It happened Saturday afternoon. The return of the corner store! A privately owned, honest to goodness corner store…not an industrial-cleaner-perfumed 7-cough-11. An independent in a sea Corporate Motherhood.
Quietly and with no fanfare, the shopkeeper hung his shingle, flipped the switch and the neon ‘open’ sign flickered to life.
I grew up with Wong’s Confectionery and Bartle’s Drugs, Yee’s and Plummer’s Hardware, too. Right there on my corner, just a half a block from my house. Above Wong’s there was Dr. Dillenburg’s office, the neighborhood GP who still made house calls.
That corner was a very special place in the neighborhood, a place for day to day needs, a gathering place, a hang out, a clearing house of information and a primo location for yelling, “olly olly oxen free” at the end of a neighborhood wide game of hide and seek.
There weren’t any laws preventing the sale of cigarettes to minors but Mr. & Mrs. Wong and the Yee’s simply wouldn’t sell them to kids anyway, at least not without a note from their parents (whom they all knew) and could spot a forgery a mile away.
Parents would send their kids out the door clenching a dollar, or five, on a mission for late Saturday-morning-what’s-for-lunch-fixins, and a little candy on the side…you could drop by for a quick stop that dispenses what 7-11 does not. The cures for what ails you - bread that needs chewing, conversation, stinky cheeses, a bit of gossip, non-neon mustard, an eagle eye on your child and real coffee …
An environmentally friendly alternative to firing up the Mall Assault Vehicle to lumber across town to the big green box to park and walk further than you live from the corner from for a simple jug of milk or a dozen eggs…we welcome you, corner store!
Helping build community, hat’s off to the corner store!
A chance to leave your damn car at home and stop in for a little something you didn’t know you needed. Never know who you might run into (and didn’t knock down), and what you might find out. Better than the bulletin board at the mall or the latest twitternet. By a long shot.
A series of eclectic, possibly unconnected and probably meandering observations of an all weather cyclist, DJ, Magician and social observer. Some material may be inappropriate for younger or more sensitive adults. May contain psychological nudity. Follower discretion is advised.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Discovery and Comfort
The other day I did not have the energy to cook supper, so I headed on down to one of the local links of a large sandwich chain for some convenient and healthy, fast food.
“Welcome to SubStandard, may I take your order?”
“uh yeah, I’d like a large Traditional Sandwich please”
“White, Whole Wheat, Honey Nut, Chappatis or 17 Ancient Grain bread?
“White please”
“Would you like Roast beef, Turkey or Ham?”
“ummm all of them please”
“Cheddar?”
“yes please”
“Swiss?”
“OK”
“or Mozzerella?”
“uh…well..cheddar then.”
“Black olives?”
“Sure”
“Lettuce?”
“yup”
“Tomato?”
“Why not?”
“red onions?”
“ya”
“pickles?”
“uh-huh”
“sliced, diced…raw or sautéed?”
“grr, sliced and sautéed please”
“Shrimp or Crab?”
“no thanks”
“Bacon?”
“check”
“Ranch, Italian, Balsamic or Low-Cal Thai Soy Teriyaki dressing?”
“Italian”
“Hot Peppers?”
“not much tradition around here is there?”
“Pardon?”
“Yes…peppers”
“anything else?”
“no…anything else?”
“No”
“are you sure? Did you want to add a drink or fries?”
“No Thanks…..uh…that will be $12.50 please”
What a disappointment. Not only did that exchange at the drive through window take nearly as much time and certainly as much effort as selecting a dinner menu at home, it once again robbed me of comfort and discovery.
What a comfort it was as a child, teenager and now adult to head out to your favorite burger joint or restaurant and order up that traditional dish…you know the one. That’s why we ordered it…it was the best in its class and had a taste all its own, if we wanted a culinary adventure we’d go where they made something else. I don’t want to stress about how it’s made…I just want the comfort of my favorite dish. I have trusted The Colonel’s choice of herbs and spices for a long time now and am not gonna mess with it now. I’d like a burger like you make it ‘cuz that’s the way I like it.
What a discovery it was to unearth that first Big Mac…Teen Burger….ahhh the sheer joy of experiencing the taste of that special Ethiopian dish in a place that only you and a few friends know about. My diet might get pretty boring if I alone were the sole arbiter of what gets slapped onto my culinary palette.
In an al a carte world we run the risk of losing our sense of discovery. Would the Eagles or The Grateful Dead made as much impact in the music world as they did if I-Tunes were their introductory distribution method?
Rather than simply cherry picking the singles we were presented with the Christmas morning-like anticipation of listening to the deeper cuts every time we ventured out to the record store.
In life we can’t always choose each detail of every experience and that’s a good thing…give me what you’ve got and I’ll savor each new discovery and horizon with gusto and take comfort in their rediscovery.
“Welcome to SubStandard, may I take your order?”
“uh yeah, I’d like a large Traditional Sandwich please”
“White, Whole Wheat, Honey Nut, Chappatis or 17 Ancient Grain bread?
“White please”
“Would you like Roast beef, Turkey or Ham?”
“ummm all of them please”
“Cheddar?”
“yes please”
“Swiss?”
“OK”
“or Mozzerella?”
“uh…well..cheddar then.”
“Black olives?”
“Sure”
“Lettuce?”
“yup”
“Tomato?”
“Why not?”
“red onions?”
“ya”
“pickles?”
“uh-huh”
“sliced, diced…raw or sautéed?”
“grr, sliced and sautéed please”
“Shrimp or Crab?”
“no thanks”
“Bacon?”
“check”
“Ranch, Italian, Balsamic or Low-Cal Thai Soy Teriyaki dressing?”
“Italian”
“Hot Peppers?”
“not much tradition around here is there?”
“Pardon?”
“Yes…peppers”
“anything else?”
“no…anything else?”
“No”
“are you sure? Did you want to add a drink or fries?”
“No Thanks…..uh…that will be $12.50 please”
What a disappointment. Not only did that exchange at the drive through window take nearly as much time and certainly as much effort as selecting a dinner menu at home, it once again robbed me of comfort and discovery.
What a comfort it was as a child, teenager and now adult to head out to your favorite burger joint or restaurant and order up that traditional dish…you know the one. That’s why we ordered it…it was the best in its class and had a taste all its own, if we wanted a culinary adventure we’d go where they made something else. I don’t want to stress about how it’s made…I just want the comfort of my favorite dish. I have trusted The Colonel’s choice of herbs and spices for a long time now and am not gonna mess with it now. I’d like a burger like you make it ‘cuz that’s the way I like it.
What a discovery it was to unearth that first Big Mac…Teen Burger….ahhh the sheer joy of experiencing the taste of that special Ethiopian dish in a place that only you and a few friends know about. My diet might get pretty boring if I alone were the sole arbiter of what gets slapped onto my culinary palette.
In an al a carte world we run the risk of losing our sense of discovery. Would the Eagles or The Grateful Dead made as much impact in the music world as they did if I-Tunes were their introductory distribution method?
Rather than simply cherry picking the singles we were presented with the Christmas morning-like anticipation of listening to the deeper cuts every time we ventured out to the record store.
In life we can’t always choose each detail of every experience and that’s a good thing…give me what you’ve got and I’ll savor each new discovery and horizon with gusto and take comfort in their rediscovery.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day, No Guilt. Today, I’ll be headed out on a purely recreational, fossil fueled, hit the open road, motorcycle tour. I’m burning gasoline today ‘cuz…Dude…Surf’s Up! It makes sense to ride today, it’s gonna be 24 degrees today and it will be the first awesome day this year for a scoot.
In July, 2001, 14 firefighters were trapped in a canyon of the Okanogan National Forest in Washington State when a 100-acre wildfire that had been nearly extinguished the night before came back to life. The helicopter that was scheduled to scoop water from the nearby Chewuch River and drop it on the sleeping embers at 10 a.m. didn't arrive until 3 p.m. when the wildfire was roaring out of control and the firefighters were scurrying for their lives. It did not make any sense at all that four young firefighters didn't make it out. Shortly after the fire passed, firefighters learned that the helicopter's five-hour delay was due to the presence in the Chewuch River of three species of so-called endangered fish, which U.S. Forest Service officials were afraid might be harmed by the water-scooping helicopter.
I am all about environmental protection; I’ve changed all my light bulbs to CFL and LED. Most days a bicycle is my primary transportation and I use public transit when it makes sense.
There it is…the nut…”when it makes sense”.
It makes sense to show my sweetheart, at least in some small way, that I love her every day. When I do, she seems to do the same in kind. Funny how that works. Last night it made sense to forgo hockey (Boston wasn't playing anyway) and to not put up a fight when she wanted to cuddle and watch 90210 In the end we got "sidetracked" and neither one of us ended up watching TV at all.
Don’t get me wrong, Earth Day, like Valentine’s Day, is a way of focusing for a moment on something that we don’t usually pay attention to, but is no substitute for a shift in our thinking.
Earth Day. If Hallmark has a card for it, like Valentine’s Day, I won’t buy it either.
Once you have adopted a daily common sense lifestyle, Earth Day, like Earth Hour, becomes just another passing moment.
In July, 2001, 14 firefighters were trapped in a canyon of the Okanogan National Forest in Washington State when a 100-acre wildfire that had been nearly extinguished the night before came back to life. The helicopter that was scheduled to scoop water from the nearby Chewuch River and drop it on the sleeping embers at 10 a.m. didn't arrive until 3 p.m. when the wildfire was roaring out of control and the firefighters were scurrying for their lives. It did not make any sense at all that four young firefighters didn't make it out. Shortly after the fire passed, firefighters learned that the helicopter's five-hour delay was due to the presence in the Chewuch River of three species of so-called endangered fish, which U.S. Forest Service officials were afraid might be harmed by the water-scooping helicopter.
I am all about environmental protection; I’ve changed all my light bulbs to CFL and LED. Most days a bicycle is my primary transportation and I use public transit when it makes sense.
There it is…the nut…”when it makes sense”.
It makes sense to show my sweetheart, at least in some small way, that I love her every day. When I do, she seems to do the same in kind. Funny how that works. Last night it made sense to forgo hockey (Boston wasn't playing anyway) and to not put up a fight when she wanted to cuddle and watch 90210 In the end we got "sidetracked" and neither one of us ended up watching TV at all.
Don’t get me wrong, Earth Day, like Valentine’s Day, is a way of focusing for a moment on something that we don’t usually pay attention to, but is no substitute for a shift in our thinking.
Earth Day. If Hallmark has a card for it, like Valentine’s Day, I won’t buy it either.
Once you have adopted a daily common sense lifestyle, Earth Day, like Earth Hour, becomes just another passing moment.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Camping Porn
Did I hear that right; RV dealers want financial aid from my tax dollars? Give me a break, that request makes as much sense to me as a bailout for the porn industry. I can just about get my head around an auto bailout if I restrict my thinking to the ideas that personal vehicles are an everyday necessity for nearly everyone in today’s society and that the number of jobs affected in the Big Three’s plants and downstream distribution and service networks is quite significant. If I mantra to myself “Many Essential Auto Jobs” over and over again I can just get past the over inflated wage and benefit packages brokered and now demanded by union powers, but RV dealers…come on.
A ballpark figure, taken from GO RVing Canada, is that there are about 350 RV dealers nationwide. If you consider that each one may have an average of 8 employees, 3 of which are mechanics plus 2 parts guys whose jobs won’t be threatened by lack of new sales (and might even be bolstered due to increased used RV service requirements) and that the vast majority of RV dealers also sell many other leisure products (snowmobiles, quads, motorcycles etc) and provide an array of other services (storage, service, etc.) we are considering a total of maybe 800 jobs lost across Canada if not one single new RV gets sold past today.
Let’s face it, most of today’s RV’s are “camping porn”. Double slide out, hardwood and tile floored, plasma satellite TV equipped, “camping porn”. In a time when “cutting back” and “eco-friendly” are the lexicons of the day, I can’t seem to work up a tear or a tax dollar for an industry built largely on excess and its “fluffer” salesmakers whose clientele can afford (at any time in history) a “tent to camp in” worth well over $75,000.
Maybe one less Rolex in the family might save the RV industry.
A ballpark figure, taken from GO RVing Canada, is that there are about 350 RV dealers nationwide. If you consider that each one may have an average of 8 employees, 3 of which are mechanics plus 2 parts guys whose jobs won’t be threatened by lack of new sales (and might even be bolstered due to increased used RV service requirements) and that the vast majority of RV dealers also sell many other leisure products (snowmobiles, quads, motorcycles etc) and provide an array of other services (storage, service, etc.) we are considering a total of maybe 800 jobs lost across Canada if not one single new RV gets sold past today.
Let’s face it, most of today’s RV’s are “camping porn”. Double slide out, hardwood and tile floored, plasma satellite TV equipped, “camping porn”. In a time when “cutting back” and “eco-friendly” are the lexicons of the day, I can’t seem to work up a tear or a tax dollar for an industry built largely on excess and its “fluffer” salesmakers whose clientele can afford (at any time in history) a “tent to camp in” worth well over $75,000.
Maybe one less Rolex in the family might save the RV industry.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Canada's OJ?
When Colin Thatcher was convicted of killing his estranged wife Joanne Wilson in 1983 I had just graduated high school and had taken to hanging out at the “Vag”, a bar just down the street from where the murder occurred in Regina. There was little doubt in anybody's mind that if Thatcher didn't beat Wilson and shoot her in the head, then he knew who did. His story was quite a conversation piece among the regulars who dropped by
To put a finer point on it, the common view was that Colin Thatcher had a lot more to do with Wilson's murder than he admitted in public, and that no matter how much he spun what he thinks happened to the woman he clearly hated, he got what he deserved.
Now, Thatcher has written a book on his view of events, and his claim that he was framed. Personally, I don't think he should be allowed to tell his story, especially since he has already been convicted of her murder and already served his time.
I don't think the book is going to be as big of cash cow as Colin think, and that’s why he’s writing it. In the end, the book, much like Thatcher himself, will be riddled with lies, and it will do little to change the minds of those who firmly believe that based on the evidence presented at his trial, he still is, guilty of murder. I hope his story is going to fall on deaf ears.
Is it just me or is Colin Thatcher Canada’s equivalent to O.J. Simpson? Although Simpson was never convicted of the murder of his estranged wife the parallels are clear. Colin Thatcher is merely making a fool out of himself for wanting to write such a book. He's a killer and always will be, unless of course he is able to identify the "real" killer in his book.
I thought there was a law in Canada to prevent people from profiting from their crimes. I could be wrong about that, but if there’s not we should be outraged…there sure should be.
To put a finer point on it, the common view was that Colin Thatcher had a lot more to do with Wilson's murder than he admitted in public, and that no matter how much he spun what he thinks happened to the woman he clearly hated, he got what he deserved.
Now, Thatcher has written a book on his view of events, and his claim that he was framed. Personally, I don't think he should be allowed to tell his story, especially since he has already been convicted of her murder and already served his time.
I don't think the book is going to be as big of cash cow as Colin think, and that’s why he’s writing it. In the end, the book, much like Thatcher himself, will be riddled with lies, and it will do little to change the minds of those who firmly believe that based on the evidence presented at his trial, he still is, guilty of murder. I hope his story is going to fall on deaf ears.
Is it just me or is Colin Thatcher Canada’s equivalent to O.J. Simpson? Although Simpson was never convicted of the murder of his estranged wife the parallels are clear. Colin Thatcher is merely making a fool out of himself for wanting to write such a book. He's a killer and always will be, unless of course he is able to identify the "real" killer in his book.
I thought there was a law in Canada to prevent people from profiting from their crimes. I could be wrong about that, but if there’s not we should be outraged…there sure should be.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Pirates vs Ninjas
In the historical terms, a battle of pirates and ninjas would probably be more evenly matched than it is today. Flintlock muskets and cannon were more effective than shuriken and smoke bombs, indicating that the pirates would have an advantage in ranged warfare, but katana are deadlier than cutlasses, and martial arts skills gave the ninjas an edge up close. Ninjas were experts at stealth and deception; pirates were generally bigger and more straightforward. Ninjas have the edge in flying and stabbing, pirates excel at sailing and hacking. These are all legitimate, accurate hypotheses that unfortunately solve nothing. The debate usually ends up with both parties resigning themselves to the belief that the ninja would win if he had the element of surprise or in close-quarters combat, while the pirate would win a straight-up fight to the death, especially if he had plenty of space to work in.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
My Regina is Nicer
It’s nice that we got AC/DC, but does it really take a headline act as visibly prestigious as Walking with Dinosaurs, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith or U2 to get Regina off its collective Double Double Timmie-sized butt?
I love Regina. From its 100% hand planted urban forest to its world records. I was born here and have chosen to stay here. I am a cheerleader at the very least. I know that Regina is home to a diverse and active cultural community. I participate. There is never a shortage of things to do in my Regina. From the Library to the Cultural Exchange, from Taylor Field to the Cathedral Village to venues all over town there is something going on eight days out of seven in my Regina.
Here’s my problem; the many Regina residents who kvetch and kick, “There’s nothing to do…” and when presented with something (if not a plethora of things) to do….opt not to participate.
When some of the finest musical talent in rock and roll came through town to play with Velvet Revolver, we could only muster a quarter full house? Derek Edwards, a truly gifted comedian, played a couple of weeks ago, I’m sad to report, to a turnout reminiscent of a New Years day meeting of people who did not drink the night before. I could go on and on.
Granted, the summers are short, but we have what…a quarter of a million people here yet we can’t even support a racetrack, a roller rink, a water park or a kiddieland?
I think a lot of us are just buying tickets to these internationally renowned, brand name shows just to feel more metropolitan.
AC/DC is nice. My Regina is even nicer, you should see it sometime.
Anyone Need a Moral Compass?
My Moral Compass
How I will strive to leave the world a better place for future generations
· I will do no harm.
· I will accept responsibility for my personal actions and for their consequences.
· I will take care that my actions do not harm others.
· I will support the individual's right to self-determination.
· I will put the truth first.
· I will not use a person as an involuntary means to an end, even if the end benefits others.
· I will be honest.
· I will honour agreements.
Why do I need a moral compass?
Society places huge emphasis today on “core ethics”, “basic principals”, “shared values”, “a common moral framework”, blah, blah, blah…but no one seems to want to draw a clear definition of what these core fundamentals are. I’m not talking about broad stroke ethics, campaign promises or corporate mission statements; I’m talking about clear, fundamental principles. If you asked me yesterday what my ethical principles were I, like most people, had no Moral Compass to refer to. It occurred to me that I had better get one before someone accuses me of not having one. It was that thought that prompted me to define my own moral compass.
What is my moral compass?
My moral compass needed to be simple and cover three hundred and sixty degrees of my life, so I decided to design mine around eight points that could be applied as universally as possible. By defining my Moral Compass I can empower myself. By providing me a clear route through society’s increasingly complex ethical dilemmas it will enable me to have the moral courage to stand for what is right. It will do this by applying these consistently defined principles to day to day problems, rather than applying "my best intentions", which are my preference and not necessarily ethical.
Will I share my Moral Compass?
I am right now, it was shared with me from a number of sources through my research and I feel that it is imperative to share it with others. In today’s global village the sooner we begin to share global values the better. At no other time in history has it been more important to the survival and progress of mankind.
Mine might not be the best one or the only one but you are welcome to it if you need one.
Bishop, A. (2005) 'Moral principles defined: a decision-making perspective', Int. J. Management and Decision Making, Vol. 6, Nos. 3/4, pp.326-333.
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=3574
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moral+compass
http://moralcompass.org/content/view/29/36/
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Most People Don't Bluff Worth a Damn
I found this article at www.nononsenseselfdefense.com, these excerpts seem very topical in view of events in Regina and Saskatoon in recent days.
Marc grew up in the streets of Los Angeles. His first stepfather was a Mexican who survived growing up in East LA. In both the barrio where his stepfather had grown up and the ethnically mixed neighborhood where Marc was raised weapons were a part of life. You had them, you carried them, and you used them. Amazingly enough one of the first lessons Marc was taught by his stepfather had to do with responsibility of your actions:
"Don't carry a knife unless you are willing to pull it. Don't pull it unless you are willing to use it. Don't use it unless you are willing to kill with it. And don't kill unless you are willing to spend the rest of your life in prison -- or die."
This philosophy was ingrained in him. From the second you picked up that weapon and put it in your pocket, you knew this was not a game. It was life and death. And you made that decision calmly and rationally. With a weapon, you were operating to a higher standard because the repercussions were far worse. When you have the ability to take a life, you cannot give into to momentary impulses and whims of ego. Now, granted, in the heat and passion of youth, that standard was not always met. With age, maturity and professional experience, the wisdom of that saying proved true to Marc again and again.
If you have a weapon you have to abide by higher standards. And meeting that standard is pretty much the crux of the whole gun-control debate.
A weapon is not for bluffing It's not about winning, it's about surviving. And before you pick up a weapon you need to know the difference.
Can you, in a moment of calm reflection, decide that you are willing to take another human life in order to protect your life or those of your loved ones. And live with the consequences for the rest of your life?
Can you make this decision, knowing full well that if you pull the trigger it would destroy life as you know it?
Because that is what I am talking about.
Unfortunately, most people don't know the difference between winning and surviving. "Winning" is an emotional, ego-based impulse that you have to "prove something to someone else" (i.e., that they are wrong, or that they messed with the wrong person, or that they don't have 'power' over you, etc., etc.). In short, "winning" is about fighting to prove you are right(1).
Whereas "surviving" isn't about being right, it's about being alive. It is knowing that when you pull that trigger, everything you might have thought you would "win" will be destroyed. It is the willingness to throw aside all emotional motivation for the fight, every rule and standard you normally live your life by and do whatever is necessary in order to see the sun rise tomorrow.
Most people don't realize this difference and end up trying to "win" by displaying a weapon in order to "scare away" danger. Unfortunately, this is "bluffing." And as in poker, your bluff can be called.
Lt. Colonel David Grossman in his book, On Killing, postulates that the old "fight or flight" model is flawed for same-species interaction in that it doesn't include two other important alternatives. These other options are "posturing" and "submission." The relevance of these cannot be understated as it fills in a serious hole in the old model.
It is most often through posturing (threat display) that we hope to drive away or cause others to submit (so we "win"). Now whether this is to gain self-esteem by intimidating others or because we are desperately hoping that our display will frighten another off so we don't have to physically fight doesn't really matter. Posturing plays an important role in many, if not most, conflicts.
Posturing can either be a legitimate display of danger (like a rattlesnake's buzz or a dog's hackles going up before a fight) or it can be a bluff to make the bluffer look too big to attack (like a cockatoo's crest or a cat fluffing and arching).
The problem is most people can't bluff worth a damn.
It is not uncommon for a person who does not feel their display is working to increase the level and degree of posturing. When you have two like-minded people engaged in conflict, posturing behavior can escalate out of control. It is literally like two people in a poker game locked into an endless round of bluffing by raising the ante, hoping that the other person will decide to fold. They become so enmeshed in this spiral, they feel they cannot "back down."
Unfortunately, it is also extremely common for people feeling threatened to pull a weapon and display it to show exactly how dangerous they are. It is almost as if the person were saying, "See how dangerous I am!?! Now, quit threatening me and go away!"
This is flawed thinking in both cases, especially if it is in the middle of a heated and emotional argument. It is common in emotional situations for the person, whom the display is supposed to scare away, to instead to increase his threat display. This causes the other person to escalate as well.
Quite literally, if the person the bluffer is trying to scare away doesn't scare, the bluffer will try to escalate it further. And in this mindset, there is only one way to go from brandishing a weapon if the other the person doesn't back off. This is quite literally why the most common -- and stupidest -- last words of people shot in these circumstances is "You ain't got the guts (to pull the trigger)." Don't laugh and don't think we're making it up. It is true.
From an outside perspective, it may seem incredible. But for people caught up in having to "win," this is a common response to the increased posturing via a weapon by the other party. It happens -- a lot. It is equally unbelievable that someone waving a gun around threatening to kill someone a second before is now standing there in shock because he just shot someone. But that too happens -- a lot. In the heat of the moment all sorts of stupid things make sense to the participants, it's only afterwards that reality comes crashing back in, but by then it is too late.
Furthermore, if someone is brandishing a weapon in hopes of scaring a violent person away, her body language is going to be significantly different than someone who will, without hesitation, pull the trigger to stop an attacker.
Here's the problem: A violent person knows the difference. While the latter will usually convince him not to try anything, the former often will enrage him so much that he attacks. And unfortunately, there is often hesitation to pull the trigger when the bluff, doesn't work which is all it takes for an attacker to overwhelm someone.
Which brings us back to the "childhood lesson:" Don't pull a weapon if you aren't willing to use it. If you are relying on it to scare someone away so you don't have to use it, you shouldn't have one.
Marc grew up in the streets of Los Angeles. His first stepfather was a Mexican who survived growing up in East LA. In both the barrio where his stepfather had grown up and the ethnically mixed neighborhood where Marc was raised weapons were a part of life. You had them, you carried them, and you used them. Amazingly enough one of the first lessons Marc was taught by his stepfather had to do with responsibility of your actions:
"Don't carry a knife unless you are willing to pull it. Don't pull it unless you are willing to use it. Don't use it unless you are willing to kill with it. And don't kill unless you are willing to spend the rest of your life in prison -- or die."
This philosophy was ingrained in him. From the second you picked up that weapon and put it in your pocket, you knew this was not a game. It was life and death. And you made that decision calmly and rationally. With a weapon, you were operating to a higher standard because the repercussions were far worse. When you have the ability to take a life, you cannot give into to momentary impulses and whims of ego. Now, granted, in the heat and passion of youth, that standard was not always met. With age, maturity and professional experience, the wisdom of that saying proved true to Marc again and again.
If you have a weapon you have to abide by higher standards. And meeting that standard is pretty much the crux of the whole gun-control debate.
A weapon is not for bluffing It's not about winning, it's about surviving. And before you pick up a weapon you need to know the difference.
Can you, in a moment of calm reflection, decide that you are willing to take another human life in order to protect your life or those of your loved ones. And live with the consequences for the rest of your life?
Can you make this decision, knowing full well that if you pull the trigger it would destroy life as you know it?
Because that is what I am talking about.
Unfortunately, most people don't know the difference between winning and surviving. "Winning" is an emotional, ego-based impulse that you have to "prove something to someone else" (i.e., that they are wrong, or that they messed with the wrong person, or that they don't have 'power' over you, etc., etc.). In short, "winning" is about fighting to prove you are right(1).
Whereas "surviving" isn't about being right, it's about being alive. It is knowing that when you pull that trigger, everything you might have thought you would "win" will be destroyed. It is the willingness to throw aside all emotional motivation for the fight, every rule and standard you normally live your life by and do whatever is necessary in order to see the sun rise tomorrow.
Most people don't realize this difference and end up trying to "win" by displaying a weapon in order to "scare away" danger. Unfortunately, this is "bluffing." And as in poker, your bluff can be called.
Lt. Colonel David Grossman in his book, On Killing, postulates that the old "fight or flight" model is flawed for same-species interaction in that it doesn't include two other important alternatives. These other options are "posturing" and "submission." The relevance of these cannot be understated as it fills in a serious hole in the old model.
It is most often through posturing (threat display) that we hope to drive away or cause others to submit (so we "win"). Now whether this is to gain self-esteem by intimidating others or because we are desperately hoping that our display will frighten another off so we don't have to physically fight doesn't really matter. Posturing plays an important role in many, if not most, conflicts.
Posturing can either be a legitimate display of danger (like a rattlesnake's buzz or a dog's hackles going up before a fight) or it can be a bluff to make the bluffer look too big to attack (like a cockatoo's crest or a cat fluffing and arching).
The problem is most people can't bluff worth a damn.
It is not uncommon for a person who does not feel their display is working to increase the level and degree of posturing. When you have two like-minded people engaged in conflict, posturing behavior can escalate out of control. It is literally like two people in a poker game locked into an endless round of bluffing by raising the ante, hoping that the other person will decide to fold. They become so enmeshed in this spiral, they feel they cannot "back down."
Unfortunately, it is also extremely common for people feeling threatened to pull a weapon and display it to show exactly how dangerous they are. It is almost as if the person were saying, "See how dangerous I am!?! Now, quit threatening me and go away!"
This is flawed thinking in both cases, especially if it is in the middle of a heated and emotional argument. It is common in emotional situations for the person, whom the display is supposed to scare away, to instead to increase his threat display. This causes the other person to escalate as well.
Quite literally, if the person the bluffer is trying to scare away doesn't scare, the bluffer will try to escalate it further. And in this mindset, there is only one way to go from brandishing a weapon if the other the person doesn't back off. This is quite literally why the most common -- and stupidest -- last words of people shot in these circumstances is "You ain't got the guts (to pull the trigger)." Don't laugh and don't think we're making it up. It is true.
From an outside perspective, it may seem incredible. But for people caught up in having to "win," this is a common response to the increased posturing via a weapon by the other party. It happens -- a lot. It is equally unbelievable that someone waving a gun around threatening to kill someone a second before is now standing there in shock because he just shot someone. But that too happens -- a lot. In the heat of the moment all sorts of stupid things make sense to the participants, it's only afterwards that reality comes crashing back in, but by then it is too late.
Furthermore, if someone is brandishing a weapon in hopes of scaring a violent person away, her body language is going to be significantly different than someone who will, without hesitation, pull the trigger to stop an attacker.
Here's the problem: A violent person knows the difference. While the latter will usually convince him not to try anything, the former often will enrage him so much that he attacks. And unfortunately, there is often hesitation to pull the trigger when the bluff, doesn't work which is all it takes for an attacker to overwhelm someone.
Which brings us back to the "childhood lesson:" Don't pull a weapon if you aren't willing to use it. If you are relying on it to scare someone away so you don't have to use it, you shouldn't have one.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Google announces free in-home wireless broadband service
Google announces free in-home wireless broadband service
"Dark porcelain" project offers self-installed plumbing-based Internet access
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1, 2009 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Google TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems. The Toilet Internet Service Provider (TiSP) project is a self-installed, ad-supported online service that will be offered entirely free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC and a toilet connected to a local municipal sewage system.
"We've got that whole organizing-the-world's-information thing more or less under control," said Google Co-founder and President Larry Page, a longtime supporter of so-called "dark porcelain" research and development. "What's interesting, though, is how many different modalities there are for actually getting that information to you - not to mention from you."
For years, data carriers have confronted the "last hundred yards" problem for delivering data from local networks into individual homes. Now Google has successfully devised a "last hundred smelly yards" solution that takes advantage of preexisting plumbing and sewage systems and their related hydraulic data-transmission capabilities. "There's actually a thriving little underground community that's been studying this exact solution for a long time," says Page. "And today our Toilet ISP team is pleased to be leading the way through the sewers, up out of your toilet and - splat - right onto your PC."
Users who sign up online for the TiSP system will receive a full home self-installation kit, which includes a spindle of fiber-optic cable, a TiSP wireless router, installation CD and setup guide. Home installation is a simple matter of GFlushing™ the fiber-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router. Within sixty minutes, the Access Node's crack team of Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers (PHDs) should have your internet connection up and running.
"I couldn't be more excited about, and am only slightly grossed out by, this remarkable new product," said Marissa Mayer, Google's Vice President of Search Products and User Experience. "I firmly believe TiSP will be a breakthrough product, particularly for those users who, like Larry himself, do much of their best thinking in the bathroom."
Interested consumers, contractually obligated partners and deeply skeptical and quietly competitive backbiters can learn more about TiSP at http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html.
About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. wannabes Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
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