Victims and Vigilance Who is to Blame

This is just a surface analysis of the Trayvon Martin case.  While it provides some detailed references and questions, it is by no means comprehensive.  It is simply to state that each person with an opinion should do some research and think more critically about the circumstances surrounding this case.  Arguments can be made for both sides; it is a troubling case that will be studied for years to come.


There is a troubling culture in the United States-- violence.  From the outsiders perspective, the disparity in the level of imprisonment in the U.S. outweighs that of any developed nation.  The United States not only has the most prisoners among any developed nation, the United States has the highest prison population in the world (2009 International Studies for Prison Studies) with over 2 million individuals incarcerated.  So while we might not be able to compete for low wages in the functioning part of society, our prison population quite possibly offsets that factor through privatization of the prison systems.  Is there something wrong with this association?  Yes.

Who was following whom?  Who was carrying a gun?  Who ignored the police urging that he stay in his car?  Who thought that the other was one of "them," someone about to get a away with something? (Southern Poverty Law Review)

Currently with the debate regarding George Zimmerman acquittal of murder and or/ manslaughter of Travyon Martin, United States is once again facing its shadow that prevails over its glory-- events which occurred on the night of February 26, 2012.

Despite the strong bias one might feel in this case, it is important to look more deeply at some facts and issues surrounding this case.  It is the nature of humans especially in the U.S. to look only at what comes out in the news and other media sources; we also listen to public figureheads that are not quite as reliable as we would like them to be.  In situations such as this it is important to delve more deeply into the matter to arrive at some deductions and conclusions that offer a more accurate and reliable data conclusion.
At first glance it can be troubling to see the results of this Travon/ Zimmerman case, but there are some important factors and legal aspects to consider to think more critically.  So helpful at doing some surface analysis I considered the following:

1. defining the terms of the accusations in the case
2. understanding more about the case itself 
3. listening to the 911 call recordings
4. considering the timing of events
5. assessing the factors in the causes of action
6. reviewing the explanation of the laws regarding manslaughter and second degree murder

More alarming is the disproportionate number of people who are Black or Hispanic where the conviction rates and sentencing are off the chart when compared to their white counterparts.  Some data suggests that

Paul Barret of Business Weeks Politics and Policy laid out valid points regarding the case the first of which is that Zimmerman is guilty for pursuing his victim when he should have remained in his car as advised by law enforcement.  Had Zimmerman remained in his vehicle, the fact is Trayvon Martin would likely still be alive.

• According to the Sentencing Project's website, the rate of incarceration for white Connecticut residents in 2005 was 211 per 100,000 people; for black residents it was 2,532 per 100,000. 

Beyond that we must look at the law however fair or unfair it might appear.  Issues that would come up causing a verdict against plaintiff would be adequate provocation; withdrawal, .  Self defense is the easy low hanging fruit that we as observers would gnaw away at, but would our assessment be accurate?  From a bias perspective it is easy to say that a man with a gun could not possibly be defending himself against a teenage boy with no weapon; however, one the act of violence is initiated several other factors come into consideration.  Did the defendant attempt to remove himself from harm, or did Trayvon attempt to remove himself from harm recognizing that Zimmerman was drawing a weapon.  Additionally did his actions (the defendant) have any other purpose?  If Trayvon was intimidated (which is almost impossible to determine), he could easily have murdered Zimmerman if he felt his life were in jeopardy. 

Murder requires unlawful killing with "malice aforethought" (i.e., intent to kill, knowledge of death or unreasonably high risk of injury will result / “depraved heart”, or intent to commit a felony).   While Zimmerman could be culpable based on his intention of following the victim; it is difficult to state that his intent, based on his conversation with the 911 operator, was to "kill or commit a felony".  Under the "Substantial Step", penal code, Zimmermans decision to get out of his car and follow Martin, could be punishable by law if his intent was to commit a crime of murder.  The challenge to this fact is that he called the police, an action an individual with criminal intent would not likely carry out, unless she/ he had planned out such a crime.

Actus reus and mens rea both come into play here (i.e. the physical portion of the crime and the mental portion of the crime).  When Zimmerman got out of his vehicle we cannot with absolution determine that he made a mental decision to attack and kill Martin.  His physical behavior was not aggressive nor was his mental behavior that of someone who intended to kill an individual as mentioned above, it is not likely that one would call the police while intending to commit the crime of murder (which would essential seal their fate). 

What Does "...up to no good." Mean

There is much to be said however regarding Zimmerman's conversation with the 911 operator.  For example the language "I think he is up to no good", followed by "these assholes, they always get away." suggest a turning point in Zimmerman's behavior, from observer, to stalker.  Perhaps the prosecutors should have spent more time considering this angle.  At this point he is making a conscious decision to exercise prejudice in his actions.

What were Zimmerman's Actions 

Did Zimmerman use his gun to protect himself because of a perceived threat, or was he in control of his actions?  Because so little is truly understood about Zimmerman's actions, we cannot say whether he lost control of his abilities regarding he being the attacker (initiating the conflict) or the victim (i.e. Martin initiated the attack).  This makes this case more challenging.  The autopsy should have revealed more in terms of the struggle itself.

Drugs
THC levels and whatever amount of marijuana found in Martin's system or on his person are by no means rationale for mind altering responses.  

The 911 Recordings

If you listen to the 911 Operator recordings, you hear concerned residents calling (wikipedia files) in the event from where they stand, hear, and see, but you cannot conclusively say that the individual shouting for help is Trayvon Martin or Zimmerman, before hearing the assumed shot in the background.  Again, none of the witnesses stated that they actually saw a gun, but we can draw certain conclusions and testimony and collected evidence answers the weapons possession issue.  Law enforcement officers were also negligent for sending narcotics investigators rather than detectives to provide a more accurate assessment of the circumstances.  This would clearly work in Zimmerman's favor.  

The autopsy states that the gun was between 1-18 inches from Trayvon's chest.  There is a significant difference in this research.  One's actions at one 1 inch suggest a very different action that one's potential actions at 18 inches.  At 18 inches, the opportunity to offer a warning from a pursuant are much more likely to deter that pursuant if you have a gun.  At a range of one inch, it could be argued that there was a struggle and the firing of the gun was a result of that struggle.

The conversation Mr. Martin was having with his girlfriend moments before his death suggest that she was advising him to run, while simultaneously Zimmerman was speaking with police that Martin was on the run.  These two pieces of information clearly have very differing perspectives on what was occurring.  For Mr. Martin, he was being pursued and felt threatened by Zimmerman, immediate grounds for self defense, therefore Martin could have been vindicated in his response to Zimmerman approaching him.  Attacking Zimmerman would be completely justified.  While Zimmerman (a perceived assailant) was monitoring Martin's activity.  Did Zimmerman have a right to stalk, Martin?  Which would be Martin's perspective if he 1) understood the law and 2) was still alive. 

These events surrounding Trayvon Martin should really force and encourage all citizens to look at the disparities rather than solely the event itself.  If in fact Trayvon Martin killing should have been resulted in the conviction of Zimmerman's for manslaughter and second degree murder, but did not; we need to arrest our law; look at what revisions mandate change; and accommodate a more balanced system that is truly based on one's actions.  

Under the law, Zimmerman should never have left his vehicle; the 911 operator should have given firm instructions for Zimmerman to remain in his vehicle rather than state that "...you don't need to do that..."; Fact, Zimmerman pulled a gun and a trigger, but that in itself is not a crime if you are "defending yourself" against a life threatening confrontation; and prejudice is not enough to convict someone of a murder.  Yet, it is Zimmerman's perception that a threat was real, his belief that "those people always get away" that resulted in Trayvon Martin's death.  

One thing is certain, taking one's life must be based on more than looking like a suspicious character.  But at the same time we cannot overwhelmingly state, beyond a shadow of a doubt that George Zimmerman is guilty.  It is difficult to reconcile this but it is something that should force us to assess the legal system which allows an individual to walk away with complete freedom after taking another persons life based on perception. 

Condolences to the family as no persons child should leave this planet before their parents.

How to Stay Happy

Happiness is a quintessential emotion in our lives.  We thrive when we are happy, we perform at our best when we are happy, we naturally engage people around us when we are happy, and our life seems to be able to open new doors to where we would like to go next, when we are happy.   A January 3 2013 article in Scientific American says "Mindfulness meditation-- which has been around for well over 2000 years..." has a Mindful Based Stress Reduction"

Here approaches to help keep you in a happier frame of mind and a way to apply them into your own life, if these things present a challenge.  One of the first steps in being happy is to take time out to learn about yourself; from recognizing when emotional shifts are occurring to when chemical reactions occur inside that allow you to achieve what you thought to be impossible, truly understanding your emotions and recognizing barriers that impede your happiness-- no matter who or what they are.

Happiness vs Emptiness: Have you ever noticed when you are really happy, how nothing else seems to matter in that moment.  Maybe it was because of something your children accomplished; a vacation you deserved and you are caught up in the moment of that once-in-a-lifetime euphoria; or perhaps participating in  an activity like sky diving you though you didn't have the courage to do-- but you did it!  It is a wonder that as much as we love to be happy, how little of our time is dedicated to being happy.  Here are a few tips: 1) identify 10 things that make you happy, promise yourself each day you will do at least one of them and spend the rest of your life being happy 2) know that takes you to that emotion level 3) spend time around other people who are happy and you will find that you will become that way more often 4) don't spend your life doing something that doesn't make you happy just because it feels like security or an obligation.  One of the reasons people are trying other career choices is because there are so many resources to help us do and explore that using technology or auditing a graduate course etc.

Relaxation vs Stress: Relaxation is an important function to be able to achieve.  An April 2012 article in Scientific American stated "Stress, in fact, can cripple our most advanced mental faculties".  In our lives we can either reduce stress or make ourselves stress free.  Meditation is a great retreat into yourself that requires no outside forces.  Start with simple 30 second cycles and only one is necessary to begin with.  Remember you are working your way into to this process.  If you can be still in your mind and physically, then I encourage you to do so.  Find a quiet place, all devices that make sound should be turn off, and you may want meditation music or a gentle bubbling fountain in the background.  The easiest way to describe how to achieve the stillness you need, is to not process any thought; if a thought enters your mind, allow yourself to not process the next level of that thought.  So if you are thinking of blue, don't go the the next phase and connect it with the sky or your car etc. just let it be and see if you can stop yourself progressively from thinking any further.

Clarity vs Clutter:  Clarity exists in many forms, mental clarity, our physical space, our homes, or our lives. Organizing our lives is a great was to begin.  We have so much stuff (emotional, physical etc.) that we can't often decide what to do with it all.  Start by asking yourself what I can do without.  When you begin to unload the burdens of friend's expectations of you you also free up some of that space to be a better you, and find other ways to support friends.  Cluttered home space?  Start to post some things online and either give them away or sell them for a few bucks and get a little fuel for your car or buy a public transportation pass

Social vs Isolation: We are social creatures by nature.  Case in point; I sat down with my laptop in the courtyard just the other day; a neighbor was standing on his patio looked over and asked, "can you get online?"   He continued, "...because I can give you my password if you would like to get online" I affirmed that I was already connected, and thanked him- along with an explanation.  Random acts of kindness often can remind us of what a meaningful experience socializing can be.  Though it is easy to get caught up in Web,  take time to get out and connect with others.  A simple greeting, kind gesture, an unselfish act, are ways that reinforce our connection to other people, without obligation but with a great degree of satisfaction.  There are also great social groups that get together such as meetup.com, where you can connect with like minded people for just about any activity you have an interest in.  Individuals in these groups exist in every major city and many minor ones.  If you haven't been to the theater in years, find where they might be doing free public performances, most cities have them

Peace vs Chaos:  We need little explanation for this one; we all recognize whee things are crazy in our life, but peace of mind differs from happiness in subtle ways.  Feeling good about decisions you make really depend on how you want to feel.  Another way to look at peace of mind is balance in your life.  Here you are fulfilling your obligations while also meeting your personal needs-- which by the way should include being happy.  Yoga, meditation, or just quiet time are excellent for this.  There is not a religion in the world that doesn't talk about the importance of inner peace.  Start with 5 minutes a day if you are way to busy!  Stop everything that is around you from disturbing you and just stop.  This does not have to be meditation time it can just be you time.  You might take a moment to walk outside and appreciate the warmth of the sun on your face, the brisk air if that is your fancy; sit and enjoy being with just yourself.  You will be amazed at how rewarding this activity can be, we don't often stop everything just for nothing.  Remember Chaos can't exist if things aren't moving

Health vs. Neglect:  In a January article in Time magazine researchers state that "...a specific signal that at its peak-- say, when your muscles are screaming that you can't do another rep or your brain refuses to focus on that page-- prompts you to quit.  Managing your personal health is crucial.  A daily health routine can help you get back to center.  Walking, cycling, aerobics, running, weight lifting, are among the most popular activities to partake in.  The great thing about these activities is once you begin the investment is very little.  By a comfortable pair of running shoes and start a conversation with a friend about walking or running regularly.  If you're looking for a little more tempo, purchase a bike on Craigslist to see your level of commitment then step up your game.  You will begin to feel as though your lifestyle cannot do without.  Start your routine of simply and set weekly goals to increase your activity.  Stepping up in 15 minute increments a a really good idea.  Reward yourself when you reach a goal and then step up your level after doing so until you get to where you want to be.

Follow your passion in life:  This section gets a certain level of dedication because of its importance to each one of my readers; not so much because I know you but because almost everyone has a passion for something, they just have not realized that passion-- yet .  Remember what it felt like when you were a kid and had your first thought or big dream about what you realized you wanted to be when you grew up, however real or unreal it feels now.  Two things 1) Are you following your passion and 2) It is not too late.  Passion is a very powerful force; it seems to be able to summons something inside of us we do not realize is there, enabling us to rise above any occasion.  Don't spend the remainder of your life or even another moment postponing your passion.  Even if you only find a way to fit a piece of your passion into your current lifestyle, you will be better off than never following it at all.  Nothing is more rewarding than to do something you have always wanted to do.  Chances are that if you find a way to allow even a pinch of that passion into your life, you will find a way to make it grow.

Happiness depends a lot on self awareness and change.  Be aware of the ebb and flow internally and externally, these are the two systems that are affected by the events that occur in your life.  After you have that awareness be prepared to make incremental changes to bring you closer (without disappointments) to your goals.

Living Your Dream

Living your dream is often clouded by the obligations that clutter our life.  Some of these obligations are necessary others are well deserving of an adjustment.  The real conversation to have with yourself is what is my dream life, how do I begin living my dream life, and what changes do I need to make.

The dictionary's definition of dream is a visionary creation of imagination.  The two most important words in that definition are creation and imagination.  Let's start by looking at creation because often people get confused, and that creation or being creative is a quality that does not necessarily get you far in life unless you are recognized as a having super stardom status in society.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Creation by definition is the act of bring the world into order or existence... So being creative can be quite orderly and very productive.

Think about how you feel when your creative juice are flowing, whether you're helping your child with an school project, your playing a game, or you have figured out how to navigate a solo hike; it may even have been a time you offered someone really good advice that resulted in their advancement.  Being creative is crucial to our growth and development.  Imagination is similarly misunderstood.

Your imagination helps to visualize what is possible and can very easily lead to fulfilling your dreams.  The dictionary say imagination is the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present in the senses...  Imagination has helped us as a society reach the moon; on an individual level it has lead people to become amazing leaders such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a man who found a deep sense of purpose by imagining liberating a people.  The amazing thing about imagination is that it is so vast, from technology to motivation from dreaming to artwork- it is truly limitless, what better expression of the human spirit is there?

So begin living your dream by allowing your creativity and imagination to go to work for you.  What is so amazing about this allowance is that it costs you nothing and the rewards are amazing.  How do you begin living your dream?  First you must be true to what your dream is.  Do not restrict yourself with initial conditions otherwise your dream will become polluted with barriers.  Second you should be conscious about what it will take to achieve your dream.  Often great sacrifices to things you are attached to must be let go, but that should become part of a plan to achieve your dream.  Determine if those attachments are holding you back, and if so release them.  As you find yourself getting closer you will also find liberated that those attachments did not mean as much as you thought they did.  Third you need a plan that has some guidelines, without knowing what you want to achieve, and understanding when you arrive at that dream, you can easily become lost.  Living your dream life means change at the deepest level, it requires understanding who you are at a primal level; this in of itself will open all kind of doors about who you are, what you really want out of life, who you select to interact with, how you go about having conversations etc.

As you get closer to achieving that dream, new doors will open for you and it will be your task to recognize them and determine if that is the portal to your next dream. Remember that doors may be as simple as feeling more happy or as different as choosing a new career. Life does not have to stop when you have arrived at the dream, that is the beauty of being human, you can continue to dream and set courses to achieve those dream time and time again once accomplished.

Every Year Freeze

 (tap on any of the images to enlarge)

It was a clear day so I did one of my favorite things to do, drive; my other favorite thing to do is being happy.  Today it was the combination of driving, and dropping my body temperature into near freezing water.  I made an early departure out of Boston and headed to Cape Cod so I could jump in the Atlantic Ocean.  This is my new annual ritual as of last year.  The big answer and question towards the end of this article is, Why.  

It was already the 20^th of the month and though I did not make my New Year’s Day goal of making the jump on January 1st, I was determined to make it happen today.  The air was warm enough earlier in the day to allow me to open my window for a little while- but only a little while.  As a hiker I started to think about needing to preserve my body heat for when I enter the ocean, so I decided to close the window after about 10 minutes.

Last year, I visited P-Town (Province Town for those who are not familiar with the area), located in Cape Cod.  I went to Herring Cove Beach because it is the farthest point East in the United States.  There is something very special about being at an end point; it arouses something primal, deep within us.  Understanding that there is no more available.  Think about it, no more water, electricity, food, land, people etc.  Upon my arrival for the first time last year, I was surprised to see so many friendly people, seemingly seeking something similar to myself.  Among those people were 4 women who had decided to jump in the Atlantic Ocean naked (commonly called skinny dipping in the U.S.)  I asked them if I could take their picture and they agreed to allow me to do so(see this blog).  Feeling inspired I followed suit, mainly because I had an overwhelming feeling to do something different, memorable.  I recall taking off my clothes and staying in the ocean for about 10 minutes before feeling the need to retreat.  It was much warmer last year(among the 10 warmest in U.S. history) It was also one of the most liberating experiences I ever had.  Something about breaking convention, doing something you have never done, and taking yourself to new limits.

I felt like I had taken life by the horns and continued on the path to shape my own future.  This journey is not new for me; several years ago I made a decision to transform my perspective on life.  I had committed to being happy every day of my life (see blog here).  Put simply, I have molded my life around my Windows- it is those Windows that are the force behind my happiness.

I arrived at my destination and reflected briefly on the road trip out here.  The fact that it was Winter, the trees were bare left me feeling very alone though listening to Sarah McLachlan Building A Mystery, kept me company.  Now at Herring Cove, I drove over small piles of sand left by the strong winds, mading my way to the parking lot; a long stretch of space to accommodate the large population of Summer visitors- very different than today.  Though by the time I departed, there were probably 20 cars on the beach.

The ocean swells were close to seven feet (2.2 meters).  For a moment I thought about the risk of an under tow that could potentially pull me under.  The winds were billowing at about 35 miles per hours, the tide was rising and it made sense for me to give this a second thought.  So I did.  I thought to myself, if this is that way I go, it is worth it.  I love the ocean, sailing, swimming and deep sea diving; I can't think of anything else that offers so many ways to enjoy what it has to offer.  While I thought there was a risk, I decided it was minimal.  I went back to the car, pulled out my towel out and headed back to the water.  I peeled off my clothes, stuffed them in the sleeves of my winter coat and took the plunge.  I was so motivated that I returned to the car, covered by my towel, retrieved my camera (to take the picture below), and jumped back in the ocean for a second time.  I am so certain that anyone would share my enthusiasm that I invite anyone to join me on January 1, 2014 and see how powerful this experience can be for yourself.  

Why?  The real question is why not?  We can spend the rest of our lives wishing we climbed that mountain, ran that marathon, committed to a cause we really believe in, took a chance and started that business, or took that trip around the world.  My life is now tailored to what makes me happy, not in a selfish way, but in a way that makes me feel more alive.  Experiencing being in temperatures easily capable of inducing hypothermia does just that;  it reminds me how amazing the simple things in life can be, and something else;  it is a transformation away from the typical existence, making me acutely aware of the gift of life.  Never will you feel more alive than when you are in the face of a great challenge.  Never will you feel more successful than when you overcome that challenge; do so, and your self equity rises exponentially.  Next year, same place, same time 

Photography: Remarkable Eye (http://www.remarkableeye.com/ )

Leadership Focus

Dear Readers,

Due to the overwhelming response to the leadership articles, I have decided (at the additional prompting of a dear friend) to branch off the leadership content which will serve you as a subscriber base.   Leadership Everywhere can be found here (link).  This will allow me to focus on leadership issues and better serve the level of interest for a wide ranging audience from around the world.

For those not familiar with subscription to blogs I will provide you with detailed steps to make the transition.

The Format
Every ten days, I will produce an article that is based on two elements
1) Business leadership realm
2) Political leadership realm

This is not to focus on politics to any degree but rather focus on decision-making in general.  The reason is simple, many of the biggest decision-makers are in political positions.  What this allows leads to the second focus of the format-- case studies.

Case studies
Both political and business leaders make decisions that set excellent scenarios for case studies.  To be clear, we will not be discussing politics but rather the actions, consequences and attributes related to how effective the decisions are relative to the implications and understanding why.

The bulk of issues should be able to be captured therein.  We will look at examples from around the world that you should be able to apply locally.

Content for discussion

trust, performance, relationship/ performance results; goals; objectives; technical; benchmarks;
milestones; collaborators; targets; VP; direct reports; announce branching off; internal stake-holders; training;
and development; high performers, team development; engagement; alignment; and innovation.


Your input is encouraged.  It is priceless to collect feedback from around the world to better understand the cultural differences in decision-making and decision outcomes.  Living in a global society, being more familiar with cultural implications, better equips us to navigate the highways of organizational behaviors, further increasing our opportunities for success within and without our enterprises.

Kind regards,
Scotland

Exceptional words... and unforgettable speech

Please enjoy this amazing video; it is tremendously informative, as well as courageous, wise and heartful.

Video stream featuring Richard Dreyfuss >>> link.  You will want this to be come part of your library.

Overwhelmed? Be Happy

Last year there were 12 extreme weather events*; in 2010, there were 14,748 murders in the U.S. (a 4.2 percent decrease over 2009)*; there were 35.9 thousand motor vehicle deaths; heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2010 with 595,444 in the U.S.*  While some of these numbers are down over previous years, the numbers, titles, and subsequent data can easily become overwhelming, as it dominates the headlines in an attempt to capture out attention.

It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain happiness; perhaps a better way to put it is maintaining happiness is and will likely require a greater effort.  More work, that's what we all need- perhaps not, but let's see if we can navigate through some of this and aid ourselves in the process.

Not too many people would argue that happiness is an important component to our overall well being.  I have made recommendation in the past that everyone who follows my blog make a list of 10 things that make you happy; promise yourself every day to do at least one of them; my belief is that you will spend the rest of your life being happy.  So what does that mean?

Balance is probably the single most important word regarding one's well being.  Eat too much and you risk obesity, drink too much and risk liver failure, work to much and risk over stressing yourself or even your family.  Balance ensures that we are conscious about the effect of various lifestyle activities as they affect our wellbeing.  Personal trainers and public health commissions recommend a balance of a healthy diet and exercise.  Psychology experts recommend a good work life balance to maintain personal well being.  While we can't fully pull the reins on all of the factors that throw our lives into a tailspin at times (perhaps we could but that would be counter intuitive to creating the balance in most cases), we can stop from time to time and look at our lifestyle habits or contributing factors that the imbalance that is more destructive in our lives than productive.

With automobile sales on the rise again, that also means more pollutants in the air.  Take some time to visit a national park and hike or walk.  While the immediate impact and reduction to the intake of air pollution may not have a significant difference on your lungs, the psychological benefit is priceless- especially if you are able to do it with family, friends or a social network group that actually meets personally(meetup.com)  who you can enjoy spending time with.  Increasing your heart rate helps to flush out some of those toxins in your body as you increase the rate of exchange of spent air for fresh air.  Now you've done some good for your heart, lungs, muscles and mind.

Happy stone throwing boy (tap image to enlarge)

Understanding how our personal behaviors impact our bodies is critically important.  It is one of the reasons why individuals should have an annual physical, to monitor our body's activity and any abnormalities that may arise.  Such abnormalities are not likely escape the radar if we effectively monitor such patters over time and are able to capture shifts in our biological system.

Cycling is one of my personal favorites, but it is also important to mix in a variety of activities to break up your routine.  Going to a performing arts event; taking sailing lessons, and reading something enjoyable, all offer benefits including the opportunity to socialize in a world that (ahh-hmm) has us in front of a computer screen or on the cell phone way too often.

A recent article in Scientific America examines how scientist are working to create a drug that eliminates the painful memories such as PTSD.  Imagine if you would, the ability to, through your own psychology, technically change your own biological structure to induce happiness from a chemical standpoint.  In some ways that is possible, but what if you could do it on command.  That is what their research conjures up for me.  Time published an article on the effects of happiness in 2008 as it relates to interaction with others.

There are arguments for and against technology for many reasons; without it, we might not be able to fully take advantage of our human potential, yet with it, we (social creatures that we are) often find more reasons to stay at home.  Amazon means we don't have to go out, smart phones mean we don't have to ask other people, laptops mean we can stay glued to television programming; each of these takes a little bit more out of the very value we see in being human beings.

Being human lends itself to a variety of unique opportunities, one of which is the ability to be cognizant of when imbalances are overtaking our life.  The work is recognizing when that is occurring so we can respond and make adjustments when necessary-- which is often not just when we think we are OK.   Happiness is not the struggle, maintaining happiness or even identifying it can be.  Make your happy list  today and be active in maintaining it.  You may see that you are already doing some or all of the 10 things.  Once you get it, you will see how transformational it can be for you.  It is likely that you will begin building your life around being happy and that everything else will follow.



*Extreme weather events NCDC/ NOAA 
*FBI Uniformed Crime Reports
* Leading causes of death (CDC)

Shifting from Climate Change to Climate Extremes

 by Scotland Willis

The discussion over climate change, has been a hotly debated issue since it's inception.  Advocates fiercely reacting to opponents of climate related issues with great fervor to emphasize the seriousness of potential threats.  Now is not the time to add to that flame, but rather clarify- and continue to do so.  Choosing a discourse that is based on observations, reasonable extrapolations, and comparative data year over year, is imperative.  Action is a must.

Yes, it is impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen with the weather patterns around the world, many experts believe the extremes will continue to increase aggressively- a likely scenario.  But if speculation, projections and modeling aren't sufficient (a task carried out by experts in the field of science), then why do we depend so heavily on them with regards to economic market conditions?  Such models are known as market predictability models; hundreds of billions of dollars each day depend on such projections and their outcomes.  Why? Simple, they are a good indicator of human behavior with reference to increasing or decreasing the price of various commodities.

 Why then, are such sophisticated systems dismissed in climate modeling?  Asserting that using probabilities and potentialities is not a reliable source, is a poor argument for non-action by policy makers and the general population for that matter.

It is important to be able to translate this into climate extremes and human behavior; market behavior is of course very different- or is it.

If we think of the environment in an inverse sort of way, we can look at it a bit differently.  While we can't change the weather based on how many people are going to buy a share of sunshine or speculate on rain; we do do this in a sense.  People bid on crops and other agribusiness all the time.  The performance of the weather significantly determines whether the price of wheat will go up or down.  Take the fires that destroyed the wheat crops in Russia.  People who speculated that the price of wheat would go down when those crops matured lost their bet in terms of stock futures.  Why? because the unexpected wildfires that destroyed the crops thus increasing the price of wheat.


And there is evidence that governments have been tampering with, artificially experimenting and manipulating the weather patterns over the years.  But the other and more important point is that we (the human species), can intentionally shift the way we impact the environment.  It is true that if agribusiness could make enough millions they would play war games with other countries crops but that is not the topic of discussion here.

The former discussion is solely to raise awareness of potentialities.  What our human impact is doing is having an accelerated impact on weather conditions.  Climate change will always occur, but climate extremes will significantly impact how we live and what quality of life we can expect.  The other point of the discussion above was to look at the comparison of using predictions and forecasting to influence our decisions about legislative policy related to climate change.  A book written about crowdsourcing (link here), provides some insights to predictive modeling as a powerful source to understanding economic market behavior


In 2011, the United States experienced twelve (12) extreme weather events; the record in 2008 was nine such events.  These are generally events that translate into $1 billion in damage or more.  Two good resources to defer to are both the NOAA (link here) and a Public Broadcasting Service program NewsHour (link hour).  From Snowfall records in January of 2011 that paralyzed the midsection of the United States to the hundreds of people who died from record tornadoes that hit the country; more extreme weather patterns are striking with great force and increasing frequency.  The NOAA estimates $52b in total damage for weather related events in 2011.  These unusual weather events are not solely in the U.S.

This past Fall season, my travels took me to Thailand during flooding that struck the far north and continued southward decimating communities.  And early in 2012, Latin America is experiencing recording flooding, wildfires and droughts (Huffington Post).  Along with the extreme hurricane type winds that battered the U.K., these patters emit a warning signs that should have legislators acting on firm policies to protect the native populations.  Planning is the key.  But when project like Rancho Cielo Solar Farm get canceled one must ask why, and not just point to the DOE-- but ask who is pulling the strings?  How do such project like this get usurped politically?  Start by asking what is at stake for the existing industries that have dominion over energy sources.


Real Solutions
Locating energy sources closer to the populations that use them is an important decision to make.  A tremendous amount of energy is lost when electricity from power generating plants are located long distances from the end user.  But no one wants a coal burning plant in their back yard (unless you live in Washington D.C. [ Capital Power Plant], 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide).  Solution, find a different power source.  Granted that in some areas, certain environments are not hospitable to certain power sources.  The efficiency  is simply a poor trade off.  But in many places geothermal, solar and wind are seriously under utilized.

What to Expect
Expect more extreme storms.  The capacity of the atmosphere to retain more energy and moisture means that the release of such energy will be more extreme.  Can we harness more of that extreme energy and find creative ways to stave off or offset the negative impact? Can't answer that one.  But we can trust what is before us and act accordingly.

Extremeness:

• Snow: January record snowfall in Chicago blizzards that pounded 22 states in the midsection of the US;
• Spring: Tornadoes 3 largest twister outbreaks in 6 wks $25b dmage;
• 300 killed in 3 days
•  Tuscaloosa, Alabama leveled due to tornadoes;
• Joplin Missouri: Late May leveled killed over 150 people200 mph winds
• Hurricane Irene; ravaging the East coastline
• Droughts  TX $10b loss crops, livestock, timber, (hottest Summer in TX
• over 6000 1m acres over labor day weekend.
• Kansas 100 days over 100 temp

What The 99 Wants...? Deliberate trajectory ?

The Struggle within the We Are The 99 (The 99) is merely speckling the landscape of big financial interest having celebrated their two month anniversary (Nov. 17th 2011).  But with each advancement their efforts seem be derailed due to the overwhelming strength of the financial institutions and politics.  The concentration of wealth may be the concern, but a well thought out counter proposal must be developed if they are to succeed.

It is not hard to face the fact that we live in a quasi-capitalist society (true capitalism would not provide subsidies industry); nowhere is that more true and evident, than in the United States, during times such as these.  And with each argument, government seems to respond with further questionable act of decision-making (or lack there of), when concerning groups associated with social justice concerns such as The 99.

• Between 1976 and 2008, the pretax income for the top 1% of the U.S. population went from 8.9 to 20 percent of the nation's income.  This tells us that tax and revenue policies have continued to work in favor of the most wealthy. (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(1), 2008)

The 99 is in need of a specific objective with a road map of how to reach that objective as a set of proposals or demands.  Such a proposal should be methodical and well reasoned that gets the concerned population closer to transforming the status quo for the people they represent.  The current reality might start out... we know where we are, we are learning where we want to go, we have an idea about how to get there; this is our proposal...

This proposal should have some expertise(able minded people) behind it, that represents well reasoned research addressing specific issues; one example might be how much are you asking from the corporate giants or greed agents/ white collar capitalists (whatever your perspective might be); what do you expect that ask to achieve, how will it redistributed?  Also what are the implications and turn around time for the desired affect?  Identify what is standing in the way and why you believe it is movable.  This is only a small example of what should be happening.  Instead what seems to be occurring is The 99 is losing steam.

 What is wrong?

• Disparity between wealth and poverty on a perpetual  path of disproportionate growth
• Opportunities for elevation out of poverty increasingly distant
• Families and individuals unable to maintenance and prevent poor health
• Lack of job security
• Inability to secure prosperous housing
• Poor academic environment
• Deteriorating communities

These inequities foster the flames that create much of the fire in the relationship between the  extremely wealthy individuals, and other 99 segment of the population.  There are multiple examples of where an equitable society has proven to make a difference.  Not all of them are in the most obvious places, but The 99 should begin to assemble those pieces together and transform their argument into a statement of purpose, if they plan on being agents of change rather than advocates.

Change is most likely to occur when something is really wrong, an assembly of people work to change what is wrong and a plan is developed to make what is wrong obsolete by presenting a better alternative.

Unexpected Changes to a Greener Planet

Deliberations, sometimes they get in the way of getting done what we believe in.  Consideration for this, consideration for that; what will they think; WHAT IF!!!  Eeeeak!

Stop... breathe, and do what you believe in.  This is a much simpler statement than the what our genetic coding suggest we go through for decision-making but there is more than a speck of truth in it.  There is so much activity in sustainability and climate change often it feels like someone else is or can do whatever is on your mind- not so.  Each person acts as another potential persuasive vehicle to advance work tremendously important to protecting the planet.  Even if its been said, say it again, add a twist.  We must constantly strive to balance protecting the natural resources accessible to us and the way we use them.  There are millions of people, billions for that matter, waiting for someone with the right tone, approach or message that will resonate with them enough to take active steps to contribute to making a different in the many areas that make up sustainability and preservation.

After a brief hiatus, returning to this work is paramount for me; there is so much work to be done and I cannot count on what everyone else will do so I will continue to do my part and be more diligent in doing so.  Expect more articles from me more frequently, that share important advances in technology, resources, activities and changes in climate related matters.  I don't have all the answers but I feel reinvigorated after returning from Asia and having gone through a certain cleansing for myself.  I found what I needed to regroup and continue with what I believe in.

The world is a beautiful place; I want to fulfill my role in it and preserve it for as long as possible.  My goal is to help inspire others to do the same by sharing my knowledge and determination to do the same.  What you don't find here (looking4answers) you will find here ( at green elements).

Recently I spoke with my ex-wife who shared with me some amazing progress I never thought I would hear come from her lips; I Love her she is an amazing woman.  This evening she told me all of the steps she was taking to be a more active participant in climate consciousness.  Throughout the entire conversation I was smiling to myself realizing how important it is to continue the work.  You see, we don't always know when what we share with others will have the desired affect, but we can't allow that to slow us down or prevent us from doing the work.  What did she share? 1) She is walking our son to school 2) she is (as well as my son) designating a separate disposal for recycling and trash- and my son is keeping her on her toes; 3) she has replaced all the lighting in her home with CFL; 4) she has taken a conscious step to reducing the highly processed food and nearly eliminated soda from her/ their diet.  YAHOOW-OOOOOh!  Nothing could make me happier relative to what changes she is making regarding climate change.

I want to remind everyone that CFL can be extremely dangerous so follow the necessary precautions when handling them.  I have provided a link here >> What should I do if I break a bulb?  .  LED is really the best lighting technology but pricing is still an issue.

Unprescription for happiness

by Scotland Willis
I was speaking with a good friend this morning who is visiting with me from out of town; she has been prescribed lots of drugs- eight to my knowledge.  These drugs ranged from antidepressants (prescribed as a method to help them sleep) to pain pills.

Thoroughly concerned about the use of prescription medicine as a solution with no end; I shifted into my life coach mode and asked her to do me a favor.  I simply requested that she take a moment to go up stairs and write a list of ten things that make her happy.

While she was doing this I decided to do some research about the various drugs- most of  it was not positive.  The risks associated with taking the prescribed drugs ranged from suicide to further depression- be more depressed... so I can sleep?  That didn't wash with me, so I furthered my research, all the time knowing and informing her that I am no doctor and am not offering medical advice.  I went a step further.

What we should all know
With only novice experience in heal risk affects, I started to research the NIH (National Institute of Health) and the IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) to increase my understanding of what I was looking at- more bad news.  Both offer valuable insights to toxicity and responses to various toxicants.

As it turns out, and is sometimes the case, I discovered that what had been prescribed was the very same thing I was requesting of my friend; find happiness- but the drugs were limited in understanding human nature.

The drugs force the release of additional serotonin ( a contributor to a sense of well being sometimes called the happiness hormone (though it is not actually a hormone).  Excesses of serotonin like any toxic affect, can have a negative outcome.   To no surprise she complained about discomfort in her gut (where 80% of serotonin is produced).  An excess dose of serotonin could potentially result in this response.

Putting it all together

After about an hour, she came to me with her list.  Next, I went through the list of ten things she wrote down for me, that make her happy or that she likes to do.  I read them with great care.  Then I went through each one and asked her, "when was the last time you went to the museum?" followed by; "when was the last time you went to a movie"... followed by; "when was the last time you..." until we went through the entire list.

As it turned out she had not participated in any of the things she enjoyed in less than the last six months!

I absolutely could not believe this; I could not believe what I was hearing.  Now I have plenty of stress in my life; but I do not allow a day to go by without doing at least one thing, that makes me happy.  If ever I have, I know that I would not feel good about myself, vis a vis, I would not be happy i.e.,  I would not have the natural dose of serotonin already in my body, that I needed.

So I proceeded to give my nonprescription, "My friend, I said, "I want you to go out and do at least two of the things that make you happy today.  Take your journal and write about how they make you feel and pay attention to what is occurring for you as you make your observations."

A real difference

Immediately, as I was looking at her beautiful self, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from her.  A smile came across her face that was glowing in a way I had not seen since she arrived.  To me that indicated that the dopamine ( a biological reaction that occurs when you are craving something) was being released at the mere idea of taking time to do some of the things that make her happy.  My belief is that she will get the sense of well being from the interaction between what she stated makes her happy and making a conscious decision to partake in such activity.

And that is it friends, don't allow life to pass you by because you forgot to do something that makes you feel good (the serotonin) every day.

You might  start by going off somewhere right now and making that list of the ten things that make you happy.  If the natural dopamine in your is being released, you are probably experiencing a smile or your salivary glands acting up at the idea that you are going to reward yourself by treating your happiness hormones to doing something nice for someone else, or nice to yourself.

I feel happier already

Don't worry be happy, because there are some things that you just cannot change- accept that and find a alternate happy path.  For the other things, that you can change, as long as they don't make someone else unhappy, go and do them.  Join a new group, pick up an instrument, go for a walk, a bike ride, show someone you care, get an ice cream cone, breathe fresh air, write in your journal, garden, etc. Do a physical or mental activity that nourishes you and can make you begin to feel whole again.

In my non-medical opinion, the first prescription doctors should offer is the prescription of inquiry, and ask what makes you happy.

We forget things all the time as humans, just don't forget to be happy

Resources:

http://www.epa.gov/iris/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion#Neurobiological_theories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin

Stress and emotion: A new synthesis, 1999, New York: Springer Pub. Co.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004531/

Emotion and adaptation, 1991, New York: Oxford University Press