Check Your Rhetoric: What kind of leader are you?

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the power of rhetoric, especially in a room that teeters on the edge of an information vacuum.

We all live in an information universe, where (more than ever before) almost anyone is able to make use of free space. We have an entirely new economy based on this information age—largely a positive in a world that otherwise is at a loss for new free space available to those in need of basic survival. But, we're in the midst of a push against it.

As it's been throughout time, it is rare for a people to continue to freely, mutually and equally, enjoy shared space. The inescapable politics of life occur as easily as sharing a simple, small room, and it's no different in a bigger one. Without responsible rhetoric that leads to equitable solutions and progress, there is risk that can lead to disastrous endings. Further, in order to survive harmful rhetoric, means to redirect it must be developed.

How rhetoric matters to the room, weighted against goals of the speaker, should be the first consideration of any audience. Second? How these things will matter to those outside the room. Inclusion must be forefront in the minds of a successful organization.

You could use the exact same verbiage in one kind of atmosphere and feel it hit the floor with the screaming-silent thud of mutual rejection. The same choice of words in another kind of space can effect a completely different outcome. Therefore, it's important to implement a viable solution of positive progress through an approach of empathy, not of challenge—unless you're willing to admit to yourself that you only care about one perspective and that you will resort to division of the otherwise whole community solely to that end.

On the Holocaust: ensuring accurate historical information is taught in schools and beyond

A recent news report revealed that a school principal ran into some trouble after [allegedly] indicating that his educational institution did not necessarily prioritize the Holocaust as a factual event in history.

Considering the principal's alleged reasoning—something along the lines of 'not all people believe the Holocaust occurred'—it was perceived by an inquirer that the school wouldn't be teaching its students about Hitler's genocide of European Jews during World War II. The school, however, has reassigned the principal and assured the public of its actual position on the matter.

Our Takeaway:

It's difficult to stomach the propaganda that exists which insists the Holocaust never happened. Most of us have surely been confronted with such ideas as we navigate political social media.

One can only imagine that such an unexpected proponent of this discombobulating misconstruction is either uneducated and thus susceptible, or plain malicious. You'd have to know someone very well in order to certainly determine which, so it wouldn't be proper to presume the latter in this case. Still, we believe the content of the report linked above supports the idea that parents and guardians should be adequately involved in the campus experience of their children so as to avoid the neglect of such a situation.

An alertness to the the handling of subjects we'd personally be concerned about is paramount to the effective teaching of our youth and subsequent raising of responsible adults. Especially with modern technology's constant flow of information and perspectives, we should all be vigilant in doing our part to correct any misinformation that occurs in our field of perception. In addition, we should reach beyond our usual boundaries, into those areas around us that affect the lives of others.

It's appropriate to raise our own questions when confronted with addling,  or obviously misconstrued, statements regarding important events.

Recovered Marcos riches to be redistributed via auction, supporting the idiom: what goes around comes around

It often takes too long, but what goes around comes around—often, in bits and pieces.

A small, yet not insignificant, amount of 'Marcos money' is about to be recovered for the Philippines' public coffers, via auction, through the recovery efforts of a Philippine government commission tasked with tracking down wealth accumulations of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (largely stolen from their subjects).

Gen X and Baby Boomer generations will recall some of the 80s news-program broadcasts regarding the Marcos' fall.

Ferdinand Marcos won his first Philippine presidency in 1965, after gaining popularity as a political leader and accomplished lawyer who'd promised to continue in the footsteps of his predecessor by forging ahead with the goal of ridding the Philippine government of all corruption.

Marcos rode the coattails of a liberal forerunner's strong relationship with U.S. dignitaries, as well as those of his wife, Imelda, whose popularity and drive heightened his own. His country's economy, despite U.S. restrictions pertaining to competition, had been boosted by post-WWII, democratically-principled, practices that encouraged formal cohesion among various political parties of the Philippines and its trade countries. The Philippines, being the first Southeast-Asian country to gain independence after World War II on July 4, 1946 when the U.S. granted formal independence to the Philippines with strings attached, nonetheless experienced great strides in economic power.

However, being a "Nationalista" followup to a previously liberal leadership, Ferdinand did not continue to root out corruption as promised, but instead fed the cycle of rich vs. poor, primarily through a "U.S.-style" judicial system that undermined and impoverished the economically poor by catering to powerful land-holders through judgments rendered by "judges who were landlords and enforced by sheriffs and officials who were landlords".

For example, at the end of the Marcos' reign over Philippine welfare, hard questions were leveled at the matriarch regarding billions in amassed wealth being held (in the form of gold) being until such time as legal statute would run out—idea being that when the disadvantaged people ignorant of such law failed to stake claim to that fortune, the ownership of it would 'legally' revert to the Marcos. Too, all along, the Marcos had stored wealth acquired off the people in offshore accounts in Switzerland, for example,

Himself being corrupt, Ferdinand took advantage of a fascist power to control and censor media, which otherwise may have been sooner able to redirect the peoples' resolve in their own interests. Instead, the Philippine media was integrated into a machine that was used to disseminate propaganda in favor of Ferdinand and Imelda's reign. Ultimately, they would declare marshal law and use that domestic uncertainty to further establish their wealth and advantage.

Toward the end of their governance, Imelda's ostentatious preparations (and grotesque construction disaster coverups), designed to impress visiting foreign dignitaries, continued to turn people off of their negative influences. In fact, some would not take advantage of offered quarters on properties considered too lavish, only willing to stay elsewhere than where Imelda Marcos had intended.

Oft' referred to by the disparaging nickname "Marie Antoinette, with shoes", Imelda Marcos continued to be a popular inspiration to followers. She continued to win leadership positions after fleeing to the U.S. in exile with her husband in 1986 and—five years later—being allowed to return to the Philippines (without Ferdinand, since deceased) where, as of today, she continues to live.

Subscribers to Bloomberg are privy to further details regarding the auctions of some of the stolen wealth. These are public auctions: even the Marcoses may bid.

First inauguration of President Ferdinand Marcos held at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila, December 30, 1965. (PD img via Wikimedia Commons)

FURTHER READING

"Duterte hopes to hand presidency to dictator Ferdinand Marcos' son"

"With 'hero's' burial for Marcos, Duterte endorses Philippines' authoritarian past"

"International Realities and Philippine Foreign Policy Under Ferdinand Marcos" 

Loss of On-Air Control Could Result in Job Loss for Radio Duo

Possible public mockery resulted in the removal of communications professionals in radio today.

BBC reported earlier that two disc jockeys have been removed from broadcasting after referring repeatedly to the nation's "first Sikh state attorney general" in derogatory terms.

Gurbir Grewal is the 61st Attorney General of New Jersey, and a Sikh American.

A self-described "sloppy mess", the thus-far-suspended broadcasting duo may end up searching for a new gig.

In other news . . .

RELATED READING:

"High school teacher fired for anti-military rant"

Flashback Friday 5 January 2018: American News Company Media Empire

From its early roots in New York, American News Company (ANC) was a newspaper and magazine wholesale business that would eventually handle distribution of newspapers, magazines and comic books through more than 300 branches across the United States.

In operation from 1864 through 1957, ANC ushered the shift from sensational pulp fiction entertainment to the science fiction boom of the 1950s via advancements in printing and distribution technologies after the Civil War. Eventually, antitrust actions against the company weakened its business relations and resolve, and decline ensued.

It's theorized that the final fall came as the result of a sole speculator who'd suspected an opportunity to seize profits from a "bookkeeping peculiarity" within the wholesale distribution company.

The New York Times print copy below denotes "advertisement elsewhere" in support of The American News Company, soon after the merger that resulted in initial organization:

PD image hosted by Kentucky Digital Library

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REF:

Wikipedia contributors. "American News Company." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 25 Oct. 2017. Web. 5 Jan. 2018.

Ashley, Michael (1976). The History of Science Fiction Magazine Vol. 3 1946–1955. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Inc. p. 88. ISBN 0-8092-7842-1.

Update on Net Neutrality

As suspected, it may not be good news after all. The Federal Communications Commission released declaratory ruling documents to the public regarding the recent repeal of Net Neutrality.

The @FCC just released the text of its decision rolling back #NetNeutrality. https://t.co/bA0O2dmmwb

Warning: it's not good. But we're going to fight. And we won't stop until internet openness is the law of the land. My statement below: pic.twitter.com/8ZMLLuHlJA

— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) January 4, 2018

One of the declaratory rulings "reinstates the classification of mobile broadband Internet access service as a private mobile service" . . . which reads like an alarmingly distant concept from "no change" claims reported recently.

People and Bees: A Natural Partnership

In current events, a half-million honey bees were killed in a vandalism spree that occurred at a beekeeper's enterprise in Sioux City, Iowa.  This incredible number might amount to around 14 bee hives at certain times of the year; but, because we're in winter, the damage could be more horrifying.

The winter bee hive naturally drops in population by about 30,000 bees each year, which  means that vandals in this case may have been responsible for the killings of what would be equal to approximately 100 productive bee hives. Shamefully, this amount of damage reflects only one aspect of the immediate violation and cumulative effect of the loss.

Short Primer on Bees

Bees are a productive, regenerative, necessity of our food chain on Earth-- when people aren't in their way. Bees "pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitute one-third of everything we eat".

Bees' lives are short, relatively. Worker bees get about 40 days, during warm high-productivity summer months, to do their jobs, whereas a queen bee has a comparatively-long lifespan of 3-5 years. There is one  queen per hive.

Born sporadically in their hives, each bee has a first duty of cleaning their "cell". As the young bees age, their responsibilities change several times.

The Beekeeper

Beekeepers, aka apiarists, are a type of farmer. They provide edible and usable products (honey, beeswax) to communities through the work of their bees, either as a primary beekeeping commerce or as secondary commerce to another primary product or service goal of beekeeping.

Some beekeepers run a service of hive provision, to clientele in need of seasonal pollination of their crops and farms. This latter exercise has become necessary in the production of food crops that must feed an exponentially increasing number of people, as well as in the maintenance of floral industry crops.

Photo by Michael Gäbler

People and Bees

Some of us may see only a few bees throughout our entire lives, while others may be lucky enough to have a natural hive nearby. Bees may be frequently seen buzzing around wildflowers and gardens during temperate months, their fruitful existence possibly unrealized by them.

Bees can be pests, under either livable or problematic circumstances. Another service of professional beekeeping is to remove hives ethically . . . keeping bees safe and healthy during transit to new locations where they may be left to survive in nature's way, or supported and productive via farming.

Photo by Bob Peterson via Flickr

The relationship between humans and bees has long been one of great service to people, yet over time has become strained for bees. It's well worth our time (as a determining factor of outcome) to share our awareness of this industrious, pollinating creature-- a species that must be in production constantly to keep itself alive, then produces so much more for our benefit.

REF:

"File:Honey Bee on Willow Catkin (5419305106).jpg." Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 18 Dec 2017, 17:28 UTC. 30 Dec 2017, 21:43 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Honey_Bee_on_Willow_Catkin_(5419305106).jpg&oldid=272863936>. 

FURTHER READING:

Beekeeping New Year Resolutions via HoneybeeSuite
Top 60 Beekeeping Blogs via Feedspot
Learn about colony collapse and pollination crisis via PLOS

Major Publisher Stops New Self-Publishing Venture

Macmillan publishers announced earlier in November that it's closing a self-publishing platform it recently acquired. This ending for Pronoun, an experimental endeavor, hangs in the air like an odd teaser in the literary world.

While it's been suggested that Macmillan purchased the self-publisher in order to close it down, any financial interest in doing so for the sake of taking down a self publisher isn't apparent. Information seems to indicate that, despite a respectable effort at continuing to offer some form of the progressively-aimed publisher, readers just weren't expected to pick up on the new venture in a way that would support further investment.

Related Reads:

10 Reasons Why People Who Read are a Lot More Likely to Be Successful

The Decline of the American Book Lover

South Alabaman offers book about two families, the Great Depression and Geneva County, Alabama spanning from 1929-1981

Apple ad "What's a computer?"- Some say 'brilliant', some "insulting"

Apple Inc. ad campaign rubs respondents the wrong way as it asks, "What's a computer?"

The ad, one of a themed group developed starting in 2016, represents and targets those familiar with iPads, tablets, smartphones and notebooks (and iPhone, Blackberry and Android) rather than Macs, PCs, or laptops . . . concepts more familiar to the aging population.

The former audience identifies with newer terminology more than any concept-- however advanced-- of 'computer adding machines', and Apple marketing seems to prompt everyone's interest with it's latest ads by stirring positive and negative emotions, the latter perhaps unwittingly. The messaging strikes chords melodic and flat, in those who approve and disapprove alike. A quick review of comments under the [original] video above quickly exposes a healthy dislike of the reference to disappearance of "computers".

The fact is that Apple is hot onto the marketing appeals of convenience, communication, and the downsize-trend of personal computer use. While, technically, the smaller, portable devices may be considered computers, they exist, and are classified, by completely different qualities.

Product focus article by Chance Miller details the ad focus, iPad Pro, and receives similar comments to those mentioned above: Apple Challenges definition of a PC . . .

What's in a Quality News Source?

The following quote (refers to UK media, but applies everywhere) points to a quite developed, still growing problem in news posts on social media sites (where most people source their information today). The problem often extends to the linked articles of said posts:

"Where there is no distinction between the Quality press (like The Times of London and The Observer) which caters for elitist, high brow, intellectual readers and the Popular press, which is more suited for plebeian tastes, newspapers have to be all things to all people. So, newspapers likes The Times of Zambia and The Post are an editorial compromise, cutting across different intellectual levels."¹

There's a local U.S. newspaper in our area that, over the last several years, got its start online. Over time, quality of said paper's online presence gradually improved and eventually a print version was born. Printed editions are presented very well, while greater slack is still observable in the online version (where more immediate, less regulated posting is possible).

So, it's been an observable phenomenon that as a publication betters itself it will usually begin to batten hatches, so to speak. The new ship shall sail, and to do so it must maintain the utmost in integrity. This new vessel comes at a much greater cost! Therefore, it needs subscribers. In order to continue to refine its Quality, the ship stewards need financial support. We do not live in a free society.

Where some news organizations will take care to monitor their offerings of quality news sourcing at the mass social level, most will not. This is evident in much of the newsy propaganda so widely available in free online sources, such as social media's promotional news posting.

How we can encourage greater, actionable, news reception

Together, these developments remind us that all things have their start, and while it's true that the most refined things in life are generally reserved and sold to the highest bidders, it's worth our trust that most people desire basic standards. The trick is in such people having ever understood what is better or, more useful to the end that is needed.

Unrest among social media audiences who know better clearly shows frustration at journalism cutting corners on already-carved expectations in media news reporting. However, what these audiences largely miss is that this isn't going to change very much.

Where such expectations have not been rooted, they may not grow. 

As the years pass and a greater quantity of people fall into economic burden, access to Quality news reporting becomes a greater game of chance. While in such an economy and social structure as we currently experience there may be a greater number of millionaires, as well as those who manage to scrape themselves hundreds of thousand dollars per annum, there will be- with that- massive numbers of those who believe they cannot afford to purchase any Quality News. As the divide grows, between news for them and news for those, it's kind of astonishing to realize the implications of that kind of journalism.

Where such expectations (of Quality) have not been rooted, they may not grow. This is a moral lesson we can observe as we decide on quality of goods and services to a public and also as we consider how important accurate-- and full-- news reporting is to society. Rather than make a point of not purchasing a news source simply because we think we're receiving 'good enough' information for free, we should commit to the acquisition of at least one news source in which we're happy to invest. The more, the better, for us all. We must lead our children to their best outcomes, simply by ensuring that they have the Quality information that they need.

What do you think?

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1 Djokotoe, Edem. "Creative Newspaper Writing". 6/2008. IJNET. http://ijnet.org/en/blog/creative-newspaper-writing 9/2016^↩