Mind the Recommendations

Recommending a few links. It has been a while since you've seen any activity here on the blog.

Wilson's Home Improvement does windows and siding in Arkansas. We had a great experience with them for our new windows.

London's Natural History Museum recently had a visit from my family and we had a lot of fun.

The Queen's Theatre (home of Les Miserables) was the destination for a memorable date night with my wife a couple of weeks ago.

BBC One's series "Sherlock" is excellent. The first series can be seen in the US. The current series (Series 2) is not coming to the US until May, BUT I was able to see the first episode during our recent trip!!

The Arkansas Razorbacks football team finished in the Top 5 nationally after winning this year's Cotton Bowl. The basketball team appears to be returning to exciting style.

The Count of Monte Cristo was even better for the second time reading it. It is likely I will try to read it every year.

Self-Interest: Group Edition

You have no doubt come to expect that my posts here are often going to relate in some way to self-interest as a primary motive for human behavior. I'm fascinated by the topic. There are a variety of angles from which to ponder it.

Today, I read an article dealing with "coalitional interest" or more simply stated, motivation for group behavior. The general idea is that a human is always going to act with self-interest as a very high priority, but in a coalition setting, a person is persuaded that the objectives of the group can promote and even enhance the individual's ability to achieve his goals. This can even involve a sense of personal compromise on some points as a higher value is placed on the shared interests among the group. But, coalitional interest does not involve abandonment of self-interest, it is actually just a tool in the realm of self-interest.

The more fascinating aspect to me is the issue of conflict or negotiation between two opposing groups. Whatever the shared interest is within a group, it could be described in a similar way to an individual's "core" self. The coalitional interest is not on the table for compromise, rather it is the primary purpose of the self-interested individuals in that group to achieve that goal, or advance that idea, or approve that activity, etc.

Opponents in a coalitional disagreement are going to serve their own interests by defining the terms of the debate in the way that most benefits their point. The "facts" are going to be collected and presented in the most favorable way for achieving the joint purpose. Both sides will deny that self-interest affects their presentation of "plain facts," and then both sides will cry foul, accusing the other of grossly distorting the truth in service to the obviously misguided agenda.

This brief tidbit is an example given in the article mentioned above and linked below:

Economic inequality creates coalitional conflict within nations, because it advantages some citizens (the upper class) and disadvantages others (the lower class). The upper class tends to argue that inequality is morally good (e.g., "it's the result of rewarding people who work harder than others"), whereas the lower class tends to say it's bad (e.g., "it's the result of unequal opportunities").

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE by Dr. Michael Price at his Psychology Today blog.

Turning Older? Nah, Just Celebrating Another Year of Youth

Today is my birthday. Many people are taking the day off from work tomorrow. Coincidence?

I've had a good day and I haven't even had my cake yet (but I can smell it cooking and I'm tellin' you, it's gonna be good).

I'm looking forward to reading my new book, Remembering Fenway Park (PURCHASE HERE). I've spent enough time browsing it already to know that it is awesome.

We had a nice lunch out with my parents, and then went to the National Park Aquarium in Hot Springs (LINK HERE) which was quite interesting.

Do you find yourself interested in the topic of self-interest?

I have on numerous occasions determined that I would be much more diligent to post with regularity on this blog. This determination has sometimes resulted in regular posts, and other times, it has been as effective as a wet spaghetti noodle in a log chopping contest. So, with some hesitation, I hereby say for the record that I do intend to resume some regular effort at updating this old web log. We'll see.

Meanwhile, one of the topics that has interested me in recent years is self-interest as a motivation for a variety of behaviours, if not all behaviours. So maybe I'll finally get around to sharing a few thoughts here that have bounced around in my big head for so long.

Here is an article from the Psychology Today website that I think you might find interesting. (By this, I mean that I find it interesting and I'm guessing that you, as one of my readers, are clever enough to be interested by things that interest me.) The article is a post in a blog called "Greaseless" by Dr. Loretta Graziano Breuning. It is called, "Self-Interest Drives Animals to Dominate or Submit"...CLICK HERE TO READ

St Patrick's Day Parade

Downtown Little Rock, crossing the river into North Little Rock...from one Irish pub to the other. We plan to check it out:

IRISH CULTURAL SOCIETY OF ARKANSAS

Supermoon approaching

FROM ABC NEWS:

"Because it's a full moon at its closest approach, it's going to be big and really bright. It should be noticeably brighter than a normal full moon. I would suggest that you take the opportunity and go out at night," NASA astronomer Dave Williams said. "This is the biggest full moon that you will ever see. You will see this moon again, but this is as big as it gets."

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

Loving Little Rock

I hope that you regularly click on the links in my sidebar to the right. Particularly, I hope that you browse the Little Rock and Arkansas related links often. Here are a few more I'll be adding:

InArkansas.com

An excellent online guide to Arkansas from the Arkansas Business Publishing Group. (The editor, Karen Martin, is married to Philip Martin who has hit the fan group lottery by being linked in my previous post.)

Holidays In Little Rock

"The warmth and fun of the holiday season will be especially joyous this year in Arkansas' capital city with the incredible array of activities, festivals and attractions that decorate Little Rock."

Witt Stephens Jr Central Arkansas Nature Center

"The 16,232 square foot building on 3.4 acres in Little Rock, overlooks the Arkansas River and is within the Julius Breckling Riverfront Park."

Philip Martin's note "The voice inside..."

I have no idea if this link will work, but it appears that the Facebook profile is open to public viewing so I'm giving it a shot with potential non-Facebook readers here. Philip Martin is a columnist and movie critic for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I have often enjoyed his writing and have also heard him in a regular guest gig at Little Rock's 103.7 The Buzz radio station.

In this Facebook note, he advises us to pump our brakes on the topic of trusting our inner voices:

CLICK HERE TO READ "The voice inside..."

Philip Martin also keeps an active blog called "blood, dirt & angels" which he points out is "two parts organic and one part transcendent: Of the body, of the place and of the spirit." CLICK HERE

Boundary Drawing

This is a fascinating article which highlights two very different ways to look at one "really important" issue. For those of you who never fail to read and absorb my ruminationisms on this site, you are in no need of my prefatory remarks on grasping the heart of the article without being distracted by the provocative particulars mentioned in it. You may skip to the next paragraph with my profound thanks. For the rest of you, please take some time to browse my other posts before clicking on this link. I need you to put your thinking caps on and be prepared to read an article which includes ideas you may vehemently oppose. Rather than allowing your mind to dwell on the fact that this guy is in a different camp from you, please try to consider the bigger picture.

When you establish boundaries or when you adopt other boundaries as your own, the obvious implication is that you have some reason to determine who is inside with you and who is outside and unlike you. Whether this involves an athletic team, a country's citizenship, or a church tradition, there is a desire to know who is in and who is not. As referenced in the article linked here, sometimes the regulations and definitions of inclusion have very important consequences. And "important" scenarios involve great tension if a group of outsiders are determined to tear down the wall.

So what boundaries interest you? Which walls are you concerned to preserve, ensuring resistance to opposition? If a group of outsiders is making serious progress on upsetting your boundaries, do you consider this "the end of the world?" Or do you ponder the possibility that your boundaries may not have been rightly placed and may not be needed after all for the world to carry on existing?

CLICK HERE:

"For them, the erasure of traditional boundaries does indeed threaten the boundaries upon which their archaic civilization is built."

It's Hammer Time, Put On Your Gloves

Religion. Politics. Parenting. Name your issue that prompts strong opinions. Whatever it is, everyone reading my blog can relate to the concern of being “right” about something and wanting to help someone who is “wrong” to see the light.

Some of you will recall that I referred you back in the Fall of 2009 to the “Can You Hear Me Now?” series of articles by Dale McGowan. The prompting for this post also comes from McGowan, but the meat of it is actually the work of Phil Plait. Both individuals possess and encourage ideas which are offensive to some of you, but the point of the post is to remind us all to be more receptive when our prized opinions are challenged, regardless of the colors on our jersey. So, be challenged and respond appropriately, whether you are actively religious, casually atheist, compassionately conservative, flaming liberal, homeschooling father of 12, public-school mother of 1, whatever.

Here are a few teaser notions from the piece:

“How do you convince someone that they are not thinking clearly when they’re not thinking clearly?”

“If a person’s self-identity is wrapped up in what they believe to be true, it is understandable if they are reluctant to permit challenges to their perception of truth.”

“When hammering a nail into a wall, it’s important to pound the nail without destroying the wall.”

“It is difficult to be rational and introspective when an attack has you on the defensive.”

“When we are trying to persuade other people, we are not at war and therefore do not need to be warrior-like, we need to be diplomats.”

“Entrenched belief can mask itself as rational thought and then you find people unwilling to question themselves. If people are not willing to question their own stances, hubris may creep in while logic is left by the wayside.”

“Communication is key. The best idea ever thought of in the history of humanity is useless unless someone communicates it.”

Dale McGowan recommends Phil Plait...CLICK HERE.

My previous suggestion for the Can You Hear Me Now series: CLICK HERE

November 2009 “Community Division” post at this blog: CLICK HERE

Racial Diversity...oh no he didn't!

Thomas Sowell is concerned with a "mentality that turns statistical differences into grievances." He says, "The time is long overdue to throw this race card out of the deck and start seeing it for the gross fallacy that it is." Sowell is responding to an article which appeared in the New York Times earlier this week. The suggestion was that a statistical disparity in the skin-color of third-base coaches vs. first-base coaches reveals lingering racism in Major League Baseball.

Sowell disagrees that there is any cause for concern as the NYT writers are making a mistake with a misguided notion "that nobody can demonstrate is taken as a norm, and any deviation from that norm is somebody’s fault!"

Anyone reading the NYT article without a critical eye might be tempted to buy what the writers are selling. And as Sowell points out, "as long as we keep buying it, they'll keep selling it."

But with the aid of an opposing article, who can argue with Sowell's observation about the unreliability of these sorts of statistical disparities? "Anyone who has watched football over the years has probably seen at least a hundred black players score touchdowns-and not one black player kick the extra point. Is this because of some twisted racist who doesn’t mind black players scoring touchdowns but hates to see them kicking the extra points?"

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette ran Sowell's column yesterday. The title was "Bean Counters and Baloney" for those of you reaching for your hard copy.

Here is an online copy of "Bean Counters and Baloney" (CLICK HERE)

Here is an online copy of the original New York Times article (CLICK HERE)

Here is Thomas Sowell's homepage (CLICK HERE)

The Monkey Business Illusion

Count how many times the players wearing white pass the ball. This is a cool YouTube video from Dr. Daniel Simons, co-author of The Invisible Gorilla. Check out the video and then the book.

Choosing not to fight an addiction

I’m no neuro-scientist, but I suspect that there is some legitimacy to the findings in the link at the bottom of this post (Addicted to Love). One bit of my own anecdotal evidence seems to agree with the researchers’ work.

I was born and raised in Arkansas; it has always been my home. I moved away (to Louisville, KY) for three years and learned then how much I had taken my love of Arkansas for granted. This state was all I knew for home until I was 21, and I had not realized how addicted I was to the comforting feeling of living in this great place. I enjoyed Louisville and there are quite a number of other places I have visited, where I think I could really enjoy living (Boston, NYC, Southern California, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, London, San Antonio, Cincinnatti, just to name a few). But ultimately, Arkansas is home. I’m hooked on loving it.

READ THE ARTICLE: ADDICTED TO LOVE? IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S YOUR BRAIN

Recently Watched Movies

Open Range (Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening)

Excellent Western released in 2003. Boss and Charlie would like to mind their own cowboy business, but the bad guys cross some lines and have to be dealt with. I've seen it a couple of times before but it had been awhile.

Click here for IMDB.

Couples Retreat (Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau)

Hilarious but slightly awkward in hitting home! Fun couples movie released in 2009. Four couples (all friends) escape to a beautiful resort for a fun vacation, but relationship therapy is on the itinerary. "Now, it's a party."

Click here for IMDB.

The Time Traveller's Wife (Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams)

Romantic drama released in 2009. Very well written story about a man with a genetic problem that causes involuntary time travel, which causes some significant difficulties and interesting benefits for his relationships. If you are like me in being a big fan of Rachel McAdams, you really don't need any other explanation or incentive. She's in it, it's worth watching. This is a sad one; keep a tissue nearby for your tears.

Click here for IMDB.

Empathy and a Healthy Planet?

You have friends or acquaintances who are cynical when it comes to taking care of the planet. Maybe they give lip-service regarding some dedication to "good stewardship" of what has been mercifully bestowed upon them, but the real-life everyday application of that stewardship appears more like a simple desire to maximize the size and protection of their own hoard. Mention recycling or energy conservation or a meeting of the Sustainable Resources Coalition in your area and you see the skepticism rush to their face. My question is, what do you think of that person's empathy in general? Does that person tend to have much concern about the difficulties or disadvantages experienced by anyone outside his or her very immediate circles?

If you could spend more than a few minutes with me in real life, you would find that I have not yet made many transformations in my own life toward "being green," and you would find that my general empathy does not yet reflect in real-life much more depth than that of your friend who came to mind in the previous paragraph. But my brain is definitely taking preparatory steps to kick me into gear.

This newly released book by Jeremy Rifkin, The Empathic Civilization, links the hope for a healthy planet to civilization's maturing empathy. In sampling fashion, I have discovered Rifkin's work via an online article adapted from the new book. So I haven't read it all, but beyond the article, I also read a review and the book's promotional bits and I therefore feel that I am grasping the gist well enough to recommend it to you as interesting.

Everyone knows that in recent years, our communications capabilities and information access have vastly improved our "connection" to the rest of our world's inhabitants. Rifkin posits that the groundwork is laid for what has become a very necessary revolution...the extension of empathic sensibilities to our biosphere and all of the living organisms that exist within it. It is not enough to simply acknowledge a general interest in being less wasteful and being more careful. An "empathic civilization" will require that we all actively work together to harvest and share renewable energy. It will require that we actually start caring about our neighbors and also future generations of neighbors who might otherwise be devastated by our inactivity in the present moment.

Take a few moments to look into this notion and see if it stirs you toward biosphere consciousness and an improved, matured empathy:

"When every family and business comes to take responsibility for its own small swath of the biosphere by harnessing renewable energy and sharing it with millions of others on smart power grids that stretch across continents, we become intimately interconnected at the most basic level of earthly existence by jointly stewarding the energy that bathes the planet and sustains all of life. ...A younger generation is fast extending its empathic embrace beyond religious affiliations and national identification to include the whole of humanity and the vast project of life that envelops the Earth." - Rifkin CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE

Create Little Rock

Create Little Rock is the newest initiative of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. I recently shared the link with you but now the group has officially launched and has also completely revamped its website.

The stated purpose of the new group is "to retain, develop and attract a talented, creative and competitive workforce to enhance the economic development of the Little Rock region." An observer might be tempted to point out similarities to a metro area's typical young professional network, but Create Little Rock is a unique expression of professional networking. First, membership is not limited by an arbitrary ceiling on age so that the group can have the label "young." Second, the group's primary objectives are community oriented rather than being focused on the various personal benefits of professional networking.

The launch event was a complete success. Congrats to the founding members who got down to serious work early on planning the launch. Every aspect of the launch was carefully planned and thoughtfully executed. Over 400 participants filled the third floor auditorium of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (a truly unique venue). The festive atmosphere included food and drink, great live music, professional video productions, and a fun address from Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CHAMBER'S ARTICLE FROM THE EVENT.

Not Just a Fan...an Envoy!

Via Facebook, every product, place, and person can setup a page and enable the community of facebookers to become a "fan." With a variety of charitable or philanthropic causes locally and globally, it is quite common for people to become financial donors or supporters. But with a good bit of thoughtfulness, the Winthrop P Rockefeller Cancer Institute has created a group called "Envoys."

I signed up last week and attended the launch event this past Wednesday night. By calling us Envoys, the Cancer Institute is ensuring that the group remains mindful that we have an important message, not just a common interest. The Envoys are advocates with a mission "to help advance the outreach efforts of the Cancer Institute by promoting its physicians, scientists, program and vision within our communities and beyond."

Please take a few moments to browse the group's website:
UAMSENVOYS.ORG

The launch event this week was held in the 300 Third Tower Penthouse with live music and excellent food. I was able to meet the institute's director, Dr. Peter Emanuel, as well as physicians and scientists who shared about their contributions, daily engaging in the fight against cancer. I also met other interesting people who are learning about the amazing world-class work and helping to spread the word as Envoys.

City of Little Rock

Two more links for the sidebar...

City of Little Rock (official website for the city government)

www.littlerock.org

Little Rock Parks and Recreation

"Our city is nestled among a profusion of green open spaces and natural areas set aside for recreational, educational, ecological and aesthetic benefits for the people who live here to enjoy at their leisure."

Refreshing Perspective

I followed a suggested link from a blog that I follow and am glad I did. Now you do the same!

Elizabeth Esther is a refreshingly skillful, blogging writer with a interesting perspective on all sorts of things. I'm not going to take the trouble to provide further introduction. Just allocate a full 2 minutes of your life and check out the site yourself to decide whether you want to bookmark it and revisit. CLICK HERE FOR ELIZABETHESTHER.COM

Today's post is a recap of an interview with Frank Schaeffer, author of Patience With God: Faith For People Who Don't Like Religion (or Atheism).

Links to Little Rock

I'm adding a few more links to the sidebar. These relate to Little Rock. Check them out when you have time.

Create Little Rock (CLICK HERE)

A new professional networking initiative of the LR Chamber of Commerce to retain, develop, and attract a workforce that will enhance the economic development of the region.

DowntownLittleRock.com (CLICK HERE)

A sponsored site supporting the vibrant vitality of downtown Little Rock.

Downtown Little Rock Partnership (CLICK HERE)

A non-profit organization agressively working in a variety of ways to strengthen and enhance the downtown Little Rock area.

Little Rock's River Market District (CLICK HERE)

The revitalized epicenter of downtown Little Rock offers diverse residential, commercial, entertainment, and cultural venues.

Little Rock Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CLICK HERE)

The full-service bureau with full-time staff will provide support in planning your next meeting, convention, or trip to the city including information on hotels, dining, attractions, transportation, and much more.