Studying the Media from a talk by Noam Chomsky at the Z Media Institute June 1997.
A nice clean look at how mass media, government and universities form a triad of power to make sure those who have power keep it.
It isn't a big conspiracy rant, but rather a well reasoned essay, that traces the origination of propaganda and public relations as a tool to allow a small elite class to control what the majority is exposed to (and therefore what they believe to be true).
You won't find a wild-eyed theory that a select group of evil men is pulling the strings, but an assertion that the socialization of people (rich and poor, powerful and powerless) is so complete that they don't recognize their own participation in a system that works just as one would expect.
It keeps the elites who control media, politics and universities in power and the rest of us dopes at home watching football on T.V.
Maybe that's for the best...
Go Seahawks!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Chris Elliott - Funny Man - A.V. Club Interview
I've always thought Chris Elliott is a funny guy. and his dad Bob Elliott, from the Bob and Ray comedy duo, as well.
Haven't seen much of him lately. I thought his TV show "Get a Life" about a 30 year old paperboy was occasionally hilarious and even liked his movie "Cabin Boy" which was like watching the TV show except it was an hour and a half.
Glad to hear those are getting a bit of a cult following according to the Onion A.V. Club article.
I'd never heard of his book "Daddy's Boy" (a parody of Mommy Dearest). It sounds funny. I think I'll see if I can get a copy from Amazon
The readers reviews of Daddy's Boy: A Son's Shocking Account of Life with a Famous Father give it a perfect 5 stars.
Haven't seen much of him lately. I thought his TV show "Get a Life" about a 30 year old paperboy was occasionally hilarious and even liked his movie "Cabin Boy" which was like watching the TV show except it was an hour and a half.
Glad to hear those are getting a bit of a cult following according to the Onion A.V. Club article.
I'd never heard of his book "Daddy's Boy" (a parody of Mommy Dearest). It sounds funny. I think I'll see if I can get a copy from Amazon
The readers reviews of Daddy's Boy: A Son's Shocking Account of Life with a Famous Father give it a perfect 5 stars.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Tom Peters Rocks!
Tom Peters rocks in the business consultant world anyway.
I watched a videocast today of Tom Peters talking about the need for businesses to focus on seeking and keeping Talent. Three key points I got were (a) make sure you have enough freaks/weirdos/eccentrics (read creative people) on your team (b) women are the managers of the future and (c) bow to the power of youth (they have the keys to the kingdom).
He has what some might consider a bombastic style of speaking that might be a little off putting at first but if you go with the flow his spiel is worth listening to.
Tom Peters has been in the consultant biz for a long time, his classic book In Search of Excellence
came out in 1982. Even though he's an old codger he has some fresh, radical, interesting, helpful and exciting ideas.
You can get an idea of what he's talking about nowadays at his website, plus he has a lot of cool links on his blogroll, like this one to Dave Barry's Blog.
If you have Powerpoint you can view this presentation he gave this May at the
Snohomish County Business Excellence conference. There's a lot of slides (over a hundred) and a Powerpoint is not too great without the speaker but you can get a feel for what he's communicating. Some interesting quotes from the Powerpoint -
_______________________________
I watched a videocast today of Tom Peters talking about the need for businesses to focus on seeking and keeping Talent. Three key points I got were (a) make sure you have enough freaks/weirdos/eccentrics (read creative people) on your team (b) women are the managers of the future and (c) bow to the power of youth (they have the keys to the kingdom).
He has what some might consider a bombastic style of speaking that might be a little off putting at first but if you go with the flow his spiel is worth listening to.
Tom Peters has been in the consultant biz for a long time, his classic book In Search of Excellence
came out in 1982. Even though he's an old codger he has some fresh, radical, interesting, helpful and exciting ideas.You can get an idea of what he's talking about nowadays at his website, plus he has a lot of cool links on his blogroll, like this one to Dave Barry's Blog.
If you have Powerpoint you can view this presentation he gave this May at the
Snohomish County Business Excellence conference. There's a lot of slides (over a hundred) and a Powerpoint is not too great without the speaker but you can get a feel for what he's communicating. Some interesting quotes from the Powerpoint -
“Thomas Stanley has not only found no correlation between success in school and an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s actually found a negative correlation. ‘It seems that school-related evaluations are poor predictors of economic success,’ Stanley concluded. What did predict success was a willingness to take risks. Yet the success-failure standards of most schools penalized risk takers. Most educational systems reward those who play it safe. As a result, those who do well in school find it hard to take risks later on.”
Richard Farson & Ralph Keyes, Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins_______________________________
“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind—computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind—creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people—artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers—will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”
Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind_______________________________
“Over the last decade the biggest employment gains came in occupations that rely on people skills and emotional intelligence and among jobs that require imagination and creativity. … Trying to preserve existing jobs will prove futile—trade and technology will transform the economy whether we like it or not. Americans will be better off if they strive to move up the hierarchy of human talents. That’s where our future lies.” —Michael Cox, Richard Alm and Nigel Holmes/“Where the Jobs Are”/NYT/05.13.2004_______________________________
“Ninety percent of what we call ‘management’ consists of making it difficult for people to get things done.” - Peter Drucker_______________________________
"To grow, companies need to break out of a vicious cycle of competitive benchmarking and imitation.” - W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne, “Think for Yourself —Stop Copying a Rival,” Financial Times/08.11.03_______________________________
What do, Four Seasons and Motel 6 possibly have in common? Or Neiman-Marcus and Walmart? Or Nokia (bringing out new hardware every 30 days or so) and Nintendo (marketing the same Game Boy 14 years in a row)?
"The thing that all these companies have in common is that they have nothing in common. They are outliers. They’re on the fringes. Superfast or superslow. Very exclusive or very cheap. Extremely big or extremely small. The reason it’s so hard to follow the leader is this: The leader is the leader precisely because he did something remarkable. And that remarkable thing is now taken—so it’s no longer remarkable when you decide to do it.” —Seth Godin, Fast Company/02.2003_______________________________
“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.” —General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff. U. S. Army_______________________________
"We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.” — Herb Kelleher
Dave Barry's Blog
I learned someone tried to hijack a freight train with a bow and arrow and Peta is planning a protest where someone dresses up in fur and drinks from a toilet at Dave Barry's Blog.
Lot's of weird/absurd news stuff on the blog, for humor though I generally prefer Dave Barry's books or his columns from the Miami Herald.
Lot's of weird/absurd news stuff on the blog, for humor though I generally prefer Dave Barry's books or his columns from the Miami Herald.
'Web 2.0' Has Arrived
Not sure what Web 2.0 is but this article from the October 7th online issue of the MIT Technology review says, 'Web 2.0' Has Arrived
The MIT Technology Review article says this about the buzzword "Web 2.0" -
The article also quotes Barry Dillar, CEO of IAC, providing a different opinion,
The MIT Technology Review article says this about the buzzword "Web 2.0" -
"User-centered Web phenomena such as blogging, community photo-sharing (exemplified by Flickr), collective editing (Wikipedia), and social bookmarking (Delicious), they argue, are disrupting traditional ideas about how software is built and how information is generated, shared, and distributed on the Internet.
With almost half a million Wikipedians contributing and editing articles, 90 million people running the open-source Mozilla Firefox browser, and 18.9 million people now publishing blogs (according to blog search engine Technorati), the case goes, it's hard to dispute that users' attention is gradually shifting away from the products of traditional publishers, media companies, and software makers."
The article also quotes Barry Dillar, CEO of IAC, providing a different opinion,
"There may be audiences of eight to 12 people interested in somebody's individual expressions, and more than that in some cases," Diller replied. "But the truth is, that's where editorship comes in. A process with people who have talent and expertise at making entertainment products is not going to be displaced by 18 million people coming up with their videos that are only entertaining because they're awkward and stupid."
Monday, October 10, 2005
Your Life is a Puzzle
I ran across this quote from Rabbi Lawrence Kushner yesterday.
"Each lifetime is the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. For some, there are more pieces. For others, the puzzle is more difficult to assemble. But know this: you do not have within yourself all the pieces to your puzzle. Everyone carries with them at least one and probably many pieces to someone else's puzzle. Sometimes they know it; sometimes they don't. And, when you present your piece, which is worthless to you, to another, whether you know it or not, whether they know it or not, you are a messenger for the Most High."
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Business Week Report - Walmart
Business Week just figured out Walmart is not good for the American economy, communities or our people.
In Wal-Mart's Giant Sucking Sound they cover the familiar litany of Walmart's negative impacts on the American people.
The "giant sucking sound" is the sound of American jobs moving overseas. It comes from H Ross Perot's comment in the 1992 presidential election where he said if NAFTA was passed we would hear a giant sucking sound of jobs escaping out of the U.S. to Mexico.
Walmart has moved a lot of American jobs off shore and is today China's eighth-largest trading partner.
Walmart is compared to Costco, a company that pleases investors and employees alike. Costco pays an average wage 65% above Walmart and also provides their employees benefits and health care coverage.
Walmart on the other hand depends on the U.S. government to subsidize them by providing programs like Medicaid, housing subsidies and food stamps for their employees. In 2003, according to a U.C. Berkeley study, California provided Walmart employees $86 million in those types of subsidies.
Costco is a better run business that averages just about double annual sales per store compared to Walmart ($106 million vs. $54 million per store).
______________________
I found this offcial Walmart fact site interesting. It's stated intent is to learn what it's like to be a Walmart associate, but I couldn't find many non-management types giving the "facts". According to the Business Week article only 38% of Wal-Mart's nonsupervisory workers receive health-care benefits. The Walmart "fact" site implies something over 90% of the employees have great benefits in my random sample.
I'm guessing the associates making less than, or even equal, the Walmart average wage of $9.68 an hour with no benefit package that have to apply for food stamps, Medicaid and housing subsidies don't have the kind of facts Walmart wants to provide.
There are some tradeoffs to buying at Walmart with their "Always Low Prices - Always" promise; supporting Chinese Communist slave wage labor, subsidizing the Walmart Corporation with U.S. tax dollars by providing basic benefits for the people working in their stores, moving what were once living wage jobs to other countries that don't have labor laws, shutting down main street businesses who can't compete, contributing to sprawl as Walmart opens their big box stores on the edge of town.
PBS Frontline presented a series, "Is Walmart Good For American" that described the sea state change in American commerce as a result of the Walmart model. The U.S. has always been a global trading partner looking for the lowest prices for raw materials and low-skill production items.
With the lowest price at any cost model there is no longer a forward looking view saying we need to keep our people employed at a living wage so they can buy products, support government rather than receiving government support, and hopefully fulfill some part of the American dream for themselves and their families.
With Walmart it's all about low prices - now. Actually that's pretty much the corporate model anywhere to some degree or another.
Corporations sole reason for existing is to make a profit. In order to maximize profit (assuming you only think in the short term) a corporation can follow a three step plan -
1. Import the cheapest raw materials possible for skilled manufacturing or assembly operations in the U.S.
2. With WTO and NAFTA approval move skilled manufacturing jobs off shore to the lowest bidder. This works for awhile because you have some props in the economy to hold up the house of cards, in the form of low paying service industry jobs, administrative/management jobs resulting from this flow of material, jobs for "knowledge workers" and a government that is for now able to subsidize the growing poverty class working people.
3. The end game is when we move the knowledge, design and thinking jobs off shore. It leaves us the world's greatest consuming nation with very few people who can afford to consume. Maybe that's good if you are a "back to the land" type, but it won't be without pain for people looking for the good life in the form of a job, a car, a house, education, medical care and retirement benefits.
At some point people need to wake up. We can't wait for too many people to find themselves in the same situation as the 1000 workers who lost their jobs in a T.V. production plan in the town of Circleville Ohio (population 13,000). The plant was competitive in the global economy if we excluded trading partners who pay slave wages, don't provide basic benefits and don't have any national labor standards. We can't compete with that and we wouldn't want to.
____________________________
Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be CEO's.
Corporate leaders in a position to aid and abet the degradation of not just our way of life but the lives of our children and our children's children, have to dumb down or numb themselves to the point where they don't have to think about the future.
There will always be survivors in this necessarily Darwinian, survival of the fittest, view of life. That survival comes at a huge cost to them and us.
It's probably not of much solace to someone destitute because of a medical condition, loss of a job, or the working poor, but it's more honorable to be poor, honest and smart, than to be numb and dumb, and more importantly trading your personal integrity, your honor, your self in the interest of furthering corporate greed.
You have two choices (a) opt in to the corporate culture, dumb down and numb down and have a lot of stuff or (b) speak up, elect a government not beholden to the corporation and look out for your fellow man, woman and children.
Walmart - Just Say No.
_________________________
Postscript: At some point it might make sense to start thinking about abandoning the hope that government can save us, if we could just vote in the right set of candidates.
The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker Movement states,
and
That kind of change is possible because it starts with one person - you, not changing the government or a corporation or a church or anything else, just you slowing working from the inside out.
It's slow hard work and there are lots of areas to fail. You can get distracted because it's more fun to kibitz, critique, joke, complain and rant about the political and human condition, but years and years of that have gotten us where we are today, not such a bad place to be sure, but could be better. I am very guilty when it comes to the not practicing what I preach. I like to talk a good game but when it comes to the real thing I fall short...a lot.
As that individual interior work happens, the dominant paradigm will evolve to embrace; non-violence in all areas of life, holding human dignity paramount, providing meaningful work for those who can work and looking out for those who can't look out for themselves. Like St. Thomas Aquinas said, a society "where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole."
Now that's powerful.
In Wal-Mart's Giant Sucking Sound they cover the familiar litany of Walmart's negative impacts on the American people.
The "giant sucking sound" is the sound of American jobs moving overseas. It comes from H Ross Perot's comment in the 1992 presidential election where he said if NAFTA was passed we would hear a giant sucking sound of jobs escaping out of the U.S. to Mexico.
Walmart has moved a lot of American jobs off shore and is today China's eighth-largest trading partner.
Walmart is compared to Costco, a company that pleases investors and employees alike. Costco pays an average wage 65% above Walmart and also provides their employees benefits and health care coverage.
Walmart on the other hand depends on the U.S. government to subsidize them by providing programs like Medicaid, housing subsidies and food stamps for their employees. In 2003, according to a U.C. Berkeley study, California provided Walmart employees $86 million in those types of subsidies.
Costco is a better run business that averages just about double annual sales per store compared to Walmart ($106 million vs. $54 million per store).
I found this offcial Walmart fact site interesting. It's stated intent is to learn what it's like to be a Walmart associate, but I couldn't find many non-management types giving the "facts". According to the Business Week article only 38% of Wal-Mart's nonsupervisory workers receive health-care benefits. The Walmart "fact" site implies something over 90% of the employees have great benefits in my random sample.
I'm guessing the associates making less than, or even equal, the Walmart average wage of $9.68 an hour with no benefit package that have to apply for food stamps, Medicaid and housing subsidies don't have the kind of facts Walmart wants to provide.
There are some tradeoffs to buying at Walmart with their "Always Low Prices - Always" promise; supporting Chinese Communist slave wage labor, subsidizing the Walmart Corporation with U.S. tax dollars by providing basic benefits for the people working in their stores, moving what were once living wage jobs to other countries that don't have labor laws, shutting down main street businesses who can't compete, contributing to sprawl as Walmart opens their big box stores on the edge of town.
PBS Frontline presented a series, "Is Walmart Good For American" that described the sea state change in American commerce as a result of the Walmart model. The U.S. has always been a global trading partner looking for the lowest prices for raw materials and low-skill production items.
With the lowest price at any cost model there is no longer a forward looking view saying we need to keep our people employed at a living wage so they can buy products, support government rather than receiving government support, and hopefully fulfill some part of the American dream for themselves and their families.
With Walmart it's all about low prices - now. Actually that's pretty much the corporate model anywhere to some degree or another.
Corporations sole reason for existing is to make a profit. In order to maximize profit (assuming you only think in the short term) a corporation can follow a three step plan -
1. Import the cheapest raw materials possible for skilled manufacturing or assembly operations in the U.S.
2. With WTO and NAFTA approval move skilled manufacturing jobs off shore to the lowest bidder. This works for awhile because you have some props in the economy to hold up the house of cards, in the form of low paying service industry jobs, administrative/management jobs resulting from this flow of material, jobs for "knowledge workers" and a government that is for now able to subsidize the growing poverty class working people.
3. The end game is when we move the knowledge, design and thinking jobs off shore. It leaves us the world's greatest consuming nation with very few people who can afford to consume. Maybe that's good if you are a "back to the land" type, but it won't be without pain for people looking for the good life in the form of a job, a car, a house, education, medical care and retirement benefits.
At some point people need to wake up. We can't wait for too many people to find themselves in the same situation as the 1000 workers who lost their jobs in a T.V. production plan in the town of Circleville Ohio (population 13,000). The plant was competitive in the global economy if we excluded trading partners who pay slave wages, don't provide basic benefits and don't have any national labor standards. We can't compete with that and we wouldn't want to.
Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be CEO's.
Corporate leaders in a position to aid and abet the degradation of not just our way of life but the lives of our children and our children's children, have to dumb down or numb themselves to the point where they don't have to think about the future.
There will always be survivors in this necessarily Darwinian, survival of the fittest, view of life. That survival comes at a huge cost to them and us.
It's probably not of much solace to someone destitute because of a medical condition, loss of a job, or the working poor, but it's more honorable to be poor, honest and smart, than to be numb and dumb, and more importantly trading your personal integrity, your honor, your self in the interest of furthering corporate greed.
You have two choices (a) opt in to the corporate culture, dumb down and numb down and have a lot of stuff or (b) speak up, elect a government not beholden to the corporation and look out for your fellow man, woman and children.
Walmart - Just Say No.
Postscript: At some point it might make sense to start thinking about abandoning the hope that government can save us, if we could just vote in the right set of candidates.
The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker Movement states,
"Because of the sheer size of institutions, we tend towards government by bureaucracy--that is, government by nobody. Bureaucracy, in all areas of life, is not only impersonal, but also makes accountability, and, therefore, an effective political forum for redressing grievances, next to impossible."
and
"In contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St. Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God."
That kind of change is possible because it starts with one person - you, not changing the government or a corporation or a church or anything else, just you slowing working from the inside out.
It's slow hard work and there are lots of areas to fail. You can get distracted because it's more fun to kibitz, critique, joke, complain and rant about the political and human condition, but years and years of that have gotten us where we are today, not such a bad place to be sure, but could be better. I am very guilty when it comes to the not practicing what I preach. I like to talk a good game but when it comes to the real thing I fall short...a lot.
As that individual interior work happens, the dominant paradigm will evolve to embrace; non-violence in all areas of life, holding human dignity paramount, providing meaningful work for those who can work and looking out for those who can't look out for themselves. Like St. Thomas Aquinas said, a society "where the good of each member is bound to the good of the whole."
Now that's powerful.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Paratuberculosis And Crohn's Disease: Got Milk?
The article by Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. Paratuberculosis And Crohn's Disease: Got Milk? is long, apparently well researched and most of all scary.
He's the guy who was on Oprah's side in the "cow defamation" trial. He graduated from the Cornell School of Agriculture and got his medical doctorate at Tufts University.
It's probably best if you stop reading now and jump on over to Educating Miss Beazley to help train Miss B. to keep left wing wack jobs away from the White House. Don't say I didn't warn you...
After reading Dr. Greger's article you may never want to drink milk again, ditto for consuming any other dairy or cow parts as well.
Here's a synopsis of what Dr. Greger is saying:
We have a lot of diseased cows in the U.S. No one knows for sure how many. The infection and onset of symptoms can take many years. Those diseased cows may be transferring their disease to humans via milk and meat.
Johne's disease, in cattle is caused by a paratuberculosis mycobacterium with a long name. To make things easier on us Latin impaired folks they have an acronym for this bacteria; MAC.
MAC is a tough bug. It is not killed by pasteurization or freezing (sorry for you ice cream lovers). It can be killed by boiling milk but that makes milk taste different as you know. On the up side it's probably killed by the temperatures used in baking pizza.
MAC causes a disease in cattle called Johne's disease. It's a tough disease to eradicate since there is a long period of time from exposure to appearance of symptoms, it's more likely to be spread from one animal to another in the crowded conditions of a feedlot, and in the U.S., there are no mandatory controls on the transport, sale or testing of cows infected with Johne's disease.
The folks in Ireland have decided that the meat and milk of cows with Johne's disease is not fit for human consumption. Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia all have plans in place to eradicate Johne's disease from their cattle. In the U.S. the USDA and the other agents of the federal government have chosen a more conservative path which involves sticking one's head in a dark place.
If you want to understand what's going on - follow the money.
Something is causing the incidence of Crohn's disease in humans to increase. In the article he says, "The longest continuous study of the incidence of Crohn's disease is from Wales, which reports a 4000% increase of the disease since the 1930's."
If you have time to read Dr. Greger's article you will see that considerate, careful, reasonable people have good reason to believe that the increase in Crohn's in people is correlated to the increase in Johne's in cattle. This is not to say there is conclusive proof beyond a reasonable doubt but the case he presents would make a thinking person think twice about the safety of our milk and meat.
The article has good citations. Regardless of whether you think Dr. Greger is a nut or not, you might decide that the studies and expert sources he cites may be on to something.
The New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program Johne’s disease in Cattle is one of many articles he cites. This one is part of Cornell's agricultural extension service and gives you an idea of the challenges of controlling Johne's disease in cattle herds.
If you'd like to learn a bit more about the good doctor check out Michael Greger, M.D.
_________________________
After I looked into Dr. Michael Greger's writing's on the possible correlation between MAP and Crohn's disease I was curious to know that other medical authorities might have to say.
From the Mayo Clinic Health Information Letter October 2005 -
From a NIH workshop held in 1998, "Crohn’s Disease – Is There a Microbial Etiology?" -
_________________________
At this point (assuming you got this far) you may be asking yourself, "if milk and meat is causing disease in humans why wouldn't we know?", "isn't the U.S. food supply the safest in the world?", "isn't the government looking out for us?".
Where do we find answers?
That's right on bumper stickers and T shirt slogans.
So here's why we don't know stuff -
The dominant paradigm is celebs "got milk", "McDonald's happy meals for happy kids", "beef it's what's for dinner" etc.. I can receive these messages on my T.V., radio, on the billboard I see riding home, in magazines.
They pervade our consciousness and form our version of reality.
Why don't we hear so much from people like Dr. Greger?
Follow the money.
It's not that you couldn't find any number of more or less reputable articles on the potential dangers of drinking milk and eating dead cows but most of us don't want to hear bad news. As the Incredible Hulk said we are "puny humans." We can't handle the truth, or at least as someone said "we can't take too much reality."
So what's a guy to do?
Give up the barbeque? Stop eatin, drinkin or doin anything bad for you?
I guess you could and my second guess is you'd either (a) die a slower death or (b) the "God of pompous asses" would give you a shot of Karma in the form of a big truck mowing you down the next time you cross a busy street or a diagnosis of a terminal disease unrelated to your lifestyle. Probably best to live a life of enthusiasm and joy and not worry about things (I didn't say not to act on things that concern you...just don't worry about them).
I'm a firm believer in risk management. If you smoke try to keep from getting too fat, if you drink try to keep off the pills, if you drive fast do it in a fast car, if you are going to drink and drive make sure you have a car since stealing a car while you are drunk is risky; that sort of thing.
_________________________
I found that "I Heart the Dominant Paradigm" T Shirt at Chickenhead.com as they say a
Towering Pillar of Intellectual Bankruptcy. You might get a chuckle or two from that site. Chickenhead and it's affiliate sites are way over done but there may be something to tickle your funny bone (assuming you are not a Republican, conservative, religious type person without a sense of humor - in which case you shouldn't look).
I think the Reader Mail at Whitehouse.org is another gold mine of funny stuff if you like satire, parody, and a lot of swearing (and who doesn't?).
peace out...
Jack
Memorable Quotes from Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
He's the guy who was on Oprah's side in the "cow defamation" trial. He graduated from the Cornell School of Agriculture and got his medical doctorate at Tufts University.
It's probably best if you stop reading now and jump on over to Educating Miss Beazley to help train Miss B. to keep left wing wack jobs away from the White House. Don't say I didn't warn you...
After reading Dr. Greger's article you may never want to drink milk again, ditto for consuming any other dairy or cow parts as well.
Here's a synopsis of what Dr. Greger is saying:
We have a lot of diseased cows in the U.S. No one knows for sure how many. The infection and onset of symptoms can take many years. Those diseased cows may be transferring their disease to humans via milk and meat.
Johne's disease, in cattle is caused by a paratuberculosis mycobacterium with a long name. To make things easier on us Latin impaired folks they have an acronym for this bacteria; MAC.
MAC is a tough bug. It is not killed by pasteurization or freezing (sorry for you ice cream lovers). It can be killed by boiling milk but that makes milk taste different as you know. On the up side it's probably killed by the temperatures used in baking pizza.
MAC causes a disease in cattle called Johne's disease. It's a tough disease to eradicate since there is a long period of time from exposure to appearance of symptoms, it's more likely to be spread from one animal to another in the crowded conditions of a feedlot, and in the U.S., there are no mandatory controls on the transport, sale or testing of cows infected with Johne's disease.
The folks in Ireland have decided that the meat and milk of cows with Johne's disease is not fit for human consumption. Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia all have plans in place to eradicate Johne's disease from their cattle. In the U.S. the USDA and the other agents of the federal government have chosen a more conservative path which involves sticking one's head in a dark place.
If you want to understand what's going on - follow the money.
Something is causing the incidence of Crohn's disease in humans to increase. In the article he says, "The longest continuous study of the incidence of Crohn's disease is from Wales, which reports a 4000% increase of the disease since the 1930's."
If you have time to read Dr. Greger's article you will see that considerate, careful, reasonable people have good reason to believe that the increase in Crohn's in people is correlated to the increase in Johne's in cattle. This is not to say there is conclusive proof beyond a reasonable doubt but the case he presents would make a thinking person think twice about the safety of our milk and meat.
The article has good citations. Regardless of whether you think Dr. Greger is a nut or not, you might decide that the studies and expert sources he cites may be on to something.
The New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program Johne’s disease in Cattle is one of many articles he cites. This one is part of Cornell's agricultural extension service and gives you an idea of the challenges of controlling Johne's disease in cattle herds.
If you'd like to learn a bit more about the good doctor check out Michael Greger, M.D.
After I looked into Dr. Michael Greger's writing's on the possible correlation between MAP and Crohn's disease I was curious to know that other medical authorities might have to say.
From the Mayo Clinic Health Information Letter October 2005 -
"One microorganism that may be involved in the development of Crohn's is Maycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), a bacterium that causes intestinal disease in cattle. Researchers have found MAP in the blood and intestinal tissue of many people with Crohn's disease, but only rarely in people with ulcerative colitis. Yet this doesn't necessarily mean that MAP causes Crohn's disease."
From a NIH workshop held in 1998, "Crohn’s Disease – Is There a Microbial Etiology?" -
"In summary, looking at the problems raised here from the perspective of what is known about the immune response to other mycobacteria, Dr. Kaplan did not think there was enough evidence to prove or disprove an association between mycobacterial infection and Crohn’s disease."
At this point (assuming you got this far) you may be asking yourself, "if milk and meat is causing disease in humans why wouldn't we know?", "isn't the U.S. food supply the safest in the world?", "isn't the government looking out for us?".
Where do we find answers?
That's right on bumper stickers and T shirt slogans.
So here's why we don't know stuff -
The dominant paradigm is celebs "got milk", "McDonald's happy meals for happy kids", "beef it's what's for dinner" etc.. I can receive these messages on my T.V., radio, on the billboard I see riding home, in magazines.
They pervade our consciousness and form our version of reality.
Why don't we hear so much from people like Dr. Greger?
Follow the money.
It's not that you couldn't find any number of more or less reputable articles on the potential dangers of drinking milk and eating dead cows but most of us don't want to hear bad news. As the Incredible Hulk said we are "puny humans." We can't handle the truth, or at least as someone said "we can't take too much reality."
So what's a guy to do?
Give up the barbeque? Stop eatin, drinkin or doin anything bad for you?
I guess you could and my second guess is you'd either (a) die a slower death or (b) the "God of pompous asses" would give you a shot of Karma in the form of a big truck mowing you down the next time you cross a busy street or a diagnosis of a terminal disease unrelated to your lifestyle. Probably best to live a life of enthusiasm and joy and not worry about things (I didn't say not to act on things that concern you...just don't worry about them).
I'm a firm believer in risk management. If you smoke try to keep from getting too fat, if you drink try to keep off the pills, if you drive fast do it in a fast car, if you are going to drink and drive make sure you have a car since stealing a car while you are drunk is risky; that sort of thing.
I found that "I Heart the Dominant Paradigm" T Shirt at Chickenhead.com as they say a
Towering Pillar of Intellectual Bankruptcy. You might get a chuckle or two from that site. Chickenhead and it's affiliate sites are way over done but there may be something to tickle your funny bone (assuming you are not a Republican, conservative, religious type person without a sense of humor - in which case you shouldn't look).
I think the Reader Mail at Whitehouse.org is another gold mine of funny stuff if you like satire, parody, and a lot of swearing (and who doesn't?).
peace out...
Jack
Lantern Books | Seek the Light
Lantern Books has some books that look interesting for people wanting to read about sprituality, peace, compassion, and healing, among other things.
Vegan Coconut Flan
I'm making this vegan coconut flan from Dr. Andrew Weil's page.
It sounds good, but I'm afraid there is an error in the amount of agar powder called for, since my flan is not setting up like custard should.
The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of liquid and 3/4 teaspoon agar powder or 1 1/2 tablespoons agar flakes.
I used 3/4 teaspoon of agar powder.
According to this page about agar -
The coconut flan recipe has 2 1/2 cups of liquid so the correct amount of agar powder is 2 1/2 teaspoons powder or 2 1/2 tablespoons flakes for a firm gel.
I've never used agar before so I'm not sure what a "firm" gel is. Maybe it's too rubbery for a custard like dish.
I'll have to keep experimenting.
____________________________
Postscript - Yummmmmm!
That is a good recipe.
Using 3/4 teaspoon of agar powder resulted in a very light flan/custard like dessert. I didn't unmold it from the custard cup because I didn't think it would stay intact. It tasted really good, but it would have looked nice if I could have flipped it out and let the syrup run over the top.
I think I'll double the agar amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons and see if that keeps it firm enough to flip over, without becoming rubbery.
It sounds good, but I'm afraid there is an error in the amount of agar powder called for, since my flan is not setting up like custard should.
The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of liquid and 3/4 teaspoon agar powder or 1 1/2 tablespoons agar flakes.
I used 3/4 teaspoon of agar powder.
According to this page about agar -
1 teaspoon of agar powder equals 1 tablespoon of agar flakes.
You should use 2 teaspoons of powder or 2 tablespoons of flakes per pint of liquid for a firm gel.
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 ounces so...
You should use 1 teaspoon of powder or 1 tablespoon of flakes per cup of liquid for a firm gel.
The coconut flan recipe has 2 1/2 cups of liquid so the correct amount of agar powder is 2 1/2 teaspoons powder or 2 1/2 tablespoons flakes for a firm gel.
I've never used agar before so I'm not sure what a "firm" gel is. Maybe it's too rubbery for a custard like dish.
I'll have to keep experimenting.
Postscript - Yummmmmm!
That is a good recipe.
Using 3/4 teaspoon of agar powder resulted in a very light flan/custard like dessert. I didn't unmold it from the custard cup because I didn't think it would stay intact. It tasted really good, but it would have looked nice if I could have flipped it out and let the syrup run over the top.
I think I'll double the agar amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons and see if that keeps it firm enough to flip over, without becoming rubbery.
Living Spiritual Teachers Project
Living Spiritual Teachers from Sprituality and Health, is a great place to start exploring various spiritual paths.
Monday, October 03, 2005
The Gift of a New Day
Monday, a change of pace, a chance to unwrap a new day and see what gifts are inside.
Hoping that we can all find things that help our mind, body, spirit, friendships, and relationships - so we can do more, enjoy more as we continue our journey onward and upward.
Most of all just cultivate the practice of being thankful for being here now.
Deep breath.
Quieting the distractions.
Listening for that still small voice inside.
________________________________
May you enjoy the small things this day wherever you find your self.
Hoping that we can all find things that help our mind, body, spirit, friendships, and relationships - so we can do more, enjoy more as we continue our journey onward and upward.
Most of all just cultivate the practice of being thankful for being here now.
Deep breath.
Quieting the distractions.
Listening for that still small voice inside.
May you enjoy the small things this day wherever you find your self.
Rachel's 20!!!!!!!
We went to PLU to see Rachel and Becca this Saturday, and to celebrate Rachel's 20th birthday which is coming up this week.
I put some snapshots at Rachel's 19th + 1 (it's a blog I made last year for her 19th birthday, so I'm just adding the pics and a year).
The Birthday Girl
I put some snapshots at Rachel's 19th + 1 (it's a blog I made last year for her 19th birthday, so I'm just adding the pics and a year).
The Birthday Girl
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Sand Storm in Iraq: April 26, 2005
At first glance I thought these pictures of a Sand Storm in Iraq had been altered, they looked so amazing.
As you go through the series though you can see they are real.
Hard to imagine.
As you go through the series though you can see they are real.
Hard to imagine.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Choosing Where to Flap Your Butterfly Wings
The Butterfly Effect is best set in motion
not by
creating another email at work
filling out another form
or attending a meeting
but rather by being kind to someone who doesn't expect or maybe deserve it, giving something to those in need, a random act of kindness, paying it forward....working on your karma like Earl.
What I'm trying to say is if you want to have an appeciable effect you need to find a leverage point, or point of discontinuity, where there is a possiblity for change.
Considering a bazillion people are at work creating emails, filling out another form, attending meetings, as you read this, the chances of you starting a meaningful ripple in that way are quite small (we're talking big picture here..creating a tempest in a teacup within a work environment is easily done with email).
A more interesting experiment in flapping your butterfly wings might be by smiling at a "bad" kid you see on the street, maybe talk to them, buy someone hungry a dinner, give them your coat, do your best to be nice to a rude person, help someone fix a flat tire, give, or do, something nice to someone unexpectedly. It doesn't have to be a big deal for God's sake, maybe just stop tailgating people on the freeway for a day or smile and let someone merge.
You won't know the overall system effect of your good intentions, since we know that in complex systems, cause and effect are removed in time and space. The ripple effect of your one small good deed might result in something really good happening or prevent something bad...you never know.
One thing you will start to notice is the world will become a friendlier place.
Serendipity and grace will start to show up more often, and you will find good things in unexpected ways and unexpected places.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
not by
creating another email at work
filling out another form
or attending a meeting
but rather by being kind to someone who doesn't expect or maybe deserve it, giving something to those in need, a random act of kindness, paying it forward....working on your karma like Earl.
What I'm trying to say is if you want to have an appeciable effect you need to find a leverage point, or point of discontinuity, where there is a possiblity for change.
Considering a bazillion people are at work creating emails, filling out another form, attending meetings, as you read this, the chances of you starting a meaningful ripple in that way are quite small (we're talking big picture here..creating a tempest in a teacup within a work environment is easily done with email).
A more interesting experiment in flapping your butterfly wings might be by smiling at a "bad" kid you see on the street, maybe talk to them, buy someone hungry a dinner, give them your coat, do your best to be nice to a rude person, help someone fix a flat tire, give, or do, something nice to someone unexpectedly. It doesn't have to be a big deal for God's sake, maybe just stop tailgating people on the freeway for a day or smile and let someone merge.
You won't know the overall system effect of your good intentions, since we know that in complex systems, cause and effect are removed in time and space. The ripple effect of your one small good deed might result in something really good happening or prevent something bad...you never know.
One thing you will start to notice is the world will become a friendlier place.
Serendipity and grace will start to show up more often, and you will find good things in unexpected ways and unexpected places.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
Big Money - Big Power - A How To Guide
Shhhhhh....I have a couple of secrets to impart for you youngsters -
1. The people who make the big bucks (or better yet have the most power and options) are the people who can handle ambiguity. They are able to find elegant (or at least workable) ways of accomplishing things without a guide. Strive to be one of those people, if all else fails at least you can write the cookbook for those who need one.
2. Don't be fooled into thinking there is one kind of intelligence. Lots of people think being "smart" means knowing a lot about something. Knowing a lot about something often only means that's what a person has concentrated their efforts on.
____________________________
This isn't really a secret so I'll stick it down here...
Get an education.
Doesn't have to be at a school. Get it from life, teach yourself, find a teacher..but get educated.
An education teaches you to think, not what to think. An education allows you to hold competing ideas in tension long enough to choose the best solution, deal with ambiguity, synthesize pieces into a whole, question assumptions, accept that there may not be a perfect ie. black and white solution, see the forest and the trees, and understand the basic foundations that the task at hand depends on.
Don't confuse training with education.
Strive to be an educated person and take whatever training you need to accomplish your goals.
If you need to be trained in math, or writing, or computer programming by all means do that, but don't confuse yourself by thinking that your knowledge of how to use the tools means the same thing as having an education that allows you to use them in creative and useful ways.
Maybe it's sort of like if I was trained to use a Skil saw and a hammer, it doesn't mean I can build a house. The housebuilder has an education, the guy swinging the hammer is trained...granted they might be the same person.
And finally cultivate a good sense of smell.
If it smells bad it's probably bullshit.
1. The people who make the big bucks (or better yet have the most power and options) are the people who can handle ambiguity. They are able to find elegant (or at least workable) ways of accomplishing things without a guide. Strive to be one of those people, if all else fails at least you can write the cookbook for those who need one.
2. Don't be fooled into thinking there is one kind of intelligence. Lots of people think being "smart" means knowing a lot about something. Knowing a lot about something often only means that's what a person has concentrated their efforts on.
This isn't really a secret so I'll stick it down here...
Get an education.
Doesn't have to be at a school. Get it from life, teach yourself, find a teacher..but get educated.
An education teaches you to think, not what to think. An education allows you to hold competing ideas in tension long enough to choose the best solution, deal with ambiguity, synthesize pieces into a whole, question assumptions, accept that there may not be a perfect ie. black and white solution, see the forest and the trees, and understand the basic foundations that the task at hand depends on.
Don't confuse training with education.
Strive to be an educated person and take whatever training you need to accomplish your goals.
If you need to be trained in math, or writing, or computer programming by all means do that, but don't confuse yourself by thinking that your knowledge of how to use the tools means the same thing as having an education that allows you to use them in creative and useful ways.
Maybe it's sort of like if I was trained to use a Skil saw and a hammer, it doesn't mean I can build a house. The housebuilder has an education, the guy swinging the hammer is trained...granted they might be the same person.
And finally cultivate a good sense of smell.
If it smells bad it's probably bullshit.
Jobs - Self Fulfilling or Self Consuming
Jobs that are satisfying enough
to be self-fulfilling are quite rare,
assuming they exist at all.
Possibly for someone like Jonas Salk, some teachers, doctors or others who make a difference for humankind by their work there is enough meaning in that work; but for the vast majority (and particularly for us desk jockeying, paper-shuffling, pencil-pushers) the work we do although possibly important in a given space and time has very little meaning in the big picture.
By big picture I mean the big picture of what my life looks like on my deathbed looking back. A job is a way to make a living, hopefully you do your best, can enjoy, be interested and challenged most of the time, but for most of us it's a tiny piece of the cosmos. The real lasting effect most of us have on the world, our legacy, is not what job we have - but our family, and not limited only to family but our relationships with other people in general.
Work can be self-consuming, and not always in a good way. A job can eat away your self/soul until you are left as a shell or in extreme cases just a pile of dried up bones under a desk ;-)
Self-consuming in the sense that they may cause people to give up marriages, family, real friends or any other sense of being other than I am my "job". Self-consuming in the sense that we define our value as a human being to be strongly correlated to our job (or worse a job title).
Life is short, jobs come and go (if you are lucky), or maybe if you are really lucky you find a job and hold it for your whole adult life and it's everything you wanted.
For young people the likelyhood of finding and holding on to the same job for life are slim. The world is changing much to rapidly to assume that a job/career/occupation is going to last a lifetime. The world needs knowledge workers, people able to adapt, to think, who can deal with ambiguity and hold opposing truths in tension.
Looking For Some New Work
I'm at a point in my life where I have some free time and would like to give something back. I've been doing a little research and decided to apply for some volunteer jobs that sounded interesting, rewarding, challenging, expanding.
I need to get the heck out of the house and away from my computer and these sounded like ways to that and possibly help someone out.
We'll see, I might not even be an acceptable candidate, but I thought it was worth applying.
___________________________
Volunteer Position Description Summary - "11th Hour Volunteer - Stay with patient who is actively dying because patient has no one or family is uncomfortable being alone.
* Requirement: Be willing to be called at the last minute. Must have experience being a Hospice volunteer and have taken the core training.
* Time commitment: Be available 4 – 6 hours assignments perhaps 6 times a year."
___________________________
Volunteer Position Description Summary - "Oral Histories Assist patients with life reviews.
* Requirement: Learn how to write or record life histories. Be a good listener and be non- judgmental. Attend our specialized class. Attend hospice volunteer classes.
* Time Commitment: 4 – 6 hours per patient. A guideline is for you to do six life reviews a year."
___________________________
Snohomish County : Volunteer : VGAL Program
The CASA/VGAL program provides court appointed special advocates for children who are victims or alleged victims of abuse or neglect.
Working with the judge, attorneys, and social workers, the CASA/VGAL helps to establish a secure place for these children, preventing further abuse and costs to the child and society down the road.
Specially trained volunteers are appointed by Superior Court judges to represent the children's best interests during dependency action brought against the parents.
Although attorneys previously handled this function, it has been shown that properly trained volunteers can more effectively serve the children's best interests in the dependency process. CASA/VGALs are not to be confused with Family Court Guardian ad Litems. CASA/VGALs do not represent either parent in a custody dispute due to divorce. CASA/VGALs represent the child only.
CASA/VGALs assume no financial, legal, or custodial responsibilities for the child. Their role is limited to gathering and presenting information and speaking on behalf of the dependent child in court. The Program's goal is to ensure that a child's right to a safe, permanent home is acted on by the court in a sensitive and expedient manner.
I need to get the heck out of the house and away from my computer and these sounded like ways to that and possibly help someone out.
We'll see, I might not even be an acceptable candidate, but I thought it was worth applying.
Volunteer Position Description Summary - "11th Hour Volunteer - Stay with patient who is actively dying because patient has no one or family is uncomfortable being alone.
* Requirement: Be willing to be called at the last minute. Must have experience being a Hospice volunteer and have taken the core training.
* Time commitment: Be available 4 – 6 hours assignments perhaps 6 times a year."
Volunteer Position Description Summary - "Oral Histories Assist patients with life reviews.
* Requirement: Learn how to write or record life histories. Be a good listener and be non- judgmental. Attend our specialized class. Attend hospice volunteer classes.
* Time Commitment: 4 – 6 hours per patient. A guideline is for you to do six life reviews a year."
Snohomish County : Volunteer : VGAL Program
The CASA/VGAL program provides court appointed special advocates for children who are victims or alleged victims of abuse or neglect.
Working with the judge, attorneys, and social workers, the CASA/VGAL helps to establish a secure place for these children, preventing further abuse and costs to the child and society down the road.
Specially trained volunteers are appointed by Superior Court judges to represent the children's best interests during dependency action brought against the parents.
Although attorneys previously handled this function, it has been shown that properly trained volunteers can more effectively serve the children's best interests in the dependency process. CASA/VGALs are not to be confused with Family Court Guardian ad Litems. CASA/VGALs do not represent either parent in a custody dispute due to divorce. CASA/VGALs represent the child only.
CASA/VGALs assume no financial, legal, or custodial responsibilities for the child. Their role is limited to gathering and presenting information and speaking on behalf of the dependent child in court. The Program's goal is to ensure that a child's right to a safe, permanent home is acted on by the court in a sensitive and expedient manner.
Something New - Always Something New
Some say you spend the second 50 years of your life becoming who you've always been.
Having spent 40 hours a week for the last 20 years working in an office environment in a technological field has been fun but I can't help but feel there's more to life.
Thank God.
When I started my current job I had a general rule that I would not socialize outside of work with the people I worked with. I was a bit of a snob, thinking technologists were boring, or if not boring at least fairly single-minded by necessity.
Using this logic and working as a techologist means I am boring. There is a grain, or more, of truth there.
On one occasion while giving a presentation I thought to myself, "My God this is boring". I can't imagine what the audience perception was. It was boring...that's a fact. No amount of tap dancing could change that. Thank goodness those situations are rare for me. Sorry for those of you who may be forced to participate in something similar on a routine basis.
To be a well rounded person we need to interact with people not like ourselves. I'm not saying that I couldn't have fun, converse, be friends, go fishing, to a party or have a beer, with co-workers, only that outside of work I am more interested in people who do, or at least talk, about other things; rather than continuing my work-life 24/7.
My wife's eyes would glaze over when we did spend time with someone who was familiar with the type of work I was doing and the conversation would focus on technology/engineering topics or even more painfully mind-numbing, if the conversations steered towards people we knew, but she didn't. My point is that the don't socialize with coworkers rule may not simply be for yourself but for your spouse/significant other/partner as well.
One of the difficulties/downsides to work related friendships is that there is a "box" defining who you should be at work. You may or may not fit in that box very well but you have to appear to fit in it somewhat in order to function. That's fine for what it is, when in Rome...
Hopefully we have friends and family outside of work where we can take off a couple of our masks. With a good friend, particularly one who you've been through a few things with, you can be, talk about, and enjoy who you are without worrying about "appearances".
Everyone needs a space to be a human being, someone with flaws, beauty, craziness, whatever...in other words a person, not an employee.
There is of course some ambiguity here. You want to be a "real" person at work, to be integrated, whole. Not sure how this works if you are an agent for management or the owner and not allowed to express your own thoughts but are rather tasked with presenting the corporate line which you may or may not agree with.
Generalizing who people are by what their job is, or by some labeling scheme, is in most cases a bad idea. I bristle at attempts to classify people using labels; Myers Briggs or things like that, or throwing out a label as a shorthand way to pigeonhole someone.
I'm an INFP on the Myers Briggs scale by the way. I think that means Inquisitive, Nutty, Fat, Papa ;-)
We use ambiguous terms like "liberal", "conservative", "right wing", "engineer", "manager", "salesman", "worker", "designer", "democrat", "republican", "christian" as a means to theoretically aid communicaton (or sometimes to stop communication e.g. political talk shows where someone says someone else is a member of the "far left wing" or is a "neo conservative"...no two people would have the same definition of those terms but they work if you don't want to think too much).
On the other hand if you are a psychiatrist having a code to identify someone might be a necessity at least for insurance purposes...but that's a fish of a different, controversial and interesting color.
I have had opportunities to go to school as an adult with groups of creative/design/artistically/free thinking/liberal oriented people, or if not actually those things at least thinking they were. A few of them had the idea that "engineers/techologists are like this"...this being some preconceived idea that people working with technology are boring or conservative or narrow minded or shy or introverted. Some grain of truth maybe, but definitely not the whole story. I found it interesting that they considered themselves open minded, creative, free thinkers and could hold onto their biases so well.
Everyone has their own row to hoe. I'm a lucky person. I got to do a whole bunch of different things with different people in different places before I landed in a cube. Even with my cube dwelling duties, I've done a fair job of keeping up my life, doing different things in different places with different people. Now that I have passed that 1/2 century mark I realize it's those different things what make life so sweet.
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