I’ve heard rumors of rumors, that the honey bees are disappearing mysteriously—leaving their hives to pollinate, not returning home, and dying often miles from their hive. The first that I’d heard of this was from my parents a week ago; an old schoolmate of mine has a few beehives and her bees have been not returning to the hive. I think she’s lost a few colonies already.

Well, because I don’t watch too much of the news anymore these days, I was oblivious to this latest development: disappearing bees… and on a global scale.

As with any quest for knowledge, I asked the great and all-seeing Google, is it true that the honey bees [are] disappearing? I wasn’t prepared for the deluge of information, with article after article citing various region after region experiencing a decline in their bee population—an alarming figure of 30 to 90% of our bee population is gone, varying of course by region.

The cause seems to be partially illusive, but scientists say that there are a few contributing factors: the radiation and waveforms produced from mobile phones, mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops. While scientists haven’t conclusively proven the cause, my money is on the combination of pesticides and both the the radiation and waveforms produced from mobile phones and the signal towers.

One article stated:

In some cases, 70 percent of bees exposed to radiation failed to find their way back to the hive after searching for pollen and nectar, according to the research by Landau University of Koblenz. Link to study (in German).

According to the study, radiation from cell phones disorients the bees and destroys their ability to communicate.

“When bees are exposed to signals from cell phones, they can’t find their way. They get no nutrition and consequently die,” said Dr. George l. Carlo, chairman of the Safewireless Initiative.

If you ask me, I think that between our consumerism and the driving force to have the latest technology, we’re going to create our own famine. With a rapidly declining population of bees, we’ll be hard-pressed to pollinate our crops, which in turn translates into failing crops, which results in little food. One would hope this nation of ours would rise to the cause and solve the problem in an eco-friendly manner, but as long as we’re driven by what we want and not what we need, I think we’re going to walk willingly into disastrous consequences.

I’d like to think that we could turn this around, but our culture has become so consumed with electronic devices, wireless technology, and more of the latest and greatest things to come about. And I’m just as guilty. But we are becoming more and more dependent upon things we just don’t need—iPods, mobile phones, more than one computer, lots of entertainment consoles, etc.

It’s also startling to think about just how many devices are becoming wireless. I had just recently purchased a wireless USB transmitter for our TIVO unit, so I could transfer recordings over to my computer. But it hasn’t been until yesterday that I really started to wonder about all the wireless frequencies that we’re being bombarded with. Wireless networks, mobile phones, HD radio, signals from satellites.

But after these reports about mobile phones and the radiation they produce, I’d have to say I’m more inclined to get rid of my mobile phone than contribute to a nation-wide famine of biblical proportions. I don’t mean to sound apocalyptic, sporting a doomsday theory, but Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, “man would have only four years of life left.” That perspective could be construed as extreme, but a major disruption to our food production would not only have a damaging fiscal impact, it could have terrible implications upon our nation’s ability to survive. Kind of ironic how we, a world super-power, can be brought down by such a simple thing—a self-induced food production crisis.

Is it possible that in the quest to have the biggest and the best, that our nation could fall victim to our own insatiable drive to have more? While I’m no techno-phobe and love gadgets along with the next person, I think technology is going to offer us a choice—use it responsibly in ethical and moral proportions and live well, or continue in the track we’re in now and face the prospect of famine and the struggle to live at all.

Gloomy post, I know. Sorry.

But how can we not see this coming? The climate is changing rapidly, our carbon emissions are off the chart, famous mountain-tops are losing their snow caps, bees and other pollinators are disappearing, frogs are also disappearing. I think that unless drastic changes are made within our culture, these will be the least of our worries.

Filed under: Awareness, Culture
5 Comments

I had a quick thought pass my mind as I was looking through stock photography, in search of images for my employer’s home page. I had been looking for photos on istockphoto.com with the keywords “business” and “smiling (expression)” and had a pretty good selection to choose from; but that’s not what I want to comment on.

With a selection of mostly white people, I wanted to diversify my options—so I added the keyword “ethnic.” It was then the thought occurred to me, why am I searching with the term “ethnic” with the hopes of finding people of other nationalities? I am just as much “ethnic” as the next person.

Of course, most of us with the American persuasion have come to think of ethnic as correlating to countries of origin like Africa, China, India, or other countries of stark differences from our own. But to say that I, as an American with Swedish, Norwegian, German, and Irish decent, am not as “ethnic” is just not true; a misnomer I’ve never really given much thought to before.

The movement towards becoming politically correct has spurred us into ensuring all of our collateral has imagery that diversely represents your audience. But I think it has brought with it a set of issues when it comes to terminology. We place keywords like “ethnic” based upon our own context—if they’re descendants from another country and obviously look different, they’re “ethnic.”

Anyway, that was just a thought that raced past me this afternoon.

Filed under: Awareness, Culture, General
1 Comment

I had a weird feeling just a moment ago that brought be back years ago.

Frustrated with the pressure of coming up with a logo for a client and the void of creativity that I was experiencing, I decided to surf Google for awhile and see what the competition was doing. That was uneventful, as it seems other job bank providers haven’t given much thought to branding, identity development, and the power of a logo. ‘Course it doesn’t help that the idea of a job bank doesn’t lend itself to a metaphor very easily—at least one that hasn’t been exhausted already.

Then I came across caljobs.ca.gov, and was greeted by the banner saying, “Welcome to California.” Of course I know that I physically haven’t arrived in California, but thinking about that just for a moment brought me back to when the internet was still quite new (to the general public).

I remember when web-based radio was a new thing and you could listen to radio stations on the other side of the planet; specifically I remember just how fascinating it was to hear through my computer what others were hearing then and there with their radios. The idea of connecting personally or virtually to another part of the world was such an incredible concept, I remember thinking that the possibilities would be so vast and virtually unlimited, save for the language barrier.

Now I think about how easy it is for people to access news and information about this and that, and how small our world has become. While it can be such a great thing, having access to such a wealth of information, it can be explosive.

I think about how crowded the world seems to be these days with the clash of ideas, civilizations, values, politics, and religion—and how the fuel for fighting one’s cause only seems to burn hotter with the ease of propagating an ideal. While I’d love to think humanity could rise above themselves and peacefully coexist despite our differences, I can’t help but to see only disaster.

I also think about how extremists have harnessed both the internet and the innocent to further their cause—cultivating a seething hatred for those that think differently, look differently, worship differently, and live differently. Bush calls them terrorists, but they’re all just different people that have extremely different values. The only difference is that some of those people use extreme measures of violence to defend their own perception of freedom.

But what is freedom for one person might be prison for another.

I think that some places in the world weren’t ready for the liberation of information through the internet. Bad news (however you define that) has a sort of encroaching, crowding sensation about it; and can have a number of effects on a person. Some might get stressed, others concerned, and some might protest or resist through demonstration. Some also use violence and force to push back the “aggressor’s” foreign ideas to preserve their own.

I know generalizing is bad and leaves too many gaping holes, but I think that the crisis in the middle east (though very complicated) seems to be only fueled by the West’s creeping ideals and values, thus bringing a clash between world views and the violent resistance we see from various factions.

I wish there were a better way to fix this mess—the conflict between people that think differently. But as long as people feel threatened in any way, there’s always going to be a violent response from those that don’t feel the freedom and safety to negotiate. I wish there could be an end to the cyclical violence.

Welcome to the world.

Filed under: Awareness, Culture, General, Politics
No Comments

My wife takes her car to Jiffy Lube for oil changes on a fairly regular basis—regular as deemed by her mileage of course. Well, this morning after getting her oil changed, and leaving their parking lot, she noticed the Saturn running really badly. VERY badly.

She drove around the block, and literally as she pulled back into the Jiffy Lube parking lot, her car died. Unable to jump the car, the employees there thought with their divine wisdom that the battery was dead—even though her headlights were on, the dashboard lights visible, etc.

Another patron thought the starter might be dead. I’m sorry, but starters just don’t die like that without first showing signs of wear.

So we had the car towed to the Saturn Dealership, Natalie told the mechanic there about her experience with Jiffy Lube, and they looked into the problem with the car. Well, their discovery?

The engine seized up. Apparently Jiffy Lube drained the oil but didn’t put any back in. The evidence that points to this fact, is that there was still dirty oil behind the filter.

So it goes without saying that Jiffy Lube will be purchasing a brand new engine for us, which will run them an $8,000 bill plus the cost of a loaner car for us until our car is fixed. If they refuse to pay for a new engine and opt for the engine to be repaired (which will cost half as much), they had better give us incentive to simply have our engine fixed and make it worth our while.

I think we’re done here with Jiffy Lube (and other oil changing services for that matter). I think I’d rather have Saturn changing our oil—we’d also get a free car wash and vacuum out of the deal, too.

Filed under: Awareness, General
2 Comments

Who would have thought I could experience the genesis of so much change and so quickly—and within a two-day period. Last of all, it would have been me. I’ve come to expect a gratifying amount of mediocrity in my life and a pacifying amount of apathy—enough to keep me sedated day-to-day, just going through the motions.

(more…)

Filed under: Awareness, General
1 Comment

I can’t believe that it’s taken this long, but I’ve finally seen the movie “The Constant Gardner.” It is perhaps one of the more important films to see this decade. If you haven’t seen the movie, you need to add it to your must-own or must-rent-this-weekend list.

While the story is fiction—about a British couple caught in the middle of a massive cover-up and conspiracy with regards to drug companies testing a particular drug on African citizens dealing with the onset of tuberculosis. The drug, while successful in treating TB in many people, it was also found to kill a number of others. Those deaths were covered up and the the British couple were caught up in the mess of it all.

The story is fiction, but there is probably more truth than some might wish to acknowledge. Why else would there be a need for the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use? I’m sure there has been some unsavory tests done on the innocent—or as the big pharmaceuticals might see as expendable people. The mentality being, “they’re going to die anyway.”

How many luxuries do we consume or purchase or take advantage of, that were created or produced by and or through the exploitation of other people? It’s no secret that our electronic goods are mass manufactured by those only being paid a few hundred (or less) per month—working twelve-hour days, sleeping in crammed dormitory conditions and making barely enough to pay for food. All for the sake of our mobile phones. Our iPods. Our personal computers. And by purchasing such goods we only propagate the problem further, fulfilling our perceived needs and our deepest wishes and wants with goods produced by those who are not fairly compensated. God only knows the people that were also exploited along the way to help satisfy our hunger for more.

And I’m guilty—right along with everyone else. I’m driven by desire to have the coolest gadgets. I’ve got the 60 GB iPod Video. My wife and I have nice LG mobile phones. We’ve got a good camera and lenses. We have more electronic gadgets than I know what to do with. We own so much. Too much.

I can’t help but to feel some ounce of remorse—remorse for what I have done to fuel the god of capitalism and propagated the exploitation of people in developing nations. Do I have proof that this has happened? Maybe not direct evidence, but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise. Exploiting the “lesser of these” for personal gain and profit is not a new phenomenon. The Old Testament records a history exploit at the hands of kings and pharaohs. But it has this way of causing me to be still, take care to think about how things reach us, and wonder with some level of scrutiny if this product could have been produced in a more ethical, responsible and humane manner with little or no impact upon our planet, upon societies and people’s right to a humane life.

I’m glad that my wife and I didn’t go Christmas shopping this year, contributing to the supposed .5% increase in sales over the holiday season. Instead, we’re going to both reduce our debt and also give some of our money to help those that have not. I just have to believe that there is more to this life than needing one more gadget or one more thing that will end up breaking in two years and filling up some landfill south of the metro area.

Of course, I’m referring to needless consumer items that have little or no possibility of adding value to the lives of others without degrading or exploiting another. Mobile phones are a perfect example of that. These days we all can’t imagine life without them—we’re joined at the hip. Literally. But I remember life without them, too. And funny thing, we actually managed to do just fine without them.

Is it progress? Perhaps to some extent. But what negative footprint has this left on the planet? On other cultures and people groups? Could we have found a better way of creating what we have?

Just thoughts. A lot of thoughts, sure—but it’s stuff that I feel American culture overlooks. We love stuff…to a fault.

Filed under: Awareness, Websites
1 Comment

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Filed under: Awareness, Politics
No Comments

It’s no secret that I’ve been angry with the current Administration and how terribly they’ve been running our fine nation.  I don’t really consider myself a democrat, but I’m also most certainly not a republican.  Thing is, I don’t really see myself as being libertarian or independent, so that leaves me somewhere in the middle, begging for the two majority parties to stop their nonsensical partisan crap-ass-battles and see things for what they are from the perspective of the people.  Unfortunately it seems our government seems to be overlooking the fundamental role of government: representation.  For the people, by the people.

But I’m not the only one.  Even a good friend of mine (who leans Republican), has reached an all new level of pissed off with the current ass-first administration.

As much as I don’t like all of the democrat standpoints, they sure beat the narrow-minded, blind-sighted republican party.  The democrats will also be getting my vote, too. 

Filed under: Awareness, Politics
No Comments

Well, it looks like the Pope has sure stirred up the hive today with his speach in Germany earlier today. Here’s an excerpt from that speach with the lines in question emboldened:

I was reminded of all this recently, when I read the edition by Professor Theodore Khoury (Münster) of part of the dialogue carried on - perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara - by the erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both. It was presumably the emperor himself who set down this dialogue, during the siege of Constantinople between 1394 and 1402; and this would explain why his arguments are given in greater detail than those of his Persian interlocutor. The dialogue ranges widely over the structures of faith contained in the Bible and in the Qur’an, and deals especially with the image of God and of man, while necessarily returning repeatedly to the relationship between - as they were called - three “Laws” or “rules of life”: the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Qur’an. It is not my intention to discuss this question in the present lecture; here I would like to discuss only one point - itself rather marginal to the dialogue as a whole - which, in the context of the issue of “faith and reason”, I found interesting and which can serve as the starting-point for my reflections on this issue.

In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that surah 2, 256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur’an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the “Book” and the “infidels”, he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”. The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. “God”, he says, “is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats… To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death…”.

Here’s my own two cents on the issue with what he said AND the general response from the Islamic/muslim community around the globe.

First on the Pope’s poor use of context and examples. It’s true that some facets of the Islamic faith have brought about war and violence in the name of their religion and furthering their ideals. History displays it clearly through the actions of various fundamentalists. But funny how the Pope left out the fact that the catholic church had it’s own glaring chapter in history with the inquisition and torture of non-believers into conformity and “faith” in the church.

Rule number one: when you need to point out someone’s flaws, make sure you include your own to level out the playing field as not to just pick on one group of people. So, in some respects I can empathize with the moderate and conservative muslims that practice their religion with love and respect.

With that said, you almost have to admit that in general people of the Islamic faith and tradition have not done a whole lot to positively counter the general public’s perception of the followers of Muhammad. We are bombarded almost on a daily basis with news of some Islamic fundamentalist bombing this or doing that or expressing uninhibited rage towards something that someone else said or did. Let’s face it, they don’t take public criticism very well. Granted I don’t either, but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t try to respond respectfully and in a manner that doesn’t further propogate what I’m being criticized for.

Mohammed Mahda Akef of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood was quoted saying, “The remarks do not express correct understanding of Islam and are merely wrong and distorted beliefs being repeated in the West.” I’m sure there are a lot of distorted perceptions in the West concerning the Islamic faith; much like there are a lot of misunderstandings of the Christian faith in the Middle East. But the question that is raised in my mind is, if the Pope was so wrong by quoting a 14th century emporer’s observations, why does it appear that the general reaction of the muslim community only feeds the perception that they are an angry, violent bunch?

Mohandas Gandhi was once quoted saying, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” If you want people to treat you with more respect, you have to be more respectful. If you want people to love you more, you must love those that do not love you in return. If you want people to believe what you do, you must first earn the trust and credibility from those that believe different than you. Suffice to say, if the general muslim community wants “the West” to see them as anything but a war-mongering, intollerant and violent religion, then they need to exhibit and display peace in the midst of conflict, tollerance among those that think or believe differently and love for your enemies when it is so easy to errupt with violence out of hate.

I’m just calling it as I see it folks. I’m not saying the Pope was right and that the muslim community was wrong. What I am saying is that both sides have a lot of baggage to address and have some serious PR problems. The Pope does have to take some time to address the skeletons in our historic closet. The world is just too small these days to make blanket statements without covering your ass first and leveling the playing field in a manner that doesn’t judge unfairly. Equally on the other side of the coin, the muslim community also has to take some time to address the fact that they have a not-so-radiant history and rogue followers that aren’t offering any help in improving the global image of Islam.

I’m not judging either side or condemning one or the other—but what I AM saying is that both sides need to love more and to be the change that they wish to see in the world and not impose it on one another.

Filed under: Awareness, Christian Subculture, Politics, Spirituality
No Comments

Filed under: Awareness, Politics
No Comments