Banana Republic National Song and Dance

...as performed by George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Mentors

To tell the truth, I do not have a lot to say about mentors. Just try to avoid them in my life. Don't like overloading people with my own stuff. But, I myself was a mentor to several people. It is a big responsibility and a big pleasure, when you see that the person you were trying to help succeeds.

MENTORS

 

While Mentors are usually associated with helping advance a career, or artistic endeavor, they can be an extremely valuable asset in just living a persons life.  As each decade passes, life becomes more and more complicated, demanding, stressful, and more intertwined with other persons, and multiple tasks. For a person to have a mentor to guide and advise them, even in their younger years, could  help them avoid certain pitfalls that can hinder them or even force them to alter their choices later in life. At say 18 years old a lot of things sound great, that an older person may have experienced or been through or learned from, that could possibly save them from some future heartache.  In these times, with higher tuition, and more specialized career paths, a person in college needs to make major decisions as to what path to take study wise, so that after graduation they  are prepared to accomplish their goals, whether they be academic, artistic or business wise.  Having a mentor to help guide them would be  a huge benefit when choosing their study plans and goals.

As to going about finding a mentor, I am at a loss.  In the earlier stages of life, I would imagine that a mentor would be someone that would come about through a family connection. Maybe a relative, or a friend or coworker of the parents. Perhaps a youth takes an interest in something that an adult acquaintance is involved in.  Thus sparking a mutual interest in an activity.  Maybe a college student stands out to an instructor, or shows an exceptional talent for a certain endeavor. This talent causing a spark of interest, in the students talents. Or perhaps it is at a future job, where someone shows a real interest in a career, and maybe reminds a senior employee of them at an earlier time.

It seems to show, when a person has a real enjoyment for and love of something.  Whichever scenario occurs, I feel that if someone has a genuine feeling, talent or aptitude for a certain "Thing," it will manifest itself to others, who will want to pass along their experience and knowledge, as a mentor.

National Anthem

The Banana Republic is the best.
We are the country that rules the west.
With our military strong and ready.
Ruled by a government strong and steady

Over other countries we stand high.
We shine bright like a star in the sky.
With the amazonians at our side.
If you want to survive you will abide.

Imports and exports with money made.
Our business might will never fade.
Our treasury full of gold.
Our economy will never fold.

The Game

I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. Our laws still haven't been implemented into actual changes in the game, so it's hard to look into it very far. We're pretty must just funneling ideas and I write them into the book. I think we should start being more aggressive and start actually "playing" the game and nuke some countries. Initially we wanted to be reactive, but with how slow things seem to be moving, we might as well be proactive and see what happens. I think our initial goal was to be more of a benevolent North Korea type state with American morals, but that's proving to be boring. I think it's time to start blowing stuff up. 

Oh, that Game ... again ...:-)

Well, one more time we are supposed to give our reflections on the Game. It is still difficult for me to judge, although now I understand a bit more.:-) Isn't it the great beginning? It could be, only if it were not almost the end.:-)))
Anyway, I enjoyed couple of last sessions a bit more than the previous ones. We all can feel that the tension is growing and we all will soon have the highest point.
I am not tired to repeat how much I like our group! But now I do think we are not aggressive enough. Especially after Odin gave us more detail about the geographic situation of each Nation, I find that the geopolitical situation of The Banana Republic is more than just satisfactory. It should have some more active politics toward others. Maybe it is just my well-hidden aggressiveness that is showing up!:-))) I lack some of this quality in the real life and the Game gives me the possibility to dream about some different Me.
We do use the United States as an example for our "nation construction" and I see no reason to choose any other example. I travelled a lot, I lived in different countries and only the United States  gave the feeling of freedom ...

 

MY SALUTE TO THE BANANA REPUBLIC

 

Just a small number of weeks ago, we were 5 strangers, that joined together to form "The Banana Republic." The  greatest country on the planet, (provided that planet is not Earth, then the top honor goes to The United States.) We have overcome the challenges of not knowing each other, or how each individual feels about the different topics we have to make laws about. One of the factors that is working for us, is the fact that we have a very intelligent core to our group, and some imaginative thinkers who have tackled the tasks assigned to us, and  given an exemplary performance. Perhaps the biggest drawback so far is a reluctance to voice an opinion on controversial subjects, such as abortion or gun control. However after our intelligent debates, we seem to always come to a consensus.  We have chosen a course of above average aggressiveness, but not being overtly evil. We feel that as the "Greatest Country" on the Planet, we should be given deference as to how things work here. Kinda like the big kid on the block, without being too rough on the lessors. To our way of thinking, a fair split would be Banana Republic 60%, someone else 40%.

We basically take a proactive approach to our dealings with others, while still allowing them some prosperity, so they can offer us more the next time we have a trade interaction with them. With that strategy in mind, we should end up on top of the world.

I guess as far as an example of someone we would model after, it would be us.