Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:26:53 -0800WeeblyWed, 14 Jul 2010 21:04:36 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/07/when-id-like-to-not-know.htmlSometimes, I begin to understand why people don't seek to learn too much about the way the world works.

We have certain subjects we are comfortable talking about and arguing about.  We debate tax policy or zoning codes, and stick to areas where we can disagree comfortably.  The media has its limits, looking at crimes and small thefts, but not examining bigger issues.

There is a widespread assumption the battle in American politics is between the big business policies of the right versus the big government policies of the left.  While this might be occasionally true, what if the greater truth is big business and big government are comfortably working with one another, and the real loser is the people.

Who represents us amidst a sea of money and profits in the billions.  I wonder, but I already know the answer.  I think many others do also, but we don't want to believe these things so we pretend.  But the truth is still true.
]]>Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:17:39 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/06/all-the-fit-the-news-can-print.htmlI think I could write a book if I wanted.  Although I have done that once before, I always lacked confidence to try to write at that length.  If nothing else, working on this newspaper is proving that I am able to write often and at a high level through any occasion.

It makes me wonder how much we miss when we don't test ourselves.  I'm surprised by what I have learned, and about what is simple and what is hard.  Putting together stories is easy; it is finding yourself caring about what happens to so many people that really takes energy.  It is inspirational, yet still a challenge.

As a result, I find my own behaviors changing.  Now I spend much more time and money in local establishments, and less in chains.  It might not be as convenient or quite as cheap, but my reasoning is that the independent entrepreneurs need help.  We're better when we have communities where people buy local, and where there is a social network.

Growing up in an unremarkable suburb means I missed having any sense of community growing up.  Truthfully, I always lived as and embraced the role of outsider.  But maybe, just maybe, it is time for me to fit in.

On my own terms, of course.
]]>Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:34:23 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/06/the-name-changes-first.htmlI am changing the name of this blog from the somewhat generic title of "Selected Thoughts" to "Off the Record".  While I think it qualitatively sounds cooler than what I was using previously, I am making this change to reflect two things.  Firstly, it is a celebration of my newly launched business, a newspaper of no ill repute, and secondly, it is a rediscovery of myself in many ways.

Perhaps I have been playing politics too many years and have become too image conscious.  I don't mean being well dressed so much as just watching and gauging the impact of my every word.  There is a certain wariness that develops in those who play the game too much, and you stop letting yourself be free.  I find that being that way doesn't suit me so much.  While there is always a place for tact and discretion, perhaps honesty deserves a seat closer to the head of the table also.

So, off the record it is.  And, I have to tell you, the best conversations are often off the record.  One of the challenges of writing in a newspaper is that when you're busy selecting what content will be sufficiently interesting or relevant to publish, that there are so many really fascinating conversations that go by the wayside.  With articles like the one on pizza delivery, I try to share a bit of the flavor of these, and maybe it shows my inner dork.  I am learning that even though I'm nearly thirty, that I'm still curious about the world and how it works.

An example:  I spent ten minutes this Sunday learning about how people buy ice cream.  It sounds like it wouldn't be that interesting, but there are always surprises to be found.  For instance, did you know that people don't like buying ice cream when the temperature is beyond 85 degrees?  At first, I thought that was ridiculous as summer, heat, and ice cream are all linked in my mind, but the gist of the problem is it melts too fast and people don't want the embarrassment of spilling ice cream.  Though some cups are purchase, cones rule the day and sales plummet.

So, I learned something.  It doesn't change the world, but it was cool.  And I see that in a million new ways, and I learn what people think, and what they need.  I'm not sure if this will make me more successful, though I'm feeling good about what we're doing with the paper.  I am sure it will make me a better person, and that's something I am happy to write home about.
]]>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:09:51 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/06/a-crackpot-idea-for-expansion.htmlAs you might know, I've been following the dissembling of the college football conferences.  With reports today suggesting that Nebraska (along with Missouri) about to bolt to the Big Ten, and the Big Twelve stumbling westward with Texas, the Pac-10 is sitting in a very good position.  While current suggestions are to have a conference that includes Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and some combination of Colorado, Baylor, and Oklahoma State admitted, maybe something even bigger would work better.  What if the PAC-10 went to 20 teams, with two divisions of 10.

The Western Division would feature the current Pac-10 members.
The Eastern Division would include the aforementioned Big XII schools and add Kansas, Kansas State, and a third school (maybe Utah).

Each team would play in division for football, reducing travel time, and the conference championship would be between the winners of the two divisions.  There would be 9 games in conference for each team, and the conference championship.  It would make money like crazy, keep regional alliances, but also make for a super conference with a team in the competition for a national championship each year.

For the record, I think 4 sixteen team superconferences are much more likely, and set up well for a national playoff, a moneymaker for all involved.  But, it's a fun idea, and it would make financial sense for all involved.]]>Sun, 16 May 2010 05:55:17 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/05/the-wheel-is-turning-my-140-mile-bike-trip-day-1.htmlI went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau

It has become a new tradition that every year I go and take a lengthy bike trip to escape my daily grind, to consider where my life is going, and to assess what matters to me.  There is a tranquility almost like meditation that sometimes comes upon me when I cycle long distances, and I learn things about myself.  I think we all need to give ourselves time to hear ourselves think, to avoid the myriad distractions in our lives, and remember (or discover) what has meaning.

One thing that never surprises me but that always comes as a shock is how little I miss my regular life.  I don't ever miss my daily job, find technology to be a nuisance as much as a pleasure, and I sometimes feel a little stillborn whenever I come back, like I am waiting for something to happen.  Out in the country there, making something happen is as easy as putting a foot on the pedal, looking which way you want to go, and making your day begin.  There is pain, there is tiredness, but there is also accomplishment.  I think all this comes from the same source:  knowing what you want to do and why you want to do it.

In that, I think there is a lesson for everyone, and certainly for myself.  How often do we find ourselves doing what is expected, rather than what we want or what we believe.  I know from my experience in politics that about 90% of what people do is posturing, and honestly, I'm sick of the bull shit.  I learned during this trip that I care less about winning than I do about saying what I think, what I believe, and what is true.  I can live with being wrong in judgment, but I just don't feel like wasting any more time of my own, my loved one, or my friends, saying something I don't believe to be true.  I have better things to do.  We all do; that's why so many people don't care because they can tell.  But I'm telling you conclusions, where I should be telling a story.  Here's how my trip went:

Day One: Boston, PA to Connellsville, PA (40 miles)

I left work after lunch on Thursday to begin my trip.  After having a farewell lunch with the girlfriend to get my fueled and ready to go, I reached the trail around 3:00 pm to begin.  This section is relatively flat and having rode it many times, I judged it smart to start a day early so that I would be ready early the next morning to begin the more difficult sections ahead.

I packed my bike very thoroughly.  On the rear of my Trek 4300, I had two panniers filled to the brim, a rolled military sleeping back, and a tent.  I think they must have weighed about thirty pounds in total, and that was more than I should have carried, but I started out optimistically.

As it worked out, this would prove to be a difficult day.  About 9 miles into my journey, I was crossing a road when I had a significant accident.  My bike tire got caught in the rut of a rail road track and when I tried to maneuver out of that position, my bike toppled on top of me.  I caught myself using my right hand and wrist, but the force caused me to hurt myself.  I honestly don't know how bad the injury is, but four days later I am still swollen and can barely put any weight on my wrist.  It made for a miserable ride.

About six miles up the way in West Newton, after a jaunt around a fallen tree that had crossed the path, I went to the local Rite Aid to find some assistance.  So, I'm sitting on a bench with a $.50 popsicle for a cold compress, trying to find relief.  I honestly thought of quitting, but this trip is important to me.  And pain is reality.  Pain gives you focus, and overcoming that has meaning.  That is part of this journey too, the balance that comes from relief and suffering, and finding the irreducible you that somehow lies in between.

I rode on and forward to Connellsville.  It is a very lengthy stretch of trail between there and West Newton (25 miles) and my legs weren't fresh.  It's hard to qualify what that means exactly other than things seemed more painful than usual.  Perhaps it was because I was favoring my wrist.  For those who don't bicycle, you would think the greatest stress is only on your legs, but your shoulders and arms are actually constantly in tension, correcting for your motions, and so a wrist injury requires many adjustments.

I was making okay time under the circumstances, and arrived at the River's Edge Campground around 7 pm.  Seeing that the sun was setting, I went ahead and set up my tent and prepared to settle in for the night.  The facilities there are very nice for the sort of place it is, with a game room, swimming pool, showers, bathrooms, and fire pits.  There were quite a few people there in campers, though only one other couple who was in a tent.  Apparently, they were working their way from Youngstown, OH to Washington, DC, at a very leisurely pace.

One thing I always enjoy about riding the trail is that people are friendly to one another.  Although there are exceptions, most of the people at the businesses that abut the passage as well as the riders and hikers themselves are always looking to help one another.  It's a good thing because if something happens in a remote area, you might be beyond the assistance of anyone other than a passerby, and this always makes me wish people had the same attitude in other places.  I think there are few more terrible ideas than the acceptance we have that someone else can take care of something and "It isn't my problem."

With sunlight rapidly fading, I pedaled ahead the three miles into Connellsville for dinner.  There are few things more joyful than taking in nutrition after a long hard ride.  I went to the Italian Oven, where I usually go when in that town, and had a salad, linguine with chicken and tomatoes, bread, and a few glasses of lemonade.  Delicious, as always, although I took long enough that I was riding back in twilight.  After setting up the tent, eating, and getting ready to hide back, it was 9 pm.

I almost never ride at night for a number of very good reasons, but it was an experience worth relating.  I didn't have my light on me either (I have a head light with LEDs that I can wear in a pinch) so I was just going through the woods, in the dark.  You really can't see anything other than the trail which is lighter and the trees which are darker.  It becomes tricky to tell if you're going straight, and you can't see any bumps in the road or twigs that may have fallen.  It is also exhilarating, in that you find yourself like being in a tunnel where time and distance lose meaning.

But, I made it back within fifteen minutes, showered, and then got ready for bed.  I wanted to charge my phone, so I went to a picnic table near the main lodge, plugged in, and read for about a half hour.  Whenever I took a break, I had something to read, and enjoyed the distraction.  Admittedly, I would rather have been sleeping, but I wanted to make sure I could make contact where necessary.  Tomorrow that wouldn't be possible.

Finally, I returned to my tent, and laid down to sleep.  I didn't actually get to sleep, however, because I'm not good at sleeping on the ground.  My sleeping bag is very warm and comfortable, but I'll admit to being spoiled and not used to sleeping on anything so hard.  When your body is aching, I learned the valuable lesson that you should take care of it.  You can't push your body all day and again at night and expect not to pay the price.  That, however, is the story of tomorrow.  Eventually, I found myself getting to sleep, and with a few interruptions, made it until the birds informed me that it was time to awaken for my second day.
]]>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:38:37 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/04/immigration-and-identity.htmlI've been enjoying a lengthy respite from politics and my usual business.  I'm still on a limited schedule as far as that goes.  Sometimes, I find that I learn more from sitting back and reflecting about what is happening.  Still, I do read the news, and I feel like writing a little bit tonight about Arizona.

For those not already aware, Arizona has recently passed a controversial immigration law that allows state and local police to check to verify the citizenship of anyone being stopped for some valid reason.  It is important to note that this is not a law as some are reporting that is seeking to locate illegal immigrants directly, but rather to take action against those who commit some other action.  It has become a huge issue as there are accusations of racism flying already.

I tend to think that is crap.  I firmly and fully believe that identity politics, whether they be on the basis of gender, race, or any other category, serve only to engender hatred, mistrust, resentment, and are to the detriment of everyone.  You cannot slap a label on someone, give them a different status than another person, and think that creates equality.  I would fully agree that there are issues and people have racial biased attitudes, but the identity politics never solves these.  So, I will throw out the race card.

But, immigration is a real issue.  It's something that cuts to the center of American tradition, as we are almost all children of immigrants.  People wanting to come here, make money, contribute to society, and seeking a better life for their family are living the American dream.  I respect and honor that, but there has to be laws in place, and there desperately needs to be comprehensive immigration reform.  It needs to address the law enforcement issues and the fairness issues in a way that respects people as individuals.

To this point, neither side has done anything.  My presumption is that Republicans did nothing about the issue of illegal immigrants because they were scared of racial politics and because too many business owners liked using cheap illegal labor.  The Democrats did nothing because having the issue out there was a continuing way to motivate on a class basis, in an effort to make Latino voting patterns mirror that of black voters.  So, the Feds did nothing, and wanted the states to do nothing, because they accepted the status quo.  It's good that Arizona brought this up.

People have different views, of course, but here's my take on immigration.  I think we should be welcoming to workers who want to come here, but that they should have to follow the same rules as all other Americans.  Guest workers should be registered, should be paid the same minimum wages, should pay for the services they use, and should not be given an automatic path to citizenship via amnesty.  I think we should have a separate citizenship process, but one that is fair, inclusive, and gives an opportunity for people who want to move here to do so.  With such a program in place, those who are not registered should be deported back to their nations of origin.

I know that many people worry about illegal immigrants providing cheap labor that takes away jobs.  This solution would put American citizens on even ground.  I also think that states should go after business owners who seek to skirt these requirements.  America is not in the business of sweatshop labor, and we should hold ourselves to a higher standard.

The worry that a law like this one passing in Arizona will be used to execute mass deportations is just, and it will be destructive to certain areas of their economy.  Yet, it is an effort to deal with a law enforcement issue, as drug related violence coming north from Sonora and other Mexican states demands a response.  I wonder how many people know about the ransoms and kidnappings becoming more prevalent on that border, or the growing radical movements within certain Latino communities that seek separation from the United States.  Look up Aztlan if you're curious.

The Federal Government should have solved this issue and still can do so.  The sad thing is they won't, because it's political season always.  Both parties screwed this one up, and I hope someone has the guts to fix it.  But, if they don't, I'm glad to see states looking for their own answers.
]]>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:47:02 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/04/silver-is-golden-nhl-playoff-predictions.htmlTomorrow, a war will begin.  It will rage across 16 cities in 2 nations.  It will continue for months, for those who are lucky.  And in the end, sweetness and success for one lucky city and one team.  The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here.

I don't usually write about sports, but you should know that I am a hockey fanatic.  The girl is afraid to talk during games, and my intensity goes through the roof.  I will be staring down the screen, letting myself get caught in what I find to be the pinnacle of sport here in North America (I think the World Cup compares similarly for Europeans, maybe).  There is the instant drama, the bone jarring hits, impressive skill, and pure desperation that no sport matches compared with playoff hockey.

Yes, it is promoted poorly.  You may live in a place where hockey is an afterthought.  But, take my advice and watch.  If you like sports with strength, speed, and skill, you will love the playoffs.  I know I do.  With that, here are my predictions:

First Round

Eastern Conference
Washington 4 - Montreal 1
Philadelphia 4 - New Jersey 3
Buffalo 4 - Boston 2
Pittsburgh 4 - Ottawa 1

Western Conference
San Jose 4 - Colorado 1
Chicago 4 - Nashville 3
Vancouver 4 - Los Angeles 2
Detroit 4 - Phoenix 2

Second Round

Washington 4 - Philadelphia 2
Pittsburgh 4 - Buffalo 1
Detroit 4 - San Jose 3
Vancouver 4 - Chicago 3

Conference Finals

Pittsburgh 4 - Washington 3
Detroit 4 - Vancouver 2

Stanley Cup Final

Pittsburgh 4 - Detroit 2

I get to be a homer.  But whatever happens, it will be fun to watch.  Until your heart gets broken, or you sip the sweet euphoria from Lord Stanley's Cup!
]]>Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:31:04 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/04/an-original-poem-the-well-rounded-man.htmlWhen I was younger, I used to write poems.  I don't do this too often anymore, but I felt like expressing something this morning.  We'll see if you like it:

The Well-Rounded Man
I am the circle
Touch me for a moment
Before I go

My side is just one
Banking and ever mobile
This tangent I show

Outside, perfection
Inside no one can see
Who will ever know
What it means to be me?
]]>Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:33:31 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/04/an-economy-of-virtue.htmlBefore I begin, I just want to thank those of you whom I had a chance to speak with last Saturday at the event at Allegheny Landing.  We're very excited about The Point, and hope that you will be also.  The response we received was very encouraging.

As I grow older, I've spent more time trying to understand economics and what it means.  I'll admit that I probably grew up with the prejudice that politics was more important because the imposition of force (the root of politics) seems to be a decisive factor in many instances over the fulfillment of desires (the root of economics) in the great game of history.  That said, in better times, it is economics that shapes so much of our lives and human progress, so I'm trying to better understand.

We live in a very challenging economic environment.  Leaving aside the traditional rub about government involvement and the problems of regulation, I think our larger issue is the societal transformation that is happening as we proceed from an industrial economy to an informational one.  It has cost many jobs, but has also created many opportunities, as we have access to so many new means of communication, such as the internet.

I've been reading about the subject quite a bit (and will be reviewing some books in the forthcoming weeks), and it seems to me that for the first time in history, we might have the potential for an economy of virtue.  Winners in the old industrial regime were those who could produce the most cheaply, quickly, or efficiently, as cost production meant largest market share.  It was a very competitive model, but one that discouraged collaboration, and led to monopolization in many areas.  Obviously, the industrial economy will continue as we still need many material goods, but the difficult thing about that is that the nature of the products themselves ensures this will most often be a race to the bottom.  Good for the consumer, perhaps, but hard on businesses and communities.  Living in Western Pennsylvania, the destructive impact is obvious.

But the informational economy is different.  In so many ways, cost ceases to be the same determinant because the real good provided, data, has such limited actual marginal expense.  For instance, we can produce The Point, depending on what features we choose, with either zero expense to meet our basic needs, or with a minimal expense to provide a higher quality experience.  (We chose the latter, incidentally.)  All businesses living in the digital world have a similar experience in comparison to their previous counterparts, and having information be your key item means that the important issue has evolved.  Customer service is and has always been the key element of successful business, but where cost considerations were king once, in a free market where most information is already free, other attributes become magnified in importance:  accessibility, quality of content, depth of networking, and ambiance.  Those businesses which do best are often those which act best.

In all, this creates a new form of business production, driven not by profit, but by content.  I've had to learn a lot about the difficulties of newspapers, for instance, and they have two huge problems.  First, they can't really afford their own distribution costs for print materials on a daily basis when the same content is available online for free.  Second, their ad revenue from classifieds has shrunken immensely because retailers have their own sites, free sites, and places such as craigslist that are much more efficient, friendly, and free.  When the internet didn't exist, these challenges didn't exist either, and papers served a purpose that the community desired that was not easily filled through another means.  That is changing.

I pick these examples to make something abstract into concrete realities.  The way we charge for things has changed.  For instance, anyone who expects pay media will be able to succeed online is being shortsighted.  There are simply too many other options.  Instead of looking to make money on the product directly, businesses must learn to work with one another, trading goods and services for the networking that exists between them.  In the information fields, this means getting the money from retailers and other businesses because their readers trust their information, and will therefore support their advertisers.  There is more transparency, and with more options, the demands have risen for quality.

Taking a step back, I've been thinking what this means for the economy of the future.  I try often to think of how a region where I live, heavily invested in industrial heritage and with hard working people who are better geared toward that economy, how they can make the transition to a digital future.  I begin to think that path is to embrace the future more fully, and make bets that the world will become more connected.  Ideas travel at the speed of light, but they still need broadband infrastructure, wireless nodes, and as time becomes more flexible, I think the future will see a rise in leisure activities as well.

I call this an economy of virtue not because I think anyone can define that clearly.  But, I say it, because for the first time, the choice has finally shifted from the manufacturers to the consumers, and they will determine what will and will not succeed in a way the old monopolistic structures often could prevent.  It will be interesting to watch and to devel
]]>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:51:52 -0800http://www.tomkawczynski.com/1/post/2010/03/more-than-the-constitution.htmlI have a problem with the way people fetishize the Constitution.  I think it is a brilliant and remarkably durable document that deserves celebration, but for all that, it is not the be-all and end-all of politicial discussion.

At the time of the founding of this nation, the Constitution was a remarkable step forward from the agreements of the past, finding a delicate balance between the stability and creativity desired of a government, respecting the liberty of the citizens, and recognizing essential human dignity.  The Founders were wise in this, and wiser still in their recognition that an amendment process would be needed as they knew human knowledge would advance in time, leading to better understanding.

This makes me wonder why we automatically assume they knew better than we do, when the light of reason is as available to us today as to those fine men back now.  I have heard so many people tell me over the years we have to do things precisely as they did because they were so wise, but I think if they were alive today, they would see that modern society requires that we re-examine the wisdom they offered in light of our current circumstances and challenges.

The clearest indication of their fallacies is in how restrictive their defintion was of who should have access to liberty.  If you were white, male, and owned property, you were in good shape.  Otherwise, you were severely restricted in your ability to be involved in the state.  No person who believes in liberty can think of any person as three-fifths worth another based on the accident of their birth.  Yet this too was enshrined at the time of ratification, showing that great men are imperfect, and that the challenge to us is not to simply fetishize their work, but to identify the key principles and improve upon them in our time.

Liberty.  Free people making free decisions, being treated as individuals, with respect for their unique beliefs and circumstances, is the America we should seek.  We are not an agrarian society defined by one religion anymore.  To seek to return to that is to deny the progess that has been made.  As much as anyone, I understand the impulse to glorify some happy past, but we do better to look to the future with the questions of how we want to proceed, and with the Constitution as guide rather than gospel.

I truly believe this is how people must learn to talk and to think.  We must teach each other how to reason, how to think and observe intelligently, and demand more of ourselves and each other.  We cannot look for their work to save us; we must look to our own and to our best arguments.  I am not looking to reclaim an honored past; I'm looking to build a brighter future, and I hope that others will see the fight shouldn't be over paper, it should be over principle.

After all, the people who drew up the Constitution took a few tries, a war or two, and a lot of tries to get it right for themselves.  We shouldn't expect ourselves to be any different.]]>