difficult. According to the analysis, 21% of Registered Voters are undecided and this voter group appears to be dissatisfied with the current state of the union. They are overwhelmingly unhappy/very unhappy with the government (71.8%) and they believe the economy is heading in the wrong direction (68.4%).

Undecided Voters identify the weak economy (20.9%) as the #1 problem currently affecting the U.S. followed by unemployment (16.9%) and national debt (16.1%). Although Undecided Voters aren’t sure if Romney would handle these issues “well,” they appear to believe he could do better. Respondents were asked to rate how they thought Romney would do if elected President regarding the top problems. When comparing those who said either good or excellent to those who said President Obama has handled them in the same regard, the indices fall in the Republican’s favor.

Romney vs. Obama’s Handling of Major Problems – Good/Excellent(Undecided Voters)

(To be read as: 100 equals the same as Obama, 105 indicates Romney would handle 5% better than Obama while 95 indicates Romney would handle 5% worse.)

Top 3 Problems

Weak economy 158

Unemployment 96

National debt 188

Source: American Pulse™ Survey, APR-12

With Undecided Voters tending to believe Romney could do a better job handling major U.S. problems, re-election could be a problem for Mr. Obama.

American Pulse™

The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online twice a month covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. 3,666 respondents participated in the 2nd April American Pulse conducted 4/23-4/30/2012. Margin of error is +/- 1.6%.http://www.biginsight.com

ON "LEGITIMACY:" AFTER GETTING MY FORBES POST PULLED FOR SUGGESTING THAT THE PRESIDENT IS AN IMPOSTOR--(Either in fact or at least figuratively speaking, as a "pretender" who is unqualified to hold the office.)

I keep getting things like this, which have been circulating on the Internet for a long time. Are these fabrications? Or are they true?

"FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS " said MItt Romney quoting John Adams. The question is what facts are the true facts.

WHO IS THIS MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE? Why won't this stuff go away?

If there is this much "smoke," is there a "fire" somewhere?" Aside from the forensic graphic experts who cite the president's "birth certificate" as a forgery--a fake--there are these inconvenient facts to consider.

I'll quit with that point, but if it makes you curious, read on.

JOHN

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The Plot Thickens: HOW ONE GETS A REASSIGNED SS NUMBER

(NOTE: source unknown)

An intensive investigation has revealed the identity of the man whose Social Security number (SSN) is being used by President Obama: Jean Paul Ludwig, who was born in France in 1890, immigrated to the United States in 1924, and was assigned SSN 042-68-4425 (Obama's current SSN) on or about March 1977. Ludwig lived most of his adult life in Connecticut. Because of that, his SSN begins with the digits 042, which are among only a select few reserved for Connecticut residents.

Obama never lived or worked in that state! Therefore, there is no reason on earth for his SSN to start with the digits 042. NonE whatsoever! Now comes the best part! Ludwig spent the final months of his life in Hawaii, where he died. Conveniently, Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, worked part-time in the Probate Office in the Honolulu Hawaii Courthouse, and therefore had access to the SSNs of deceased individuals. The Social Security Administration was never informed of Ludwig's death, and because he never received Social Security benefits there were no benefits to stop and therefore, no questions were ever raised.

The suspicion, of course, is that Dunham, knowing her grandson was not a U.S. Citizen, either because he was born in Kenya or became a citizen of Indonesia upon his adoption by Lolo Soetoro simply scoured the probate records until she found someone who died who was not receiving Social Security benefits, and selected Mr. Ludwigs Connecticut SSN for Obama. Although many Americans do not understand the meaning of the term "natural born" there are few who do not understand that if you are using someone else's SSN it is a clear indication of fraud.

“Very Interesting Bit of Detective Work” RE: THE OBAMA "LIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATE"

1. Back in 1961 people of color were called 'Negroes.' So how can the Obama "birth certificate" states he is "African-American" when the term wasn't even used at that time?

2. The birth certificate that the White House released lists Obama's birth as August 4, 1961. It also lists Barack Hussein Obama as his father. No big deal, right? At the time of Obama's birth, it also shows that his father is aged 25 years old, and that Obama's father was born in "Kenya , East Africa". This wouldn't seem like anything of concern, except the fact that Kenya did not even exist until 1963, two whole years after Obama's birth, and 27 years after his father's birth. How could Obama's father have been born in a country that did not yet exist? Up and until Kenya was formed in 1963, it was known as the " British East Africa Protectorate".

3. On the birth certificate released by the White House, the listed place of birth is "Kapi'olani Maternity Gynecological Hospital ". This cannot be, because the hospital(s) in question in 1961 were called "KauiKeolani Children's Hospital" and "Kapi'olani Maternity Home", respectively. The name did not change to Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital until 1978, when these two hospitals merged. How can this particular name of the hospital be on a birth certificate dated 1961 if this name had not yet been applied to it until 1978?

Resources:

http://www .kapiolani .org /women-and-children/about-us/default.aspx