Choosing Sides on a Divided Health Care Issue

Saturday night's 220-215 decision by the House of Representatives marks the furthest legislative reach U.S. Health Care Reform has ever gone. But the real test for the bill lies in the hands of the Senate, where it is likely to see the same back-and-forth debate that has been going on for months now.

That is: Whether the U.S. should spend money now to remedy the financial hole we're in or pay later.

And by "spend money now," I mean risk dishing out more unprecedented government funding that is prone to waste, corruption and mismanagement.

And by "pay," I mean risk watching idly as unemployment skyrockets passed even what it is now (10.2%, highest in 26 years), health care costs go berserk, the dollar weakens, and failing banks and businesses crumble.

Each option undoubtedly comes with a healthy dose of risk. Deciding which option to choose is a matter of risk management.

Let's break that question down to the personal level: If you owned a business that could no longer sustain itself or the debt you were in, would you cut costs and hold tight for the plunge or would you spend money aggressively to get your business back on track?

Now let's add some known circumstances. If the situation was dire (say, only the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression), that would probably raise the stakes—meaning, the chances of your business riding it out could be slim to none. And just like the word circumstance implies, there is nothing in your control to change that. Hence, the alternative is to reform your business to better "weather the storm" through bold yet concentrated spending.

Notorious advertising agent Morris Hite once said:

There is more money wasted in advertising by underspending than by overspending. Years ago someone said that underspending in advertising is like buying a ticket halfway to Europe. You've spent your money but you never get there."

It turns out that skimping on costs in marketing a brand doesn't effectively win you the best return on an investment. Likewise, plans to save your business must be plentiful in dollars and bold.

This road scares a lot of people; and admittedly, it is a scary road to take. Our national debt has been growing since George W. Bush took office, and more unprecedented spending certainly doesn't make it easier for the next generations of America. But avoiding action now and holding tight may lead to bigger consequences later, and this is really the best defense for spending early as a means to curb the financial crisis' immediate effect.

The problem is that future risks, even dangerous ones, are hard to concretely put together (think Global Warming). There are too many unknowns that would otherwise simplify the decision-making process.

What we do know about our current health care system is this: Despite rising costs in the past and projections to jump by 4% in the next 10 years (increasing our total spending from 16.2% to 20.5% of GDP), America is ranked a mere 34th in life expectancy rates around the globe at 78 years.

And so it's now up to the Senate to decide which threat is more dangerous and should receive the most priority. Our growing debt which could hinder our growth later? Or is it our hindering growth that could lead to even more debt later?

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The New York Times has a timeline detailing the History of Health Care Reform, which emphasizes the importance on the House's recent bill passage.

Back to work and glad about it

After about a month of calling up places and sending out resumes, I just recently landed a job at Image Marketing Group, an advertising and marketing firm in need of a Copywriter / Web Consultant.

It's not too big a change from my previous web content position at a local magazine in CT, except this style of writing is more marketing-focused as opposed to journalistic (e.g. print ad headlines, website 'about us' pages).

But after finishing my first week, I'm actually enjoying that transition. My core calling is writing, whatever form it may be. There's still plenty of creativity involved, and I've always enjoyed the art of persuasion.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have gotten a job in my field so fast in this kind of economy.

I still haven't lost that drive to keep writing outside of work, so regular blog posts on The Cultivator will start in about two weeks.

The Move to North Carolina

There's been a very legitimate reason for the lack of updates lately: I've relocated to North Carolina with my girlfriend of 2 1/2 years!

She recently landed a job as a news reporter at a local station about 45 minutes from Charlotte at Cleveland Headline News (Cleveland is the name of the County). This is after looking for a job mainly in the northeast for more than two years! We're absolutely ecstatic.

My job search is now just beginning. I'm hoping to find something in the field of new media journalism soon. If North Carolina is what people say it is, then there will be a good amount of opportunity here.

To all the friends and family in Connecticut: Thanks for the good times and support. It's been quite an adventure.

Sometime soon we will post a video tour of our new apartment. Look for it in my next post.

Looking East for a Post-Recession Mindset

Kurt Andersen wrote an excellent piece in Time this week, entitled "The Avenging Amateur." He argues that it's America's supposed amateurs that are "our best hope for thriving after the crisis."

He quotes Shunryu Suzuki, a Japanese Zen master as famously saying, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."

"Beginner's mind" (Sho-shin) is essentially a paradox, Andersen explains. By starting anew, by going back to basics, reinvention and discovery become possible, without the limiting preconceptions that the expert mind develops. Zen Buddhists spend years of devoted practice to achieve states of beginner's mind.

There will always be a need for experts. But historically, amateurs of their respected fields are known to shake the very foundation of what was thought to be an unyielding reality; namely, as Andersen points out, the founding of this country.

That same passionate spirit just might propel the next big thing, whether its sustainable energy or Web 3.0. The capacity for breakthrough already exists within us, according to Buddhist philosophy.

Says world-renowned teacher Yongey Rinpoche: "The essence of Buddhist practice is not so much an effort at changing your thoughts or your behavior so that you can become a better person, but in realizing that no matter what you might think about the circumstances that define your life, you're already good, whole, and complete. It's about recognizing the inherent potential of your mind."

Here we find another paradox: discovering the best of us requires only to look within and believe in ourselves. And yet, sadly, Western Civilization in particular is bent on searching within the realm of the external to solve its problems, even to a dark extreme (greed, excess).

Buddhist teachings describe attempts to control our own fate as an illusion of control, which paradoxically leads to instability. It's when we let go of attachments that we are actually in better command of our lives.

Perhaps there is a valuable lesson here that we can take from Eastern thought as the dust settles from the global recession—that there is much to be gained by going back to living simply, as un-opportunist as it may seem. By spending and controlling more than our share, we've found that it only leads to more gimmicks, rock bottoms and reality checks. It's high time that America continues to look East for help with the complexities of Western life.

I Recommend: Full Screen Text Editors

Technology is not without its flaws—one of the necessary evils of the internet is that there is too much to search and explore. It's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by the massive amount of information at your fingertips. In this age of excess choice and complexity, sometimes it's just better to keep things simple. That's why I highly recommend a full screen text editor for those who wish to use their computer to write without getting easily sidetracked.

DarkRoom is a free, full screen writing environment for Windows. It's small, simple and easy to install. In a nutshell, DarkRoom is simply what it calls itself—a blank screen for you to pour all those constipated words onto.

While the editor's preferences are limited, DarkRoom does allow you to alter basic options such as background and text color, auto saving, transparency levels, and more. One outstanding feature is that it automatically opens the latest file you were working on.

DarkRoom also makes it easy for you to open existing documents by right clicking them and selecting "Open this file using DarkRoom." Some files, however, cannot be translated into purely text and print out a ton of code instead (Word documents). Not to worry though, you can easily copy and paste existing text from anywhere and start working in DarkRoom.

The developers of DarkRoom are currently brewing an upgraded version, so be on the lookout for that.

Q10 is another full screen text editor similar to DarkRoom. It's a bit lighter on its feat, booting up in a blink of an eye. And although Q10 is no longer supported by its maker, it does boast a few nifty features worth mentioning.

Q10 has a small info bar on the bottom keeping track of your running word count, pages, lines, paragraphs and characters, along with a clock at the right-hand corner. Here's where it gets good: you can set alarms for yourself, either by the clock or word limit—great for writers who want to hone their time efficiency skills. A timed alarm will even tell you within that same bottom bar how many words were written in whatever time amount you set it to. And setting a goal for a certain word limit, for example, will display the current progress on the bottom info bar in percentage and ratio.

The program comes with a spellchecker, but unlike Microsoft Word's default preferences, it doesn't automatically underline words as you type. This could be seen as both a blessing and curse—it's less distracting, but less convenient to spell check. But for what the program is designed to do, it works and is a nice escape from Word's red/green squigglies.

Losing your work is never fun, so Q10 can auto save periodically by the clock or with each new goal, such as a new paragraph or page. It also has a neat typewriter sound effect whenever a keystroke is entered. For those who wish to type in silence, there is an option to turn this off or lower its volume.

Whether you're looking to write a letter, that great American novel in your head or just brain storm without having to use pen and paper, a full screen text editor could be exactly what you need to get rolling without all the bells and whistles of other programs.

This post, along with past Cultivations, was written in both of the aforementioned text editors.

The Truth About Income-Based Repayment

I recently took a few days from posting to apply for student loan consolidation. One of the the more interesting repayment options I came across was IBR, or Income-Based Repayment.

Since July 1 of this year, IBR makes repaying staggering college loans more manageable by scaling monthly payments to yearly income, while factoring in martial status, dependents, and state of residence. According to the their website, those with a total debt greater than a year's earnings probably qualify for IBR.

This is different from its 1994 sister plan, Income Contingent Repayment (ICR), in that the formula for monthly payments is capped at 15% of income. Under IBR, some people may not even have to make monthly payments if they're not earning enough money (see video below).

There are a few problems with this. While forgoing payments might seem like a godsend to those who are struggling with bills, I wonder just how much interest will be accruing after a few months of nonpayment?

This may not be an issue if there wasn't a problem with another aspect of both IBR and ICR. Both repayment plans advertise "Loan Forgiveness" after 25 years of regular payments. Sounds great, right? Sure, if you overlook the fact that any remaining debt is filed on your tax return as taxable income.

If the point of this government program is really to subdue the financial burden of pinched graduates, why make them pay taxes on what could be a huge sum of money after giving them the possibility to pay nothing each month, effectively extending the life and total amount of their loan?

And what if that taxable income boosts someone to the next tax bracket, suddenly requiring a higher tax percentage on that year's income? So much for making life easier for college grads.

My issue is not so much with the tax itself as it is with false advertisement. If taxing the remaining total makes the program work, fine. But don't call it "Loan Forgiveness" if graduates are slapped with yet another financial burden at the end of 25 years. Don't advertise that IBR is out to save people money when it's just out to make money. That's not the way to get people to believe in government again.

In short, just like any business, IBR has the potential to screw you over if you're not careful. Ignorance of loans, in general; and the repayment plan, in particular, can be disastrous. Granted, someone opting into a plan they know nothing about has only their self to blame. But this is not the best example of an honest, upfront government alternative to "business as usual."

To its credit, IBR's info site does include the fact that remaining amounts are taxed in its FAQ (so technically, they're not completely hiding it), and just recently announced on its main page that legislation is being put forth to ensure that any "forgiven" debt is not taxed. Also, as it currently stands, working a public service job will relieve all debt after 10 years without it counting as taxable income.

You be the judge. Watch the video for yourself:

For the Record: President Obama is Not a Socialist

There are few things that hinder the progress of society more than the spreading of misinformation and downright lies. Take this one, for example:

"President Obama is a Socialist."

Republicans, along with the right-wing media, have been upchucking this phrase throughout his campaign and presidency.

Which is funny, because the last time I checked, Obama didn't run for the Socialist Party USA. He ran for Democrat.

If Obama was a "Socialist," why doesn't America's Socialist Party even recognize him as one? Quite to the contrary, they regard him as huge a supporter for capitalistic ideals as any other non-Socialist president.

Why else would he go to great lengths to save failing American businesses like banks, insurance companies and auto makers—with the public's money, no less? Would it be because he's a Socialist, the likes of which do not believe in a private sector? I think not.

So he wants to tax the rich more and the poor less. One might think that a Socialist would surely do this. But taxing the rich an additional 3% isn't going to shut down the private sector. At the end of the day, Americans are still living in a capitalist society, perhaps one that provides greater economic opportunity for more people—not just 5% of the population.

President Obama is a lot of things: the words progressive, liberal, reformer come to mind. But he's certainty not a Socialist disguised as a Democrat. Any attempt to convince people otherwise is the sort of desperate attack that tries to win points by spreading lies—akin to accusations that he was a terrorist during the '08 campaign.

It's easy to throw the word Socialist around. The hard thing to do would be to look up what Socialism actually meant and really see (as opposed to getting spoon-fed by desperate republicans) what's going on here.

What Twitter Means for Information Gathering

Twitter has become less "What are you doing?" and more "What's going on in the world?"

The Iran protests are a handy example. Searching #IranElection ("#" denotes a searchable subject) on Twitter yields literally hundreds of 140-character blurbs (albeit, some of which unreliable) on the escalating political situation every minute. Given that the Iran government has blocked most other media outlets in the country, Twitter has set the stage for which the events to unfold for the rest of the world.

The State department, knowing well the role Twitter is playing in Iran, asked the three-year-old social networking site to postpone a scheduled maintenance that would cause the site to be down. They complied and moved it to a less disturbing time for Iranians.

That's how you know we live in a digital world, one that journalists are increasingly on the heels of.

Time has already run a cover story about how Twitter is changing the way we live. Before reading that and other articles, I figured Twitter for a mere listing of daily play-by-plays by average people and celebrities. An earlier cultivation argued how Twitter feeds into narcissistic behavior. While that certainly litters thousands of "Tweets," I recently discovered how handy the free service is for information gathering after finally joining last week.

It all depends on who you "follow," which allows those selected persons' Tweets to show up on your homepage. For the purposes of this blog and my insatiable curiosity, I began following news organizations and journalists. For example, Ann Curry of MSNBC had this to Tweet about:

Activists rounded up at night. Amnesty International: " Some have been shot and killed, others have simply disappeared." #iran election

Want behind the scenes info on the set of new movies? Follow actors like Kevin Spacey, who will tell you who he's shooting with. Often times, Tweets will provide links when sites or blogs are updated, effectively pulling updated content from whoever you're following.

Love it or hate it, Twitter is simply another medium for information. It has become too hard to ignore; too big to call a fad. It is not a medium without its flaws: There is no business model to speak of; the founders invested millions to see how it would do. We have yet to see what will be implemented for Twitter to make money. Most annoyingly, the 140-character limit requires URLs to be shortened via tinyurl or other third-party websites. Misinformation and gossip is rampant. But the bottom line is that Twitter is where current information is. And that means that's where I'll be too.

Google-Microsoft Showdown Heats Up

The showdown between Google and Microsoft is at a very intense moment right now. Early this month, Microsoft rolled out Bing, a rival search engine to Google. The release has forced Google to take a look at the new engine, along with news of Bing's early success. It also most likely prompted a link posted under Google's famous search bar that explains all the areas search covers.

Bing has a long way to go, however. Google still owns a majority of web searches (about 60%), followed by Yahoo! and finally Microsoft. Besides, they have their own plans to gain a slice of Microsoft's market share.

Android, Google's operating system originally designed for mobile phones, will come pre-installed on netbooks as early as this summer. This reduces the ever-important price tag of the mini laptops that Microsoft Windows currently eats up. On top of that, Android is designed specifically for the web, the main use of netbooks. Even those warmly familiar with Windows may have to loosen their grip for this one.

Let's recap: Web dominant Google will soon roll out operating system software for netbooks while software giant Microsoft releases a web search engine.

This is great news for users. Two giant companies healthily competing against each other in a race for the better product means we will ultimately be able to purchase a better product. After all, the mind power of two companies is greater than one.

I haven't even touched on Google's web browser, Chrome (versus Internet Explorer); their talks with Twitter (Microsoft owns a stake in Facebook, so you can see where this is going); Book Search, an ambitious attempt to digitize the world's libraries; and Wave (see below), a new take on e-mail.

Microsoft does have Windows 7 in the works, aiming to amend the bad taste Vista has left behind. But unless Microsoft releases a quality product without the annoying compatibility issues and user prompting associated with Vista, Google may just gobble up a huge chunk of the market.

See what CNET had to say about the upcoming Google Wave:

Plain Language Disclosure

This week, I went over the towering amount of debt that I owe from college loans. Yes, like millions of American graduates, I will probably be paying off my education until I'm 50—not something to look forward to. I did, however, stumble upon a newly released Plain Language Disclosure document through one of my loan providers, which will no doubt ease the process and understanding of my repayment phase.

For those that don't know, the Obama administration recently pushed through legislation entitled the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which requires loan and credit card vendors to disclose certain "gotcha" details (the fine print people normally glance over) in a clearer and more blunt manner.

Right out of my Granite Plain Disclosure document, the explanations actually tell you what to watch out for (click on the images for a closer look):


...as well as the new limits to which they can penalize you for late charges:


Basically, instead of calling up multiple loan providers to contrast what one person said in intentionally confusing language with another, I have a document that tells me the essential facts right in front of me. That is a beautiful thing.

In addition, new changes to credit cards include:

• Earlier statements, with due dates that don't shift (21 days to pay, up from 14)
  
• An end to "anything goes" late fee penalization
• Plain language details in plain sight (goodbye fine print)
  
• Fair notice of increasing interest rates or other changes
  

Before signing the legislation on May 22, Obama emphasized that these changes were not put in place to lessen the responsibility of consumers. Sure, they can help people who have mismanaged their money, but the fact is: even responsible people were getting screwed over by endless loopholes and misinformation. If anything, the changes actually push more responsibility by forcing companies to conduct their business in more honest and upfront manner.

To learn more about the legislation, click here.

Remembering Tiananmen Square

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The incident left hundreds of pro-democracy protesters dead and many more injured, not unlike the way Hitler and Saddam Hussein destroyed political opposition to keep a tight hold on power.

The Chinese government never apologized for its extreme actions in defending communist stability, even tabooing the bloody ordeal by censoring media coverage. They've recently done so by banning certain websites like Twitter, Flickr and Hotmail in the days preceding the anniversary.

The event is erased from textbooks and never taught in schools, which begs the question: just how long will the Chinese government continue its efforts to distort history?

Liu Suli, one of the protestors in Tiananmen square, had this to say in a New York Times article:

If I don’t talk about it any more, I might forget,” he said. “I might not know how to say it."

If history tells us anything, it tells us that people will not easily forgo their history. That's why thousands gathered in Hong Kong for a Tiananmen vigil, away from the censorship of mainland China. The government can deny reporters and block websites all they want, but people aren't going to forget what happened. If anything, their efforts to make it a taboo will only draw more attention.

It'll be interesting to see if China will retain its communist government after proving itself as an international economic powerhouse. Will it still be necessary to rule with an "iron fist" after lifting millions out of poverty and dramatically increasing the quality of life?

“You can raise pigs to be very strong and very fat,” Liu Suli said. “But a pig is still a pig. And a pig has no rights.”

The Post-American World

The world is witnessing the end of American dominance according to The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria.

So why are we entering what Zakaria says is the third power shift in the past 500 years? Because world economies have shown the greatest gains ever in the past 20 years, something he calls "the rise of the rest." So-called "developing countries" have shown remarkable growth:

In 2006 and 2007, 124 countries grew at a rate of 4 percent or more. That includes more than 30 countries in Africa, two-thirds of the continent," writes Zakaria.

These findings coincide with an earlier cultivation's link to a lively statistics lecture about third world myths. In it, researcher Hans Rosling argues that developing countries have pulled themselves out of poverty more than we think—and he has the facts to back it.

Is it too optimistic to believe these findings are good news? I love my country, but competition from all over the world means will be constantly pressed to keep up—meaning better overall performance. To be fearful of these changing times is to be somewhat hypocritical. We are the beacon of capitalism. Are we really going to be afraid of competition after years of dominance? Or are we going to be a leader in setting higher standards?

The Evolving Workplace

This week's issue of Time focused on a series of articles about the future of work. Now that employment has been uprooted, dispersed or terminated altogether by the economic crisis, a new wave of job standards is taking shape. Time cites examples of the cubicle life slowly disappearing, along with the company ladder, and reason to believe they will only continue to do so in the future.

Working from home (also known as telecommuting) has already become a company trend. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor reported a whopping 20.7 million people who work at home at least once a week. This represented 15% of the nation's non-agricultural workforce. However, that percentage was roughly the same since 2001. The cubicle workplace was still the average American job.

That's about to drastically change as companies begin to hire more and more telecommuters in order to save. According to Time, telecommuting can save up to 20% on real estate costs and 10% on payroll.

Accountability will become less about the ability to show up on time everyday to work under the watch of a supervisor. Instead, work will be measured as several completed tasks in the boss' e-mail inbox at 5 o'clock.

For the most part, this seems like a win-win for everybody. Employers save money while employees get freedom in the form of more time with family, less traffic, and a less stressful working environment. But I imagine this will require workers to muster much more self-discipline and motivation at home. After all, there's nobody to watch the work in progress; all that matters is that it's finished at the end of the day. Mixing work with leisure without immediate consequence now becomes possible.

On the other hand, opening up to potential employees who can work from virtually anywhere creates a more competitive market. So handing in sloppy work from home is probably not the best idea, even in local businesses that usually see less job competition.

If we think markets are competitive now, then we're in for an unpleasant surprise:

The only reason to go to work, I think, is to do work. It's too expensive a trip if all you want to do is hang out. Work will mean managing a tribe, creating a movement and operating in teams to change the world. Anything less is going to be outsourced to someone a lot cheaper and a lot less privileged than you or me," writes Seth Godin of Time Magazine.

Along with telecommuting is a much more recent change in work style: the death of the company ladder. Workers are increasingly opting to work for less time (and at home) rather than consistently moving up the ladder—which doesn't always mean less pay. They are more likely to move within a company, assuming multiple positions with varying amounts of commitment.

The result? Still to come for the most part. But flexibility tends to make workers happier. Minimal risk to job security and later advancement? Even better. The opportunity to continue working for the same company when it would be otherwise impossible means this is a change to look forward to in my book.

Movie Review: Angels & Demons

I had been eagerly awaiting the release of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons since I heard it was making its way as a movie adaptation a few years ago. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to the hype, though it was still worth seeing.

The plot continues with Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) following The Da Vinci Code (2006). This time, the age-old feud between science and religion clash when the church is attacked by The Illuminati, a 400-year-old secret society of freethinkers bent on destroying the Vatican.

Those familiar with both books might be a bit confused about the order of events. Though Angels & Demons was the book prequel to The Da Vinci Code, the movie actually comes second, both in release date and within the plot. This isn't a big deal though, except to say that the church is more hesitant to allow Langdon access to the Vatican archives after his first controversial adventure.

Langdon's character is less patient and a bit edgier this time around, probably because he's got Vatican authorities who absolutely despise him down his throat every two seconds. Not to mention, every minute lost is a minute closer to the death of another Vatican priest, making time a more pressing issue than in the previous film.

But the pacing may prove to be a bit too fast. The result is quick points to the next destination (sometimes, literally), with little time for the neat explanations that really came together nicely in the book. Obviously, a lot gets cut out when a book goes film, but The Da Vinci Code was able to hold its own. This time around, not so much.

The movie's forte is it's stunning visuals and fast action, but remained weak throughout at getting to the heart of the issue (science versus religion) or showing Langdon's thought process between clues.

For that, I give this a solid 7 out of 10. It's worth seeing, but doesn't quite capture the essence of the story nearly as well as the book does.

With that said, I hope Brown's next Langdon book, The Lost Symbol (on shelves September 15), lives up to its hype.

Mind Eraser

Victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be able to finally get past their repeating fear.

Recent advances in neuroscience have revised our conventional view on memory. We used to think that long-term memory was stored in our brains for good once they were stored that way. But a 1999 presentation by a relatively obscure neuroscientist, Karim Nader, changed all that.

He discovered that every time the brain recalls a long-term memory, it is stored again; meaning, the memory can be altered before it goes back to long-term storage, replacing the previous one as if it were never there.

Now, Nader and a team of scientists/psychologists are finding successful results in treating patients with PTSD. Newsweek recently reported that "participants' symptoms dropped by 50 percent, and 70 to 80 percent no longer meet the full criteria for PTSD." And this is only early data.

So is this going to spin out of control, like in 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Jim Carey, Kate Winslet)? Will we succumb to erasing memories so as to never remember having loved and lost?

The answer is: so far, no. And, according to Nader's team, it doesn't look like it's heading that way. The treatment is intended to alter only the pain in existing memories, not erase them completely.

And that's a good thing. There is a great deal to gain from "bad" memories. Painful experiences shape who we are, and at the very least prevent us from repeating similar mistakes.

PTSD is a different story, however. But defining the line that decides who gets to alter their memory and who doesn't will certainly be up for interesting debate in the coming years.

Goodbye Childhood

By now, Alec Greven is well-known across the nation. The 9-year-old sensation appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night, and Ellen with his published self-help book, "How to Talk to Girls," which grew from a $3 school project he sold to classmates to New York Times best seller.

What some people may not know is that his young entrepreneurship didn't end there. Shortly after his advice book began selling well, Twentieth Century Fox quickly bought the rights for a movie adaption. He also recently released a new book cleverly titled, "How to Talk to Moms," and is working on follow-ups for Dads, Grandmothers and, yes, even Santa.

Beyond the fact that this kid states mostly obvious dating advice (like "don't wear sweatpants," for example), which is part of his charm, I can't help but think how setup he is for disappointment. I mean—where do you go next after making millions before puberty?

Lisa Belkin, family life writer for the New York Times, asks if children these days are growing up too fast. She contends the notion that pushing kids too far at a young age, even if it's towards what they want, can be just as bad as not pushing them at all.

Yes, Tiger started young. But would he have lost any ground had he started later? And for every Tiger, are there not countless other children who have burned out early because they leapt too fast and too soon out of the gate?" writes Belkin.

What's worse is that these child stars are mostly seen in a positive light by the media, who no doubt sensationalize the story. Left out is the sad brevity of childhood, resulting in adult behavior exhibited by former child stars like Michael Jackson.

It seems that rather than just think "this kid has so much potentional," we might want to add "to grow up all messed up."

Hard Work Versus Natural Talent

David Brooks of the New York Times points out new findings that show genius is more ordinary than we think, having more to do with countless hours of practice rather than a natural gift. Two recently published books, The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, argue this very point.

The latest research suggests a more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft," writes Brooks

There are no substitutes for truly dedicated, hard work. Even though it may not be fun, exiting or "cool," a consistent work ethic is most likely more valuable than a natural born talent. Without progressive cultivation of that talent, the gift would simply be wasted.

I personally would rather be recognized for something I've earned rather than something that was given to me. Whenever I hear: "I guess you were born with it," I always feel like hours of practice are being overlooked and demeaned, as if that particular talent would continually "wow" without constant re-use and examination.

There's no denying that genetics can play its part in great accomplishment (Michael Phelps, for example), but there's a lot to say of lifestyle. Phelps trained for the 2008 Olympics every day on a 12,000 calorie diet. He didn't win eight gold medals just because he was built to swim, though that surely helped. He won them because of a rigorous training routine. That routine would bore just about anyone to death, but it was needed to keep him physically and mentally in shape to break several records.

Both of the aforementioned books argue that the method of practice is what matters most. Coyle has an Amazon video explaining what's known as "Deep Practice," which is practice done very slowly. Colvin argues that analyzing results from trial and error is the best method to learn from mistakes and systematically improve skills.

Living in the Age of Narcissim

"Generation Me."

That's what a recent psychology book, The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean M. Twenge, is calling a new culture of egocentrics. A recent Newsweek article featured the book, praising it for its accurate description of our society.

...we've built up the confidence of our kids, but in that process, we've created a generation of hot-house flowers puffed with a disproportionate sense of self-worth," writes Raina Kelley.

I think that speaks volumes. American culture, with its idolized egotistical celebrities and sense of entitlement, can definitely use some deflation and humility. We're so high on self-worth that we write status updates (Facebook) and Tweets (Twitter) about our daily routine. Not only does it have absolutely no value, but somehow we've made it socially acceptable to broadcast this information like it's important to everyone (friends/followers).

The problem with this type of behavior, according to the premise of the book, is that it can magnify to attitudes that turn others off real quick—the idea that you are more important than everyone else. It's the type of thinking that leads to costly mistakes (Spitzer, Bernie Madoff), and just plain gives a snarling impression of arrogance.

We need to realize that simply thinking you're the only one that matters doesn't make it so, and how important it is to always keep that attitude in check.

I Recommend: Mint.com

Mint.com is an invaluable budgeting tool that can be accessed on anything with internet.

While the site is not new, launching back in 2006, this personal finance lifesaver has seen an influx of new users as of late, along with useful new feature implementations.

Here's the low-down:

Mint.com is a third-party portal between you and all your banks—including checkings, savings and credit card accounts, making it a one-stop site to view all of your money's information. Those worried about how safe this is can watch this video and put all their concerns to rest right away.

Not only can you view this information, Mint let's you set budgets for yourself in particular categories—say, Groceries for example—and tracks your spending in that category, sending you an e-mail alert when you exceed that budget. You can also have e-mail alerts telling you a few days prior that your credit card bill will be due (this can be very helpful).

Speaking of categories, the site also provides a clickable pie-graph that displays your spending trends. It'll show you exactly what you're spending the bulk of your money on.

For those looking to cut down on splurging, this is a helpful way to approach that goal.

Mint can even track any loans you may have taken out, telling you exactly how much you owe and deducting that from your total net worth. You can enter in your car's and property's net worth from that, giving you a more accurate number.

There are some minor annoyances, like not being able to enter in certain banks to track loans, but they are always adding new ones. If your bank is not listed, you can suggest it be added in the forums if it hasn't been already.

Another problem is that sometimes, spent money is said to come from a source that it isn't (for example: buying gas at stop and shop and having it come up as Groceries). There should be a way to permanently categorize spending items so that they always come up as what they really are.

Despite it's minor flaws, Mint.com is still a remarkable way to keep a pulse on your finances. It works wonders for those with dozens of accounts—but if you're like me and have only a few, it can still prove very helpful.

Torture Memos Declassified

Obama's decision to declassify CIA torture memos is more than just an exposure of the wrongdoings of Bush's administration. It admits that for years, the United States, as a nation got it wrong—that torture didn't produce anything valuable.

For once, in a very long time, the government has owned up to its wrongdoings instead of hiding it in a dizzying shroud of classification.

A recent Time article tells us that none of the information gained by torture couldn't have been gained by traditional techniques of information gathering. Not only did we damage our good reputation of a nation that frowns on the use of torture, we gained very little if nothing by succumbing to it.

But at least this has been admitted and not surrounded by controversy for years to come. Declassifying the memos lets us move on, and take the lessons from history as we should have done following the attacks of 9/11.

See the memos for yourself here.

Free Online Lectures

A recent article by Time tells us a trend in top universities: trying to get their best lectures out of the classroom and onto the web. Using sites such as YouTube, AcademicEarth.org, TED, and other educational portals, they are providing a free, quality service to citizens while simultaneously boosting their profits.

It doesn't come without a hefty price tag: thousands of dollars per lecture—but universities are finding it well worth it to upload some of their most effective lectures.

Take, for example, a rather energetic lecture on statistics. Hans Roslings debunks third world myths with stats that move more like planets over time. At the end, he argues the need for statistical data and design to be interlinked, making stats more comprehensible, universal, and fun. See the video here: Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen.

It's both surprising and predictable that this is happening now. In this age, we are seeing information becoming more accessible to the world than ever. But it's still a bit shocking that even Ivy League Schools would join in on this one—considering that their exclusivity is what drives their intellectual integrity and ultimately, new students.

Movie Review: State of Play

Rarely do I see a movie at the theaters twice. When I heard about State of Play, with its journalistic angle and a dash of suspense/thriller, I knew I was in for more than one viewing.

Let's talk plot: A congressman's life (Ben Affleck) turns into a media storm after it's discovered that he was having an affair with a recently murdered co-worker. It's up to Boston Globe journalist (Russell Crowe) and his young, new media side-kick (Rachael McAdams) to crack the "real story."

Along the way there are witty remarks and sarcastic outbursts, such as mocking the emergence of internet blogging. Crowe grumbles something to the effect of, "Before you upchuck something online, make sure you get your facts straight," to McAdams in the early scenes of the movie—an attitude most likely shared by the dying generation of print media journalists.

The story includes some rather surprising twists that I will obviously not get into detail here. Suffice to say, upholding journalistic and personal objectivity exists as one the movie's major themes. Another theme is shown in a scene between Crowe and his editor (Helen Mirren), when she makes it clear that citizens don't care about the truth of a news story, so long as what they're reading is sensationalized.

Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10, mostly because these themes have all been done before (Shattered Glass, The Insider). However, State of Play is able to show these explored truths in a refreshingly, upbeat way with it's commentary of new media, excellent acting talent and suspenseful plot twists.

What does it mean to cultivate?

Merriam-Webster defines the act as: to foster the growth of; to improve by labor, care, or study; to refine.

By that same token, this blog (The Cultivator) is a tool used to help stimulate the mind by aggregating interesting and noteworthy news—systematically farming food for thought, all year long. But posts are not strictly news or opinion. Each topic will provide facts, in addition to an informed conclusion, with links for further reading and verification of those facts.

Why cultivate?

We live in a time when information is coming at us so quick that we don't know how to process it all, and companies like Google make millions just by organizing it. With so much coming at us, it's no wonder why our society is called "attention deprived"—why people care more about being entertained than being told the whole truth.

News organizations know this and take advantage by "media-storming" the same cliché storylines, perpetuating it until focus shifts to a new topic. The problem is: we aren't learning much by being spoon-fed the same tired angles about the economic crisis at every turn.

Yet each and every day lies the possibility of refreshing, educational news. Looking beyond the immediate firestorms and buzzwords, the opportunity to expand your mind has no limit—and it could all start with a 500-word article.

This is the type of news that deserves some attention. So switch your brain to active, and get ready to learn something new with every cultivation.