Western Surfing Association...

So I checked out the 2nd event on the 06-07 Western Surfing Associations tour down in Santa Cruz a few weeks ago.

The conditions were flat. Flat flat falt, so the competitive surfing scene was nothing to report on. The average rides were less than 20 seconds long and most of the day was spent by the competitors straddling their boards.

It did gve me a glimpse into how the sport develops its talent. Most of the competitors were 12 to 18 years old with a few dads thrown in for good measure. Not much to see this time, but a few photos for your information. One of the more interesting parts of the event was not the young hotties ripping it up on the incoming swell, but was the 2 girls selling home baked cookies on the sidewalk so they could fund a tip to Washington DC. It was refreshing to see such smart young girls working the crowds to better educate themselves.

Working with India...

I've just finished working on a successful web project with a designer in Kolkata, India.

I have worked with people in India before on design projects, but this one was much different due to the contractual nature of the relationship as well as the communication method. I was able to use Skype to communicate with this new designer and negotiate in real time all of he details that were to be put into the project. Estimates, design reviews, mid project compromises and agreement changes all were refined using this wonderful new tool called Skype.

The project was not a small logo design or graphics project, but a full blown web site that explained and promoted one of my design busniesses. Many flash pages were produced, hundreds of images organized and interactive text blocks were created to communicate the sites content and promotional message.

Payment terms were carried out using paypal which worked smoothly to compensate after each phase of the project was completed.

Files were exchanged using email, online storage sites as well as skype's ability to do file exchange.

Apart from the mid project agreement changes that were raised by India, which we were able to resolve with out a whole lot of drama, I think this project is the first of many to be executed in this new method of globalised commerce and interconnected cultural problem solving. In the course of the project I never met my couterpart in India. Through utilizing the internet, we were able to complete this very complex project without ever seeing eachothers face nor hearing one anothers voice.

Trust building is key in such a business relationship. I was able to build trust with someone I have never met, and acheived results that are superior to that of the old model of face to face meetings and office politics. Effiecency, economy, sophisitcation and trust were all elevated to new levels using this new business project model.

A fine case history study...

Adult communication

So....my PC has been under the weather these days with some hard drive issues that have been effecting the performance of my notebook computer.

I have been working with technical support for a few days now in trying to get my system back to normal. In working with these guys I realize a few communication issues that are needing improving since all of them are over in India, and this process is carried out through the use of speaker phone.

What I am noticing is that adults need a very specific presentation of information in order to understand and execute such complex technical trouble shooting details such as PC repair. Because the adult brain is so full of information due to a lifetime of absorbing and learning, there needs to be a very measured delivery when learning new information as to not upset what is already there in the brains memory.

I have noticed this with the students I teach as well. Their brains are like sponges and do not need a system of feedback or editing in order to learn or communicate. It is why they are there in school in the first place, so they can learn to communicate as adults later on in life.

The mature mind needs to be told what it is they are going to be learning first, before they are bombarded with new information, in order to understand what it is their instructor, or tech support person is telling them. That little preview of info gives the adult brain something to hang onto when they are adding to their memory's storage capacity. This phenomena was very apparent in my Korean language class I took last summer. Without such preview information, the adult brain is left without a reason as to why the information is important, and relative to what they are doing.

Wrote learners develop their brains much differently, never questioning the information as it enters their brain and is stored away in their memory. The critical mind, which I have found most adults possess, have highly developed "gate keepers" that screen information before it is committed to memory.

This adult brain is willing to absorb new information everyday, however, with out a preview of what is coming down the pike, or an alert of its gatekeeper, the information is slippery and suspect as it enters the brain and it is not channeled and stored properly into the brains memory so as to become valuable to use later, as well as realizing its value in solving problems or using it to navigate everyday life.

So...when ever communicating to mature brains, always grant a preview of what is coming before the technical or verbose meat of the story or info is delivered. It is what separates a good story making sense and entertaining as opposed to irrelevant or nonsense....

Film review...

So I saw the film Jesus Camp yesterday.

This documentary looks at how the rise of the evangelical movement has effected the teaching of children at a summer religious camp in the state of North Dakota. Made by Hedi Ewing and Rachel Grady, this film looks into the world of how a few American children in North Dakota, Missouri, and Colorado are being raised to become spiritiual warriors for Jesus Christ.

I have a problem with what this film has captured, and am very glad that it was created and is now being distributed for viewing. It illustrated just how much America has changed for the worse, has not learned from history and how the future might get darker if repeated. From the mouths of 5 year old children to the war front in Iraq, this film exposes reasons why the US is careening down a path to destroying itself.

The film raised large contrasts to the youth that I experienced while growing up in the US. The camps I attended both secular and religious, did not teach militant ideas and were not into proselytizing or brain washing me into thinking a certain way in order to advance a set of political values.

In the film, the denial of basic known precepts by the camp and church leaders in science, religion, education, politics and economics were astounding to me. So very different than the ideas that I have come to know as truth or fact.

I saw the systematic twisting of the truth as I know it to be, into a ideology that supports hatred, fanaticism, irrationality, intolerance and complete and utter ignorance for the world around them. All done so in response to a perceived threat overseas where the Muslim population who is supposedly teaching its children to do the same to the US. "You're either with us or agianst us" could be an alternative title to this film.

So what this film points out is that we have now in this world, two VERY SMALL groups of fanatical religious zealots who are training their children to annihilate one another in the future. These 2 groups beleive they have in place the politicians on both sides that support their agenda of war, hatred, intolerance, ignorance, zealotry and militantcy, leaving the rest of us to sit and watch the destruction of the world transpire.

I find it extremely tragic for these children who are being literally brainwashed into supporting the platform and ideas of the modern day Hitler inspired Neo-Nazi like behaving radicals that are the main characters in this film. They are using their own children as well as others to bring and end to the world because of their tragic misinterpretation of what it is to follow the Christian faith and a belief system that represents the idea of God which in essence is love and not hate.

By the way, the name of the leader of the Jesus Camp is Becky Fischer. Fischer is a name whos etymology originates in the nation of Germany. Also lookup etymologies of Rumsfeld (Donald), Wolfowitz (Paul), Perle (Richard), Strauss (Leo) and of course Bush (George W).

Now connect the dots....

Where do we go from here?

The abundance of evidence that has now been compiled, observed, documented, prepared, sifted through, distilled, collected, organized and presented to the world is out. Its on the web, its on YouTube, its in theatres, on cable tv and its in DVD rental.

Serious doubts and evidence have now been raised with regard to September 11th 2001 and how the truth is being portrayed to the world by the US government. The due diligence is now complete.

Now the question exists, "Where to do we go from here?" How do we bring to trial the leaders of the US government and give them the opportunity to defend themselves. Using the system of justice that exists in the US seems to be the only way. And yet it seems that our government is crippled and infected so badly with these corrupted Bush administration officials that it seems there is no way out to use what is rightfully ours as US citizens, the US justice system.

The US needs a leader or individual to rise up, become elected legitimately, and take control of the process of bringing to trail these criminals who are now destroying the foundation of the US. How this is done remains to be seen, but who ever is elected in 2008 will have to deal with the procecution of war criminals.

But mark my words, we will see justice for these crimes that have been committed, in this lifetime for sure...

Birthdays

Birthdays are something everyone has...

When we are young, they represent joy and fun and attention. When we are older, they can represent much different emotions and ideas.

Some need people around them to make their birthday feel real and enjoyable. Some shun the spotlight and recluse away from people in order to not be reminded of their aging self.

Birthdays do indeed mark yet another year of life, but at the same time can allow for feelings and emotions only felt on such a day depending on how it is celebrated or spent.

If in fact birthdays are a cause for joy and there are others that contribute to that joyous feeling, then you are indeed obligated to enjoy the day from sun up to sun down. Sharing your birthday with others is an opportunity to feel happy, and sharing that emotion with others is indeed satisfying.

There are no laws or rules for recognizing or celebrating birthdays. If it is not enjoyed, then an opportunity to feel young and be reminded that life is indeed precious can slip away for another 12 months.

Seizing the opportunity to feel young again by enjoying ones birthday is highly recommended. And if you can include someone who makes your birthday feel even more special or enjoyable because they were there to be with you, then that person is indeed a large part of your life and not to be taken for granted.

When someone new to your life recognizes your birthday and helps celebrate, it is a feeling like none other...and should have its own name to describe such a feeling.

I will ponder this today and perhaps have an answer tomorrow....

Film review...

Ok....so I am a little late in keeping up with film release trends.

None the less, I watched Munich yesterday and gave the fim 4 stars. It was well written, contained suberb cinematography, shot on location all around the world and was very thought provoking.

Yes the film was violent, yes it portrayed the idea of having to defend one's family as justification for killing, and yes it gave a glimpse into how the US funds violence around the world.

Basically Isreal today is an arms depot and cash cow for the United States military. They are one of the US's best customers and hold the title for highest per capita spending on arms in the world.

The film did not explore the motivations of the Arabs who were behind the killings in Munich of the Isreali athletes, and was very vague in making a connection to the reasons the protagonist Avner has for carrying out such a mission for the Mossad intelligence agency.

In the end it is a long 2 hour plus film and needs to be veiwed more than once to pick up on all of the nuaces in the characters, as well as how they are interrelated to one another. The film portrays arabs as both vicious killers and helpless victims, the French as mere brokers of information who are scorned due to World War II governmental indescretions and hire the Isreali's to do thier dirty work.

Speilberg was quoted as saying that he made the film to be thought provoking and not acuse anyone of anything. What provoked my thought is how and why Jew's, Palestinians, Jordainians and others in the region need an actual peice of real estate to call thier own. This ownership idea is hell bent on destruction of the world.

Also noted is the fact that it is a woman who orders men to exact such revenge on a group of people and it is women who give the men in the film reason for feeling good about what it is they are doing with their lives. From the prime minister, to Avner's Mother, the femme fatalistic Dutch spy, his wife and his daughter, all are women, who reluctantly rejoice in what he is doing for Isreal. Making him somewhat of a pawn.

My single marital status does not allow me to understand such motivations of married guys. Perhaps I should get married and have a daughter in order to understand why it is neccessary to kill others.

Rating...4 out of 5 stars.

US Defense department spending update...

The Army is scrambling for a larger slice of the defense department budget next year.

The New York Times reported today that Rumsfeld is caving into pressure to admit more Army soldiers into the ranks next year. We should all know that this is a smokescreen, which by the way, is how the military operates. Never discolosing their true intention, but utilizing the ulterior motive strategy.

This has the Navy and the Airforce grumbling of course.

This self perpetuating increasing of need for more military might is the root of the US's problems now and in the future. Justifying pre-emptive war to bolster military spending is good for defense contractors who are at the heart of the Neocon agenda to dominate the world economically through the use of egregious conventional military means.

Indeed the current US government is in the buisness provoking both Iran and North Korea currently to justify thier future plans for military increases of budget.

Insanity.....pure insanity...

Living online....

So yesterday I spent some time creating a spreadsheet that illustrated how much of my financial life is transacted online.

It is amazing to me that everything from paying my credit cards to various insurances, utility bills, retirement accounts, investment portfolios, leasing and rental bills are all now automated and done for me without stamps, file folders and stacks of paper on my desk. My goal is to be able to be anywhere in the world and manage my finacial affairs from any city I happen to be in at the time.

With such management power online, the concern about the whole system crashing, lead me to think about what would I do if such a castrophy were to occur. Creating a printed hard copy matrix of what account is payed with what bank account has lead to a rather lengthy list of accounts, associated links, account numbers, monthly payments and login information. All neatly and graphically organized just incase the system crashes.

With all of this information stored and buzzing around the internet, it is no wonder that fraud is on the rise. Yet, like any malady that obstructs our freedoms temporarily, troublshooting web related finacial issues is and only will become more of our daily life.

As we move towards the future of realizing that some punk in New Jersey has used our credit card to play online games through a company in Delhi, India, we realize that although we are no longer doing things like we used to, we do have a new set of pain in the ass issues to deal with such modern conveniences.

This is Bill Maher interviewed on the mainstream television program MSNBC Scarborough Country. Be sure to listen to the end where he supports his argument and disdain for the current US administration by siting Bush's support for Raytheon and the contract it has with the US Army. This is the first time I have seen this argument being aired. FINALLY!

Ah! Some main stream media evidence that the tide is turning and the truth is being revealed. Bill Maher, the voice of reason.!