What Would Jesus Do Were He a Baker?

Much has been made of the accusations of gay discrimination and the subsequent announcement by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to revise a bill that rights activists and U.S. businesses contend allow discrimination against gays. Regardless of the legitimacy of the issue and what side of the argument Americans stand, I am flummoxed by the entire controversy.

I do understand the dismay of gays who feel their rights are denied by businesses who refuse offer them service. I also understand private businesses who believe that they should have the right to deny service to anyone.

What I cannot comprehend is how any person who professes to follow Jesus (i.e. a Christian) refuses to extend service to those whose lifestyles are deemed unworthy of their faith. 

What?  

What would Jesus do were he a baker?

Even more confusing is that I've not heard a single voice express their outrage at what seems to me to be an egregious demonstration of hypocrisy. 

Have we strayed so far that we've forgotten Jesus' response to the adulteress at the well? Clearly, the woman's behavior was anything by righteous. Regardless, Jesus took the time to serve... 

Why? He loved her. 

Yes, I recognize the concern of Americans regarding the ever-increasing governmental intrusion into every part of their daily lives. I too would prefer that government side with freedom, allowing our culture to fully experience the consequence of its behavior - reaping what is sown. 

However, when it comes to Christians denying service to those who do not share their faith, the disconnect of their action with the doctrine they embrace is mindbogglingly antithetical to everything Jesus taught. It's grotesquely absurd. 

My fellow Christians are fond of citing "love the sinner, hate the sin." Yet, for all its pith, for some it does not seem to amount to anything more than good intentions. 

I cannot think of any better way to display our love, a love worthy of the name Christian, than when we extend ourselves for the benefit of those whom we strongly differ. How else might others experience of the love of Jesus were it not for those who have professed to be his emissaries while living on the outside of heaven?

Unless I've missed something, and Jesus actually meant that the world will know we belong to him by our judgmentalism, it would seem to me that a more loving and Christian response to the non-christian is not rejection but expressing the heart of Jesus. 

After all, were it not for loving Christians who accepted me and took me in while I was lost, I'd still be reveling without a clue. Romans 5:8.


One last comment for my friends who are reading this and shaking their heads as if I’ve lost it (which was swiftly made evident after posting this on my Facebook page...).

One of the essential differences between God and human is that whereas people are quick to judge by outward appearances, God discerns the heart. God is not into 'gotcha' tactics or looking for loopholes to trip you up - like humans. He is ‘sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; he judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.'

I trust Him to detect the difference between loving others, reaching out with the hopes of reflecting His love and grace, from that of "celebrating" in harmony with behaviors antithetical to His design.

In other words, it's exactly the reason of hating sin and loving the sinner that Jesus, were he a baker, would have baked a cake.

That is, unless someone would like to make the case that Jesus crafted furniture for only the righteous. 

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

Yelp - Ethical or Extortion?

Yelp boasts of being the premiere website portal where the general public can voice their views on just about any business and service. Up until the arrival of such sites, the airing of one's perspective was consider an opinion. Today, however, such judgments are elevated in status and are regarded as reviews.

A quick visit to Yelp will quickly reveal a "Search for" feature where you can effortless begin to search out any business in the country. With a couple quick clicks you're up and running, reading the wall-to-wall reviews.

Seems like a great idea, right?

For the thousands of businesses who are in good standing with Yelp, I'd have to say it's highly beneficial, but for the thousands of businesses who Yelp deems unworthy, the consequences are anything but favorable.

yelp [yelp] verb - to utter a sharp or high-pitched cry or bark, often indicating pain (esp of a dog)

Take me for instance. A quick search for Orange County Photographer,  Mark Jordan Photography shows positive reviews from every site that posts them. Google Reviews posts 31 of them, all 5 Star. CitySearch has 18 reviews - all 5 Star. MerchantCircle with 14 reviews, again all 5 Star. The list goes on and on.

So how about Yelp? I have 85 reviews so far - also all 5 Star. Yet anyone visiting my site would never know. Why? All but a handful have been removed, or what Yelp euphemistically refers to as "filtered." Why? If I knew the answer to this, there would be no need for my post.

Before I continue, a short look back in the very recent past is in order.

About a year ago I received a call from a Yelp salesman, Brandon. He highlighted my many, 5 Star reviews while delivering a persuasive pitch about how advertising with Yelp would dramatically increase my business. We shared several phone conversations, and though I was impressed, in the end Yelp's fees were more than I wanted to pay. Were I a restaurant owner or contractor, I'd have signed-up for sure. Being a portrait photographer, however, I wasn't confident the cost was worth the risk or that Yelp could perform as promised.

Brandon and I parted ways and thought nothing of it - that is until the following week when I noticed all my reviews had mysteriously disappeared. I called Brandon to ask him what happened, whereupon he assured me that declining Yelp's offer to advertise had nothing to do with my reviews vanishing: "Even though the reviews had been posted for quite some time, it was just a matter of coincidence that your reviews were filtered subsequent to declining Yelp's offer to advertise."

When I inquired as to how my reviews were filtered, Brandon explained that "Jeremy" (Yelp's CEO) installed a special program which determines which reviews are trustworthy and relevant, and which are not. It seemed that Yelp simply decided that the reviews that were once evaluated as worthy, having met all their guidelines, suddenly no longer were.

Okay, seems fair enough. Nothing furtive here. One day my reviews are relevant, for a protracted period, and then right after declining to partner with Yelp, they're removed.

Are you buying this?

No Yelp for you!
Makes a grown man want to, well, yelp! 

In the interest of time, suffice it to say, this same scenario has been repeated on the reviews written about my photography studio ever since. Every single one of my reviews are now filtered. I don't know about you, but from my perspective, something doesn't seem quite right here.

If you're wondering about an "appeal" process, none exists. Yelp's decision is final. No Yelp for you!

Does it hurt? Sure it does. Not only are the visitors to my
business told that my portrait studio does not merit a review, the clients who have invested their time are being silenced from sharing their positive experiences. It's enough to make a grown man yelp!

Just so you understand that nothing is peculiar about the reviews written about my studio, here's an example of a typical one:

"Mark did an exceptional job on my corporate head shots. He has a true talent for bringing out the best in his subjects. My photos were professional AND captured my personality. I highly recommend him." 

The client who posted the review above included her name (Janet B) and even the headshot I created. You can see for yourself (along with the many filtered reviews that have yet to be deleted).

A quick review of Yelp's guidelines will show that my client's assessment fulfills their protocol to the tee. In fact, this review, along with all the reviews written about Mark Jordan Photography, could not better define what Yelp is looking for in a trustworthy, relevant review. And yet her voice is "filtered," along with thousands upon thousand of voices like her - all who simply desire to share their experiences.

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

So then, is Yelp ethical or is it extortion?

To be frank, I do truly do not know - I can only share my experience.

However, I am convinced if Yelp does not either develop a more transparent method of filtering its reviews and answering questions to customers like me, it won't be too long before Dictionary.com will not only define Yelp as a high-pitched cry of pain, but added to the definition of unscrupulous:

Un·scru·pu·lous [uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs] adjective not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples;
conscienceless; unprincipled - YELP!

Mark

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

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots

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ADDENDUM: 7-24-12
One review was restored and is now posted, the one review that was not filtered is now filtered, and four other 5 star reviews were removed altogether - Yelp representative stated that they were "possible conflicts of interest."

ADDENDUM: 10-10-12
One review remains (an active Yelper), eleven now filtered, with four removed altogether.

ADDENDUM: 02-02-15
Eight reviews remain (all actives Yelpers, which it appears to be the key to having a review stick), sixteen now actively filtered, with an undetermined number of reviews removed altogether.

ADDENDUM: 01-29-17
I've been very fortunate to have 59 grateful clients express their appreciation with 5 Star since my last post. Unfortunately, only 35 remain unfiltered. The count was 43 a few months back when I carelessly answered the phone from a Yelp ad salesman. After declining and kindly expressing to the man my concerns, the very next day, all but 27 were filtering. Since then I am careful to never pickup the phone when I see the area code of 415.

ADDENDUM: 11-29-18
My clients have posted 124 5 Star Reviews – yet only 42 are unfiltered. Just last week a total of 75 reviews were showing. So, what happened? I inadvertently answered the phone to a Yelp salesperson. After taking with her and sharing my concerns, she persisted that I needed to advertise. When I gently declined, the VERY next morning, 15 reviews were erased. Since then 1-2 reviews disappear each day. The rate it is going, I will have maybe a handful left by the end of the year. The Billion Dollar Bully is in full extortion mode.

DUMB Redefined by Seattle Seahawks

Inches away from the endzone the Seattle Seahawks inexplicably threw the ball from the half-yard line. With 25 seconds left on the play-clock, the ball was intercepted by the New England Patriots, who won the Super Bowl 28-24.

It's one of the wackiest endings, to an otherwise hard fought game, in Super Bowl history.

DUMB redefined by Seattle Seahawks - 2015 Super Bowl

Seattle Seahawks called for a slant to Ricardo Lockette, but Russell Wilson's toss was picked off by Malcolm Butler, putting an abrupt end to Seahawks hopes for a back-to-back Super Bowl win.

Football fans worldwide are dumbfounded by the play call. Considering the Seahawks are THE best running team in the NFL, it strains one's mental faculties why they put the ball in the air with the game on the line from a foot away.

When Pete Carroll was asked why he risked redefining DUMB, he stated, "We didn't want to run against their goal line group." He instead will go down as making the single most brainless call in the history of the Super Bowl.

Mark

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

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portrait

Orange County Headshots

10 Tips to the Headshot Quote

Recently, I was asked by a young headshot photographer how I go about offering a quote for my services for a commercial portrait session (usually headshots). As a leading portrait photographer in Orange County, my headshot division, Orange County Headshots, has been creating headshots for business and the arts throughout Southern California and the much of the nation since 1981. Consequently, we receive such inquires on a regular basis and from just about every corner of the world (at least where they speak English).

My response to this particular photographer was that providing a headshot quote depends on what the potential client needs. Whether they are in business or the arts, the best possible way to provide a quote is to first discover precisely what they are looking for. No duh...right? Regardless of how obvious, I have to say it. You'd be surprised at how many times this advice alone is a bolt of lightening.

Orange County Headshots Website Banner - Potential Clients Introduction to Mark Jordan Photography

What many photographers are surprised to learn, however, is that much of the time the inquiring client does not know precisely what they need. This is good thing. Why? Think Golden Opportunity! It's your time to shine and demonstrate why you are the right portrait studio. 

It is at this juncture in your conversation you can seize the old adage, "People don't care what you know until they know how much you care," and put it in full throttle. It's also one of those rare moments where you can accomplish the former (they'll care what you know) while stressing the latter (showing you care). 

By asking a series of professionally prepared questions, you'll not only clearly demonstrate a genuine concern for the client's project, but in the process you'll reveal to them the width and breadth of your services and your supreme competency to satisfy their need. 

They care what you know as you make evident your interest in being an integral agent in their success.

Ultimately, this means the right questions must be asked. Thus, the questions you offer must be prepared and detailed. 

The next step, and all depending on the situation, is to either forward the questionnaire to the client (for them to answer and return, which I would try to avoid) or conduct the interview over the phone. By all means, do your best to conduct the interview by phone.

Most likely the client will also prefer the phone interview approach. If you receive an email inquiry, reply promptly and inquire as to a good time for you to connect by phone to discuss the myriad details. 

To date, I've not had a single email inquiry decline a phone conversation to acquire the vital details.  

The phone call interview, whether via their call or your's,  will also help in developing a mutually beneficial relationship and expedites the process. The questions you ask will quickly show that you mean business and respect their time, as well as your own.

Once the interview has been completed, I'll ALWAYS ask that if it is acceptable to the them that I take the time to review and absorb all the information they've given me, and that I'll email them a "Quotation Of Photography Services" by day's end. This technique serves four purposes:

1. Demonstrates you genuinely care and want to get it right.
2. Gives you time to think and consider every contingency, which equates to an accurate, effectual quote.
3. Having a written quote not only holds you to your word, but establishes a document of understanding should questions arise later. 
4. Odds are most photographers are not offering a written quote. You'll stand out from the crowd.

To date, I've not had a single client decline allowing me to forward them a written email quote. Just ensure the quote your promise is thorough and arrives on time.

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At the risk of sounding redundant, I feel a need to stress the importance of my approach once again. What may not be obvious are the intangibles. Namely, your extensive inquiry to their specific needs communicates to your client that you truly have their best interests in mind, and are thus, the consummate professional.

In today's highly competitive marketplace it's not enough to merely answer inquiries regarding cost, like everyone else. You're going to be the studio that goes beyond the call and walks the extra mile. Instead of simply citing prices, you're the studio that demonstrates in a clear and unambiguous way that you are listening intently and that you are ready to serve them to the best of your ability.

This sort of attention to detail not only ensures your quote will be accurate, but that your client will get everything they had hoped for and reflects your commitment to excellence. It will also establish you as the headshot expert in your field, and in ways no self-promotional piece could offer. 

The following questions are by no means exhaustive, but only ones that have worked for me in my portrait studio here in Rancho Santa Margarita. You may brainstorm other pertinent questions that might better reflect your style and expertise. I trust that you will. As always, should you have any questions, no concern is too small.

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1. CONFIGURATIONS or GROUPINGS

Will the session be of a group, individuals, and/or combinations?

• Individuals headshot sessions only?
• Or add Groupings of staff/team members.
• Images of offices, lobby, warehouse, walls, etc.
• Product images?

2. PEOPLE

Information about the people you will be photographing?

• Obtain the number of people will you be photographing.
• Names of everyone in sessions.
• You many also want to ask about their position with the company.
• If someone's name makes gender ambiguous, ask!

3. DATES and TIMING

Is there a specific date and time required for the actual session?

• Any Specific Session DATE (most likely they will).
• Any Specific Session TIMELINE (most likely they will).

4. LOCATION

Has a specific location been established for the session?

• Obtain Site Location Name/Business and Address
• Telephone Numbers, office and cell.
• Special instructions, security, gate, parking, entrance

5. PRODUCT

What is the end product you have in mind? Please be specific.

• Will you be needing Photographs?
• Sizes? Quantities? Qualities (if applicable)?
• Will you be needing Digital Files?
• Resolution: web-75, medium-150, high-300?
• Quantities needed of each?
• Any Digital Specs to a adhere to?

6. RETOUCHING
Will you be requiring our studio to perform digital retouching?

• Discuss the differing degrees of retouching application (where applicable).
• If an 'in-house' graphic designer will be employed, inquire tactfully as to their familiarity and skill with the idiosyncrasies of the human face? That is, are they portrait savvy, or primarily design design  focused?
• b. Are there any special alterations, blemishes/facial features, and/or design concerns we need to be made aware of?
• If so, please tell us.

7. DEADLINE

Will the finished product be required by any specific due date?

• Date FINISHED images are needed by?
• Determine delivery preferred (email, dropbox, disc, etc.)

8. DISTRIBUTION

For what purpose are these images needed?

• To what extent will they be utilized?
• This may also be a good to review your distribution policies regarding differing fees.
• Frequently, use/distribution will also dictate the resolution quality required.

9. CONCERNS

Are there any circumstances or concerns you have or might foresee that could pose a challenge on the day of your session?

• This might present itself in the form of location issues, time of day, personality differences, timeline, etc.
• Any special concerns (weight, glasses, physical limitations, etc.)

10. CONTACT 

Please email us complete contact information, including address, emails, phone...

• Obtain Office phone number, AND Cell. 
• Also offer your contact information. Don't ASS U ME anything.

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Too much detail for you? I know, it might seem so. However, in my three plus decades of creating headshots for business and the arts, I have found that not only will ascertaining detailed information better insure that you'll amply meet the needs of your clients, but will also elevate your stature in the hearts and minds of those businesses and artists who employ your headshot services. 

You may want to check out my four Part series on the 4 Key Factors of Headshot Photography. 

All the best,

Mark

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

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portrait

Orange County Headshots

Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library & Museum: Sneak Preview

Yes, the rumors are true. I just returned from the Sneak Preview opening of the Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library and Museum. I hesitated to share my recent escapade, but given all the buzz surrounding Obama’s Presidential Library, I realized my readers might enjoy a brief account of my trip—along with a few illustrative "googtoons."

Surprise Invitation to attend the Sneak Preview of the Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library dedication ceremonies.

A Surprise Invitation

Not being a fervent supporter of President Obama, I was understandably stunned to receive an invitation to the Sneak Preview opening of his presidential library. Regardless, duty called. How could I turn down an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii and a round of golf with the president? Yes, the invitation included a personal note from Obama himself asking if I’d “have time to play a round or two.”

Getting some shut-eye on the flight over amid Obama's largess. 

My first-class flight came with some unique perks: a signed program of events, presidential PJs, a personal masseuse, and an “Obama-sized” gift bag stuffed with entitlements, all generously funded by American taxpayers. 

Snuggled up in my lavender “I Got You Covered” commemorative blanket, I read up on the new library—situated, as I learned, on the “beautiful” campus of the University of Hawaii. Unfortunately, our flight took an unexpected detour when it was revealed that the UH campus in question was a satellite location… in Nairobi.

Welcome to Nairobi

So much for packing my snorkel and fins.

Amazingly enough, I was greeted at the airport amid much fanfare and hoopla. Crowds cheered behind a fence adorned with banners, though the excitement seemed more for the occasion than for me. Still, I managed a quick wave as cameras clicked, capturing my arrival like I was a rock star. 

After the commotion, I was whisked away by a private limousine to the dedication ceremony.

An AP photographer was on hand to capture Nairobi's greeting guests. Here I am, arriving and leaving.  

The Battered Blue Bus

The journey was uneventful until we approached the University of Hawaii Nairobi campus. A battered blue bus suddenly careened into view, swerving wildly before coming to a screeching halt. Steam billowed from its hood, and the back tire emitted a sharp hiss of air. Intrigued, I asked my driver to stop and see if we could offer assistance.

We quickly pulled over just across from the promenade parking. While waiting for my door to open I looked through the windshield and noticed all but two heads inside the dilapidated bus - a female behind the wheel and the backside of a conspicuously irate man descending the steps.

A snapshot of Pelosi and Reid in their dilapidated bus facing the
wrong direction. The banner on the bus can be seen just before falling.

As we pulled over, I caught sight of the bus’s beleaguered occupants: a frantic female driver gripping the wheel like it might bolt from her hands and an older man, visibly irate, descending the steps with the kind of theatrical gestures that demanded a soundtrack. His complaints about "gridlock" and the "Koch brothers" echoed across the parking lot. The driver added her own nonsensical commentary: "We had to pass the limo so we can find out who's in it!"

It took only a moment to recognize them: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, their expressions caught between frustration and resignation, stranded in what could only be described as an unfortunate detour from glory. The "Obama Supporters" banner, clinging desperately to the side of the bus, seemed symbolic—giving up the fight as it peeled away and collapsed onto the pavement with a theatrical, pitiful thud.

As much as I would've liked to assist, my driver urged me back into the limo, reminding me that the ceremony was about to begin. With a twinge of guilt, I shouted a parting line I hoped they'd find uplifting: "Have no fears—I had every intention of offering you help!"

The Origins of My Invitation 

Unfortunately, we arrived ten minutes into the dedication ceremony. I was hurriedly escorted to my seat—front row center. After briefly protesting that the name on the chair wasn’t mine, I shut my mouth (and snapped a photo) when I realized the origins of my invitation: a White House staffer must have confused me with Michael Jordan—again.

The origins of my invitation quickly become apparent.

Scanning the crowd, I was relieved to see familiar faces behind me: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Alan Keyes, and others. Clearly, I was in good company. Whether the seating arrangements were a morbid joke or the work of an administrative turncoat, I wasn’t about to complain.

At the back of the venue, workers were removing dozens of seats, claiming they were needed for “overflow guests outside.” This logic didn’t make much sense, but I’d long stopped expecting coherence from this administration.

The Ceremony Begins

Sharing the historic day with the President, The ceremony featured all living presidents and their wives—or so it seemed. Pelosi and Reid, stationed front and center at the end of a glistening red runner, flanked the presidential seal like scavengers on the lookout. The rest of the stage held Presidents Carter, Clinton, both Bushes and their spouses—plus Vice President Biden—lined up like a tableau of history.

The President inexplicably donned scrubs and a stethoscope for his Presidential Library Sneak Preview. 

Just as Obama was stammering through his 87th "uh," disaster struck! A sudden, forceful wind swept across the stage, sending the standing dignitaries and their wives tumbling like bowling pins. Only Michelle and Obama remained upright, their expressions frozen somewhere between bewilderment and resignation.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi sprang into action, rushing to aid the fallen VIPs. Yet, as none of the toppled luminaries showed any sign of recovering from their ungracious face plants, curiosity got the better of us. Standing for a clearer view, we were astonished to see the glistening, white, flat backsides of the dignitaries. Life-size cutouts. Every single one.

Before we could fully process this revelation, Harry and Nancy were already busy repositioning the cardboard figures with an efficiency that suggested this wasn’t their first rodeo. But the surreal didn’t stop there. Just as they finished tidying the stage, another gust of wind caught Michelle’s cutout, tearing it from Obama’s grip and sweeping it skyward. To our collective amazement, a large section of Hillary’s cutout—uncannily broom-shaped—detached from its base and joined Michelle in mid-air.

I captured the eerie scene of Michelle and Hillary flying out of sight.

Together, the two cutouts rose in a swirling ascent, briefly hovering overhead before disappearing beyond the curtain backdrop. Adding to the spectacle was the unmistakable sound of an eerie cackle carried on the wind, sending a chill through the audience.

The entire scene was the most surreal sight I’ve ever witnessed. And, inexplicably, none of us could resist the urge to wave goodbye as they floated away.

The Ceremony Comes to a Close

After the applause died down, Obama deftly recovered from the disaster with a display of theatrical star power. One moment, the stage was shrouded in light and smoke; the next, a parade of Hollywood’s finest—from Oprah to Clooney—lit up the platform, their larger-than-life presences eliciting gasps from the audience.

At the forefront stood Obama’s pièce de résistance: Bruce Springsteen, guitar in hand, ready to bring the house down. The crowd erupted with wild cheers. That is, until Bruce began singing "Born in the U.S.A.," a choice that fell spectacularly flat given the context.

As the wind picked up again, it became apparent that even The Boss was not all he appeared to be. His edges flapped and bent in the gusts, revealing his true nature as yet another one-dimensional cardboard figure. The same fate befell the rest of the Hollywood elite. Pelosi and Reid, now seasoned veterans of this particular chaos, leaped into action. They hauled the tattered rocker offstage with neither ceremony nor subtlety, unceremoniously tossing him atop the growing heap of toppled presidents, their spouses, and flattened celebrities.

With Pelosi and Reid as the last remaining carbon-based guests still standing, Obama cleared his throat, glanced at his watch, and announced he had just remembered a 2:00 tee time with Michael Jordan. Without further ado, he excused himself and made a hasty retreat, leaving the rest of us to ponder the surreal spectacle we had just witnessed.

The Library Tour

The entire ceremony and exhibition tour was scheduled for five hours. Still, with only a single achievement to commemorate, it was possible to experience the entire library in a matter of seconds. The dignitaries, guests, and Secret Service packed things up and departed before lunch. I lingered briefly, allowing myself the rare privilege of having the library to myself.

Here's a "selfie" of me in the back corner of Obama's Presidential Library reading Exhibit #440, "First Black President."

For me, the most remarkable aspect of the museum was the Presidential Seal at the entrance of the "Gallery of Achievements." The seal emitted a soft, vibrating hum from a recording of adulating crowds and glowed warmly around its circumference. If you bent close enough, you could also hear what sounded like the rising oceans gently lapping against the shore.

I appreciated the self-deprecating humor (intended or otherwise).

When one reporter asked the museum’s curator, Hugh Janis, how the library came to be long before President Obama’s departure, he replied: "

A glowing, vibrating Presidential Seal with echoing
sounds of adulating crowds and lapping oceans. 

Considering it’s traditional for presidential library dedication ceremonies to occur after presidents have left office, Barack Obama could now declare, honestly, that he’d actually done something truly unprecedented."

He added, "Also, as a lame duck with abysmal polling numbers, the president has, for all intents and purposes, accomplished everything he will be remembered for. With no other achievements to speak of, President Obama’s supporters decided it was prudent to make the most of his legacy before his only real triumph was also proven a fabrication like everything else."

In the end, the sneak preview of the Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library and Museum was an unforgettable experience—equal parts surreal, absurd, and amusing. If nothing else, it offered a vivid snapshot of the Obama presidency: theatrical, unprecedented, and light on substance.

Mark

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

Balance of Power - Trading Places

Balance of Power is Trading Places in the wake of a tidal wave of changes in Washington. ©Mark Jordan Koeff

GOP Picks Up 7 Seats, Takes Senate Majority

By Dunstan Prial
Published November 04, 2014


FOXBusiness
"In a historic rebuke of Democratic incumbents, Republican challengers are projected to have picked up seven Senate seats in Tuesday’s elections, decidedly shifting the balance of power in Congress to the GOP.

Republicans are poised to replace Democrats in North Carolina, Iowa, Montana, Colorado, Arkansas, South Dakota and West Virgina, according to Fox News projections.

Polls suggested Republicans could gain control of the Senate by winning six elections to gain a majority of 51 seats. The seventh seat adds emphasis to the GOP victories. And there could be another, depending on the outcome of a runoff in Louisiana next month.

Since the GOP was widely expected to maintain its majority in the House of Representatives – and did -- the shift in the Senate will leave President Barack Obama -- and all of his highest priorities -- isolated by a Congress ruled by Republicans in both chambers.

The question is whether a Republican-controlled Congress facing off against a second-term Democratic president will break the political gridlock that has all but stalled important policy decisions in Washington for years, leaving much of the electorate deeply frustrated, cynical and increasingly disillusioned.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital Management, said a Republican victory could lead to less gridlock and more pro-business legislation. Specifically, Cardillo said corporate tax reform and immigration legislation would likely move to the top of a GOP priority list, as Democratic efforts to raise the minimum wage get shelved.

"These are all things that could benefit labor markets,” Cardillo said.

Some influential voices on Wall Street are skeptical, however, that a shift in the balance of power in Congress will have much immediate impact on breaking through the longstanding political logjam.

“Whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s election, no progress is likely to be made on the key issues of corporate tax reform, immigration reform or entitlement reform before the 2016 presidential election,” David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds, said.

“This is quite important in the medium term for U.S. investors since, without real efforts to increase both labor and capital supply, the U.S. economy is likely to run into a significant capacity constraint in the next two years, leading to higher inflation and interest rates,” Kelly added.

Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, Fox News is projecting that Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen will beat Republican challenger Scott Brown in one of the more closely-watched races of this election.

And in Louisiana, in another race that could determine the strength of the GOP’s Senate majority, Fox News is projecting that the Senate race will go to a runoff on December 6. Based on exit polling, Fox projects that three-term Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy will both fail to exceed 50% of the vote tonight, so neither can claim an outright win in Louisiana’s so-called “jungle primary.”

Here’s a roundup of the Senate flips from Democrat to Republican:

In North Carolina, Fox projects that Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the state legislature, will oust U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat, in a closely fought race that saw spending top $100 million.
In Iowa Fox News has projected that Republican Joni Ernst will beat Democrat Bruce Braley, which officially gave Republicans control of the U.S. Senate and dealt a major blow to President Obama’s agenda in the final two years of his term.
In Montana Fox News is projecting that Republican Steve Daines will defeat Democrat Amanda Curtis, flipping control of the Senate seat to the Republican Party for the first time since 1913.
In Colorado, Republican congressman Cory Gardner will oust first-term Democratic Senator Mark Udall in one of the most closely watched contests in this election cycle.
In Arkansas, Republican Congressman and Iraq war veteran Tom Cotton will unseat two-term Democratic Senator Mark Pryor;
In South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds is projected to beat Democrat Rick Weiland and Independent Larry Pressler to replace retiring Democratic Senator Tim Johnson.

Those turnovers are in addition to an earlier pick up in West Virginia, where Republican Shelley Moore Capito defeated her Democratic opponent for seat held by Democrats for nearly three decades.

Candidates and those with a vested interest in the results have spent $4 billion seeking votes, a record for a mid-term election.

A 'Win-Win' Situation for Stock Markets

A call for raising the minimum wage, one supported by President Obama and many Democrats, is another hot button issue that has yet to be resolved.

In the short-term, continued gridlock could actually benefit investors because stock markets have been moving higher in recent years despite Washington dysfunction. Maintaining the status quo of a dysfunctional Congress would mean the markets would continue to respond solely to economic data and Federal Reserve policy rather than politically-driven legislation.

“It’s a win-win situation for the stock markets,” Cardillo said.


Republicans have not controlled the Senate since 2006, ahead of President Obama’s election two years later. Control of the Senate may not be determined for months, however, if individual candidates in Louisiana and Georgia fail to collect more than 50% of the vote, forcing runoffs in December and January, respectively.

According to the latest polls, Democratic incumbents are battling to retain their seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina, states in which Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney defeated Obama in the 2012 election. Given Obama’s plummeting approval ratings, voters in those states could play a key role in shifting the balance of power in Congress.

Other incumbent Senators facing tough re-election bids are Colorado Democrat Mark Udall, and Republicans Pat Roberts of Kansas and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who would replace Nevada Democrat Harry Reid as Senate Majority leader if the GOP gains control of Congress’ upper house. McConnell won his election against Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes.

The only question related to House races was whether, and by how much, Republicans would increase their majority. All 435 seats were at play and a gain of 13 additional seats would leave the GOP with its largest majority since 1946.

Weak Economic Recovery Could Boost GOP

With the president’s approval rating hovering at around 40%, many Democratic candidates chose to distance themselves from Obama’s six-year legacy, in particular Obama’s signature piece of legislation the Affordable Care Act, which sought to reform the nation’s health care system but has come under harsh criticism from opponents of all political persuasions.

In addition, many voters are likely to hold the president and his party responsible for an economy that hasn’t recovered as quickly as many would have preferred. While the headline unemployment rate has fallen sharply in the past few years, wages have been stagnant and many Americans have been forced to accept temporary jobs or part-time positions. Significant numbers of Americans have also dropped out of the workforce altogether out of frustration in finding a good paying job with benefits. The labor force participation rate, a key economic indicator for the health of U.S. labor markets, is at its lowest level since the 1970s.

Elsewhere across the country, 36 states will elect governors in races that could potentially impact the 2016 Presidential election, notably in Wisconsin where incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker defeated his Democratic opponent.

In Rhode Island, Fox News is projecting that state Treasurer Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, will beat Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, a Republican, to replace retiring Democratic Governor Lincoln Chaffee, a former GOP Senator.

In those 36 gubernatorial contests an unusual number of incumbents appeared to be struggling heading into the election. While Obama raised millions of dollars for Democratic candidates over the past two years, many candidates chose not to be photographed with the president for fear of alienating voters who have grown disillusioned with the president.

In Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., voters will decide whether to join Colorado and Washington state by legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

Education is at the forefront of a ballot in Missouri that would tie teacher's jobs and salaries to student performance, curb tenure and limit contracts to three years.

Mark

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