Monday, November 19, 2007

What Can I Do?

Getting the gist that everything starts with a broad open-ended question/header. If you aren't keep reading and it will eventually settle into your mind.


First of all, what can YOU do needs to be determined by you. Make the following lists.

  • 5 things I want to accomplish tomorrow

  • 5 things I want to accomplish in the next month

  • 5 things I want to accomplish in the next year

  • 5 things I want the closest person to me to accomplish in the next year

  • 5 things I want my community to accomplish in the next year

  • 5 things I want the global community to accomplish in the next year

Bear in mind that in order to properly create the lists above, you need to define certain things; who am I?, what constitutes accomplishment, what constitutes my community, what constitutes the global community, wait...back up a minute, first and foremost, define community. These are challenges and could contribute to the list of things to accomplish tomorrow. Set your goals so that you can succeed, but only with measure of its contributions and inspiration to move forward.

In the next post, I will put my lists up for you to lambaste or praise as you deem appropriate.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

What can I see and hear?

What a broad header, huh?

There are the obvious things that come into my sight lines and into my hearing range, but out of all of those things...how many do I actually "see" and "hear"? Not just from the mere function of the sense itself, but with respect to all of whatever is sensed's grandeur and all of its potential. We all too often look at the world as it is, or as it seems to be, but we limit ourselves by not seeing through the layers and seeking out the possibilities and opportunities that ALL of our senses provide us.

I am, even in my thirties, fascinated by almost everything. It is this fascination that drives my passion to change. How can something so intricate and necessary be taken for granted so readily. Just who do we think we are...from the way we treat other people, treat ourselves, our environment and even our future...we emanate apathy and careless destruction in so many ways. We support things that we know aren't positive simply because it saves us a few cents or is a little more convenient. Such disregard of all for the sake of self is denial of our design and the requirement our species has to coexist. We won't acknowledge we need anything, i.e. "I don't care." "It doesn't affect me." "One time doesn't make a difference." I could go on for days without fail of coming up with at least 5 apathetic examples of our lack of desire to do more than we think we have to.

For all the lack of thinking we seem to do on a daily basis, we sure manage to invest a lot of time figuring out how not to think or not to do anything. What a waste of energy, because though kinetics may be the energy of motion...all things are constantly in motion. Even if you stop breathing and hold still, everything inside you is still moving, the earth is still moving, the target is ever moving as well...let us persue it with vehemence.

eth·ics
–plural noun
1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
4. (usually used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME ethic + -s3, modeled on Gk tà éthiká, neut. pl.]

Now that is heavy, but I will get into ethics a lot so setting a general understanding is important as I introduce you to the things that will change the foundation and eventually the overall structure of your day to day lives. I could lead into the fact that to understand the above, you need to understand morality, values and principles, but these terms are subjective in and of themselves as is the term ethics. So easily interpreted to suit any side of any argument, this must be a point of definition and goes along with the further efforts I will make to speak to the "Greater Good".

Now, tell me what you think ethics are in any respect. Gimme your best shot!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Let's Get Serious

Before I set off into sections of the book as posts, I am going to outline for you how I expect the flow to go (table of contents if you will), but in this online environment, I plan to mix it up a bit to maintain interest and continue to generate an almost subliminal desire to change.

  • What can I see and hear?
  • What can I do?
  • Community (Greater Good)
  • Apathy towards Intelligence
  • Staying Trendy or Staying True
  • Fast Forward Focus
  • No Fear and No Tolerance
  • Corporate Rights and Wrongs
  • Political Rights and Wrongs
  • Effecting Change
  • Exemplum Docet

I will title them all with the chapter name then a one word descriptor of the segment. This way if you ever need to search for an entire chapter. It will be readily indexed for you to do so. I also intend to put some open ended questions out there and wish to solicit your feedback on such things. I need to inspire you, not terrify you, so your input is invaluable in the success of my efforts.

Also, if you ever have subjects you want me to research, critically and ethically analyze and present to the forum, just send it to me and I will let you know its viability and a timeline for me to do it for you (free, of course).

To all who have already read and contributed comments, I thank you and I look forward to a future with each of you involved and measuring your change over time.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Dissertation on a Testosterone Based Life Form

Well now, once again we are venturing into the psyche of a Superhero known as Mister Man, Daddy G., Book God, Jediwannabe, and Magical Mentor. Let's break down each character and their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Mister Man is the epitome of all that is stereotypically male. His superpower is the ability to do as little as possible and yet seem like he has done so much. This is an amazing feat because it manages to recharge and happen again and again at will. There is a never-ending supply of "honey-do" evasive techniques at his disposal. In complement to this technique, Mister Man comes with "delusions of grandeur" especially when it comes to the opposite sex. This natural delusion forces him to wonder just what services he could provide every estrogen based life form that comes into range. The depth of this "delusion" is infinite and stories of these services are shared frequently with other Testosterone Teammates. Finally, Mister Man is gifted with "Malady of Measure", this is the one shared trait of all Mister Mankind where somehow their perception of size doesn't quite mesh with standards of measure. The greatest weakness of Mister Man is his need to be desired and admired almost incessantly. Just a simple word or glance can distract him from any of his gifts/superpowers. He handles Moody Mom and Whiny Wife on a daily basis and frequently uses his "Selective Hearing" to ensure he is unscathed by their wrath.

Daddy G. has the best superpowers of all. The "Confidence Instiller" is utilized to ensure the future Mister Men are equipped to handle all the mental stresses of the future. "Requisite Repertoire" ensures the future Daddies are provided with testosterone appropriate reading materials, toys and clothing (usually not coordinating) when the time is right. Daddy G. frequently possesses "Childlike Display" where he emulates the children's jealousy of Mommy time. The "Form meets Function" is a male-only trained technique that makes bodily functions almost competitive. Also, it is well known that proper execution of this technique can cause "Emotional Exit" and "Harrumph Hostility" to happen in estrogen based life forms. This is a frequently used technique and underrated as well. Daddy G.'s weakness is his need to live out his own dreams through his children and the requirement to hide any disappointments where applicable so as not to deter the "Confidence Instiller".

Book God reads all that is science fiction, super heroic, fitness oriented or contains pictures of scantily clad women. Book God runs in a constant state of mental sponge, trying to soak up more and more information in hopes of defining why, how or even can I?. Book God contributes to all the other superpowers in that it can provide psychological stimulation, emotional outlet and even income. His useless trivia recollection technique is amazingly useful for social encounters and developing rapport.

Jediwannabe is the storage of all that is dreamed. A power over one's own world, an all-inclusive club of philosophical fortitude and the ability to evoke change in a positive manner. The key to this is the fact that they really have to do very little to accomplish such a great deal creates a perfect symbiosis with Mister Man. A necessary bit of fantastic faith that there could be such a thing is what keeps this character centered.

Magical Mentor enables testosterone based life forms to find magic in something and actually integrate it into their lives, both professional and personal. One thing that they feel absolute passion and conviction for and that they sacrifice in other areas to preserve. These range from family traditions, nicknames, make-believe, and a commitment to a philosophy of fun. Whereas estrogen will tend to take on burden and have the need occasionally to download, Magical Mentor downloads everyday and eliminates burden by perpetuating magic. If only we could infiltrate this power into EVERY Testosterone Teammate. Passion is contagious and if properly motivated...oh the changes in the world we could make.

All of the above characters are at risk of political emasculation due to our current need to make everything equal. Let's summarize here...things are NOT equal, are NOT MEANT to be equal and if everything ever IS "equal", how sad that we will have set into motion our own annihilation.The natural design of Estrogen based life forms to complement and support Testosterone based life forms is necessary to provide emotional balance and to ensure the future of the human race. Let us not forget "form and function", "cause and effect" and "all things in moderation".

Note: This dissertation was written by the super heroine previously documented, so any similarities to other individuals was graciously accepted in good humor (I hope.).

Next post: Let's Get Serious!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Do what YOU CAN do...

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. - Albert Einstein


This quote just speaks volumes as to my opinion on society and general apathy towards how things reflect poor judgement. Thoughtlessly submit, well that is just apathy at its worst, concession of your faculties and intellectual being for the sake of acceptance. Not certain that I, personally, would find that acceptance worthy of sacrificing the possibilities. Yet, this is where I would say the vast majority find themselves today.

I challenge everyone to say no to status quo and not just in your daily adventures, but in your lifetime pursuits. If you have children, then I challenge you to set the changes the future needs into action with their upbringing. There are injustices out there that have to be corrected, but we cannot correct them by furthering that same injustice. We must stand up, plan, think and execute processes that will balance this mixed up perception we have of what life is. They say the concept of sharing isn't truly understood until at least 4 years of age. Well what is everyone over 4 years of age excuse?

This isn't about money, this isn't about time, this isn't about race, gender or age. This is about change and long overdue change. This is about stepping up to the plate and doing what YOU CAN do. Not asking more of yourself than is reasonable so you will inevitably become disenchanted. This is about setting realistic goals and intending to keep them (not a New Year's Resolution that is basically rhetorical). This is the rocking motion that lulls a child into peaceful slumber, but in the grown-up world, that motion creates more motion, more chatter and will inherently knock off the things that are not credible and not worthy of time...and it will only leave that which has value (not subjective value, but intrinsic value).

Validate now what you think, don't just accept. Challenge what is before you if it proves unethical.

In future posts, I will quote various readings to educate you in critical thinking and ethical reasoning. I will move you to rock until the stones roll. I will do what I CAN do and cannot wait to see what WE accomplish.

Next post: Dissertation on a Testosterone Based Life Form.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Dissertation on an Estrogen Based Life Form

Read slowly and carefully, I am going to take you deep into the psyche of a Super Heroine known as Techie T, Wonder Wife, Mega Mommy, Stellar Student and occasionally Primary Plebian. From each of these roles stems a super power to be reckoned with, but as in all things the balance in her character comes from equally as powerful weaknesses. The challenge of every new day is to determine which role is on stage, disguise the weaknesses, complete the tasks at hand and remain humble.
The primary superpower of Techie T is processing speed; at 117 words per minute she can execute code faster than a speeding bullet and develop hierarchy that would stop a runaway train. This particular heroic character is highly valuable and plays a part in 5 out of 7 days of the week, sometimes more when there is drama lurking in the workplace. Her uncanny ability to dissect problems and formulate solutions that accommodate every systemic need make her quite the sleuth of the Systems department. The fact that she has been battling with the systems nemeses at this particular venue for almost 20 years has only made her processing faster and her will to succeed that much stronger. In that same vain, her speed and zeal occasionally allow careless errors to give her enemies the edge. She is developing a pre-battle checklist and reviewing her past efforts to find simple ways to improve her techniques without losing her competitive edge.
Wonder Wife and Mega Mommy share many of the same powers and are continually in conflict over who will be the player of the day, but they have mastered the art of compromise when it comes to the home front. Wonder Wife powers up the charge on her super-cooking mechanism (a.k.a. Kitchen-Aid Mixer) while Mega Mommy executes a flawless hip bounce with a 40-pound (4 year old) weight while performing the magical Homework Recollection (Third Grader) Technique on cue. With her typical southern flair, Wonder Wife manages to juggle multiple-tasks and not interfere with Mega Mommy’s amazing accident containment abilities and desire to play with Fisher Price toys. Wonder Wife and Mega Mommy are on call 24/7 and are exceptional at multi-tasking by managing financial, environmental and psychological needs of both her youth and adult subordinates (please make note of the husband reference as a subordinate). The tragic flaw within this team dynamic would be their inability to remember their own needs and their constant self-deprecating attitude. This weakness exposes them to unintentional emotional harm and causes them to hear not the real words spoken from their minions, but to become defensive and take on additional burden. They have inordinate stress levels and are apt to self-destruct at anytime before they reach 40 years of age. Recent studies have been done to find alternative environmental controls and identify sacrifices that must be made to gain control over their internal grumblings.
Stellar Student is a new player that intervenes when necessary on a daily basis. This newly acquired role involves the use of ‘Rapid Read’ and ‘Quick Query’ powers. Luckily, her original design engineers designed her with ‘Laudable Learning’; this causes her to accept givens and absorb new things quickly and adapt to change effectively. The way to defeat Stellar is to play upon her over-committed schedule and inability to say no. She will inexplicably offer more than is needed and still not perceive that as good enough. In this stage, she is vulnerable to emotional attack and mental stress. A new design module must be developed that accommodates no in her vocabulary and a better support system to enhance her abilities and ensure her longevity in this role.
Primary Plebeian is only given the opportunity to use her powers en masse on rare occasions and this minimal use design prevents the other roles from rising up in anarchy and destroying the entire balance of this super-heroine. ‘Inane Burden’ gives Primary the ability to handle valueless tasks for the pleasure of others without complaining and sometimes of voluntary intent. She finds humbling and reverence of life in these tasks and disseminates this stress-free wonder amongst all of her counterparts as often as is necessary to retain their sanity. Some of the amazing things this power allows her to do include counting coins , reading words from the dictionary (in order), rearrange Rubbermaid in the cabinets, attics, closets, etc., determine clothing sequencing for closet maximization, etc.
Overall, the major opportunity to overtake this super-heroine is to play upon her competitive nature. If any of them are not pulling their weight or playing a big enough part to feel like the best, they will be ‘kicked to the curb’ and replaced by a new vision. This change of direction often causes malcontent in the balance of the players and induces a chain reaction of dissension and attrition. Her main challenge to date has been maintaining the morale, empowering her team with the tools to be effective and determining the proper balance so that no one is taken for granted. We suggest a system of checks and balances with input from all of the beneficiaries of her powers as to the prioritization of their needs (wants too).
All of these personalities offer a range of powers including; multi-tasking, efficient learning, commitment, technical aptitude and propensity for social interaction. Her competitive nature and inability to manage stress only contribute to her self-deprecation efforts, but do manage to keep her humble (don’t laugh). She will find balance and satisfaction in her accomplishments someday we are certain.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

What do I see?

When I look around at nature, science and what has been accomplished in the past, it reminds me of our failure in the present to provide for the future.

Architecture, Space Exploration, Medical Research, and Providing for the Common Defense have all been evolving, progressing but ever failing to address the fundamental issues that will actually destroy the human race. The fact that in our arrogant ego-centric cocoons we don't believe there will ever be an end to civilization (used loosely) as we know it contributes to the lack of concern or commitment to change. Change is scary; Different is scary.

Let's blame everything and everyone, but do nothing ourselves to change anything. Utter ignorant brilliance. Brilliant in that it gets you personally uninvolved and that is what most people want, but ignorant because honestly we all need each other and in our efforts to avoid and detach...the community falls apart and it becomes survival of the fittest individuals rather than the healthiest communities (how funny that the greater good is always played down to a personal level). Greater good isn't actually subjective, but everyone manages to interpret it as such.