Again, history is on the path to repeat itself in American Politics. It seems like for 2 different reasons America’s citizens have felt the need for a third party in politics. Either they believe in one or two political issues that they feel are not given a big enough role in either of the two big parties platforms or they don’t believe in anything and are annoyed with how democracy and debate work to solve political issues in society.

The green movement in American politics showed that the first of the reasons for forming a political third party actually are useful way of having an impact on politics. The main reason the American political system has only two parties is the ballot setup and how political elections are won. As we all know, it takes a majority or 51% of the vote to win most elections in politics and 51% of the state’s citizens votes to win all of the state’s electoral college votes.

The majority system in politics pits two candidates against each other and gives no incentives for only winning 15% of the votes. The contrast to the American political system is Great Britain, which has a proportional system. Because of this system, politics in Great Britain are different at their core from American politics. In a proportional political system, if there are 10 seats available and a political party wins 20% of the vote then they win 2 seats out of 10. I’m sure you can imagine how this influences the whole art and strategy of politics in this system.

Ok so what is unity and what do they have to do with all of this?

Unity08 on the surface is trying to sell itself as the party of the people and uses polls and catchy marketing to try to convince people to join their cause. They are a wannabe third party that has no core issue(s) that are not covered by the two major parties. They actually claim that they take on the more crucial issues rather than the somewhat important issues that don’t actually affect people.

They show base for their support by citing a polls that show the American public agrees with some things that are totally unrelated to a third party in politics. Things such as dissatisfaction with the way the country is headed and polarizaton. Also they polled on hypothetical questions of a different unity ticket and probably asked whether they agree or disagree with the idea. Good political pollsters know that people are always more likely to agree on any question when given the choice.

Ok now what do they have to do with third party politics? Well technically, they claim they do not want to be a third party. No No….They want to influence the big 2 political parties by giving them a wake up call. Oh it gets much better than this. They seem to contradict themselves a lot. They don’t want to leave their political parties but they want a moderate candidate or one person from each big political party to join together and run under their ticket.

So on some of their crucial political issues of national debt, nuclear proliferation, health care for all, and the disappearance of the American Dream they just want one candidate from each party to come together and run?

Ok Ok….Slow me down if I am wrong about this but is their differences on how to go about these issues what makes America the model democratic republic? Did our founding fathers not set our political system up with just that clash and debate?

I feel like I am under the Capitol Dome looking at the painting of Thomas Jefferson apparently stepping on John Adams toe and unity asking Mr. Jefferson if they could shake him up and then to embrace Mr. Adams like his political best friend. The political founding fathers setup the American system on the ideals of Newtonian physics where 2 political parties would both butt heads and the equal opposite reaction would end in a balance.

You cannot expect to take bits and pieces from each different approach given by the major parties, throw them into a blender and out comes the perfect solution. Most moderates in politics today hold views on political issues that are held by both political parties. However, they are affiliated with a certain political party because they believe in their core platform.

Finally, if unity08 plans to have one prominent member from each party on their presidential ticket for the 2008 political elections then how do they decide which party holds the President and which one holds the Vice President. I feel like I shouldn’t need to say this but unity08 makes it out like they do not see the huge difference in power between those two political offices.

So my final thought is this…The main founders and backers of unity08 are in this thing for exactly one reason. *Drumroll* MONEY. Plain and simple. Unity08 said they are seeking an advisory council from the FEC to see if they can be considered not a political committee. This means they do not want to be bound to FEC rules. Also nothing states that they are a non-profit and therefore I have to wonder whether they are not just a for-profit company.

Finally, one of the main founders bio on their webpage states this…

“Hamilton Jordan, Atlanta, Georgia. Carter White House Chief of Staff, writer, investor; focused on for-profit and non-profit start-ups; most importantly, father of three.”

This could mean nothing but it sure sticks out…investor;…for-profit and non-profit start-ups. Also, most of these former political people would not have wasted their time on this if they couldn’t control the cut they’ll make as consultants for unity08.

hmmm…This thing smells of scam and unrealistic dreams that not only contradict the founding fathers political setup for America but are also bad for America. The 2 party system is and will always be the best system for America. Does America need political advocates and higher citizen engagement? Of course! Conflict and honest debate is the best path to the perfect solution.

So to end let me say, unity08, no thanks.

here’s a link to their site. I feel like it is doing them a service but for my readers that don’t know what I am talking about I feel I must.

Jonathan D. Rhyne

Editor of The Right Minded Elephant http://rightmindedelephant.blogspot.com

Blogs are the news and educational outlets of the future. They have pushed themselves up as a leading presence on the internet. For those who once wanted to create a website, but perhaps they had no interesting content. The blog has made it possible to earn some massive traffic for even the smallest of websites. If a person blogs daily on a blog website their site will become over 365 pages large! (each blog post becomes it’s own page….well, with blogging programs like blogger and wordpress). With all that content and a niche’, traffic is sure to come. Well, not exactly.

The whole “build it and they will come” philosophy does NOT apply to the internet any longer. Perhaps at the internet’s conception, and during the following 2 years, this may have been true. Now, even the largest and best blogs may be elusive if not advertised or networked by some means. It would be nice to toss up a nice website with targeted content, and watch the traffic flow in. If this were the case, there would be MANY more rich bloggers out there. Blogging has also become the best way to learn the latest and most important news in any industry. Now, I read about current events and funny stories sometimes days before they appear on the news or radio. Blogs are a bigger power-house than most even realize.

If you are thinking of starting a blog, make sure it has a niche’, or a targeted audience. You could start a gardening blog, a marriage blog, a business blog, an internet business blog, a marketing blog, a web design blog, a graphic design blog, and even a super hero ninja-clown blog. You’d be extremely surprised at how many people are creating blogs these days…and even more surprised at WHAT people are creating blogs about. Reading blogs regularly is not only a great way to gauge your audience in your target industry, but also a great way to keep up with the latest techniques and trends in whatever it is that you are interested in. In reality, blogs really are the newest media form… and with sites like Digg, Twitter, Reddit, and stumble upon, your blog is sure to get noticed by someone!

So how does one slip some shameless self promotion into your own blog, or better yet…even others blogs? If you are writing a targeted blog, in YOUR industry, this shouldn’t be too hard. Say you are a martial arts teacher. You start a martial arts blog, and promote it. List your business and your expertise in the blog every now and again. As others in the industry find your blog, they’ll link to it from their site if they enjoy your content. This is the art of basic blog promotion. There are also a ton of feed websites to submit your blog to, such as Technorati, and a few other biggies that you must submit to to start monitoring traffic, incoming links, and so on.

Another obvious key to business blog promotion is to network yourself and your blog. Many bloggers believe that it is considerate to leave comments on blogs to show appreciation, and to add to the community experience. Commenting also leaves behind your blog’s link, so others can find you through more popular blogs within your industry. Making friends in the blog world is a great way to get your blog and your name out there. It’s also a great way to generate regular readers of your blog.

I strongly suggest that if you already have a business and a business website, to add a blog to it as soon as possible. Whether it is an industry news blog, or just a blog about the news and current events within your own company. It’s a great way to add more content (words) to your site that are like food to the search engines. Industry experts have also said that adding a blog to your company’s site is a way to better connect with your consumer, since they can comment and address issues they have with pretty much anything. Many consumers see it as a better way to access an authority figure within the company as well. Large companies that utilizing blogging include Toyota, Google, HP, and many more.

When it comes down to it, blogging can be a great tool to promote your business if used correctly. Remember, the blogging world is immense, so if you are ready to sit down and start a blog, make sure to design a strategy of how to market that blog. Submit it, Submit it, and Network! Don’t be shy when it comes to commenting. If you enjoyed another’s blog, make sure to comment and let them know! bloggers enjoy feedback, and it usually elicits friendships and new readership.

Terra Andersen is an Entrepreneur, Industry Veteran, and an Internet Business Consultant, with over 12 years of Internet Business experience behind her. With expertise including CRM, e-Commerce, User Experience, Internet Marketing, and Branding. View more of Terra’s high-powered advice at http://www.TerraAndersen.com/blog

When preparing food for the grill, the greatest challenge for home cooks is that grilling is an intense form of direct heat cooking, and controlling the heat can be tricky. Although most people see it as easy, grilling is actually one of the most challenging of the basic cooking methods. If cooking is like driving a car, grilling is like being strapped to a rocket ship! Now more than ever, creative home cooks are looking for the best cooking tips for gas grills. As the weather starts to get nicer and the great outdoors beckons, attention starts to turn to outdoor cooking – and gas barbeque grills can’t be beat for simplicity and convenience. But grilling only becomes EASY when you know these important cooking tips for gas grills that are guaranteed to improve your results. Grilling, like any basic cooking method, can be mastered. These cooking tips for gas grills will get you started on the road to expert grilling any time of year.

Preparing Recipes for the Grill

Cooking all recipes for the grill starts with understanding how the grilling method acts differently on different types of foods. Because grilling is an intense heat form of cooking, careful product selection is extremely important. The grill will not tenderize meats so you must start with a tender product if you want to end with a tender product. Marinating meats when making recipes for the grill is the best way to apply some tenderizing properties before cooking. The product itself is also an important consideration because you want to make sure it will be able to withstand this form of direct high-heat cooking. Different products will handle this differently and some are just not the best choice for standard grilling. A very delicate fish, such as tilapia, will not perform very well on the grill because the high heat may burn the outside of the fish before the inside cooks at all. Another consideration is when grilling combinations of different foods, as in skewering vegetables. A mushroom will cook faster than a carrot or potato, for example. You will achieve far better results by par-cooking the “harder” items prior to skewering so that all vegetables are the correct done-ness at the same time. Once you have considered the differences in the types of foods you will be grilling and preparing them accordingly, the basic procedure for creating recipes for the grill is:

1. Heat the grill on HIGH with the lid closed to heat up the coals and grates to as hot a temperature as possible.
2. Brush the food item with the oil of your choice and place it on the hot grates – presentation side (“pretty side”) down.
3. For GRILLING, leave the grill cover OPEN.
4. After a few minutes inspect the item. You are looking for the item to start to brown around the edges and to see pink (almost clear) moisture bubbling up to the top. This will be your signal that the item is 75% cooked on one side and that is the time to flip it.
5. Do not use a fork to flip the item and do not puncture it in any way – because that will allow precious juices to escape.
6. Using an instant-read thermometer – because this is the only real way to know when something is done – remove the item 5-10 degrees BEFORE the desired final internal temperature.

A Gas Grill Cooking Twist

Although GRILLING is always done with the lid cover open, gas grill cooking can incorporate additional cooking methods that make it preferable to cook with the grill cover closed. With the grill lid closed, the grill changes from a CONDUCTIVE cooking vehicle to a CONVECTIVE cooking one – more like your oven. Of course you could just use your oven for using these cooking methods, but outdoor cooking does have some advantages over indoor cooking – particularly in warmer weather. So how do you turn your dry heat, direct source cooking vehicle (the grill) into one that can utilize a moist convective cooking process? It’s actually a pretty cool technique for gas grill cooking. This is a trick I use most often with delicate fish, such as tilapia. First, I turn the heat OFF on the side of the grill that my tilapia will cook. Then, I add a pan of water to the bottom of the other side of the grill – right on top of the heat elements. Keep in mind that this “water” can be any kind of liquid you like. I use shrimp stock sometimes with fish, but you can season it with chicken broth, wine – anything that is liquid and imparts nice, complimentary flavors to the product you are cooking. Then, the fish is placed either directly on the grill (if you have a flat grate option) or you can put it in a cast iron pan and put it on the grill grates. The rest of the procedure for this type of gas grill cooking follows the normal grilling process – cook with your eyes and observations, flip after 75% done, use a thermometer to determine final temperature and remove a bit “early” to allow for the carry-over cooking that occurs. And that’s it, now you can consider gas grill COOKING in addition to standard GRILLING for great outdoor cooking results.

Gas Barbeque Grills vs Charcoal Grills

You will hear from many self-proclaimed GRILLMASTERS that the traditional charcoal grill is far superior to the gas barbeque grill, but the gas grill has many advantages that make it a great choice for any outdoor cooking situation. I will admit that the charcoal grill provides opportunity for a deep, smoky flavor that is not fully achievable with the gas barbeque grill, but after that all of the “pros” go into the gas grill’s column. For starters, the gas grill is much easier and safer to start because it uses propane as fuel and starts at the press of a button. Charcoal grills can be easily started with lighter fluid, but this can be dangerous, and can impart an undesirable taste into the food. Plus, the gas grill turns OFF as easily as it turned on! No waiting for coals to cool so that you can empty and clean the grill and no messy coals to dispose of. The other nice thing about gas barbeque grills is that they allow for consistent heat throughout the cooking process. With the charcoal variety, the cook has to really control the heat by actually moving products closer and further and this takes some practice and experience.

These cooking tips for gas grills seem simple but they truly are the difference between great grilling results and disappointing meals. The next time you get ready to grill, remember that careful product selection and a basic understanding of cooking methods is all you need to master the barbeque grill, creating outdoor meals and memories for life.

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!