MaxKafe's blog

The current economic crisis was not caused by honest mistakes or circumstances beyond our control. It was caused by reckless, left brain dominated, asocial individuals.

Astonishingly, we bailed them out!

With no repentance or gratitude, they paid themselves enormous bonuses; and quietly, gloated. They know that public attention is fickle. And, they know we will forget the insult.

When individuals can demonstrate, with impunity, their contempt for the common-weal; when profits are privatized and losses are socialized; there is nothing to prevent another economic or social emergency.

Now, the crisis seems to be abating. We all have our own issues to attend. But, we may miss, yet another, opportunity to make things better.

We humans have a primary urge to be part of something larger than ourselves: a couple, a tribe, a cause, a mob. It is a survival mechanism that served us well for milleniums. Now, it threatens our survival.

For humans to continue, we must develop our ability to make wise choices: a solitary process.

Wise choices depend on individual learning, insight, moral development; and individual courage. Group dynamics oppose this development by encouraging shallow mental work, quick adoption of the views of others; and fear.

Relationships can be supporting or suffocating. Freedom from relationships is liberating and lonely.

Balance and wisdom are individual responsibilities.

Choice is power.

I think the greatest threat to our future, and the future of our planet, is our propensity to believe. We want easy solutions. We like fixed interpretations of reality from authoritative sources.

The truth is that reality is fluid, ever changing and evolving. Our ability to perceive is limited, distorted and always partly wrong. The only possibility for approaching reality is through individual learning and shared insight.

Ideologies that we trust to help us live our lives, become addictions; that complicate our lives and inhibit our own development. They are similar to chemical addictions; that promise, then dominate and destroy. I think the best antidotes are doubt and distance.

The best way, for each of us to contribute to our future and the welfare of the planet, is to do our own intellectual work and make the best choices we can make.

I want much higher resolution photos.

I studied professional DSLR cameras. Then, I realized that scanning 35, 120 or larger format film would produce better digital results. Analog cameras and their lenses are less costly than digital. Scanning services and equipment costs are reasonable.

I started looking at used film cameras and my compulsive nature took over. I purchased a few 35, 120 and sheet film cameras. It's addictive! Collecting, repairing and using old cameras is inexpensive fun.

I learned that I want a used, high quality, medium format kit. My first choices are Hasselblad and Rollei. They may be too expensive. I also like Pentacon Six TL, Mamiya 6 or 7, Plaubel Makina 67 or 670, Fugi G series 645, 670 or 690 and Bronica RF645. Exakta 66, Kiev 60 and Pentax 67 are options. A very good old folder from Voigtlander, Zeiss, Agfa, Balda or Certo may be a good choice. The new Cosina Voightlander Super Bessa III 667 is exciting. A used one may be within my budget in a year or two. Now, I am looking at Pentacon Six equipment and watching for a deal on a Hasselblad 500cm. This may take a while but I enjoy the process.

Cameras I have used: From 1957 to 1980, I used a Zeiss Ikon Contina III 35mm camera. After 1980 I used a Canon GIII Canonet QL-17 35mm rangefinder camera. Both are very good cameras with good lenses. I was very lucky to have good advice when I purchased them. I still have the Canon. Sadly, I did not realize how much I liked the Zeiss. I gave it away, when I started using the Canon. For the last few years I used a digital Canon PowerShot A610 camera. I like many things about it; but I prefer the analog process and the quality of analog photos.

All social and political power resides in the individual, who exercises it through choice.

All relationships are formed by individuals, for benefits they are unable or unwilling to obtain for themselves.

All relationships and systems comply with natural laws of atrophy. No system can long endure without constituent support.

People in a relationship or system may incorrectly assume stability. But, there is no stability: there is only change.

Organizations and relationships follow typical life cycles.

1. Individuals perceive and define a need.
2. An individual or small group proposes a benefit.
3. Individuals agree or abstain.
4. The relationship or system accumulates approval and power from more individuals.
5. Those who maintain the system may shift their allegiance, from the founding purpose, to their own personal benefit: from serving the individuals who initiated the relationship, to subjugating them.
6. People may become passive; or they may try to revise the system.
7. Those who benefit from maintaining the status quo, resist and defend their positions; and they may become aggressive.
8. Individuals withdraw their approval and support for the system.
9. System insiders may increase their proselytizing or aggressive behavior; or they may try to escape.
10. Opposing systems form and accumulate power.
11. The offending system adapts or crumbles.

Initiating, building, maintaining, revising and replacing relationships and systems is a dynamic, natural process.

Ideologies are myths: born of ignorance and sustained by fear. They assume stasis but there is only flux.

Everything is fluid. Our grasp of reality is tenuous, incomplete and partly wrong. We can not stand on a set interpretation.

To succeed, we must ride the currents of change; continually learning, adapting and evolving.

George W. Bush, may be remembered for being the symbol of everything wrong in the United States. He did not invent radical right wing ideologies; but he became their most obvious proponent. He frightened those who recognized what he represented. He forced all of us to look at issues we preferred to ignore.

We humans must recognize our transgressions before we can do something about them. Only by looking in the mirror, can we see the dirt on our face.

Informed participation is vital for a healthy democracy.

US citizens finally did recognize the dangerous ideologies and rejected them. But, their tardiness allowed the worst economic disaster in a century to cause harm and suffering around the world.

It was not the legacy President Bush wanted; but he forced us to pay attention and change course.

It is my responsibility to care for my physical, mental and spiritual health and welfare.
It is my responsibility to do no harm to myself, my community or my biosphere.
It is my responsibility to extend the hand of community to others.
It is my responsibility to contribute to the enrichment of the lives of others.
It is my responsibility to learn and contribute to shared consciousness.
It is my responsibility to build my own moral structure.
It is my responsibility to recognize the limits of my perception and wisdom.
It is my responsibility to continually evaluate and revise my interpretations of reality.
It is my responsibility to stand accountable for the consequences of my choices, including my choices to abstain.

The ideologies that US President, George W. Bush represented, caused the most catastrophic economic disasters of the last century. These ideas are rooted in unbalanced left brain dominated reasoning, that suppresses or ignores right brain participation.

We must learn to recognize unbalanced individuals; and not empower them. We must monitor and adjust cultural norms, and social systems, that encourage left brain development at the expense of right brain development.

We must be alert and not allow left brain dominant individuals to make choices that harm us.

Folklore teaches us to avoid conversations about politics, money and religion. I think these are the things we must discuss.

Imagine with me, a world with no physical attributes. A non-physical world.

I will call the non-physical reality, god. I do not capitalize the word, god. I do not use anthropomorphic terms for it. I do not give it amazing or frightening powers. It is simply, a name for the non-physical world.

Non-physical and physical worlds change and evolve. The non-physical and physical are united: they are one. Maybe the non-physical manifests the physical. Maybe god is all there is. There is no thing that is not god. Perhap god is a whale, a tree, or you, or me.

We have no way to sense or measure or describe a non-physical reality. Humans have created stories and things to explain the unknown. Some of these stories evolved into systems of belief with terrible consequences.

I think belief is a dangerous phenomenon. Religions, especially those with histories that go back to Abraham, are all wrong. I am not opposed to spiritual study or any path to understanding. I am opposed to belief that is not based on reason.

No point of view is perfect; but every view has value. I hope my interpretations will combine with others to build better descriptions of our world.

In the past, we honored and followed strong, single-minded, left brain dominant individuals. Now, we are learning that they cause many of our problems.

I feel sick every September eleven. I am disgusted by radical left brain dominance in all forms: religious, political, economic or others. These are dangerous people. They may be effective, even brilliant; but, they are foolishly bound to a distorted view of the world.

With symptoms similar to a mental illness, they know not where they are; or how they got there. They think they are right and everyone else is wrong. They view anyone who isn't on their side as an enemy; to be converted, repulsed, escaped or destroyed. They spend their resources reinforcing and defending their view. They are threatened by doubt and reason. Their right brain skills are minimal, or suppressed. They are left brain dominant. They are trouble.

Perhaps, someday, science will find a gene to explain hemispherical dominance. Now, we can learn about right or left brain preferences, balance our own lives; and help our children appreciate and develop both sides of their brains.

This is my opinion. Please, add your comments.

Art is a process of combining elements in a new way. Art may have a purpose or it may not. Art may be visual, performance or practical. Forms of art share many common elements.

Art is expression. Art is action. A passive or random creation is a decoration. It may contribute value in our lives; but does not have the divine spark of the person(s) who created it.

The evolution of an artist is a spiral process of experience, learning and doing, again and again. The artist is the art. Art is an artist's legacy.

Photography may be recording, decoration or art.

Producing art is a business. Artists should build appropriate legal structures to manage their legacy and provide for their heirs.

Here are a few words of advice from an old aviator.

Keep the sunny side up.

When your wing stops flying, your wheels should be close to the ground.

Education is helping individuals learn.

Some cultures use it for other things.

Humans build relationships, groups and systems to do things we can not, or choose not to, do alone. Relationships, groups and social systems have only one purpose: to provide benefits for constituents according to their charge.

All relationships, groups and systems tend to drift away from their founding purpose. They require attentive stewardship. When relationships, groups or systems drift away from their founding purpose, they are no longer legitimate.

The source of all social power is the individual; who expresses it by choosing.

Or: All social power is vested in the individual who exercises it through choice.

Power is an individual phenomenon. We loan it to others with our approval. We withdraw it when we do not approve.

Does anyone know how we can have the TRANSLATE link attached to messages? It would help me if all messages included the translate link.

Creating a life of dignity and value is difficult.

We are complex human systems in a complicated, constantly changing world.

My own priorities are: to live enthusiastically, to learn constantly; and, to be a source of love. Always, pushing at my horizons.