Ode to the North Star

O strong North Star, in every glimpse of you,
Do I find that your beauty soars supreme.
Eternal, every day you stay so true;
Through months and years, your glow burns ever bright.

On winds I fly to you in every dream,
Toward your shining beacon of pure light.
Here in this world I can do naught but seem,
Ephemeral as rainbows, clouds of hue.

No thought for rest, you shine throughout the night,
Sweet gifts of inspiration you imbue.
Though none can ever strive to see your sight,
A fool may still have faith in your clear gleam,

Remaining still through storm, earthquake, and fire,
Providing hope in wandering sailors need,
Over the heavens, dearth of all desire,
Lauded by Shakespeare’s sonnet for all time.

All trial and tribulation far indeed,
Removed from deathly thorns and heinous crime,
I dream and fly to thee at breakneck speed,
Soar with the wind, and trees and seas admire.

Innovation

I was listening to a speech by Charles Leadbeater about open innovation, which is essentially the idea that passionate amateurs with new technology can create innovative and successful ideas and products where professional companies could not. Some prime examples he mentions are the development of the mountain bike, the spread of the telephone, and the rise of rap music. All of these were a result of amateurs whose passion for biking, communication, and music led them to raise the standards of their leisure activities to levels beyond those that seemed to benefit corporations financially at the time. Now, mountain bikes account for at least half of all sales, telephones are a technological necessity, and rap is one of the most popular music forms in the United States. Leadbeater’s idea of promoting these “Pro-Ams” (Professional Amateurs) not only has several tangible benefits but also contains vital revelations.

Obviously, “Pro-Ams” have benefited and changed the world tremendously, and in a global situation of economic uncertainty in the midst of innovation, a solution must be found soon. If people with obsessions about certain topics or products were allowed to experiment and design ideas that matched their standards, the economical results would similarly be significant. Innovation is born of necessity, and for the average user there exists none after all of the improvements that have been made on every product imaginable. For example, while software upgrades are beneficial, none but those obsessed with software perfection would claim that they are necessary; in fact, the option generally exists to halt the constant annoyance of upgrade announcements, revealing the dangers of selling to a wide audience over the passionate edges.

A corollary to these theories is that allowing “Pro-Ams” to prosper benefits the world and themselves. If we imagine a world where everyone did what they were passionate about, it would be obvious that everyone would be happier. People like to do what they like to do. Happiness in general has positive reactions by its very nature, including increases in productivity and life span and decreases in depression and suicide rates. “Pro-Ams” are extremely knowledgeable about what they are passionate about and willing to spend extra effort, money, and time to go to their limits doing what they like to do.

I conclude with the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Clearly, not everyone would like to have the same thing done to them, for everyone is unique in character and passion. Yet there remains a solution—everyone would like to be happy, so all people should try to be happy and make others happy. Thus if everyone does what makes them happy, even the universe will be no limit.

Injustice of War

The human rights violations of war and government not only infringe on a greater number of people but also encompass more types of rights. For example, in Darfur there are crimes such as prostitution and rape as well as graver results like death tolls over 20,000. In Nepal, Myanmar, and Kenya, thousands have died as well, but a greater number have been deprived of everything but life: liberty, security, and representation in government. War and government have the greatest potential for human rights violations for two basic reasons: scope and magnitude. Since government is meant to lead a society, its faults affect the entire group of people under it. Similarly, war involves the whole society, forcing otherwise innocent people to choose sides and thus placing everyone in danger of abuse, including even more in an international rather than civil war. The enormous scope of these violations is amplified even more by the degree of violation. From the sheer number of rights to the exponential implications, the gravity of war and government human rights violation is staggering. At least 10 rights (Articles 2, 3, 5, 9, 12, 19, 21, 28, and 29) are violated, but the most important can be designated as life, liberty, and representation. In a nation where the citizens are not involved in policy, no viable solution for the abuse they suffer remains. When liberty is denied, the people have no choice about their situation. Finally, at the point of death rights no longer exist.