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The Journals of Doc Surge is the personal blog of Chris Billows. This blog’s purpose is to explore ideas and concepts through the discipline of writing as an exercise to further personal understanding.

Check out more about me, some of my thoughts on Games and Hockey.

Jul 27

A Listing of Political Party Relevancy

July 27, 2008 by Chris Billows in Political Ponderings 0 comments tags: Comprehensive Analysis, Political Opinion
I was cleaning up some of my files and I came across a hierarchy list that I created when I was involved in politics. I was thinking about how political parties range from the perennial governing party such as the Liberal Party of Canada to others who are a party in name only, but actually do not contest any elections. The listing ranges from the practical purpose of governing to the social purpose of providing an outlet for the politically and socially isolated. Government Parties – broad-based coalition parties that form government after every election. (Liberal Party, Conservative Party) Parliamentary Parties – movement or regionally based parties that usually win seats after every election. (New Democratic Party, Reform Party, Bloc Quebecois, Social Credit Party, National Progressive Party) Ideological Parties – fundamental ideological or issue parties that contest elections but rarely win seats. (Green Party, Christian Heritage Party, Communist Party, etc.) Concept Parties – small, idea parties that are somewhat organized but rarely contest elections. (Rainbow Coalition Party, Collective Group Party, Canadian Party for Renewal, etc.) Wilderness Parties – minor parties that are unable to contest elections but try to influence citizens to support their platform. Many of them are established […]
Jul 18

Objectivity is a Myth

July 18, 2008 by Chris Billows in Spirit Speculations 0 comments tags: Comprehensive Analysis, Defining Life
There remains in science and other segments of society (the legal & art critic communities) a conviction that objectivity is a worthwhile goal. We see this in our legal system where entire cases are thrown out because of a smidgen of faulty evidence. We see this in our art system where critics approve or reject artists based on self-aggrandized opinions. Judges and critics are expected to be objective and thus fair. The question then becomes, is it possible to be truly objective? One scientist says that objectivity is a myth. Richard D. Jarrard wrote a eBook called Scientific Methods which elegantly and convincingly argues that objectivity is a myth. Does this mean that we should no longer have judges, lawyers, and critics? No. Jarrard reminds us that we all need to become more aware of our own biases. By being aware and accepting our limited perceptions, we then focus on what is relevant and necessary. The goal is not objectivity so much as to fully disclose and accept that our perceptions of law, art, or life in general is based on uniquely skewed and reinforced experience. Once done, then we move onto making the best judgments and decisions we can, […]
Jul 16

A List of Guidance from the Profound to the Prescriptive

July 16, 2008 by Chris Billows in Mental Mischief 0 comments tags: Comprehensive Analysis, Defining Life, Human Condition
Through my collective experiences from learning about religious values to developing program guidelines, I see the existence of a continuum of guidance. It is as follows: Instinct – the basic guidance system that functions at our biological & survival levels. The rules of the jungle. Intuitive Guidance – how we interact with others through feelings. The rules of emotional and social intelligence. Ethical Guidelines – a critical analysis about how we treat others and what we value. Also known as a Statement of Values which is just a more refined and wordsmithed summary and is typically public shared. The rules of values. Morals & Social Mores – an established set of rules about moral conduct with a clearly defined set of consequences. Tends to be based around religious scripture. The rules of philosophy and religion. Common Law – an evolving set of laws that is enforced by judges who create precedent by their interpration of society’s values. Also known as Case Law. The rules of society. Legislative Law – political forces and individuals who consciously create and enforce law based on a combination of societal and political values. The rules of nation states. Regulatory Law – institutions that further enforce […]
Jul 11

Parenting is a Two Winged Bird of Love and Respect

July 11, 2008 by Chris Billows in Spirit Speculations 0 comments tags: Quotations
I have had disagreements with a few of my friends about parenting styles. It appears that amongst most North Americans there is a practice of friendship development with children. One friend told me that he does not believe in giving an allowance because his kids can come to him anytime for money. Also, he does not want them to work when they are in university because that is time of study and he have time to relax and have fun. He wants to be friends with his kids and wants their lives to be as easy as possible. Another friend I was speaking with has adult children living at home with her and they make her frustrated because of their poor work ethic, their laziness in keeping the house clean, etc. She was reluctant to say something because she was worried about upsetting them. I could not understand this. It appeared she confused respect with love. She could always love them as a parent, but she also should expect them to work to earn her respect. I explained to her that her children as they currently were behaving were not worthy of respect. They must instead learn to respect her, […]
Jul 01

Care About What People Feel, Not About What They Think

July 01, 2008 by Chris Billows in Spirit Speculations 0 comments tags: Defining Life, Quotations
One of the things I remember from my deceased father was his advice to not worry if people do not like you. He emphasized that if somebody should not like you, that was their problem. There was little you could do to make somebody like you if they did not want to. I took this advice to heart. During my school years and even to today, I really don’t concern myself whether people like me or not. I know that it is impossible to control somebody else’s thoughts, so I don’t bother worrying about them. I don’t worry about my reputation and don’t worry about my social standing. It is very liberating. But that does not mean I don’t care about other people. In my job as a Social Worker and in my spiritual life, I believe very strongly that it is important to care about others. The question is what is it we are to care for in others. I would say that we need to care about how they feel, not what they think. I value feeling over thinking, because feeling is much more primal and is better remembered. I have experienced this in both business and in […]
Jun 22

Volunteerism is Free but Should be Spent Wisely

June 22, 2008 by Chris Billows in Business Beller 0 comments tags: Volunteer Sector Criticism
I have been a volunteer on a number of non-profit boards since 1997 and have found that there is an assumption made by paid staff and other volunteer board members that because the time volunteered is free, it is not valuable. This is false and insulting. Like most people, I do not like having my time wasted even if it is freely given. When I have paid work that is either a waste of my time or is overwhelming I can get philosophical and say ‘At least I am getting paid for this’. But when I am placed with tasks that are tedious or overwhelming as a volunteer, I get uptight. The time I spend as a volunteer is both an investment and reward and if I am given volunteer tasks that are unpleasant or unsatisfying, then I am losing whatever reward that I can get from the effort. Managing volunteer time and responsibilities is just as important as managing paid staff time and responsibility, perhaps more so. At the minimum, staff get a financial reward which creates a contractual obligation of their part to get the job done. For volunteers, the journey is the destination. The time they give […]
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