Time For A Cool Change

I'm pissed! I mean really pissed! How can anyone with an advanced education be such an incredible idiot! How can one live in in this country, or any country for that matter, and be so oblivious to the reality of the times? How could they be so stupid to ask the common man to contribute to their bailout and then split $70 billion between themselves and call it a bonus? It is this type of ludicrous action that has thier businesses in trouble which has contributed to the global recession.

If this isn't enough evidence to prove the obsurdity of Wall Street arrogence it has recently been made public that Merrill Lynch CEO, John Thain spent $1.22 million on an office remodel. When he was confronted by a reporter about this matter he confirmed that it was true and said that he just couldn't have really done much in the office the way it was. As of Oct, 2008 Merrill had laid off 5000 people in 18 months. How many saleries could have been paid with his office remodel and bonuses?

What has happened to this nation that we have begun to value one person's skills over anothers in such a gross manner? I understand that the janitor will never make the same salery as the CEO, but need there be such a vast canyon between the two amounts? Does the janitor not contribute to the companies bottom line? This level of employment is the first to experience the effects of financial decline and yet do they ever see the "bonuses" of the profitable times?

While these horrendous attitudes are quite obvious on Wall Street they are not limited to this arena. Much of business and industry in the U.S. has taken the same path. According to the National Coalition on Health Care at least 46 million Americans under the age of 65 are without health insurance. Of those 80% are from working families. This is a disgrace that surely deserves some attention.

President Obama campaigned on the platform of change. He is being called the common man's president. I sincerely hope that he can lead this country into change. There must be a purging of greed. We need to become acutely aware of the needs of our neighbors, those we come in contact with every day. There also needs to be a reviewing of all people so we might be delivered from the terminal attitude of "us" and "them". It would be a great benefit if we could focus more on "conserve" instead of "consume".

This great nation definitely needs change. As the "Little River Band" put it, it's "time for a cool change". Let it begin with me.

You Can't Un-ring A Bell

Once again my inspiration for a post is coming from Dr. Brown, my Intro to Lit instructor. Dr. Brown said that her Mom had said to her that "you can't un-ring a bell".

This seemed profound to me at the time and I began to think of all the implications that this saying could have. How many purposes does a bell serve in our lives? What do bells symbolize in our culture?

There are door bells, dinner bells (I don't care what you call me as long as you call me for dinner), school bells, jingle bells, church bells, the Liberty Bell, wedding bells, Christmas bells, festival bells, sleigh bells, hand bells, and ships bells. Who knew there were so many kinds of bells?

Church bells ring to signal a call to prayer. Wedding bells ring after a couple has completed their vows. Bells were rung at funerals signifying the passing of a life. These bells represent commitment. A commitment to God, a commitment to each other, a commitment to eternity.

Dinner bells are rung to call families together for a meal. Christmas bells are rung to signify the birth of a saviour. Hand bells are rung together to create music. These bells represent celebration. The celebration of the community of a family, the celebration of an invitation to new life, celebration of harmonies and melodies.

None of these bells can be un-rung. Once the clapper strikes the bell the tone has sounded and cannot be taken back. So it is with many activities in the day of a life. Words are spoken, actions are taken, ideas are thought. These bells will not un-ring. Each have consequences. Some positive, some not, some life changing, some not. Some affect many, some affect few. "You can't un-ring a bell".

What bell have you rung? What bell are you ringing? What bell will you choose to ring? "You can't un-ring a bell".

Miniepiph

Epiphany: 1. a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence, a sudden realization. 2. the supposed manifestation of a divine being, appearance of god. (Encarta Dictionary)

Friday in my Intro to Literature class the instructor, Dr. Brown, made a comment that really got me thinking. She said that books and movies were full of people having epiphanies but very few people ever really have one. Most of the time for most people life happens and we don't really figure out the lessons it has for us until long after. Now this seems extremely ineffective to me. And yet, the more I think about it the greater realization I have that it's true. I also believe that for myself there are lessons that I resist and even rebel against. The outcome of this resistance and rebellion is much less than pleasurable.
Waiting until you are in your forties to submit to the lessons that came to you twenty plus years before is at best bitter sweet. It seems that one must become less malleable with age. Thank God that I haven't become so brittle that I shatter instead of bend around the mold of who I truly am.
I have tired with living a life of settling. Settling for jobs that don't allow me to grow into my full potential. Settling for a lackadaisical lifestyle that robs my wife, my kids and myself of the awesome, adventurous journey that is life. Life with some effort, planning, and discipline can be so much more than any of us have even dreamed of. So I'll continue to take the bitter sweet pills and I'll endure the strikings of the creators mallet while I'm trying to become softer, more pliable and I'll be looking to learn the lessons of life in a more timely manner.
I'll be looking, hoping, for more miniepiphes.

All Alone in the Midst of Many : Part 4

The first day of classes went well. I think I am going to like them all and at this point none of them seem to have an overwhelming amount of homework. I hope that you had a wonderful Monday.

I am posting the fourth in the series on social isolation in America. This is the final post in this series. I hope that you haven't been bored by it and has I have said numerous times before, I truly hope that you have been challenged and enlightened as you have read.

No matter how unpromising the circumstances seem it should not be considered too late to amend the situation. Mankind, in spite of everything, has within them a created need for relationship. There is evidence of this in society’s behavior. The very fact that social networking sites have grown to such enormous popularity is verification that people want to be connected in some way. The current trend in television advertising also attests to the strong desire to belong within a community of people. Support for this matter has become evident on college campuses as well with the return of the living room or commons area to the dorms. People want to connect.
What should the next step be for helping people become more intimately connected? Should there be a campaign to discontinue the use of modern technology, such as the internet social networks, to build relationships? The better plan would be to incorporate these valuable tools into ways of getting people together face to face, and heart to heart. Because so many people can stay in touch with each other with so little investment of time and effort it can be a great asset in developing relationships. These networks are not a good substitute for face to face connections.
One method of integrating this media into healthy relationship building is to promote projects on the social networks that those of common interests can participate in together. For instance, a group of people who enjoy lawn and garden work could be brought together to help clean up a local neighborhood that has been neglected. The benefits would not only be the beautification of the neighborhood, but people coming together with a common interest and goal to make a difference for others. This is a fertile seedbed for relationship and true connectedness to begin to grow. The possibilities are endless and the benefits can be limitless when modern technology is combined with the traditional approach to building community.
For thousands of years people have come together around a table of some sort to share a meal as a way of connecting. This is still one of the paramount ways of relating. A fun twist on sharing a meal and involving an entire neighborhood is the progressive dinner. For this dinner each family involved hosts a different course in their home. This is especially fun around the holidays. Homes are decorated with a flare of the families’ personality and moods are festive for this time of sharing in one another’s life. One immense advantage of the progressive dinner is the fact that several families all get to share their homes and fare with each other in a single evening.
The family has suffered greatly in this era of social isolation. Each family member has their own television, computer, mobile phone and myriad of other activities that keep them separated. A popular trend from the past that is experiencing a revival is the family game night. One night is set aside for the family to be together for dinner and an evening of playing board games. Even one night spent together can build a bond of memories that last a life time. This is also an opportunity to teach the children the importance of all deep meaningful relationships especially family relationships.
There is an old story that is told about a retirement home in Florida. Most of these people were retirees who had moved to Florida away from their families. When their spouses passed away and they reached a time when they could no longer care for themselves they were admitted to the retirement home. Alone and so far from their families, these people felt very lonely and isolated. A local businessman passed by this home every day on his way to and from work. With each trip passed the home his heart would break as he witnessed the miserable countenances of the residents. Each morning after breakfast the staff would bring them outside and seat them in rows of chairs facing the street. The same routine was followed after each meal.
One day the businessman left for work early. As he came to the retirement home he quickly rearranged the chairs in front of the home into a circle. He then paused across the street to watch as the staff led the residents outside. Though they were all a bit puzzled at first, the residents began to sit in the circle of chairs. With a sense of hope the businessman walked away to his office. Over the next few weeks the businessman began to notice that the residents of the retirement home were looking happier and they were talking freely with each other. He was quite pleased with the results of merely moving the chairs into a circle. This one simple act made all the difference in the sense of community that these people experienced.
One simple act could be all it would take to become more connected to others as well. Making eye contact as we greet people on the street, opening the door for someone, inviting a neighbor for coffee and dessert, or even checking with them before a trip is made to the grocery store, these are all efforts that will help to build relationships. By building relationships and becoming more connected with the people in one’s life not only benefits the individual, but our society as well.

All Alone in the Midst of Many : Part 3

I hope the weekend was great for every one. Ours was especially nice. We had a friend over for dinner Saturday evening and had a great time of fellowship, relationship building. Pastor Mike challenged me with his message Sunday morning and we ended the weekend with an afternoon and evening with visits and meals with family. I have a deep satisfaction in my soul and I'm excitedly anticipating beginning classes on Monday.

I'm posting the third part of a research paper that I wrote last semester on the growing trend of social isolation in America. Again I hope that you find something here that you can relate to. I also hope that you are able to glean some personal growth through this, my attempt to challenge you to build meaningful relationships in your life. Thanks for taking the time to see what I have to say. Shalom.

How serious is this change and how fast are things changing? In a 2004 study published in the American Sociological Review co-authors Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew Brashears found that one in four Americans have no one that they feel they can discuss important matters with (358). The study is based on the results of the General Social Survey (GSS) of 2004. When the results of the 2004 GSS were compared with those of the 1985 GSS they were shocked to find that in just less than two decades the number of confidants decreased by 33%. “”You usually don’t see that kind of big social change in a couple of decades,” says study co-author Lynn Smith-Lovin, professor of sociology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina” (Kornblum 01A). This rapid change had previously been unheard of. Another reprehensible statistic was that 53% of the survey group stated that they had no family member to discuss important matters with. This means that these people don’t have a close enough relationship with their spouse, parents, siblings, children, or any other family member to confide important personal issues in. It is difficult to view these findings and not recall the video and photos of hurricane Katrina victims stranded on roof tops. Could it be that these people had no one to call for help or no one to check on them? What a sad and desolate thought that in a nation as technologically advanced as America what kept these human beings from being rescued in a perilous situation was that they had no one to reach out to for help.
This data poses some interesting thought. Over the same period of time that we have seen technology sky rocket with the propagation of the internet, emailing, mobile phones, BlackBerries, and Facebook, we have literally lost our close circle of friends and confidants. While we have become more “connected” through technology than ever before, we have also become isolated. The problem with social networks is that the relationships don’t have to be, and often times are not real. Through these networks one can choose exactly what to and not to reveal to others. It is even possible to create alter egos and develop fantasy lives for these egos. This makes true connection impossible. It is also a danger to reveal some things within these networks because predators have found them to be a gold mine of victims. As it is necessary to be guarded in these environments, it then becomes too easy to become over guarded within real relationships. In the not so distant past, one was considered cold and aloof or selfish and introverted if they were overly cautious and hesitant toward new relationships. In today’s social climate it is the norm to be restrained and wary in new and established relationships. However, in order to build close relationships there must be an element of vulnerability from all involved. Many are physically or electronically connected and yet emotionally separated. There must be trust to truly connect in relationship.
With the declination of community and connectedness in relationships occurring at such a rapid rate, what can we expect for the future? With the progression taking place so rapidly there really is no hypothesis, but without intervention it cannot be good. There is obviously more split families and children living with only one parent. It could also be predicted that the crime rate would also rise. Blood banks could struggle with the crisis of a shortage. Some charitable organizations could become defunct. There is also a risk of a physical and mental health catastrophe and civilization as we know it now could evolve into a desolate community of isolated independents. While these predictions seem to border on the extreme, the experts were shocked at the results of the 2004 GSS as compared to the 1985 GSS (Kornblum 01A). Therefore, while there are no documented predictions for where the current trend of social isolation is leading our society, these issues must be considered.

All Alone in the Midst of Many : Part 2

Today's post is the second in the series "All Alone in the Midst of Many. A series on the trend of social isolation in America. Again I hope these posts cause you to consider your own relationships and social habits and that you would be challenged in both thought and deed.


Shelley Taylor, a psychologist at the University of California at Los Angeles says, “Our need for social contact is so fundamental that what drives us toward people has to be somewhat biologically based” (Wolfer). Generations past have evidence that as man connects with others relationally there are benefits. Robert D. Putman professor of public policy at Harvard and the author of Bowling Alone, a book about growing social isolation in America, points out that up until the middle 1960’s, Americans were becoming more connected with family and friends, and they gave more blood and money to charitable organizations (Vedantam). Then all of those trend lines turn sharply and have gone in the other direction ever since. While the change has been somewhat subtle, it has gone practically unnoticed by many. Never the less, the effects are present and the evidence is clear; times have changed and there is an element of community missing from society.
What has brought about this change in the way that Americans relate with one another? It could be that there is more to keep them busy than ever before. Americans devote more time to work than any other nation. Many people work multiple jobs. There is also the entertainment explosion. With so many television networks and channels, video gaming systems, portable DVD players mp3 players and satellite radio, one has a veritable plethora of mindless activity to fill what little spare time there is. But the real solution may actually be the internet. The Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society (SIQSS) has found that on average internet users spend three hours per day on the internet with more than half of that time spent communicating (Dixon). They also discovered that when comparing those who are frequent internet users with those who are not, 31% of frequent users spend 70 minutes less per day interacting with their families and 30 minutes less per day sleeping. So, while the internet seems to have transformed the way that Americans communicate, it seems to have come at an incredible social cost. For the SISSQ team the significance is obvious: “Internet use is replacing face-to-face interactions without replacing the benefits”.
It seems that as the evolution of community has taken place it has left no stone unturned and is dealing fatal blows to even the most sacred of traditions. While the family vacation used to mean that everyone would pile into the family car and head off across the country singing camp songs and playing license plate and billboard games, it no longer looks anything like this. The family bonding in a time of close connection has been replaced with the independent activities of watching a movie on a personal DVD player, listening to an mp3 player through headphones, or maybe even spending time on the internet through a mobile phone. In her article for Newsweek titled “The Family Road Trip: Strangers in a Minivan”, Lisa Segelman says, “Companionship and shared experience have been replaced by individual desires and personal technology “ (Segelman). At first glance this could seem trivial. However, it is easily arguable that this type of bonding and relating is the very fiber of healthy balanced families; and healthy balanced families are made up of healthy balanced individuals.
This trend of social isolation has many well documented side effects. Kids fail to thrive. Crime rises. Generosity shrivels. Possibly the most shocking though is the serious health implications. In her review of the book Loneliness, by University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo and writer William Patrick, Josie Glausiusz says; “People with few social ties are at increased risk of dying of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. Lonely people also suffer more anger, anxiety, hostility, pessimism, and lower self-esteem. Three decades of research have shown that loneliness can affect levels of stress hormones, immune function, and even gene expression, while human interaction increases levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone that reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels” (Glausiusz). It is a fact that well connected people live longer, happier lives.

All Alone in the Midst of Many

In the past few years our family has had the opportunity to work through some difficult struggles. As we have faced these hard times I have been made acutely aware of our need for relationship. There have been times that had we not had a core group of intimate friends I would have surely given up. We are so very thankful to and for those friends who helped us stay the course and bring light into our time of darkness.

The next few posts will be from a research paper that I wrote for my composition class last semester. The subject is relationships and how our culture is evolving in a negative direction with in our relationships. I hope that it spurs you thought and deed.

Andy, Barney, Goober, and Howard relax on the front porch after Sunday dinner. Norm and Cliff gather around the bar at Cheers and chat it up with Sam as they have a cold beer. George, Kramer, and Elaine all drop by Jerry’s for a visit. These are all examples of television communities. They are representative of a very important part of American culture that is rapidly becoming extinct. Gone are the days of gathering with neighbors on front porches and unannounced social calls. It seems that post modern culture has exchanged the face to face involvement in each other’s lives for an electronic form of community. But is this really community; does it fulfill innate needs that everyone has? Americans seem to be moving towards a trend of social isolation that not only negatively affects the individual but our society as a whole.
In times of yesteryear it was common to keep a homemade dessert prepared in anticipation of unannounced guests. A lazy afternoon could then be spent catching up on the events and happenings of each other’s lives. Friends and family alike shared in these communities. Personal support networks were developed this way and there was always someone to share in the triumphs and tragedies dealt by life. Celebrating the triumphs and grieving the tragedies people were willing to bare each other’s burdens.
In times past people had someone to turn to when a loved one was dying. There was someone to count on to help sort through tough decisions. Our Grandparents didn’t have far to look to find someone to give them a firm handshake or a pat on the back of congratulations. It was common to check with the neighbor to see if something could be picked up for them on a trip to the store. When disaster struck and a home or a business was lost the community of family, friends, and neighbors came together to help rebuild. Hard times and good times alike were shared, and it made the individual as well as the community stronger and healthier. Human beings were created to be actively involved in relationship. From the genesis of man, the creator said that it was not good for man to live alone and created a partner for him.

To be continued.

The Epidemic of the American Dream

Four bedrooms and a four-car garage, a lake house with a boat docked at the private dock, European vacations, financial independence, luxury cruises, and luxury cars. All of these are a part of what makes the American dream for many people. The American dream has been around for a long time and has overcome various predators. But in its quest for survival has it become the predator? The evidence seems to be mounting that the American dream has evolved into a dangerous and damaging thing within our current culture.
However the term “American dream” is defined, the word “more” usually appears. More of this or more of that, more than generations past, more, more, more – Americans want more. The insatiable consuming of stuff and things has seemingly become an epidemic among us. But when did this start? Laurence Shames, in his article “The More Factor”, taken from his book “The Hunger for More: Searching for Values in an Age of Greed”, alludes that it has always been a part of, and possibly even the making of America. (76) From 1492 when Columbus discovered this land to the American Revolution, the gold and silver rushes, the great land giveaways, the Texas oil boom, and so on, people have either come to America or were born in America wanting more.
Where has all of this striving for more brought us? Shames says:
In America, a sense of quality has lagged far behind a sense of scale. An ideal of contentment has yet to take root in soil traditionally more hospitable to an ideal of restless striving. The ethic of decency has been upstaged by the ethic of success. The concept of growth has been applied almost exclusively to things that can be measured, counted, weighed. And the hunger for those things that are unmeasurable but fine – the sorts of accomplishments that cannot be undone by circumstances or a shift in social fashion, the kind of serenity that cannot be shattered by tomorrow’s headline – has gone largely unfilled and even unacknowledged . (78)
So, the gap between the wealthy and the poor widens. The number of homeless people increase and the rate of child suicide soars.
So what is different today than it was in the past? In 1949, a 30 year old who was working would see their real earnings multiply by an astounding 63% in just 10 years. In 1959, a 30 year old could still hope to see a 49% gain by the time they turned forty. In contrast, between the years of 1979 and 1983, Americans between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four realized a decline in their real earnings by fourteen percent. (Shames 80) In spite of a declination of real earnings, Americans have refused to give up on the quest for more.
With Americans’ real earnings being on the decline, what has powered them down the road of insatiable consumption? For many the answer seemed to be multiple jobs. If one can’t fulfill the American dream with their career of choice, simply add a second job. Working more than one job can quickly create a time deficit. With less time available for “…unmeasurable yet fine accomplishments (Shames 78)”, we find that relationships and communities begin to suffer. Broken families, isolated individuals, and the lack of communities for people to connect with are all symptoms of a very real time deficit. Some Americans have turned to the wide world of credit to power them towards the American dream. Many have found this to be a vicious and unforgiving world that can be devouring. With the credit card debt of the average American at staggering figures, vehicle repossessions and bankruptcies on the rise, and home mortgage foreclosures in a crisis situation, Americans still don’t seem to get it. The American dream is truly becoming an elusive, dangerous, and damaging thing.
What will it take to end the unbalanced belief that growth means more? “A different sort of growth—ultimately, a growth in responsibility and in happiness--… (Shames 80)”. There does seem to be an awareness that our consumption as a nation is a problem. There are efforts being made by some to turn away from this crash course. However, without a great effort by many to end the gross consumption, the future could look bleak for our coming generations. This should be reason enough to redefine the American dream to include contentment, sharing, intradependence, and happiness without the dangers of over consumption.

Budweiser Aims for the Heart

The Clydesdales are gathered on a beautiful sunny day and lined up in the barnyard; the ominous beer wagon sits waiting for this year’s team to be hitched up to it (Budweiser. Advertisement. NBC. Feburary 2008). Following the dramatic silence the final name is called; “Thunder” proudly lopes out of the lineup leaving the rest of the Clydsdales looking dejected. “Maybe next year Hank”, consoles a trainer to one of those dejected Clydesdales. Cue the theme song from Rocky, enter the highly motivated Dalmatian and thus begins the rigorous training sessions where the Dalmatian makes ready “Hank” the Clydesdale for next year’s lineup. The ad climaxes with Hank being chosen for one of the coveted positions in front of the Budweiser beer wagon. Then Hank and the Dalmatian engage in a celebratory high five. While other advertisers went for the big laugh, gross human acts, or even big Hollywood celebrities to capture the attentions of Super Bowl viewers Budweiser took a completely different angle. They aimed straight for the hearts of Americans with the story of the underdog rallying to become the victor. With this strategy Budweiser made the viewers feel good about life, themselves, and the company who was advertising.
At a time of economic uncertainty, an unsettled election, and a lot of cynicism in American advertising, Budweiser felt it was time for something different. According to
Anheuser-Busch’s chief creative officer, Bob Lachky, “It is a spot about tradition, the little guy succeeding. There’s a real era of cynicism right now, and America was ready for this message. It has a message about trying harder”(Horovitz,). Lachky was obviously right, as Americans rated this the number one ad for the 2008 Super Bowl in USA Today’s annual Ad Meter poll. The ad very effectively moves the viewer into rooting for the underdog. It stirs emotion and rallies hope. In the end the viewer feels motivated and victorious as “Hank” is chosen. In a market where the ads seem to border on offensive for a product that is seen by many as “evil”, Budweiser won a great number of the public over with this ad. No scantily clad models, no female bashing, and no unrealistic promise for buying and using the product; just a timeless traditional story that everyone can relate to.
By using the VALS2 method for determining the targeted demographic of an ad, which is discussed by James B. Twitchell, it seems evident that Budweiser was aiming for the “believer” group (205). With the wholesome message and child friendly content one could expect this ad to be selling almost anything that Middle American families buy. This ad makes it seem noble to purchase the advertised product. One could be moved to feeling that he is promoting the traditional values this country was built on by supporting this company. All of this comes from a company that sells beer.
This isn’t Anheuser-Busch’s first time to come out a winner for their Super Bowl commercial. This year marked ten in a row for the company. Lachky says that this is, “… validation of the brand strategies we have in place and that the Clydesdales are America’s favorite icon” (Horovitz). The company is obviously doing something right as they have held the number one spot for beer makers for quite some time as well. Therefore, keep watching for this year’s Super Bowl commercials to see if Budweiser can pull it off again.

"Shooshie-Wooshie" ... or not.

A few weeks ago my extremely brilliant and witty eleven year old son experienced a near catastrophe and with an abundance of dramatic gestures he said, "shooshie-wooshie, how did that happen". When I could finally control my laughter I asked him why he had said that. His reply was, "its better than saying the "s" word Dad". I quickly agreed and I strongly suggested that he continue to use this term instead of the other. After some thought I decided that I might begin to use the term as well.

So, as I have recently became a student again after a 25 year break, I have come to the realization that I really enjoy writing. Thus the blog begins. As you read my ramblings you may find them nothing more than a pile of "shooshie-wooshie"...or not. What ever you think I would be interested in hearing your thoughts as well. So please feel free to comment.