Important note: updates will appear below periodically while I navigate a tech and legal maze.
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Updated 4/7/2025:
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SALUTE
Links Found
Article Republished
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What Some Students Should Know about the Marketplace, Reuben Paul: Cyber Security Expert, and other posts have error messages in their views count and have been noted…site tech troubleshooting will be on hold until the laptop issue is resolved.
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The Secret Paintings of Clemintine Hunter
Originally published in 2014.
How A Test Prep Educator Got Free Publicity for His Company
Production Drama
Changing Your Work or Career after Injury or Illness
(Page revision)
33+Tips, Tricks & Resources for Copyright Beginners
Rissi Palmers’ County Music Path
2 Security Guards Falsely Accuse Child
Motivational Lessons from Child Entrepreneurs
Were Runaway Slaves Merely Taking Time off from Chores?
Prince: Beyond the Music: Entrepreneur, Activist, Humanitarian
Quick Computer Quiz: Tech-Savvy Tips for Biz Beginners
Black History in 2 Minutes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Changing Your Work or Career after Injury or Illness.
Some Entrepreneurial Career Changers Assess Skills Without Tests…
Kits Cubed …
How do you know if you have a good idea for a business?
SALUTE
A few months ago, I realized from a librarian’s blog that describing the late former President Jimmy Carter as a “peanut farmer from Georgia” was a gross distortion.
He was the only president to graduate from the Naval Academy; his niche was nuclear physics.
He had no plans whatsoever to become a farmer. However, he believed it was his duty to take over the family business to help his mother after his father died.
From saving Ottawa from nuclear meltdown in a story straight out of a James Bond movie, to four decades later arguing with the Secret Service about climbing the roof while volunteering with Habitat for Humanity…a phenomenal human being.
Sources
Jimmy Carter Confessional, Roger O. Green, Oct. 10, 2024. https://www.rogerogreen.com/2024/10/01/my-jimmy-carter-confessional/
YouTube, MSNBC, 6:37, 2024: The amazing story of how a young Jimmy Carter helped avert a nuclear disaster.
Newsweek.com/fact-check-jimmy-carter…
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-jimmy-carter-stop-nuclear-reactor-ottawa-canada-1660067
Amy Carter’s Nanny, December 31, 2024, Stephanie Kennedy,
Democratic Underground.com, https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219862827
YouTube, point 14: 28, Dave Chappelle Stand-Up Monologue 2025 – SNL
Chappelle recounts an incident overseas long ago involving the late president.
Links Found
*What do you do when you increase a major company’s sales department from millions in sales to billions in sales… and your bonus check is $10,000 and a trip to Mexico?
Seriously???
Find out how a successful Chicagoland family-owned company started without investors.
https://x.com/goodefoodsfam/status/1908519811467931845
* Warning: The video below of a viral 2022 airport fight may be disturbing for some, but it contains a crucial protection takeaway…and educates about biased media reporting.
For instance, a reminder why a cellphone video is not sufficient protection…and no rule prohibits media from partial video uploads of an assault incident on the internet …but there should be.
Disturbing incident on many levels.
In 2022, former NFL football player Brendan Langley had no way of knowing that using a wheelchair to carry his luggage in Newark Liberty International Airport would lead to an assault charge …and the loss of his contract signed months earlier with the Canadian Football League (CFL).
According to news reports, the fight started when an airport employee asked Langley for the wheelchair he had used to carry his luggage.
Early on, several media platforms had a field day with biased headlines including biased article content, and edited videos, which misled some to believe the athlete was the instigator and should rightly have been arrested.
A few headlines
Ex-NFL Player Brendan Langley Punches Out Airline Worker In Disturbing Video
Ex-NFL player claims United worker called him names, started fight at Newark Airport
“ …He works at the airport, and he assaulted me, I don’t care what you saw.” – Brendan Langley
One of the worst examples of biased reporting on the incident is as follows…
Huffpost and TMZ video
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brendan-langley-video-airport_n_628cafb9e4b0933e736a5c42#comments
Compare the video above with an incident video on X from the Facts Dude.
https://x.com/The_Facts_Dude/status/1906886422688076178Sources:
Months would pass with severe consequences for Langley before the following headlines…
Former NFL Player Brendan Langley Cleared in Airport Assault Case
Football Player Charges Dropped After Altercation With United Airlines Employee
Sources
Simple flying.com
https://simpleflying.com/charges-dropped-united-employee-football-player-flight/
LANGLEY v. UNITED AIRLINES INC. et al
https://dockets.justia.com/docket/new-jersey/njdce/2:2023cv20602/533274
Wondering…
There was one way the incident might have de-escalated because clearly airport staff were not so inclined… many people will not know the simple answer unless they study the X video … even so, many may miss the tactic.
Unfortunately, after a slap in the face, not using self-defense mode would have been impossible.
An illustrated answer will be part of a supplementary lesson update. The information will be included with group purchases of a loose-leaf binder edition of Racial Profiling in the Marketplace, 2025.
And no, the answer is not that Langley should have handed over the wheelchair…because without more details on that issue, it would be speculation…and is, regardless, irrelevant on this point.
*YouTube 4:14:
An entrepreneurial theme with an environmental mission…
Place the bold copy below in the browser for the video.
These Tam Fam Members Are Still Scarred from Our April Fools’ Day Prank
*LinkedIn-famous. beehive.com, David Olarinoye, March 2025
https://linkedin-famous.beehiiv.com/p/the-linkedin-career-fame-strategy
Medium.com.
Excerpt …full article behind paywall.
https://medium.com/swlh/i-hit-200k-impressions-on-linkedin-in-march-2025-here-is-how-0ed256c8d073
2 excellent articles above by author David Olarinoye on the importance of finding a niche…Information is adaptable for other platforms or in general.
*New MIT Sloan research suggests that AI is more likely to complement, not replace, human workers
Para. 4, 8 describe human talents that AI cannot perform, and note that O*NET content regarding tasks has changed due to AI.
MIT School of Management
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/press/new-mit-sloan-research-suggests-ai-more-likely-to-complement-not-replace-human-workers
O*net.org
https://www.onetonline.org/
*Laugh-out-loud product promotion humor.
https://x.com/HumansNoContext/status/1902721575058595944
The following GMA link can be classified as beyond cool, with many possibilities. For instance, what materials must be substituted in this DIY for people with sensitivities? It is a tremendous health and cost-saving tool.
*Meet the 12-year-old behind an innovative air filter
abcnews.go.com/GMA…Feb 21, 2025
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/meet-12-year-innovative-air-filter-119035334
indoorairqualityinitative.uconn.edu
https://indoorairquality.initiative.uconn.edu/build-your-own/
CBS News YouTube, 2022, 1:25 min.
Homemade air purifiers help protect against COVID-19
https://youtu.be/YI74VO1n1S0?si=3d_2BjQmy15F_r_- CBS NEWS
*When due diligence fails…one case
Inspired by the recent repeat broadcast of a PBS profile of the small business noted below.
“Students face uncertain future after Dallas barber school suddenly closes Blade Craft Barber Academy was founded in 2015 and shut its doors abruptly on Monday.” (July 16, 2024)
Unfortunately, the story above has many versions in other industries but it can be particularly stressful in the educational arena.
Some students were planning to use the training to open a business.
The barber school had an excellent local community and national reputation for many years. Anyone who Googled Barber School would find it at the top.
So, what does one do when due diligence in researching or fact-checking reveals positive information but information later proves faulty?
As this barber school case highlights: good business can go under without warning the public.
Always plan for failure in advance…it is an invaluable strategy.
If such and such happens, what do I do to correct the situation? This step is often overlooked or avoided because it is counterintuitive to positive thinking. And people dislike research. Big mistake. Huge.
- When you have a top service or product recommendation confirmed by your independent checking or firsthand experience… keep investigating to find information that may disprove what you think is true.
- Buying a major product or service with cash or a check means ze
ro protection.
In the case of the barber school, one might understand why a student paid 5 figures in cash to the established nonprofit, but…reread the paragraphs above.
Source
Dallas barber school’s claims after closing leaves students confused…
NBCFW.Com, July 16, 2024
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/students-face-uncertain-future-after-dallas-barber-school-suddenly-closes/3593886/#:~:text=Suddenly%2C%20the%20barber%20school’s%20sign,the%20school%20to%20suddenly%20close.
*A unique card game company called Hella Awkward appeared on Shark Tank recently… great name and product graphics…For ages 18 and up. Created during and because of the pandemic lockdown.
By Shark Tank | Facebook
Wondering…
What other popular phrase… past or present… would inspire the idea for a product or service startup? A fun simple question with potentially complicated answers.
*Money Matters… Matter
When Shelley Heisler decided to leave classroom teaching after a hearing loss diagnosis… and instead became a successful teacher entrepreneur.
An idea for one of her lesson plans came from an insightful comment by an offspring about the lack of real-world classroom training for students.
Heisler developed a student financial literacy unit for classroom and independent study use.
While some organizations and foundations, even library programs, educate teens and aspiring entrepreneurs, access or availability is limited to too many others; good independent study materials are a solution.
The Teaching Bank.com
https://www.theteachingbank.com/category/financial-literacy-for-teens/
Teens Want Financial Literacy Education, But Many Schools Don’t Offer It
ja.org/news
https://cuny.ja.org/news/blog/teens-want-financial-literacy-education-but-many-schools-don-t-offer-it
Schwabmoneywise.com/foundation
https://www.schwabmoneywise.com/
Financial Capability Month | San Francisco Public Library
*Rethinking the word disability…
If ever there was a case for removing the word from one’s vocabulary, it is the example of Drew Davis, founder of Crippling Company hot sauce.
A teen with cerebral palsy who, just a few years later, built a multi-million-dollar company with a mission to help others… and used humor, intellect, confidence, perseverance, and social media.
Sources
A Teen with Cerebral Palsy Pitched a Creative Product in School. He Got a B- Then Grew the Business to $5 Million a Year Anyway. Entrepreneur, Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas Mar 18, 2025.
The Crippling Company
https://thecripplingcompany.com/pages/about-us
Humor in unexpected niches
- UK consumer author and journalist Helen Dewdney has the longest-running consumer blog, according to Feed Spot. The blog is The Complaining Cow.
Dewdney develops educational materials that help UK consumers complain effectively and she consults with businesses that want to improve their customer service policy to boost their sales.
Dewdney began complaining shortly after birth, according to family reports.
2. Four women musicians apply humor, brilliance, and skill to a violin, cello, and piano symphony performance including, a snippet from the Mission Impossible theme song.
3. Here’s an ingenious way to save money on musical instruments for a group….
YouTube…Barcelona Guitar Trio & Dance – Billie Jean
(Homenaje a Paco de Lucía) New version…2:01 min
Funny from the start and point .54… four men, a guitar, and a clever percussion instrument.
Sources
2-3 …from Love Classical Music by Alex Tran on X.
Bluesky
The Complaining Cow
https://bsky.app/profile/thecomplainingcow.co.uk
Check out a recent post on how to Speak to a Human when using a Chatbot.
https://thecomplainingcow.co.uk/how-to-speak-to-a-human-when-using-a-chatbot/
Consumer product highlight… phone case with attitude
Redbubble.com…
https://www.redbubble.com/i/iphone-case/I-m-coming-for-you-The-Complaining-Cow-by-ComplainingCow/84128173.PGM2E
Salut Salon “Wettstreit zu viert” | “Competitive Foursome”
YouTube 3: 24 Min. 41 million views, 2014
*Rissi Palmer, #5 listed in 7 Famous People Challenged Racism in Creative Ways… is also skilled at diversifying her innate ability.
Consider: Children’s music
https://rissipalmermusic.com/children-s-music
Teaching artist
https://rissipalmermusic.com/teaching-artist
*Black country music landscape: DeFord Bailey
Ramblin’ with Roger, Roger O. Green, February 22, 2025.
Who is Deford Bailey? I did not know that: likely reactions of some who read this informative piece on music history.
https://www.rogerogreen.com/2025/02/22/black-country-music-landscape/
*Unique library fights book bans
CBS news.com
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/video/first-of-its-kind-free-bookstore-in-miami/
*Memorable quote heard on The View…
Celebrity chef and cookbook author, Bobby Flay, explained how he struggled in school with a learning disability before testing was the norm…he could not open an English textbook and understand anything.
Flay dropped out of school at age 16 and went to work in a restaurant… not because he knew he wanted to cook… but because he needed a job…
“As soon as I started working with my hands …my whole life lit up.” – Chef Bobby Flay, author of 18 cookbooks.
One takeaway: the term “learning disability” should be re-examined. YouTube…36:49 min…point 33:33
The View Full Broadcast – November 27, 2024
*Animal Kingdom inspiration…”Little Louie”
The hilarious viral one-minute video below might inspire someone interested in health, animals, and medicine to ask the following questions…for starters…
1 What the heck is in that dropper? Castor oil and liver extract, perhaps
2. What is the marketplace like regarding effective all-natural medicine for pups…?
3. Could I create a better product in my kitchen?
Sources
X.com
https://x.com/dog_rates/status/1826723741449048412
*Repackaging Skills Effectively …
Msn.com
Dog deemed ‘too friendly’ for police work finds his calling | Watch (msn.com)
Social Justice, Arts, and Innovation…
*A recent segment on 60 Minutes featured a cool and revealing story about Lowriders with many underlying themes: an inside look at adults and teens who create “art in motion” in the form of autos from a bygone era…and bikes.
Lowriders shine after perceptions of cars and drivers shift…
CBSnews.com
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lowriders-shine-after-perceptions-of-cars-and-drivers-shift-60-minutes-transcript/
* Sing Sing
What do you do if you are convicted and imprisoned for a crime you did not commit? The film Sing Sing underscores the answer: you start a theatre group behind the walls to hold on to hope and improve your life.
Sing Sing…The story of the Rehabilitation in Arts program is about one of the theatre group founders and the inmates who continue to transform their lives through theatre, writing, dance, visual arts, and other creative means while behind bars.
Released this year, the film has an unusual business model...everyone in the movie receives the same salary, and everyone from the production staff to the star shares in the profits… 95 percent of the cast is formerly incarcerated and went through the RTA program.
Did You Know...
Less than 3 percent of inmates re-offend after release from prison when they go through the Rehabilitation Arts program, but more than 60 percent who have not participated in the arts program return to prison within three years
YouTube…Point 6:04
Colman Domingo Talks New Series And Co-Chairing The Upcoming Met Gala | The View
rta-arts.org
https://rta-arts.org/our-programs/
*SPEECHLESS …
Just discovered a late 70s talk show interview with the late singer Minnie Riperton. She recounts an unforgettable experience in a Hollywood bank…
There are multiple takeaways but most important … she kept her humor.
5:02 min, point 3:38.
https://youtu.be/-YcrXS3s6yA?si=FxhSQh0UffqP3H0U
Note: paste the all-caps line below in your browser for an amazing live rendition on YouTube of her most famous hit…
FIRST TIME REACTING TO | “LOVIN’ YOU” MINNIE RIPERTON
*Puzzle Huddle
https://puzzlehuddle.com/pages/about-puzzle-huddle
*When a new dad can’t find diverse toys and puzzles …inspiration and adventures with a new home-based business follow… 6:39 min …
Note: paste the line below in your browser for YouTube
Creating Diversity-Focused Puzzles – Matthew Goins – WDS 2019
In the case of the video below, (8:31 min), the giveaway… a wonderful idea… but I suspect Matthew Goins may not have been promptly approached by store personnel to stop the giveaways (promoting in their space) because of staffing issues in light of the pandemic at the time…
Note: paste the line below in your browser for YouTube
Puzzle Huddle, Gearing For The Holidays Episode 3! Oprah’s Favorite Things!
*A necessary skill set for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages…
In Finland, classes in recognizing fake news, disinformation for young students
CBS.COM, Sunday Morning, October 2024
https://youtu.be/NNco4dayC1M?si=M6z72-ulihCDckl8ry
*Why being informed about new laws and customs
when visiting a foreign country, is so important…
Jailed for writing a negative online review
BBC.com
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd0ggyvd86o
*California County hands out
the first permit for a home-based micro restaurant
CBS.com. July 23, 2024
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/contra-costa-county-hands-out-its-first-permit-for-home-based-micro-restaurants/
ARTICLE REPUBLISHED
The recent news report confirming how a 14-year-old died of lethal monoxide poisoning leads me to republish here this consumer warning, originally posted on Medium two years ago.
I lead with excerpts of comments from writers underscoring that many are unaware of the travel hazard.
Unlawful Business Decision at Luxury Resort Led to Tragedy
Avoiding such a situation… 4 min.
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
“This story is …nuts! …Ugh! Informative piece.” – Joel A. Johnson
“...utterly shocking. …Thanks for writing this story.” – Zuri Stevens
Two hotel guests, John Heathco and Abby Lutz, were found deceased in their luxury suite during a vacation in Mexico recently.
It was not an accident.
A senseless tragedy with a few important takeaways that could save one’s life, whether or not a sensitive immune system is involved.
This is not the first time that loss of life or mystery illness has killed or incapacitated guests, even entire families on vacation.
Mexico is not the only destination where tragedies like this have occurred; for instance, the US and the Caribbean.
It always starts the same way: guests have been stricken or have died, and authorities are trying to figure out what happened.
In one case several years ago, it was determined that exposure to highly toxic pesticides sprayed in upscale bungalows caused an entire family to be stricken with illness. A family of four did not survive a vacation rental condominium water heater found to be leaking gas. (GMA)
As the details of this present case were presented on national news, images of the first responders to the hotel room appeared.
I could only bury my face in my hands in disbelief at the surgical masks the firefighters wore for protection.
So small wonder the brother and sister responder team both collapsed shortly after entering the room and had to be hospitalized.
Guests and employees had reported to management an odor of gas leaks for months prior. However, management merely shut off the audio portion of the carbon monoxide detectors because of noise complaints… and left gas leaking throughout the hotel. (L.A. Times)
Heathco and Lutz, who had complaints of feeling ill and thought it might be food poisoning, went to the hospital for an overnight stay, according to news reports.
They felt better the next day, but then unwittingly returned to the source of the problem…their hotel suite.
Some forms of gas are odorless, and some people may not realize they have an impaired sense of smell.
Earlier complaints from staff and guests were ignored, resulting in loss of life, liability, and damage to the corporate brand. But how much would it cost to close the building and repair the problem before the deaths?
What defense could hotel management claim… other than abject criminal stupidity…. and depraved indifference to human life?
Upscale, luxury, and safety are not guaranteed. The belief that pricey always means the best is a costly assumption.
Reading online reviews is only one step in the process of choosing a location before arriving at a destination.
If a travel agent booked the couple into that resort, I suspect the agent’s career is over. Or was this an online, AI-generated travel reservation?
Getting accurate boots-on-the-ground feedback about the property before arrival from a reliable source who has no affiliation is important.
Consider travelers with sensitive immune systems, who take extra precautions that most travelers would not put on a travel checklist.
For instance, many people would not consider asking what kind of heating system a hotel uses. Not all hotels heat their property in the same way. So, the answer may cause some to book elsewhere.
Buying, evaluating, and packing a top-of-the-line carbon monoxide unit is necessary, especially considering this case and others.
And so is packing a supply of top-grade N95 masks for any emergency.
This tragic story is outrageous because hotel renovations were botched, and someone’s job was on the line, so management thought ignoring the situation would be a solution???
Thank you for reading.
Sources
A surprising fact about film producer John Waters has been added to the end of the list below.
Mexican resort where 2 Californians died ignored gas leak problems, employees say
Two Americans found…at a Mexico resort … as
Workers at the luxury hotel where John Heathco and Abby Lutz died report that managers had disabled carbon monoxide alarms
According to authorities on Tuesday, paramedics found Abby Lutz and John Heathco…in their hotel room in Baja.
Los Angeles Times – 06/17/2023
newspaper.latimes.com
N.C. Hotel…Update: Carbon monoxide leak responsible …traced to pool heater…
Officials say carbon monoxide leak … who slept in the same room two…
Filmmaker John Waters’ grandfather, age 35, at some point in the 1950s, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a hotel room.
Source: Finding Your Roots, PBS.
END
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