Showing posts with label population. Show all posts
Showing posts with label population. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

The get back to the get back





An explosion of a guilty past:

I mean get back, get back to where you come from.

Your papa was a hater, your mom an instigator

it was your faith your future your creation 
     that drew you to the computer

Meanwhile get back, get back to where y'all come from




As pieces of guilt FLASH! pass you

As we try to get back, get back
     to the time we were guilt free,
    left to explore our wild minds, 

Life, love, family and attitude
bring us peace by piece whether longitude or 
 >lati<>tude<   


This TOGETHERNESS!




Join us our sister ~ brother HOOD

One is not mightier than the other,
     no more fighting
    harmony to envelop us 

Feel like floating?

To the time when we were guilt free, 
      left to explore our wild minds,
     our creative discoveries
     and destinations 





Focus on the good stuff
exhaust out the fumes from the crap

Release it all into atmosphere
washed clean by God's rain, to wake US ALL up 
     no doubt

Now we have our chances
to tomorrows that we know are hidden! 
Just around the corner!
we feel bright sunshine beams pulling us in





















To have optimism for tomorrow
 after bidding bye to fact checking
    dirty laundry

We focus on the right path
to not forget 
    life's best lessons:

  //___________________________________//
           
~..~ the longest minutes never last ~..~

  @Jeannette Marshall (C) T W I T T E R

  ~ q u o t e ~


  //___________________________________//


Only mood is peacefulness
     as we are not even hidden, 
     while banished all our fears

Where we sing together
     Lala la-la lalalaaaaaah
     one big happy gang
     of friends no foes world
     of love

The easiest recipe ever had
     Let it go, say it ain't so,
    it never happened

The kindest outlook to be seen
     by few, not many.  Think Ghandi Mother Theresa       why not Pope Francis too?





This blog is copyrighted

You can help yourself to the insights and ideas, I don't mind.  That is why I put them out there.  To be shared, heavenly if some were embraced, catch on as a new attitude, it will only get stronger by where the magnet draw the people far.  I imagine a lot wider or farther as it gets bigger.  That is BECAUSE you will link this Blog only with an @optioneerJM or a Facebooker Jeannette Marshall or mass G+ including my name Jeannette.  

Another experiment unfolds

What sort of lengths will people go to see their named mentioned in a major super star or musical talent, artist.  

Well, if you approach me and I like your stuff, I could write about it

or not.
  //___________________________________//

"Uncork what lies 
beneath the surface
to see what magic lands"
                                           @Jeannette Marshall (C) T W I T T E R

  ~ q u o t e ~

      //___________________________________//

I saw a constellation,


across the nation
~ Gord Downey


(GORD:  You can use this sonnet or song or story or poem :: just notify this writer)


A nerd?  A halloween costume, a disguise? #GordDowney 


BLESS YOUR COURAGE ::
#bestofeverything

GORD DOWNEY 

"Never mind the nation, he's captivated my fascination" 
~ Jeannette Marshall
a new fan
of Gord Downey
 @Jeannette Marshall (C) T W I T T E R

  ~ q u o t e ~

"You can feel the passion he has for his music :: Gord Downer "
~Jeannette Marshall

inspired FLASH

 @Jeannette Marshall (C) T W I T T E R

  ~ q u o t e ~

"How did I miss his incredible talent ?? Gord Downey
~ Jeannette Marshall

your fan
 @Jeannette Marshall (C) T W I T T E R

  ~ q u o t e ~


Green was the silence, wet was the light,


the month of June trembled like a butterfly.








This beautiful photo was taken by a beautiful daughter
before she was even sweet sixteen.
a chip off the old mother blubbard
Hidden away in her cupboard
called life

She's her mother's daughter ::
proud, strong, great when she feels free
stifulled breath grasps for air
Caught in her own whirlwind
of just a moment

LOVE mom xOXo ~



who wouldn't find this amazing?  WOW !! @Apple or @HP would hire him +Mashable  coulda and  @therealdonaldtrump shoulda :: !! ?? 


mashable: Student drew every member of his high school class for a creative graduation surprise Promoting for a free ticket to see Gord Downey with The Tragically Hip in concert
in Calgary this summer 2016




 //___________________________________//




Friday, September 18, 2015

Politics: An open classroom


Are you like me -- tired of the nonstop theatrics by politicians from both sides of the border?  It is going to go on for a lot longer.  I am embarrassed for some of the candidates' blunders from either country.



As a Canadian, many of us pay attention to both sides of the border.  Sometimes, I have to admit that the US Republican Party volley for power is ten times more entertaining.  The stats support this.  CNN's airing of the debate hosted 20+ million American viewers while Canada's meagre 60,000 tuned into the Globe and Mail's debate.

Statistically, overall, those are not impressive numbers when you consider the population of America:  320 million compared to Canada:  36 million rounded up.  In either instance, the viewership was less than 10 percent.  With what is at stake:  economy, education, health, security - you'd think more would be tuned in.  Then again, thanks to the internet and social media, one can always catch up.  Even if it is skewed by those that are the loudest or tweet the most absurd.   




Does that mean that both countries citizens are apathetic?  Or, does it just mean that they're tired of hearing about Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau's theatrics?  I had a chuckle when I heard that someone tweeted that Canada needed a Prime Minister, not a rock star.  Granted, it appears obvious to me that Justin is appealing to the Millennials and The Donald is quite simply entertaining.  


It doesn't look great when we are merely being entertained when we should be considering who we should hand our futures to?



The nicest part, for me, on the cusp of two age distinctions, Generation X, 35-54 or 54+ Baby Boomers, was watching the debate with my 26 year-old son.  He represents the Millennials while my husband represent Generation X mostly.  We represent the smallest bubble of population, faced with security issues (both employment and terrorism) and financial woes (saving for retirement, paying for kids' education).




There were some major impressions that I got for Canada, and living in the oil-bust city of Calgary, is that our incumbent Prime Minister cannot be blamed for the oil recession in our midst.  We should be examining how the oil prices were driven lower before we start to point fingers.  It is a mistake that the other two debaters seem to be missing what is obvious to me.  I wonder if others think the same?  I'm undecided while wondering if I should support staying the course?  After all, the experts say that Harper's finesse comes from a background in economics.  That would seem to be a good enough reason to pay heed.  Personally, I'm not looking for handouts, I'm just looking for a brighter future.  That future looks like stability.  



On the other side of the border, I have an opinion because I'm aware that whatever happens there seems to impact us, whether we want to admit it or not.  Again, where I live is directly linked to the US because of our head office count cross-sectioned with Houston, Dallas, Texas.  A wise mentor long ago, when I was working for a US corporation, advised smartly, to anticipate what will happen in the future, you should keep an eye on the south, politics and Wall Street.  They have a habit of trickling over to us.  

The coolest part was having both my son and I agree on one thing:  Carly Fiorina was a stand out.  If I could vote right now, I'd be all in with her.  She stood steadfast, very poised, never waivered once.  She showed class and demonstrated tremendous leadership by staying on point, and understood her positions on many, if not all the issues, the others were jockeying position for.  

I'm not a feminist while I am a champion of strong examples for our young women to look up to.  I pulled from You Tube, the following example: 


Regardless of your political stance or views, tons can be gained from watching these debates.  You can decide what type of person you identify with, regardless of party or politics.   It is an open classroom for all to learn from.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

WE are the WORLD





Incredible share by NASA on latest PIC of #earth.  So breathtaking .... man oh man, isn't it so beautiful?

Which means we're all neighbors.  Absolutely.  Certainly, because we share this vast globe of greenness: trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, fruit, jungles and water: oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, along with mountains made of greatness like Mt. Everest.   

How humble we should feel by the responsibility of this magnitude.  We cannot dwell on our enemies, decease, poverty, climate until it is one gigantic undertaking by ALL people of this world.  She is our home and we often neglect her, so focus on our agenda are we.

We know we host evil and want to abolish it, yet nothing is as important as humanity.  Humanity cannot survive without earth.  Then why do we band together as ONE community under the executives of the universe -- the Sun and the Moon.   Heed the vote to survive.  Listen to the scientists observations.  Watch the educators knowledge. 

Who are we to scoff at what they have been telling us?  Don't we remember that song: "We ARE the WORLD"?  It was a sign of an anthem to be sung.  Not for one color, one culture, one religion, one leader, one information outlet, one idol, one animal, one organism, one food.  For it is this world we live together.  As one.  For eternity. 

Are we abandoning that dream to live in love, health, safety, nutrition, education, religion?  Without this earth.  We are the same:  nothing.  Whether by evaporation, extinction, violence, abandon, or death.  What we are hearing is we cannot go on any longer, never mind much longer, on this path we march jointly.

With deference to our board: the sun and the moon and our people.   Why will we miss that meeting?  Yes perhaps because we have our own agenda, to the exclusion of survival.  It is our world. 

It is our responsibility.  Not one single person alone, but all of us together for one cause:  life.


We are the world


charity single originally recorded by
 the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it is one of the fewer than 30 all-time singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide.
Following Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" project in the UK, an idea for the creation of an American benefit single for African famine relief came from activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality. Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song. The duo completed the writing of "We Are the World" one night before the song's first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time.
The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum, "We Are the World" received a Quadruple Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, the song garnered mixed reviews from journalists, music critics, and the public. Fans enjoyed hearing racially and musically diverse recording artists singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying "We Are the World", knowing that the money was going to charity. Other individuals, including many commentators in the rock press, were disappointed that the song did not challenge listeners as to why famines occur in the first place, and felt that the lyrics were self-aggrandizing.
Awarded numerous honors—including three Grammy Awards, one American Music Award, and a People's Choice Award—the song was promoted with a critically received music video, a home video, a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books, posters, and shirts. The promotion and merchandise aided the success of "We Are the World" and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US.
Following the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, a remake of the song by another all-star cast of singers was recorded on February 1, 2010. Entitled "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", it was released as a single on February 12, 2010, and proceeds from the record aided survivors in the impoverished country.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Social media IS all about YOU!

A question was posed on Jeannette  Facebook (yes people interact and ask questions of their most trusted advisors privately without all the hoopla on Twitter) on which network have respondents'  found to be the best to launch their social media presence?   Initially, I was going to reply with Twitter but then realized that my LINKED IN profile says the most about who I am with links to my Blog,  philosophy OptioneerJM  interests (Pinterest), philosophy (Blog) and (Blog) out of  all the networks.  However, I stopped myself to expand to state that I would credit Twitter  for launching my#socialmedia personality to the stratosphere (compared to the others) ... honorable mention: without "working it) G+ #Google where I gained 5000#Followers compared to working it on #Twitter .  

I have also uncovered an interesting tidbit.  InstraGRAM has it's own stars, as Guy Kowasaki launched giHUGE on Google Plus.   Goolge is appearing to be a sleeper platform.  Surprisingly so since about three years ago I predicted that anything connected with Google was going to rapidly expand, really, I attest to its overall power over anything on the internet.

Bill Gates must really be shuddering and Steve Jobs, rolling in the clouds (the white ones), with Mr.  Pakard, and Mr. Hewitt smiling fondly on a company that used their core values as a foundling to a superstar of anything technology -- internet, networks, cloud, search, blogs, SEO, content, mobility, games, Playstore.  Non would disagree that Google allowed its team to study its competitors in the space they wanted to dominate:  YOUR ATTENTION.

Thus the title of this blog:  social media IS all about YOU!



Father, brother, uncle, grandfather, coach, teacher, banker, employer, boss, clergy, mentor
Where else can you be you?  

Seriously, you have to behave at church, pay attention in school, exert in extra-curricular activities, mind your manners with parents, siblings, relatives, friends sometimes, employer, boss, clergyman, partner, spouse, mentor, grandparents, and the clerk at the grocery store!  Ah-hem (deep breath).... I'm exhausted and I didn't finish ... study, pay attention to your education or else your boss or your banker won't pay much attention to you while your friends, coach, family, mentor find other things to do because you lost their attention!

Finished stretching ... then there is your coach riding you on your sport, job, career, book, audio, video endurance.  Can you stay relevant to your close circle of friends for the long run between relationships, getting married, having kids, setting up house, shopping, financial future, expertise, interests, or other activities?  


Who can you show your photos to?

Be truthful and brutally honest, nobody wants to sit through your narrative on your vacation, travels, business trip, conference, school, wedding, birth, kids activity, sport, scores, sayings do they?  How about you try sharing some photos with your blathering, shouting out, retweeting, shares, posts, profile, bio?  Why would they settle in while you pass them photos of your graduation, party, BBQ, reunion, gathering, holiday, trips, flowers,  food, fantasies when they tend to be serious about fitness, facts, favorites, family, focus.


Do people tune out when you philosophize?

Where did you get your certification, degree or Ph.D in recommending anything as important?  Do you get to write and be featured in a magazine, newspaper, radio broadcast, television commercial, event, musical talents?  Well, most of the people I know any way.  Don't feel bad.  You are part of the norm.  Which makes me wonder where do all the exceptional, inspirational, motivational, celebrity, famous, super stars hang out all together?  You thinking like me, not very many chill together.



Where can you test your theories?

So you know a thing or two is saved for self-proclaimed experts.  Most of us know about a lot of different things which circle around interests:  reading, writing, the environment, oceanography, meteorology, photography, and the king of it all:  technology.  Don't forget about art, beauty, fashion, fitness, food.  Think about it:  you wake up in the morning, and what you do makes you a participant of any number of those items.   You maybe even stretching your brain to understand about all of them.  Under technology you are using a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a cell phone, a telephone, a mobile phone, a smart phone with your fingertips so that must mean you are technology whiz too!

Fighting the pack is photography.  Some are photographers, others videographers.  But before we bow and face defeat ... we stand up to say we know just about anything about photography because we all have identification, passports, passes, reports, files, government with hands on experience ourselves so we can be a photographer of fame then.

We cook, eat, shop for groceries, nourish, exercise, shop, dress, apply makeup, learn all in the same day which makes us knowledgeable about just about everything.


Where can you learn?

Certainly, I get it.  We all went to kindergarten, elementary, junior high, middle school, high school, college, university, conference, the internet, books, libraries to assemble our knowledge.  Never all at the same time.


How do you share your love?

Personally, I like flowers, chocolates, getting it on, hugs and kisses.  Do you know that about me?  What makes you so special that you know that you have a spot in my heart? If you're lucky you will get a smile, a note, a card, a joke, an email, a bouquet of flowers, basket of fruit, my time, my attention, my loyalty, my effort, my response, and share likely except the chocolate perhaps.



#BlueAngels, #Airplanes, #SeaFair, #Planes #Seattle


Where DO you go?

Social media is elementary my dear people.  You can do all those things, be all those people, be true to who you are, reject what is offensive, ignore what is irrelevant, find out what is going on, who has it going on, where you can go:  travel, holiday, parks, oceans, seas, islands, countries, cities, experience, challenge, react to, rise up to, reach out to, reep rewards from?  Social media my dear friends.  



#Minions #minion #banana #character #joke #quote



Who do you CONNECT with?

Besides the obvious that fall into your physical circle of influence, you can expand your influence, your circle, your friendships, your crushes, your adventures, mind, knowledge, specialty.  You use social media to do that.  Who ever said "the world was our oyster" was brilliant and a futurist who sensed that the world would end up be by what we do with those skills, experience, wisdom so that others may benefit, like, discover, recover, inspire, motivate, learn.  You sound a poem?  Very likely you have wrote one or read one, where can you do both?  Social media:  you can talk, read, act, smile, frown, inform, share, post, put forward.


Unconvinced still?

That's okay.  There are still quite a number of you out there.  You get your news from the radio, television, computer, school, company information.  But what if you could assemble that all at the same time and share it with others who may connect, share similar interests, goals, achievements, dreams on the same level as you? 


 Social media is where it's at.

Time to get with it if you want to be cool, connected, informed, known.


Monday, May 25, 2015

Talking taxes benefits




"In matters of truth or justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same."
~Albert Einstein

A discussion erupted in my home city Calgary recently because a local law enforcement officer was written about because she has gone on record to having to leave our city because topped benefits isn't good enough.  For most Canadians, they are given a percentage of their wage for a certain number of months leading up to and after giving birth.   What topped up benefits means is getting the company or organization to add to that based on tenure and wage -- sometimes in return for the mother to agree to return to her same job, responsibilities, title and wage she had before leaving on maternity.  In addition to  her federal benefits.

An article was posted by MetroNews Calgary inspired me to respond with my own opinion under their comments:

Having your benefits topped up is a dangerous precedent and expensive one.  It is one thing to be pro-women and pro-mothers, I applaud that.  However, we need to take a look at the big picture -- how realistic is it for mothers to gain the same benefits city-wide?  I like the discussion simply because it is about how our taxes are being used.  When I had my THREE kids maternity leave went from 3 months federal benefits to 6 months.  We've come a long way to allowing a year.  However, topping up is not something that every new mom is afforded.  Unless it is legislated for everyone, it shouldn't be an elite squad's right.  Once again, do I have to repeat ... it is our taxes that we're using to support this.  There are far many ways this could be coordinated ... like, child bearing aged moms and pops put into a fund (like we older folks do for retirement) and that fund is used as child benefits.  A la carte, chosen based on needs i.e. maternity or child care.  The young'uns don't want to fit the bill for retirement unless it is their own, then us elders, don't want to fit the bill on what we cannot benefit from.  Perhaps benefits and tax breaks should be chosen by each citizen based on where they need the help?  Just thinking out loud (which is more than I can say for those that come up with buying votes and managing our tax dollars).

Like it or not, we all have to face it that our population is widening between generations with major age gaps.   It is going to become an ever-increasing dilemma to any governing organization trying to please the populous.  When you have a broad gap between Baby Boomers (age 55 plus) and their kids of Gen-X/Melinia (ages 18-35 specifically), you're going to have a nightmare trying to keep everyone happy (and get the votes centered).



I'm just about smack in the middle.  I had my child-bearing years and am now facing the daunting task of looming retirement.  Safe to say, both milestones in life are important.  We need to keep the young people working while the older ones keep saving as much as they can for safekeeping and to avoid being a burden to the tax base in 10 to 15 years.

I was even at the tail end of child extra-curricular tax benefits.  When the Harper government in Canada introduced a tax credit for parents of children who are enrolled in sports mainly were given a break to compensate for fees associated.  I applauded the idea because, although I had had to pay for that on my own, I also recognized that kids who are in sports tend to stay out of trouble which can be a burden on resources and funds.  I always said that being a figure skater for many years, was an expensive way for my parents to keep me out of trouble.  Later on as my skills improved, the cost for ice time, coaching, private lessons, competitions, shows, skates, etc. got really expensive, I got a PT job to contribute.  I think that was a brilliant move on my parents' part because it demonstrated how keen I was to skate because I loved it, not because my parents could afford to give me the best tools to become good at it.

We should all look at the big picture.  If the government funds a select group, the other groups will want their own piece of the benefits.  Like I said, although I don't argue with the many merits of the various tax breaks, I have been disappointed to miss the mark to gain any pay off.



Let's take a look at just voting.  Statistics were given that in Canada only 34% of the age group of 18-24 vote, whereas 65% of the 65 plus age group do.  That is a huge balancing act to be sure.  So what do politicians do?  They appeal to the segment that garners the most votes.  That isn't rocket science.  Then they poll and speculate that they had better appeal to the other age segment that may wake up and realize that their vote can cause change and make a difference in their present lives in their future. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending upon where you fall, many of the benefits fall in the middle.  The child-bearing, child-rearing age group, child care paying, population.... who get maternity benefits, child care subsidies (in some areas), and parents of kids 8-16 year olds get breaks for being a model parent.  Ironically, my math shows they represent 1% of the voting populous while reaping a good 85% of the tax funding.

Then there is the 18-24 year old group that get breaks to squirrel away to put a down payment on buying a house.  Again, I'm saying that is a good idea because real estate transactions fuel the economy -- buyers get loans from lenders, builders get funds generated by building which sweetens the economy.  When buyers stop buying, the economy rolls to an abrupt halt or swiftly slow downs.

Sounds like a lot of imbalance if you ask me.  Then there is the other part of the equation.  The one group that tends to help the investment community is from the older age segment.  Then investment, gives money for banks and such to lend money.  A different spiral.

If you have two spirals working in opposite ends of the economy it is no wonder the ones in the middle get a lot of dust.  But then again, that is where the government focusses a lot on their funding and tax breaks.

Okay, so I've gone on and one and painted a very real picture.  What do we do?  Seems pretty simple to me.  Take an example from an employee's insurance benefits offered by the best corporations:  you get a certain percentage of your wage to be used as YOU wish it to be used.  You have a say in how much you contribute (usually between 1-5%) which the company matches.  Sounds like the ideal company to work for doesn't it?

I'm getting to my point:  why doesn't the federal government use the same process.  Instead of the expense, studies and pushback on deciding on where tax breaks go, let the individual citizen make the decision themselves.  For example, everyone gets 5% of their wage to go into a federal tax fund/break.  Each individual gets to decide themselves where that fund goes:

  • 18-24 year olds into education, saving for a house, starting a business, saving for when they have a child (income top up and child care)
  • 25-40 year olds can put it towards putting their kids into sports programs, buying down their mortgage, saving for their retirement
  • 40-55 year olds use it for paying off their mortgage, to give them more disposable income to do other things that fuel the economy, like make investments, plan their retirement, buy a vacation property
  • 55-65 will hopefully have paid off their mortgage and use the left over funds for investment and planning their retirement
  • 65+ are allowed to spend their hard saved cash with little penalties because they do not burden the rest of the tax system, they are rewarded if they help their kids or grand kids buy a house, pay for their education -- all which society benefits from.
Sometimes you can't see the forest because you are only looking at trees.  Let's pressure our politicians and leaders to have more integrity and use our votes to the benefit of everyone, not a select few. 

The onus would then be on citizens to elect those that appeal to the big picture, not greedy with power or backfilling their own agenda. 



Sounds like Utopia to me.  Doesn't sound too difficult to me either.  What may be the most difficult would be to hold ourselves accountable on how we vote, who we vote for, and then only approve those that have the integrity to benefit society as a whole. 

This is not socialist thinking or communism.  We would still be using the democratic process.  The pay off would be when everyone, not a select few, gets a piece of the action and benefits.


"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
~George Orwell