Money is like a language. It is medium of exchange. Like language properly used, it helps us get along with each other. When language degenerates, or gets confounded, there is confusion, strife, and separation. The decay and degradation of money has much the same effect.
We all exchange things in order to survive. It is how we get along together. When we communicate, we use a medium of exchange called language. Everyone uses language to communicate. Words stand alone and all must submit to them, and cooperate with them, and agree to them, and live by them in order to get along. The fixed rules that govern its structure and meaning must be upheld by all, and defended and protected. We use an alphabet, A through Z, and everyone learns them when they are young. We learn simple then complex words as we grow up. We all agree to use the form of the language we are raised with in order to co-exist and work together. With it, we communicate our thoughts, desires, requests, needs, hurts, hopes, feelings, etc. We instinctively correct our children when language is used improperly. We regard people highly who use it well and articulate clearly. Clear words and meanings ring like bells, and everyone enjoys receiving the words as the speaker intended. There is unity, pleasure, and harmony when people understand each other. There is no debate or discussion on what was meant. There is no need for interpretation, or clarification.
Unfortunately, language as a medium of exchange can be altered, perverted, twisted, and deceptive. Slang creeps into the vocabulary. We use the words such as "cool" and "neat", "bad" and "rad", and "dis" and "bling". However, people slowly learn the latest slang, and if used generally it becomes a real word, with little fanfare. A little slang, or a little change, can be digested and accepted by people without a revolt. Carried further, words can be used to deceive and hurt, and is a symptom of a corrupt heart and mind. Users of language may not want to be understood by others at all. They may speak in codes, giving different meanings to common words, or in extreme slang. People may drift apart geographically, and may begin to uphold different standards, vocabularies, pronunciation. The effect is clear, people can not communicate as effectively, as when everyone agreed on one standard language for all transactions. The degradation of the language, caused by a failure to uphold a standard, was the cause.
Money is like our language. Each item for sale has a separate value or number. When we go shopping, we communicate with sellers on large numbers of transactions for every product, service, or need which may come up. The shopping cart has many differently priced items, made by people who valued their product in dollars, and we agreed to the price and bought it. Money is essential for us to cooperate with each other. It is a medium of exchange just like language. We rely upon that medium for the division of labor. Not everyone can make paper from trees, so we exchange our work and products with that of others via money. Money is how we communication economically, and the dollar is our specific language. The United States historically used gold and silver as money, as required in the constitution. It was a fixed, secure medium of exchange - the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. When it was given in exchange for goods and services, no one had to wonder what they were getting, or whether it would hold its value. It was reliable, valuable in itself, reliable, identifiable, testable, and unchanging.
Money, like language, should not get confounded beyond recognition. But the dollar is changing. Paper money's value is hard to understand and trust. The value of money in the future is not known. It is difficult to even know what money "is". Some have described it as an I.O.U., others as electronic digits, still others say it is only a concept. All agree it is intangible. Paper money is not solid, and it is only reliable in that it can be predicted to decay. Inflation, or decay, is like slang. Decay slowly creeps in to change the meaning, or value, of money. Slow decay appears to be acceptable to people, but fast decay or collapse would lead to social unrest.
Monetary decay leads to economic strife and separation of buyer and seller, just like language barriers cause separation and walls between people. Verbal sparring occurs between lawyers who war over the meaning of the words. People fight over why their money did not go as far as it did before. A very old man thinks a dollar ought to get his lawn mowed and he argues with the boy who says "$20." Husbands and wives argue over the monthly bills because they come up shorter each month. Few recognize that monetary decay is significantly to blame for their arguments. Money is a basic need for retirement, yet it is a frustrating unknown since its future value is uncertain.
When our money's (slow-motion) collapse is complete, as is the fate of all paper currency (e.g. Weimar Germany, Russia, Venezuela, Brazil etc), its destruction would be the equivalent of a monetary Tower of Babel. That tower may have collapsed all at once, or it may have decayed away slowly, but we only know that nothing was left. And we know the language of Babel was rotten, or confounded. A new tower could be built, which would be the equivalent of moving the decimal places over 10 or 10000 places as the case may be. Monetary policy and management should be a fearful thing to oversee. The earnings, hopes and dreams, and lives, of hardworking people hang in the balance.
It is the arrogance of the people of Babylon that led to its confounded language and downfall, and this should be a warning to all that the monetary collapse currently in progress could accelerate. The God of the bible hates deception and trickery (Leviticus 19:35-36), and loves honesty, and will cause those who sow good or evil to eventually reap a full harvest in kind. The dollar falls into the trickery category (Amos 8:4-8). Husbands and wives, please consider that monetary decay may be a significant reason for your money woes, and this aspect of the problem is not your fault. So do not fight, but work together. We learned to observe the reality around us and stopped placing our faith in money but prayed for wisdom, which dictated that we diversify (Ecclesiastes 11:2) and convert our dollars into something more tangible to invest in (Matthew 6:19-20).
Music is a Powerful Force
Music is a powerful force. Music changes the atmosphere of any gathering or event. It is conveys feelings, emotions, and sets the pulse or tone of an event or gathering. It is used in churches, where it also loosens bad inhibitions and leads hearts and minds to focus on the Creator and worship Him, and not be self-centered. It is used at parties and bars, where the music causes excitement and also has the effect of loosening good inhibitions. It provides a distraction from self-centeredness, brings a feeling of group purpose and unity in the activity. It brings out group-centeredness.
Music itself is morally neutral. But the heart of the musician or listener using the music, and for what purpose it is being used, is what should be evaluated. Music can be used simply be used to help people get drunk so a business owner can profit off of them, or sell goods and services, or facilitate giving or philanthropy, or it can be used to draw people to God. There are a myriad of uses for music, some good, some not good. It can facilitate fornication or it can strengthen moral resolve. It can attract people into God's glorious light, or it can lead them into deeper darkness. It can be just a job, which one needs in order to make a living, and thus is approved by God since we are commanded to work. It can be controversial because it is close to the heart. People have individual preferences on the type of music they are comfortable with for listening, worship, or other activity. It can reveal pride and self-centeredness when one style is forced on others for whatever reason.
According to the bible, as written in the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 33:1-11), music also comes out of our hearts as we praise the God who created us. It is natural to praise God when one realizes what God has truly done for him. Praise occurs naturally and scripture talks about praising God with whatever instrument is around, be it stringed instruments, percussion instruments, or wind instruments. The bible says it has the power to do many things, such as open people's hearts; make hearts receptive to the Word of God; drives away evil spirits, and; bring refreshing to the spirit. It can bring people of all spiritual persuasions together with a feeling of unity, and God can bless the relationship that begin between believer and non-believer, if the appropriate music is used and is culturally relevant.
As a musician, it is best to frequently check the personal motivations when committing to gigs, or when responding to requests for playing music. Whether we play music in church or out of church, it's important to play for the right reasons. Our group, Straight Up Jazz, plays both in church and in the community, and we let our conscience be our guide when playing music for people.
Home Business Oddity - Fruit Crate Labels
They say if your are passionate about it, you can turn anything into a successful home business. My wife and I had our usual Friday night date night, and as we went out to eat we were wondering what would happen to our eBay auction on "Forty-Nine Brand," a 1924 California gold mining theme orange label with a muscular man in a red shirt, white flowing hair, stick in hand, a pack mule, and a beautiful snow-covered Sierra mountains in the background. The fruit crate label auction closed in 2 hours.
Here is one very unusual home business story for you. It shows that just about any passion can result in a home business if you love it enough! Having started many home businesses over the years, this one has got to win the uniqueness award. Lots of lessons were learned here, but one thing leads to another and before you know it, it's a business. How do some people start businesses so easily? My personal secret, is to know yourself and what makes you tick. Some questions to ask myself: What am I good at? What am I truly passionate about. What stokes my passion? Is it enough to drive you to know all you can about your business, day in and day out?
It all began when we wanted some apple boxes for storing newspaper and kindling by the wood stove. Some of these old boxes that had colorful labels still on them, or so I thought, but it had been a while since I'd seen any. Each Thursday a new Giant Nickel want ads would come out, and hunting through these and local antique and collectibles stores for months did not yield any boxes. One day ad finally appeared for apple boxes with labels! I knew from experience that apple and pear boxes with labels did not grow on trees, exactly. It was a short drive out to the small town of Burbank WA, and a nice, chubby, Santa Clause-like man met me at the door. His name was Jerry. He sold me 7 boxes, and they were all very beautiful. A few months later, the urge to see Jerry came back, and soon I purchased a bunch of labels from him.
Colorful fruit crate labels were made between 1900 and 1956, when cardboard was introduced - and within a year the wooden box and it's paper label were obsolete. The only labels that survived unused, in mint condition, were those that were saved through the diligence of farm families, packagers, shippers, crazy collectors, and museums. A local museum was raising money for an expansion and was selling a large collection of colorful Americana - apple and pear labels. So, a heavy investment, or contribution, was made into the museum's building expansion fund! Collectors and dealers came out of the woodwork, and annual invitations soon came in the mail for 'apple label shows.' Incredibly, there were whole shows dedicated to labels, and people bought, sold, and traded them. Soon my web site had almost 20,000 visitors and I knew most of the fruit crate label dealers across the U.S. What an interesting bunch of folks! Rare labels were fetching $100, $200, and sometimes $500 each! These labels are only sheets of old paper about 9" x 10" in size, but very old paper. They did have a magical way of taking you back in time, to older, simpler times. Fruit growers pinned their hopes on the colorful themes, hoping buyers would remember their brand at auction.
I memorized prices and images for thousands of labels, and it wasn't long before this old eye could spot an unknown or rare label. One day there was an urge deep within me to go check out the pawn shops too. So, I got up and went to the Cable Bridge Pawn shop and asked the lady if she had any labels. She did….and brought out some beautiful rare citrus labels that I'd never seen before. My heart was racing as I bought them for $1 each. The next week I put one on eBay for $49. During the week it worked it's way up, reaching $179 a few hours before close! But, my wife and I had our usual Friday night date night, and we went out to eat, wondering what would happen to "Forty-Nine Brand," a California gold mining theme label with a muscular man in a red shirt, white flowing hair, stick in hand, a pack mule, and a beautiful snow-covered Sierra mountains in the background (To see this label, go to http://www.cirrovista.com/labelplace.html ). When we got back from our date, the auction had closed, and I could not believe my eyes. It had been bid up to $789! This was a very strange and shocking experience, and this microbusiness continues to astound me.
Inflation Strikes Treasure Hunters' Dream House
Long ago there was a treasure-hunting magazine with an article about a house that was being remodeled. It was an old house built at the turn of the century. Construction workers had removed all of the old appliances and then began ripping out the old plaster and lathe. As one wall was being ripped out, small bundles, wrapped in aged white linen cloth came tumbling out. Workers opened the bundles and were stunned at what they found. Inside the bundles was $20,000 in cash and 1000 ounces of gold. The owner apparently stashed the bundles in there and then died, not telling anyone where he had stashed his nest egg - a huge nest egg for the 1920's. At that time, gold was worth about $20 per ounce, or $20,000, just like the dollar bills, so the nest egg in the 1920's was worth $40,000. The amazing thing about the find was that the paper dollars were still worth $20,000, but the gold was now worth $630,000! The total find that day would be valued at $650,000! This means that the deceased owners' nest egg had grown tremendously in value, right? Actually, the growth of the nest egg was only an illusion, and the magic trick will be discussed below.
Over time the amount of money in circulation increases, and it usually increases faster than the population growth rate so over time there is more money around for people to use. Time is not to blame, but it simply reveals how things work, namely that the dollar loses it's value over time. How fast it devalues is continuously changing, but the trend is down. Everyone knows this. Usually we think in terms of prices rising, rather than the dollar losing its value. Inflation is really the wrong word for this effect. Therefore, this writer will coin, or electronically create as the case may be, a new term for this phenomenon, called decay - as in radioactive half-life. By the way, the term "rust" was also considered, and was the runner-up in this naming contest. So, as money decays, more of them are needed in order to pay for a gallon of gas, or gallon of milk, or a trip to the doctor, or to pay for books and tuition. Some indicators used to measure this decay strategically exclude energy, food, and education, but include tin, molybdenum, and hundreds of other lesser-used commodities in order to give a stable appearance. If we revisit the home remodel incident above, we could also say that the gold did not decay, and is still 1000 ounces, no change. The dollars, however, had decayed from $630,000 to $20,000. They decayed 97%. Therefore, the guy who stashed his money in the walls of that old house did not posthumously grow his nest egg, as previously thought. But, rather, his $40,000 investment could have been worth $1.26 million in today's dollars. Therefore it actually decayed from $1.26 million down to $650,000, for a loss of $610,000, or 48%.
Some beneficial conclusions can be drawn from this incident. Aside from the benefits of ripping out old walls and telling someone you love about your hoard before you die, the point to be made here is that money decays. Money rusts. So, look elsewhere for the long-term investment or store of value.
Home Business - What Are Those Customers Thinking?
A successful business or home business needs good market research data for all products or services. Unless you've been in the business yourself many years, finding out about a market may require calling people or companies that you think will need your product. Try to appeal to their expertise, because obviously they are in the business and their opinions count. Then you can get valuable market information as to whether or not your home business would be successful, or whether your product will sell. If you are nervous or shy, practice interviewing friends or relatives that may be in the field or may buy the product. Don't be afraid to be bold and ask. You could be very surprised by what you hear, and it may also change your business plan! Such information is worth lots of money, and can save you a lot of heartache.
Shown below is an example of one contact I made concerning a new product and technology we were researching. It is important to be ready to document everything, such as who you talked to, where they worked, and what their position was. Have good general open-ended questions ready to ask. Simply ask the question and let them talk. Write fast and take detailed notes. Such data is important for the market study report you should put together for your business or home business, and which will be studied by you, other owners, investors, lenders, or management. Seek to connect with influential people, buyers, users, and anyone who will buy or use your product. Let the facts and feedback speak to you. Don't go forward without diligently doing this research, or you could lose a lot of money on a product no one wants. Here is how a market research interview could go:
COMPANY: Primemark Contractors, Home Remediation and Water Damage Repair
INTERVIEWER: Rich Roberts Time: 60 minutes, January 2, 2007
Rich: Hi Wes, This is Rich Roberts. I'm working with a group of engineers who are researching a new technology which uses electromagnetic radiation i.e. radar to see into walls and ceilings. The device would detect moisture, wiring, piping, and other structures inside walls. Your expertise and experience would be very valuable in helping to understand how this technology could be useful to you and the industry. OK, here are some questions.
Rich: How do you go about detecting moisture in walls now?
Wes: Moisture is a huge problem here, and it's getting worse. Mold is the biggest health concern. If you could find leaks in walls and ceilings that would be very useful. Right now, you can't tell where moisture is entering, only where it is showing up. It is most critical to know where it is entering, e.g. where is the roof leaking? Water moves and the leak may be 10 feet or more from where the source is. If the device can tell you this, or give a picture of what’s going on inside the walls it will be a big breakthrough.
Rich: What kind of hassles have you had with this (current system)?
Wes: Pipe leaks are easier to find, leaks around windows. 9 times out of 10 where you see the water is not where its entering, it could be 10 feet away. We used to hire a man about 15 years ago who injected pipes with a gas, then used meters to detect the gas. He also used dyes and injected them, looking for colors to show up in the leak area. We currently don't use him, just basically use our best guess and tear it apart.
Rich: What would be "really great to have" that's not currently available?
Wes: I used to call that specialist out, but we don't use him anymore, just go on our own. We don't have a way of finding leak sources, just tearing out walls, sometimes up to 8', and then rebuild. Finding out quickly the exact pinhole, etc would be essential.
Rich: What else might you be looking for in a wall section?
Wes: The source of the leak. That is the most important. But, speaking of non-water, our current practice is to take complete digital pictures, and a video of all wall installations before putting on any sheetrock. We get tons of pictures of walls and ceilings. Any future problem, remodel, we have records of each installation. We also give the homeowner a copy of the pictures and a video. I probably spend a half a day taking pics, then the video. Most homebuilders in the high-end market do this, but maybe 1/2 to 2/3 may not in other lower end markets. We have to make sure it's right and tight before sheetrocking, along with 4-5 detailed independent inspections too. Windows/penetrations are a top concern. Now, with new rubberized materials seals are getting much better. We document everything before closing it up, this protects the builder.
Rich: How much of your overall business (time) is spent in detecting moisture?
Wes: It's hard to say, but more time is spent tearing out walls. Not much time is spent detecting it, we fix theproblems however.
Rich: Where do you typically find out about new technology?
Wes: Word of mouth, when we see another contractor or inspector using something new, we may ask about it. If it works, word gets around quickly, and we'd buy one.
Rich: How do you make decisions on what technology to purchase?
Wes: If it works we'd buy it, if others who use it are happy with it.
Rich: How important would compactness and portability be?
Wes: That's the only way it would work.
Rich: How much do you think the average contractor would be willing to pay?
Wes: Maybe 3-4 inspections may cost $300-400 per inspection, so maybe $1200 - 1600 for a device. We wouldn't think twice about spending that much on a unit if it worked. Home insurers may pay more because they'd use it all the time.
Rich: How would you recommend we get the word out once the product development is completed?
Wes: Word of mouth, Maybe a trade magazine? Yes, maybe. But, word gets around fast if someone has a good way of finding leak sources.
Rich: What would you think if this product were franchised? (No time to discuss.)
Rich: Who else should I talk to?
Wes: The track home, condo, and apartment contractors, who build large numbers of spec. homes and units. They may have a greater need for quickly finding problems, due to the large numbers of units they work with. Home inspectors, yes, talk to them. They'd use a unit if it were portable.
Rich: What else should I have asked?
Wes: Most California builders are very conscious of being sued. But home insurers are not, right? Your device is awesome, I don't think $1000 - $1500 would be unreasonable - if it can really pinpoint the leak we'd buy one. If you could do tests, with nail-hole sized leaks, finding out where the water comes in, and if it'll tell you exactly where this hole is, that is much more important than moisture in general. You must find the hole! For home insurers, finding general moisture may be good enough, but for contractors who have to fix problems, we need to know where it is coming from. If we know, we can limit the damage to 1' of wall instead of ripping out 8' by guesswork it's worth it. You still need space to work in for the fix. It must find the source.
Rich: Thank you very much for your time Wes! You're expertise is much appreciated, we'll take your input seriously, and will keep you posted on it's progress.
Air Pollution Reduction from Mexican Brick Kilns
Jose Luis Orozco runs a successful carpentry shop, He cares deeply for the people in his community and has good political relationships. He may someday be elected as a county governor of a newly re-formed area that includes the city of San Ignacio, Jalisco, Mexico. He attends the Arandas Baptist Church and has a passion for improving the life of people in his region. During a visit there in March 2006, we collected data visited local Jalisco brickmakers, and are interested in partnering with them in the endeavor to improve the air quality there.
A major business in the area is brickmaking. This is due to availability of key materials such as red clay, agave cactus waste, manure, wood and spent-motor oil, and cheap labor. Green, or unfired bricks are formed from a mixture of clay, water, manure and agave waste, and poured into molds and dried. Once dry they are stacked into large piles, forming a kiln, the bricks are ignited using wood or used motor oil. The entire structure literally burns as the organic material is consumed within the brick, leaving a porous, light, and structurally hard ceramic brick. This type of brick "kiln" is simply a large open pile of green bricks with holes at the bottom for fuel, uncontained.
Unfortunately, states Senor Orozco, the brick kilns generate large amounts of toxic smoke, which drifts across the city of San Ignacio 24 hrs/day. The number of kilns burning at a given time may be reduced during the week since children are in school, but on the weekends the smoke is worse since many more kilns are fired up. He estimates that there are over 300 kilns burning at any given time, each with about 20,000 bricks per kiln. These kilns surround the city of San Ignacio upwind of the prevailing winds due the location of hardwood in the local Cerro Gordo mountains. These local kilns, he estimates, produce about 12,000,000 bricks per week for the region. The housing industry in the entire region of Los Altos (The Highlands) is based largely on these bricks for construction. The towns in Los Altos are beneficiaries of the brickmaking from San Ignacio and surrounding area, and include Arandas, Atotonilco, Encarnacion de Diaz, and San Julian. San Miguel uses some brick but also uses a stone quarry.
Separately, it has been determined that Mexico has a reported 15,000 - 20,000 brick kilns burning at any given time, causing some air pollution to reach United States, as documented in areas near Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. Other corporations have tried building pilot furnaces for testing. So far no large-scale conversion to cleaner ovens has been successful.
It is believed that entrepreneurial engineers or business people are best suited for causing broad societal change, which in this case involves environmental improvements. By working with passionate Mexican nationals who care about reducing pollution, such as Senor Orozco, and using free U.S. technical support, we may be able to provide a long-term benefit of fresh air to whole cities. This success could then serve as a model for developments in similar cities. An abundance of technical expertise exists in the U.S., and many engineers or business people may feel underutilized. Consider the supply of technical and business expertise in the U.S., versus the demand in third world countries. Anyone with technical expertise is highly prized and appreciated in poorer countries. Giving talents freely, or in a business venture for profit, can yield priceless satisfaction and joy. And, there is nothing wrong with doing it for profit as well - there is a plenty of economic growth potential at the 'bottom of the pyramid.' A successful example of this model is Engineers Without Borders.
An LLC run by people of the same vision could serve as a vehicle for funding of the feasibility studies, test kilns, and for obtaining political and public support for the project. An economically affordable low-emission kiln is what is needed. The Marquez kiln is recommended. It would use bricks made locally nad can be operated with only minor changes to the brickmakers' way of life. Money is needed for a bricks for the oven structure, and to pay for the labor to build it. Such a kiln can reduce air pollution by over 90%. The people living in towns such as San Ignacio would daily reap clean air benefits, ans such a success would give more political support for rare visionaries such Jose Luis Orozco, and inspire them to do more.
Who Cares What Time It Is, We Have Eachother
American culture is quite different than Hispanic cultures, which are Latin in root. Obviously there are strengths and weaknesses between different cultures. American culture is work-centered, and time is linear and a carefully divided. Hispanic culture is relationship-oriented, and time is organic and flexible. Of course, these are general observations only and there are always exceptions.
Our friends Hal and Cheryl took us to the top of some rugged, green El Salvadoran mountains to a restaurant hidden among the coffee plantations called Cabana de Aponeca. It was a long drive on narrow, winding roads and we got out to stretch our legs. Flocks of green parrots, fluttered overhead, and iridescent blue and purple butterflies magically filled the air, with hundreds sitting on the ground with wings folded together. It was supposed to be an afternoon trip and then we would return to Oscar and Pati's house for dinner. At least that was the plan.
We ordered colorful drinks of coconut, guava, lemon, orange, and talked and reminisced about old times. Hal and Cheryl were Americans who had lived in El Salvador for 25 years and had established a large, growing institute where people learn life skills, life principles, and values for living. It was a privilege for me to be there to teach on the topics of finances, stewardship, planning, and micro-businesses and home businesses. As time went on, my son Caleb got very hungry, though we just had lunch several hours earlier. I reminded him that Oscar and Pati were having us over for dinner in a few hours.
You know, we Americans generally make a plan, stick to it, and watch the clock. If we are late to work and we see someone we know, the tendency is to quickly say "Hi", and say something like "I'm late for work, can’t talk now." In America this is accepted as normal and they let us go. It says "work is more important than you right now." Time is a commodity, diced and measured, plotted and tracked. Time is "money" and we "live to work." Our American values are quite different than Hispanic cultures, which are Latin in root. If I met a friend on the way to work then I'd stop and talk because the relationship is most highly valued. It would be an insult to say "I can't talk because I have to go to work." Why? Because the message is interpreted as "You think your work is more important than me as a person!" How differently we view the world. A late worker may not even be questioned.
As we talked, Caleb got increasingly hungry. Hal got him a menu, and I thought we were making a special case for him, but soon everyone was looking at menus! It took a lot of years for me to learn this principle, and that is the quality time spent with important friends or family are more important that being to the next scheduled commitment (our Outlook calendars would be guidelines). Time is not linear but it is organic and flows naturally, and promptness is based on the relationships and people you are with. It can be unacceptable to leave for another engagement before a natural ending time.
If you think Oscar and Pati were offended that we arrived very late, and not as hungry as we could have been, think again. They know this and it is acceptable to go with the flow and not be on time. In America a late worker offends his boss and may be thought to be lacking in character, and had better have a good excuse. If we come late to a meeting, we apologize, and there are actually degrees of apologies needed, depending on how late you are! One, two, five, ten, or twenty minutes late warrants deeper apologies such as a sorry look, a verbal 'sorry', 'I'm really sorry', 'I am really sorry and a good explanation,' etc. It is good to know, however, that some cultures are not ruled by the clock, but by the love of friends and family. Work is good but it doesn't rule lives to the point edging out social relationships and, again, family.
Obviously there are strengths and weaknesses between different cultures. One culture may sacrifice family relationships but manufacture anything under the sun, and may dominate the economic landscape, while the other fosters close family and familial ties that not only define who they are but it is also their social security safety net. One culture tends to have less-connected families and friends, and the other is has an economy that may plod along more slowly. Both have strengths and weaknesses if not kept in balance.
Frequent trips to Latin America have made me re-evaluate work, relationships, and other values as an American. I believe I could use a little more time with friends and family, a little more relaxing at the coffee shop, and learning more of the art of conversation. But, it's important to stay relevant to the culture you live in, and since I live in America I'll try to be on time for that dinner date. It helped me to also be more understanding when my Hispanic friends are late.
Here is some suggested reading:
Distant Neighbors - A Portrait of the Mexicans, by Alan Riding The Germans, by Greg Nees Au Contraire! The French, (another Latin culture…), By Gilles Asselin and Ruth Mastron
Home Finances - Diversification to Seven Areas
As the story goes, ancient Chinese merchants would ship their products down the river to the next town as part of normal trade. Farmers would ship their produce and livestock as well. The problem, however, was that accidents were waiting to happen and could strike any ship at any time. An entire season's harvest could be ruined all at once. Merchants became wise and split their goods between 10 ships. This obviously increased the chances that a ship carrying some of their goods could sink, or be stolen, or ruined somehow. But, the rest of the ships would make it, and the small loss was part of doing business in order to ensure that most of the goods reached their destination. This is insurance in it's basic form. It is also an example of diversification.
Most people have their retirement funds in stocks and bonds. Much is heard about mutual funds as the pathway for diversification. But the stock market, while divided up into different sectors, still consists of stocks. They are part of the stock universe. Some may disagree, and say that a variety of stocks is all you need. At any rate, the entire stock market can fall in the aggregate. Electronic trading can accelerate this, as selling spills over from one sector to another. Some sectors are more stable than others, some more volatile than others. The market can get disturbed easily, and there are numerous examples of very large drops in the stock market, slow and fast, such as occurred in 1929, 1973, 1980, 1987, and 2000. Drops in the 20 - 60% range, which have occurred routinely, correspond to the sinking of 2 to 6 out of 10 boats! After the 1929 crash it took 28 years before the market recovered to its pre-crash high. In 2000, popular stocks inevitably filled the portfolio of popular mutual funds. Stock market 'gurus' led the choir in unison as they sang of the wonders of technology stocks. Fundamentals were ignored. The technology boom of the 1990s, cheered on by stock analysts, ended with wild stock overvaluations and subsequent 80% collapse, especially in the NASDAQ. The ridicule is still fresh in my memory as a few of us had the nerve to warn others of the frothiness in the stock market, and pulled out to greener, safer pastures.
However, let's look at "Big 7" diversification principle. The stock market is one area for your retirement funds or nest egg. This means we need at least 6 more. Ecclesiastes 11:2, written by King Solomon thousands of years ago, says "Divide your wealth into 7 (or 8) portions, because you do not know what risks lie ahead." The verse carries the meaning that we should divide our nest egg into many portions because we don't know what will happen in the world. Wouldn't that be nice if we could tell the future! Perhaps Warren Buffet is an exception, and is qualified to mock those who diversify as ignorant, but time will tell. Even if we diligently read every annual report, and understood them, there is still a significant amount of information that the individual investor does not have access to, nor is he likely to get it in a timely manner to act. Many markets are interconnected and a crash in one can cascade into others as seen in 1929. At that time the drop in the stock market caused a both bank closures and a real estate price collapse, amid unemployment over 40%. Aside from stocks, 5 other areas to invest in, after due diligence of study, include bonds, real estate, home business, commodities, and insurance. The 7th investment is a radical investment area to consider, which is tithing.
Why tithing? If we can't take anything with us, it would be like having all ships sink with nothing to show for our hard work. This area of investment takes a step of faith in reconciling with God, but in the bible, Malachi says in Malachi 3:10b, "If you do, says the Lord Almighty, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great that you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!" This would indicate that God Himself knows we are programmed to love a profit, and challenges us to invest in Him. That is one big promise too. Well, the proverbial Hearst never pulled the proverbial U-Haul out of this world, delivering the belongings of the deceased to the next location, as King Tut found out. So this promised wealth would have to be durable and transportable out of this world, a promise only God could make good on.
Best wishes for your prosperity.
Nuclear Energy and the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI)
Nuclear energy policy continues to advance. There is an initiative to make the nuclear fuel cycle more efficient, cleaner, and generate less waste. The nuclear fuel cycle in the U.S. generally involves uranium mining, nuclear fuel fabrication, nuclear reactor operation, spent fuel removal and storage, and spent fuel and nuclear waste disposal. Other countries, such as France and Japan, reuse their spent fuel because it contains large quantities of enriched uranium and plutonium. These two elements are used in the nuclear reaction. The potential energy savings is huge, since each pellet of recovered enriched uranium, about the size of an eraser on a fat pencil, can generate as much energy as three cords of wood or three barrels of fuel oil in equivalent energy. Currently, spent nuclear fuel is targeted for deep geological repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. But, research has shown that over 99% of the fuel can be recycled and reused.
An Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) has been under development for a several years. To support this initiative, most of the national laboratories and numerous countries are developing and demonstrating new advanced technologies. Countries such as the U.S., Russia, Japan, France, Korea, and others are spearheading the effort and providing research and development resources. These technologies involve advanced chemical separation and recovery processes, fabrication and lead assembly testing of new types of advanced nuclear fuel, and design and testing of a new generation nuclear reactor to use such fuel. Plutonium and uranium, and other transuranic elements, would be efficiently removed using the so-called UREX process and recovered.
An advanced nuclear fuel cycle would have a number of benefits. It will reduce the volume of existing spent fuel. Currently, spent fuel is being stored in pools at various reactors sites around the U.S. It would also increase the capacity of the storage facility by reducing the amount decay heat generated by the spent fuel. It is predicted that toxic long-lived radioactive components can be destroyed through burning in a nuclear reactor and transmutation, which is the process of converting the radioactive elements into stable, safer isotopes. Radiotoxicity can be reduced after aging of the spent (advanced) fuel by over 70% after 100 years, and over 99.9% after 1000 years. Reactors similar to the sodium-cooled Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) could be considered for more efficient transmutation.
The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative supports the more sustainable development of nuclear energy. Not only is it better stewardship of resources because it makes use of spent fuel, it may reduce the potential impact to the environment for thousands of years to come by burning up toxic long-lived elements. In addition, this new fuel cycle is considered to be more nuclear proliferation resistant. National energy policy acknowledges that nuclear energy is the only technology capable of providing steady base load quantities of electricity for the U.S. without emitting greenhouse gases thought to play a role in global climate change.
"Dedicated to helping men achieve prosperity in all ways."
Cirrovista
Cirrovista
Archeology Recapitulates Bibliology
"But the bible is filled with crazy myth and impossible things." "It's written by men." "It's unsubstantiated." There are many opinions about the Bible. As it turns out, archeology, history, and other tests have validated most of the Bible as historically precise and irrefutable. In fact, the Bible is used as historical basis for research. Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is a real town, still here today. Nazareth, Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gesthemanie, Egypt, and virtually every location Jesus, Paul, and others visited. Most are enshrined and surrounded by countless monuments.
The tomb of the patriarchs for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, are sights to see. Ephesus, Euphrates, Rome, Corinth, the Dead Sea, Colossi, Israel, Palestine, Ethiopia, Athens, Thessalonica, and others are tangible places that can be vistited even today. The widow's mite is a real coin you can buy for about $30, and a Denarius silver coin can be purchased with various emperors of biblical times. Religious book? Rather, it is a record of God's relationship with man, and it is also an accurate historical record.
Here is a very tiny slice of biblical archeology referring to the Red Sea. It is some evidence of the crossing of the Red Sea from Exodus where Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt through the water. (From Ron Wyatt Research 1978 - 1987).
Other good books include "The Bible Lands" and "In the Steps of the Apostle Paul" by F. F. Bruce, Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester through 1978.
Hispanic and American Cultural Differences and Contrasts
We spent a beautiful week at the top of a volcanic jungle mountain. The Latin American town of Panajachel was at the edge of a deep crater lake that fills the caldera known as Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Once we arrived at the rim, we immediately began driving down into the caldera. The road was built into the side a sheer cliff. The houses below, their orange tile roofs contrasting with the dense jungle green, looked like postage stamps a thousand feet below. A small comfort, there was a 2 foot-high cement wall between our old creaky van and eternity.
We wandered the streets late one night, sipping pop from plastic bags and sweet rice drinks. There was a group of young people huddled together selling jewelry so we made our way over to them. When asked where they were from, these wandering vagabonds said they were from “oorugooeyeyoo.” No entiendo, no comprendo, I thought. My friend Hal asked the young man again where he was from but could not understand either. Eventually we figured out that he was saying Uruguay. Misael, Paro and Felipe and one other gal were all good friends just living off the street and wandering through life together. They had traveled all the way up to Guatemala through Central America from Uruguay with little more than the clothes on their backs and a little bit of primitive jewelry. These Latinos sat on rugs on the edge of the streets holding necklaces out and waiting for people to walk by. People would somehow notice them and buy from their limited selection of jewelry. My son bought a ring for $3.
We eventually sat down with them and hung out for a while just to talk. It was all very fascinating to me. They were very friendly, earthy, and uninhibited. Misael said they lived in a rented flat down the street for about $50 a month. They had been traveling for over a year, just going from town to town and walking and hitchhiking through Central America. You see, Misael said, “We take care of each other, and we get by. We don’t need much and have a lots to see and do. We hang out and are free. We just sell what we need and when we get tired of a place we move on.” Paro shook her head in agreement. It was dark so her features were hard to make out in the shadows, but her brown eyes had a twinkle in them.
It a way, we are all like those young people from Uruguay, going through life with each other. Buying, selling, or trading something to get by. The value that the Hispanic culture tends to place on relationships is something this American can learn from. People have made general observations about the value systems of the poor, middle class, and rich. It has been said that the possessions that the poor cherish most are “people.” The middle class tends to cherish “things.” The rich tend to cherish unique masterpieces, legacies, and pedigrees. These friend valued each other.
This simple Hispanic-American cross-cultural experience has helped me learn to value friendship more, even as a card-carrying middle-class person. It has been humbling to be accepted and loved by many Hispanic friends in Central America, and here in Eastern Washington. Their open hearts and the importance they place on the relationships has taught me to reciprocate. Thought it hasn't always been the case with strangers, it has been with those that consider me a friend.
My Children are Millenial Kids, not Baby Boomers
Having read some books on generation gap issues, and having had a couple of classes on the 4 different generations, it seems that it is a lot like studying different cultures. Understanding another culture starts with understanding our own culture and values first, and then comparing it with the other culture and seeing the difference. Of course, the characteristics presented here are some general tendencies, and may not represent every person. Not all Baby Boomers, Generation X, or Millenials are cut from a cookie-cutter mold, but many similar values and perspectives exist within each generation that can be condensed and used as a starting point for understanding.
Baby Boomers (age 43 - 61), of which I am a part, have been described as hard-working and tend to have a very high work ethic. They are competitive in all that they do. They work long, hard hours, and are basically a "live to work" generation. A prominent value is how successful they are in their career. Baby Boomers and those they work with make fairly good teams, having a common goal to get the job done. They'll sacrifice weekends and holidays, and usually do what it takes to get things done. Boomers will routinely take on other tasks outside their job description if that is what it takes to "git 'er done."
Boomers tend to define themselves by what they do. Work is very important to them and to their sense of self worth and also their net worth. They define their lives, and define who they are, by what they do. Boomers value personal development. Authority figures can be loved or hated at the same time. Boomers yearn for visible rewards, such as certificates, awards, plaques and trophies. Trophies and other badges of honor demonstrate that they did a good job. They want to be rewarded with jobs of higher responsibility and want to get promotions. They need to be told that they did a good job, and want their supervisors to acknowledge the good job they did. They also need lots of material things, which are tangible rewards for their hard work, and they want lots of money. Money drives them. It is the reward for their labors and a measure of their success. They strive to build growing careers and professions, and tend to be workaholics. They will also quickly go into debt to achieve their vision of the American material Dream. Then they had kids.
The spawn of the boomers are the Generation X (GenX) kids (ages 28 - 42) and Millennial kids (age <27). There is a wide gulf in values and opinions between the Boomers and these two. We'll contrast Boomer and their Millenial children here. Millenials are latchkey kids, and the children of latchkey GenX kids. They are isolated but stay connected electronically. They believe they have almost every material need satisfied, and love having the latest electronic gadget and toy. Their parents have denied themselves nothing, and neither have their children been denied anything, except for close relationships with their parents. This leads to a gulf in understanding and expectations between the Boomer parents and their Millenial kids.
For Millenials, time is the commodity of value, not money. They "work to live" but their parents "live to work" and Millenials struggle with following in their footsteps. That is, they see the Boomers' stress and long work hours and sincerely don't want it. They'll do the minimum required to get they're specific task done, but won't submit to team Boomer peer pressure to do more as a Boomer would, or to help others on the team as a Boomer would do to "git 'er done." For a Millenial, when their specific portion of work is done, It's time to have fun. Time is the currency of value, not money, and if they work hard it is so they can get time off. Money is the tool to buy freedom. They value time off as Boomers valued money. They tend to spend many more years in "young adulthood", the twilight between high school singlehood and working parenthood. Many of them wait until they are in their late 20's to get married. They watched their Boomer parents closely. Many don't want to be workaholics. They are individualistic, and love to share details of their lives with others on MySpace, and chat via instant messenger. The personal information they reveal about themselves shows a desire to exhibit uniqueness. The music and pictures they upload are individualized. But, they are very group-oriented and move around in packs. They stay connected through a variety of electronic means that were unknown to us Boomers when we were young. They are not workaholics, but appear to drift. They are concerned with the quality of life, but seem less concerned with the essential things such as meeting physical needs of food, clothing, and shelter.
With a little time and study, Boomers can understand their Millenial kids and co-workers, and strive to relate to them and develop healthy relationships. For more insights, read "Inside the Soul of a New Generation" by Tim Celek and Dieter Zander, Zondervan Publishing House. For a rousing introduction to the generation gap issues, contact the experts at Marsten Communications for real eye-opening presentations.
