How To Create Secure Passwords You'll Never Forget

Password Security is easier than you think.

If you're new to my blog, you may not know that besides creating Secure Passwords You'll Never Forget, family portraits and headshots for Orange County executives and artists, I also help business owners with their marketing. I write/edit copy, design websites, logos and corporate identity, as well consult in launching the initial stages of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Yes, I'm a busy man.

Somewhere along the way of helping my clients with their marketing and internet presence, I invariably receive emails that express frustration with their inability to recall passwords to the sites we need to access.

If you are unfamiliar with the procedure for retrieving a forgotten password, it's uneventful, taking all of maybe five minutes. However, it does take time, and over the months and years, it adds up - and up!

Regardless of how effortless it is to reclaim one's forgotten password, with the majority of my clients consistently misplacing them, and the time expended in either waiting for them to restore/create new ones, or helping them through the process, I've come to develop a surefire way to create secure passwords you'll never forget.

You're far from alone if you're registered with a slew of social websites such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Plaxo, StumbleUpon, Yelp, Flickr, Delicious, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Then there are consumer sites like NetFlix and Amazon, not to mention YouTube, and financial sites like PayPal, and brokerage firms. Let's face it, we're neck deep in password retention.

With so many websites we're subscribed to, each requiring a login, it's no wonder our minds are awash in a morass of fuzzy hieroglyphics. We're either constantly resorting to the password retrieval option or our passwords are so weak they're on their last ticking moments of life support. If not, you're a rare one indeed.

Regardless, I've got good news: creating secure passwords you'll never forget is easier than you may have thought. All it requires is a pattern - a pattern that you design, which makes it easy to recall. The pattern you create must contain FOUR (4) key components. Here they are in no particular order of importance:

1. website initials
2. phrase/title/verse initials
3. non-alphanumeric characters
4. numbers or date

1. SITE INITIALS

Whatever the site you're accessing, you'll need to include the initials of the site in your password. Since many sites require at least a capital letter, you might choose to make these your capitals of choice.

EXAMPLE

Facebook = FB

PayPay = PP

LinkedIn = LI

Golfmax = GM

NetFlix = NF

2. PHRASE

Think of a phrase or any short collection of words that have relevance to you. It could be a title to a song, book, movie or a line from a favorite poem or Bible verse. It does not matter what it is or where it comes from, just as long as it is meaningful to you, which makes it memorable. You could also opt to make these your capital letters instead of Site Initials.

EXAMPLE

Book

The Time Traveler's Wife = tttw

Movie

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows = hpatdh 
Poem
Shall I compare thee to a summers day = SICTTASD

Song

Back In the Fast Lane = bitfl

Verse

In the beginning was the word = ITBWTW (any guesses of what "fgsltw" translates?)

3. NON-ALPHANUMERIC 

The non-alphanumeric characters are ones such as [, }, /, &, \, |, >, #, etc. Any will do. 

I suggest selecting one or two Non-Alphanumeric characters and then using them at least twice. Some people opt to begin or end their password with Non-Alphanumeric characters, while others prefer to intersperse them. Whatever works best for you is best. 

4. NUMBERS or DATE

When selecting numbers, I suggest picking digits that are in some way relevant to you. While some people simply choose their favorite number, repeating it two or three times, others opt for an important date in their life. Since birthdays are easily discoverable, however, I suggest refraining from including your birth date. An anniversary works well, as does a significant historical date, or even a favorite year. The numbers you select simply need to be something readily remembered.

Putting It All Together

Let's say you have an account with PayPal. To create your password, you might begin by first selecting the initials for the site: PP

Next, you could type the initials for a phrase. Let's choose All Quiet on the Western Front: aqotwf

Our third step may be to select numbers. For our example let's choose a year: 1492

Lastly, we need our non-alphanumeric characters. Let's pick two dashes: - -

Now, let's put it together. Here's how your password for PayPal might look:
PPaqotwf1492--

It could also be pp-AQOTWF-1492, or any sequence of the four components you desire. Whatever the sequence you decide, it's imperative that you use it consistently for ALL your passwords.

Were you to choose a component sequence of
• PHRASE
• NON-ALPHANUMERIC
• SITE
• NUMBER,
following are examples of what your passwords might look like:

NetFlix:
aqotwf--NF1492 

LinkedIn:
aqotwf--LI1492 

FaceBook:
aqotwf--FB1492

I think you get the idea. Every element of your passwords will be identical except the initials of the website you're entering.

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ADDENDUM - February 2017
Changing Password Yearly or Multiple Times 
I just received a question regarding how to manage passwords that are required to change yearly. I've got an easy fix, and one that I use routinely.

All you need to do is add the year. You can add the entire year (i.e. 2017) just a portion of it (17). This allows you to keep every element of your password sequence/pattern intact, with the only change being the addition of the year.    

As to where in your sequence pattern you decided to insert the year is entirely up to you. You can add it up front, in the middle or at the end – simply choose whatever works best for your system.

You might even choose to add the year to the number that already exists within your password. Let's say the number you've selected in your password is 007. Adding the year to your number might change it to 00717. You might also add a hyphen to make to 007-17, or 007-2017.

And for those websites that require you to update your password multiple times, all that is need to is add a letter, beginning with "a." For example, 007-2017a. Should you need to change your password again with the year, your next password would included 007-2017b, and so on.

Following are a few examples of what completed passwords might look like:

Yelp:
##YP1964-17fftmc or  ##yelp1964FFTMC17 

Pinterest:
1943++catbttPT17  or  PT1943catbtt2017 

Google:
17=fwhbtitftGOOG=1126 or goog=2017=fwhbtitft

Password change within the year? 

1. goog=2017a=fwhbtitft  2. goog=2017b=fwhbtitft  3. goog=2017c=fwhbtitft 

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Lastly, I also advise keeping a log of your Passwords and storing them in a safe but easily accessible place. This will serve you well in the unlikely event you forget your password sequence (or any element of it). It'll also come in handy when it comes time for you to change your passwords, which you will want to do from time to time, providing you with a record of previous passwords and their sequential patterns.

As always, should you have any questions or need help in creating secure passwords you'll never forget, no concern is too small.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

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Does Obama Look Like the Devil in "The Bible"?

The blogosphere is all abuzz with talk about the eerie likeness of President Obama with the devil in the History Channel's hit series "The Bible." Shorty after the airing it's third episode, Twitter exploded with with comments on the close resemblance.

Subsequently, this has sparked talk of George W. Bush's head on a spear from Game of Thrones. Though HBO's controversy was self-inflicted (i.e. intentional), and they later apologized, pulling the episode that displayed Bush's head thrust skyward at the end of a spear, no word has come either History Channel or the producer, Mark Burnett (see UPDATE below).

The actor bearing Obama's likeness is Moroccan born Mehdl Ouazzani. His cloaked figure first appears as Satan during Jesus’ initial temptation. Glenn Beck has been attributed as the first to tweet a photo making the connection, though no official news source has authenticated the report.

Is there a close resemblance between President Obama and actor Mehdl Ouazzani 
as Satan in History Channel's "The Bible"? You decide.

As to the verity of the likeness, and it's intentionality or  mere coincidence, I've superimposed President Obama inside the cloak, and altered the direction of lighting. I don't know - what do you think? I just don't see it...

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots

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UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE

Less than 24 hours after a controversy erupted over a purported likeness of Satan and President Obama in the History Channels miniseries, “The Bible”, Executive Producers, Mark Burnett & Roma Downey stated:

“This is utter nonsense. The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouzaani, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor. He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics - including Satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as our President.

Roma Downey added:

"Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our President, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of The Bible.”

"Do You Sell Pictures on a CD?"

Pitchers on a CD ready for Printing at your local Costco...

Over the past half dozen years I cannot count the number of times I've received phone calls and emails from potential clients asking about family portraits only to conclude their inquiry with the ubiquitous comment that they only need "pictures on a CD." You know the drill...

My question to you is, "How do you respond?" Are you one of the minons who've given in to the ignorant masses or have you remained firm, educating the public why you're a family photographer? Obviously, I would not be writing were I not a photographer dedicated to the latter option.

To that end, I am posting my two letter response, which is directed at those who cite their desire to purchase digital files on a CD. Why two parts? The first letter is to establish intent, while the second is to educate.

The first email has two goals. Besides establishing/confirming their request, the other, less conspicuous reason, is to cause them to consider and share what they are really asking. I'm not a fan of assumption. Asking them to articulate the reason they wish to own my digital files (i.e. put it in writing) places the proverbial cards on the table, making it clear their exact intentions; that being, they want to print their own. Most likely at their local Costco.

The purpose of the second letter is to gently and accurately expresse the reality of why family portrait photographers exist. It's perfectly fine that you not be in sync with every aspect of my rationale, as I don't contend it's either cutting edge, comprehensive or the definitive word. It's merel my point of view. Please feel free to extract whatever is relevant and disregard what is not.

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REPLY ONE

Dear _________,

Thank you for writing and inquiring about our family portraits. 

It is our understanding that you wish to purchase a "CD" of the digital files we create but do not wish to have us print any portraits.

Since it is not to have printed photographs from the exposures we create, for what purpose, might we inquire, do you intend with the digital files?

Should you have any questions, no concern is too small. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you, 

Mark Jordan

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Now then, considering that for as long as I have been forwarding REPLY ONE and have have yet to receive a single reply that did not express something to the effect that the inquiring client intended to create they're own prints (even though their first reason is typically for some form of electronic display), REPLY TWO is my customary response.

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REPLY TWO

Dear _________,

Thank you for again for writing and informing us of your intention for the purchase of "CD" of our digital files from a family portrait you're considering us to create.

Were it within our business model and artistic pursuit to meet your exclusive needs of purchasing a "CD" of our work, we would do so. However, as a portrait studio, and more in particular, a professional photographer, we design and create portraits, of which printing the finished image is one of the most essential and gratifying components. 

Were your need of owning our digital files restricted to non-printing (i.e. personal projection), we do offer finished digital images, which are perfected in every way, except with a lower resolution and the strict limitation that they cannot be printed.

Understandably, our dedication to the art of portraiture precludes the sale of our most precious resource, our digital files, for the purpose of do-it-yourself printing. I am sorry we are unable to serve you in this capacity.

Should you like to discover more of our heart and rationale, I kindly invite you to read on. If not, thank you again for your inquiry.

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Just as an architect and homeowner depend on an expert contractor to complete the painstaking efforts of their blueprints, so does the photographer and family rely on a talented print-master to fulfill their vision captured by mind and camera. What begins as vague impression to record a special moment in time, the photographer creates a photographic representation (a.k.a. "print") to treasure for a lifetime - and beyond.

Everyone knows that the professional photographer makes it possible to revisit the past. However, what is little understood is that the more refined the image (i.e. brilliant, rich color, print dimensionality and contrast, et al), the greater enjoyment and sense of being there. At its essence then, the art of portraiture is found in the extraordinary ability to bring memories to life - technically and emotionally. None of which is possible for the camera buff who sells CDs, shortchanging the process, rather than creating striking portraits.

Please understand, lest you think us persnickety, families hire us for our knowledge and our vision; not theirs. Though it is true that an economical print at Costco might satisfy the novice's eye, ask any Master Photographer and they'll readily disclose a catalogue of finish deficiencies. Whether the failings are inherent in color, contrast, density, subtle retouching, judicious cropping, or any number of essential design principles, any one of them would have been summarily avoided and masterfully effectuated by a bonafide, professional photographer.

The preceding morsel of guidance has proven to be especially relevant for younger families. As they grow so do their aesthetic awareness and acuity. As their appreciation for beauty, line and harmony blossom, what seemed like a great bargain in their early years comes back as a painful reminder of their naiveté and insensitivities. Over the past 32 years I've listened patiently to hundreds of moms and dads tell their stories of regret. The most common phrase we hear is, "What on earth were we thinking?"

As to your immediate need…be comforted in knowing there are a plethora of semiprofessionals throughout Orange County who own a camera and a website who will be elated to help you. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of such folk. If your desire is truly a CD of digital files, you will have no problem whatsoever locating dozens to oblige.

We would forward you photographer recommendations, but we are unaware of a competent photographer, let alone an outstanding one, who sell their "pictures on a CD." Though we are not familiar with the rationale for every photographer who peddles their most precious resource, those who do are primarily focused on the proverbial quick-buck rather than the elevation of the Art of Family Portraiture and their client's best interests. Subsequently, we cannot in good conscience endorse those who sell CDs.

Here at Mark Jordan Photography, we are passionate about our art and masters of our craft. There is no greater reward for the us than watching the ebullient faces our families when they first see their beautiful portraits. If not for this joy, what other possible reason would we toil so arduously, dedicating ourselves to such an emotional demanding and academic intensive enterprise, were it not to see our initial strokes (i.e. digital files) come to life in the lives of the families we photograph? It is for this very reason the family portrait photographer exists.

Should your portrait needs change in the future, and you become interested in having us create a lovely family portrait that you will cherish for a lifetime, we would wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity.

All the best to you and your family,

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

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Romney Wins Landslide Victory!

Sometimes Dreams Are Wiser Than Waking • Black Elk

Just because the drive-by media had exhaustively ignored America's abhorrence for President Obama (i.e. his policies), it doesn't mean it did not exist.

More importantly, it would appear they did not account for how the country's repulsion of Obama would so heavily influence the election results. A costly miscalculation on their part.

Considering the media's complicity in fending off Romney's brilliant campaign, one might argue it was a forced error.

The single most commanding muscle in state politics is also a force that's hard to reckon with in national elections: Governorships!

If history is any indication, we only have to look back a short four years ago where in 2008 Democrats held and overpowering lead in governorships. Obama won handily. This was not the case in today's election - Republicans control the majority of governorships. This was never more relevant than where John Kasich brought home the coveted 18 delegates from Ohio.

Americans have grown tired of liberal solutions to worsening economic woes. I learned recently that subsequent to the 2010 census, states which tend to lean Republican (i.e. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Utah), added electoral votes to their totals. Conversely, states that tilted left (i.e. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York), shed electoral votes. To wit, Romney's threshold to garner 270 is lower than it was or McCain, affording him a greater opportunity to win.

What came a surprise to me was Romney's ability to keep pace with the Obama fundraising juggernaut. This was no small feat. While controversy surrounds the Obama camp regarding shady contributions (not least of which is criminal foreign donors), Romney has been effective at staying above the fray. While the Obama coffers ran low during the crucial last two weeks of the campaign, Romney easily outspent Obama, making his presence felt all the more in the crucial swing states.

Next, and is what I predicted would occur, my fellow Christians showed up! Mind you, we Christians do not offend easily. There's a reason why Christianity is the Timex religion - we take a lickin and keep on tickin (paraphrase of Jesus' directive to 'turn the other cheek').

However, I don't think there has ever been a president any more antagonistic to Christians than Obama. Consequently, Christians turned out in record numbers. Lest you make more of my prediction than warranted, we only had to look back a few short months ago where America saw longs lines around Chick-fil-A restaurants in support of the founder's comment, Dan Cathy, in support of traditional marriage. This was a sign of things to come; all because Obama single handedly motivated Christians with his hostility toward them.

Romney Wins 2012 Presidential Election - Landslide Victory!! Well, Only In A Conservative's Dream

Another factor in Romney's win was this year's purging of felons and illegal aliens from voter rolls. It's a sad commentary on the ilk of constituent who the Democrats can always count on to cast a vote for their candidates, but it's a distinction - ignominious at that. This recent purge was especially helpful for Romney in both Florida and Ohio. With Democrats not showing in numbers at the polls, and then no longer being able to rely on felons and illegals to carry the load, it's no wonder Romney won the prize.

Then there's the "Eager Element." In Ohio alone, 120,000 more Republicans turned out for the early vote (Obama won by 340,000 in 2008, with 155,000 fewer this year). This was not a small swing in Romney's favor. While Romney supporters attended his rallies with numbers into the tens of thousands requiring news crews to employ wide angle lenses to cover them, not only was Obama's crowds anemic, coverage of his rallies consisted of telephoto closeups to obscure the fact than Obama's "Hope & Change" mantra had lost it's luster. Romney's enthused and animated troops (conservatives, independents, middle class white voters) were in direct contrast to the discouraged and vanquished crowds drawn by Obama. Not to mention we can all cite friends who changed their vote from Obama in 2008 to Romney in 2012, but I cannot think of a single McCain supporter who voted for Obama this time around.

For my last point I must once again rely on history. What have we learned how the great undecided respond on election day? That's right, when push comes to shove, they roll in the direction of the challenger. Just like Reagan did to Carter in 1980, Romney proved with his superior debating skills that both independents and the undecided could trust their collective futures to the challenger. I believe this was one of the most significant factors in putting Romney over -----------

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep - didn't intend to alarm you, but it's time to wake as the living nightmare begins.

Mark Jordan
©GOOGTOON - Observations on Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

YouTube Good - FaceBook Bad

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that a Facebook post in which an Islamic militant group claimed credit for a recent terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya did not constitute evidence of who was responsible.

• "Posting something on Facebook is not in and of itself evidence. I think it just underscores how fluid the reporting was at the time and continued for some time to be."

YouTube, the While House's Standard for what constitutes credible evidence.

In others words, it was acceptable for the White House to base their supposition that the terrorist attack in Libya was a response to a "crude and disgusting YouTube video," but any suggestion to the contrary on Facebook, Twitter or a slew of emails to White House officials, including the Situation Room, does not rise to the level of being credible. 

Mind you, I don't side with any social medial as a reliable, official resource of White House intelligence. I just don't think it's rational for President Obama's State Department to pick and choose which and when what ilk of media they can cite as their nexus to international affairs. 

With explanations so dizzying as the White House would hope American's might believe, one can hardly fault those who might attribute this administration's shifting renditions to political expediency. From my perspective, the only plausible account is summed up in one simple word: coverup. 

Your thoughts?

Mark Jordan
©GOOGTOON - Observations on Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Abbott & Costello On Obama's Unemployment Rate

Abbot and Costello Try to Make Sense Of Obama's Unemployment Rate in America

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.

ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 8.1%.

COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?

ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.

COSTELLO: You just said 8.1%.

ABBOTT: 8.1% Unemployed.

COSTELLO: Right 8.1% out of work.

ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.

COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 14.7% unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, that's 8.1%.

COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 8.1% or14.7%?

ABBOTT: 8.1% are unemployed. 14.7% are out of work.

COSTELLO: IF you are out of work you are unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, Obama said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!

ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.

COSTELLO: What point?

ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.

COSTELLO: To whom?

ABBOTT: The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But they are ALL out of work.

ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!

COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?

ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how Obama gets it to 8.1%. Otherwise it would be 14.7%. He doesn't want you to read about 14.7% unemployment.

COSTELLO: That would be tough on his reelection.

ABBOTT: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.

COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?

ABBOTT: Correct.

COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?

ABBOTT: Bingo.

COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have Obama's supporters stop looking for work.

ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like the Obama Economy Czar.

COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said!

ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like Obama.

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Thank you whomever penned this priceless scenario...

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

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Crowley Carries Obama's Water

Candy Crowley, CNN's anchor and chief political correspondent, Carries Obama's Water

Making no pretense of impartiality, presidential debate moderator Candy Crowley fact checked Mitt Romney after the Republican presidential candidate charged that President Obama failed to call the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi an "act of terror" - which anyone paying even casual attention to recent international affairs knows President Obama did not.

More than an hour into the debate, an undecided voter in the town hall forum asked President Obama about the recent attack in Libya that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three additional Americans. Obama stated that he had called the attack in Libya an "act of terror" the very next day, September 12, from the Rose Garden.

When it was Romney's turn to speak, he reacted to Obama's response, charging that it took Obama days to call the Benghazi attack an "act of terror." It was obvious to all that Obama was caught lying to the nation - Romney was beside himself and attempted to capitalize on Obama's blatant falsehood. However, as much as he tried, there was no getting around Crowley, carrying the water for President Obama.

What President Obama actually stated one day after the Libyan tragedy was:

• "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for," Obama said in the Rose Garden. "Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America."

It would seem that President Obama, appealing to his base, pinned his hopes on no one noticing that referring to "acts of terror" is quite different from identifying the the attack on the Libyan embassy an as "Act of Terror!"

Obama's ploy might have worked had President Obama not spent many days following the attack, first telling Americans the Libyan attack was because of the video (even arresting the producer), followed by denials that the State Department was in possession of bonafide intelligence regarding actual cause.

As to the debate, Obama interrupted Romney, telling the Republican presidential candidate to "get the transcript" of his remarks. When the governor doubled down on his charge, Crowley committed the unprecedented offense of interjecting her point of view by declaring President Obama "did in fact" call the attack an act of terror.

"He did in fact call it an 'act of terror,'" Crowley said.

"Can you say that a little louder?" Obama asked.

Crowley continued speaking to Romney. Referring to the president, she said, "It did as well take two weeks or so for the whole idea of there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You are correct about that."

The succinct live factcheck left quite the impression. Twitter exploded with messages praising and criticizing the CNN host.

Within minutes after the debate, even Crowley's colleague, Anderson Cooper, threw her under the bus, noting that while Obama did indeed mouth the words "acts of terror," this is not what he meant by it. Instead, Obama simply referred to "acts of terror"; clearly not only making no mention of Al Qaeda or any of its affiliates with respect to the actual attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi but later making repeated statements in various venues that he was uncertain as to the cause of the attack. 

After embarrassing herself with her incompetently biased attempt to “fact check” GOP presidential candidate Romney, Crowley has already began salvaging her credibility. Shortly after the townhall debate, the embarrassed Crowley in a CNN panel discussion tried to say that Romney was indeed correct to criticize the Obama Administration’s wrong-headed refusal to tell the public that the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya were indeed the work of a terrorist organization.

 “He was right in the main, I just think he picked the wrong word,” Crowley said, echoing the extremely legalistic reading of the facts about what President Obama meant when he said “acts of terror” in reference to the Benghazi attack.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

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Posting Portrait Price Lists Online - PART 4 of 4

Continued from Part 3...

 It's not as black and white as I would like.

Nonetheless, if the budding Rice Krispers's vision of being a "photographer" is an emulation of Pennys/Sears, who I am to pop their bubble or question their paradigm?

This might be true were their feelings not so terribly hurt and hopes dashed when they score a 67 on their comp print, all the while posting a website price for an 8x10 under $50. It's even more distressing that they believe they've made a profit at such naive pricing, or that they're contributing to the advancement of their profession.

The issue, as I see it, is not that the online price-posters/Rice Krisper's don't care. For they too are merely a product of our culture - a culture that wants it now, and where price is valued, while value is neglected.

However, though I would hope that every soul who charges a fee for creating photographic images would be profoundly considerate of the impact their business practices are having on the industry I love, the truth of the matter is, it's not as black and white as I would like. I have to remind myself, these folk too are looking for creative expression and are in many ways, like us all, just groping the dark, looking for meaning and significance. For so many, photography is that "answer" they've been searching for.

As much as I carry on about the Krispers, and how much it might comfort me to garnish them with a Whiplash handlebar as the symbol of villainy and the prime perpetrators responsible for devaluing the art of fine portraiture, I have to pause and equally consider that, for so darn many, it's simply a matter of putting food on the table. Whether this excuses/explains their peculiar contribution, or is an indictment against them, is a question that might be prove worthy of an illuminating debate. But for me, I'll leave it to those who are a whole lot smarter than me. Nonetheless, it is a sobering thought.

With this in mind, it seems to me that the redress is not one of ridicule or finger pointing, nor is the question one of sincerity or of intention. The way I see it, the best and only way through our dilemma is none other than good ole' education. And the only way the remedy is going to see the light of day is for those of us who are enlightened to show the way for those who are not (i.e. one reason for posting my thoughts). This is going to require patience, compassion and imagination. Above all, it's going to demand perseverance.

Spreading the word not only means reaching out to the Krispers, but encompasses professional organizations, labs, and the ancillary businesses they rely on. This could involve putting pressure on such behemoths as PPA, as well as local affiliates, which, from my perspective, seem to have acquiesced rather than upheld standards of excellence. Instead of lowering the bar in pursuit of short-term profits, it needs to be raised to new heights, energized by a clear vision of what it could be. Albeit with the understanding and confidence that we are all in it for the duration.

When we stand together, we can endure the most turbulent of wakes, no matter how much our collective boats have been rocked. I'm willing. How about you?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Part 1
Part 2

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

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Ryan Beats Biden by KO

The early moments of the fight set the pace for the entire match. The back-and-forth action between Biden and Ryan was arguably the most evenly fought display by the two political stalwarts. Biden started by jabbing away left and left combinations, while Ryan displayed his skills of weaving and ducking at everything thrown at him.

Just before 30 seconds had elapsed, you'd think that Biden's uppercuts and body shots to Ryan's midsection would have caught him off guard and stumbling. However, even amid the sucker punches and headbutts Ryan stood tall and maintained his game plan. As much as the audience had anticipated the referee, Martha Raddatz, stopping the fight and talking to Biden about the low blows and pushing, it became apparent the fix was in.

As the middle stages of the round came about, Ryan began to grab hold of Biden as a strategy to fend off his repeated attempts to draw near for body attacks, keeping him at bay. Then, as Biden swung one wild left hook after another, Ryan leaned in to his right and laid a glove him - and that's all it took. Ryan was declared the winner by KO (kid-glove obliteration).

Nice Old Joe Biden Greets Paul Ryan ready to Box, while Ryan treats Biden with Kid Gloves.
2012 Vice Presidential Debate 

Boxing metaphors aside, though the polls are fairly close as to which candidate won the the 2012 Vice Presidential Debate, the majority of them, as well as media talking heads, give the advantage decisively to GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Regardless, some theorize that Vice President Joe Biden also "won" by energizing the Democratic base after the calamitous Oct. 3 presidential debate. The consensus is that Biden's demeanor was a strategy not to win the debate but rather to resuscitate morale. 

The first poll out that foreshadowed bad news for Biden was put out by CNN (no friend to Republicans). Their quick poll of registered voters found that 48 percent cited Ryan was the winner, while 44 percent cited Biden took the night. More importantly, a whopping 60% of CNN’s respondents said Ryan was presidential, and 53% saw him as more likable.

Another bastion of the Democrat party, CNBC, published their poll that showed 56% declared Ryan the winner, while only 36 thought Biden won it.

A majority of CNN’s panel of 31 self-described undecided Virginia voters said Ryan offered the better vision for the future, while Biden was seen as more empathetic.

The most definitive poll in Biden's favor, was the CBS poll (as expected). 50% of their 431 “uncommitted" voters gave victory to Biden, while 31% said Ryan won. I assume the other 19% gave it to the moderator, Martha Raddatz, who seemed to be firmly seated in Biden's corner. Regardless, CBS voters’ said Ryan passed their basic expectations, with 75 percent of the respondents saying Ryan is knowledgeable, and 48 percent saying he is relatable.

As to how each political party weighed in on the fight, both parties are claiming victory. GOP's Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said, “The momentum stayed on our side, and that’s what we wanted." Priebus also echoed the sentiments of a larage majority of polled respondents who stated Biden's "rudeness" failed to convince them. His continuous interrupting, smirking, and "disrespectful" behavior was even more off-putting for females and independents.

However, sharing the belief that Biden was successful in restoring Democratic morale (after Mitt Romney’s shellacking on President Barack Obama) Paul Begala, a far-left Democratic strategist stated Biden “accomplished his strategic task."

Even father to the left than Begala, activist Van Jones said, “I was proud to be a Democrat. ... Democrats really needed this performance. … he energized his base.”

CNN’s Gloria Borger, also felt that Biden succeeded because “he righted the ship,” referring to the Oct. 3 presidential debate where Romney's decisive win, stunned and demoralized the Democratic base.

However, Borger also added that Biden’s demeanor was “condescending,” coinciding with comments from many GOP proponents and Romney supporters.

Even Democrats were forced to compliment a conspicuous noteworthy performance by Ryan’s performance, saying he was presidential, informed, reassuring and likable.

Summary, rude, bombastic bullying was overcome by respectful, restrained character. 

Mark

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An Introduction to Thomas Sowell

Surprisingly enough, most American are not familiar with Thomas Sowell. Though he's been one of the most influential thinkers of our times, Mr. Sowell remains remarkably unknown at most kitchen tables, as well as with the intelligentsia throughout the country. However, the reason is no mystery to me.

Though some would point Sowell's skin color for his relative obscurity, those with understanding would tell you differently. It's not that Sowell is black that keeps our main stream media from celebrating the man's brilliance, but rather because he's a conservative with strong libertarian leanings. Need I say more?

While the left was busy boasting how President Obama was "the most brilliant man in America," with wall to wall coverage of him glad-handing on The View, Thomas Sowell went quietly about his business, writing ground-breaking classics that will outlive Obama and the great majority of the academe acknowledged today.

To date, Sowell has written over three dozen books. I understand that many of us do not have the time to pour through all of Sowell's work, let alone make the time to read one or two. If this is you, might I suggest you may be too busy. If only you knew what you were missing. George Will says of Sowell's writing, "Sowell proved me that someone could say something of substance in so short a space (750 words). And besides, writing for the general public enables him to address the heart of issues without the smoke and mirrors that so often accompany academic writing."

A sampling of just ten extraordinary books, out three dozen, written by Sowell.

Thomas Sowell is a man among men - my mentor. Considering so few Americans will not invest the time to delve into Sowell's books and enjoy them as I have, I wanted to offer a way others might at least sample his inspiring insights and peerless acumen.

It occurred to me that a befitting introduction might be one that simply offered a selection of his most quoted observations. My hope is that after sampling Sowell's universal precepts, those unfamiliar with his work might thirst for more, which would eventually lead them to the pages of his profundity and devotion.

Before we begin I'd first like to share a brief biographical sketch of Sowell. Since there is a plethora of bios written about him, rather than me reinventing the wheel, I've posted an abridged version of Sowell's bio from Town Hall.

Thomas Sowell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina but grew up in Harlem. As with many others in his neighborhood, Thomas Sowell did not finish high school and left home at an early age. The years that followed were difficult for Sowell. He eventually joined the Marine Corps, where he became a photographer in the Korean War. Shortly after his honorable discharge, Thomas Sowell entered Harvard University. He worked as a part-time photographer and studied the science that would become his passion and profession: economics.
For a man who didn't graduate from high school, Sowell did very well for himself. He graduated from Harvard University (1958), magna cum laude, then went on to receive his master's in economics from Columbia University (1959). Later he earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago (1968).
In the early '60s, Sowell held jobs as an economist with the Department of Labor and AT&T. However, Sowell's fascination was for teaching and scholarly pursuits. While at Cornell University in 1965, Sowell began the first of his many professorships. Other teaching assignments quickly followed: Rutgers University, Amherst College, Brandeis University and the University of California at Los Angeles, where he taught in the early '70s and also from 1984 to 1989.
As noted earlier, Thomas Sowell has published a large volume of writing. His dozens of books, as well as numerous articles and essays, cover a wide range of topics, from classic economic theory to judicial activism, from civil rights to choosing the right college.
Though Thomas Sowell had been a regular contributor to newspapers in the late '70s and early '80s, he did not begin his career as a newspaper columnist until 1984.
In 1990, Sowell won the prestigious Francis Boyer Award, presented by The American Enterprise Institute.
Currently Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute in Stanford, Calif.

Most Noted Quotes of Thomas Sowell

I suggest using this blog post as more of a reference that a one time read. While you'll find many of Sowell's words to be fun and witty, others will stick with you for awhile. In those instances I think it best to simply sit and reflect. This tribute to Thomas Sowell will remain posted for years to come, so enjoy.

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• It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it.

• If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago and a racist today.

• One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous it is to trust them.

• It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.

• Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.

• Capitalism knows only one color: that color is green; all else is necessarily subservient to it, hence, race, gender and ethnicity cannot be considered within it.

• What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long.

• Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders.

• It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.

• People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.

• Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric.

• Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.

• Both free speech rights and property rights belong legally to individuals, but their real function is social, to benefit vast numbers of people who do not themselves exercise these rights.

• Liberals seem to assume that, if you don't believe in their particular political solutions, then you don't really care about the people that they claim to want to help.

• The real goal should be reduced government spending, rather than balanced budgets achieved by ever rising tax rates to cover ever rising spending.

• The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.

• The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.

• Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty.

• Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.

• Actually lowering the cost of insurance would be accomplished by such things as making it harder for lawyers to win frivolous lawsuits against insurance companies.

• The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.

• If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.

• The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.

• The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.

• The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.

• You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.

• Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face.

• In liberal logic, if life is unfair then the answer is to turn more tax money over to politicians, to spend in ways that will increase their chances of getting reelected.

• If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly.

• Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens.

• The people made worse off by slavery were those who were enslaved. Their descendants would have been worse off today if born in Africa instead of America. Put differently, the terrible fate of their ancestors benefited them.

• The welfare state is not really about the welfare of the masses. It is about the egos of the elites.

• If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.

• Mistakes can be corrected by those who pay attention to facts but dogmatism will not be corrected by those who are wedded to a vision.

• Like a baseball game, wars are not over till they are over. Wars don't run on a clock like football. No previous generation was so hopelessly unrealistic that this had to be explained to them.

• Would you bet your paycheck on a weather forecast for tomorrow? If not, then why should this country bet billions on global warming predictions that have even less foundation?

• Facts do not speak for themselves. They speak for or against competing theories. Facts divorced from theories or visions are mere isolated curiosities.

• People who have time on their hands will inevitably waste the time of people who have work to do.

• Mystical references to society and its programs to help may warm the hearts of the gullible but what it really means is putting more power in the hands of bureaucrats.

• What 'multiculturalism' boils down to is that you can praise any culture in the world except Western culture - and you cannot blame any culture in the world except Western culture.


• People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes.

• The real minimum wage is zero.

• Balanced budget requirements seem more likely to produce accounting ingenuity than genuinely balanced budgets.

• The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.

• The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.

• Too much of what is called "education" is little more than an expensive isolation from reality.

• As for gun control advocates, I have no hope whatever that any facts whatever will make the slightest dent in their thinking - or lack of thinking.

• Life in general has never been even close to fair, so the pretense that the government can make it fair is a valuable and inexhaustible asset to politicians who want to expand government.

• There are only two ways of telling the complete truth - anonymously and posthumously.

• One of the most pervasive political visions of our time is the vision of liberals as compassionate and conservatives as less caring.

• Imagine a political system so radical as to promise to move more of the poorest 20% of the population into the richest 20% than remain in the poorest bracket within the decade? You don't need to imagine it. It's called the United States of America.

• The simplest and most psychologically satisfying explanation of any observed phenomenon is that it happened that way because someone wanted it to happen that way.

• There are few things more dishonorable than misleading the young.

Thomas Sowell - A Man Among Men - My Mentor

• Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates? Only if you cherry-pick the data.

• Prices are important not because money is considered paramount but because prices are a fast and effective conveyor of information through a vast society in which fragmented knowledge must be coordinated.

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology accepts blacks in the top ten percent of students, but at MIT this puts them in the bottom ten percent of the class.

• Tariffs that save jobs in the steel industry mean higher steel prices, which in turn means fewer sales of American steel products around the world and losses of far more jobs than are saved.

• The word 'racism' is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything - and demanding evidence makes you a 'racist.'

• Wishful thinking is not idealism. It is self-indulgence at best and self-exaltation at worst. In either case, it is usually at the expense of others. In other words, it is the opposite of idealism.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

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