$20 for a slave kid?

So apparently, there are some villages so poor in Africa (how poor are they?), that parents sell their kids to work for fishermen who use them as slave labor.

for 20 bucks.

Of course, the parents don't know they're treated so poorly, but that's beside the point. Some of these kids are 4 years old, and their entire job is to scoop water out of a fishing kayak. Some of them are rowing, and some are throwing nets.

And they get ONE meal a day.

So now there are organizations who are rescuing these kids by asking the fishermen to let them go- out of the kindness of their hearts.

Some DO let some kids go, but the fishermen DO need to make a living, and they want their businesses to continue.

-and they SHOULD want that. Without them, there is NO HOPE for the entire continent.

Even "the land of opportunity" had it's child labor issues, and we flourished on slave labor, but we eventually pulled out. Other countries are where we were just a short time ago.

Why don't we HELP THEM get further along?

If the 4 year old is just scooping out water, why can't we show them a machine that does it?
If the family is so poor that they have to sell their kid to get groceries, why can't we show them that instead of buying groceries, they can buy a COW, and sell milk, cheese, and calves?
If we have figured out BETTER ways to do something, why aren't we showing them?

Of course, isn't this the argument for why we "helped" the Native American, and then took their land?

Where is the line between "helping" and "conquering"?

I honestly believe that what WE are doing- or at least what we SAY we are doing- or at least what we say we are TRYING to do here in America is the way to go- FREEDOM and INDIVIDUAL rights.

So if it costs $20 for a kid, isn't the world better off buying that kid an education, and giving the fisherman a machine?

I think so.

I guess that's it.

$20 for a slave kid?

So apparently, there are some villages so poor in Africa (how poor are they?), that parents sell their kids to work for fishermen who use them as slave labor.

for 20 bucks.

Of course, the parents don't know they're treated so poorly, but that's beside the point. Some of these kids are 4 years old, and their entire job is to scoop water out of a fishing kayak. Some of them are rowing, and some are throwing nets.

And they get ONE meal a day.

So now there are organizations who are rescuing these kids by asking the fishermen to let them go- out of the kindness of their hearts.

Some DO let some kids go, but the fishermen DO need to make a living, and they want their businesses to continue.

-and they SHOULD want that. Without them, there is NO HOPE for the entire continent.

Even "the land of opportunity" had it's child labor issues, and we flourished on slave labor, but we eventually pulled out. Other countries are where we were just a short time ago.

Why don't we HELP THEM get further along?

If the 4 year old is just scooping out water, why can't we show them a machine that does it?
If the family is so poor that they have to sell their kid to get groceries, why can't we show them that instead of buying groceries, they can buy a COW, and sell milk, cheese, and calves?
If we have figured out BETTER ways to do something, why aren't we showing them?

Of course, isn't this the argument for why we "helped" the Native American, and then took their land?

Where is the line between "helping" and "conquering"?

I honestly believe that what WE are doing- or at least what we SAY we are doing- or at least what we say we are TRYING to do here in America is the way to go- FREEDOM and INDIVIDUAL rights.

So if it costs $20 for a kid, isn't the world better off buying that kid an education, and giving the fisherman a machine?

I think so.

I guess that's it.

Best Joker 2006....

Yeah! I won the "Best Joke Teller" Award for 2006 over at

http://www.thejokeproject.com/days/2007_days/010507_qt.htm

I LOVE this site- I mean, they have great taste!!

They film all over New York City; find out where they'll be, and go tell a joke!

Best Joker 2006....

Yeah! I won the "Best Joke Teller" Award for 2006 over at

http://www.thejokeproject.com/days/2007_days/010507_qt.htm

I LOVE this site- I mean, they have great taste!!

They film all over New York City; find out where they'll be, and go tell a joke!

A Deck of Cards = Nice Body?

It's damn cold here in NYC.

Damn Cold.

Since my Gym is across town, and it's DAMN COLD, I am less than motivated to go over there.

However, I DO need to work out.

So, I remembered a workout I used to do in college, and thought I'd do it.

It kicked my ass.

Here it is:

Take a regular deck of 52 cards, and shuffle them.

Then turn over a card:

If it's a Spade, you do that number of squats
If it's a Club, you do that many Pull-ups
If it's a Diamond, you do that many crunches
If it's a Heart, you do that many push-ups.

Aces are worth 20.


You can of course increase the intensity by adding weight, by varying the excercises, by doing full sit-ups instead of crunches, etc.
You can also play with the Jokers being something special- like 10 of each in one big circuit.

I take no responsibility for your muscles the next day.

A Deck of Cards = Nice Body?

It's damn cold here in NYC.

Damn Cold.

Since my Gym is across town, and it's DAMN COLD, I am less than motivated to go over there.

However, I DO need to work out.

So, I remembered a workout I used to do in college, and thought I'd do it.

It kicked my ass.

Here it is:

Take a regular deck of 52 cards, and shuffle them.

Then turn over a card:

If it's a Spade, you do that number of squats
If it's a Club, you do that many Pull-ups
If it's a Diamond, you do that many crunches
If it's a Heart, you do that many push-ups.

Aces are worth 20.


You can of course increase the intensity by adding weight, by varying the excercises, by doing full sit-ups instead of crunches, etc.
You can also play with the Jokers being something special- like 10 of each in one big circuit.

I take no responsibility for your muscles the next day.

If you want another great "OLD-SCHOOL" approach, check this out- It kinda hurts though!

THE SECRET- again!

I can't recommend THE SECRET enough:

I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH.

I also recommend the CD's.

Here's my take on it:

Our THOUGHTS about something generate a FEELING about that, and those FEELINGS send out a VIBRATION into the Universe- and affects your destiny.

Do you realize what this means?

I have finally become a MUTANT with SUPER-POWERS!!!

Let me explain:
See, when I was around 9 years old, and all the way until.... 34, I used to LOSE SLEEP because I was SO EXCITED that I was going to wake up, and my MUTANT POWER would be there.

I THOUGHT about what power I wanted, and while my friends wanted to fly (lame) I wanted to have SUPER TELEKINESIS- because with THAT power, I could do ANYTHING!

The point was, I wanted to be able to DO ANYTHING!

So now, whenever I am thinking about THE SECRET, I imagine that I have FINALLY grown into adolescence, and have the super-powers I have been waiting for, and I can DO ANYTHING!!

So how do you get those feelings when you don't have the thing yet?

Here's what I've been thinking:

When you were younger, and you asked for something for Christmas, and you KNEW you were getting it- didn't you FEEL that energy BEFORE you actually got it?

That's the feeling you need!

So- now that I FEEL like I am a MUTANT with SUPER-POWERS, I've been doing EVERYTHING I can!!!

What's YOUR super-power?

Go get THE SECRET!!!