I'm agog at the most wonderful feature I've found so far--the way we can use the Internet features to get links to topics of interest delivered to our mailboxes. So amazing!
I'm interested in such a variety of things—people, places, themes, and areas of research. I'm looking for things like local political candidates in the recent elections here in California, mesoamerican land systems, archeological discoveries, composting, soil amendments, and movies.
Rather than spending time using dogpile or some other meta-search engine to find some topic—such as chinampas—I've created a notice or an "Alert" (depending on the search engine) to go out, search for this term in blogs, news articles, TV shows, book review, and other internet sources.
Because I've got these notices of topics I'm interested in, I'm more inclined to get to the writing part of my life. I've connected with people who are also interested in the same thing as I'm researching.
Amazing things are happening because of these collections of terms, themes, and personas. I'm guessing this is the way we'll read things in the future. My links go anywhere from small blogs with no comments on them to the New York Times and range from TV shows like Oprah to small, local indy media outlets. Too wonderful for words.
In the parallel universe of my life, I've just finished a class in Flash and am ready to begin teaching myself more about animation. This makes film credits so much more interesting. As a consequence, I'm watching Laurel Canyon now—a repeat viewing—as I love Frances McDormand, rock 'n roll, and mother movies. Highly recommended chick flick.
The ways we receive information can be determined by the corporation viewpoint—i.e., television, or by ourselves—and I much prefer the 'news' I get now. Because I have a grasp of the dangers this narrow corporate channel presents through which much information must flow, using other means is healthy for me and for my community.
BTW I don't have a television but only a monitor to view things from my combo vcr/dvd player. I choose what movies, what shows, what news reports. And I'm loving this way to get information.
Does this limit my awareness. Well, yes, it does. I am ignorant of many of the recent talking points about presidential candidates, except for brief visions while visiting friends who have not yet killed their TVs.
What I saw instantly confirmed my vision of how people's viewpoints are manipulated by the media: the medium is the massage รก la Marshall McLuhan's vision of the conduit being more important than the content.
My theory is that Hillary was made to look and sound awful and Barack was made to look optimistic and competent because the owners of the media (newspapers and TV stations and production) see Clinton was too experienced and tuned in and would prefer to work over Obama. The visions I saw on these infrequent viewings confirmed the stereotypes I'd perceived.
So I'm much happier by making the choices myself. My 'news' is indeed mine. Some popular culture does pass me by, and for that I'm also grateful. I certainly may miss some things, but you'd be amazed at what I catch by listening to conversations while waiting in line or sitting at the Surf City coffee shop in Rio Del Mar.
Bill Moyers, in a speech today, said the work of activists has "challenged the stranglehold of mega-media corporations over our press" and fostered "alternative and independent sources of news and information that people can trust." I love his terminology and encourage others to watch the speech where these phrases originated. [http://www.freepress.net/conference]
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The New Economy
I'm convinced our economy will shudder to a near halt without one signicant shift in awareness. Unless we begin considering our personal wellbeing as in important part of the economic picture, we will not have a valid measure of economic health. Without valid measures, predictions cannot occur-- and unpleasant downturns and depressive slides will happen to cost us billions and billions.
When we believe personal well being is as important as the number of loquats shipped out of the country, we will be following in the footsteps of other countries that consider happiness, health, and contentment important and quantifiable.
Riane Eisler gets at the heart of our economics problem in her book titled, "The Real Wealth of Nations," where she discusses what's not measured in our current economic system and why that lack is dysfunctional. Without valid standards of product, output, sustainability, and future, growth has no meaning as the distaff side of growth is not considered.
So look for more distributed production points, more sole-proprietors and more mom-and-pop businesses to occur. That growth in output may be the only thing to save us from a disastrous economic slide.
The tipping point will come when the multis are moved aside, and universal healthcare is in place in the U.S.A. That single action will enable the sprouting of small businesses like this country hasn't seen since small businesses grew to their highest percentage along with the flowering and valuing of learning that arose from the G.I. Bill.
As people begin more social investing, education gains favor; universal education will begin occuring for the first time since it was swept away by the Reaganomics of tuition at state colleges and universities. Universal education will take millions of youth, adults, and elders off the streets and alleys of an unemployment system broken beyond repair. Like Roosevelt's CCC, universal education mixed perhaps with universal service can create on-the-job training for public works and public buildings to marvel our 21st century. People of all ages can benefit from this type of renaissance. The economy will match the health and glow of well being. You just watch.
And if you want to be a part of it, be thinking of what your small business will be and whether it will take the form of an LLC or a cooperative. Check that spectrum carefully.
When we believe personal well being is as important as the number of loquats shipped out of the country, we will be following in the footsteps of other countries that consider happiness, health, and contentment important and quantifiable.
Riane Eisler gets at the heart of our economics problem in her book titled, "The Real Wealth of Nations," where she discusses what's not measured in our current economic system and why that lack is dysfunctional. Without valid standards of product, output, sustainability, and future, growth has no meaning as the distaff side of growth is not considered.
So look for more distributed production points, more sole-proprietors and more mom-and-pop businesses to occur. That growth in output may be the only thing to save us from a disastrous economic slide.
The tipping point will come when the multis are moved aside, and universal healthcare is in place in the U.S.A. That single action will enable the sprouting of small businesses like this country hasn't seen since small businesses grew to their highest percentage along with the flowering and valuing of learning that arose from the G.I. Bill.
As people begin more social investing, education gains favor; universal education will begin occuring for the first time since it was swept away by the Reaganomics of tuition at state colleges and universities. Universal education will take millions of youth, adults, and elders off the streets and alleys of an unemployment system broken beyond repair. Like Roosevelt's CCC, universal education mixed perhaps with universal service can create on-the-job training for public works and public buildings to marvel our 21st century. People of all ages can benefit from this type of renaissance. The economy will match the health and glow of well being. You just watch.
And if you want to be a part of it, be thinking of what your small business will be and whether it will take the form of an LLC or a cooperative. Check that spectrum carefully.
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