Cameron watching Austin
Saturday, June 10, 2006
I've said it before but I'm saying it again... I want to move to Bhutan!
The remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is the only country in the world which puts happiness at the heart of government policy.
The government must consider every policy for its impact not only on Gross Domestic Product, but also on GNH: "Gross National Happiness".
The politics of happiness has led Bhutan to make very different decisions from countries simply searching for wealth
Bhutan was the last nation in the world to introduce television in 1999. Recently they banned a number of channels including international wrestling and MTV, which they felt did little to promote happiness.
Bhutan has even banned plastic bags and tobacco on the grounds that they make the country less happy
The one set of traffic lights Bhutan ever had was on this junction. But people found them frustrating, so they went back to a human being.
Buddhist prayer flags flutter in the wind. In Bhutan the government puts inner spiritual development on a par with material improvement.
One of the pillars of Bhutan's happiness philosophy is care for the environment. Strict conservation laws are aimed at achieving sustainable development.
Development has been moderated and people are less well off financially than they could have been, but this is to ensure happiness.
~Veritas~
If you can't find the Truth Right where you are.
Where do you expect to find it?
~Dogen Zenji
Where do you expect to find it?
~Dogen Zenji
Honesty Test (60questions)
The Honesty Test: Results
Over the past several years, honesty and integrity testing in the workplace has been becoming more and more prevalent. There are several reasons for this increase. First, organizations that had in the past utilized polygraph testing for their employees were forced to stop due to new legislation. This created a void in this type of testing - something that these companies regret because they knew that testing for honesty has great benefits, both in the quality of personnel hired and in the reduction of theft and other counterproductive behavior. Secondly, companies are realizing that the high cost of turnover even in entry-level jobs merits more careful selection procedures. And finally, evidence suggests that organizations and companies have reason to fear that their employees may in fact steal from them. Studies show that honesty testing works - in companies where testing has been implemented, theft and other forms of dishonest behaviors have decreased dramatically.
Your score = 82
Honesty Test Score = 82 on a scale of 1-100
What does your score mean?
You scored very high on this test, indicating that your susceptibility for dishonest behavior is minimal. You are someone who isn't swayed from acting honestly even in situations where many "normal" people would feel temptation to act deceitfully.
Over the past several years, honesty and integrity testing in the workplace has been becoming more and more prevalent. There are several reasons for this increase. First, organizations that had in the past utilized polygraph testing for their employees were forced to stop due to new legislation. This created a void in this type of testing - something that these companies regret because they knew that testing for honesty has great benefits, both in the quality of personnel hired and in the reduction of theft and other counterproductive behavior. Secondly, companies are realizing that the high cost of turnover even in entry-level jobs merits more careful selection procedures. And finally, evidence suggests that organizations and companies have reason to fear that their employees may in fact steal from them. Studies show that honesty testing works - in companies where testing has been implemented, theft and other forms of dishonest behaviors have decreased dramatically.
Your score = 82
Honesty Test Score = 82 on a scale of 1-100
What does your score mean?
You scored very high on this test, indicating that your susceptibility for dishonest behavior is minimal. You are someone who isn't swayed from acting honestly even in situations where many "normal" people would feel temptation to act deceitfully.
Friday, June 09, 2006
And I thought my boys were too busy ...
Japan's after-school pressures
Time to reflect, if you are lucky
The pressures and costs of after-school activities for children in Japan are causing concern, and are even suspected of contributing to the country's declining birth rate, as parents shun the idea of having more than one child.
Here, one Tokyo woman - journalist Kumiko Makihara - outlines the pressures on her young son, Yataro.
On Thursday I meet my son at the bus stop, and rush him home so that he can get ready for football practice.
We grab his sports bag, and I put a bit of chocolate in his mouth as we head off on the 15-minute bike ride. I have to tell him off for riding zigzag, as it takes more time.
Then he attends abacus class, for an hour of addition and subtraction drills, before his homework and piano practice.
On Fridays it is swimming and abacus; on Saturdays, English and judo.
I marvel at Yataro's energy level - but I also worry that I'm running him into the ground
These days I feel I'm back at my former job, running the mad schedule of the president of a large resort - only now, I'm keeping track of my son's after-school activities.
(click the headline for the rest of the article...)
Haha this is from my friend Twitch, just to offset the Northwest one from yesterday...
Issued by the Southern Tourism Bureau to ALL visiting Northerners, Northeasterners, Northwesterners, Westerners and Southwestern Urbanites
1) Don't order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House. It's just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they'll kick your ass
2) Don't laugh at our Southern names (Madie Laverne, Luther, Tammy Lynn, Inez, Billy Joe, Steve Anne, Sissy, Clovis, etc.) or we will just HAVE to kick your ass
3) Don't order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it's called Coke. Nobody gives a flying rat's ass whether it's Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up or whatever... it's still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an ass kicking.
4) We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (e.g. Welty, Williams, Faulkner). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don't refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies or we'll kick your ass.
5) We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Fred Smith of Fed Ex, Sam Walton, Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, MTV, Netscape). Naturally, we do, sometimes, have small lapses in judgment (e.g. John Edwards, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, David Duke). We don't care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick his/her ass.
6) Don't laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you'd be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we'll kick your ass.
7) We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we'll kick your ass.
8) Don't order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you're a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended with gravy. And don't put sugar on your grits, or we'll kick your ass.
9) Don't fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your ass kicked.
10) Don't talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern hellholes like Detroit, Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don't like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your ass on home before it gets kicked.
11) Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don't want to sound like you. We don't care if you don't understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that's all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we'll kick your ass.
12) Don't complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we'll kick your ass all the way back to Boston Harbor.
13) Don't ridicule our Southern manners. We say sir and ma'am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they'll kick some manners into your ass just like they did ours.
14) So you think we're quaint, or losers, because most of us live in the countryside? That's because we have enough sense to not live in filthy, smelly, crime infested cesspools like New York, Baltimore or Boston. Make fun of our fresh air, and we'll kick your ass.
15) Last, but not least, DO NOT DARE to come down here and tell us how to cook barbecue. This will get your ass shot (right after it is kicked). You're lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box... minus your ass
| Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2 |
 "Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too. |
| You Are Fish |
 You have a well formed palate and a daring appetite. If it's served to you, you'll at least try it. People are pretty scared of your exotic ways. But once they get a taste of you, they're addicted! |
Fish? haha
Thursday, June 08, 2006
I am tired of war
not in the getting sleepy sort of way, but all the way through my spirit down deep into the center of my soul. I'm tired of violence. I'm tired of people dying for no reason. I'm tired of people killing for no reason.
This makes me very Homesick.
The Northwest According to Jeff Foxworthy
1. You know the state flower (Mildew).
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
3. Use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal.
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Millstone and Veneto's.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon.
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Snoqualmie, Yakima, and Willamette.
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark-while only working eight-hour days
15. Rain doesn't alter your plans
16. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho
17. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
18. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
19. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
20. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
21. You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
22. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
23. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
24. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
25. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
26. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
27. You measure distance in hours.
28. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day.
29. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
30. You actually understood these jokes and will probably forward them.
note* I found most of my sunglasses when I moved this last time. Haha I have about 20 pairs and some of them I swear have never been worn.
Random thought of the day
A snippet of Sherlock Holmes that I've always admired:
It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside. . . .The reason is obvious. The pressure of public opinion can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish. There is no lane so vile that the scream of a tortured child, or the thud of a drunkard's blow, does not beget sympathy and indignation among the neighbors, and then the whole machinery of justice is ever so close that a word of complaint can set it going, and there is but a step between the crime and the dock. But look at these lonely houses, each in its own fields, filled for the most part with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law. Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser.
It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside. . . .The reason is obvious. The pressure of public opinion can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish. There is no lane so vile that the scream of a tortured child, or the thud of a drunkard's blow, does not beget sympathy and indignation among the neighbors, and then the whole machinery of justice is ever so close that a word of complaint can set it going, and there is but a step between the crime and the dock. But look at these lonely houses, each in its own fields, filled for the most part with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law. Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser.
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