......Our Present.....Our Future!....More than ever before, in today's world, collective organisation is the most important catalyst for change!....
***SEE LATEST NEWS/TOPICS BELOW:
This website is a work in progress - like life itself, each new day brings change......the desire is that the end result be positive change.)
Information to note:
Please have a look at the "ABOUT US" page*
* "About US" IS translated to Espanol, Mandarin, Hindi and Arabic - click on "More" above.]
Please send any comments to: info@focusmyvote.org
You can also follow our developments on Twitter: @focusmyvote.org
You can also "follow" or "like" us on Facebook: Focusmyvote.org
***News & topics for discussion on our blog page & daily topics***
Tues 08/10/2013 - the year as passing rapidly and each day seems to present extreme and new challenges for us as an organisation as well as for many individuals around the globe. We are working hard to return to our daily contributions thus shortly be updating you on all the more user-friendly aspects of this site as well as new links and affiliations which you hope you will regard as more major importance to the role of this website and its significance amongst social commentary website generally! Cheers from London!
Sat 14/09/2013 - So, DID YOU MISS US? We actually received a few emails saying that readers missed our daily topical updates and were wondering & concerned about what was going on? Well, suffice to say, that we deemed it necessary to monitor site access statistics whilst our information went unchanged for two weeks - its incredible that so many people are accessing the site (we can only tell from what countries, we don't look at IP addresses nor are we even allowed to! WHAT WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY ON EARTH ARE PEOPLE READING THIS SITE BUT CHOOSING NOT TO VOTE IN OUR POLLS? We have not closed any of the Polls as we do not feel that we are getting the type of User/Reader participation that is needed to build substantial statistics in order to initiate change projects - SO, WE HAVE DECIDED TO ASK YOU! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THIS SITE OR SEE THIS SITE DO? WHAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING AND INTERACTIVE FOR YOU? PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAILS, SHARE WITH US ON FACEBOOK OR PLACE YOUR COMMENTS ON OUR BLOG PAGE - we need each other in order to make a difference!
Fri 13/09/2013- THE BANKS - YES, AGAIN! One reader emailed us and gave us permision to print the following segment of her communication:
"I applied to HSBC for an overdraft facility of a mere £200 - unfortunately I was denied on what I believe is a discriminatory basis - i.e. that my source of income is mainly benefits. If I am paying a monthly amount for the additional flexibility of an overdraft facility & the Bank is aware that I am receiving benefits, I cannot understand the rationale behind denying a small facility - other than perhaps to give the Bank an opportunity to make poor people even more poor by charging astronomical service fees the second a customer (in my case a customer of 20 years) goes momentarily overdrawn." - Have you had similar encounters with your financial institutions? Do you think the market needs to speed up the creation of alternatives to the traditional Banking system? - See our Forum page please....
Thurs 29/08/2013: CONFUSION IN A COMPLICATED WORLD? - do you sometimes feel that the old saying "two steps forward, one step back" frustratingly describes the apparently increasing complexities of life on earth, so that rather than having more clarity in what we do and have to do, there appears to be more confusion? - Consider this: two of the most powerful aspects of life as we know will never change - 1. that time marches on, no matter what we do or perceive; 2. people will be people and no matter how detailed or comprehensive the study, no one will ever be able to say how people will act or react given a particular set of circumstances - IN THESE TWO FACTS OF LIFE, WE SHOULD DERIVE COMFORT! - this week we demonstrate the value of this proposition simply but poignantly by comparing the methods of 3 internationally reknown 'movers and shakers':
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Hillary Rodham Clinton Mathatma Gandhi
- and we ask that you visit our blog page to see why we feel their methods help to give meaning to the above-mentioned 2 certainties of life as we know it!
Fri 23/08/2013- Guns, weapons & violence! - What do you think societies should be doing (to the extent that they can do anything). Yesterday,one father in the US wrote: "My son, Daniel, was a smart, quiet kid.
He'd just become a straight-A student, and he was overcoming his shyness as a new member of the debate team.
On April 20th, 1999, my beautiful and bright 15-year-old son was killed by two teenagers with guns in the library of Columbine High School -- one of 12 innocent kids who lost their lives for no reason at all. It's been 14 years since that horrible day -- 14 years of fighting so no family has to grieve like ours did.
These tragedies keep happening, and so far, Congress has failed to take common-sense action to stop them -- even though nine in 10 Americans have agreed that expanding background checks would help close the loopholes that put guns in the hands of dangerous people and prevent future violence.Today, OFA and allied organizations are standing up for a national Day of Action to ask members of Congress: What will it take to finally act to prevent gun violence?
Thurs 22/08/2013- Mountain or mole hill? - there seems to be more confusion than ever about the state of society today in terms of ACTUAL QUALITY OF LIFE for people living within that society. With all the various new methods being suggested for measuring a society's "wealth" and "quality of life" (some methods being accepted, some not, some partially accepted etc.), for approximately the last 7 years in global history it seems that we humans are more confused than ever about where things stand in our respective local society's? - WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR SOCIETY - WHY SOME AREAS WHICH WERE TRADITIONALLY PROBLEMATIC SEEM TO HAVE FADED INTO INSIGNIFICANCE WHILST OTHERS HAVE CROPPED UP COMPLETELY UNEXPECTEDLY? - VISIT OUR BLOG AND POLL AND GIVE focusmyvote YOUR THOUGHTS....
One person, one Vote - tell focusmyvote.org if you believe in the fundamental importance of this idea? OR: do you think that it is better, in certain circumstances to "weight" certain votes? - see the focusmyvote Forum page for an interesting take on this decades old debate!
Wed 21/08/2013 - What did you do today? Have you learned anything new? Do you care? What do you focus on? What do you believe in? What makes you want to wake up tomorrow? Do you believe that you make some sort of difference in this world? Have you taken the time to look at or listen to any of the news? Do you ever express your opinion by casting your vote....yes, YOUR VOTE?
Focus My Vote means exactly that - it says "Here world, this is what I think, how I feel, what I hope for" - going through each day, doing what you have to; want to; or just do - does it give you the sense of meaning or ownership that true purpose can have? The most powerful currency some of us are lucky to have is the almighty vote - think about it! Use it! Focus My Vote!
Tuesday 20/08/2013 - How dare you!??? Differences of the mind! - it is a well known fact - yes FACT, that what we actually know least about ourselves has mainly to do with what we know or don't know about the way the human brain works - WHY do some people master certain academics better, whilst others are more likely to master the art of being streetwise? WHY do some have a natural tendency to optimism, whilst many others will see the proverbial glass as half empty? It is likely to be a long time before these questions are finally answered, but in the meantime there is something far more fundamental to ask ourselves - WHO give ANYONE the right to judge others or decide what their mental state is unless and until the issue relating to that person's mental state has been comprehensively decided through unequivocal research and empirical, substantial proof - one such category of mental state is that of ADULT ADHD - or attention deficit hyperactive disorder in adults- - it seems that there are a substantial number of people of who happily, ignorantly, dangerously deny the very existence of this "disorder" -
- A study carried out by researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and Texas Children's Hospital in the US, and was funded by the US Public Health Service, have, like many studies before, again REINFORCED the existence of Adult ADHD, point to risks of ignoring it, explain its typical symptoms and methods for managing this condition see this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2287895/ADHD-doesnt-just-affect-children--THIRD-suffer-symptoms-adulthood.html THEN think again and visit our poll and blog to let us know your thoughts.
Friday 16/08/2013- Trailblaizing again! Costa Rica! - not many people know about it, and if they do, they don't think about it or remember it for long - but nestled between a few slightly more controversial neighbours, the relatively tiny nation of Costa Rica has been setting examples for Latin America, indeed for the world for a century - read more on our Blog!
Wednesday 14/08/2013- A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.....EVEN MORE TO DO! - stay with us as we upgrade our systems - traffic to the site is on the increase and major upgrades to come over the next 10 days will make it even more important that we get your maximum attention, and input - make a difference today!
EQUAL RIGHTS IN AN UN-EQUAL WORLD! - It is now a fairly well known fact that at long last, the world's most powerful nation - the USA - albeit long after the 28 countries of the European Union (and indeed many other countries, including a number of predominantly Catholic South American nations) - has FINALLY recognised the rights of same-sex couples! The U.S. Department of State, in a message delivered by Secretary of State, John Kerry has explained for example that: "The Supreme Court has found section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional." However - there is still a long way to go as Federal Laws and State Laws need to be brought into some sort of comprehensive equation.....Let us know what you think of this development - and whether you think the walls need to come down in more places globally + visit our Poll to cast your vote on the new direction these important changes are bringing for millions of people!
SLAVERY! - Just a few days ago, Police in Barcelona,Spain announced the discovery and bust up of a major underworld gang of organised criminals who had been taking money from predominantly Chinese nationals to facilitate their illegal transport and entry to Spain and other European countries - see our Forum and join the discussion on the sad reality of the trade in human life which exists in 2013!
Thursday 08/08/2013 - We have added two new pages - "Y Vote" - a perspective and "Archives" - which you can consult for earlier forums and blogs.
Tuesday 05/08/2013 - INTERNET ABUSE - bullying via the internet is pathetic, unethical, underhanded, uncalled for and inherently cowardly and wrong - BUT things are finally changing! The Law is catching up and being enforced - and the major social networks are clamping down - see: Twitter issues new rules in clampdown on abusive behaviour http://bbc.in/18ThVMv
Let us know your thoughts on internet regulation - join the discussion on our Blog and on the Forum page and cast your vote in our Poll...
Friday 02/08/2013 - IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT POLITICS, BY NATURE, IS A DIRTY GAME? In the wake of yet ANOTHER MAJOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FIGURE BEING CALLED UPON TO RESIGN AS A RESULT OF SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION (in the person of Spain's Prime Minister - Mariano Rajoy) AND the very serious allegations of continued manipulation of the electoral process in Zimbabwe by infamous long time ruler Robert Mugabe - we ask the question - IS IT A WONDER THAT THERE IS DISILLUSION WITH so-called "Democracy"??? - see our Blog and Polls....let us know what you think.
- THE WAR ON DRUGS IS A FAILURE AND A LOT OF THE THEORIES AND IDEAS HAVE BEEN PROVEN WRONG - Uruguay has legalised Marijuana - stirring this interesting debate once again - please see our Blog and Polls!
Thursday 01/08/2013 - MONEY- It has been reported that over 10% of applications for mortgages are being turned down in the UK - the figures are similar across so-called Western Nations - is this indicative of an economy in recovery? I stagnant economy which still has not found its bearings, or the inadequacy of the Banks to fill an important role? (A role on which they built their current economic power!) Have the Banks turned their backs on the people AGAIN? - see our Blog page and our Polls...
- Crime & Punishment? - What? The statistics are clear, the amount of debate - academic and otherwise and the number of proposals for REAL CHANGE is staggering - yet the system continues to grind out the same old excuses!.....see our Forum page & vote in the Polls!
- "Government by the people for the people" - says who? See our Blog page & Polls!
COMING SOON: The Obesity Epidemic?
Wednesday 31/07/2013 - Has time sped up? - Please visit our Blog page for this and future discussion topics! Remember: "Participation is key!"
Tuesday 30/07/2013 - We are ready to take the next step - are you?.......We have begun to compile a list of prominent persons that we know that we can approach when there are issues which are raised which are of concern to people who bring the matter to our attention. Such issues can be issues of local, national or international concern - the question is really whether issues are (a) brought to our attention and (b) we are able to obtain sufficient support from our readership to bring the matter to the attention of people who can help in making a difference. This all has to start somewhere and whilst the process may be slow and has been tried before, (in various shapes and forms), we believe that a fresh, focussed and completely unbiased approach will succeed! We therefore begin with a list of celebrity personalities who have already developed a reputation for their philanthropic work and concern for others - please visit our Poll page and let us know which of our picks you believe to be the biggest philanthropists.....visit our Forum page to add your thoughts as to other celebrities who do not appear on our first list.....
Monday 29/07/2013 - Are YOU your brothers keeper? - communities across the globe, of different cultural, religious, economic heritage/tradition have grappled in one way or the other about the question of whether we can/should take responsibility for the actions of others (relatives, friends, neighbours). This is a question which remains somewhat mysterious and most definitely paradoxical! Take for example the contrast which follows: in most modern "western!" societies, the only person who can legally be responsible for their actions (providing that they are an adult in law), is the person him or herself - so if a 31 year old male were to steal something from a grocery store and get caught, it is he (and he alone) who will answer to the courts for his actions. At the same time, if he were to steal 6 or 7 times, certainly people who know him and his family begin to raise questions (usually to each other and in speculation - as to whether his behaviour is somehow the result of the kind of upbringing he had....often pointing to some potential, hypothetical and often unsubstantiated inadequacy on the part of his parents, (or even more so if he had an absent parent - indeed even more so if he has a sister who has also been caught stealing in the past!)
NOW, let's take the a quick look at the opposite type of scenario - using for example internationally known athletics champion USAIN BOLT, or champion swimmer and multi-gold Olympic medallist MICHAEL PHELPS, or for that matter long-time tennis champ ROGER FEDERER - people who are somehow directly (or almost directly) associated with such persons - parents, siblings, neighbours and others who may have impacted the lives of these persons before they attained remarkable success will no doubt initially be given the benefit of the doubt by many others (i.e. those persons must have been a positive influence on the life of the famous person in question)......only through the passage of time are the realities of each situation brought out into the open- and even then we cannot be sure.
Certainly entire home communities and even entire countries go so far as to suggest (and this is often further hyped by certain media) - that they have a right to claim that that person's success is somehow a natural product of his community/culture/country etc..
.....BUT IN ALL THIS - IS THERE NOT SOME BALANCE TO BE STRUCK? ARE THERE NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULT MEMBERS OF ANY AND EVERY SOCIETY TO LEND A HELPFUL HAND INSTEAD OF TURN A BLIND EYE AND IS IT NOT POSSIBLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT BEING BLAMED WHEN THINGS GO WRONG (OR BEING PRAISED WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT)? GIVEN THAT THERE ARE 7 BILLION PLUS HUMANS SHARING THIS LITTLE PLANET - ARE THESE TYPES OF POSITIVE ACTIONS NOT A PART OF OUR NATURAL ROLE IN LIFE? - Tell us what you think in our Blog section & cast your vote in our opinion Poll in the Polls section.
Sunday 28/07/2013 - Happiness - is it something that we achieve when we are able to tick all the boxes on our special list of goals that we have highlighted to ourselves as being crucial to our own sense of satisfaction and completeness OR is it simply a mood that we are in for a collection of coincidental reasons (or that we believe that we are in - depending on our perspective on life), or is it an actual state of emotional well-being that we achieve (whether consciously or sub-consciously)? Together with Love, it seems to one of the most complicated, sometimes elusive and definitely difficult to describe 'states of being'. HOW DO YOU DEFINE HAPPINESS AND WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES/LEVEL OF HAPPINESS? Please share your thoughts with us on our Blog page:
Saturday 27/07/2013 - In an interdependent world, where so much of our individual lives are both directly and indirectly affected by others, are we really, as the old saying goes, "in control of our own destinies?"
Putting aside the various religious beliefs and philosophies that exist regarding fate, predetermination etc., to the extent that we make our own decisions (e.g. "I will smile at least three times today." or "I will have cereal for breakfast." or "I will change my career path within the next 12 months." - ARE WE LIVING IN AN INCREASINGLY INTER-DEPENDENT WORLD? and in spite of our strongest desires to have our own individuality and and self-expression, IS THIS REALISTICALLY SOMETHING WE EVER ACHIEVE (EVEN IF WE ARE PAYING OUR OWN BILLS AND LIVING UNDER OUR PROVERBIAL OWN ROOF?" - Please share your thoughts with us on our Blog page....
Friday 26/07/2013 - ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD - though initially it may seem a bit of a "fantastical" or "romantic" thought - the idea that many people living on this planet, if determined and ambitious enough, can probably move to almost any country in the world that they might wish to live. In some cases, depending on the place, the time and the person, such a move may be more daunting than in other circumstances. Excellent students, for example, in professions such as the medical profession and many of the pure sciences are actually almost invited to stay in certain countries. This of course is part of the reason behind the familiar "brain drain" conversation which is particularly relevant in developing countries which often tend to see their most highly educated young people emigrate in hopes of a better life. IF YOU COULD, WOULD YOU CONSIDER MOVING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO MAKE A LIFE - PLEASE VISIT OUR POLL SECTION TODAY TO TELL US WHERE YOU COULD SEE YOURSELF MOVING TO AND BEING HAPPY....VISIT OUR BLOG PAGE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION!
Wednesday 24/07/2013 - WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR REAL PROGRESS IF SO MANY OF US FAIL TO SEE, BY way of excuses,,,,,that we have to each take responsibility, that we have to each do a little something and that the vast majority of us DO NOT have an excuse to not be involved - and thus accept (when we do not) that we are not true to ourselves or one another. The excuses?: (too busy, working too hard, preoccupied with family, preoccupied with progressing in career, preoccupied with issues that are of immediate direct concern to me...OR WHY should I stick my neck out for the "common good" when others won't and I will end up with all the risk, others will benefit from my efforts and I will be a focal point for any negativity which results from anyone who does not want change) - none of these are truly acceptable when we come down to the basics of life - WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE?
Tuesday 23/07/2013 - For thousands of years prior to the 20th Century NOT HAD ANY SAY WHATSOEVER nor any right to contribute to decision-making EVEN in countries which are considered relatively "liberal" - women, certain races, certain religions - all have been unfairly excluded from what is now by and large considered to be a fundamental right - the right to contribute to decision-making in society through the democratic vote (aka: "Universal Suffrage"). In some instances we have seen the "age of majority" lowered from 21 to 18 in terms of right to qualify for the right to vote. We believe that there can be no argument that the more inclusive societies have become in this respect, the more significant improvements have been in way they are run or managed......additionally, the overall positives have outweighed any arguments in the negative.
........More recently, there has been increasing focus on the rights of younger people.....that is to say.....person's under the age of 18, but who are old and mature enough to make very significant contributions in terms of suggestions, ideas and forms of productive participation for teenagers in the functionality of greater society - the arguments in favour of this position are unquestionable - one such argument being that "greater ownership" will not only increase greater attachment of value for and adherence to society's systems by soon-to-be adults BUT it will also decrease the general malaise that is inherent in a group which otherwise feels that it has no ability whatsoever to make any form of useful contribution to - Do you agree with these suggestions/arguments/perspectives and how can we improve on the values that young men and women around the world have with respect to society and taking up responsibility as part and parcel of their 'growing-up' process?
Monday 22/07/2013, 06:58 GMT - ROYAL TIMES & A NEW ROYAL BABY! KENSINGTON PALACE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT INTERNATIONALLY BELOVED KATE IS IN LABOUR - WILLIAM AND KATE'S BABY - MUCH ANTICIPATED AROUND THE WORLD, WILL BE THIRD IN LINE TO THE BRITISH/ENGLISH THRONE - PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY (THOUGH IT HAD A BRUTAL START) NOW WORKS AS A FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR BRITAIN - BUT IS IT A VIABLE, COMPARABLE EXAMPLE OF A MODEL OF GOVERNMENT WHICH COULD WORK ELSEWHERE ON EARTH? - PLEASE VISIT OUR BLOG PAGE AND OUR POLL AND LET US HAVE YOUR OPINIONS. (Polls remain open for 30 days).
Monday 22/07/2013 - Less is more? Another prominent perennial topic of discussion is that of BIG GOVERNMENT vs. SMALL GOVERNMENT - coupled with the amazing exponential growth of technological advance and all that it brings with it, not just Governments but indeed society and its individuals are constantly in 'catch-up' mode - perhaps this is what adds to the emotions that many describe as feeling that "there is never enough time" or that "time is speeding up" - with those emotions, an entire new set of social values have been forged (though we often forget to take the time to consider what they are or even how they have caused us and our lives to evolve so substantially over a very short period of time.....when we do, it does not take many of us a long time before we decide that in fact there is so much 'out there' that exercising more discretion in the way we choose to live our lives has become vital to our sense of self and self-fulfillment - BUT today we raise a question which takes a slightly different angle on this point.......
- HAVE GOVERNMENTS ALSO LEARNED THE LESSON THAT LESS IS OFTEN MORE? MANY WOULD ARGUE THAT QUITE CLEARLY OUR SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE IN FACT NOT COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THOUGH WE ASPIRE TO CIVILISED, SENSIBLE GOVERNMENTS FOCUSSED MORE ON EDUCATION, HEALTH & PEACE, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, MANY GOVERNMENTS ARE DISCONNECTED, OR AT LEAST APPEAR TO MISUNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENTS IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES - THE FEELING THAT BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING IS EVERYWHERE (OF COURSE GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES INVOLVED IN THAT OFFENCE - BUT WHAT IS PERHAPS EVEN WORSE IS THE FACT THAT MANY GOVERNMENT AND TRANSNATIONAL ENTITIES ARE SEEKING TO DELVE INTO THE DAY TO DAY LIVES OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD - LEGISLATING THEIR RIGHTS TO ACCESS OUR BANKS ACCOUNTS AND OTHER DETAILS WITHOUT ANY CLEAR, BALANCED EXPLANATION OF HOW THEY WILL PROTECT AND PREVENT THIS INFORMATION FROM BEING MISUSED BY PEOPLE WITHIN GOVERNMENT OR OTHERS WHO MAY GAIN ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION WHICH THEY POSSESS! - HOW FAR DO YOU FEEL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO LOOK INTO THE PERSONAL LIVES OF EVERYONE, WITHOUT FIRST LAYING OUT A SPECIFIC REASON FOR DOING SO? - CAST YOUR VOTE IN OUR POLL ON THIS AND GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS IN OUR BLOG/FORUM PAGES...
This website is a work in progress - like life itself, each new day brings change......the desire is that the end result be positive change.)
Information to note:
Please have a look at the "ABOUT US" page*
* "About US" IS translated to Espanol, Mandarin, Hindi and Arabic - click on "More" above.]
Please send any comments to: info@focusmyvote.org
You can also follow our developments on Twitter: @focusmyvote.org
You can also "follow" or "like" us on Facebook: Focusmyvote.org
***News & topics for discussion on our blog page & daily topics***
Tues 08/10/2013 - the year as passing rapidly and each day seems to present extreme and new challenges for us as an organisation as well as for many individuals around the globe. We are working hard to return to our daily contributions thus shortly be updating you on all the more user-friendly aspects of this site as well as new links and affiliations which you hope you will regard as more major importance to the role of this website and its significance amongst social commentary website generally! Cheers from London!
Sat 14/09/2013 - So, DID YOU MISS US? We actually received a few emails saying that readers missed our daily topical updates and were wondering & concerned about what was going on? Well, suffice to say, that we deemed it necessary to monitor site access statistics whilst our information went unchanged for two weeks - its incredible that so many people are accessing the site (we can only tell from what countries, we don't look at IP addresses nor are we even allowed to! WHAT WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY ON EARTH ARE PEOPLE READING THIS SITE BUT CHOOSING NOT TO VOTE IN OUR POLLS? We have not closed any of the Polls as we do not feel that we are getting the type of User/Reader participation that is needed to build substantial statistics in order to initiate change projects - SO, WE HAVE DECIDED TO ASK YOU! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THIS SITE OR SEE THIS SITE DO? WHAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING AND INTERACTIVE FOR YOU? PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAILS, SHARE WITH US ON FACEBOOK OR PLACE YOUR COMMENTS ON OUR BLOG PAGE - we need each other in order to make a difference!
Fri 13/09/2013- THE BANKS - YES, AGAIN! One reader emailed us and gave us permision to print the following segment of her communication:
"I applied to HSBC for an overdraft facility of a mere £200 - unfortunately I was denied on what I believe is a discriminatory basis - i.e. that my source of income is mainly benefits. If I am paying a monthly amount for the additional flexibility of an overdraft facility & the Bank is aware that I am receiving benefits, I cannot understand the rationale behind denying a small facility - other than perhaps to give the Bank an opportunity to make poor people even more poor by charging astronomical service fees the second a customer (in my case a customer of 20 years) goes momentarily overdrawn." - Have you had similar encounters with your financial institutions? Do you think the market needs to speed up the creation of alternatives to the traditional Banking system? - See our Forum page please....
Thurs 29/08/2013: CONFUSION IN A COMPLICATED WORLD? - do you sometimes feel that the old saying "two steps forward, one step back" frustratingly describes the apparently increasing complexities of life on earth, so that rather than having more clarity in what we do and have to do, there appears to be more confusion? - Consider this: two of the most powerful aspects of life as we know will never change - 1. that time marches on, no matter what we do or perceive; 2. people will be people and no matter how detailed or comprehensive the study, no one will ever be able to say how people will act or react given a particular set of circumstances - IN THESE TWO FACTS OF LIFE, WE SHOULD DERIVE COMFORT! - this week we demonstrate the value of this proposition simply but poignantly by comparing the methods of 3 internationally reknown 'movers and shakers':
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Hillary Rodham Clinton Mathatma Gandhi
- and we ask that you visit our blog page to see why we feel their methods help to give meaning to the above-mentioned 2 certainties of life as we know it!
Fri 23/08/2013- Guns, weapons & violence! - What do you think societies should be doing (to the extent that they can do anything). Yesterday,one father in the US wrote: "My son, Daniel, was a smart, quiet kid.
He'd just become a straight-A student, and he was overcoming his shyness as a new member of the debate team.
On April 20th, 1999, my beautiful and bright 15-year-old son was killed by two teenagers with guns in the library of Columbine High School -- one of 12 innocent kids who lost their lives for no reason at all. It's been 14 years since that horrible day -- 14 years of fighting so no family has to grieve like ours did.
These tragedies keep happening, and so far, Congress has failed to take common-sense action to stop them -- even though nine in 10 Americans have agreed that expanding background checks would help close the loopholes that put guns in the hands of dangerous people and prevent future violence.Today, OFA and allied organizations are standing up for a national Day of Action to ask members of Congress: What will it take to finally act to prevent gun violence?
Thurs 22/08/2013- Mountain or mole hill? - there seems to be more confusion than ever about the state of society today in terms of ACTUAL QUALITY OF LIFE for people living within that society. With all the various new methods being suggested for measuring a society's "wealth" and "quality of life" (some methods being accepted, some not, some partially accepted etc.), for approximately the last 7 years in global history it seems that we humans are more confused than ever about where things stand in our respective local society's? - WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR SOCIETY - WHY SOME AREAS WHICH WERE TRADITIONALLY PROBLEMATIC SEEM TO HAVE FADED INTO INSIGNIFICANCE WHILST OTHERS HAVE CROPPED UP COMPLETELY UNEXPECTEDLY? - VISIT OUR BLOG AND POLL AND GIVE focusmyvote YOUR THOUGHTS....
One person, one Vote - tell focusmyvote.org if you believe in the fundamental importance of this idea? OR: do you think that it is better, in certain circumstances to "weight" certain votes? - see the focusmyvote Forum page for an interesting take on this decades old debate!
Wed 21/08/2013 - What did you do today? Have you learned anything new? Do you care? What do you focus on? What do you believe in? What makes you want to wake up tomorrow? Do you believe that you make some sort of difference in this world? Have you taken the time to look at or listen to any of the news? Do you ever express your opinion by casting your vote....yes, YOUR VOTE?
Focus My Vote means exactly that - it says "Here world, this is what I think, how I feel, what I hope for" - going through each day, doing what you have to; want to; or just do - does it give you the sense of meaning or ownership that true purpose can have? The most powerful currency some of us are lucky to have is the almighty vote - think about it! Use it! Focus My Vote!
Tuesday 20/08/2013 - How dare you!??? Differences of the mind! - it is a well known fact - yes FACT, that what we actually know least about ourselves has mainly to do with what we know or don't know about the way the human brain works - WHY do some people master certain academics better, whilst others are more likely to master the art of being streetwise? WHY do some have a natural tendency to optimism, whilst many others will see the proverbial glass as half empty? It is likely to be a long time before these questions are finally answered, but in the meantime there is something far more fundamental to ask ourselves - WHO give ANYONE the right to judge others or decide what their mental state is unless and until the issue relating to that person's mental state has been comprehensively decided through unequivocal research and empirical, substantial proof - one such category of mental state is that of ADULT ADHD - or attention deficit hyperactive disorder in adults- - it seems that there are a substantial number of people of who happily, ignorantly, dangerously deny the very existence of this "disorder" -
- A study carried out by researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and Texas Children's Hospital in the US, and was funded by the US Public Health Service, have, like many studies before, again REINFORCED the existence of Adult ADHD, point to risks of ignoring it, explain its typical symptoms and methods for managing this condition see this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2287895/ADHD-doesnt-just-affect-children--THIRD-suffer-symptoms-adulthood.html THEN think again and visit our poll and blog to let us know your thoughts.
Friday 16/08/2013- Trailblaizing again! Costa Rica! - not many people know about it, and if they do, they don't think about it or remember it for long - but nestled between a few slightly more controversial neighbours, the relatively tiny nation of Costa Rica has been setting examples for Latin America, indeed for the world for a century - read more on our Blog!
Wednesday 14/08/2013- A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.....EVEN MORE TO DO! - stay with us as we upgrade our systems - traffic to the site is on the increase and major upgrades to come over the next 10 days will make it even more important that we get your maximum attention, and input - make a difference today!
EQUAL RIGHTS IN AN UN-EQUAL WORLD! - It is now a fairly well known fact that at long last, the world's most powerful nation - the USA - albeit long after the 28 countries of the European Union (and indeed many other countries, including a number of predominantly Catholic South American nations) - has FINALLY recognised the rights of same-sex couples! The U.S. Department of State, in a message delivered by Secretary of State, John Kerry has explained for example that: "The Supreme Court has found section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional." However - there is still a long way to go as Federal Laws and State Laws need to be brought into some sort of comprehensive equation.....Let us know what you think of this development - and whether you think the walls need to come down in more places globally + visit our Poll to cast your vote on the new direction these important changes are bringing for millions of people!
SLAVERY! - Just a few days ago, Police in Barcelona,Spain announced the discovery and bust up of a major underworld gang of organised criminals who had been taking money from predominantly Chinese nationals to facilitate their illegal transport and entry to Spain and other European countries - see our Forum and join the discussion on the sad reality of the trade in human life which exists in 2013!
Thursday 08/08/2013 - We have added two new pages - "Y Vote" - a perspective and "Archives" - which you can consult for earlier forums and blogs.
Tuesday 05/08/2013 - INTERNET ABUSE - bullying via the internet is pathetic, unethical, underhanded, uncalled for and inherently cowardly and wrong - BUT things are finally changing! The Law is catching up and being enforced - and the major social networks are clamping down - see: Twitter issues new rules in clampdown on abusive behaviour http://bbc.in/18ThVMv
Let us know your thoughts on internet regulation - join the discussion on our Blog and on the Forum page and cast your vote in our Poll...
Friday 02/08/2013 - IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT POLITICS, BY NATURE, IS A DIRTY GAME? In the wake of yet ANOTHER MAJOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FIGURE BEING CALLED UPON TO RESIGN AS A RESULT OF SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION (in the person of Spain's Prime Minister - Mariano Rajoy) AND the very serious allegations of continued manipulation of the electoral process in Zimbabwe by infamous long time ruler Robert Mugabe - we ask the question - IS IT A WONDER THAT THERE IS DISILLUSION WITH so-called "Democracy"??? - see our Blog and Polls....let us know what you think.
- THE WAR ON DRUGS IS A FAILURE AND A LOT OF THE THEORIES AND IDEAS HAVE BEEN PROVEN WRONG - Uruguay has legalised Marijuana - stirring this interesting debate once again - please see our Blog and Polls!
Thursday 01/08/2013 - MONEY- It has been reported that over 10% of applications for mortgages are being turned down in the UK - the figures are similar across so-called Western Nations - is this indicative of an economy in recovery? I stagnant economy which still has not found its bearings, or the inadequacy of the Banks to fill an important role? (A role on which they built their current economic power!) Have the Banks turned their backs on the people AGAIN? - see our Blog page and our Polls...
- Crime & Punishment? - What? The statistics are clear, the amount of debate - academic and otherwise and the number of proposals for REAL CHANGE is staggering - yet the system continues to grind out the same old excuses!.....see our Forum page & vote in the Polls!
- "Government by the people for the people" - says who? See our Blog page & Polls!
COMING SOON: The Obesity Epidemic?
Wednesday 31/07/2013 - Has time sped up? - Please visit our Blog page for this and future discussion topics! Remember: "Participation is key!"
Tuesday 30/07/2013 - We are ready to take the next step - are you?.......We have begun to compile a list of prominent persons that we know that we can approach when there are issues which are raised which are of concern to people who bring the matter to our attention. Such issues can be issues of local, national or international concern - the question is really whether issues are (a) brought to our attention and (b) we are able to obtain sufficient support from our readership to bring the matter to the attention of people who can help in making a difference. This all has to start somewhere and whilst the process may be slow and has been tried before, (in various shapes and forms), we believe that a fresh, focussed and completely unbiased approach will succeed! We therefore begin with a list of celebrity personalities who have already developed a reputation for their philanthropic work and concern for others - please visit our Poll page and let us know which of our picks you believe to be the biggest philanthropists.....visit our Forum page to add your thoughts as to other celebrities who do not appear on our first list.....
Monday 29/07/2013 - Are YOU your brothers keeper? - communities across the globe, of different cultural, religious, economic heritage/tradition have grappled in one way or the other about the question of whether we can/should take responsibility for the actions of others (relatives, friends, neighbours). This is a question which remains somewhat mysterious and most definitely paradoxical! Take for example the contrast which follows: in most modern "western!" societies, the only person who can legally be responsible for their actions (providing that they are an adult in law), is the person him or herself - so if a 31 year old male were to steal something from a grocery store and get caught, it is he (and he alone) who will answer to the courts for his actions. At the same time, if he were to steal 6 or 7 times, certainly people who know him and his family begin to raise questions (usually to each other and in speculation - as to whether his behaviour is somehow the result of the kind of upbringing he had....often pointing to some potential, hypothetical and often unsubstantiated inadequacy on the part of his parents, (or even more so if he had an absent parent - indeed even more so if he has a sister who has also been caught stealing in the past!)
NOW, let's take the a quick look at the opposite type of scenario - using for example internationally known athletics champion USAIN BOLT, or champion swimmer and multi-gold Olympic medallist MICHAEL PHELPS, or for that matter long-time tennis champ ROGER FEDERER - people who are somehow directly (or almost directly) associated with such persons - parents, siblings, neighbours and others who may have impacted the lives of these persons before they attained remarkable success will no doubt initially be given the benefit of the doubt by many others (i.e. those persons must have been a positive influence on the life of the famous person in question)......only through the passage of time are the realities of each situation brought out into the open- and even then we cannot be sure.
Certainly entire home communities and even entire countries go so far as to suggest (and this is often further hyped by certain media) - that they have a right to claim that that person's success is somehow a natural product of his community/culture/country etc..
.....BUT IN ALL THIS - IS THERE NOT SOME BALANCE TO BE STRUCK? ARE THERE NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULT MEMBERS OF ANY AND EVERY SOCIETY TO LEND A HELPFUL HAND INSTEAD OF TURN A BLIND EYE AND IS IT NOT POSSIBLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT BEING BLAMED WHEN THINGS GO WRONG (OR BEING PRAISED WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT)? GIVEN THAT THERE ARE 7 BILLION PLUS HUMANS SHARING THIS LITTLE PLANET - ARE THESE TYPES OF POSITIVE ACTIONS NOT A PART OF OUR NATURAL ROLE IN LIFE? - Tell us what you think in our Blog section & cast your vote in our opinion Poll in the Polls section.
Sunday 28/07/2013 - Happiness - is it something that we achieve when we are able to tick all the boxes on our special list of goals that we have highlighted to ourselves as being crucial to our own sense of satisfaction and completeness OR is it simply a mood that we are in for a collection of coincidental reasons (or that we believe that we are in - depending on our perspective on life), or is it an actual state of emotional well-being that we achieve (whether consciously or sub-consciously)? Together with Love, it seems to one of the most complicated, sometimes elusive and definitely difficult to describe 'states of being'. HOW DO YOU DEFINE HAPPINESS AND WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES/LEVEL OF HAPPINESS? Please share your thoughts with us on our Blog page:
Saturday 27/07/2013 - In an interdependent world, where so much of our individual lives are both directly and indirectly affected by others, are we really, as the old saying goes, "in control of our own destinies?"
Putting aside the various religious beliefs and philosophies that exist regarding fate, predetermination etc., to the extent that we make our own decisions (e.g. "I will smile at least three times today." or "I will have cereal for breakfast." or "I will change my career path within the next 12 months." - ARE WE LIVING IN AN INCREASINGLY INTER-DEPENDENT WORLD? and in spite of our strongest desires to have our own individuality and and self-expression, IS THIS REALISTICALLY SOMETHING WE EVER ACHIEVE (EVEN IF WE ARE PAYING OUR OWN BILLS AND LIVING UNDER OUR PROVERBIAL OWN ROOF?" - Please share your thoughts with us on our Blog page....
Friday 26/07/2013 - ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD - though initially it may seem a bit of a "fantastical" or "romantic" thought - the idea that many people living on this planet, if determined and ambitious enough, can probably move to almost any country in the world that they might wish to live. In some cases, depending on the place, the time and the person, such a move may be more daunting than in other circumstances. Excellent students, for example, in professions such as the medical profession and many of the pure sciences are actually almost invited to stay in certain countries. This of course is part of the reason behind the familiar "brain drain" conversation which is particularly relevant in developing countries which often tend to see their most highly educated young people emigrate in hopes of a better life. IF YOU COULD, WOULD YOU CONSIDER MOVING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO MAKE A LIFE - PLEASE VISIT OUR POLL SECTION TODAY TO TELL US WHERE YOU COULD SEE YOURSELF MOVING TO AND BEING HAPPY....VISIT OUR BLOG PAGE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION!
Wednesday 24/07/2013 - WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR REAL PROGRESS IF SO MANY OF US FAIL TO SEE, BY way of excuses,,,,,that we have to each take responsibility, that we have to each do a little something and that the vast majority of us DO NOT have an excuse to not be involved - and thus accept (when we do not) that we are not true to ourselves or one another. The excuses?: (too busy, working too hard, preoccupied with family, preoccupied with progressing in career, preoccupied with issues that are of immediate direct concern to me...OR WHY should I stick my neck out for the "common good" when others won't and I will end up with all the risk, others will benefit from my efforts and I will be a focal point for any negativity which results from anyone who does not want change) - none of these are truly acceptable when we come down to the basics of life - WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE?
Tuesday 23/07/2013 - For thousands of years prior to the 20th Century NOT HAD ANY SAY WHATSOEVER nor any right to contribute to decision-making EVEN in countries which are considered relatively "liberal" - women, certain races, certain religions - all have been unfairly excluded from what is now by and large considered to be a fundamental right - the right to contribute to decision-making in society through the democratic vote (aka: "Universal Suffrage"). In some instances we have seen the "age of majority" lowered from 21 to 18 in terms of right to qualify for the right to vote. We believe that there can be no argument that the more inclusive societies have become in this respect, the more significant improvements have been in way they are run or managed......additionally, the overall positives have outweighed any arguments in the negative.
........More recently, there has been increasing focus on the rights of younger people.....that is to say.....person's under the age of 18, but who are old and mature enough to make very significant contributions in terms of suggestions, ideas and forms of productive participation for teenagers in the functionality of greater society - the arguments in favour of this position are unquestionable - one such argument being that "greater ownership" will not only increase greater attachment of value for and adherence to society's systems by soon-to-be adults BUT it will also decrease the general malaise that is inherent in a group which otherwise feels that it has no ability whatsoever to make any form of useful contribution to - Do you agree with these suggestions/arguments/perspectives and how can we improve on the values that young men and women around the world have with respect to society and taking up responsibility as part and parcel of their 'growing-up' process?
Monday 22/07/2013, 06:58 GMT - ROYAL TIMES & A NEW ROYAL BABY! KENSINGTON PALACE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT INTERNATIONALLY BELOVED KATE IS IN LABOUR - WILLIAM AND KATE'S BABY - MUCH ANTICIPATED AROUND THE WORLD, WILL BE THIRD IN LINE TO THE BRITISH/ENGLISH THRONE - PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY (THOUGH IT HAD A BRUTAL START) NOW WORKS AS A FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR BRITAIN - BUT IS IT A VIABLE, COMPARABLE EXAMPLE OF A MODEL OF GOVERNMENT WHICH COULD WORK ELSEWHERE ON EARTH? - PLEASE VISIT OUR BLOG PAGE AND OUR POLL AND LET US HAVE YOUR OPINIONS. (Polls remain open for 30 days).
Monday 22/07/2013 - Less is more? Another prominent perennial topic of discussion is that of BIG GOVERNMENT vs. SMALL GOVERNMENT - coupled with the amazing exponential growth of technological advance and all that it brings with it, not just Governments but indeed society and its individuals are constantly in 'catch-up' mode - perhaps this is what adds to the emotions that many describe as feeling that "there is never enough time" or that "time is speeding up" - with those emotions, an entire new set of social values have been forged (though we often forget to take the time to consider what they are or even how they have caused us and our lives to evolve so substantially over a very short period of time.....when we do, it does not take many of us a long time before we decide that in fact there is so much 'out there' that exercising more discretion in the way we choose to live our lives has become vital to our sense of self and self-fulfillment - BUT today we raise a question which takes a slightly different angle on this point.......
- HAVE GOVERNMENTS ALSO LEARNED THE LESSON THAT LESS IS OFTEN MORE? MANY WOULD ARGUE THAT QUITE CLEARLY OUR SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE IN FACT NOT COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THOUGH WE ASPIRE TO CIVILISED, SENSIBLE GOVERNMENTS FOCUSSED MORE ON EDUCATION, HEALTH & PEACE, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, MANY GOVERNMENTS ARE DISCONNECTED, OR AT LEAST APPEAR TO MISUNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENTS IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES - THE FEELING THAT BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING IS EVERYWHERE (OF COURSE GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES INVOLVED IN THAT OFFENCE - BUT WHAT IS PERHAPS EVEN WORSE IS THE FACT THAT MANY GOVERNMENT AND TRANSNATIONAL ENTITIES ARE SEEKING TO DELVE INTO THE DAY TO DAY LIVES OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD - LEGISLATING THEIR RIGHTS TO ACCESS OUR BANKS ACCOUNTS AND OTHER DETAILS WITHOUT ANY CLEAR, BALANCED EXPLANATION OF HOW THEY WILL PROTECT AND PREVENT THIS INFORMATION FROM BEING MISUSED BY PEOPLE WITHIN GOVERNMENT OR OTHERS WHO MAY GAIN ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION WHICH THEY POSSESS! - HOW FAR DO YOU FEEL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO LOOK INTO THE PERSONAL LIVES OF EVERYONE, WITHOUT FIRST LAYING OUT A SPECIFIC REASON FOR DOING SO? - CAST YOUR VOTE IN OUR POLL ON THIS AND GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS IN OUR BLOG/FORUM PAGES...
Tuesday 16/07/2013, 8:42 GMT - "IT SEEMS NOT A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT FEATURED ARTICLES IN PROMINENT MEDIA TALKING ABOUT THE EFFORTS BEING MADE BY MAJOR GOVERNMENTS TO IMPROVE ON SPENDING, INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES.....CLEARLY THESE ARE ALL EXCELLENT GOALS....BUT EVERY TIME WE SEE A NEW REPORT ON A NEW INITIATIVE IT JUST SEEMS TO BE A BIT....OR A LOT, OF SHUFFLING AROUND! THE GAP BETWEEN THE WEALTHY AND THE POOR SEEMS TO BE WIDENING: IS THERE SIMPLY TOO MUCH COMPROMISE IN THE MIX OF OLD AND NEW SUCH THAT THE MANY INITIATIVES ARE ONLY CHANGING THE FACESOF THE PROBLEMS RATHER THAN THE PROBLEMS THEMSELVES?
Tuesday 16/07/2013, 07:57 GMT - "YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD LOOK UP TO AND ASPIRE TO BE LIKE THEIR HEROES - THERE HAS HOWEVER BEEN A RELATIVELY RECENT ROUND OF OFFICIALS 'CRACKING-DOWN" ON INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN SPORTSPERSONS - NOTABLY AND MOST RECENTLY, THE RAID ON THE ITALIAN HOTEL ROOM OF WORLD CLASS JAMAICAN SPRINTER, ASAFA POWELL......BUT ARE WE GETTING A FAIR DEAL FROM THE PRESS IN THEIR REPORTING OF THE MATTER AND SIMILAR INSTANCES, OR ARE ANGLES BEING TAKEN BY THE PRESS BY AND LARGE SUGGESTIVE, SPECULATIVE OR EVEN SENSATIONALISTIC? IS THERE A BALANCE TO BE STRUCK? AND HOW VIABLE IS SOME FORM INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR REPORTING VS THE APPARENT "FREE FOR ALL" SHOUT OF "freedom for the press"?
Tuesday 16/07/2013, 07:57 GMT - "YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD LOOK UP TO AND ASPIRE TO BE LIKE THEIR HEROES - THERE HAS HOWEVER BEEN A RELATIVELY RECENT ROUND OF OFFICIALS 'CRACKING-DOWN" ON INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN SPORTSPERSONS - NOTABLY AND MOST RECENTLY, THE RAID ON THE ITALIAN HOTEL ROOM OF WORLD CLASS JAMAICAN SPRINTER, ASAFA POWELL......BUT ARE WE GETTING A FAIR DEAL FROM THE PRESS IN THEIR REPORTING OF THE MATTER AND SIMILAR INSTANCES, OR ARE ANGLES BEING TAKEN BY THE PRESS BY AND LARGE SUGGESTIVE, SPECULATIVE OR EVEN SENSATIONALISTIC? IS THERE A BALANCE TO BE STRUCK? AND HOW VIABLE IS SOME FORM INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR REPORTING VS THE APPARENT "FREE FOR ALL" SHOUT OF "freedom for the press"?