Nine Shift

Why the Winter Solstice is important

Happy New Year. Hope you have a Great 2008.

It is the time of the Winter Solstice. "Solstice" comes from two Latin words. "Sol" is sun. And "stice" means constant or not-changing.  For several days before and after the Winter Solstice (Dec 22 this year; the shortest day of the year) the sun appears to stay in the same place at high noon. All other days of the year it is perceptively in a di fferent place at noon. Thus the origin of the word, and the concept, and the great fear that the world may be ending each year.

Why the Winter Solstice is important.  Because it is natural, and nature, and part of the changing seasons, which determine not only our natural environment (critical to life) but also our human reactions during the different seasons.  Stay in touch with the seasons. It's important to understanding your own natural cycles.

Photo of sun at high noon a few days after the Winter Solstice. The sun is shining through and blocking the top of the evergreen tree.

Winter Wonderland

Frost on the trees in a national forest in northern Wisconsin. Photo taken last week.

Happy Holidays NineShifters

We wanted to know what it felt like 100 years ago.

So Julie and I took a sleigh ride through a national forest this week.  It was wonderful, and time for us to say thank you to everyone interested in and supportive of Nine Shift this past year.

Thanks to everyone for being NineShifters in 2007  ! ! !

The End of 'Work Friends'?

Do you think the 21st century will see the end of 'work friends'?

Penelope Trunk, in her blog, says that work friends will be replaced by friends who do not distinguish among work, family and play.  Check out her blog entry here, then tell us what you think: : :

Thanks to NineShifter Suzanne Kart for this posting.

Americans increase use of debit cards

Our son Jason took us out to dinner a few months ago. "Don't worry," he said as he pulled out his credit card. "It's a debit card."

In our Sept 13, 2007 posting we forecast that debit cards would replace credit cards.  And shortly thereafter saw my first television ad for a debit rather than credit card.

Now the Federal Reserve has some big news.

1. Debit cards have surpassed credit cards as the most frequently used form of electronic payment.

But is this even bigger news?

2. About 25.3 billion debit card transactions worth $1 trillion were made in 2006, compared with 21.7 billion credit card transactions worth around $2.1 trillion.
So people with debit cards spend LESS.   I'm thinking Less debt, more responsible borrowing. The start to a "new order" to the financial infrastructure of the 21st century. What do you think?

Kids can tell real from animated

Is this snake real?  Or just an animation?

According to one movie producer, kids can tell in movies what is real and what is not.
So he went to the jungle to film his new movie, his actors eating real insects and all.....

What are the implications of kids knowing the difference between real and animated?

Building obsolete schools

Here's a great new issue:  what to do about building new schools when you know they are obsolete already.

At my appearance at the National Community Education Association this month, Jim Boswell, an administrator from the Bullitt County school district in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, asked about what they should do building a new school when he (and we) know the new school will be obsolete before it is built.

British educators are wondering too.

"We will be left with school buildings which are not fit for purpose and may be obsolete even before they are occupied" says a new report from the British Council for School Environments. Check the story out here.

What do you think?

 

Buy the $100 laptop NOW!

Until the end of this month, you can buy the new "$100 laptop" and donate one to a child.

The "$100 laptop" isn't quite $100 yet, but it's close.  For $399 ($423 with tax) you can buy two.
You get one. A child in an underveloped country gets one.

I did it. Maybe you can too. Go here for info and to buy.

No Toys this Christmas

Major toy manufacturers don't even call themselves "toy" companies anymore.

That's because kids are switching to online, interactive games and technology so quickly, and at an increasingly younger age.  One parent reported that her 3 year old refused to play with a toy cell phone, insisting on playing with a real cell phone.

Just part of the incredible transition from tangibles to intangibles. The kids will make their living off of intangibles. Got any ideas to share on this topic?

The Other Guy Won't Change

People are now asking to how convince others to change. This seems new to me.

I was keynoting the National Community Education Association conference last week. Several people asked about how to convince other people to change. This is new.  For the past 8 years, people have been questioning NIne Shift. Now people are agreeing with us more and more. But now they are asking how to get someone else (usually someone perceived to be a leader or authority figure) to change.

I've been giving the wrong answer, telling folks about how America is behind in the 21st century (true, but not the right answer).
Now I think the right answer is to change yourself and your own situation.
And that one person, every person, changing will make a big difference.
What do you think?