Why do we blog, twitter, and otherwise syndicate our thoughts?

When you really step back to look at it, "thought syndication" is an interesting phenomenon.  It is the ultimate catharsis of a hidden human psychosis.  The fear of being forgotten.  

Really.  Why would we want to twitter every moment or blog our deepest feelings (or the antithesis of such)?  We want the world to know who we are and what we contribute to the shared human experience.  Isn't that the goal of every human?  To not be insignificant?  To make a meaningful contribution to the mortal coil we find ourselves locked in.

Or is that just people like me?  Does the "blogosphere" or the "tweets" of today represent the true heartbeat of the world?  Or does it simply represent a slightly-narcissistic, type-A, highly opinionated, extremely small group of people who have figured out how to harness an ever growing array of "publishing tools" for their ideas?  Some of us (myself completely included) have figured out how to have an idea pop into our head and have it echo from our brain to Twitter, to our Blog, to our Social Networking profile pages.  

Increasingly, I am beginning to think that our deepest fears are true.  We are alone.  We are simply speaking into the void.  Without action, all of this syndication is meaningless.  Social Network, Web 2.0, whatever buzz word you want to call it today needs to evolve and it needs to become real.

Don't Let Yourself Off The Hook!

Personal Responsibility

Lets just drink that concept in for a moment....what does it mean to you?  I think it would be safe to say that it means different things to different people.   However the general gist of the concept is "The ability to accept the consequences and rewards of one's actions.  The ownership of one's ideas and actions."

People who accept personal responsibility are less likely to give up easily, complete objectives thoroughly, and generally are considered to be the backbone of civilized society.  These people accept the challenges of innovation and reap the rewards of the risks associated with those same challenges.  These people are fully alive, and all you need to do is see the thousands of successful business and political folks as evidence.  Nearly all of them exhibit personal responsibility for their actions (with the exception of those in Hollywood or Network News, where good things happen to bad people all the time). 

The consequence of not accepting personal responsibility is akin to death.  Allowing yourself to get off the hook for your own actions compromises the very spirit that keeps your heart pumping.  And you regress.  You move into a childlike state of denial and acting out against those who exhibit personal responsibility.  People like this generally quit at the first sign of trouble, duplicitously align their actions with many opposing forces, and typically are frustrated with their inability to advance their cause.  Their whole life could change in an instant if they simply had the inclination to own what they create (in any way). 

This self-perpetuating spiral is a strong drug.  The ability to compromise one's spirit affords a malaise that holds people in it's grip for their entire life in some cases.  Their only hope is the very people they rail against.  Those who accept the responsibility to bring them back to reality; back to a life in which every breath is a reaffirmation of their ability to move forward and advance themselves as human beings.  Because in the end, thats all we have.  The ability to connect and expand one's thoughts and actions for posterity.

Am I The Only One Who Sees This?

The 2008 US Presidential Race is really quite a spectacle.  This year I am finding myself more sympathetic to the Democratic candidates.  Particularly Barak Obama.  I really can't say Im a fan yet, but I like the way he is handling this issue going on with his former minister.  He just keeps letting the old man bloviate, while getting to publicly reject all the nonsense. It makes a clear thinking person like myself like him even more.  I am completely unswayed by the Right's position that he is "guilty by association".  If that were true, every Republican out there would be dammed to hell (wait, maybe it IS true).

That said, I think we all have to look at what is happening in the Democratic party, and realize that we are getting a real preview of what a Democratic administration will look like.  Endless, meaningless debate about minutia.  This while the credit contraction squeezes our economy, our economic enemies strengthen their positions on our wealth, and the social fabric in our society continues to tear.  Ever hear the story of Nero fiddling while Rome burned?  The Democrats embody this notion to me.  Barak is at least showing some skill at "tamping down" the emotional raving lunatics that comprise the far left of the Democratic party.

Really though.  While the Republicans simply say nothing (not acceptable), the Democrats endlessly debate.  Either way we get nothing.  No action, and no real solutions.  DRAFT MIKE BLOOMBERG!!!

Leanna in Captiva

After a busy season....leanna returns to her regular cruising grounds
on the west coast of Florida. Here she is in Captiva at her favorite
spot. Tween Waters Marina. Just feet from the Gulf.

Thoreau for breakfast

"Most people live lives of quiet desperation, and die with the song still in their hearts."

-  Henry David Thoreau

I love that quote.  I love it because it inspires me to "let it all out" and reach as high and as far as I can.  Because when the day comes that I look back and wonder if I wasted my life or not, I want to be able to say "not a second".  

Even as I type that, I worry that I haven't lived enough of life today, and I have to remind myself that sleeping in front of the television is just as awesome as running a well managed company.  Do what you have to.....but insist on living life on your terms.  It is the only substance you really have in this world.

Starting the ride home

In Fort Laudedale dropping off rental car.

Successful Circumnavigation!

.....of the southern tip of Florida. Back at our home port of Cape
Coral Florida. It was a great trip with a lot of scary moments and a
lot of energizing ones too. We all stepped up to things we didn't
know we could do. Try to get that from the a Hyatt resort.

Off Marco/Cape Romano

Landfall!

I know. This is a picture of the moon. But my iPhone can't seem to
focus on the lights of the coast this far out.

Everything turned pink

Post sunset.

Sunset on the gulf

Sun starting to set

Way out in the middle of nowhere.

Picked up some hitchhikers

About 150 miles offshore. I'll bet they were tired.

Leaving Key West

@ 10:30 am. Expect a 3am arrival in Cape Coral.

Hard Rock Cafe

Last dinner in Key West.

Sweet Key West Ride

Orange with white pokadots. Quite the head turner. At least Sophia
was happy.

Ernie's Place

The venerable Ernest Hemingway's home. Really interesting information
about his life and his adopted home town of Key West.

NOT a place to bring kids. They just aren't as interested in his
four wives or his beautiful yacht Pilar.

The Southernmost Point!

Searching for Hemmingway

A KW landmark

Cheeseburger Cheeseburger

A favorite of ours. And Jared won 15 bucks at bingo today!

The Galleon...finally

Finally a nice big slip. It has been the trip of crappy slips. But
now, the mother of all slips. Two days in Key West to come.