Well, I’ve totally consumed with building a new deck around the pool, but it rained like hell today so didn’t get too much accomplished.

I did overhear some interesting political conversations and was again struck with how divided we have become as a nation over prejudice, ignorance or just plain old stupidity. We have people who wouldn’t consider voting for Hillary, just because….. because they don’t like her or because she’s a SHE or some reason they probably couldn’t elaborate. Some won’t vote for Obama because he’s black, wouldn’t vote for McCain because he’s too white, won’t vote for Ron Paul because he’s too good to be true, and be firmly committed to that stance without even considering their policies and/or character. It’s because,,, well it’s just because that’s why.

I just hope that Barack and Hillary quit fighting and figure this thing out. If they keep bashing each other they are just doing McCain’s dirty work for him. If they are both deadlocked and beat up by convention time, then odds are we will have 4 more years of “stay the course”.

Don’t let it happen, please.

PEACE!

The sage

I was just discussing with the big boss today the good old days when all of your family was in one place. We had been talking about funerals as it seems there is a spate of them lately and how that seems to be the only occasion that you get together with family and old friends. While I’m sure there are some families in some areas that are all still together in their cozy neighborhood, it seems that many people I know and work with have relatives flung to the far reaches of the globe.

I can recall as a kid how my brothers and me along with our many cousins would all get together and go camping or a watermelon feast in the back yard or the big family reunion every summer at Kidd Springs. While my closest cousins still do their best to keep the family close, its getting harder and harder as I’m 200 miles away and my other brother is at the other end of the state and it seems everyone has gone their own way. I’m beginning to think that is a wonderful memory that fewer people will get to enjoy. My own kids have few relatives that are close by. After the big D, I was gone so their exposure to my family was limited. Her family is spread as far as UK with only one brother close by. They don’t seem to know or care about the simple pleasures of the family reunion, romping with the cousins at the spring, and all that family fun that made my childhood so memorable.  Now they are almost grown and I find this on my list of life’s regrets.

We are all so busy and preoccupied to notice the dispersion. I think its part of what is wrong with the country. During those carefree days I took it all for granted and now all those dear people that made it so are dead and buried. Don’t let yours pass by, cherish all those family events even if your brother-in-law is a jerk. There may be a day you won’t get the chance again. Think about it.

PEACE!!

The Sage

The third leg of my 3E rant addresses the economy and to me the solution is obvious. Don’t spend more than you got. Aside from the average Joe who has more credit card debt than he can shake a stick at, our own government has got us so deep in debt that our children will still be trying to pay it off when they are old and gray. I could go on about how amazing it is that a mere eight years ago we were in the black for the first time in about 50 years. I could also go on to point out how one madman and his private war are more important that trying to straighten things out, but I won’t go into that.

For those of you that are eyeball deep in debt, living in a house thats twice as expensive as you really need, drive a way too expensive car, and own every new gadget from an iPod to 60″ plasma, don’t come whining to me. I’m in the same boat but I make more money than you, just broke at a different level. The point is that if you spend more than you make, duh, you’ll be in financial hard times before too long. It also takes away from your effective earning power. This is because of a neat little trick that very rich people and companies have learned called interest. Because when someone advances you money they want a little extra for the trouble. The problem is that even though it sounds like just a little bit to charge you 5% interest on your mortgage, over a 30 loan period on a $200,000 mortgage, you pay back the $200k plus $250,000 in interest. Credit cards are more different, you want it now but you will pay much more than what you thought you were paying because of simple interest.

How people make it on minimum wage jobs is beyond me. There are some hard working folks out there earning less than $250 a week. I earn that much before noon and still seem to have a hard time making ends meet. No help from Uncle Sam who walks around with his hand in my pocket. This year for tax year 2007 I paid more than the average American makes, more than a third of my income for what? I should be able to have say in where that money goes and I sure don’t want some Haliburton contractor sticking it in their pocket. I know this sounds like whining and I confess it is. All I know is that handing everybody $600 and telling them to go out and spend it is no economic stimulus package. I’m proud of our rookie Senator Corker for calling bullshit on that move. Just shows what a bunch of morons we got up there. Jeez whatta bunch a morons.

Ok so I’m no economist so whats the point Sage? The point is as I said in the first paragraph, don’t spend more than you take in. With all the borrowing we are doing as a country, the fed dropping interests rates which drives the dollar down, which drives oil up which causes hardships on those poor slobs making $7/hr. Ok so the Sage don’t know all the answers except for what I consistently say, kick all those bums out of Washington and lets take back our country. Check out the National Initiative for Democracy. This is the only idea I’ve seen that can help us take back what is rightfully ours.

PEACE!!

The Sage

To continue on my current 3E rant, I will focus on education and what I consider to be a badly misunderstood concept. First let me say that aside from being a graduate with multiple degrees, my bona fides include 12 years of work experience in higher education mostly in the IT and telecommunications but also in front of the classroom. I can say with absolute confidence that higher education is not the answer for every person in their pursuit of the American dream. If you think that a college degree is your ticket to easy street, think again.

No I’m not trashing higher ed, there is plenty of opportunity for those willing to work with the limits that a bachelors degree offers. If you aren’t going to get a technical, medical or specialty degree then a post graduate route is your only chance for a decent job. If you think a B.A. in English will pave the road you are better off foregoing the time and expense of State U and striking out straight out of high school as an entrepreneur or trade. If the English degree is important for your writing ambitions then go for it but don’t count on that degree to get you a JOB. A bachelors degree from any decent school will suffice, but if you want more consider your masters at a more prestigious institution.

Consider that the national average for a state public university costs around $50,000 for 4 years and over $100k for private institutions. There are other numbers out there that would double those amounts but I got this from Uncle Sam so take that with a grain of salt. If you are a scholar or athlete and can manage a scholarship, or your parents have deep pockets then you are part of a privileged monority. The rest of us had to either borrow or work our way through. Those estimates don’t consider all the other costs like gas and beer.

And another thing, where did everyone get the big idea that you learn everything you need to know in college. I got news for you, about the only thing you learn in college is how to learn. It can give you the basic tools and concepts but don’t get the idea you will immediately know everything you need to know for your JOB. In fact its been my experience that few college professors have actually had a real job. Most are professional students that got a bachelors, liked it so well they decided to do a masters and while they were at it went on to to get that phd or as I like to refer to it piled higher and deeper. Universities need to do a better job of teaching practical skills. There are of course the exceptions but few of us can actually qualify or afford to go to MIT or Wharton.

What’s the alternative? Well ask one of the richest guys in the world, Bill Gates. That’s right Bill was a college dropout and masterful entrepreneur who took an idea and lots of ambitions to dizzying heights. Granted there are VERY few that fall into that category but many of the most wealthy people I know who didn’t get it the old fashioned way, inherit it, started out as a common laborer or selling whatever. If you don’t go the college route and don’t buy into the 9 - 5 grind of the JOB, you would have a 4 or 5 year jump on your compadres that went off to college.

Speaking of the JOB, I bought into the old fashioned notion that the way to the American dream was a career as an engineer with a wife and 3 kids. The big D (not Dallas), disenchantment with the paycheck route have convinced me that there has to be a better way. Don’t get me wrong I make good money on the JOB but having to go to work is not fun. If you have a job you love then you are truly blessed. No matter how much money you make, if you don’t enjoy your work, the loss of self respect, the drag on your psyche and health are hardly worth it.

One of the greatest lessons in life I learned from my father who preached above all the need for a good dose of common sense. I’ve always been ‘book smart’ but struggled with this concept that comes so easy for those that come home smelling like crap but are as happy as they can be. Of course they don’t make much money but they know they have to live within their means and are content. You certainly aren’t taught that in school.

I only focus here on higher and leave early education as a given. It is vitally important for so many reasons but my only comment has to do with the pressures put on kids to excel by both parents and teachers. Yes kids need to learn to learn and the essentials are absolutely necessary but they’re kids for cryin’ out loud. Let them be kids for a while and lets not make such a big deal about not making the honor roll. I’m no psychologist but its got to have lasting, detrimental effects on kids when they don’t exceed your expectations.

So what’s the point of all this? Too much emphasis is placed on “going to college” but not enough on what career paths to pursue. Consider the current crisis in Information Technology. Depending on who you talk to there is a severe shortage of qualified IT workers. Not enough skilled workers they say. I suspect there is some truth to that but also think companies put to much emphasis on exactly matching their needs to whats on someone’s resume, but thats another rant. Going along with the shortage theory, why does this require a college degree? Some of sharpest and brightest IT folks I know didn’t go to school and if you are in IT you know it is truly a life long learning experience. As an IT director, I go more for practical experience and certifications. A computer science degree has little bearing on whether you are a good IT worker.

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn’t take that plunge into the entrepreneurial world sooner while I still had big dreams and plenty of energy. Now my dream is to get out from under the mortgage and other debt that comes with “successful” life. Just remember kiddies, everyone is in debt just at different levels, but that is also another story. Don’t be too enamored with a degree, life experience and a sharp mind is far more important. Go for it!

PEACE

The Sage

In line with some of the subject matter I tend to write about, I wanted to go ahead and drill down into some of my 3E concerns. In this case I will focus on what I consider to be the most important of the three. Without a doubt the environment is the single most important topic that we should be concerned and talking about. Even though I’m no fan of homeboy Al Gore, I applaud his efforts regardless of how accurate his facts are. Not that I agree or disagree with all of his ideas, just the fact that he has brought more attention to the topic through the film and public efforts is highly commendable. I tend to subscribe more to the Gaia theory which essentially says that the earth is made up of a symbiotic group of interrelated systems. If one fails, the others react and Gaia will do what is necessary to bring it all back into balance. More on that later.

Consider the ambivalence of the powers that be, and this includes most of the rebumblicans and dumbocrats in Washington, on a topic that can and will have significant impact on our quality of life, nay the very existence of life as we know it. Instead of pursuing less than critical issues like gay marriage and the immoral war in Iraq, shouldn’t you be worried about whether our near term descendants will have clean air to breathe and water to drink? Oh come on you alarmist SOB, aren’t you overreacting? I don’t think so.

Consider the impact of few years of moderate to severe drought in the southeast that has the State of Georgia demanding a reevaluation of the border with Tennessee that has existed over 200 years simply because they want access to the Tennessee River. Consider the rise in respiratory disease and problems that have been directly related to pollution. Consider the rest of the world and how serious they take things with things like the Kyoto accord. Who is the only major country not to accept the Kyoto agreement?

Consider the humble honey bee and the potential for a devastating impact if the Colony Collapse Disorder is not solved. Without the bee, many of the food crops that we depend on for sustaining not only humans but feed animals as well will not be able to be pollinated and therefore not produce the fruits, grains or nuts that we need to survive. Does anyone doubt that this is a result of man made pollution?

Much has been made recently of the global warming issue with a shocking amount of naysayers contending its all a bunch of bunk. How stupid are you to doubt that there are not some influences of massive amounts of carbon dioxide, ozone depleting emissions, and other nasty byproducts of our industrial complex. The weather alone should give you a clue.

I remember growing up we had one tornado in TN that wiped out a trailer park. Just one incident in thirty years. In the twenty since then we have had at least 10 that I know of and at least one in each of the last three years. We all hear how the hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones (all the same thing just different parts of the planet) are far stronger on average in recent years. We can’t ignore this.

We have to ask ourselves why there would be debunker’s to this idea that we are having an effect on the planets environment. Who stands to lose? Of course its that same industrial complex that spews out the pollutants and would be responsible for controlling it and the costs associate with that effort. We by proxy would also stand to lose since we are the consumers of those products from the industrial complex. I for one am willing to pay that extra premium to help protect Gaia. Are you? Do your part, there is a veritable plethora of resources out on the net to tell you how.

Back to Gaia or more correctly the Gaia theory, I absolutely agree with the concept that trashing one sector of the ecosystem will have a downhill affect on other systems. These violent storms, loss of the bee and other species, respiratory disease, famine, drought are all results of the pollution and abuses to Gaia. She will react and her reactions don’t necessarily coincide with our concepts of time.  She has been around for billions of years and she will get back to the state she needs to be in. We are but grains of sand that can be swept away or extincted  at her whim. Just ask the dinosaurs.

PEACE !!!

The Sage

Economy, environment, education or 3E if you will. While seldom at the top of the page with all the death, destruction, and deceit that seems to dominate the headlines, 3E should be the most important topics of our time.

Consider economy, do you feel like you are being paid what you are worth and how much you need to survive. If a major recession hit, would your job be in peril? Without the JOB or small business opportunities, over 90% of the US is vulnerable to some degree or the other. Since W and his henchmen have managed to mangle our economy through that bottomless pit in Iraq, and secure his families fortune through high oil prices don’t you think they should think about the rest of us. Sure they should but get real, ok.

Consider environment, if we don’t have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, adequate food supply, and a temperate climate, what chance to we as a species have? Look at Africa and all the suffering. That region of the world is so strife with violence, poverty and pestilence, it is amazing that anyone lives there. And if we believe the more gloomier forecasts on global warming, you ain’t seen nuthin yet. Have you ever seen the movie Day After Tomorrow?

Consider education, if We the People are to remain competitive in this quickly changing world economy, reverse the effect of pollution and global warming, we must provide our people with adequate training and education. Note that I have training and education separated and indeed they are two distinct needs. Training for specialized jobs and specific fields that require a much more detailed and hands-on regimen of instruction. Universities and centers of learning are useful for higher levels of research and scholarly endeavors but reliance on them as a means of adequately training every person for the job force is not only impractical but not realistic. For many years now it has been incumbent on the employer to hone and fine tune the detailed job skills needed for that particular industry. Most of the menial jobs are shunned by Americans and left to the “lower” class. But we aren’t training our people to do the high tech jobs. The enrollment in Computer Science and technology training is at an all time low in this country. Technical jobs are outsourced to India and Asia. The good old USA will no longer be the “leader” in so many ways.

How do fix this? Like anything worthwhile, it won’t be easy but we must find a way to get these essential E’s to the top of our political agenda. I know, I know our greedy, self-centered politicians aren’t interested in addressing the absolutely critical needs of We the People. The only realistic solution that I can see is to vote them all out. We need to figure out how to enable our political system to return to the roots and concepts that once made this country great. We need to enable visionary citizens who are not interested in being a career politician but as intended, a public servant. We have to somehow take the money out of politics so that ordinary moral and decent people can once again serve the public. Strict term limits are absolutely necessary.

I could go on and on but by now you get the idea. You will see this theme in many of my posts. Bottom line is You have to involved. You have to take action, You have to or no one else will. I hope if nothing else through my ranting and raving, it motivates at least one person capable of rising to this challenge then all then I can die a happy man. Think about it.

PEACE!!

The Sage