America 3.0: America’s Greatest Days Are Yet to Come

The optimistic book of the year is America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity in the 21st Century—Why America’s Greatest Days Are Yet to Come. Co-written by author and tech entrepreneur James C. Bennett and lawyer Michael J. Lotus, this bold new book explains our inevitable liberation from the shackles of failed Big Government and the transition into a sustainable era of post-industrial prosperity, creative enterprise, and individual and familial liberty.

Some interesting themes from the book:

• The next century will be as different from the world of today as we are from the age of steam railroads, telegraphs, and punch-card computers. The obstacles we face are political and regulatory, not technical or scientific.

• The unique American kind of family, developed in England over one thousand years ago, makes us individualistic, enterprising, and liberty-loving. But our current system is not geared towards working families—this can be changed.

• Part of the painful current economic downturn is due to the unavoidable process of shutting down the dying economic and political model of the 20th century.

• We will replace the current shambles in America with constitutionally limited government, which will be compelled to live within its means.

According to the authors, America is once again on the cusp of great transformation. The core American values of freedom, individualism, family, and enterprise have enabled our progressive expansion from an agricultural to an industrial corporate economy; they will continue to guide us as we adapt our political and economic institutions to emerge successfully as a post-industrial and decentralized society. Bennett and Lotus provide unique insight into our historical trajectory and a road map to the renewed American future.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Dwight Schwab of the Examiner.com (see the full interview at: http://www.examiner.com/article/america-3-0-soon-to-be-bestseller?CID=examiner_alerts_article):

BENNETT & LOTUS – We inherited language and law and political and economic ideas from England, as well as a culture that is capitalistic and individualistic. The foundation for that culture is a type of nuclear family structure which is almost unique in the world, and we still have it, and most people who have settled here have eventually adopted it.

SCHWAB – What is this unique family structure you are talking about?

BENNETT & LOTUS – A lot of things about American families sound normal to Americans, but they are actually very unusual in the world. American parents cannot pick their children’s spouses; they don’t have to give them equal inheritances; adult children are expected to marry and form their own homes away from their parents; and we have no extended families in the way they do in many foreign countries.

SCHWAB – Why does it matter that Americans have had this type of family?

BENNETT & LOTUS – It has shaped everything about us, especially by making us independent and enterprising. We are more alone in the world than other people, our parents don’t have to help us, we have no extended families to save us, we make our own marriage choices, our own career choices, we pick our own friends and colleagues, and we have to hustle to succeed.

SCHWAB – Does being individualistic mean that we have to live by the law of the jungle?

BENNETT & LOTUS – No. Part of the genius of America has been being individualistic but also willing and able to cooperate freely and a high degree of trust with others, to create businesses and other types of voluntary organizations. And there is a role for government, but it will have to be smaller, less intrusive, more efficient, and less centralized in the future. Government will adapt to America 3.0, just as we and our children will.

See Daniel Hannan’s excellent review in The Telegraph: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100234551/americas-greatest-days-lie-ahead/.

Check out their blog at www.Americathreepointzero.com.

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What You’re Really Meant To Do

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrN7MpNwwDw[/youtube]What You’re Really Meant to Do by Robert Steven Kaplan provides a unique road map for success that’s indispensible especially now when so many are scrambling to create a future and often recreate themselves against the odds. Kaplan is a leader of leaders–a former Vice Chairman at Goldman Sachs and now a professor and Dean at The Harvard Business School.

Millions of experts give advice on how to succeed, and most are professional advice-givers who’ve done nothing but give advice. Kaplan comes from an entirely different place. He rose to the top of the corporate world applying his brains, ethics and elbow grease. When Robert Kaplan speaks everyone listens and benefits. Any advice this guy wants to share, I’m all ears! (Check out his advice on Motley Fool–above)

Henry M. Paulson, Jr., 74th Secty of the US Dept of the Treasury, and former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs agrees: “Rob Kaplan has spent years mentoring and coaching executives and young professionals, and there is no one any better. This book is a superb guide for helping people understand themselves and reach their unique potential.”

According to 800 CEO Read: “This is a book for anyone, even those who think they have it all figured out. And even if they do, the book provides great insight and tips for improving the process of achieving one’s purpose.”

From Business World magazine, “This book opens the mind of the reader to a lot of self-exploratory questions rather than offering blind advice. It helps you understand yourself deeply and build a foundation based on this before starting a journey towards your dreams.”

BOTTOM LINE: Robert Steven Kaplan asks why most of us fail to spend sufficient time learning to understand ourselves and creating our own definition of success. He offers a road map to help readers defy conventional wisdom, resist peer pressure, and carve out a path that fits their unique skills and passions. Rob regularly advises executives and students on how to tackle these critical questions. Drawing on his years of experience, he shares an actionable approach to defining one’s own success and reaching your unique potential. See the book, reviews, and author bio at http://www.amazon.com/What-Youre-Really-Meant-Potential-ebook/dp/B00B6U63ZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385136605&sr=8-1&keywords=what+you%27re+really+meant+to+do

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Conrad Black: Flight of the Eagle

Flight of the Eagle: The Grand Strategies that Brought America from Colonial Dependence to World Leadership by Conrad Black chronicles American strategic history from our pre-revolution days to becoming the unrivaled supreme power in the world in just 235 years.

The book debunks the notion that our superpower status is merely the product of good geography, demographics, and good luck. Instead, it explores the challenges overcome and wars won, the visionary ideals of freedom and enterprise achieved, and the statesmen and their momentous strategic decisions, some well-known and others under-appreciated, that won the future for America.

Conrad Black has an extraordinary personal history—as colorful as any blockbuster film. Journalist, biographer, historian, attorney, financier, international media magnate and member of the British House of Lords (“Lord Black of Crossharbour”), in 2003 Black was named “business newsmaker of the year” by The Canadian Press.

His successful career was abruptly interrupted in 2003 and 2004 when he and his associates were fired from the positions they had held for decades, indicted, in Black’s case on 17 counts including racketeering, money laundering, embezzlement, fraud, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors sought life imprisonment and fines and restitution of $140 million, but Black never ceased to deny all the charges and all were abandoned, rejected by jurors, or unanimously vacated by the US Supreme Court.

Black gained the largest libel settlement in Canadian history against his original accusers, but not before a lower court retrieved one count of fraud and one of obstruction of justice and he spent a total of three years in federal prison, where he wrote A Matter of Principle, a book about his legal travails, a powerful defense of his case, and also wrote much of his new book, Flight of the Eagle. The book, by the convicted criminal who fought his case all the way to almost complete success, is a fine work of history for which Henry Kissinger wrote the introduction. Much of the work was written from his prison cell.

At this time, Black cannot re-enter the United States, but is available for radio and print interviews by phone and remote TV interviews through Canadian studios. He remains an admirer of many aspects of the United States, and an ardent believer in the “long, swift rise of America.”

Flight of the Eagle was published by Encounter Books in May 2013.

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Dr. Ajay Goel discusses his latest research on BCM-95 Curcumin for treating depression

Dr. Ajay Goelhttp://youtu.be/HpVh0eLbtDo

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What Would George Washington Do?

51xHT9yBZhL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-64,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_Logan Beirne, Olin Scholar at Yale Law School, is the highly talented author of Blood of Tyrants: George Washington & the Forging of the Presidency.

This myth-defying book, published by Encounter Books in April 2013, answers the timely question: “What would George Washington do if he were here today?”—based on what he and fellow founders actually did 225 years ago! Blood of Tyrants provides groundbreaking details on how our first Commander in Chief dealt with the issues still facing us in the present: from military tribunals, torture, and enemy combatants to political partisanship, Congressional meddling, government debt crisis, and let’s not forget, sex scandals.

Drawing directly from the papers of George Washington and his contemporaries, Beirne created a living history that dispels common mis-perceptions about our founding fathers and tells us how they would handle our present crises and forge America’s future.
The book is brilliantly informative and chock-full of surprises. Prepare to be shocked, amazed and educated!

Who should read this book? Anyone interested in modern politics or history or simply looking for some fun. The history in the book has serious implications for today’s politics, but the wild stories Beirne found are worth the read on their own. He said he wanted to write something that would both entertain and teach, whether you are reading it at the beach or your study.

Below is a brief Q&A with Logan on significant topics from the book that apply to today’s world:

IMPACT ON THE PRESENT: How does history impact the present?

Many judges, politicians, and academics believe that the Founders’ intent governs what our Constitution means today. So when our founding fathers created the Presidency based on George Washington’s precedents, that history directly impacts President Obama’s powers.

DEBT CRISIS: Do the Founders have any advice for our current debt crisis?

The country was nearly bankrupted by a debt crisis after the Revolution. Washington and our Founders made debt repayment their top priority, both raising taxes and watching spending while staying out of costly battles overseas.

Madison said “Public Debt is a Public curse” and Washington advised in his farewell address, “[A]void[] … the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, . . . not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen, which we ourselves ought to bear.”

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN: Times were different then – is it fair to compare us to the Founders?

We tend to place the Founders on a pedestal and forget that they were real men grappling with some of the same issues we face today. People are people and when you hear about how Washington’s second in command was caught sleeping with a “dirty hussy” in Martha’s sitting room, you will see how little has changed.

SCANDALS: Were there other scandals back then?

Plenty, the British generals were all sleeping with their officers’ wives instead of paying attention to the war – it is part of the reason we won. Even Washington was accused of nightly visits to a Jersey girl named Mary, but that was likely just a smear campaign.

TERRORISTS: How would George Washington have handled Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Mastermind of 9/11 who remains in custody after years of legal wrangling?

Washington would have thrown KSM before a military commission and executed him days after we caught him in 2003. He would find the debates over civilian vs. military tribunals ridiculous – to him, it is the Commander in Chief’s duty to defend Americans’ rights, not foreign enemies’. Let’s just say that Bin Laden’s son-in-law likewise would be in the ground right now instead of a courtroom in New York.

FOREIGN POLICY: Would our Founders have any advice for us regarding foreign policy?

Yes, the Founders were wary of foreign entanglements and were only willing to get involved if it directly benefited the United States. Rather than be the policemen of the world, they acted as an example for it, only engaging when our people were directly under attack or it was in our immediate economic interests.

DRONE ATTACKS: Would the Founders find the drone attacks legal?

Yes and no, they would cheer on our efforts to kill foreign enemy combatants. However, in the case of attacks on American citizens suspected of breaking the law, they would be appalled.

DISPELLING MYTHS: Could Washington tell a lie?

Despite the myth of the cherry tree, Washington was a master of deception. In fact, it was pivotal in fooling our enemies and paving the way for the underdog Americans to defeat the mightiest empire on earth.

ENTERTAINING TRIVIA: Were Washington’s teeth made of wood?

No, his dentures were made from hippopotamus ivory and human teeth.

PARTISANSHIP: What would the Founders think of today’s partisanship?

Washington despised political parties and is probably rolling in his grave. But despite his best efforts, parties were inevitable with Jefferson and Madison founding the Democratic Republicans to oppose Hamilton’s Federalists before the ink on the Constitution even dried. They would look at today’s deadlock with surprise and probably blame us voters for being stupid enough to keep electing these people.

TORTURE: Would Washington resort to torture?

Washington was morally opposed to mistreating prisoners. But he was even more opposed to letting Americans die. He was a practical man and if he could use British captives to save American lives, he would.

NSA: At our nation’s founding, we sought to guard against permeating secret government surveillance lacking in oversight and accountability. They would condemn Congress’ abdication of its responsibility to monitor such activities on behalf of the American people. Benjamin Franklin warned, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little Temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

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Kosher Lube: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-pZpgYU5H8[/youtube]If you enjoyed the Conan segment featuring Wet kosher lube, you’ll also like how Chelsea Handler handled the topic.

The Kosher lube story was a PR gift that kept on giving. Days after the Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) decreed Wet lube as kosher, they rescinded the certification without explanation.

However, since Wet had already met all the requirements for being kosher, they informed the company that they could legally consider their products to be “self-certified kosher.”

No harm done. Another flurry of stories ensued announcing that the RCC had pulled out. It doesn’t get any better than that. The news, of course, went viral.

BTW, “America’s Rabbi” Shmuley Boteach, who was quoted in the original New York Post story has a new book coming out very soon. On the heels of Kosher Sex, the new book will be Kosher Lust.

Shmuley’s insights provide guidance and relief to the millions of couples in the U.S. who are seeking more satisfying relationships with their partners. His new book is a wake-up call about the importance of carnal lust for establishing deep emotional connections that last a lifetime.

The issue of shame is deeply entrenched in our culture, even though we mistakenly believe that we’re liberated! The prevalent “hookup culture” among young people reflects emotional lives devoid of connection. It’s not as much the road to perdition as the road to marriages that will fail. This book can help to remove the destructive baggage surrounding sex and lust, which are the bricks and mortar of healthy relationships.

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Kosher Lube Creates Perfect Storm

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_wrbUNAGPI[/youtube]

Sometimes a “perfect storm” of great media coverage happens when a titillating news item meets an auspicious astrological moment accompanied by a well-worded pitch. That karmically charged convergence in time/space occurred this summer when Trigg Laboratories announced its Wet® personal lubricants had passed muster for being certified kosher.

I remember when the New York Post reporter called to say they were running a story, titled “The Oy of Sex.” He knew this would turn into a major big deal, which it did. The story, which quoted “America’s Rabbi” Shmuley Boteach (author of Kosher Sex), went viral within a day, and we started seeing pickups from as far away as South America, Europe, Asia, and of course, Israel. On the home front, we watched the news being joked about on late night shows including Conan and Chelsea Lately. There’s nothing better than being poked fun at on national TV with millions of viewers. Needless to say, sales of Wet kosher lube went through the roof.

Here’s the opening paragraph of the press release that set off the avalanche:

“As recorded in the book of Deuteronomy over 3200 years ago, Moses gave us The Ten Commandments and the Kosher laws. Since then, we’ve had Kosher hot dogs, Kosher wine and Kosher matzoh. But now, thanks to Trigg Labs, Wet® personal lubricants and intimacy products are also Kosher!”

May it be forever thus…from your lips and keyboard to God’s ear! Amen.

 

 

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Is It Fibromyalgia or Lyme?

Lyme tick photo
My last blog announced the launch of FFPN, the Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Practitioners’ Network (http://www.vitality101.com/ffpn). The new org will train health practitioners in the highly successful SHINE protocol developed by board certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, MD. Dr. T’s work over the past 30+ years has focused on making effective treatment for #ChronicFatigueSyndrome (CFS) and #Fibromyalgia (FMS) available. SHINE treats Sleep, Hormones, Inflammation/Infections, Nutrition and Exercise.

The topic inspired one Facebook friend to make the following point: “Many doctors think that possibly up to 80 percent of fibromyalgia is actually a misdiagnosis of chronic Lyme disease syndrome. As a former Lyme patient, I tend to agree with that assessment.”

Interesting point…especially since #Lymedisease is growing nationwide—and at a rate much greater than previously reported. Preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000. And the incidence of fibromyalgia has exploded by 400 percent worldwide over the last 10 years.

I asked @DrJTeitelbaum to weigh in on Lyme and fibro and here’s his response:

“Diagnosing Lyme disease is very tricky because there really is no reliable testing. Most labs either miss the majority of people who have Lyme disease or do tests that will diagnose almost everyone, sick or well, as having Lyme disease.

“On the other hand, having effectively treated over 3000 people with fibromyalgia and having had it myself, I find that there are dozens if not hundreds of things that can trigger or exacerbate the illness, including dozens of infections. Basically, post-infectious CFS and fibromyalgia are common, and research has shown that it can occur with viral, bacterial, and even parasite infections. Definitely, Lyme is one of the many infections that can trigger fibromyalgia.

“What is key is to recognize that there is a subset of people who do require antibiotics to recover from Lyme disease as well as fibromyalgia, but even in this population if one only gives antibiotics without giving the rest of what we call the ‘SHINE protocol,’ recovery will be transient or partial.

In summary: “Lyme is simply one of many causes of fibromyalgia, so if you have fibro symptoms you still have fibro and need the SHINE protocol, even if you also have Lyme. Symptoms suggestive of Lyme as a source rather than fibromyalgia include nerve symptoms such as vertigo (neuropathy is common in both conditions) and other evidence of inflammation.”

Join Dr. Teitelbaum at www.facebook.com/drteitelbaum to ask any specific questions about fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or other health topics. For an archive of subjects he’s addressed on his website, visit: http://www.vitality101.com/health-a-z.

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Fatigue and Fibro Patients: Help Your Doctor Help You

Dr T.11.8.05

Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS) year after year is agony. Ask the 12+ million Americans suffering with these disabling conditions and they’ll tell you that what makes it worse is when their physician doesn’t know about effective treatment.

“Help your doctor help you,” is the message from Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, who has specialized in effective treatment of CFS and FMS for the past 35 years. His revolutionary and research-proven SHINE protocol is now being made available to health practitioners from all specialties through the Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Practitioners’ Network (FFPN).

“Tell your doctor to sign up and get trained to treat these conditions properly. It’s time that health practitioners learn how to apply the available research so people can get their lives back!”

FFPN was launched by Dr. Teitelbaum on October 1 as a 9-module online course to train practitioners to effectively diagnose and treat CFS/FMS. After completing the training program, they are included in the FFPN referral database, a web-based global service used by people with CFS/FMS to find trained practitioners. Practitioners will also be able to participate in the “FFPN Members-Only Forum” where course graduates can ask questions, share information and research, and develop relationships for cross-referrals.

The SHINE protocol is based on Dr. Teitelbaum’s groundbreaking, published, placebo- controlled research that showed an unprecedented 90 percent average improvement in quality of life among people with CFS or Fibromyalgia within two years and a 76 percent average improvement within three months, demonstrating that the 12+ million patients in the U.S. suffering from this disabling syndrome can get their lives back.

Health practitioners of any discipline may join FFPN, including MDs, DOs, NDs, NPs, PAs, DCs, RNs, body work professionals, NAET therapists, LAcs, nutritionists, and health coaches.

To enroll, practitioners should visit http://vitality101.learnupon.com/store and sign up for the course titled “FFPN Foundation Training for CFS & Fibromyalgia.” For more information, see www.vitality101.com/ffpn.

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Curcumin is the latest natural antidote

CuraMedThe ingredient that makes the Indian spice turmeric bright orange is called curcumin–not to be confused with cumin, another famous Indian spice. A basic rule of thumb in nature seems to be the brighter the color (the louder the visual cymbal crash!), the greater the antioxidant power. Turns out that curcumin is the mother of all antioxidants and that means big-time preventive prowess for our health.

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