tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71481097648452734992024-03-19T01:28:12.532-06:00Not Quite ConvergentScience. Nature. Policy. Society. And the Sacred. Mainstream?! *bah!* I'll take "heterodox" for $700 please, Alex...JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-3562785509793959162019-04-13T23:18:00.000-06:002019-04-14T11:42:28.566-06:00Knives and Friendship<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVlYIX8d0Dk21zGWRSRTCdnwj26113kRfMFDrdpxI2-WIjZPhhDS67_vlmLtVLAuM0o8OEQf11Pre2CWxgdLDrT-jzlM86kDBs7MvNHtsozmTSQdsRJmIpZzo1yaUaNcUsyT9b4eC0qvJ/s1600/friendship-knife-sourwood-forge-tennessee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVlYIX8d0Dk21zGWRSRTCdnwj26113kRfMFDrdpxI2-WIjZPhhDS67_vlmLtVLAuM0o8OEQf11Pre2CWxgdLDrT-jzlM86kDBs7MvNHtsozmTSQdsRJmIpZzo1yaUaNcUsyT9b4eC0qvJ/s320/friendship-knife-sourwood-forge-tennessee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvH30G4B8OD/" target="_blank">original Instagram post</a> about this knife from its creator, Sourwood Forge.</td></tr>
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We'd been trying to connect for a couple of weeks, a buddy and I. </div>
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Our schedules hadn't seemed to sync for a spell and we really wanted (needed) to chat more about an upcoming collaboration dinner we were putting together for a <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/creeksideelementarycpo/spaghetti-dinner?authuser=0" target="_blank">fundraiser auction</a> for the school our respective kids go to. He's a chef, I'm a local forest forager of foods, and an avid hunter and fisher. The auction was coming up and while we'd loosely planned out each meal course, we hadn't yet had many opportunities to test out different ingredients or dishes with different drink combinations. Or refine our meal plan. We'd made plans for weeks to connect but as busy family men, things had come up and we simply hadn't been able to connect. And we DO love to connect, sometimes sitting on one of our stoops, sharing a local craft beer or spirit over good late evening conversations.</div>
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Our electronic interactions had ramped up in the last couple of days, but both of us were working long hours and had limited evening time...which is usually spent with our families. And what little windows of time we did have didn't seem to overlap with each other. It seemed we just couldn't connect.</div>
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Until tonight.</div>
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We both happened to be doing evening family walks with kiddos and dogs and the timing aligned. He stopped by as he was headed out and we were just getting back. He brought a few ingredients from around the globe for us to try and consider in our auction meal planning. Umeboshi (salted and fermented) plums, salt pickled lemon and Szechuan peppercorns. We sampled and ate each of these, talked about potential flavor combinations for dishes and which spices and drinks might pair well with them.</div>
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And then, just as he was making indications it was time for him to head back home, he said he had one more present. I should also mention he is also a good teller of stories and builds the context and tension along the storylines well. And while the story is good, it was also a personal one.</div>
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Suffice it to say, in the course of his sharing, he proceeded to proffer a knife. But not just any knife. A knife with a story which included another friendship. And intention. And time and care.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrKqsjW9C-GxYCy1Mb_3EGDotZidNn-hAZnZoupk9L7JIXAFm-uw2FisENW-rTSPjcoq_XCHGSdtkha7cWNiGXd0OGuF6XkCzlVO0brnb4bvWypCm3ua7tXLzU4lLUw_6CjuK51E4NUdW/s1600/20190413_204721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrKqsjW9C-GxYCy1Mb_3EGDotZidNn-hAZnZoupk9L7JIXAFm-uw2FisENW-rTSPjcoq_XCHGSdtkha7cWNiGXd0OGuF6XkCzlVO0brnb4bvWypCm3ua7tXLzU4lLUw_6CjuK51E4NUdW/s320/20190413_204721.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See this image and others of this knife at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwOKc6KnDD8/" target="_blank">this Instagram post</a>.</td></tr>
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It is a remarkable piece made by a remarkable artisan of metal and craft and gifted from a remarkable friend. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xjjXJ8J2LpA09qARaBJ22ijuZjlh2kwQj8p4RLCGD0sIzaYbaUE3LnP9knbQI0nwK9pNEsaWuYYZbOoUKEel52p3gc2BS3v7_keKGyASBfvHlTfEOJT1i9LwNEtWf-7nLFuI5fR1ZI37/s1600/56721494_10156433832682753_7853857453224493056_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xjjXJ8J2LpA09qARaBJ22ijuZjlh2kwQj8p4RLCGD0sIzaYbaUE3LnP9knbQI0nwK9pNEsaWuYYZbOoUKEel52p3gc2BS3v7_keKGyASBfvHlTfEOJT1i9LwNEtWf-7nLFuI5fR1ZI37/s320/56721494_10156433832682753_7853857453224493056_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the craftsmanship, metal and leather, and tanto-style blade tip.</td></tr>
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Some traditions hold that you must also give a coin when you give a knife as a gift. Then the person receiving the gift can give back the coin to the giver. This symbolizes it is an exchange rather than a gift and ensures the knife does not cut the friendship. I grew up with the tradition of giving our own coins to the giver of the knife. And as a coin collector of sorts, I usually have some interesting coins. So tonight, the gift in exchange was the first National Park Service gold coin we got upon coming to Colorado, a commemorative coin from the 100th anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park (in 2015).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xiDRV8npXTY229AylN6kJq6mzeEBVTtBKOiNjdCz8QtjWvY_5x-SV1ROmXcschAgp-DqTXIt_UdD3lvYYshzjOildugNwnleQ2BXOzczfwCy-uENyjUlTOJsKGEWbuyN0X442pffu3JQ/s1600/RMNP-100yr-commemorative-coin-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xiDRV8npXTY229AylN6kJq6mzeEBVTtBKOiNjdCz8QtjWvY_5x-SV1ROmXcschAgp-DqTXIt_UdD3lvYYshzjOildugNwnleQ2BXOzczfwCy-uENyjUlTOJsKGEWbuyN0X442pffu3JQ/s320/RMNP-100yr-commemorative-coin-front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the front of the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/images/coin-front.jpg" target="_blank">100 year commemorative coin</a> for Rocky Mountain National Park.</td></tr>
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My son was fascinated with the entire interaction, from friendship to food to knife to coin to conversation. And it was a great opportunity to model how to graciously accept a gift of the heart -- something I definitely need to work at -- and to also give a gift of the heart, while not making it simply about an exchange or expectation but rather something emblematic of so much more -- of friendship, an attitude of giving and sharing, and receiving, of gratitude and humility.</div>
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There was so much goodness in this brief interaction. Goodness that propagates outward in ways we may never know or understand. Goodness which we share with our children. And with you and those who will be bidding on this collaboration dinner auction item.</div>
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Three cheers for living and all the experiences therein.</div>
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#knives #blacksmith #smithy #friendship #coins #artisan #metalcraft #knife #leather #tonto #camelbone #buffalohorn #51200 #steel #utilityknife #gratitude <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sourwoodforge/" target="_blank">@sourwoodforge</a> </div>
JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-26973181365396224252019-01-04T12:30:00.002-07:002019-01-04T15:32:10.082-07:00Fixing things in a throw-away society<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuLhIZOMNYTkkO3_b6P4fjrRkw6gjSrB1QdLf20skiEqDaMGC4JJqLwdaiKjHkfED5ziwX5GSkIAlpT2bJJTCL69S_Evgz6pgYMLN_bOQXeLp1cRfYuzTQphG1pEhejkHaVoeiyf44x3I/s1600/fixing-things-bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="763" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuLhIZOMNYTkkO3_b6P4fjrRkw6gjSrB1QdLf20skiEqDaMGC4JJqLwdaiKjHkfED5ziwX5GSkIAlpT2bJJTCL69S_Evgz6pgYMLN_bOQXeLp1cRfYuzTQphG1pEhejkHaVoeiyf44x3I/s320/fixing-things-bracelet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsOD8bYHnGb/">https://www.instagram.com/p/BsOD8bYHnGb/</a></td></tr>
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I was raised without many "things", instead my parents focused on experiences and relationship (with each other, with the rest of the natural world). What we did have, we fixed if it broke. </div>
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In a society comprised largely of cheap consumables with short usable lives where the intent is to dispose of it rather than fix it (planned obsolescence), and where some of our most pressing planetary problems are linked with refuse/garbage/waste, I have worked hard to instill a fix-it sensibility in my kiddos. And it seems to be working as they seem convinced I can fix anything. I can't...but I attempt to. </div>
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This morning my daughter brought me one of her cherished, handmade Kenyan beaded bracelets where one snap had broken. We replaced the broken snap together. I never once saw any doubt in her eyes that we could fix it. Or any worry that the bracelet would have to be chucked since it had a broken snap. This morning, I am feeling good about teaching this to them.<br />
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It also has me wondering about things or scenarios in which "fixing" it would NOT be a recommended course of action? In what scenarios in nature is "waste" not repurposed somehow?</div>
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Now to get to other broken things as they pile up at my place at the table...</div>
JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-39913568315075622652018-02-22T20:16:00.001-07:002019-01-04T12:24:25.219-07:00Raising little advocates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUlXgABLpZgvdP-vHCaBSkB3rxEVWGYWGyvtt_P2rCUv7i3aVrYaYPBxTQo4k5DQKuIK9yIvQzaYDH96d7BiPyyA_JGihUFAbaEAavoTLHIve9iqYsL96JzBwzidLa19CSgo0ciZC3Ajh/s1600/knob-creek-ad-2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUlXgABLpZgvdP-vHCaBSkB3rxEVWGYWGyvtt_P2rCUv7i3aVrYaYPBxTQo4k5DQKuIK9yIvQzaYDH96d7BiPyyA_JGihUFAbaEAavoTLHIve9iqYsL96JzBwzidLa19CSgo0ciZC3Ajh/s320/knob-creek-ad-2018.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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My daughter tears this Knob Creek ad out of one of her latest National Geographic magazines, brings it to me and says - in a bit of a brusque tone - "Do you know what's missing from this picture, Papa?" </div>
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I Look at it, in silence for a few moments and posit an answer - "a woman?"</div>
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"See, YOU know", she says, and walks back to her bed before continuing "...and I'm going to cut out a picture of me and paste it onto this ad." </div>
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Good Lord I love this girl.</div>
JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-7158955884354857942018-02-12T13:00:00.000-07:002018-02-12T13:00:58.799-07:00On humility and reaching for the stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSefGsHJCvTeq1Fncfd7pFD5eVGDIC0fWg90WdF1zvRdxzQbzcyv655DO0LirOHSw4aZGL60HarbLUv4tAi4vMwM9PtO3z20j-tCZpDyDii-wceXbOGnEBOh1M_YEiUKrivkauZ1meH8Cv/s1600/Success-SpaceX-Launches-Falcon-Heavy-Rocket-on-Historic-Maiden-Voyage-2018-02-07-10.03.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="902" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSefGsHJCvTeq1Fncfd7pFD5eVGDIC0fWg90WdF1zvRdxzQbzcyv655DO0LirOHSw4aZGL60HarbLUv4tAi4vMwM9PtO3z20j-tCZpDyDii-wceXbOGnEBOh1M_YEiUKrivkauZ1meH8Cv/s320/Success-SpaceX-Launches-Falcon-Heavy-Rocket-on-Historic-Maiden-Voyage-2018-02-07-10.03.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As we head further still into the great unknowns, ever reaching to touch the hem of God's garment, I am reminded of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury" target="_blank">Ray Bradbury</a>'s poem "If Only We Had Taller Been", reminded that striving for knowledge is buried deep in the marrow of our bones, of our collective species history, perhaps written on the stardust traveling deep in the recesses of space and time.<br />
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I am also reminded to be humble; reminded that some things may simply be unknowable and that sometimes, sometimes simply resting peacefully in the unknowable may be enough. And yet, other times, many times, curiosity and exploration bring enlightenment.<br />
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Three cheers for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a>'s, <a href="https://www.tesla.com/" target="_blank">Tesla</a>'s <a href="http://www.spacex.com/" target="_blank">SpaceX</a>'s <a href="http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy" target="_blank">Falcon Heavy launch last week</a>, for <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/06/spacexs-spacesuited-starman-mannequin-serves-a-real-purpose/" target="_blank">Starman</a> taking us deeper into the great unknowns. Three cheers for knowledge, for curiosity, for science, for philosophy, for the deep interconnectedness that is.<br />
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May we continue striving to slake our thirst for knowledge and meaning and purpose while remaining humble enough to keep the insidious tendrils of conceit at bay even while it remind us to ever strive for learning and knowledge, for wisdom in how and when to exercise them, for reaching for the stars while yet being fully present in the here and now, grateful for what is.<br />
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Onward.<br />
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~~~~~~~~~<br />
"If Only We Had Taller Been"<br />
~Ray Bradbury 1920-2012<br />
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The fence we walked between the years<br />
Did balance us serene<br />
It was a place half in the sky where<br />
In the green of leaf and promising of peach<br />
We'd reach our hands to touch and almost touch the sky<br />
If we could reach and touch, we said,<br />
'Twould teach us, not to, never to, be dead<br />
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We ached and almost touched that stuff;<br />
Our reach was never quite enough.<br />
If only we had taller been<br />
And touched God's cuff, His hem,<br />
We would not have to go with them<br />
Who've gone before,<br />
Who, short as us, stood as they could stand<br />
And hoped by stretching tall that they might keep their land<br />
Their home, their hearth, their flesh and soul.<br />
But they, like us, were standing in a hole<br />
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O, Thomas, will a Race one day stand really tall<br />
Across the Void, across the Universe and all?<br />
And, measured out with rocket fire,<br />
At last put Adam's finger forth<br />
As on the Sistine Ceiling,<br />
And God's hand come down the other way<br />
To measure man and find him Good<br />
And Gift him with Forever's Day?<br />
I work for that<br />
<br />
Short man, Large dream<br />
I send my rockets forth between my ears<br />
Hoping an inch of Good is worth a pound of years<br />
Aching to hear a voice cry back along the universal mall:<br />
We've reached Alpha Centauri!<br />
We're tall, O God, we're tall!<br />
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Watch a video of a tribute to the New Horizons mission set to Ray Bradbury reading his poem - it is remarkable:<br />
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https://youtu.be/sEg4D7s3fOs<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="216" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEg4D7s3fOs?rel=0" width="384"></iframe><br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-8030382875161093702017-12-13T16:21:00.002-07:002017-12-14T06:25:06.294-07:00Meetings with your academic advisor - a humorous interpretation<div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 82%; position: relative; width: 100%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="100%" src="https://giphy.com/embed/teEQU794F1ynu" style="position: absolute;" width="100%"></iframe></div><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/film-comedy-what-about-bob-teEQU794F1ynu"></a><br />
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Is it just me or does it seem like there are two very different takes on the graduate school advisor-advisee relationship?! Allow me to introduce you to Bob Wiley - a man who can illustrate all of life's dilemmas. Ladies and gentlemen, a hypothetical (typical?) grad/advisor meeting as illustrated by "What About Bob?" (with a couple other additions).<br />
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You, upon bumping into your very busy advisor and realizing it's the perfect opportunity to get a rescheduled meeting on the calendar with them:<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/BossyLimpingKoodoo" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/LoathsomeInfatuatedAmphiuma" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
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Still, seeing an opportunity, you try to wrangle a little time from your advisor's calendar given how many times the meeting has already been reschedule...<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/FancyPlasticAmericansaddlebred" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<br />
...and you'd REALLY like to get a little help with some suggestions for how to free yourself from the tar pit trap you seem to be slowly sinking into - the situation feels a little desperate. The interaction doesn't go exactly as you pictured it going. And now you're worried about how you think your advisor sees this interaction.<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/PleasantDangerousDowitcher" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
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Finally, they acquiesce...<br />
<br />
<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/LavishSimilarKid" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<br />
...and you get a rescheduled meeting date nailed down:<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/ElementarySlightBlueandgoldmackaw" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<br />
Fast forward to the day of your meeting. You realize you're not as prepared as you wanted to be (probably from poor planning)...so you attempt to get yourself mentally ready.<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/BareSinfulDikdik" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 80%; position: relative; width: 100%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="100%" src="https://giphy.com/embed/zrQXvLOHEYnTi" style="position: absolute;" width="100%"></iframe></div><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/film-comedy-what-about-bob-zrQXvLOHEYnTi"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
FINALLY, the moment arrives!<br />
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You sit down with your advisor for them to immediately note - quite correctly but for the umpteenth time - how little progress you've made in your research over the last few months. Then they ask you - "So, what's the problem?" <br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/SimilarSecondhandEastrussiancoursinghounds" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/RecklessCompassionateBengaltiger" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
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Now fully unsure of yourself and how to respond, you come up with some dim-witted excuses to try to absolve yourself of some (all?) of the responsibility, to pin the blame elsewhere, anywhere, on them!<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/AdorableSpryBrant" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<div style="padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/InfantileNextAsiaticwildass" style="left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0;" width="100%"></iframe></div>...and my bladder explodes.<br />
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To which your already-pressed-for-time advisor responds:<br />
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wBNNKoX8GoA?start=15" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Now you, feeling understandably like a heel, leave the meeting worrying about how messed up you are and wondering if it will ever get better. It feels a bit like the dark soul of night. So, to cope, you fall back into old habits.<br />
<div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 54%; position: relative; width: 100%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="100%" src="https://giphy.com/embed/rRQiJHGNSyPVS" style="position: absolute;" width="100%"></iframe></div><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/bill-murray-rRQiJHGNSyPVS"></a><br />
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<br />
...before wisely seeking help from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/health/counseling" target="_blank">Counseling And Psychiatric Services (CAPS)</a> program on campus.<br />
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<br />
Bill. Frickin'. Murray. Comedic genius. And perfect salve for all that ails you.<br />
<div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 100%; position: relative; width: 100%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="100%" src="https://giphy.com/embed/ToMjGpQhfC5t4coVjVK" style="position: absolute;" width="100%"></iframe></div><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/gopop-bill-murray-day-ToMjGpQhfC5t4coVjVK"></a><br />
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JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-40046315209874640512017-12-01T17:27:00.000-07:002017-12-29T17:40:29.397-07:00Taxing the Poor - #SaveGradEd<br />
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<a href="https://tenor.com/view/rent-steal-stealing-taking-all-my-money-pay-check-gif-5726624">Robin Hood GIF</a> from <a href="https://tenor.com/search/rent-gifs">Rent GIFs</a></div>
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https://actionnetwork.org/letters/grad-students-may-be-taxed-on-income-they-dont-even-get<br />
FIRST LETTER SENT<br />
I urge you to oppose any tax bill that eliminates the tuition wavier provision which allows graduate student employees to afford an education.<br />
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The tax bills currently moving through Congress threaten support for graduate students, colleges and universities, and tax fairness. The House Republican tax plan (HR 1) would force graduate student employees to pay hundreds (or thousands, in my case) of dollars more in taxes by treating the value of their tuition waivers as taxable income, leading to a tax bill graduate student employees can’t afford on the salary of a graduate research or teaching assistant.<br />
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If graduate tuition waivers were taxed, in-state graduate student employees at the University of Colorado Boulder, for example, could be taxed on an additional $22,000 of income (and that amount doubles for out-of-state and international students) while receiving the same income they currently make. That number increases for graduate student employees at private institutions with higher tuition, and will hurt grad student employees across the country. This would simply put graduate school out of reach for all but the wealthiest students, and would significantly harm our institutions’ missions of providing high quality undergraduate education and world-class research.<br />
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Graduate employees, in addition to preparing for careers in teaching and research, are on the frontlines in college classrooms and laboratories every day, helping undergraduates succeed and performing ground-breaking research. Even with a graduate assistantship and tuition waiver, too many of grad employees are forced to go into debt to do this important work and obtain a graduate degree.<br />
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Support graduate students, colleges and universities, and tax fairness – oppose any tax plan that eliminates the tuition waiver provision for graduate student employees and that cuts other education benefits.<br />
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SECOND LETTER SENT (12/01/17)<br />
I urge you to vote NO on the current tax bills. If these bills pass in their current form and I am unfairly taxed on income I never received (i.e., graduate tuition waiver), I will be forced to withdraw from the PhD program at CU-Boulder and can no longer help people and communities in Colorado and across the United States learn how to live more safely with wildfire. That would be a double tragedy.<br />
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I urge you to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is a massive redistribution of wealth to the already rich at the expense of educators, first responders, homeowners, union members and our local communities. This bill is bad for our public schools, bad for our communities and bad for a majority of Americans.<br />
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The tax bill would replace one system that is unfair to the majority of Americans with another. It would hugely cut taxes to big corporations and hedge funds while making the poor and middle class pay more.<br />
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This bill takes away deductions that have reduced the tax burden for homeowners and working families. For example, the House bill would eliminate the $250 tax deduction used by the 99.5 percent of educators who spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on their classrooms and their students. Millions of middle-class families would see their tax burden increase under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.<br />
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The bill would also repeal the century-old state and local tax deduction for individuals. However, in a slap in the face to working families, corporations will still be allowed to take this deduction. Overall, the proposal would hurt property values and every community that uses tax dollars to invest in essential services like schools, firefighters, police and sanitation.<br />
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It is clear that the purpose of eliminating deductions that help middle-class families reduce their tax burden is to fund tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, which the vast majority of this tax plan’s benefits go toward. This bill’s preference for the wealthy over the middle class and communities is blatant. While undermining unions and state and local government services by eliminating those deductions, it does the exact opposite when it comes to big corporations, hedge funds and the already wealthy: It reduces the corporate tax rate by 15 percent; helps hedge funds and others reduce their true tax liability by paying a much-reduced “pass-through” rate; weakens or repeals the estate tax for the wealthy so they can pass on their inheritances tax-free; and keeps all sorts of loopholes, like carried interest, that Trump promised to get rid of when he was campaigning.<br />
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We’ve seen this plan before, in Kansas, where Republicans slashed taxes for the wealthy and corporations and shrank government, promising it would usher in an economic boom. It didn’t. The five-year experiment caused state revenue to plummet, the deficit to explode, and painful spending cuts to be made—including cuts decimating public schools.<br />
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A bill that undermines public services and raises taxes on millions of middle-class families, all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, does not deserve your support. I urge you to reject the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-49961347428379015092017-11-08T11:08:00.000-07:002017-11-08T11:08:02.521-07:00Revisiting some things core to me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZelOBJx5bsBCnBFAWOuWIwCtMrKNUXXzTbmenq41JHe4J0ZSI04jIE1-tH20GMorfXQ1G5W5anh9UE3Kz71MUBmkNZWawTWSxYyDx-rw9BBfo_ROEqYFkFmD8l_cbqOMh9KdMij0TJaDp/s1600/Eight-Years-Ago-Realization-Core.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="550" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZelOBJx5bsBCnBFAWOuWIwCtMrKNUXXzTbmenq41JHe4J0ZSI04jIE1-tH20GMorfXQ1G5W5anh9UE3Kz71MUBmkNZWawTWSxYyDx-rw9BBfo_ROEqYFkFmD8l_cbqOMh9KdMij0TJaDp/s400/Eight-Years-Ago-Realization-Core.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love that Facebook routinely dredges back up posts and pictures from years past. The picture Facebook brought back this morning reminded me of a couple of core, foundational aspects of who I am, of my true heart - nature inspires me and I love sharing that inspiration with others, with you.<br />
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Eight years ago today, on a tiny creek in the Willamette Valley just outside of Corvallis, Oregon, on a cold and blustery Fall day, I was warmed inside by the fascination, curiosity and inspiration I saw in the faces, minds and hearts of a bunch of homeschooled children and their parents (<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/kn0iUv4SpipAgOZw1" target="_blank">short photo album</a>) as we explored parts of nature they had rarely seen or interacted with - it's one thing to <i>know</i> about something; it's another thing entirely to <i>understand</i> it, to feel the connection to something broader than our own private spaces. The collective fascination we all held that day was captivating.<br />
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I've mused about this sense of awe and wonder, curiosity and inspiration a lot over the years - still regularly do. I wrote this blog post (reflection) shortly after one of these field trips.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ciQFbzxaqKZAUNzLVDcW138xKhqZbFo5D1E2-8lARxxkuDvEAFplwTu_sl6lKBjmhzva5XOAHyUFMSAj8Qc8Drjr8YnSX3VxuhOF65o708xSIoJx0uWA-B-6e2Kz-0ynVmpBgg2qlWjz/s1600/SalmonWatchKidViewingSalmonStages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="500" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ciQFbzxaqKZAUNzLVDcW138xKhqZbFo5D1E2-8lARxxkuDvEAFplwTu_sl6lKBjmhzva5XOAHyUFMSAj8Qc8Drjr8YnSX3VxuhOF65o708xSIoJx0uWA-B-6e2Kz-0ynVmpBgg2qlWjz/s320/SalmonWatchKidViewingSalmonStages.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2009/10/fostering-sense-of-place.html">https://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2009/10/fostering-sense-of-place.html</a><br />
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...then wrote about a related notion a few years later - fostering a sense of place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryjrESoasg5nw-eP4c29i8QxYqcwAgE3YNTNtglIQ6XYPhz7eN0TzMI3yFtx01oAQSenyLMt94hvlAowPE_v1id5F5Cc6pqxE-El3LVrO10oa7MMcfYmKEB5TF_JNuoOsCllwB-WrjexY/s1600/Richard_Louv_nature-principle-cover-lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryjrESoasg5nw-eP4c29i8QxYqcwAgE3YNTNtglIQ6XYPhz7eN0TzMI3yFtx01oAQSenyLMt94hvlAowPE_v1id5F5Cc6pqxE-El3LVrO10oa7MMcfYmKEB5TF_JNuoOsCllwB-WrjexY/s320/Richard_Louv_nature-principle-cover-lrg.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="https://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2012/03/getting-to-know-area-you-live-in.html">https://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2012/03/getting-to-know-area-you-live-in.html</a><br />
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Today, I was reminded these things are core to who I am as a person. And I love sharing this with you all. All of this from a simple Facebook reminder of an image I posted eight years ago today. Sometimes the little things remind me of something much larger - what a marvelous little big reminder today. Thank you, Facebook, for reminding me of this memory...and of something much larger.<br />
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<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-23635576500694308782017-07-27T14:45:00.000-06:002017-09-28T14:12:39.565-06:00Five keys to an effective team<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8x5upTOJksGvz-qycnmQ7tBTUzYN5efsUoWAbFNvXqOYK4n7N6CknlOLs2UqTNkYjNAQ3lTKsJwe3v7pk9lxhwbg_RcZIq3q50gP-j8q9W7PYhbE2H60-d3uQ0RkLkg8Fpv2NT8_BwOI/s1600/team_finance_image_726x726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="726" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8x5upTOJksGvz-qycnmQ7tBTUzYN5efsUoWAbFNvXqOYK4n7N6CknlOLs2UqTNkYjNAQ3lTKsJwe3v7pk9lxhwbg_RcZIq3q50gP-j8q9W7PYhbE2H60-d3uQ0RkLkg8Fpv2NT8_BwOI/s320/team_finance_image_726x726.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Google Finance</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://rework.withgoogle.com/">Google re:Work</a> project team spent two years studying one hundred eighty teams looking for the secret formula for success. What they found was quite different from what they expected.<br />
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The most successful shared five traits, four of which may be familiar to you. Team members:<br />
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<ul>
<li>believed their work mattered (what the re:Work team called "impact"),</li>
<li>were working on things that were personally important to them (meaning of work),</li>
<li>had clearly defined goals, roles and plans to carry out the work (structure and clarity), and</li>
<li>could count on each other to do quality work on time (dependability).</li>
</ul>
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The most important team characteristic or trait the Google re:Work team found, however, was the surprise to them. Any guesses on what the fifth and seemingly most important team trait was - the cornerstone and foundation of the other four?<br />
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The team worked in a space where they felt they could take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other without fear of judgment, reprisal or being cast in a negative light (what the re:Work team called "psychological safety").<br />
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You can check out the original Google re:Work post about this research, <a href="https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVnq9u0jogV6qZHo4AJM7jEamGVihyphenhyphenFw4RxbOmqG8b4PJXtQpvO3q6x0xxkVtpwA1bEVTLptzqG9WWUvFpbHeIntNfX3YU0BF3NewxIgdtsu7CRyIHVJGJy2HztquWJoSR-dmGuemZUuW/s1600/GoogleReWork-Successful-Teams.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVnq9u0jogV6qZHo4AJM7jEamGVihyphenhyphenFw4RxbOmqG8b4PJXtQpvO3q6x0xxkVtpwA1bEVTLptzqG9WWUvFpbHeIntNfX3YU0BF3NewxIgdtsu7CRyIHVJGJy2HztquWJoSR-dmGuemZUuW/s400/GoogleReWork-Successful-Teams.png" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Google re:Work</td></tr>
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<br />
As a researcher examining the effectiveness of social learning networks, I've seen all of these characteristics or team traits play out in the network setting. And it doesn't surprise me they are important in successful network dynamics as social networks can sometimes act, in many ways, like large teams.<br />
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What struck me about this fifth and most important team characteristic, however, was the degree of similarity, the complementarity of something I see appearing time and again in discussions and interviews with learning network members: when there is little fear of reprisal (or the opposite, encouragement of "risk-taking") and team leaders actively create safe spaces for sharing, the best forms of creativity, innovations and novel approaches often emerge.<br />
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That's not to say that whole host of other factors are not important. In fact, they often are and work strongly in conjunction with each other (e.g., connectedness to and familiarity with others, trust, shared passion and interest, belief in what you're doing will make a difference, shared identity building, etc.). But this DOES underscore the importance of safe spaces to speak your mind about things without fear of reprisal or judgement.<br />
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In my work, I have been calling this characteristic - this safe space or place where network members seem to be very engaged, productive and successful because they feel they've been given the freedom to take risks, to try new things, to experiment and fail - a feeling of the "freedom to fail". And in this place where there is freedom to experiment (and fail), it seems effective network teams are fostering conditions where the most creative, the most innovative and novel solutions emerge.<br />
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Have you noticed a safe space or the freedom to take risks (and fail) creating productive and successful conditions in the spaces you work in? I'd love to hear more about your experiences in the comments, below.<br />
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#makeworkbetter #takerisks #safespaces #freedomtofail #creativity #innovation #learningnetworks #socialnetworks #solutionsJeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-44841565901936157812016-03-15T09:43:00.002-06:002016-03-15T09:43:08.605-06:00A reflective thought for the morning - life's path and a PhD<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzzJvlLzJoJn4nepEaEGveaJskURhj4rZ0iyEkvEyPUeUuHV8XGHGiih6P8I3pNhwSs69mdb0qVbFAfkTueDnbr0X8s29yD_MkfraM9c-JBk-QNWOvW8ixEAq1Vj1gK22j1eWXh9RRxzu/s1600/14209751524_6a6906dc18_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzzJvlLzJoJn4nepEaEGveaJskURhj4rZ0iyEkvEyPUeUuHV8XGHGiih6P8I3pNhwSs69mdb0qVbFAfkTueDnbr0X8s29yD_MkfraM9c-JBk-QNWOvW8ixEAq1Vj1gK22j1eWXh9RRxzu/s320/14209751524_6a6906dc18_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wonder" - flickr user <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jriphoto/14209751524/in/photolist-nDEG4W-spXVP-skTbwM-55cdHP-aeEL9f-7oAYX6-4REgaD-bucRYQ-keX6-gkcRiC-p6MafP-9DaXTd-4Vqcmd-nqZVF6-o5Fqti-o5Ey2s-81dA7G-aDrCAd-C9y52D-4qVJmP-Q62Pt-bcJVDR-5VtDRc-n2q7Xi-qA7SiQ-bjea7T-8p4Pmt-a5RPNG-25qfQN-cE1WpW-biwQvx-5CSUAk-6ncDh-bWei5T-bNSBun-9Qx4cw-8UVMyV-7Udayd-oCsFLB-ug1Ac-7CHDvb-4Mw2yF-aJDYDk-6JznqL-pLS1Sp-bDQHGk-3WkzPj-fK2dH1-ojRPym-L9D7q" target="_blank">Jeremy Isaacson</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fifteen years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, I would see PhD opportunities come through my email stream almost daily and I'd gaze at them, wondering if I could do it, longing to try, to test my mettle, yearning for more learning.<br />
<br />
A little less than five years ago, at the encouragement of my partner, we decided the timing was right to at least <i>see</i> if this path was one we wanted to take. After lots of discussion, even more prayer, and so. much. time listening for answers - the answers came in. And they came in by the shipload. It was clear that I was being called to teaching and education. In what capacity, I didn't know (still don't). But a PhD was THE next step to take.<br />
<br />
Trusting in those assurances we were heading in the right direction, but not seeing/knowing the outcome - where would it lead me, what sort of job would I eventually be in, where would we be living, etc. - was incredibly difficult for me...because I'm a planner and like the control of my own destiny. But I soon came to realize I was focusing too much on the exact path and where it took me rather than lifting my head and looking around, appreciating the moment and everything around me. And it's glorious! I'm still working on honing this new perspective for me, but it's lovely, this horizon line.<br />
<br />
After swallowing the collective lumps in our throats, steadying our nerves, and trusting in the ways that are right and just, we stepped off into the the great unknown. And what a journey it's been. It's not always easy - in fact, many times the path is fraught with troubles. But I'm so grateful to be in this PhD program, in this moment in my life, with such remarkable support from friends, family, and my partner and children.<br />
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<a href="http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c2dfd25c8bbc4f6e553e760e7&id=cb8f2c4c95&e=658d4c667c" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhaGjA78zVQIsAFx4JeCh2o26UooFolVwtkPi-L7niX1bA4NFlI0IbUOLWuiId6vKkrUO8INYUXMumc2Nr6Z_9X2sdVqv3gLV-TzcksWIKmlrASchxRdm9f6Nk3fernH6SU3d0m3VyIxp/s320/IowaStU-PhD-opp-15March2016.tiff" title="PhD Position at Iowa State University" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
All this, and so much more, came immediately bubbling up when I saw an email in my inbox this morning for a PhD opportunity at Iowa State University. While I have taken to passing over these PhD opportunity emails (at least for the time being), for whatever reason seeing the email this morning struck me quick. And helped me realize just how grateful I am to be here. If I wouldn't have listened to my heart, listened to trusted friends and family around me, nor had my head up and eyes and ears open to all the signs pointing me here, I may still be sailing troubled waters.<br />
<br />
Funny how these things happen.<br />
<br />
If YOU have ever been curious about graduate school and want to chat, I'm happy to - leave a comment here and we'll connect. If you're looking for a listing of federal jobs, check out <a href="https://www.usajobs.gov/" target="_blank">USA Jobs</a>. If you're looking for graduate school jobs, check out <a href="http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/" target="_blank">NatureJobs</a> and <a href="http://jobs.sciencecareers.org/?_ga=1.155765947.1469154522.1409920411" target="_blank">ScienceCareers</a>. If you're a recent graduate of college, or a current student, check out <a href="https://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads" target="_blank">this job board</a>. Looking for a fisheries career, check out the <a href="https://fisheries.org/employment/jobs/" target="_blank">AFS jobs board</a> (THE most visited page on their website). Looking for a wildlife career, check out <a href="http://careers.wildlife.org/home/index.cfm?site_id=8764" target="_blank">TWS jobs board</a>. Looking for academic jobs, check out Chronicles of Higher Education's <a href="https://chroniclevitae.com/job_search/new?cid=chenav" target="_blank">job postings</a>. Looking for non-academic jobs, check out <a href="https://versatilephd.com/" target="_blank">VersatilePhD</a>.<br />
<br />
Thank you for sharing this reflective moment with me. Now go follow your heart.JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-59888734676647439142015-10-01T14:13:00.000-06:002016-01-06T16:10:16.531-07:00Gun violence, regulation, and love<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ucc-roseburg_56106c20e4b0dd85030c545f"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCbaICYKdFPCMa0mJk_p2CzM1EZYD7gZ4LAiQ-KNEB6qTwAQbbXCSYJw6QSQJimoGCRTTKtU-f6OO89RbIxOwdpwdSMpNCtr9yUJO6ExX4GpP6Wum_YZJ2rwgjqt-y-X5LfT87bkQJB16/s320/HuffPostImage.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="entry-image__credit" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #999999; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-transform: uppercase;">
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ucc-roseburg_56106c20e4b0dd85030c545f">JOHN LOCHER/ASSOCIATED PRESS</a></div>
<br />
<figcaption class="entry-image__caption" style="border-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 20px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ucc-roseburg_56106c20e4b0dd85030c545f" target="_blank">Meriah Calvert prays during a candlelight vigil on Oct. 1 in Roseburg, Oregon.</a></figcaption></td></tr>
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<br />
Until this world is made new, violence will not stop. Until then, we pursue love...<br />
<br />
Some may scoff at such things, but since about 11am Mountain Time, I've been in knots about something...something that felt both distant and near. I couldn't place my finger on it. But it was as real and tangible to me as the keyboard on which I type. Then this. Do you recall the "life force" that Yoda talks about in "Star Wars", the the force or influence that gives something its vitality or strength, the spirit or energy that animates living creatures? Being plugged into this has been something to which I seem to have been born. And a piece of it, a piece with a distinct signature (my hometown), was not right. Now I know why. But knowing why doesn't take the pain away nor make sense of the senselessness. God, please let love flow. Please help us to keep hatred and malice and blame away. Please help us to see <a href="http://beyondforeignness.org/115" target="_blank">this world made new</a>. Please help us to love...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8jGHVv6nMw3ekRnecCMyievQffN2qwEhALDIbhlwfcyhZrfg2uCfRZ2pEp-_WlKlbA8TjzNSg_aTTDUJD1Nr6e6hq_ZHICNJQ1Oz7K3GLIBvkM70OMFbt2JM7UtXpjQH7vaNz4lTx28H/s1600/IamUCCOct3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8jGHVv6nMw3ekRnecCMyievQffN2qwEhALDIbhlwfcyhZrfg2uCfRZ2pEp-_WlKlbA8TjzNSg_aTTDUJD1Nr6e6hq_ZHICNJQ1Oz7K3GLIBvkM70OMFbt2JM7UtXpjQH7vaNz4lTx28H/s320/IamUCCOct3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get this image from the <a href="http://www.tfff.org/i-am-ucc" target="_blank">Ford Family Foundation</a></td></tr>
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<br />
In response to a recent mass shooting at the community college I attended and where I met my wife, I was recently asked about my 'take' on open carry policies at schools.<br />
<br />
I'm still not fully sure of my take.<br />
<br />
I don't believe gun violence is the problem. The violence is symptom of larger, more deeply-seeded issue(s). Issues of poverty of mind/soul/bank accounts, people feeling unloved and in utter despair, mental illness, lack of belonging, and so many others!<br />
<br />
I support open and concealed carry, both. I regularly carry during hunting season and when playing in the woods (familiarity with firearm use is tremendously important, in my mind). I think a policy of MANDATED carry is problematic (e.g., the timid/uncomfortable are probably better off not carrying). Neither do I want children carrying.<br />
<br />
Safety is illusory. And fleeting. And the risk of something happening to you/me from a deranged shooter is so minuscule (our chances of being struck by a car are so many orders of magnitude higher) that putting guns in the hands of many more incompetent handlers without some sort of training or regular check-in on their competency levels gives me considerable pause. We don't balk at mandatory hunters safety courses before we are allowed to hunt. We don't balk at having regulations on the dairy industry keeping blood and puss levels below an "acceptable" level in our glasses of milk. We don't balk at having regular check-in with drivers license or for aged drivers. We don't allow children to drive. I don't think I have many issues with making gun ownership more rigorous (e.g., required education programs, safety, handling, situational scenario play, routine relicensing, etc.). Yet, I also worry about someone keeping track of my guns (or any of my belongings; strange that we largely find it acceptable for businesses to keep track of our purchasing/browsing habits, though; whole other topic).<br />
<br />
Would I rather have more rigorous gun ownership requirements (presuming there is sufficient public oversight so as to keep from government overrun) than not? I think so. It would depend on the likelihood of such requirements thwarting potential attacks. The gun lobby is tremendously powerful and has ensured our right to continued bearing of arms. Sadly, I find the gun lobby and its message to have been mostly hijacked by a few individual businessmen bent primarily on profits. I get economic motivations. I like to make money, too. But profits have taken center stage over values (to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness). We cannot serve two masters (God and money).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qgYAaWRYqVmiQVdtEEbPdCXtDxKICViy3e26Zgn_R_EmfQEHrOkWSoDsN-xp7_X1BRZdjcFc8VppzKovTSlNIenJPTi6L7JTxkSSsddmsULR2OZBL6MtXBaoxY3Y2DyJaIHCg75ijOkB/s1600/Navy-Yard-Shooting-Rick-McKee-The-Augusta-Chronicle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qgYAaWRYqVmiQVdtEEbPdCXtDxKICViy3e26Zgn_R_EmfQEHrOkWSoDsN-xp7_X1BRZdjcFc8VppzKovTSlNIenJPTi6L7JTxkSSsddmsULR2OZBL6MtXBaoxY3Y2DyJaIHCg75ijOkB/s320/Navy-Yard-Shooting-Rick-McKee-The-Augusta-Chronicle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navy Yard Shooting, <a href="http://www.caglecartoons.com/viewimage.asp?ID={40A8FBD8-79B8-4DC1-8D6E-5A2B8FE0C2A9}" target="_blank">Rick McKee</a>, The Augusta Chronicle</td></tr>
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I don't see this as an all-or-nothing issue (everyone with a gun vs. nobody or just police/military with guns). It seems like there IS common ground (public opinion polls bear this out). But our governance system is so in shambles and public confidence in it at <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/171992/americans-losing-confidence-branches-gov.aspx" target="_blank">all-time lows</a>, I'm not sure new policies would be as effective at addressing the ROOT(s) of the problem (mentioned previously) as they should be. Too many policies, in my mind, do less about addressing problems as they do addressing symptoms. If I have a cancerous tumor, I don't want to just treat the pain it brings. I want the cancer <i>itself</i> treated and gone. Sadly, I don't think enough policies have this sort of focus. Well-intentioned, maybe (probably?). But still missing the mark.<br />
<br />
Long story even longer, I'm still not how to get to B (less gun violence) from A (here). But neither unregulated access nor complete lockdown seem to be viable options (either end of the spectrum). There is a middle ground, of that I'm sure (very few issues have simple yes/no, right/wrong answers). How to get there, however...another story.<br />
<br />
But I leave you with a poem that - upon re-reading it today - struck me particularly deeply: Wendell Berry's <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171140" target="_blank">The Peace of Wild Things</a>. (or <a href="https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/04-the-peace-of-wild-things-by" target="_blank">hear Wendell read it</a>)<br />
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Rest in the grace of the world, and be free.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When despair for the world grows in me<br />and I wake in the night at the least sound<br />in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,<br />I go and lie down where the wood drake<br />rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.<br />I come into the peace of wild things<br />who do not tax their lives with forethought<br />of grief. I come into the presence of still water.<br />And I feel above me the day-blind stars<br />waiting with their light. For a time<br />I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.</blockquote>
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<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-84409810298377020322015-08-28T15:48:00.000-06:002017-09-28T14:24:58.655-06:00Happiness to me is...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5ak03RriL6Z9rrB1HGGxdBHz5w2tYRuv5dLo2FAJdvUtml6DCRigGenifI1suVSw_OLU0k3S2CsC54H2oSgVndxPCwq4ityhtQEugfkJqRI6OVmgEdcBLX4VzK18BdKI8L84bXTRMYVZ/s1600/motivational_poster__happiness_by_the_shadowwolf-d4n4zz3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5ak03RriL6Z9rrB1HGGxdBHz5w2tYRuv5dLo2FAJdvUtml6DCRigGenifI1suVSw_OLU0k3S2CsC54H2oSgVndxPCwq4ityhtQEugfkJqRI6OVmgEdcBLX4VzK18BdKI8L84bXTRMYVZ/s320/motivational_poster__happiness_by_the_shadowwolf-d4n4zz3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://the-shadowwolf.deviantart.com/art/Motivational-Poster-Happiness-280729119">The Shadowwolf on DeviantArt</a>.</td></tr>
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<br />
Reflection and contemplation can sometimes come at the most unexpected moments and seemingly without reason (although I don't believe anything happens without purpose...but I digress).<br />
<br />
I was sitting in my office today busily working on getting my teaching materials all buttoned up while listening to background music when a "song" prompted me to pause and listen with intention. I say "song" because it was really spoken word set to music. It was hauntingly beautiful and it elicited an almost yearning sensation in me. The "song" was called "<a href="https://nowhearthis.bandcamp.com/track/one-hello-world-happiness-spoken-word-with-music-accompaniment-album" target="_blank">Happiness</a>" from the Spoken Word Album by <a href="http://onehelloworld.com/">One Hello World</a>. He does some very interesting stuff. Check out <a href="http://onehelloworld.com/">his blog</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/one_hello_world">SoundCloud site</a>.<br />
<br />
Happiness.<br />
<br />
What is happiness for me? I certainly cannot fully capture it in a blog post. Nor with the written or spoken word. So I'll just have to list some things that bring me happiness.<br />
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Simplicity, hearts connecting, fellowship with community, loving and being loved, in tune with natural rhythms, the feeling after a good cry, helping others, giving freely, being fully immersed in music, feeling the spirit move within, a fine single malt Scotch or craft beer, time in reflection, everything about water, the feeling of a fish on the end of my line on a fly I tied, standing atop a mountain after a hard hike and taking in everything [EVERYTHING!], contemplation in an alpine meadow, smokey sunsets, laying under the stars and thinking about life and meaning, the smell of fresh rain, watching clouds, and so many other things.<br />
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In three words - LIVING FULLY ALIVE!<br />
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What is happiness for you?JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-78605604661283124692014-12-01T17:34:00.000-07:002014-12-01T19:24:08.363-07:00Conversation. Serendipity. Inspiration.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wallpapersinhq.com/132146-smoke_from_a_chimney_on_a_cabin_reflected/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9y-pxmCv4xbZr5QRPsMbqe77AA9DFe8bwjnuT2ZlcVOMb84HXay0wQeFVLNH2YSdTe_8v3Eeig7AliULFOLxm4HKm01UMT2VWngMKzTQKNU-6bMQQnLjlCrTc6qiIKIswMWqwa3nrS-VX/s1600/1024x768_smoke_from_a_chimney_on_a_cabin_reflected-1446054.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To say the last few hours have been interesting would be to somehow shortchange the experience.<br />
<br />
It started over lunch and conversation with a new friend. Proceeded to a sidewalk conversation with someone I didn't know from Eve. And concluded with a passing hallway conversation with a wise, old colleague. What's been most interesting, at least to me, is how conversation after conversation today, each with different people and each initiated by the other (not me), has revolved around a similar topic. It's as if each person was playing some scripted role in a play, a play in which I am participating but was unaware I was an actor. I almost feel like I'm walking through a dream or a movie. It's an odd feeling. I wonder if this is how <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_than_Fiction_%282006_film%29">Harold Crick</a> felt in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/">Stranger Than Fiction</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcrYY4afWAuZICwfJahyiH8hCL3Q3A1_BrLywqaH6yPd3ugPTojdSniOFo9_AhmuBVTzX4r2puO7lJ492p4826cYxAkYu9HLG44U0FRewPnLVjLfvo92Cy3W25dXzb29kmRSa2c-sKmnb/s1600/Stranger_Than_Fiction_(2006_movie_poster).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcrYY4afWAuZICwfJahyiH8hCL3Q3A1_BrLywqaH6yPd3ugPTojdSniOFo9_AhmuBVTzX4r2puO7lJ492p4826cYxAkYu9HLG44U0FRewPnLVjLfvo92Cy3W25dXzb29kmRSa2c-sKmnb/s1600/Stranger_Than_Fiction_(2006_movie_poster).jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IMDB link here: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.stephencosgrove.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZI3OryxxqaYoCs3VsirrMEb8RhfZfaRA5oAWmWjrVetodxqdSyp_gJz3ibvfPHx9y9LpQbAoSWFOZnaODaljyxL4UWyskRzrP94yXIaBuH0Vkjh9Fx2NQXZar0amtAsQbwEq9wE5QpJv/s1600/serendipity_book.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a>So strange, in fact, that I could not help but reflect on them right after they happened. Which is rather ironic considering each of the conversations was about discipline in the practice of reflecting. This whole situation is made even more interesting to me in that I've been giving 'reflection' a fair bit of thought over the last few months. It feels rather like...<a href="http://networkcultures.org/mycreativity/2014/06/17/serendipity-creative-process-between-accident-and-sagacity/">serendipity</a>.<br />
<br />
The first conversation had me thinking about <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=reflection+and+spiritual&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C6&as_vis=1">spiritual reflection and personal growth</a>. The second had me thinking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_self-reflection">philosophical reasons for reflection</a>. The third had me thinking about the importance of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3167369/">reflection in academics</a> and <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learning/why-reflect">for learning</a>.<br />
<br />
Why reflection? Beyond <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021356182_junejo06xml.html">appreciation, compassion and community</a>? Well, one of the key pieces of the scientific method includes reflection. Philosophers spend careers reflecting on reflecting. Some of the most influential thinkers of all time - Socrates, Plato (Aristocles) and Aristotle - advocated for reflection. And the seminal writings in nearly every world religion give considerable credence to reflection. Yet for all this, it seems too few of us in this fast-paced modern world of ours are truly good at taking time to reflect, instead <a href="http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/andrew-weil-are-we-too-plugged-in-to-technology/">too plugged in to technology</a> we often forget to <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200810/the-art-now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment">be present in the moment</a>. So I've been disciplining myself to <a href="http://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-lady-on-bus-and-why-i-unplug.html">regularly unplug</a> and just spend time both in the moment and reflecting on previous moments, if even just for 20 minutes each day.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/t7Xr3AsBEK4" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
It is (and I am) a work in progress. But I'm now finding it easier to see how the events and situations and people and things around me connect to each other and to my own life. And it's helping me become more aware of how it all shapes my own thinking and worldview. To me, reflection feels inspiring...and I love feeling inspired. What inspires you?JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-44832293462397818922014-11-21T15:26:00.000-07:002016-05-19T08:35:30.267-06:00The lady on the bus, and why I routinely unplug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/old-woman-bus-stop-lynn-friedman-flickr-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9TBXE9KOu86pIyfiSJcXCVcf4ERlxW2dmkEJiQ0hctrB8nCmBZEdgArx8gPMj0tBRXdbjZo7O826mk9WbMP7Im_OANzYajCD3CFXTN02l8l9vim24aICpSzGfLh7_Nuk8VeyDUK8ey_K/s1600/old-woman-bus-stop-lynn-friedman-flickr-500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On a recent morning on my trek to work, I decided to ride the bus. I've been doing that lately to get familiar with the bus system in the area, an area we recently moved to. And the weather's been dropping snow and leaving freezing ice patches on long stretches of the bike paths. So why not?<br />
<br />
This morning, the bus was about half full with one person sitting in each two-person seat. They were all perfectly spaced apart, even along the ambulance style benches, like some invisible force was keeping them a few feet from each other. Turns out, that 'force' is called personal space and the preferred distance - at least in the United States - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_contact_and_personal_space_in_the_United_States">is about four feet apart</a>.<br />
<br />
But I digress.<br />
<br />
I sat down - without 'noticing' the person lest I respond to some subconscious bias or prejudice and shy away or gravitate toward them; I like to put myself into different situations - and found myself sitting next to an elderly woman. After a few seconds of quiet she says to me, "I like your <a href="http://catalog.powderhornworld.com/en/catalog/corbet-x-press-jacket-1#0">green coat</a>." I thanked her and smiled warmly, briefly mentioning that a friend had given it to me and I was grateful for the warmth it was providing and that it was rather hip nowadays to have highlighter bright clothing.<br />
<br />
Without missing a beat, she launched into a story about her late husband (who I surmised had been dead a great many years) who, clear back in the 1960s and 70's would sew extremely bright patches onto all his clothing. It was one of the things she found odd but also attractive about him - that he felt comfortable enough to stand out in a crowd. And he was always very noticeable skiing down the slopes. How she noticed that in Europe, people seemed to think all grey outfits were the hip thing at some point in time and how she liked all grey outfits as she thought they made her look royal.<br />
<br />
I mentioned how I had noticed in the UK some 10 years back that men seemed to <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/in-the-pink-researchers-claim-men-who-wear-pink-shirts-earn-1000-a-year-more-than-those-who-dont-8343364.html">favor salmon and pink and purple shirts</a> and ties and such, very different than what was popular in America at the time.<br />
<br />
Again, without missing a beat, she ran with the conversation mentioning that she once saw <a href="http://www.weswelker.com/">Wes Welker</a> <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_24999306/denver-broncos-arrive-super-bowl-territory-star-attraction">wearing a salmon-colored jacket</a> (or was it a pink shirt?) and how those around him teased him for wearing pink and how he was such a nice young boy and how "the thugs" on the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/">NFL</a>'s <a href="http://www.patriots.com/">New England Patriots</a> protected him when he was on their team but how they'd ganged up on him and tried to hit him hard now that we was on the <a href="http://www.denverbroncos.com/">Denver Broncos</a> team and how unfortunate it was that just because he wore a salmon-colored jacket that "the thugs, the worst of them being their head thug <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick">Bill Belichick</a>" were now targeting him. And wasn't it too bad that <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/broncos/2014/08/26/wes-welker-concussions-denver-broncos/14649447/">he got another concussion</a> and that he seemed to be <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=4007802">getting old for wide receivers in the NFL</a> and she hoped he retired after this year but wondered what he might do with his life after retirement and she would bet his wife would feed him almonds and he was such a nice and friendly and good kid and how she didn't really follow anything in the NFL and how strange it was that she knew all this stuff about the NFL and Wes Welker but he's such a nice kid, dontchaknow.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/shutdown-corner/broncos-receiver-wes-welker-videobombed-knicks-game-try-211105304--nfl.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZIh5DubnRaqrAtwEByIlwVELrZG3kS1hCHR8-M1KiTlFiWeXIH5DZo9ZTzn5GdzNO3tkJqx4yqujYi-YJmODDquYzl1JN7ucX-IFz0OCMlI4bB4TmNDRdppW44Fk3BYpYyyZkN6qBio4/s1600/Wes-Welker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denver Bronco's wide receiver Wes Welker in his salmon-colored jacket.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I guess she had a lot of conversation stored up. That was fine by me. She obviously was <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00909889009360313#.VG-4ApPF_uQ">craving interaction with others</a>. And I was happy to listen and interact.<br />
<br />
We exchanged a bit more conversation before I reached my bus stop. I wished her a blessed day and she said she was glad for the conversation. She bid me adieu and called me Mr. Green. I bid her adieu and called her Ms. Grey.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure none of this lovely interaction would have happened if I had had my bright red earbuds stuck in my ears listening to the news like I usually do on my way to work. But an interaction with my beloved bride this morning had me thinking and I thought it best to leave my phone in my pocket and just reflect (which is my typical evening habit on my way home from work). I'm sure glad I had that conversation with my wife this morning, listened to my intuition and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/16/subway-strangers-commuting-be-nicer_n_5276529.html">unplugged from my routine</a>. I don't want to become <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/tech/2014/05/01/james-fields-zombies-obsessed-smartphones/8582485/">another zombie</a>. Or lose my ability to interact with others. <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/10/how-cell-phones-are-killing-face-to-face-interactions295/">Face to face</a>. <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together/transcript?language=en">Plugged in but alone</a>. Worse yet, I don't want to get in the habit of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=all">fleeing from conversations</a> with strangers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.becomingminimalist.com/unplug-please/">I'm glad I unplugged</a>. It was a remarkable thing. Because life, at its best and for all its shortcomings, is happening right in front of me.JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-49414952556204285792014-07-15T15:43:00.000-06:002014-12-01T21:38:49.242-07:00Moving, Comcast, customer service and reading books<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSA8t2jnN4RkvZloVrVmewJtlcoI-zSQVW2_inxsOUwFX_zFOuRmIh5u18XNWX2YMuw1KU9dMIxtRK5h_CRl6dpmKCDInvj6kYlUpu67eeHsp4rUrjpUJn1g2lWvuT2x2p1rq5gJrAVAx/s1600/MovingIsHardOldPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSA8t2jnN4RkvZloVrVmewJtlcoI-zSQVW2_inxsOUwFX_zFOuRmIh5u18XNWX2YMuw1KU9dMIxtRK5h_CRl6dpmKCDInvj6kYlUpu67eeHsp4rUrjpUJn1g2lWvuT2x2p1rq5gJrAVAx/s1600/MovingIsHardOldPic.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where did we get all this stuff? And how do we move it all? (<a href="https://www.tineye.com/parse/load?url=http://makeitallupsotruly.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-things-we-accumulate.html">find this image</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://moving.about.com/od/youremovingnowwhat/tp/coping_with_a_move.htm">Moving is hard</a>. Really hard. <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201007/moving-is-tough-kids">Especially for kids</a>. All things considered, we thought we were doing pretty well. But <a href="http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/">Comcast's customer service</a> made our experience even harder.<br />
<br />
At least we got a good chuckle out of it.<br />
<br />
I recently moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder,_Colorado">Boulder, Colorado</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvallis,_Oregon">Corvallis, Oregon</a> and was surprised at how much 'stuff' I'd accumulated in my nearly 20 years of marriage. Having lived in the same town for the last 15 years, I was relatively unfamiliar with and unprepared for how much it would take to to pull it off. Despite our best efforts to prepare for and make the move and transition as smooth as possible, I was taken aback at how difficult it was to do this one little thing - cancel our cable television. Maybe <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115798/">The Cable Guy</a> should have prepared me.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvA99JIDlWHyH_O9CPyoM2v_V0OwCUNeboJAkFRpfMMd_aI2IEIpvhLtQoEmicxXKv5ArX2OhcSfjm6LJV94_ExUEWtzPJqp1KpffAM8_upkNxYbkqbqUQ2K5c_xDdM_ZC1uwLsn23g4l-/s1600/the-cable-guy-original-640x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvA99JIDlWHyH_O9CPyoM2v_V0OwCUNeboJAkFRpfMMd_aI2IEIpvhLtQoEmicxXKv5ArX2OhcSfjm6LJV94_ExUEWtzPJqp1KpffAM8_upkNxYbkqbqUQ2K5c_xDdM_ZC1uwLsn23g4l-/s1600/the-cable-guy-original-640x360.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Carrey">Jim Carrey</a> in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115798/">The Cable Guy</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
All we had for cable was the most basic of the basic packages. Thirteen bucks a month. That's it. Nothing at all bundled with it. No internet. No cell service. No fancy-dancy channels. No frills. Just the most basic package - <a href="http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Learn/DigitalCable/digitalcable.html">the package they don't even list anywhere on the web</a> - the package you have to ask for but doesn't have any name and they hassle you and hassle you and hassle you to get something with more options and more bells and whistles. The most basic of the basic cable.<br />
<br />
But we didn't want it anymore. Partly because we were further <a href="http://www.mennocreationcare.org/resources-and-ideas/simple-living">simplifying our life</a> and budget as we prepared to live in <a href="http://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/city/colorado/boulder">a very expensive town</a>. Partly because we found we <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cord-cutters-and-the-death-of-tv-2013-11">simply didn't watch much television</a>. Partly because it was an extravagance we realized we simply didn't need.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsShS7bbnAFDoqzDjNxk_3VtS8VXjGhN7EtqeNwRiPAyyOQcq_2niyOk53OHGd9jLNLYuhKGEvHr3xGM9BajyFMWNJHZGx7H_19ZRIsNOip-Y1eBZIn-Pv2sW2Rg2CRsmtQq34VV7QyXuZ/s1600/OfficeSpaceNoDrama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsShS7bbnAFDoqzDjNxk_3VtS8VXjGhN7EtqeNwRiPAyyOQcq_2niyOk53OHGd9jLNLYuhKGEvHr3xGM9BajyFMWNJHZGx7H_19ZRIsNOip-Y1eBZIn-Pv2sW2Rg2CRsmtQq34VV7QyXuZ/s1600/OfficeSpaceNoDrama.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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But it could NOT have been more <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/">difficult to disconnect</a>. We couldn't do it over the internet. We couldn't do it by simply writing CANCEL on our bill. We had to call and talk to somebody. Ok. I like talking to people. Sure. Why not. Except...in all the busyness of moving, it fell through the cracks so my beautiful, beloved bride took it upon herself to ring them to cancel our service. I'm sure she's regretting that decision. Here's why.<br />
<br />
You'd think it would be a simple thing, calling to cancel service. One click (maybe two) and you can unsubscribe from unwanted email lists. Writing 'cancel' on magazine subscriptions does the trick. So just asking someone to cancel should be easy, right? Not so much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_7wieswyW2JourltpdgpRrYJiTSQALa1-wKABVXWNUSO0WyJwpBBRyK0xwz5Otzqwacn7KKn1ml1EFUZUgsXeDgIIVf6Lx8VexbOxg-lM6ETmfQ4Xhdj9Z4P1rZwytyRZaf1Dk05S1xn/s1600/comcastcallimportanttous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_7wieswyW2JourltpdgpRrYJiTSQALa1-wKABVXWNUSO0WyJwpBBRyK0xwz5Otzqwacn7KKn1ml1EFUZUgsXeDgIIVf6Lx8VexbOxg-lM6ETmfQ4Xhdj9Z4P1rZwytyRZaf1Dk05S1xn/s1600/comcastcallimportanttous.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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First you have to wade through the automated, voice command menus that never seem to correctly interpret what you're saying. Then the lengthy wait for a real person to talk to you (<a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/if-you-swear-at-apple-s-automated-customer-service-they-ll-put-you-through-to-a-human">unless you call Apple</a>). After a real person finally does get on the line, you can't simply request for your service to be turned off. You have to listen through an interminable litany of reasons their customer service agent thinks you should keep their service. No thank you. Then you have to listen to all the 'perks' they'll add to your package if you just keep it. We appreciate that, but still no thanks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKiEyixy5QCOxTSVWc1bGDZXHdb9E0sDxWYEg4FjvTc2hTq0PE6wg9Dtk2iCI5wDK5FCLSfFIoBHnpwiqlhNIq3G4okZFQazAgYoDP4cq4Feh5KEdm7QwDdAMcvhDvZxE9OgNtHHz9h4H/s1600/theres-more1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKiEyixy5QCOxTSVWc1bGDZXHdb9E0sDxWYEg4FjvTc2hTq0PE6wg9Dtk2iCI5wDK5FCLSfFIoBHnpwiqlhNIq3G4okZFQazAgYoDP4cq4Feh5KEdm7QwDdAMcvhDvZxE9OgNtHHz9h4H/s1600/theres-more1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then you have to listen through all the reasons they think it's silly for you to cancel. It's insulting you think trying to <a href="http://www.splitstrategy.com/making-people-feel-stupid-a-losing-approach/">make us feel stupid</a> is an acceptable marketing or customer service strategy. No, we're certainly not more inclined now that you've tried <i>insulting</i> and <i>badgering</i> us. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Thanksgiving">Whats that?! What's that?!</a> *sarcasm* Oh NOW you're willing to hear our reasons why we no longer want cable?<br />
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At this point - nearly 20 minutes into this call - my usually patient and understanding spouse is starting to get a little miffed and no longer expecting a pleasant nor expedient conversation. But she pulls deep for a little more patience and explains that we simply don't watch much television, that we'd rather spend our time doing other things. The customer service agent, in a pleading and nearly incredulous tone, asks "but what in the world we're going to do in the evenings without television?!"<br />
<br />
My sweet spouse's measured response?<br />
<br />
"<a href="http://osbornegowey.blogspot.com/2011/02/typical-saturday.html">Read books to our children</a>." Silence on the other end of the line. Then she hung up.<br />
<br />
That. Was. Awesome!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/15/tech-blogger-tries-to-cancel-comcast-service-hilarity-ensues/">So is this</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/158720628&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
Solidarity, brother. Solidarity.<br />
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<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-67446132740907150042014-03-10T18:20:00.001-06:002014-03-10T18:20:28.969-06:00Secret Fishing Holes and Hunting Spots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwsKr27qpVCFN_0VWp-dTdclE0YlLTUPCg-bsjU08TfS7P1sd-DzlVzzBANuuoOZJdWEV_IrNsUwnUkSPkI9aci9vlFFyYWZl3ExlyhSqJryyyHI3J9PB-dRtRzaiVbgm6wekREOkzpkw/s1600/combatfishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwsKr27qpVCFN_0VWp-dTdclE0YlLTUPCg-bsjU08TfS7P1sd-DzlVzzBANuuoOZJdWEV_IrNsUwnUkSPkI9aci9vlFFyYWZl3ExlyhSqJryyyHI3J9PB-dRtRzaiVbgm6wekREOkzpkw/s1600/combatfishing.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where were you fishing? I promise I won't tell anyone. *Very. Next.Day.*</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever had one of these experiences?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While this is obviously a bit of an exaggeration, I have had similar experiences where a particular spot I thought was relatively secluded ended up not being so. As a life-time fisherman, hunter, camper, backpacker, and all-around outdoorsman, I tend to keep rather mum on a few of my <i>most cherished</i> places to go. And while I am judicious about telling people ALL the good fishing/hunting/hiking spots, I usually tell them at least a few good places to go.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why? Because I want more people developing <a href="http://notquiteconvergent.blogspot.com/2009/10/fostering-sense-of-place.html">a sense of place</a> and making <i>strong</i> connections to the rest of the natural world (of which we are a part of). Why? Because <a href="http://conservationmagazine.org/2013/11/art-connecting/">making a connection</a> often results in shared respect. Respect often leads to caring. And, while there's been little research in this arena (see <a href="http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her102/102vining.pdf">Joanne Vining's piece</a> in Research in Human Ecology), caring may wind up making the difference in how things end up being managed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So please, <i>please</i>, if you care about a particular place or species or habitat, don't keep mum about it. Sure, keep a few of your most special places on the hush...but tell people about <i>other</i> great places to go, get them outside, show them why connecting to the rest of the natural world is so marvelous! Doing so may just help help save your favorite place.</span></span>JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-20075027555294032682014-02-09T17:00:00.000-07:002014-03-29T18:47:07.755-06:00Is this the right path for me? - knowing and walking in it<br />
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<div align="center" class="separator" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCb_JELkhSUy1fmTkVr9cGm1dC5uOqF2pTaTUI3qMNwQgYAIzOvapsIdJlMgusHGk_fSZKMyorLzL1_2O720G1wwpevJjOK_k2DnD-xIh9geJK0dipNSzupvq27BbdtO7z1Lfp0F0XFRV/s1600/AntiqueBible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCb_JELkhSUy1fmTkVr9cGm1dC5uOqF2pTaTUI3qMNwQgYAIzOvapsIdJlMgusHGk_fSZKMyorLzL1_2O720G1wwpevJjOK_k2DnD-xIh9geJK0dipNSzupvq27BbdtO7z1Lfp0F0XFRV/s1600/AntiqueBible.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">For more than 20 years I have rebuffed
various calls from leadership in churches I've attended to give - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laity">as laity</a> - faith teachings. Lead
small group discussions? No problem. One-on-one discussions? You bet! Talk in
front of everybody on Sunday? Nope. No thanks. Not gonna do it. Didn't matter
what my heart was telling me. Didn't matter that I had, at various times, felt
compelled to deliver a particular message. My answer was basically always no.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Until this last January.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My family and I have been attending <a href="http://www.corvallismennonite.org/">Corvallis Mennonite Fellowship</a>
for several years now. There is no senior pastor, only a pastoral team
responsible for setting up weekly teachings. Thus, we rely on visiting pastors
and teaching from attendees of the congregation. And I got the tap on the
shoulder. The subject material could NOT have been more appropriate and timely
in my life - how do I know the will of God?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow. Are you kidding me?! My family and I
were facing one of the toughest decisions we had yet faced – if, when, and
where to go to graduate school. You see, I’ve long felt compelled to teach.
This desire had been recently re-affirmed – on several occasions and quite
strongly – during quiet reflecting time while attending a couple of
transformative <a href="http://www.bootcampnw.com/">Bootcamp Northwest</a>
events and a <a href="http://thenobleheart.com/">Gary Barkalow “It’s Your Call”</a>
weekend. Getting a PhD (piled higher and deeper?) seemed like the next logical
step. But was I just being crazy? Or selfish? I mean, I already had a few
degrees from Oregon State University and after nearly 15 years in Corvallis had
developed quite the community! Was this potential move a good idea? Was it part
of “the plan”? Reflecting on discerning God's will seemed like a pretty
worthwhile endeavor, given we were contemplating moving away from the
well-connected life we'd built in the area. On the other hand, it felt
presumptuous to think I could even 'know' something like God's will.
Regardless, despite this and my history of substantial reservations, I said
yes. Emphatically, even.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/top/802/2/The-Lord-works-in-mysterious-ways-9-misquoted-Bible-phrases.html">Mysterious
ways</a>, indeed!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And what a remarkable experience it was. Not
necessarily the actual Sunday teaching, which was good for me...but the time I
spent reflecting on discerning God's will. <a href="http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/hear-god-eliminate-the-distractions/">Tuning
out the distractions</a> and listening, truly listening, was a good reminder
that our minds are typically too crowded with...things, to regularly hear God
talking to us. It was time for me to 'check out' from all of life's busyness
for a bit, and ratchet up the quiet, reflecting time.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And the messages flowed. Freely. What
follows are my responses to the questions the pastoral team asked me to
consider responding to. In a nutshell, I came up with six ways in which you and
I can discern God's will. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But regardless of whether you believe in God, I think you'll find many of the following can serve as good indicators if you're following the path that's right for you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are there others I missed? Please do let me know your
thoughts! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">HOW CAN YOU AND I KNOW THE WILL OF GOD?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We cannot <i>presume</i> to know how God's
will will play out in our lives...but we DO have a number of clues that can
help us discern God's will in the present moment. And in the larger picture. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Read and reflect on <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12">Romans 12</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">How have you experienced the gladness of
knowing you have chosen God’s good, pleasing and perfect will?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can only describe it as 'Living in The
Sweet Spot' </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can sometimes
hear God's voice. Clearly. For me, it's often conversational. And intoxicating.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take a deep breath,
and get real high. Sense of euphoria.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seeing the
glorification of God.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">How have your seen God work good things out
of bad or evil circumstances?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">What strikes me
first is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_school_shooting">West
Nickel Mines Amish School shooting</a> and the incredible <a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/29/from-grief-to-grace-widow-of-amish-schoolhouse-shooter-breaks-her-silence/">story
of forgiveness</a>. Like a ripple in a pond, we’ll never know just how far God’s
message reached but it sure made a lot of people take pause and reflect on God
and Christianity (spirituality in general) and the remarkable healing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=power%20of%20forgiveness&sprefix=power+of+forgi%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Apower%20of%20forgiveness">power
of forgivene</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=power%20of%20forgiveness&sprefix=power+of+forgi%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Apower%20of%20forgiveness">ss</a>. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recently watched
a moving film about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Frisbee">Lonnie
Frisbee</a> – <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465467/">The Life and Death
of a Hippie Preacher.</a> Lonnie was one of the most influential and
charismatic figures of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_movement">Jesus
Movement</a> of the 1960s and 1970s. He helped spark/found the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Chapel">Calvary Chapel</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vineyard_Movement">Vineyard Movement
Churches</a>, two of the largest evangelical denominations to emerge in recent
decades, from which countless people have been helped and heard <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_gospel">the Good News</a>. But, by his
own admission and words, he struggled with "an affliction"
(homosexuality) throughout his life, eventually dying in 1993 from AIDS. He was
essentially written out of the history books of both denominations and
ostracized from the church, but – on his deathbed – he <i>forgave</i> those who
had wronged him. What struck me the most from the film about his life, the
message I heard loud and clear, was that despite what <u>we</u> may view as our
inherent shortcoming and failings - our brokenness - God can use us for
remarkable good! </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The big question (at least for me) -- How do you/I know the will of God? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I came up with six ways (though there are
likely others):</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. Is your will or desire Biblical? Can you <b>find
mention of it in the Scriptures</b>? Dig into them…</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">“For I know the
plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for
ruin, to give you a future, and hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Test it out. Be not
conformed to this world. (Romans 12:2 and again in I John 2:15-17)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Do justice. Love
kindness. Walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love one another.
(John 15:12)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pray for others.
(Romans 15:30-33)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Abstain from
immorality. (I Thessalonians 4:1-8)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Be wise, not
foolish. (Ephesians 5:15-17)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Live in His grace.
(Ephesians 5:1-20)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Word of God
(Scriptures) should abide in us (John 15:5-8)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seek the kingdom of
God first. And His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Does evil lie
close at hand when you do what you believe is right? (Romans 7:18-24)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Give thanks. In
all circumstances. REJOICE! (I Thessalonians 5:18)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Be vigilant against
temptation (watch, pray; Mark 14:38; Matthew 26:41)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do not be deceived.
(I Corinthians 6:9-11)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pray earnestly
(Luke 10)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Slow to anger.
Abounding in steadfast love. Forgiving iniquity and transgression. (Numbers
14:18)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Trust in the
Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In everything acknowledge
Him. And He will make your path straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Ask it of God.
(James 1:5)</u></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so many
others...</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Is it a <b>desire of our heart</b>? Do
you feel compelled toward some end?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Search your heart
and you will know what the mind of the Spirit is (Romans 8:27)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">God is producing in
you, both the desire, and the ability to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">BUT…the desires of
the heart can be deceitful (Matthew 15:19) so be vigilant against temptations
of the flesh.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is there an earthly
(and Godly) need your desire fills?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. Does it seem to be <b>within your gifts
and/or abilities</b>?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are you working
within your gifts of the Spirit? Within your abilities? </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are unsure
of what your gifts or abilities are, ask others. Reflect on what makes you tick… </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. Do <b>opportunities and/or situations</b>
keep cropping up?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are there recurring
themes in your life? Does something keep presenting itself?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do doors keep
opening? Or closing? Probably a good indication...</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Is your <b>initiative magnified</b> (in
one direction or the other)?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you take the
initiative – that first step – what happens?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did that effort get
magnified, in one direction or the other?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Your ears will hear
a word from behind you saying “This is the way. Walk in it.” Whether you turn
to the right or the left. (Isaiah 30:21)</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When you make a
decision and have a thought about something, does doubt immediately creep in? Are
you immediately met with that little voice in your other ear sowing discontent,
self-doubt, spite? (Passage from A River Runs Through It, pp. 19-20, where Paul is describing whether or how to approach a particular run on the river where he's watching a big fish rising [or is he?])</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">6. Seek the <b>Opinion and counsel of others. </b>How do they see this desire fitting you?<b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">You have a circle
of friends and colleagues – peers – that know you. Even if only from an
outsider’s perspective. Talk with them about what they see in and about you.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seek the counsel of
others. They can be your peers, those with plenty of experience, those with
little, or even those that have only known you briefly – each will have
valuable insights. But be careful – don’t “stack the deck” of those you ask,
picking those you think will give you the answer you <i>want</i> to hear.</span></span></div>
JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-32089455743373590842014-01-28T19:58:00.001-07:002014-01-28T19:58:32.855-07:00Mediators Beyond Borders - skills mini workshop<br /><br /><a href="http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqh53nxMzvcXXIECa2h9qbF7VeTj5FmHw1X8iK_HZrJiPq26W5tFBEYZ5SadyshntTtszvKb00SE8LqWzosTlVGkhW42etwmDRV5yLrmDWO7nIgPdeSKgfQy-lUyjntICCpqxAto3CAw9/s1600/MediatorsBeyondBordersIntl.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br /><a href="http://mbbosu.wordpress.com/"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzrOfUGS2YIGKJfPSuB8kTFiVc2G9Z8RDelw92dufE3ucsyw-cp52O5YSpcW5BCgY31CDubnXTsPVlQaipenqKivZqRNiQmljmNQyIcFoSlaO0QsJJjE9cKA5o6HfDEUxZNRkKmnwt4OC/s1600/OSUMediatorsBeyondBorders.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br /><br />I recently attended an EXCELLENT mediation skill-building mini-workshop hosted by the <a href="http://mbbosu.wordpress.com/">Oregon State University Chapter</a> of <a href="http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/">Mediators Beyond Borders</a>. I've been meaning...FOR YEARS!....to join this group. This skills workshop was the catalyst for me, just the prod I needed. My notes from the workshop are below.<br /><br /><br /> OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY’S MEDIATORS BEYOND BORDERS SKILLS MINI-WORKSHOP, 23JAN2014<br />
<br />
Mediators Beyond Borders, <a href="https://twitter.com/MediatorsBB">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/">online</a><br /><br /> Oregon State University’s MediatorsBB chapter <a href="http://mbbosu.wordpress.com/">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MBBOSU">Facebook page</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/about/wolf.html">Aaron Wolf</a>, presenter<br /><br /> What topic fires you up, gets you riled? Nothing that is personally injurious...just something that you get animated about.<br /><br /> Activity:<br />
Speaker argues against the listener’s position (2min)<br /><br /> Listener listens. That’s it. And keeps track of his/her emotions and reactions.<br /><br /> Then reverse the sequence (speaker listens, listener speaks, attentiveness, etc.)<br /><br /> Discussion:<br />
Listeners, what did you notice about just listening to something that fires you up?<br /><br />
1st level of reaction (typically): First reactions are typically physical: stress, anxiety, fight-or-flight.<br /><br /> Powerful stuff.<br /><br /> 2nd level: repression of emotions. Emotional response. Starts around the stomach area.<br /><br /> 3rd level: intellectual curiosity. Has a place in your body, too. Where? Usually the back of the head (often associated with the basal ganglia/lower brain function systems).<br />
<br />
Jeremiah’s side note: Amygdala, cerebellum, etc. Think “lizard brain”. Reminded of <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/quieting-the-lizard-brain.html">Seth Godin’s stuff on this</a>...<br /><br /> 4th level (sometimes): spiritual connections with the person. Opportunity to learn something.<br /><br /> <span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">Anger is a shield protecting vulnerability.</span></span><br /><br /> If we can move ourselves past these first 2-3 levels (physical/emotional), train ourselves to go to the “What can I learn from this experience?” place (think of it as an opportunity), we’ll often have much more productive conversations/discussions/negotiations.<br /><br /> <span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">When you feel agitated, stop, breathe. And listen.</span></span><br /><br /> <span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">When someone comes at you with anger, they are often masking vulnerability. </span></span>What’s the first response, typically? Meet it with anger. But if you meet it with empathy, anger has no fuel.<br /><br /> What do these four levels of responses sound like? Do they sound familiar? Yep. Four needs are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs">Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs</a>, Buddhism’s 4 foundations of mindfulness (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satipatthana">Satipatthana</a>), some of the tenets of Christianity and other world religions, etc., etc., etc. They are universal... <br /><br />Anger first comes up (typically) when people take position (for/against). People take a position because they have an interest. Under interests are values. If you can lead with shared values, you’ll often find some common ground, unity.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mediate.com/articles/tnsc.cfm">Position -> Interests -> Needs/Values</a> -> Unity<br /><br />If you can lead a conversation with shared values, the conversation will be much more productive.<br /><br /> Take home message:<br /><br />In any discussion, but especially discussions that have the potential to rile one party or the other, it is most productive to STOP, BREATHE, AND LISTEN. That will allow you to make a personal connection with the “other side”, find a common ground upon which to build.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLJ8Y-ubXWLqsSCEVsnfyRqT0hLJBCJFoAQM9U_E5ra_K9EhQ92DPMpSLQ9-VPeFo6XTRx92hbQAq8WeBPTjEEgBNl1U_fx8ckG17eS9RkOjPAyoLFTATuAfvxeaoePfeRL1a6d7Hve4K/s1600/FishingNatureQuoteFB_edits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLJ8Y-ubXWLqsSCEVsnfyRqT0hLJBCJFoAQM9U_E5ra_K9EhQ92DPMpSLQ9-VPeFo6XTRx92hbQAq8WeBPTjEEgBNl1U_fx8ckG17eS9RkOjPAyoLFTATuAfvxeaoePfeRL1a6d7Hve4K/s400/FishingNatureQuoteFB_edits.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While I love catching fish, over the years my focus has changed a bit.
Don't get me wrong, I still love catching fish, but simply being "on the
water" is often enough to quench my thirst for finding my center. Struck with a moment of insight (they happen so rarely these days), I responded with a brief thought on fishing (and catching). And I smiled to see that it seemed to strike a chord with others, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAwkcdhTSTcSvHdW0fjMMxAsSZtLphqj8kYriY90nxHvJG7DBoI0Wu81TH1FmOkmY_eON3A8q8wRtiYS508mgiyxBe4f6HUWva7l8bixxxoqYfYQePtZVNFjlnVcxQUh1V9mpCA76IGpL/s1600/FishingNatureQuoteTwitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAwkcdhTSTcSvHdW0fjMMxAsSZtLphqj8kYriY90nxHvJG7DBoI0Wu81TH1FmOkmY_eON3A8q8wRtiYS508mgiyxBe4f6HUWva7l8bixxxoqYfYQePtZVNFjlnVcxQUh1V9mpCA76IGpL/s400/FishingNatureQuoteTwitter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-75845851424591434782013-05-28T10:47:00.002-06:002013-07-04T13:41:38.544-06:00Email overload? No way! I got this...(or not)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.agefotostock.com/en/Stock-Images/Royalty-Free/IMZ-pgi0128" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTwbvGTYdCiZCpsiJgrlPJtg9CCg0LYGVa3U6sDyPDPSc_PXDYek9Re7WCoQgcgbmlqPbDZ-YacL7Djh88FvPSUiv87QVyDlLPRF-atokMz_o0UJgY17mnBcbIlEdAuTjkKW_pv8Mxhjt/s1600/email_swamped.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I got this. N...no, no I don't.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>You know you're buried in emails when:<br />
<ol><li>you actively manage 5+ different email addresses</li>
<li>your main email has >2,500 UNREAD messages in the inbox</li>
<li>your email responses to threads have >10 items in a numbered list</li>
<li>you <i>want</i> to respond to most emails (but rarely do)</li>
<li>you obsessively check your phone or email program every time you get a notification of a new email</li>
<li>triage is the primary way you handle messages. Like:</li>
</ol><ul><li>Newsletter? Sit on it for future reading (translation: you'll never look at it again. Solution: delete it. And if you only read about 1 for every 5 or more of that newsletter, unsubscribe).</li>
<li>Close friend? Read it and want to respond. In reality you don't respond for much too long and your "close" friends start wondering if you really care. Solution: read the message then ring them on the tele.</li>
<li>Boss or project co-worker? Probably going to get a response, just not as quickly as either of us would like.</li>
<li>Forwarded message with funny pics of <a href="http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl">cats that look like Hitler</a>? Nope, sorry. Gettin' axed.</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGceRP1K1cIC4-KkLx_OwFxeXSIJyauWG7jP_hfnqoKAw_2sNLZ5TGekem48jJuoBY1Cnxa_UcWMgruZyRxaFGK6_8VBcUv7btbB68sAV_-8il7cKQlsm058UapXZfZoGQ0qTA8mk9nIUm/s1600/Mashable_email_today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGceRP1K1cIC4-KkLx_OwFxeXSIJyauWG7jP_hfnqoKAw_2sNLZ5TGekem48jJuoBY1Cnxa_UcWMgruZyRxaFGK6_8VBcUv7btbB68sAV_-8il7cKQlsm058UapXZfZoGQ0qTA8mk9nIUm/s320/Mashable_email_today.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2012/11/27/email-stats-infographic/">Mashable Infographic: email today.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Am I an <a href="http://www.johnflurry.com/theblog/2011/02/09/the-e-mail-addict-experiment-three-months-later/">email addict</a>? I used to be. But not any more. Now I'm more along the lines of apathetic, apoplectic (email) medic. Sure I check my email several times a day but I'm going to change that. And I don't <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10455786-93.html">hide from family or drive many miles while on vacation</a> just to check my email.<br />
<br />
So here's what I'm going to do about it. I'm going to start sending <i>many</i> fewer emails, <a href="http://www.takepermission.com/advice/emailstalking/">only respond during certain times of the day</a>, turn off incoming email <a href="http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57551600-285/how-to-silence-notifications-on-smartphones-and-tablets/">notifications</a> on my phone, and start making more phone calls. I'm going to <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/organizing-time-savers/unsubscribe-email-00100000061715/index.html">unsubscribe from email lists</a>, LOTS of them, even though I like getting many of the emails (at least, in theory I like it; good/interesting material!). <a href="http://tararobinson.com/blog/2006/12/why_habits_are_.html">Some habits are hard to break</a>. On email threads with many responses in a short period of time, I'm going to wait for the flurry to die down, then respond with a single email that captures the most pertinent things I need to convey. <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/2013/02/just-call-someone-already.html">Or I'll call you</a>. I'm hoping this will help cut down on the frequent distractions. Even though they may be important messages that do need to be addressed, when the notifications pile in incessantly, they are still distractions...sometimes welcome, most of the time not. And they nearly always <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/11/22/manage-email/1704111/">alter productivity</a> on whatever task I'm working on.<br />
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So if you don't hear back from me within a few minutes regarding an email you've sent me, if you see I've unsubscribed from the email distribution list you curate or the blog you write or the newsletter you edit or the...(insert list here), don't be offended. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFXCKQ7K2bs">It's not you. It's me.</a> It's not that I don't like all this information. I just cannot conceivably find the time to read through all of it the minute it arrives in my inbox. I'll get to it, but only a couple of times a day. Yes, rich media is, well, rich with additional/supplemental info, but that's just the sort of stuff I'm trying to pare out right now. If it's important and needs immediate attention, give me a ring. I'd much rather talk with you for five minutes. After all, we can cover so much more ground in that time on the phone than we could in an email thread.<br />
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As much as I love electronic media, I really thrive on the personal interactions with you.<br />
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JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-56039039725992218732013-05-27T09:13:00.000-06:002013-08-29T14:10:00.307-06:0010,000 tweets in...I've been doing this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media" target="_blank">social media</a> thing for some time now. I don't care much about finding as many followers as I can (I figure they'll come naturally within the course of conversations). I tend not to care much for the vast majority of the discussions on Twitter (infographic on what people tweet?). And I don't typically tweet out shameless, self-promoting, useless <a href="http://thesaurus.com/browse/drivel" target="_blank">drivel</a>. I find myself parsing through and gravitating to the conversations that touch on topics of particular interest to me. Do I care about <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/justin-bieber-monkey_n_3141145.html" target="_blank">Justin Bieber's troubles with his monkey</a>? Uh-uh. <a href="http://celebritybabies.people.com/2006/10/20/how_britney_los/" target="_blank">Britney Spears' baby fat</a>? Nope. What about the <a href="http://www.everyharlemshake.com/" target="_blank">latest Harlem Shake video</a>? Yeah, not so much (the first few were...fun...but after that, meh).<br />
<br />
But here's what I DO care about - things like science, homebrewing, fishing and hunting, politics,
relationships, family, friendships - all those things that crank my scooter, rev my engine, get my noggin' knockin'...basically things that mean
something to me for one reason or another. And they almost always involve interactions with others.<br />
<br />
So perhaps it's no surprise that my 10,000th tweet was part of a real discussion with a <a href="http://people.uleth.ca/~sarah.boon/" target="_blank">fellow scientist</a>.<br />
<br />
At least I'm not <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/guy-with-10000-tweets-15-followers-about-ready-to,31851/" target="_blank">this guy</a>. <br />
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<i>Vivat necessitudines</i> (long live relationships)...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/JeremiahOsGo/status/338869870479421441" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SFIEmQjQib4GnHkJQzxSmjFactfp9xev5iVw4iNngJX1nh6WFSQ55eT3E6Pycj4hm1-7WRcJw9D_KDK8Qcq1NTJipvONfADH6X0GR3z1vNRXweNQLrq_abVh9-ULi5IDuEzDWuh54Hne/s320/10K_tweet_JDOG.tiff" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/JeremiahOsGo/status/338869870479421441">My 10,000th tweet</a> - part of a convo w/ a scientist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-8799172202123513512013-05-16T13:50:00.000-06:002013-05-16T13:50:12.933-06:00Normative Science. Is it wrong?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbYZUDjyVEWe19n2g4Fixdmm_8vO0XTLiZBXTt52Sl9nyu0CLzlZIZSYbtR_M3ksPPGhPjCScXAY1D7Zzwko20epT3eINsxm9xh8ChNSYuCTbY556jzLmce_ScVuRrwEHGROfLY-NvOOG/s1600/scales-of-justice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbYZUDjyVEWe19n2g4Fixdmm_8vO0XTLiZBXTt52Sl9nyu0CLzlZIZSYbtR_M3ksPPGhPjCScXAY1D7Zzwko20epT3eINsxm9xh8ChNSYuCTbY556jzLmce_ScVuRrwEHGROfLY-NvOOG/s1600/scales-of-justice.jpg" /></a></div>
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People place values and judgments on different parts of the world
around them and on how they interact with it. In large groups of people –
think “society” – patterns in valuation and judgment emerge based upon
similar beliefs about what is important and how much weight those
beliefs carry. People, as inherently social animals, tend to congregate
around others that share similar values and judgments, sometimes leading
to divergent ways in which people (within the same society or among
other societies) come to view the world. Within these groups, repeated
patterns of valuation and judgment become the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_operandi"><i>modus operandi</i></a>, the
established norms, under which people operate – the normative way of
doing things (e.g., this is how people ‘should’ or ‘ought’ to act; the ideal).<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science">Science</a> can be defined a number of different ways but within each are
common descriptors. People tend to think of (and accept) science as the
systematic study of objects or things, the results of which – through
repetition and testing – bring about some understanding, knowledge or
truth about those things. Indeed, under the principles of scientific
inquiry, science itself is free from valuation or judgments associated
with societal norms, thus leading to scientific inquiry that is
purportedly unbiased (e.g., this thing ‘is’, ‘was’ or ‘will be’…). But
scientists (and the science they conduct) have sometimes strayed from
these principles and 1) waded into the grey area where scientific
inquiry is unduly influenced by valuation and preconceived judgment or
2) masqueraded behind science and the notion of being unbiased to
advocate for particulars policies or stances – otherwise known as
normative science. Here, I a) examine the long-held debate on
the appropriateness of normative science as viewed through the lens
of peer-reviewed articles, b) discuss problems with the existing arguments for
and against and c) argue that normative science, under certain conditions,
has a place in society.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd503ymurdZmzUWizBFcfCAAeZpNmeiIZdB4eWkO85Q2WXwgIFmu4ws9vnqDj5oGPH2xVsXZBSOOOjpxxvwzc0pv3kC3innIqTKdRDiYdGIDXCYbBKIFsXgxU5oKkERCKYxJKzrLIv0BaN/s1600/BobLackey2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd503ymurdZmzUWizBFcfCAAeZpNmeiIZdB4eWkO85Q2WXwgIFmu4ws9vnqDj5oGPH2xVsXZBSOOOjpxxvwzc0pv3kC3innIqTKdRDiYdGIDXCYbBKIFsXgxU5oKkERCKYxJKzrLIv0BaN/s320/BobLackey2013.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Robert Lackey</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The academic debate surrounding the
appropriateness of normative science has been particularly prominent in
recent years. <a href="http://fwl.oregonstate.edu/About%20Us/personnel/faculty/lackey.htm">Dr. Robert Lackey</a>, retired <a href="http://fwl.oregonstate.edu/">professor of fisheries science</a> and <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/cla/polisci/">political science</a> at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> and retired <a href="http://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a> senior research scientist, is one of the more outspoken voices in
the recent discussions and argues that much of the science currently being
communicated to the public and policymakers is normative in nature, often presented with value-laden terminology (e.g., “degradation”,
“improvement”, “good”, “poor”, etc.) and masquerades behind the cloak of
unbiased science. As he puts it, society should be making the judgment
calls, not scientists - “there is no scientific imperative for adopting
any particular policy option”. Lackey posits that stealth policy
advocacy is wrong and urges 1) scientists to be cognizant of their
language but get involved in the policy-making process and 2)
policymakers to be alert and recognize normative science and the biases
presented (see his <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/terra/2013/01/normative-science/">2013 Terra Magazine piece</a> and an <a href="http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/staff/lackey/pubs/normative.pdf">earlier talk of his from 2004</a>).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13869795.2011.594960#preview" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Oujczc8NgXO5M-iwtE_tByxhih6i4gdQeZv9BxceF0xbaW9-_9o_ydMbHdUfphICzooUwkNv-XHmKcrya1BEKXfA0m87GtGv-bH_WT36520xp2pAMsr8rcMitrl9lB-V7m4jNm0XugKQ/s320/Philosophical_Explorations.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philosophical Explorations journal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Wim de Muijnck (2011), on the other
hand, argues in the journal <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13869795.2011.594960#preview">Philosophical Explorations</a> that under certain societal conditions and in certain
scientific fields such as psychology, neuroscience and economics –
fields that deal specifically with human behaviors and norms – normative
conclusions are warranted. He argues for normative conclusions because
“claims about human beings tend to be more than claims about mere
matters of fact, because they will often be claims about human needs,
interests and concerns”. <a href="http://www.morrisville.edu/programsofstudy/globalpages/facultystaff/schoolofliberalarts/wyattgalusky.aspx">Wyatt Galusky</a> (2000) also argues that in
certain situations, normative science provides societal value. To
illustrate his point, Galusky discusses the field of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_biology">conservation biology</a>, an explicitly normative science that suggests that 1)
biodiversity has intrinsic value and 2) conservation of that
biodiversity provides benefits for humans. <br />
<br />
But the debate on
the virtues of normative science is not new. Indeed it has been the topic of philosophical debates for generations. In the 1970’s, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knut_Erik_Tran%C3%B8y">Knut Tranöy</a>
(1978) argued that normative science is necessary when 1) social costs
are included as part of the discussions and 2) “scientific enterprise
becomes increasingly oppressive” (he also uses the field of psychology
as an example). In the 1940’s, Iredell Jenkins (1948) attempts to define
normative science, something he says has rarely been done up to that
point, noting that it is usually cast in a negative light next to
descriptive science and the distinctions between both types (descriptive
and normative) is “sharp and significant, though not absolute”
(e.g., philosophy as a science). Some thirty years previous to Jenkins’
work, in 1912, George Sabine (1912) discussed the distinctions between
descriptive and normative sciences, using the examples of physics
(descriptive) and ethics (normative) to draw distinctions and point out
the need for both types of science. Similarly, in his seminal 1907
speech before the <a href="http://www.apaonline.org/">American Philosophical Association</a> (also one of the
earliest papers drawing attention to descriptive and normative
sciences), Ernest Albee (1907), described the distinction between
descriptive and normative science as the difference between what is real
(what is) and what is ideal (what ought to be). In his eloquent essay,
he outlines the benefits of both “types” of science, suggesting that any
science built upon and examining logic is, in fact, normative.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/27-1-protecting-scientific-integrity.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoDoLgDm1EStSgDEIFdbdck8qAjMGyJ2thaBmIo_aWMg1oo6bT7_MpjwNyUOBibVsTzOXyQTY0jEpdRpZRvGLmJDkVcptjwBf1QqWJ-adDYnHkKj1HPmSrvGC9hXr17HO6-XtLVcjczZZ/s320/protecting-scientific-integrity.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Three Wise Men and the Three Monkeys</i> by Raul de la Nuez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Within the literature, the dividing line between support of or
opposition to normative science tends to fall along the lines of
appropriateness of making value statements/recommendations. Supporters
of normative sciences (e.g., ethics, psychology, conservation biology)
often point to the need to maintain certain norms of society (e.g.,
killing people outside of war is not tolerated) and that recommendations
originating from these disciplines simply speak to those norms.
Opponents of normative science (note the distinction between previous
reference to normative sciences plural and normative science singular,
here; I refer to this earlier) most often point to the need for the
scientific process to remain free of value and judgment. That is to say,
for scientific integrity to be maintained, scientists must seek to keep
the range of possible questions being asked (and potential outcomes)
open and free from bias. Opponents of normative science worry that
scientific inquiry under the umbrella of pre-conceived notions narrows
the range of potential questions/outcomes. Another oft-mentioned
argument from normative science opponents is the need for scientists to
keep their conclusions and recommendations free of opinion (stick to the
facts). But do not scientists, as humans, inherently have their own
opinions about things, just like non-scientists? If the science they
conduct is rigorous and based upon established scientific
principles/integrity, why then are scientists not supposed to voice
their opinions? In many situations, because they are most
familiar with the data, are scientists not the most qualified to offer
advice?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/44132/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98IYMk_JSazi3j2Ik_zZRtXQ6v67T44Znqf9qzMXzrBzIjUNDzdeFbzaY5fKDjNnrzYqDm3JDjkF4b-s0o0le1pNtsL7OR1ZAbuV7Fl4It7syxKd2OYUj5ttntmi0AkmlHCOvMpvcBm5N/s320/Mis-Information_Politics_Science.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(politicians) Mis-Information (science)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While these discussions add to a better understanding of
the need to maintain scientific credibility, I see the main distinction
between opponents and proponents of normative science as 1) something a
bit more nuanced and 2) an apples-to-oranges comparison. I argue that
the overwhelming majority of scientific undertakings adhere to the basic
tenets of science. That is to say, people conducting scientific
investigations (scientists), by and large adhere to basic scientific
principles (e.g., deductive/inductive reasoning, hypothesis
formulation/testing, results leading to addition
hypotheses/testing/retesting, replication). If/when they DO deviate, the
peer review process (scrutiny from their peers) frequently catches
biases and “reigns them back in”, a process that is inherently
<i>normative</i>. Issues arise when pre-conceived notions are, at the early
stages, allowed to creep (purposefully or unintentionally) into the
scientific process. Nonetheless, there is widespread acceptance among academics that
allowing values/judgments to cloud the scientific process is
unacceptable. Additionally, there appears to be an implicit accept among academics for the underlying premise of various scientific disciplines
(normative science vs. normative <i>sciences</i>). Thus, the arguments in the
literature in opposition to or in favor of normative science appear
mostly to be semantic in nature – the underlying science and how
scientists arrive at conclusions is, I argue, operating largely as it
should (i.e., under scientific rigor). Additionally, I contend that
normative <i>sciences</i> (e.g., ethics, psychology, conservation biology) play
a critical role in understanding and shaping our society. Without
unbiased assessments of human norms (descriptive science), we will not
be able to adopt policies and practices that help society at large (the
normative angle).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honest-Broker-Making-Science-Politics/dp/0521694817" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWDnZUSJWXLpnXxgKjEqOk7atfpMhQbOyj9K2Y8VMpYBvSNgzkFULs_P-YbflEjByfxeXJQQwk1dUMDeJWYZ4HfKQqAjU8ljVi9_Zo7A3yBuccx81VcJdCe7AwCj3lt6I5BdD0BfKt1Xn/s320/the_honest_broker.png" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Honest Broker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
However, being aware of the potential to
introduce biases, valuation and judgments into the
recommendation/discussion process – crossing the line from simply laying
out (and interpreting) the facts (descriptive science) to advocating
for a particular outcome based up on your own judgments of what ‘should’
be (normative science) is a valuable mental exercise that should be
constantly undertaken by scientists. <a href="http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/">Roger Pielke Jr.’s</a> (2007) four
idealized roles of science in policy and politics (see his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honest-Broker-Making-Science-Politics/dp/0521694817">The Honest Broker</a>) help bring clarity to how science can be
utilized in the policy process. Additionally, Pielke’s four idealized
roles reaffirm the need for adhering to the scientific process while
being transparent about interpretation and advocacy. Because regardless
of whether the science is good, advocating for a particular position
leads others to question your ability to conduct unbiased research.<br />
<br />
And
as we all are painfully aware in the public policy process, perception
is reality. <br />
<br />
References <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Albee, Ernest. 1907. “Descriptive and Normative Sciences.” Philosophical Review 16:40. Available on <a href="http://archive.org/details/jstor-2177577">JSTOR Archives</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Galusky,
Wyatt James. 2000. “The Promise of Conservation Biology: The
Professional and Political Challenges of an Explicitly Normative
Science.” <a href="http://oae.sagepub.com/content/13/2/226.abstract">Organization and Environment 13(2):226–32</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenkins, Iredell. 1948. “What is a Normative Science?” The Journal of Philosophy 45(12):309–32. See <a href="http://philpapers.org/rec/JENWIA">PhilPapers' listing</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lackey, R. T. 2004. “Normative science.” <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446-29-7">Fisheries 29(7):38–39</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Muijnck, Wim de. 2011. “Normative authority for empirical science.” <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13869795.2011.594960?journalCode=rpex20#preview">Philosophical Explorations 14(3):263</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pielke, Roger A. 2007. The honest broker. <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/knowledge/isbn/item1163972/The%20Honest%20Broker/?site_locale=en_US">Cambridge University Press</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sabine, George H. 1912. “Descriptive and Normative Sciences.” The Philosophical Review 21(4):433–50. Available on <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2177252">JSTOR Archives</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tranöy, Knut Erik. 1978. “Normative foundations of science.” <a href="http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00873252.pdf">Synthese 37(3):471–77</a>. </span>JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-62879950769928497862013-04-08T17:53:00.000-06:002013-05-21T16:01:26.977-06:00Simple Kind of Man<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL-Z2FPGpZUeX2VvIkgNU9o7_lBV3SPokWoHAMzsGf6tVlaT61yxFNIX_lfyUXaU3GdhRYnr0RqhFJTKyU9agMmI6Pfu9TFwZy73Qt003wKxMMEzMmKQbgvzuOlO-tDNcAhUTUGzKGH8Q/s1600/Lynyrd_Skynyrd_pronounced_leh_nerd_skin_nerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL-Z2FPGpZUeX2VvIkgNU9o7_lBV3SPokWoHAMzsGf6tVlaT61yxFNIX_lfyUXaU3GdhRYnr0RqhFJTKyU9agMmI6Pfu9TFwZy73Qt003wKxMMEzMmKQbgvzuOlO-tDNcAhUTUGzKGH8Q/s320/Lynyrd_Skynyrd_pronounced_leh_nerd_skin_nerd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut album: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%28Pronounced_%27L%C4%95h-%27n%C3%A9rd_%27Skin-%27n%C3%A9rd%29">Pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was listening to <a href="http://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/">Lynyrd Skynyrd's</a> "Simple Man" song the other day and was struck by how profound the lyrics really were. I've sung that song over and over again, and loved it every time...without really hearing the message. This is definitely a song I want to learn to play on the guitar...and play/sing with my son.<br />
<br />
Sorta like this fella playing/singing this awesome <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Up%3F_%28song%29">4 Non Blondes</a> song ("What's Up?") with his daughter.<br />
<br />
Three cheers for parenting to classic rock... <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tHqFWYYOUAM" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Lyrics to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man"<br />
<br />
Mama told me, when I was young<br />
Come sit beside me, my only son<br />
And listen closely, to what I say.<br />
And if you do this<br />
It will help you some sunny day.<br />
<br />
Ohh take your time... Don't live too fast,<br />
Troubles will come, and they will pass.<br />
Go find a woman and you'll find love,<br />
And don't forget son,<br />
There is someone up above.<br />
<br />
(Chorus)<br />
And be a simple kind of man.<br />
And maybe some day you'll love and understand.<br />
Baby be a simple kind of man.<br />
Won't you do this for me son,<br />
If you can?<br />
<br />
Forget your lust for the rich man's gold<br />
All that you need is in your soul,<br />
And you can do this if you try.<br />
All that I want for you my son,<br />
Is to be satisfied.<br />
<br />
(Chorus)<br />
And be a simple kind of man.<br />
And maybe some day you'll love and understand.<br />
Baby be a simple kind of man.<br />
Won't you do this for me son,<br />
If you can?<br />
<br />
Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.<br />
Follow you heart and nothing else.<br />
And you can do this if you try.<br />
All I want for you my son,<br />
Is to be satisfied.<br />
<br />
(Chorus)<br />
And be a simple kind of man.<br />
And maybe some day you'll love and understand.<br />
Baby be a simple kind of man.<br />
Won't you do this for me son,<br />
If you can?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/sHQ_aTjXObs/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/sHQ_aTjXObs&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/sHQ_aTjXObs&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-10503357142472054932013-03-14T02:19:00.000-06:002013-03-14T23:59:51.691-06:00Pope Francis I - an historic day for religion...AND the environment?!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iz2P53Pz7Zs/TCbjYLCkZBI/AAAAAAAAHV0/reI0KUZObBQ/s1600/francis089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iz2P53Pz7Zs/TCbjYLCkZBI/AAAAAAAAHV0/reI0KUZObBQ/s320/francis089.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today's election of Argentina's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Bergoglio" target="_blank">Jorge Mario Bergoglio</a> as the new Pope has already proven to be an historic moment for the world's Catholics. I'm hopeful for an entirely different reason. I'm hopeful because, although he has <a href="http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=673110" target="_blank">not yet revealed</a> why he chose it, he took the name Pope Francis I.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_assisi" target="_blank">Francis of Assisi</a>, born to a wealthy cloth merchant, eventually forsook the worldly (consumeristic) life to pursue a life a poverty and service to God. But he had a particular fondness for and connection with animals and the natural world...in fact was enraptured enthralled with it. Though he was never <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Orders" target="_blank">ordained into the Catholic priesthood</a>, he is perhaps the most venerated of all religious figures and is today known as the <a href="http://www.americancatholic.org/features/francis/who_was.asp" target="_blank">Patron Saint of Animals</a>, the Environment, and <a href="http://conservation.catholic.org/st__francis_of_assisi.htm" target="_blank">Ecology</a>.<br />
<br />
Side bar: I had largely forgotten about it, but as a child I was incredibly moved by a movie. Being raised in a religious hippie commune for several of my early years, we did not have much access to television or radio. So when us children DID get to watch a movie, it was a significant moment for us. And one particular movie - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069824/" target="_blank">Brother Sun Sister Moon</a> - really resonated with me. Even (especially?) now, remembering back to watching that movie and learning more about the story of St. Francis of Assisi, I am moved to my core. Not so much by the movie, but by his story. This image (below) captures it particularly well for me. In complete vulnerability, there is this sense of amazing glory, fullness and strength...and he is offering himself to and embracing the amazing world - God's Creation - around him. But I digress...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnHK9ODNuKcKgSAkkJ1w9BcX8V0cysJ1CyAr-HmJdGnSHiesR7CKK4KMgcp9Iamwl8NPNmYOwBlIpdPXuVeR1NZrawnFLv__3SUMFHwMoPz4JUwCHBt_TDNwv5S0QQbnkf2i_6LZ1WyBm/s1600/Brother_sun_sister_moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnHK9ODNuKcKgSAkkJ1w9BcX8V0cysJ1CyAr-HmJdGnSHiesR7CKK4KMgcp9Iamwl8NPNmYOwBlIpdPXuVeR1NZrawnFLv__3SUMFHwMoPz4JUwCHBt_TDNwv5S0QQbnkf2i_6LZ1WyBm/s320/Brother_sun_sister_moon.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1972's Brother Sun, Sister Moon movie cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Religious leaders hold tremendous influence with people of faith regarding perspectives and attitudes about the environment. Recognizing this, a number of scientists have attempted to engage religious leaders in developing and framing science and sustainability messages that resonate with people of various religious backgrounds by convincing them of the direct applicability of environmental issues to questions of faith (journal examples [sadly behind paywalls] <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328704000515" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/wov/1997/00000001/00000001/art00002" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1997.95468.x/abstract" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/wov/2008/00000012/F0020002/art00002" target="_blank">here</a>). Among the more notable examples is the work from world-renowned ecologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson" target="_blank">E. O. Wilson</a> (examples <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1552-5228.2006.00042.x/abstract" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jksadegh/A%20Good%20Atheist%20Secularist%20Skeptical%20Book%20Collection/The%20Biological%20Basis%20of%20Morality%20-%20Edward%20O.%20Wilson%20-%20secure.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremiahOsGo/status/311968696828583936">Twitter link</a>s from today's historic Papal election.</td></tr>
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Assuming the Pope takes up and fully embraces his namesake, I'm hopeful that a new era of wise environmental stewardship, perhaps initiated and championed by the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21443313" target="_blank">roughly 1.2 billion Roman Catholics</a>, may be just around the corner. Today's election results seem like a significant event. Maybe it will even prove to be a watershed moment in the move toward a more <a href="http://conservation.catholic.org/the_ecological_crisis,_page_2.htm" target="_blank">environmentally-minded consciousness</a>. Today has certainly proven historic for the world's Catholics. But will today also prove to be an historic day for our planet? Only time will tell...but I'm hopeful.<br />
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<a href="http://conservation.catholic.org/StFrancisJohnAugustSwansonW.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://conservation.catholic.org/StFrancisJohnAugustSwansonW.gif" width="264" /></a></div>
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Read the <a href="http://www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/prayer.php?p=183" target="_blank">Canticle of Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Francis of Assisi</a><br />
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<br />JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-33964546162553484592013-03-04T01:21:00.000-07:002013-08-29T14:19:26.871-06:00Dirt poor you (and me): Wealth Inequality - is there a role for government?Video on wealth inequality in America. What we think it is, should be,
and actually is are vastly different. Is this OK? Are you OK with it? Do
you think you'll be able to move up into another wealth category? The
statistics indicate no. Does government have a role to play here? Perhaps redistribution (such a vilified word for half of Americans)? Or maybe implementing Ross Perot's flat tax idea? See some good <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/03/02/wealth-inequality/" target="_blank">Mashable discussions on wealth inequality</a>, then watch the video below. What do <i>YOU</i> think about wealth inequality?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QPKKQnijnsM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Lest you think, in a momentary lapse of quasi-(in)sanity, that you actually CAN work your way into something of a top 20 percenter, this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">New York Times</a> article (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/fashion/for-20-somethings-ambition-at-a-cost.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0" target="_blank">Ambition at a Cost</a>) does a good job of illustrating just how deep the division is between the haves and have-nots.<br />
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And yet, for some strange reason, I keep striving to "lift myself up by my bootstraps" and attain greater wealth...<br />
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JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7148109764845273499.post-76223470937227998062013-03-03T23:31:00.001-07:002013-03-03T23:39:26.291-07:00Is efficiency the most important thing?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYakzOsVA7S7hPxhuHabvrmEF85g9Kb7mSRdHudBx2-yNhzPd4NTt8rWec-mT1mAgsGDRG8IvbrCpfoEIBd1Ik-zcCNGoLqPzCKO6egR5gaqCRWwcQo0JGXmmakVfORHKW7_0QebU_Q10/s1600/economic+efficiency+top+ten.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYakzOsVA7S7hPxhuHabvrmEF85g9Kb7mSRdHudBx2-yNhzPd4NTt8rWec-mT1mAgsGDRG8IvbrCpfoEIBd1Ik-zcCNGoLqPzCKO6egR5gaqCRWwcQo0JGXmmakVfORHKW7_0QebU_Q10/s320/economic+efficiency+top+ten.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://investingthesis.com/">InvestingThesis.com</a></td></tr>
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As I work my way through the <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank">OSU</a>'s <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/cla/mpp/" target="_blank">Master of Public Policy</a> (MPP) program, I'm struck at how much emphasis - at least in the early program coursework - is given to <a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Efficiency.html" target="_blank">economic efficiency</a> for solving problems (or rather, prioritizing solutions to problems). I can't help but wonder...is efficiency really the most important variable in valuation of a thing? In a capitalist society, it certainly seems to be. World-renowned economist <a href="http://www.lomborg.com/" target="_blank">Bjorn Lomborg</a> illustrates this well with his work on the <a href="http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/CCC%20Home%20Page.aspx" target="_blank">Copenhagen Consensus</a> (around the 12 minute mark you get his interpretation of what's most important) - we should be spending our money to influence problems of immediate concern rather than focusing on problems with longer-term affects. I can't be the only one that finds <a href="http://www.aqua-calc.com/page/discounted-present-value-calculator" target="_blank">discounted present value</a> - the concept that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_value" target="_blank">a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow</a> - an insidious notion...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="280" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/bjorn_lomborg_sets_global_priorities.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="320"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Access larger versions of <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/bjorn_lomborg_sets_global_priorities.html%20" target="_blank">Lomborg's TED talk</a>.</span><br />
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But what of non-capitalist ways of living (thinking)? What of making decisions now with an eye toward how <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_generation_sustainability" target="_blank">current decisions will impact future generations</a>? The <a href="http://iroquois.algonquinlonghouse.org/index.asp" target="_blank">Iroquois</a>, <a href="http://www.onondaganation.org/" target="_blank">Onandaga</a> and other indigenous peoples understood the importance of thinking down the road. Why can't we? Is money really that corrupting an influence? Has economics ruined (clouded, at best) our long-term thinking? How can we dial back this myopic economic viewpoint and return to generational planning? Is it possible? I'd argue we're near a (Malcom Gladwell-ian) <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/" target="_blank">tipping point</a>.JeremiahOsGohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07393699164753554471noreply@blogger.com0