SWCAMBORNE

Here is an implementation plan for the idea of using the American Idol model for selecting political candidates. I have promoted the American Idol Model for selecting the presidential candidates a couple of times but it is hard to get something this different started on a national scale.  The idea could first be tried in a medium sized city with an active civic community.  The first test would be in the selection process of candidates for Mayor or city council.

The benefits that would accrue to the local politicians would be national attention to a new idea and if it worked more people active in the political process.

The run off events could be filmed and shown on the public access channel so most of the infrastructure already exists.  The events could be things like talking to students, visiting neighborhoods, town hall meetings, entertaining friends and working at the homeless shelter.   There would still be a general election between the finalists.  Now this has a homer ring but Pasadena would be the perfect city to try this idea.  It is a creative city with lots of media savy people and access to production types from the LA film and TV industry.

Thanks to Dave Szamet a brilliant young film maker for this implementation enhancement of the original idea.

In their Bibles the Jews and the Christians are exhorted that when harvesting their crops they should “leave some grain in the corners of the field”  This was so that the poor could glean and survive without begging.  Glean is a somewhat archaic word meaning “to gather (grain or the like) after the reapers or regular gatherers.”  Since most of us are no longer farmers how can we fulfill this biblical injunction today?  I propose that we think of coins we get as change in markets and restaurants as the “grain in the corner of the field” and following the biblical injunction we should leave it where people poorer than us can find it.

• In a fast food restaurant leave the change on the counter.
• When you get change at the post office leave it on the retaining wall outside.
• At the clothing store throw the coins you get as change in the bushes outside the store.
• When there is a tip jar always put at least the coins you get as change in it.

Leaving something for the gleaners is direct charity.  It doesn’t involve middlemen, administrative expenses or thank you notes.  The finder is blessed but not obligated.  According to Maimonides Eight Levels of Charity giving anonymously to an unknown recipient is this the second highest level of charity. By leaving your change you can be charitable everyday.

Other benefits that will accrue to you and society are:

• You will move faster through your day if you are not fussing with change.
• The poor will be slightly less dependent on government programs.
• You will have the nice feeling that comes from having done a good deed.
• Your purse, and your heart will be lighter, saving energy and increasing happiness.

Some math:  100 million people make transactions each day that generate about 30 cents of change.  If half of this were left for the poor it would be $15 million dollars a day.  About 5 billion dollars a year.

Make a change.  Leave your change.  Its the new gleaning.

Resolve to start today and see how it feels.

This is one of my Faith, Hope and Charity series.  Read them all.

Now this is a good idea that is being done well:

http://www.acomplaintfreeworld.org/

I haven’t read the book but I like the concept.  One of their ideas is to work to be complaint free for 25 days.  If you do you can have your name listed on their roster on the web site.  Good idea!

Have the Pac Ten play one weekend against the Big Ten.  But finalize the match-ups the week before.  The top teams would play each other and the bottom two would play each other etc.  It would make for a lot of competitive games and overcome to some extent the problem of making up schedules years in advance.

The postal service is in trouble.  I’ve written about it before. The internet and email have critically wounded their revenue stream.  The USPS will be the Amtrak of our children’s generation.  But they are trying to survive and this photo shows an example of there willingness to experiment:

A mobile post office on a downtown streeet in Los Angeles.  Good Idea!  But it won’t stop the decrease in mail.  Eventually there will be so little volume that even the media and the politicians will notice.  But you will be able to say “I knew that.” because you read it here first.