On change across time

 First, an environment with two alleles in competition, one at 10 percent, the other at 90 percent will swap  relative percentages if the population having 10 percent increases its efficiency by 10 percent per generation.[1] Now the relative speed of change between populations in a system of systems depends on the time span of the generation. 

Generation upon generation, the overlap of one cycle in another has rate with relative change to a common time base.  For example, consider the days of a week, the weeks in a year, the seasons in a year, and the rate of change for two populations, where the population having 10 percent is spawning a new generation every day versus every year. 

Thomas J Watson Sr  said: To increase your number of successes you have to increase your failure rate.”   Thought another way: to increase your success rate then decrease your failure number.  To increase your success rate pay attention to the individual failures, and celebrate the successes!

1. Wilson, E. O., & Kaspari, D. C. (2019). Genesis: The deep origin of societies. Pp 44 - 47.

On exhilaration

 First, the complete unknown of the situation was exhilarating in ways I later came to appreciate. I came to a point where the day was the day, and yes it was new and yes there were different choices available. Yes, mistakes may occur.  It came on a moment when I reasoned about forfeiting to not now. It came on a moment when faith in the future was fanciful. And it abided at the edges of many starts and even some finish lines.

It caught me at the most when I tried to trap it. I felt the wildest wilderness when I came just to watch it as what it was.

The exhilaration was sustaining, as much as what some might call anxiety. If the anxiety about the universe can vibrate in a moment, then why not exhilaration?

On is it

 First, the question “Is it?” is a question of existence. The form of the question may follow  the lead of other important questioning forms, as in “How is it?”or “When is it?”.

There is a familiarity to it, unless a question of “What is it?” is asked. There is a familiarity to it in time unless a question of “When is it?” Is asked.  Or maybe a “How is it?” if one is surprised by the appearance of it, or simply interested in it. 

On ideas

 First, ideas are a fundamental part of community creation, stasis, recreation. A lack of ideas or ideas of a type that limit other ideas can be fundamental to a community too.  Ideas are processes. Processes have outcomes. Processes are not places, but periods of time.

 In some cases:Ideas lead to actions that support those ideas - ideas about the importance of teaching and learning lead to acts of teaching and learning.  In other cases: Ideas lead to actions that discount the importance of other ideas - ideas about the importance of teaching and learning do not support the idea that stupidity is a survival strategy worth pursing.

Some ideas can be self-reinforcing: the idea of learning begets the eternal light of ideas.

What, who, why, when, how and is it?

On new furniture

 First, I am still getting use to the new furniture.  It does take time. 

Sitting feels different.  The seat cushion is firm. It does give in time to gravity. The depth of the seat requires a pillow at the back, perhaps out of habit.  The pillows are plump, perhaps too.

The lines are modern, and reminds me of a couch from a time when I was younger. The arms are boxy.

 The cushions might do best with a regular rotation. The larger couch will tend to a middle cushion that doesn’t have the same use, thus the rotation. 

On being meek

 First, there are moments I am struck by the reality of my existence. I hope you are too.  It is your existence and you deserve the right to be moved by the reality of it.  And if so moved by that experience to express yourself, then please feel no hesitation. 

And if moved by that experience to keep very quiet, well, you may very will be meek.

And they say that meek will keep the kingdom to come.  

On freedom of speech

 First, the spoken mind is not a dangerous thing. It may not be your joy, it may be jarring to your mind,  It is not a dangerous thing. 

A dangerous thing is tearing down a walk between points because to take that walk would leave you at a  disadvantage.

The silent mind is not a dangerous thing, unless a spoke less mind supports a blind advantage.  Beware especially if a silent mind supports a known disadvantage.  

On summer birds

 First, what a sound of birds in the air.  Both the jet and the trill from the bird’s bill.  What a sound on the railroad tracks, then the gull’s arc-arc.

A soft rebuilding of whistles made from long lasting notes, then the helicopter raises the pitch even higher  to keep the pulse alive.

The crow’s craw is close, then echoed further from.

A message you are headed home.

On schismogenesis

 First, it is the pulse between poles that signals some movement, perhaps toward stability.  Without the pulse, there is only a single signal. Is the single signal the manifest of one pole still existing, or neither?  How can you tell?  And if it is one or the other, what then?

The pulse a wave tumbling toward a natural history.

The pole a point in time, labeled.

On hill climbing

 First, we do climb hills as a species.  There is a striving to climbing the obstacle. Be careful in the obstacle you pick.  And don’t pick your obstacle based on the tool you have.

Lacking obstacles? Obstacles can find you on the way to other hills.  You might not pick them.  Your situation might pick them for you.

Lacking tools?  An advisor told me ,”The tool will come to you when the obstacle is being climbed.”

If I take the tool and look for an obstacle for the tool then I have promoted tools over hill climbing.  Some do.  Boundaries are important.  So yes, speak about the tool’s purpose.

Tools have there place, indeed. Pilgrims progress on the use of them. Today’s life progresses on the use of them.  

But instead of spreadsheets, the hymn of the republic rings across the hills in my mind.

On Born in America

 First, for reference https://www.npr.org/2019/03/26/706566556/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-american-anthem 

We serve better our ideals when we label what is right and wrong, even knowing we could be wrong in what we think is right is wrong. Moreover, it includes more than just right and wrong labels, which we sadly have taken to bludgeoning any attempt to meaningful discussion.  It includes a pattern that permits and indeed encourages a discussion of the labels.  

Democracy is that pattern. It survives with an insubordinate (but kind) curiosity of what, why, when, how, and where of a people. Oh sweet love of mine.  Learning to learn what works.  Learning to learn what doesn’t. It survives on respect for what each of us offer to that learning.  It survives on recognition  for what the learner gave, got, or was given, in a learning to learn project that celebrates a Birthday today.

Happy Fourth!  

On place and time

 First, there was the need to receive some information which would assist in making a decision. The information had a place and a time, or so it was said. It is a place that has these labels, it is a time that reveals in the natural course from pattern to pattern.  Labels to places, as pattern to time. 

On waiting till someone is in the room

 First,

Person 1: Do want to hear a crazy idea? 

Person2: Yeah. But wait till mom is in the room.  Otherwise you’ll need to repeat yourself. 

On are we going in the right direction

 First, I wasn’t sure if I could say for sure I had heard correctly.  I recall -

Person 1: Are we headed in the right direction?

Person 2: I think so (slight pause),  we weren’t given any option..

Person 1: Yeah there was just this one path

The sound of the conversation rising and falling as the walkers neared then passed me.

A thought, an expression of questioning, which was such a pleasure to hear. The sign of a healthy habit of questioning.  Yes, a soft chuckle at the notion, (why ask if there was really one path), and a thunderous thankfulness for the thought.  People thinking about the path they are on. People asking questions about the path they are on.  People responding to the question.

This banter of friends was heard at Minute Man National Historical Park. The freedom of speech we have in this nation is the envy of many, and the curse of some. Because we have the freedom to question and the freedom to answer. 

The light, then the thunder of liberty’s bell.  Ask questions, provide answers, repeat as needed.