Good morning!

Tackling Tax Havens

By Akinyi Ochieng | July 31, 2013

Not many people enjoy paying taxes. But wholesale tax evasion, particularly in the developing world, can have devastating effects. Realizing this, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, and the U.N. High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda have all, in the last year alone, called for major global reforms to combat tax havens and illicit financial flows.

On June 17, leaders of the world’s most powerful nations gathered in Northern Ireland for the annual G-8 summit to discuss pressing global concerns, including the ongoing conflict in Syria, nuclear proliferation, and economic relations. With the United Kingdom holding this year’s G-8 presidency, Prime Minister Cameron set an agenda that prioritized the “three T’s”: trade, transparency, and tax. Tax evasion is a particularly hot topic in Britain, as approximately one-fifth of offshore tax havens across the world are British Crown dependencies or overseas territories.

As Europe struggles with sharp austerity measures and developing countries look to mobilize domestic resources for growth, it is no surprise that the three T’s have become a top concern worldwide. Developed and developing countries alike would like to capture the lost streams of revenue that both national and multinational corporations avoid paying because of the pervasive use of tax havens. Loopholes in international tax codes and outright criminality between corrupt local officials and multinationals create opportunities for individuals and corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

While tax evasion and money laundering via tax havens affect all nations, their impact on developing countries is especially damaging.According to the U.K.-based charity ActionAid, the use of tax havens in British Crown dependencies has led to tax avoidance amounting to $2.2 billion—a figure that ActionAid estimates could pay for one year’s worth of subsidized meals for every primary schoolchild in the country. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the per-capita income is $272, deals between corporations and a handful of government officials cost the nation more than $1.3 billion from 2010 to 2012 due to a deliberate undervaluation of assets and sale to foreign investors.

Throughout Africa, corruption, particularly within the lucrative extractive industries, exacerbates tax evasion. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, among many other African leaders, has been outspoken about stemming illicit financial flows from Africa. The Africa Progress Panel’s 2013 report found that “Africa loses more money through outflows than it gets in aid and foreign direct investment.” Although total illicit flows are obviously difficult to calculate, the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa estimates that, in total, Africa lost more than $854 billion in illicit financial flows between 1970 and 2008—a yearly average of $22 billion.

These figures are especially troubling because resource wealth plays a vital role in poverty alleviation and the promotion of inclusive growth. Yet reinvesting revenue from natural resources into developing countries remains impossible if funds are continually siphoned into faraway bank accounts. The United States and its allies in the developed world therefore have an obligation to provide technical and financial support to developing countries to aid in the pursuit of justice in combating illicit financial flows.

The Lough Erne Declaration

The typically dense language of G-8 summits does not make for light reading, but this year’s communiqué and joint declaration marked a rhetorical transition on international tax policy from the world’s top officials.

With the Lough Erne Declaration, a pledge to end corporate tax evasion by promoting fair taxes, G-8 leaders have made open commitments to increased transparency and open trade. The document states that “multinationals should report to authorities what tax they pay where” and advocates for greater disclosure of beneficiaries and an end to predatory fiscal policies of extractive-trading companies in conflict zones. The points outlined in the declaration are further enumerated in the G-8 communiqué, which charges each nation with the development of national action plans and promotes the use of an Open Data Charter, which will make government information public in an effort to promote transparency.

The Lough Erne Declaration comes on the heels of the OECD’s Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters and measures such as theExtractive Industries Transparency Initiative, but it is a disappointment in light of the more aggressive measures initially pushed by the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Cameron initially called for public registries of beneficial ownership that disclose information about people that control or benefit from a corporation through mechanisms such as receipt of income and voting rights. His proposals, however, were not well received by all members of the G-8, who instead opted for an individual-action-plan model. The G-8 agreed to automatic sharing of information among tax authorities across the world but declined to make the information public for fear of misuse or abuse.

The core principles enumerated in the Lough Erne Declaration are laudable, but given the lack of specifics, implementing them will remain difficult. Moreover, Russia, the host of the 2014 G-8 summit, has shown little interest in advocating for strong action on tax havens. Considering that Russian oligarchs rank among the major users of offshore tax havens, however, Russia’s hostility is unsurprising. Although the G-8 has promised to share information with tax authorities in developing countries, a lack of capacity on the part of tax authorities in developing countries and public scrutiny may compromise these efforts. Without concrete pledges of financial and technical assistance from the developed world, it remains unclear when the capacity-assistance programs will be implemented.

The role of the United States

The United States has long been relatively forward leaning in dealing with these issues. The Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act, first enacted in 1977, has been an important model for international tax policy. Until the act passed, U.S. companies were able to deduct bribes to foreign officials as legitimate business expenses on tax returns.

Given last month’s pledge by President Barack Obama to increase partnerships with sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening democratic institutions and promoting economic trade and investment, the principles of the Lough Erne Declaration should serve as a framework for U.S. foreign policy and help developing countries fulfill World Trade Organization transparency agreements.

Following the summit, the United States swiftly released an action plan calling for transparency of company ownership and control at home and abroad. This plan complements measures such as the U.S.-East African Community Trade and Investment Partnership, which is already working to end barriers to trade and investment on the African continent and promote transparency.

The action plan also includes measures calling for the creation of state-level registries that would be publicly available. Although the United States has been a global leader in combating tax evasion, these commitments would improve transparency in states such as Delaware, which has relatively lax tax policies.

Stricter enforcement of previously existing legislation will also help trace illicit financial flows. The transparency provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act mark progress in attempts to create greater transparency and accountability in the extractives industry. A recent case involving the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, however, has challenged the act. A federal judge recently struck down Section 1504 of the act, which required companies engaged in the oil, natural gas, or mineral industries to publicly disclose information about payments made to the U.S. and foreign governments.

Having such a key part of the legislation vacated is a huge disappointment after significant congressional efforts to aid the international community in the fight against corruption. Although Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), one of the authors of the transparency provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act, has been vocal in declaring that “Congress was clear in the letter and the spirit of the law that this information should be in the public domain,” Congress and the SEC need to take swift action to ensure that Section 1504 is implemented as was originally intended.

Although the U.S. government has taken some steps forward on the issue of tax evasion, additional progress is still needed at the federal and state levels. Because tax havens are often mutually beneficial to local governments and corporations, however, the impetus for change must come from both the public and private sector.

Conclusion

President Obama should continue to make the fight against tax evasion a priority on the international agenda by eliminating deliberate U.S. tax loopholes written into our tax code and sharing information on companies with tax authorities in developing countries. Corporations must pay their fair share of corporate taxes in nations where they make a profit to foster a culture of social responsibility. Developing nations cannot continue to hemorrhage funds due to lax tax laws in nations such as the United States.

As a global leader, the United States must continue to set a positive precedent in the international community by taking more-substantive action. A focus on the collection and monitoring of tax revenue is not only in our national interest but also has the potential to increase the resources available for development across the world.

Side note: 

Offshore tax havens

Since 1998 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, has usedseveral criteria to identify tax havens. The key criteria are:

1. No or nominal tax on relevant income
2. Lack of effective exchange of information
3. Lack of transparency
4. No substantial activities

Multinationals can avoid paying taxes by shifting their profits from high-tax to low-tax jurisdictions, a practice that is often legal due to some loopholes in international tax policy. This practice, however, has recently come under growing amounts of criticism.

Akinyi Ochieng is an intern with the National Security team at the Center for American Progress.

**********

Hmmm…it looks like no one was able to get in yesterday – wha’at’s up?

Blog me if you can. Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

President Obama’s Resilience Plan Needs Federal Investments

The president’s resilience plan is beneficial but insufficient to protect Americans’ lives, homes, and businesses, as well as reduce federal disaster-relief spending. The plan does not specifically seek a federal revenue stream to fund resilience projects, though it encourages federal agencies to find resources in their existing—but shrinking, thanks to sequestration—budgets to fund these important tasks.

Additional federal resources for resilience are essential to accomplish these vital goals and ensure that all of our communities are prepared to deal with a more volatile climate in the future. We urge the federal government to estimate the cost of future resilience needs and identify and adopt additional revenue sources to pay for them as quickly as possible.

The United States has experienced severe bouts of extreme weather during the past several years. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, reported that there were a record 81 “major disaster declarations” in 2010. This record was broken in 2011, with 99 disaster declarations.* A CAP analysis found that there were 25 severe extreme weather events in 2011 and 2012 that each caused at least $1 billion in damages. These events caused a total of 1,107 fatalities and $188 billion in damages.

The draft National Climate Assessment noted that future extreme weather events will threaten the safety and stability of our homes, businesses, and infrastructure in the coming years. It found that the changing climate “[w]ill be disruptive to society because our institutions and infrastructure have been designed for the relatively stable climate of the past, not the changing one of the present and future.”

As extreme weather increases, it is essential to invest in measures that make communities better able to prepare to withstand the high winds, floodwaters, scorching heat, searing wildfires, and parched earth from extreme weather. Every $1 invested in resilience, or “pre-disaster mitigation,” reduces the cost of damages from these extreme weather events by $4, according to a study for FEMA.

Despite the savings from investments in resilience, federal disaster-recovery spending far outweighs investments in resilience. In the most complete accounting of federal disaster and resilience spending, recent CAP analyses found that while the federal government spent $136 billion on disaster relief from 2011 to 2013, it only spent $22 billion to help communities protect themselves from future extreme weather events. The federal government therefore spent $6 for post-disaster cleanup for every $1 it spent on future protection and preparedness.

The National Academy of Sciences, or NAS, report, “Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative,” explains that resilience efforts require significant financial investments. NAS notes that “significant investment is required to mitigate the losses of human life, risks to human health, and economic and social costs.” Furthermore, NAS has determined that the federal government does not have a reliable estimate of the total investment that would be required to build more-resilient communities.

NAS recognizes that protection for people and property—though very cost effective—is not cheap:

• New York City’s plan to increase its resilience to future extreme weather events will cost the city $19.5 billion. It will, for example, spend $1.2 billion to elevate critical building equipment to prevent damage from future floods or storm surges.
• The National Research Council reported that, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified 160 additional villages in rural Alaska that are threatened by climate-related erosion, with relocation costs are estimated at $30-$50 million per village.” No funds have been provided yet for this effort.
• In flood-prone coastal areas of Gloucester County, Virginia, FEMA provided nearly $12 million to raise 60 homes out of flood danger, with another 59 buildings waiting in line for assistance.

The President will direct federal agencies to support climate-resilient investment [by directing] federal agencies to identify and remove barriers to making climate resilient investments … and encourage and support smarter, more resilient investments.

The lack of significant levels of additional funds for resilience reflects the fact that the president’s plan does not require new legislation or additional appropriations and instead would use existing funds for resilience efforts. The lack of substantial new revenue for community resilience will make it difficult to achieve the plan’s resilience goals. In order to truly make a difference and help communities prepare for future extreme weather, additional federal revenue will be necessary.

Two states, however, will receive significant federal revenue to invest in resilience. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, passed by Congress earlier this year, includes funds to help New Jersey and New York recover from Superstorm Sandy. In addition, the law includes several billion dollars to help these states’ communities enhance their resilience to future storms and sea-level rise. But there will be little additional resilience assistance for the remainder of the nation.

It does not have to be this way, however. Earlier this year Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)and 39 other representatives endorsed a CAP proposal to create a bipartisan blue-ribbon panel to estimate future resilience needs and recommend a dedicated source of revenue to assist communities with these investments. Congress could then enact this bipartisan recommendation to provide resources to help communities become safer.

Similar to the CAP proposal, the president’s climate plan has a State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness. The administration should require the governors, mayors, and other officials on the panel to estimate the total cost of extreme weather resilience needs, as well as identify a source or sources of federal revenue to assist communities with these huge costs. Congress could then adopt the resilience revenue recommendation or devise an alternative way to provide communities with additional assistance. A federal investment in resilience should reduce net federal spending in the long run because stronger communities mean less damage from extreme weather—and subsequently, less federal disaster-relief aid.

The centerpiece of the president’s climate plan is the first-ever carbon-pollution reductions from existing power plants, the largest domestic source of climate pollution. Unfortunately, these long-overdue pollution reductions will be inadequate to immediately stem the rising tide of extreme weather linked to climate change. It is therefore essential that the federal government provide significantly more financial assistance to at-risk communities so they can better resist damages from severe wind, rain, drought, heat, and fires. The president should mandate that the climate task force assess resilience needs and identify a revenue stream to invest in communities’ plans, which would save lives, reduce damages, and save taxpayers money.

Daniel J. Weiss is a Senior Fellow and the Director of Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress.

* All of the 2010 disaster declarations were due to extreme weather, while 94 of the 99 disaster declarations in 2012 were due to extreme weather.

*******

Readers: Blog me your thoughts. 

Rob: Only a little-dicked white boy like yourself and others like you, including the officer, would think my commentary or posting of that write is an overreaction, and find this kind of sick behavior perfectly fine. A real man would never treat any woman with such disrespect. But coming from boys, and there are plenty of them out there, you hide behind your toys for what you lack in the sack.  Yes, this girl does have opinions and you just heard another one.

George, WN: I would expect nothing less coming from you.

Peace & Love.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

“Just noticing….”

WATCH: Pennsylvania Town’s Only Police Officer Pretends To Shoot ‘Nancy Pelosi’ While In Uniform

He demonstrates how to shoot a handgun, choosing what he calls “Nancy Pelosi,” the House minority leader, as his target. The picture on the paper looks like a homicidal clown with a hammer, though Kessler refers to it as “Nancy with her gavel” throughout the video, before putting “two in her face.”

In other videos, Kessler has appeared out of uniform.

Kessler is also a member of the North Schuylkill school board and the leader of a volunteer group called the Constitutional Security Force, which has vowed to take up arms to protect against tyranny. Local reaction to Kessler’s videos has been mixed, with some calling them inappropriate and other claiming that he is free to express whatever political views he holds.

*S*I*C*K*O

Readers: Men continue to be abusive and think that just because they are making a joke about being abusive to women, or they think they are acting “cute” by the way they express their views, that it is okay to behave this way. It isn’t. I don’t care what your political views are, there is nothing funny about putting “two in her face.”

It is the subtle and not so subtle ways, as shown above, that make these kinds of sick behaviors the “norm” when it comes to men and their “freedom to express” themselves. It’s disgusting and this man, yes not just any man but an officer in uniform,  should be slapped upside the head and worse.

This is unacceptable behavior and is never going to be the “norm,” even though, yes sadly, it is “normal” behavior by many men, and evidently men in uniform are no exception. It is not acceptable to me and never will be.  I will never get “used” to this even if I was exposed to it every day. And somewhere on this planet women are exposed to these kinds of behaviors and much much worse – where the act is no joke.

I have said this before. To get used to it means, we normalize it and that is never going to happen with me – that means we as women are giving up and giving in to it. That will never be. I am just sick of it. It is so prevalent in so many little hits of dialogue…the nuance that can slip by in a sentence or two, if one is not conscious of it being there. Or blatantly slammed right in your face as this story shows.

What woman would ever be attracted to a man who acts this way? Certainly not I. I HOPE that any woman connected to him has let him know just what kind of man he truly is. I HOPE that we as women will never give up and give in to it, and instead let our voices drown those who speak out against us, and our actions take center stage.

Thoughts? Blog me. 

Peace & Love…You know what to do. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

I thought this was an interesting read because I was always curious about those before and after photos. I always thought these kinds of images were just Photo Shopped. But it looks like you don’t even need Photo Shop to fool your audience. All you need is a few push-ups, a razor, and some well-directed lighting…and presto! Instant muscles, and a toned bod. :)

Seduced by the Illusion: The Truth About Transformation Photos

Andrew Dixon, HuffPost, Posted: 07/24/2013 10:16 am

There is no doubt that we live in a world of manipulation, false promises and exaggerated claims. This is especially true in the fitness industry. I’ve been a personal trainer for more than 11 years, and clients and friends are always telling me about the next amazing diet or exercise program. Like Insanity or P90X hold the secrets to fat loss.

The reasons these programs become so popular is because they are presented and marketed very well. These marketing campaigns use testimonials and before-and-after transformation photos. Before I claim it’s all bullshit, I want to make it clear that there are definitely some very impressive, genuine physical transformations out there. What I do take issue with are the transformations that are manipulated with Photoshop, professional lighting, postures to degrade or enhance their look, pro tans, sucking in or pushing out a bloated belly or flexing muscles vs. not flexing to obtain an optimal look.

In my opinion, these photos are selling false or exaggerated promises of what 90 days, etc., of their program can achieve. Long-lasting results take years of consistency, hard work and dedication. Results that happen quickly are often temporary, and this is another factor that needs to be taken into account when looking at these transformations. Did the individual cut calories to starvation levels or cut out entire food groups to reach a very low body fat percentage for the photo shoot, only to rebound a few days or weeks later? This must be considered when setting your goals and expectations based on someone’s program.

I decided to take my own transformation photos to see what was possible with just a few easy tweaks. About six months ago I was around 185 pounds and about 16 percent body fat. I was feeling particularly bloated on the day, so I asked my girlfriend to take a before shot. I then shaved my head, face and chest and prepared for the after shot, which was about an hour after I took the before shot. I did a few push ups and chin ups, tweaked my bedroom lighting, sucked in, tightened my abs and BOOM! We got our after shot.

As you can see, I’m no bodybuilder, but I had enough muscle on me to catch some shadows from the all-important overhead lighting.

Just a few weeks ago I took another series of photos in an attempt to be a little more deceptive. I wanted to show a series of progressions that look like a few months of hard work and dieting. I’m about 200 pounds and 19 percent body fat in this photo series. This took under an hour to produce.

What’s my point? Don’t try to look like anyone you see in a transformation photo. Be inspired, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t see yourself the way you see those models. Being tricked into eating low-calorie diets and doing endless cardio is a recipe for fat gain, especially in the long term.

Forget about the quick transformations and focus on a life of healthy eating, well-managed stress levels, quality sleep and plenty of movement. Spend time with people who have similar goals and values and take time to appreciate yourself the way you are right now. Don’t beat yourself up if you eat a cookie, just enjoy that cookie and everything else life has to offer.

We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don’t waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else.

It’s all smoke and mirrors.

*******

Thoughts? Blog me. Happy Weekend!!

Now we have Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Speaking again of journeys, I came across this. A journey of a young girl, Anita Sharma, born in a Nepalese refugee camp, whose family then moved to India so that she and her siblings could have better schooling, and then landed in Manhattan where she continued her education and thrived.

This is a write about Anita’s journey and the inspiration of her short movie “Krishna’s Voyage.”

Anita’s journey

NEW YORK – Anita Sharma remembers well her first days at Manhattan International High School. Like other freshmen, she experienced the usual nerves and anxieties. But for Anita, newly arrived in the United States after living years in India and a Nepalese refugee camp, those adjustments were only the beginning.

*******

Quu: I can only imagine. Perhaps you can share and get more visual with me and my readers?

Zen Lill: Yes, Tom’s comment lead me to think he is the thick headed one with some early childhood indoctrinations that need to be purged.

That’s it for me. Thoughts on this or anything else you want to chat about – Your turn. Blog me.

Happy Friday – Ohh…I am so ready for this day.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"