interiors

Articles in the NY Times express wonder at gross economic inequality and how it could occur, but the causes are obvious. 1. Government largesse to corporations, and the destruction of unions, lead to a grossly lopsided power relationship. 2. Diminished taxes on wealth and corporate profit. 3. Corporate malfeasance, literally and figuratively, with C-level executive essentially deciding their own salaries. And what about back-dating? Steal a few million, but pay a small fine. 4. Use of public coffers for self-reward, the largest being the Iraq war itself, where the VP decided to have a war that rewards him and his cronies. Oilmen that disrupt the flow of oil to exaggerate their base's profits. The list goes on and on.... There is nothing to wonder about.

The MBTI is a questionable measure, although I like it myself. Ten years ago I consistently tested as an ENFJ, but at some point I made a life choice to be more analytical, hence, the change from E to I, and from F to T. Nowadays, I consistently test as INTJ, although the I is just over the midline into I, and the T is just over the midline into T. As a developer, I love the more abstract (N) concepts, such as design patterns, and eschew concrete how-to's (S), but my work-oriented websites would indicate I'm ISTJ, while my blogs and personal sites would indicate I'm INTJ. This made me wonder if the demands of work result in the IT personnel tests skewing to ISTJ. Rather than tech people being unable to change, I'd guess that the world of work, e.g., business people doing the hiring, allows limited change and requires a particular set of traits. The website used for the Type Analysis of sites: http://www.typealyzer.com/

I generally hate the belief, that people are unmotivated because the work "was too easy/not challenging enough," since the ease of something probably bears little relationship to its motivation. Yes, some people like challenge, myself included, but motivation often stems from seeing the goal as having worth, either to one's growth, or to some larger goal. Challenge can be good, provided one believes there is a real solution, or that one's efforts would be rewarded, but motivation always matters more. Motivated people don't see challenges, they see opportunities, but you have to get to the point where the task is rewarding. Even then, real people have broader needs than simply goal orientation. Typical motivations: - Money (not my favorite, although a favorite cliche) - Recognition - Social obligation (make other people happy) - New technology (some thrive on novelty) - Work with friends - Advance one's skills Although this might seem common, it is probably fo...

The following quote, from the NY Times article, irritates me: "they now favor economic equality over freedom" The author associates economic equality with lack of freedom, when it would likely translate into more freedom, and certainly freedom from the control of others, in particular, corporations and government, controlling our lives. Economic freedom, as embodied in a lower GINI coefficient, as is enjoyed by France, Belgium, Scandinavia, and Japan, translates into a higher quality of life. High income inequality, as embodied in the US and UK, translates in worse living conditions, subtle fascism, and outright militarism, with most people working more hours for lower standards of living. It is not an either-or kind of choice. The idea of one against the other smacks of the kind of brainwashing, or at a minimum, an unthinking acceptance of other's ideology.

The internet and computer use can drive people to multitask which is a great time and productivity waster, as well as reducing the intellectual drill-down required of intellectual thought. As a software developer, the ability to focus for long periods on single aspects is important, as is the ability to think about systems and to choose the correct solution. The focus on internet media, as well as the supposed tendency for youth to multitask, seems more harmful than good, at least in terms of smarts, or at a minimum, productivity. It's not that something positive can't arise from a reduced multi-target focus, but...

The following translation of Marx, is much more deep than the usual paraphrase: Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

You can break down religiosity into at least three dimensions, religious attendance, devoutness, and affiliation. I have seen several studies showing high correlations with mental health problems and religiosity or attendance, at times conflicting other studies.  Additionally, dimensions are not distinct, in that religious attendance could really be a measure of a regular life, and not a religious component per se. Growing up as an atheist - clearly, since I was 12 - I can attest to the enormous familial resentment and anger I was subject to because of my beliefs; many people might be ostracized from their families.