What if we create a better world, for nothing?

There used to be a joke about weather forecasters doing a better job if they'ed just look out the window on occasion. The same thing can be said (or blogged) about my "smart phone's" weather app. At the moment it's trying to tell me conditions are "sunny." I'm looking through the picture window at a sky that's 100% overcast. There's also supposed to be more than 2 hours of sunny skies before the clouds return. At this rate, think about how our lives will be fantastically improved when AI (either artificial or augmented intelligence) really takes over and puts everyone out of a job. And you thought automated phone system hell was bad?

Can you tell we're in a less than joyful mood? Here's some of the headlines from today's local paper:

• Trump says U.S. locked, loaded in response to drone attack


• This is the Kavanaugh mess we feared after last year's abbreviated investigation


• Mayo and Google team up in a new era for health care

The first two are pretty self evident problems, I hope. My concerns about the third center around stories like this from InfoWorld about 5 years ago, and the social media transmission of mis and dis information: 

Google? Evil? You have no idea

Brace yourself for an exhaustive rundown of Google's master plan and the company's ultimate goal

I am not now, and never have been, much of a "joiner," but have become convinced that one of the major problems the world faces is excessive individualism. In part my thinking has been influenced by reading several of Ed Abbey's essays. He's one of my favorite curmudgeonly writers, but it has become clear just how much trouble this old world could be in if everyone shared the attitudes and approach Abbey exhibits and people like me emulate. Also, climate change and changing the basis of the world's economy and a variety of similar, necessary actions isn't going to be done by individual efforts. Years ago, we were a member of a Minnesota Design Team (there's no "I" in "team") effort working with a local community to improve it's future. In the process, I learned about "aligned goals." I hope the value of the "Aligned Vision" progression is also self evident.

 So, Friday morning we're expecting to find ourselves at a Climate Action demonstration. Sunday, the 22nd, we plan to participate in a meeting with a bunch of other local folks to figure out what we can do in our area about climate change. Several national and international leaders, people I respect, like Naomi Klein, have noted that individual changes alone won't have much of an impact on reducing green house gases. I agree, but am troubled that too many will use that as an excuse to do nothing. That's not, as the saying goes, "gonna feed the bulldog." We need both system change and individual change within a framework of shared and aligned goals. We're all in this together and there is no Planet B. Here's the worst that can happen:

Once the World Was Perfect

Joy Harjo- 1951-

Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world.
Then we took it for granted.
Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind.
Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head.
And once Doubt ruptured the web,
All manner of demon thoughts
Jumped through—
We destroyed the world we had been given
For inspiration, for life—
Each stone of jealousy, each stone
Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.
No one was without a stone in his or her hand.
There we were,
Right back where we had started.
We were bumping into each other
In the dark.
And now we had no place to live, since we didn’t know
How to live with each other.
Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another
And shared a blanket.
A spark of kindness made a light.
The light made an opening in the darkness.
Everyone worked together to make a ladder.
A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world,
And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,
And their children, all the way through time—
To now, into this morning light to you.

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Please be kind to each other while you can.