IMA NPC
Monday, May 26, 2008
I had a revelatory thought today on the way home from work.
That guy who blew by me on his bike was an NPC. He appeared to have no interest in what was going on around him. As I pondered this relatively pointless observation, I stumbled upon another thought. To him, I’m probably an NPC. Then I thought, if I’m and NPC to him, and the majority of people I run into are NPCs to me, then more people think I’m an NPC than there are people I think are PCs. If they are all NOT NPCs, then I’m pretty much guaranteed to be an NPC.
Now, this means I need to either rethink my position and start looking for more PCs to back my status or I need to get some major acceptance of my fate installed. Or, if I can convince myself that this guy really is an NPC, then it all washes up just fine and I’m still a member of an elite, high-level party.
But if not, and I’m an NPC, then I’m thinking most of us who would claim PC-hood are also NPCs. So we need to be prepared to suck it up.
It’s not all bad, of course. In a way that is vaguely similar to the Spare-Star-Trek-Ensign-X, we have short, flashy lives that end in senseless accidents or violence, and rarely of dull, doddering old age. We exist and act at the whim of some GM and his PC partners to be sacrificed, pillaged, extorted, tricked, befriended, resurrected, tanked and made to carry immense SAP gear for miles (tirelessly, I’ll add, which is a benny).
So, PCs of the world, if I am not among you, just you remember, the game isn’t worth playing without the real cast. And we outnumber you a billion to one.
That, my dears, was the absolutely random and absurd comment of the day.
Waterborne
Sunday, May 25, 2008
In the desert our water-spoiled senses seem to come to life. Days can go by without a scent of water or clean, moist earth. Shade under a desert tree that’s recently had fill of rain is completely different from that of a building or overhanging stones. The scent of water in the desert is not easily explained without some sort of poetic sense. It’s like breathing life. It is coolness and a refreshing that has a physical impact. Sometimes I feel like I can touch it, maybe even see it, that shimmering sense of wellness in a place that appears dry and dead. I love this in my desert.
I think you, each, are my sense of life in my little desert-mind. That essential water that, though beautiful and wonderful anywhere in the world, is far more in the corners of desolation, distance and endless days. The sky may be filled with dreams, but the life is found here, here at the waystation and shimmering oasis of this one’s visions.
Up, up past the ridge of vision
The line of sight at the bronze edge of the world
Little moments, little words I find to savor
Fountain in this secret grotto
where I come to whisper
Where songs find beginning
in little words and dreams
Waterborne Ivy making these walls so sweet smelling and alive
O the seed that was such tiny hope
worked into the cracks, holding so much together
Alive and green and everywhere so fine
Stream, breathing noise that never ends
the life grown up and around over all these years
Rain that ends all days in soft darkness
wrapped in peace
Bring little moments to my senses
speak of paradise amidst the dust and burn
my little kingdom of dunes and crags,
of sun and wind-swept emptiness.
Shawl (Hide You)
I have dreamt
To surround you with wisps of shadows
For I cannot cure them with my own
Tender breath upon your shoulder
And for fear of touching your pain,
Gentle fingertips upon your hair again
Let me take your tears upon my face
Wrap as translucent silk my arms about you
Simple light against your dark lace
Without the intense
Crush that burns and freezes the breath
Just presence
The hurt won’t fade, I know
Nothing that I can do, I know
But may I plumb the depths uncruel
To share the shades of you
That seem to come out in these years
With whispers that none of us can hear
I would hear this
This long story from long ago
With your lips to my cheek speak slow
In that tiny voice you possess
Simply be
Render this to nothing
In the motes of dust
That enchant the morning sunlight
Let me be your waking
Your wishing all this was not hurting
Let me miss the whole point
And it fly to oblivion
Just some little dream now
Surrounded by hands and arms
Motionless, courting solace now
Holding together you and your dark
Your shawl
To hide your face
Your silent call
Just that place
That stands still
Just in case
I will
-------------------------------------------------------
This has a lot of different applications
though crafted with one in particular.
Some long thoughts.
Some old Gurp.
Just wishing things could be better, hurt less.
The Bo Bauble 1, 2 and 3
Saturday, May 17, 2008
I got inspired and popped this pic of Bo together with another clip of an old drawing.
Then I put it in GIMP for a nice retro version.
The fine combination that I think is the Very Best:
Flashy Purple and Gold Thingy and Emergency Molly Access System
After reading a manual on Photoshop, I was inspired to toy around with layers and shiny stuff again.
Yes, I read manuals and handbooks. I’m weird.
This is just goofing off. I put a clip of an old ink-scrawl piece that Anika likes in there for pretty neat results.
And I made this funky picture with a Molly installed with a piece of the cool door created a while back.
So here is the Molly Rat, a cool cat who knows where it’s at, just waiting to go into action.
Molly’s getting older every day, and I figure she’s probably into coolness now (being almost a TEEN).
Hope you like it, Pretty Girl.
I’ll make some for the other guys too, pretty soon, so don’t let ‘em get jealous.
Art Thoughts From the Studio of an Amateur
Friday, May 16, 2008
Here’s the basis for my thoughts:
Opera Gallery
“The only valid thing in art is that which cannot be explained.”
--Georges Braque
This is ridiculous:
Exhibit #1
I don’t mean to pick on NARA Yoshitomo in any way, but what in the world is the world thinking? Yoshimoto is listed in the Masters section of this website. You can see the rest of the gallery here: Nara Yoshimoto.
Now I won’t claim to be anywhere near a master, based on my concept of “master artists.” I’m not qualified for a lot of reasons. I’m not particularly innovative, I’m not prolific, I’m not well known, I’m not DEAD, I don’t have much consistency and all sorts of other stuff. BUT, look at my art attempts and contrast them to this artist and what do I look like? Holy cow I’m an institution unto myself.
And Yoshimoto isn’t the only one. There’s some really bizarre stuff out there that just defies reason.
I don’t understand what is going on with this world and its art. I grew up with the Baroque Period in a huge compendium form in my closet, and I used to sit there and scrutinize the work there. I hope Mom and Dad still have that book, because I’d really like to get my hands on it again. It was filled with beautiful work.
I’m a huge fan of Michael Whelan as well. He’s all the things of art that I am not (we have two things in common: we like his art and we’re not dead). I love the story he told of a print he’d left on a table and a woman who came up and actually touched it to find out if the textures he’d painted were real. Whelan can do magic with his brush. I only wish I could do that.
Which of these two images would you attribute to a master?
This isn’t really a good comparison, for one of them looks identical to the work of a 6 year old.
It appears, based on the quote at the start, here, that we’re interested more in the inexplicable, irrational and mindless than we are in the reality of this pretty vibrant, often meaningful world of ours. People have meaning, but they’re losing it. Things have meaning, but that meaning seems to be fading fast.
Where has our judgment gone? Why has the world as a whole become so retarded (and I mean it) that we revel in backwards, dysfunctional garbage? What happened to our obsession with perfection and beauty? Why isn’t the historical master’s spirit inspiring the artists of the world. Check this out.
One last, before I continue on the tirade: Expose’, the annual from Ballistic publishing, which represents the cutting edge of digital art, makes a bold and vicious statement against the bunko that passes for fine art these days. It seems the despised geeks and techies have reached the heights that “real” artists can no longer seem to match. Nearly every image in this incredible portfolio is a work that shows talent, creativity, massive inspiration and… get this… WORK! Yes, it took work, thousands of hours in the case of some of the 3D imagery, to put these pieces together. Even the bizarre and wacko stuff that defies explanation demonstrate skill and labor in their creation. Contrast to Yoshimoto and what do you get?
How does a 10-minute doodle, no talent apparent, on lined notebook paper become a masterpiece in three countries’ exhibits? I’m disappointed. Not only that, but look at all else we create. Our kids are into cartoons that, 15 years ago would have caused apoplexy in most homes. Poorly crafted, doodled, sloppy work that has no value is drummed into our kids’ heads from the start. Sponge Bob is a cultural icon, and the felt-board computerized gook of South Park, with all its insanity and inanity tells me we’re getting stupider and more mindless by the day. Here’s Sponge Bob’s Site. No joke, South Park is lauded with Emmy Awards and is declared to be Adult Oriented, yet kids watch the stuff.
Robert Heinlein had a good grasp on stupidity (Note, I don’t agree with all RAH’s thoughts, but he did well with what he had).
“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”
This applies to me, too, for I am regularly stupid about a great many things. But I believe that we are coming closer and closer, yearly even, to a point where whole societies or cultures are going to be incredibly stupid (see California, maybe? Or at least a portion of it, including the courts.). With the rapid looming Globalization of Everything, we’ll see retarded stuff happen more and more, even in our own back yards.
Music? I won’t even go there other than to say that the end of harmonious, rhythmic beauty is on its way, to be replaced by arrhythmic sewage that I’m convinced invokes false and deceptive emotional reactions which legitimately should be attributed to the fact that the music (and often lyrics) absolutely fail to attain any worth whatsoever. Instead the “music” trend in some courts seems to evoke insane modes of response such as ridiculous expression in mosh pits and bizarre, should-be-embarrasing dance (?) that makes the Music Video Industry all sorts of money. The more radical or shocking it is, especially as unintelligibility becomes more common, the more money and popularity is achieved.
Video games? I laugh. We obsess with shoot-em-ups like Grand Theft Auto and any number of other titles whose sole purpose (in game) is to achieve the most success in pursuit of all the things for which, in the real world, one would be jailed, executed or even (more often) shot on site by whatever law-enforcement or military entity could get there first. Why in the WORLD do our kids get exposed to this stuff? Why in the WORLD would adults like us, with a good grasp of legal and moral ideas, immerse ourselves in the irresponsible, the destructive, the absolutely anarchistic, illicit-natured garbage of a lot of the video games out there, not just for entertainment of a few spare moments, but for hours or DAYS!
We’re dying in our own poisons.
I didn’t entirely mean to fall into a rant here, but the sight of Exhibit #1 blew my mind and I had to let the words fly.
I humbly submit that I’m capable of stupid thoughts and actions. I am obsessive in many ways, retarded in many, and just plain incompetent as well.
But I affirm with a LOUD VOICE that the insanity in which our culture seems to be submersing itself is far beyond the simple-minded nutcase behind this blog. I am appalled at what comes out of our collective mouth and desire nothing more than to escape it entirely. I hate the exposure to it, I hate the fact that my family is exposed to it. I despise our media and our culture of shock and debasement. I dream of the day in which freedom is made available. Not too long ago, Gurp would have commented, “We’re being overrun by NPCs! Flee, you fools, Flee!” and I think I still would, only this time it’s serious.
Spider Robinson has a running commentary on The Crazy Years which was inspired by Heinlein’s predictions that can mostly be found in his Future History books.
If I could manage it, I’d be in my Desert right now, making do with peace and a little bubble of my own constructed reality that didn’t contain this scary vitriol-spewing culture that I am increasingly ashamed to call American and My Own. I’m beginning to think…
This Place Sucks.
More on the Navy Ethos Statement
Saturday, May 10, 2008
I’ve had a few offline comments on this Ethos Statement discussion. Here’s one from a smarter man than me.
The ethos is to me a statement that expresses an objective fundamental character of a group. It tries to establish a social contexts so that it can overcome the multitude of different belief, attitudes, habits that are held by the people they assemble into groups. The problem with these types of statements is that they seem to become the rule. If you don’t happen to match all the desired attributes you fail. The real failure is with the people who try and make the statement the rule.
The ethos points out a direction and an objective. It implies that training and relationship building is required. Many groups have tried to inject an ethos type thing into people. How about Hitler, China, Russia, the terrorist of our day? There was and is rebellion, indifference, extremism, defiance. The only groups that I can think of that even get close to being all that an ethos statement might say are the Navy Seals or the Army Green Berets, but look at who they are personally and what training they have been through. They didn’t embody the ethos before they started.
I can tell you this from my experience as an Enlisted Soldier in Vietnam and an Army Officer for 15 years, when you are the person looking down the barrel of a loaded gun, you are not thinking about that ethos statement. If anything you are living what your attitudes, beliefs and habits have become. I say “Drive on Navy”. Just remember there is no one out there that meets this thing in its entirety and if you believe it you are obligated to move your part of the organization toward it.
--William R. Hickok
--Major, U.S.Army
I have concocted a response to some of the comments. My opinion of the Ethos Statement has not altered, but it has been seriously refined and concentrated. I’m more convinced now than the other day that this idea is not where we need to be treading. After more reading on the nature of military and the philosophy of war and warfare, it looks more and more like a knee-jerk reaction to the Public when we devise these “gimmicks” to “sell” the Navy.
Civilians aren’t stupid. They may not know all our inside jokes and might not even have all our secret sins (though I’ll bet we’re not as “stays in Vegas” as we’d like to think). But the civilians can think, they know humanity just as well as the guys in green with guns. Fooling a dog with plastic dog food doesn’t work.
Here we go:
In reality, the ethos statement cannot be, by definition, objective. It must be subjective to some standard in any case where morality or conditional statements are made.
“I am committed to the cause” must be a subjective statement, for one must commit to “the cause” but there is no clear definition of what that commitment entails, nor what may change in the near future. Objective means that we must have a face value somewhere, and this ethos falls short of such ideas. Ideally, the Navy Ethos should be as objective as possible, to avoid falsehood, however difficult to be fully objective it may be.
If we say we are doing something, then we’d darned well be doing it. If we do not already adhere to the tenets of the Ethos Statement, we are a falsehood. The Ethos is US. Period. So we either are or we are not that which is portrayed in this “outward face” of our organization.
I agree 100% that the Ethos is the farthest thing from the mind of the soldiers and sailors behind the trigger. We don’t think much about “will this honor my country, my military or my unit (or even my God)” when we are about to kill people or smash things. We are either bent on killing people, smashing things, or protecting our collective hides.
A unit, specialized and persistently tried, such as the SOF (Special Operations Forces) is most likely to fit the ideal of an Ethos statement, but their Ethos can be observed and objectively determined with relative ease. I don’t believe that the Navy (or any other service save, perhaps the Coast Guard) is within easy reach of an applicable Ethos. Some cultures within the Navy may well be Ethos-able, like Seabees, who have a very good slogan, “Can Do,” which really does fit.
In my reading of “Rethinking the Principles of War,” the first chapter is by a man who is supporting the theory that the United States fights wars in a way that is uniquely American. Through about 27 pages he explains painfully that this Way is very nebulous, very difficult to make concrete, but nevertheless exists. With this in mind, the individual services have the same difficulty (perhaps as a derivation of the greater American Military), in identifying our individual characteristics.
My thought is that we are too diverse, too universalist and too “Equal Opportunity” to be able to nail down a common morality or ethos. Any attempt to do so, in my opinion will either be an impression from “on high,” meaning that of the Joint Chiefs or CNO’s own ideals, or it will be a facade of wishful thinking.
This is the dilemma we face. Do we continue as we are in this organization and keep introducing new “Ideas” like the Sailor’s Creed or the Navy Ethos Statement, or can we turn off that tap and start getting to the deckplates of enforcing and inculcating the rules and standards from which we have been straying over the last 20 years?
“Train like you fight, Fight like you train.” The Navy Ethos is like the cover of a romance novel. It’s a layer of decorative color and texture binding the junk that is of absolutely no significance to anyone who knows what the content really means.
So what do we do? If we must make up an Ethos Statement, let us make an ethos that is real and specific and meets us sailors right where we are without pretentious, flowery junk. Let it become something we can grow with, and I’ll bet that we can reach greater heights having identified our start.
I don’t believe we will be able to train ourselves into compliance with the Ethos Statement as it is. Perhaps a more studious and truly objective version could make it into our system and be actually accurate, but by then, I doubt it’s going to have the effect the Big Navy is probably thinking. There’s no value in an Ethos that must be grown into. The value of an Ethos Statement is that it accurately (and positively, of course), portrays a body of people in a succinct and advocate manner that will attract the sympathy, admiration and loyalty of those outside the organization.
To lie to the public, or to put up a misleading face (which I maintain is still lying), is the stupidest thing our military can do, especially in these days of change and unpredictability. There is no band-aid for publicity when dealing with the Military. We are either wrong or right and we must act on that determination. Quit or continue. We cannot set up an illusion that what we are is not what we are doing.
Understanding War, Leadership and Motivation
Friday, May 09, 2008
I’ve been pondering numerous threads on leadership. I have all sorts of questions and all sorts of opinions.
The biggest thought in my head has been lurking for some time now, likely a few years, though it’s only recently come up in identifiable terms.
Why in the world should I be so interested in the theories of war? I am a “warrior” in my current profession, of course, dealing with combat in various forms sometimes on a daily basis. Recently I’ve become more involved in the greater realm of forces and the movement or manipulation of large numbers of warriors. This would appear to be a validation of my desire to know more about the philosophies and practice of war. Especially if I am to be a leader in my profession, I should have a good understanding of strategy and tactics. I can’t lead people in fighting if I can’t understand the rules and process of fighting. Leadership in my profession has warfighting inherent in its makeup.
Should I desire to pursue the course of improving my own and others’ abilities to fight? Patriotism is an argument that is hard to turn aside. I defend my country with my life and thoughts, and so should be willing to devote my time to improving those skills that make me proficient. So long as I work as a combatant, I must be thinking like one.
But that brings up another question. Should I be here in this capacity? Do I want to support the mission with the devotion which that mission demands? I am called to give my best for my country, but is this my best? It’s a religious quandary, of course, as well as a matter of personal philosophy.
Here’s what’s attractive about the military. People here are in an environment where leadership, the concepts and practices, is refined and focused. I think there are few environments in the world in which men may be led with the absolute failure or success management. Here, men die or live by their leaders’ competency on all levels. Should a logistics director fail in his duty, an up-armored transport will not exist to protect a tactical unit. Should an administrative boss fail in his duty, a warrior may be too distracted by the course of his professional career to perform in a tactical role. Should an executive strategist fail, the wrong force could be engaged in the wrong location and face disaster. Leadership stretches from motivation to practicality, drill and routine to philosophy and forethought. There are people out there to protect from the very hazards they face.
But how do I do this. I have been the guy behind the trigger. I have been the supervisor who sends out the guy behind the trigger. I have been the director who determines what trigger, what group, who supervises and how the process itself flows. I have written the process.
All this argues that I should have a deep interest in the ideas of warfighting. I am a better leader if I know the reasons for the decisions made at my level, above me and below me. Knowing what motivates my boss as well as those who work for me definitely includes their ideas of war, so long as I am surrounded by warriors. Knowing enough to guide with wisdom and make personal decisions that may ultimately affect many has validated my interest in the deep thoughts of warfare.
But I still have this lingering doubt in the back of my head. The raw words are, “why am I involved, pending even deeper commitment even, in the practice of warfare?”
Why am I trying to make more effective destruction and fighting in consistently broadening areas?
Should I be here, sending my mind into games and plans for making war?
It must be incredibly stressful for those Big Military types who drive entire regions of warriors to their fate. But that does not diminish my little role. I’m doing the same thing, even if it’s on a smaller scale. What is the value of my place and activity in this profession?
It would not be enough to step away from my current field of expertise to that of, say, “career counselor,” mechanic, “religion specialist” or some other non-combatant role (though every one of these is actually a fighter as well, just not as a primary role). In the Army and Marines, everyone is an infantryman or warrior first before they are a draftsman or photographer. Being in the military means either shooting or making it so the shooter is able to shoot (and then be willing to pick up the gun when he falls, continuing his mission).
No joke. Even if I’m currently not in a position where I’m facing the front lines, I could be at any time. The Navy can send me “over there” any time they need. The Navy will send me to the lines sometime in the next couple of years, in fact, because Individual Augmentee is now a routine assignment. I have a very good chance of spending some quality time in some scary country with a rifle, a pistol, body armor and no sleep, waiting for the inevitable bomb or assault or whatever.
Not only that, but my next assignment is literally teaching tactics. What am I to think of all this? It’s my job and my responsibility to be a warrior.
But what good is it in the long run? What “eternal” benefit is it to me to become a good military leader? I don’t have any use for the medals and recognition I receive for excellence in this job. The awards don’t help me get a better job when I retire. The awards won’t make me a better person, much less a better warrior in the immediate sense. A breast dripping with shiny jingles and colorful ribbons and junk is not going to do me any good at all. (In fact, it’s an inconvenience and expense right now to keep those things up to date and in good repair along with all the other military gear I get to maintain). Tradition is fine. I won’t argue about that so long as I am a part of the organization.
But wreaking destruction is a singularly specialized occupation. Retirement has two options. I can leave all connection to the military when I retire, and forget all my abilities and knowledge in pursuit of a more peaceful and meaningful occupation. Or I can join the multitudes of retired but still active mentors and supporters of the machine that is our military. I’m reading books written by these incredibly intelligent men and women right now. Some of them have never actually served in the military before, but have risen to amazing levels of influence in our nation’s policy-making, strategy and techniques.
Should I remain in the field of military ministry, then my knowledge will not be put to waste and will continue to help the country protect its people and interests around the world. But is that a worthy pursuit?
And here is the crux. If the future of my work is not a worthy pursuit, is my current state a worthy pursuit? Should I be here in this capacity? Should I be devoted to warfare now if I should not be devoted to warfare later?
Here are the benefits of my work as it is now. I am made stronger by challenge. I am made wiser by dealing with larger groups and diversities of people. I am made more flexible by the incredibly complicated environments found in the military. These qualities are laudable and worth having even when not in the military. But are they only attainable through the military? And is it right to obtain these qualities through the means of excelling at being a warrior?
That’s my best attempt at the moment toward capturing the circles of thoughts in my head.
Discussion of the New Navy Ethos Statement
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Big Navy is working on a new governing statement as a supporting sort of culture identifier. The idea is that this product will “underpin” our ability to accomplish The Mission with a definition of our Ethos. In short, and Ethos is the unique characteristics or mindset of a body. It’s like a personal “ethic” on a group level. I’m not going to put it up here, since it’ll probably violate some copyright issue or something. What I will do is talk about my thoughts on the whole thing.
I’m pretty flamed up about this. I’m not a supporter of the last “Ethos” put out by the Navy in the form of The Sailor’s Creed. I just linked it there, so you can click to read it and the history. The Creed is something we’re all supposed to memorize and spout back in special events, like when we’re up for qualification boards and whatnot. It’s a bland statement that doesn’t really say much, in my opinion. I hate buzzwords and fluffy statements. We see it all the time and it sort of makes us all feel warm and fuzzy but doesn’t really tell us much. Suffice to say this New Ethos statement makes the Sailor’s Creed look like a definition taken straight out of Websters.
Note: I refer to Honor, Courage and Commitment frequently. These are the three Navy Core Values that we use as our (sort-of) motto. They’re good. I like ‘em.
So here’s my discussion. It’s long, of course, and might be vague in some places, since I’m referring directly to the document.
Here is my initial response to the Ethos thing. I have much more to say, and much of it is negative, so I want to hold off and couch the negative with the positive direction that we need much more. For now, I think this should ideally make someone think a bit before saying Aye Aye to the “Navy Ethos.”
In My Humble Opinion, this Ethos thing is a natural follow-on to the Sailor’s Creed, a well-intentioned first attempt at the Ethos. It is my greatest hope that the Navy will turn from the current trend that is imitation of society’s non-absolute culture and regain the integrity of the Core Values and what we stand for, which is CLEAR and DIRECT application of Force, Leadership, Courage and Patriotism.
ETHOS: The disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a specific person, people, culture, or movement. Honor, Courage and Commitment are our character, our Core Values. Enough said, now let’s get busy driving toward them.
I believe the wrong course is being pursued, here, with this Ethos thing. I believe we must bring our culture in this Navy to comprehend the Core Values and realize that, at this moment, we are not teaching them and ingraining them in our sailors. Right now, we are a Navy of One. A Navy of ME.
It would serve best if we developed the definitions, for the Navy, of the concepts of Honor, Courage and Commitment. We should be driven by the Core Values first and foremost, and have not done so up to this point. It sure looks like we’re simply adding to the confusion by devising this ethos thing.
However, we are not “forged” by the core values. We are forged by our circumstances. Our actions in a given situation forge us. The guidelines for our actions are the Core Values; they are the standard by which we judge right and wrong in the Navy’s culture.
Enough with the vague buzzwords as are found in most “motivational” statements of vision and Ethos, even the Sailor’s Creed. Let us set standards that are simple, clear and comprehensible. What is meant in the Ethos is not clear. It is vague and does not define these fundamentals as the Ethos definition requires. The Navy (like many other organizations both civilian and military) is constantly burning time and money to “redefine itself.” A recent department store catalog had, as its slogan, “redefine your life.”
The Navy should never have to redefine itself in the face of the current generation. Yes, absolutely create a new commercial slogan every few years. I’m always glad to “Accelerate My Life” or go “Full Speed Ahead.” I “GO NAVY” every single day. But I don’t want you, me, and thousands of other sailors to constantly rethink the fundamentals of being a sailor, a leader and a follower. If those fundamentals need revision, then there is something vitally wrong with our thinking.
Next are some of the traits that build up to the Ethos. I find the words themselves to make some semblance of sense, but their meanings for me are not the same as for the next guy, and therefore all must be straightened out and clarified before we use them.
RESPECT: The Ethos says we respect for each other is fundamental:
Respect for others is NOT fundamental to our character. The Ethos statement is defining an impossible role for the people of the Navy. It is a great ideal to respect all people, but the concept of respect is a vague term, meaningless in the diversity of our people. What we must respect are the rules and regulations. We must uphold the standards and traditions, regardless of the respect we do or do not hold for others. I must salute you for you rate the salute, not because I respect you. Respect is not given until it is earned lest it is false respect. We must impose the conditions that comprise respect and we will see the start of the professionalism and loyalty. As our leaders demonstrate the qualities we seek in respect, true respect, personal and authentic, will grow.
BOLD LEADERSHIP: The Ethos says we must have it:
Bold leadership is a meaningless statement. I do not want a bold leader to send me to a meaningless doom. I want a leader who is unafraid of peer pressure and unafraid to think outside the box. It is not necessarily a bold leader, but a wise and proactive leader that I seek. Wise leadership is crucial to our success. Wisdom is infinitely valuable. Boldness without wisdom is the path of fools, and we have no room for these in the Navy, much less the DOD or the government of our country.
Here are the Core Values with discussion provided by me:
HONOR:
We maintain traditions, respectful attitudes (note I did not say we respect), we render honors to those who rate honors. Honor means we do the right thing and do our best to know what the right thing is, not just for our fellow man, but for our mission. Respect simply cannot be forced or taught. We can teach how respect is shown, but not how it is felt. People just can’t seem to get this: You CANNOT make someone respect you or someone else. We can, however, create an environment where respectful actions are natural, by using rules and demanding adherence to them.
COURAGE:
We demand wisdom over peer pressure. We will not let the pseudo-religious culture of responsibility-avoidance and “Not Me-ism” to prevail in our Navy. We will step up to the plate when it is time to fight and we will take our lumps when we mess up. Fear is what is driving our commands to failure. This is not fear of the enemy, but fear of reprisal, of condemnation and judgment, fear of being told we are wrong. We must, with wisdom and integrity, determine the right course of action and stand by it until it proves to be wrong or until we succeed. We must not back down because our peers do not agree with us, or the group-think is all-powerful. Courage means continuing through fear of what others will think to the goal that all should be meeting.
‘
The Ethos is thinking about this one too in its founding principles, and this part is scary to me:
“Courage in Adversity: During these periods of heightened danger, it is likely that and individual’s faith will become increasingly important.”
******LISTEN: This statement DOES NOT BELONG in this document. Keep faith out of the ethos, for the Navy is NOT and will not ever be a religious organization. Let the chaplain counsel, let the Chief of Naval Operations LEAD. Period.******
COMMITMENT
Undying resolve is what we must contain within our culture. We must proceed without fail to the accomplishment of our mission. We may NOT question the mission when it brings jeopardy to the accomplishment of the mission. Victory at all costs is a byword that still has meaning. We must be willing to sacrifice our personal desires for those we serve and those with whom we work.
We will NOT “prevail in the face of adversity with strength, determination, and dignity” just because we say the words. This statement means absolutely nothing. The nearest guarantee of success is if we develop wise leaders, uphold the standards and traditions of the Navy, adhere to the rules and regulations, maintain our integrity, our commitment to accomplishing the mission IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. And we absolutely must be unafraid to speak out when the wrong course is being pursued.
Okay. That’s it for my paperwork from the office.
Here’s more from me on this vision thing.
It’s become a huge trend in our world, from churches to businesses and all the other organizations to develop an Ethos statement. I don’t think I believe in them. I think the idea is stupid. If we have to codify our ideals in a mushy, semantically null eye-catcher, then we have failed to live up to them. One cannot force an ethos on another. Ethics is an impossible science in groups. It only works on one individual at a time.
Leaders must understand the formation and concepts of ethics, but they cannot instill them in their subordinates. Leaders must dive in and learn the individual ethic of each person they lead and work with. This is NOT so that the ethic can be changed but to find out what makes the person tick and gives the leader the ability to MOTIVATE. Ethics change within the individual over time due to individual experience.
For instance, my personal ethic could be that I wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. That is because I work better under pressure or because I just don’t want to do the task so I put it off. Either way, should I encounter either by positive or negative feedback a result from my ethical choice, I may be eventually induced to alter my thought process. But nobody made me do that. They CAN make me start and finish an assignment on time, however, by application of discipline (rules), which will suit the demand of the orders for which I perform, but it STILL will not change my ethic.
So extrapolate that to Ethos, and you get the same equation. We cannot make a group of government employees BELIEVE in something no matter how well couched the idea is in flowery vagaries. We can only make the group PERFORM as we wish through discipline (rules).
Finally, I believe wholeheartedly that our Ethos, as it seems to be developing (you’ll see it on the streets fairly soon), is a LIE. We will be presenting a falsehood to the general public about how we live and operate. The statements may sound true or right, but they will fundamentally be wrong.
The following words are just not going to sell me: Committed, Unwavering, Dedication, Accountability, Proud, Deep Resolve, Integrity, Respect, Bold Leadership, Prevail, Strength, Determination, Dignity.
Most of those words make great sense as a concept. They DON’T speak for the people in an organization until that organization already embodies the concepts, in which case the statement is moot (waste of paperwork but fine if you really want it). Some of the words are plain junk. They don’t work for anything but to make a non-absolute person feel fuzzy.
Maybe I’ve read too much Ayn Rand, or maybe Heinlein, or maybe L’Amour, or C.S. Lewis, or Spurgeon, or the Bible, or Harry Harrison, or ...... But I’m thoroughly NOT convinced that we should be stuffing these words down anyone’s throat without, first, a public apology, second, a delicious high-octane chaser, and third, finally resigning to just say “we don’t know how to lead, so we’re going to leave it up to the individual” after each line we publish.
OUT
Mah Birfdeh Jus Fer Meh
Sunday, May 04, 2008
I’ve been reading up on LolCats a bit much of late.
Pretty durned funny stuff, though.
Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures - I Can Has Cheezburger?
Anyway.
It’s my birthday today. I had a good one.
Specially Thank You to My Sessie and Girls who caught me right away this morning (after their LONG day of mass Tea Party business).
And too, Thank You to Lib for the Great Card (I’ll tolerate the spankin-please don’t spit on the cake but don’t feel too bad if you do since I won’t eat it anyway-and I’ll come looking for the eye-poppin-hug soon).
And all you guys who didn’t get to it, you still have a whole day ahead of you to remember since I’m WAY ahead of you (lucky me, I get more like 48 hours of birthday instead of the normal 24).
The coolness that you see on Paperscreams (did you see the button JavaScript magic yet?) is a lot of what I did.
Took the day off work (of course), but will have to make up for it tomorrow.
My boss is gonna take me out for dinner (and a movie!) but he’s not cute and his name isn’t Anika, so it won’t quite be perfect. He just called and we’re going for STEAKS! Haven’t had a steak since I left the U.S.A. many moons ago.
Here’s an update on my last few days of activity.
I have been reading a very odd combination of material this past week.
I read Ender’s Game twice in a row (yesterday and today), just to make it sink in (government, leadership, military and teaching philosophy).
I read Starship Troopers yesterday (government, military, leadership and teaching philosophy).
I read sections in Deuteronomy from the Bible (government, leadership and law).
Earlier this week, I tripped through Joint warfighting concepts by a retired Major General from the Army (senior mentor’s group for the Joint Chiefs).
I also have been studying Maritime Operations Centers philosophy (headache and a half).
I am dreaming of another military book (30 bucks at the store), called “Rethinking the Principles of War”.
The first two books I listed are in the Junior leadership section of the Navy’s Professional Reading program. I think they’re above the level for some of the people we consider junior right now.
The last one, “Rethinking” is on the Senior leadership level (the big dudes). I’m drawn to those professional writings far more than to the “entertaining” war stories and attempts to teach via entertainment. I read technical documents. Why? Dunno. I think I might have issues.
But I find that I understand carefully laid out discussions and diagrams better than absorbing the same concepts from a fictional story. My favorite parts of fiction (Heinlein and L’amour are masters of it) are when the writer goes didactic. I’d rather read a well-spoken storyteller teaching me something than just cruise along with the characters.
Orson Scott Card, who wrote “Ender’s Game” is not so teachy, but his methods are pretty well thought out. I think he has a very good mind for process, and it’s attracted me to all the other books I’ve read of him as well.
But back to the “Senior” leadership stuff. I’ve always loved it. I love reading “heavy books.” Technical, didactic, in-depth studies get me all sorts of happy. Drives Anika nuts, I’m sure, especially when, at the same time, I can’t stand Tolstoy and all them long-winded European/Russian writers. Weird?
I hope I can get into one of those hard-hitting leadership schools someday. I’d love to take some college courses on the rough stuff, too, like in the war colleges and military studies stuff.
But, on the other hand, what good is it going to do if I get all versed up in this stuff? This is the heaviest question on my mind. I see how powerful this knowledge can be, and how far it can serve in the military or in important organizations, but I’m not that guy? Am I?
Anyway. I’m having a happy birfdeh.
What I’d like most right now is:
Kisses from my girls
Hugs from my girls
Seeing my girls
Eating dinner with my girls
Sleeping with my girl
Playing with my girls
Sitting around, doing nothing with my girls
Yeah, that’s what I’m getting for Christmas. Haha.
Final Update: My boss was the BOMB! We went and shot a couple rounds of pool at Sherlock’s (a great pub) and I had a superb Guinness (tap, of course) and then we went to the Factory for dinner. Prime Rib 500g with mashed potatoes and Amstel (tap again, of course). It was heavenly. I haven’t had that quality (or quantity) of a steak in a very long time. I’m fat, dumb and happy. We talked, ate, ate and talked and I am more than well cared for. I’m almost excited to go back to work tomorrow.
Thanks, Boss, you da man.