SLC Townhall With Presidential Candidate Gov. Gary Johnson



Don't worry--you won't have to pay $1000 to meet with a candidate on the ballot for President.  In fact, it's free!  How fitting for a candidate who so unabashedly promotes freedom.

For those of you who don't know Gov. Gary Johnson (website) well, let's cover a bit of ground quickly.  Gov. Johnson is a former two-term Republican Governor in the blue state of New Mexico.  As Governor, Gary cut taxes & spending using both veto and line-item veto hundreds of times so the man not only has electability but chutzpah.  Indeed unlike Romney or Obama, he's promised to submit a balanced budget to Congress in his first year!  Awesomeness!!!

Gary's great on protecting our Constitutionally-protected civil liberties, ending the drug war, bringing home the troops from Afghanistan, and not instigating a war with Iran.

With Romney falling in the polls, those who seek to rid our country of the tyranny under Obama should take heed of this rare opportunity.  He's one of only four candidates nationwide that are on enough printed ballots to win the presidency (Green Papers--the four candidates are highlighted in yellow) and yes, he's on the ballot right here in Utah under the Libertarian Party ticket.

The Gary Johnson townhall tomorrow (Tuesday) night 7-9pm at Challenger School off 13th East in Salt Lake, just east of the Bees Stadium.  Facebook lists the public event under "Gov. Gary Johnson - Salt Lake City Townhall".

All-Time High in Student Debt

In a poll released recently by the Pew Research Center, it was found that almost one-in-five of all American households had student debt, an all-time high. Up four points since 2007 that golden time before the Great Recession, the student debt gave low-income families another reason to call it great; the greatest portion of the debt per household income fell on "the bottom fifth of the income spectrum," says author Richard Fry "...even though members of such households are less likely than those in other groups to attend college in the first place." Households making less than $21,044 a year shouldered 24% of the burden per household income, with the next highest fifth, the middle fifth ($36,724-$59,623)  sharing 12% of the burden per household income.

When one looks at head of household age and student debt, fully 40% of households with a head of household younger than 35 owe student debt. For all income groups considered, student debt rose and the the richest fifth saw their debt per household income nearly double since 2007. These record highs are in the wake of an ever-increasing average student debt reaching $26,682 in 2010, which has been on an almost linear climb since 1989.

How to be a Truly Global Organization

By Virgil R. Carter

Before the 2008 downturn in the world’s economies, globalization of commerce developed at a faster pace than in any time in history.  With the slowing of our economy, one may wonder whether going global has any positive potential.  However, the experience of global organizations suggests that the global marketplace is still the place to be.  While growth may have slowed in the “developed” countries, growth and expansion is still taking place in China, India, Russia, Brazil and other emerging market countries, according to a recent article in Strategy + Business. 

According to authors C. K. Prahalad and Hrishi Bhattacharyya, the “problem is not globalization, but the way our current institutions are set up to respond to this new demand.  The prevailing corporate operating model does not work well with the structural changes that have taken place in the global economy”.

According to the authors, “most companies are still organized as they were when the market was largely concentrated in the triad of the old industrialized world:  the U.S., Europe and Japan”.  One of the “most prevalent and pernicious of these models” is the one where companies follow a centrally driven operating model, striving to integrate all products and services for economies of scale.  To achieve this, decision-making, intellectual power and innovation are concentrated in the home location.

Alternatively, similar companies who wish to achieve locally relevant distribution systems, strive to decentralize the company and run as loose federations.  This requires responsibilities for branding and product lineups to be shifted and for acceptance of trade-offs in cost structures, reduced economy of scale, more diverse product lines and varying standards of quality and pricing.

Are these the only models for going global?  The authors suggest “the time has come to embrace a new business model that encompasses both the established advantages of industrial markets and the opportunities of emerging economies.  The authors propose a “hub model”:  a global corporate structure with no headquarters.  Instead of a single center, companies would establish core office “hubs” in many or most of the 20 gateway countries in the world that house 70 percent of the world’s population and account for 80 percent of its income.

The authors explain their model, saying “A hub strategy enables a company to provide products and services everywhere.  But it will not in itself resolve the trade-offs of globalization…(this requires) a more comprehensive business model that 1) customizes their products and services in hubs around the world; 2)unites business units around a platform of proprietary knowledge and the building of competencies, and 3) arbitrages their operating models to gain cost-effectiveness, productivity and efficiency”.

 

For the complete article, go to http://www.strategy-business.com/article/11308

Chicken Popcorns

 Homemade Kentucky Chicken Popcorns for little Liana and also the two big brothers.... all are crazy for fried chicken which we had almost everyday or every other day that I have to create little bit of varieties to fried chicken menu. This time I tried Kentucky flour that ready made from supermarket.

By: Roz@HomeKreation
INGREDIENTS:
1 big Chicken Breast - chop to bite size 
2 Egg White
Kentucky Flour
Salt & Pepper

METHOD:
1. Beat egg white with salt & pepper until a bit lighter and more runny.
2. Marinate chicken in beaten egg white for about 10 minutes.
3. Roll chicken bites into the flour and coat with excess egg white.
Roll into flour one more time and deep fry until golden and crispy.
***********************************************************

BAHASA MALAYSIA VERSION
Lagi menu yg mudah2 jer untuk memenuhi selera anak2.....

By: AlongRoz@HomeKreation
BAHAN2:
1 ketul besar Dada Ayam - potong kecil2 
2 bj Putih Telur
Tepung Kentucky
Garam & Serbuk Lada Hitam

CARA2:
1. Pukul putih telur dgn garam & lada sehingga ringan & cair supaya mudah menyaluti ayam nanti.
2. Perap ayam dgn telur putih tadi.
3. Golekkan ketulan ayam ke dlm tepung Kentucky sehingga rata.
Gaulkan semula ayam ke dlm lebihan putih telur.
Golekkan semula ketulan ayam ke dlm tepung.
4. Goreng dgn minyak dalam sehingga garing.

Japan - my scenario of consumer price fall was too optimistic

I've found a new projection of labor force in Japan between 2010 and 2050. It says that the rate of labor force participation will be decreasing together with the depopulation of Japan. This means that the level of labor force will be falling much faster than it was used in my recent prediction. Considering the multiplication factor of 1.4, the rate of CPI inflation will reach -1% per year on average in 2020. By 2050, it will reach almost 2% per year (1.89%). The overall drop in consumer prices will be more than 2/3 by 2050.  This fall will be accompanied by the decrease in real GDP at a rate of 1% per year and the debt rise to 500% of GDP.

VOX's opened a debate: What’s the use of economics?

VOX has opened a new discussion "What’s the use of economics?"  moderated by Richard Baldwin.


It would be helpful to have opinions from professionals from the hard sciences. We know about the overall opinion of the economic profession - the role of economics has dramatically increased after the crisis [:)]. We  know the opinion of the general public - "failed once again".  But only the approach adopted in the hard sciences can reshape economics in a way appropriate for the safe usage by the society. Currently, economics is irrelevant what makes it agressive and dangerous for the ustainability of the economy and society. It is time to put the economic studies in the  bounds of quantiative responsibility. Otherwise, it will fail again and again ...

This is the announcement and invitation to participate the discussion

Economics is under fire both from outside and inside the profession for irrelevance, arrogance, and more. This new Vox debate focuses on two questions: What’s the use of economics? How should we be teaching it to the next generation?

To participate in this debate, please email your commentary to debates@voxeu.org

Lead CommentariesRecent CommentariesPopular Commentaries
Diane Coyle, 18 September 2012
What’s the use of economics? A new Vox debate


Andrew G Haldane, 28 September 2012

What have the economists ever done for us?

The Temple Dedication

I was just puttering around after work on Tuesday.  I sat down on the couch and I may have even nodded off while watching an episode of “How It’s Made” on Netflix.  When I came to, there was a surreal light in the sky.  I got up and looked out the window and said, “That’s weird.”  The sun was almost setting, and the last rays were reflecting off some clouds over the city and off the mountains. 

I grabbed my camera and rushed to the temple.  I knew that I only had a few minutes to get some fantastic photos.  I really wanted one that I could enlarge into a canvas print, like some I saw at Peach Days.  I wanted to buy one, but not for $325.  So, here are the photos that I took on the first day the temple was in operation.  The scene was stunning.  Another mini-miracle for me of the grandeur and beauty of the Lord’s House and the incredible blessing of having it here in Brigham City.

I also thought this would be a good blog to summarize my thoughts and feelings about the temple and the dedication.

I attended the noon session of the temple dedication with my wife.  We sat in the baptistry and watched the dedication on one of the many monitors set up so all could see the proceedings.  I didn't think there was any chance that I would be able to attend the dedication in the temple, but my wife received two tickets from the open house translation and interpretation committee she was a part of.  We even got to sit on the padded benches that face the baptismal font.

I was reflecting on the experience during the week and wondering how the temple has changed me.  Sometimes I still drive by the temple and think it can't be real, but there it is, right on Main Street!

On Monday and Tuesday after the dedication, I made significant progress at work on a problem that has been vexing me for some time.  It was one of those serendipitous moments when I think, yeah!  But, then I realize I must have had a higher power helping me, because I know the inspiration came from beyond me.

The inspiration and power that is manifest in my life is the reason I keep going to the temple to worship and make covenants with my Heavenly Father.  His Spirit blesses my life and my family.

The temple reminds me of the analogy of the pearl and the box.  This story has been told a number of times in General Conference.  It goes like this:

There’s an ancient oriental legend that tells the story of a jeweler who had a precious pearl he wanted to sell. In order to place this pearl in the proper setting, he conceived the idea of building a special box of the finest woods to contain the pearl. He sought these woods and had them brought to him, and they were polished to a high brilliance. He then reinforced the corners of this box with elegant brass hinges and added a red velvet interior. As a final step, he scented that red velvet with perfume, then placed in that setting this precious pearl.

The pearl was then placed in the store window of the jeweler, and after a short period of time, a rich man came by. He was attracted by what he saw and sat down with the jeweler to negotiate a purchase. The jeweler soon realized that the man was negotiating for the box rather than the pearl. You see, the man was so overcome by the beauty of the exterior that he failed to see the pearl of great price.

In my interpretation of the parable, the temple is the box; beautiful, brilliant, polished, and of the highest quality.  We admire the temple for these things, but the most important thing, the pearl, is what is in the temple and that is the Spirit of God. 

In the temple, we make covenants with our Heavenly Father that will allow us to return to him with our families.  That is His plan, made possible through the life, mission, teachings, atonement and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Temples direct our thoughts and actions heavenward, to Them.  The "box" is wonderful, but the "pearl" is most important.