Read Earlier Submissions

Comment from Malcolm at 11:19 on 06_28_05

Tuesday am: Just read an article about offshore call centers in India illustrating how the Capitalist chickens are coming home to roost.

Executives invariably look for short term profits ahead of servicing and taking care of the customers. So it seems logical from their perspective that shipping jobs and call centers to India, the Philipines etc would seem like a good idea.

Unfortunately, the call center staff follow a scripted routine, have no sense of the customer's culture or persona and this is ripe for alienation and mis-understanding.

The call center staff apparently are working in Victorian era conditions which have long since been discredited. I have experienced this communication gulf myself when resolving an issue with a Microsoft product.

One of my sayings is "Be the hole that you wish to fill!" That is understand the other end of your communication channel.

Unfortunately many senior executives don't actually care for the customer's welfare at all, a mere unfortunate consequence of the marketplace. Good managers see the "whole" and understand that a sustainable business places great credence upon the company/customer relationship. For without that there will eventually be nothing.

Many developers forget to give clear and unambiguous information to users when they design user interfaces. It can be quite stressful for anyone who is trying to use a product that has unclear guidelines and obfuscates when things don't work properly. We can spend $75.00 on some software and then waste hours trying to get it to work correctly. Then when we contact the call center we are already at our wit's end. No wonder folks have short fuses in that situation.

So any executves who truly care about their customers please revisit the off shore jobs mentality. We need high tech jobs in the USA anyway, bring back the call centers, and as the Wisdom Wheel model states, "We need to have Right Relationship in all things." That includes between the customer and the call center.

Comment from Malcolm at 21:32 on 06_27_05

Monday night: Just read that "PartyGaming" a web site devoted to online Poker that recently went public is worth $5 billion pounds! It has been around for about 4 years. This means that the company is worth more than Rolls Royce the venerable car company!

Are we so desperate to make money quickly that we will gamble away vast sums of money for the chance to win big? I've gambled a bit over the years but I didn't realize how popular it is. The US govt's Justice dept view it as illegal, but that hasn't stopped folks from investing.

The Wisdom Wheel is a sure fire winner for spiritual sustinance, less of a gamble, more of a dead cert. If we played the Wisdom Wheel game of life:

"Right, my Balance and Awareness beats your Shadow and Committment".

"Hey, I've got 2 Creativities and 1 Enlightenment".

"You win!"

People say they want to be happier and lead more harmonious lives, well the Wisdom Wheel is exactly what is needed.

The Supreme Court handed down a decision today regarding the 10 Commandments. It can be on display (in Texas) in a passive sort of manner, but not in Georgia (??) in a more active roll. When I look at the political system today I observe a close link between many individuals' beliefs and their actions, which is quite understandable. However what I think is ironic is that one of the Commandments is "Thou shalt not kill"! When does this country ever adhere to that edict?

It seems as if many people in places of power are more comfortable quoting the Bible than living by its teachings.

I was shocked at the story of the 3 boys who lost their lives in Camden NJ. They'd been playing and got stuck in the trunk of a car. By some bizarre happenstance the search teams didn't think to look in the trunk of this abandoned vehicle.
The family were devastated, no wonder. I hope that they will eventually recover, and also that the city learn from any errors of procedure that took place. Being thorough in all things demands time and focus. The Law of Eternal Present teaches us to be in the NOW and relish the moment. I could use more of "Now" now.

Comment from Malcolm at 18:44 on 06_26_05

Sunday late afternoon: Spent some time in NY over the weekend. Cynthia went to listen to a presentation on "Raising our level of Consciouseness".

It was exceedingly well attended, I didn't go for I decided to look after her children. Years ago I realized that, despite the number of books written on "Enlightenment" we are sliding further into a morass of lies and corruption. I mentioned a few years ago that Clinton screwed one woman inside the Whitehouse and was villified for it, whereas Bush screws millions outside and is hailed as a hero! We certainly do live in a strange world.

As the poem "Looking for Work" states, "Don't put me in a box". I would be described as a liberal/socialist by many, however I have some decidely conservative views. I believe, for example, that we shouldn't lie or cheat, we should conserve our resources and we should have respect for each other.

In today's NY Times there was an Op Ed piece by Norm Coleman Republican of Minnesota. He was describing the tax cheats who receive government contracts. Once again my heroes from inside the beltway the GAO, (General Accounting Office) helped to uncover all these frauds. I agree with him totally that we should enforce the law and withold the contracts until the contractors shape up. Another example of the regular Joe being stiffed while the fat cats make a fortune.

Politicians speak of values; these are values of corruption, avarice, and exploitation. No doubt some of these contractors are so called devout believers and attend church each weekend. What a bunch of hypocrites!

The Wisdom Wheel askes us to live with Integrity, where is the integrity in their behavior? It seems to me that we conduct out lives in one of 3 modes:

Fear

Greed

Neutrality

I endeavor to come from a place of neutrality, because I have known many of my decisions were formerly based upon the first 2 motivators. Often the fear can be traced back to our childhood, which the greed is trying to overcome.

What cities/states/countries are driven by greed or fear? Who are the individuals/entities driven by a more neutral approach? Don't get me wrong Capitalism is fine provided it is fair and is based upon reasonable practises, is sustainable, and is in harmony with the earth.

Comment from Malcolm at 14:30 on 06_24_05

Early afternoon Friday: I have heard that 40,000 blogs are put up on the web each day! That is an awful lot of information appearing every 24 hours. What factors govern who reads what Blog? This Blog is intended to not only entertain but to stimulate the reader. There are enough web sites devoted to stimulating the body, this one is for the mind and the heart! The Wisdom Wheel encourages us to ultimately have a Balanced view on things, this helps the Circlekeepers to be healthier and happier. It is not that I don't appreciate beauty I do, but I always want to talk to the "subject", for the brain is, by far, the biggest sex organ. The best foreplay is an hour of deep and heated discussion over a delicious glass of red wine.

I watched "The Cut" on CBS last evening and enjoyed it even more. Mr Tommy Hilfiger is tough, but incredibly fair. I'd love to meet him. Stimulating discussions lead to wonderfully creative ideas being formed and I love the idea of "the mind, the pen and the paper". When we learn how to truly listen we will become far more compassionate with others and especially with mother earth. I am so heartened though because more and more people making the changes necessary to lead sustainable lives. The Wisdom Wheel is a remarkable tool for that purpose.

Comment from Malcolm at 15:12 on 06_23_05

Thursday Lunch Time: Lawyers, Carpenters and WTO. I finally got all my software back to a stable state. Everytime I do an upgrade with some one else's application I always have a problem. This must be frustrating for many many people. I've had to deal with some legal issues recently and my lawyer stuck me with a bill for about $1600.00 for about 4 hours worth of work! Our values must be all wrong. I have an exceptional carpenter and remodeller doing a fairly big job on our basement and he probably is charging me one tenth of the Lawyer. His beautiful job and craftsmanship will be here long after the lawyer and his paperwork are gone. I'd rather be a carpenter than a lawyer. Although I know we need legal advice every so often. I'm an electronic carpenter/craftman as I build and work at my craft. I'm busy learning PHP and adding to an existing Perl script right now. It can be difficult moving from one discipline to the other.

And now to the WTO. (World Trade Organisation) They govern the trading rules between countries, ostensibly to ensure that it is fair for all. (Fat chance!!) Anyway Sony has a new Playstation out which isn't officially on sale in the UK yet. People are importing it from the far east much to the chagrin of Sony executives. Apparently they have the gall to go after these folks and have a court hearing on Monday to get the names of the individuals acquiring this product. This is ludicrous. As a percentage, the people purchasing the new game are infinitesimally small compared to the total market in the UK. I would welcome their purchases! It creates buzz, it's free publicity and marketing for Sony and lets people get a sense of the new hot toy. Better to use them and sign them up for feedback and commentary. I suppose it all goes back to the idea that we live in a place of either: Greed or Fear. Better to come from a place of Abundance. That is what the Wisdom Wheel teaches us.

Comment from Malcolm at 23:40 on 06_22_05

Wednesday: It has been a tough day. The system crashed, some other software isn't working properly and I had a brief row with my wife. In moments like this a think of all the folks who hae similar issues and stresses all over this country (and the world for that matter) No wonder so many people are on Prosac! This is not a way to run a business pounding away on the keyboard day after day until nearly midnight. I hope that it will ultimately be worth it. As I am fond of saying the Wisdom Wheel is the best model I've seen for inner growth of the individual and real development of the group. It's also a wonderful way to meet others and really get to know them in a gentle way. Thank goodness for backups... Make copies of your data....

Comment from Malcolm at 21:22 on 06_21_05

Tuesday Evening. There is a great English phrase which describes how I feel right now. "I am shagged out!" Basically, I'm knackered (tired). I've been writing and testing software since 6.00 am and I can hardly see straight, never mind type accurately. A new month begins and so I've been collating all the new Members to the Wisdom Wheel site and preparing the new law letter (LAw of Self). Our meeting yesterday went well I thought although I am not sure if the folks attending understood the power of the Wisdom Wheel model.

If I said to the CEO of a company; "For a $100,000 investment you could increase your profits by a minimum of 10%" he would drag me into his company. Well all you so called Capitalists out there who want to improve the health of your company's Balance sheet drop me a line. Spending 3 - 4 hours with me will blow your mind. I can show you techniques to increase the creativity of your staff, bring operational coherence to your organisation and provide an environment which encourages people to be much happier at the place of work. SO spread the word!!!

On a different but similar topic, this Bank theft of credit card data: Over 20 years ago I designed a high speed data encryption circuit that was cheap and easy to make and I cannot believe that files are stored in the open today. Systems designers and IT staff should be embarassed. Contact me and I'll show you how it's done. (for a fee!!) It isn't foolproof but it stops the first line of attack and slows down most of the crooks and so they go off and find something easier. PS After my day to day I have a lot of respect for programmers and developers....One thing I love about software it keeps you honest.

Comment from Malcolm at 07:12 on 06_20_05

Monday morning: We are making a presentation on the Wisdom Wheel today to a number of IT folks up near Boston. I expect it will be a fascinating experience. The power of the Wisdom Wheel never ceases to amaze me. I wrote a white paper on the application of the Laws on IT. Here is the opening paragraph followed by one example:

The Wisdom Wheel is a modern construct, although it is based upon the medicine wheels of earlier indigenous cultures. It is quite relevant in the 21st century as a focusing agent and model to help build successful coherent processes. There are many disparate disciplines which have to come together, coalescing, to create systems which today resolve formerly intractable problems. The Wisdom Wheel is a tool to make that process management easier and more efficient.

4. Right Relationship The best ideas and most innovative solutions to problems arise when we have created synergistic relationships with our colleagues and our machines. Whether we like to admit it or not, we do have a relationship with our systems and these systems have a relationship with our clients.

Within the IT world the best example of “Right Relationship” is when we create user friendly responses when our systems fail or go into error conditions. We talk of the “Microsoft Blue Screen of Death” where is right relationship here? Also, issuing an error code of 0Xff0043da does nothing for the user! Additionally treating our staff with respect and courtesy no matter the pressure goes a long way to ensuring that they remain productive and energetic. It is extremely hard writing elegant, concise code when your manager is berating you.

I am convinced that companies and departments can become more efficient and effective when they adopt the Wisdom Wheel as a part of their behavioral model. What would a CEO pay for a tool that would, when adopted throughout his organization, give him even a 5% increase in operational efficiency? I know that the Wisdom Wheel model is a remarkably powerful tool for individuals and groups. The challenge is reaching out to the decision makers. They say "the proof of teh pudding is in the eating". When I look at the folks who have studied the Wheel and see their progress I am always moved by their growth. Not only are they "wholier" they are happier. That simple fact does have a profound bearing on their work ethic.

Comment from Malcolm at 16:43 on 06_19_05

We watched a program on Animal Planet last night about communication between animals and humans. They gave a wonderful example of dogs working with youthful offenders. The young "at risk" individuals were each assigned a dog and had to train it to a high degree proficiency.

Often, both partners in this relationship were experiencing love, respect and affection for the first time in their lives! It was pure joy to see these potential criminals and gang members melt with their four legged charges. A bond was created in each which tapped in to a sense of self which both dog and human recognized. It was mentioned that there has been no recidivism with any of teh individuals that have been through this program. I didn't catch her name, but hats off to you "Lady in Seattle" for starting this work. With that kind of success the program needs to be adopted on a nationwide scale. Far better than the stereotypical "prison sentence mentality" under harsh conditions.

Comment from Malcolm at 12:43 on 06_18_05

Post Research : "In our experience, Tommy Hilfiger is at the bottom of the list in demonstrating refusal to accept responsibility for the way workers are treated." Back in October 2003, the company was accused by labour rights campaigners of cutting and running from its responsibilities to workers when evidence was uncovered of labour abuses at the Tarrant blue jean factory in Ajalpan, Mexico.

The revelations have once again left Make Poverty History campaigners angry at the contamination of their high-profile symbol by its association with anti- labour companies. John Hilary, Director of Campaigns & Policy at UK development NGO, War on Want, a leading member of Make Poverty History told Red Pepper: "This is a really worrying development for an organisation like War on Want, which campaigns for workers' rights across the world. Unless Tommy Hilfiger's record has improved significantly without our knowing, it's not the sort of company we'd want to be associated with."

Oh well, back to the drawing board! I suppose in the capitalist market would I expect anything else? So Mr H. if you read this.... Please ensure that your production sources abide by resonable manufacturing health and safety practices. Also remember the golden rule of role reversal. "Would you like this to happen to you?"

Comment from Malcolm at 12:20 on 06_18_05

I watched a recording of the Tommy Hilfiger show "The Cut" last night, the second episode. I loved it. He is tough but fair, apparently a man of great integrity. In keeping with the theme of Rugby from my previous entry you cannot just talk a good game you have to be one. One of the teams lost their car key and this placed additional pressure on them that they didn't need. It reminds me that great leaders keep cool under pressure and know the "key" issues to deal with. [Pun intended]. Mr Hilfiger strikes me as a person with courage and sincerity. A powerful mixture, I wonder if he makes sure that his company clothes are made in an ethical fashion?

I'll check up and see if any web sites link him to harsh labor practises in the third world. My gut says that he attempts to create adequate conditions for the workers. I've heard recently that there are 40,000 new blogs appearing on the Internet each day!! How does one stand out if that is one's desire? I wonder if my musings will become popular with folks? It'll be a fascinating exercise observing who begins to interact with this blog site. SO Mr Hilfiger congratulations I appreciate your candor and fairness as you weed out those who cannot make "the cut".

Comment from Malcolm at 09:29 on 06_18_05

Saturday morning. I've just watched a rugby game on TV. The British Lions aainst Wellington. I've played rugby for over 40 years now and it is a game I love, there is a wonderful sense of honesty about the sport. You can talk a good game, but words never replace your behavior on the field.

A person of Integrity ensures an alignment between their words and deeds. I'd love to play rugby against a few politicians, both Democrats and Republicans. What is it about some of our elected officials that prevents them from behaving ethically? I have a lot of admiration for Lincoln Chafee from RI but at the moment I wish that Tom Delay (R) and Corrine Brown (D) would pack their bags and leave DC. Neither of them has any sense of the word Integrity and have corrupted and poisoned the body politic. Their behavior sullies the reputation of all the ernest individuals who are at attempting to work to a high degree of honesty.

I wonder what Delay and Brown see when they look in the mirror each day. It is only when the population at large demands accountability and honesty that we will begin to change the snake pit that is Washington DC

Comment from malcolm at 16:04 on 06_17_05

My wife Cynthia signed up for a daily inspirational email from an organization recently. Their greeting included the words "We love you Cynthia". I found that to be rather incongruous. How can you truly love someone you don't know? I sent them an email challenging the notion of anonymous love and offered to have a dialog with them on the issue. Their response was to immediately knock Cynthia's email address from their distribution list. What price love now? For me this is a great example of words cheapening actions or values. As I said to them "If you truly loved my wife you would get to know her"! For one of the great tests of real love is to fully accept someone for who they are. You may not agree with them, but love demands we give respect and honor their presence.