Currents

If this doesn’t make you think more deeply about the universe and our place in it, I don’t know what will.  The sheer vastness is astounding.  Utterly astounding.  This video places the image in 3D.  Amazing.

Dear Friends,

After 10 years as a founding partner of no|inc, I’ve decided to leave the firm to become the new Executive Creative Director at Grassroots Enterprise in D.C. (http://www.grassroots.com). With Grassroots’ deep public policy experience, I’ll be using my creative talents “for the powers of good”.  At this point in my life, the opportunity to “do good” means a lot to me.

The decision is bittersweet, however, as I will not be involved day-to-day with my family at no|inc.  Over the past decade, we’ve done some amazing work with some amazing clients.  But most importantly, I will miss the amazing people with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working side-by-side over these years.

My last day will be Friday, May 15.  It may seem sudden…but the timing actually works out from a work flow perspective.

For those clients with whom I have open jobs, I’ll be in touch individually to explain the transition plan.

And, just in case you were wondering, no|inc is going nowhere.  The company is as strong and as creative as ever.  This move is about a new direction for me.  Plain and simple.

Cheers…and I will be in touch.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=46667

There seems to be an uproar regarding the Obama administration’s request that the “IHS” symbol be covered over because it was prominantly displayed in the camera shot of President Obama where he is to give a policy address.  It makes sense that this overtly religious symbol be blocked…and none of these reasons has anything to do with being anti-religious.

1. We ARE NOT a Christian nation.  We are a nation of religious freedom.  Showing preferential treatment of one religion over another is kinda the reason why this country was founded in the first place, right?
2. We’re trying to downplay this “we’re on a crusade against Muslims” thing that Bush started.  By having an overtly Christian symbol behind the president doesn’t do much to help that cause.
3. Isn’t there such a thing as separation of church and state?  Obama is the president of the United States of America and represents all Americans of all religious backgrounds.  What would the uproar be like if the symbol wasn’t Christian…but of another faith?

What’s the big deal?  Our spiritual relationships with God or whatever you decide to call it should be personal.  We can’t legislate religion or morality.  Sorry right-wingers.  That’s called theocracy.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LK939777.htm

According to Reuters, a rabbit told Israeli field troops

…”we are the Jewish people, we came to this land by a miracle, God brought us back to this land and now we need to fight to expel the gentiles who are interfering with our conquest of this holy land,”

Frreal?  Seriously?  C’mon now.  Frreal?

For fuck’s sake…how about we starting loving and helping each other.  Didn’t God say that?

Of course not.  Because that would upset the deeply engrained religious power structure.

Shit like this really burns me up.  Its as radical as “those crazy Muslims” but we can’t say that because they are “our friends”.  Whack jobs are fuckin’ whack jobs…Jewish, Muslim, Christian…whatever.  But to have whack jobs dictating public policy and military decisions is asinine.

Economists see deeper recession, upturn starting this year - Feb. 23, 2009.

Good to hear that at least someone is predicting a bottom to this damned thing.  I’ll take that as a positive sign.

I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty well-adjusted guy.  All of my life, things have sort of worked out for me.  I’ve been very fortunate in this respect.  Ultimately, I believe that everything happens as it is supposed to happen and that the only thing that we really control is our own perception.

This outlook has served me pretty well for the overwhelming majority of my 35 years on this earth.

Recently, however, the impending economic doom and the global sense of unrest have really started to get to me.  It sort of seems like we’re all fucked and that it’s just a matter of time before the whole fucking thing just breaks down.  Frightening.  And paralyzing.  Which is part of the problem.

Either way, I was thinking about it last night..trying to understand the root of my personal fear.  Since I’ve always felt that I’ve been blessed and, no matter what, things seem to always work out for me…then why is this time different than any other.

What I realized was that this impending doom has me frightened about losing what I already have…when, at any other time in my life, I really didn’t have anything to lose.  Before, I was on the bottom looking up.  From my current vantage point, I can look down…and that is the root of my fear.

But then I thought more deeply about it.  What do you have to lose?  Your house?  You can always get another one.  Your business?  I did actually work before I had my company?  Your kids?  They’re not going anywhere.  Your wife?  She was there before you had anything, so why would it matter if we had nothing again.  She’s with you.  No worries there.

So it really comes down to vanity.  It has to be.  And, realistically, that’s fucking stupid.

I am never sharper or more efficient then when on a deadline…and never more fierce when my back is against a wall.  If this is the case, then what is there to fear?  Nothing.  It’s actually an opportunity to evolve…to be better…to restore harmony and balance to a wildly unbalanced world.

It seems to me, that moving forward, the key is truly understanding our problems.  If we are concentrating on the right things, then we can solve them.  If we understand how the world is changing, then we can adapt to it.  I sincerely believe that.  And its also why I am happy that a younger,  smarter, more “connected” guy is in the White House.  I’m not saying that he’s the messiah by any means…but at least it feels like he is a clear and lucid thinker…and he has the charisma to influence and inspire others to action.  And isn’t that what we need…an understanding of how our environment is changing, a clear plan for adaptation to this changing world, and the motivation of execute on this plan?

It kinda comes back to good ole’ Charles Darwin, who recently celebrated his 200th birthday.  What we are experiencing right now is a fundamental environmental shift.  It is clear that status quo is under attack.  We’ve been abusing everything…credit, other people, the planet, our own bodies.

The environment (figuratively and literally) has responded in kind.  The equilibrium has shifted…because we have shifted it.  We’re just a bunch of self-aware monkeys.  And the universe has reasserted its dominance over us.

We can stand paralyzed by fear of these changes or we can adapt to these changes.  What we are experiencing right now IS evolutionary selective pressure.

As these concepts began to really sink in, I started to realize that the reason that things always seemed to work out for me is that I actually have really good adaptive skills.  I’m the proverbial “jack of all trades / master of none” type.  In my life, I’ve been a biochemist and an advertising creative director.  I’ve been an athlete and a scholar…a dork and a cool guy.  I’m wildly interested in spirituality and science.  I think broadly and deeply.  And I am not afraid of hard work (although I try to avoid it whenever possible).

It seems that no matter the situation, I’ve found a way to adapt.

So, although I am a little uneasy…I am no longer afraid.  Because realistically, what am I afraid of?  I’ve come to a place in my own head where I’m actually contemplating being proactive about change.  I want to start working on bigger problems than selling organic soup or brown sugar water.  I want to be part of the solution.  I’m not sure yet what that entails…but the time for comfort in the current situation has passed.  We’re at a point of transition…a point of profound inflection.

Sure, its a little scary.  But when is the unknown warm and fuzzy?  But I’m really starting to see this as an opportunity…the selective pressure required to elevate to the next level.  Maybe I’m not supposed to be what I am right now.  Maybe I’m not supposed to be doing what I am doing.  Maybe I’m not supposed to be living in this house…typing on this computer.

Growing up, I always wanted what I have now.  OK.  Great.  So does that mean that I’m done?  Great job dood.  No more challenges required.  You can die now.

Fuck that!  I’m starting to believe that this kick-in-the-nuts is exactly what I need.  I’ve always risen to the occasion.  Why would this be any different?  Because I have more to lose?  Like I said in the beginning of this rant, everything that really matters is going nowhere.

Bring it on.  All of sudden, I feel like Lt. Dan in the middle of a hurricane.  Maybe what I am truly afraid of is that I’ve never aimed high enough.  Perhaps this is the time that I find out.

Central bankers expect global recovery in 2010 - International Herald Tribune.

Imagine that.  Some good news.  Not that they know what they’re talking about…but at this point, I’ll take it.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/30/dole.ad/index.html

CNN reports on a really shitty ad put out by Elizabeth Dole, whose North Carolina Senate seat is being threatened by Kay Hagan, in which she calls Hagan “godless”.  Kinda reminds me of McCarthy’s witch hunt in the 50s.  We were afraid of the communists so everyone he didn’t like was a communist.  Now we’re afraid of Muslims (and the end of days), so everyone we don’t like is now godless or (perhaps worse) Muslim.

In the 30-second ad, a narrator says that a leader of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee recently held a “secret fundraiser” for Hagan.

The ad then shows members of the group, which promotes rights for atheists and the separation of church and state, declaring that neither God nor Jesus exists.

“Godless Americans and Kay Hagan,” the ad continues. “She hid from cameras. Took ‘Godless’ money. What did Kay Hagan promise in return?”

The ad ends with a picture of Hagan and a voice that sounds like hers declaring, “There is no God.”

Kinda reminds me of the time when I was told by a bunch of blue haired old ladies that I was unfit to be my nephew’s Godfather because I currently didn’t attend church.  Although they were fine with the drug addicts and welfare recipients who were around the table with me…because they lied and said that they went to church every week.

So it’s ok to fuck up your life and the lives of others every day, but as long as you go to church on Sunday (or at least pretend like you do), then you are a better person than someone who leads a good life but wants to explore the meaning of life and a relationship with God on their own.

It’s funny.  It feels as if, somehow, we’re slipping into the dark ages.

The problem, to me, isn’t that people are religious.  God bless em.  Seriously.  But its so arbitrary.  I mean, Christian God is different that Allah which is different (maybe) from YHWY.  I mean, why can’t we all be right?  Why can’t we all be expressing the same longing for order and meaning?  Aren’t we all looking for the ultimate truth.

If people disagree, then how in the hell can it be “ultimate”?  Truth is truth.

I really, really hope that we move away from this era of me against you into an era of us.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/23/churchabuse.garden/index.html

Thanks. You stole my innocence, ravaged my faith in God, and essentially ruined my life. A garden seems appropriate.

By the way, I wasn’t sexually abused…but I am deeply offended by the hypocracy of the Catholic church…well most churches to be honest.  Pharisses and Levites.