For new readers, just a reminder to read the first three blogs as an introduction. There is a theme of sorts running through these pages and the introduction might make what that is more clear. I really appreciate those who have given feedback and comments as well as contributed articles and pictures. You all have been most kind and encouraging. Thanks so much. . .and now on to Sunday Confessions, Part II.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Enlightenment in Many Flavors
Enlightened change from several years ago is finally coming home to roost. Remember Enron? That debacle will not soon be forgotten. This week, after a six year class action lawsuit, 1.5 million Enron shareholders found out how a $7.2 billion settlement would be split. The settlement fund was created when several large culpable banks, Enron directors and the former Arthur Anderson accounting firm anted up the huge pile of money The final payout will be about $6.79 a share on stock that originally cost anywhere from $1 to $90 depending on when it was purchased and more for preferred stock. Obviously, those who bought regular vanilla stock at under $6 are going to make out pretty well; others on the other end of the spectrum will go away grumbling. Who really made out in the class action law suit, of course, were the attorneys who will split $700 million in fees. I wonder what ever happened to the employees who lost their jobs and pensions and what they might think about this settlement? (WSJ, 1-17-08.)
Enlightened News You Can Use:
1.) If you are a chronic worrier, it may be in your genes. Researchers have shown there are indeed worry genes, but they don't have to incapacitate. An expert in worry, Dr. Robert Leahy, suggests two methods to stop the repetitive, troubling thoughts. First, reserve 20 minutes a day to it and then move on. This may give the worrier some measure of control over the beast. If that doesn't work, he then suggests a more dire strategy, "Practice saying or writing down whatever you fear most, such as 'this plane is going to crash' or 'I'm going to lose my job' and repeat it over and over again slowly, like a zombie, and [magically] the fear will begin to subside." Why? Because the mind just gets bored with it. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? But it would sure be worth a try, especially in the middle of the night when worry can really be a menacing companion. (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. D1.)
2.) Experts say the main way to keep from getting sick is to wash your hand three times a day with soap, and don't touch the mucous membranes. And forget the antibacterial variety--it enhances the microbe killing effects of soap zip. (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, February 2008, p. 96.)
WSJ announced that the race to develop an electric car is heating up. Several auto makers are getting into the act including GM, Renault and Nissan, Chrysler, Toyota. . . and Fisker with its Karma. Huh? Is that a new religion? No, actually it's a new $80,000 battery-powered luxury car created by a start-up company based in California, which plans to begin delivering the model in 2009. That's next year, folks. Mr. Fisker says the Karma will use lithium-ion batteries and is a couple of years ahead of his competitors because it's already out of design and will soon be in production. Renault and Nissan say they too are near a mass-market solution to the lithium-ion battery problem most everyone has experienced. I'm sure the computers and cell-phones that have gone up in smoke have gotten their attention. Fisker would not say what kind of lithium-ion batteries would be used in the Karma, but he assured us that "safety concerns have all been resolved." Let's put this on our 2009 calendar to see if the Karma makes its debut, and if it does, we can say we have officially entered a new quieter age in transportation.
Electric cars are quiet. That is one thing that people like about them. However, blind people are requesting some noise be put back so that they can "see" approaching vehicles. SCIENTIFC AMERICAN this month emphasizes: "As electronics gets quieter, we are losing vital information that tells us about their performance and status. . .as we move toward solid-state devices with fewer moving parts, we are going to have to develop new diagnostic systems to cope with their impending failure. It's a little like the malodorous smell of natural gas--that smell isn't natural at all; it's been added by the gas company to guarantee that you know when theres a leak. What's the 21st century equivalent of that for cars?" (p.34) Leave it to the blind to remind we sighted people how much we rely on sound to navigate in our world.
What does a field of fake grass have in common with used tires? Well, the University of Idaho put the two together to save water, fertilizer, spraying for weeds and about $50,000 annually in field maintenance. The school says there is no more mud so the fields can be used year round, and the rubber granules used as infill provide an environmentally friendly way of recycling tires. This enlightened conversion received a 2007 merit award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Kudos to the Vandals for such creativity and innovation. Will other outdoor athletic fields follow? Will we miss the grass stains as a sign of athletic achievement and manhood, or womanhood as the case may be?
And if we were wondering about the hypocrisy of Al Gore taking private jets hither and thither, we might reconsider our own vacation and business transportation. Apparently, many people have in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting back on vacations and staying home. One reformed vacation addict stated unapologetically to the WSJ (1-17-08): "Buying carbon offsets isn't a license to pollute. Plus, it's not exactly punishment to cut back on air travel with all the security issues." Not to mention snotty TSA officials, long over-due flights and over-worked stewardesses.
And finally, Harper's Magazine (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. B12) asks whether alternative-energy expansion is the next economic bubble. Some theorize that "when prices collapse back to their true value, financiers make up their losses by puring capital into another sector and creating another bubble." The global warming scare has made alternative energy the next best investment guess and money is pouring into wind and solar power installations as well as water desalinization plants. In a not to distant past, NIMBY (not in my backyard) described these projects. But with the price of oil having topped $100, even if only for a few days, barriers are being lowered and development is rushing into the void.
We know this train is moving down the track when the likes of Scientific American will sponsor a conference called "Investing in Renewables: Bottom Line for the Planet" to be held in Chicago May 28th. According to the full-page ad, this conference will address how business, science and policy impact global markets. Topics will include: future energy consumption, alternative fuels: solar, hydrogen and ethanol, plus waste management innovations. Conferences are all well and good for the money-guys, but where are the innovative scientists who create the alternative energy options?
Saudi Arabia would seem like unlikely place to launch such a technologically advanced world-class research university, but that is exactly what is happening on the shores of the Red Sea. King Abdullah himself is pouring $10 billion dollars into the gigantic educational venture in an effort to bring a flourishing scientific community back to the Middle East. Long before America was re-discovered, the Arabs were leaders in scientific and mathematical exploration, but this all came to an end with the invasion of the Mongols in the 13th century. At the October 2007 groundbreaking, the King said it was time for science to come back to the desert.
Of note to those who would think this might not be a mentally stimulating environment for, let's say, women, future students and academics were assured that all will be welcome. What's more, the government will keep out of campus business, which will also be off-limits to the religious police. Many believe that this educational venture could have a huge impact locally and globally and could be a nation-changing enterprise. King Abdullah himself said he wanted to transform Saudi Arabia from a kingdom based on oil to a more knowledge-based society. If successful, other countries in the Arab and Muslim world might follow suit. (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 18.) This is not a far-fetched notion and one that might ultimately meet with success, particularly since it sprang from the Arab culture itself.
Not far from the remote Amazon region, the Brazilians are trying their own cultural educational experiment by creating top-quality scientific institutes in an effort to leverage economic and social transformation across the country. Miguel Nicolelis, the neuroscientist who started the program with a $25 million donation, is targeting the young, however,and making science a "driving force for social change, [and] to demonstrate that, with opportunity, talent anywhere will have a shot." This enlightened doctor envisions a time when Brazil will be alive with talented scientists because they will have been raised from childhood with the critical thinking skills necessary to make this dream a reality (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 80.)
Both of these innovative efforts show enlightened educational leadership from unexpected sources. We will watch as these and other such global enterprises unfold and see how they begin to change the human fabric of their own regions and then the world.
Enlightened News You Can Use:
1.) If you are a chronic worrier, it may be in your genes. Researchers have shown there are indeed worry genes, but they don't have to incapacitate. An expert in worry, Dr. Robert Leahy, suggests two methods to stop the repetitive, troubling thoughts. First, reserve 20 minutes a day to it and then move on. This may give the worrier some measure of control over the beast. If that doesn't work, he then suggests a more dire strategy, "Practice saying or writing down whatever you fear most, such as 'this plane is going to crash' or 'I'm going to lose my job' and repeat it over and over again slowly, like a zombie, and [magically] the fear will begin to subside." Why? Because the mind just gets bored with it. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? But it would sure be worth a try, especially in the middle of the night when worry can really be a menacing companion. (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. D1.)
2.) Experts say the main way to keep from getting sick is to wash your hand three times a day with soap, and don't touch the mucous membranes. And forget the antibacterial variety--it enhances the microbe killing effects of soap zip. (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, February 2008, p. 96.)
WSJ announced that the race to develop an electric car is heating up. Several auto makers are getting into the act including GM, Renault and Nissan, Chrysler, Toyota. . . and Fisker with its Karma. Huh? Is that a new religion? No, actually it's a new $80,000 battery-powered luxury car created by a start-up company based in California, which plans to begin delivering the model in 2009. That's next year, folks. Mr. Fisker says the Karma will use lithium-ion batteries and is a couple of years ahead of his competitors because it's already out of design and will soon be in production. Renault and Nissan say they too are near a mass-market solution to the lithium-ion battery problem most everyone has experienced. I'm sure the computers and cell-phones that have gone up in smoke have gotten their attention. Fisker would not say what kind of lithium-ion batteries would be used in the Karma, but he assured us that "safety concerns have all been resolved." Let's put this on our 2009 calendar to see if the Karma makes its debut, and if it does, we can say we have officially entered a new quieter age in transportation.
Electric cars are quiet. That is one thing that people like about them. However, blind people are requesting some noise be put back so that they can "see" approaching vehicles. SCIENTIFC AMERICAN this month emphasizes: "As electronics gets quieter, we are losing vital information that tells us about their performance and status. . .as we move toward solid-state devices with fewer moving parts, we are going to have to develop new diagnostic systems to cope with their impending failure. It's a little like the malodorous smell of natural gas--that smell isn't natural at all; it's been added by the gas company to guarantee that you know when theres a leak. What's the 21st century equivalent of that for cars?" (p.34) Leave it to the blind to remind we sighted people how much we rely on sound to navigate in our world.
What does a field of fake grass have in common with used tires? Well, the University of Idaho put the two together to save water, fertilizer, spraying for weeds and about $50,000 annually in field maintenance. The school says there is no more mud so the fields can be used year round, and the rubber granules used as infill provide an environmentally friendly way of recycling tires. This enlightened conversion received a 2007 merit award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Kudos to the Vandals for such creativity and innovation. Will other outdoor athletic fields follow? Will we miss the grass stains as a sign of athletic achievement and manhood, or womanhood as the case may be?
And if we were wondering about the hypocrisy of Al Gore taking private jets hither and thither, we might reconsider our own vacation and business transportation. Apparently, many people have in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting back on vacations and staying home. One reformed vacation addict stated unapologetically to the WSJ (1-17-08): "Buying carbon offsets isn't a license to pollute. Plus, it's not exactly punishment to cut back on air travel with all the security issues." Not to mention snotty TSA officials, long over-due flights and over-worked stewardesses.
And finally, Harper's Magazine (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. B12) asks whether alternative-energy expansion is the next economic bubble. Some theorize that "when prices collapse back to their true value, financiers make up their losses by puring capital into another sector and creating another bubble." The global warming scare has made alternative energy the next best investment guess and money is pouring into wind and solar power installations as well as water desalinization plants. In a not to distant past, NIMBY (not in my backyard) described these projects. But with the price of oil having topped $100, even if only for a few days, barriers are being lowered and development is rushing into the void.
We know this train is moving down the track when the likes of Scientific American will sponsor a conference called "Investing in Renewables: Bottom Line for the Planet" to be held in Chicago May 28th. According to the full-page ad, this conference will address how business, science and policy impact global markets. Topics will include: future energy consumption, alternative fuels: solar, hydrogen and ethanol, plus waste management innovations. Conferences are all well and good for the money-guys, but where are the innovative scientists who create the alternative energy options?
Saudi Arabia would seem like unlikely place to launch such a technologically advanced world-class research university, but that is exactly what is happening on the shores of the Red Sea. King Abdullah himself is pouring $10 billion dollars into the gigantic educational venture in an effort to bring a flourishing scientific community back to the Middle East. Long before America was re-discovered, the Arabs were leaders in scientific and mathematical exploration, but this all came to an end with the invasion of the Mongols in the 13th century. At the October 2007 groundbreaking, the King said it was time for science to come back to the desert.
Of note to those who would think this might not be a mentally stimulating environment for, let's say, women, future students and academics were assured that all will be welcome. What's more, the government will keep out of campus business, which will also be off-limits to the religious police. Many believe that this educational venture could have a huge impact locally and globally and could be a nation-changing enterprise. King Abdullah himself said he wanted to transform Saudi Arabia from a kingdom based on oil to a more knowledge-based society. If successful, other countries in the Arab and Muslim world might follow suit. (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 18.) This is not a far-fetched notion and one that might ultimately meet with success, particularly since it sprang from the Arab culture itself.
Not far from the remote Amazon region, the Brazilians are trying their own cultural educational experiment by creating top-quality scientific institutes in an effort to leverage economic and social transformation across the country. Miguel Nicolelis, the neuroscientist who started the program with a $25 million donation, is targeting the young, however,and making science a "driving force for social change, [and] to demonstrate that, with opportunity, talent anywhere will have a shot." This enlightened doctor envisions a time when Brazil will be alive with talented scientists because they will have been raised from childhood with the critical thinking skills necessary to make this dream a reality (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 80.)
Both of these innovative efforts show enlightened educational leadership from unexpected sources. We will watch as these and other such global enterprises unfold and see how they begin to change the human fabric of their own regions and then the world.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
He's Still Looking Down
One thing I know about the world right now--there is a lot of information swirling around and around, especially on the internet. A person could conceivably stay day and night connected to the World Wide Web and not begin to scratch the surface of the what is happening. Seems to me that's another reason to consider the interconnectivity of all humanity and its subsequent corollaries: what one learns, we all learn; what one assimilates, we all assimilate; and as one grows, we all grow. Gives a new meaning to responsibility and redemption.
Martin Luther King's birthday came and went this week with little fanfare and a little dust-up between Hillary's and Barack's ideas about the history of the civil rights movement. The people involved in the squabble obviously had not learned the lessons of the King who said as he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." This prescient royal epitomized the saint who had a dream, could talk his dream, and then knew how to pull people together to accomplish it. This was an extraordinary feat at a time when segregation was still a part of the collective consciousness of America--in fact, a part of the organism. In a few short years, this fated man helped move backward thinking into forward and in so doing changed the course of history.
50-years later a new generation cannot even imagine what it was like to be segregated and would find the thought of separation by race repugnant. But separation is all Martin Luther King knew. Thus, when he began gathering folks together to march in non-violent protests and delivering his eloquent speeches, the ideas he espoused were gathered from another consciousness, that of light--a consciousness that is available at all times, but only tapped when humanity's collective invocation reaches such a pitch, the request cannot be ignored. In his humility, King declared: "I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding." I would add that rather than just "seeing" what was unfolding, he was the lighted catalyst precipitating the change with other like-minded souls.
King did not live for long, as we all know, and was killed before his message could be completely delivered. But during his life shortened by violence, others took up the banner and the words "I had a dream" continued to carry the non-violent message of equality and freedom for all. Few may remember that violence was espoused by many as the only way to gain this god-given freedom, but King refused to rally to this call and, instead, cautioned that non-violence was the winning way over time:
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that one day humankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land."Violence is still with us and will be until a lighted altering of the collective consciousness takes place. If we look hard, we will see that these changes have been occurring although incrementally since the end of World War II. Forerunners like Martin Luther King are the guarantee that non-violence will replace violence as part of the collective consciousness of humanity when the goodwill he speaks of is the rule rather than the exception. On that momentous day, mankind will know equality, liberty and brotherhood as fact rather than hope, and the King will look down from above with a nod and a smile.
I would like to thank a conscientious contributor who sent the photo above taken on her iphone and this piece written by John Dear, S.J. about Martin Luther King. She reports that Fr. Dear is a Jesuit priest as well as an antiwar protester and writes for the National Catholic Reporter.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Exciting News!
CEO God contacted me through his agent and said He was so impressed with my level of confessing last Sunday, He's granting me an exclusive interview this coming Sunday. CEO God revealed that He was quite unimpressed, though a wee bit amused, with that last O'Reilly interview as reported on my blog a few week's back and wants to set the record straight on a few matters. The agent said if all goes well, CEO God may come back a time or two as His duties permit. Humanity is keeping Him pretty busy these days, and He has little time to spare for interviews.
I am SO excited about this new development. Be sure to join me on Sunday. This should be interesting, enlightening and altogether refreshing because what I know about CEO God, he is always full of surprises!
I am SO excited about this new development. Be sure to join me on Sunday. This should be interesting, enlightening and altogether refreshing because what I know about CEO God, he is always full of surprises!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Ponderings
The nuns in grade school would be proud that I have finally mastered the dictionary. As a matter of fact, the word missal has become a part of me, like an appendage, and I troll it whenever a new word pops up. Sometimes even an old word is dissected and information is gleaned about its origins. Three years of Latin in high school certainly has given me a leg up on tracking down the core meaning of words. . .and Jim's Latin dictionary doesn't hurt either. Yes, Jim owns a Latin Dictionary and a couple of German ones, too. You could say we are both word junkies.
Because of my passion for words and creating new words when the right one isn't available, it has become necessary to create a whole new dictionary. After all, there's no reason that Webster should continue to have a corner on the market. Thus, Susan's Brand New Word Dictionary is being created right now, right here on this blog. Here's the first entry:
ponderings (n.) (1) seemingly random seed ideas or thoughts that may or may not be ultimately true or useful and may spur action, or not as the case may be; (2) the waves created when a rock is thrown into a pool of water.
Used in a sentence (the nuns would insist): Saturday night I hunkered down with two WSJ's and a TIME in anticipation of uncovering those ponderings that have not been elevated to trends, but are worth watching, none-the-less. Ponderings are more fun, in a sense, because the reader can consider the matter with as many brain cells as available at the moment. There is no push to think too deeply--but, that is OK too, if desired. The freedom of contemplating, or not contemplating, ponderings opens the brain and let's the sun shine in.
Pondering One: A new word is emerging that is an offshoot of the green movement--biomimicry, literally "imitating life." What it means practically is taking those great fractal shapes--you know the ones from whirling sunflower seeds, sea urchins, serrated owl's wings--and creating household items that are appealing to the eye and, in fact, many times improve the performance of an already existing product. A good example is a new building in Zimbabwe that looks like a termite mound in order to vent heat better. Other newly emerging words are biomorphism (resembling a living organism, a tooth stool that resembles a molar,) biophila (love of living things, a wall made of plants) and biotechnology (technology based on biology, biodegradable plastic based on bacteria.) Someone with a better sense of humor than I could most likely make up other pithy words along these lines. Feel free to send me those for posting in the New Word Dictionary. In a year or two's time, we could have quite a collection.
Pondering Two: The latest best pick-up spot is the Home Depot. Why? The Home Depot has introduced a "Do It Herself" class to teach woman how to do such things as using a stud finder. Men have figured this out and dally in the isles following the classes. (Beats meeting in the bars, don't you think?) The WSJ further reports that the Girl Scouts now offer a Ms. Fix-It Badge for "members eager to learn how to wire a lamp or fix a leaky toilet." I think the real reason is that these young women have been conversing with the older gals in the "Do It Herself" classes and want to get a head start. It's never too early to learn the skill of using power tools wisely, wouldn't you agree?
Pondering Three: The Swedes are the kings of pirated technology. I thought that crown went to the Chinese, but no, it's those smart Scandinavians who have too much time on their hands during those long, cold winters. However, at the insistence of the US, Swedish authorities recently raided the offices of the greatest perpetrator, an outfit called The Pirate Bay, and are hauling them into court. The pirates are not worried. They believe that pirating cannot be legally stopped because it's so widespread, but have taken measures to move their servers out of Sweden, just in case. A majority of Swedes believe that pirating is fair game and an inevitable outcome of the World Wide Web. So, will the current rule of law prevail, or will a new rule emerge that includes sharing without cost?
Pondering Four: Scientists have figured out a way to create stem-cell lines without killing an embryo. How do they do that? These smarties take out one cell of an embryo's first eight to create the stem-cells, which can be theoretically remanufactured into any kind of cell imaginable. However, the scientists don't know if this extraction process damages the remaining seven-celled embryo in any way. Seems to me that they ought to settle that question before announcing this as a big breakthrough, or we'll be right back to where we started. Or am I missing something?
Pondering Five: Poachers may be out of the abalone business because they have taken most of the catch. These criminals are pretty smart guys; the more they take, the higher the price goes, and the more they take. Humans are pretty wiley animals themselves, however, and have devised methods to subvert the subverters. In the case of abalone, the tasty crustaceans are now being farm raised all over the world--and are more tender and taste better than their poached counterparts. Thus, the price of abalone has dropped precipitously, leaving the poachers holding the bag. The abalone may now get a chance to regenerate in the wild without the criminal pilfering. Could this model be extrapolated to other criminal activities, such as diamond trafficking or drug dealing? Maybe the lighted use of the mind--coupled with good old fashioned capitalist ingenuity--could prevail over activities meant to hoard wealth into the coffers of a chosen few in ways that circumvent the law.
Pondering Six: Kofi Annan, the past Secretary General of the UN, will be the next mediator to try his hand at fixing the Kenyan election mess. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who I mentioned on this blog last week, has had little luck in the matter. Nor has Barack Obama, who is half Kenyan and was called in by Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice to intervene. Nor has anyone else even though the political pressure to do so has been great. Maybe they will all fail in this round. Turns out, that although the current President espoused democracy and was supposedly a shining African example of such, economic inequality ran deep and cut along tribal lines (42 tribes = 42 lines.) Therefore, a allegedly stolen election exploded the democracy myth and the country went up in flames with it. What is the answer for Kenya and the rest of Africa? Jeffrey Sacks thinks he has some ideas, and they rest on accountability and real economic improvement for the masses. When I read his book, it didn't seem like rocket science. Only thing is, the ins will have to give up on their insatiable greed and share the fruits of the labor with the outs. Just makes sense to me, how about you? To read more about Sacks' ideas, turn to his book The End of Poverty: The Economic Possibilities of Our Time. If that doesn't sate your appetite, try The Mystery Of Capital by Hernando DeSoto or Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. That should seed your own ponderings for a long time to come--at least on this subject.
Pondering Seven: You might think I have a thing for Barack, and I do in a way. He is undoubtedly the most interesting politician we have had to look at in some time, probably in my lifetime of 50+ years. Mind you, my observations will not necessarily translate into a vote, but looking at the changes his popularity creates is fodder for all sort of ponderings. This current one, number seven, reflects some pundit's comments that go like this: with the ascendancy of Barack to his place in history--even if it is just giving Hillary a run for her money, folks like the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will no longer be able to capitalize on their proxy victim roles. Although that may speak truthfully about a purely American phenomenon, I would add that Barack's example could give hope to blacks worldwide. This thought came to me after seeing an interview of Barack's uncle from his humble home in Kenya. The reporter asked the uncle how Barack's presidential race made him feel. The man used the words "pride" and "honor to the family" but his beaming face said it all. How many times have we had a Presidential race when foreign-born relatives are watching the outcome with as much expectancy as the rest of us? How many times have these relatives been black? Thus, Barack, whether he wins the Democratic nomination or not, has changed our grandkid's history books for good. They will now read that America went from segregation to a run for the Presidency without using the race card in the short span of fifty years. What is fact now could not even have been imagined a year ago and that speaks volumes about the evolution of the United States.
And finally, Pondering Eight: Diapers-Go-Green was an announcement in this week's TIME magazine (1-21-08, p. 57.) My two kids were raised on clothe diapers, the ones that had to be swished in the toilet, so I read this with interest. Certainly, modern moms would not go back to that obnoxious toilet routine, I thought. Well, I was right and wrong. Modern moms may give up the 27.4 billion disposable diapers that get transported annually to landfills, but they will now be serviced by diaper companies or new improved clothe diapers. These new contrivances have pockets for disposable pads and elastic bands around the legs to keep in the wet and goo, just like the environmentally unfriendly models. My question, what will be next? Tampons, after all women used to use clothe, or toilet paper? Cloth, anyone?
This line of speculation could head straight to the toilet fast, so we will say, "Good evening, and it will be on to more enlightened topics when we return."
Because of my passion for words and creating new words when the right one isn't available, it has become necessary to create a whole new dictionary. After all, there's no reason that Webster should continue to have a corner on the market. Thus, Susan's Brand New Word Dictionary is being created right now, right here on this blog. Here's the first entry:
ponderings (n.) (1) seemingly random seed ideas or thoughts that may or may not be ultimately true or useful and may spur action, or not as the case may be; (2) the waves created when a rock is thrown into a pool of water.
Used in a sentence (the nuns would insist): Saturday night I hunkered down with two WSJ's and a TIME in anticipation of uncovering those ponderings that have not been elevated to trends, but are worth watching, none-the-less. Ponderings are more fun, in a sense, because the reader can consider the matter with as many brain cells as available at the moment. There is no push to think too deeply--but, that is OK too, if desired. The freedom of contemplating, or not contemplating, ponderings opens the brain and let's the sun shine in.
Pondering One: A new word is emerging that is an offshoot of the green movement--biomimicry, literally "imitating life." What it means practically is taking those great fractal shapes--you know the ones from whirling sunflower seeds, sea urchins, serrated owl's wings--and creating household items that are appealing to the eye and, in fact, many times improve the performance of an already existing product. A good example is a new building in Zimbabwe that looks like a termite mound in order to vent heat better. Other newly emerging words are biomorphism (resembling a living organism, a tooth stool that resembles a molar,) biophila (love of living things, a wall made of plants) and biotechnology (technology based on biology, biodegradable plastic based on bacteria.) Someone with a better sense of humor than I could most likely make up other pithy words along these lines. Feel free to send me those for posting in the New Word Dictionary. In a year or two's time, we could have quite a collection.
Pondering Two: The latest best pick-up spot is the Home Depot. Why? The Home Depot has introduced a "Do It Herself" class to teach woman how to do such things as using a stud finder. Men have figured this out and dally in the isles following the classes. (Beats meeting in the bars, don't you think?) The WSJ further reports that the Girl Scouts now offer a Ms. Fix-It Badge for "members eager to learn how to wire a lamp or fix a leaky toilet." I think the real reason is that these young women have been conversing with the older gals in the "Do It Herself" classes and want to get a head start. It's never too early to learn the skill of using power tools wisely, wouldn't you agree?
Pondering Three: The Swedes are the kings of pirated technology. I thought that crown went to the Chinese, but no, it's those smart Scandinavians who have too much time on their hands during those long, cold winters. However, at the insistence of the US, Swedish authorities recently raided the offices of the greatest perpetrator, an outfit called The Pirate Bay, and are hauling them into court. The pirates are not worried. They believe that pirating cannot be legally stopped because it's so widespread, but have taken measures to move their servers out of Sweden, just in case. A majority of Swedes believe that pirating is fair game and an inevitable outcome of the World Wide Web. So, will the current rule of law prevail, or will a new rule emerge that includes sharing without cost?
Pondering Four: Scientists have figured out a way to create stem-cell lines without killing an embryo. How do they do that? These smarties take out one cell of an embryo's first eight to create the stem-cells, which can be theoretically remanufactured into any kind of cell imaginable. However, the scientists don't know if this extraction process damages the remaining seven-celled embryo in any way. Seems to me that they ought to settle that question before announcing this as a big breakthrough, or we'll be right back to where we started. Or am I missing something?
Pondering Five: Poachers may be out of the abalone business because they have taken most of the catch. These criminals are pretty smart guys; the more they take, the higher the price goes, and the more they take. Humans are pretty wiley animals themselves, however, and have devised methods to subvert the subverters. In the case of abalone, the tasty crustaceans are now being farm raised all over the world--and are more tender and taste better than their poached counterparts. Thus, the price of abalone has dropped precipitously, leaving the poachers holding the bag. The abalone may now get a chance to regenerate in the wild without the criminal pilfering. Could this model be extrapolated to other criminal activities, such as diamond trafficking or drug dealing? Maybe the lighted use of the mind--coupled with good old fashioned capitalist ingenuity--could prevail over activities meant to hoard wealth into the coffers of a chosen few in ways that circumvent the law.
Pondering Six: Kofi Annan, the past Secretary General of the UN, will be the next mediator to try his hand at fixing the Kenyan election mess. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who I mentioned on this blog last week, has had little luck in the matter. Nor has Barack Obama, who is half Kenyan and was called in by Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice to intervene. Nor has anyone else even though the political pressure to do so has been great. Maybe they will all fail in this round. Turns out, that although the current President espoused democracy and was supposedly a shining African example of such, economic inequality ran deep and cut along tribal lines (42 tribes = 42 lines.) Therefore, a allegedly stolen election exploded the democracy myth and the country went up in flames with it. What is the answer for Kenya and the rest of Africa? Jeffrey Sacks thinks he has some ideas, and they rest on accountability and real economic improvement for the masses. When I read his book, it didn't seem like rocket science. Only thing is, the ins will have to give up on their insatiable greed and share the fruits of the labor with the outs. Just makes sense to me, how about you? To read more about Sacks' ideas, turn to his book The End of Poverty: The Economic Possibilities of Our Time. If that doesn't sate your appetite, try The Mystery Of Capital by Hernando DeSoto or Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. That should seed your own ponderings for a long time to come--at least on this subject.
Pondering Seven: You might think I have a thing for Barack, and I do in a way. He is undoubtedly the most interesting politician we have had to look at in some time, probably in my lifetime of 50+ years. Mind you, my observations will not necessarily translate into a vote, but looking at the changes his popularity creates is fodder for all sort of ponderings. This current one, number seven, reflects some pundit's comments that go like this: with the ascendancy of Barack to his place in history--even if it is just giving Hillary a run for her money, folks like the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will no longer be able to capitalize on their proxy victim roles. Although that may speak truthfully about a purely American phenomenon, I would add that Barack's example could give hope to blacks worldwide. This thought came to me after seeing an interview of Barack's uncle from his humble home in Kenya. The reporter asked the uncle how Barack's presidential race made him feel. The man used the words "pride" and "honor to the family" but his beaming face said it all. How many times have we had a Presidential race when foreign-born relatives are watching the outcome with as much expectancy as the rest of us? How many times have these relatives been black? Thus, Barack, whether he wins the Democratic nomination or not, has changed our grandkid's history books for good. They will now read that America went from segregation to a run for the Presidency without using the race card in the short span of fifty years. What is fact now could not even have been imagined a year ago and that speaks volumes about the evolution of the United States.
And finally, Pondering Eight: Diapers-Go-Green was an announcement in this week's TIME magazine (1-21-08, p. 57.) My two kids were raised on clothe diapers, the ones that had to be swished in the toilet, so I read this with interest. Certainly, modern moms would not go back to that obnoxious toilet routine, I thought. Well, I was right and wrong. Modern moms may give up the 27.4 billion disposable diapers that get transported annually to landfills, but they will now be serviced by diaper companies or new improved clothe diapers. These new contrivances have pockets for disposable pads and elastic bands around the legs to keep in the wet and goo, just like the environmentally unfriendly models. My question, what will be next? Tampons, after all women used to use clothe, or toilet paper? Cloth, anyone?
This line of speculation could head straight to the toilet fast, so we will say, "Good evening, and it will be on to more enlightened topics when we return."
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sunday Confessions
Many people don't know what to make of me. It's been that way since I was little. While my grandpa called my siblings Peanut and Princess, his moniker for me was Porky-pig. The translation of that name was "overweight" and "a handful." Admittedly, each was a fact.
As I grew older, some called me a devil; others call me an angel. If the truth be told, I was a little of each. At times, the dark side had the upper hand--and some of those activities made me hang my head in shame. Other times, the light prevailed--and some of those actions I hoped gave God a reason not to slam the pearly gates in my face.
As I grew even older, I realized that all of us had that dark and light side with qualities, traits and attitudes we found repugnant in ourselves and others of which we were proud. Said the renowned Buddhist Sogyal Rinpoche: "Two people have been living in you all your life. One is the ego, garrulous, demanding, hysterical, calculating; the other is the hidden spiritual being, whose still voice of wisdom you have only rarely heard or attended to."
As I grow wiser, I'm beginning to understand that this hidden, loving soul is waiting patiently for release. And in its release will come our freedom from these haunting dark and light sides. What a glorious day that will be, and it is our guarantee that no closed doors await us. Rather, a big welcome with a "Glad you could make it to the party! But--oh, by the way, don't get too settled because you'll be going back soon to help the others down there figure this out."
Dinner calls, so Sunday Confessions will be continued a week from today. . .
.
As I grew older, some called me a devil; others call me an angel. If the truth be told, I was a little of each. At times, the dark side had the upper hand--and some of those activities made me hang my head in shame. Other times, the light prevailed--and some of those actions I hoped gave God a reason not to slam the pearly gates in my face.
As I grew even older, I realized that all of us had that dark and light side with qualities, traits and attitudes we found repugnant in ourselves and others of which we were proud. Said the renowned Buddhist Sogyal Rinpoche: "Two people have been living in you all your life. One is the ego, garrulous, demanding, hysterical, calculating; the other is the hidden spiritual being, whose still voice of wisdom you have only rarely heard or attended to."
As I grow wiser, I'm beginning to understand that this hidden, loving soul is waiting patiently for release. And in its release will come our freedom from these haunting dark and light sides. What a glorious day that will be, and it is our guarantee that no closed doors await us. Rather, a big welcome with a "Glad you could make it to the party! But--oh, by the way, don't get too settled because you'll be going back soon to help the others down there figure this out."
Dinner calls, so Sunday Confessions will be continued a week from today. . .
.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Connecting the Dots. . .
- Blog 12-30-07
It would appear that more than BASF Chemical Company has an interest in plastic bags. According to the United Press International (January 9, 2008,) China will ban the use of plastic bags in stores effective June 1, 2008! Now this is eye-popping news coming from the world's most populated country:
"The State Council announced the ban on their Web site, citing the problem of litter and of the oil used to produce the bags. 'Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, a waste of energy and resources, because of the excess use and inadequate recycling.' "
Chinese shoppers will return to cloth bags, most likely similar to the ones being sold in US stores now. It strikes me that it isn't like China to be the world leader on such a thorny issue,especially the year that they are hosting the Olympics. However, there are certain times when central communist rule has its advantages, and this may be one of them.
- Blog 12-16-07
"The moves will each add hundreds of millions of dollars to the Ivy League rivals' budgets. They come at a time of pressure from Congress and other quarters for wealthy schools to make tuition more affordable as they stockpile billions of donations and investment gains."
Other Ivy League universities are stepping up to the plate as well. Princeton was the leader of the pack in 2001 when it dropped loans from financial aid packages and other higher educational institutions having been scurrying to catch up ever since. Some ask why Congress has an interest in these matters and may believe that the government should keep its nose out of the Ivy Leaguer's business. However, the Senate Finance Committee felt differently:
"[The Senate] has been pushing to require schools to spend a minimum amount of their endowment each year. Foundations are required to spend 5%, while many universities fall below that threshold. [Senator Charles] Grassley praised Yale's move, calling it 'a day for parents and students.' He noted that Yale's and Harvard's announcements came after a hearing in September that focused on the size of college endowments. It's a big deal that the two wealthiest colleges are making tuition affordable. They set an example for all other well-funded schools to do the same."
The WSJ noted that 62 colleges have endowments over $1 billion and most are opposed to Congress mandating a minimum payout (1-8-08, p. D3.) It is a crying shame that such wealth is held by non-profits unwilling to give back, and this is one time when our government in its oversight role has stepped up and said enough is enough.
- Blog 12-25-07
- Blogs 12-29-07; 12-31-07; and 1-5-08
"Epileptic fits exhibit some of the same patterns as seismic shocks, . . .raising doubts about the longstanding belief that seizures occur randomly. The research led by neurologist Ivan Osorio of the University of Kansas, found patterns of 'waiting times' between epileptic fits that are similar to earthquake occurrences. Also, just as earthquakes are preceded by tiny tremors imperceptible to humans, epileptic fits are preceded by neural spikes detected only on brain scans. The analysis. . .compared 16,000 epileptic seizures with seismological data from 300,000 earthquakes. The researchers say these and other patterns might hold the key to predicting and possibly preventing epileptic fits" (WSJ, 1-10-08, p. B6.)
These findings might not be surprising if one believed in the literal interconnectedness of all beings as well as resonance with earth's electro-magnetic field. Lynne McTaggart's book The Intention Experiment previously reviewed here goes into great detail about the phenomenon. I would predict that within 20 years her theories will be accepted as the norm. Until then, many uncoveries of the kind noted above will likely surface. As I see these revelations, I will bring them to your attention as a way to shed light on a new reality that may stun us in its simplicity.
- Blog 12-27-07
The journalistic axiom "If it bleeds, it leads" could not be more true than in the case of Iraqi war coverage. Thus, this negative trend in war coverage may have more to do with psychology than politics. In defense of the broadcasting and print news corporations, they give their readers/viewers what is demanded. If not, these companies would be out of business. So, although many fingers point to biased corporations for their negative reporting, the reader/viewer is equally responsible as the ultimate consumer of these products. If more light was desired, more light would be had. This unenlightened trend is due for a change, wouldn't you say?
NOTE: "Connecting the Dots. . ." is a new feature and will be brought to you from time to time as trends unfold on the pages of this watch for change blog.
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