I'm rereading George Pyle's Raising Less Corn, More Hell-- The Case for the Independent Farm. Industrial production of our food has some benefits but lots of drawbacks. "Why should corporations own farms when they can own the farmer." Instead of free markets, farmers become corporate serfs with long term contracts.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586481150/103-1764036-9291869?v=glance&n=283155

Big loss, the serfs have no time or motivation for political involvement. True of the corporate middle management and blue collar workers, too. So politics has become dominated by the powerful few, the grassroots is in danger of disappearing. But maybe the long-tail of low cost communications will help revive entrepreneurship and neighborhood political involvement.

Last night the Denver Socrates Cafe met, we discussed perception and belief. Wide range of opinions, made me think to the extent that I didn't sleep very well. Awareness isn't free. Maybe we'll continue the topic tonight at the Panera Bread Socrates Cafe, 6 p.m., 1350 Grant St.

I've made a commitment to post here every day. Why? Is this helping anyone? Me? I was up early, lots on my mind. But airing my thoughts in public is painful.

Herbert Hoover was born on this day, and he died October 24 in 1964 when I was a Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School here in Denver. That summer I’d been working for my dad in his business during the day, running and lifting weights at night getting ready for the football season that was about to start, and taking my girl friend Mary Maxwell to Red Rocks on the weekend.

I can’t remember reading Hoover’s obituary, but I might have; I was a true believer in the philosophy of life expressed in it. Along with most of the rest of the country I was a fan of Vince Lombardi, the NASA space program, and I very much wanted to become a high school English teacher and a coach to help promote the values express in Hoover’s obit. Here is part of what it said:

“Need for 'Uncommon' Men

“Mr. Hoover, born in an Iowa village, the son of a Quaker blacksmith, was an exponent of a credo of personal initiative that he summed up as "rugged individualism," and his life exemplified it…

“Mr. Hoover's values were rooted in uncomplicated Quaker values of thrift, hard work and self- dependence, and he deplored a departure from those values in which he disparagingly termed "the century of the common man."

“He said the nation imperatively required "the leadership of the uncommon man or woman." And he cited his own life as proof of the validity of the American dream of achievement by effort, not grant.”
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0810.html

What I’ve learned since then is that no man is an island. We each need God and the people who are put into our life to be happy.

Yes, the values of rugged individualism are necessary, but they are not sufficient. If I would have listened to God and the people in my life back it 1964, things would have been very different for me, my family, and my friends. For me, rugged individualism turned into selfishness and self-centeredness, something I still fight and for which I continue to make amends.

Wiki while you work, information about how businesses are adopting the new wiki technology.
http://news.com.com/1200-2-5741150.html

Do you have a problem with your drinking? Each Sunday Yale H. is sharing his 53 years of sobriety at an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous at a new meeting called Talks for Beginners. Meets at 1311 York Street in Denver, free and open to all. Last Sunday Yale told his story, how he came into A.A. and talked with Dan. Yale share about some of the basics of recovery, HALT, First Things First, etc. And the four things people do to get sober in A.A., "join a group, get a sponsor, read the big book and work the steps, and sponsor other people." Join us next Sunday, 7 p.m., 1311 York Street. Or forward this along to someone you know who could use the help.

Unthinkable only a decade ago, business associations, think tanks and a whole slew of capitalist and libertarian activists, many only in their 20s and 30s, are leading a tiny but noisy counterattack. Their common goal: making sure the next generation of Europeans is less in tune with Karl Marx and more with Adam Smith. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14206355/

This is a directory of Fortune 500 companies that have business blogs, defined as: active public blogs by company employees about the company and/or its products.
According to our research, 29 (5.8%) of the Fortune 500 are blogging as of 4/18/06 https://www.socialtext.net/bizblogs/index.cgi

On this day in 1965 President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Beatles released their album "Help" with this title song: Help, I need somebody,Help, not just anybody,Help, you know I need someone, help.When I was younger, so much younger than today,I never needed anybody's help in any way.But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured,Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.Help me if you can, I'm feeling downAnd I do appreciate you being round.Help me, get my feet back on the ground,Won't you please, please help me? http://www.lyrics007.com/The%20Beatles%20Lyrics/Help!%20Lyrics.html I was still trying to make up my mind whether to go to the University of Pugett Sound or Cornell College, taking Economics 101 at the University of Colorado, and working as a lifeguard and swim team coach at Cherry Knolls Swim Club working for my high school football coaches Don Day and Gene Wirtz.