The future has never been clearer. If societies continue on the current path set by major political leaders, financial powers, multinational interests and military forces, we can forecast with full confidence that tomorrow will bring more sorrow than joy, more hardship than prosperity, more war than peace, more physical and mental illness than strong bodies and sound minds. Current events...
Trendpost
The global financial crisis lingers. Moving forward under the current systems and structures ensures that general economic conditions will continue to deteriorate, the gap between rich and poor will widen, and the populism and class warfare trends we’ve forecast will accelerate. In 2014, a collective consciousness will firmly take root across the globe, one that fully recognizes the power structure...
Hard lessons in taking a stand, making lasting change
As the year ended, anti-Apartheid legend Nelson Mandela passed on. In rejoicing over the freedom of his people, Mandela once said: “The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the...
Altruism finds its heart on the Internet
Every morning, without fail, my wife turns her attention to the greater good while she sips her first cup of tea. She steers her browser to a website (greatergood.com) where, with a click of the mouse, she can donate a few cents to ameliorate world hunger, fund autism treatment and research, and support the work of animal shelters. This simple...
Trendpost
Altruism will find an even broader and more comfortable home in the digital world in 2014, which will fuel giving and meaningful, focused acts of charity across the globe. Here are some sites that will be leading the charge: GoFundMe.com creates crowdfunding sites for individuals, groups and organizations to raise money for medical issues, education costs and other personal needs....
Your medical data is a hot commodity
There’s a hot new commodity on the market: individuals’ medical records, available literally for pocket change. It’s not only legal, but it’s a thriving industry. In fact, McKinsey & Co. forecasts that the trade in medical data will be a $10-billion annual industry by 2020, driven largely by health agencies’ conversion to electronic medical records to save the cost, time...
Obamacare: How secure is your medical information?
The millions of new users flocking to state and federal health exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act “could mean bigger data breaches with bigger lawsuits, fines and financial losses,” worries Experian, a giant in the data privacy business. Could, yes — but how great is the risk? Fears were worsened last November when a Congressional hearing revealed that an...
How can you protect your medical privacy?
The Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act of 2003 – HIPAA – offers basic, but not complete, protection of your medical records. Take these extra steps to ensure you’re shielding your medical records from thieves and peepers. Under HIPAA, your health care provider can share your medical records. Give your provider a written statement that revokes permission to share your...
The haves and have-nots: Trouble in Slavelandia
Welcome to the world of Income Inequality. Today the phrase seems to be on everyone’s lips — Democrats, Republicans, conservatives and radicals, millionaires, billionaires, the broadcast talking heads — and all over your browser and Twitter feed. President Obama has proclaimed Income Inequality “the defining challenge of our time,” and made it clear that Democrats will use it as a political...
Trendpost
While there may be “growing populism” among voters in the U.S., compared to Europe, India, Thailand and other nations where it is surging, populism is not a significant trend. Whenever the seeds of an uprising have taken root in the U.S., the public face of protest has been quickly and skillfully controlled by law enforcement. Look no further than the...