Where Are We Going?

We have entered into a sailing ship and are on a great journey. At our destination is a lighthouse and although that lighthouse is far away we see the light and we continue on. Seas may rage, winds may blow, obstacles may loom in our way but we continue.

We still have to swab the decks, set the sails or take them down, and keep the ship in repair, but the lighthouse is ahead. Distractions are thrown overboard.

This sense of direction brings a steadiness and calm. It’s bigger than this world and goes beyond it. It helps us stay focused on what is most important.

What to Do With Wikipedia; A New World Is Before Us

There is a revolution ahead. Some would argue we are already well into it. One thing seems certain, we are much closer to the beginning than the end. This is not a religious war, though some may see it that way; this is not a war of political ideology, though some will try to impose their political orientation; this is not a war for geography, we are moving past that.

This is a war for the World Wide Web and how it is used.

William Badke in his article What to Do With Wikipedia does an exceptional job of addressing several issues that are key to the information age and the way people learn in this new era. The article is worth reading. My perspective on this issue follows: The first issue--creative destruction--was popularized by economist Joseph Schumpeter and more recently articulated by Harvard Professor Clayton M. Christensen in his book The Innovator's Dilemma. When creative new methods or technologies come forth those entrenched in the established methods, most strenuously resist the new ways. Early on at a time when new ways could be adopted the established organizations resist change; the old way works just fine and they are in control. Later when the threat of destruction looms on the horizon the establishment seeks to embrace. Second, to the old guard knowledge is power; something that must be controlled and only imparted (through scholarly journals) to those who are qualified or to those who pay (students). Control does ensures a certain level of discipline, but does not always keep out bias. To the avant-garde knowledge should be freely imparted. In every field, knowledge thus shared brings to bare the intellectual force of all who are interested. This is blasphemy to the anointed scholars, but beyond them are thousands of intelligent people who have significant contributions to make, but in the past were disregarded. When more people get involved ideas are tested and refined in ways that would otherwise not be considered. (James Suroweicki in his book The Wisdom of Crowds proposes the idea that a group of people with varying intellectual abilities often finds a better solution, because experts tend to view things in similar ways.) Discipline is maintained because those involved have a vested interest in making sure it does; perhaps discipline even improves because so many unbiased eyes are watching. Third, the new ways will prevail if for no other reason than the old guard will die. More and more, new academics will innovate, contribute and collaborate in the new medium. Fourth, even some who are accustomed to the traditional academic methods question one of academia's products. Career counselor and author Marty Nemko sees eroding value in the traditional four year college degree http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i34/34b01701.htm. Fifth, as the cost of a college education and advanced degrees continues to skyrocket, as the volume of information even in narrow fields continues to explode, and as the knowledge gained may be very important, but have a short shelf life one must question the viability of the traditional academic format. A system that teaches students--who have no intention of becoming "experts"--vast amounts of information that has no application to the students' needs. Sixth, for years George Gilder has held out the idea that what we have in abundance should be wasted; what is scarce should be preserved. Transistors are a good example. In the 1950s they were rare and expensive, today because transistors are made of silicon they are everywhere and cheap. Knowledge is taking a similar path. Wikipedia is not the new way, it's the current way. Innovators will continue to forge ahead developing new tools and finding ways to use them. What the Internet and the academic environment will look like in another decade is anyone's guess. To be sure it will be someone's guess or more likely the thinking of many.

Thoughts and Ideas

I have so many ideas that come to my mind, but they rarely come to me while I'm at the computer and I usually don't carry around a note pad to record them. Frequently these ideas come to me while I'm driving and it would be impossible to write them down without pulling over to the side of the road. I must start carrying a note pad though.

I was reading some comments last night by Ray Bradbury about his work. He indicated he didn't really create his stories and ideas they just came to him and he would then work to get them recorded. He mentioned how even as a young boy he loved words and ideas and this has carried him through the sixty plus years of his work. He talked about how he wrote as a youth and as he looks back on it how awful his work was and that he didn't really have any talent. He developed through continuing to write because he loved recording his ideas.

I guess I come late to things. I have had a love of words and ideas for the last twenty years or so, but it seems so hard for me to organize my thoughts and get them recorded; when I look back on what little I have recorded my writing seems awful. Still I have this love for words and communication and sharing ideas and it just keeps surfacing in my mind. I must record what I am thinking, even disjointed little snippets of ideas. If I can get them recorded then I have at least a better chance of organizing them into something.

To My Son

Marc is getting ready to go on Trek in Wyoming. I was asked to write a letter that will be given him while he's on Trek. Here it is:

Dear Marc,

One of the greatest joys of my life is having you as my son. I love you. I enjoy being with you and I enjoy our conversations. It has also been a spectacular journey watching you grow into a young man. Life is a journey not a destination.

Sometimes life forces itself upon us and we just have to tough it out and make the best of the situation. At other times many options are before us and we have to choose. I don’t know what fields of study and endeavor you will pursue in your life, but I have great faith and confidence that you are fully capable of figuring this out. (I know there have been times when you’ve felt like I made you do something, but I want you to know I believe in you and your ability to make your own choices. I will tell you what I see based on my experiences in life, but my desire is always to let you make your own choices.)

You have worked hard to make the most of your talents and abilities and you have also made wise choices. Working hard is not the same as making wise choices. Always remember to step back—in your mind’s eye—far enough to see the situation before you; you will never have complete informa­tion so remember to trust in Heavenly Father. Make an assessment of your options, make a decision and then work hard to accomplish your mission. To the extent possible, follow your heart.

Life is constantly changing and you must learn to change with it. Skill sets will come and go, opportunities will come and go, talents will come and go, and even people will come and go; through it all you must learn new things and apply them. Hold fast to the people you love and who love you, but understand even they will come and go. Keep them in your heart, but don’t let their loss cripple your ability to act.

Some people will be mean or rude or try to take advantage of you in an effort to “get ahead” or for no good reason at all. Avoid these people if you can, but that is not always possible especially at work. Many people believe life is a competition (sports, school, work, business), but that is not true not even in those areas.

Life is a journey and a road that is not meant to be traveled alone. Joy is to be found in every step not at the end. Many people will be nice and if you go out of your way to be nice to them you can have incredible friendships. Every person that you meet whether bright or not, talented or not, beautiful or not, rich or not has something to contribute and if you listen you may be surprised. Develop these friendships and networks of people you can rely on and work with. This is extremely important. I didn’t realize this and it has curtailed some of my opportunities in life.

Never forget you also have great contributions to make. Some may not want to let you contribute; do it anyway. Others will be grateful for your contributions.

I could not have asked to live at a better time or with a better family. I love you so much. Even as much as I love you I know that our Heavenly Father and Mother love each of us infinitely more. Don’t forget to check in with Heavenly Father regularly. Go and do your very best; there will be times when you feel you have fallen short, but you haven’t if you never give up.

I love you.

I Just Keep Swimming Uphill

Charles Darwin made a name for himself and shaped the thinking of the world with his theory of evolution by natural selection. I believe in evolution, but not to the extreme that Darwin and many in modern science believe.

Through our own experience we see evolution on a small scale: we create new strains of plants and see that genetic code can be altered by cross breeding. I can even accept that over long periods of time cross breeding could result in improvements to the genetic code itself, but I still sense the work of a higher being, God, in the world and the universe.

My point here isn't which is right: creationism or evolution. No, its a different subject entirely--society and government.

For those that so adamantly endorse evolution the idea of a managed society should be heresy. The evolution of the world and its vast array of biodiversity is the result of natural selection not central planning. Even natural selection with just a little help from those that believe they are truly bright enough to enhance the whole process would still be tinkering. For those that believe in a higher being, central planning is still wrong because it means control of the many by the few. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by very definition mean freedom of the individual to choose.

Information is increasing at an incredible rate. Not all information is available to all people; it's impossible to collect all information into one repository, and even if it were possible it's impossible for one individual or even a small group of individuals--no matter how smart--to process that information in a timely manner. Even the gifted and talented cannot know more than a fraction of the information needed to effectively "run" the economy. That is especially true as we become a global economy and move further into the age of information.

Collectively though, all available information is known and is processed by someone. Millions of people acting independently and in their own best interest are able to more rapidly sift through information and put it to use. Some will choose wisely and others won't and it doesn't matter. Millions of decisions will be made and of those decisions the best, the most practical will produce positive results and rise to the top.

Whoa......Wait a Minute, Haven't I Heard That Comment Before?

"Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. The government won't work without it. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them."

Thus responded Barry Goldwater to John Dean in a telephone conversation in November 1994. (From: Conservatives Without Conscience, by John Dean) The comment was referring to some individuals who exerted influence over conservative thinking in the United States.

"Believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise"--where have I heard something like that before? Read that comment from today's perspective and you might assume it is referring to Islamic extremists.

And yet when I consider some of the terrible things that have been done in the name of Christianity--in or out of the political arena--I have to admit the comment applies all too well to groups professing Christian beliefs. I can understand why some good people would abandon religion all together, or adopt a philosophy that is less authoritarian in it's enforcement. Let's face it, if you believe you are carrying out God's will what choice do you have? You either obey or disobey.

I would respond that if those professing to be Christian were truly living their religion they would be more tolerant, loving, and forgiving. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." But there are numerous stories in the Bible where God, through his people or in his fierce anger, wipes out a specific group of people. We're His creations so He can do that. As for me I would want to make pretty sure I was doing what God wants before I went around eliminating or hurting people.

Think Like a Dandelion

Cory Doctorow uses reproductive strategies of mammals and dandelions to make a point about how information and influence are distrbuted in the virtual world. Mammals generally exercise much more control over their offspring than do dandelions. Obviously most mammals wouldn't survive if they adopted the dandelion approach, but the point is our own Internet creations are not the same as our physical offspring.

Still the unresolved question remains, "How do you earn a living if you give away your creations?" I don't have the ultimate solution, but it seems to me the wider your sphere of influence the greater your opportunity to translate what you do into cash flow of some sort.

Nine Inch Nails made its last two creative efforts available for free over the Internet. It's album The Slip is not only available for free, but the group also encourages people to share it, use it and change it. I would never have purchased a NIN CD at the store, and I probably would not have purchased its music over the Internet, but I know the group now and I'm more likely to complete a money transaction in the future. So, has the increased exposure offset the lost revenue from selling music through traditional formats? I don't know. Has it increased the groups sphere of influence? I think so.

The Internet is still relatively new; most people and businesses try to force the ways of commerce from the past on to this new and really uncharted medium. I believe we are on the threshold of significant changes in the way we interact and conduct business on the Internet.

Made to Stick

Why is it some ideas lodge themselves in our societal memory and others--even good ones--don't? Sometimes, the idea that sticks isn't even true. The Great Wall of China is the only man made structure visible from space; Coca Cola will rot your bones; razor blades in Halloween candy have all been part of our culture for years. True or not almost everyone knows these stories.

What is it that makes these stories memorable? Are there any common themes to ideas that stick? Will these themes help our ideas stick?


Chip and Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick have done exhaustive research on what makes ideas stick and as it turns out there are several common characteristics that may be applied to any idea or course of study.

So what helps an idea stick? The authors identify six concepts that make ideas more stickable: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and in the form of a Story. The book develops each of these concepts. A stickable idea may not use every element, but the more it uses the better.

Most text books and lectures have not been particularly strong in using the Made to Stick principles. As we move into the Information era this will surely change. If you think about it, how information is presented makes all the difference, regardless of the idea or subject matter.

With the Internet virtually everything we know is available or will be available on-line. Unlike the classroom setting the Internet gives people a choice. Information presented in the simplest, most understandable and most attractive form will get top priority. People will learn rather than be taught much of what they know. Today knowledge can be broadly categorized in two forms: that which we know and that which we know where to find. As mankind's knowledge base continues to expand, knowing how to find information we need will become increasingly more important.

Our school system was developed during the Agricultural era and most of the teaching methods are still from that era. Back then most people did not continue on with advanced learning. Only the brightest and highly motivated continued to learn. Information presenters--teachers--had very little incentive to wrap their knowledge in an attractive format. Presenters of today and tomorrow will compete for the minds of the learners. Presenters who employ the principles in Made to Stick will have the advantage.

The Big Picture

If you heard only of Ben Carson's childhood you would be amazed to learn he is now the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

The inner city of Detroit, Michigan was his home and as a youth he gained the nickname of "Dummy." He looked destined to live the fate of too many that grow up in such circumstances. His mother had other ideas; she curtailed TV watching and required her boys to read two books a week and write reports on them. (They didn't know it at the time, but she couldn't read the reports.)

There are at least three ways to learn: visual (seeing things in writing), auditory (lectures, audio-tapes), and kinesthetic (learning by doing, hands-on). At school Ben had been in an auditory environment and things weren't sinking in. Reading turned out to be his strong point and a new world opened up to him. Within a year he went from the class dummy to the top of the class. He graduated from high school with honors went on to Yale University and then received his medical training at the University of Michigan.

At the outset of his medical schooling he again struggled to learn the material. His councilor even suggested that medical school might not be for him; he knew better. He stopped attending most of the class lectures and immersed himself in his medical texts and any other related texts or materials he could get his hands on. In addition, he made a point of attending all lab sessions to get the hands-on experience. His dramatic improvement shocked not only his councilor, but himself as well.

The Big Picture is not about Ben Carson the neurosurgeon, it's about what was required to take Ben Carson from what was--by all outward appearances--a no account black kid in the slums of Detroit to the top of his field in the medical profession and then beyond.

The principles he used will help us all succeed in whatever we do in life. These principles transcend race, religion, personal background and political correctness. We don't alway like to hear them, but they are indispensible just the same: working hard; accepting hardships and working through them; refusing to accept the "I'm a victim someone should do something" mentality so prevalent in our society; doing things differently if the established way does not work for you; being nice to people and doing good things for them just because you can; and, if you are a parent, accepting the responsibility and realizing that being a parent is more important than anything else you may do (even brain surgery).

Finally, Ben Carson is a Christian he has no reservations about that and he has a deep abiding faith in God and believes it has made all he does possible.

Maybe This is the Real Meaning of Life All Along..

A brilliant video showcasing Alan Watt's ideas. Watts was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and student of comparative religion. He was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies for a Western audience. Remember to sing and dance, people!

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