Eat More Kale! Eat Less Chick-fil-A!

Used properly, trademarks are a good thing. They help us identify the source of goods and services so that we can rely on brand and reputation when we buy products. McDonald's is known for being cheap, easy, and fast. The Ritz is known for being expensive and luxurious. This is beneficial for both the producer and the consumer.

However grasping for too much of a good thing results in an evil outcome. Many corporations use their considerable money power to do the wrong thing with trademarks and try to control too much. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Luckily trademarks are dependent on people power (as well as trademark law) and people power can be used as a check and balance against corporate money power by decreasing its ability to earn money. If a company does wrong, its trademark can then be associated with its misdeeds, and those associations can then cause the producer to lose business rather than gain business. Think Enron.

It behooves corporations to use their power wisely or suffer natural consequences.

Chick-fil-A has done wrong and has become a corporation that deserves some natural consequences. Chick-fil-A supports discrimination when it funds anti-gay groups (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/Chick-fil-A-donated-anti-gay-groups-2009_n_1069429.html). and it is trying to control too much when it tries to block others from using the phrase "Eat More..." (see http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1128/Eat-more-kale-A-David-vs.-Golaith-fight-with-Chick-fil-A).

Here is what you can do to correct these wrongs. Ask everyone to "Eat More Kale! Eat Less Chick-fil-A!"

Email it. Twitter it. Facebook it. Paper-mail it. Leave it behind at Chick-fil-A restaurants. Just do it. It's easy. Hopefully Chick-fil-A and others will get the point and change their position when their business loses millions of dollars now and in the future because they made these bad business decisions. Eating more kale and less Chick-fil-A will make our world a healthier and happier place.

Eat More Kale! Eat Less Chick-fil-A!

Hate cannot drive out hate...

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.
Source: http://www.mlkonline.net/quotes.html

Gay Rights Upheld, Prop 8 Annulled

I'm greatly relieved that logic has prevailed and CA Proposition 8 was annulled. A prejudiced and bigoted majority should not be allowed to trample civil rights -- the US is is based on the premise that "all men are created equal."

At one time majorities thought women were property, non-whites were inferior to whites, and interracial marriages were forbidden. Those strictures fell and so should discrimination against gays and lesbians. Gays and lesbians should be entitled to marry just as people of opposite sexes are entitled to marry. Furthermore, families with married couples are good for our society. Just because one family is different from another does not mean that a couple should be denied the right to have a cohesive and fully privileged family.

How CA Education Finance Works

If you would like to know more about how school financing works in California, the most lucid presentation I've found is the instructional video posted at:
http://rosenblatt.org/blog/2010/03/10/video-on-how-california-education-finance-works-and-doesnt-work/

Please check it out and learn. It is only 40 minutes and well worth it. If any of you find a better presentation, please let me know!

Our kids are our future. Education is one of the best investments we can make -- whether it be for our own kids or kids in our neighborhood. Good education is the key to keeping the US competitive, safe, clean, and economically strong. Plus it is a requirement for a democracy to function.

If you live in CA, please watch and listen to the video and become better educated. Thanks!

Health Care Bill Passes!

History has been made. Obama, Pelosi, and the Democrats have accomplished an amazing feat -- a health care bill has now passed the Senate and House. Along with Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare, this is one of the biggest accomplishments by the government for social justice in the US in the past 100 years. If implementation goes well, the Republicans (the Party of No) will be in the dog house for a very long time. If not, then the Democrats will suffer. I believe that passage of this bill is a huge positive outcome for the US and will go a long way to improve the productivity of our human resources in the US as well as reduce costs.

For more see: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

Compromise Can Be Difficult

There is an interesting discussion occurring about the League of American Bicyclists at:
http://mighkwilson.com/2010/02/loyalty-matters/

Here is what I think:

Often the closer you get to an organization, the uglier it's complexion -- the warts and blemishes become more visible. Nonetheless, it is important to take the whole into account and decide whether overall the organization is moving the cause forward even though it may not be specifically moving the parts some individuals want.

Regarding bike lanes, while sometimes their design is not the best, they do attract more cyclists and give them a degree of safety (or at least the perception). After getting more cyclists on the roads, more will realize that bike lanes need to be designed better and hopefully that will have an impact. Often we need to take imperfect steps on our hike toward overall improvement. It's a bit Machiavellian but it is practical. Additionally, to make progress in this area we often must make political compromises.

Yes having everyone become a well educated effective cyclist would be best, but unfortunately this is highly unlikely. The barriers are too high for most people. Conversely the barriers to bike lanes are relatively low and bike lanes are very visible, relatively long lasting, and highly attractive to most normal cyclists.

So while hard core utility cyclists see no need for bike lanes, and they would be right if we could educate all motorists and cyclists, the hurdle is too high to educate the vast majority of normal people whereas these normal people see the immediate advantage of bicycle lanes. And eventually those bicycle lanes can be made safe too.

Sometimes it is the best course of action to make progress where it is easiest rather than fighting the tide.

I've chosen to become a lifetime member of some national organizations (LAB & Adventure Cycling) as well as a local organization (Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition). I do what I am able to advocate for better education, helmet use and well designed bicycle facilities. I continue to believe it is worth supporting the LAB in addition to state and local organizations.

(BTW, I greatly admire what John Schubert, John Forester, and John Allen have accomplished.)

(BTW2, what I say above applies in a general way to all organizations with which I've been involved, some ended up on the net plus side, some on the net negative side.)

Haiti lessons -- Building Codes, Economies, Gov't

The situation in Haiti is the result of a terrible natural disaster -- made dramatically worse by a man made disaster. This disaster, like many earthquakes in poor countries, was largely preventable (!!). A 7.0 earthquake in an earthquake prone area of the US would likely kill only a handful of people, yet 50,000+ people died in Haiti due to building failures. The best solution to prevent such deaths is good Building Codes. Some in the US lament having to conform to building codes, but building codes save lives. The best way to get a good set of building codes is to have a good local economy together with a functioning government. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The best thing we can do to prevent disasters, terrorism, and many other worldly problems is to support our neighbors by helping them develop stable governments and educating their populace. That way the currently poor countries of the world can help themselves and we can prevent future disasters. This is why one of my favorite charities (and one I strongly support) is the Central Asia Institute. We need more groups like this that allow people to learn how to fish, rather than having others give them fish.

Let's put more effort into fixing root causes rather than applying bandaids.

Avatar -- A Must See

Wow. Avatar is a great film that all should see -- in 3D if at all possible. It is a solid science fiction film with reasonably good science, spectacular special effects, romance, lots of action, a moral, and a satisfying ending. Wow.

http://www.avatarmovie.com/

What Makes the United States Great...

On this 4th of July, here are the strengths that made and make the United States a great nation:

1) Unalienable Rights: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
2) Work ethic
3) Diversity
4) Oceans that protect/buffer us
5) Good supply of natural resources
6) Free public libraries
7) Free and good public education system
8) Visionary Constitution & Bill of Rights
9) Strong belief in the rule of law
10) Religious freedom
11) Free speech
12) Belief in American ideals -- Truth, Justice, and the American Way
13) Free market economy balanced by some government controls
14) Good network of roads
15) Building codes
16) Spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship
17) Good water & sewer systems
18) Pervasive belief in the rule of law
19) Democratic gov't with checks & balances between legislative, executive, and judicial branches
20) Welfare, Social Security, Unemployment Benefits
21) Willingness to question, change, and adapt
22) Reliable mail delivery
23) Willingness to negotiate and compromise
24) Justice: Our legal system
25) The belief a man can make his own destiny
26) Parks

Here are some things we still need to work on:
1) Healthcare system
2) Reducing our environmental footprint

And here are some things that have hurt us in the past and that we must work to avoid:
1) Hubris
2) Being too prudish / puritanical / extreme
3) Compromising our American ideals for short term expediency
4) Laziness
5) Greed
6) Carelessness
7) Indifference
8) Hypocrisy

One of the US's greatest accomplishments is to see that more nations also achieve our strengths. By helping our neighbors worldwide, we help ourselves.

Sincerely,
Tim Oey

Health Care -- Make it Naturally Sustainable

Here is my simple perspective on health care reform in the US: establish a health care system that has simple natural incentives to keep people healthy.

The current US health care system is too expensive, is not able to cover everyone, and has many inefficiencies. The US spends more per capita on health care than any other UN nation (http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/EN_WHS08_Table4_HSR.pdf) yet does not achieve the quality of care available in many other countries (http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/22/3/89).

We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but that is not how most of the health care systems in the US work.

Our current systems either have lots of government regulation to tell the system how to run and what to do (lots of rules, slow to adapt) or have big bucks insurance companies competing against big bucks medical companies. In the government controlled case, the operative goal is to follow laws and legislation. In the insurance industry vs medical industry case the operative goal is to maximize profits on one side or the other. Neither system has natural incentives and tight feedback loops to keep people healthy. And most of the money is spent at the end of the health cycle when expensive health care is required. It is not spent to keep people healthier up front.

At a recent gathering at Harvard, a health care professional and fellow classmate pointed out that traditional health care is responsible for only about 10% of a person's overall health. Yet that is where most money is spent. Another 10% is attributable to the environment. 40% depends on a person's eating, exercise, and life style habits. The remaining 40% is dependent on a person's socioeconomic status. Spending money on improving healthy habits and educating people has an enormously bigger and more effective impact on improving health while consuming fewer resources (money, etc).

Another of my classmates noted, and I agree, that it is critical for any new health care system to have direct incentives to keep people healthy -- rather than incentives to deny them care (current insurance) or incentives to give them expensive treatments with high profit margins (many medical/drug companies). One of the best current day examples of the way things should work is Kaiser Permanente and some other Health Maintenance Organizations. Kaiser has extensive programs to keep people healthy -- and Kaiser makes more money the healthier it keeps its clients. Kaiser's doctors and staff are reasonably paid without necessarily needing to have patients undergo expensive therapies. It is far cheaper to have them participate in wellness programs. Patients can also reduce their own costs by staying healthy. And both Kaiser and their patients have thorough health data to track what works best.

We need a health care system that naturally balances patient goals (good health), medical provider goals (income), and resource conversation (keeping costs down). Systems like Kaiser are succeeding at this. We need health care plans available to all in the US that can have a similar and sustainable balance.

It is my hope that the Obama administration's efforts will result in such sustainable systems with effective and natural checks and balances but with little or no government intervention required (small government). There are certainly a number of other implementation details to work out -- like how to fund health plans for those who cannot otherwise afford them -- but hopefully we will end up with a plan that achieves a natural balance and is sustainable.

Zero tolerance, zero compassion, bad lessons

(Sent to Ken Schlaff, Principal Milpitas High School, June 12, 2009)

Dear Mr Ken Schlaff,

I am yet again disappointed by our educational system, your school, and your role model as a principal. This system insists on sticking to nitpicking "rules" and misses the bigger and more important lessons to be taught and learned.

The case of Shontale Taylor and Milpitas High School is a supremely teachable moment that you are currently mishandling, and badly.

From the Mercury News and hundreds of students, it is evident that Shontale Taylor is being punished because she did the right thing:
http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_12563695
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_12572959
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=6861381

Many times I've seen schools anchor themselves in minutia, hidebound by their "rules", and miss teaching relevance, prioritization, compassion, humanity, and that bigger rights are much more important than trivial wrongs.

Not so in school, instead we teach that sticking to the trivial is right and sticking your neck out to do a bigger good is wrong.

Case in point with an incident during FEMA's response to hurricane Katrina: A team of doctors from Doctor's Without Borders showed up on a tarmac to help a group of people who were dying or injured. A FEMA official blocked them saying they were not FEMA certified doctors so could not help the people who were hurt. (Story from one of my Harvard colleagues from Louisiana).

Our school system continues to teach the same lesson in the case of Shontale Taylor -- better to follow the microrule and let people be hurt then to do the right thing.

Zero tolerance and following every "rule" precisely is not what our school systems should be teaching. It is not the way the world works nor how it should work. There is a much bigger picture here -- it is about doing the bigger right thing -- like being bold enough to break up a fight and make a positive difference -- like working extremely hard to overcome hardship. Those are the qualities that we should reward and not punish. Instead nitpicking small minded bureaucrats yet again focus on the minor and miss the major. I am disappointed but not surprised. Our school systems continue to perpetuate small mindedness instead of focusing on fully educating our students.

Is there anyone who can stop this madness?

I've posted this on my blog at http://timoey.blogspot.com and my other social networks such as Facebook.

Sincerely,
Tim Oey
Sunnyvale, CA

Stevens Creek Trail Inches Forward

The Stevens Creek Trail is inching its way from the San Francisco Bay toward Stevens Creek Reservoir.

On Tuesday April 28, the Sunnyvale City Council removed a ban in the Sunnyvale General Plan that specifically prohibited the Stevens Creek Trail from any creekside alignment within Sunnyvale City limits (the former section 2.2.C.5). While much of the creek that is in Sunnyvale is very unsuited for such a trail, there are some short sections that are quite reasonable. Removing the ban was necessary because it was out of character with what should be in a general plan and it tied Sunnyvale's hands so that it could not participate in some important regional planning efforts.

Currently there is a four city task force (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Cupertino) that is reviewing trail options and coming up with plans on how best to proceed.

For an unofficial map of the current trail along with some speculative possibilities for future routes, please see a map I've drawn in Google Maps.

Please note that while I've tried to make this map as accurate and realistic as possible, this map is speculative and may have numerous errors. It is primarily for discussion and educational purposes. I am currently just a private Sunnyvale citizen and not officially part of any planning efforts.

Enjoy!

The Amazing Mary Ave Bike/Ped Bridge!

The new Sunnyvale-Cupertino bicycle-pedestrian bridge at Mary Avenue is wonderful and beautiful night and day. This is one amazing bridge!




However there are at least 3 issues that need correction to let this masterpiece achieve perfection:

1) The bollards at each end of the bridge are a bit hazardous to bicyclists.
2) The main approach paths to the bridge are a bit narrow leading to more conflict than necessary between bicyclists and pedestrians.
3) The Sunnyvale intersection at Mary and Homestead has a problem because there is no safe and natural way for bicyclists traveling north bound onto Mary to get across this intersection.

#1 & #2 could be solved simply by making the approach paths wider:
The extra width would allow both bicyclists and wheelchair users to go to the right of each bollard in their direction without catching a wheel on the edge of the path in the dirt.

As for #3, the Mary and Homestead intersection in Sunnyvale, I think the easiest solution is to open the gate to allow northbound cyclists to pass through the Homestead High School parking lot and into the right lane heading north on Mary.

Cheers,
Tim

A Better Solution Needed for Diabetic Students in California

A California state judge's ruling on the California Nurse Practice Act determined that only nurses can administer insulin to students in California. I think this act needs to be amended because that does not make practical sense. We do not need professionals to do every slightly dangerous thing for us. Driving a car is far more dangerous yet are we going to require everyone to have a professional chauffeur? Millions of regular people can can administer insulin safely. All that is really needed is to offer some simple training to those who administer insulin. Requiring a nurse for this is overkill.

A Practical President

As demonstrated by his inaugural address, Obama is a practical President. He knew he had to get right down to business and so delivered an inaugural address that got right down to business. In it he gave an overview of his perspective and his top priorities. He again demonstrated a true and steady hand on the tiller, as he did during his campaign, and in his book "The Audacity of Hope."

And in his first full day in office he delivered.

Obama ordered the Guantanamo detention center to close. We all knew it was wrong and finally we have an honest leader who knows this as well. We must honor our own laws and procedures. To do otherwise was hypocritical and reduced our standing in the eyes of the world. In his inaugural address he said:

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake."

Obama also froze the pay of White House staffers (just as a number of commercial companies have), he worked on his economic plan, he called Middle East leaders to get the ball rolling, he put in place an ethics order so that people in government cannot abuse their former connections and power as lobbyists, and he dug in to dealing with our economic crisis with an approach that looks like it will be much more effective at dealing with it than the prior TARP bailout that went awry.

Hallelujah for a President who builds a great team around him works methodically, is ethical, and thinks rationally. Our world now has a much better chance for peace and prosperity with Obama leading the US. Yet as he referenced in his inaugural address, it is going to be a hard climb out of the deep hole that we've dug for ourselves in the past 8 or more years.

Shock and Awe

I was shocked at the history I saw happen in real time when I viewed the World Trade Center towers collapse on 9/11/2001. I hope I, and my descendents, never have to witness such a disaster again.

Thankfully, I am now in awe at the history unfolding in real time as Barack Obama becomes President of the United States -- the day after Martin Luther King Day and 200 years since Abraham Lincoln was born. Barack Obama is poised to be the most positive force for world change in recent memory, perhaps even in the history of our nation. I hope he proves to be an enduring role model that inspires others in the future. In his speeches and his books, he has already left an indelible mark on humankind.


Here are some of the most memorable excerpts from his recent speeches.


Jan. 8, 2008, after losing the New Hampshire primary to Sen. Hillary Clinton

"But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.
Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a president who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can."


July 24, 2008, before an estimated 200,000 people in Berlin during his European tour.

"Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust — not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.
Now the world will watch and remember what we do here — what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?
Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur?
Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?
People of Berlin — people of the world — this is our moment. This is our time."


August 28, 2008, when accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for President on the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

"This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich.
We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong.
Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. Instead, it is that American spirit — that American promise — that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend. That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours — a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream … "We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."


Yes we can. This is our time. We cannot turn back. Go 'bama!

Obama & His Blackberry

I think Obama should keep his Blackberry and use it to stay in touch with friends and family.

If communications on it must be preserved for the Presidential Records Act, all the better, as the personal communications of a President on a day to day basis would be a fascinating history to capture for future generations.

Of course he should use it only for casual correspondence that does include any sensitive information.

Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/politics/08berry.html

"Uncharitable"

Dan Pallotta, a schoolmate and friend of mine, has written a very interesting book called Uncharitable about the challenges of doing "charitable" work, especially when running a for-profit business. Please read an op-ed about it in the New York Times at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/opinion/25kristof.html?th&emc=th

The Shoe That Roared

The war in Iraq cost the US 2 trillion+ dollars and helped cause the current economic crisis (a bad role model of borrowing and spending immense amounts of money).

More Americans lost their lives in Iraq then due to all Al Qaeda terrorist activities combined.

The goodwill the rest of the world had toward the US after 9/11 and prior to the Iraq war reversed itself in disgust as a direct result of the Iraq war.

This one small act of defiance, resonates not just in Iraq but across the world.

Read more in the NY Times at: Iraqi Journalist Hurls Shoes at Bush and Denounces Him on TV as a ‘Dog’

Drew Gilpin Faust

Patty and I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust for lunch today at a Harvard alum gathering in Palo Alto. Drew is the first female president of Harvard. As one would expect from the top Havardian, she is incredibly articulate. But the thing that impressed me most was her groundedness. She is not an ivory tower academic.

In an earlier blog post I lamented the tendency for many to discount people who are well educated, particularly in politics. Well with more great role models like Drew Gilpin Faust and Brack Obama, I have hope that the class of well educated people will restore its good name. Well educated people are necessary for our country's future success.

Some highlights for Drew's speech [with a bit of commentary from me]:

Despite the economic downturn, Harvard will continue to provide generous financial aid to students. If you are qualified and admitted, you do not need to worry about affording a Harvard education. [I experienced this personally as it was less expensive for me to attend Harvard in the 1980's than it was to attend my state school.]

Harvard has some unique opportunities to foster cross disciplinary research between it's many schools. Rather than separate segments, Harvard is establishing networks connecting different disciplines. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Drew is coalescing "one" Harvard rather than letting the multiple "flat bottomed tubs" (schools) continue somewhat independently. [I believe we have reached some practical limits in what many separate disciplines can accomplish on their own. Cross-disciplinary teams are necessary to springboard to the next level.]

Further supporting cross-disciplinarian approaches, one of the challenges we face is figuring out how to better organize our knowledge -- keeping it in separate baskets does not work so well anymore. Harvard will play an important role in translating knowledge into the wider world.

Drew and others also commented on the greening of Harvard, the importance of Global Health, how we fund science appropriately in an era of decreased federal funding, the conundrum of mental health vs prisons, and studying abroad (becoming Global Citizens).

Drew is one impressive lady. I'm very glad she is the new president of Harvard. She is a breath of fresh air. [Speaking of which, you can hear her on her Jan 9th, 2008 "Fresh Air" interview.]

Enjoy!