Jim Blasingame

Business futurist, award-winning author, speaker and columnist

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Miscellaneous

When Cause And Effect Converged With Humanity

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Editor’s Note: Jim wrote the origins of this article and published it in Volume I, Issue 2 of his NEWSLETTER, November 21, 1999. 

This is a story about how cause and effect merged parallel universes and one person made a difference that changed the course of human history.

As the 17th Century dawned on the New World, a manchild was born to the Patuxet tribe. His father named him Tisquantum. They were part of a confederation of tribes known as the Wampanoag (“eastern people”), inhabiting much of what became known as New England.

In time, Tisquantum would become a very important individual to the future of America, but not before his life would change in ways not to be imagined by any 17th-century Earthling. [Continue Reading]

Veteran’s Day: Recognizing And Honoring All Who Served

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Veterans Day in America has its origins in Armistice Day. 

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.”

That 1919 quote by President Wilson commemorated the first anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended WWI “in the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” And then, on November 11, 1938, Congress made “Armistice Day” a federal holiday.

But since that war did not, in fact, end all wars, a decade later, an Emporia, Kansas small business owner named Alvin King had a problem with the narrowness of the Armistice Day definition. It turns out that Al’s nephew, John E. Cooper, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, which motivated him and the Emporia Chamber of Commerce to start a movement to redefine Armistice Day and give it a new name: [Continue Reading]

Are humans going to get help sorting out our problems?

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Last week, we asked this question in our online poll: “Are you concerned about the increasing global instability these days?” We offered the following options, with your response percentages at the end of each:

  • No. These things ebb and flow – we’ll get through this. 8%
  • Yes. Because Middle East politics has now been exported to neighborhoods around the world. 23%
  • Yes. The Biden administration has weakened America’s standing and funded terrorists. 62%
  • No. We’re in the hands of a higher power with a greater plan. 7%

I envy our first group of responders. I wish I could be that philosophical about how things are going around the world.

Of course, we have to aggregate the 85% in the middle of our sample who allowed they’re very concerned. Being part of this cohort, at this point, I’ve moved from thinking about any one or the other areas of danger and base my increasing concerns on just doing math: [Continue Reading]

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