Who among us is well versed concerning the Kyoto Protocol? If you stopped to buy a burger and Jay Leno stuck a microphone through the window of your car and asked “What is the Kyoto Protocol”? What would you say? Would you get a stupid look on your face and shrugging your shoulders say “Uh, I dunno”, or would you look directly into the camera and inform the late night crowd of the particulars?
Hey! It’s about saving the earth, stupid Americans! Geeze, get with it and join the Europeans!
“The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an amendment to the international treaty on climate change, assigning mandatory emission limitations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the signatory nations”.
It’s been ratified by almost every country on earth, except Australia and…gulp…the United States of America! What? Why?
“The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases”.
Ratification is the process of adopting an international treaty, so even though the USA has signed the agreement, it hasn’t adopted, or put it into practice.
Hey! It’s about saving the earth from arrogant and wasteful Americans! Uh, does that mean me and you?
Gee, I wonder why America isn’t playing ball with the U.N. anymore (not really, I know why). Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol would turn us into a third world country. It would basically make the United Nations our Government and I’m going to be one of the first to stand up and say I, as an American, do not want us playing second fiddle to anyone, let alone a council filled with world leaders who hate America
Everything Bill Clinton compromised to the United Nations was nullified by George W. Bush’s insistence of putting America’s interest first. Can you believe our current President would side against progress, just so we American workers can keep our jobs? What about the staving Ukrainians? How about those little people in Namibia who don’t own an X-Box 360?
If we ratify the Kyoto Protocol, you can kiss your 4X4 Diesel 4-door pick-em-up truck goodbye, right along with your lawn mower, bass boat, ATV, RV, etc., etc…if the United Nations through it’s Kyoto Protocol, says so.
We are a leading industrial nation and we do enjoy our automobiles, even if they are polluters. We need to adjust the way we drive and the kind of vehicles we decide to buy, not the United Nations. We have the right to pursue our own happiness without some yahoo from a foreign country dictating what that freedom is.
If you want to help remove greenhouse gasses, plant a tree or a garden. They breathe carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. We breathe oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. It’s a match made in heaven.
I think it’s time folks became aware of a catch phrase, dedicated effort known as Sustainable Growth or Development. “Sustainable development is the process of balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the Natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future”.
In other words, it is the micromanagement of the Earth by well-intentioned folks, who are doing everything it their power to balance human activity for the long haul, even if it means one world government manipulation of the United States of America by foreign leaders – read the United Nations.
Think back to the 1960’s and Planned Parenthood. This is a perfect example of Sustained Growth. We in high school were warned that the earth was becoming over-populated and it was suggested we responsible young people take action to never have children. I remember it well and even questioned my mother about possibly getting a vasectomy.
She was shocked that I would consider this at such an early age and told me very good advice. She said that this is something my future bride and I should decide and not something I should do because I wanted to help the Earth’s population problem.
Over-populating the Earth was the big thing in the news back then and now, it is hardly mentioned by alarmists. The current scare is the environment. Our Sustainable Development of the Earth (read Environment) is “going to hell in a hand basket” and guess who is the real culprit (in the projected Utopian world of the future)? You got it! The United States of America and George W. Bush in particular, plus Dick Cheney – the evil meanie!
We should be responsible users of our planet, but everything must be done at a pace that keeps America first and that my friends, is the bottom line when it comes to aligning ourselves with the Kyoto Protocol and Sustainable Development.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
America’s New “C” Word
America’s New “C” Word
I guess the first time I remember hearing about a word by it’s first letter, was in the 1960’s and it was the infamous “F” word. The next instance became what is commonly referred to as the “N” word, which of course needs no explanation. I’m told a very large no-no is the sexually degrading “C” word, which one fellow told me got him struck on the head with a frying pan, for angrily saying it to his wife. He told me “Do not ever call your wife that word” and I can honestly say, I haven’t.
Now another C word is getting diabolical status and I’m going to call it “the new C word”. This C stands for crime, but not in the sense we are used to. The new “C” word is launched as a call for action by legal authorities anytime someone uses a microphone. It’s ultimately a form of censorship.
What has happened to America? Someone says something on the radio, TV, in a stand-up comedy club, into a hidden microphone somewhere, or even to their own child on a telephone answering machine and someone somewhere wants to have them charged with a crime. Crime? Criminy!
Self-proclaimed civil liberty advocates, Internet Bloggers, Hollywood celebrities and talk show hosts suddenly start using the new “C” word by phrase. “They ought to be charged with a Crime”! Hollywood Superstar and Saturday Night Live darling Alec Baldwin goes into an outrage on a private telephone line and curses his own child and guess what? “He ought to be charged with a crime”!
Alec must have been raised like the majority of us Americans…but to hear it, he is a monster! When I was a kid, talk like that happened fairly often (and I was the one listening) and it always ended with the belt. Geeze, Louise, I grew up fairly normal with no lasting mental scars. To hear Alec’s detractors, he should be horse-whipped and denied visitation rights. Hooey!
Radio personality, political satirist, current events commentator and part time mumbling shock-jock Don Imus blurts out that a tattooed women’s basketball team look like “nappy-headed hos” and by jiminy, he is all but strung up by his nappy head. Never mind that he was joking and if anyone has ever listed to Imus in the Morning, it’s readily evident the man blabs stupid stuff almost from the time the show starts till it finishes.
I guess this part of his bio didn’t really interest all those folks who called for his head: In 1999, Imus and his wife founded the Imus Ranch. The Imus Ranch is a charitable organization for children with cancer, as well as siblings of SIDS victims.
”Imus helped raise over $6 million toward the Center for the Intrepid, a Texas rehabilitation facility for soldiers wounded in the war in Iraq. Considered to be the largest technological center of its kind in the country, it is designed to help treat disabled veterans and help them with their transition back into the community. More recently, Imus took on the cause of the living conditions at the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center”. Quoted from Wikipedia
Rosie O’Donnell can call the President of the United States an “idiot”, which as far as I remember is a level of mental retardation and no one bats an eye. Never mind that thousands of soldiers, Marines, Sailors, airmen, Coasties and millions of civil servants take orders from him. Rosie openly infers George W. Bush is complicit in the 9-11 terrorist attack. Rosie told the whole world a few years ago, “…if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison”, thereby calling for gun ownership to be a crime. Never mind the US Constitution gives you the right to bear arms. But, of course, Rosie O’Donnell is a comedian, so it’s okay.
Senator John McCain, the maverick Republican and Vietnam War hero, basically says what he wants, when he wants and although he is a straightforward all-American, the ACLU folks are waiting with baited breath to label his remarks as criminal and irresponsible. I’ve taken a real interest in John McCain and read five of his books. He’s as golden as the day is long, but in my opinion, he will not be elected. He’s just not dishonest enough to carefully sanitize his speech. He doesn’t sugarcoat his words, so the Pablum-demanding leftists will kill him on radio, TV, the Blogs and the elections.
Never mind he loves America and endured five years as a POW in the god-forsaken Hanoi Hilton. He will be made to “look the fool”, just like his fellow prisoner Admiral James Stockdale was, when he was Ross Perot’s running partner.
I haven’t even mentioned freedom of speech in this column, because that term has long been distorted and misrepresented and nowadays, folks no longer are sure what it even means. It has become more important to say the right thing, not offending anyone, leaving out all the “letter” words and if, just if, a political candidate, someone with a lot of money, or, shoot-fire, a microphone, says anything that can even remotely offend 3 people out of a million…throw them in jail and charge them with the “C” word!
America, America…where have you gone?
I guess the first time I remember hearing about a word by it’s first letter, was in the 1960’s and it was the infamous “F” word. The next instance became what is commonly referred to as the “N” word, which of course needs no explanation. I’m told a very large no-no is the sexually degrading “C” word, which one fellow told me got him struck on the head with a frying pan, for angrily saying it to his wife. He told me “Do not ever call your wife that word” and I can honestly say, I haven’t.
Now another C word is getting diabolical status and I’m going to call it “the new C word”. This C stands for crime, but not in the sense we are used to. The new “C” word is launched as a call for action by legal authorities anytime someone uses a microphone. It’s ultimately a form of censorship.
What has happened to America? Someone says something on the radio, TV, in a stand-up comedy club, into a hidden microphone somewhere, or even to their own child on a telephone answering machine and someone somewhere wants to have them charged with a crime. Crime? Criminy!
Self-proclaimed civil liberty advocates, Internet Bloggers, Hollywood celebrities and talk show hosts suddenly start using the new “C” word by phrase. “They ought to be charged with a Crime”! Hollywood Superstar and Saturday Night Live darling Alec Baldwin goes into an outrage on a private telephone line and curses his own child and guess what? “He ought to be charged with a crime”!
Alec must have been raised like the majority of us Americans…but to hear it, he is a monster! When I was a kid, talk like that happened fairly often (and I was the one listening) and it always ended with the belt. Geeze, Louise, I grew up fairly normal with no lasting mental scars. To hear Alec’s detractors, he should be horse-whipped and denied visitation rights. Hooey!
Radio personality, political satirist, current events commentator and part time mumbling shock-jock Don Imus blurts out that a tattooed women’s basketball team look like “nappy-headed hos” and by jiminy, he is all but strung up by his nappy head. Never mind that he was joking and if anyone has ever listed to Imus in the Morning, it’s readily evident the man blabs stupid stuff almost from the time the show starts till it finishes.
I guess this part of his bio didn’t really interest all those folks who called for his head: In 1999, Imus and his wife founded the Imus Ranch. The Imus Ranch is a charitable organization for children with cancer, as well as siblings of SIDS victims.
”Imus helped raise over $6 million toward the Center for the Intrepid, a Texas rehabilitation facility for soldiers wounded in the war in Iraq. Considered to be the largest technological center of its kind in the country, it is designed to help treat disabled veterans and help them with their transition back into the community. More recently, Imus took on the cause of the living conditions at the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center”. Quoted from Wikipedia
Rosie O’Donnell can call the President of the United States an “idiot”, which as far as I remember is a level of mental retardation and no one bats an eye. Never mind that thousands of soldiers, Marines, Sailors, airmen, Coasties and millions of civil servants take orders from him. Rosie openly infers George W. Bush is complicit in the 9-11 terrorist attack. Rosie told the whole world a few years ago, “…if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison”, thereby calling for gun ownership to be a crime. Never mind the US Constitution gives you the right to bear arms. But, of course, Rosie O’Donnell is a comedian, so it’s okay.
Senator John McCain, the maverick Republican and Vietnam War hero, basically says what he wants, when he wants and although he is a straightforward all-American, the ACLU folks are waiting with baited breath to label his remarks as criminal and irresponsible. I’ve taken a real interest in John McCain and read five of his books. He’s as golden as the day is long, but in my opinion, he will not be elected. He’s just not dishonest enough to carefully sanitize his speech. He doesn’t sugarcoat his words, so the Pablum-demanding leftists will kill him on radio, TV, the Blogs and the elections.
Never mind he loves America and endured five years as a POW in the god-forsaken Hanoi Hilton. He will be made to “look the fool”, just like his fellow prisoner Admiral James Stockdale was, when he was Ross Perot’s running partner.
I haven’t even mentioned freedom of speech in this column, because that term has long been distorted and misrepresented and nowadays, folks no longer are sure what it even means. It has become more important to say the right thing, not offending anyone, leaving out all the “letter” words and if, just if, a political candidate, someone with a lot of money, or, shoot-fire, a microphone, says anything that can even remotely offend 3 people out of a million…throw them in jail and charge them with the “C” word!
America, America…where have you gone?
Friday, April 27, 2007
How to Read Big Fat Books
Why do some people devour books like they are made of bacon and others avoid them as they would the Ebola virus? Is it a genetic predisposition that determines a person’s appetite for books? Why do some of us always have one, two or even three books working at the same time, but others never pick up a book, unless it is to dust?
How can anyone find time to read a whole book, let alone at 10 pound hardback tome in this day and age? How can I, the non-book reader, develop enough interest to read a (gasp) whole book?
Regardless of what you’ve heard, reading books is initially a discipline which requires patience and a certain amount of stubborn determination. Most books do not grab your attention on page one, or even page 30. For veteran readers, the discipline part comes in wading 150 pages into a book before it ignites your interest and then wishing it went on another 500. For new readers, the book has to start with a bang.
Few people start off reading something like, oh; The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but The Hobbit would be a good starter book. Start with something easy and work your way into larger volumes.
Most books I read, I read because I want to learn about a certain topic, or event, not because the subject is fun and I discipline myself to go all 600 pages and come out the other end, knowing something more than I did when I started. It's like lifting weights or jogging. The runners high folks talk about doesn’t kick in for the first 5 miles, but after it does, the exercise is almost easy.
Each time I finish a book, another piece of life’s puzzle is solved. I rarely read a book that I don’t benefit from something in its pages and many times, the books I read become marked-up for future reference. This is why I buy books instead of borrowing them and have all but stopped going to the public library.
If you are a adventurous, may I suggest one of the many Louis L’Amour westerns for something easy and guaranteed to hold your interest? I still remember the opening line of the book Utah Blaine by LL, even though I read it about 20 years ago. “He was asleep and then he was awake”! A man on the run and gun-slingers creeping up on his position! LL wrote hundreds of books and I guess I’ve read every one, starting with “Matagorda”, which my brother TJ Bustem loaned me, even after I told him I wasn’t interested in “Westerns”. About a hundred LL books later, I became an expert on slapping gun-leather, riding Broncs, and shooting it out with bad men trying to take my land and cattle.
My son, like so many athletes, was intensely interested in sports, so early on, I paid for subscriptions to Sports Illustrated. It was an investment in his reading future and if you’ve read his Iraq journal, you’ve noticed all that reading has paid off, as he now loves writing.
If you believe you don’t have time to read, you may be right, but I would be willing to wager (if I was a gambler, which I’m not) that you do have time. Trade TV time for book time, keep a book in your glove compartment to devour when stuck in traffic, keep a good book on your nightstand and close your day reading. You will be surprised how quickly the days go by and suddenly – you’ve finished the book!
I can not speak for the ladies, but if your son or hubby likes hunting or fishing, there are thousands of books available which would make excellent gifts. Here’s another fact, men like adventure and military tales. They like sports hero biographies. They can live vicariously through these tales and it is a vacation of the mind which no movie can replicate.
If you don’t read and wish to begin, go to the public library and talk to the good folks who work there. Tell them you want to begin, but don’t know where to start and they will find something that guarantees your success. Start your own personal library by buying your books instead of borrowing them and as you finish them, loan them out to spread your new found wealth. It doesn’t get any better than that folks.
I’ll finish this column with a quote from Louis L’Amour himself: “Knowledge is like money: to be of value it must circulate, and in circulating it can increase in quantity and, hopefully, in value”.
How can anyone find time to read a whole book, let alone at 10 pound hardback tome in this day and age? How can I, the non-book reader, develop enough interest to read a (gasp) whole book?
Regardless of what you’ve heard, reading books is initially a discipline which requires patience and a certain amount of stubborn determination. Most books do not grab your attention on page one, or even page 30. For veteran readers, the discipline part comes in wading 150 pages into a book before it ignites your interest and then wishing it went on another 500. For new readers, the book has to start with a bang.
Few people start off reading something like, oh; The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but The Hobbit would be a good starter book. Start with something easy and work your way into larger volumes.
Most books I read, I read because I want to learn about a certain topic, or event, not because the subject is fun and I discipline myself to go all 600 pages and come out the other end, knowing something more than I did when I started. It's like lifting weights or jogging. The runners high folks talk about doesn’t kick in for the first 5 miles, but after it does, the exercise is almost easy.
Each time I finish a book, another piece of life’s puzzle is solved. I rarely read a book that I don’t benefit from something in its pages and many times, the books I read become marked-up for future reference. This is why I buy books instead of borrowing them and have all but stopped going to the public library.
If you are a adventurous, may I suggest one of the many Louis L’Amour westerns for something easy and guaranteed to hold your interest? I still remember the opening line of the book Utah Blaine by LL, even though I read it about 20 years ago. “He was asleep and then he was awake”! A man on the run and gun-slingers creeping up on his position! LL wrote hundreds of books and I guess I’ve read every one, starting with “Matagorda”, which my brother TJ Bustem loaned me, even after I told him I wasn’t interested in “Westerns”. About a hundred LL books later, I became an expert on slapping gun-leather, riding Broncs, and shooting it out with bad men trying to take my land and cattle.
My son, like so many athletes, was intensely interested in sports, so early on, I paid for subscriptions to Sports Illustrated. It was an investment in his reading future and if you’ve read his Iraq journal, you’ve noticed all that reading has paid off, as he now loves writing.
If you believe you don’t have time to read, you may be right, but I would be willing to wager (if I was a gambler, which I’m not) that you do have time. Trade TV time for book time, keep a book in your glove compartment to devour when stuck in traffic, keep a good book on your nightstand and close your day reading. You will be surprised how quickly the days go by and suddenly – you’ve finished the book!
I can not speak for the ladies, but if your son or hubby likes hunting or fishing, there are thousands of books available which would make excellent gifts. Here’s another fact, men like adventure and military tales. They like sports hero biographies. They can live vicariously through these tales and it is a vacation of the mind which no movie can replicate.
If you don’t read and wish to begin, go to the public library and talk to the good folks who work there. Tell them you want to begin, but don’t know where to start and they will find something that guarantees your success. Start your own personal library by buying your books instead of borrowing them and as you finish them, loan them out to spread your new found wealth. It doesn’t get any better than that folks.
I’ll finish this column with a quote from Louis L’Amour himself: “Knowledge is like money: to be of value it must circulate, and in circulating it can increase in quantity and, hopefully, in value”.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Barge Terminal on Cedar Bayou
I took two panoramic photos on Cedar Bayou from atop the Spur 55 Bridge and one from the Roseland Park bulkhead. On the right side of the bayou (in photo one and two) is an inlet where a barge terminal is projected to be built. On the left side is Roseland Park. Some folks feel the terminal will destroy the aesthetic beauty of the bayou. I personally think it won't, especially when the opposite bank is viewed from the Park (photo 3).
http://baytownbert.us/images5/
This bayou once had extensive barge traffic on it from the many brick factories on its shores. I would like to see expanded, environmentally stable commerce again, which pumped tax dollars and jobs into the economy. Of course, the ecosystem would have to be closely monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and watchdog groups to insure bayou safety.
What citizens need to see from the developers of Richardson WaterRail terminal is an aerial view, plus a CGI (computer graphics interface) view of what the terminal will look like from the angles my panoramic views show and the one from Roseland Park. Only then can we make an accurate conclusion and only then can we say for sure if it is acceptable.
Anything short of this is pure assumption that the terminal will spoil the view and pollute the bayou on everyone’s part, especially those who feel so strongly on this subject.
Some concerned citizens are firmly convinced that a terminal will open up the bayou for a giant container lay-down yard and giant barges. I haven’t read anything about a container storage yard or bringing in giant barges the likes of which are on the Houston Ship Channel and the lower San Jacinto River, but if that is the plan, I am against it.
Here is some food for thought about a past commerce/environment battle:
Back in 1969 ARCO discovered the largest reserve of oil in North America at Prudhoe Bay. It would make the USA much less dependant on foreign oil and based on the probability that drilling would be permitted, ARCO and other companies began assembling millions of dollars worth of equipment. They maintained this stalled equipment for many years at great financial loss, while folks bolstered opposition.
At the time a 42 gallon barrel of oil was $3 on the world market. Environmentalists and Native Americans came out against the project, stalling it for years because it would be SO bad for the environment (turned out to have no effect). Prior to this objection, folks welcomed the expanding jobs and the commerce it brought.
When OPEC decided to cut off oil exports to the USA in the 70's (causing the gas shortage), Congress okayed the ARCO pipeline within 2 weeks and the project was eventually completed. All in all, the resistance to the pipeline and over-concern about the environment stalled the whole process about 10 years and made us more dependent on foreign oil than ever before. Oil jumped from $3 a bbl to $11 a bbl and made the Arabs and Hugo Chavez even richer.
Robert O. Anderson, the CEO of ARCO wrote in his memoirs that the majority of objection was strictly politically motivated and had little to do with the environment. If those of us with an economic vision are going to be held as unpatriotic citizens, then we better be sure that hindering commercial progress is as bad as its being made out to be, before we start resisting it and the jobs it will bring to this old oil-blue collar town.
Since this time, EPA guidelines and environmental awareness has limited, excluded, hindered and downright squashed development in so many areas that it is downright impossible for investors to get anything other than apartments and storage building built in this country…and everyone complains about outsourcing and jobs going overseas.
Every navigational waterway in every part of the world is eventually developed by commerce. The key here is balancing aesthetics with function and in my opinion, before everyone gets up in arms about this new development destroying the bayou; let’s see what cards the Design Company is holding.
Attorney Alison Haynes was quoted by Jessica Robertson as saying “For each barge pushed through our barge docks, you’re taking between 58 and 75 trucks off the road. That is significant in diesel emissions. By reducing the tractor trailer traffic from any of the Ports of Houston into Cedar Crossing, you are reducing the citizenry exposure to dangerous levels of carcinogens.” Jessica Robertson also reported “After discussions with city management, design plans have been changed to include a buffer of hearty vegetation around all sides of the property, Haynes said, although an L-shaped buffer was initially proposed”.
We can’t have oil cakes and without eating some of it too, folks.
http://baytownbert.us/images5/
This bayou once had extensive barge traffic on it from the many brick factories on its shores. I would like to see expanded, environmentally stable commerce again, which pumped tax dollars and jobs into the economy. Of course, the ecosystem would have to be closely monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and watchdog groups to insure bayou safety.
What citizens need to see from the developers of Richardson WaterRail terminal is an aerial view, plus a CGI (computer graphics interface) view of what the terminal will look like from the angles my panoramic views show and the one from Roseland Park. Only then can we make an accurate conclusion and only then can we say for sure if it is acceptable.
Anything short of this is pure assumption that the terminal will spoil the view and pollute the bayou on everyone’s part, especially those who feel so strongly on this subject.
Some concerned citizens are firmly convinced that a terminal will open up the bayou for a giant container lay-down yard and giant barges. I haven’t read anything about a container storage yard or bringing in giant barges the likes of which are on the Houston Ship Channel and the lower San Jacinto River, but if that is the plan, I am against it.
Here is some food for thought about a past commerce/environment battle:
Back in 1969 ARCO discovered the largest reserve of oil in North America at Prudhoe Bay. It would make the USA much less dependant on foreign oil and based on the probability that drilling would be permitted, ARCO and other companies began assembling millions of dollars worth of equipment. They maintained this stalled equipment for many years at great financial loss, while folks bolstered opposition.
At the time a 42 gallon barrel of oil was $3 on the world market. Environmentalists and Native Americans came out against the project, stalling it for years because it would be SO bad for the environment (turned out to have no effect). Prior to this objection, folks welcomed the expanding jobs and the commerce it brought.
When OPEC decided to cut off oil exports to the USA in the 70's (causing the gas shortage), Congress okayed the ARCO pipeline within 2 weeks and the project was eventually completed. All in all, the resistance to the pipeline and over-concern about the environment stalled the whole process about 10 years and made us more dependent on foreign oil than ever before. Oil jumped from $3 a bbl to $11 a bbl and made the Arabs and Hugo Chavez even richer.
Robert O. Anderson, the CEO of ARCO wrote in his memoirs that the majority of objection was strictly politically motivated and had little to do with the environment. If those of us with an economic vision are going to be held as unpatriotic citizens, then we better be sure that hindering commercial progress is as bad as its being made out to be, before we start resisting it and the jobs it will bring to this old oil-blue collar town.
Since this time, EPA guidelines and environmental awareness has limited, excluded, hindered and downright squashed development in so many areas that it is downright impossible for investors to get anything other than apartments and storage building built in this country…and everyone complains about outsourcing and jobs going overseas.
Every navigational waterway in every part of the world is eventually developed by commerce. The key here is balancing aesthetics with function and in my opinion, before everyone gets up in arms about this new development destroying the bayou; let’s see what cards the Design Company is holding.
Attorney Alison Haynes was quoted by Jessica Robertson as saying “For each barge pushed through our barge docks, you’re taking between 58 and 75 trucks off the road. That is significant in diesel emissions. By reducing the tractor trailer traffic from any of the Ports of Houston into Cedar Crossing, you are reducing the citizenry exposure to dangerous levels of carcinogens.” Jessica Robertson also reported “After discussions with city management, design plans have been changed to include a buffer of hearty vegetation around all sides of the property, Haynes said, although an L-shaped buffer was initially proposed”.
We can’t have oil cakes and without eating some of it too, folks.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Survival Guide for Baytown
Survival Guide for Baytown (or any city)
Once sleepy Baytown now has a daytime population of over 125,000 people. We are no longer a small town and it’s time to recognize we, as long time residents, are living in a community that routinely experiences big city type crimes. Our police force is growing and hope is on the way. In the meantime, we can do things to hinder crime.
The city of Baytown has a website located here: http://www.baytown.org/ and each day about 7am, they post the crime report in the police section. The last seven days reports are available and I would like to see this archived, so the general public can be better informed.
Since Baytown is conveniently located off two major highways, it appears criminals come into town to “shop”. Professional criminal men and women prey on our city, so do not assume it is “only some kids” committing crime. I refer to these vermin of society as professional, not because they are experts, but because they steal, rob and commit crime routinely. It’s their job. It’s what they do. They view the good working men and women with total contempt and dismiss us as nothing more than some “thing” to plunder.
Armed robberies, purse snatching, auto burglaries and outright auto theft have become the norm in this city. Counterfeit currency is passed on a regular basis. Dangerous and illegal drugs are rampant and many times the very people who traffic in “dope” are driving our streets and based on the police report, using the very drugs they are selling. In the past week, I’ve had to pull to the far right of the street 4 times to let one of these 2-lane drivers go past. It defies logic that people can be such bad drivers. When I see drivers exhibiting odd behavior, I suspect they are doped, drunk or yakking on their cell phones.
Registered sex offenders abound and live in our neighborhoods. You should know exactly where they live. http://www.familywatchdog.us/
Baytown has a high rate of hit and run car accidents, sometimes four in one 24 hour period. I suspect drivers do not have insurance, so they drive off, but I can’t confirm that. What I can figure out, is the need to carry paper and pencil in your car or truck and the second you experience an auto accident, you immediately attempt to get the license number of the offending vehicle. Do not automatically assume the driver will render insurance and personal information. Use your cell phone to get a picture of the person and the car. If they drive off, call 911 and just pray you are not on a county road, so local police will respond.
I picked the last week at random and gathered this information from the police report: Assaults – 22, Auto-related thefts – 33, Shots fired – 14, Thefts, armed robberies and burglaries – 52, Forgeries – 4 and homicide -1. This is an average report, except for the homicide. I did not include the hit and run accidents and aside from the homicide, the crime that alarms me most is the armed robbery category. Armed robbery is a violent crime and numerous times in the last few months I’ve read where 4 to 6 men have violently beaten and taken money from whole families. They break down the door of your home or apartment and rob you.
I’ve noticed a trend in the report concerning purse-snatching while ladies shop. I hate to stress the obvious, but ladies, do not leave your purse unattended while shopping, or it might disappear along with your credit cards, keys and identity.
When you park your vehicle while shopping or going into your home, lock it and make darn sure you have nothing of value clearly visible. It amazes me how many people leave a lap-top computer in their cars for thieves to steal, purses too. Thieves don’t need an excuse to steal, but there’s no sense making your vehicle irresistible.
Ask a friend to observe you from a criminal’s point of view. Are you unintentionally making yourself into a choice target? Is there a behavior change you can make that will give you more protection? Many criminally minded people are not stupid, just dishonest. They watch for targets of opportunity, and then they go shopping. They can sense vulnerabilities and are drawn to potential targets as easy money. The opposite is true also and if you take precautions to make yourself undesirable as a victim, they can sense this also.
Take a stroll around your place of residence. Are the shrubs hiding the view through the windows? Would a motion sensor or mercury vapor light make your house less desirable to an intruder? Is it pitch-black around your house at night? Do you habitually leave your garage door open or unlocked?
Do you leave your keys in your car while you run into the store to grab a quick something? Do you always lock your car at night or while shopping? Are there desirable items clearly visible in your car, like CD’s, computers, purses, etc.? If we can’t stop them, let’s at least make it difficult…
Once sleepy Baytown now has a daytime population of over 125,000 people. We are no longer a small town and it’s time to recognize we, as long time residents, are living in a community that routinely experiences big city type crimes. Our police force is growing and hope is on the way. In the meantime, we can do things to hinder crime.
The city of Baytown has a website located here: http://www.baytown.org/ and each day about 7am, they post the crime report in the police section. The last seven days reports are available and I would like to see this archived, so the general public can be better informed.
Since Baytown is conveniently located off two major highways, it appears criminals come into town to “shop”. Professional criminal men and women prey on our city, so do not assume it is “only some kids” committing crime. I refer to these vermin of society as professional, not because they are experts, but because they steal, rob and commit crime routinely. It’s their job. It’s what they do. They view the good working men and women with total contempt and dismiss us as nothing more than some “thing” to plunder.
Armed robberies, purse snatching, auto burglaries and outright auto theft have become the norm in this city. Counterfeit currency is passed on a regular basis. Dangerous and illegal drugs are rampant and many times the very people who traffic in “dope” are driving our streets and based on the police report, using the very drugs they are selling. In the past week, I’ve had to pull to the far right of the street 4 times to let one of these 2-lane drivers go past. It defies logic that people can be such bad drivers. When I see drivers exhibiting odd behavior, I suspect they are doped, drunk or yakking on their cell phones.
Registered sex offenders abound and live in our neighborhoods. You should know exactly where they live. http://www.familywatchdog.us/
Baytown has a high rate of hit and run car accidents, sometimes four in one 24 hour period. I suspect drivers do not have insurance, so they drive off, but I can’t confirm that. What I can figure out, is the need to carry paper and pencil in your car or truck and the second you experience an auto accident, you immediately attempt to get the license number of the offending vehicle. Do not automatically assume the driver will render insurance and personal information. Use your cell phone to get a picture of the person and the car. If they drive off, call 911 and just pray you are not on a county road, so local police will respond.
I picked the last week at random and gathered this information from the police report: Assaults – 22, Auto-related thefts – 33, Shots fired – 14, Thefts, armed robberies and burglaries – 52, Forgeries – 4 and homicide -1. This is an average report, except for the homicide. I did not include the hit and run accidents and aside from the homicide, the crime that alarms me most is the armed robbery category. Armed robbery is a violent crime and numerous times in the last few months I’ve read where 4 to 6 men have violently beaten and taken money from whole families. They break down the door of your home or apartment and rob you.
I’ve noticed a trend in the report concerning purse-snatching while ladies shop. I hate to stress the obvious, but ladies, do not leave your purse unattended while shopping, or it might disappear along with your credit cards, keys and identity.
When you park your vehicle while shopping or going into your home, lock it and make darn sure you have nothing of value clearly visible. It amazes me how many people leave a lap-top computer in their cars for thieves to steal, purses too. Thieves don’t need an excuse to steal, but there’s no sense making your vehicle irresistible.
Ask a friend to observe you from a criminal’s point of view. Are you unintentionally making yourself into a choice target? Is there a behavior change you can make that will give you more protection? Many criminally minded people are not stupid, just dishonest. They watch for targets of opportunity, and then they go shopping. They can sense vulnerabilities and are drawn to potential targets as easy money. The opposite is true also and if you take precautions to make yourself undesirable as a victim, they can sense this also.
Take a stroll around your place of residence. Are the shrubs hiding the view through the windows? Would a motion sensor or mercury vapor light make your house less desirable to an intruder? Is it pitch-black around your house at night? Do you habitually leave your garage door open or unlocked?
Do you leave your keys in your car while you run into the store to grab a quick something? Do you always lock your car at night or while shopping? Are there desirable items clearly visible in your car, like CD’s, computers, purses, etc.? If we can’t stop them, let’s at least make it difficult…
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Color me Mellow Jello!
Mellow: laid-back: unhurried and relaxed; "a mellow conversation".
But isn’t mellowing just another word for over-ripening? I wonder if I am mellowing-out (as we used to say in the 70’s), but of course we were referring to a state of mind, not body AND mind.
In June I’ll reach the decidedly ripened age of fifty-five. What used to be the “speed limit” and just to be real, de facto old age. An old dude, or an old codger - you decide. Hopefully NOT a dirty old man, but still able to spark, if the need arises.
Of course, I’ll be expected to go to bed at 7pm and get up at 3am (which I have been working on for some time) and wander around the grocery store with my bride of 30 years, pushing the cart/walker for her fragile self.
I’ll sharpen my pharmaceutical vocabulary so I can sound informed when us “geezers” discuss our meds. I’ll learn to selectively shop at all the local grocery stores, so my lady and I can stock up on the deals (she won’t join me in Geezerville for another seven years, so I’ll also be guilty of cavorting with a younger woman).
Determining which supplements will give me that extra boost of fiber will be on my priority list and the delightful details when “everything comes out all right” won’t go untold, when my fellow cronies and I hobnob. I’m told this last item is a major topic of interest!
I might start wobbling around like a bowl of Jello, acting like I’m unsure of my footing. I’ll occasionally ask my lady to drive and I’ll ride in the passenger seat. Fifty-five is looking better by the minute!
Mellow: become more relaxed, easygoing, or genial; "With age, he mellowed".
I’ll buy a pair of Hush Puppy shoes! Maybe two pair and black socks to go with my Madras-colored shorts and some Jump Suits! I might take to wearing my old company hard hat while I’m mowing the yard, or fishing, yes, I might take up fishing on “the lake”, the fabled lake that retired and elderly people fish on when they retire. Ah, I can see its bass-laden reflection now…
There’s an upside to all of this to be sure. I can wear socks and sandals out in public, Bermuda shorts in winter, address 40 year old ladies, as young ladies and talk loud at gatherings…all of it beyond criticism and scrutiny.
I think I’ll grow a beard, so I can quit worrying about nose and ear hair. It’ll just grow on out into the main stream and I won’t even care. I might start greasing my hair and combing it straight back AND get me one of those golfing hats, the ones that are flat in the front and have a snap.
Mellow: Used to describe a wine, usually mature, that is soft yet balanced.
I’ll pat little kids on the head when I see them and maybe even let a toddler pull my beard a time or two. I’ll be pleasant to be around, but I might have an odor, due to the extra fiber, who knows? I’ll have to do more research in that area.
I’ll carry small value coins and candy and stuff to give the niece’s and nephew’s kiddos when I see them, more to cause consternation, than reward, as all kiddos these days see coins and candy as a poor substitute for green spending money…especially green spending money with the numbers 50 and 100 on them. It’ll be my little joke.
I’ll develop a loud cough to gain sympathy at family gatherings. It’s a sure winner. I’ll wear suspenders and a belt and “forget” to wear a watch, so I can constantly ask people what time it is and then remark that I’ll have to check my schedule. I’ll carry a large bandana and whip it out so it cracks like a bullwhip and claim I killed another flying insect. I’ll say something like “that’s thirty-four today alone” and then look around shaking my head in secret satisfaction.
Mellow: A soft combination of flavors.
I’ll be mellow all right, with no meanness, or malice. Folks will remark that Ol’ Baytown Bert has finally mellowed and all because he hit the ripened and seasoned age of fifty-five. Life will be good…
But isn’t mellowing just another word for over-ripening? I wonder if I am mellowing-out (as we used to say in the 70’s), but of course we were referring to a state of mind, not body AND mind.
In June I’ll reach the decidedly ripened age of fifty-five. What used to be the “speed limit” and just to be real, de facto old age. An old dude, or an old codger - you decide. Hopefully NOT a dirty old man, but still able to spark, if the need arises.
Of course, I’ll be expected to go to bed at 7pm and get up at 3am (which I have been working on for some time) and wander around the grocery store with my bride of 30 years, pushing the cart/walker for her fragile self.
I’ll sharpen my pharmaceutical vocabulary so I can sound informed when us “geezers” discuss our meds. I’ll learn to selectively shop at all the local grocery stores, so my lady and I can stock up on the deals (she won’t join me in Geezerville for another seven years, so I’ll also be guilty of cavorting with a younger woman).
Determining which supplements will give me that extra boost of fiber will be on my priority list and the delightful details when “everything comes out all right” won’t go untold, when my fellow cronies and I hobnob. I’m told this last item is a major topic of interest!
I might start wobbling around like a bowl of Jello, acting like I’m unsure of my footing. I’ll occasionally ask my lady to drive and I’ll ride in the passenger seat. Fifty-five is looking better by the minute!
Mellow: become more relaxed, easygoing, or genial; "With age, he mellowed".
I’ll buy a pair of Hush Puppy shoes! Maybe two pair and black socks to go with my Madras-colored shorts and some Jump Suits! I might take to wearing my old company hard hat while I’m mowing the yard, or fishing, yes, I might take up fishing on “the lake”, the fabled lake that retired and elderly people fish on when they retire. Ah, I can see its bass-laden reflection now…
There’s an upside to all of this to be sure. I can wear socks and sandals out in public, Bermuda shorts in winter, address 40 year old ladies, as young ladies and talk loud at gatherings…all of it beyond criticism and scrutiny.
I think I’ll grow a beard, so I can quit worrying about nose and ear hair. It’ll just grow on out into the main stream and I won’t even care. I might start greasing my hair and combing it straight back AND get me one of those golfing hats, the ones that are flat in the front and have a snap.
Mellow: Used to describe a wine, usually mature, that is soft yet balanced.
I’ll pat little kids on the head when I see them and maybe even let a toddler pull my beard a time or two. I’ll be pleasant to be around, but I might have an odor, due to the extra fiber, who knows? I’ll have to do more research in that area.
I’ll carry small value coins and candy and stuff to give the niece’s and nephew’s kiddos when I see them, more to cause consternation, than reward, as all kiddos these days see coins and candy as a poor substitute for green spending money…especially green spending money with the numbers 50 and 100 on them. It’ll be my little joke.
I’ll develop a loud cough to gain sympathy at family gatherings. It’s a sure winner. I’ll wear suspenders and a belt and “forget” to wear a watch, so I can constantly ask people what time it is and then remark that I’ll have to check my schedule. I’ll carry a large bandana and whip it out so it cracks like a bullwhip and claim I killed another flying insect. I’ll say something like “that’s thirty-four today alone” and then look around shaking my head in secret satisfaction.
Mellow: A soft combination of flavors.
I’ll be mellow all right, with no meanness, or malice. Folks will remark that Ol’ Baytown Bert has finally mellowed and all because he hit the ripened and seasoned age of fifty-five. Life will be good…
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Drunk drivers on my way to work
A couple of days ago, I encountered three drunk drivers in three separate incidences.
It was about 0400 and the first one turned off N. Main onto Massey Tompkins on the wrong side of the road, right in front of me. I watched the long-haired fellow drive past me and he never sped up, or even looked my way.
The other two I came upon on SH146, headed for the Fred Hartman Bridge. I followed both of them after they crossed the bridge and when they turned onto 225, I was able to get on the feeder and get ahead of them safely.
I don't believe they were together, but one ended up following the other.
About 0700, the same morning, I finally settled down at work to check my email, look at Google News and get my day started. The drunk drivers kept coming to mind, so I posted what I had witnessed on Baytown Talks, the Baytown Suns online forum, to see what other Baytonians had experienced and to share my own experiences.
To my absolute surprise, I found that I, not the drunk drivers was the irresponsible party, because I hadn’t pulled over (at 0400 on basically deserted N. Main street) and phoned the police to report the first offender. My judgment was immediately suspect, as they may not have been drunk.
The person(s) may have actually been diabetic, sneezing heavily from hay fever, poor drivers and even, just plain idiot drivers. It was pointed out that police wouldn’t respond anyway, as they apparently are all asleep at the local donut shops.
I was advised to call the cops and then follow at a safe distance until they were apprehended.
I tried to explain my non-police call this way: “Well, I suppose they could of been just sleepy...all three of them, at 4 o'clock in the morning, especially the two doing 45 mph on 225 and in all fairness, the one going the wrong way on Massey Tompkins was probably just sleepy too. I know the guy in the middle lane that he passed thought the guy was drunk, because when I pulled up next to him, to take a left, the fellow was shaking his head in amazement.
The two sleepy guys on 225 doing 45 mph were so sleepy; they kept jerking the steering wheel trying to keep it in the lane. It was like watching synchronized sleepy driving”. Like famous politicians before a microphone, my attempt at humor only stirred my detractors to claim I was accused of “making assumptions about the condition of the driver and risking their and other lives by letting them to continue on driving in an erratic behavior”.
Now, I had become the prime offender. My crime of not calling the police was greater than the drunk drivers, because I was intentionally allowing a drunk driver to kill people.
Once again, I made an attempt to exonerate myself, but instead, made myself a fool.
“I considered "calling the cops", but did not see the license number of the dark SUV that went past me on Massey Tompkins and the light turned green and I drove off on N. Main. My cell phone was turned off and in my lunch box on the back seat.
By the time I would have pulled over, activated my phone and went through the rigmarole of getting the station officer, the character would be long gone.
Same-same on the other two, as on a State Highway, especially going over the Fred Hartman Bridge, police jurisdiction made it not worth the trouble”. My judgment was once again called in question, because even though it was 0400, I did not have my cell phone turned on and ready…” And why was your phone in the back seat turned off anyway? It does you no good if you would have been in an accident, had an emergency or been injured. What's the point of having one if you aren't going to use it?”
I was then instructed that I thought the whole episode was one big joke, because I retorted that I felt like I was the criminal.
“I find it a little unnerving how you think this is such a joke...but when (and God forbid) it happens to your family...I bet you'll think to yourself why didn't someone stop this idiot when they had the chance? I don't know how old your children are...but when your family is injured by a drunk driver, Bert may have seen them a few minutes before and just decided it wasn't worth it...too much trouble to dial 3 little numbers”.
I did however get some good advice and a number of people responded in my defense. A police officer told me straight up to call 911 the next time and “Let us do our job” and to him I say thank you. Encountering drunk drivers on the road at 0400 is rare and I did not know if this constituted a legitimate 911 call. That is why I initially said I would have to wait for the Station Officer, after the automated menu.
Drunk driving IS a serious offense and I do not want to see anyone hurt, or killed because someone felt they could safely drive after drinking too much. In the future, I will stop, power up my cell phone and call 911.
It was about 0400 and the first one turned off N. Main onto Massey Tompkins on the wrong side of the road, right in front of me. I watched the long-haired fellow drive past me and he never sped up, or even looked my way.
The other two I came upon on SH146, headed for the Fred Hartman Bridge. I followed both of them after they crossed the bridge and when they turned onto 225, I was able to get on the feeder and get ahead of them safely.
I don't believe they were together, but one ended up following the other.
About 0700, the same morning, I finally settled down at work to check my email, look at Google News and get my day started. The drunk drivers kept coming to mind, so I posted what I had witnessed on Baytown Talks, the Baytown Suns online forum, to see what other Baytonians had experienced and to share my own experiences.
To my absolute surprise, I found that I, not the drunk drivers was the irresponsible party, because I hadn’t pulled over (at 0400 on basically deserted N. Main street) and phoned the police to report the first offender. My judgment was immediately suspect, as they may not have been drunk.
The person(s) may have actually been diabetic, sneezing heavily from hay fever, poor drivers and even, just plain idiot drivers. It was pointed out that police wouldn’t respond anyway, as they apparently are all asleep at the local donut shops.
I was advised to call the cops and then follow at a safe distance until they were apprehended.
I tried to explain my non-police call this way: “Well, I suppose they could of been just sleepy...all three of them, at 4 o'clock in the morning, especially the two doing 45 mph on 225 and in all fairness, the one going the wrong way on Massey Tompkins was probably just sleepy too. I know the guy in the middle lane that he passed thought the guy was drunk, because when I pulled up next to him, to take a left, the fellow was shaking his head in amazement.
The two sleepy guys on 225 doing 45 mph were so sleepy; they kept jerking the steering wheel trying to keep it in the lane. It was like watching synchronized sleepy driving”. Like famous politicians before a microphone, my attempt at humor only stirred my detractors to claim I was accused of “making assumptions about the condition of the driver and risking their and other lives by letting them to continue on driving in an erratic behavior”.
Now, I had become the prime offender. My crime of not calling the police was greater than the drunk drivers, because I was intentionally allowing a drunk driver to kill people.
Once again, I made an attempt to exonerate myself, but instead, made myself a fool.
“I considered "calling the cops", but did not see the license number of the dark SUV that went past me on Massey Tompkins and the light turned green and I drove off on N. Main. My cell phone was turned off and in my lunch box on the back seat.
By the time I would have pulled over, activated my phone and went through the rigmarole of getting the station officer, the character would be long gone.
Same-same on the other two, as on a State Highway, especially going over the Fred Hartman Bridge, police jurisdiction made it not worth the trouble”. My judgment was once again called in question, because even though it was 0400, I did not have my cell phone turned on and ready…” And why was your phone in the back seat turned off anyway? It does you no good if you would have been in an accident, had an emergency or been injured. What's the point of having one if you aren't going to use it?”
I was then instructed that I thought the whole episode was one big joke, because I retorted that I felt like I was the criminal.
“I find it a little unnerving how you think this is such a joke...but when (and God forbid) it happens to your family...I bet you'll think to yourself why didn't someone stop this idiot when they had the chance? I don't know how old your children are...but when your family is injured by a drunk driver, Bert may have seen them a few minutes before and just decided it wasn't worth it...too much trouble to dial 3 little numbers”.
I did however get some good advice and a number of people responded in my defense. A police officer told me straight up to call 911 the next time and “Let us do our job” and to him I say thank you. Encountering drunk drivers on the road at 0400 is rare and I did not know if this constituted a legitimate 911 call. That is why I initially said I would have to wait for the Station Officer, after the automated menu.
Drunk driving IS a serious offense and I do not want to see anyone hurt, or killed because someone felt they could safely drive after drinking too much. In the future, I will stop, power up my cell phone and call 911.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wanted: Real Leaders
I’ve never aspired to be a supervisor or a manager of people, but I know what I like when it comes to someone “leading” me and for the most part, I’ve had bad ones. In the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with people who took the time to think through what it takes to lead and it has made a world of difference in my attitude.
For the most part, I go my own way on the job and do not possess the patience it takes to be a good leader, so to stay true to my own identity… I follow. Like my Dad, I have a low tolerance for “stupid” and all leaders have to deal with a certain amount of it.
I always look at a person in authority as a Lieutenant in a war zone and try to envision how they would react if under fire AND leading me. I admit, this is harsh and probably unfair, but I do it anyway. I think many of my past “Lieutenants” would have gotten both of us killed.
Often, a college degree puts a person in a position of leadership. More education means more authority, but along with that authority is the responsibility to make the right choices when it comes to bringing out the potential in a subordinate. More times than not, it simply means increasing the bottom line in profits or enforcing company policy. Leadership is position only, not developmental mentoring, as it should be.
Who suffers when profits are put ahead of employee growth potential? Everyone. The company, all levels of leadership and yes, finally, the worker, all share in the loss. Profits fall, absenteeism rises and problems abound. Trained personnel ply their resumes elsewhere.
In the Chris Farley movie “Tommy Boy”, Tommy puts his employee’s future ahead of profits and restores employee loyalty. “Employee Loyalty” has gone the way of the Dodo bird and the 8-track player. Other than Google and a few other places of employee prestige, the work force have little, or no loyalty to their places of employment, as compared to 50 years ago when folks married a company with plans to stay on until their last breath – and many did.
Shrinking benefits, the absence of profit-sharing, minimal “cost of living” increases, dismal compensations, pension failures and rising medical deduction liabilities have made the worker feel more like meat on a selling block, than a valued resource. Skilled workers jump teams faster than NBA players, up for contract negotiation. All this while profit rake-offs and CEO bonuses are at an all-time high.
Management complains the workers do not want to work and workers complain management needs to give them more. More what? More work? More money? I say it’s leadership and I define leadership as concrete direction, not just equipping and training working skills and proficiency, but also a genuine interest in their future development. The future portion is where real leadership is lacking.
The absence of trust between staff and management is appalling, generally speaking and I believe it is at an all time low.
It’s a two way street, following and leading and if a person is one hundred percent follower, anyone can lead them. If they are recalcitrant and rebellious like myself, it takes a person with actual leadership skills and a certain amount of finesse to gain their trust and loyalty.
Personally, the management style I prefer is one that is hands-off and unsupervised. I know my job well, having written most all of the procedures and what I need is direction, not bird-dogging. Let me know what you want, give me a quality and time requirement and then leave me alone to finish the task. Make me accountable and I will do my dead level best to not let you down. Attempt to micro-manage and I will resent it every time.
Some folks require a certain amount of supervision, even after they are trained to the task. Some require constant motivation and task correction. Others like myself desire very little and this is where leadership fails. Real leadership requires recognizing the difference in each person and learning to get the most out of your people without them hating your guts at the end of the day. Real leaders develop workers and teams of workers. Their staff becomes loyal to them.
If an employee ever suspects management couldn’t care less about their development and well being, that employee will automatically become less productive and no amount of threats or money will bring them to fruition. If however, the opposite takes place, an employee will work twice as hard to give the supervisor what they want. They will become a model worker that any supervisor would welcome onto their “team”. I’ve known a few of these leaders in my working career and their secret to success has always been, putting the employee first and this my friend, has helped the company profit more than they will ever know.
For the most part, I go my own way on the job and do not possess the patience it takes to be a good leader, so to stay true to my own identity… I follow. Like my Dad, I have a low tolerance for “stupid” and all leaders have to deal with a certain amount of it.
I always look at a person in authority as a Lieutenant in a war zone and try to envision how they would react if under fire AND leading me. I admit, this is harsh and probably unfair, but I do it anyway. I think many of my past “Lieutenants” would have gotten both of us killed.
Often, a college degree puts a person in a position of leadership. More education means more authority, but along with that authority is the responsibility to make the right choices when it comes to bringing out the potential in a subordinate. More times than not, it simply means increasing the bottom line in profits or enforcing company policy. Leadership is position only, not developmental mentoring, as it should be.
Who suffers when profits are put ahead of employee growth potential? Everyone. The company, all levels of leadership and yes, finally, the worker, all share in the loss. Profits fall, absenteeism rises and problems abound. Trained personnel ply their resumes elsewhere.
In the Chris Farley movie “Tommy Boy”, Tommy puts his employee’s future ahead of profits and restores employee loyalty. “Employee Loyalty” has gone the way of the Dodo bird and the 8-track player. Other than Google and a few other places of employee prestige, the work force have little, or no loyalty to their places of employment, as compared to 50 years ago when folks married a company with plans to stay on until their last breath – and many did.
Shrinking benefits, the absence of profit-sharing, minimal “cost of living” increases, dismal compensations, pension failures and rising medical deduction liabilities have made the worker feel more like meat on a selling block, than a valued resource. Skilled workers jump teams faster than NBA players, up for contract negotiation. All this while profit rake-offs and CEO bonuses are at an all-time high.
Management complains the workers do not want to work and workers complain management needs to give them more. More what? More work? More money? I say it’s leadership and I define leadership as concrete direction, not just equipping and training working skills and proficiency, but also a genuine interest in their future development. The future portion is where real leadership is lacking.
The absence of trust between staff and management is appalling, generally speaking and I believe it is at an all time low.
It’s a two way street, following and leading and if a person is one hundred percent follower, anyone can lead them. If they are recalcitrant and rebellious like myself, it takes a person with actual leadership skills and a certain amount of finesse to gain their trust and loyalty.
Personally, the management style I prefer is one that is hands-off and unsupervised. I know my job well, having written most all of the procedures and what I need is direction, not bird-dogging. Let me know what you want, give me a quality and time requirement and then leave me alone to finish the task. Make me accountable and I will do my dead level best to not let you down. Attempt to micro-manage and I will resent it every time.
Some folks require a certain amount of supervision, even after they are trained to the task. Some require constant motivation and task correction. Others like myself desire very little and this is where leadership fails. Real leadership requires recognizing the difference in each person and learning to get the most out of your people without them hating your guts at the end of the day. Real leaders develop workers and teams of workers. Their staff becomes loyal to them.
If an employee ever suspects management couldn’t care less about their development and well being, that employee will automatically become less productive and no amount of threats or money will bring them to fruition. If however, the opposite takes place, an employee will work twice as hard to give the supervisor what they want. They will become a model worker that any supervisor would welcome onto their “team”. I’ve known a few of these leaders in my working career and their secret to success has always been, putting the employee first and this my friend, has helped the company profit more than they will ever know.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
What is that salamander-looking critter?
Spring is sprung, so let’s discuss our newest addition to the reptile population here in Baytown. I’m talking about the little whitish lizards which first appeared here about 20 years ago and now are quite plentiful.
The Mediterranean House Gecko is the new kid on the block augmenting the green (Carolina anole) and brown anole we all grew up playing with (or running from). They are short odd looking lizards which appear to waddle when they are frightened. Of course to notice this behavior a person cannot be doing the same thing while tearing off in the opposite direction. Unlike the anoles, they are nocturnal.
Anoles do scare some people and I can personally attest that if you catch one, it will bite and if you hold it up to your earlobe, it will grab a mouthful and hang-on, like a bulldog on a rope. I’ve been known to have an anole hanging off of each ear and it is a real experience as they tighten their grip. The gecko will not do this. They would rather get away from humans.
Geckos have sticky toe pads, vertical pupils, and their large eyes lack eyelids according to the experts. Our native anoles do not possess the ceiling-climbing skills of the med gecko (which I will refer to as “MG’s” henceforth) and that is one reason folks “freak out” as one falls on us when we open the door at night.
Are they something to fear? Yes indeed and folks have reported a wide range of injuries associated with MG’s. Some of the more common maladies are, running over lawn furniture, stutter-stepping, tripping, banging of the head on closed doors, stubbing of the great toe, screaming until tonsils are sore, repeatedly falling, and in one case…the vapors.
Seriously, the tiny white, pink, or pale little lizard is a tremendous friend to us on the Gulf Coast for their ravenous appetite and consumption of insects. I gladly welcome them around my house, but then again I have a long history with the little critters.
In September of 1972 I was sent courtesy of the United States Air Force from Great Falls Montana to Takhli, Thailand. It was in the 50's already in Montana and when I stepped off the C-130 onto the tarmac, it was about 110 degrees.
I was in the vanguard of troops reopening a base and the only one exiting the plane. I looked around with my squinted eyes and could hardly breathe the damp stagnant-smelling air. I was 20 years old and I thought "Yikes! I am going to be here for a year"!
I processed in and at the end of the day I found myself alone, lying on the top bunk of an open bay barracks (I was afraid a cobra would come in during the night if I was on the bottom bunk and get me).
There was a dim light on at the end of the huge room, the temperature was about 95, and the absence of wind was causing me to sweat profusely. The ceiling 10 feet above me was covered with geckos chasing huge roaches and bizarre bugs. I remember being very lonely in that cavernous empty barracks. I don't think I slept at all that first night. I spent 21.5 months on this base and had plenty of creepy-crawlies cross over me in my sleep, something I never got used to.
The MG’s are here to stay and even though they look scary, slimy, wet, dry, pale, ugly, devilish, and in one case…tasty, we need to see this little fellow as a friend. Fellow Baytonians, please do not spray insecticide on them, or let your kitty eat them if at all possible.
Our lizards eat their weight in mosquitoes, bugs, roaches and are man’s second best friend, so give them their space and they will give you yours. And, if you can catch a pair of geckos and get them to hang from your earlobes, let me know. I want a photo.
The Mediterranean House Gecko is the new kid on the block augmenting the green (Carolina anole) and brown anole we all grew up playing with (or running from). They are short odd looking lizards which appear to waddle when they are frightened. Of course to notice this behavior a person cannot be doing the same thing while tearing off in the opposite direction. Unlike the anoles, they are nocturnal.
Anoles do scare some people and I can personally attest that if you catch one, it will bite and if you hold it up to your earlobe, it will grab a mouthful and hang-on, like a bulldog on a rope. I’ve been known to have an anole hanging off of each ear and it is a real experience as they tighten their grip. The gecko will not do this. They would rather get away from humans.
Geckos have sticky toe pads, vertical pupils, and their large eyes lack eyelids according to the experts. Our native anoles do not possess the ceiling-climbing skills of the med gecko (which I will refer to as “MG’s” henceforth) and that is one reason folks “freak out” as one falls on us when we open the door at night.
Are they something to fear? Yes indeed and folks have reported a wide range of injuries associated with MG’s. Some of the more common maladies are, running over lawn furniture, stutter-stepping, tripping, banging of the head on closed doors, stubbing of the great toe, screaming until tonsils are sore, repeatedly falling, and in one case…the vapors.
Seriously, the tiny white, pink, or pale little lizard is a tremendous friend to us on the Gulf Coast for their ravenous appetite and consumption of insects. I gladly welcome them around my house, but then again I have a long history with the little critters.
In September of 1972 I was sent courtesy of the United States Air Force from Great Falls Montana to Takhli, Thailand. It was in the 50's already in Montana and when I stepped off the C-130 onto the tarmac, it was about 110 degrees.
I was in the vanguard of troops reopening a base and the only one exiting the plane. I looked around with my squinted eyes and could hardly breathe the damp stagnant-smelling air. I was 20 years old and I thought "Yikes! I am going to be here for a year"!
I processed in and at the end of the day I found myself alone, lying on the top bunk of an open bay barracks (I was afraid a cobra would come in during the night if I was on the bottom bunk and get me).
There was a dim light on at the end of the huge room, the temperature was about 95, and the absence of wind was causing me to sweat profusely. The ceiling 10 feet above me was covered with geckos chasing huge roaches and bizarre bugs. I remember being very lonely in that cavernous empty barracks. I don't think I slept at all that first night. I spent 21.5 months on this base and had plenty of creepy-crawlies cross over me in my sleep, something I never got used to.
The MG’s are here to stay and even though they look scary, slimy, wet, dry, pale, ugly, devilish, and in one case…tasty, we need to see this little fellow as a friend. Fellow Baytonians, please do not spray insecticide on them, or let your kitty eat them if at all possible.
Our lizards eat their weight in mosquitoes, bugs, roaches and are man’s second best friend, so give them their space and they will give you yours. And, if you can catch a pair of geckos and get them to hang from your earlobes, let me know. I want a photo.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Yarns, tales, and downright fibs!
Back about a hundred years ago when I was in grade school, I used to look forward to Show and Tell. It was a time when a budding adventurer-type person (like myself) could inform everyone in the class about feats of strength, nifty vacations, grand places, scary sights and just stuff that happened to…ME!
The glory of the tale would be multiplied in the telling!
It never worked out the way I planned though and the reason was that there was always some kid, who had stories so glorious and fantastic, that mine were not even worth the telling. My classmates and I would squirm, as the “yarner” would work their magic carpet ride of a tall tale in front of us with no apparent shame.
If I caught a frog and brought it home over past weekend, the young lady in front of the class just enjoyed her first Hawaiian Luau, replete with exotic dishes so fantastic, I couldn’t even pronounce them.
If I helped my buddy build a tree house out of old lumber, the creepy kid hogging Show and Tell made a trip down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon and then hiked up the Rim (barefoot) to rescue an old lady!
I’m telling you, some of these kids either ended up pursuing a life of crime as world-class liars and misfits, or real pirate captains, plundering the open seas. Maybe they found a job in the White House (the one before George W. Bush! Maybe with GWB, I can’t really say).
As the years went by, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few of these kids-become-adults, and their stories are just as bizarre and preposterous, as the ones I encountered years ago, except that now, they tell them with such sincerity, it is difficult to keep a straight face.
Here at work, a fellow slammed the phone down in the break room and announced, “That woman just cost me ANOTHER million dollars” before he stormed out the door. This is the same guy whose son was taking private guitar lessons from Jimi Hendrix in East Texas 20 years after Jimi died. He also invented the MasterCard concept and mistakenly revealed it to the wrong person, thus being beat to the punch and “not making a buck off the idea”. Another time Hank Williams Jr. almost took an East Texas whooping from my friend, for a wrong look, while he was performing and of course, my friend and Hank knew of each other.
I would sit in absolute awe, as this storyteller would stab his index finger onto the desktop to drive home his tale and settle its questionable veracity. My only hope for these kind of folks is, they do it for entertainment, because it sure has provided a lot for the rest of us!
Recently, I banged out a couple of whoppers; just to see if I could do storytelling true justice. One of them is a story I heard long ago and the other is my own.
“The day I was borned, I had a full set of teeth and I mean full (46) and weighed in right at 4 pounds, soakin’ wet. I know this cause my Maw told me I was wet when I was borned, because of the watermelon. Folks told my Maw that if it wernt for all the teeth, they would of mistaken me for a opossum, especially with the hair and all, which was matted like an old rug. Funny thing is, by my first birfday I wored a size 16 shoe and since cow-critters was expensive, my Paw made me a pair of boots from a renegade pack of rattle-sanks. I luved them there boots, but had to git rid of em, cause two of the r-sanks were still alive…even after 10 years! Its true, I swear all the time.”
“I had a frightening experience down on Matagorda Bay one time last year. I was fishin’ on the bottom and my line got all hung-up like. Not being a wasteful fella, I suddenly dove off the dock, hardly making a wake, to attempt to free my bait, which was my lucky bait and I done caught 16 fish on. Imagine my consternation when I followed my line down to a sunken car and there, lying on the backseat, was the biggest blue and yellar catfish I have ever seed. Almost desperate for air, as I had been down a full 6 minutes, I figgered to just tow that whiskered critter back to the surface with me, when to my surprise; the big fish rolled up the window and snapped the line! True story, I swear on my neighbor’s eyes!”
What do you think? Do I have promise?
The glory of the tale would be multiplied in the telling!
It never worked out the way I planned though and the reason was that there was always some kid, who had stories so glorious and fantastic, that mine were not even worth the telling. My classmates and I would squirm, as the “yarner” would work their magic carpet ride of a tall tale in front of us with no apparent shame.
If I caught a frog and brought it home over past weekend, the young lady in front of the class just enjoyed her first Hawaiian Luau, replete with exotic dishes so fantastic, I couldn’t even pronounce them.
If I helped my buddy build a tree house out of old lumber, the creepy kid hogging Show and Tell made a trip down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon and then hiked up the Rim (barefoot) to rescue an old lady!
I’m telling you, some of these kids either ended up pursuing a life of crime as world-class liars and misfits, or real pirate captains, plundering the open seas. Maybe they found a job in the White House (the one before George W. Bush! Maybe with GWB, I can’t really say).
As the years went by, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few of these kids-become-adults, and their stories are just as bizarre and preposterous, as the ones I encountered years ago, except that now, they tell them with such sincerity, it is difficult to keep a straight face.
Here at work, a fellow slammed the phone down in the break room and announced, “That woman just cost me ANOTHER million dollars” before he stormed out the door. This is the same guy whose son was taking private guitar lessons from Jimi Hendrix in East Texas 20 years after Jimi died. He also invented the MasterCard concept and mistakenly revealed it to the wrong person, thus being beat to the punch and “not making a buck off the idea”. Another time Hank Williams Jr. almost took an East Texas whooping from my friend, for a wrong look, while he was performing and of course, my friend and Hank knew of each other.
I would sit in absolute awe, as this storyteller would stab his index finger onto the desktop to drive home his tale and settle its questionable veracity. My only hope for these kind of folks is, they do it for entertainment, because it sure has provided a lot for the rest of us!
Recently, I banged out a couple of whoppers; just to see if I could do storytelling true justice. One of them is a story I heard long ago and the other is my own.
“The day I was borned, I had a full set of teeth and I mean full (46) and weighed in right at 4 pounds, soakin’ wet. I know this cause my Maw told me I was wet when I was borned, because of the watermelon. Folks told my Maw that if it wernt for all the teeth, they would of mistaken me for a opossum, especially with the hair and all, which was matted like an old rug. Funny thing is, by my first birfday I wored a size 16 shoe and since cow-critters was expensive, my Paw made me a pair of boots from a renegade pack of rattle-sanks. I luved them there boots, but had to git rid of em, cause two of the r-sanks were still alive…even after 10 years! Its true, I swear all the time.”
“I had a frightening experience down on Matagorda Bay one time last year. I was fishin’ on the bottom and my line got all hung-up like. Not being a wasteful fella, I suddenly dove off the dock, hardly making a wake, to attempt to free my bait, which was my lucky bait and I done caught 16 fish on. Imagine my consternation when I followed my line down to a sunken car and there, lying on the backseat, was the biggest blue and yellar catfish I have ever seed. Almost desperate for air, as I had been down a full 6 minutes, I figgered to just tow that whiskered critter back to the surface with me, when to my surprise; the big fish rolled up the window and snapped the line! True story, I swear on my neighbor’s eyes!”
What do you think? Do I have promise?
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Oprah 2-22-07 Am I the only one?
On Thursday February 22, 2007, Oprah had a show with semi-obese people going on a Best Life Weight Loss Challenge and her personal trainer was supervising it. Did anyone see it?
One lady said she was so depressed over her weight, she stayed in bed and hated to get up. Her infant son would cry for her to wake up so he could eat and she said she would load up his bowl and then go back to bed. Oprah asked her when she would get up and she said when the child cryed to be let down from it's high chair and then she would go back to bed.
She then said she got up and went to the store, when she returned, she heard the child screaming from it's crib. She said she was so depressed, she just went back to bed.
Oprah said "Well, you are just rung out over this weight problem aren't you? You are at the end of your rope" (paraphrasing, as I don't have the transcript).
I thought, this woman isn't fit to be a parent. Leaving an infant unsupervised while they eat and then leaving the kiddo in the crib while she goes to store? Come on!
My question is this, since no one in the audience seemed to think the child was the victim: Am I the only one who thinks this woman is an unfit mother?
The bottom line is Oprah has the ability to make things socially "okay". She has a tremendous following and does a multitude of good, IMO, however, her silence on this one and the total lack of outcry by most everyone shows it is okay to neglect your child if your personal image is poor.
A lady friend of mine told me that depression is a terrible thing and I should understand the woman was in a fix. I told her that if it would have been the husband and his depression drove him to drink to the point he couldn't supervise the child and actually left the child in it's crib to buy booze, Oprah wouldn't of responded that he was out of control, but called it a crime.
The point here is not that it was okay for either man or woman, but the fact that Oprah (who is quite sharp, or very sharp) did not openly point at child neglect as the a greater sin than depression over being overweight.
Being overweight in most countries has always been a sign of prosperity and only in times of ample food and abundance has it come under scrutiny as something undesirable, negative health risk aside.
Oprah put her blessing on the mother's behavior over the child's welfare through her silence and Oprah pretty much decides what is socially acceptable and what is not, to millions of viewers every day.
Wait until the next Presidential election if you doubt it.
One lady said she was so depressed over her weight, she stayed in bed and hated to get up. Her infant son would cry for her to wake up so he could eat and she said she would load up his bowl and then go back to bed. Oprah asked her when she would get up and she said when the child cryed to be let down from it's high chair and then she would go back to bed.
She then said she got up and went to the store, when she returned, she heard the child screaming from it's crib. She said she was so depressed, she just went back to bed.
Oprah said "Well, you are just rung out over this weight problem aren't you? You are at the end of your rope" (paraphrasing, as I don't have the transcript).
I thought, this woman isn't fit to be a parent. Leaving an infant unsupervised while they eat and then leaving the kiddo in the crib while she goes to store? Come on!
My question is this, since no one in the audience seemed to think the child was the victim: Am I the only one who thinks this woman is an unfit mother?
The bottom line is Oprah has the ability to make things socially "okay". She has a tremendous following and does a multitude of good, IMO, however, her silence on this one and the total lack of outcry by most everyone shows it is okay to neglect your child if your personal image is poor.
A lady friend of mine told me that depression is a terrible thing and I should understand the woman was in a fix. I told her that if it would have been the husband and his depression drove him to drink to the point he couldn't supervise the child and actually left the child in it's crib to buy booze, Oprah wouldn't of responded that he was out of control, but called it a crime.
The point here is not that it was okay for either man or woman, but the fact that Oprah (who is quite sharp, or very sharp) did not openly point at child neglect as the a greater sin than depression over being overweight.
Being overweight in most countries has always been a sign of prosperity and only in times of ample food and abundance has it come under scrutiny as something undesirable, negative health risk aside.
Oprah put her blessing on the mother's behavior over the child's welfare through her silence and Oprah pretty much decides what is socially acceptable and what is not, to millions of viewers every day.
Wait until the next Presidential election if you doubt it.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
When perception becomes reality
When perception becomes reality...what does this mean?
We are living in a day of an ever-expanding parody of the facts. A world or civic leader, actor, or preacher says something during the day, in front of cameras and by nightfall, it is spewed out on a faux-news program (no, not Fox news, but including them)with hilarious results. We all enjoy seeing these leaders being made to look like fools, at least occasionally. Some recipients of spoof or parody seem to invite it and that’s what keeps us coming back for more.
Dan Quayle is a good example and yes, so is George W. Bush. Truth be known, anyone in the public eye is fair game and that’s one of the things that makes living in America such a blessing. We have the right to criticize our leaders, and we do. I used to get a good laugh when I would read that Gerald Ford hit yet another golf ball into the gallery and then see it depicted on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
Letterman, Leno, The Daily Show, SNL, Mad TV, and the Colbert Report provide many laughs and I imagine the very people who are the objects of ridicule, laugh the hardest.
Enter the real world. We are living in a day and age where people confuse parody and imitation as the real thing. Their perception of fact is actually lampoon. They think Dana Carvey is George Bush Sr., because the only George Bush Sr. they’ve ever seen is Dana Carvey. George W. Bush is buffooned by almost everyone, as is Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Condy Rice, etc., etc.
I laughed along with everyone, as Dana Carvey portrayed Ross Perot and Phil Hartman, Admiral Stockdale in the SNL skit. Never mind that Admiral James Stockdale is one the highest decorated officers in the history of the U.S. Navy and survived seven years as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Routinely severely beaten and tortured, he cut up his own face and wrists to keep the North Vietnamese from using his image as a propaganda tool.
On SNL, he was “made the fool” and we all laughed. Most people thought he was a fool too, not even remembering the real man. The truth was, he wasn’t a polished politician and was totally out of his league in a public debate, where his every move was scrutinized ad nauseam. He may have made a great world leader, but we will never know. To most, he was just another character to be made fun of.
There is nothing inherently wrong with parody, but when folks do not recognize it for what it is, then perception becomes reality. The true person becomes a true joke of a person. Leading people is difficult, to put it mildly and ridicule can make any leader ineffective. I would wager that many people in America will not read or watch the news, but set their TIVO or DVR to catch every Comedy Central or late night show depiction of said news. Thus their take on world happenings is actually distorted beyond recognition.
Darrell Hammond effectively becomes Al Gore; Will Farrell is perceived to be the real George W. Bush and the list goes on into infinity. Hollywood actors become the true representation of who a person is, or what they said, so they ultimately speak for this person and influence voting. Many people are basing how they vote on how leaders are parodied on TV. Bizarre, isn’t it?
If they want the truth, they listen to Oprah…or Sean Penn, Steven Baldwin, Bono, Susan Sarandon and Madonna. Surely, these people have their collective finger on the pulse of the nation!
I love a good joke as much as the next person and have been known to pull a few fast ones in my time, but friends, I live by the old adage of “you can’t kid a kidder”. Almost on a daily basis someone is asking, or emailing me, if something is true, or an urban legend. I can almost always spot a fake, because I take the time to know the actual fact. It amazes and disturbs me what people choose to believe without bothering themselves by learning the truth.
We are what we read, hear, smell, watch and eat. If we choose to partake of something artificial, how will we know the difference, if we’ve never known the real thing?
We are living in a day of an ever-expanding parody of the facts. A world or civic leader, actor, or preacher says something during the day, in front of cameras and by nightfall, it is spewed out on a faux-news program (no, not Fox news, but including them)with hilarious results. We all enjoy seeing these leaders being made to look like fools, at least occasionally. Some recipients of spoof or parody seem to invite it and that’s what keeps us coming back for more.
Dan Quayle is a good example and yes, so is George W. Bush. Truth be known, anyone in the public eye is fair game and that’s one of the things that makes living in America such a blessing. We have the right to criticize our leaders, and we do. I used to get a good laugh when I would read that Gerald Ford hit yet another golf ball into the gallery and then see it depicted on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
Letterman, Leno, The Daily Show, SNL, Mad TV, and the Colbert Report provide many laughs and I imagine the very people who are the objects of ridicule, laugh the hardest.
Enter the real world. We are living in a day and age where people confuse parody and imitation as the real thing. Their perception of fact is actually lampoon. They think Dana Carvey is George Bush Sr., because the only George Bush Sr. they’ve ever seen is Dana Carvey. George W. Bush is buffooned by almost everyone, as is Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Condy Rice, etc., etc.
I laughed along with everyone, as Dana Carvey portrayed Ross Perot and Phil Hartman, Admiral Stockdale in the SNL skit. Never mind that Admiral James Stockdale is one the highest decorated officers in the history of the U.S. Navy and survived seven years as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Routinely severely beaten and tortured, he cut up his own face and wrists to keep the North Vietnamese from using his image as a propaganda tool.
On SNL, he was “made the fool” and we all laughed. Most people thought he was a fool too, not even remembering the real man. The truth was, he wasn’t a polished politician and was totally out of his league in a public debate, where his every move was scrutinized ad nauseam. He may have made a great world leader, but we will never know. To most, he was just another character to be made fun of.
There is nothing inherently wrong with parody, but when folks do not recognize it for what it is, then perception becomes reality. The true person becomes a true joke of a person. Leading people is difficult, to put it mildly and ridicule can make any leader ineffective. I would wager that many people in America will not read or watch the news, but set their TIVO or DVR to catch every Comedy Central or late night show depiction of said news. Thus their take on world happenings is actually distorted beyond recognition.
Darrell Hammond effectively becomes Al Gore; Will Farrell is perceived to be the real George W. Bush and the list goes on into infinity. Hollywood actors become the true representation of who a person is, or what they said, so they ultimately speak for this person and influence voting. Many people are basing how they vote on how leaders are parodied on TV. Bizarre, isn’t it?
If they want the truth, they listen to Oprah…or Sean Penn, Steven Baldwin, Bono, Susan Sarandon and Madonna. Surely, these people have their collective finger on the pulse of the nation!
I love a good joke as much as the next person and have been known to pull a few fast ones in my time, but friends, I live by the old adage of “you can’t kid a kidder”. Almost on a daily basis someone is asking, or emailing me, if something is true, or an urban legend. I can almost always spot a fake, because I take the time to know the actual fact. It amazes and disturbs me what people choose to believe without bothering themselves by learning the truth.
We are what we read, hear, smell, watch and eat. If we choose to partake of something artificial, how will we know the difference, if we’ve never known the real thing?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Black history month? I love it!
I’m a perpetual student of history. I learned a long time ago, that if I was going to have an insight into the future, it wasn’t going to come through hocus-pocus, a crystal ball, or Nostradamus, but by paying attention to what mistakes we’ve made in the past. Only by looking back, can we see forward.
It’s a common belief that America is going to continue forward as a world leader regardless of what happens and we, who are living right now, are going to enjoy our lifestyle throughout our remaining years. History shows how easily all this can slip away and many times, it is gone in less than a decade.
America is still the place to be, regardless of what you see or read in today’s media and just like people in other countries view us as the hope of the world, we continue to squabble and fight over ethnicity, like the rebellious nation we are.
Take recent complaints about why “the blacks” need a whole month to draw attention to their history as an example.
Black history month is not meant to compete with anything, but to draw attention to the contribution of black Americans to society. It's a positive thing.
Right here in this town, a friend of mine grew up getting discarded books from white schools, when the new books were given to the white schools. You have to remember, many of us reader/writers are baby-boomers and older. We remember segregation and it wasn't THAT long ago. Black history was NOT taught in American schools at all until the last few decades, so the whole idea is one of education and who could fault that?
“Why should blacks have a “Black History” month and the whites not have a “White History” month, someone asked?
When almost 13% of our median population is black, it is not overboard to dedicate one month of our year to honor their accomplishments. According to the CIA’s excellent web site, (www.cia.gov) The World Fact Book, 81.7 per cent of this country is “white”, because “white” includes Hispanic peoples.
When a President dies, we fly our flags at half staff for a month and we do it to honor them. We shouldn't have a non-Presidents day also, so all the people who were not president can feel honored too, or a non-Veterans day, to honor all those who were never Veterans.
Each year, for the last 12 years, I have organized a Veterans Day celebration at the chemical plant where I work. I started this in the Clinton years because I felt Veterans benefits were diminishing with the military budget. Although about 15 per cent of the employee work force was Veterans, it was slow going initially and we celebrated in small groups.
The idea was for the Veterans (and supporters) to bring food to the break rooms and invite non-Veterans to eat with us. Some Vets felt we should enjoy this ourselves and exclude non-Vets and I carefully explained that the only way we could raise awareness for Vets was to educate people and enjoy their fellowship.
Taking this approach of educating and integrating Vets with non-Vets has paid off and last year, our plant manager, along with the maintenance manager for Austin Industries and other contractor groups banded together to feed everyone breakfast and lunch on all shifts. Vets bring in memorabilia and we salute and thank each other for serving and supporting our Vets and current troops. We now have one of the most patriotic chemical plants on the ship channel and our web page even has family members serving in the military.
All this began because one person tried to make a difference through education and integration.
I’ve heard people say that “whites” (whatever that is) are not welcome at basically “black” functions. It's been my personal experience that whites are far more welcome at black gatherings than vice-versa. I love many things about black culture and I hope the paradigm of negativity toward black people shifts positively in this country, in the future.
I've been a casual student of black history for about 15 years and it has helped me understand the culture and roots of black Americans.
I have a number of good books and have loaned out or gave away too many to count, but here are a few I found particularly enlightening. My favorite recommendation is "Malcolm X", a must read and seeing the movie doesn't count. “Black like me” by John Howard Griffin, “Sins of my fathers – The Atlantic Slave Traders 1441-1807” by James Pope-Hennessy, “From Slave to Statesman – The legacy of Joshua Houston, servant to Sam Houston” by Prather and Monday, and finally “The slave trade” – by Hugh Thomas.
Let’s celebrate the contributions of black Americans and while we’re at it, let’s do our share to learn more about this great culture that in many ways has influenced our individual lives for the better.
It’s a common belief that America is going to continue forward as a world leader regardless of what happens and we, who are living right now, are going to enjoy our lifestyle throughout our remaining years. History shows how easily all this can slip away and many times, it is gone in less than a decade.
America is still the place to be, regardless of what you see or read in today’s media and just like people in other countries view us as the hope of the world, we continue to squabble and fight over ethnicity, like the rebellious nation we are.
Take recent complaints about why “the blacks” need a whole month to draw attention to their history as an example.
Black history month is not meant to compete with anything, but to draw attention to the contribution of black Americans to society. It's a positive thing.
Right here in this town, a friend of mine grew up getting discarded books from white schools, when the new books were given to the white schools. You have to remember, many of us reader/writers are baby-boomers and older. We remember segregation and it wasn't THAT long ago. Black history was NOT taught in American schools at all until the last few decades, so the whole idea is one of education and who could fault that?
“Why should blacks have a “Black History” month and the whites not have a “White History” month, someone asked?
When almost 13% of our median population is black, it is not overboard to dedicate one month of our year to honor their accomplishments. According to the CIA’s excellent web site, (www.cia.gov) The World Fact Book, 81.7 per cent of this country is “white”, because “white” includes Hispanic peoples.
When a President dies, we fly our flags at half staff for a month and we do it to honor them. We shouldn't have a non-Presidents day also, so all the people who were not president can feel honored too, or a non-Veterans day, to honor all those who were never Veterans.
Each year, for the last 12 years, I have organized a Veterans Day celebration at the chemical plant where I work. I started this in the Clinton years because I felt Veterans benefits were diminishing with the military budget. Although about 15 per cent of the employee work force was Veterans, it was slow going initially and we celebrated in small groups.
The idea was for the Veterans (and supporters) to bring food to the break rooms and invite non-Veterans to eat with us. Some Vets felt we should enjoy this ourselves and exclude non-Vets and I carefully explained that the only way we could raise awareness for Vets was to educate people and enjoy their fellowship.
Taking this approach of educating and integrating Vets with non-Vets has paid off and last year, our plant manager, along with the maintenance manager for Austin Industries and other contractor groups banded together to feed everyone breakfast and lunch on all shifts. Vets bring in memorabilia and we salute and thank each other for serving and supporting our Vets and current troops. We now have one of the most patriotic chemical plants on the ship channel and our web page even has family members serving in the military.
All this began because one person tried to make a difference through education and integration.
I’ve heard people say that “whites” (whatever that is) are not welcome at basically “black” functions. It's been my personal experience that whites are far more welcome at black gatherings than vice-versa. I love many things about black culture and I hope the paradigm of negativity toward black people shifts positively in this country, in the future.
I've been a casual student of black history for about 15 years and it has helped me understand the culture and roots of black Americans.
I have a number of good books and have loaned out or gave away too many to count, but here are a few I found particularly enlightening. My favorite recommendation is "Malcolm X", a must read and seeing the movie doesn't count. “Black like me” by John Howard Griffin, “Sins of my fathers – The Atlantic Slave Traders 1441-1807” by James Pope-Hennessy, “From Slave to Statesman – The legacy of Joshua Houston, servant to Sam Houston” by Prather and Monday, and finally “The slave trade” – by Hugh Thomas.
Let’s celebrate the contributions of black Americans and while we’re at it, let’s do our share to learn more about this great culture that in many ways has influenced our individual lives for the better.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Islam, a religion of peace? You decide.
According to Nonie Darwish (Now they call me infidel) there is no such thing as a peaceful Islamic movement, contrary to everything we hear in the media.
They have one agenda and that is spreading Islam around the world, by force if necessary and this is why I claimed the local Mosque's open house was a proselytizing effort and not an educational one.
I was called a racist for saying that, but the more I study that religion, the more I realize their intentions. Every place on earth it gets a foothold, it turns to violence as a means of spreading. That's fact and to assume it will be any different here is a gross assumption indeed.
Our freedom of religion will be used to cloak their every advance.
Nonie Darwish says Saudi Arabian money (Wahabi Islam) is pouring into our large universities to fund Islamic studies and this money (of course) is being welcomed with open arms. Wahabism is one of the most extreme forms of Islam and practised by bin Laden.
This sounds like conspiracy theory stuff, but Nonie Darwish was an Egyptian Muslim for many years, growing up under Nasser and immigrating to America 30 years ago. Her father was a Muslim "martyr". In her recent visits to Egypt, she says Islam has become extremely intolerant of all other religions and on our American University campuses, Muslim women are using "covering up" as a means of empowerment. They are actually flaunting being covered up.
Her warnings about what is happening right now in America are shocking and beat anything you here on TV or the papers.
You can read about her here:
Her web site is here:
They have one agenda and that is spreading Islam around the world, by force if necessary and this is why I claimed the local Mosque's open house was a proselytizing effort and not an educational one.
I was called a racist for saying that, but the more I study that religion, the more I realize their intentions. Every place on earth it gets a foothold, it turns to violence as a means of spreading. That's fact and to assume it will be any different here is a gross assumption indeed.
Our freedom of religion will be used to cloak their every advance.
Nonie Darwish says Saudi Arabian money (Wahabi Islam) is pouring into our large universities to fund Islamic studies and this money (of course) is being welcomed with open arms. Wahabism is one of the most extreme forms of Islam and practised by bin Laden.
This sounds like conspiracy theory stuff, but Nonie Darwish was an Egyptian Muslim for many years, growing up under Nasser and immigrating to America 30 years ago. Her father was a Muslim "martyr". In her recent visits to Egypt, she says Islam has become extremely intolerant of all other religions and on our American University campuses, Muslim women are using "covering up" as a means of empowerment. They are actually flaunting being covered up.
Her warnings about what is happening right now in America are shocking and beat anything you here on TV or the papers.
You can read about her here:
Her web site is here:
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