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There is a disastrous state of leadership in our national government. Our political system has devolved to a state of territorial agenda, short-sighted positioning and religious manipulation. Kind of like what one would expect in a new government such as Iraq. But not here!

Let's see here: a disastrous military engagement, global terrorism, global warming, a chaotic immigration system, corruption, out-of-control health care costs, irresponsible deficits, and an energy policy that ensures our addiction to foreign oil for decades.

In the midst of these urgent challenges, our elected leaders selfishly busy themselves with partisan politics and maneuvering to ensure control of one party over the other, all the while sabotaging each others efforts to deal intelligently with these serious issues. This isn't about Democrats or Republicans. This is about charlatans of all persuasions.

The biggest impediment to leadership in our government is that America doesn't elect "leaders". We elect "managers". We put people in power who are well-suited for popular elections, but don't have a clue what it means to "lead". They know what it means to "get promoted" and "keep their jobs". Ugh!

Think about it. A manager is primarily responsible to his "boss", and, ideally to the organization. He's "interested in" the customer's needs, but mainly because responding to those needs in a cost-effective way promotes the success of the company. And make no mistake about it, to a manager the life and health of the organization is everything. Yes, some managers do grow disillusioned with the organization, and leave it. But those who stay have a vested interest in the organization, MUCH more so than they have to the customers or any particular "customer service" policy.

Isn't that what we're seeing in Washington? Our elected Representatives tow the "party" line, they do what their "bosses" tell them to do, or else they won't get that bonus (aka "earmark") or promotion (committee assignments!). If they want to keep their jobs, they do what the organization (aka, "their party") wants them to do. They help each other out and they always try to stay in front of the competition. Like the manager, our elected officials are first and foremost committed to keeping their jobs and getting promoted. And I don't care what bill of goods someone may be trying to sell, the point of view from the "keep my job" reality is COMPLETELY different than the point of view from the "do what's best for the customers" reality.

One of the fundamental elements of human nature is that we will always focus our attention, both consciously and subconsciously, on whatever we are measuring. That which we measure, therefore, determines what actions we will take and the quality of those actions. If achieving the measured result is important enough to us, or if we can rationalize it enough, we are extremely tolerant of the unintended consequences of those actions, even if we would NEVER choose to produce those results.

Map all of this on to the black comedy unfolding in our nation's capital and it appears that we have elected an army of well-meaning people who has a value system based on self-promotion, survival and keeping the boss happy.

Well, that value system may be fine if you're hiring a summer manager for your ice cream store at the beach, or even if you want a loyal partisan to manage your car plant in Iowa. But it totally sucks for hiring someone who is going to have to deal with complicated political, economic and environmental challenges that plunge entire regions of the world into death and chaos.

We need to stop putting managers in positions that demand leaders. We need people of courage and vision, and we need to reward them for being willing to upset the status quo, rather than punishing them as soon as they say or do something that ticks off our little corner of the neighborhood.

Leadership is about finding a way to cause excellence and greatness. Nobody said that is an easy task. So what? Stop making excuses! I don't give a flying hoot if you, Mr. Congressman, or Mr. Senator or Mr. PRESIDENT, have to sacrifice everything you've got. I don't care how hard it is, or how much ridicule and abuse you have to endure. I don't care if you are frowned upon by your "bosses" or if you miss out on the juicy bonuses. You asked for the opportunity to lead, so LEAD!

Fred Tutwiler has worked with companies, individuals and athletic teams, including the 17 time NCAA Champion UNC Women's Soccer Team and the WUSA League Champion Carolina Courage. Fred, The Reality Coach, challenges non-productive views of reality. He is the author of Your MEGAgiNormous Rules: The invisible rules you live by, why they keep you stuck, and what you can do about it. Download Fred's F.REE e-book "Why DO We KEEP Doing The Same Thing Over And Over Even When We DON'T LIKE the Result We Get?" at http://www.megaginormousrules.com..

Oh yeah, here come those wonderful flying pigs!

Where does it ever end? I've been involved with Internet-based home businesses for several years and I continue to be exposed to a seemingly endless barrage of offers (all costing me money, of course) claiming to be "the secret" for making a fantastic income, in a very short time, and with very little effort involved.

I must admit that I may have a slightly self-serving reason for addressing this topic. My articles are published on my home-based business websites for the purpose of trying to give prospective team members a true sense of what is really involved with starting and developing a successful home based business.

The self-serving part, I suppose, is that I want people joining my team to have the straight scoop going in so that we don't waste each other's time. I admit to being selfish in this regard (I don't want to waste time working with people that have unrealistic expectations), but it is also very efficient for both parties involved, so it is not a totally one-way thing.

Now, back to the topic at hand. There's no magic here, folks.

Once you have selected the home business that you are going to pursue, there are no substitutes for time and effort in developing your business. A dream of being an "overnight success" is just that, a dream.

I can tell you from personal experience, that once you "pay your dues" and begin to have real success with a home based business, it is really terrific. Think about Nirvana or Valhalla, take your pick, but in any event it's really sweet.

When I started developing a home based business, making a good income was obviously an objective, but I also had other sub-objectives. One of the most important things was to have nearly total time flexibility (I mean, if I was willing to continue to wear the 9-5 Mon-Fri collar I could just have just stayed in the previously "traditional" work force).

Time flexibility was (and still is) a "biggie" for me. Many people working at home have the same need for various reasons.

For work at home moms, a home business can be a real godsend to accommodate the hectic time pressures, particularly when the kids are quite young and mom is also spelled "transportation".

In my own particular case, the reason is not quite so noble...I just want (need?) to be able to pick up my fly rod and go fishing at a moments notice (sometimes I'll be gone for a week or two at a time, but now the business has enough momentum that it keeps on operating just as well as if I were here tending to it on a daily basis).

Bear in mind, I am only able do the breakaway thing now that I have put in all the up-front time and effort and now have developed enough kinetic energy in my home-based Internet business to be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business.

Theres a good reason Tanya Streeter holds multiple world records for free diving. Its all in the training. Here are a few tips from Streeters own training regimen:

First, expect to stick with this plan for 14 weeks. Its rigorous but well worth the time spent and you could very well find yourself improving on your time and stamina in No Limits, Constant Weight or Static and Dynamic Apnea events.

Bear in mind that in each phase of training youll work out for six days and rest on the seventh!

Part I Strength Building

During Week 1 youll alternate days between 1 hour of cardio and 1 hour of weight lifting. The cardio training should consist of at least 45 minutes of your heart rate between 65%-85% of maximum. When weight training, lift between 60%-75% of your ability. The first and last thing to do each day is stretching and be sure to stretch the muscles youll work on that day.

For weeks 3-6, youll alternate between cardio and the treadmill or elliptical machine. Do 2 hours of cardio using interval training on Day 1 of that week, peaking your heart rate at 65%-92%. Follow that with 1 hour of cardio endurance with your heart rate between 75-85%.

Day 3 should consist of 2 hours of intensification training at around 80% heart rate with high intensity and followed by 1 hour of cardio endurance. Start Day 5 with 2 hours of endurance training with your heart rate between 75%-85%. Dont forget to stretch before and after.

On Days 2, 4, and 6, start with a 30-minute warm up on the treadmill or elliptical machine then lift 70-85% of your ability on weight training.

Part II Conditioning

On weeks 7-10, youll alternate each day between a 2 hour pool session and 2 hours of apnea weight training following some light stretching.

On day when you do your apnea training youll want to start with a minute of breath-up preparation lifting 30% of your ability. Do as many repetitions as you can handle in apnea, then perform 1 hour of endurance training at a heart rate of 75%-85%.

Pool sessions should consist of underwater laps. Vary your exercises to include restricted breathe-up preparation with increasing underwater distance, decreasing breath-up preparation utilizing the same underwater distance, and limited breathing during an extended swim involving hypoxia endurance training. Dont forget to stretch before and after and include a warm down swim before your final stretching.

If you can fit it in and it doesnt overtire you then include some static apnea training as well.

Part III Diving

Over the next four weeks youll want to do some actual diving. Remember, though, every time you dive you should take a buddy to keep an eye on safety precautions. Each time you dive increase your depth a little more, but dont overexert yourself. The goal is to improve your free diving skills, not to kill yourself.

Plan some rest days in your regimen. They should fall every 2-4 days. On those days you can maintain your strength and cardiovascular skills by reverting back to the workouts in Parts I and II of this plan. You want to be sure not to tire key muscles.

Also, when training for free dive competitions you want to pay special attention to your diet and sleep habits. Eat right and get plenty of sleep. Above all, be safe and stretch, stretch, stretch those key muscle groups!

Rick Abbott is an avid diver, part time author, and consultant in the IT field. For more dive articles and tips, go to http://www.divervillage.com. If you are a writer and like writing articles about diving, submit your articles to http://www.divervillage.com where divers can read them online. Also, visits Ricks diving blog at http://divervillage.blogspot.com.

You've got it! That beautiful stallion or mare that is the perfect example of everything a horse of its breed should be. It's got great conformation, a perfect temperament, and has performed well in its chosen discipline. You know this horse could benefit its breed by passing on its progeny.

You've made the decision to breed your horse.

So, now what? Do you follow the old adage and "breed the best to the best and hope for the best?"

Well, while that advice is actually tried-and-true, and certainly not the worst advice in the world, you are going to have to take a few extra steps to make sure the resulting foal is everything you hope it will be. Because the foal will be a blend of both the sire's and the dam's genetics, there are a few things to consider when choosing a good mate for your horse.

* Consider the goal of breeding your horse. In other words, what kind of horse are you breeding for? Do you want to produce a horse for dressage, hunting, cutting, reining, endurance, driving, or one of the other many disciplines? Knowing what kind of horse you want to produce will help you narrow the field as you consider mates for your horse.

* Look at your horse's conformation. No horse is perfect! Take a good look at your horse, and make notes about his good points, as well as what needs improving. Now do the same to the mates you are considering. Eliminate any horse who have weak points in common with your horse, and lean toward those who correct your horse where he is weak.

* Consider the temperament of potential mates. A horse who is easy to work with is just as valuable as a horse with perfect conformation. Because disposition may be genetic, be sure to evaluate the mate's personality. What kind of temperament are you looking for in the foal? Is the mate nervous or confident? Timid or bold? Calm or jumpy?

* Look at prior progeny. If the mate has other offspring, take a good look at them. Did the mate pass along its good traits to its progeny? Did any congenital defects crop up? You can investigate ancestry even further by contacting breeders with the same line. Did the dam, sire, and siblings of the mate you are considering produce successful individuals?

* Investigate the health of the mate. Is the mare or stallion in good health? Look for the normal things, like bright eyes, a shiny coat, and an alert expression. If the animal is under or overweight consider carefully, especially if it is a mare. Mares who are not in good body weight can sometimes have difficulty getting in foal. Make sure the horse is sound and moves correctly. Be wary of horses with injuries, as certain weaknesses can be passed to offspring. You should also make sure the horse has received good veterinary care, including regular deworming and current vaccinations.

* Do a breeding exam. A mare should always undergo a breeding exam before you commit. Maiden mares will need rectal and vaginal exams, while proven mares may need more extensive examinations.

* When you think you've decided, think again! That's right. Before you sign any papers or contracts, make sure you know what breeding entails, including the costs involved. And always, always make sure you have a valid reason for breeding your horse. It is not something to be done lightly! In the end, if you've determined that your horse can contribute the betterment of the breed, you well understand what financial and health risks you'll be up against, and you've found a good mate, go for it!

Ron Petracek is the founder of Equine Internets vast 15 site classified and social network. You can view its amazing size here Http://www.equineinternet.com/network.php or to further your equine habit please visit our forum by clicking here http://www.horsechitchat.com/equineforums and start posting Need to sell a horse or tack? place a free ad here http://www.click4equine.com and always the barn door in left open on purpose.

In the United States there are many surnames of great prominence: Washington, Jefferson of the revolutionary days, Lincoln & Grant of the 1800s, and Roosevelt & Kennedy in the 1900s. One great surname that has always been present behind the scenes is the surname of Lathrop.

Approximately 95% of the people in the U.S. that have the surname Lathrop are descended from John Lathrop. He himself spelled his name Lothropp. It is estimated that 70% of his descendants use the derivation of Lathrop, while the other 30% use Lothrop. Surname spelling changes were common before the middle part of the 19th century - for example the German surname Maier being changed to Myer, Meyer, and the plurals thereof. Another example is the Von Bran surname changing to Brown. Because of this surname change many people can be related to John Lathrop without realizing it.

One interesting thing about John Lathrop is that many leaders & innovators are descended from him:

Marjorie Meriwether Post, Founder of General Foods

Benjamin M. Spock, Physician, Educator

Sir Robert Laird Borden, Prime Minister of Canada

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd US President

Willard Mitt Romney, current Governor of Massachusetts

Eli Whitney, Inventor of Cotton Gin

Ulysses Simpson Grant, 18th US President

George W. Romney, Governor of Michigan

George Herbert Walker Bush, US President

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Poet

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Supreme Court Justice

Terrel H. Bell, US Secretary of Education

Joseph Smith - Founder of the LDS Religion

Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York

Allen Welsh Dulles, Director of CIA

John Lathrop was born in the late 14th century in Yorkshire England. He received a masters from Queens College, Cambridge in 1609. After receiving his masters he was placed in charge of a region of the Church of England. During this period of John Lathrop’s ministry King James I was the monarch of England. The king was sick of the influence of the puritans and instead preferred more sanctimonious, ornate rituals. John Lathrop tolerated these rituals for as long as possible until 1623 he left the Church of England and became a minister for an independent church.

Leaving the Church of England was not only seen as a great offense, it was also illegal. Soon John Lathrop’s entire congregation was arrested for practicing another religion, including his wife and children. Soon most of the congregation was allowed to leave prison, with the exception of John Lathrop, who remained under lock & key until 1634. Even then he was only allowed to leave after promising to depart from England for the American colonies.

The congregation of John Lathrop sailed with him to the new world. 6 of his children also went with him. Unfortunately his wife, Hanna Howse, had passed away while he was in prison.

John Lathrop and his congregation took residence near the area of Plymouth. Having strict religious notions, he would not even partake of communion with the Puritans.

Because of the strong religious situation in the American colonies at the time, John Lathrop and his followers were soon given land near the modern area of Barnstable, Massachusetts. While there John Lathrop raised more descendants with his second wife Ann. All of John’s children founded families of great importance in shaping America’s future.

400 years later there is a good chance that many modern people on the American Continent are related to John Lathrop. If his children each just had 4 children, and those children had 4 children down to modern times, there would be over a million people descended from the Lathrop family today. So it is entirely possible that you are as well.

Christian Farmer is a web content specialist at 10x Marketing, and as such has performed research on a wide variety of topics. For more information on John Lathrop, the Lathrop Surname, or other famous immigrant families, visit http://www.pricegen.com.