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Comment from Malcolm at 12:31 on 09_03_05

WIth Enough Shovels:

"Dig a hole, cover it with a couple of doors and then throw three feet of dirt on top... It's the dirt that does it...if there are enough shovels to go around, everybody's going to make it."

T. K. Jones Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ronald Reagan Presidency

Robert Scheer With Enough Shovels: 1982

It neatly sums up the current administration's approach to the realities of devastation. Hat's off to Kanye West who told it like it is. The leading government, business and civic leaders in this country are incapable of compassion, proactive planning and care little for the plight of millions of folks who struggle on day after day. Indeed if they did care, their behavior would be radically different than it is. Why would you expect the President to behave any differently? This has been his modus operandi since he became Governor of Texas. He is merely the titular head of a group of individuals who are exploiting the good nature of the american people. Jefferson stated that dissention was the patriotic duty of all americans. The mark of insecurity with anyone is that they cannot deal with diverse views and ambiguity. This administration is famous for not engaging in meaningful discourse with people whose views differ. Where is the Vice President? Why aren't the media asking the tough questions?

Only when this country decides en masse to "throw the bums out" will we begin to see change. But where are the potential politicians with integrity and courage who will replace those who have been bought and paid for by the special interest groups.

We should be honoring people who voice their dismay at this administration instead of villifying them.

Comment from Malcolm at 16:03 on 09_02_05

Many years ago while a student, I was railing against the apathy of my colleagues, who would just sit in class being spoonfed by the lecturers. A dear friend said "If you yell at a field of cabbages that they are a field of cabbages, what exactly do you expect them to do?"

Indeed! Our so called leaders are behaving exactly as one might expect. So many people in this country profess to be Christians, yet their behavior is the antithesis of what you would expect from a follower and believer of Jesus Christ.

His teachings included compassion and love. He is accepting of all no matter their social background. The people who lead this country operate from a place of fear and scarcity, their actions show that daily, do not expect anything differently.

Only when we become a nation of thinking people who demand accountability over the long term will we get the leaders who would do us proud. "Be the change that you wish to see in the world" ... Gandhi

Comment from Malcolm at 08:47 on 09_02_05

I will never forget watching Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 when President Bush joked about the "haves and have mores". People lapped it up, my blood ran cold! There is nothing wrong with a system of capitalism that rewards hard work and honest endevour, but does it have to be so unbalanced? More and more people are dropping below the poverty line, yet we have an increase in the number of billionaires in the USA. What is wrong with this picture?

This Whitehouse is morally bankrupt and has no concept of compassion and caring.

Empty words are the play things of the Aristocrat. (who cares little for those outside his circle) What is needed now are words that are full of meaning and committment. Follow through and accountability are necessary to ensure that this country is placed back on a sound financial footing, a solid infrastructure base, and a voting system that is transparent and free from subtle external influence (otherwise known as tampering).

The lack of a coherent response plan to the disaster in the south is merely a "Symtom of a greater Malaise", that malaise being the hijacking of the political process by vested interest groups and spiritually corrupt leaders.

The reality is that, despite the rhetoric coming out of Washington DC, our elected officials at the highest level do not have the welfare of the population at large as a priority. Ordinary folks are an impediment to their schemes and financial machinations.

At the moment there is no accountabilty of our leaders and thus they run rampant, exploiting the innate goodness and hard working efforts of the public. The American people deserve to be led by elected officials who care for their constituents and will place personal considerations behind those of the country and its people.

Ironically, the patriotic fervor felt by many americans has blinded them to the actual behavior of this Whitehouse. I have often wondered where we might be had ex President Clinton just simply gone on TV and said "You caught me with my pants down, and I'm sorry."

We will never know, but we deserve democracy now, as imagined by the founding fathers, not exploitation and arrogance.

My heart goes out to all those people affected by Katrina, those we know and those who shall forever remain nameless.

Comment from Malcolm at 15:30 on 09_01_05

It would seem that tragedy strikes at the end of summer whether by the hand of nature, or the hand of man! What sadness flows in the deep waters of the Mississippi today, and no doubt for ever. Will people be able to recover their will to go on? When we were young the word puzzle was to spell this mighty river, MI-SS-I-SS-PP-I
Now a ligth hearted puzzle no more, but a watery grave for many.

What can we learn from this tragedy, what can we do differently that will begin to avert this kind of event occurring again?

I'm sure this has been stated over the past few days, but it bears repeating now. Here we have a beautiful city in the south, home to maybe a million people, protected by a system of pumps and levees which are old and outdated. Where were the politicians and business leaders who should have been clamouring for a federal project to update the protection? Especially knowing that increased activity with hurricanes and unstable weather systems are all but guarenteed.

What about contingency plans if the system failed? We got to the moon over 30 years ago, yet we cannot design systems and infrastructures to work in harmony with nature.

Not only does this government plunge us deeper into debt with its profligate ways, but we are spending $300 billion on a war in Iraq based upon lies and deceit (if you believe some of the pundits).

How much would it have cost to protect New Orleans? What other infrastructure problems exist that we may be unaware of? It is time that our elected officials focussed upon the problems and challenges at home in the USA rather than abroad.

Yes we need an active foreign policy, but the people of America deserve something better than a policy of "Laissez Faire" currently adopted by the White House.

Words are cheap, but real intention is always shown through action. If the elected officials of this country (as a group)actually cared for the people, then society would be more balanced, more jobs would be available for the professional classes (no more offshore!) and we would begin an accelerated program to create alternatives to fossil fuel.

This country has some of the best and brightest minds around, where is the political will to truly face up to the challenging problems we face and to begin finding the most effective solutions.

If we learn one thing from the recent tragedy of Hurricane Katrina let it be that we (the people)cannot leave the politicians to choose wisely for us. We deserve more from the government, especially in terms of focus, respect and committment to a better way, but we must demand it.

Comment from Malcolm at 20:44 on 08_23_05

Heard a brief news story concerning the right wing response to Cindy Sheehan's stand down in Texas. A male parroted the oft repeated bogus claim that until this one woman show, the country had been solidly behind the war in Iraq.

That is a distortion of reality. There are so many opinions and views in this country (among the rank and file) it is the media who filter out the dissent. Please check out the Internet to see what the real details are about any major story. The 15 minute sound bite is all about opinion and never about Truth. We need to create forums which encourge real debate and respectful discourse. Now is the time to request proper and accurate feedback from our business leaders and politicians.

Years ago I discussed the process by which Wisdom is gained. Now it is fairly well accepted that we have a process over time whereby we evolve from: Data --> Information --> Knowledge --> to Wisdom.

This takes time and also demands that Accountability be part of the process. If the data we gather is faulty or rigged then we can never become wise, because we are basing our decisions upon a faulty premise or data set.

It is hard to be an individual today, it's not about "15 minutes of fame" anymore, but "15 minutes of Same!"

A real democracy embraces healthy debate. Senior politicians in the USA refuse to engage in open debate. Why are they afraid to speak and listen to the public in a meaningful and trusting way? What do they fear?

Comment from Malcolm at 14:12 on 08_21_05

We've just returned from a visit with some friends in the western part of Mass. They have a small summer cottage on a Lake. It was wonderful to spend a few hours enjoying their company. They have a couple of children, and their son, in particular, is a remarkable young man.

At only 7 years old he was telling me how to calculate the next number in a series of squares. At each interval the difference is twice the number less one, or another way to see it is as an ascending list of all odd numbers.


1 (1 x 1)
4 Diff is 3
9 Diff is 5
16 Diff is 7
25 Diff is 11 etc.

We also spent time with a lady who volunteers at a hospital. She holds and nurtures premature babies. That simple task is one great way to stimulate the brain of a newborn. I had written a poem about that years ago.

The Sickly Child.


We tried drugs to no avail,
all colours, from dark to pale.
We prodded, probed for hidden clues,
X rays, Optics, cameras views.

Struggle, uncertain, breath by breath
My God, the child lay close to death
Finally, (as a last resort) I gently unscrewed my heart and soul,
Reached out my arms, the child did hold.

Out came some words of tender love
The only thing I had to give.
I kissed the babe and held him tight,
Rocked him gently through the night

He slept so sound, for hours on end
As sun came up, I knew he was on the mend.
No more potions, lotions or incantations wild
Give love and affection to heal the child.

© Malcolm Davidson 05/1999

This young boy went out sailing with me, one of my favorite pastimes.

Comment from Malcolm at 17:01 on 08_16_05

I just read that a truck dragging chains smashed up a series of white crosses bearing the name of dead soldiers from Iraq. One of the profound teachings of the Lord was "Do unto Others as you would have them do unto you." In my language that is "role reversal". Whoever was driving that truck must ask himself "How would I feel if someone did that to me?" Also observe how the media reacts! There is a need to politicise the Truth, especially when it doesn't suit someone's needs. Surely Truth must stand alone, above the cackle of the politicians and th especial interest groups. What values are being played out here? It would appear that fear masquerading as bravado is core to this theater in Texas.

Can we not honor the dead from all wars by showing respect for the living? Is that not one of the cornerstones of a democracy?

Comment from Malcolm at 16:53 on 08_15_05

Monday late afternoon: I am job hunting and realize that there is a major downside to the unique capabilities of the Internet. Corporate structure is a classic pyramid whereas the web is a very flat structure. That's why I think the Google model of searching is a poor one. I don't need 800,000 hits in less than one second for a search. I need some intelligent answers. I've a great model for searching which will give far better and more useful results for many of the typical searches performed each day. Anyone interested in pursuing some creative ideas?

Anyway back to the flat structure of the web. We now have no focus and an embarassment of riches for choice. Simply put, I am looking for an IT job in NY/CT/RI area. There are hundreds of sites and regardless of where I submit my resume what assurance do I have that it's going to be truly seen by the right people.

This is an excellent example of "Open Loop" systems, which are inherently unstable. There is no feedback from the recipiants of a submitted resume. It's like putting your life into a black hole. For all those highly skilled people out there struggling to find a good job that is comparable to your intellect I wish you well.

Today, I attempted to register with one site and could not complete the process. I contacted an IT support person at the company and found out that they share the backend Database with another organisation. (which just happens to be the one I came from) SO I couldn't register because the system thought I already existed!

This may be affecting 100's of potential applicants who could lose out on a potential job. They're going to make a software change to accomodate the duplication of registrants. Another example of unintended consequences in the IT world.

I am an excellent engineer/programmer/manager and can offer much to a company. I am creative, committed and hardworking. I know there is an organisation out there that needs my skills. Let the magic of the Internet make the connection.

Comment from Malcolm at 17:07 on 08_13_05

I've been reading the blogs and Internet articles about Cindy Sheehan, who is camped out in Crawford Texas, her son was killed in Iraq. Naturally the right wing sychophants, supporting the President, are creating inaccurate stories to blackball Mrs Sheehan.

Once again the end justifies the means! This is a crowd of liars who have absolutely no moral or ethical standards. I doubt they would know "Truth" if it were to wack them on the side of the head! Have respect for the woman, even if you disagree. (Reverse the roles)

A wonderfully ironic scene on TV last night was the fleet of Secret Service agents and their black wagons rushing past this lone woman on her vigil. Now, who is the brave individual and who is the coward?

The Republicans keep talking about values and ethics, as if words by themselves prove morality. It is only through sincere behavior, where thought and action sing together in harmony that we achieve any sense of the moral high ground.

The catholic church is a good example where words and deeds can sometimes be far apart. When will the church realize that they need to honor and respect what it means to be human, in all its forms. Jesus said "Love one another"! All else stems from that elemental perspective. (Unless of course you live in Iraq or Iran, or are a native american, have a different political view etc etc)

We may have advanced intellectually during the past 200 years, but we have not advanced spiritually one iota, (in the collective sense) The pyschological pull of the masses should not pursuade us to lead a less than ethical existance. This is a supposed democracy, why should people be vilified for disagreeing.

Does the government own the rights on perfection and purity of thinking and vision?

Once we begin to see the "whole" we can remove ourselves from the perils of parochial life. Are we not supposed to care for each other and the earth, the plants and the animals?

Depleted Uranium is causing and will cause massive illness in Iraq: that is something to get upset about, not a mother grieving for her son and exercising her rights to free speech.

Comment from Malcolm at 23:24 on 08_12_05

It's been a tough week. I am facing up to a bad decision I made in the housing market a few years ago, and it's hurting. But all in all we are very fortunate. A book of my poetry is being published soon, a teaser to see if folks like them. If I get some positive feedback, I'll do another book with many more of my poems in.

We're having a silent auction in town tomorrow and I've a framed poem up fro grabs. I hope it brings in a few dollars for the conservancy program here. One of the lessons I've learnt recently concerns humility. Sometimes we defend our fears with a little bit of arrogance. I think I did that and know I'm ready to eat humble pie, not too much of it though!

I'm ready to begin a new phase in my life, hopefully free from the tangles of the past. We can begin fresh each day, in each moment. But it is hard to make changes and make them permanent.

Comment from Malcolm at 21:15 on 08_09_05

Tuesday Evening I've just read an online article in the Guardian newspaper about a rapidly growing Internet trend. "Godcasting". It's podcasting for Christians, mediatations, and other religious messages. At the Wisdom Wheel we have a wonderful daily email service that provides folks with a very uplifting perpsective on spirituality. Let's have feedback via the Blogs on the Journey round the Wisdom Wheel.

Comment from Malcolm at 17:10 on 08_09_05

Tuesday pm. I realize that I haven't posted an entry for a few days. This gives even more creadance to Cynthia's discipline of posting a daily email all 7 days of the week. Even God rested on the seventh day, we don't even do that!

Today I want to comment on Global warming and government's lack of political will to do something about it. It is a hard reality that we are sabotaging the future of our children and grandchildren by our daily habits. It is too easy to blame elected officials, for that lets us off the hook.

Ultimately if we want to stop polluting and destroying the environment we can build up alliances and demand that change takes place. At present the American government keeps global warming off the political radar. By acquiescing to their short sightedness we are complicit. What will we tell our grand children, who will explain that we lived through the changes and did nothing to slow down the environmental carnage?

One of my poems IceBreakers discusses my sentiments.

Comment from Malcolm at 17:43 on 08_04_05

We are finally getting my small office organized and I've been throwing out old files and folders from my time at CBS Labs in Milford Ct. Prior to the lab being closed by Sony we did some great Research and Development there. Those were the "good old days" when we laid out circuit boards, wrote software for realtime applications and actually understood how the systems worked. I believe that we are tipping over the edge at present and systems are becoming too complex and unmanageable. Yes the Internet promises much, personal computers are remarkable, but who tallies up the time we waste with them? Sometimes I feel like a slave to the machine, as I pound away each day.

A friend has had some significant problems with virus's on one of his machines recently, so I began to look for help online for a couple of known virus's. I stumbled upon a tech help Blog where a fellow was getting help to stabilize his son's machine. He had a bunch of virus's and just couldn't get his machine to work properly. He's been down for weeks and I was flabbergasted at his (apparent) infinite patience.

What it made me realize is that most personal computers are but one step or one key stroke away from disaster and chaos. The error messsages are useless, especially for the untrained individual.

I've begun reading a book by Jerry Mander entitled "In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations" (Paperback) It's a marvellous read and points out that technology, far from helping to solve some of the real problems of humanity is merely exacerbating them. The Wisdom Wheel reminds us to look not only at the Intellectual aspects of business and industry but the emotional, the physical (easy) and the spiritual.

What price the emotions of the man whose machine has been down for weeks. Who pays for his time? If we map that onto the national economy, how many folks are cursing at unreliable equipment each minute of each day across the country?

It would be a big saving if we began a national registry of machines and software to help folks have stability and peace of mind.

What is the Integrity of the people and companies who write invasive software?

Comment from Malcolm at 09:26 on 08_03_05

Brian,

Thank you for your comments! This certainly is an intersting way to communicate! Your comments are well thought out and filled with wisdom. I know that Creator has a path for me, but sometimes it is hard to follow. We all have free will, but choosing wisely amidst the vast conucopia of options is challenging. As my friend David states "a fortunate problem".

I believe that men do have a hard wired need to provide and when they are unsuccesful they feel as if they have failed. This is a socail cost that business fails to measure or recognize, but responds to with massive doses of medication. I think about the large service industry in this country and how hard folks have to work for meagre wages compared to the professional class. We need gradations of reward but not to the extremes we see today.

My wife and I love each other a great deal and we will weather the challenges that life throws at us.

Be well and stay in touch.

Comment from Micmac Fisher at 07:30 on 08_03_05

Good Morning Malcolm,
It is a beutiful August morning here in NB Canada.It rained hard after a fantastic thunder storm. Its funny how it reminded me of you and your plight with the house in Michigan and the always bothersome job in order for us to live in the way that is dictated to us by others. I totally understand how we as the male gender find it absolutely necessary to provide for our families, and provide even more than what they need. I know the feeling of how happy things make our loved ones, even thought they say "you shouldnt have" especially when they say "you shouldnt have". The ability for us to do this makes us almost driven and when things happen that this way of providing and in a way protecting our loved ones becomes endangered or hampered, we begin to get very worried and frustrated and subconciously we begin to feel that if we cannot defend and provide for them then someone else will and we will lose our place in the structure.This is my take on it anyway, and then we let all sorts of htoughts and emotions and stuff happen.When in reality its a mere hiccup in our day to day routine, in our journey to the great world. In the end what will all this mean. I mentioned the tools you had all around you ,look around make yourself a little fire , in the backyard, in the house, wherever. Offer your tobacco to the fire, ask for help, what is you need, ask for the right buyer to come along and buy that house in Michigan, go there for a week if you must. Ask our mutual friend across the way if she needs help (she does). If we ask properly, those amazing Spirits are just waiting to help us.
Take care of yourself My friend and the Creator will take care of you.
Smile that wonderful smile that Cynthia saw in you, she needs that tenderness that she fell for when you met, she needs her friendyou need yours.
BF
(fixed a couple of typos, sorry)

Comment from Micmac Fisher at 07:28 on 08_03_05

Good Morning Malcolm,
It is a beutiful August morning here in NB Canada.It rained hard after a fantastic thunder storm. Its funny how it reminded me of you and your plight with the house in Michigan and the always bothersome job in order for us to live in the way that is dictated to us by others. I totally understand how we as the male gender find it absolutely necessary to provide for our families, and provide even more than what they need. I know the feeling of how happy things make our loved ones, even thought they say "you shouldnt have" especially when they say "you shouldnt have". The ability for us to do this makes us almost driven and when things happen that this way of providing and in a way protecting our loved ones becomes endangered or hampered, we begin to get very worried and frustrated and subconciously we begin to feel that if we cannot defend and provide for them then someone else will and we will lose our place in the structure.This is my take on it anyway, and then we let all sorts of htoughts and emotions and stuff happen.When in reality its a mere hiccup in our day to day routine, in our journey to the great world. In the end what will all this mean. I mentioned the tools you had all around you ,look around make yourself a little fire , in the backyard, in the house, wherever. Offer your tobacco to the fire, ask for help, what is you need, ask for the right buyer to come along and buy that house in Michigan, go there for a week if you must. Ask our future friend across the way if she needs help (she does). If we ask properly, those amazing Spirits are just waiting to help us.
Take care of yourself My friend and the Creator will take care of you.
Smile that wonderful smile that Cynthia saw in you, she needs that tenderness that she fell for when you met, she needs her friendyou need yours.
BF

Comment from Malcolm at 18:04 on 08_02_05

Tuesday evening: It is a new month and a new series of poems. The one entitled "How far can you throw a Baby?" needs no explanation. As the lines ask at the end "Is there no linit to man's depravity?" What are we doing to each other. What anger exists within us, what rage that propels us on such a road? My poetry evenings in New York were called "Get Connected" for surely we are. Yet how do we numb ourselves to be able to behave so barbarically? What are the hidden stories from Iraq that do not make it into our conscious minds?

I believe that people are inerently good yet we appear to have a system or process that, despite this innate goodness, is intent on taking and controlling others. One of teh great teachings in most religions is that of role reversal. How would I feel if I were an Iraqi?

We're off to sing tonight at our weekly gathering. A few of us play music each Tuesday evening, it's a lot of fun.