Murder By Numbers One, Two, Three

http://seattlest.com/2009/08/03/former_wamu_execs_want_their_golden.php

While we are living in monumental times with the increase in complexities, we combat the subconscious and conscious fears with knowledge and education.  As a simpleton, I have looked for varieties of answers to a life burdened by human dejection, crass cruelties, undermining thinking and oppressive natures. Social issues arise and reflect the society we have and have breathed life into.  Currently, we are in a crisis that has many people choking for air.  Many issues concern the future inheritances of tomorrow's children and while adults are spinning in confusion as to provide them with protection, I find that many answers are as simple as centuries past.  They are based in the ethical grounds of the days of many great thinkers and shakers.  One of the most fantastic attributes of the great artists, scientists, politicians, world leaders was that they never left that inner voice, childlike innocence behind in a world plagued by atrocities and aberrations.  We are only human beings looking for good, prosperity, growth and security.  Love can often only be shared in families and communities are each social exchange gives us hope and reasons for living. If a child sat to look at his or her math proportions as a social unit, things don't seem to add up in the universal language of mathematics.

With the concerns on the education system, I am still plagued with the State's lotteries willingness to hand over millions upon millions of dollars to one or two individuals with the concept that the system or game benefits the educational systems of each State.  Forget the fact the government takes more or less half of the winnings in taxes.  In the state of California, the Lotto was implemented in 1984.  The  initiative of Prop 37 extols 50 percent of the funds returned to the players in prizes.  Considering that's a huge reward for the supposed average Lotto player, who shells out an average of $83 dollars a year on tickets. Massachusetts returns 70 percent of their funds to their players.  However, in California the State Lottery Commission is comprised of 5 persons appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Senate.  The Commission (in 1984), oversees 640 employees of the state department who administers the lottery.  This department operates on 16 percent of ticket sales and the remaining 34 percent goes to public schools, community colleges, the University of California system and the California University State system.  Perhaps this helps to keep the cost of higher education considerable lower than others States but 34 percent is not a lot of money to be distributed to all the school systems.  So, someone is being sacrifice for the good of the other, in a sense. Current laws are constantly proposed to increase the Lottery system to benefit those buying tickets and less focus goes to the original purpose of providing funding to the educational systems of the States.  I would be more inclined to dip a dollar or two into a chance of winning a few thousands knowing the winner would be the young population of the State of California.  In addition to the Lottery capping the massive millions distributed by rollovers of the losing draws.  Same deal for multi state lottos, like California's mega Lotto. The highest amount ever paid out was on March 6, 2007 in the amount of $390 million with two winners from Georgia and New Jersey.  The best story was the payout of $365 million to the 8 meat factory coworkers in Nebraska on February 18, 2006.  


The amounts of $390 and $365 million were taken in lump payments of $116 and $177 million.  Now reading these tidbits, I realized that the $390 lump sum payout is less than the $365 one.  There's a site: http://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.asp that shows the breakdown of possible winnings in annuity and lump sum minus the 25% Federal tax and each state's tax percentages.  California and a few other states do not have state taxes on Lotto winnings.  If that's the case, federal taxes well exceeds the 25% mark as half of 390 is 195 not even 116.  So 390 minus 116 equals 274 (which is what the government seized) then the percentage the government took is 70% of the winnings, not the mandated 25% for a lump sum take.  If you choose to get yearly earnings and die next year, you can not transfer your winnings to anyone.  The gamble is larger than people think for the instantaneousness of relief for today and most likely yesterday's burdens.  Another blogger from the UK reinstates George Orwell's book 1984:


"Winston had nothing to do with the running of the Lottery, which was managed by the Ministry of Plenty, but he was aware (indeed everyone in the party was aware) that the prizes were largely imaginary. Only small sums were actually paid out, the winners of the big prizes being non-existent persons."


While the set up of the lotteries entices us to dream with slogans like:  "Imagine what a buck can do."  In a 2007 article from Senator Dean Florez's site, concerning when Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed leasing the Lotto to help fund health reform, the following was written:



The lottery currently provides a little more than $1 billion a year for schools, a small part of a $66.8 billion budget from all state, local and federal sources for more than 6 million students in kindergarten through high school.
In the early years of the lottery, its advertising slogan was “And the Schools Win, Too.” The teachers union persuaded the lottery to abandon the slogan, arguing that it helped mislead the public about school funding.


Debt collections advertises "pennies on the dollar you can settle your debt", while hounding the consumer with daily phone calls, outrageous lies and constant emotional jeopardy preying on guilt.  Government accountability for the sake of leadership should be equally hounded and researched on whether misappropriations are in effect. There are two online PDF's that give more insight to the accountability of the Lotto Commission, which are the California Budget Project and the Legislative Analyst's Office.


Culturally, society is reaching a dissension point and revolting from the slogans and mottos that has lead us down a dead end road or brick walls erected while we slept.  In every tragedy or anguish, there are small victories.  Concerning the lotto, an art group has taken old tickets and created something out of other people's trash similar to the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." which goes back in time further than any current precedent.  Same as "What is useless to one person might be valuable to another" goes hand in hand with "Waste not, want not."  It's proverb that dates back to 1772 and more or less know immediately as truth once it hits our subconsciousness.  The trouble is drawing it into conscious living.  In regards to recycling old, unwanted, unwarranted lotto tickets (scratchers and tickets) a few states have a recycle and win programs that educate on recycling and gives others to bring in discarded tickets found on the ground for a second chance at winning.  Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hamshire have taken lead on this one.  Two artists from the University of Rhode Island School of Design, Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom have taken thousands of dollars worth of used tickets and created a message through visual designs.  

http://www.yatzer.com/feed_2284_ghost_of_a_dream_and_the_art_of__discarded_lottery_tickets

Regardless, it's understood that public institutions and systems require immense funding to keep programs alive and over the years priorities were assessed as the 80's saw a significantly huge increase in funding for Child Welfare and Abuse Prevention, particularly after the McMartin Preschool accusations.  Consequently, the infamous California case is considered the longest and most expensive case in American history.  It lasted 7 years and cost $15 million dollars and never yielded a conviction.  The other recognized legal case in Federal courts is The United States v. Anthony Accetturo et al which was from 1986 to 1988.  The disparity rests in numbers as the psychological bewilderment leaves the mind perplexed and evn in lew of the facts, we are still held hostage to the inevitability of inert thinking and doing.  Then rolls in apathy to replace sympathy due to lack of dexterity of the mind and soul.  So often in the worst criminal behaviors of society, like child abuse regardless if its child imprisonment, prostitution, abandonment, neglect, physical violent depravity, or sexual warfare our abilities to state the obvious remain in conversation and thoughts but actions are confined as no one seems to know how to address the issues.  


Education and perpetual learning about others: victims, survivors, those who provide and assist in protection, prevention and proscription of the maltreatment of children is key in eliminating a social disease.  For those who beg to differ that child abuse is not linked to the undertows of society are sadly mistaken.  The root of evil is not money but as Mother Teresa stated, "One of the greatest diseases is to be a nobody to anyone" and "being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."  


How does a parent prepare a child for a life like this?  It's impossible to teach a child social responsibility without understanding how our own government works or what they do when they do work.  It's like the parent who goes out "saying" he/she has a job but doesn't and then spends their time hiding that fact, living in shame, hatred, anger, frustration and despair.  If that person cares enough to try to keep those secrets from their children or wife, the inevitable overflow of a life unworthy will filter back to the home.  Children are not as easily fooled, either parents can tell them everything is okay but they will feel the sentiment in the air.  They learn to read the unspoken signs and learn from the little known language of emotional intelligence.  Our own government professionals use these same skills for weeding out liars in the mist in understanding what's not said.  It was only within the last 50 years, Bob Dylan said, "People seldom do what they believe in.  They do what is convenient, then repent."  As horror stories of terrible loss has come about from lottery winners of the past, it begs to ask questions about what is the meaning behind a government "game."  Where do we go from here?  


How did I get started on this rant?
My Facebook Post:  Somewhere on post I've seen we are in 17 trillions in debt (17 & 12 zeros). U.s. population is 310,735,300 (in millions). If each of us were to pay off the debt we'd be giving $54,709 per person. 

Now, there are more or less 356 billionaires living in the U.s. (15 reside overseas) if each of these people only had one billion to contribute to eliminating a 17 trillion debt, they would EACH pay $48 to wipe out the entire debt.

Corruption is child's play and in it's complications we kill the youth - we dish out death more than taxes. WTF on extending a TAX break for the rich???? You get what you give, right? Zero, was my hero till someone twisted it around.

"Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8G8BKE83&show_article=1


LOTTO INFORMATION:

http://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.asp

http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2009/090823.aspx

http://www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0703_sff_lottery.pdf

LOTTO REDEEMERS
http://weburbanist.com/2010/08/14/building-a-dream-recycled-art-from-old-lottery-tickets/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/artists-recycle-lottery-tickets-into-stuff-they-would-buy.php
http://www.greenecoservices.com/reuse-lottery-tickets-make-art/

200 CSA Men On Oprah

Finally, adults speaking about sexual abuse during childhood.  Nothing more to be said, just listen.

Full Episode:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Full-Episode-200-Adult-Men-Who-Were-Molested-Come-Forward-Video

Additional resources:

http://www.1in6.org/

http://www.jimhopper.com/

http://www.malesurvivor.org/

http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/sexualabuse.htm

http://www.shatterboy.com/

My ☺ Random ♥ Video ♫

Music by Jah Cure Unconditional Love and Damian Marley & Nas ft. Lil Wayne & Joss Stone My Generation.  


I am astounded by the beauty of character and infants, babies and children have unyielded character. If it is given a safe environment to expand on that very natural state of mind and nature's composition of smiles, serenity and sweetness shall carry us all further in the universal thing called love.

We ♥ Youtube

In today's technological era, the learning skills are abundant and rapidly paced for the youngest of our species.  It is critical that adults learn in a similar manners that children of today utilize.  One major 21st century learning tool is Youtube.  Countless of four or five minute video bits of everything under the sun, from random acts of insanity to home video footage, self made montages, to public service announcements to clips of anything on the regular tube, to pubic and publicity topics, Youtube redefined our generation as well as the next.  It's all about what entertains or teaches us in the grand-scale planetary visions that crosses our screens and eyesights.

I admire, laugh, shock and frustrate over some of the things viewed via Youtube but would never wish to see the sight close due to confined or uptight business regulations.  Yet, I'm sure someone is looking to close this loop hole and so for now, enjoy what we have in the information highway of worldwide broadcasts.  For a five year old company, Youtube has probably exceeded a trillion video uploads and still counting.

Youtube Statistics:

• #4 Largest Site on the Internet
• #1 Largest video site on the web
• 300MM Worldwide Visitors a Month
• 100 Million Visitors per Month
• 5 Billion Video Streams Every month – 40% of all videos online
• (Do the Math – 5 Billion / 300 million worldwide visitors = 17 streams a month per person)
• 15 Hours of video uploaded every minute

Historical Facts and Figures Layout (click on link)

I am a big fan of the Did You Know series and sharing this one: 

Parens Patriae - Waiting for Superman

Parens Patriae - Waiting for Superman
The movie, Waiting for Superman by director, Davis Guggenheim won an Oscar for his film, An Inconvenient Truth. In exploring the deplorables of the public school system, Waiting for Superman follows five school children and their families, who are trying to get their child into Charter schools through lotteries.  Four of the kids are from inner cities and one from the suburbs.  The subject matter tackles the very fundamentals on our approach in education, funding and leadership.  The concept of the documentary falls under the precept that the United States laws of parens patriae concerning the public school system.  

If anything, the focus on children and their futures puts the issues of parenting, government responsibilities and social activism to the forefront of American minds.  The ideas of parens patriae, which is latin for "parent of the nation," requires citizens to accept personal responsibilities for the welfare of our own children and the public school system so therefore, knowledge is power. The Founding Fathers implemented the concepts of equality, freedom and justice but modern society has set those values aside in comparison to time, equity and comprehension. U.S. history is testimonial to this with the equality of rights finally obtained for a minority group within the last 60 years but hey, they aren't victims of the system nor been victimized for hundreds of years. Public denial is the general rule of thumb.


I have yet to see the film but I wonder if the subject of the various States' lotteries are discussed. I find more people interested in the possible return of the State's lotteries than the educational system of this country. The mindset being living on a pipe dreams with an instantaneous solution to what ails us - which is lack of empowerment. The money dividends within lottery winnings is more freedom, security and the ability for unyielding generosity or perhaps power. In the public school system, often teachers cite lack of funding as a main source of restriction for their teaching skills.  Sadly, the funds of a multi-state lottery can reach excesses to over half a billion dollars. 

Many of us send our children to school with the hopes of making a better future than the ones of their parents but so many of us are still learning about our world. We are aware of new findings of what was previously considered important as less important. One completely free documentary is the Yann Arthus-Bertrand film, Home dealing with the education of our environment. Children and adults are reaching new heights in priorities, learning tools and skills and beginning to put things into correct perspective.  One major outcome of it all is in the voices of children.


In recent research, the questioning of our children's abilities to compete with the global world has led to more serious consideration for today's youths.  Globalization gives people evidence of the disparities of the world.  In many statistics, children in the U.S. fall far behind those in China and India in I.Q.'s and China will become the number one English speaking country with the highest population in the world.  The video Did You Know: Shift Happens gives statistics on the U.S. and where in the world we stand.  While one Youtube user said, "Finally, a G-rated video I can use to scare my grandma!" is a true assessment of today's times.  

Educator, Charles Sykes also deals with the issue of public schools and American children in his books, Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write or Add.  His previous book, A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character explores a culture of victims that's filtered down to the essence of society from minorities to the middle class, to the working class and to the academias.  The main message is apathy and not so much sympathy for the political entities that placed society into its unwritten roles.  Sykes addresses the issue of helplessness and grandiosity that seem to go hand in hand and is being passed down to our children.  In order for children to rise above, they must attend higher education.



Although, much of higher ed specializes on specific learning, the basic core classes are often the same subjects taught in high school but elaborated on in college.  Why do something twice when it can be done right in the first place?  The statistics for Waiting for Superman states that 1.2 million U.S. students drop out of high school each year and American teenagers rank toward the bottom in math and science among 30 developed nations.  While statistics are staggering for the high school dropout, their fates are not set in stone and the negative media often perpetuates a myth in learning aptitudes of the average student.  The education of other global countries were quick to jump on the band wagon for industrialization of their countries and knew what to teach their students which is the reason for their rapid rise in education.  In addition strong study skills without American cultural influences, like television, computers, cell phones, video games, etc., is essentially about time management and dependent on age, supervision.  These things are within a parent's control not a child's.  The adult culture of the U.S. is a bi-product of technological numbing through consumerism. Which eventually led to these chains of events.


Bill Gates is a strong advocate of the film, Waiting for Superman but it must be asked then why are we waiting?  As it is according to Learningpartnership.org, the three richest people in the world own assets that exceed the combined gross national product of all least developed countries and its 600 million people, one of these people being Bill Gates.  Though, his increase in world affairs and knowledge of today's times has also made Gates a major proponent of social change, increasing awareness and development of organizations aimed to filter equality across the board.  His efforts should be applauded.  Each of us can learn to earn to work for change to build a better future, if not for ourselves but for the younger generations, it's now rather a matter of choice.



In the most successful kids of today, they are pulling in double overtime as a child contrasting the childhoods of their parents generation.  These kids who have multiple extracurricular activities and honor students are pushing that bar even higher for the "average" student.  Parents often are making it full time work just to keep up with their children's lifestyles.  The type of child I refer to is the one who goes to afterschool sports, participates during the off season in a community sports groups and attends some other artistic hobbies, like band, drama or dance.  They are children whose grades are rarely in question and often pushing to be in advance placement or taking college courses while still in high school.  Some might question and label them as over-achievers. However, they are often harried and it begs to question their future in the massive rush to get ahead but often parent's give their children these choices. The parents are also trying to keep up with the times.  Children must be superheroes not waiting on Superman.   

16 Years Since Violence Against Women Act

Vice President Biden addresses and commemorates the 16th year since the Violence Against Women Act was enacted.  Biden help draft the 1994 bill when he was the senator for Delaware.

The Violence Against Women Act was passed as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and has been reauthorized in 2000 and 2005.


Biden said: "I said I want many things, but one of them is I want control of the Violence Against Women Act," "God ain't made a new brand of men and women in the last few millennia, so that's why we have to keep working to change the culture."

Youth Promise Act

Citizen coalitions for children are one way for the voices to rise up.  In the youthpromiseaction.org the following is stated:

The Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1064/S 435) is bipartisan legislation that will give our communities the support and funding they need to effectively address youth violence issues.  By specifically focusing on violence prevention and intervention strategies, this bill ensures we are funding programs that save lives and give every young person the opportunity to meet his or her potential.

This is the time that all information on child abuse has been explored and disseminated and it is individual citizen actions that can push Congress to move forward.  The research has been set in motion, it is time to take action.  

Congressman Bobby Scott, representing the 3rd District of Virginia explores the Youth PROMISE (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) as principles for implementing funding to the appropriate divisions of government, social services and other organizations aimed against violence with prevention for the youths of today and the adults of tomorrow.  

In essence, violence is curtailed by reaching out to those who confront conditions that provoke anger, frustration, fear and brutality.  If you reach to them for insight and understanding that perhaps the return investment will be strength, prosperity and diligence for the rights to live in the country that holds truth, freedom and dignity as a priority for the future.  

Signing the petition is a step for awareness and getting involved.