Twin cities still fighting – Flint and Detroit

What’s up fam,

I have been incredibly busy planning the Michigan Policy Summit and there so many issues I want to address. Today, I want to highlight two stories that serve as a grim reminder of how devastating a situation we find ourselves with this economic crisis.

For starters, I want to highlight a story from Flint, one of Michigan’s larger cities where

Nearly a third of the homes in Flint have been abandoned. Some Flint officials say it’s time to consider shutting down parts of the shrinking city. Interim Mayor Mike Brown said last week the city might have to consider shutting down depopulated neighborhoods. His spokesperson later stressed the remark was hypothetical.

I sometimes jokingly say that if Michigan gets too bad, we may have to sell ourselves to Canada but after reading this story, I won’t be saying that anymore. Gennessee County Treasurer, “Dan Kildee says the city just can’t afford to provide public services for its large, underpopulated footprint.” I know it is easy to talk about our dying and/or disappearing cities but cities are on the verge of seriously disappearing. And if we know people need work, consider the decrease in social mobility when the place you live is being erased. Thankfully, I know one of the candidates for mayor, Dayne Walling and when he wins, I know he will do a great job but this state of affairs is tragic.

The second story comes from Detroit (current unemployment rate 22.2%) and the impending closing of one of my favorite places in the world, “Baker’s Keyboard Lounge,” one of the oldest jazz clubs in the country and is truly a jewel of Detroit and America. For seventy five years, most jazz greats you can think of during this era has made a stop at Baker’s. This recession is swallowing people whole and in a city and region suffering so bad economically, an evening Baker’s soothed your soul with music and an atmosphere that speaks to a value common amongst Michiganders; ruggedly positive. If you are living in Michigan, make a trip to Baker’s and do what you can to help keep it open.

Stay up fam and keep fighting the good fight,

Brandon Q.

Lessons From the Impending Recession

Lately, the economy has taken center stage in the media and the upcoming election.  With the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, coupled with the Feds taking over Fannie and Freddie, Wall Street is getting religion in a major way.  What does this mean to the average person?  Why should you care about the credit crisis?  Have you made sense of it?

Stop Speculation Now – Black on Black Thought

This is part of the bi-weekly Black on Black Thought feature.

Guess what? Gas is expensive. Expensive gas impacts almost everything in Americans’ day-to-day lives by making almost everything we do or consume more costly. One of the large contributors to the high cost of fuel is speculation, which in simple terms means to buy something you have no purpose for other than to make money off of its unstable price.

Well, the argument against excessive speculation, especially on commodities like oil, has brought together groups of citizens, organizations, and companies that often times are at odds with one another. The Stop Oil Speculation Now effort has caused many to join in a call for smarter, more responsible government regulation and an end to one of the major drivers if high gas prices.

How to save gas money: don’t be fat

I’m looking forward to discussing further why we choose to interact with the environment the way we do, but an article I came across yesterday got me thinking even more and more about the impact of our consumption habits specifically those that lead to obesity.

A question about your money

What’s up fam,

I would submit to you that our personal path to financial freedom actually has less to do with how much we make but how we spend what we have. The need to constantly upgrade can wipe out any financial gain we may realize from additional income. So my question to the family is this; what are the services/goods that you refuse to pay a lot of money for, regardless of how much you make? Another way to think about this question is to think about the things that will probably never be upgraded in your life, regardless of income. My goal is to help us collectively understand how we can better live below our means.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

Bush touts plan to calm mortgage crisis

Today, President Bush announced a private sector plan to address the mortgage crisis by freezing the subprime mortgage rates of some borrowers. In a speech today outlining the centerpiece of his plan, President Bush said, “We’ve launched a new initiative at the Federal Housing Administration called FHA Secure. This program gives the FHA greater flexibility to offset refinancing to homeowners — to offer refinancing to homeowners who have good credit histories but cannot afford their current payments.”

The focus on helping homeowners with good credit will exclude many of the people who have bad credit and should not have been offered mortgages to begin with. It’s funny how assistance to rich people is deemed essential to growing the economy but government assistance to low-income people is depicted as crippling the economy.

Among the critics of the plan, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow released a press release that said in part, “The President’s announcement today is a good first step, but I believe more action is needed to assist families in danger of losing their homes…we must immediately do everything we can to help families faced with losing their home. I will continue to lead efforts to pass my measure that will relieve families of a tax burden when their lender forgives a part of their mortgage. No one who is faced with losing their home should be faced with an additional tax bill.”

If you are feeling the pain of this mortgage crisis, call this number 24 hrs a day, 1-800-995-4673.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

 

The Unforgivable Sin

What is the unforgivable sin for a black man?  One would think calling a black woman out of her name, but apparently hip-hop and Isaiah Thomas have taken the sting out of that one.  It used to be taboo to participate in interracial dating, but even that has lost its bite. 

Actually, it is something a lot less politically charged than that or is it?  It took me 24 years to figure it out, but the unforgivable sin for a black man is…to be unemployed.  I did not realize it, now I am faced with the looming prospect of unemployment upon completing my post-graduate studies.  And as the song says, I am living under pressure.

Up until this point, I have tried to be a pretty responsible guy.  I have done my best to be the Dream of Dr. King and what not.  But apparently, I did not realize how quickly that accounts for nothing when you do not have a J-O-B. 

What is independence?

Many moons ago, I wrote a piece about the concept of Indivisible Freedom, which essentially came to the conclusion that the notion is does not really exist in practical terms. Today, this “Independence” Day, I’d like to do a similar exploration of the the concept of independence.

Actively wanting less

After reading Garlin’s fantastic post on the Black Middle Class, I was inspired to think of ways that we can maintain an engaged and active middle class. This idea is not original, but I think the answer comes from actively wanting less.

Unfair Pay and the Discrimination Loophole

A Supreme Court ruling from last week made it more difficult for people to sue their employers when they found that they were being discriminated against and paid neither fairly or equally. I missed this, but I think that was the point.

Bush doesn’t like the troops, I don’t like Bush

I really, really don’t like this guy. Why do he and his political allies talk all this noise about “supporting the troops” when they treat them like the little green army men that small children play war with?

Case in point: Democrats today called for the President to support a compensation increase for the soldiers via The National Defense Authorization Act:

Who’s fault is it that we’re fat?

This NY Times article says that it is partly the fault of the government that we have an obesity problem in the United States. Don’t be confused: this does not mean that there is no personal responsibility when it comes to your own health and diet. What it does mean is that the most effective way to make everyone more healthy is through policies that support our health! D@mn, that is another chink in the armor of the whole “politics doesn’t effect my life” ideology.

Michigan’s Budget Crisis

For all of the national financial news we digest, I cannot emphasize how influential your state and local governments are in your day-to-day affairs. This is especially true when we consider that many states (unlike the federal government) require balanced budgets.

The 2008 Olympics actually helping Darfur Conflict?

It looks like it just might. According to this NY Times article,

nongovernmental organizations and other groups appear to have scored a surprising success in an effort to link the Olympics, which the Chinese government holds very dear, to the killings in Darfur, which, until recently, Beijing had not seemed too concerned about.

Nearly any angle that is used to make headway here is worth pursuing in my mind, so this one is no different.

The National Priorities Project

This morning on the radio I heard about a group called the National Priorities Project. This group gives people an easy way to visualize how the government spends money. This is an important thing to know.

The Weekly Dream: Unselfish Selfishness

“How can two walk together unless they be agreed?”

On my open thread two weeks back, Garlin asked me to write about what to do when what is best for you is not necessarily what is best for the relationship. Now, this is a very interesting and sensitive subject that can be approached from different angles.

Collective Action and The Talented Tenth

“I love black people, but I hate niggas”
-Chris Rock

Right now, I am watching the Colts receive the AFC Championship trophy. However, one of the major things the commentators kept bringing up was that this is the first time that two African-American coaches will be in the Super Bowl. Before they would bring up the games, the win, their intelligence as coaches-race was the primary focus, as this was a milestone for all African Americans. And it was. However, it got me to thinking: “Will African Americans ever stop being considered as a collective, homogenous group and is this necessarily a bad thing?” Just as we are quick to appropriate the good, what about the bad or less than spectacular aspects of our community?

I have long been of the opinion that there are two characters in African-American society, African-Americans and Niggers. And the gulf between the two is growing so wide that soon we will not be able to hide behind skin color anymore, and it will come down to economics, which is what race has been a red herring for all along. But I digress. African Americans are known to complain that niggers make the rest of the race look bad and are holding us back by their ignorance (read: Bill Cosby). And Niggers say that African Americans are too uppity, self-righteous and tame. As such, there is no small amount of animosity between these two sub-groups in African American society. And this concerns me deeply.

First, to answer my own question, I believe that African Americans will never stop being considered a homogenous group in America and as such, the actions of the few will forever reflect on the majority. We do not have the luxury of Caucasians, who do not concern themselves with hillbillies in the Appalachians. Unlike them, we have African-Americans and Niggers often sitting at the same table, in the same family. So, for those individuals who wish it would not happen, and think it should not occur anymore where we are viewed as a collective, do not hold your breath, it aint gonna happen (my thoughts as to why is another post in and of itself). We are so mixed together that we can hardly tell the difference between the two. We still unconsciously view ourselves as a collective.

However, here is a little insight that Bill Cosby and others of the Black intelligentsia might not understand. In fact, it is borderline heretical, as a member of the progressive African-American constituency: African-Americans need Niggers and Niggers need African-Americans. It is the yin and yang of racial politics. God creates duality for a purpose. In every African-American, there is a part of him willing to “burn this so and so down” if he feels like he is being disrespected, and it goes past being assertive. And it goes the other way also.

Now, here is the million dollar question: “How do we help each other as members of this collective ethnic group?”

I will not lie; I was supremely frustrated with certain aspects of the African American community. And my frustration culminated in a heated discussion with Garlin. At that point, I was ready to turn my back on the Niggers, and like Noah, focus on saving my own family from the impending doom and finality of the decimation of the middle-class and the haves v. have-nots. We knew all too well the threat of some segments of our ethnic community being a permanent underclass in America. And we could not understand why more people did not see it and why we seemed powerless to stop it.

Even in my own family, I could not understand how some of my family members chose not to follow my example. I tried in vain to encourage various cousins to go to school and consolidate the gains of my aunts and uncles so that we could make that power play to prosperity.

But on the other end, when I would speak with middle to upper class blacks and listened to their characterization of those perceived as Niggers, I was not satisfied either. It was a characterization that lacked compassion and understanding. Only then could I understand why we cannot come to the table and collaborate. Somewhere down the line, we received a distorted view of one another.

So, I pose the question, what is our place in this mess? How do we help our brothers and sisters who are characterized as Niggers and how can they help us, since they are here for a reason? I don’t have the answer. I have not even figured out how to get those who are not like myself to listen to me. But I do know that I have to check my self-righteousness, ego, and frustration at the door. I do know that I need them and they need me, and I will always go back to the ‘hood, whether they want me there or not. And no matter how high a barrier my education and professional achievement erects between us, I will be there. No matter how some of us glorify the Thug Life and our impoverished backgrounds as a badge of honor, and others of us who believe money entitles us to special treatment. We need each other. Why? Because at one point, in American society, we all were Niggers. Whether we like it or not, we have and probably always will be treated as a collective group in America. But only now, do we have the benefit to refer to ourselves as African Americans.

The Consigliere

P.S. For more commentary, go to this link.

Categories:
Black Issues

Guerrilla Banking

Many of you may not know who Muhammad Yunus is, or what the Grameen Bank is, but this cat won a Nobel Prize yesterday for his system. Basically, it is a people-powered lending network that allows people to lend others in the community small amounts of money without requiring collateral like traditional loans. Instead, it has kind of a barter system approach, with the theory being that other things besides money have value.

My question is, could we pull this off in our own neighborhoods and communities here? Here are some benefits:

1. The money stays in the community longer and passes through more community members’ hands before leaving it (if it ever does).
2. Since most of the time we probably only need small loans (say, $100 or less) for day-to-day stuff, the anxiety of being in debt will be reduced.
3. It is a great way to combat gentrification.

I think this could really work. Could it?

One Love. One II.

Categories:
Economics
Financial
Banking

The Weekly Dream: Everything and Nothing

“We want everything and nothing. We want to stand in the spot light, but suffer from stage fright.”

I love music. Music is what I use to control my moods and also relax. I love music of all kinds, from R&B to Jazz to Classical. I have always loved music and I find it almost impossible to do anything without it. And as long as I can remember, I have wanted to learn how to play the piano. In grade school, my dream life was to own a pent-house and play all of my favorite songs on this magnificent grand piano. In college, I even went as far as purchasing a piano book and practicing in the dorms an hour a day.

Since then, I could never find the time or the money to really devote to this hobby. Enter car notes, dry cleaning bills, studying etc. and there seems not to be enough hours in the day. And unless I carve out some serious time and make a serious investment, I do not see anyway to make this dream come true.

This is not the only ambition I have. I also want to learn three languages before I die. I want to write the great American novel, a book of poetry and my autobiography (but first you have to live a life worth reading about). I want to be on the cover of FORTUNE. Sometimes, it feels like I am a conglomerate of random hopes, dreams, desires and wants. But so are most people to me.

I Want It!

I have alluded many times that there is a difference between wanting something and being ready for it. In an ideal world, our wants would keep base with our level of preparedness. For instance, people would not become rich until they were mentally and spiritually prepared to deal with the changes that wealth brings. People would not get married until they fully understood their responsibility in the marital relationship. But that is not how the world works.

In economics, a common and misguided assumption is that human behavior is rational. However, if you have ever encountered children, you know that is not the case. As human beings, we want what we want when we want it. Who cares if we are not prepared for what will be demanded of us in return? It takes a ton of maturity to step back and acknowledge our limitations. There are things that we must master (i.e. fundamentals) and lessons we must learn before we can have the satisfaction of attaining our wants.

In addition, the price you are willing to pay for your wants will determine the level of fulfillment you experience. For example, I was watching Vh1 and there was a story on a music group that took $1.7 million dollars and set it on fire. Money was so abundant and free flowing to them at the time that there was no fulfillment that could be had from buying another car, drugs, houses etc. But the more you have to give, the more you appreciate it. When things come easy, when there is no struggle and no sacrifice, it is only a matter of time when one want is gratified, another springs up in its place. And that is really annoying.

Stewardship 101

This is exactly the case when someone else is footing the bill. I am amazed at how whimsical people become with the resources of others. I have been out with people and when I was footing the bill, they were merciless. Or if I had made a sacrifice, they would act like it was nothing. There is no greater feeling of hurt and disappointment than when you go out of your way for someone and they treat it as nothing. Whatever happened to stewardship? Is it a lost art? Stewardship in a nutshell is to hold the resources of another in trust. It is the ultimate position of responsibility.

We are always accountable to someone, whether we acknowledge it or not, for everything we have control over. We are accountable for our time, money, relationships, and wants. When you are a steward, you move beyond the base level of slaving to fulfill wants and begin to think about what is the best use of resources in this particular situation. Stewardship enables one to prioritize what pursuits are worthwhile and what are frivolous. Therefore, we must train our appetites to want the right things and to pursue only those things that will yield the best outcome.

Free Your Mind

How do you classify and distinguish between your needs and wants? Stewardship begins with a mindset. And just as we train the body, we must train the mind by bombarding it with positive things and healthy desires until we want it bad enough to do something about it. As a freshman in college, my roommates would read the Robb Report as motivation to study and spend our time wisely. We saw the lifestyle we wanted and meditated on what it would take to get there, until we believed that it was possible. Accordingly, we spent our resources wisely and maximized our opportunity.

For me, I often picture having to answer to God, my ancestors, my unborn children, my family, and my future self as to the life I lead and the things I choose to pursue. Somehow, taking the long view helps me stay focused. As a result of my point of view, I lead a different life. I realize that I cannot do what everyone else does because I am different. I must prepare myself and my family for the life we will one day lead.

Find something or someone to hold yourself accountable to. Begin to view your life as an aggregation of resources to be deployed wisely. We only have so much time, energy, health, and money at our disposal. Instead of spending these resources, begin to INVEST them. Think about how your wants will affect those you love and care about. What are the implications for the future. Meditate on what is good and dig for the root of your desires. Think about the moment you finally get what you want, will you be fulfilled, how long will you be happy? What does this particular want represent?

As human beings, we are forgetful creatures and must constantly remind ourselves of these things. However, with practice, patience and discipline, we can be the stewards that we were meant to be.

If you really want it, prepare for it.

Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas

Question of the Week: Where do your wants come from?

Is the Black Man in America doomed?

The NY Times says that Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia say that we are close. In “Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn,” Erik Eckholm goes over many statistics that show how the un/undereducated Black man is the rule and not the exception, and how that is leading them down a path from which recovery may prove difficult.

(Random thought: Before digging into this topic, I’d like to first note the irony in Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia doing studies about Black men. Princeton has 8.2% Black students, Harvard has 8% Black students, and Columbia has 5.3% Black students. I just find it interesting when I hear/read authoritative on Black people written by non-Black people. Now, I am in no way saying that the message is worthless because of the messenger, but I am saying that it is in some ways disheartening. I digress…)

With that said, the story and the studies it references raises some important facts. I applaud the approaches to measuring joblessness that include the incarcerated as well as those not looking for legal work. Though it is an interesting theory, I do not agree with the implication that child support law enforcement have contributed to joblessness.

There are some concrete steps that I see that can be taken to address this rampant joblessness.

The first set is psychological. For starters, many associate unemployment with vagrancy. I believe that in many cases it is a myth. Vagrancy, laziness, triflingness, whatever you want to call it does occur, but I think that’s less common than it is perceived. Evidence for this can be seen in the fact that many individuals who are not seeking work are “working” illegal occupations; you can’t be lazy and stay out of jail. The second psychological step is to remove the stigma of the man or woman who has come home from prison. What is tripped out is how many people show a lot of “love” to people when they get out of jail (remember Chris Rock saying people got more love coming out of jail than coming home from college), but they don’t get a lot of love from business owners (including Black business owners) when they are looking for legitimate work. This is part of the reason why people who come home are so likely to commit and be caught in the midst of illegal activity within 6 months of their release and end up right back in corrections system. What needs to happen here: People need to have positive attitudes towards their people. Do not confuse a positive attitude with stupidity, but instead confuse it with educated optimism. There is nothing wrong with giving someone a conditional hire. Do not confuse conditional with opportunity to humiliate. People are amazing in the sense that they will excel when people show faith in them. The article quotes a brother who says he and his peers suffer from a “general state of hopelessness.” Hopelessness is overcome by having faith in yourself and others having faith in you. Think about it, when was the last time you felt like you could do something when people were constantly putting you down saying you “never did it before” or that you were “incapable” of doing it? We need to invest psychologically in our brethren.

Secondly, there are opportunities to educate outside of traditional school. Ideally, everyone would matriculate through elementary, middle, high school, undergrad, grad, doctorate, post-doc, etc. In cases where that has not happened, that does not mean that education should not be an option. What can be done here: Maybe we can encourage young men/women to seek opportunities that they feel are more practical. What I mean by that is this: usually people leave school because they do not see immediate benefit. I more than anyone wish to eradicate instant gratification ideology from the world, but in the mean time, I feel like we can use it to demonstrate both immediate and future benefits gained from education. For example, why not identify trades/talents that students have in say, 8th grade. In their high school (9th thru 12th grade years), why not provide access to training in their fields of interest (e.g. web design, auto repair, cosmetolgoy, medical assistant, whatever)? Why not provide access to the training and tie performance in “regular” school together with the vocational training? Meaning, we should reward high performance in the vocational education equally. That way, there is recognition (who doesn’t like that?) for those that excel in economics and those who excel in electrician training. We should embrace Adult Education and Professional Certification programs. If/when people demonstrate hunger and willingness to work, then they deserve to have a chance taken on them (see above).

Re-entry. The article calls out programs that focus on prison re-entry. The same attention needs to be paid to juvenile re-entry. Programs like Detroit’s Partners for Success are great examples of taking a proactive approach to confronting the issues the will be present in the lives of young men/women when they leave the system. We talk a lot about this on the site, and some of the posts on the subject can be read here. Keys to successful re-entry are showing confidence and providing opportunities.

Those sound a lot like the keys to life in general.

My Health, My Decision

I have a layover in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the next hour, and that gives The SuperSpade a chance to see and discuss issues occurring wherever we are.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has proposed what he calls a “Health Impact Fee” as part of his upcoming budget proposal. The Minneapolis Star Tribune refers this as effectively a “Cigarette Tax.” These sorts of issues raise interesting questions about the rights and roles of government in health-related personal decision making.Even people who smoke acknowledge that there are negative health risks associated with that. Most people who engage in “high health impact” activities will quickly admit this as well. In neither case, however, do the risks outweigh the benefits to these individuals.

The Libertarian in me says that we should let these people live their lives and “penalize” them through things such as a “High Impact” fee. It says you [should] have the right to do what you wish, no matter what it is or who disagrees with it or who is uncomfortable with it. However, this breaks down for me in the case of smoking, which also adversely effects the environment and the health of those in close proximity.

The Uber-Liberal in me says that we should insure and provide a safety net for all, including the Risk-Lovers. It says that we will take care of you no matter what; Universal Health Care covers the crazy and the sane. The case where this breaks down is something like abortion. I am adamantly Pro-Choice, but I do not think the government should pay for the procedure.

The Fiscal Conservative in me says that the “Health Impact Fee” is right on. If I don’t smoke, why should I pay for someone that does? Efficient economics tells us that the market should price things at what they are worth to the consumer (e.g. Northwest Airlines charging everyone [including people like me who actually NEED the leg room] $15 for Exit Row seats. That almost went horribly wrong when we switched planes!!). This approach says that the blanket approaches of Garlin the Libertarian and Garlin the Liberal are so fair that they are unfair. This falls short in the case where I [willingly or unwillingly] engage in “High Health Impact” behavior(s) and cannot afford coverage.

I’m not crazy or the victim of a split-personality disorder. I am, in a word conflicted. I would like your thoughts on the role of government in personal health decisions. Should it enable everything? Should it do nothing? Somewhere in between? Your comments are appreciated.

The Weekly Dream: Carpe Diem – The Purpose Driven Now

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”
-Henry David Thoreau

As the New Year approached, I asked everyone I came across what they wanted the most for the New Year. I was expecting a myriad of answers, but surprisingly, I received the same response: more vision, more clarity. In this “purpose-driven” society, it is apparent that many people are either unsure that they are doing what they are supposed to at this present time. Currently, it is popular advice to pursue your passion, make sure you like what you are doing. But sometimes it is not that easy. When I was working in Corporate America, I was astounded at how many people were unhappy in their positions or were in positions that were not a good fit for them. Those that tried to move were often “pigeon-holed” or the politics made it impossible. It was often a depressing sight to see that the majority of these individuals would never realize their full potential.

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

One of the greatest fears and possible nightmares is to be trapped in a situation that 1. Is not of your own creating 2. Not in line with your passion. Take a survey, and rare is the individual who is truly happy with where they are in life and like what they are doing. Why is this the rule and not the exception? I have come to three conclusions: 1. Lack of foresight 2. Loss of foresight 3. Change in priorities.

My friend Garlin loves to quote the Biblical truth that people perish for a lack of knowledge. If you do not want to go anywhere, any road will get you there. For most people this is not the problem. Number two is what gets you. Life is full of so many distractions, that it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. This is one of my primary fears, because complacency is real.

But what eventually happens, people find peace and contentment in something else. Normally, family, children or faith makes the politics on the job and the sacrifice worth it. But for those who do not have these or something to live for, mid-life crisis and depression are not far behind. As human beings, we can only plan so far ahead because tomorrow is not promised, but at least we should know how we arrived where we are.

Tiny Rudder, Big Ship

A change in priorities is fine, but that still does not address the issue of unrealized potential and purpose. When you die, will you be able to say that you fulfilled your destiny? There has always been a real tension between looking toward the future and living for today.

In college, my roommate Bobby and I took a Game theory economics course. The material did not come as easy for me as it did Bobby, so I needed his expertise. But it would always frustrate me because Bobby’s explanations revolved around this concept of “Sub-game equilibrium”. In game theory, this concept says that based on the long-term goal, there is an optimum step or strategy at every step leading up to the desired outcome. If an individual does what is best for them at every moment in time, then they will eventually get to their desired end.

Applied to life, this means that there is a time and a place for everything. It would be nice to know what we are here for and just do that, but we are limited in this regard. Furthermore, a large part of the joy in life is the discovery process, because it is the journey and not necessarily the destination that is important. Therefore, if we do what is best for us in the now, I believe we will eventually reach this desired end. It is not a perfect correlation, but once we know that we have made a misstep, it is up to us to change course and be ever mindful of the adjustment that is necessary.

A little advice…

The present is so important. Much of life is spent either looking forward or looking backward. It is extremely difficult to just be in the present and have faith that you are doing exactly what you are meant to be doing at this very moment. In the present, it is important to look for the lesson or how this experience or milestone fits into the grand scheme of things. I believe our destiny is wrapped in what we enjoy doing or our passion/gifts. What happens a lot of times is that people fail to truly own their talents and gifts, when that is their vehicle to greatness. Even worse, they are mistaken as to what these gifts are.

The important thing is to have a sense of where you want to go, but you do not have to know it all. But keep an eye on the future.

Life is far too precious and too short to be unhappy. Everyday presents new possibilities and opportunity. Just to have this time and have your needs met is a blessing in and of itself. Yet, maximize the moment, because all you truly have is the now.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas

Question of the Week: How are you discovering your purpose?

How Information Economics Divides us Digitally

Since when is providing a common good a bad thing? I think good goes bad when good is free/low-cost/easily accessible.

A story in the Washington Post (linked here from the Talking Points Memo blog) talks about how BellSouth got a change of heart soon after they heard that New Orleans was thinking of free, municipal wireless internet access. They were going to donate one of their buildings to the city, but now they will charge for it instead. Well, after all, if people aren’t paying for internet access, then they have oodles of money laying around to male building lease payments to BellSouth in the for of increased taxes. Not to mention that taxes will be even more astronomical given that the N.O. Tax base is below that of the population at the summit of Mt. Everest. Quite empathetic indeed.

All that good, I mean bad stuff aside, let’s think of another reason that a large corporation would not want a bunch of poor folk to have free internet access. If they saw that they could receive BETTER service for FREE, they may NEVER come back! They definitely cannot have that, seeing as how they make the bulk of their revenue is by fleecing poor people at high volumes. Let’s also do what we can to thwart this effort because internet access = information access = people who are no longer ignorant. And it is hard to make money off of informed people.

I describe this in the above terms to call out the digital divide from a slightly different angle. Information economics tells us that there is value in information asymmetry. The idea is that if parties are on the same footing information-wise, they are less able or likely to take advantage of each other. The digital divide is an interesting example of this theory at work because it deals with the value of information both intrinsically and extrinsically. Withholding the intrinsic value that comes with knowledge and access to knowledge from people allows entities like BellSouth and others to extract extrinsic (in this case, monetary) value.

How is this combated? The only way to defeat those who wish to have you maintain your ignorance is to elevate yourself out of that ignorance. I pray that officials in New Orleans press on despite corporate intimidation tactics, and take this small step towards bring poor people to the right side of the digital divide.

–
Garlin Gilchrist II
http://www.thesuperspade.com

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