Save Money - Give your things away!

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...  The beauty of this secret is that it scales really really well, so the more people you tell, potentially the more people who can contribute and benefit.

[caption id="attachment_538" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="freecycle logo"][/caption]

I'm talking about free-cycle.  You probably have a free-cycle group operating in your area.  The concept is really simple.  If you want something, you ask for it, and if somebody wants to give you that thing, they will contact you to come and pick it up.  If you have something you want to get rid of, you post it and people will contact you to come and pick it up.

Our family started with a micro-wave stand.  We probably could have got $15 bucks for it, but really... I don't want to operate a garage sale, I don't want to fight with someone over whether I'll take $12.50 rather than $15, and well I really just want to get rid of it so it doesn't waste my space.  My "interest" is unloading something I don't want to keep in my house.  The other person's "interest" is in getting a free microwave stand.  The environment's "interest" is that a piece of furniture did not need to be manufactured, stored, shipped and sold. (We've previously talked about "The Story of Stuff") The object's "interest" is that it becomes useful rather than just wasting space.    Sound "interesting?"  

This truly is "re-cycling" something useful to another person.  Because there is no exchange of money or other consideration, the opportunity for fraud / theft etc is super low (making this safer than other systems where money is exchanged for goods).

It works quite well, and I'm really pleased with the free wooden rocking chair I'm looking at across the room.  Not everything you ask for will be given.  "Lego" is a hard sell.  Nobody wants to give up their "Lego"!  It is an email group.  So don't use your work email. use a "junk email" that can receive a steady stream of offers.  

Getting started with free-cycle.

1. Chose a "junk" email address to use, because you are going to get lots of emails.

2. Find a group in your area by visiting free-cycle.org and typing in your city

3. Read the "rules" (guidelines) so you learn what kind of behaviour fits with free-cycle

4. Start reading and respond to items that interest you.

 

It is better to give than to receive.  Freecycle helps you do both in a way that is responsible; socially, fiscally and environmentally.

Cheers! Enjoy the free stuff.

Greg.

Mexican Time

Before our visit to Mexico, we were cautioned to accept "Mexican Time".  Learning to relax and enjoy the ride has made all of the difference in our trip.  It works.

 

[caption id="attachment_499" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="(flickr credit: Omar Omar)"][/caption]

 

In Mexico there aer some things that run precisely on time like busses and airports and lunchbreaks.  Other things are scheduled a little more vaguely;

I was told I was scheduled for 10:30 or 11AM if they come today.  So it was a definate appointment with a variable start time and optional existence (it never happened)  "Es Mexico".   I noticed on the appointment slip that if I cancelled there was the threat of a $20 USD cancellation fee. <insert fist shake here>

Some evening entertainment scheduled for 9:45 had people arriving from 9:45 to 9:55 with 3 seperate welcomes from the MC who each time indicated there would be further delay before starting. (after stating that "this is the main event")

An information session was first "promised" to last only 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then in reality it lasted 45 minutes.

I noticed at the beach that the "dive shop" which would lend kayaks and snorkelling gear was steadfast about not allowing gear to be borrowed 10-20 minutes before lunch hour.  Hundreds of acationers used the beach and even ate on the beach over lunch hour, but the dive shop created a 1.5 hour "hole" in the beach activities by being so zealous about their lunch break.  It seems there is still a love for "rules" in a culture where some timelines seem option.

I also noticed Mexican staff at the hotel hustling to serve customers and I've observed that staff who are constantly working outdoors in the heat tend to work at a constant but slower pace.  This makes sense when I understand that many work (10-16 hour shifts).

The heat gave me reason to pause as i observed how low my energy level became.  Suddenly any "convenient stereotypes" of  a bunch of lazy Sombrero topped Mexicans snoozing in the shade fell apart, replaced with an appreciation for hard working people who in many ways have a healthier more realistic pace of life.

Enjoy!
Greg

10 Challenges Facing Homeless Folks

There is a great article over at "HomelessTales.com" addressing the challenges and barriers that sometimes keep homeless folks from receiving the benefits of shelters. Having had the opportunity to twice visit PLOW (Portland Learning Outreach and Worship) with teams of youth where we could learn firsthand about the issues facing homeless folks I can start to appreciate what is being said in this article.

Clearly it is a tough arena to examine and improve.  With many of the organizations providing support on a voluntary basis from their own altruism, from their own budget, it just doesn't make sense to insist on a certain "quality of service".  Certainly the customers they serve don't have circumstances that make serving them easy and the work can be thankless.

Since "something" is better than nothing (an incremental improvement but not a perfect situation).  Organizations meeting the social needs of the homeless receive thanks, and the clients are not generally in a position where they necessarily feel safe suggesting improvements...  With the needs of the homeless being so immediate, the idea of feeding someone is measurable and can be achieved.  With limited resources, the idea of feeding less people to make the meal experience more humanized seems foolish.

Given the creativity and dedication of the staff I've encountered serving the homeless, I can't help but wonder if some kind of "Council of Best Practices" couldn't be established to provide a code of excellence in addressing the needs of the homeless.  Like a Kaizen Practical framework for evaluating the quality of services provided to the homeless folks.  Not some "far removed" academic bureaucratic regulatory agency imposing unrealistic standards on overworked volunteers who are already stretched thin...  My 2 cents.  If that concept interests you, please comment below.

Anyways back to me recommending you read the other article...

So head on over and check out: "Ten Reasons Homeless People Choose Homelessness".

Cheers!

Greg.

Carpooling Etiquette

Carpooling makes sense, you've been enjoying the benefits of carpooling for a while, you've adjusted to sharing commuting space and what seemed like a brand new adventure now seems normal.  Overall it has been good and you want your carpool to carry on, but there are these "minor annoyances" that are making carpooling a little bit tougher.  It started with the really strong perfume that made your car smell like... really strong perfume, then there was the coffee spill on your uphostery.  Life happens you know it could easily have been you, but then there were those surprises where some in your carpool just didn't show up without letting anyone know.  You waited patiently at first, now its almost a running joke that the carpool does not leave at the time you all agreed to.  You have put up with these annoyances, ascribed them to personal style or just plain ignored them thinking that maybe the behaviour would improve.  It hasn't...

Does this sound familiar?  I hope not, but for thousands of carpoolers, that is the reality of their carpool.  The carpool finds itself held hostage to bad behaviour, rudeness, inconsideration and the ambiguity of unclear expectations in order to retain the benefits of carpooling.  With the possible exception of a cement truck with no brakes, nothing will kill your carpool faster than carpoolers who don't respect each other. Let me encouage you to prevent that situation through the following approach to carpool Etiquette;  

[caption id="attachment_428" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bono Holds the Door (flickr credit: dpnash)"][/caption]

Clearly outline your carpool's rules

It is only fair.  Otherwise one person's high standards and another's low standards could be in conflict even though nobody is actually intending disrespect or breaking a rule.  By letting everyone in the carpool know about the expected standard of behaviour, everyone can be absolutely crystal clear when they are not respecting the group.  Writing things down tends to make things much more clear than just chatting about them in the carpool lane at 110km/h.  Since carpooling is optional, a member of the carpool who doesn't want to abide by the rules can either negotiate, or find a carpool with more lax rules.

Abide by and enforce your carpool's rules

The strongest teacher is example.  If you are always "running a couple minutes late", you shouldn't be surprised if the others in your carpool also "run a couple minutes late".  If you can't follow the rules, then don't have them.  Rules are actually there to be followed.  On the other side of the equation, if there is no consequence for not following the rules, or the group is so fearful to point out infractions, then you might as well not have rules at all.  If the carpool feels free to point out violations, it sends a clear message that disrespect is not accepted by the group.

Carpool Etiquette - Rules you might choose for your carpool


So what rules should you have for your carpool?  maybe your carpool is composed of like minded individuals who share the same values, or perhaps there is a real diversity of backgrounds, and what means respect to one person is completely optional to another.  I've been hunting online for a list of carpool rules and drawing from my own experience to give you the following selection of rules to strengthen your carpool and improve everyone's experience.

• Be prompt.  Perhaps you think 5 minutes is nothing, but when it happens twice a day and 3 other people are waiting you just wasted 30 minutes of other people's time.  In our carpool, we wait up to 5 minutes then we leave. Leaving work on time after work is as important as being on time in the morning.  That providential meeting in the hallway at the end of the day needs to end before carpool is scheduled to leave.  If carpool leaves at 7:30, then 7:32 may be fine for everybody getting settled and buckled in, but 7:39 is clearly not "on-time".


• Don't run errands when you are driving the carpool.  This includes not stopping at the gas station.  Always have your car full of gas so you don't make your carpool sit at the gas-station while you fill up.  The point of carpool is getting to and from work effectively.


• Safety first. Everyone should feel safe, so the whole carpool adjusts towards the driving style of the safest driver (not the most hesitant driver).


• Avoid strong fragrances; perfume, hairspray, scented hand lotions all have fragrances which the others who are enclosed in the air-tight vehicle may not choose.


• If your work requires you to sweat or otherwise get dirty, respect your carpool by covering their seats with towels to protect the vehicle.


• The car should be reasonably clean and odour free in preparation for the carpool.  Clean seats give your fellow carpoolers confidence when they sit down in their best business clothes for the commute.


• Be sensitive with the choice of music.  No music is easier to manage.


• Life happens.  Call if there is a problem.  Communicate early! Lots of warning lets people plan. Remember they are counting on you. So have everyone's contact information.  Yes you can phone my house at 6AM if there is a problem.  Getting to work is important enough for my phone to ring.


• Let the driver drive.  His job is to keep everyone safe in traffic by paying attention and using his judgement.  Backseatdrivers need not apply. (imaginary brake pedals for the passenger are fine, call it a reflex).


• Set food rules;  Is coffee or food allowed in the car? (each car may have different rules).


• Don't have long cell phone conversations while you’re in the carpool.  It says something if you are ignoring the person beside you while having an enthusiastic conversation with someone who is not present.  Short calls to check in at home, leave reminders and take care of telephone errands are usually acceptable. (remember your audience includes those present).


• Avoid discussing controversial topics like religion or politics unless you know your fellow carpoolers well. While some people enjoy debating the issues, others may prefer a quieter commute.  Depending on the enthusiasm of co-workers in your carpool, you may want other rules to limit the amount of "work" conversation that occurs en-route.

Carpooling is about relating with others.

Rules are useful and necessary for bringing order and predictability to your carpool, but be sure to employ them with flexibility for maximum impact.  

• Think in terms of equity, fairness and putting yourself in the other person's shoes.  


• Discuss carpool costs together. If members agree to rotate the driving equally, then money doesn't have to change hands. But if only one person drives the carpool, passengers generally chip in to cover the costs of gas and parking.


• Compromise where you can - They want to leave at the crack of dawn, you want to leave 30 minutes later.  Try leaving at 15 minutes after the crack of dawn. 


• Realize that not everyone in a carpool has the same degree of flexibility.  While some members may be leaving a "spare" $23,000 SUV in their driveway, others may be single car families with much less flexibility since the rest of their family may have plans for the car when it is not driving the carpool. 


• Keeping money out of the equation may move you from a transactional carpool which is interested in the exact dollars and cents owed towards a relational carpool where you focus on giving and receiving a benefit.


• Consider seating arrangements.  Those needing more space or prone to car-sickness up front, and the most compatible or compact folks in the back seat where there is less room.

It is my hope that the tips I've shared above make your life and your carpool better.  If you have tips or carpool experiences to share, hit the comments below.  Thanks! Greg.

8 Suggestions for Starting to Carpool Successfully

So you are interested in the idea of carpooling but you aren't sure it will work for you.  Don't worry, you aren't alone.  Most carpoolers have stood in your shoes and wondered about the benefits and costs of carpooling.  With some encouragement and a little experimentation you can make carpooling work for you.  The following tips are born of my experiences and are provided to help you increase the success of your first foray into carpooling.

[caption id="attachment_411" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="carpool lane (flickr credit: Richard Drdul)"][/caption]

1. First of all, take "Baby steps" and "try before you buy".  Rather than committing to carpool full-time right away, test-drive the idea of carpooling.  With some of the friends from my office, we started with carpooling a couple days a week.  This meant that 3/5 of the days were business as usual, but 2/5 were trying out carpooling.   Even if you only end up carpooling a couple days a week, you realize many of the carpooling benefits which might include; saving money, less stressful driving, carpool lanes, less wear and tear on your vehicle.  Pick a duration for your carpool trial and re-evaluate at the end of that time.  Say; "Well, I'm just not sure how I will feel about not having my own space on the commute, but I'd like to give this a try to see how well I do with this.  For the next month, lets carpool on Mondays and Tuesdays, and evaluate at the end of the month." Did you notice how the language was around your own experience, and not around the other person's driving or conversational skills?  This way you can easily say "No" without anyone feeling judged.

2. Pick good people, set yourself up for success.  Try carpooling with people you know.  Sharing a common office environment and of course knowing the people increases the safety of the situation.  You might find it harder (and probably should) to drive off with a stranger in their car. Sharing an office also improves the chances that you share common working hours and will have very little conflict regarding when the carpool arrives and leaves.  Choose people you are comfortable with, people you can get along with who you won't mind having in your commuting space.  Good people make all the difference in the world.

3. Schedule driving days in advance.  Unless it is Christmas, nobody likes surprises.  If the people in your carpool are forewarned about which day they are driving, they can; have gas in the car, have the car clean, and not promise the car to their wife that day.  Having members of the carpool drive on certain days, (I always drive on Mondays) gives a rhythm and predictability to the carpool routine that reduces stress. Naturally you will want to keep things fair so on some days there will be variation in who drives. (Wednesdays could be Greg, Jen or Mo) That variation should be predictable too, so break out your favourite spreadsheet tool and build a schedule (to keep at your desk, on the visor of your car, and on the back of your door at home) so everyone can avoid being "surprised" when it is their day to drive.

4. Clearly agree on how the carpool will work.  Will it be like a carpool bus-route, where the driver goes to several houses to collect people in the morning and drop them off at night, which requires only one vehicle to be in motion on a given day.  This is the most car efficient, but depending on driving direction and distances, may not be the most time efficient.  Will your carpool meet centrally so everyone is responsible for getting "down the hill" to the rendezvous point?  This could mean adding a couple minutes of buffer to everyone's schedule prior to rendezvous so they don't keep anyone waiting.  Will your carpool meet at the house closest to destination with cars left on the street or in a driveway?  It means a lot less hassle for the person with the handy house, but uses more cars and may mean those furthest away may be commuting many more minutes a day just to make the carpool work.

5. Be flexible.  Life happens.  Communicate early! Lots of warning lets people plan. Remember they are counting on you, so if something comes up lead time is really valuable.  Chances are you are carpooling because of the benefits you will receive or because you recognize the opportunity to make a positive impact through how you commute.  Keep this in mind when your carpool has complications.  Refuse to be "high-maintenance"  Did someone miss a day because of medical appointments? Relax, adapt, next time you might be the one requiring grace.  The need to keep a running total of how EVEN everyone is may be a sign that your carpool is headed for trouble.  That being said, it must be fair and feel fair. 

6. Drive well.  You just found some people that were willing to trust you with their lives on the morning commute. Honour that trust by keeping everyone safe.  In fact strive to raise the safety of your driving to match the safest person in your carpool.  Nobody should be scared in the carpool, and if someone expresses their fear, say "Thank you" and take it as a compliment that they felt you would be open enough to receive constructive criticism. Drive "Silky smooth". Richard in our carpool coined that term and we look forward to a "Silky Smooth" commute every time Richard drives.  This helps everyone feel comfortable, saves fuel and helps those prone to motion sickness to not feel seasick after the commute.

7. Bulk up your carpool for resilience.  If you have a 2 person carpool and 1 of the 2 people can't make it, the carpool is dead for that day.  If you have a 3 person carpool and one person can't make it, the carpool lives on.  3 and 4 person carpools are very resilient and able to continue on even if one person is sick for a week and another person has random work schedule changes...  You carpool when you can, and your carpool extends benefits to whoever can carpool on a given day.  Some days our carpool saves $10 in gas, other days it saves as much as $30 in gas.

8. Enjoy yourselves.  It's about community and it's much more than a business transaction.  If  you are social with carpool, after a short while you will find yourself  looking forward to the time you can spend with friends on the ride home.  Some of the tools to improve your carpool's enjoyability include; agreed upon audio books, baking or coffee in the morning, carefully selected music, the odd DVD movie (back seat only), and the normal exuberant conversation that comes after a long day at work. You'll have inside jokes and your own secret carpool language in no time... Well OK maybe just some inside jokes.

Carpooling is about achieving something together that you could not on your own.  With the 8 suggestions above you will greatly increase the chances that you can start carpooling successfully.  Then you get to enjoy the benefits that brings.

I hope that helps!  Leave your suggestions in the comments below so others can benefit from your experiences.

Greg.

The Cause of the Credit Crisis Explained in Pictures

There is a really informative video by Jonathan Jarvis at Vimeo which provides an overview of the credit crisis. 
If you have found yourself struggling to understand how everything could get so messed up, you might find this video to be quite enlightening.  

 

[caption id="attachment_368" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Credit Crisis Explained"][/caption]

Check it out The Crisis of Credit Visualized

Thanks Jonathan for the excellent explanation which was quite easy to listen to!

Crying Wolf in Traffic

When we cry wolf in traffic, we desensitize drivers to real dangers and real warnings and reduce the overall safety of traffic.

Growing up I was told a fable about a bored little shepherd boy who "cried wolf" to amuse himself.  The townsfolk responded quickly, coming to the boys aid only to learn there was no wolf.  Several times he played this game and each time the townsfolk rushed to the field to defend boy and sheep.  At last a time came when there was a wolf, but no willing townsfolk to answer the boy's cries.  For the little boy who cried wolf, was the threat real? not at first.   There was no wolf, until he had consumed the good will of the townsfolk.

Crying Wolf in construction zones

We see the same principle of crying wolf applied in traffic warning signs located at construction zones.  Now I'll start by stating that being cautious around construction workers and  construction zones is important.  Where it gets silly is when the warnings stop protecting workers and instead start desensitizing people and effectively teaching them that the signs don't mean what they say.

[caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Construction Zone Warning Fines Double"][/caption]

 At 3 AM in the middle of the night on the weekend when there are no construction workers around, the construction speed zone sign applies just as much as it does in the middle of the weekday when workers are just feet away from the roadway.  So when there is no obstacle or risk to workers, the signage causes motorists who would normally drive 110 KM/H must slow to 80 KM/H although the road may be clear, safe and intact.  Do you think the public can continue to take the warning signs seriously?  I suggest to you that we are not doing these workers the justice of making the construction zone safer during work hours because we wear on the patience of motorists with unreasonable demands. One such work zone is on the Transcanada highway near Abbotsford which has been in place for about a year, while a freeway improvement was being made.  A year of reduced speeds?  (where full speed still seems safe)  It is silly to stretch our warnings to cover too much time.

We also do a disservice to these workers by exagerating the area where speed must be reduced. Often in BC, 1-2 KM before the construction zone, there are signs telling drivers to drop their speed by 30 KM (20 below the limit since the limits in BC seem to be arbitrarily about 10KM/h too low and most drivers compensate.)  So you drive for 2 KM at that speed limit until the “real” construction zone begins.  As you drive slower, everybody is piled up on your bumpers because nobody else is willing to obey the ridiculous speed reduction.   If I drive at the reduced speed, before, during and after the construction, I impede the flow of the other drivers who (reasonably) are not slowing.  Likely I'm contributing to an increase in their frustration and that makes the roadway less safe, not more safe. Most drivers know that the sign isn't to be taken seriously, even though there is an accompanying sign saying that "traffic fines double in a work zone", and another flashing sign warning that "speed limits are strictly enforced" (which they aren't) It is another lying sign. I know they are not enforced, it is another rule with no teeth. The police are never there when I go by, pulling over the entire freeway to give it a ticket. STOP LYING!

So too many of these warnings exagerate the danger in area and time. A reasonable person looks at these warnings and they disregard them  as silly.  I’ve watched ambulance drivers, truck-drivers, Police officers and normal commuters all ignore the “STRICTLY ENFORCED CONSTRUCTION SPEED ZONE” and drive 110 KM/H through the 80 KM/H.  In fact the other day there was a whole freeway of us driving at 110KM/h in an 80 zone, nobody flinching or looking guilty, nobody checking nervously for police officers. These freeway commuters have been completely desensitized to the speed limit signs and just don’t believe them anymore because the signs are not reasonble.  I imagine that they must be set by some beaureucrat who has never seen how wide and straight and flat this highway is, or how little construction there really is out here, who is out of touch with reality. One of the signs I saw today was a bright orange diamond shaped construction sign, saying “warning no lane markings!”. I drove past that sign on a road that bore, probably the finest lane markings I’ve ever seen, crisp and clear and bright, not confusing in the least. I drove for kilometer after kilometer after kilometer over these new lane markings. It doesn’t make sense that thousands of dollars would be spent on painting the markings on the lanes, only to leave up the warning signs.  The irrelevant sign clearly needed to come down the night the lane markings were painted. Construction signs in particular tend to be irrelevant in this area. “Sign Management” does that have to become part of the project manager’s job? Is it already? It doesn’t make sense to start saying something unless we know when to stop.  It doesn't make sense to overstate the danger.  Just looking at how people drive indicates how ineffective the signs are. (and should be if they are unreasonable).

Crying wolf in school zones
Here is another example. All summer long I see school zone signs warning motorists to slow to 30 KM/H. but I know that school zones are only in effect on school days, but school days are not during the summer unless “summer school” is in session. But how would a member of the public who did not have a child in summer school know which schools had a summer school running and which didn’t? A law abiding citizen who wants to stay on the right side of the law would have to drive 30 KM/H through every school zone year round just in case a summer school was in session. The same problem extends for the rest of the school year when there are professional development days when the students are not in school. The average commuter has no way of knowing that this is a day when the school zones are not in effect, whereas the 16 year old driver who gets the day off would know this and would drive 50KM/H through the school zone. This is a case of special knowledge.  Not enough information is available for the driver to make an appropriate decision. The people have to obey a warning, that really doesn’t apply, they have to drive 30 KM/H just in case the school zone is in effect. How simple it would be to make the principal of the school (who could certainly delegate this) responsible for covering the signs on days when no school is in session. Issue the principal some heavy burlap sacks with zippers he could use, or make the sign hinged, so it could be locked open or closed.

Another traffic oddity I’ve seen in school zones is those “extra” bright yellow little plastic bag signs handed out by the auto insurance companies, which are posted in school zones as children head back to school. Saying “Drive Carefully” “School Zone”. The problem is not with handing these out or setting them up when school is back in session in September, those are great ideas, the problem comes when they get left up all year long and they mean nothing, or even worse, when the school principal and all the teachers have grown so incredibly numb to these signs, that when the school breaks for summer holidays and there are no children at the school, they continue to leave the signs up throughout the summer, only to replace them with new signs when the students actually return to school in the fall.  (You can't make this stuff up!)

Crying wolf at the local Thrift store.

Now not related to traffic I saw something similar the other day in a Christian thrift shop here in Abbotsford. There was a sign there warning about the security camera that was recording people and that shoplifters would be prosecuted.  As I looked around at the $0.30 teacups and other discarded items that had been donated. I thought this was ridiculous, who would prosecute anyone for stealing such low value items? Then I looked carefully at the camera, and sure enough it was one of those fake cameras you can purchase at a novelty store with some silly name l ike “view all” or “sky eye” or something. Cheaply composed from plastic. The sign was an attempt to scare people to do the right thing. There was no means of enforcing it, and it was a Lie! “DON’T STEAL OR WE WILL VIDEO TAPE YOU”, well you aren’t going to video tape me, so don’t make that threat.  How about you just say “Don’t steal”. In the case of a Christian thrift shop perhaps the sign should have read; “If you need something just take it” since that would fit more with Christian charity and giving to someone who is in need.

We need to be asking ourselves these questions; "Is the warning reasonable?", "Is the threat real?".

Conclusion

When I ask you to do something for me and you do it because you honestly believe you are helping me, I’m relying on your good will to meet a need. Now if I keep asking you and you keep helping me because you believe it is benefiting me, this is good, we have a healthy relationship and there is trust. Now if you find out that I’m asking you to do something I don’t really need, but I’m just amused by watching you serve me, or I’m too lazy to stop you when I don’t really need your help, then you will get tired of helping me, and rightly so. This is what is taking place on the freeway. The whole “enforcement side of things” would not be necessary at all if we could ensure that we are not abusing the good will of people.

Thanks for reading, maybe you will find yourself in a position to offer an unreasonable heavy handed warning and you can instead offer something more reasonable.  Maybe you put up construction signs.  The point is that you can make changes to improve the world we live in.  This is about improving things for all of us, because we’re all in this together.

Thanks,
Greg. 

Honda videos on Quality and the Future of Transportation

Honda has some beautifully produced short films addressing quality issues in production.  They consist of a series of exerpts from interviews with quotes from Honda engineers as well as others you might recognize for their vision for the future like, Orson Scott Card.

There are 3 short films ranging between 6 and8 minutes with the following themes;

• How "failure" is the secret of success


• How "Kicking out the ladder" pressures teams to achieve more


• Visions of how Mobility will look 80 years from now  (no it's not all rocket cars and jet=packs)

It's encouraging to see a large corporation thoughtfully discussing important issues like quality and sustainability.  My cynical side sees this simply as effective marketing, but we have certainly enjoyed Honda quality when we owned one of their cars.  Enjoy the informative eye-candy.

Have you seen other really well produced videos on Sustainable living and social issues or Quality and excellence in design that you would recommend?  Let me know in the comments.
Greg

Free Videos of Inspired talks by the world's leading thinkers.

If you are like me, for you broadcast TV is almost dead. I don't want to reschedule MY life because some corporation decided the show will air at 9PM instead of 8PM. Also, of the 30 channels that are available on basic cable, only about 2 channels will have compelling content. (if that many) So there is un-compelling content on an inflexible schedule. For favourite tv shows like Lost or the office, I keep seeing re-runs in the middle of the "season". If a season is 24 weeks, there should be 24 shows... The math seems very simple to me. If I miss a show, its GONE. Thankfully, the internet provides some more flexible options in terms of when you watch your "video content".

One such bright light on the Internet which is providing high quality video content that is worth watching is TED.  TED.Com is worth checking out. It has amazing talks available online for free. Most are 20 minutes long, and feature themes like "design" "greener living", "what makes us happy" and more.

[caption id="attachment_249" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Ted, Ideas worth spreading."][/caption]

If I can say one thing, it is that TED talks are top quality and very interesting. TED obviously does a great job of filtering who they invite to speak. I find myself sending friends links to TED talks which often strike me as the most carefully thought out, succinct, presentations I've ever heard on the subjects. There are lots to choose from, so if architecture doesn't interest you, "Whats wrong with what we eat", or "Inventions from tomorrow", or "The real difference between liberals and conservatives"might.

I discovered TED quite by accident while using an open media player MIRO  that highlights channels that have free content. So if you enjoy learning and challenging yourself in your spare time, consider TED.

So check out TED. The things I am seeing there

Beetle Plague in British Columbia

3 000 square kilometers of forest in British Columbia have been infested with the pine beetle since 1997.

there is little discussion about why this is happening, only an accelerated logging program for the dead trees.  No emphasis on prevention, and the strange media announcement that the beetle infested wood is desirable.  Weird.  Sounds like ostriches with their heads in the sand if you ask me.  300,000 hectares of trees killed, and we aren’t asking why?

corporate denial? Government obliviousness (new word?)  sounds like a plague, and if I know my history, plagues were always sent as warnings, and people experiencing plagues stopped what they were doing and tried to figure out how they could mend their ways.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/

Fair Trade: The Bane of Slavery

Guest writers: Robert and Kim Daisley

Chocolate: the new nectar of the gods; the perfect pleasure; the sweet seductress. Oh, and it supports a multinational trade in slaves. Of course, I didn’t know this when I was gulping down Mars bars to stay awake on night shifts. Well, I mean, I knew that chocolate tasted good even though I may not yet at that point have made up the lame metaphors regarding that great taste and the hold that chocolate has on our society, but I didn’t know about the slaves. I was listening to CBC’s As It Happens and heard Carol Off promoting her new book Bitter Chocolate. She described the atrocious working conditions of many of the people who were involved in the production of the cocoa beans that are used in (and crucial to) the production of chocolate. She told how the beans can only be grown in certain parts of the world near the equator and how Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is one of the main cocoa-producing countries. Off also described how the conditions in the cocoa industry (spearheaded by multi-national conglomerates such as Nestle) result in slavery.

When I called my wife and asked her to tune in to the program, she did, and found it very interesting. It also prompted a frenzy of research on the internet, covering websites from environmental, social justice, and capitalist (read “Nestle”) organisations. Of course, the information available conflicts in many ways, but after some analysis and discussion, we decided that the evidence weighed firmly in favour of supporting fair trade chocolate. Without rehashing all of the arguments for and against (google if you want to read them), the main reason that we decided to support fair trade was that we don’t agree with the concept of a multinational corporation dictating the “market forces” because of their near-monopoly power, the result being that the people who actually produce the goods live in poverty.

[caption id="attachment_359" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="When you eat Fair Trade Chocolate you are saving the world"][/caption]

So we decided that we’d try to purchase only fair trade chocolate. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun, and it’s not always possible. But we try and I guess in some small ways, we’re making a difference. For the most part, we get our fair trade products in Brandon. But since we learned about fair trade chocolate, we also learned about other fair trade products including coffee which can be purchased at our local grocery stores. Kicking Horse coffee (including the “Kick Ass” blend) tastes good and feels great.

It’s not all roses. Sure, we feel better about our purchasing decisions, but it can be hard on the pocket book. The coffee costs $12 on sale and last two weeks. But you can buy coffee for half the price in a quantity that will last four times as long. So when you look just at the economic cost at the checkout counter, it’s a big difference. And when we bought the fair trade chocolate bars, Kim noticed that they don’t taste the same and wasn’t actually too impressed with the difference in flavour.

Our bottom line, however, is that we remain firmly committed to fair trade products, as long as it doesn’t cost us too much (for the moment, we’ve drawn the line at those fancy fair trade, organic cotton shirts that sell for $30 instead of $5).

Why the government shouldn’t gamble.

I don't believe that gambling is harmless entertainment. I continue to hear stories of how it hurts people with addictive personalities. How it hurts the companies they embezel from.  How it hurts the families that are neglected while they gamble, both emotionally and financially.

Gambling  hurts the businesses that otherwise would have created value by creating something. If a tourist spends money on gambling, that money is not available for souveniers / hotel / dinner etc. We are a debt ridden society and need to encourage financial responsibility and self control not irresponsibility. Gambling is a tax on those who can’t do math well. The poor and the uneducated are its most common prey. The government has a fiduciary duty to protect those most at risk. Gambling is an unproductive activity, which entices many to throw away the money they have to chase an unlikely dream rather than working or investing what they have.

Despite the promises of economic growth, it is my understanding that increased gambling in an area typically results only in low end jobs increased crime and reduced property value.  All of  this is at a huge economic cost of government subsidies. People work hard for their taxes, their taxes should not support such an industry. Many of the arguments used to justify the gambling industry are also used to justify the pornography industry. Those are my immediate thoughts and I hope to study the issue in more detail so I can speak less from my feelings and more from my head (I do trust my gut on this one...). 

 

Here is a letter that appeared in the Abbotsford News.

“this is in regards to the article “Langley’s new caasino coming up aces” (The News, Aug. 1) Economics 101: taking $90 million out of a community and handing back $4 million is not sustainable in the long run. This means people in the langley area contributed $90 million to a single business with a percentage going to municpal, provincial and federal coffers. The amount given back to individuals as “winnings” are other people’s “losings” and are nominal, usually spent back to the house. Research confirms that the first three or four years of a casino will be a honeymoon period. National and international studies show decreases in crime, improvement in local economies, and upgrading of unattractive areas to be short-term as addictions take time to take hold and personal / family resources take time to deplete. It is the long-term effects which are so sobering. A study by Laval University on Quebec’s Hull Casino showed that after on year of the casino opening, the proportion of local residents who gambled increased from 13.8 per cent to 60.4 per cent. The at-risk gamblers more than doubled, from 3.3 per cent to 7.8 percent, like many other studies showing availability and marketing increases addiction levels. The very purpose of marketing is to attract clientele and reveals the slogan of “people would gamble anyway” as the ruse of a profit hungry gambling industry. Like smoking, decreasing availability and advertising while increasing education on the dangers decreases addiction. The gambling industry is only profitable because it does not cover its true costs of operation. It produces addicts and smillingly hands back a minute amount of the local money, leaving communities to pay for the estimated $10,500 to $19,000 costs per year, per addict. While the province earned a net $818.0 million in 2004-2005 from gambling revenues, social costs are estimated (at their lowest) at almost $1.3 billion. So family and children ministries suffer, while the government robs Peter to pay Paul and spins the numbers to look good. As for organized-crime involvement in legalized gambling, I suggest the reporter do some research on RCMP studies on the subject. It only takes a moment to search and I grieve over the lack of investigative reporting that results in gambling industry advertising being presented as facts. I challenge “Black Press” to say “This approach is far better” a few years from now to the families of those who watched their loved ones slip away.

Since the letter was written, we've had a similar push for a casino here in Abbotsford; or uh, sorry its not called that by enlightened people, its called a "community gaming centre".  There is more thoughtful commentary to share on this topic, but that will have to wait.  let me be absolutely clear.  I'm saying government shouldn't be actively profiting from it gambling. 

Change the world 1 letter at a time

how to write letters that will influence people for improving the world.

On my computer’s file system and in my email program I’ve got a folder labeled “change the world” it reflects my attempts over the years to write letters to literally change the world for the better. My letters are not canned, they aren’t cut and pasted from some form on the Internet, they are “hand crafted” At times I’ve written them quite regularly at the pace of 1 per week, at other times I’ve forgotten this for months and years at a time. But I keep coming back to this because I’m convinced of a few things: I have a moral or ethical obligation to speak out when I see something that is wrong. That those who will recieve my letters actually care and will do their best to address my concerns. If everybody did this, the companies and governments receiving our mail would be overwhelmed, but folks tend not to exert effort they don’t have to, so my letters will by the nature of that fact, stand out and be noticed. I have no illusions about people “having to listen” to me, but I believe that people want to do the right thing and that when they are presented with an attainable way to improve things they will. I also know that many organizations operate reactively, and that by simply requesting something, the chances of receiving it increase dramatically.

I’ve written to city and provincial governments like Surrey and British Columbia to request improvements to the dangerous 160th and 104th street freeway interchange. Quite happily I see that every recommendation I made has been implemented and improved the traffic flow for the thousands of people who use that interchange each day.

I’ve written to the SOLO cup company to encourage them to “print” the appropriate recycling symbols on the bottom of their cups so that customers can recycle these plastic cups rather than throwing them in the garbage.

My tips:

Greet Well

Don’t use “to whom it may concern” how impersonal. Be cautions with “Dear ….” If it is a stranger, would you call them “Dear” if you met them on the street. If you have the suspicion that your correspondence will simply get a “standard” reply “Dear you, thanks for your letter, we have noted your concern. Keep using our products..The company” from a person who is powerless to provide a real response., then ask for more. Ask them to forward your letter to someone who has the authority to make changes, appologize for wasting their time if you have sent it to the wrong department etc. Let them be the expert in routing your letter.

Be Nice

The person reading your letter wasn’t the one who spilled oil in the ocean, or who designed a poor road. Recognize that and express yourself without beating up the reader. Avoid “YOU” and other more colourful words that would cause the reader to be defensive or resistant to your message.

ASK

Ask and you will recieve works when you are talking to God. The government and companies fall short, so Ask and you “might” receive fits here. Bear in mind the action you want them to take. Ask for a reassurance that they will discontinue using child labour in India. Ask for the name of the most appropriate person to talk to regarding unsafe driving in their corporate fleet. Ask what their plans are to improve fuel efficiency in support of the Kyoto accord. If you ask for nothing, you are likely to get that.

Provide and sell Solutions

Complaining is easy and almost everyone is willing to go that far. What stands out is the simple suggestion, and even more a suggestion that is simple, cost effective, which brings a benefit to the organization you are addressing. For a government to hear that your idea will reduce their exposure to legal liability this provides motivation. Put yourself in their shoes and sweeten the deal. Perhaps the improvment will allow them to make a marketting claim, or will improve their corporate image.

Apply Gentle Pressure

For a company to hear that you are uncomfortable continuing to buy their products if an idea isn’t implemented but that if it is, you will continue to recommend their products provides them with free marketting and the prospect of alienating not only you, but all the other people who didn’t write in who feel the same way. Don’t set ultimatums, but provide a clear concept of what the impact of their decision will be. “If you are unable to support the reduction of Canada’s emission of greenhouse gasses, I and my family will need to find a political candidate who has an environmentally responsible platform”

Have Hope

If you take an action, you set things in motion, in your life and in the lives of those who intercept your communication. Your letter will be read by someone, you caused the mail system or email system to carry your message hundreds of miles, you forced someone’s mind to come to a decision about the issue at hand. Your goal is to motivate, and sometimes it will take the collective weight of many individuals writing letters to communicate what is important to you and to assist those you address in coming to a better position. Your time spent in this way has the potential to benefit countless thousands of others. (consider my freeway example earlier).

Enjoy! And please write back to share what you are writing about, and any successes you can report.

Greg.

Saving Water

Some simple tips for water conservation.

• Wash your hands with cold water, this saves waiting for warm water to arrive at the faucet


• Turn off the tap while you are soaping up your hands while washing.


• If you prefer chilled water, keep a jug of water in the fridge so you don’t have to run your tap while waiting for cool water.


• Use a bucket to wash your car, using the hose only for rinsing.


• Use a container (like a 4Litre milk jug) filled with water to water plants by poking a small pin hole in the bottom, rather than running a house continually.


• Fill kitchen pots with cold water and allow stove to heat. (this is still somewhat up for debate in terms of the energy used)


• Water lawn in evening or morning when there is no direct sun to evaporate your water


• Do not water lawn daily, water once per week allowing a good soaking, do not allow water to fall on hard surfaces, or to drain from lawn to hard surfaces.


• Allow your lawn to grow longer in summer (3-4 inches) so it can stay healthy in dry summer conditions.


• Consider using a “rain barrel” to store water (rain water is especially good for plants) rather than allowing it to get drained off via your house’s drainage system.


• Don’t allow your sprinkler to water the driveway, sidewalk, or street. This water evaporates quickly so it is wasted. Also stop watering if your lawn or garden starts allowing water to run out of it onto the street. it means your land is saturated and should not be watered further.


• Set a timer to remember to turn off your sprinkler.


• Turn off your hose at the faucet on your house, rather than leaving the hose under pressure, where it can leak through couplings or nozzles which are rarely 100% water tight.


• Turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth.


• Skip a bath or shower.. I’m serious, chances are there is one day a week when you don’t have to smell like a rose. You are getting up, going to chop firewood, and then heading out for a hike. Instead of showering first thing in the morning, save it for evening before you go to bed. When you rise in the morning, you will have just barely had your shower the night before and you can avoid wasting multi-gallons of clean water. Note this won’t always work, and some people need their showers more than others.


• Put a brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.


• Fix tap leaks by replacing washers or cartridges. http://www.slowtheflow.com/repairing-faucet-leaks.html It’s easy unless you have a major plumbing problems.


• Fix toilet leaks http://www.slowtheflow.com/repairing-toilet-leaks.html (even silent ones you don’t know you have) Remember the water where you are doing the repair is the fresh water that comes in from your water supply. Relatively speaking it is much cleaner to work on that end.  They provide a handy (albeit general) pdf brochure for fixing toilet leaks.


• Choose a property with trees that shade your yard, providing better conservation of water.

Saving Energy

The energy we use costs us money, and requires  effort to produce. It also has an environmental cost when you consider how energy is produced, transported and consumed. Using energy is more expensive in all these terms than not using energy. Conserving energy represents the best of both worlds. Having energy to use to benefit our lives, and being judicious in its use so as to minimize any negative effects of energy use.Here are some energy conservation suggestions:   

• Coast in traffic. Most modern vehicles will retain their speed if you lift your foot from the accelerator. (older carbeurated cars decellerated). Anticipate what is happening ahead of you, ahead of the car ahead of you, ahead of that car etc. When you see red lights, get off the gas.


• Wash your hands with cold water (no energy to heat the water).


• Heat water using a microwave when possible, rather than using a pot on a stove.


• If heating something in a pot on a stove, use a lid to keep heat in.


• Put insulation on the hot water pipe coming out from your hot water tank, to help the hot water in the pipe retain its heat.


• Don’t drink pop from a can, the refining of the aluminum uses lots of energy. Drink water instead as it does not need to be transported. Don’t drink bottled water as in most areas the water supplied by the municipality is of equal or better quality than water that is wrapped in plastic and carried in a truck


• Carry a water bottle with a lid, so you don’t have to use paper cups, or ceramic cups that need to be washed out. A water bottle that is continually refilled and used is fine for a 5 day work week, if you purpose to wash it on the weekend. Also you won’t contribute to the wasteful production and disposal of paper cups.