There are days when I write several paragraphs or,
verses of rhyme and then delete them because
it seems at the time they weren't really what
I wanted to say at all and so
what I had committed to this electronic platform
was wiped from my view with a few simple keystrokes
and I started back over with something new
only to find when I took a long view
that I ended up back in a similar place
to the one where I started before hitting erase
and I wonder what is it about what I thought
that caused it to cling so tightly
it wouldn't go away in spite of my
clearing the board and saying, "Enough!"
but, instead, hung in there tough
until it managed to find its way on the page
anyway.
Not today.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Sales Messaging
Keep it short,
Keep it simple,
Make your message shine
Like a dimple.
You've got five seconds
To make the impression;
If you get their attention
It's a thirty second session.
If they give you three minutes
You've got a base hit;
With thirty minutes
You know it's a fit.
Listen a lot
'Cause that's how you learn
And knowledge is how
A paycheck you earn.
That's the life
A salesman leads
Trying to meet
Someone's needs.
Keep it simple,
Make your message shine
Like a dimple.
You've got five seconds
To make the impression;
If you get their attention
It's a thirty second session.
If they give you three minutes
You've got a base hit;
With thirty minutes
You know it's a fit.
Listen a lot
'Cause that's how you learn
And knowledge is how
A paycheck you earn.
That's the life
A salesman leads
Trying to meet
Someone's needs.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Just Before Dawn
It's a crisp, clear morning
'Neath the twinkling light
Of a million stars
That brighten the night
And all is quiet
In this this pause before dawn
As I button my coat
And stifle a yawn
While peace soaks into
This weary old soul,
Recharging the batteries
To chase the next goal.
Between coffee and cold
The blood begins flowing;
Another day starting
As I stand there knowing
That God has created
This wondrous sight
At the edge of releasing
A new day of light.
'Neath the twinkling light
Of a million stars
That brighten the night
And all is quiet
In this this pause before dawn
As I button my coat
And stifle a yawn
While peace soaks into
This weary old soul,
Recharging the batteries
To chase the next goal.
Between coffee and cold
The blood begins flowing;
Another day starting
As I stand there knowing
That God has created
This wondrous sight
At the edge of releasing
A new day of light.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Referees, Walls and Free Markets
There has been a good deal of controversy surrounding an officiating call in a recent NFL playoff game. The concern over possible bias by the referees has reached Congress where outcry for an investigation have been heard. It seems many there believe there was obvious favoritism toward one team, possibly based in the personal loyalties of a number of the officials whose home is in the same state as the apparent beneficiary. I find it interesting how those Congressmen and women can decry what they perceive as bias in the sport of football and yet fail to see their own tendencies when it comes to legislation.
As I have mentioned here numerous times, I am a proponent of a free market economy. A free market isn't necessarily one in which "bad" behavior is tolerated simply because trade is unfettered. That market must be built upon a level playing field -- an unbiased field in which the "referees" (in this case the lawmakers) insure that bad behavior is punished while good behavior is allowed to flourish.
Regulating trade is one of the very few powers assigned to government by our Constitution. The question then becomes one of establishing a set of rules which various legislative bodies have attempted to codify into law. The rules should be structured in such a way that all "players" have an equal opportunity at success -- or failure. Notice the use of the word opportunity; it is one of the foundational principles of our country as stated in the Constitutional phrase, "the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness." It includes no guarantee of success and no artificial support via "programs" for the supposed disadvantaged. It does, however, indicate the responsibility of government, as enabled by "the people," to provide a level playing field with a uniform set of rules that provide no special advantage or, disadvantage to any particular individual or, group.
Over time the level playing field has become biased in favor of certain large entities. One could argue that the bias is temporary and also a result of a free market because everyone has equal opportunity to influence lawmakers to support their cause. That isn't the case. The average citizen hasn't the financial means to make any impact on the legislative process.
The arise of various organizations through the years should have aided the "little guy" in his quest for equal representation. Theoretically, by pooling resources into a larger group such as a trade union or, national association, the voice of the average individual could be heard in a manner that would impact or, influence the process of making laws to keep the playing field level. The problem though, is that the very ogranizations originally designed to help them become predators because of the concentration of power into the hands of their management.
Ultimately, the "little guy" remains at the mercy of those who control tremendous amounts of wealth and property. Those who control that wealth acrete power by using wealth to influence the legislative process in their favor.
How can we return to a "level playing field" in which opportunity is abundant? One of the first steps would be to limit the power of "big money" to influence legislation. An additional step would be to enact term limits for legislators. A third would be to roll back onerous rules that place unaffordable burdens on the "little guy" such as requirements related to insurance, etc.
I really had no intention of being political in my post today, but my frustration with what I see in Washington causes me to devote far too much of my thought to what has gone wrong with our political and economic system. It is still, perhaps, the best in the world, but there is a growing presence of disease that will eventually destroy it.
When I think about how money influences the political process I think about the current standoff between The President and leaders of the opposition party. Maybe the solution would be for the President to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate the possibility of ties between drug cartel money and opposition to a border wal?. Merely the threat of such a move might change a few positions. After all, perception is reality....
As I have mentioned here numerous times, I am a proponent of a free market economy. A free market isn't necessarily one in which "bad" behavior is tolerated simply because trade is unfettered. That market must be built upon a level playing field -- an unbiased field in which the "referees" (in this case the lawmakers) insure that bad behavior is punished while good behavior is allowed to flourish.
Regulating trade is one of the very few powers assigned to government by our Constitution. The question then becomes one of establishing a set of rules which various legislative bodies have attempted to codify into law. The rules should be structured in such a way that all "players" have an equal opportunity at success -- or failure. Notice the use of the word opportunity; it is one of the foundational principles of our country as stated in the Constitutional phrase, "the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness." It includes no guarantee of success and no artificial support via "programs" for the supposed disadvantaged. It does, however, indicate the responsibility of government, as enabled by "the people," to provide a level playing field with a uniform set of rules that provide no special advantage or, disadvantage to any particular individual or, group.
Over time the level playing field has become biased in favor of certain large entities. One could argue that the bias is temporary and also a result of a free market because everyone has equal opportunity to influence lawmakers to support their cause. That isn't the case. The average citizen hasn't the financial means to make any impact on the legislative process.
The arise of various organizations through the years should have aided the "little guy" in his quest for equal representation. Theoretically, by pooling resources into a larger group such as a trade union or, national association, the voice of the average individual could be heard in a manner that would impact or, influence the process of making laws to keep the playing field level. The problem though, is that the very ogranizations originally designed to help them become predators because of the concentration of power into the hands of their management.
Ultimately, the "little guy" remains at the mercy of those who control tremendous amounts of wealth and property. Those who control that wealth acrete power by using wealth to influence the legislative process in their favor.
How can we return to a "level playing field" in which opportunity is abundant? One of the first steps would be to limit the power of "big money" to influence legislation. An additional step would be to enact term limits for legislators. A third would be to roll back onerous rules that place unaffordable burdens on the "little guy" such as requirements related to insurance, etc.
I really had no intention of being political in my post today, but my frustration with what I see in Washington causes me to devote far too much of my thought to what has gone wrong with our political and economic system. It is still, perhaps, the best in the world, but there is a growing presence of disease that will eventually destroy it.
When I think about how money influences the political process I think about the current standoff between The President and leaders of the opposition party. Maybe the solution would be for the President to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate the possibility of ties between drug cartel money and opposition to a border wal?. Merely the threat of such a move might change a few positions. After all, perception is reality....
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Concentrated Confusion
Have you ever thought about why people who live in cities seem less likely to believe in God than those who live in rural areas? I don't have any statistics at hand to back that claim, but personal experience seems to support it.
It causes me to think of the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel in which man became so enthralled with his own accomplishment that God decided it was time to take him down a notch. Cities are filled with such towers and the beauty of the natural world is masked by manmade structures at every turn. In the country that isn't the case.
Rural folk still have the opportunity to marvel at nature. They are surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. They experience first-hand the miracle of a newborn calf, or the beauty of a sunset in a dusty western sky. It is easier to sense the presence of a Creator when you are in touch with His creation.
City dwellers are in touch with sidewalks and concrete. Their view of the sky is limited by the height of the buildings that surround them. They see birth as just another event within the hands of man because their only exposure is in a hospital. Perhaps that is why abortion seems so easy for them to accept -- the baby doesn't really exist in their mind until presented whole and kicking at the disruption of his/her protected existence.
Just the simple duality of male/female becomes confused to those who have little or no contact with the natural order. When existence consists of disguises against the dangers presented by too many in limited space fighting against the natural inclination to be noticed by ones peers, confusion should be expected. The mind reflects the confusion of the soul -- the life/death dichotomy of abortion, the fear/desire to be noticed duality from a concentration of too many people and the inability to "see" that there is more to existence than the ephemeral works of man -- resulting in a focus of take and take some more because there is nothing except what can be grasped in ones hand.
I am thankful to be "wired" with a desire to live in a setting where I can touch the natural world on a daily basis. It is a constant reminder that I am weak but, He is strong.
Habakkuk 2:18-20 Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
It causes me to think of the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel in which man became so enthralled with his own accomplishment that God decided it was time to take him down a notch. Cities are filled with such towers and the beauty of the natural world is masked by manmade structures at every turn. In the country that isn't the case.
Rural folk still have the opportunity to marvel at nature. They are surrounded by the beauty of God's creation. They experience first-hand the miracle of a newborn calf, or the beauty of a sunset in a dusty western sky. It is easier to sense the presence of a Creator when you are in touch with His creation.
City dwellers are in touch with sidewalks and concrete. Their view of the sky is limited by the height of the buildings that surround them. They see birth as just another event within the hands of man because their only exposure is in a hospital. Perhaps that is why abortion seems so easy for them to accept -- the baby doesn't really exist in their mind until presented whole and kicking at the disruption of his/her protected existence.
Just the simple duality of male/female becomes confused to those who have little or no contact with the natural order. When existence consists of disguises against the dangers presented by too many in limited space fighting against the natural inclination to be noticed by ones peers, confusion should be expected. The mind reflects the confusion of the soul -- the life/death dichotomy of abortion, the fear/desire to be noticed duality from a concentration of too many people and the inability to "see" that there is more to existence than the ephemeral works of man -- resulting in a focus of take and take some more because there is nothing except what can be grasped in ones hand.
I am thankful to be "wired" with a desire to live in a setting where I can touch the natural world on a daily basis. It is a constant reminder that I am weak but, He is strong.
Habakkuk 2:18-20 Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Turn Off the Television
Most people like to watch t.v.
As they sit in their easy chair.
Me, I prefer to read a book
Rather than sit and stare
At the mindless chatter
On some flat screen
Across the living room
Where we see an interpretation
Of someone else's thoughts
In a somewhat voyeuristic manner
Instead of allowing our own
Imagination to create the images.
A book stimulates your mind
To think of that contained
In the written word you hold
Yet gives freedom to build
From that which is seen
In the deep recesses
Of the gray matter
Between your ears
Whereas the flat screen
Across the room allows
Little space for linking
Thoughts as you merely
Record the scenes before you.
Let my thoughts wander;
Set them free;
Give rein to imagination;
Turn off the television;
Pick up a book
And travel to distant places
Where rest and solitude
Are filled with adventure
And the cares of the world
Fade away.
As they sit in their easy chair.
Me, I prefer to read a book
Rather than sit and stare
At the mindless chatter
On some flat screen
Across the living room
Where we see an interpretation
Of someone else's thoughts
In a somewhat voyeuristic manner
Instead of allowing our own
Imagination to create the images.
A book stimulates your mind
To think of that contained
In the written word you hold
Yet gives freedom to build
From that which is seen
In the deep recesses
Of the gray matter
Between your ears
Whereas the flat screen
Across the room allows
Little space for linking
Thoughts as you merely
Record the scenes before you.
Let my thoughts wander;
Set them free;
Give rein to imagination;
Turn off the television;
Pick up a book
And travel to distant places
Where rest and solitude
Are filled with adventure
And the cares of the world
Fade away.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Click Bait and Analytics
In yesterday's post I mentioned the use of data analytics which is a tool used today by many large corporations to collect and analyze data about each of us and then to use that analysis to categorize us for purposes of targeted marketing. There are government agencies that do something similar to evaluate each individual as a potential threat for criminal or, anti-state activity. We are extremely trackable, analyzable and vulnerable to the misuse of that data.
With this Blog, I am able to access certain very basic statistics regarding visitors who view and read my posts. It is very limited to things such as the number of visitors, approximately when they view a post, what type of access did they use (phone vs. laptop), the type of Browser they used (Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc.) and in a very limited sense, their geographic location (United States, Australia, China, etc.). These types of things are routinely tracked by most large businesses.
Facebook is one of the entities that closely tracks and monitors all of your activity. They collect data on what you see, what you click on, when and how much time you spend online, whether your views are conservative, liberal or, something in between, and they track your use of certain key words for which only their marketing/psych departments understand the reasoning -- I'm sure they've done huge correlation studies between word use and behavior. The advertisements you see are all geared to your particular stated preferences (see Profile) and then tailored to your demonstrated behavior.
Within the last few weeks I have noticed a significant "spike" in visits to this blog. They seem to occur at a regular interval and last for only a brief period. Those visits are from a "bot." A bot is a robotic entity designed to search for data. Search engines such as Google and Bing are bots. They reach into every corner of the Internet and glean data which is then available to be matched to search criteria. They monetize the searches by selling advertising.
Often, when you do a search on a tool such as Google, the first few items that pop up will be clickable advertisements. Always, somewhere on the search page will be an advertisement of some type -- often disguised to look like links to the actual document or information for which you were searching. I love to have the ability to search online, but always in the back of my mind is the fact that I am also searchable. Be careful what you click.
Much of what we do is recorded electronically. Every time we make a purchase with a credit card the transaction is recorded. Every time we shop online the transaction is recorded. Our faces, automobile license plates and our activity are recorded on countless cameras around the world -- especially in large cities. We are almost universally trackable by our cell phones alone which include GPS chips.
Along with the pervasiveness of targeted advertising based on what are often inaccurate classifications developed from previous behavior comes the vulnerability to criminal activity. These are often in the form of Phishing scams, or advertisements leading to sites which take your money without delivering your purchase. Most of those are short-lived due to the "policing" activity of the giant companies such as Facebook and Google. However short-lived they might be, it is usually only after a large number of people have fallen prey to their activities that such nefarious sites are shut down.
Theoretically, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear from the use of data analytic software. In the hands of honest, honorable people I would agree. How many of you believe everyone out there in this old fallen world has honest intent? Not me.
Be careful in the e-World. Change your passwords frequently and use good judgement on what you "click."
With this Blog, I am able to access certain very basic statistics regarding visitors who view and read my posts. It is very limited to things such as the number of visitors, approximately when they view a post, what type of access did they use (phone vs. laptop), the type of Browser they used (Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc.) and in a very limited sense, their geographic location (United States, Australia, China, etc.). These types of things are routinely tracked by most large businesses.
Facebook is one of the entities that closely tracks and monitors all of your activity. They collect data on what you see, what you click on, when and how much time you spend online, whether your views are conservative, liberal or, something in between, and they track your use of certain key words for which only their marketing/psych departments understand the reasoning -- I'm sure they've done huge correlation studies between word use and behavior. The advertisements you see are all geared to your particular stated preferences (see Profile) and then tailored to your demonstrated behavior.
Within the last few weeks I have noticed a significant "spike" in visits to this blog. They seem to occur at a regular interval and last for only a brief period. Those visits are from a "bot." A bot is a robotic entity designed to search for data. Search engines such as Google and Bing are bots. They reach into every corner of the Internet and glean data which is then available to be matched to search criteria. They monetize the searches by selling advertising.
Often, when you do a search on a tool such as Google, the first few items that pop up will be clickable advertisements. Always, somewhere on the search page will be an advertisement of some type -- often disguised to look like links to the actual document or information for which you were searching. I love to have the ability to search online, but always in the back of my mind is the fact that I am also searchable. Be careful what you click.
Much of what we do is recorded electronically. Every time we make a purchase with a credit card the transaction is recorded. Every time we shop online the transaction is recorded. Our faces, automobile license plates and our activity are recorded on countless cameras around the world -- especially in large cities. We are almost universally trackable by our cell phones alone which include GPS chips.
Along with the pervasiveness of targeted advertising based on what are often inaccurate classifications developed from previous behavior comes the vulnerability to criminal activity. These are often in the form of Phishing scams, or advertisements leading to sites which take your money without delivering your purchase. Most of those are short-lived due to the "policing" activity of the giant companies such as Facebook and Google. However short-lived they might be, it is usually only after a large number of people have fallen prey to their activities that such nefarious sites are shut down.
Theoretically, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear from the use of data analytic software. In the hands of honest, honorable people I would agree. How many of you believe everyone out there in this old fallen world has honest intent? Not me.
Be careful in the e-World. Change your passwords frequently and use good judgement on what you "click."
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Parrots, Pirates and Prompts...and Technology (which doesn't start with "P")
Today's topic from the Book of 300 Writing prompts is: "If you had a pet parrot, what would you teach it to say?"
First I must address the issue of owning a pet parrot; I wouldn't. I remember an uncle that turned up with pet birds a time or two. They were interesting to me as a child, but confining a bird which is designed for the ultimate freedom of flight seems cruel to me. It would be like having a horse and never letting it leave the stall. It just doesn't seem right.
That being said, let's assume the parrot is a somewhat free-living companion that has chosen me for company -- much as a parrot perched on a pirate's shoulder. That would seem acceptable to me. The bird would be free to go at any time however, it would be loyal and accompany me because I'm such a good guy (this is all imaginary so, anything is game here).
Because the parrot had chosen to be my companion it would obviously be exceptionally intelligent (remember, I said this is imaginary). I wouldn't have to teach it to talk, it would figure it out and in short time begin to articulate its own deeply insightful thoughts.
Unlike most parrots which speak in a rather loud and grating voice, this parrot would be able to whisper quietly in my ear as it perched on my shoulder. It would give me market tips, betting tips, business tips and help keep watch on my surroundings. That last of those items might perhaps be most important because having such an amazing parrot would make me -- and the parrot -- a target for those nefarious denizens of our world who would seek to appropriate that which is not theirs.
I would get one of those passes for a companion animal which would allow the parrot to accompany me anywhere. After all, with such a valuable advisor I would quickly become dependent on it and might go into some kind of seizure were I not able to have it with me at all times.
One of the most important things about the parrot would be his discretion. It would know when to keep its mouth shut. After all, we wouldn't want the world to know my bad habits like playing computer games when I should be working.
I think the parrot would need a name and "Alexa" seems appropriate. After all, technological innovations are merely a reflection of human ability -- a parrot -- sometimes magnified but, nevertheless, a product of human thought and activitiy. The difference between my parrot and the commercial product named Alexa is that what my parrot saw, heard and recorded into its memory would stay right there (see previous paragraph) rather than be stored in some massive database to be mined by analytic software for commercial and other opportunity.
I think upon reflection, I will forego the parrot and even more importantly, an Alexa. I'll punch the buttons on my television remote myself rather than having an electronic slave do it for me....
First I must address the issue of owning a pet parrot; I wouldn't. I remember an uncle that turned up with pet birds a time or two. They were interesting to me as a child, but confining a bird which is designed for the ultimate freedom of flight seems cruel to me. It would be like having a horse and never letting it leave the stall. It just doesn't seem right.
That being said, let's assume the parrot is a somewhat free-living companion that has chosen me for company -- much as a parrot perched on a pirate's shoulder. That would seem acceptable to me. The bird would be free to go at any time however, it would be loyal and accompany me because I'm such a good guy (this is all imaginary so, anything is game here).
Because the parrot had chosen to be my companion it would obviously be exceptionally intelligent (remember, I said this is imaginary). I wouldn't have to teach it to talk, it would figure it out and in short time begin to articulate its own deeply insightful thoughts.
Unlike most parrots which speak in a rather loud and grating voice, this parrot would be able to whisper quietly in my ear as it perched on my shoulder. It would give me market tips, betting tips, business tips and help keep watch on my surroundings. That last of those items might perhaps be most important because having such an amazing parrot would make me -- and the parrot -- a target for those nefarious denizens of our world who would seek to appropriate that which is not theirs.
I would get one of those passes for a companion animal which would allow the parrot to accompany me anywhere. After all, with such a valuable advisor I would quickly become dependent on it and might go into some kind of seizure were I not able to have it with me at all times.
One of the most important things about the parrot would be his discretion. It would know when to keep its mouth shut. After all, we wouldn't want the world to know my bad habits like playing computer games when I should be working.
I think the parrot would need a name and "Alexa" seems appropriate. After all, technological innovations are merely a reflection of human ability -- a parrot -- sometimes magnified but, nevertheless, a product of human thought and activitiy. The difference between my parrot and the commercial product named Alexa is that what my parrot saw, heard and recorded into its memory would stay right there (see previous paragraph) rather than be stored in some massive database to be mined by analytic software for commercial and other opportunity.
I think upon reflection, I will forego the parrot and even more importantly, an Alexa. I'll punch the buttons on my television remote myself rather than having an electronic slave do it for me....
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Held For Ransom
I'm still trying to figure out this government shutdown. It makes very little sense to me. The flow of money into the IRS hasn't been affected. Congress seems to think it doesn't affect them since they keep scheduling junkets at taxpayer expense. All of the "essential" services of the government continue uninterrupted. It is only those things deemed "unessential" that are not currently being funded. So, what happens to the "money" that should have been going to fund those things? Does it just pile up somewhere?
Of course, there isn't any money piling up somewhere because our government spends more than it brings in. So, does that mean they just aren't borrowing as much at the moment? The savings in interest on that debt could be a fairly sizable amount.
The impasse between the political parties really only affects a small percentage of government expenditures. The estimated 800,000 employees who are not currently receiving a paycheck are political pawns. That's a lot of votes. Any bets they get a raise when this is all over? They are a significant block of votes whose loyalty is subject to being bought by their political masters. Not all of them, but enough of them.
Total budgeted federal expenditures in 2017 were $3.7 Trillion ($2.5 T "mandatory" and $1.2 T "discretionary"). Revenue was projected at $3.3 Trillion -- a deficit of $400,000,000,000. The issue according to Congressional leadership is the request from the President for $5.7 Billion to build a wall on our southern border. That is 0.154% of the total expenditures for 2017. If you compare that to an annual household budget of $36,000 (expenditures, not gross income) that equates to $55.44.
800,000 employees are being held for ransom over the equivalent of $55.44. That is what our government has come to. It is time for something to change.
Of course, there isn't any money piling up somewhere because our government spends more than it brings in. So, does that mean they just aren't borrowing as much at the moment? The savings in interest on that debt could be a fairly sizable amount.
The impasse between the political parties really only affects a small percentage of government expenditures. The estimated 800,000 employees who are not currently receiving a paycheck are political pawns. That's a lot of votes. Any bets they get a raise when this is all over? They are a significant block of votes whose loyalty is subject to being bought by their political masters. Not all of them, but enough of them.
Total budgeted federal expenditures in 2017 were $3.7 Trillion ($2.5 T "mandatory" and $1.2 T "discretionary"). Revenue was projected at $3.3 Trillion -- a deficit of $400,000,000,000. The issue according to Congressional leadership is the request from the President for $5.7 Billion to build a wall on our southern border. That is 0.154% of the total expenditures for 2017. If you compare that to an annual household budget of $36,000 (expenditures, not gross income) that equates to $55.44.
800,000 employees are being held for ransom over the equivalent of $55.44. That is what our government has come to. It is time for something to change.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Prisons and Economics
Have you ever thought about why the U.S. has one of the largest prison populations in the world as a percentage of our total population? In this country with so much to offer, why is it so many people end up in prison? Is it drugs alone that drives it, or is that merely a symptom?
I suspect it is at least partially a result of our affluence. The growth and application of technology displaces people. There is no country on the planet that has experienced this more than the U.S. When workers are displaced -- lose their job -- they often have difficulty finding other meaningful employment. Lack of employment leads in some cases to crime and in others to substance abuse and often to both.
In our self-centered culture, where comparison with our peers is encouraged through marketing and media, there is virtually no safety net for those going through the trauma of forced job change. It isn't an easy situation and it is worsened by the isolation of going it alone which is often the case. The pressure to "succeed" may drive misbehavior.
Our inner city ghettos are to a large extent the result of the displacement of workers -- either from agriculture or from industry. Not everyone is suited for an office career. When there are fewer and fewer unskilled, or low-skilled jobs available, not everyone is able to find work within a commutable distance. What do those individuals do for income? -- they may become dependent on the government, or they may turn to crime. Rarely are they able to relocate to opportunity. Mobility requires a certain level of affluence.
Some might suggest it is a Darwinian process brought on by an improved societal structure where we move closer and closer to universal availability, or access to unlimited energy, food and land (or, space). This is a Utopian dream of those whose view includes a dependency on technology as a force of good that frees mankind from the drudgery of labor. I wonder though, without labor -- the work of one's hands -- where does one find the value of contribution? If I have nothing to do, how can I contribute to society?
For those who are committed to the future of a technological age where machines allow each and every person to experience a life of luxury and leisure, only the wealthy, those who "own" the tools and methods of producing those machines, will experience that Utopia -- at least that is the case in a capitalistic economy. The remainder of humanity will either die out, congregate in increasingly larger slums, or become wards of a pervasive and universal government. Those who conform and meekly submit to a life of dependency will become a temptation to the powerful who would find ways to exploit them, while those who rebel against the loss of dignity will spend their lives as wards of the state in ever expanding prisons.
I'm certainly no expert on any of this, but the whole issue concerns me greatly. I don't have any clear answers, but a few things come to mind. 1) We must raise the dignity of manual labor. 2) We must find ways to evaluate the societal and environmental cost of technology. 3) We must examine how our economic system can reward behavior that accounts for more than the short-term transaction cost of a micro-economic decision.
Just my thoughts this morning....
I suspect it is at least partially a result of our affluence. The growth and application of technology displaces people. There is no country on the planet that has experienced this more than the U.S. When workers are displaced -- lose their job -- they often have difficulty finding other meaningful employment. Lack of employment leads in some cases to crime and in others to substance abuse and often to both.
In our self-centered culture, where comparison with our peers is encouraged through marketing and media, there is virtually no safety net for those going through the trauma of forced job change. It isn't an easy situation and it is worsened by the isolation of going it alone which is often the case. The pressure to "succeed" may drive misbehavior.
Our inner city ghettos are to a large extent the result of the displacement of workers -- either from agriculture or from industry. Not everyone is suited for an office career. When there are fewer and fewer unskilled, or low-skilled jobs available, not everyone is able to find work within a commutable distance. What do those individuals do for income? -- they may become dependent on the government, or they may turn to crime. Rarely are they able to relocate to opportunity. Mobility requires a certain level of affluence.
Some might suggest it is a Darwinian process brought on by an improved societal structure where we move closer and closer to universal availability, or access to unlimited energy, food and land (or, space). This is a Utopian dream of those whose view includes a dependency on technology as a force of good that frees mankind from the drudgery of labor. I wonder though, without labor -- the work of one's hands -- where does one find the value of contribution? If I have nothing to do, how can I contribute to society?
For those who are committed to the future of a technological age where machines allow each and every person to experience a life of luxury and leisure, only the wealthy, those who "own" the tools and methods of producing those machines, will experience that Utopia -- at least that is the case in a capitalistic economy. The remainder of humanity will either die out, congregate in increasingly larger slums, or become wards of a pervasive and universal government. Those who conform and meekly submit to a life of dependency will become a temptation to the powerful who would find ways to exploit them, while those who rebel against the loss of dignity will spend their lives as wards of the state in ever expanding prisons.
I'm certainly no expert on any of this, but the whole issue concerns me greatly. I don't have any clear answers, but a few things come to mind. 1) We must raise the dignity of manual labor. 2) We must find ways to evaluate the societal and environmental cost of technology. 3) We must examine how our economic system can reward behavior that accounts for more than the short-term transaction cost of a micro-economic decision.
Just my thoughts this morning....
Monday, January 21, 2019
Super Wolf Blood Moon
Can you imagine a life under the open sky where the movement of the moon and stars is transparent and integral to each and every day and seeing the "Super Wolf Blood Moon" that occurred last night? In our lives lived beneath a roof, we merely look upon it as an oddity, but for our ancestors who lived much more "in tune" with the natural world, it was a traumatic event and it is no wonder there are superstitions based in legend regarding it.
In today's world, we "deal" with the changing seasons and the various weather events that impact our lives. We still are affected by storms and cold and heat and wind, but for the most part, we have modified our environment to the point they are not nearly as disruptive as they once were. The quality of our shelters, our modes of transportation, the availability of affordable warm clothing, paved roads, all help us to cope with the weather.
Today, in this country and throughout the developed world, about the only people deeply affected by weather events are those who work in jobs that are "outdoor" in their orientation. Such jobs would include power company linemen, emergency response and public safety personnel and farmers and ranchers.
I've noticed through the years that a full moon tends to bring out a little craziness. I can't imagine what law enforcement had to deal with last night. I'll bet there were plenty of people out howling at the moon....
As you come in contact with those who are most directly affected by the weather, show a little empathy. Thank them for what they do so that you don't have to. Thank the linemen who keep the electricity flowing, the road maintenance crews who clear the highways, law enforcement who keep the "crazies" in check, and thank a rancher for caring for his livestock when it is miserable outside.
A full moon affects livestock too. I'm betting we had a new calf or two born in the cold under the full moon. It's time to go check. I'll let you know tomorrow.
In today's world, we "deal" with the changing seasons and the various weather events that impact our lives. We still are affected by storms and cold and heat and wind, but for the most part, we have modified our environment to the point they are not nearly as disruptive as they once were. The quality of our shelters, our modes of transportation, the availability of affordable warm clothing, paved roads, all help us to cope with the weather.
Today, in this country and throughout the developed world, about the only people deeply affected by weather events are those who work in jobs that are "outdoor" in their orientation. Such jobs would include power company linemen, emergency response and public safety personnel and farmers and ranchers.
I've noticed through the years that a full moon tends to bring out a little craziness. I can't imagine what law enforcement had to deal with last night. I'll bet there were plenty of people out howling at the moon....
As you come in contact with those who are most directly affected by the weather, show a little empathy. Thank them for what they do so that you don't have to. Thank the linemen who keep the electricity flowing, the road maintenance crews who clear the highways, law enforcement who keep the "crazies" in check, and thank a rancher for caring for his livestock when it is miserable outside.
A full moon affects livestock too. I'm betting we had a new calf or two born in the cold under the full moon. It's time to go check. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Some Musical History
The book I received for Christmas that includes 300 writing prompts is open beside me to this one: "Who was your favorite band or singer when you were young?" The question sends my mind into the murky past where half-remembered thoughts lead to other things and the connections are spotty from non-use.
I remember an old phonograph and a very few scratchy records -- vinyl of course -- that was in our room as children. The only song I clearly recall is "Quick Draw is Coming to Your Town." It was about Quick Draw McGraw, a cartoon character. I suspect it came off the back of a cereal box.
I also remember some late night guitar playing at my grandparents. One of my uncles played guitar and sometimes the family would gather in the big living room at my grandparents and sing late into the night. There was a lot of Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers and other old country and western music. After I learned to play, I would get to join the accompaniment. Many of the songs I know today were learned from that uncle.
My grandparents had a very large cabinet stereo system that sat in that living room. Occasionally we would get to listen to records on it. It was the first place I heard the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
My grandmother's favorite was Ernest Tubbs, "Waltz Across Texas."
In High School, in the locker room there was almost always music. That was my first exposure to the Rock music of the 70's.
John Denver was another important contributor to my musical background along with Chet Atkins who was one of the very few of whom my father approved. Glenn Campbell was popular as were the musicians on Hee Haw such as Roy Clark. Then there was Roy Rogers. To me, his music never escaped the television because I rarely heard it except on his show which I watched religiously.
When I finally was able to begin developing my own sense of musical taste rather than just hearing what was "acceptable" to others, I gravitated toward Waylon Jennings. I don't really know what drew me to his music, but I still appreciate the authenticity -- the honesty -- of his lyrics. His "whiskey" voice and ready humor when interviewed reminds me of my roots even today. He grew up only a short distance from my home town and played a few local dances before he became famous -- and long before I became aware of his existence.
On the rare occasions I pick up my guitar, I find myself still playing some of his music.
Another band that really influenced me was the Eagles. Their early "country-rock" music is still my favorite of all time -- Tequila Sunrise, Take It Easy, Lyin' Eyes, Desperado and on and on. I can hear them playing in my head as I type.
Some music endures while other fades quickly. I think the most enduring is the music of our youth. I don't know that it shapes us so much as it is incorporated into who we become. It is a source of connections tying us to memories and events.
There are some amazing artists today, but you have to look beyond the mainstream to find them. My kids have been good to occasionally point out musicians to me that are worthy of consideration. I wouldn't have heard of Diana Krall, or Norah Jones or Sara Bareilles without them.
I don't know that I clearly answered the original question, but it did lead down a path into the past. Who are your favorite musicians and why?
I remember an old phonograph and a very few scratchy records -- vinyl of course -- that was in our room as children. The only song I clearly recall is "Quick Draw is Coming to Your Town." It was about Quick Draw McGraw, a cartoon character. I suspect it came off the back of a cereal box.
I also remember some late night guitar playing at my grandparents. One of my uncles played guitar and sometimes the family would gather in the big living room at my grandparents and sing late into the night. There was a lot of Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers and other old country and western music. After I learned to play, I would get to join the accompaniment. Many of the songs I know today were learned from that uncle.
My grandparents had a very large cabinet stereo system that sat in that living room. Occasionally we would get to listen to records on it. It was the first place I heard the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
My grandmother's favorite was Ernest Tubbs, "Waltz Across Texas."
In High School, in the locker room there was almost always music. That was my first exposure to the Rock music of the 70's.
John Denver was another important contributor to my musical background along with Chet Atkins who was one of the very few of whom my father approved. Glenn Campbell was popular as were the musicians on Hee Haw such as Roy Clark. Then there was Roy Rogers. To me, his music never escaped the television because I rarely heard it except on his show which I watched religiously.
When I finally was able to begin developing my own sense of musical taste rather than just hearing what was "acceptable" to others, I gravitated toward Waylon Jennings. I don't really know what drew me to his music, but I still appreciate the authenticity -- the honesty -- of his lyrics. His "whiskey" voice and ready humor when interviewed reminds me of my roots even today. He grew up only a short distance from my home town and played a few local dances before he became famous -- and long before I became aware of his existence.
On the rare occasions I pick up my guitar, I find myself still playing some of his music.
Another band that really influenced me was the Eagles. Their early "country-rock" music is still my favorite of all time -- Tequila Sunrise, Take It Easy, Lyin' Eyes, Desperado and on and on. I can hear them playing in my head as I type.
Some music endures while other fades quickly. I think the most enduring is the music of our youth. I don't know that it shapes us so much as it is incorporated into who we become. It is a source of connections tying us to memories and events.
There are some amazing artists today, but you have to look beyond the mainstream to find them. My kids have been good to occasionally point out musicians to me that are worthy of consideration. I wouldn't have heard of Diana Krall, or Norah Jones or Sara Bareilles without them.
I don't know that I clearly answered the original question, but it did lead down a path into the past. Who are your favorite musicians and why?
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Chasing Hats
This morning as I listen
To the wind up in the trees
I'm reminded of perspective
For it's just a gentle breeze
To those whose life is rooted
On the open Plains
Where the howling of the Northers
Rattles window panes,
Uproots the Russian Thistle
That becomes a Tumbleweed
And sends it ever rolling
Spreading all that noxious seed
And how it's hard to walk
Without leaning to the wind
Unless you're chasing hats
That the whirling banshee sends
Flying 'cross the prairie
Where it lodges against a fence
Until you run and try to grab it
But, a gust catches it and hence
You're left standing, leaning,
Braced against the grit,
Abandoning the headwear
That still hasn't lit
But, races with the tumbling balls
For chance to take it in
Upon a place where it might wait
Until you run and try again
And you turn to face the onslaught
With your hand to shield your face
Against the rolling, prickly tumblers
In their helter-skelter race.
To the wind up in the trees
I'm reminded of perspective
For it's just a gentle breeze
To those whose life is rooted
On the open Plains
Where the howling of the Northers
Rattles window panes,
Uproots the Russian Thistle
That becomes a Tumbleweed
And sends it ever rolling
Spreading all that noxious seed
And how it's hard to walk
Without leaning to the wind
Unless you're chasing hats
That the whirling banshee sends
Flying 'cross the prairie
Where it lodges against a fence
Until you run and try to grab it
But, a gust catches it and hence
You're left standing, leaning,
Braced against the grit,
Abandoning the headwear
That still hasn't lit
But, races with the tumbling balls
For chance to take it in
Upon a place where it might wait
Until you run and try again
And you turn to face the onslaught
With your hand to shield your face
Against the rolling, prickly tumblers
In their helter-skelter race.
Friday, January 18, 2019
A Short Commute
I'm glad I don't have a commute into work every day. That is probably the biggest advantage of working from home -- no daily travel to and from work.
It hasn't always been that way. My first job out of college was about a 6 or 7 mile commute into town every day. We lived in the country. The next two were just a couple of miles. The third one varied because we moved in the middle of it, but it was anywhere from 12 miles down to about a mile. Later jobs had as much as 30 miles one way commute, but all of those were country miles and were a great way to get "geared up" for work and then to "unwind" on the way back home.
The worst commute I ever had to deal with was driving into Grapevine from Justin, Texas, on a daily basis. The distance wasn't unreasonable, but the traffic often was. I generally allowed an hour for that travel -- one way.
For many years I have worked from home. The downside is that most "from home" jobs also require lots of travel. Your office is where ever you happen to be. As long as I had my cell phone, laptop computer and an Internet connection, I was at the office. That makes for some very long days when on the road, because often, the evenings at the hotel were spent working on various projects, whether involving spreadsheets, presentations or, just responding to e-mails that accumulated during the day.
I always thought some type of Star Trek transporter device would be ideal for those who have jobs requiring extensive travel. I can see having a device on your belt that you program coordinates into, push a button and are suddenly transported elsewhere. There are lots of problems with such a device beyond the obvious one that it doesn't exist. It would have to include a proximity alert so you didn't suddenly materialize inside another object -- or another person. It could be used by criminals to pop in and out of targets.
One solution would be to have designated platforms for departures and arrivals -- such as the "transporter room" on Star Trek. The limitations would simply be the queue for the transporter -- how long would you have to stand in line waiting for a departure and arrival time? Can you imagine the logistical nightmare computer algorithms required to handle that problem for a giant skyscraper in New York where 10's of thousands of people work and are arriving to/from just as many different places? There would also still be some other form of travel to your actual office. Maybe have one transporter platform per block -- but that's a lot of infrastructure cost.
I guess there will always be problems and inconvenience associated with travel. Mass transit is a solution that works in some places. Car pooling works in other cases. Working from home at least eliminates some travel for those able to do so.
Maybe the best solution is for more people to live where they work. There was a time when most store owners lived either in the back or, above their store. In our small town we are seeing a number of those old buildings being restored with apartments above that are accessed by street front private stairways. The apartments are operated as a separate business from the store or, restaurant below.
Well, it's time for me to head to work. I will finish this post and switch applications on my computer....
It hasn't always been that way. My first job out of college was about a 6 or 7 mile commute into town every day. We lived in the country. The next two were just a couple of miles. The third one varied because we moved in the middle of it, but it was anywhere from 12 miles down to about a mile. Later jobs had as much as 30 miles one way commute, but all of those were country miles and were a great way to get "geared up" for work and then to "unwind" on the way back home.
The worst commute I ever had to deal with was driving into Grapevine from Justin, Texas, on a daily basis. The distance wasn't unreasonable, but the traffic often was. I generally allowed an hour for that travel -- one way.
For many years I have worked from home. The downside is that most "from home" jobs also require lots of travel. Your office is where ever you happen to be. As long as I had my cell phone, laptop computer and an Internet connection, I was at the office. That makes for some very long days when on the road, because often, the evenings at the hotel were spent working on various projects, whether involving spreadsheets, presentations or, just responding to e-mails that accumulated during the day.
I always thought some type of Star Trek transporter device would be ideal for those who have jobs requiring extensive travel. I can see having a device on your belt that you program coordinates into, push a button and are suddenly transported elsewhere. There are lots of problems with such a device beyond the obvious one that it doesn't exist. It would have to include a proximity alert so you didn't suddenly materialize inside another object -- or another person. It could be used by criminals to pop in and out of targets.
One solution would be to have designated platforms for departures and arrivals -- such as the "transporter room" on Star Trek. The limitations would simply be the queue for the transporter -- how long would you have to stand in line waiting for a departure and arrival time? Can you imagine the logistical nightmare computer algorithms required to handle that problem for a giant skyscraper in New York where 10's of thousands of people work and are arriving to/from just as many different places? There would also still be some other form of travel to your actual office. Maybe have one transporter platform per block -- but that's a lot of infrastructure cost.
I guess there will always be problems and inconvenience associated with travel. Mass transit is a solution that works in some places. Car pooling works in other cases. Working from home at least eliminates some travel for those able to do so.
Maybe the best solution is for more people to live where they work. There was a time when most store owners lived either in the back or, above their store. In our small town we are seeing a number of those old buildings being restored with apartments above that are accessed by street front private stairways. The apartments are operated as a separate business from the store or, restaurant below.
Well, it's time for me to head to work. I will finish this post and switch applications on my computer....
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Today's News: Brought to You by....
A part of my morning routine is to grab a first cup of coffee and sit down in my recliner to peruse the news. I read the news on my phone rather than a newspaper. In fact, there is almost a ritual to the way I approach it. I first take a quick glance at any e-mail or, text messages that came in over night and then do a quick daily word puzzle to get my brain in gear before opening the Fox News application on my phone. I then go to BBC News and read it. I have found that BBC does a much better job of covering International events than does Fox and they often release stories more quickly due to the time difference. I then look at Reuters News Wire Services before turning to Twitter. The reason I look to Twitter for news is that many of those I follow are also up early scanning their various news sources and post links to articles of interest from sources I may not follow -- such as their local or regional newspapers, or other national and international journals. I tend to avoid CNN, MSNBC or some of the other news services. Most of them get their stories from the same sources such as Reuters or the AP. The problem with CNN et. al. is their left-leaning commentary and the pervasiveness of entertainment news scattered throughout their sites. I couldn't care less about what some Hollywood starlet thinks.
I mention this because the first thing I feed my mind each morning is what is going on in the country and the world around me and yet I am committed to (at least trying) to keep this a positive place. It's kind of hard to do that some days when the news all seems to be negative -- at least from my point of view. I suppose if you have a socialist or, anarchist bent you might see it as positive, but that's not the way I am wired.
A lot of folks seem to have their head in the sand when it comes to what is going on in the world. I admit that I am sometimes guilty of wanting to avoid the news because it is so depressing. I continue to view Facebook most days and the things I see posted there may be the most depressing of all -- it has become a place where the political spectrum has disappeared to become replaced by distinct camps. I won't say "armed camps" because that connotes violence, but both sides are definitely armed with memes and opinion commentaries that foment the discord. It is not healthy.
Throughout the history of our country there have been news sources that supported particular political candidates or political points of view. Polarization of political philosophies has been around as long as political parties have existed. Historically, it has been fairly obvious which news sources supported which political party. Some would argue it is the same today. I disagree. Today, I think it is more a matter of whether the news source supports globalization or, a more nationalist approach to government. Since most news organizations are global in scope, most support globalization -- even those with so-called "right-leaning" pundits among their editorial staff.
I try to be a "nationalist" in thinking, but often find I am a "globalist" in my view. What I mean is that I would like to see the rest of the world be "blessed" with the type of government ours was designed originally to be. The problem is that I fear the concentration of power desired by most in the "globalist" camp into a one-world government. Corruption occurs with power -- even at the city council or school board level. Can you imagine the level of corruption that would occur with a one-world government? (Just look at the U.N.) Imagining such is like trying to envision a trillion dollars. It is mind boggling. For that reason alone, I am opposed to globalization of the political system.
Along with the push for globalization of political systems comes the power of corporations. Most, if not all major corporations are global in scope and influence. They probably have a greater influence on governments than does the news media. In fact, the media is in many ways, just a tool of the global corporations. Money is power and the amount of money in the control of some companies is enough to buy political control of most countries. The only thing keeping it in check is that other companies are vying for that same control. It is a matter of competition to see who is the highest bidder.
So, how do I turn this post into a positive? I think it is simply this: We must first recognize that there is a global power that is in control. In fact, that power is in charge of the entirety of creation. God is in control and our brief time on this planet matters only from the perspective of our relationship with Him. Do we choose to accept Him and His control, or do we believe mankind knows what is best? To me, the choice seems very, very clear -- especially after reading the news.
Romans 8:28-39
I mention this because the first thing I feed my mind each morning is what is going on in the country and the world around me and yet I am committed to (at least trying) to keep this a positive place. It's kind of hard to do that some days when the news all seems to be negative -- at least from my point of view. I suppose if you have a socialist or, anarchist bent you might see it as positive, but that's not the way I am wired.
A lot of folks seem to have their head in the sand when it comes to what is going on in the world. I admit that I am sometimes guilty of wanting to avoid the news because it is so depressing. I continue to view Facebook most days and the things I see posted there may be the most depressing of all -- it has become a place where the political spectrum has disappeared to become replaced by distinct camps. I won't say "armed camps" because that connotes violence, but both sides are definitely armed with memes and opinion commentaries that foment the discord. It is not healthy.
Throughout the history of our country there have been news sources that supported particular political candidates or political points of view. Polarization of political philosophies has been around as long as political parties have existed. Historically, it has been fairly obvious which news sources supported which political party. Some would argue it is the same today. I disagree. Today, I think it is more a matter of whether the news source supports globalization or, a more nationalist approach to government. Since most news organizations are global in scope, most support globalization -- even those with so-called "right-leaning" pundits among their editorial staff.
I try to be a "nationalist" in thinking, but often find I am a "globalist" in my view. What I mean is that I would like to see the rest of the world be "blessed" with the type of government ours was designed originally to be. The problem is that I fear the concentration of power desired by most in the "globalist" camp into a one-world government. Corruption occurs with power -- even at the city council or school board level. Can you imagine the level of corruption that would occur with a one-world government? (Just look at the U.N.) Imagining such is like trying to envision a trillion dollars. It is mind boggling. For that reason alone, I am opposed to globalization of the political system.
Along with the push for globalization of political systems comes the power of corporations. Most, if not all major corporations are global in scope and influence. They probably have a greater influence on governments than does the news media. In fact, the media is in many ways, just a tool of the global corporations. Money is power and the amount of money in the control of some companies is enough to buy political control of most countries. The only thing keeping it in check is that other companies are vying for that same control. It is a matter of competition to see who is the highest bidder.
So, how do I turn this post into a positive? I think it is simply this: We must first recognize that there is a global power that is in control. In fact, that power is in charge of the entirety of creation. God is in control and our brief time on this planet matters only from the perspective of our relationship with Him. Do we choose to accept Him and His control, or do we believe mankind knows what is best? To me, the choice seems very, very clear -- especially after reading the news.
Romans 8:28-39
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Thinking About Thinking
Do you ever get a song stuck in your head that just keeps playing over and over and over again? When you realize what is happening you do things to try and get it out of your head such as focusing on another song and that one gets stuck in your head and eventually morphs back into the original song? I wonder why that happens?
How many times are you asked, "What are you thinking about so hard?" only to respond, "Oh, nothing," when the reality is you had a thousand random thoughts bouncing around in your mind, but you really weren't focused on anything in particular? Maybe you aren't that way and really were focused on something specific but, didn't want to admit what it was to the questioner.
What is it that causes our mind to do such things? Why is it that our mind needs to be active when we are awake? We can't actually think about nothing -- it is an impossibility; if you think about "nothing" you are actually thinking about something and that something is "nothing." Yeah, I know, I'm a little weird at times.
Sometimes I have a hard time reading because my mind keeps drifting off, thinking about things other than the book in my hand. It frustrates me, especially when I want to read the book in order to "escape" thinking about work, or whatever it might be, for awhile. When that happens, I can sometimes turn on the television and listen to it while I read and it mostly eliminates the problem. Yes, my attention is divided, but I can at least get rid of the "work think" for a time, but that's a different problem than having my mind adrift with a song, or random thoughts. I envy those people who at least claim to be able to focus 100% of their thoughts on a problem. I tend to chase the covey rather than a single bird.
I must admit that I have zero training in the area of the brain or, of psychology. I don't necessarily equate the two things like some might do. The brain and how it works has always intrigued me however, and I am inclined to be an observer -- it's part of my personality -- the way I'm wired. I sometimes find myself thinking about thinking -- would that be meta-thinking?
I suspect what is happening when we become fixated on something like a song, or our thoughts drift randomly in a daydream, that our subconscious mind is completely focused on something else. Somewhere below our level of awareness, our brain is wrestling with a problem and the "aware" part of us is left to "automatic" mode, or to "neutral" mode -- it is disengaged until some external stimulus releases a hormone that snaps it back to attention.
When you think about it, that's pretty amazing. I cannot grasp how anyone could believe such a thing could be the result of natural selection from random mutations through eons of evolution. Some would say that's because I don't have the mental capacity to do so. To them I would ask that they explain it to me on terms that I can understand -- if they can't, they don't understand it either. If you truly know your subject you can teach it to others on a level they can grasp.
How many times are you asked, "What are you thinking about so hard?" only to respond, "Oh, nothing," when the reality is you had a thousand random thoughts bouncing around in your mind, but you really weren't focused on anything in particular? Maybe you aren't that way and really were focused on something specific but, didn't want to admit what it was to the questioner.
What is it that causes our mind to do such things? Why is it that our mind needs to be active when we are awake? We can't actually think about nothing -- it is an impossibility; if you think about "nothing" you are actually thinking about something and that something is "nothing." Yeah, I know, I'm a little weird at times.
Sometimes I have a hard time reading because my mind keeps drifting off, thinking about things other than the book in my hand. It frustrates me, especially when I want to read the book in order to "escape" thinking about work, or whatever it might be, for awhile. When that happens, I can sometimes turn on the television and listen to it while I read and it mostly eliminates the problem. Yes, my attention is divided, but I can at least get rid of the "work think" for a time, but that's a different problem than having my mind adrift with a song, or random thoughts. I envy those people who at least claim to be able to focus 100% of their thoughts on a problem. I tend to chase the covey rather than a single bird.
I must admit that I have zero training in the area of the brain or, of psychology. I don't necessarily equate the two things like some might do. The brain and how it works has always intrigued me however, and I am inclined to be an observer -- it's part of my personality -- the way I'm wired. I sometimes find myself thinking about thinking -- would that be meta-thinking?
I suspect what is happening when we become fixated on something like a song, or our thoughts drift randomly in a daydream, that our subconscious mind is completely focused on something else. Somewhere below our level of awareness, our brain is wrestling with a problem and the "aware" part of us is left to "automatic" mode, or to "neutral" mode -- it is disengaged until some external stimulus releases a hormone that snaps it back to attention.
When you think about it, that's pretty amazing. I cannot grasp how anyone could believe such a thing could be the result of natural selection from random mutations through eons of evolution. Some would say that's because I don't have the mental capacity to do so. To them I would ask that they explain it to me on terms that I can understand -- if they can't, they don't understand it either. If you truly know your subject you can teach it to others on a level they can grasp.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Sweat and Rocket Power
Some mornings I look at the blank page before me and have nothing that seems worthwhile about which to write. You might think that would occur during the slow times, those times when there isn't much going on, but instead, it is mostly when my mind is preoccupied with something.
Usually when I go to bed, before I fall asleep, I remind myself to come up with a subject for my morning post. I have found that my mind will work on it without me being fully aware, although there are times I awake at night with a "eureka" moment and realize I have been inspired. That isn't usually the case -- especially if there are other things that are taking up the "processing time" that is the realm of REM sleep when our mind is actively sorting through events and organizing them for later retrieval. It is the time we recognize as dream time, even though we don't usually realize we are dreaming unless we awaken directly from that state.
I find dreams fascinating. I know it is just my brain trying to make sense of things and to organize itself into patterns but, it intrigues me to think about the dream when I become aware that it is one, and to try and figure out just exactly what events, or minor piece of trivia, triggered it -- to what is it related.
Last night I had rather strange dreams in which I envisioned myself rotting -- at least my skin was deteriorating and falling apart. To some, I can imagine it would have been a nightmare, but I just found it interesting. Was it my mind dealing with aging? I suppose that is possible, but I actually think it was stimulated from the fresh bread that filled our kitchen with pleasing aromas yesterday.
It was sourdough bread -- my wife makes excellent sourdough bread -- and it releases an aroma that is distinct. Bread is associated with yeast which is a fungus. Fungi are part of the natural cycle of breaking down dead things into their component and reusable compounds. Dead trees in the woods are often covered with fungi -- especially those which are still standing. The tiny filaments of the fungi penetrate the pores of the wood and slowly break it apart -- much like I dreamed was happening to my skin in the dream.
The entire episode reminds me of what I wrote about a few days ago -- we all are made of the elements of this earth and someday will return those elements back into the earth. It is part of the cycle of life on this planet.
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are the most common elements in our bodies. They each are part of cyclical patterns that have existed since the earth was formed. The carbon released from our breath may have once been part of a Tyrannosaurus which roamed the earth. The oxygen we breath may have once been a part of some ancient Chinese Emperor. The hydrogen in a drop of sweat may someday help power a rocket to the moon. Whether we like it or not, we are physically "one" with the earth.
So, what sets us apart? Perhaps it is simply the ability to recognize a dream for what it is, the assimilation of data into informative patterns. Those informative patterns reveal a masterful hand of creation. By recognizing our limitations as part of the cyclical nature of this planet, we are able to see God and to know that He is not us, but much, much bigger.
Usually when I go to bed, before I fall asleep, I remind myself to come up with a subject for my morning post. I have found that my mind will work on it without me being fully aware, although there are times I awake at night with a "eureka" moment and realize I have been inspired. That isn't usually the case -- especially if there are other things that are taking up the "processing time" that is the realm of REM sleep when our mind is actively sorting through events and organizing them for later retrieval. It is the time we recognize as dream time, even though we don't usually realize we are dreaming unless we awaken directly from that state.
I find dreams fascinating. I know it is just my brain trying to make sense of things and to organize itself into patterns but, it intrigues me to think about the dream when I become aware that it is one, and to try and figure out just exactly what events, or minor piece of trivia, triggered it -- to what is it related.
Last night I had rather strange dreams in which I envisioned myself rotting -- at least my skin was deteriorating and falling apart. To some, I can imagine it would have been a nightmare, but I just found it interesting. Was it my mind dealing with aging? I suppose that is possible, but I actually think it was stimulated from the fresh bread that filled our kitchen with pleasing aromas yesterday.
It was sourdough bread -- my wife makes excellent sourdough bread -- and it releases an aroma that is distinct. Bread is associated with yeast which is a fungus. Fungi are part of the natural cycle of breaking down dead things into their component and reusable compounds. Dead trees in the woods are often covered with fungi -- especially those which are still standing. The tiny filaments of the fungi penetrate the pores of the wood and slowly break it apart -- much like I dreamed was happening to my skin in the dream.
The entire episode reminds me of what I wrote about a few days ago -- we all are made of the elements of this earth and someday will return those elements back into the earth. It is part of the cycle of life on this planet.
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are the most common elements in our bodies. They each are part of cyclical patterns that have existed since the earth was formed. The carbon released from our breath may have once been part of a Tyrannosaurus which roamed the earth. The oxygen we breath may have once been a part of some ancient Chinese Emperor. The hydrogen in a drop of sweat may someday help power a rocket to the moon. Whether we like it or not, we are physically "one" with the earth.
So, what sets us apart? Perhaps it is simply the ability to recognize a dream for what it is, the assimilation of data into informative patterns. Those informative patterns reveal a masterful hand of creation. By recognizing our limitations as part of the cyclical nature of this planet, we are able to see God and to know that He is not us, but much, much bigger.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Uneven Thinking
Some days
My mind
Won't stay
Engaged in
Any particular
Line of
Thought and
Bounces from
One place
To another.
It's usually
When there
Is something
That is
Using up
Most of
The processing
Capacity and
Continually is
Running in
The background.
This is
One of
Those days
After a
Long night
Of wakeful
Thought about
A project
On which
I wish
To embark.
The result
Is that
This morning
My thoughts
Are disjointed
And broken
Into small
Fragments that
Make focusing
On something
Else a
Difficult task.
I can't even keep the number of lines the same....
My mind
Won't stay
Engaged in
Any particular
Line of
Thought and
Bounces from
One place
To another.
It's usually
When there
Is something
That is
Using up
Most of
The processing
Capacity and
Continually is
Running in
The background.
This is
One of
Those days
After a
Long night
Of wakeful
Thought about
A project
On which
I wish
To embark.
The result
Is that
This morning
My thoughts
Are disjointed
And broken
Into small
Fragments that
Make focusing
On something
Else a
Difficult task.
I can't even keep the number of lines the same....
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Allergies and Responsibilities
In our part of the world we have had a very mild winter so far. It has been wet and it has been cold, but it hasn't really been that cold. We have only had a handful of days where the temperatures dropped below freezing. I haven't had to break ice on the cattle water a single time so far. I'm sure that will change, but the near-term forecast isn't calling for it.
The mild weather has meant an early allergy season. I don't think the cedar trees in our area are releasing pollen yet, but they will soon. However, the cedars to the southwest of us in Central Texas are in full bloom and the amount of pollen arriving on the prevailing southwest breezes has been overwhelming. It affects my breathing and my eyes mostly, but on some days, I can't stop my nose from running either. My better half has been fighting it for weeks. It is debilitating to someone unused to dealing with it.
Growing up on the High Plains of the southern Texas Panhandle I didn't have to worry about cedar pollen. It was all to the southeast of us and prevailing winds took it another direction. What got me there was the pollen from Careless Weeds (Pigweed), Kochia, corn, grain sorghum and who knows what else. In the fall, the dust from cotton affected me greatly. Gin dust triggers asthma within seconds of breathing it.
I've lived with allergies to pollen and dust all of my life. You just learn to suck it up (sometimes literally) and go on. It saps your energy and it is annoying -- both to you and to others. It keeps the Kleenex company in business.
I suppose I could jump on the "Climate Change" bandwagon and blame my allergies on the rest of humanity. It couldn't possibly be something natural that is causing this mild winter; it must be the result of human activity. After all, if a person doesn't believe in God, everything becomes the result of human effort. It also fits the pattern of finding fault. It is popular to blame someone else for your problems rather than just accepting that things happen and moving on.
I'm responsible for my behavior. Part of that responsibility is in how I react to adversity or, to the good things that happen in life. I also believe we each have the responsibility to help others through times of adversity because we may need similar help in the future. Right now, I will pass the box of Kleenex and take on a few extra chores because for whatever reason, the allergies aren't affecting me quite as hard. Maybe I've built up some immunity through the years.
The mild weather has meant an early allergy season. I don't think the cedar trees in our area are releasing pollen yet, but they will soon. However, the cedars to the southwest of us in Central Texas are in full bloom and the amount of pollen arriving on the prevailing southwest breezes has been overwhelming. It affects my breathing and my eyes mostly, but on some days, I can't stop my nose from running either. My better half has been fighting it for weeks. It is debilitating to someone unused to dealing with it.
Growing up on the High Plains of the southern Texas Panhandle I didn't have to worry about cedar pollen. It was all to the southeast of us and prevailing winds took it another direction. What got me there was the pollen from Careless Weeds (Pigweed), Kochia, corn, grain sorghum and who knows what else. In the fall, the dust from cotton affected me greatly. Gin dust triggers asthma within seconds of breathing it.
I've lived with allergies to pollen and dust all of my life. You just learn to suck it up (sometimes literally) and go on. It saps your energy and it is annoying -- both to you and to others. It keeps the Kleenex company in business.
I suppose I could jump on the "Climate Change" bandwagon and blame my allergies on the rest of humanity. It couldn't possibly be something natural that is causing this mild winter; it must be the result of human activity. After all, if a person doesn't believe in God, everything becomes the result of human effort. It also fits the pattern of finding fault. It is popular to blame someone else for your problems rather than just accepting that things happen and moving on.
I'm responsible for my behavior. Part of that responsibility is in how I react to adversity or, to the good things that happen in life. I also believe we each have the responsibility to help others through times of adversity because we may need similar help in the future. Right now, I will pass the box of Kleenex and take on a few extra chores because for whatever reason, the allergies aren't affecting me quite as hard. Maybe I've built up some immunity through the years.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Nairobi Was Not What I Expected
In going back through my files I stumbled across the following piece that I wrote soon after returning from a trip to Kenya in 2011.
Nairobi was not what I expected. In many ways, it looked like most modern
cities. It didn’t conform to my image of
Africa.
Nairobi was merely the point of embarkation for the reality
of Kenya, a land of contrasts. Distance
from Nairobi provides a scale with which to measure, to place in perspective,
the glimpses afforded us on our journey of both spiritual growth and cultural
awareness.
Beauty was everywhere in the Kenyan countryside. Tea plantations, flowers in profusion, banana
trees, green hillsides, eucalyptus trees, and brightly colored clothes adorning
the people were a visual delight providing unending variety.
Except in the enclaves of privacy, remnants of British
Colonialism, people were everywhere.
Walking, selling, bicycling, riding motorcycles, crowding into matatus (local version of a taxi),
washing clothes in roadside streams, or merely milling in groups of varying
sizes, people were everywhere. They
represented various tribes that once lived in homelands destroyed by the
well-intentioned colonial system of integration that was designed to transfer
loyalty from the local chieftain to the Commonwealth. Now mixed in all their variety, tribal
identities were still visible in associations and in physical features only.
Scattered throughout were the impoverished and the marginalized.
Distance from Nairobi served merely to emphasize the depth
of poverty among the people. Near the
capitol city, the slums were pushed to waste lands, away from the bright gems
of modernity. As distance multiplied, the
gems became fewer and the poverty overwhelming.
HIV is one of the culprits.
With one of the highest rates of AIDS in the world, Kenyan is home to a huge
number of widows and orphans. These
outcasts from society due to the stigma of a father dead from AIDS, spend their
days struggling for survival. Whether
selling produce from a tiny garden at the speed bumps placed along the
highways, or depending on neighbors and relatives for food, these victims of
the HIV pandemic fight daily just to live.
They are ripe for exploitation.
The churches springing up among these most vulnerable people
are seen as a refuge from exploitation.
They are a place of belonging for those who no longer belong. They are a community to which the love of
Christ draws inexorably those who crave love most desperately. They are a source of hope in an otherwise
hopeless existence.
How can such churches survive when there is no support? How can a congregation that consists of the
impoverished provide the help for daily sustenance that is so desperately
needed? How can the pastors who seek to
serve these needy believers support themselves while giving endlessly to those
who are even needier?
The bi-vocational pastors that I met in the Western
Highlands of Kenya give their all to serve their congregants and their God. They struggle to support their own families
while providing for the needs of those who depend on them for spiritual
guidance. With offerings that often fail
to exceed the equivalent of $1.50 on a Sunday, how are these pastors to
continue? Many are disheartened – almost
to the point of despair.
A stigma attaches to those who seem unable to live up to the
expectations of their neighbors. This is
true in every society. Just look at the
pressure to “succeed” that is evident in every community in the United
States. Imagine a situation where one is
seeking to do the very best for their “flock” of believers only to fall under
the judgmental eye of neighbors who mockingly accuse them of being unable to
care for their own family. Many of the
pastors to the impoverished of Kenya feel that this is their case.
Schooling in Kenya is not free. Tuition is required to educate children at
every grade level. With the struggle for
daily bread occupying every free moment, the bi-vocational pastors who give
generously to the widows and orphans in their congregations, often find
themselves unable to meet the required tuition to educate their own
children. Such an example is often felt
to be an impediment to effective outreach to evangelize their communities. It is a situation that could easily be
remedied by the wealth of fellow Christians in the United States.
Why is it that we see ourselves helpless to do anything as
we wallow in relative luxury while those who are truly doing the work of the
church – sharing the love of Jesus and making disciples – struggle just to feed
and educate their family? We own
multiple cars while pastors in Kenya must pay more than they can afford to ride
on the back of a motorcycle to a conference where they can meet with other
pastors serving similar congregations.
We complain if we miss a meal that contains more calories than most of
the orphans and widows in the slums of Kenya will receive over several
days. It is a ringing indictment against
the church in the U.S. that we fight over buildings and parking lots when new
churches in the slums of Kenya are meeting in metal-sided sheds or under
trees. Do we truly serve Jesus, or do we
merely serve ourselves? I think our
Father in Heaven has given us the answer.
“For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have eternal life.” -- John
3:16
Friday, January 11, 2019
Winter Rain
A soft gray glowing dome
Of reflected light
Before the dawn,
Without a sight
Of bursting colors,
Day is creeping upward
Tentatively
As though reluctant
To reveal the dreariness
Of expected winter rain.
Of reflected light
Before the dawn,
Without a sight
Of bursting colors,
Day is creeping upward
Tentatively
As though reluctant
To reveal the dreariness
Of expected winter rain.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Working Through My Thoughts
Today is a writing deadline for me. My column for a trade publication for which I write is due today. I have made numerous starts, but can't seem to complete it. Maybe that's inaccurate; I've written a couple of them and then deleted them because they didn't "feel" right.
Usually, deadlines are good for me. I like to have something virtually completed in my head before I "dump it" on paper -- er, type it into the computer. Having started writing in the days of paper and pencil and later with a typewriter, old thinking dies hard. I should just immediately begin the rough draft on the computer and correct it afterward. Corrections are much easier today when it only requires a backspace or delete key. The trouble with today's deadline is that I still have no clear idea about what to write.
The Publisher will likely be reading this post later this morning and will laugh at me.
The topic for the issue is, "Where do we go from here?" The magazine will include industry projections and analysis. Maybe that's the trouble; I don't have a clue where we are headed. The level of turmoil and uncertainty in the world is high, but thinking back through history, when has it not been high? Maybe that's the answer; just like the writer of Ecclesiastes, I will point out that there is nothing new under the sun. It will be another year of same-old-same-old.
That's not like me though, I don't believe it for an instant. Change is inevitable, but usually gradual in nature. Change creeps in like a cat stalking a bird. It is silent and stealthy and keeps its head down until suddenly springing upon the quarry which bursts into a ball of feathers beneath the swatting paw. I suppose the answer is, don't be the ball of feathers.
Well, I'm glad we've had this little chat within my head, maybe now I have some sense of what to write for my column....
Usually, deadlines are good for me. I like to have something virtually completed in my head before I "dump it" on paper -- er, type it into the computer. Having started writing in the days of paper and pencil and later with a typewriter, old thinking dies hard. I should just immediately begin the rough draft on the computer and correct it afterward. Corrections are much easier today when it only requires a backspace or delete key. The trouble with today's deadline is that I still have no clear idea about what to write.
The Publisher will likely be reading this post later this morning and will laugh at me.
The topic for the issue is, "Where do we go from here?" The magazine will include industry projections and analysis. Maybe that's the trouble; I don't have a clue where we are headed. The level of turmoil and uncertainty in the world is high, but thinking back through history, when has it not been high? Maybe that's the answer; just like the writer of Ecclesiastes, I will point out that there is nothing new under the sun. It will be another year of same-old-same-old.
That's not like me though, I don't believe it for an instant. Change is inevitable, but usually gradual in nature. Change creeps in like a cat stalking a bird. It is silent and stealthy and keeps its head down until suddenly springing upon the quarry which bursts into a ball of feathers beneath the swatting paw. I suppose the answer is, don't be the ball of feathers.
Well, I'm glad we've had this little chat within my head, maybe now I have some sense of what to write for my column....
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Waking Up
Some mornings it seems really hard
To get myself in gear;
It's like a cloud hangs over me
And sleep seems oh, so dear.
But I drink a cup of coffee
And then a couple more,
Put on my boots, my hat and coat
And head right out the door
Into the frosty morning
With stars still shining bright
And the silence that surrounds me
Before the breaking light
Where my body slowly wakens
To the wonder that I meet
Or, maybe it's responding
To the obvious lack of heat
As I climb into my pickup
And crank the heater up to high
'Cause I need to check the cattle
Whose calving time is nigh.
There's ice to break and hay to feed
And maybe a new life
Born upon a frigid morn
Amidst the birthing strife.
And the sweat begins to trickle
'Neath the heavy clothes I wear
So I roll down my window
To let in some cool air
Then pausing in my labor
I begin to realize
That right there in the eastern sky
A brilliant sunrise
Has turned the frozen blades to crystal
And in spite of all the cold
I stand and look in wonder
At the colors painted bold
And know that I have wakened
Fully to the rising day
As I climb back in the pickup
And head on my merry way.
To get myself in gear;
It's like a cloud hangs over me
And sleep seems oh, so dear.
But I drink a cup of coffee
And then a couple more,
Put on my boots, my hat and coat
And head right out the door
Into the frosty morning
With stars still shining bright
And the silence that surrounds me
Before the breaking light
Where my body slowly wakens
To the wonder that I meet
Or, maybe it's responding
To the obvious lack of heat
As I climb into my pickup
And crank the heater up to high
'Cause I need to check the cattle
Whose calving time is nigh.
There's ice to break and hay to feed
And maybe a new life
Born upon a frigid morn
Amidst the birthing strife.
And the sweat begins to trickle
'Neath the heavy clothes I wear
So I roll down my window
To let in some cool air
Then pausing in my labor
I begin to realize
That right there in the eastern sky
A brilliant sunrise
Has turned the frozen blades to crystal
And in spite of all the cold
I stand and look in wonder
At the colors painted bold
And know that I have wakened
Fully to the rising day
As I climb back in the pickup
And head on my merry way.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Taking Measure
Sometimes our measure of things is confused. I'm not talking about objects necessarily, but about anything we gauge. How we measure depends upon our orientation and upon our reason for measuring. We gauge things from within the confines of our own "box" -- this shell in which we live which consists of our body and cumulative experience.
An example: If I need a board to cover a window during a hurricane, I am not particularly concerned with the accuracy of the measurement. If the window is 3' X 5' the board needs to be slightly larger. However, if I need the board to fit inside the window frame and yet cover the space completely, the measurements need to be exact, or very nearly so.
If I am building a gate and need a miter cut for a 45 degree angle for the cross brace, the cut needs to be very close to 45 degrees, but doesn't have to be exact. After all, it is a gate and wear and tear will eventually show and I am not worried about it being perfect -- just close. But, if I am building a piece of fine furniture and need a miter cut, it needs to be virtually flawless. The joining of the wood should be so exact as to be invisible.
If my task is to fill a space, sometimes the answer is to find a pliable substance that can conform to that space rather than a rigid material that must be cut exactly. Sometimes we need to consider why we are taking measure.
We judge things around us in the same way. We gauge them -- take their measure. We do this with people too even though we don't think about it in the same way. How we judge -- take their measure -- depends on our relationship to them.
Sometimes our judgment comes from a rigidity that is built from experience completely different from the one we are judging. We often don't realize the rigidity is defensive in nature -- it comes from out of the forces that have shaped us.
When we find ourselves judging harshly -- rigidly -- perhaps the first question we should ask is why? What has caused us to have such a strong, rigid opinion? Is it due to a past experience, is it merely a perception shaped by others, or is it an issue of right and wrong based on principle? If principle, we must ask from where that principle comes. Is it Biblical, is it societal, or was it shaped by our specific associations such as racially biased parents?
There is a lot of misunderstanding going on in the world today. We measure motive and individuals on assumptions that may be flawed. Sometimes the first measure needs to be of ourselves.
An example: If I need a board to cover a window during a hurricane, I am not particularly concerned with the accuracy of the measurement. If the window is 3' X 5' the board needs to be slightly larger. However, if I need the board to fit inside the window frame and yet cover the space completely, the measurements need to be exact, or very nearly so.
If I am building a gate and need a miter cut for a 45 degree angle for the cross brace, the cut needs to be very close to 45 degrees, but doesn't have to be exact. After all, it is a gate and wear and tear will eventually show and I am not worried about it being perfect -- just close. But, if I am building a piece of fine furniture and need a miter cut, it needs to be virtually flawless. The joining of the wood should be so exact as to be invisible.
If my task is to fill a space, sometimes the answer is to find a pliable substance that can conform to that space rather than a rigid material that must be cut exactly. Sometimes we need to consider why we are taking measure.
We judge things around us in the same way. We gauge them -- take their measure. We do this with people too even though we don't think about it in the same way. How we judge -- take their measure -- depends on our relationship to them.
Sometimes our judgment comes from a rigidity that is built from experience completely different from the one we are judging. We often don't realize the rigidity is defensive in nature -- it comes from out of the forces that have shaped us.
When we find ourselves judging harshly -- rigidly -- perhaps the first question we should ask is why? What has caused us to have such a strong, rigid opinion? Is it due to a past experience, is it merely a perception shaped by others, or is it an issue of right and wrong based on principle? If principle, we must ask from where that principle comes. Is it Biblical, is it societal, or was it shaped by our specific associations such as racially biased parents?
There is a lot of misunderstanding going on in the world today. We measure motive and individuals on assumptions that may be flawed. Sometimes the first measure needs to be of ourselves.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Clarification on Yesterday's Post
I think yesterday a few teachers thought my post was aimed at them; it wasn't. It was a much broader quarry toward which I cast my net. It was society in general and the U.S. economic system in particular.
First, let me clarify that I am a firm believer in free enterprise and capitalism. They are two different approaches that usually overlap to a significant extent and combined, they work well within a society ordered by a clear and pervasive moral standard that believes no one should be left behind. However, no matter the clarity of general moral purpose, there are always exceptions -- those who would take advantage of the system for the accumulation of personal power and wealth above that which is needed or, even desirable. After all, power and wealth both corrupt.
The failures of our economic system are many and they are based in the self-centeredness of individuals. They occur when actions are justified by the thought, "I deserve," rather than an awareness of the needs of others. When the focus is on others, all are lifted and the result is multiplicative in the positive. When the focus is on self, one is lifted above others and the result is subtractive -- it becomes mine at the expense of yours.
The opposite view is that there are those who would ride freely on the coattails of those who do the work. This occurs for the same reason as the above -- a self-centeredness that values leisure above the accumulation of wealth and power. It also is subtactive in nature rather than multiplicative and acts as a brake on the productivity of others.
Ultimately the issue is the age-old one so clearly defined in the Bible. It is a question of personal value and control. The question is, "Who is in control? Who knows what is best for not only my life, but the lives of others?" The answer must be God, because to answer self places the individual above his surroundings, or the totality of creation and the concept of ego-centrism enters.
Failure of any economic system rests simply in the fact that the individual sees himself as greater than the whole. In a humanistic view, this leads naturally to socialism which dissolves into communism for the same reasons as all other systems fail -- the accretion of power to individuals.
Devaluing people -- treating them as interchangeable parts -- is at root the cause of the disintegration of our country. We must see life -- human life -- as something of value in order to rise above the increasingly violent struggle between political philosophies. We must first realize that ALL have failed -- ALL have fallen short -- before we can begin to rise.
Romans 3:23 -- ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God....
First, let me clarify that I am a firm believer in free enterprise and capitalism. They are two different approaches that usually overlap to a significant extent and combined, they work well within a society ordered by a clear and pervasive moral standard that believes no one should be left behind. However, no matter the clarity of general moral purpose, there are always exceptions -- those who would take advantage of the system for the accumulation of personal power and wealth above that which is needed or, even desirable. After all, power and wealth both corrupt.
The failures of our economic system are many and they are based in the self-centeredness of individuals. They occur when actions are justified by the thought, "I deserve," rather than an awareness of the needs of others. When the focus is on others, all are lifted and the result is multiplicative in the positive. When the focus is on self, one is lifted above others and the result is subtractive -- it becomes mine at the expense of yours.
The opposite view is that there are those who would ride freely on the coattails of those who do the work. This occurs for the same reason as the above -- a self-centeredness that values leisure above the accumulation of wealth and power. It also is subtactive in nature rather than multiplicative and acts as a brake on the productivity of others.
Ultimately the issue is the age-old one so clearly defined in the Bible. It is a question of personal value and control. The question is, "Who is in control? Who knows what is best for not only my life, but the lives of others?" The answer must be God, because to answer self places the individual above his surroundings, or the totality of creation and the concept of ego-centrism enters.
Failure of any economic system rests simply in the fact that the individual sees himself as greater than the whole. In a humanistic view, this leads naturally to socialism which dissolves into communism for the same reasons as all other systems fail -- the accretion of power to individuals.
Devaluing people -- treating them as interchangeable parts -- is at root the cause of the disintegration of our country. We must see life -- human life -- as something of value in order to rise above the increasingly violent struggle between political philosophies. We must first realize that ALL have failed -- ALL have fallen short -- before we can begin to rise.
Romans 3:23 -- ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God....
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Educated Obsolescence
At the risk of offending many, I want to mention a few thoughts about our educational system. To me it seems to be the product of industrialization with the original intent having been lost somewhere along the way.
At the primary level, education is of a reasonably general nature and should, if properly executed, lay a foundation of basic skills that are necessary, or at least useful, in any endeavor. These are the basics of Reading, "Riting" and "Rithmatic." The rudimentary functionality in each subject is necessary to existence in a pre-technological society. Today, with the pervasiveness of computing capabilities, even those functions are relegated to the realm of specialization. We have audio books, voice recording and amazing computational capabilities at our fingertips, or in many cases, strapped to our wrists. The only requirement today for functioning in society is the ability to speak and to hear and even the absence of those abilities can be mitigated somewhat through technology.
In some ways, our cumulative knowledge has replaced our need for existence. Of course, our existence has nothing to do with our functionality within society; it is related to a more primal drive, that of reproduction, if you want to ask the learned of the day, or in a Biblical sense, we are here at the pleasure of God who created us.
Returning to education: As one climbs the educational ladder -- i.e. advances from primary to secondary to post-secondary and then to graduate and post-graduate levels -- the focus becomes one of specialization. The higher one climbs, the more narrow the focus until at the pinnacle, the ability to tie ones shoes may be lost by one who has vast knowledge of the molecular manipulation of genetic code.
I have always been a generalist. Even generalization becomes an area of specialization. This is because of a mindset which permeates the specialists that idealizes knowledge of specific industry as requisite to understanding the needs of that industry.
We have become pieces of machines. The machines are large and complex and our place as a small pin that holds a cog in place is important, however, it places us in a position of total dependence upon the whims of those whose function is to replace parts as they see fit. Our very education devalues our existence.
Even educators are subject to the specialization conundrum. The more they are educated to educate, the less they are qualified to judge the quality of the very subjects they are in charge of conveying to their willing and in the case of public education, often unwilling students. They understand how to educate, but not necessarily what they should teach. They know how to convey information, but often do not know what should be conveyed for the betterment of society.
The founders of our country were, for the most part, highly educated. Their knowledge was of a general nature and included everything from Latin to Astronomy. They were not taught to be specialists, but were instead encouraged to be generalists. It is only by knowing how various things interrelate that understanding can be awakened.
I am not content to be a piece in a machine. Don't misunderstand, I have no qualms about operating within a large system -- a machine -- but, I want to know why my contribution is important. I want to see the overall function -- to stand back and admire the entirety upon occasion. I also want to see the value of not only my contribution, but the contribution of the whole. I want to be able to answer the question, "Is what I am doing making the world a better place?" in the affirmative.
Much of the turmoil within our nation is due to the specialization of roles. When one becomes a part of a machine, one becomes merely that -- a part. Parts are replaceable by other parts -- whether human or machine. Technology has displaced many. Industrialization is the primary reason for our ghettos. Many were displaced by the industrialization of agriculture, more were displaced by the technolization (I think I just made up that word) of industry. What will people do when we are all replaced by machines?
Within the working and non-working classes, the current trend is toward Socialism. The parts of the machine are rebelling. They no longer see value in what they do, only that a few are enriched by their contribution. Obsolescence can occur in many ways....
At the primary level, education is of a reasonably general nature and should, if properly executed, lay a foundation of basic skills that are necessary, or at least useful, in any endeavor. These are the basics of Reading, "Riting" and "Rithmatic." The rudimentary functionality in each subject is necessary to existence in a pre-technological society. Today, with the pervasiveness of computing capabilities, even those functions are relegated to the realm of specialization. We have audio books, voice recording and amazing computational capabilities at our fingertips, or in many cases, strapped to our wrists. The only requirement today for functioning in society is the ability to speak and to hear and even the absence of those abilities can be mitigated somewhat through technology.
In some ways, our cumulative knowledge has replaced our need for existence. Of course, our existence has nothing to do with our functionality within society; it is related to a more primal drive, that of reproduction, if you want to ask the learned of the day, or in a Biblical sense, we are here at the pleasure of God who created us.
Returning to education: As one climbs the educational ladder -- i.e. advances from primary to secondary to post-secondary and then to graduate and post-graduate levels -- the focus becomes one of specialization. The higher one climbs, the more narrow the focus until at the pinnacle, the ability to tie ones shoes may be lost by one who has vast knowledge of the molecular manipulation of genetic code.
I have always been a generalist. Even generalization becomes an area of specialization. This is because of a mindset which permeates the specialists that idealizes knowledge of specific industry as requisite to understanding the needs of that industry.
We have become pieces of machines. The machines are large and complex and our place as a small pin that holds a cog in place is important, however, it places us in a position of total dependence upon the whims of those whose function is to replace parts as they see fit. Our very education devalues our existence.
Even educators are subject to the specialization conundrum. The more they are educated to educate, the less they are qualified to judge the quality of the very subjects they are in charge of conveying to their willing and in the case of public education, often unwilling students. They understand how to educate, but not necessarily what they should teach. They know how to convey information, but often do not know what should be conveyed for the betterment of society.
The founders of our country were, for the most part, highly educated. Their knowledge was of a general nature and included everything from Latin to Astronomy. They were not taught to be specialists, but were instead encouraged to be generalists. It is only by knowing how various things interrelate that understanding can be awakened.
I am not content to be a piece in a machine. Don't misunderstand, I have no qualms about operating within a large system -- a machine -- but, I want to know why my contribution is important. I want to see the overall function -- to stand back and admire the entirety upon occasion. I also want to see the value of not only my contribution, but the contribution of the whole. I want to be able to answer the question, "Is what I am doing making the world a better place?" in the affirmative.
Much of the turmoil within our nation is due to the specialization of roles. When one becomes a part of a machine, one becomes merely that -- a part. Parts are replaceable by other parts -- whether human or machine. Technology has displaced many. Industrialization is the primary reason for our ghettos. Many were displaced by the industrialization of agriculture, more were displaced by the technolization (I think I just made up that word) of industry. What will people do when we are all replaced by machines?
Within the working and non-working classes, the current trend is toward Socialism. The parts of the machine are rebelling. They no longer see value in what they do, only that a few are enriched by their contribution. Obsolescence can occur in many ways....
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Barking Dogs
For some reason the dogs won't stop barking this morning. They are outside dogs and the self-declared guardians of our backyard. I've no idea what got them started and a check outside wasn't particularly illuminating since the sun hasn't yet risen. They generally respond to a whistle and admonition to be quiet, but this morning their memory of the rebuke lasted less than 30 seconds and they returned to their chorus.
Most days it doesn't bother me that they want to greet the morning, complain about the cat that was prowling the neighborhood the night before, or send unheeded messages to the opossum that partook of their dog food during the dark hours, but Saturdays are a day that many like to "sleep in" and I hate for my dogs to be the reason for the undesired interruption of the neighbor's slothfulness. In spite of contradictory evidence, there is a streak of compassion that runs in my blood.
My early rising isn't so much a habit as it is a conviction. I have chosen to discipline myself to a somewhat regular start to my day because the early hours are my most productive. I find that work completed later in the day is often less than my best although I believe at the time that it is at the same standard as I self-impose at all other times. However, often upon review the next day, I find it to be mistake-ridden and not what I would desire and find myself correcting errors that seem to creep in unbidden.
Interruption of my routine sometimes makes me grouchy. I recognize it when it occurs and attempt mitigation in the form of a mental re-set, however it often catches me unaware and I respond uncharacteristically to some comment or action that doesn't fit my expectations. That admission is revealing of the fact that leaving me alone is frequently the best course when I am wandering upon higher ground and out of the ruts that provide comfort to my existence. Higher ground, for me, may merely be a perception that I am seeking a better path when in fact I am wandering in the wilderness. Oh, well.
Ruts -- routine -- can be important. The familiar provides comfort as we find ourselves spinning the gerbil wheel that comprises most days. It is the music in our headphones as we jog the same paths, pound the same treadmill, or drink from the same coffee cup. It is the diversion from a realization that progress is illusive and without change, we merely exist.
Change on the other hand is disruptive. It is a "pied piper" that draws us onward into the new and unknown. Once we are upon that path we no longer desire the distraction of the music in our ears, but we are focused on moving forward. We desire companions upon the path of progress, not those who would take us comfortably back into our well-worn and ever deepening ruts. Again, sometimes it is best to just let me be, lost in my delusional mental fog, for mornings are my "thinking" time.
Barking dogs are noise to be ignored.
Most days it doesn't bother me that they want to greet the morning, complain about the cat that was prowling the neighborhood the night before, or send unheeded messages to the opossum that partook of their dog food during the dark hours, but Saturdays are a day that many like to "sleep in" and I hate for my dogs to be the reason for the undesired interruption of the neighbor's slothfulness. In spite of contradictory evidence, there is a streak of compassion that runs in my blood.
My early rising isn't so much a habit as it is a conviction. I have chosen to discipline myself to a somewhat regular start to my day because the early hours are my most productive. I find that work completed later in the day is often less than my best although I believe at the time that it is at the same standard as I self-impose at all other times. However, often upon review the next day, I find it to be mistake-ridden and not what I would desire and find myself correcting errors that seem to creep in unbidden.
Interruption of my routine sometimes makes me grouchy. I recognize it when it occurs and attempt mitigation in the form of a mental re-set, however it often catches me unaware and I respond uncharacteristically to some comment or action that doesn't fit my expectations. That admission is revealing of the fact that leaving me alone is frequently the best course when I am wandering upon higher ground and out of the ruts that provide comfort to my existence. Higher ground, for me, may merely be a perception that I am seeking a better path when in fact I am wandering in the wilderness. Oh, well.
Ruts -- routine -- can be important. The familiar provides comfort as we find ourselves spinning the gerbil wheel that comprises most days. It is the music in our headphones as we jog the same paths, pound the same treadmill, or drink from the same coffee cup. It is the diversion from a realization that progress is illusive and without change, we merely exist.
Change on the other hand is disruptive. It is a "pied piper" that draws us onward into the new and unknown. Once we are upon that path we no longer desire the distraction of the music in our ears, but we are focused on moving forward. We desire companions upon the path of progress, not those who would take us comfortably back into our well-worn and ever deepening ruts. Again, sometimes it is best to just let me be, lost in my delusional mental fog, for mornings are my "thinking" time.
Barking dogs are noise to be ignored.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Ashes and Dust
In yesterday's post I mentioned that we need to "look at ourselves as part of our environment rather than looking at our environment as an object outside ourselves from which we must extract a living." The idea is Biblical. It is one we typically only hear at funerals, but one that is applicable far beyond that most solemn of occasions. I refer to Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 which says:
Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?
We usually think of these verses in the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" rather than looking at the broader passage quoted above.
Within these verses is basic biology and chemistry. The very same substances -- minerals, water, etc. -- make up all living beings. We are literally built from the soil of this planet. Genesis 2:7 says:
...the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The body that we inhabit is in turn host to many other creatures. It is estimated that there are at least as many non-human cells living within your body as there are human cells. This includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms. These same organisms are often found in the soil which is often the source of introduction into the human body. We are one with the soil.
When we die, of course we must first discount the fact that most people choose to be encased in a concrete vault at death, our bodies are broken down by chemical action and by the action of the many creatures living within it into the basic chemicals and compounds of which it is composed. It literally returns to become a part of the soil.
Throughout our lives we eat the products of the soil. Whether it be directly in the form of plant tissue, or indirectly through animal tissue which is grown from plant tissue, we are eating the soil, although in a much more palatable form. That soil which is created through the natural processes of various creatures living within it such as worms who digest plant and animal material into a form that can be used by new plants is incorporated into our bodies.
Most of us make some attempt to care for our bodies. We need to care more for our soil -- the earth -- from which our bodies come. When I voiced concern for the "trashing" of our environment in yesterday's post, I am not just referring to the aesthetic aspects; I am referring to the impact it has on our very lives. The chemicals we release into the environment come back to us through that very soil.
Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?
We usually think of these verses in the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" rather than looking at the broader passage quoted above.
Within these verses is basic biology and chemistry. The very same substances -- minerals, water, etc. -- make up all living beings. We are literally built from the soil of this planet. Genesis 2:7 says:
...the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The body that we inhabit is in turn host to many other creatures. It is estimated that there are at least as many non-human cells living within your body as there are human cells. This includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms. These same organisms are often found in the soil which is often the source of introduction into the human body. We are one with the soil.
When we die, of course we must first discount the fact that most people choose to be encased in a concrete vault at death, our bodies are broken down by chemical action and by the action of the many creatures living within it into the basic chemicals and compounds of which it is composed. It literally returns to become a part of the soil.
Throughout our lives we eat the products of the soil. Whether it be directly in the form of plant tissue, or indirectly through animal tissue which is grown from plant tissue, we are eating the soil, although in a much more palatable form. That soil which is created through the natural processes of various creatures living within it such as worms who digest plant and animal material into a form that can be used by new plants is incorporated into our bodies.
Most of us make some attempt to care for our bodies. We need to care more for our soil -- the earth -- from which our bodies come. When I voiced concern for the "trashing" of our environment in yesterday's post, I am not just referring to the aesthetic aspects; I am referring to the impact it has on our very lives. The chemicals we release into the environment come back to us through that very soil.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Choices Have Consequences
One of the writing prompts in the book I received for Christmas is: "If you had the resources and extra time to go back to school, what would you like to study?"
The most interesting aspect of the question is that it causes me to reflect on my own choice of Agricultural Economics and whether it was the correct one. The answer, for a whole list of reasons that I won't go into, is that it was probably the correct choice for me. My career looks nothing like I anticipated it would, but it was still the right choice. I believe I am right where God intended me to be.
Through the years, though, I have thought many times that I would prefer to be in a different field altogether. One of my favorite pastimes as a kid was hunting arrowheads. Out of that grew the thought of majoring in Archaeology. I can see myself as an Indiana Jones type, traipsing all over the world, having adventures, dodging poison-tipped arrows and raiding booby-trapped tombs, but that isn't what archaeology is; it is the science of delving into the past through the objects left behind. It requires lots of patience and probably more time in a laboratory or library than in the field excavating ancient ruins. It is also difficult to make a decent living doing it.
I also considered Forestry at one time. My first college searches were for institutions that had great forestry programs. It is actually one of the reasons I considered my Alma Mater of Texas A&M in the first place; they have a great school of Forestry. I also briefly considered Stephen F. Austin University, Oklahoma State and some little college in northern Michigan for the same reason. The trouble is that I didn't really know what being a forester meant. My mental image was of a Ranger in a National Park working with wildlife. A forester is all about growing and harvesting trees. Most of them work in private industry for companies like Weyerhauser.
What I really should have been considering was Wildlife Management or, Wildlife Biology. I think I would have enjoyed a career in either field. With the knowledge I now have, I think it is an area in which I would have excelled. At a former company where I worked a group of us were visiting one time and the subject came up of snakes. Someone mentioned a Cottonmouth but, none of them really knew what they looked like. I pulled up a photo on my phone that I had taken only a couple of weeks previously and showed it to them while describing its behavior and typical environment. My boss looked at me and said, "What are you, some kind of naturalist?" He was probably closer to the truth than he realized. I also had photos of other wildlife, their tracks and trails as well as of the areas where they lived -- all taken during one of my many treks into the woods on our property.
I enjoy hunting, but I'm not what most people would consider an avid hunter. I would rather watch the animals, study their behavior and figure out ways to attract rare or, endangered plants and wildlife to our property. I believe hunting is an important tool for managing wildlife, so I'm not what many in agriculture would consider an eco-nut, or a preservationist. I'm more of a conservationist. A conservationist recognizes that resources should be managed to benefit all -- the land, the environment and people. Deer are a great example. They are an excellent source of protein, they provide aesthetic value to the viewer, they help control vegetation and they co-exist well with domestic animals such as cattle. The recreational value of hunting them is an added benefit. We attempt to manage our land in a way that is attractive to deer and other wildlife.
What I find interesting is that I view wildlife management in economic terms. By economic terms, I'm not just referring to a dollar value, I am thinking of overall value which includes the various things listed in the previous paragraph in reference to deer. Value is measured by what we are willing to give in exchange for it. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Wildlife Management and Economics fit hand-in-glove when you really think about it.
We need to look at ourselves as part of our environment rather than looking at our environment as an object outside ourselves from which we must extract a living. Maximum resource benefit, sustainability, these are things we should consider with each and every purchase or, consumer decision we make. Cattle have a tendency to defecate on their food. In their case, in a grassy pasture, it is a return of the organic matter to the soil from which it came. It is in a highly processed form that makes the nutrients readily available to be reincorporated back into the soil. Humans aren't in the habit of defecating on their food, but in a way do something even worse -- pollute the environment of which they are a part.
I am disgusted every time I make the drive out to our place in the country. People in this area haven't accepted the message that throwing trash on the roadside is unacceptable. The ditches along the roadway to our place are filled with cups and plastic bottles and beer bottles and other trash thrown from the windows of the cars that pass by. That refuse washes down the various waterways into the creeks and ultimately the lakes which are the primary source of drinking water for the area. I constantly find items that wash across our pasture during heavy rains. The people of the neighborhood are literally trashing their own nest; polluting their own drinking water. They give no thought to the long-term impact of their behavior.
The issue isn't just one of our "local" nest, it is the planet itself. Our consumptive behaviors may not have a visible impact in our own backyard, but they have one -- perhaps on the other side of the world. We need to learn to be a part of this planet, not just consumers of it.
Ah, well, I suppose I ended up on a bit of a rant today. It wasn't my intention. I really was just thinking about whether or not I would choose the same educational and career path if I had it to do over again. The answer is probably yes, but I have broadened my areas of interest through the years.
The most interesting aspect of the question is that it causes me to reflect on my own choice of Agricultural Economics and whether it was the correct one. The answer, for a whole list of reasons that I won't go into, is that it was probably the correct choice for me. My career looks nothing like I anticipated it would, but it was still the right choice. I believe I am right where God intended me to be.
Through the years, though, I have thought many times that I would prefer to be in a different field altogether. One of my favorite pastimes as a kid was hunting arrowheads. Out of that grew the thought of majoring in Archaeology. I can see myself as an Indiana Jones type, traipsing all over the world, having adventures, dodging poison-tipped arrows and raiding booby-trapped tombs, but that isn't what archaeology is; it is the science of delving into the past through the objects left behind. It requires lots of patience and probably more time in a laboratory or library than in the field excavating ancient ruins. It is also difficult to make a decent living doing it.
I also considered Forestry at one time. My first college searches were for institutions that had great forestry programs. It is actually one of the reasons I considered my Alma Mater of Texas A&M in the first place; they have a great school of Forestry. I also briefly considered Stephen F. Austin University, Oklahoma State and some little college in northern Michigan for the same reason. The trouble is that I didn't really know what being a forester meant. My mental image was of a Ranger in a National Park working with wildlife. A forester is all about growing and harvesting trees. Most of them work in private industry for companies like Weyerhauser.
What I really should have been considering was Wildlife Management or, Wildlife Biology. I think I would have enjoyed a career in either field. With the knowledge I now have, I think it is an area in which I would have excelled. At a former company where I worked a group of us were visiting one time and the subject came up of snakes. Someone mentioned a Cottonmouth but, none of them really knew what they looked like. I pulled up a photo on my phone that I had taken only a couple of weeks previously and showed it to them while describing its behavior and typical environment. My boss looked at me and said, "What are you, some kind of naturalist?" He was probably closer to the truth than he realized. I also had photos of other wildlife, their tracks and trails as well as of the areas where they lived -- all taken during one of my many treks into the woods on our property.
I enjoy hunting, but I'm not what most people would consider an avid hunter. I would rather watch the animals, study their behavior and figure out ways to attract rare or, endangered plants and wildlife to our property. I believe hunting is an important tool for managing wildlife, so I'm not what many in agriculture would consider an eco-nut, or a preservationist. I'm more of a conservationist. A conservationist recognizes that resources should be managed to benefit all -- the land, the environment and people. Deer are a great example. They are an excellent source of protein, they provide aesthetic value to the viewer, they help control vegetation and they co-exist well with domestic animals such as cattle. The recreational value of hunting them is an added benefit. We attempt to manage our land in a way that is attractive to deer and other wildlife.
What I find interesting is that I view wildlife management in economic terms. By economic terms, I'm not just referring to a dollar value, I am thinking of overall value which includes the various things listed in the previous paragraph in reference to deer. Value is measured by what we are willing to give in exchange for it. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Wildlife Management and Economics fit hand-in-glove when you really think about it.
We need to look at ourselves as part of our environment rather than looking at our environment as an object outside ourselves from which we must extract a living. Maximum resource benefit, sustainability, these are things we should consider with each and every purchase or, consumer decision we make. Cattle have a tendency to defecate on their food. In their case, in a grassy pasture, it is a return of the organic matter to the soil from which it came. It is in a highly processed form that makes the nutrients readily available to be reincorporated back into the soil. Humans aren't in the habit of defecating on their food, but in a way do something even worse -- pollute the environment of which they are a part.
I am disgusted every time I make the drive out to our place in the country. People in this area haven't accepted the message that throwing trash on the roadside is unacceptable. The ditches along the roadway to our place are filled with cups and plastic bottles and beer bottles and other trash thrown from the windows of the cars that pass by. That refuse washes down the various waterways into the creeks and ultimately the lakes which are the primary source of drinking water for the area. I constantly find items that wash across our pasture during heavy rains. The people of the neighborhood are literally trashing their own nest; polluting their own drinking water. They give no thought to the long-term impact of their behavior.
The issue isn't just one of our "local" nest, it is the planet itself. Our consumptive behaviors may not have a visible impact in our own backyard, but they have one -- perhaps on the other side of the world. We need to learn to be a part of this planet, not just consumers of it.
Ah, well, I suppose I ended up on a bit of a rant today. It wasn't my intention. I really was just thinking about whether or not I would choose the same educational and career path if I had it to do over again. The answer is probably yes, but I have broadened my areas of interest through the years.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Certainty in an Uncertain World
In what might appear to be a contradictory approach to remaining positive and uplifting in my posts, I have decided to declare this year as the Year of Uncertainty. Yes, I know that doesn't sound particularly positive, but I have my reasons.
I think there is a lot of political uncertainty right now. Part of that is a function of the way our current President operates. It is something of a trick in which you create turmoil that disguises primary intent. It's the old magician's sleight of hand in which one hand is drawing the eye while the other is manipulating an object. Part of it though, is in the hatred of the career politicians for that style -- or, lack of style. They see themselves as the informed, the urbane, the "leaders" of our country rather than the servants of the people. President Trump is so self-assured that he doesn't care how others see him. He is focused on getting the job done. Other politicians don't like that because they are all about appearances while lining their own pockets. It's all about the vote.
The political uncertainty leads us to market uncertainty. Volatility in the stock market is extremely high and will remain so since it is so closely tied to the psychological state of investors. That psychological state is one in which many feel they have lost the ability to guess when and where the next "bombshell" announcement will fall that will affect their investments. Will it be a deal with China? What about Russia? What's happening with oil and the price of gasoline? It is closely tied to the political uncertainty.
I think there is a lot of uncertainty about the weather. Whether you are a believer in climate change due to man's activities or, not, doesn't matter. Enough people do that it has become a factor in global uncertainty. It adds to the destabilization of governments, of economies and of attitudes. It will impact your life whether you believe it is true or not. It will result in new taxes and new regulations that will impact every person.
In spite of the growing number of jobs and the demand for labor, I believe there is a lot of uncertainty in the job market. There will be a lot of businesses that fail due to many of the reasons listed above, but also because our economy is changing rapidly. The types of businesses that will succeed in the coming years will look very different from those that have succeeded in the past. If you are employed by a failed or, failing business, your job is in jeopardy. That creates uncertainty.
We can add to the above uncertainties that of health. Who of us knows when our health might fail?
I could go on and on about uncertainty, but I won't. Instead, I think we need to remember what is certain. God is certain. He reaches out to us in His unfailing love by calling us to follow Jesus. What happens here on earth is temporary. It is eternity that is filled with certainty. "For God so loved the world He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
I think there is a lot of political uncertainty right now. Part of that is a function of the way our current President operates. It is something of a trick in which you create turmoil that disguises primary intent. It's the old magician's sleight of hand in which one hand is drawing the eye while the other is manipulating an object. Part of it though, is in the hatred of the career politicians for that style -- or, lack of style. They see themselves as the informed, the urbane, the "leaders" of our country rather than the servants of the people. President Trump is so self-assured that he doesn't care how others see him. He is focused on getting the job done. Other politicians don't like that because they are all about appearances while lining their own pockets. It's all about the vote.
The political uncertainty leads us to market uncertainty. Volatility in the stock market is extremely high and will remain so since it is so closely tied to the psychological state of investors. That psychological state is one in which many feel they have lost the ability to guess when and where the next "bombshell" announcement will fall that will affect their investments. Will it be a deal with China? What about Russia? What's happening with oil and the price of gasoline? It is closely tied to the political uncertainty.
I think there is a lot of uncertainty about the weather. Whether you are a believer in climate change due to man's activities or, not, doesn't matter. Enough people do that it has become a factor in global uncertainty. It adds to the destabilization of governments, of economies and of attitudes. It will impact your life whether you believe it is true or not. It will result in new taxes and new regulations that will impact every person.
In spite of the growing number of jobs and the demand for labor, I believe there is a lot of uncertainty in the job market. There will be a lot of businesses that fail due to many of the reasons listed above, but also because our economy is changing rapidly. The types of businesses that will succeed in the coming years will look very different from those that have succeeded in the past. If you are employed by a failed or, failing business, your job is in jeopardy. That creates uncertainty.
We can add to the above uncertainties that of health. Who of us knows when our health might fail?
I could go on and on about uncertainty, but I won't. Instead, I think we need to remember what is certain. God is certain. He reaches out to us in His unfailing love by calling us to follow Jesus. What happens here on earth is temporary. It is eternity that is filled with certainty. "For God so loved the world He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
The Road to Resolution
Once again we start a new year filled with the resolve to do better, be better, to improve. Some make lists and place them in a prominent place as a reminder of the commitment; others merely list things in their head of ways they need to improve.
Resolutions are a good thing. The desire to improve is something rooted deep within us. We want to change those things we see as being less than what our desires inform us are not up to standard.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is to examine why we feel the way we do. What puts the desire to improve in our hearts and minds? I believe it is God. I believe he plants those desires in order to help us recognize our failures. They remind us that we can never measure up to the standard of perfection which we inherently recognize. They cause us to recognize our imperfections.
This recognition of our imperfection is the root of a change that causes all other things to fade. It is the recognition that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." It is a point of challenge to those who would lift up man as the standard and say that all things are achievable by our own effort. It is a point of decision in which we can say, "I will choose God's way and not my own for I know that I am imperfect; my decisions are imperfect; I fail."
I pray this is the year in which you would choose the One who never fails. If you do not know Jesus as Savior, choose Him. It isn't an easy road. YOU will still fail, but HE will be there to pick you back up and keep you pointed on the road to redemption.
Resolve this new year to follow Jesus on whatever path He leads.
Resolutions are a good thing. The desire to improve is something rooted deep within us. We want to change those things we see as being less than what our desires inform us are not up to standard.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is to examine why we feel the way we do. What puts the desire to improve in our hearts and minds? I believe it is God. I believe he plants those desires in order to help us recognize our failures. They remind us that we can never measure up to the standard of perfection which we inherently recognize. They cause us to recognize our imperfections.
This recognition of our imperfection is the root of a change that causes all other things to fade. It is the recognition that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." It is a point of challenge to those who would lift up man as the standard and say that all things are achievable by our own effort. It is a point of decision in which we can say, "I will choose God's way and not my own for I know that I am imperfect; my decisions are imperfect; I fail."
I pray this is the year in which you would choose the One who never fails. If you do not know Jesus as Savior, choose Him. It isn't an easy road. YOU will still fail, but HE will be there to pick you back up and keep you pointed on the road to redemption.
Resolve this new year to follow Jesus on whatever path He leads.
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