Today I woke up In Pensacola Beach Florida. I started my day with a walk on the beach and then went over to the pier where I interviewed some of the fishermen. I wanted to learn about how much oil was on the beach, and how it was impacting the environment. Here is what I’ve learned so far.
Articles written by Todd Welch
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(Day 203) Calm Before the Storm?
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(Day 198) Dad’s Sayings At eVenture 2
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(Day 197) Dad’s Saying At eVenture
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(Day 194) President Obama
President Obama has been in office for enough time to do a poll. So here it goes: How much do you trust the current President of the United States?
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Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Relationship -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Guardianship -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Friendship -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Partnership -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Creationship -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Annihilation -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Nullification -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Aggression -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Manipulation -
Your Vote Has Been Cast!
Protection
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(Day 191) Credit Card Crooks
Today I called my credit card company to find out why I did not get a statement this month. I had signed up for an electronic statement and it never showed up in my inbox. While I was on the line I realized they had upped my annual APR to 30.25%… What ??? I could not believe it. I have never heard of a rate that high. I immediately remembered that I made the payment 2 – 3 days late last month and they must be taking advantage of that mistake. When I asked the representative if that was true she said, “well yes, that and you were also a day late last November and your account is now under review.” What does that mean? I pay off my account every month in full. The interest rate is somewhat irrelevant but to jump my rate to 30.24 % without telling me… that was frustrating.Okay so why am I telling you about my finances… 30.24% is credit card corruption, these are card crooks, no, they are credit card creeps… 30.24%??? Are they kidding???? I’m not a mathematician or a finance person but I know that if I had $10,000 balance at a 30.24 annual percentage rate, that is $3000. If I could only send in the minimum $200 payment, that means at the end of year I would’ve paid back $2400 of the of the $3000 interest charge. Falling behind by $600 a year. Basically, I would be a credit card prisoner and these the banks would have me for life. How many people are in this situation? It is probably the people that can least afford it that are paying this kind of interest rate. They are stuck. This is immoral, irresponsible, unethical and corrupt. This is the kind of stuff that starts revolutions. It is no better than giving cocaine to children, trapping them in a cycle of pain.
To be fair, consumers have not always been perfect either. So, I don’t to leave all the blame on the credit card companies, there is a balance here. Many people have walked away from their credit card payments leaving these banks holding the bag. Credit card fraud is ubiquitous, it happens all day everyday. There are people that make a good living stealing credit card numbers and taking advantage of the credit card companies. There has got to be accountability and trust of both sides. Stop cheating – do the right thing… both of you.
I canceled my credit card with Barclays/USAir today because of the way they treated me. I don’t suspect they will miss me much and it will be a hassle for me to switch to someone new, but that aggravation is the price of mistrust. I want to improve the quality of our lives and not waste time on stuff like this. That is why I’m am on the Trust Tour, that is why we need to change and that is why I need your help.
Anybody else know of a situation like this?
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(Day 189) Trust No One
I trust no one, not even myself.Joseph Stalin
A few years ago, I read a book about Joseph Stalin. When I finally put the book down, I don’t think I could have taken enough showers to cleanse myself of the filth. For several days afterward I could not shake the gloomy feeling, a sense of darkness, fear and despair. It was a horrific time in our history. Everyone anywhere near this man ended up dead. He did not discriminate, he killed collaborators, friends, opponents and in many cases their families. He purged anyone who might even consider disagreeing with him, millions of them. Even the most loyal members of his party ended up dead. He totally wiped out two complete administrations during his dictatorship. Many of the most talented artists and intellectuals of the day were put on mock trials that he personally orchestrated. Many begged for their lives and pledged loyalty to Stalin before being shot, tortured or worked to death. In one of the scariest moments in world history Stalin made a pact with Hitler. Of course it did not work because they could not trust each other. We should not try to imagine what the world would look like should they have succeeded. [...]
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(Day 188) Who Do You Trust?
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.William Shakespeare
I love this quote from William Shakespeare, it speaks to exactly how I want to live my life. Many times when I have the honor to speak in front of a group of people there is a great energy that transfers between us. It starts with me trusting them and loving them, then sometimes, if my message is on key I get the love back. I can feel it. It shows itself in their eyes, we are together. I give them my respect and they give it back to me and we are connected. It’s like we are making love. The more I give to them the more they give back and we work together until in the end I leave feeling exhausted. I have anxiety whenever I speak in public and it is this feeling of connection that makes me fight through the anxiety to do it again and again.
I can also say with confidence that I love all. I really do… I see people as my brothers and sisters. Do I trust everybody? Certainly not, that would be foolish. But I feel connected to many and have good relationships with many. True trust takes personal experience over time to create and that can only be done with a small group of people over time.
The last part of the quote has to do with doing no wrong. This reminds me of the doctors creed, do no harm. It is my goal everyday to do my best to help the people around me. If you are alive you are going to hurt others accidentally, and I am sure I have done my fair share. But now, more than ever, I am careful not to hurt anyone. I see myself like a boat in the water that leave a wake wherever it goes. I try to be aware of my wake and make sure it does not do damage after I am gone. I believe loving all, trusting a few, and doing no harm is exactly what will raise the bar on the trust in the world. Thank you William Shakespeare!
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Trust: How to Put IT Back in Business
Entrepreneurship starts with a decision to adopt new thinking that everyone in your network can use to improve the speed, quantity, and quality of innovation...
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