Best Health Insurance Through Schemes

Many people are still apprehensive over the recent health care bill of the Obama administration. For one, it hinders them from exercising democracy, whether to subject themselves to insurance policies or not. They are, after all, compelled to purchase an insurance policy either from the government or from a private insurance company. Moreover, there is the continuous rise on health insurance costs. Health insurance through schemes may just be an option.

Health insurance is vital. Without it, there is no clear support on the increasing prices of health care in the country. It is the immediate contingent plan that can be implemented in times of emergencies. Besides, there are different health insurance schemes to choose. It is much easier to pick one that sounds more affordable and practical:

PPO

This stands for Preferred Provider Organization. It is composed of health care professionals and facilities that have signed a contract with the insurance company. They guarantee they provide the necessary services to their clients based on the fee schedule. The main advantage of a PPO is you already have a good idea of doctors who can render medical services at a much lesser cost. Though you still have to shoulder a portion of the total amount, you are still going to enjoy savings for every treatment. More health care services are also added every year.

HMO

HMO or health maintenance organization is a very popular health insurance plan. It is the one usually given by companies to their employees as one of the fringe benefits. The insured individual can go to a clinic or a health care facility that is approved or under the HMO plan. He or she can approach only those health care professionals who can accept your chosen HMO. One of the biggest advantages of the HMO is its very low premiums. The insurance premium can be subdivided among the number of enrolees. Moreover, many insurance companies offering HMO are offering lifestyle programs to their clients to ensure that they do not get sick or meet emergencies often.

The downside is that the health care services may be quite limited. If you want to obtain an HMO plan, always check the number of health care facilities and services you can take advantage.

POS

It means point of service plan. It shares certain attributes with HMO and PPO. It is like the former since primarily you can only ask for medical help from their list of doctors and facilities. However, should you require specialized assistance, the doctor can refer you to those who do not belong to the network--just like in PPO. The good news with POS is you have more control on the professionals you want to deal. Moreover, you can ensure you can give yourself the right kind of treatment it deserves. The only disadvantage is you have to pay extra every time you work with an out-of-network professional.

When you are in the process of selection, make sure you can talk with a reputable insurance agent or broker. This way, you have better understanding of your options, and you can choose the one that fits your present needs as well as preferences.

Explore your insurance options and make sure you are Buying Individual Health Insurance that best suits your needs.

The Recession Was Avoidable

Basically what has happened to our economy, the means of exchange has decreased significantly.

The Committee For Economic Reform and a Better Economic Future has developed an Alternative Economic Stimulus plan to restart our economy. It does not require the Federal government to create a huge deficit, to return consumer's deposable income.

CSUB Professor of Economics Mark Evans was quoted as saying, we are going to have to live with large deficits for a long time, and there is no other way. We disagree with that statement. The Committee believes that there is another way. President Obama is relying on Keynesian Economics. John Maynard Keynes policies put governments into massive debt, to stimulate the economy and return people's disposable income. Over time more government programs are created, increasing the size of government, as our economy cycles through periodic periods of recession and inflation.

Consumption and home creation represents 75% of the economic activity in our economy. The economy will not fully recover until the consumer's financial condition and confidence improves. Investor confidence, in making long-term investments, needs to improve also. This will happen as the economy improves and when we enact the Zero Inflation Taxation Policy.

When the Federal Reserve lowered the Fed rate and the banks and other financial institutions could not follow the Fed' lead, of lowering the cost of the means of exchange, the collapse of employment and the stock market occurred. If lower interest rates had been available, for credit worthy borrowers, the money supply would have quickly expanded, creating enough of the means of exchange for our economy to continue to work.

The recession would not have gotten out of control, causing the massive layoffs, decreasing people's disposable income, there-by causing the economy to continue its downward spiral. Consumer and investor confidence was thus lost.

The enterprise economic system cannot operate efficiently, without the correct amount of the means of exchange (money) being in balance with available supply.

They are asking you for your endorsement and support of the Alternative Economic Stimulus Plan. They are asking you to please review it at their web site. They also want you to read the other economic policy papers first, so you will obtain a complete picture of why we are repeating the mistakes of the Great Depression. Without the changes we need to improve our economy, we will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.

They said that we could make this happen. We have the opportunity to leave our posterity a more secure and stable future. We are a nation of free people. We are responsible for the laws that are enacted and for the policies that guide our economy. We can make a difference. Do it for your grand children and great grand children. End the recession now, without a huge federal government deficit and another cycle of inflation.

Committee For Economic Reform and a Better Economic Future web site is http://www.economysflaw.wordpress.com/ The Committee is made up of noted economist, retired Economic Analyst, Businessman, Financier, Investor, Author, and former candidate for the California Congress.

Creating an Image - Can a Speech Do It?

Many reading this would have watched Barack Obama address the Chicago crowd on the night he won the US Presidency. I do not live in the US, but listening to this speech certainly moved me. Others I have spoken to had a similar experience. His story of Ann Nixon Cooper, the 106 year old lady and the changes she has experienced in her lifetime, was simply brilliant.

So this is probably an appropriate time to look at the impact a person's public speeches (such as a CEO or electoral candidate) has on the audience.

Through social science research, we have known for some time that the use of rhetoric, imagery and metaphors can positively impact how the audience perceives and acts on the message. However a recent study has now taken this one step further. The results of the research by James J Naidoo and Robert G. Lord in the June edition of the Leadership Quarterly, suggest that not only does the use of such tactics impact audience behaviour, used well, they also have a positive affect on how we perceive the charisma of the speaker.

Listen once again to some of the rhetoric, imagery, and metaphors candidate Barack Obama used in his now (almost) famous race speech in March ...

"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas.

I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners -- an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters."

In a poll taken shortly after this speech, Obama was shown to be leading Hilary Clinton in the Democratic nomination race by 53 to 41 per cent. The behavioural impact stats are there, but did the speech impact our perception of Obama's charisma?

Press reports concerning the advice being given to Obama at the time included; "get specific - lay out concrete plans", "describe your experience in government - make Americans comfortable with you as their CEO", "hammer your opponent above and below the belt". None of this advice had anything to do with charisma - it's all about facts, logic and detail.

The other presidential candidate, John McCain used very little rhetoric, imagery and metaphor, but a lot of reason and logic in his speeches. For example, in his address to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in March, only his opening paragraph gives any imagery or metaphor concerning McCain as a person. The remaining 34 paragraphs all talk about reason and logic, saying nothing about the character of the man. As one press report concluded; "McCain appears dependent on a teleprompter, delivering even the most personal passages with an odd detachment. In his telling, his difficult five-and-a-half years as Vietnam prisoner of war might have happened to someone else." However, McCain did do well in less formal settings, like town hall meetings and one-on-one conversations. But his discomfort behind the podium was a distinct disadvantage as he struggled for national media attention.

Initially, the race between the two presidential candidates was well and truly led by Obama. Audiences loved his charisma. Then the race became much closer. Audiences were starting to listen for what was behind the message in terms of the reason and logic that was likely to affect their day to day lives. The research by Naidoo and Lord bears out these poll results. They say that "high speech imagery will result in higher state positive affect in followers, compared to low speech imagery". So it appears as if Obama's advisors were now on the right track - he'd developed an appropriate charisma in the eyes of the voting public, then it was time to move to reality.

What advice was given to McCain?

More importantly for us mere mortals as managers and in particular for CEOs, what's the message from this latest research?

There are three . . .

Firstly, when speaking publicly, a manager or CEO needs to use personal imagery and metaphors, so that the audience can see and feel the character of the person.

Secondly, such imagery works best when the situation is critical or the audience perceives they are in a crisis. People want the big picture and in particular, to hear and feel how the speaker has lived through similar times him or herself.

Finally, the detail - the reason and logic - is best handled one on one and in small group settings. For CEOs this means a very structured process of explicit communication down through the organisation as to how the big picture will translate locally.

Looking back at the successful Obama campaign, his strategy clearly is in line with the research. People loved the charisma of the man. But they also knew what his policies were. Watching sound bites of potential voters in the US, Democrat supporters were more often able to quote Obama's specific policies. Republicans were more often unable to do so.

Communicating and connecting with large audiences is a fascinating challenge!

Bob Selden is the author of the newly published "What To Do When You Become The Boss" - a self help book for new managers. He is currently researching topics for his new book on teams. Please email your suggestions for inclusion to Bob via http://www.whenyoubecometheboss.com/

Government Deficit Spending Means More Taxes, High Inflation, and a Weak Dollar

Everyone knows that Government spending today will mean higher taxes tomorrow. Far fewer realize that the huge budget deficits being created now will almost certainly bring us high inflation, even hyperinflation, and a significantly devalued dollar. This year the Government will need to borrow at least $2 Trillion, and if the Obama Administration has its way, trillions more will be needed during the next several years. However, regardless of Mr. Obama's appetite for spending, the magnitude of U.S. public debt and its size as a percentage of our gross domestic output are projected to grow at astounding rates during the next several decades

How will we pay it all back? Historically, the Government raised money by issuing debt that Americans and foreigners alike eagerly held as investments. Currently, Americans, including our Government, and foreigners each own half of our public debt. According to a recent report by Fox News, China alone owns a quarter of our debt and is seen as the most likely buyer going forward, given its rapidly expanding appetite for our debt in recent years. But China too has its own economic problems and is getting serious reservations about increasing its exposure going forward. The other method of repaying debt is to raise taxes, but doing so in any meaningful way during this recession would be ill-advised. So where will the money come from?

The Government will likely have no choice but to print the extraordinary amount of money it needs, which will be highly- if not hyper- inflationary. (There is no agreement on a definition of hyperinflation but suffice it to say that if you quote monthly, rather than annual, inflation rates you're probably there.) Checking inflation won't be easy either. Normally, during periods of high inflation, especially inflation induced by expansionary monetary policy, the Government raises interest rates to choke off inflation. But this time its hands would be tied by a seriously debt overburdened American public that would suffocate from the proportionately greater impact that higher interest rates would have on its household finances; finances dominated by high levels of mortgage, auto and consumer credit. Consequently, the Government is unlikely to curb our prospective high inflation by potentially pushing our economy into another Great Depression.

Needless to say, deficit-spending-induced high inflation will devastate our currency. The likely combination of high inflation and a weak dollar will further diminish the purchasing power of all Americans, especially retirees living on fixed incomes. Many economists believe that a good proxy for an economy's stability and strength is the stability and strength of its currency, so a weak and unstable dollar will likely tarnish America's star status in the world economy. America will also be seen as a riskier place to invest and cause many investors to flee our capital markets; effects that will further raise our interest rates and weaken our dollar.

I am hopeful none of this will happen, but many believe it will, at least to some degree, if we don't change our spending habits. Given the risk of this scenario playing out, it would not be surprising to see investors favor inflation-hedges such as gold and other commodities and U.S. companies with significant exports abroad. Investors will also shy away from dollar-denominated investments by generally diversifying globally.  The implications for our policy makers should be crystal clear: be extremely careful when spending our money, especially money we don't have and need to borrow.

More articles by this author are available at http://joedelcasino.blogspot.com Books are available at http://www.Xlibris.com

The Real Pro-Gay Party

Two ineluctable facts stand out when scrutinizing politicians' actions on gay issues over the past 30 years: (1) Republicans are not anti-gay and (2) Democrats are not pro-gay. By 2009, there are few differences between Republican and Democratic politicians on gay issues, except that Democrats are more likely to jerk gay voters around and Republicans are more likely to quietly favor pro-liberty stances. There may have been a difference between the two parties once, but that hasn't been the case for a long time.

In 1978, California governor Ronald Reagan opposed the Briggs Initiative, which would have barred gays from teaching in public schools. In an op-ed penned as he was beginning his presidential campaign, Reagan wrote, "Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual's sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child's teachers do not really influence this." This, in the late 70s, while Jimmy Carter was publicly refusing to meet with gay groups. The initiative was overwhelmingly defeated, mostly due to Reagan's efforts, and this momentum was instrumental in forming the Log Cabin Republicans.

Reagan was the first president to invite two openly gay men-interior decorator Ted Graber and his partner-to spend the night at the White House. Washington Post reporter Robert Kaiser called Reagan a "closet tolerant." If Reagan was closeted, it was because no one asked him his views, not because he was hiding anything.

The number of gays discharged from the military dropped every year under Reagan. In contrast, the number of gays discharged increased every full year under Bill Clinton except one, doubling from 617 in 1994 to 1,231 in 2000. The number of gays discharged decreased again every full year under George W. Bush except one, halved from 1,273 in 2001 to 612 in 2006. Gay rights groups report the number of gays discharged over decades, but they never break it down by administration, because the numbers make Democrats look bad and Republicans look good.

More recently, Obama claimed he would repeal the ban on gays in the military-and has spent precisely zero time working to fulfill this promise. He refused to issue an executive order staying the investigation of gays until the law is changed, and is content destroying through inaction the military careers of servicemen like Arabic translator Dan Choi.

Our Gay Marriage Opponent-in-Chief kicked off his inauguration with an invocation by Rick Warren, robust financial sponsor of the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8. Happy days are here again!

Independent Gay Forum reports that around the 100-day mark of Obama's presidency, WhiteHouse.gov removed discussion of almost all gay issues from its Civil Rights page including mention of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, cut its number of "promises" to gays from eight to three, and slashed discussion of gay issues from half a page to a few sentences. After bloggers objected, some material returned but not the promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act or a quote about gay civil rights. "Change we can believe in" apparently means we can be confident that campaign promises to gays will get scrubbed from Obama's website on a regular basis.

Similarly, in Washington D.C., former Democratic mayor Marion Barry recently woke up from a nap to realize he had accidentally voted with a unanimous City Council to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, and subsequently asked the council for a do-over so he could take back his vote.

Meanwhile, gay-friendly candidates and policies are making inroads even in the religious wing of the Republican Party. In the 2008 presidential primaries, televangelist Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Guiliani, the most pro-gay major Republican candidate, a man who shacked up with a gay male couple after his divorce and promised them if New York ever legalized gay marriage he would preside over their ceremony.

Focus on the Family, James Dobson's group, recently expressed their openness to a gay Obama Supreme Court nominee: "The issue is not their sexual orientation. It's whether they are a good judge or not." Sexual orientation "should never come up. It's not even pertinent to the equation."

If, in 2009, gays want to support the Democratic Party because they happen to agree with every one of their non-gay-related positions, fine. It's a bit suspicious that so many gays tout the full Democratic Party line, from global warming to Guantanamo Bay. But if they're voting for Democrats because of their superior stance on gay issues, they're not getting much out of the bargain.

How about these "pro-gay" positions? Republicans are more aggressive than Democrats in the war against Islamic extremists, who are extraordinarily harsh in their condemnation and punishment of gays.

Republicans are tougher on law enforcement than Democrats-a boon for gays, who are more likely to suffer bias crimes. Republicans are more likely to support gun rights, as in the recent D.C. gun law Supreme Court case, which included as plaintiff a gay man who wanted to protect himself against anti-gay violence.

Republicans favor lower taxes than Democrats, and gays have more disposable income than heterosexuals.

Why is the Republican Party the real pro-gay party? The fact that Republican politicians aren't anti-gay and Democratic politicians aren't pro-gay helps. The fact that Republican positions make more sense than Democratic positions on some gay issues (e.g., opposing "hate crimes" laws for preferred minority groups) also helps. But the main reason is that the Republican Party is more inclined to protect individual liberties, inarguably in economic realms, and even in some social realms (e.g., smoking and nutrition-related). They're more likely to support tough law enforcement that allows liberties to be protected. And they're more likely to support national defense, which allows us to maintain a country that protects rights in the first place.

If the Republican Party is better for this country, and the party that is better for this country is better for all of us, then the Republican Party is the real pro-gay party.

Know About California Health Insurance

California Health Insurance is at an all time popular high. Over 87 percent of California residents have medical insurance, whether it is direct through their employer, through the state or through themselves individually. California State has devised a program which aims to help people find the best possible health insurance. It is one of the first states in the country to do but has received very mixed results from the program which you will see below.

In contrast to other states if you in dispute with your California health insurance company, e.g. your insurance company refuses to pay out, or does not pay out as much as they agreed in the original contract etc, the state has a team of people designed to help you out of this tricky situation. They are meant to do everything for you, including taking the insurance company to court in order for them to pay out to you. And best of all its completely free of charge to California citizens.

Even though health insurance in California is one of the most complex systems of its type, there are many organizations which can help you through the hassle. Medical, Medicare, and Healthy Families are such companies which help you out and can show you the best plans for your needs. They are completely neutral, so you know you will be getting a fair quote.

However as a whole, the government plan to give medical insurance to everyone in the state at fair prices failed quite miserably. Although the majority of people in the state do have California health insurance, the larger companies are still raking in all the money, whilst the smaller companies are struggling to get by. Barack Obama wants to use California "fail" on health insurance policies to influence the United States on things which made the system collapse as is has done.

One of the main problems of the Health insurance in California was the dispute with the Mexican citizens. Mexican newspapers were advertising that Mexican people could get health insurance from just crossing the border at a fraction of the price they were being charged. And when the Mexican citizen get sick in California they go to the hospitals; insured or not. As the hospitals cannot turn anyone away who has a medical emergency the state starts to lose money, as because the Mexican citizen are not citizen of the United States they cannot be forced to pay the hospital bills, making the taxpayer pay them.

As you can see the medical insurance system in California is very much in chaos. There are plans to correct it and return it to how it should be, but so far none have been properly implemented, and thus the Mexican people keep coming up and effectively stealing from the United States citizens. Unless something is done soon ordinary people may have a hard time getting approved for medical insurance, or even in the worst cases get turned away from hospitals because there is simply not enough room.

California Health Insurance Quotes
For instant California Health Insurance Plans visit http://www.healthratesus.com

The Repositioning of the Black Male

In the first presidential debate, Senator John McCain repeatedly accused former Senator Barack Obama of lacking experience, being naive, and most ironically, not knowing the difference between a tactic and a strategy. It was a portentous allegation.

On Super Tuesday, after watching the Maverick and war hero (a.k.a.) McCain go down in defeat, state after state, one thing was abundantly clear: "that one" (a.k.a. Obama) not only knows the difference between tactics and strategies, but has mastered them. It proved that you don't have to be a former prisoner of war to effectively use tactics and strategies to accomplish your goals.

This article focuses on how black males can use the same tactics and strategies employed by President Obama to reposition themselves to achieve success in their professional endeavors and add momentum to the black male movement.

First, let's define terms to ensure that we are on the same page and are speaking the same language:

Tactic: a device for accomplishing an end.

Strategy: a careful plan or method; a clever stratagem b: the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal. (There are many war references made in its alternate definitions; thus the reason for McCain's arrogance.)

The commonly used and often misunderstood term "position" was created by marketing pioneers Al Ries and Jack Trout in the 70s. According to them, position simply means to occupy a unique mental position in one's mind. We are all positioned in one way or another. Positioning is the deliberate effort of establishing and controlling one's position. To reposition is to change or improve one's original position. The act of positioning and repositioning should be thought of and used as an element of strategy.

Now let's move on to the specifics of how the repositioning of black males can be accomplished through lessons provided by President Barack Obama's historical campaign run.

First, I have to say that while both blacks and whites adroitly handled racial issues in this election with stunning diplomacy, we all know - whether we care to admit it or not - that race, like sexuality, is always an issue. It's the big elephant in the room that we are aware of, but try to ignore, as I try to ignore the fact that I now have over a decade of experience working in corporate America and have yet to work alongside another black male. With the election of our first black President, hopefully a trickle down effect will take place and employers will be able to transcend any racial issues which may alter my situation (or isolation), and an increase in black male presence will occur.

No doubt we've crossed an epic racial barrier - but we still have many battles to be fought. We can't be naive; racist issues (not to be confused with racial issues) still exist and they will undoubtedly surface during Obama's Presidency. Many of the racial issues which pertain to and specifically effect black men, can now be dealt with openly and politically since they were eclipsed by universal concerns during the election. Focus upon them would have created the appearance of an imbalanced perspective for Obama. After all, black issues are esoteric.

Obama's campaign team, lead by David Plouffe, and his chief strategist David Axelrod, have acknowledged that one of the key tenets of the campaign was, in fact, to avoid discussions focused on race. From polling and interviews, the campaign concluded from the outset that it was imperative to define Obama's candidacy in terms that would transcend skin color.

Who were their first efforts aimed at? Blacks. Apparently, they deemed it imperative to get blacks to move beyond their "natural" skepticism that one of their own could indeed become president. They knew that Obama would have to position himself to be chosen as a leader because leaders don't choose their followers; followers choose their leaders - regardless of race.

In a report on MSNBC.com by Adam Nagourney, Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny, Obama's campaign team made the following quote, "The biggest race problem we had to solve was not with the white voters," Mr. Axelrod said, "but with African-American voters, a deep sense of skepticism that this might happen."

How about that?

These are called interracial issues. They offer a window, if not a measurement, into just how long the roots of negativity and its insidious effects can have on the psyche of an oppressed people. Were we really skeptical? Yes, initially, but we were not doubtful of Obama's competence; we were doubtful of his chances based upon our system, and our individual and collective black experiences.

After identifying the hurdles to the White House, Obama's camp had their agenda, a mission, and a message. They were all set to execute a textbook course on repositioning Obama, and offer America's black men invaluable lessons that they could use to transform their lives and achieve greater success in their professional endeavors.

This brings us to lesson 1 in repositioning the black male: remove skepticism - primarily your own - and identify the hurdles to your success.

With Obama's campaign mantra of Change you can believe in, and Yes we can!, they created a strategy that would enable them to fuel hope and engender allegiance at a time when our nation is at war and in dire economic straits, while simultaneously instilling optimism into the psyches of African Americans, and the vast majority of Americans, in the process.

The strategy was brilliant, but not surprising when you consider that Obama wrote a book entitled The Audacity Of Hope, in which he wrote: "Hope is that thing inside of us that insists, despite evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it." The tears that flowed so copiously during his acceptance speech were tears of hope. He clearly understands that one can not have hope without optimism. He may want to entitle his next book The Benefits Of Optimism.

Lesson 2 in repositioning the black male: understand the mental and emotional state of the people you will serve in order to inspire optimism. Build a bridge from them to you (not the other way around).

Psychologist Martin Seligman, author of the book Learned Optimism, says that optimism has been defined by some researchers as simply seeing the silver lining and suggests that your explanation for why something happens has a major impact on how you will act in the future and what result your actions will bring about. This in turn has an eventual impact on your self-esteem and self-image. Optimists expect the best outcome, even during setbacks, and they're more motivated to bring it about.

This is the reason why a record number of blacks, youth, and first time voters shed their apathy and zealously headed to the polls in record numbers which accounted for 13 percent of the electorate.

The significance of optimism is not to be understated. Since studies show that black men live 7.1 years less than other racial groups, have higher death rates than women for all leading causes of death, and experience disproportionately higher death rates in all the leading causes of death, they'd be interested to know that increased optimism has health benefits. The May 2008 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch explores possible reasons for this connection.

Among the report findings: Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension, and people who display positive emotions had lower blood pressures. In one study, the most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic. That's welcomed news since 40% of black men die prematurely from cardiovascular disease as compared to 21% of white men.

The report concludes: These results argue persuasively that optimism is good for health. It is possible that optimists enjoy better health and longer lives because they lead healthier lifestyles, build stronger social support networks, and get better medical care. In addition, optimism itself may have biological benefits, such as lower levels of stress hormones and less inflammation.

Because I know that many black men are church-going folks, they are sure to revel in the fact that the Bible also contains scripture on optimism and its effects. (Matthew 8:25-27) Pessimism results from lack of faith. Pessimism is born of doubt; optimism is born of faith. The repositioned black male will have more faith in himself and will prove to be adept at garnering the faith of those who were once reluctant to give it. Being extraordinary will be the norm.

Cornell Belcher, a pollster who worked for Obama's campaign and studies racial voting patterns said to the press, "It would be difficult for an African-American to be elected president in this country; however, it is not difficult for an extraordinary individual who happens to be African-American to be elected president." Obama made mention of this in his acceptance speech when he said, "I was never the likeliest candidate for the office." But he ran anyway. And he ran unlike any other presidential candidate in history because he had to. Analysts say he ran a perfect campaign that was extraordinary in its execution.

Lesson 3 in repositioning the black male: understand that being qualified begins in your mind with your own self-image; the least likeliest candidate can still get the job. Also, you are no longer the least likeliest candidate.

Like Obama, you must make it your mission to get employers to become comfortable with you and the role in which you will play in their company by demonstrating your ability to handle the challenges within that role. If your values are aligned with theirs, all you have to do is effectively manage expectations and deliver - which is what the world is waiting for Obama to do next.

It was obvious from the outset that Obama was a proficient politician, but he got better during the election in the same manner that any talented and driven athlete gets better as their season progresses. He became superlative during the playoffs of politics, the election run, and was simply indomitable in each of his debates. He didn't just win the election, he restored faith in the integrity of the presidency while repositioning himself and showcasing solid character.

Lesson 4 in repositioning the black male: showcase solid character at all times.

Where does the process of building character begin? At the very beginning of your journey: at home with your parents and in college. It intensifies when you are pursuing the experience and skills necessary to successfully navigate through your career when entering the workforce. It doesn't matter where you want your vocational journey to take you because most people can't imagine where they are going to end-up; they just need to be prepared to succeed when they get there.

Chances are Obama didn't imagine being president when he was working with victims of housing and employment discrimination. That experience, along with teaching at the University of Chicago Law, and landing a spot in the senate clearly helped him acquire the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to navigate through the slippery slopes of the political process without getting tripped up - despite the disproportionate lack of experience he had in comparison to McCain.

Lesson 5 in repositioning the black male: lack of experience does not equate lack of opportunity unless you allow it to.

As previously stated, for many Americans character takes shape in college. For black men, college attendance - on the community college and university level - is dwindling. According to the spring 2006 Integrated Post secondary Education Data System survey (IPEDS), Black, non-Hispanic male students had the lowest three-year graduation rate - 16 percent - among all minority male community college students.

In an article published in 2007, Disappearing Acts: The Vanishing Black Male On Community College Campuses, Lorenzo I. Esters and Dr. David C. Mosby write: What is most alarming about the current state of the Black male on America's community college campuses is that those who are in positions of leadership have been slow to recognize the situation as a state of emergency and have been almost reluctant to own up to their responsibility to take corrective action. The accumulated research studies on the subject of Black male student retention may be a source for community colleges to gain some insight as to how they may appropriately respond to the epidemic.

Over the past 33 years, black women have enrolled in four-year colleges at higher rates than have black men, according to the results of a new study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. In 2004, black women comprised 59.3 percent of all first-time, full-time black students attending four year institutions, compared to 54.5 percent in 1971.

With this type of research and data, why haven't there been any special initiatives or greater outreach from colleges to address this issue? My research found a potential answer:

Black male enrollments are shockingly low at many colleges and universities, even those with good track records at attracting a diverse student body. While some demographers have noted this situation for years, many colleges have shied away from dealing with the issue head on, fearing that doing so could reinforce stereotypes, offend women, or draw conservative criticism.

Perhaps Obama will put this on his ever growing list of priorities. He's well aware of the problem and has referred to it on several occasions, the first in his Democratic National Convention speech when he stated: "Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents (and) that government can't turn off the television and make a child do his homework...that fathers must take more responsibility to provide love and guidance to their children."

Last year, at the NAACP forum on July 12, 2007, he was also quoted as saying: "We have more work to do when more young black men languish in prison than attend colleges and universities across America." That is incorrect. The media has perpetuated that myth by reporting the total number of incarcerated black males, in comparison to the the total number of college-age (18 - 25) black males. Accurate statistics reveal that since 2005 there are, in fact, more college age black males enrolled in colleges and universities than there are incarcerated in the same group.

Lesson 6 in repositioning the black male: increase and expand your education with the goal of becoming smarter. That includes, but is not limited to, enrolling in school. Education builds character and is a crucial tactic in our overall success strategy. Education shapes values, alters perspectives, and fosters altruism. Studies show that there is a direct link between increased education and decreased levels of crime and violence - even within the prison system.

Education is also the fountain from which the tactical resolutions to the previously stated problems and those which have plagued us for centuries will be spawned. The repositioned black male must encourage the next generation of black men to take interest in pursuits other than sports and entertainment at a younger age. We need to deepen our talent pool of future policy makers who can instigate and sustain change. A generation of young men, who like Obama, will be efficient at using tactics and strategies to get results.

That's the crux of President Obama's success. Success is within closer reach for the repositioned black male who comprehends that positioning is an art, a psychology, and a science. It's not just for the artful, the psychological, or the scientific; it's for determined visionaries who want better lives and a greater share of resources for their families, their communities, and themselves.

And while we have reached our most significant milestone as black men, we must now look ahead to the future and prepare for it in the present, the way Obama did when he contained his emotions, less than 30 minutes after being elected, and had the presence of mind during his shining moment, to take the opportunity to manage soaring expectations by remarking in his acceptance speech:

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there...there will be setbacks (see paragraph above on optimism and setbacks) and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree."

Final lesson in repositioning the black male: always see the big picture and your place within it.

Gian Fiero is a seasoned educator, speaker and consultant with a focus on business development and music/entertainment industry operations. His affiliations include the United States Small Business Administration (S.B.A.) as a business advisor, and San Francisco State University as an adjunct professor.