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  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

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  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

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  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

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  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

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  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

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Evolution of the Home Office

 

The current state of our economy has resulted in great change for American business.  It has also meant a change in the fundamentals of business operation.  The Home Office, once identified as a place for new start-ups and cottage industry type business, has grown to now include corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike.   Home offices have become less of a convenience and more often a necessity. 

The Internet, video conferencing, picture mail and other new technology, have made it possible to accomplish as much from a home office as can be accomplished from any corporate facility.   Many structured costs for operating a business have proven to be a financial drain on both employer and employee alike.  As more businesses look to reduce overhead in order to bring operating costs in line with shrinking revenues, home offices have become a feasible option for many businesses.   As a result spare bedrooms, basements or designated work areas are becoming the norm.   Evolution of the home office is another sign that businesses are re-thinking their model, with an eye on practical use of cash resources in contrast to the free spending approaches of the past.  

This and similar trends are projected to continue as the American and world economy reconfigures itself to accommodate the realities of a 21st century economy.  Today's businesses are rethinking fixed and discretionary costs while searching for alternatives in capital management.   Many businesses have discovered that by reducing their fixed costs, such as office space, along with other practices like organized barter they can be both profitable and successful.  

By establishing a barter account, businesses are able to target and reduce specific costs associated with operating a business, but for many it has proven to be the saving grace as well by freeing up dwindling capital.  Barter is the perfect way to trade service for service or product for product without spending cash.   You can establish a trade account wherein you can trade for office supplies, printing costs, marketing, legal support or many other services your company spends cash on monthly.  No matter what type of business you are engaged in, barter just makes good sense.