Imagination

Darkness falls quickly, long before dinner.  The evenings are deep and reflective, times that make body and soul a bit weary.  Deep Winter, just before the Solstice, is a time for imagination and possibility more than making something happen.

Into this darkness plunged the news that the “Dear Leader” of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, has died suddenly.  The world has reacted with a mild panic, stock markets tumbling as they contemplate the possibility of more uncertainty ahead in the region.  This was especially true in South Korea, a nation that only recently completed the leap from developing nation to the developed world.

This may not seem like a time of “Romance” in the way that anyone typically uses the word, but the imagination of the moment demonstrates what a new Romantic Era is like, good and bad, far better than nearly anything else.

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Solstice Reflections

Winter Solstice arrives precisely on December 22nd at 05:30 GMT, or 11:30 CDT on the 21st. At this moment, the northern hemisphere will be at its darkest. The axis of the planet is pointing directly off into space, but it is also starting its wobble back towards the sun that brings all life to this humble planet.  We celebrate it by turning off all electric light and enjoying a few moments with quiet and candlelight – just the music of the spheres to contemplate. This is our holiday for the season.

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Neo-Romantic

There are times when it seems as through the world is falling apart.  The power of nations and their armies, which has only become greater through the last two generations, seems paralyzed to act in the face of growing unrest and demands for freedom around the world.  The best solutions to the frozen uncertainty seems to be in nature, a life closer to the farm and organic.  Imagination and the power of the human mind offers another way out once it is unleashed and free to take on the established regimes.

This summary not only describes today, but the world around 220 years ago at the start of what became known as the Romantic Era.  It wasn’t romance in the way we usually use the term today, but instead a belief in the power of individuals and their natural instincts.  Understanding the movement and where it came from can give us a few clues where we might be going today.

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First Lego League

The team is cheering on their leaders, set to take the field for their next run.  The countdown is screamed through the gym and then – action!  As the refs lower their arms the music blares and the screaming intensifies as competition starts.  It’s just two kids taking on the field at each pass, getting through as many points as they can in 2:30 after months of careful design and programming.  It’s all up to the robots now!

It’s not exactly an athletic competition, but it has all the important features of a sport (including that you can bet on it if you want).  Welcome to First Lego League, the challenge of wits more than strength.  It’s where the nerdier kids learn all the values of teamwork, persistence, and competition – and have a lot of fun!

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When Failure is an Option

Jon Corzine’s appearance before the House Agriculture committee was a yawner and yet breathtaking.  By candidly not pleading the 5th Amendment the testimony was completely lacking in fireworks.  But the substance of it, pleading whatever amendment gives you the right to say “I dunno”, left everyone cold.  As much as $1.2 billion is missing from MF Global – but Corzine has no idea where it is.

As the poster child for more financial regulation, MF Global has a lot to teach.  It was nowhere near “Too big to fail”, but it was big and messy.  This will highlight the laws we have in place and what happens when failure is an option.

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