Those futuristic books I read speak about workplace relationships

Our race, the human race, has advanced to higher heights intellectually, technologically, but not socially. I am in awe at all the new applications of the internet, computer technology, new tools to get jobs done, but I am saddened at how far retarded we are in basic human relationships. 

In the past, during the great reading time of my years in academia, both as a student, and teacher, I read books and articles dealing with the future, how it can be,   and what if things were done one way or another. It was a period in which I questioned the status quo, and still do. Much of what I read questioned the status quo. Even Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy, Thoreau, Washington, Jefferson, and many other questioned the status quo, and sought to find better ways of doing things, and better approaches to healthy living. The status quo is for the masses of non-thinkers, many of which there are. Individualists are offended by old school traditionalism, in which thinking outside the box is not acceptable. 

The Golden Rule of treating other people the way we want to be treated is the most sane, practical rule of harmonious relationship building. The Golden Rule, however, is not followed in most work places, schools, and organizations in general. It is not followed in our own neighborhoods. I suppose this is because too many of us want to be dominant individuals, and not see what others are feeling. To understand and follow the Golden Rule of treating rightly, each man, woman, and child,  is show forth empathy. To me, empathy, and treating others go hand in hand. If you are empathetic, you will be more likely to go forward in the spirit of the Golden Rule. 

We go to work, and  the boss says do this or do that, and we put on a theatrical performance, because that is what work is, a drama, and we do that to keep the job. Many bosses are old school tyrants, and have not embraced the partnership model of work place relationships. 

Go into any business, and 99% of the employees are aggravated, unhappy, miserable, and there because it helps to pay the bills. I know, I have been in those work environments, in which the boss is all-knowing, and the employees are basically paid servants, with little input into the system. Old school employment is the situation in which all input, output, feedback is boss-centered. Social school employment is a situation in which all individuals in the work place are just that, valuable individuals with the right to make inputs, outputs, and feedback.  There is no strong-willed, boss with an iron arm ready to slam you on the head. 

Having worked in many unrelated career areas, I have seen the boss types, the fear among employees that they will be let go from the job if they don’t submit. The American job is so hierarchical, with the apex, the one in charge who has no empathy, or social skills. Yes, this type of work environment still is common in America. Interesting, too, since we have advanced so far in our use of technology, but our social system, and social skills have dragged behind. Many of us just don’t get how to honor, treat, and express kindness towards those around us. We are all run down like chains needing some oiling. 

It is sad if people don’t care about showing empathy towards others. Maybe more sad if people just don’t know how to treat others, and don’t know how they want to be treated. This is in part due to people not having time to think  anymore. We are work animals, and can never expect the boss (in many job sites) to say, “I am proud of all yoru hard work, take the next two days off,” or at least, “go home, and have some time for yourself.” 

One futuristic book I read years ago, was about a community, where employees were allowed, and expected, to devotes a week every month, not counting regular weekends, to self-improvement, or community service. Wow, don’t think that would be a popular idea with our greedy, materialistic bosses, in many of our jobs. However, in  this book, the employees came back to work, happier, better satisfied about themselves as individuals,  and were more productive. The topic of how to get employees more productive misses the point so often. We think that a little this, and a little that will  make an employee happy and ready to work. Either employers are stupid or they don’t care. Employees that are well rested, and less stressed out, will always be happier, and more productive. Common sense! It is not just about profit, and gaining or keeping customers. It is also about employees that care about their job. To be honest, I have not seen employees who really care about their job. Maybe this blog post will throw some light on the subject and cause some pondering of employer-employee relations.

I have always asked myself these questions, and in all my experience and knowledge, I have not found the answers:

Why not allow employees to make the decisions for the company?
Why not let employees have a four day work week, or take a week off each month for self-improvement?
Why do employers not encourage employee self-improvement, and self-satisfaction?
Why do many bosses not treat employees the way they want to be treated?
Why the iron fist, and intimidation when employees bring up complaints or ideas, or suggestions?

Anyway, it is all about the Golden Rule. Until we follow that, there will never be harmony on the job, in the  home, in the community, or in any organization. Our social skills depend on this one invaluable teaching the the best, and most empathetic individual ever.

“Whatsoever things ye would, that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the profits.” Jesus 

Think on empathy, and think how Jesus used empathy.

I am all about the gold standard

For most of American history the gold standard was accepted, and people lived the life of sound money, with some exceptions along the way during wars. Even the Constitution of the United States refers to gold and silver tender. Gold limited government’s power and intervention, and gave hard working people more stability, and more security.

Fifteen years after the creation of the Federal Reserve, the worst economic disaster was inflicted on the American people and had a crippling impact worldwide. That was the Great Depression. The Federal Reserve does not follow sound money fundamentals, and never has. It can’t by nature of its being. It prints paper money, called fiat money, for whatever reason, and paper has no value of itself. Gold has always had value, through the course of history based on weight. Gold is predictable, scarce, easy to identify, strong, long-lasting.

When gold was used as the measure of the the value of money, there was less inflation, and economic disasters. Sure, deflation happened, but unlike what we hear, deflation is not a bad thing. People, companies, and government freely bought and sold goods using gold as the tool of exchange. Later, FDR, (the second Roosevelt as President) prohibited the use of gold for money and exchange, and took gold away from the people.

To me, the two worst Presidents in history, for their hatred, fear, or ignorance of gold, were FDR and Nixon.

Gold can again be realistically distributed to the people, and that would improve tye economy and make it healthier. Money can again be measured based on the supply and value of gold. It worked out so beautifully before the Federal Reserve got into the money business unconstitutionally.

What would I prefer, a wallet filled with dollar bills, or having gold that I can use in exchange or as an investment?

Kenneth’s Composting Tips

Composting is the practice of giving back to the earth valuable substance, with the desired result of having a healthy, rich display of plant growth, and an abundant harvest of vegetables, or fruits.

That valuable substance in good compost is a balanced amount of carbon and nitrogen. The carbon is the dried leaves, pine needles, weeds, topsoil, coffee grinds. We call this the “browns.” The nitrogen is what is called the “greens.” Remember when mom said to eat your greens? My mom always fed us string beans, and brocoli. Those two vegetables come to mind when I think of “greens.” However, the nitrogen material consists of all kitchen vegetable or fruit food waste.

Below are my tips for a good conditioning of the compost to get it right and ripe for spreading on the soil, whether it is a vegetable bed, rows, or container gardens. For any successful growth of plants the soil has to be right. Composting adds to the soil food for the microorganisms, which in turn strengthen the soil quality for the tomatos and other vegetable, fruit, and flower plants.

COMPOSTING TIPS

Tip 1
Find a suitable place close to the kitchen to set up the compost bin, or compost pile. This is to prevent having to travel any distance to add to and work the compost.

Tip 2
Soften the earth before throwing any waste into the compost. This will open up the connection between the compost and the microorganisms in the topsoil.

Tip 3
Continuously add nitrogen and carbon to the compost. Put the nitrogen material down first, and cover with the carbons. This will reduce odors.

Tip 4
Add some water to keep the compost moist, and therefore allowing for better heating to occur. Just don’t over water. Consider the weather.

Tip 5
Turn the compost vigorously every other day to keep the heating process moving. The action of microorganisms digesting the compost substances, and the breaking down into good garden compost require energy, and energy is heat.

Tip 6
When using a compost bin, keep the bin covered, but allow for oxygen to pass through the sides.

Tip 7
Work the compost (feeding it, watering it, turning it) for several months before spreading on the garden beds. It needs to turn into sandy, dark soil.

Tip 8
When time to spread the compost onto the garden bed, it is not necessary to bury it or mix it with the soil. Simply spread it on the earth, and let it sit and settle.

The Woods Are A Calling Me

Almost daily, and multiple times during the day, I walked into the woods behind my home, to walk on and off trails, meet friends, build forts, spy on others’ forts, climb trees, light fire crackers, make fires, ride my bike, spy on visitors.

All of this occurred during my teen years, living at 11 Shady Lane, Milton, Florida. Those woods played a very big role in my young experience. I felt so at peace in the woods. Harmony was my woods experience. Harmony was all around.

While walking the trails, far into the woods, and along the creek, I heard sounds of other boys. Boys were on the other side of the creek, in a very hidden area among the thick evergreen vegetation, and hidden off the main trails. The boys could be heard yelling, laughing, joking, cutting down branches, or chopping wood for their awesome fort. They could not see me through the green, but I found a spot to hide and spy on them. It was fun. I was the scout looking onto the scene through bushes and beyond tree branches. I climbed on falling tree trunks crossing the creek, and up into tree overlooks, to get closer to the action. Three to 6 boys possible, were all busy expanding the fort, or forts, since sometimes there were more forts, beyond one only. I often liked hearing the sounds the boys made of branches cut off of trees, or thrown somewhere. I was brave, so brave to get so close to their fort without them knowing.

I suppose the adventure of exploring nature, practicing scouting skills, and spying on others prepared me for my later army job in intelligence. I did have a top secret milit3y security clearance and saw things most of my peers never saw.

Those woods were my classroom in knots, fire craft, and nature observation. I made my share of big and small fires, often near forts of wood that I built.

Woods. They come forward with a language of their own. Color schemes dominated by the harmonies of green, soothing my being, as I stand or sit in awe of nature’s perfection. Woods. They were an extension of my family, and the family hearth. A fallen tree was my bench. A submerged earth fort was my hideout. The trails were my road map. The trees were my brothers, pals, buddies, faithful friends. I was in my zone, my world of greens. To this day, I sit in my garden observing the innumerable shades of green. My world is colored green, the green hues that dominate among all colors. Woods. They are telling me to return to them, to not forget their ways, to reflect the adventurous energy of boyhood, by contining practicing my knots, making campfires, climbing trees, exploring green thickets, crossing streams and creeks, and feeling the dance of the woods around me.The trails are always stretching their arms to me, embracing me in their day’s plan. I witness photosynthesis at work, the smell the results of this high energy project.The aromas of the woods are so pleasing. I smell the woods, and more easily remember the woods of my teen years, when boys were boys. I was all boy, and maybe still am.

Before Web2.0 and After

So we left Web2.0, or have we? No, we haven’t. We are really on the bridge between the user to user connectivity and interactivity of Web2.0, the web of active participation, and the semantic, intuitive web of Web3.0, the web that is still on the way, and partly in beta.

It has been a long road in high tech terms, from the read and learn web of 1.0, the web that lasted the longest and gave much useful information, but did not attract so many readers as Web2.0 has done. Web1.0 was dominated by the author. The visitor to a site, read for information, not for connections, networking, or to interact with author, content, and other readers, which identifies Web2.0. Web1.0 was content only. You liked it or didn’t and left the site after getting the reading done. It was a different internet, but very useful for the online demographic of that technological time.

Web2.0, is the internet of freedom. It allows everyone the freedom of being author, and website innovator, or application innovator. Web2.0 is a virtual conversation among authors, the active participants, whether bloggers, commenters, reviewers, website content creators, and social networkering innovators. Web2.0 is us, all in cafe like social exchanges, which is naturally more attractive than the rigid, quiet library like atmosphere of Web1.0, where the visitor to a website found, read, and left, quietly. Web1.0 is pre-blog times. On the other hand, Web 2.0 enriches, and activates all of us who want to participate with others online in the connected worlds of social media: Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Ning, WordPress, Blogger, and more.

There still are the last remnants of read only sites. I try to avoid those, but do read what I need, and sometimes have to go with old school internet, Web1.0.

The internet has given me so much. I have made so many online friends, read their blogs, and they read mine, connected with other business professionals, shared ideas, responded to ideas, and grown intellectually as well. I don’t feel that anything needs to come after Web2.0, but that the Web2.0 universe needs to get better organized, downsized, less cluttered with sites and applications for sites that are often frivolous, and ridiculous, more user-friendly, and more adaptable to the mobile devices, smart phones. I do realize however, that life continues beyond Web2.0. Progress is a spiritual law, and a good thing, as progress led us to the internet of Web2.0. I am facing that reality.

The Web3.0 experience is the real world of science fiction, in which the computer, through its software, can use the user’s profile, and online activity, to better intuit, understand, what the user wants online, what she is searching for, and how needs can be met. It is beyond user to user connections and contact management. It is the technology/user integration as a whole in the infinite internet. Web 3.0 is on the way, and is called the “semantic web.” It is based on the three elements of a communication: subject, object, and predicate. Fascinating, and so realisitic, is Web3.0. The system know us, who and what we are, and what we want, more than we may know ourselves. Intuition moves the waters of Web3.0. I recently listened to some YouTube video presentations about Web3.0. It will make life better for all of us, at least when considering what Web3.0 will be able to do for users.

A Push Into the Swimming Pool

Friends, and friends of friends came over to the swimming pool in the yard of the home I lived in, in Asuncion, Paraguay. It was a pool party. Most of us were in our twenties, coming from the United States, South Africa, Brazil, and other regions of Paraguay.

As I was walking around the pool, dressed in professional, business attire, one of the boys, came behind me, and pushed me into the deep end of the pool. I had my wallet, and passport in the pant’s pocket at the moment. A passport is an absolutely necessary doc to have on you at all time in most foreign countries. I was upset, crawled out of the pool, and immediately went into my bedroom to change out of the wet clothes, and to find some way to dry out the passport, and the wallet, with money and other important paper inside it. I used a blow dryer for a few minutes, and then set all the material under a bright lamp. Everything dried out in a day or so, and my passport was not destroyed. The boy appologized, and did not realize I had my documents on me. We were all having youthful fun, and these boys, like I, performed pranks.

Several boys worked out in the Chaco region of Paraguay, on a ranch, as ranching is a big industry out there. People from South Africa came to the Chaco years ago to engage in the ranching business. It was easy to get government permission to buy land and ranch it. The real estate deals were fabulous.

This was during my three plus years living in that part of the Americas. I got a good deal on the home, paying only $50 a month in rent, in a big, stately home situated on Calle Mariscal Lopez. I liked the swimming pool and used it often, almost daily, during the long Paraguayan summers.I even let some of the paper boys, shoe shine boys, and other children in the neighborhood to cool off in the pool, since they did not find any or many opportunities to go in swimming pools.