TOP 10 Reasons Why Dog Owners Pickup After Their Dogs but Horse Owners Do Not

A Facebook friend posted a question which was posed by her child who wanted to know why "dog owners have to pickup after their dogs but horse owners don't have to pickup after their horses." It got me thinking, which, in my case, can be a dangerous exercise. Regardless, following is how I spent my precious morning while riding my elliptical bike.

TOP 10 Reasons Why Dog Owners Pickup After Their Dogs but Horse Owners Do Not

TOP 10 Reasons Why Dog Owners Pickup After Their Dogs but Horse Owners Do Not

10. While horse piles are conspicuous and easily avoidable, canine excrement is imbued with stealth properties, including a special magnetic attraction to the soles of shoes and bare feet.

9. Doggies are forever running ahead of their owners, making their business as plain as day. Horse owners, however, riding atop, are facing the wrong direction and are invariably unaware of the performance orchestrated behind them.

8. Volumes have been written on the beneficial uses of Horse Manure. They boast of a rich heritage of compost, of rose and vegetable gardens - a nuanced milieu of the "organic," elevating its stature to celestial heights. However, when it comes to dog poo, it's nothing but shite.

7. Should you inadvertently get in the way of your dog doing its business, neither its poo or pee will do harm. Misstep with your horse and you'd wish you brought a raincoat and umbrella.

6. It's nothing to toss a couple doggie-bags in one's pocket for late afternoon stroll with one's pooch, but neither teenager or grannie alike have an appetite for trudging around the block with a shovel and bucket in tow, let alone a stout rucksack, and in many cases a forklift.

5. Dog owners seen picking up after their dogs are admired and elevated to sainthood. Who picks up horse sh*t? The dregs of society.

4. While horse manure cigarettes are common and have been around for centuries, not only can dog poop cause blindness, I don't see a day anytime soon where Great Dane poop sticks are mainstream. Talk about the detriments of secondhand smoke...

3. Since dog's leave their packages on sidewalks, and horses drop on roads, the leisurely stroller or focused runner are not served by the distraction of having to dart about, but it does afford the motorcyclist a favorable whack at bettering their split-second reaction times, especially navigating corners.

2. When's the last time you've seen either your local grocery store or park offer Horsie Bags?

1. And the Number One reason why dog owners pickup after the dogs but horse owners do not:  

Simply drive along any county road and you'll see yard signs declaring "Horse Manure For Sale!" I don't recall anyone ever trying to sell me Dog Poo, that is until the launch of Obamacare.

Mark

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Inequality For All - A Review Lite

As has become the norm with the contemporary "documentary," Inequality For All abandons the standard impartial-arbiter method of documentary film-making and embraces the lone perspective of a political operative. In other words, impartial, inquisitive minds need not apply - not when opposing perspectives are suppressed and where the narrative is designed solely for the goose-bump crowd and low-information-voter.

That being said, Inequality For All, is an informative, engaging film, which will prove to be a special delight for those who have already drunk the Kool-aid.

The presenter of Inequality For All is American economist, professor, and Secretary of Labor for the Clinton Administration, Robert Reich. Reich is an affable man whom I would have, in my college days, gone to great lengths to enroll in any of his classes. He's the most compelling component of the film and makes even the most flimsy accounts feel substantive.

Robert Reich, in "Inequality For All," asks, "What nation does it better?" The answer, "United States." 

Inequality For All, via Reich, poses a simple question: What is a good society and what role does the widening income gap play in the deterioration of the nation's economic health? It's a sound premise but execution was tendentious, at best.

Indications of Reich's lopsided exposé is the unfathomable omission of China/WTO, NAFTA and TTP (Trans Pacific Partnership). All of which have adversely affected the wage earning potential of the middle-class.

These exclusions are no small slight - some might say intentional… We're Reich to have touched upon them, the storyline would have inevitably taken a turn where more than a few fingers point back in his direction (i.e. Reich's previous boss, Clinton, initiated two of these trade "deals"). What do you think?

Reich points to technology and education as the primary culprits behind America's decline. I agree, they must be addressed. However, removing rust from but a few spokes of an enormous wheel out-of-whack and expecting polish to produce economic parity is anything but levelheaded. It's not only quixotic, it obscures legitimate concerns, depriving the crisis of substantive scrutiny and subsequent solutions.

Undeniably, the downward mobility of Americans is real and is getting worse. Though Inequality For All may serve to evoke sentimental appreciation for the plight of a diminishing class, its eloquent message is nonetheless a disproportional slice of a vast and expanding dilemma. In short, IFA emits steady heat but little light.

One of many Mad Men like charts examines widening income inequality in the United States.

For me, Reich falls short most by failing to arouse a sense of political boldness, daring his audience to look outside the comfort-zone of their dispositions. Even when Reich attempts to be bipartisan by incorporating a Republican Mormon family, we discover they are pro-union... In other words, Reich's reach is woefully short, neutralizing any substantial risk.

Considering that no concrete change will materialize (except possibly the extinction of America's middle-class) until an objective, nonpartisan analysis is put forth, one would think that for all Reich's economic bravado he would have strove to present an evenhanded, candid look. The tentacles eroding the financial foundation of America today is multifaceted, but Reich ignored them. He blew it. He squandered an opportunity to connect with all of America in favor of a hackneyed agenda. Too bad, Inequality For All had great potential.

Those who truly care for the poor and the economic state of affairs of ALL Americans would do best to seek, if not demand, a more studious and well-balanced examination of the many causes of disparity in America. Only then can efficacious solutions be initiated, achieving equality for all.

Anyone genuinely interested in learning more about the challenges of America's economy, I suggest passing on Inequality For All, and instead investing your time with Paul Craig Roberts. Few are more knowledgeable, articulate and discerning.

Mark

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Six - Number Enrolled in Obamacare on Day One.

Six - The number of people enrolled in Obamacare on Day One.

Day one of Obamacare, the magic number was Six.

That's right! This is total number people enrolled for Obamacare on Day One, according to Megyn Kelly on Fox news.

While refusing to reveal the enrollments numbers, the Obama administration has been boasting the number of visitors to the afflicted HealthCare.gov website was 4.7 million. Regardless, they have not released the actual number of enrollments.

But according to Fox News, as well as CBS, notes from a "war room" meeting the day after the Affordable Care Act launched on Oct. 1 say "six enrollments have occurred so far." By the end of Day 2, enrollments totaled nationwide had climbed to just 248.

According to a memo obtained by the Associated Press, the White House predicted that only 500,000 would sign up by the end of the month, which was considered by officials to be a "modest start" for the market.

FOX/CBS both report that the exchanges must enroll an average of 39,000 a day in order to meet the goal of seven million enrollments by March 1. No new numbers have been cited as to what that number would be, considering the abysmal enrollments numbers to date.

Health and Human Services head Kathleen Sebelius was asked several times during Wednesday's Congressional hearing for the number of enrollments into Obamacare. Sebelius stated that the enrollment data was unreliable and that it would not be available until mid-November:

"We do not have any reliable data around enrollment, which is why we haven’t given it to date," she said.

Computer engineers ( e.g. Google, Oracle) have been enlisted by the Obama administration to help fix the troubled healthcare website, which has been plagued with malfunctions from the start. Regardless Sebelius testifying on Wednesday that the site "has never crashed," Americans attempted to enroll were greeted with a message stating, "The system is down at the moment."

Mark

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Senior Portrait Session Gone Awry?

Why We Don't Turn Our Back On the Ocean... Regardless of What Your High School Senior Portrait Photographer Asks of You!

Sometimes the simple lessons of life are learned the hard way. How often have you heard the warning that you should never turn your back on the ocean? Evidently not often enough for this midwest high school senior. Then again, why should she? The last time I checked, there weren’t that many oceans in Minnesota…CLICK FOR FULL BLOG POST

High School Senior Coming Up For Air

Mark

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Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors

Led Zeppelin, from left, keyboardist/bassist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page,
stand as the Star Spangled Banner is played during the Kennedy Center Honors Gala at the Kennedy
Center in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Before I was "Mark Jordan Photography," I was in many a rock band. Any rock band at the time was not worth its salt if its repertoire did not include Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Our's certainly did, along with a few other Zeppelin hits. Thus is why, after seeing them being honored at the Kennedy Center, I had to post Heart's version of the rock classic.

After decades of horrendous renditions of Stairway to Heaven, finally one that is worthy of Zeppelin's venerated vintage tune. To be candid, I had grown so tired of Stairway I thought my days of ever volitionally playing, let alone bystander listening, were over for all eternity. However, when Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart step out onto the stage in front the Kennedy audience and the honorees, Led Zeppelin, I had a sense that something extraordinary was about to happen.

If you have yet to take a listen, you're in for something very special. As much as I did not want to cry, I could not help myself. For me, it was that powerful. I'm sure in the mix was a bit nostalgia for my youth at play as well. Regardless, sit back and enjoy Stairway to Heaven as you've not heard it played before.



Oh, on a side note, following is what one commenter, Tim Gerwing or Vancouver, British Columbia, wrote in regards to how singers best express song vocally. I thought you'd find interesting:

"Singers take note: *this* is how you serve a song. Unlike so many modern singers, she doesn't demand that we see how emotional she is. She does not make the song the vehicle for her self-aggrandizement, but does exactly the opposite. Why do the tears flow? Because The Song is The Gift, and she is, in this moment, The Giver, not a taker. Bravo (more: 7/40 Emoting in music)

Amen brother.

Mark

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DIRTY LOOPS - Jaw Dropping Powerhouse

DIRTY LOOPS: Henrik Linder - Jonah Nilsson - Aaron Mellergardh

Dirty Loops is a Swedish powerhouse trio who had my jaw dropping and heart pounding from the first pop of Aaron's deep pocket snare and Henrik's melodic bass slap, to Jonah's mellifluous vocals and keyboard calisthenics. They're an explosive transfusion of jazz, funk, and pop, guaranteed to grapple your soul while eliciting serious face scrunching.

The last time I became so transfixed with a sound upon first hearing was Steely Dan's Aja - and that was way back in 1977! They have singlehandedly given me hope for the future generation of musicians and the music industry. Not to mention Jonah's voice rivals that of Stevie Wonder. Whaaaat?

While Dirty Loops is a cover band, transforming insipid pop tunes from Bieber and Spears to Gaga into fusion classics, they are currently sequestered in their studio, writing their debut album. Will they be ready for prime time? We'll soon hear.

Enough words, I want you to listen.

Enjoy!

Mark

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POSTSCRIPT: I appreciate the wonderful compliments for the Dirty Loop headshot portraits, however, neither did I, Mark Jordan Photography or Orange County Headshots create the headshots. I would have loved to photograph these guys, but it wasn't me. As finicky as I am, the headshots are not that bad at all. Though the diffusion is a little much for my tastes and would have preferred a more cutting edge interpretation (emblematic of their music), I like the expressions, positioning and feel. Nice work.  

Henrik Linder - Bass
Aaron Mellergardh - Drums
Jonah Nilsson: vocals, keyboards, songwriter, arranger, producing.

Three Quick Questions Regarding Three Obama Scandals

Unless you've been hibernating in a cave or are a card-carrying member of the Clueless Majority (i.e. the typical American), you most likely are aware of three current scandals rocking the Obama White House. Here's a quick reminder, just in case:

1. BENGHAZI
Cover-up of terrorist attacks in the Libyan town of Benghazi which left an America ambassador dead, as well as an officer/aide and two Navy SEALs.

2. IRS
Federal employees intentionally targeting conservative political groups.

3. DOJ
Attorney General, Eric Holder, personally sanctioning the secret appropriation of telephone records of journalists at the Associated Press (AP) news agency while hunting for the source of leaks about a failed al-Qaeda attack.

If you are having trouble remembering the three controversies, simply think BID - as in these scandals are fundamentally about the BIDDING of the Obama White House. 

THREE QUICK QUESTIONS Regarding Three Obama Scandals

1. Of the reported offenses, which has the potential for greater calamitous consequences?
a. Republican exploitation of Obama wrongdoing?
b. Obama White House overreach of unchecked power?

2. What is the focus of the Main Stream Media?
a. The possibility of Republican's taking political advantage?
b. Rigorous coverage of the three Obama White House Scandals?

3. Why is the Main Stream Media spinning the Three Obama Scandals into fear of Republican opportunism rather than the gravity of Democratic corruption?


Though I have my guesses, I would much more prefer to hear your point of view?

Mark

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A Fish Rots From the Head Down

What has been true with every corrupt administration is just as applicable with America's current gaggle of scoundrels. The president's cronies can wax on all they like as to what wrongdoing their Commander was totally unaware, what debacle he did not rubberstamp, or what low-rung employee they believe was fundamentally at fault, but they cannot escape the inevitable law of leadership; when an organization or state fails, it is the leader that is the root cause.

In regards to the current flood of scandals pressing in on the Obama White House...

1. Benghazi Cover-up
2. IRS targeting conservatives
3. Obama DOJ ordering phone taps on AP reporters

.... I've got only one thing to say: a fish rots from the head down.

A Fish Rots From the Head Down

Mark

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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 

--------------------------------

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

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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

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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.”