With weekly fervor over the United States Presidential primaries right now and Election in November, I am reminded of one of my favorite science fiction novels, Ender’s Game.

A Prophetic Subplot?

In Ender’s Game, one of the main subplot involves manipulating Earth’s various governments and societal sentiments through the use of diametrically opposing political commentaries, written by Ender’s older (genius as well) siblings, and distributed via their version of the internet.

The pseudonyms they used were Locke and Demosthenes, and their writings polarized different groups of people, and thrust their online personas into the limelight. (There’s more to the plot, but that’s enough for my purposes here).

Blogs and their Effects

Of course, in real life, we have blogs.

One would think that blogs can truly be used to broadcast a candidate’s message directly to people out in the blogosphere, and perhaps even engage in constructive commentaries among other politicians (I know, wishful thinking).

And perhaps they are. A little.

A Flaw in Today’s Politicians’ Blogs

When I take a look at the blogs of the major candidates — John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — I notice one thing they all have in common:

None of the candidates write on their own blog (as far as I can tell).

Why is that?

The blogs I’ve seen have posts written ostensibly by campaign managers and other like-minded supporters in their respective camps.

Should Politicians Blog (Subscriptions = Votes)

Could you picture a politician’s blog with 100’s of thousands, or perhaps millions of subscribers, dwarfing the “superblogs” I’ve seen so far? Would it be possible? I’m not sure.

Could you imagine looking at a politician’s feedburner count to see how popular he or she is? Wouldn’t it be kind of like voting?

But, maybe the time isn’t ripe yet.

Perhaps there’s a lack of a critical online mass (e.g. not enough voters are online), or perhaps the recent failures of electronic voting systems make people (and candidates) hesitant about security and authenticity, or perhaps these politicians just don’t have time, being out in the public eye all the time. Whatever.

But as the blogosphere continues to grow, I think blogs will play a more and more important role in shaping societal opinions, public policies and a whole lot of other stuff falling under the realm of governments.

Certainly Local Politicians Should Blog

At the least, on a local level, a mayor or a council member can easily start and maintain a blog to inform and gain feedback from their respective constituents. The numbers would be more manageable, and the communication between politician and people would stay more narrow, focused on local issues at hand.

In any case, I hope to see better, more informative, more constructive ways of using the web to broadcast a candidate’s message, and to engage with people in positive ways.

I realize I’ve only touched the proverbial tip of the iceberg in this matter. It will be interesting to see what happens in the years to come.

What do you think?

Going with the Familiar, the Comfortable

• When we attend a class, we sit in the same seat
• We listen to the same songs on our iPod
• We order the same meal at our favorite restaurant
• We drive the same route to work
• We read the same blogs

Do these traits sound familiar? We ARE creatures of habit.

Physiologically, this makes sense. When we get into a habit, it is because we’ve discovered something safe and comforting, something that will not put us in the classic “fight or flight” mode, which means less stress. Less stress is good, right?

When Good Habits Do Bad

However, getting into a habit can also have detrimental affects. They can get us:

• Stuck in a rut – we do the same thing over and over again
• Blind to new things – we become unaware of changes in the surrounding environment, whether it’s the local physical environment, within or without the industry itself
• Into a sense of Complacency – we have a false sense of security that our way will always be the best way
• Unwilling to accept changes – we become conservative, unwilling to embrace new ideas or to see the writing on the wall
• Afraid to lose our comfort zone – we become fearful that we would lose our current status, and would do anything to ensure our habits remain intact.

These and other ill-effects can come from hanging onto an old habit (assuming it was good to begin with).

Periodic Check-up

So maybe I’ve begun to shout more at my kids, or the video store is unaware of Apple’s entry into movie rentals — whatever our habits may be, it’s a good idea to examine them from time to time with an objective eye, to see whether any change is in order.

It might do wonders.

photo by undronotto

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with Legos.

Just think about it.

Two little Lego bricks (like the 4×4 squares in the photo above), when pushed together (the bottom of one to the top of the other) will stick together. Yet can be pulled apart. Yet can be stuck together. Again. And again.

Amazing.

What I love about Legos:

• They’re colorful and tactile – they appeal to the senses, as most toys do.
• They’re versatile – Once you’re done building the “prescribed” model, you’re free to tear it apart and build something else, and their design allows a multitude of designs.
• It teaches fine motor skills to young kids – I watched my younger boy struggle with it when he was 4-5. Now at age 6, he has no trouble building sets labeled for 8-12 year olds. (Ironically, they have larger “Mega Bloks” for preschool aged kids).
• They spur the imagination – CHiPs was one of my childhood favorites, and I built my own lego motorcycle to imagine my own chase scenes.
• Legos will last – They toy has stood the test of time, and today’s blocks are totally compatible with yesterday’s and tomorrow’s models.
• I know they appeal to boys, but I would say they are certainly girl-friendly – I’d be curious to hear my female readers’ experience with Legos.

Lego was not the first “erector” type toy but its success has spawned a number of copy-cats, including much “slicker”, “cooler” toys.

However, Legos still sits atop of my all-time favorite toys list.

A few clues as to what I believe is one of our most precious possessions:

• It bonds us with our family and friends.
• It is a conduit to our past.
• It enables our habits.
• People can perform great feats because of it.
• It can also debilitate us, if we let it.
• We laugh because of it.
• We cry because of it.
• We rely on it every day.
• Some people willingly deny it as a way to elude responsibility.
• Some people unwillingly lose it.
• It can become sweeter with age.
• Our other possessions are more precious because of it.
• It is more precious than any amount of money, for money would be useless without it.
• It is more precious than even the One Ring.
• It is what we are, it is who we are.

What is it?

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Our Memories.

Barbara’s comment on my Frame of Mind post reminded me of one of my philosophies of life:

• No Matter How Rich You Become, Someone Will Always Be Richer (unless your name is Bill Gates) – So, live your life without hurting others (and without whining), and maybe help those that are truly in need.

And here’s the corollary:

• No Matter How Poor You Become, Someone Out There Has It Worse - Everyone is entitled to some bad luck now and then, but it’s not the end of the world. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again (great tune, btw).

What do you think?

One of the plot devices in fiction that engages me the most has always been the “alternate time-line”.

Cause and Effect

The idea of changing causes and seeing the resulting effects is a staple of science fiction.

Films like Back to the Future, The Terminator, TV shows like Quantum Leap and (certain episodes of) Star Trek all have stories that focus on how key events determine a certain future, and if those key events were altered, the future would be altered as well.

And the idea is not limited to science fiction. You may have seen or read Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, or how about the similarly-inspired holiday “favorite”, It’s a Wonderful Life. In both stories, we get to see alternate time-lines, cleverly suggested as dreams.

There’s a whole list of alternate “history” stories listed in this Wikipedia entry.

What If? is a part of Critical Thinking

These tales all bring to the fore the question of What if? Indeed, the question of “What if?” can be used to generate entire stories. But it is also a way of exercising critical thinking. Only here, it is utilized in fiction, instead of real-life situations.

Baseball

Speaking of real life, the what if? scenario is perfectly illustrated in the American game of baseball. Like setting off a row of dominoes, a key play in baseball can result in a series of events (a player steals a base, causing the pitcher to throw to second, but the shortstop muffs the catch, and the runner from third scores so…) that gets one team closer to victory.

The interesting thing about baseball, unlike other sports, is that there is no time limit. Rather, the game is played until a key event occurs that results in one team having a 1 or more runs scored than the other team after the top of the ninth inning. Otherwise, the game can theoretically play for inning after inning, as long as the game remains tied.

This allows the game to have any number of key events. And in the end, the game announcers usually like to point out the “play of the game”, again, usually one of those key events (a crucial hit or a spectacular defensive play).

(I’m not a true fan of baseball, but I really appreciate that singular aspect of the game — that one play can affect the outcome of the game.)

Real Life Decisions

So because of my understanding, and appreciation of the fact we live in a “linear” existence, I often reflect on decisions that I have just made, or am about to make, and wonder about the resulting time-line that I’m “creating”.

I also like to look back on history, and ponder about key events that set the course of our current time-line.

It really helps to put things in perspective sometimes.

There are so many great blogs out there — many have great tips, others serve up ideas for posts. I found a comment over at Write to Done by Mazzycat, and I really wanted to respond. But since the topic of the original post is about using reading to become a better writer (a great idea, by the way), I thought I’d espouse in my own little corner of the blogosphere on:

Frame of Mind

In the post, author Leo talks about ways to use great books to improve one’s writing. In one comment, reader Mazzycat lamented over the fact that after reading a great book, he (or she) would feel discouraged, often thinking, “I could never write anything as good as that…so what’s the point [of even trying]?” He (or she) often saw a great book as discouragement, as a obstacle that could not be overcome. However, another way of looking at it, as the original post suggests, is as a source of inspiration. Both ideas are true, from a certain point of view.

Frame of Mind determines Motivation

Recently, I explained that motivation is the underlying reason to do what we do. However, now I also realize that how a person determines that motivation is almost just as important, probably more so, since a motivation not determined means inaction.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

So, as a creator, when we see great works or art, see a great movie or play, or read a great book, we can either choose to aspire to produce our own great work and use those great examples as inspiration to determine our positive motivation for desirable outcomes. Or, we can see those same great examples and look at our own faults, our own perceived disadvantages, and put ourselves down, saying, “We’d never be able to do that.”

The same applies to other non “creative” vocations: the great athletes, singers, orators, “leaders” — all can serve as inspiration. If we choose to see them that way.

Optimist versus Pessimist

So yes, it’s really another case of optimism versus pessimism. I strongly believe either one affect one’s productivity and well-being, one for the better, and one for the worse.

How’s your frame of mind?

There are thousands (or millions) of sites devoted to finances, financial responsibility, getting/staying out of debt. Visit any self-help section at your local bookstore and you’ll also find hundreds of books devoted to the same topic.

I thought I’d sum up what I’ve seen, read, and (for the most part) practice – the number one rule to financial responsibility. However, to write only one sentence seemed almost like…cheating. So, in the interest of verbosity, I did some more thinking on the subject. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Earn More Than You Spend – the optimist version
2. Spend Less Than What You Earn – the pessimist version
3. Savings = Revenue – Expenses, where Expenses < Revenue – the mathematician’s version
4. Net Income = Gross Income minus Total Expenses and Deductions (you did save those receipts, right?) - the accountant’s version
5. Buy 1 less Cup of Coffee a week to save $20 a month – the conscientious Starbuck goer’s version
6. Every month, pay into your retirement, then your bills, then whatever’s left is extra – the Financial Guru’s version
7. Every month, pay into your retirement, then your bills, then half of what’s left can go into the “games” – the Reformed Gambler’s version
8. Every month, pay into your retirement, bills, and then buy ONLY one pair of shoes (that costs less than what you have remaining) – the compulsive shoe buyer’s version
9. Every day, save a dollar, spend the rest – the homeless person’s version
10. When you see a 10 dollar bill on the ground, DON’T pick it up – the Bill Gate’s version

In recent days, I have both received in the mail and seen on television advertisements for California Propositions 94 – 97: Indian Gaming Compacts.

While this is not a political blog, seeing the ads on Indian Gaming reminds me of my thoughts on gambling in general.

The Truth about Gambling

To stay in business, a casino must earn more in revenues (e.g. the “house” must win, the players must lose) than it spends on expenses (e.g. restaurant buffets, staff, decor, power, etc.). The fact that gambling is a multibillion dollar industry means that the business model must be working pretty well. And doing any sort of research will tell you that all games are stacked in the house’s favor, some more so than others, but in the house’s favor nonetheless. So, the question is whom does the casino “earn” their money from?

Gambling is Marketed to People Who Should Not Gamble

I see the ads on cable, the billboards along the freeways — these are meant to be seen by everyday people. With gas prices soaring, and housing in the Bay Area among the most expensive in the nation, should people be gambling, hoping to get easy riches?

The Illogic of Encouraging Gambling As a Means to Raise Funds

I have been known to visit a casino or two, usually during “downtime” on a ski trip — we usually just eat at one of the buffets in the evenings and a few of my friends would try their luck at the craps or blackjack tables. What I’ve noticed is that the majority of the gamblers are very “average”, normal clothes and attire, nothing like the glamor of a James Bond movie or anything like that (maybe I’m in the wrong casino). So, the very people that are supposed to be helped by social programs, are the ones that are footing the bill. But guess what? It’s not a dollar-to-dollar transfer. The money that the Indian casino wins are divvied up along the way to middle-men (administrators, campaign contributions to politicians, to name a couple), and who knows how much actually comes back to those social programs — certainly a lot less than what left the gamblers’ wallets.

What about the Rich?

I have to think that 99% of the Rich did not get wealthy through gambling, but rather through hard work, investing, stock options and the power of compound interest. Once they HAD the money, that’s when they can go gamble as “high rollers”.

The End Does Not Justify the Means

As for the propositions, we’ll see what happens in next Tuesday’s elections, but I certainly don’t think encouraging gambling ever helps anyone except whoever owns the casinos.