#social involvement

[raffaellopalandri]

Today is World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. Mental health is just as important as physical health, but it is often overlooked or…

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[theblognobodyfoundlastyear]

You're out of touch, I'm out of time

I feel you, Daryl Hall & John Oates. But not as much as the inevitable dread of entering a new decade of life. Yes, I'm saddened to say that we'll be leaving the whimsical, haphazard and irresponsible self of yester-decade and replacing it with some sort of corporate approved even more lifeless puppet of a self. Is that it, we're just going to roll over and die from an attack like that? Let's see what this echo chamber of a blog has to say about that.

While it's true that we haven't made the most optimal choices over the last 10 years and we're in the midst of coming to grips with not only the regret of such decisions but also their consequences, the optimist would say this is an ideal learning opportunity to become a better man in the coming decade. I've heard that snake oil pitch before, but then again what's the alternative? Perhaps we're not good at taking on advice, irrespective of whether we make the effort to do so or not.

Surely, there would be some optimal choices that one could derive certain principles that can guide the future? Employment is certainly one of them, yet I can't bring myself to say that's a complete success. The employer is… a fickle one, let;s put it that way. Stay on their good side and continue running the race, get on their bad side and you're off to Noddy Land by two.

Oddly enough, I am reminded of the different ages in Age of Empires, where each age has specific constraints and options avaialble. Does one go for a steady progression to the next age, or risk it for the brisket & attempt to rush the enemy for an early win? The consequences can be dire in either case, requiring additional mitigations as to whether the risk was managed well or not. Indeed, it all comes down to that word once again: Risk. You could even say it's the very thing we've been trying to avoid for the last 10 years.

Suppose you knew the outcome of certain decisions you had to be making, would you try to defy destiny or march relentlessly into whatever the universe has prepared for ye? The question would be is which path is the right one, for it's always a mix of the two that makes a man worth his value. But when to apply which strategy, and how do we know if one's value has truly hits its apex? Perhaps it's there we find the ugly answer: You don't know, you will never know and choosing an option is the only way forward, even if you find out it's wrong in the end.

The idea of taking any action in a world of such uncertainty is preposterous. Yet, that is what we are called to do everyday: Make a decision in a world of varying quantities of unknowns. For if the fool makes a choice and results in 100 repercussions, would that be any better than the bystander who made no choice at all? What of the peers, enemies and the rest of the crowd that is always around us, regardless of whether we want them around or not? While it's easy to look to them for the right way forward, that should only be the route in lieu of one's own goals. After all, how would you even know if they've nailed down what they're after?

All in all, it seems nobody really knows what they're doing - which is hardly a surprise. But, we are still called to make a choice to move forward, correct or not. Risk is the name of the game for the next 10 years, one might initially assess. But it's not the risk itself, but the choices and mindest that entail the presence of said risk. Learn to control it and doors will be made open one way or another.

'Til next time, young padawan.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever actually eaten a guava before.

[safeday]

Towards a Positive OSH Culture.

Open communication and dialogue between workers and employers, where workers feel comfortable sharing their thoughts about incidents and concerns.

Leadership and commitment to OSH by employers and senior management.

Stages of development

Pathological: employers and workers do not care about violating safety rules

Reactive: safety becomes important only after an accident

Calculative: systems are in place to manage all hazards

Proactive: systems are in place to manage all hazards

Generative: workers avoid problems in advance to improve the work environment

OSH is built into ways of working and thinking (dynamic OSH culture) 

Core values

Social involvement

Justice

Trust

Sustainability

Participation

Resilience and flexibility

Development and growth

[stevensavage]

Civic Diary: Everyday Stuff

First up, my monthly civic geek roundup. Where am I?

First, still doing the local political group. Trying to do more, frankly, but we've had trouble coordinating. I do have my posting down to a system.

My usual calling and annoying my elected officials of course. Been a bit off on that, but overall keeping at it.

I've vaguely scheduled a plan to get more into doing Op-Eds and writing newspapers/news sites. There's a class I can take and a book I found.

Now this month's thought is on the fact that one big contribution you can make beyond your activism is keeping Shit Running.

This is a massive, MASSIVE, missed part of politics and society in general. Society requires the actions of so many of us, every day, to keep going. It requires driving your kid to school, helping a friend with a resume, cleaning up at your apartment complex, giving a friend a ride. A huge amount of a functional society is Everyday Stuff.

Do not shit on everyday stuff. Everyday stuff keeps things running. Everyday stuff creates ties between people. Everyday stuff is the foundation of so much that we can forget it. Doing it can remind us as well as keeping the whole shebang of society running.

One of the greatest failures in America, of our current crazy, conspiracy-theory-soaked, hating-our-fellow-Americans politics is people forget everday stuff. People are disconnected from action and reaction, from their neighbors, from real human concerns - and their politics are often a mixture of paranoia and abstraction and unawareness. There's no visceral element except, perhaps, anger.

Ever have one of those friends or family members that seems spun off into their own world? You get the idea. They're not only lost, they're often not Getting Stuff Done (or as a much Stuff). They're abstracted, disconnected - and easily manipulated.

One of my recent experiences - among many - has been having a friend in Puerto Rico. Trying to figure how to help them. Trying to keep in touch. You want hard reality, it's right there.

So it's up to all of us to Get Shit Done and keep society going. On top of all our other involvements.

Steve

[afreshword]

Like Mike

Like Mike

Michael Jordan is reportedly worth 1.4 billion dollars. He has historically been silent on social issues. He made his fortune by selling shoes and almost everything else. You don’t make that kind of money in endorsements by being controversial. Jordan once said regarding his lack of social and political involvement, “Republicans buy shoes too.”

For this reason, many are surprised that Jordan eventually stepped up this week and did something. Air Jordan donated two million dollars to charities and released a benign statement expressing his concern over police shootings. Even one of his own employees, Carmelo Anthony stated that it was “About Time” regarding Jordan’s social activism.

I have watched many people online lambast Jordan’s actions as “Too little too late”. His brand is really under attack and he is actually looking bad. The activism of young players and current zeitgeist has “His Airness” looking very selfish and dated.

As I witness people criticize Jordan, I grow more frustrated by the hour. I have come to the conclusion, that people in general are full of horse manure. As I read and hear all of these people “Going In” on Jordan for being a selfish narcist, I think, “What the heck have you been doing for the cause?” Most of these people who are critiquing MJ haven’t marched, boycotted or so much as called their local officials. How do I know that? I have asked many of these social media activists to help me with various causes thru the years and I have been met with silence. Of course, it’s easy to decide what Mike should have done but it’s a different story to get off your backside and get involved yourself.

Is Mike a selfish son of a gun, yes. You could hear that in his Hall Of Fame speech. However, in my assessment, Mike is just a reflection of the people that he is selling stuff to at the time. He reflected the materialism of the eighties. The status of being the last remaining superpower of the nineties and the American decay of the 21st century. This week Mike just continued to reflect the consumers of his day. Like most people during this era…MJ did as little as possible…and called it “Caring”. So instead of “Being Like Mike”, he has decided to be just like us.

Local Ad:

[happiness-coalition-blog]

This is really inspiring.

[stubbornfilipina]

I've been working on this for close to 2 years. It all started when I decided to be stubborn as usual and just volunteered for it. Not even volunteer,just went there to see what I can do to help..the kids,mothers..everyone.From scratch to giving hope. It's not about the houses,it's bout giving part of yourself. Now,I help Habitat For Humanity and other NGO"s.You don't have to be a social worker, You just have to get out of your comfort zone and just involve ourselves in little things.* Excuse the sobbing and the wrongly spelled family name. It's HERNAEZ,not Hernandez.:)

[complicated-creation]

When it's over, I don't want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

Mary Oliver - "When Death Comes"