Concern? Or Compassion.

A lot of people like me are labeled "Concerned" because we are, I guess, concerned about atrocity and genocide and awfulness; or maybe just a lack of goodness that we see around us.

But it isn't really concern for me. I care more about the Amazon, thousands of miles away, then I care about my self, really. But I'm not "concerned". I am concerned about my inability to feed myself, pay rent and debt off, and all that annoying jazz.

Why do I care about polar bears, the insects in Ecuador, trees and shrimp? Because I care. Because I think of myself as compassionate. When I hear that you are being slowly lacerated, I feel bad about it and I don't want to kill anyone.

It is my compassion that makes me sad that I seem to be in the minority.

One Thing

If there was One thing, only one, that I would do to people, I would make everyone a critical thinker.

Or maybe just open minded.

Really, we need open-minded critical thinkers in this world. More than we have, anyway. It seems that we don't have very many most days.

But even those who are, aren't usually active. So Open-Minded Critically Thinking people who can put their thoughts into action. For their own good.

Ideally, an open-minded critically thinking person would come to the conclusion that what is good for the whole is best for them. I would hope that "whole" would come to mean the earth.

An Actively Open-Minded Critically Thinking person with Empathy. What if everyone was an Actively Open-Minded Critically Thinking person with Empathy and a Whole-Earth viewpoint?

But even then, if they are not willing to change in their own life... and if they are lazy, it will amount to nothing. So everyone in the world needs to be an Actively Open-Minded Critically Thinking person with Empathy and a Whole-Earth Viewpoint willing to be changed and swayed. And somewhat eager to change and sway others - that is share their ideas. I suppose that's implied in being "Active". And willing to be changed and swayed is implied in being "Open-Minded".

So all we need are people who are Actively Open-Minded Critically Thinking person with Empathy and a Whole-Earth Viewpoint.

Who is empathetic who doesn't consider the other denizens of the earth. Perhaps we can just say we need more people who are Actively Open-Minded and Empathetic Critically Thinking people.

So I guess if I could change One thing, I would actually change four. Even though truly critically thinking people act on their thoughts, and become more and more open-minded as their lives go on. Empathetic Critically Thinking people?

Which is more important for human beings to learn....

Empathy?

Or Critical Thinking Intelligence?

Neither one of them is just "knowledge".

The Cost of Industry

Everyone is sad: there are no jobs. One thing I always here taking the blame for this is export. Instead of making all the sutff we use here (and Boy! we've got a LOT of stuff) we have others make it for us. Like some over-stuffed monopoly man.

Work is hard.

But no we have none. And that is hard, too.

There are a million things to do about this, if we would buckle down and do them (spend a little more for American Made stuff, for one). I recently read that other countries (like China) spend their revenues like a venture capitalist would. Sticking their fingers into investments.

"What's that you say?" asks the country in the booming, omnidirectional voice a country would have, "Mactrotechnogadget wants to make a new gizmo? Well what's keepin' 'em from makin it here?"

"Well, sir..." said the meeker messenger, "it appears that they don't want to spend $200 million building a new plant to make them... It's a lot of money and all so I think they're just looking for--"

"Say no more! It's not a problem." laughes the country, "We can help 'em out, can't we?"

"Sir?"

"Tell 'em if they'd like, we'll go halfsies with 'em! Hell, we'll go 70-30. And we might as well start builing in just in case they take the offer. Begin ground breaking!"

"Oh! Well... Alright!" says the excited messenger, "I will, sir! Right Away!"

"Good! It will be great to have that new industry here, m'boy. Just fantastic!"

And the choice is tempting. Sometimes the only option for a company that wants to make something that can actually sell. How many people would buy the American-Made iPad that cost $1500? When here in America, our bi-polar (literally) dissociatively identified government says:

"Oh! Well..., uh... You know, it's complicated. There's taxes to figure out... and policy... Should we cover that cost with a new tax? Or just borrow something... from a creditor... we could cut a little from school taxes, of course.... hm....." then interrupts itself shouting: "Fool! We cannot meddle in the Private Sector!" only to interrupt again, like a sweet old lady, "yesyesyes. It all makes perfect sense now. Of course we'll help you little business man, you! Here's a benny, now run along and play! He's such a sweet--Hey! Come back here with my money you thief! How dare you destroy the environment! Crooks and Liars, all of you!"

And all the while, the populace (who elected this babble, of their own "free will") is screaming, shrilly, loud enough to burst their own ear drums: INCOMPETENCE!!!


It's no wonder we don't get anything done around here.

But it is harder for us. We make it very hard for ourselves. Where would we get the money to build a manufacturing plant for a poor billion-dollar corporation? Our billionaires can't afford to be taxed any more than they can afford to build anything. China has some money to work with.

Now to derail myself from the point:

My primary concern is the environment, but really I think of the world as a whole. So I'm going to contradict myself here.

I am one of the reasons America has no ability to make up its mind. I would rather mine for Molybdenum on Red Lady up in Crested Butte then anywhere in China. Red Lady will be a little bit better taken care of. As will our workers making iPads. But the end product will be more expensive in dollars (the dollar cost reflecting more accurately the true cost of the toy) But in the end, I would rather no more mining ever again. We've already pillaged enough crap out of the ground for the rest of eternity. Besides, mining is a short-lived economic 'solution' - it ain't gonna last. I always vote against it.

And then cry foul when it is done in China instead.

In a perfect world, we would recycle better. No industry and mining will ever be a permanent economic solution unless in considers the whole picture. Cycles back on itself and keeps turning. That's how the economic machine is supposed to work: you do work, get a dollar, spend it someone else's work who then gives it back to you for yours again. Over and over and over again. Just keep moving. Money is only supposed to be an accounting system. So why not build these factories in existing places? In existing cities? Recycle bottles and cans instead of mining? Then I would support the industry being here.

Our entire understanding of "economics" is a figment of our collective imagination and is in no way the only option or reality. It is a manufactured reality. In the end, any economy is only as functioning as its parts. If we want a good one, we have got to have parts. And we are running out of them and exporting the rest.

Learning Something New: the cost of marriage

I have far too much time on my hands at work to really call it work. But I get more important things done doing my own things than what my job asks me to do--sell poison (ie candy) to children.

I also spend a lot of time learning relatively worthless things on the omniscient (but compulsively lying) internet.

My latest learn:

For a few weeks, a friend of mine has been insisting that married life is more expensive than single life. But this confused me. Not only do couples get natural benefits (sharing an electric bill instead of having two: cheaper overall) but they get tax breaks.

So I decided to do a little research.

I came across several news-stories, from the BBC and the like; most of them talk about the cost of being single. But there was one rather in-depth article from Forbes.

They followed several couples who make more in a month than I spend in a year (opulently wealthy people: so it might have less bearing on a guy like me), but the basic conclusion is this:

Most married people spend more money. Because they choose to. They make "adult" decisions and have to buy themselves a nicer house and car and save for their future children's college and whatnot.

So that's it: simple: married people choose to spend money being "adults". But you don't have to choose that. It is not the act of marriage that makes life more expensive.

Money Sucks

I think I do pretty good at staying positivity. Until I start thinking about money.

Even when I was in Elementary School I didn't like money. I suppose my path was set even then, because now I don't have enough of it. I still don't like it, but mostly because I have to worry about the stupid stuff so often.

Wouldn't it be great if being a good person and a decent worker had some baring on how "successful" you were?

Sigh.

But in the end, I think I'm happier than Mitt Romney and his millions and billions of dollars.

I think I'd cry myself to sleep every night, poor ol' Mitt. It has got to be heavy to carry that conscience around.