PoeticLicensedk

Paradigm Shift Needed: Why it's Own or Be Owned

Revisado: 01-15-23

My father is 92. I've had a front row seat to his efforts to change the system.

The Greater Reset represents the next generation authoring a manuscript, with the potential to reach a wider audience. Running short on time, my dad has expressessed frustration that I have not been engaged enough, and that Dawn and Michael's book does not go far enough in calling for the kinds of structural reform our democracy needs if we are to avoid Civil War or collapse of our political system.

The Greater Reset is a mindnumbingly ambitious undertaking. CESJ represents a merger of the teachings of Fr William Ferree on social justice and Louis Kelso's framework for enabling non-owners to become owners without taking anything from existing owners, while overcoming the tyranny of past savings. It makes a case for the proposed Economic Democracy Act and explains in some detail how to create an ownership society, and by the way, it proposes a new Papal Encyclical on Economic Justice.

The book uses a competing vision, The Great Reset, effectively as a foil. It explains the philosophical roots of Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret, and explains how their well-intended scheme would continue patterns of increased monopolization of wealth producing assets. Schwab and Malleret's declaration that in the future, nobody would own anything and you will like it, is challenged as a threat to individual liberty.

Honestly, if it had not been on Audible, the book would have collected dust -- my mind said, too difficult -- but I listened and was a little stunned how well it held my attention. Despite some of its flaws, the authors succeeded in getting my attention and building my anticipation for their next book. I even spoke about it to the local candidate who was going door to door for signatures yesterday in the bitter cold. Deja vu.

Around the time I began my freshman year at Georgetown University in 1981, my dad, mom, sister, her husband Rowland, the late Bill Schirra, Fr. William Ferree, and a few others founded the Center For Economic and Social Justice (CESJ) in a cafeteria at American University.

Having worked at at Employee-Owned company for over 15 years after graduating from college in 1985, I've benefitted financially from principles of economic justice and it's application in a leveraged ESOP, in a company that shared profits. I have also seen how hard it is to maintain a viable ownership culture in a going concern as a company undergoes rapid growth.. When I left in 2001, despite having earned considerable income, it felt like a failure.

Now I am a Special Education Teacher. I see entire communities who enter middle school with no little to no phonemic awareness or skill in phonics, who cannot add or subtract, and do not know their multiplication facts. Many are on free and reduced lunch. We provide free education, but few are accessing it fully. We expect students to access a standard curriculum without providing the means of accessing it.

When a democracy becomes as unbalanced as exists today, widespread alienation becomes a natural result. I eagerly await the next book, Own or Be Owned

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We can analyze & create plans for better habits

Revisado: 01-08-23

During the 2022-2023 holidays, I realized that I have developed some bad habits that have contributed to Type 2 Diabetes, problems meeting deadlines, unfinished projects, being slow to respond to important communications: procrastination, over-eating, and poor self-care being the leading categories. As a reflective, well-educated, and responsible person, I generally know what to do, but I looked at the comments and felt I might learn something from this book.

To help overcome personal challenges, I played recorded books on a loop for decades: Dennis Whaitley, Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Brian Tracey, Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, etc. All were so helpful I kept listening to them. Then, my life became so busy, and my interests so broad and powerfully motivating, I stopped looping them.

I had earned a Master's Degree in Education. I had lost weight. My blood sugar had been brought under control, mostly through better dietary choices. My career had stabilized. Even my debts were starting to gradually recede from their high water mark.

As a Special Education Teacher, I was feeling overwhelmed: too much to do, to little time; everybody depending on me. At home, I felt as though I was not contributing enough. My parents were going through a crisis, and I was too busy to come to their rescue. I was feeling drained, procrastinating, and paralyzed.

With a tsunami of events looming in 2023, I knew I had to do something about it. Since I started reading this well organized, science based, and accesible style, I've adopted a new approach: "small victories." I'm following the Hero's Journey, by N Rey (Darrbee), and have already lost a belt loop. I'm applying it in the classroom. It's given me the leverage I need to meet my responsibilities, and maybe even start gaining some advantages.

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Timely in light of #MastodonMigration

Revisado: 12-21-22

#DingDong decided to ruin the party on the #DirtyBird site with a $44 billion offer to purchase it. Considering his partners, the Saudis, the UAE, and Larry Ellison, it seemed pretty obvious before the deal closed that an anti-democratic cabal was making a bold move to control the public square, legally. So I endeavored to resist.

That #DingDong was willing to light his $22 bil stake and his investor's money on fire, and put his core business at risk, made it abundantly clear that the move wasn't about profits but about controlling the political narrative with respect to the rise of authoritarianism and fascism in America. This is the context in which I discovered Tim Wu's legal history of the media industry, with its "Manichean" dichotomy of centralized and decentralized control.

Tim Wu broadened my perspective by revisiting the evolution of America's media / communications industry. I was unaware that key players sought control of a Master Switch, which could be used to decide who has access to mass communications.

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Nice meta-analysis of neuroscience & AI

Revisado: 11-20-22

I've been reading about the convergence of neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI) for over two decades. Models of the Mind provides a helpful meta-analysis of models of the mind shaped by philosophy, physics, biology, Mathematics, engineering, among other things. it's very approachable for the average lay person.

The author addresses studies inspired by observations of individual nerve cells, as well as analysis of electrical signal outputs from areas that fire in unison like a chorus of screaming demons. She ties it all together by referring to the history of information theory.

Readers can ponder the implications of a clear explanation of Baysean models of how prior knowledge weighs in to decision making calculations. The conversation about the tug and pull of grand unifying theories and practical applications is thought provoking. I enjoyed it.

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A whole new perspective on youth sports

Revisado: 01-18-22

I had no idea how girls software intersects with privilege and college athletic scholarship opportunities. In Playing to Win, Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball and The Big Short explains the economics and psychology of travel softball in a personal and engaging way.

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A familiar tale told in a refreshing way

Revisado: 01-16-22

Homer's Odyssey, narrated by Emily Wilson, has made this archetypal epic accessible to a new generation of audiences. For those who have read it a thousand times, she remains true to Homer's intent, despite decisions that frame word choice in a distinctly modern context, e.g. "Master" and "slave."

Wilson's exposition explains why she wrote it in colloquial language, in iambic pentameter, which flows so naturally that even a 12 year old could participate in the conversation. Her scholarly notes address structural and stylistic elements that enabled oral story tellers to transmit the story so faithfully over 2 millennium.

Homer's voice speaks once again, describing the character traits of the long-suffering, resolute Odysseus, through the clear passionate voice of the narrator, Claire Danes. The language is simple and lyrical and evocative of emotions to which every person can relate and recognize.

As an older reader, I shed tears when Odysseus' faithful dog Argos recognized him, gloried in the bloodlust of Odysseus's revenge on the suitors. I was surprised anew about how peace needed to be restored to Ithica after his palace had been fumigated to remove the stench of death, and the bodies of the sons of Ithica had been removed. The images of the Cyclops and the Scylla, which initiated me to these stories as a young child have been replaced by a fuller portrait of a man I have come to respect, and appreciate as a contemporary.

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Surprisingly fun and informative read 👍👍👍

Revisado: 12-06-21

My friend and colleague, who is President of The Northern Virginia Bird Club, recommended this book. He had attended a talk by the author at Georgetown University, that was sponsored by The Audobon Society. He knew I was interested in the science of cognition and evolution, and when I asked for a book recommendation on birds, he recommended The Genius of Birds. I loved it.

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An Unexpected Journey

Revisado: 10-31-21

Whatever I write will fall short, fall flat, shot change how I feel after finishing A View FromvThe Cheap Seats. I wish I had read it when I was in my 20's, because in these pages Neil Gaiman has provided the code I needed to become a writer, when I made the unfortunate decision to take the safe route and work for a lumber company, not because I knew anything about the building industry or cabinets, or about kitchens and baths, or windows and doors, or about logistics, or credit, purchasing, or sales, but because I was afraid of being poor.

Neil Gaiman did exactly the opposite. He became a master of comic book writing, journalist, best selling author, world traveler, friend of artists, writer of introductions, whose novels and comics have been woven into the very fabric of American culture via audio & cinematic productions, not because he was afraid of being poor, but because he so loved the process of creating stories, he was willing to risk it all and live on the edge.

Ironically, as I write, my life is consumed with debt, despite the riches I amassed when I was young, because I hitched my wagon to a declining industry, where talent was seem as a commodity, and later made the decision to become a teacher, foolishly believing it would be easy and profitable, around the age of 40, after 9-11. Meanwhile, Neil becamr the proverbial honesy man who started with financial insecurity but who now truly writes with no fear of financial ruin, similar to his friend, Stephen King.

Today, I am fearless, because I work with a population of students who need models of fearlessness, and because I view education as the pathway to a life of opportunity, and many of them don't realize the urgency of their needing to learn how to think and unlearn learned helplessness, because I have come out on the good side of so many impossible situations that I know I live a charmed life and I always win eventually, and because I am no longer afraid of losing everything, or dying, because I've become comfortable living on the edge.

One page per day. Figure it out. Be honest while telling fiction.

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What ifs of AI explored beyond the expected

Revisado: 06-18-21

I had been meaning to read Superintelligence for years. There it sat in my Audible cue, after it had sat in my suggested reads. Finally, after we went back to in-person instruction in March & I had to drive again,cI began to dig in. As comprehensive in scope as it is in addressing "The Control Problem," it's probably best if I purchase a hard copy and take better notes. Whether or not Superintelligence ever comes to fruition or not, the questions the author explores are worthy of deeper reflection.

Superintelligence is not a fun speculative read like Max Tegmark's Life 3.0, or some of Ray Kurzweill's works. It reads more like a mechanic's trouble shooting guide, following what if scenarios relentlessly.

Therein lies its value. Nick Bostrum has outlined the scope of the AI / Superintelligence control problem & charted possible solutions to prevent a superintelligebce from turning on its human creators.

I will find a hard copy. I will take better notes. These questions simply are not going away anytime soon.

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Don Winslow's The Force: A Tragedy

Revisado: 04-06-21

It's late and I should be asleep, but I could not peel myself away from the poignant, bitter end of Denny Malone. I will pay for my indulgence, but the price was worth it. It's been decades since I've polished off a novel.

After the prologue, which begins near the conclusion, the reader is left wondering how a heroic officer ended up in jaill. From there, the action throbs like a heart on adrenaline, pauses, & builds to a crescendo. The Force is about a well-intentioned cop who is chewed up by a corrupt system, and by his own choices. As in a classic tragedy, everybody dies and the entire House crashes.

Who's good? Who's bad? What's the right thing to do? None of these have simple answers.

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