Thankful for (Part 3): Having the luck (opportunity meets preparation + execution) to find myself with the right skills/instincts at the right time to be part of the people and companies building the future here in Silicon Valley. And to call some of those people my friends.
Product & Startup Builder
Part 4: Thankful For . . .
Thankful for (Part 4): My 'Stuff'. Not because of it's status, but because it allows me to live a life free of many of the frustrations and fears that sadly threatens most of the people in the world. It allows me to experience so much of the creativity and passion of so many artists. It also inspires and motivates me to do my own creative work every day.
I only wish we would collectively move more quickly to a world of equanimity and justice for all.
Liars or Criminally Incompetent?
Honestly, I keep promising myself I will stop posting this stuff but it's just so stupid.
Pence in the video below: "I wasn't offended. Trump meant what he said... on election night that he wants to be president for all the people"
So... Mike Pence wasn't offended but trump was? We should take what he said on election night seriously? How about the things he said the nights before that or since that? How is dismissing protestors and performers who are scared for their lives as "despicable" and "professional protestors" even remotely being president for all the people?
Either they are liars, or criminally incompetent. Which is it?
Obama's Last Press Conference
Watching Obama speak live in his last international press conference. Seriously mind bending how clear eyed and insightful he is. He could be speaking as the president of the United Federation of Planets.
We were living in the future. Now we have someone who wants to drag us into the past. Germany's past.
So sad
Mentally Challenged Megalomaniacs
Was just listening to the "Alexa Flash News Briefing" on my Amazon Echo (part of my morning routine).
Heard about Trump's new appointment for National Security Advisor (a woman who had worked closely with the guy described him as often contradicting himself multiple times before he finished speaking) and how Obama is going to have to deal with questions on trade wars based on Trump's flippant comments on tariffs on China etc.
No joke, I found myself laughing uncontrollably at how ridiculous it all was.
We have mentally challenged, megalomaniacs running the world.
My Evening Ritual
My evening ritual is to come home and catch up on the news of the day by going through my YouTube subscriptions and watching what's been published in the last 24 hours.
A lot of politics, tv, movies, gadgets, gaming and other pop culture stuff.
These days, since the election, I just find myself sitting on the couch speechless at the stream of daily crazy coming from the Trump transition team.
Bannon as strategic advisor, climate denier as head of EPA, calling world leaders without state department briefings... on and on.
Boggles the mind. Feels like I've entered the twilight zone.
Calling Out The Bigotry
This is the correct response. Everything else that's been said from democratic leaders (Obama, Clinton etc), while living up to our highest ideals (admirable), normalizes what was an evil campaign.
It's up to Trump to start the healing. As I've said before; His tweet about the protestors was a bad sign. His words about Obama and Obamacare are better. Next we'll see if he appoints Bannon or Priebus.
The Real, Existential Issues
His misogyny, bigotry, intolerance for the LGBT community and his conspiracy theories about climate change etc, while disgusting and deplorable, are actually kind of irrelevant over the long term. They are distasteful but not dangerous to American democracy and the world.
The real, existential issues - issues that will spin the world off its axis - are his willingness to undermine democratic institutions and core principles like fact-based decision making (an informed electorate), the legitimacy of free media, respecting the results of the election, religious tests, torture, war crimes etc.
We seem to have mainly forgotten all that stuff.
Obama's Counsel
He seems visibly overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility he's inherited and saying exactly the right things to signal to the world that he's not going to be making a hard break.
For example, he did not have to say, multiple times, that he would take advantage of Obama's counsel and meet with him many more times.
Edit: I updated the link. This one shows the very end where Trump calls Obama a 'Very good man" - almost under his breath. It's almost like you see him learning something about being a statesman.
I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible here.
Never Stop Believing
"Never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it" - Hilary Clinton
I Am Afraid: 2016 Election
The full effects of this catastrophe won't be fully understood for a decade or more.
Just the mere fact of his winning has changed the texture of the world and put American leadership and international stability at risk.
Countries that once relied on American protection and consistency will start making their own defense plans. Russia and China will be able to exert more international influence and American democracy and the Supreme Court will be forever changed for the worse (least important).
This is to say nothing of Climate Change.
I'm in total shock and genuinely afraid.
Trump Hot Mic Accident
This video shows the most amazing and accurate breakdown of the trump hot mic incident. Trevor Noah is making it to Jon Stewart territory with this. Glad to see him finding his voice and doing this important work.
Trump: Jedi Mind Trick
I'm certain most of you have noticed this, but for those of you who are kinda slow like me...
Trump uses the Jedi Mind Trick. Otherwise known as Neural Linguistic Programming.
When asked how he will fix the economy, for example, he doesn't give you any policy details from which you can draw your own conclusions, he just gives you the conclusions he wants you to walk away with.
To be more specific. He doesn't spend much (or any) time on which tax rates will change and what new rates he'd implemented, rather he says "Your taxes are going to be lower and it's going to be amazing".
So if you're not paying close attention, the feeling you walk away with is "Trump is going to lower my taxes" - even if you don't know how or why that will happen.
The same is especially true for Isis. He doesn't tell you how he will defeat them, or what he would do differently, only that "They will be gone. I will destroy them. It will incredible folks".
Yuuuuge.
His Campaign Is Falling Apart
With the Trump campaign falling apart my only hope is that he doesn't quit.
That would be a disaster for America and the world. Any new Republican at the top of the ticket would effectively be a reset and would earn votes from Republican loyalists (many of whom are not going to vote for Trump or going to stay home on election day this time around).
Worse than that, though, this country needs to vote against Trump and everything that he stands for. It needs to be a dramatic, unprecedented, and total rebuke of his philosophy, personality, bigotry, misogyny, ideology, temperament, and most importantly, his followers.
Inspired by a post from Josh
Sickening Reminder
Watching republicans continue to support Donald Trump this evening if a sickening reminder of how corrupt and corrosive politics and tribalism is to civilization and civil discourse.
Tim Kaine's Debate
This is the first post I've seen that actually reflects my thoughts on the vice presidential debate. Brilliant
Finding Kindred Spirits
Vision is having a prescient, almost fully formed sense of something you want to see in the world and then pulling the future into the present. Manifesting thoughts and hopes about a better way of doing things into reality.
Success requires almost every kind of skill imaginable. People skills, creativity, engineering, project management, invention, business acumen and so much more. Most of all it requires optimism and abundance thinking.
This kind of force of will can scare those who don't understand how or why this is possible.
In pursuing this journey, finding kindred spirits who's skills and insights can compliment your own is not only delightful, it's essential.
Two Views
There are fundamentally two kinds of world views.
Risk vs. Opportunity
Scarcity vs. Abundance
Fear vs. Love
Open vs. Closed
Which do you have?
Embrace Your Personal Truth
When in doubt, go with your personal truth. Actually, always go with your personal truth.
Say What You Mean
One must mean what they say and say what they mean. And own saying, meaning (or not) those things.