This is starting to look like a mandate....

Let's hope that this is a change for the better... But all life is change, and America is not exempt. The dejection on Fox news is palatable.

If you are in the Obama is Socialist camp, then Socialism must have been in the cards.

Get used to it.

To those who felt it was no real change to elect Obama, I guess an African-American in office is not change enough (it is change enough for me).

To those who voted for Prop. 2... BOO!

I guess equality is only on your terms, and this election of a black man is some sort of aberration. It was not long ago that blacks were NOT equal to the rest of "us."

I would pray for you, if it wasn't a fruitless exercise for an athiest like me. We are all equal, and must strive for peace.

This election can be good, you know. It might be a good thing for the world for a progressive America, since that is the definition of the term "progressive." Did you think of that, that you might be wrong thinking Obama is wrong for America? You could be wrong ("God" forbid)!

I have seen enough politics where I am convinced, at least for now, electing a black man is the coolest thing America has ever done!

Now that there is no hanging chads to argue about, and it is pretty clear how America thinks, lets really work to understand the universiality of mankind. Peace to all.

One last thought... America is more than economics! It is leadership, where cooler heads might have a chance to prevail.

To those who won tonight.....

I'm still in office for two months! Bwahahahaaa!

peace out, boy scouts...

Some More Random Thoughts...

I want to remind people how cool how an Obama win is.

Today, every first grader from every inner-city school is saying: hey, I can be president of the United States. Is that not America, or what?

And the world is saying; "there is hope for America". Remember, we just elected someone to run the country, by the highest vote count ever, who could not even piss in the same bathroom as the whites a generation ago. That was not bullshit, it was the LAW. Is it not a good thing to give a whole generation of Americans the goal of POTUS? Instead of success equating rap stars and sports fame?

My senior year of high school (1979), also the highest recorded marijuana use by seniors, had a SWAT team on the roof of the school. As a result race riots. Blacks agains Italians, and it was about something pretty stupid, in retrospect. (hint: it was about pot!) Doesn't it seem petty now, when equality for all is an achievable goal?

Do you hear the rumbling? It is the collective generations of people spinning in their graves. I am so proud. It is a genuine rebellion.

Never mind the economic policies of Obama, the rebellion envisioned by the 60', 70's and 80's have begun to rear its head!

It is not an economic thing, for those who want to narrow it in purely economic terms. That idea is self centered!

We are seeing social change at is most base.

A person of color to reach the top of the American political structure is something pretty damn special. If you want to call it Socialism, so be it. If you think that Obama will not bring any change, and that the whole system needs a reset, get real! A black man is in charge, is that not change?

A real change has come, and if that is not enough for you, so what? Let's get a dose of reality, the American people will only accept a change on their own terms, and this is it!

So you label President Obama a "Socialist." Do you think any person of the age of the Civil Rights movement would be called anything else? Any notion of equality and fairness, especially in the framework of race, can be decried as socialist.

It is a charge bordering on racism.

The redistribution of wealth is an attractive notion to a class of people who have been denied real wealth their entire lives. As Chris Rock once said; a basketball player is rich, the owner of the team is wealthy! The equality of race, when you reflect, screams of socialism.

Who cares?

This is the change America needs, and Obama is intelligent enough to rise to the challenge.

The saving grace is that a mandate has been an achieved. A decisive victory which will quash any discussion of voter fraud and hanging chads. Thankfully ACORN is history.

If it was even close, we would be arguing this election for months. The election will put to rest any doubt, and any opportunity for the Supreme Court to decide this election.

One last thought... leave it to a black man to clean up the mess of the rich white guy! Good luck President Obama.

Gooooo USA!

Money as Debt

The creation of money is not what we traditionally understood as the source of money.

It is using mortgage and fractal lending policies with a promise to repay where financial debt becomes money. Money becomes a tangible visualization of morality. The assessment of debt evolves into an accepted degree of a culture's morality. Objectification of debt can be directly related to a sense of moral superiority.

We owe, so that places the lender on a superior plane.

We assign this nearly virtual monetary system as a substitute for morality, arising out of emotional convenience. It is easier for an individual to replace money for morality. Once a culture agrees with this concept, then we take our moral compass out of the equation.

Isn't an easier emotional path to assess a monetary value than a subjective internal value, where we are only accountable to ourselves (and our "God").

With a simple financial value to which all parties can agree, or at least have the courts force us to agree, value judgments can be assessed in hard and fast terms. Contracts become solid, with unquestionable terms. This is the concept we now call "money."

Monetary systems by their nature are intuitive, even though most people do not realize where "money" comes from. We fail to realize why money becomes important. Something must be better since it has a higher price tag. We accept that without question.

Why do we assess value to money, which is based on a non tangible promise from unseen persons?

Why should we give faith that somebody - anybody - banks or government, will do the "right" thing?

What is a promise anyway?

Debt becomes a method the individual can assert their will upon others. We want to do right and believe that others will do right to us. That is the core of any promise.

It is where we can assert superiority over another, by having faith that they will repay with interest. We give faith to the debtor, which is in direct conflict with other, less tangible, forms of faith. Such has been the historic basis of religion. Why else would most world religions take a stern position against lending with interest? We abdicate authority previously reserved for the clergy and confer it to banks and other financial institutions.

Christianity has been relegated to a competitive role with money. There have been countless sermons about how God does not want us to be in debt. It is competition and weakens the pulpit's hold on the faithful.

Many cannot afford to tithe to God's church.

Why should they?

You can have happiness on earth, as long as you can shoulder some debt. Wall Street has become the new temple, and we all must contribute when it falters.

The federal bailout is our tithe to the altar of debt.

We got off easy with a paltry 700 billion.

Fear as a method of control

argumentum in terrorem

"Save us, Superman."

9/11. As a mantra for the 21^st century, nothing can hold a candle to the visceral impact of September 11, 2001. It was one of those rare “where were you when?” moments, burned into the collective consciousness. Of that there is no doubt.

The attack on the twin towers became a surface of the specter of fear. What is fear? Wikipedia defines fear as “an emotional response to threats and danger.” Can we asses a need to feel fear? The need for comfort, the homeostatic nature of human kind, the need to feel safe in their homes and in their lives. It was intensified as the towers came down.

Then a strange thing happened...

Instead of finding answers, and understanding where this sense of fear originated, we became even more fearful. We knew less than before, and our leaders, instead of taking substantive steps to calm the world, began to be beat war drums.

With no discernible change in our day to day lives, we have become a nation at war with unnamed entities we call “terrorists.” It can be argued the odds of a single American falling victim to an act of terrorism (or what passes for terrorism) was only infinitesimally affected by the events of 9/11. My assertion is that we are no more safer now than we were prior to the event. But we are more fearful.

Fear is the mother of morality - Nietzsche.

People who aim to control society will use the easiest method possible. The promotion of fear is an simple path to control the populous. Fear can be an intricate part of social structure. But what of the opposite? Basic human nature encompasses the struggle to alleviate fear. Physical manifestations of fear are well documented, couldn't it be said fear is the basic need for relief? Fear, and the alleviation of fear becom powerful emotions, which can give rise for enterprising parties to seize an opportunity for control. The search for a savior is at the foundation of both religion and politics. We need a representative to keep us from harm, to keep us safe and to bring us to some version of the “promised land.”

A correlation can be made between the relief of fear and the establishment of debt. Both fill some sort of need. Both have a component of relationship between people providing a degree of comfort, with a promise of reciprocation. The debtor and the faithful owe their debt, in either financial or emotional terms. The relief of debt becomes a literal term, focusing on the word relief.

My question is - how safe are we? There is a disconnect between the illusion of security and the reality of safety. We cannot walk out of our homes without the assessment of risk. Why do we proceed, and why should we proceed? We allow ourselves to be safe, but we fail to realize that safety is something that is given, and can be easily taken away.

As the events of September 11 unfolded the usefulness as fear as a tool, and the power of the savior, became apparent. Fear became a tangible commodity, which can be traded. Writer Hunter S. Thompson remarked:

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We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear — fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, fear of getting down-sized or fired because of the plunging economy, fear of getting evicted for bad debts, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer. "Extreme behavior in Aspen" (2003-02-03)

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The promise of repayment gives the loaner a measure of power just as the savior has over the saved. The feeling of gratitude is a price one pays to the superior, and the participants are willing, with no idea that any manipulation is taking place. We are eager to live the proscribed life with the promise of a nirvana or heaven, and the fear of hell.

An industry of security has developed from the promotion of fear of an unknown entity. Any Google search of “security” bring thousands of results for companies that offer the promise of comfort, the ability to surf the internet, to conduct business and live our lives free from the specter of despair. We are taking comfort to be something that a value can assigned. How much are you willing to spend to be safe? To feel safe has no physical parameters. We cannot hold safety in our hands. As I sit in my living room, what makes me feel safe, and why should I feel that way? The government has created an illusion and we can continue to feel that way, as long as our social structure stays in place. We walk down the street without fear of molestation because the police, a government entity, is hard at work. We do not ask, or simply forget, the price.

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We're likely to experience more restrictions on our personal freedom than has ever been the case in our country - Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

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We are going to have to change the balance between freedom and security - House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt

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Our leaders have garnered support for a war whose antagonists are phantoms. The war on terror is impossible to define since terror is an emotion, intangible and unquantifiable. Terror is fear, and fear is what will keep us in line. How do we win a war? Is it something that a flag can be placed by a victorious army?

The problem with “sustain-ability.”

By Phil Ammann

To begin, I do not have a problem with the concept of “sustain-ability”and it would be foolish to disagree with the idea.

Of course, we need to renew resources; they will stop being resources if we do not. The highest priority of our time should be the viability of future generations by making sure there are some resources remaining. Not to gobble up our planet in a fit of short sightedness.

Short sightedness, it is a classic human trait.

Don't forget, the planet has a way of responding and not in ways that are conducive with our survival. Anyone who has experienced tornadoes, heat waves or other massive natural disasters can attest to that.

Those who suffered through M. Night Shyamalan's “The Happening” (trust me) also can understand.

My issue is with how Americans treat terminology and the ease with which words are hijacked in the name of profit. By profit, I mean more than just money. The words “green” and “organic” are good examples. Terms have become “branded” to nearly iconic levels. We are being bombarded with products, people and places labeled “green.”

Saint Petersburg is working very hard to be the “green city,” going as far as being the first town so proclaimed by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). This tag line will be used to bring development and money to St. Pete.

From my experience, development and money are the two things that do not fit well with ecological sustain-ability. Development is not a word that “jives” with conservation, sustain-ability or preservation.

Tuesday I saw our mayor Rick Baker sitting outside the USF Barnes and Noble. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind. I realized I could not spare any, so I held back.

Development has been one of the mainstays of Western growth, especially in the last 60 years. President Truman ushered in a modern age of development when on January 20, 1949 –his inauguration day—he declared "greater production is the key to prosperity and peace" by declaring most of the world "undeveloped” and "their economic life (as) primitive and stagnant."

To label people "savage" and "primitive" gave the West a mandate to "civilize."

Assignments of these ideas were essential to give the West a moral obligation to develop those regions. In short order, development became a way to profit from raw materials. The post-war era was marked by profiteering, although not completely without precedent. The most egregious violators have been the corporation, where common efforts replace economic profit with morality, and personal responsibility is diluted by group think.

Multi-national corporations capture this underlying lack of morality and export it world-wide, erasing borders by deifying currency. The rise of the multi-national corporation had been building steadily for centuries.

It was recognized by no less than Abraham Lincoln. He wrote in 1864:

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. ... Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." (http://www.globalissues.org/article/234/the-rise-of-corporations)

Lincoln understood this, still reeling from a horrific Civil War, which was as much about economic viability of a fledgling Union as it was individual freedom. The manufacturing interests of the North needed raw materials supplied by the South, and the future economy of America was threatened by an independent South. It was clear that a divided America would struggle to support itself. The high cost of trading with the seceded Confederate states created a huge hurdle for the continued development of the Industrial North.

Not to mention all that "free" labor provided by slaves. Imagine if plantation owners paid a fair wage to workers on their farms. America would be a very different place.

It was necessary to present concepts that would provoke Americans to lay down their lives in an especially brutal war. To justify war for purely economic means is a tough sell to the average American.

The rich would have none of it, exampled by how military service was sold to poor men of the North when conscription was enacted in 1863. There were two ways to get out of the Civil War: a 300 dollar "commutation fee," or provide a substitute. Soon a class of soldier known as the "three hundred dollar men" developed. Class inequities and forced military service were factors in the New York Draft Riots (July 1863), a particularly violent episode that claimed 120 lives.

The 2002 film Gangs of New York is loosely based on those events.

The Civil War, to most involved, was a fight to preserve a way of life (sound familiar?). The South saw it as an infringement on their culture and their sovereignty. The threat of the Federal government was sufficient reason to fight to protect culture and customs. It was the feeling of encroachment of the North, the hatred of the anti-slavery platform of Lincoln, coupled with a fear of equality for the slaves that fueled the South's spirit for war. Southerners were branded as “rebels” and stereotyped as uncultured and backwards while supporters of the Union had taken the moral imperative to assert superiority.

It would result in the bloodiest conflict in our history, a distinction which continues to this day.

The passion of moral superiority and the comfort of being on the side of right are powerful motives for the decision to act. Control of these emotions, especially for profit, has been the focus of multi-national corporations, governments and religious organizations for millennium.

To be comfortable is a basic human need, and the ability to provide comfort and relief, physically and emotionally, becomes an alluring path to power. With power comes profit.

The most efficient tactic for keeping a group of disparate individuals in line is to convince them your path is a path to comfort. The path to heaven… nirvana… riches… permanent weight loss—all have the benefit of giving some relief to the struggle of existence.

As Buddhists realize, all living is suffering, and the way to relieve suffering is to....

…wait for it....

…live the life they prescribe.

Christians have heaven, Hindus and Buddhists have Nirvana (so did Kurt Cobain, rest his soul), Microsoft has Windows Vista (damn you, Gates!). Drug use falls under the same umbrella. Who doesn't want to feel good? Bayer Laboratories developed Heroin in 1898 as a morphine substitute to (you guessed it) make the Western World feel good, and we all know how that turned out.

Making America feel good has made centuries of entrepreneurs rich, fueled the rise of huge corporations with worldwide interests. It threatens the world with a blanket of "free markets" and turning our little hootenanny we call Earth into one big Wal-Mart.

The never-ending hunger for comfort, and the structure to provide said comfort, continues to be the holy grail of Western business.

Why build a better mousetrap if not to give people the "warm fuzzies" in a home without fear of being overrun by rats.

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OK folks... Before you get crazed; I am NOT trying to tie our "sustain-ability" meme to the Civil War, Heroin use, Grunge music, Martin Scorsese films or rodent control.

But it does make one think, "why do we do any of these things?" Hmmmmm...

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The manipulation of terminology is a linchpin for getting America behind a concept. Key to the success of any campaign of ideas is in making it palatable in as efficient a form as possible. The "green" movement is an excellent example of how a noble effort is pinned onto an economic motive.

Of course, we want to save the world for future generations. As I said earlier; it would be foolish to argue the point. Being "green" gives us, if anything, the opportunity to feel good about ourselves, our community and the fate of the planet.

One look at "Love Canal," the neighborhood outside Buffalo, New York, built over the abandoned chemical dumping ground of Hooker Chemical, and one cannot help to be radically pro-environment, or "green." The sight of family homes and an elementary school which at one time oozed toxic cancer-causing waste, with the predictable Stephen King-like illnesses and birth defects, is unsettling at least. Love Canal (some name, huh?) became a focal point of the burgeoning environmental movement and laid the foundation for the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, known commonly as the "Superfund."

It is now encased in a cement coffin, like some strange alien landscape.

When talking about manipulation, we must differentiate between the hijack of ideas and the classic definition of advertising.

Advertising is an attempt to inform a potential customer base to choose a product with features and benefits that will serve a purpose or fill a need. The desire to inform is the basis of legitimate advertising and the purpose is clear—to sell a product. The path of manipulation is more covert, appealing to emotions that run deep, without really knowing why we feel that way. Soon we stop thinking critically of the motives and just accept them without question.

The green movement (at one time) had some clear objective; clean up a mess that centuries of short sightedness and greedy industrialism have brought upon our planet. Concrete goals and keen understanding were the challenges of the movement’s achievement, with definable results. As time progressed and people understood the need for improvements, a simple agenda morphed into a complex blend of emotions, economics and politics.

Green parties in several countries have taken root and flourished, especially in Europe, during the latter part of the twentieth century. With slow successes and steady growth, the notion of sustain-ability has woven into the very human desire for self preservation. Like marble in the hands of a master sculptor, being “green” had been chiseled, bit by bit, into something beautiful. An artful blend of hope and awareness gives an individual a powerful tool to affect the future.

And boy does it feels good.

The power to make someone feel superior has turned into the power to of comfort for a price. In the past ten years, a deluge of products has traded in on the good will from decades of dedication and hard work. Home Depot added over 2500 new products on its green "Eco-Options" label, and that is just one company. Products need to be green to be viable.

For years, brands of dish detergent have been labeled “phosphate free.” Recent packaging changed to be “certified green” due of the absence of phosphates, with an increase in price commensurate with the new label.

The average consumer knows (for some reason) phosphates are bad, but does not realize that phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant growth. It is the excess of phosphate, a form of phosphorus, which is dangerous. The distinction is passed along without question or explanation.

Sustain-ability is more than just recycling and choosing the right brand of soap. It is an awareness of our place in the world. It is an understanding how we better can fit into the incomprehensible jigsaw puzzle that is existence and still leave room for the other pieces.

“Experts” constantly tell us that “organic” foods are somehow better and healthier. They are being paid handsomely for their opinions. “Organic” has become the new catch word in the battle of the brands. We buy books on organic living (goodbye trees) and watch their infomercials (electric juice does not grow on those trees).

Babies-R-Us even carries the book "Organic Parenting"(?!?)

(I hope we are not eating babies, they taste bad.)

Without really understanding the mechanics and definitions behind what is organic, consumers blindly accept the term, and are willing to pay a few cents more for a can of beans with a different label. It is as if we have been eating inorganic food all this time.

I have a loaf of “green” bread in my kitchen right now, and you can have it all, if you want.

Sustain-ability is more than eating the right foods, buying the right brands and driving the right cars. It is the mindfulness of how we interact with our environment, living a life that takes into account the planet and being a more efficient member of the community. Sustain-ability includes the active knowledge of what it means to be green, a constant condundrum of awareness and education. Understanding how we can treat each with the most essential element of society - respect.

Respect for ourselves by eating right, respect for our environment and for our citizens, be it locally, nationally or planetary, all by living right by your own standards. It all starts with mindfulness of a way that is the best for you.

My biggest fear is that the term “sustain-ability” will meet the wrong fate. Use and overuse will bring certain blandness to a concept that must take priority in our society. The more Americans misuse a phrase, the less gravitas it carries and the less effective the term becomes. Soon the concept itself will suffer. We quickly grow tired of repetition, even though it is far removed from the original intent.

When we grow weary of an idea, it becomes weak and malleable, like clay, making it an easy tool for marketing. In the wrong hands it is a tool that can be dangerous, and overuse makes it negative. Politicians have made an art form of this technique, as history frequently demonstrated.

How can we prevent sustain-ability from the realm of triteness? To sustain "sustain-ability" (ironic), diligence is the key. We must be vigilant of how we are presenting sustain-ability and always remember to use it sparingly.

My suggestion is that if we must drum a concept into the heads of average, plain-Jane Americans, and run the risk of lessening its impact, that we replace the words “sustain-ability” with a term that we have no problem reducing to banality. Something that deserves to be belittled. I nominate the term “Dick Cheney.” That way if the phrase becomes something that America will grow tired of hearing, and tosses into the dustbin of history, that will do just fine.

Peace through respect, not through lack of violence, "but active engagement of compassion" (pg. 116). Globalization is tantamount to violence to local culture by robbing individuality and our "common humanity".

The culture of violence , as Shiva described in Living Cultures, assumes many forms, all devastating to local societies. The “vicious cycles of violence” (p. 109) realized through globalism, greed and “free trade,” erases cultural diversity, essential for humanity's survival. The issues raised in this section must be understood before any meaningful changes take effect. What the West refers to as “making other cultures civilized” (p. 110) actually drains the life from a living society, creating violent destruction in its wake. Imperialists do not see what evils they create, and view native social structures that do not fit into a narrow view of Western culture as something to be controlled and made “productive.” This belief comes from a “misguided definition of poverty,” where “non-Western modes of consumption are often mistaken for misery and poverty.” (p. 113) When multinational corporations such as Monsanto patent seeds with non-renewable traits, it does not take into account the violence created towards indigenous and “sustenance” farmers. Under-production and wide scale crop failure are rampant in the Indian farming class. In southern India, the end result is extreme poverty and despair, leading to no less than mass suicide, which Shiva describes as “the worst form of genocide.”(p. 120) The need for the steady flow of capital in a market economy takes precedent, and the push for “development and poverty alleviation” actually creates new forms of poverty and dispossession.

This “monoculture of economic globalization “ goes hand in hand with religious fundamentalism, using separation and subjugation to create suffering, especially at the expense of women, who are “displaced from productive roles in society, (and) are rendered disposable.” (p. 120) The use of existing class inequities, by both “capitalist and religious patriarchy” who feel the “divine right to rule... make women as human beings disappear.” (p. 132)

Folks...

As I was driving west on 1st ave north, around 61st street, I saw a sign. Not a "vision from above" sign, but a little plastic sign - professionally lettered, red with white background, wires to push it into the dirt - the type of sign that would normally say "open house","lose 175 pounds - ask me how!", or "McCain/Palin."

But No.

It read: "Vote Your Color... The BLACKS Already Have" (italics mine)

In brief... WTF?!? Are we in f**kin' 1958? I almost drove of the road. I intended to drive by after work, hoping to take a picture and document this piece of shit before I tore it out of the ground. But it was gone (thankfully).

I'm the largest proponent of the 1st Amendment, but i think this is like shouting "fire" in a crowded movie theater.

Saint Petersburg is already racially tense, and this is the just the thing to incite someone to violence. The neighborhood was predominantly white, and someone paid for this lettered sign (NOT hand lettered), which is a type produced in batches. That means there must be more, right?

If so, we are in deep shit.

Green Computing


A component of green computing, indeed one of the basic tenets of sustainability itself, is the emphasis on efficiency. The efficient management of time and resources is most important in education. The early introduction of technology, and the concept of time management, has become essential to the preparation of a student for modern life. The key to becoming a productive member of society rests in the mastery of the available tools. This has been true for every era of human history, in every culture. Tools available for the modern student are the most powerful, and its potential never greater. We need to use these tools to maximum benefit, with the easiest method is exposing students to both the mechanics and concepts of sustainable technology early and often. Computing, at its core, is the accumulation of knowledge. Establishing a working knowledge of computers, as well as the efficient use of time, is a solid foundation of education.

Humans have certain basic needs, such as food, shelter and water. As social creatures, humans also have basic desires. One of the most prominent is the need for recognition, to be understood as a part of the larger picture. Artists know this drive well, as do politicians. In choosing a license for my wiki's, I realize that I do want recognition for my efforts. But instead of profit I want to contribute, in the spirit of the common good. For much of the world, profitability equals success. And profit will cover a multitude of sins (I have seen that personally). That is why for many the U.S. constitution is considered the cornerstone of business.

And while we are we are on the subject of profit, I found an interesting link that (sort of) ties our subject to the almighty dollar (or the euro?).

Sustainabiliy Training

My favorite example of one work taken from another:

I chose the license on the provision that the work has to be shared with a similar license. It is only fair. And fairness is a subset of respect. And respect for others is ultimately a respect for myself.

Roshi7 Assignment (License Argument) by Phil Ammann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

manicbeeper

Roshi7

Roshi7 Assignment

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week One

1. Who Are You?

Roshi7 (Phil Ammann) Wiki

pammann@tampabay.rr.com

Being one of those "non-traditional" students (you gotta love labels), the whole wiki thing is, well... not intimation per-se, but the most ambitious thing I have done in quite a while. (And that's after two kids through the Pinellas County School system.) Not that I am giving it a second thought. It had been quite a while since I have stepped into an organized classroom. Not only that, but it is unusual (for me, at least) to be the oldest student in the class. Shit, I got kids older than this. One in USF and the other in UCF, graduating in December. A lot to process. Not to sound like some old asshole, but I've been through worse. And so It goes...

Who are you?

As I drove across Tampa Bay with my daughter, the traffic on the bridge was amazingly light. It gave me time to reflect, and to organize my thoughts. That was a much more difficult thing than I let on. America is the land of second chances, and I am not going to let this one slip by. I came to USF with strong desire to finish what I started what seemedseveral lifetimes ago.

I know it might be a little of a cheat but there is a scholarship for the "non-traditional" students. It is the called the Osher Reentry Scholarship, and required a Goal statement. I thought it would be appropriate. And I wrote it two weeks ago...

The pursuit of a degree has always been a balance between work, family and formal education. In the years prior to my “break” from the pursuit of my Bachelors degree, I had become a father of two daughters, Alyson and Ashley, as well as an assistant manager forColor Tile in Los Angeles. I had already weathered one layoff, when the furniture company I worked with suddenly decided to cease operations. As one of their higher paid employees, I was one of the first to be let go. Financially we had already seen rough times. With two small children, the priority has always been to keep a roof over their heads.

Until then I had been attending classes at Los Angeles Valley College, mainly at night and mostly part time. What was most challenging was my choice of pursuing Journalism as a course of study. Journalism requires a commitment of time and effort not just limited to the classroom, and flexibility was essential. As one of the editorial staff, in addition to reporting, I juggled many responsibilities, including supervising a small staff of writers and providing content on a deadline. All this in a time before personal computers were available, especially to someone with limited means.

There was no doubt that I loved every minute of it, my GPA and Dean’s List recognitions serving as proof. Earlier the Journalism department sponsored a small writers conference, and I had been given the responsibility of organizing and executing the event. It was one of the first management opportunities for me, and it went perfectly. That was the point where I felt I had skills in business that could serve me well.

By the time 1993 came, I was presented a difficult choice. A Color Tile store was in need of a new manager. It was a struggling location that had not turned a profitable quarter in quite a while. It was in Austin, Texas, a place where neither my wife nor myself had ever visited. The responsibility and rewards would be a welcome change from what we were doing in Los Angeles, especially for Alyson and Ashley. Unfortunately it meant taking a break from school. The time requirement and devotion I would normally dedicate to school was redirected into my success at Color Tile. Off to Texas we went.

The store in Austin became one of the most improved locations in the region and the company. That soon lead to other opportunities and chances for success. But there was always a lapse in my story. I felt a bit shorted and needed more.

In meeting people, the response is surprise that I have not completed my Bachelors. I have frequently been told I carry myself as someone who achieved that level of education. I always prided myself on education, attending sales training and gathering up as much professional knowledge as possible. At times not having a degree was bothersome, but I could always comfort myself with the knowledge of my two wonderful daughters, both successful in school, and my own profitability in sales and management.

In subsequent years there were obstacles. Financially, times were tough, including several changes in fortune, not least of which becoming a single parent in 2001. A single father and two teenage daughters living together full time is challenging, to say the least. I had taken a job with Yellow Cab in Pinellas County, providing transportation for Medicaid recipients, the economically disadvantaged, the mentally challenged and the elderly. It was a job that provided me with use of a vehicle, and flexibility of schedule so I could be available “on call” for my daughters. I would continue driving for several years which was physically and emotionally exhausting. Struggling to make a living, I found myself spending most of my time with those who are also wrestling with life. It was a unique opportunity to observe people in a variety of circumstances, with points of view just as unique. And I relished it. After asevere automobile accident in February 2007, and at the insistence of my daughters, I left Yellow Cab and returned to sales.

By this time Alyson was attending the University of Central Florida, where she will graduate in December, and Ashley had soon after started at USF (go Bulls!) and is now in her junior year. In spite of several relocations, coping with their parents divorce, and growing up in general, it is with no small sense of accomplishment that they receive the success they deserve, through hard work and determination.

But the real winner is me. With all the challenges in my life what I have in return is maturity, a little wisdom, and the desire improve myself and others. I will succeed because I have an appreciation of my abilities and I understand what it takes stay at the top of my game. I will need to stay sharp. Finishing my Bachelors will give me just that. My post graduate educational goal is law school. Not to become a “big time” lawyer, but to specialize in Civil Rights and Equality. With emphasis on pro bono work. Helping those who struggle and those in need.

The purpose of the race is not only the finish line, but in the race itself. USF will provide me with a framework for achieving the finish line. I will bring the passion for the race.

Who are you?

Sorry for the cheat. Wanted to hit the ground running.

Besides, I like this Who song better, it fits me better.

"one must have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing star"

One does not have to be a fan of Michio Kaku and String theory (which I am) nor practiced zazen in a Zen Sitting Group (which I have) to grasp the essence of Nietzsche's quote. The whole of existence is built of the same energies, the same building blocks that flow through everything we see, feel and even think. The notion of God actually works against that "spiritual" energy by putting "him" as separate from the self. In that way "God is dead." The self is all we have, after all, and as part of an incomprehensible jigsaw puzzle, we cannot have the complete picture without the single piece. We spend our limited (or is it unlimited) existence exerting our place in the puzzle, by our will upon others. And it is that chaotic energy in ourselves, and how we use it in relation to others, that is identical to the energy of the dancing star.

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue"

My favorite example for one work from another:

manicbeeper - some more of me.

Roshi7 Assignment (License Argument)

Roshi7 Assignment

Note: I'm trying to keep hyperlinking to pages other than Wikipedia

(but I do love wikipedia), my HTML skills are still pretty basic.

Plus I love to wander...

2. Nietzche

See Above

3. Create 3 links within this blog

I believe the nature of wiki is one of an ultimate creative tool, giving us the power of group energy without the messy dynamics of ego. The playing field is truly leveled, where all who participate is given a voice. We are seeing the true face of democracy, not thesmoke and mirrors we have been raised on. Real freedom, to wander and meander through the richness of human knowledge, forgood and bad. And always remember: not all those who wander are lost.

Now, excuse me while I watch Hillary's speech.

Sustain-ability

The notion of "sustain-ability" gives me an opportunity to reflect on the substance of our existence. It is when we can understand the "better angels of our nature," we can find the inspiration for acts of kindness that is the cornerstone of sustain-ability.

One of the central themes of Buddhism is one of Balance. Balance in actions, words and thought, ultimately relying on the“middle way,” a path of moderation which leads to eventual enlightenment. The sum total of existence is a fragile balance between desires, which can be controlled by right mind, right actions and a life of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state where the self is in a hyper awareness of its surroundings, and after which the self dissolves. The Mind (big M) becomes aware of the ultimate reality, where the barrier between the self and others disappears, and oneness is achieved.

Sustain-ability utilizes the same themes. Economies, environment and societies become dependent on each other in a balance that encompasses all. The foundation of sustain-ability is understanding that every individual is dependent on each other for survival, and cooperation becomes crucial as the instrument for continuation of the human race.

"That a strong sense of social and personal responsibility is inherent in the spiritual freedom of the deeply realized person..."(Kapleau, Philip. Three Pillars of Zen. New York: Anchor Books, 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0385260930)

It is not an easy path to sustain-ability. There are many obstacles, most arise out of self-centered desires. Cultures, for centuries, have struggled with desire and the control of needs that are mistakenly attributed to some sort of "basic Human nature". The path to enlightenment (in many beliefs) can come through meditation, prayer and self reflection, which many call "practice". Through methods such as those we can better understand the meaning of sustain-ability. It is intertwined with the most unrealized human need -respect.

Respect for the self, when oneness is achieved, becomes a respect for all.

Week Two

In Vandana Shiva’s Earth Democracy, one of the major themes is globalization. By globalization, resources have been taken from local cultures and transferred to business entities - multi-national corporations - which succeed by turning basic human needs into commodities. Resources such as food, water and clean air are reserved for select groups that have the means to purchase them. The fragile balance between people and the environment becomes secondary to the viability of a “free market.” Even the term “free market” is misleading. The notion of free market accepts the premise that if there is the potential for profit, then the ends justify the means.

This practice removes respect for the individual. When respect for the individual is forsaken, and freedom traded for profit, life becomes out of balance. An excellent illustration is in the documentary Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance. It’s a striking demonstration of the industrialization of the planet, and its effects on the Earth. (I use planet as a thing, and Earth as a place - home.)

What is the notion of profit? The term has evolved from a noble goal for the individual, to a force nearly sinister in tone. In the world of corporate globalization, profit is a cornerstone, justifying a system where essential human needs such as food and water are taken from the commons, and given only to those who can afford them. Ironically, the people who profit are usually far removed from the commons who are most affected by privatization. The free market is defined by exclusion, by dividing the world into “haves” and “have nots.” By globalization, the free market demands there are winners. And, of course, there must be losers. The losers in the rush to market domination, is usually those who can least afford to lose.

Earth Democracy puts forth the premise that basic global resources are the right of the commons. The artificial “free” market, thrust upon the commons by globalization, can be changed to a living economy, one that is based on local economies and cultures, and returning the resources to the commons in a “fair market.” Local economies are living economies, and if we all act locally, we will be acting globally.

Understanding Comics

The development of any critical understanding of an art form begins with a definition of terms. Discussion of the merits of any creative work demand that some common ground be reached before critique of any piece can begin. Many of these discussions are subjective, and follow a individual’s point of view, but can never reach the next level until there is some basic accord. The main purpose ofScott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is to attempt some definitions in the world of the “comic,” being able to further critical examination by creating a starting point.

Narrowing down the definition to a workable “sequential art,” McCloud can start discussion of the medium of the comic. The medium itself is important by how the artist uses shading, contrast, light and dark to express ideas. McCloud reminds us that drawings are not things, but representations of things. These representations, called “icons,” can be worked in various ways to give the notion of forward movement of action.

What I believe is our existence can be loosely described as a series of “now” moments. The idea of time arises from the succession of now moments, and how these bits of our existence link together to form consciousness. This is what some refer to as“living in the moment.” What the comic artist attempts is a representation of various moments chosen to give the reader a sense of story. The enjoyment of the comic lies in the reader working to “fill in” missing parts to add fluidity to the story. Marshall McLuhan refers to this as being a “hot” media, where reader participation is higher to comprehend logical continuation. This is the creative element of comics, and where the talent of the comic artist is evident. The artist is challenged to create continual action along with the effect of time within a limited space, creatively applying limited methods. Ink lines, shading and contrast all work together through the prism of the artist to convey a story.

Week Three

Technoshamanism

In reading for another class, I have come upon a term that I believe can apply to our class, and to what we are trying to accomplish.Technoshamanism, defined as using technology to achieve a higher consciousness. We are in the process of assembling a group of disparate individuals and through a system of cooperative evolution, which we are calling “wiki,” we are attempting to achieve a level of mindfulness for the survival of our species. The Sustain-ability of all aspects of our existence - social, economic and ecological - will be realized with no small thanks to technology, both current and future. The advent of available wireless communication, and the power of the internets (sorry, can’t help myself) will be a keystone to understanding the whole of our ecosystem and its workings.

We have even devoted a large chunk of today’s class to solving our current technology crisis, the struggle of the modern man to find astrong wifi signal.

Although Wikipedia defines technoshamanism in terms of psychotherapy, raving and drug use, I can see how the term can apply to our own wiki, and our focus on sustain-ability. The function of the shaman has historically been one of a mystic who assists a person to achieve a glimmer of a higher power, a whiff of the consciousness of something greater than ourselves. The wiki will develop into a sort of electronic consciousness, available to the commons. The purpose of the shaman has been traditionally tied to illness and medical need, but who can disagree that there is nothing in more urgent need of healing than our planet. The use of the wiki, impossible if not for some modern marvels, brings together talent and energies of very human individuals, and pool those resources into power that can create solutions for serious problems affecting all of us.

Community Literacy

Wikipedia defines literacy as the ability to use language on several levels: reading, writing, listening and speaking. This can range from a basic command of a common language to complex comprehension of abstract concepts. The promotion of community literacy encompasses elemental mechanics of communication along with an awareness of local societies, cultures and environment. Community literacy involves education in the tools of a common language, with an understanding of how to utilize those tools to become productive members of society. Community Literacy also refers to an appreciation of arts and media of all types, especially regarding local issues. All citizens, young and old, can participate in community literacy, not only by teaching others to converse with their neighbors, but in thinking critically about issues influencing their surroundings. Participation reaches every level of a society, and the free flow of knowledge creates an educated commons, with an awareness of the challenges to the neighborhood,. An educated citizenry becomes a solid foundation for a peaceful, sustainable social structure, one that is prepared to meet challenges of the future.

Roshi7 Assignment by Phil Ammann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

MANICBEEPER

manicbeeper@tampabay.rr.com

Americans can now register to vote using their Xbox. Presidential candidates now going after crucial 'guy that lives in his mom's basement' vote

OMFG!

I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?

Happy Monday!

Long before Live Aid, even before Pink Floyd's The Wall, Sir Bob Geldof led a group named The Boomtown Rats. One of their best wasI Don't Like Mondays. Its based on Brenda Ann Spencer, a 16 year old who shot up a schoolyard in 1979. When asked why, she replied...

Vid is a little dated, but hey, crazy has no expiration date, right?

Only great minds


can read this

fi yuo cn



a raed tihs, yuo hvae a



sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it

hmmmmm... a wee bit of a drinking problem if you can hardly carry the bottle.

This man can sure hold his liquor!

manicbeeper@tampabay.rr.com