NailHoles

Sincerity Sucks

2009-07-25T13:37:00.003-05:00

I'm re-posting (with his permission) my friend Blair Warren's post "Sincerity Sucks" from his (lamentably) deceased blog, Blair Warren's Crooked Wisdom. I think, in light of too many people in each of our lives and nearly every politician we're aware of, that we need to be reminded of this.

- John

Sincerity Sucks

Author: Blair Warren

Copyright 2005 Blair Warren

Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value
than the most talented hypocrite. - Charles Haddon
Spurgeon, 19th Century Baptist Preacher

Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things. -
Confucius

There is no greater delight than to be conscious of
sincerity on self-examination. - Mencius

There is little doubt that sincerity is one of the most
highly prized qualities one can possess. We esteem those
who are sincere and ridicule those who arent. We demand
it of those we deal with and believe ourselves to possess
it at all times. Yes, sincerity is held in high regard.

But something very terrible has happened to the idea of
sincerity. It has become worse than meaningless. It has
become poisonous. And to make matters worse, few recognize
this fact. How do I know this? Heres how:

About a year ago I became very frustrated after being let
down by a number of sincere people on a couple of very
important projects. Now, given that these people let me
down, what makes me say they were sincere? They TOLD me
so. They assured me I could count on them to come
through and then when they didnt, they assured me they
were sincerely sorry and wouldnt do it again. Of course,
they did do it again. And yes, they were sorry for that,
too.

Now Im as willing to forgive and forget as the next guy,
but these people are forgetting something very important
and that is this:

When it comes to getting things done in life, a pattern of
behavior beats a claim of sincerity every time.

Is this obvious? Not at all. At least not to the vast
majority of people. How can I make such a blanket
statement? Well, in the wake of the let downs I just
described, I sat down and wrote the following:

To gain the favor of others, be sincere when making
commitments to them. To retain the favor of others, be
more sincere when you apologize for breaking these
commitments. I cannot overstate the importance of
sincerity.

Now, in case you missed it, this advice is sarcastic. I
only point this out because almost no one who reads it
recognizes the sarcasm! In fact, a lot of people whove
read it said that it was valuable advice for dealing with
other people. Of course, sincerity is important, they
would say. Maybe even the most important thing of all.

Well, these people are wrong. Dead wrong. And what makes
the problem even worse is they dont know it. This is what
makes those who falsely profess sincerity so dangerous
they actually believe their own lies!

I submit that all the promises of sincerity in the world
mean nothing without the follow through to back them up.
In other words, I dont care how much you claim to be
sincere; if you repeatedly fail to follow through, youre
not.

Now, while this is easy to see when it is written on paper,
it is horribly difficult to recognize in real life. And
whats worse is, those who recognize it are quickly dubbed
insensitive for doing so.

I know this because when I confronted those I mentioned
earlier about their lack of follow through and refused to
accept their sincere apologies, I was labeled an ass. Of
course, they werent asses for failing to live up to their
commitments, only I was one for failing to accept their
sincere apologies.

I have news for them. If they think I was an ass then,
theyre really going to think Im one now. Why? Because
heres another piece of news for them:

Their claims of sincerity are counterfeit. They are
worthless. And not recognizing this fact is one of the
biggest differences between them and those who actually get
things done in life. In other words, failing to
discriminate between claiming sincerity and
demonstrating sincerity is one of the primary causes of
frustration and failure in our lives.

Again, few understand this because few have ever stopped
long enough to consider it. With just a little reflection,
the truth become clear; sincerity, as it is understood
today, means nothing. Literally.

When you repeatedly fail to live up to your commitments,
being more sincere when you apologize for your failures
MEANS NOTHING!

Failing to live up to your commitments and then expecting
sincere apologies to make up for it doesnt make you
sincere; it makes you UNTRUSTWORTHY.

Sincerity has become a plague. A silent killer of
relationships and productivity. When someone says theyre
sincere youre supposed to let go and stop pressing. When
they fail to perform, what are we supposed to do? Thats
right, accept their sincere apology and forgive and
forget. Nonsense.

Heres a better alternative.

Realize that claims of sincerity are worthless. Realize
that we can never know if another person is sincere.
Never. We can only know if another person was sincere.
Likewise, we can never know if we are sincere. Never. We
can only know if we were sincere.

In other words, in the present moment sincerity means
nothing. Ones actions are all that matters. Sincerity is
nothing but a label we put on past experiences to describe
people who actually did what they said theyd do.

Does this sound harsh? Perhaps. Is it true? Absolutely.
If sincerity is to ever mean anything at all, it must be
something we demonstrate rather than proclaim.

So why do we still hold sincerity up to such esteem?
Because it serves as a short-term fix in our daily lives.
As long as we accept each others empty claims of
sincerity, our relationships will be happy and
harmonious in the short run. Ultimately, they will be
unproductive and eventually destroyed because if we cant
count on each other, our chances of success, and maybe even
survival, are nil. So which do you prefer?

Regardless of your choice, never kid yourself - sincerity
is meaningless. Actually, it is worse than meaningless. It
sucks. And I mean that. Sincerely.

Listening to the Band Yes To Learn How To Succeed

2009-06-05T20:45:00.006-05:00

I have success on the mind again (actually, I do that a lot). Now, before you stop reading this post because I'm about to talk quite a bit about music (not that that should be a surprise), realize that what I'm about to say applies to all businesses. So, read on.

I'm listening to "Yours Is No Disgrace" by Yes (which may actually be long enough to be the only song I hear while I write this post), and I got to thinking about what it is that allows Yes to keep going as a band. To the best of my knowledge, they haven't had a large selling album since the 1980's ("Big Generator"), yet they continue to sell out large concert venues every time they tour.

And it's not just them. Jimmy Buffet does that every time he tours. Rush does that (okay, so their albums still go gold when they come out). The Grateful Dead did it for years (and the remaining members are doing it again going out on tour as The Dead).

What do these bands all do that so few musicians do nowadays? They focus on the service aspect of their business. They use the hard product (recorded music and video) as a way to get people interested enough to experience the live performance. And they make a good living, touring every 4-10 years (depending on which band we're referring to).

How do you apply this to your business/work? Simple: realize that the finished product may be the attractor initially, but it will be the service and the experience that will bring people back over and over and over.

Next time you go to a restaurant where the average entree costs $20, $30, $50, $100 or more that their food costs are roughly the same as your average fast food chain. But the experience is so much better. And are you unhappy about paying more for that experience? Not if they do it well. It is soooooo worth it.

So, think about how you can bring a great experience to people doing business with you, whether it is becoming known as a person who keeps their word, a person of utmost integrity, or whether it is the little bonus things that you throw in with your finished product that people buy from you.

The service is a key. Go serve somebody. :-)

- John

Currently listening to:
Yours Is No Disgrace - Yes
Follow Me - P.O.D.
Wade Into The Water - Alabama 3 / A3 (thanks, Greg!)
I Need Love - Sam Phillips

The Timing of Success

2009-06-04T00:15:00.002-05:00

I just read a short biography of Koko Taylor, "The Queen of Blues." She'll be missed.

One thing that struck me about that bio is the mention that her first big hit, "Wang Dang Doodle," became a major hit in 1966. It sold a million copies, a very big deal. She was born in 1928. That means she was 37 or 38 when she had the hit, much too old by the standard of our youth-infatuated culture here in the U.S.

This makes me think that if your work and your success is primarily based on chasing fads, possibly your success (if you have any) is dependent on those who are infatuated with youth (in the case of music) and newness. But, if you want long-term success, a career, if you will, then it makes more sense to follow your own star, and be yourself. In music terms, create your own sound, be yourself, and connect with like-minded people with whom your work resonates. They'll appreciate you for being you, instead of being infatuated by the facade and then moving on to the next pretty thing when they tire of the facade.

This also makes me think that age isn't a factor in real success (no matter how you measure it). You have areas of your life that you can be successful in regardless of your age, whether it is business, financially, relationships, artistically (some would say, in my case, autistically ;-).

Stop trying to be someone else. Be you, and connect with people who love you for being you; chances are, you'll love them for who they are, too. :-)

- John

Currently listening to:
Mudhouse - Black Eyed Sceva
Rome - F for Fake
Utopia - Tony Levin
Beautiful Sound - Newsboys

It's been a while...

2008-07-28T02:11:00.002-05:00

Haven't posted in a while. Life has been a little crazy.

My beautiful wife had our fourth child a couple of weeks ago, so this post is more sleep-deprived than normal. In that light, here's two quotes I thought worth sharing and a link to something quite humorous.

And then a thought-provoking link. Not for those who agree with Henry Ford's quote about thinking is the hardest work that can be done, which is why so few do it, so they choose not to think. The last link will make you think.

The quotes:

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” - Franz Kafka

Kafka. 'Nuff said.

“If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself… All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.” - Mao Tse-Tung

I disagree with Mao Tse-Tung on about everything philosophically, politically and religiously, but he got this right. Thanks to my friend, Blair Warren, for putting that quote in my hands.

The humorous link is here. BBspot slays me. Too funny.

The thought provoking link is here. You've been forewarned.

Oh, and I signed up for twitter. Not sure I'll use for anything other than to follow other people's tweets (kind of like I signed up for myspace so I can read the blogs of certain musicians that interest me), but, hey, I may post there occassionally. For those who care if I ever post there.

That's it for now. Desperately needing sleep.

- John

Currently listening to:
Dyer's Eve - Metallica (when they were still putting out music worth listening to, i.e. before whatever came out after the black album)
You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette (IMO, the last track that Dave Navarro worked on after the first three Jane's Addiction cd's that's worth listening to)
A Charming Spell - Splashdown
Secret Journey - The Police
Miss Sarajevo - Passengers (U2 with Brian Eno) with Luciano Pavarrati (Possibly more brilliant than U2 and Eno's usual fare.)

And now for something completely different....

2008-05-10T11:21:00.004-05:00

Since I'm on a roll of trying to offend people, here's a beautiful post by Drayton Bird that, I think, beautifully illustrates the deficiency in thinking that is so rampant these days.

That said, I laughed my "behind" off, and this should offend plenty of people, particularly journalists, politicians and the average person who gets all of their information from standard media outlets.

Frankly, I think that only leaves about half a dozen people in America over the age of 10 out of this group.

Now, I shall smugly walk along and continue my day, thank you. :-)

- John

P.S. And for a quick commentary on our education system and the adversarial relationship some "educators" have with parents, here's some food for thought. And people wonder why I don't trust a governmental penal... er... school system with the children of America.

Currently listening to:
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Nothing - Ballydowse (oh, how I wish these folks would get back together and record some more stuff...)

Nine Inch Nails' new cd

2008-05-09T02:33:00.004-05:00

You know, I loved Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails (that first Creative Commons licensed cd they released. Get the free download here). It's just brilliant, but I didn't really care for the one they just released (The Slip ).

Personally, I prefer Trent Reznor's work when he's either doing ambient or industrial (I LOVE the first three NiN cd's, Pretty Hate Machine, Broken and The Downward Spiral), but when he veers toward 80's new wave like some of his later stuff, it just doesn't grab me.

Oh, well.

I think I'll go listen to David Bowie's Outside (his best cd in the last 20 years).

- John

Currently listening to:
The Middle - Great Northern (don't know who they are, but this song from the 2006 SXSW compilation is great)
Donostia: Dolor - Andres Segovia
No Time To Cry - The Sisters of Mercy
2 Ghosts I - Nine Inch Nails
In the Face of All of This - Jesus Jones
Problems - The Sex Pistols
Switchback (album version) - Celldweller

Nature or Nurture?

2008-05-09T02:14:00.003-05:00

I read this interesting article about Alice Walker's (The Color Purple) daughter and their relationship.

It made me think about the whole nature vs nurture question in regards to gender.

Now, to be clear, I do believe that nurture makes a big difference in our lives (look at the repetitive life patterns of alcoholism, physical abuse, poverty, and even wealth and business ownership. I don't think that's genetic. That's learned behavior.). However, that being said, anyone who thinks that male and female infants don't have behavioral (and, at least later, cognitive) differences purely based on the fact that they are genetically male or female is either delusional or still taking lots of drugs from the '60's.

Nurture is important, but my sons are much more physically active and have been since birth than my daughter.

Which brings me back to the article. Is radical feminism (not equal pay for equal work, but the radical kind that says things like all sex is rape and heterosexual marriage is a form of enslavement (what's their position on homosexual marriage?)) nature or nurture? I assert that it is nurture. I look at my daughter and the things she has cared about from birth, and I read this article, and I can't help but come to that conclusion.

The denial of nature that is so popular today is simply Skinnerianism taken to a ludicrous extreme.

That'll irk some professor at some college somewhere.

- John

Currently listening to:
Disposal - The Crucified
GOD - The Crucified
Procreation Chick - Splashdown
Letters To Emily - Julie Miller
The Reasons - P.O.D.

More ways to irk people...

2008-04-28T22:24:00.002-05:00

This is going to irk some people.

Whether you agree with it or not, though, it might be worth thinking through. You've got to study to show yourself approved. Don't believe this letter or someone teaching the opposite just because they said it (or wrote it). Look it up yourselves. Pray about it. Trust that God will give you wisdom when you ask for it (He said He will.).

Here you go.

- John

Currently listening to:
Kaliforn-Eye-A - P.O.D. featuring Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies (that should irk some people, too :-)

Thoughts on Education

2008-04-18T23:38:00.003-05:00

This should irk some people. I've been busy with tax season (and recovering from it), so all this post will be is some links to interesting articles on education.

Warning, if you're pro-public schools, you'll hate every single one of these. Which also means you and I will disagree on education issues. Put simply, teaching my kids is my business, and it's not your right to dictate what they learn.

And, by the way, remember, everything you teach conveys your point of view. Objectivity is a fallacy for all human beings. And, if you're Vulcan, let me know. I'll manage your live appearances for a modest cut of the action.

Here are the links:
If we have the cojones to do this, we should. Lew Rockwell. 'Nuff said.

John Stossel on the California homeschooling court controversy.

This will irk some folks, but I think she has a point.

John Taylor Gatto. 'Nuff said.

More John Taylor Gatto. Always worth reading.

Interesting viewpoint, especially on what the real cause of teen angst is. I think he has a good point here.

The first cartoon, I think, pretty much mirrors my thoughts on the subject, and how I felt going to public schools:

That should keep some thinking people busy for a little while, and it should irk some people who don't actually want to think about the subject.

- John

Currently listening to:
U Don't Dans 2 Tekno Anymore - Alabama 3 (A3)
Villa-Lobos - Study No. 1 in E Minor - Andres Segovia
Orion - Zombi (from SXSW 2006 compilation)
Bullet Proof - Alabama 3 (A3) - What a great cut!
Low Life - The Police
Alice - The Sisters of Mercy
The Trees - Rush

Intentions vs Actions

2008-03-18T22:31:00.002-05:00

My friend, Blair Warren, is stirring the pot up again. And he's making a very intriguing point with all kinds of implications. Check it out here.

Here are some of the fascinating implications that come to mind for me in reference to Christianity, if Blair's point here is true.

- We get to heaven by what Christ did for us. But we are rewarded in heaven for what we do. Not for our intentions, but for our actions. Like in the parable that Jesus tells of the two sons whose father told them to do something. One said yes and didn't do it. One said no but then did it. Which one was obedient? The one who didn't intend to do it but did.

- If that's the case, then our intentions are meaningless (which may be (or not) what Blair asserts).

- So, what did Jesus die for? The Bible says that at least one reason He died was to cleanse our conscience. But it never says we are rewarded for having a clean conscience. It says having a clean conscience (via Christ's sacrifice) allows us to be in open relationship with God. But then we are further rewarded for our actions. The pure conscience (good intentions) is good (did the Pharisees have good intentions?), but the actions are what define us as people, as Christians. They shall not know us by our clean consciences or by our good intentions. They shall know us by our love.

I'm not sure what the full implications are of thus for my worldview and theology, but I think it's worth chewing on.

After all, I want to be a Berean (I want to study to find out whether any thing I hear is true. I don't want to accept it based on anyone's intentions.).

- John

Controversy

2008-02-24T21:43:00.002-05:00

My friend, Blair Warren is stirring things up over at his blog. People are criticizing his bewilderment and concern over the extreme reaction some people are having over Barack Obama (women crying, people swooning, etc.). You'd think they were questioning the existence of Jesus in front of Fundamentalist Christians or questioning their interpretation of the Koran to Fundamentalists Muslims.

And Blair isn't even commenting on whether Obama is a good guy or would make a good President.

Check out his last several posts here.

And, if you are a fan of The Secret, you'd better run for cover instead of reading his older posts. Just giving you fair warning.

- John

Currently listening to:
David Bowie - Changes
Lifesavers Underground - Our Time Has Come (brilliant work and unknown. It's a tragedy!)
Terl Bryant - The Lord Reigns

FINALLY! Someone else gets it....

2008-01-26T14:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, no more marketing posts (that last one was the only one I've done anyways, so I'd prefer not to hear any complaints, please). Now, for something near and dear to my heart (I say this in all seriousness):

http://gregboyd.blogspot.com/2008/01/god-government-and-christian-anarchy.html

Now, I'm not familiar with Greg Boyd, can't tell you anything about him other than some of the stuff in his profile on his blog; I've never read anything else that he's written (never heard of him before I read this article today), but I have to say that it's nice to hear someone else espouse my view of government and the relationship of Christians to it. And what is that relationship? Read Greg Boyd's blog post and find out. He got it right. And he even uses the passage of scripture that shaped my view on this subject (though, admittedly, I did have a bias towards this political direction before I became serious about my Christianity). And it's nice to hear someone with a voice and influence (unlike me at this point) espouse the same thing for the same reason.

Great post. Great thinking. And it's the Truth, too. What more can you ask for?

- John

Currently listening to:
Bullet Proof - The Goo Goo Dolls
Crucible - Sarah Jahn (if you're haven't heard either of her cd's, you are missing out. Simply brilliant. Both out of print. Check ebay.)

A Freebie...

2007-12-24T03:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm not going to regale you with lots of stories and statements about how great Mark Joyner is and about how you should buy this or that. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that you can gather information and make a good decision on your own. To that extent, I fit Ron Paul's philosophy perfectly.

What I can say is that Mark Joyner has made a lot more money than me, and, as I understand it, he's made a lot of money period. And if he's giving away something for free about how to make money online (and you have any interest in doing so), it's probably not a bad idea to check it out.

That being said, here's the info they want me to paste and that tells you how to get it if you want it (and that allows me to get my copy for free):

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

- John

Currently listening to:
The Passenger - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Heaven Sent - The Mighty Wah!
My Life - Dido

Gun Control? P-lease!

2007-12-20T01:44:00.000-05:00

I read part of an article today on a gun control bill. In it was this quote:

"'This bill will make America safer without affecting the rights of a single law-abiding citizen,' said the Senate's chief sponsor, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer."

Now, please tell me, who in their right mind believes that this is going to reduce violence or in any way prevent those who want to commit crimes from doing so? The issues isn't gun control; the issue is people. And you can't prevent those who choose to be violent (whether because of mental health problems or other reasons) from being violent.

And as for Senator Schumer's statement that this doesn't hurt anybody and actually helps us all: frankly, Mr. Schumer, I see the government trying to keep me safe kind of like asking the fox to keep the hen house safe. We have every reason to be concerned about the reaches of government into our everyday lives, but no reason to believe that whatever information that you have about us and control you have in our lives will be used for anything but the personal interests of politicians and bureaucrats to stay in power and keep their jobs and nice pensions.

With all due respect, why don't you leave D.C. and try slogging it out in the everyday working world (which you've never done. See biography here.) because we both know the artificial world of the government isn't the reality the rest of us know.

- John

Currently listening to:
Money - Pink Floyd
Black - Fell Venus
The Wild, Wild Sea - Sting
One of My Turns - Pink Floyd
I Fought The Law (live) - The Clash

Lack of Conversation

2007-12-16T19:46:00.000-05:00

My friend, Blair (who doesn't post near often enough, in my opinion), just posted about our lack of conversation in society today, and the tragedy that it is (he's also talking about some movies he really loves).

And he's right.

I heard recently that writing is the work of thought. It takes effort to organize thoughts into meaningful, non-nonsensical combinations of words and ideas. And I think good, deep conversation is the same way.

And that's why I crave it. And, I also think, why I see it all too infrequently.

Our quick-results, instant society too often wants to have something in our head (hey, I'm an info junkie, too), rather than analyzing to come up with some conclusion of our own, to have thoughts and ideas of our own, to have anything ideologically that (gasp!) wasn't planted in our head by another person putting it out there into the public arena.

Good conversation... so rare... so loved... so missed.

Have you had a good one lately?

- John

Currently listening to:

My kids playing.

Bioshock

2007-12-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

I tend to stay away from really good video games for two reasons:

1. I simply find them incredibly addictive, and

2. Hey, I can find free games in lots of places (here and here, for example).

Going back to the first reason, addictiveness is a huge problem for me when I find a good one. For example, I've completely stayed away from buying any of the Tomb Raider series after getting loaned a demo for Tomb Raider 2 that gave full access to the first three levels (the closest thing you'll easily find to it is here). In my house, my wife has never been a football widow, but she was a Tomb Raider widow for a few weeks as I'd come home from work and turn on Tomb Raider and play it until 1-2 A.M., go to bed, and repeat the next day.

Having said that, I tried out a new game at my brother's house the other night on his Xbox 360, and, dude!, I'm hooked! Bioshock, very simply, is completely addictive, and now I'm finding myself searching ebay for cheap ways to buy it.

My poor wife, if ever I get it...

- John

Currently listening to:

Public Image Ltd - Rise
Celldweller - Symbiont
Margaret Becker - Cave It In
Loreena McKennitt - Santiago (live)

Jim Palmer

2007-11-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know Jim personally, but his blog has some really interesting and thought-provoking posts on it. I highly recommend it.

And, if you think you're big enough to handle it, read this excerpt from his new book, Wide Open Spaces. I think I'm going to have to buy and read this one.

- John

Now listening:

King's X - Human Behavior

Don't Waste Your Life and Christian Hedonism

2007-11-27T02:38:00.001-05:00

I don't know a lot about John Piper, but I find that I am liking him a lot. And I think I like most that he seems to get to what, to me, is the essential core of living a Christian life is about: finding your joy in Him and allowing that joy to come out through you.

I haven't read a lot on these two websites (there is lots of stuff here and here!), but what I've seen is worth passing on, including a complete download of the book, Don't Waste Your Life, and the workbook, too.

Some very, very good stuff.

Now, I think I'll go back to reading the Oswald Chambers biography that I'm working on.

- John

Currently listening to:

the fan on my computer

Watch out!

2007-11-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

I'm completely distrustful of anyone other than God who says that they have the complete solution for any situation. I'm much less distrustful than that of anyone who has something to gain by creating and/or publicizing a "potential" disaster who then offers solutions.

It's kind of like the IRS saying with IRA's that "Sure, hold onto your taxable money. We'll give you a tax break on it," and then them failing to mention that when you withdraw your money from that IRA you'll be taxed at whatever the tax rate is at that time (which, chances are, will be much higher than current tax rates based on the fact that our tax rates since the 1980's are the lowest they've been in the 40 or 50 years before that). It's kind of like the fox watching the hen house. (Okay, so I'm in the financial services business, so this kind of thing annoys the heck out of me.)

Well, it seems someone else who has something to gain is making dire predictions about the internet crashing and burning. Check out an enlightening commentary here.

You need to be aware of this. Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's true.

- John

Currently listening to:

My kids

Hysterical

2007-11-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

Some of Hugh's cartoons are hysterical. And some will offend you.

But I like reading them anyway, and I recommend you do, too.

- John

Currently listening to:

My kids playing

Let's see how many people I can offend with this...

2007-11-25T01:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm on a quest to see how many different "forbidden" areas I can comment on in as short a time as possible. I guess we'll see with the next few posts...

Anyways, I've thought for quite a while that the American school system is broken. Irreparably. Should be completely dismantled. And parents should be responsible for their own kids. And people should be responsible for themselves.

Having said that, here are some links to read: here, here, here, and here.

John Taylor Gatto is right.

Unless you have a way to refute what he has to say, you are the one responsible for the damage to your kids and those you sentence to those prisons called public schools if you ignore what he says.

- John

Currently listening to:

Fool You - King's X (from the best album they ever recorded IMO)
I'm Afraid of Americans (V1) - David Bowie
Melting Alone - Sixpence None the Richer
Will You - P.O.D.
Redhands - Ballydowse (brilliant group. Miss these guys.)

This is disturbing....

2007-11-24T02:18:00.001-05:00

I don't know if the accusations are true, but, regardless, this situation has done nothing but leave a black eye on those who are identified with Christ. It disturbs me.

But, I think, there's an underlying problem here, too: why have we allowed anyone to have control over this much of anything that is supposed to belong to God? Wait a minute, I thought it all belonged to God. And, why should we expect that giving a person this much control over anything wouldn't taint many or most of the people who have that power and authority.

What happened to Him owning it all? What happened to the idea that we are just stewards? What happened to the idea that they will know us by our love?

I'm just disturbed that these accusations have come out. I can't say that I'm terribly in favor of either side of the issue. One is accused of financial mismanagement and abusing the privileges of office (Should we even have offices? What's wrong with us humans that we are clamoring for little kings in our lives? Look at Saul, for crying out loud!) and the other files suit against the school. What happened to "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord" and not to take another believer to court because it shames the name of Christ? Whose stuff is it anyways and whose fight is it anyways?

God help us all to see things from His point of view.

- John

Currently listening to:
Asia at Odd Hours - Splashdown
This Land is Mine - Dido
Island of Souls - Sting
Daughter - Pearl Jam

There is no try, only do....

2007-11-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

I appreciate Jamie Smart. The stuff I read from him and the material that I hear from him is consistently good, and, unlike some people into psychology and, specifically, NLP, he doesn't float off into a bunch of New-Age kind of fluffy stuff. He stays on track with practical, useful information.

I recommend checking him out here, and check out this short video (1:15) on trying vs doing here.

Good stuff.

Have fun.

- John

New (to me) Artist

2007-11-21T02:13:00.000-05:00

I came across this girl for the first time today (okay, yesterday. It's 2 A.M.). Good stuff. What little bit I've heard I really like. I'm having flashbacks to Bob Mould's "Workbook" and the Jennifer Knapp's "Kansas" with something else thrown in.

I like it. Check it out.

Click here.

And check out this live performance video, which was the first song I heard by her. It REALLY rocks.

Click here.

- John

What is the nature of power?

2007-11-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

We all know what power is. Or, at least, we think we know. But what is it really?

I think power is the ability to accomplish something, and, like any other tool, it can be used for good or bad (which gets into a whole other discussion about what is good and what is bad and situational vs non-situational ethics. Anyways...).

The most interesting question for me is when is the use of power good and when is it bad? And more specifically, when is the power to influence others good or bad?

I think most people agree that manipulating someone for purely personal gain is bad (unethical, in this case). But is it ever unethical to persuade someone to do something that you feel is in their own good but that you also profit or benefit from?

I'm still chewing on this, so I don't have a good answer at this point, but I welcome your thoughts and comments.

As a side note, my friend Blair Warren has some very interesting posts that touch on the use of power (in this case, persuasive power) such as this one.

Check them out.

- John

Maybe I'm back....

2007-11-19T22:46:00.000-05:00

Can't tell if anyone missed me. Certainly, no one commented. Then again, I didn't really post anything previously, so I'm not terribly surprised.

My life is beginning to give me just enough room to breathe again to begin thinking about things and, thus, to begin commenting on things.

All kinds of things.

I expect I'll be posting on religion, theology, psychology, nlp, music, art, creativity, Maslow's Hierarchy of values, life, love, the pursuit of happiness, and the intersection of all of those things and more. After all, it's that intersection and inter-relationship that really interests me anyways.

That being said, maybe a few of you will read this before Thanksgiving (coming this Thursday to a USA near you), and, if so, I hope you have a great one. (If you read this afterwards, I hope you had a great one.)

Have lots of fun. Drink a really good brewed beverage (I recommend a nice Papua New Guinea roast), and think about the thought for the day:

Do you really think that Jesus did anything he didn't really want to do?

- John

Tech Loves Art

2006-08-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hey, guys, just a quick update. Tech Loves Art: a great little blog worth checking out... especially if you don't want the RIAA ruining your life (check the post on DMCA).

I care deeply about music and about people hearing it and enjoying it (and, yes, I'd like to make money doing what I enjoy). You should, too. Read the DMCA post at:

Tech Loves Art

- John

Howdy. Welcome to my show.

2006-07-13T09:22:00.000-05:00

Well, if you're reading this, you're looking at the very first post on my blog.

So welcome. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find it amusing, interesting, thought provoking. Maybe you'll buy some music from me or book me for a (paying) gig. That'd be great, too.

Most of all, as you check back regularly and like what you'll see, you'll get a glimpse into my head and heart, and, if you like that, then maybe you'll send other people my way, and we can all be happy about it.

Talk to you soon,

- John