This Syria business had me perplexed. For evil to triumph all we have to do is nothing. And many of us want to do nothing. And evil seemingly is triumphant in Syria. A genocide in its first stages. We are still dealing with borders established by Britain in the wake of WWI. People who hate each other are forced to live together.
Obviously I think the Syrians are our brothers and sisters. And obviously we have the duty to help. Because we value human life now. And because we were part of the problem then. And if we don't do something the evil will track us down. The Axis powers came after us. We ignored Osama Bin Laden. And he came after us. So what to do?
Diplomacy, sanctions, education have all failed. The carrot of diplomacy means nothing without the stick of the military to back up. So now we have to back it up. I support bombing sorties. To take out vital military, transportation, communication, and energy infrastructure. Victory doesn't always mean killing the criminal. Sometimes it means putting the criminal in prison. A prison we could name Damascus. House arrest, if you will. Give Assad some time to think about his past decisions and his future.
Will it work? I think it will. We bombed Libya and that helped. And if we can save one village from another sarin attack, I think it will be worth it. We have done nothing and that hasn't worked. So let's do something, for Syria's children and essentially for our children.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Book Review: "The Virtue of Selfishness", by Ayn Rand
I have been studying a lot about individualism or egoism if you prefer. There is no better author to start with than Ayn Rand. She wrote several books on Rational Individualism or Objectivism as she called it. This is a review of one of her easy reads.
The "Virtue of Selfishness" is a collection of essays written by her and her one time colleague Nathaniel Branden. It is a primer basically on what she believed and taught. Her philosophy of living. It can be summed up in two words "Me First." Me first doesn't mean "Me Only" One of her slogans is "Think, produce." So it is egoism prompted and supported by rational thought. Take care of and support number one. And it doesn't negate charity. Just that you think about your giving and its ramifications. And maybe remember that charity begins at home. The best chapter to read is the first chapter. It is a great summation of her belief system.
Things I like about this book. I like the brevity and simplicity of this work. It can help you get a handle on her ideas fast. Unlike the beastly tomes "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead". I own both of those and have not been able to finish reading either of them. I don't like her defense of herself. She says don't attack me if you don't like my system. She couldn't live up to her ideals. She supported her alcoholic husband. Where was his rational egoism? So, to me. a philosophy of life you can't live up to is a philosophy of life not worth sharing.
All in all, this is a book worth reading at least once. It is worth reading because her ideas have inspired at least two movements, and also because she has many admirers even today. I give it four our of five stars. So read it, think about it and then perhaps develop you own philosophy of life. Ayn Rand would approve of that.
The "Virtue of Selfishness" is a collection of essays written by her and her one time colleague Nathaniel Branden. It is a primer basically on what she believed and taught. Her philosophy of living. It can be summed up in two words "Me First." Me first doesn't mean "Me Only" One of her slogans is "Think, produce." So it is egoism prompted and supported by rational thought. Take care of and support number one. And it doesn't negate charity. Just that you think about your giving and its ramifications. And maybe remember that charity begins at home. The best chapter to read is the first chapter. It is a great summation of her belief system.
Things I like about this book. I like the brevity and simplicity of this work. It can help you get a handle on her ideas fast. Unlike the beastly tomes "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead". I own both of those and have not been able to finish reading either of them. I don't like her defense of herself. She says don't attack me if you don't like my system. She couldn't live up to her ideals. She supported her alcoholic husband. Where was his rational egoism? So, to me. a philosophy of life you can't live up to is a philosophy of life not worth sharing.
All in all, this is a book worth reading at least once. It is worth reading because her ideas have inspired at least two movements, and also because she has many admirers even today. I give it four our of five stars. So read it, think about it and then perhaps develop you own philosophy of life. Ayn Rand would approve of that.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Book Review: "Jesus on Mars"
What happened to Jesus when he left Earth? The Sci-Fi wizard, Philip Jose Farmer, gives us some ideas. For many of you this will be the third testament of the Bible you have been looking for. For the rest of you it will just be an entertaining read.
I don't want to give too much away. The book starts out with four people going on a quest. It kind of sounds like the B movie "The Wizard of Mars" or the "Wizard of Oz." They find what they are looking for and more. Jesus actually lives in Mars, thanks to technology and luck. And Jesus decides to return to Earth which is when the fun begins.
I like how Farber tries to explain the Christ via science fiction. In other words, there may be plausible explanations for the miracles and such. I like the pace of the book and how the author fleshes out his characters bit by bit.
The book is a little dated. It was written in 1980. The author anticipates alot of what actually happens. He doesn't foresee a Unified Germany. Or a fallen Soviet Union. But other than that I find little to dislike.
So this is a very good book. I give it 4 stars out of 5. The ending will blow you away. Unless of course you are standing next to Jesus. Then you won't be blown away for long. But I digress.
I don't want to give too much away. The book starts out with four people going on a quest. It kind of sounds like the B movie "The Wizard of Mars" or the "Wizard of Oz." They find what they are looking for and more. Jesus actually lives in Mars, thanks to technology and luck. And Jesus decides to return to Earth which is when the fun begins.
I like how Farber tries to explain the Christ via science fiction. In other words, there may be plausible explanations for the miracles and such. I like the pace of the book and how the author fleshes out his characters bit by bit.
The book is a little dated. It was written in 1980. The author anticipates alot of what actually happens. He doesn't foresee a Unified Germany. Or a fallen Soviet Union. But other than that I find little to dislike.
So this is a very good book. I give it 4 stars out of 5. The ending will blow you away. Unless of course you are standing next to Jesus. Then you won't be blown away for long. But I digress.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Self-Engineering
I have been reading a book on Engineering. It is called Foundations of Engineering by Holtzapple and Reece. It is the second book on engineering that I have read. The first one was maybe 10 years ago. I started studying engineering because I wanted to know about trouble shooting and problem solving. There were no really good books about those things. But there were engineering books.
The authors of this book define an engineer as an individual who uses math, science, and economics to solve technical problems that confront society. An engineer is a problem solver. Now math, science, and economics were the three subjects I disliked the most in school. Yet these are the disciplines that solve problems.
The main tool of engineering is something called the design method. It has ten steps. 1. Identify and define the problem. 2. Assemble a design team. 3. Identify constraints and criteria for success. 4. Search for solutions. 5. Analyze each potential solution. 6. Choose the best solution. 7. Document the solution. 8. Communicate the solution to management. 9. Construct the solution. 10. Verify and evaluate the performance of the solution. Sounds like a recipe for life and it is. These are the steps some of us take to fashion a life worth having.
Then the authors talk about the traits of a successful engineer. There are 16 and these are listed on pages 24 and 25. They sound like the trait of a successful anything- a successful person.
All of us are building lives. So all of us should engage in a process of self-engineering. We have to apply engineering to ourselves. And if we don't, we get a life that someone else has engineered or we get a nothing life. It isn't easy. I read this book and so much of I just have to kind of gloss over. I don't understand some of the concepts and formulas. Like moments of torque and what have you. I could not have passed a course in engineering in a quarter, a semester or a year. But now I don't have to. I have a lifetime to study and apply the principles of engineering. And so do you.
Or as Captain James T. Kirk may have said "Scotty, how soon can you get us to warp factor nine?"
The authors of this book define an engineer as an individual who uses math, science, and economics to solve technical problems that confront society. An engineer is a problem solver. Now math, science, and economics were the three subjects I disliked the most in school. Yet these are the disciplines that solve problems.
The main tool of engineering is something called the design method. It has ten steps. 1. Identify and define the problem. 2. Assemble a design team. 3. Identify constraints and criteria for success. 4. Search for solutions. 5. Analyze each potential solution. 6. Choose the best solution. 7. Document the solution. 8. Communicate the solution to management. 9. Construct the solution. 10. Verify and evaluate the performance of the solution. Sounds like a recipe for life and it is. These are the steps some of us take to fashion a life worth having.
Then the authors talk about the traits of a successful engineer. There are 16 and these are listed on pages 24 and 25. They sound like the trait of a successful anything- a successful person.
All of us are building lives. So all of us should engage in a process of self-engineering. We have to apply engineering to ourselves. And if we don't, we get a life that someone else has engineered or we get a nothing life. It isn't easy. I read this book and so much of I just have to kind of gloss over. I don't understand some of the concepts and formulas. Like moments of torque and what have you. I could not have passed a course in engineering in a quarter, a semester or a year. But now I don't have to. I have a lifetime to study and apply the principles of engineering. And so do you.
Or as Captain James T. Kirk may have said "Scotty, how soon can you get us to warp factor nine?"
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Peace in Every Step
It dawned on me the other day that I don't get into very many arguments anymore. I prefer discussions. I used to love a good argument. But now it seems that I value peace even more. Also most of my values are set so that I don't feel the need to defend them. Or to see that they are defensible. Yes, we can have peace in every step.
I think part of it is maturity. You get to a certain age and you ask yourself "What is the point?" Why waste energy on fighting when the same energy allows you to create something. Certainly, it is an inside stop. I have raised my vibration such that "those" people are not attracted to me. Or maybe they are and I have learned how to de-escalate the situation. Or maybe I cut short our interaction.
So if you think in the language of peace eventually you will have peace in your life. It is language that determines the parameters of our behavior. In Hindu there are many more spiritual words than in English. We could say that there are more possible expressions of spirituality than in English. So if we reform our personal language to include more peace words and less hate words then I think we can definitely have peace in every step.
So we ourselves can load the dice. Load them with peace. In every step.
I think part of it is maturity. You get to a certain age and you ask yourself "What is the point?" Why waste energy on fighting when the same energy allows you to create something. Certainly, it is an inside stop. I have raised my vibration such that "those" people are not attracted to me. Or maybe they are and I have learned how to de-escalate the situation. Or maybe I cut short our interaction.
So if you think in the language of peace eventually you will have peace in your life. It is language that determines the parameters of our behavior. In Hindu there are many more spiritual words than in English. We could say that there are more possible expressions of spirituality than in English. So if we reform our personal language to include more peace words and less hate words then I think we can definitely have peace in every step.
So we ourselves can load the dice. Load them with peace. In every step.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Everything Twice.
I have said that if you live long enough you see everything twice. Pakistan is going to have a new Prime Minister. Most likely the one they had fourteen years ago. When I worked at Lord and Taylor some fifteen plus years ago we were worried about the impact the discovery of sweat shops would have on our sales. Yes, even at that time Tommy and Ralphie boy had strange deals with factories in foreign lands. Every ten years or so we send our kids to war. Every ten years or so there is another Clinton scandal.
So are we really progressing? Is it three steps forward and two steps back? In China, when they talk about quick change they are talking about a change that may take a generation. The cycles all look rather bleak. So what is the use of "Once more with feeling."?
Yet I am hopeful. There is a generation coming up that will never know what a desktop or lap top computer is, the developing world is jumping straight into smartphones. Young people are running circles around the old corporate mindset. These young people are coming up with solutions in health, education, science and you name it. New business models are arising that will put both communism and capitalism to shame.
So I will take three steps forward and two steps back. I will take as many "Takes" as it takes until we as the human race do progress until the time when Heaven and Earth truly become one. Until that time when the Universe and everything within it is Glorified. Until the director yells "Cut and print, that's a wrap." Yes, everything twice or as many times as it takes.
So are we really progressing? Is it three steps forward and two steps back? In China, when they talk about quick change they are talking about a change that may take a generation. The cycles all look rather bleak. So what is the use of "Once more with feeling."?
Yet I am hopeful. There is a generation coming up that will never know what a desktop or lap top computer is, the developing world is jumping straight into smartphones. Young people are running circles around the old corporate mindset. These young people are coming up with solutions in health, education, science and you name it. New business models are arising that will put both communism and capitalism to shame.
So I will take three steps forward and two steps back. I will take as many "Takes" as it takes until we as the human race do progress until the time when Heaven and Earth truly become one. Until that time when the Universe and everything within it is Glorified. Until the director yells "Cut and print, that's a wrap." Yes, everything twice or as many times as it takes.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Types of Leadership
There are many ways to classify leadership. Today I want to focus on levels of leadership. I see 3 or 4 basic levels. This is based on time and geography. To me there are executive, managerial, and supervisory leaders. There is a hybrid fourth that I am choosing to call coaching leadership.
An executive leader is one whose focus is the big picture. Where are we going in the next ten years? The next generation? How big will our scope be? These are the CEO's and Presiding Bishops. These are the statesmen and Monarchs. These are the ones who are transforming our world.
Managers are the ones with midsize jurisdictions and time focuses. How will we achieve our monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals? How are things going in my area? These are the operations officers, the chiefs of staff, the regional VP's. The middle managers who keep the ball rolling.
Next come the supervisors. They run things on a day to day basis. Did we meet our weekly goals? How is my team doing right now? These are the ones who train the entry level employees. These are the most hands on of all the leaders. And if they don't look up and around they will cement themselves in place. We call them team leads, squad leaders, and shift supervisors.
Finally, we have the coach. The coach has to be all of the above. She has to slide between all the levels of leadership, all the different scopes of focus. A CEO is the supervisor of the leadership team, yet is planning for the next market to enter, the next product that will carry the company into the next decade. A manager trains his reports or makes sure they are all on the same pager. A manager may be preparing to take over the company or start his own. A supervisor may be earning a degree to prepare to be a manager. They may have selected a mentor to learn from. They may be looking up and around.
My conclusion is obvious. The best leaders are coaches. Great coaches want to win the next game. They also want their players to be winners in life. They are conscious of the ticks of the game clock as well as the long term image of their sport and profession. They get their hands dirty and can give a presentation to a board of directors. We are all leaders. We lead our families, communities, churches. If you are an adult someone expects you to be able lead, even if only on a temporary basis. So what kind of leader are you? And is it time to expand your horizons?
An executive leader is one whose focus is the big picture. Where are we going in the next ten years? The next generation? How big will our scope be? These are the CEO's and Presiding Bishops. These are the statesmen and Monarchs. These are the ones who are transforming our world.
Managers are the ones with midsize jurisdictions and time focuses. How will we achieve our monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals? How are things going in my area? These are the operations officers, the chiefs of staff, the regional VP's. The middle managers who keep the ball rolling.
Next come the supervisors. They run things on a day to day basis. Did we meet our weekly goals? How is my team doing right now? These are the ones who train the entry level employees. These are the most hands on of all the leaders. And if they don't look up and around they will cement themselves in place. We call them team leads, squad leaders, and shift supervisors.
Finally, we have the coach. The coach has to be all of the above. She has to slide between all the levels of leadership, all the different scopes of focus. A CEO is the supervisor of the leadership team, yet is planning for the next market to enter, the next product that will carry the company into the next decade. A manager trains his reports or makes sure they are all on the same pager. A manager may be preparing to take over the company or start his own. A supervisor may be earning a degree to prepare to be a manager. They may have selected a mentor to learn from. They may be looking up and around.
My conclusion is obvious. The best leaders are coaches. Great coaches want to win the next game. They also want their players to be winners in life. They are conscious of the ticks of the game clock as well as the long term image of their sport and profession. They get their hands dirty and can give a presentation to a board of directors. We are all leaders. We lead our families, communities, churches. If you are an adult someone expects you to be able lead, even if only on a temporary basis. So what kind of leader are you? And is it time to expand your horizons?
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