Rock N Roll Jesus...

I was given Kid Rock's new album Rock N Roll Jesus.  I am not endorsing it cause I am just listening to it for the first time.  The reason I mention it is because of the quote on the inside cover of the album:

If it looks good, you'll see it.

If it sounds good, you'll hear it.

If it's marketed right, you'll buy it.

But...if it's real, you'll feel it.

Whoa.  Let that soak in.

Checkmate...

To unwind after work I have been indulging in a few games of Chess on my computer.  (That yelling you hear in the background is my wife calling me a loser.)  I am not an avid Chess player.  I will play twice a year at most, but I get the basic gist...so I thought.   I am taking on all the forces of Chess playing against the computer.  It is humiliating....

Hopelessness overwhelms me as I watch my pieces disappear from the screen as I sit helpless against the onslaught.  It is a good lesson in being in over my head and how a little knowledge can lead down the wrong path.  It also shows me what can happen being up against an adversary of overwhelming knowledge and power.  

Citizen of the World...

A few years ago I was asked to speak to a group of people about friendship.  Now everyone knows how to be a good friend right?  So how do you put an interesting twist to this topic of friendship? Well for me, I entitled the talk, "Being a Friend to the World".  These words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippian churches guided me:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. 

How does this translate into being a friend to the world? For me I guess it begins with my attitude and hopefully that will somehow trickle down into my actions.

Recently presidential candidate Barak Obama gave a speech in Berlin, Germany addressing the crowd as "citizens of the world".  I agree with the spirit of that phrase.  Every country should have that attitude while of course looking after its own interests.  

As far as Senator Obama's interests for our country, as noble as they may be, I do not necessarily agree with them and the means in which he will carry them out.  Senator McCain may very well be an impressive person but he has yet to impress me with his campaign for president.  It has been a while since a Senator has become a president.  I think that I am going to start hoping and praying for a new candidate to emerge who will bring fresh ideas and leadership to carry them out.  That's the change I'm hoping for.

Saving the World...

Started reading a new book - Saving the World at Work, What Companies and Individuals Can Do to Go Beyond Making a Profit to Making a Difference - this weekend.  The author is Tim Sanders.

Sanders believes a revolution is underway that will redefine how companies do business, how consumers choose who they buy from and how new college graduates choose who they will work for.  He calls it the Responsibility Revolution.  

Do you want to be part of a great company? If so, you need to understand that 'great' is getting an extreme makeover. Today, 'good' is the new great.

A good company is one whose mission is to improve the lives of everyone in its footprint: employees, suppliers, customers, supporting communities and the planet.  (page 5)

I have read 46 pages so far.  He lists interesting facts such as 65% of American consumers will switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality are equal; 66% of recent college grads will not work for companies with poor social values; and that 60 million people are willing to pay a premium for socially and environmentally responsible products.

Recently I started buying from a clothing line called Nau that is socially and environmentally conscience.  It is expensive to live this way.  It is rare to find a similar product for the same price.  I can get four polo shirts at the GAP for one shirt at Nau.  

I am excited to continue this book.  It is a good companion reader to N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope."  I am interested to see how I can incorporate his ideas into my career as a Structural Engineer.