In a recent edition of SIVault, L. Jon Wertheim writes about the decision-making of the football coach for the Pulaski Academy Bruins (a high school located on the west side of Little Rock AR). For me the article, brought to my attention by my son, is more about life than sports.
After flying from Utah to New Mexico, we headed north out of Albuquerque and then turned left at Taos. After crossing the volcanic Rio Grande Canyon, we arrived at Earthship, a troglodyte community located in the New Mexico desert. While waiting for our host, we walked around the visitors center . . . and wondered what we had gotten ourselves into?
Time Magazine (Sept 28, 2009) has an interesting short article on Wikepedia:
“. . . early in 2007, something strange happened: Wikipedia’s growth line flattened. People suddenly became reluctant to create new articles or fix errors or add their kernels of wisdom to existing pages.”
It is estimated that 8,000 homes in the Navajo Nation are without reliable water. And many are without commercial power. The Indian Health Service (IHS) and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) will not be able to provide services to many of these homes anytime in the foreseeable future because of geographic isolation and cost constraints. At stake is the traditional culture of the Navajos. As they move into subdivision to get “modern” conveniences, they are increasingly separated from their pastoral heritage.
I feel strongly that members of the human race are co-creators of the Earth with God. That we will be held accountable for the impact we have on this planet. The creation was not a static event, but very much a dynamic event. The earth is evolving even as I write.
The following article appeared as a side bar in Government Executive (July 2009). It illustrates some of the collaboration potential of the new electronic media options:
“When the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boutwell made a recent port call in Djibouti, Commandant Adm. Thad Allen boarded the high-endurance cutter for an all-hands meeting with the crew. The Boutwell is circling the globe, so Allen figured it would be nice to shoot some video “shout outs” with the crew and post them on the Web, so families could see and hear their loved ones during the deployment. It was a typical gesture for Allen. Rarely does a day pass when he or his aides aren’t posting photos, video or a blog item for anyone who wants to know what he’s up to.
At one of the 2009 SLC Sunstone workshops, a Weber State Professor — Michael J. Stevens — taught a short course in management. He described 4 types of managers ranging from disrespectful to respectful, and dominant to submissive:
Q1: Imposer — makes authoritarian decisions
Q2: Ignorer — avoids or postpones decisions
Q3: Ingratiator — wants everyone to be “one happy family”
Q4: Integrator — promotes self-direction in others
With the ideal being Q4.