Extolling the virtues of Western civilization

I just happened to catch a program on PBS this evening that outlined the six "killer apps" of Western civilization. 

1. Political competition
2. Democracy
3. Science
4. Medicine
5. Consumerism
6. Work ethic
(I think that Rule of Law and Private Property Rights were somewhere in there too, just not sure how they were included.)

So this may not be exactly what was explained, because I caught the tail end of the program and I might have missed something in there. 

What caught my attention was how China is quickly adopting many of those apps, although it is still controlled by communist rule.  They even pointed out how China is anticipated to become over 30 percent Christian in the next X number of years.

Which led to the film maker's next point - how we have lost faith.  The narrator said that we don't even have faith in ourselves, much less, God.  He then went on to point out how the rest of the world has adopted OUR killer apps - democracy in Peru, science in Arabia, medicine in Africa, consumerism in Turkey, and so on. 

However, the last point he made, as he stood overlooking the smog-enshrouded Shanghai, was that the West still had all of the apps.  And while the West wasn't perfect, it was still the best, primarily because he had the freedom to think that and say that.

I am thankful every day for where and when I was born.  I am truly blessed.  It was good to have a reminder.

If getting rich was easy ...

... then everybody would be rich.  

My latest endeavor has been a journey of self-improvement.  I got the kick in the butt I needed from a seminar I attended in January.  In a way, I expected this to happen, although I had never considered attending a personal growth/motivational/financial education seminar until recently.  

Essentially, I have been on cruise control for the past twenty something years.  Enough of settling for comfortable, okay, getting by ... to be honest, I believed I didn't have it in me or that I had already wasted too much time and that I could never recover and make up for the time I lost.

I've had a "come to Jesus" moment and have rethought that conclusion.  Whether it's "too late" or not, I should at least try to do better, be better and have better.  If time runs out, at least I've kicked it into a higher gear and aspired to live up to my potential.

If my time to work the plan and be held accountable for my results continues on, then who knows what I could achieve?  That's what I'd like to find out.  It ain't easy, but no one ever said it would be. 

 

Thanks to Seth Godin ...

One of the most prolific writers I know.  And I'm not talking about cranking out epic novel after epic novel a la "War and Peace."  If so, I wouldn't read his work.  However, some of his stuff is pretty "epic" in the sense that it is thought-provoking and wise.  His clarity and focus is amazing and his ideas are a never ending source of inspiration for me. 

Okay, I'll stop gushing.  Just check out his work for yourself, if you don't believe me.  And I have to admit, I'm a marketing nerd and "organizational management" is a bit of a preoccupation of mine.  Call me crazy!

One of his recent posts really hit home for me.  Mainly because I've been struggling to get back onto the writing wagon for some time now.  I just never seem to make any headway and give up before I start.  One good post and I'm through.  

I think it has to do with time.  I'm a bit verbose.  And overwhelmed.  But check this out:

"All day long you're emailing or tweeting or liking or meeting... and every once in a while, something tangible is produced. But is there a mark of your passage? Fifty years later, we might hear a demo tape or an outtake of something a musician scratched together while making an album. Often, though, there's no trace.

What would happen if you took ten minutes of coffeebreak downtime every day and produced an online artifact instead? What if your collected thoughts about your industry became an ebook or a series of useful instructions or pages or videos?"

That's Seth ... he's talking to ME!   And he makes it sound so simple.  Just 10 minutes a day.  I think I can do that.  


So here it is, people.  My commitment ... in writing ... 10 minutes a day.  (And twice on Sunday.)  I can do this!  Flex that writing muscle, build that habit.  Spend one of those WWF breaks on the blog.  (Sorry 'words' friends, you'll just have to wait a few more hours for that next word.)


While I can't promise that they will all be gems (even Seth can have his off days), I can commit to consistency.  And one gem out of 10 posts is still a gem.  And much better than ZERO gems out of ZERO posts.  

Well, since no one reads this anyway ...

... I might as well post all of those intemperate thoughts that come to me at random times. It usually has something to do with religion or politics, two topics that really aren't the best to bring up among decent company. And both of which usually lead to anger or hard feelings.

***********DISCLAIMER*************
If you are not prepared to hear MY unvarnished truth, as *I* see it, then read no further. Certainly your comments are welcome (in the event that you happen to actually read this) and certainly I can be open to thoughtful, logical discourse. If your feelings tend to be easily hurt when others disagree with you or if you're looking to pick a fight, take it somewhere else.
Thank you.
*************************************

So let me tell you how I really feel. Our current government leaders are scheisse. Self-serving, myopic, dishonest, out-of-touch, dishonorable, etc. etc. That is from Obama on down.

But you know what? We got what we deserve. As long as WE are self-serving, myopic, dishonest, out-of-touch, dishonorable, etc. etc. that is EXACTLY what we will get - a reflection of ourselves. I am sad and disgusted when I see the hordes of 'sheep-ple' following blindly the leaders that they vote for. And instead of holding them accountable for doing what is best for the country, state or municipality, the "constituents" look for freebies and perks to benefit themselves only. See? We are what we elect.

Many people are just too stupid to have a vote, I think. If they can't hold down a job, pay taxes, contribute to society, then how can they be trusted to select our representatives? And since those who are currently sucking off the teat of the benevolence of the American taxpayer nearly equal the number of those supporting them, we are in a world of trouble. This "forced charity" just simply pisses me off. If the government is willing to force me, at gunpoint and with threat of prison, to pay into this dysfunctional system, then why can't we change this system to force those who are the leeches and parasites on the ass of the system, at gunpoint or with threat of prison, to support themselves and their dependents?

I don't buy the sob stories anymore. I don't buy the low expectations anymore. "Oh, those poor people ... wah, wah, wah..." Go ahead and treat people like they are poor and they will continue to feel poor, act poor, think poor. And if your agenda is served by that (the dependency you create, the greater your job security), then I totally understand your condescending perspective. However, as a social service professional, I would LOVE to see a day when my job is obsolete. Unfortunately, thanks to the perpetual stream of government give-a-ways and the endless supply of people waiting in line to snatch them up, that will NOT happen in my lifetime.

So I guess when we eventually go back to primitive living conditions and each has to be self-sufficient, we'll see who really can survive. Because that's where we're headed. We can't continue under the enormous weight of our selfishness and short-sightedness. And we can't survive leaders who can't say "NO." Think of how that affects your own household, then put that on a exponential scale of 300 million people.

But those politicians don't have to worry about that ... they are in their own personal bubbles of affluence, with their special pensions and healthcare plans. Their kids go to private schools, while they rant about the RIGHT of every child to a QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION. Those three words can seldom be used in the same sentence, much less in the same phrase. I'd love to see Obama or Hillary or Romney spend a day in the classroom of a typical kindergarten teacher, who has an unruly student that throws books at the teacher and punches his fellow students in the stomach. Those politicians DO NOT have a clue. They just have an agenda.

Yes, I'm disgusted. There are VERY FEW, if any, elected officials that warrant my respect. They are sleazy, incompetent and cowardly. Which is not much better than I can say for many of the people who vote for them.

A side of Elephant with that Bowl of Ramen?

With the soccer season quickly approaching, "free" Saturdays are about to disappear. So with that reality looming, yesterday was going to be the day to get things done around the Ponderosa. Well, when a wrong number called - TWICE - after midnight the previous night, six o'clock rolled around pretty early. Too early.

Then there were the brakes on the car that needed attention. (You know the old saying, the squeaky brakes get the grease ... or something like that.) There went the morning. Then an opportunity to obtain some free firewood that ultimately turned into an opportunity to brighten someone's day extended a seemingly mundane task into an afternoon adventure.

Still summer days offer much more daylight and yard work was finally incorporated into the schedule (after a trip to the DIY toystore.) A late start meant working until it was too dark to see the curb I was edging by hand. And yes, my muscles are complaining bitterly today.

And so, my effort to get back into the writing mode ... it's like eating an elephant... one story, one anecdote, one observation, one object lesson, one rant, at a time. So after a quick dinner, the writing begins again.

So much for a writing career

Hey there blogosphere... long time, no see.

Sadly, as of late, my writing contributions have been limited to 140 characters. Or a random comment or "like" on Facebook. It is really hard to imagine that I was once a prolific writer. And paid to do it as well. That was over 30 years ago. Yep, it's been a minute.

A journal sits collecting dust on my bookshelf. It contains the angst, the guilt, the desires of a misguided young adulthood. Perhaps that is why the writing muscle lost its flex. The writing for venting's sake seemed like a pretty shallow purpose. Beyond that self-centered focus ("Oh, wo is me!") writing did not amount to anything other than a necessary task related to school or work.

Not only that, the pangs of self doubt nag with the idea that there are so many others out there who are much more accomplished in this endeavor. Sure, I'm clever ... but someone else is clever-er. Sure, I'm literate ... but someone else has a much better knack for words. And I don't feel even mildly interesting as far as what I might opine or information that I might share.

So will it take a sense of duty, an obligation, to finally get off the stick and WRITE? Can I write just for the fun of it? To express those deep-seated insights screaming to see the light of day? To share emotion, knowledge, hopes and even fears?

Or will this end up being my ONE blog post of 2011?

Maybe this will help.

A few thoughts on the politics of "blackness"

Just a quick couple of thoughts to "get the bull rolling," as Boortz would say.

I attended a forum on "Replenishing, Repositioning, and Reclaiming African American Males" last night. On a good note, I was one of the few white people there, which tells me that the work to be done is being undertaken by those most affected. And judging from the speeches and the rhetoric of the evening, African American males are serious about saving their next generation. Thank God! Let's see if words translate into action.

I especially enjoyed a lengthy, although captivating lecture, by a hip hop artist, Killa Mike aka Mike Bigga. He made a lot of sense and clearly doesn't live the rap culture stereotype of denigrating his people. He quickly pointed out, however, that rappers rap about things that the community cares about - drugs, big booties and sex, as opposed to education, legit careers and family life. He called out the adults to look after the kids in the proper way, not defer to the thugs and gangstas. I could definitely hang with this guy. He's got major props in my book.

Also on the program, newly elected mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, is really starting to grow on me. I'll be honest - when he first started campaigning, I thought, "Typical politician ... so the system of black political patronage continues in the city of Atlanta." But the more I hear him, the more I believe in his sincerity and conviction. He certainly has a tough job, overcoming the corruption and mismanagement of the past. He seems tough enough to confront the issues, though. As long as he stays above the fray and doesn't surround himself with cronies, but with people who have integrity and care about doing the right thing, he should do well. (I could insert a rant about Obama here, but I'll save that for another post.)

Congressman John Lewis also spoke. He is inspiring. His story should be a message to 15 year old black males everywhere. Actually, his story should be a message to all people - standing up for your convictions, willing to lay it all down - including your life, if necessary - to do the right thing. Here is a man who lives by his belief in nonviolence and does so much to further that cause. What I would like to know is when "can't we all just get along" will transcend petty politics?

The saddest note of the night is that I was one of very few white people there. As far as being an odd ball, that didn't bother me at all. I've been grossly outnumbered more times than I can count. I guess I don't see myself the way others do. What I felt was that I cared enough to be there. I should not be deprived of the opportunity. I'm married to an African American male, my son is an African American male. Many of my soccer kids are African American males. I love them and care deeply about what happens to them and want so much better for them than the gigantic odds that would put them in a cemetery or prison before putting them in a college classroom.

Are there not other white people who care? Or does the African American community not want it to be a collective problem to be solved collectively? I hope that neither are the case.