Supwiddat? TM

Things Get a Little Easier, Once You Understand

2011-10-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

There was a song back in the early 70's called "Once You Understand." It featured conversations about the changing neighborhood, and the arguments parents had with their children. It ended sadly with a phone call from a police officer telling the parent that his son had died of an overdose.

Similarly, we have a deep desire to know "why." Several years ago, Simon Sinek publish a book saying that we must "Start With Why," rather than starting with "who or what" like we usually do. It's when we know "why" we're doing what we're doing that all things begin to flow from that standpoint.

Take this back even to the Baltimore Catechism's Lesson 1, Question 6: "Why did God make me?" The answer: "God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven."

Notice we must know Him first before we can love Him. Discovering the "why" leads to a process that requires us to learn. And, since love is a decision, we must first have knowledge before we can make a correct decision.

Therefore, here are a couple of potential answers to today's pressing questions:

1) Why do our government representatives think they can solve everything by throwing money at it?
Because many of them are trained as lawyers, and lawyers study the law. They also know how to settle cases with financial windfalls for the plaintiff. If they solve problems in private practice by throwing money at it, why would we expect them to act differently when they're elected to a public office?

2) How do we get America back to work?
We have to make things. We went from an agrarian society to a manufacturing society (which is where cultures rise to power and prominence) to a service society to an information society. In an information society, knowledge is power. Who has the population with the highest IQs? Not America. India has more honors students than America has students. So let's make stuff again...but where is most stuff made today? China. Sadly, they have areas where they dump industrial waste. The Environmental Protection Agency in this country would never let that happen here. Until we figure out how we can make things here that the world wants, and can deal with the residual aftermath, then we're not going to move forward with this. Some folks say let's make the iPhone here. We could - but would anyone pay over 2 or 3 thousand dollars for one?

Deaths of Billionaires

2011-10-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs passed away last week - a billionaire, he was a college drop-out who followed his passion to make a fortunue and changed the world.

On Monday, Carl Lindner passed away - a billionaire, he was a high school drop-out who eventually founded United Dairy Farms, and his philanthropic passion help the lives of many in the Cincinnati area.

Now, consider the person entering college today. There's no guarantee that they're going to find a job after graduation...yet there is one thing they will have - student loan debt.

Needless to say, my views on the value of formal education may be changing.

There's another billionaire that died this week - General Moammar Qadafi. Interestingly, he did graduate.

Musings on the National Debt, and Why Congress Can't Get the Economy Going

2011-09-15T14:52:00.000-04:00

While our nation hasn't been the victim of a natural disaster the magnitude of which struck Haiti last year and Japan earlier this year, our economy, if you ask the average citizen, is a disaster. Other countries are buying T-bills, securities and other types of US Government bonds. Even us regular Joes buy US Savings Bonds. When a nation or an individual buys a bond, it increases the debt our nation owes, since bonds must be repaid with interest. When you look at it this way, the national debt is not just a matter of spending more than the government takes in. The national debt is a loan that eventually needs to be repaid.

Because the United States is a non-profit organization, individuals can make contributions to reduce the national debt. You can find out how by visiting http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtFinance. Now, before you laugh at the prospect, consider that the US pledges funds to help other nations when disaster strikes them. We don't "loan" the money to nations that have been hit with disasters...at least the media doesn't report it that way. Most of the time, if natural disasters strike our nation, we all pitch in what we can since we try to take care of such things ourselves...or, hope that our governments designate them as disaster areas.
So, if we're expected to take care of our economic problems ourselves, and the US has about 312,000,000 people, let's consider the 80/20 rule. If 80% of the people can be asked to pay 20% of the debt, and 20% of the people can pay 80% of the debt, this would mean that every "very well off" person (20% of the population) could pay about $180,000 to the government, and the majority of the people would only have to pay about $11,300 per person to retire the debt. If we opt for a balanced budget today, over the next 10 years, $18,000 per year would come from every "well-off" person, while everyone else would have to come up with $1,130 per year. A family of four, then, would be responsible for $4,250 more going to the federal government every year in order to pay off the national debt. Sounds hardly possible.

Interestingly, in recent weeks, the mounting debt crisis in Europe has been one of the driving factors in the decline of the American stock market. This proves that our economic problems are not just domestic ones, and therefore, we are not alone in this difficult time. The problem is systemic, and every action that occurs has the ability to generate unintended consequences.

Take unemployment, for example. Is news of layoffs good news or bad today? Today, most of us would agree that it's bad news. A company says that they're going to lay off 20,000 workers, and the stock market tanks. However, in times of economic prosperity, such news would be good news for the stock market. A layoff of workers in good economic times means that the company won't be spending as much money in overhead, will show a profit increase, and that can lead to more revenue for its stockholders. Therefore, the price of the stock increases, and even though people are losing their jobs, investors are making more money than they did before.

But if the stock market declines, individuals take money out of stocks and buy bonds. Bonds are issued by governments, so buying bonds increases government debt. Once again, you can see the systemic effects of a downward spiral in action. What should happen is counter-intuitive, and that's why investing in the stock market shoud be left to those who know what they're doing, rather than all the folks that are trying to make a quick buck on itrade, nationaltrade or letsseeificanmakeatrade, or manage their 401Ks themselves. Investment professionals buy stocks when they're low, and sell when they're high. If stock prices are low, it means there's been a sell-off somewhere. I'd love to be able to see if those sell-offs are made by brokerage firms or individuals that "dabble" in the market on their laptops. Keeping in mind a systems thinking (ST) framework, a million "dabblers" could have catastrophic unintended consequences.

So what can be done to reverse the downward spiral? As an interesting consideration, let's take a look at the world, which has about 6.9 billion people. If each person in the world would give $2 to the US government (and not just loan it to them), it would eliminate our debt. We could start fresh and move forward, once again driving the world's economy, helping other countries to reverse their debt crises. Remember, that's an average of $2 per person. Certainly, millions of people in the world cannot give anything; some can give much more than that. See the link above about giving to reduce the national debt.

Of course, there are other systems that must be addressed. Governments, both national and local, have been "caring for" people who are in need or cannot care for themselves. Churches used to do that. It's why there needs to be a separation of Church and State, but both need to exist, and both need to know which roles they need to play. When one tries to usurp the role of the other, or eliminate each other's roles, everyone suffers.

But I think there's another reason why congressional leaders and governmental administrators can't come up with a plan to more forward with economic recovery.

When I was majoring in communications, a friend of mine had a journalism professor that would say, "And where did you get your degree in journalism from?" when his methods were questioned by a student. Similarly, when I was in education, I had heard that there were teachers who would have liked to ask the same type of question when a student's parent was upset about the amount of homework the child was receiving.

I thought about that after hearing a local radio talkshow yesterday. The caller said that Congress can't come up with a plan, and all they want to do is throw more money at the problem and hope it works. That resonated with me - because many of our elected officials have political science degrees and advanced law degrees...and isn't that how many lawyers work? Let's settle out of court for an undisclosed sum of money. In other words, let's put some money on the table and see if the claim can be settled. I wonder how many of our lawmakers have MBAs? That question was posed on a Web site in 2008, and no one has offered an answer. The New York Times has an interesting artilce from 2009 regarding the number of lawmakers that have college degrees (http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/congress/), but without personal economic experience, the leap from lawmaker to economy fixer is certainly a huge one.

I think everyone needs to watch the movie, "Dave." It shows what happens when politics takes a back seat to hard economic decisions. Everyone may not like it, but there is joy regarding the end result.

Random Thoughts as the Stock Market Plummets

2011-08-11T11:45:00.000-04:00

When fears of a debt crisis in France send American stocks into a tailspin, something's wrong...

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the number one movie in the world...the same weekend that rioting by England's youth begins. Who said children don't emulate what they see?

I'm confused about global warming. I heard a report on NPR that the glaciers are melting because of the manufacturing in countries like China, Russia, India and the US. Wait a minute - manufacturing in the US? I thought the economy was bad because we don't make things here anymore...

I think the Government really needs to evaluate how the Post Office works. I really don't think it would be bad to stop mail delivery on Saturday. Then every mail carrier can have a weekend - just like every other worker would like to have. But all those little out of the way Post Offices are a different story. I stopped at one the other day. It was open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to Noon then from 1 PM to 4 PM, and Saturdays from 8 until 11:45. As a working person, when am I free to go to the Post Office? That would be on my lunch hour and after work - when they're closed. And then the Government wonders why it loses money on this venture. How about being open when people can actually visit?

How Much?

2011-08-11T11:05:00.000-04:00

I drove past a suite hotel yesterday that advertised their room rate with a large sign: $249 a week. This was a good-looking place too!

I thought about that for a minute...and then did some calculations. Adding 6% for tax, the total for a year's stay would be $13,724.88 - so let's say $13,725. Sounds like a lot, right?

But then I thought about my bills and how I would be affected:
- no gas bill (savings of $100 a month)
- no electric bill (savings of $100 a month)
- no cable and Internet bill (saving of $100 a month)
- no water bill (savings of $40 a month)
- no sewage bill (savings of $40 a month)
- no trash bill (savings of $20 a month)

That adds up to $400 a month. $13,725 divided by 12 is about $1,145 a month, minus the $400 comes to $645 a month...and there's no grass to cut and the staff make your bed, clean your room, and empty your trash every day.

With so many homes "under water" right now, this sounds like a heck of an alternative to an apartment - of course it would only be a bedroom, a living area, a bathroom and a small kitchen, and ... wait a minute - that's a one bedroom apartment! My daughter's living in one and paying more than $645 a month in rent.

Supwiddat?

3 Things Our New Kitten Has Taught Me

2011-08-02T12:17:00.003-04:00

1) If you leave water in the sink after washing dishes then leave it unattended, kitten may get a bath.

2) Never leave a sharp knife out to air dry after washing it.

3) Always check the clothes dryer after putting washed clothes in just to make sure kitten won't go for a ride.

Productivity Apps - The New Oxymoron

2011-06-01T20:41:00.002-04:00

I just wasted an entire day trying to find an app for an iPhone that sychronizes with Outlook without having to go through 12 other programs.

I FINALLY find one - and then realize that the programmer didn't include a "\" (backslash) in the character set. I need to use it to be able to sync with my Enterprise server, making the app useless for me.

Doesn't anybody "get it?" Doesn't Apple "get it?" Apple is big enough to say "to hell with you" when anyone complains about why an iPhone only syncs with three of the four primary Outlook tasks. It's their slam against Microsoft and the PC.

If you're going to do that, fine. Then someone make me an app that can track 10 categories of tasks with 7 levels of priority in each - none of this piddly "star" for important tasks and 4 level of color coded priority. I have the spreadsheet for it - if anyone wants to turn it into an app, contact me.

New Year? Feels Like SOS to Me

2011-01-02T22:54:00.003-05:00

This is January 2nd...and the garbage disposal decided to start to leak today, spilling water into the cabinet under the sink; the DVD/VCR combo that has worked flawlessly decided to quit sending video signal to the TV tonight; and the wireless printer that has been the workhorse for the house computer two floors above where the printer is locate now doesn't print from that computer anymore. I guess the wireless got tired. To compensate, the printer now prints a blank page first whenever I print something from the computer that's hard-wired to it.

Actually, I think the vacuum cleaner talked to all the appliances since we vacuumed the house yesterday after the NYE party here. It told those three to break today. I wonder what he told the others. If I get a call that we have no hot water, the vacuum cleaner will be the first appliance to be replaced.

And I thought "Rise of the Machines" was only a movie...

Why Are Things So Difficult Today?

2010-09-23T00:56:00.002-04:00

It's human nature to want to know the answer to "Why?" It's a question four-year-olds ask incessantly. It's a question adults cry out when tragedies occur. If an acceptable reason can't be found, then we begin to look for something or someone to blame. Many times, people blame God, and then wonder why a merciful God would let bad things happen.

It may help to remember that God gives us trials to make us realize our dependence on Him.

If you don't consider that to be an acceptable reason, consider this - as a nation, we've confused "faith" and "religion." Faith is belief; Religion is an organized system of beliefs. The Constitution of the United States of America provides a clause stating there should not be a national "religion" - but faith in a higher power is fundamental to existence.

When we say that we need to "Do the right thing," belief in a higher power is the only way to know what the "right" thing is. It takes moral development to understand what's right from what's wrong, and morality requires a basis in faith.

This helps to explain why our nation's government can't "help" us, even though intentions are good. Government's role is to make laws and enforce them to keep order. There are only three commandments which are the basis of our nation's laws, namely: don't steal, don't kill, and don't bear false witness, or, more bluntly, don't lie. All the other commandments deal with matters dealing with one's relationship with God.

Government should be small...small enough to provide a framework in which we can live. Faith, on the other hand, is the way in which we should live. Separation of Church and State? Yes! Separation of Faith and State is a recipe for disaster. Faith is where the concept of "care" takes root, since caring cannot be legalized.

So, worship God, and there is room for you here - Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu. Worshiping anything else makes you a threat to society. That's the deception of evil - it looks good. If it didn't, it wouldn't be tempting, now would it? Things that appear to be good and serve our sense of self may be deceptions. It's one of the reasons why there is no outcry against injustice until what we perceive as an injustice affect us personally.

It is true that God has blessed me, just as He has blessed every one of us, every one of His creations. But He didn't bless me because I'm me; He's blessed me with particular gifts so that I can help others with those gifts to foster their gifts. We are God's hands on this earth - and that's some important work to do.

Why do we need God? It's the only place we can find abundance in a world of vanishing resources.

Have You Noticed a Difference in Web Site Redesign?

2010-08-05T00:58:00.003-04:00

I have. When a company introduces a new Web site, there are usually three characteristics that stand out:

1) Lots of space and pictures - not a lot of text;
2) The text that is there has larger font sizes and easier to read fonts - like Trebuchet rather than the standard Times New Roman;
3) It's usually interactive, with a search bar, a sign up form, or a field to complete - or - there's a photo rotator (a great pallandrome, by the way) or a video embedded in it, encouraging the viewer to interact with it.

Web designers are changing their standard styles of creation, and moving toward a font that's larger so us 40, 50, 60, and 70+ year-olds can read it easily, and since younger folks don't like a lot of words - they either want to type the words themsleves, or click on photos to find out more about the site they're visitng.

I really like that Trebuchet font...I may finally have to give up Verdana.

Z

Students Leaving The Area After Graduation? It's More Than "There Aren't Any Jobs"

2010-07-07T01:24:00.004-04:00

Working with schools for the past 8 years has allowed me to hear individuals lament the fact that children are leaving their hometowns and travelling to other parts of the country in order to find work. Of course, recent graduates could be engineers, and don't want to move to the part of the country where they'd gone to school. Others could be liberal arts majors who are still trying to find what their ultimate calling in life is.

However, teaching presents an interesting exemplar. I've come to this realization after being offered a position at a school in the Southern part of the country several years ago, and after my daughter has been applying to schools throughout our hometown area in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and finally landing a teaching job...in North Carolina.

It's not that other schools around here were not interested. Some school districts do their first round of hirings in May, then, if those that are offered positions do not accept, round two happens in June. There could be another round in July and even one in August as those that are in current positions may accept a position at another school district.

But schools in the Northeast start school at the end of August; schools in New York start after Labor Day. Conversely, schools in the South start during the first week of August, with teacher days beginning in some schools at the end of July. New York doesn't get out of school until the 3rd of 4th week of June.

Some schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania won't start looking at resumes until mid-July; some schools in Northwestern Pennsylvania are closed in July, and reopen in August to take care of registrations and the like. So the next time we wonder why our kids are leaving the area after they graduate, perhaps it's because they've had to accept a position away from home long before similar industries in their hometown areas were ready to begin their process.

A simple "shift" in thinking might help to reverse the situation, and keep students closer to home to build their local economies, rather than moving away as the rest of us watch the population decline.

Technology Needs to be Simple - Part 2

2010-03-04T22:46:00.004-05:00

Has anyone purchased an HP printer lately?

Let's see a show of hands - how many think they're the worst excuse for a piece of technology today?

Hmmm - quite a few.

After an hour and 48 minutes, my new wireless printer is still going through the installation disk. "This may take a few minutes." Yeah - right. Last time I checked, 108+ was a heck of a lot more than a "few."

Oh, and we're installing HP software too! And you're not giving me a choice as to whether I want it or not. And what's up with the Y9Y9 file that seems to be a part of your program set up - at least it is according to the tech experts I've spoken with.

Step three of four has been in place now for the past 20 minutes. I've given up on the wireless installation since I'm not permitted to change firewall settings on my business computer since the business owns it. Isn't it ironic - wireless technology "can make you more productive" - except when you're not permitted to install wireless technology (or use a type of technology) because of the potential threats that exist in cyberspace. If I'm not permitted, then's there not really a whole lot I can do about productivity - or, I have to look for other ways to be more productive.

If I didn't need a scanner, I wouldn't buy a printer ever again. We can do everything on computer today and store files electronically - and soon, we'll all be able to do it on our little handhelds.

Maybe someone out there can make a light "wand" type device - and don't say it's out there already in the form of Neat Receipts. Their install is fast, but it takes 30 minutes to scan one document. Surely somebody out there realizes that technology today is all about speed and accuracy, and can invent something that is both speedy and accurate. Then again, if someone did that, they'd corner the market, driving the other competitors out of business, then the government would come along and say they have to break into two companies so that there's competition in the marketplace.

Maybe we should get Toyota engineers to make computers. They seem to have no trouble getting extra speed from cars...

Technology Needs to be Simple

2010-02-27T12:15:00.005-05:00

Upon returning home from a week on the road, I had TONS of paperwork to do - and, of course, my wireless router decided to quit working. After spending 7 hours trying to fix it, I've resolved to go buy a new one. I will never buy a D-Link product again because it was a pain to install it the first time, let alone this second go round, and, if you want to ask someone a question from the company after your warranty period, it will cost you $34...with no guarantee that the reply will correct your concern. Of course, the final realization was that "It's five years old - time for a new one." Although it makes me feel kind of powerless, since I have Master's degree in Technologies-enhanced learning, and have to know how to do all this stuff. If I can't do it, I'm amazed that others aren't having any difficulties setting up wireless networks in their homes.

Therfore, after reading many reviews, I'm not buying a Linksys either. I've read that NetGear wireless routers connect easily. Comments would be welcomed.

Work From Home? GREAT Idea...as Long as the Technology Works.

2010-02-05T08:51:00.003-05:00

Work from home...

Save money...

Great option for businesses...

ABSOLUTELY!

Distance learning...

Cyberschools...

Online classes...

FANTASTIC!

...just as long as the technology works FLAWLESSLY!

If it doesn't, you need a tech wizard at a helpdesk to make sure downtime is minimal. If you've got someone that needs to check with someone else, then figure out what's going on, then create a workaround, and maybe there's a software upgrade that has to occur, or the system is getting hacked by idiots that don't have anything better to do....you're (since my "Lewis Blackian" urge to scream an obscenity is kicking in here, I'll move on).

My wife has just spent an hour responding via email to extremely important issues that would require days to get everyone around a table for a face-to-face meeting to discuss...and no one's received the emails. They're not in her sent file, they're not in her outbox, but they are in her drafts file - but only the original emails that she's responded to...her responses are nowhere to be found on the document.

Anyone want to tackle this one, because her helpdesk can't help...making it just another "desk" at this point.

What Are We Doing Wrong?

2010-01-12T07:46:00.003-05:00

This is why this blog is called, "Supwiddat?" since that's what I say (as do others) when they read what's here.

Banks get bailed out by the U.S. Government (read, US!), automakers get bailed out by the U.S. Government, and STILL - employees in the financial industry are slated to get bonuses totalling billions of dollars.

Here's an idea - if you work for a bailed-out institution, and are slated to get a bonus of, as some reports say, in the millions of dollars, some (if not all) of that bonus has to go to Ohio and Michigan. Or, perhaps, back to the federal government. Either way, "US" gets it to help reduce the debt you got us into in the first place.

Then, NBC admits moving Jay Leno to prime time was a mistake, and moves him back to 11:35 PM - for a HALF hour. Something tells me he's not going to receive half his salary for working 50% less.

I must say, though, that I really don't have a problem with Mark McGwire using steroids. My son and daughter use steroids. They have asthma - and if they didn't use steriod medication, they wouldn't be alive today.

There's a difference between use...and abuse.

I Will Never Buy a Chrysler Product Again

2009-12-24T13:32:00.000-05:00

After having a 3 Chrysler vans (a Plymouth Voyager, a Plymouth Grand Voyager, and a Chrysler Town and Country) and a Jeep, I will never buy another Chrysler product. I received word that Chrysler was extending the warranty to cover an air conditioning repair that proved problematic - AFTER we had it fixed at our own expense.

But, that's OK - mail the proof that the service was done, and we'll refund you the money. So, I send the receipt from the service center that did the repair. I get a call from Chrysler today saying that they need proof I paid the bill...so I have to send them THREE credit card statements - one that shows that the charge was applied, and the next two to show that the entire bill was paid.

I'm glad I pay my credit cards off every month (or, at least every other month), or there's a chance that I wouldn't receive reimbursement.

The entire American auto industry needs to take a lesson from Honda, Nissan and Toyota. An American showed them how to streamline their processes and build world-class cars. 30 years later, we need to be retrained.

After Watching the First Half Hour of MTV's Music Video Awards -

2009-09-13T21:28:00.000-04:00

...I shut it off. Kanye West has outdone Senator Joe Wilson for the "Most Inappropriate Comment at the Most Inappropriate Time" Award of 2009.

If tonight's show is to honor Michael Jackson's vision of love, then it's time America showed Kanye West to fame's exit door.

Cash For Clunkers Program Clunks?

2009-09-02T07:22:00.000-04:00

I just saw a news headline regarding the impact of the US Government's "CARS" program, affectionately known as "Cash For Clunkers."

Ford posted a 17% increase in sales, while GM and Chrysler posted double-digit losses.

Doesn't it seem logical that a company that refused a government bailout, gave away stock in its company as an incentive to the public to buy their cars, and has logically consolidated its distribution chain on its own has posted an increase in sales?

GM still puzzles me. It made sense for 6 automotive companies to come together to form GM if they could share platforms, parts, and service knowledge. However, once GM decided to do away with several nameplates to cut costs and delineate their product lines, it would seem no longer necessary for GM to exist as the parent company to the distinct vehicle lines. Rather than having four nameplates under one company, just split into four individual companies. Such a strategy would also eliminate the need for a whole slew of executives with executive salaries.

But that doesn't mean that GM would disappear. AT&T had to do it, and then has kept reinventing itself. Perhaps it could be the service arm, while the design and manufacture of vehicles could be the responsibility of the suriving nameplates.

Maybe that's what's going to happen...after all, I mentioned something about GM needing to be brought down after they made Saturn just another division of GM, and I also mentioned something about GM selling cars on ebay just nine days before they made the announcement that they were going to pursue that.

Wealth Management

2009-07-20T11:26:00.001-04:00

Seems to be oxymoronic, doesn't it? If you have wealth, then why would it need to be managed? Perhaps it's because wealth does indeed need to be managed, since, if you have it, you believe that you can do anything, and then are shocked when you find out that monetary wealth can't buy things like peace...righteousness...or correct decisions.

Through this time of economic turmoil, I've learned three things about wealth management:
1) Even if you try to manage your wealth, you have to make the decision that you will not live beyond your means.
2) The stock market works for wealth accumulation as long as you keep your money there and don't move it or pull it out, and everyone else does the same.
3) There's no replacement for hard work...there are only blessings. Get rich quick schemes make somebody else rich.

I Need to Stop Sharing Ideas...

2009-07-11T19:03:00.001-04:00

...because they become reality. On July 1, I wrote to NPR to comment on a news story that stated car sales were down again for the month of June. The reporter sounded saddened that the month ended with a loss again, as experts were hoping for signs of a turnaround as they had seen in the housing industry.

I wrote and commented that this was NOT a news item, simply because it was not news. Car manufacturers do not sell cars to people - they sell them to dealers. When Chrysler and GM tell dealers that they will no longer be dealers, THEY'RE not going to buy cars from them. And, if you drive along various rows of dealers that are continuing to be associated dealers, you'll see their parking lots are filled with cars already, so THEY'RE not going to buy a whole lot of cars either.

I suggested that if manufacturers would come up with some kind of new distribution channel, like selling cars on ebay, then that would be news.

July 9, 8 days later, GM emerges from bankruptcy, and announces that part of their restructuring plan includes selling cars on ebay.

Wish I could pick lottery numbers like that...

H1N1 NE1?

2009-05-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

If I hear another news story about the H1N1influenza (since we can"t call it Swine Flu anymore), I shall no longer listen/watch news stories from that outlet. I just came from Mass where the woman standing next to me would not shake my hand at the sign of peace for fear of the H1N1. Folks, 36,000 people died in this country this past winter from the strain that hit us during "flu season," but we don't hear anything about that. However, let 100 people contract a virus in Mexico, and it's a pandemic. Speaking of pandemics, how's that eradication of HIV going? And I wonder if anyone is doing anything about the smallpox vaccine I got when I was a kid. It's apparently worn off too.

I Have To Be Careful About What I Write About

2009-05-01T21:41:00.001-04:00

It's very scary. I read that the Spring Hill, Tennessee plant that produced Saturn's "Different Kind of Car" was shut down several years ago, and retooled to make the Chevrolet Traverse. It was at that time I heard the whisperings that GM was considering launching Saturn, just like the rocket it was named after, since it was no different than any other GM brand anymore. I remember saying that I hope GM got what was coming to them since they took a great idea that had respected their customers and created customer enthusiasm and ground it into the ground like a cigarette butt because it was unprofitable. Greedy executives....

And look what happened...

So after reading that American Express has been downgraded, if anything happens to them, that would leave the new "Big 3" to be MasterCard, Visa and Discover.

In this era of credit crunches, I wonder what would happen if those companies would disappear...being forced by the government to give consumers a break from unscrupulous interest rate hikes could make it impossible for them to stay in business.

I'm old enough to remember the days before MasterCard, Visa and such. Department Stores had their own charge cards (not credit cards) to be used in place of cash, rather than instead of cash. You had to save for a downpayment on your house. The stock market was a place where the rich invested their fortunes.

The Walmart Credit Card is already here, issued by GE Money Bank. Something tells me it'll soon be issued by Walmart Bank.

The Problem With the Economy...

2009-02-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

...is the same problem that private and faith-based schools have when it comes to trying to keep them afloat...

It's all one big system.

Indeed, it IS the system that needs to be fixed. But we don't know how to do that. We like to work linearly. We need step-by-step instructions. When embarking on new projects, we like to take them one step at a time so as to not cause a lot of feather-ruffling, and then, when things settle, take the next step.

But today, everything is interconnected. Some local news programs have done outstanding features on how a laid-off worker on one side of the country affects another worker on the opposite coast. In simplistic terms, it's like the fairy tale which deals with the old woman and the pig. As the woman was taking her pig home, it came to a fence, and the pig wouldn't jump over it. So, she had to ask a stick to beat it, but it wouldn't...so she asked fire to burn the stick to beat the pig...but it wouldn't...so she asked water to quench the fire...but...well, you get the idea. It finally comes down to giving a mouse a small piece of cheese that starts the whole chain reaction in motion.

But we don't have a word for that type of thought process. Some call it "Systems Thinking," while it exists in a more formalized version called "Chaos Theory." Such actions were played out in the movie, "The Butterfly Effect." Chaos Theory, however, seems to put a negative spin on the concept. So, realizing we need some positive news out there, perhaps we should call it, "Systemicity," and the study of it "Systemicism." Don't bother looking up those words....they're not in the dictionary. Therefore, I claim them (Systemicity (TM) and Systemicism (TM)).

It's been said that once we can "name" something, we then know what it is, and can communicate the idea to others - which is the first step to solving the problem.

But for those who still think that "Linear Thinking" and the Scientific Process will pull us out of recession, stagflation, depression, or whatever word you'd like to call it, I'll point to the Stock Market as a problematic point of focus.

President Obama signed the nearly one trillion dollar economic stimulus package. Someone should have told someone on Wall Street that he did it, because it didn't stimulate anything - the stock market dropped almost 300 points.

Let's look at 3 things that are "wrong" with the Stock Market right now.

1) How many companies were publicly-owned in the 1940's? the 1950's? the 1960's? I'm sure you'll see that the number has increased exponentially. While more business is good in terms of growth, more places to invest takes away from others. Someone can do some research here to see how many privately-owned companies there are that don't do business on the stock market. How are they doing today? It's been said that most of our economic growth have come from small businesses. While these companies are not publicly traded, they're the first to feel the pinch (or sledgehammer) that comes from stockmarket volatility.

2) In the past, how many people had access and the knowledge to know what to do in the Stock Market? These people used to work for others as stewards of funds that were entrusted to them..NOT for themselves with Internet trading accounts, where people get in to make a quick buck, then get out. When I was a little kid, only the "rich" owned stocks since they had funds to invest; the working folk SAVED their pennies so that they could afford the things that they really wanted. Kids worked lemonade stands, did yard jobs, shoveled driveways, delivered newspapers to instill the work ethic into them. Now, we just open an account on line, buy some stocks, see what they do, take the money out, find others companies, put money in - it's like the new bank...which is why people have lost trust in banks...because some think they don't need them anymore when they're playing in the Stock Market. You want people to save? Stop online trading. Let the brokerages do what investors are trained to do, and let's focus on long term investing (since short-term investing is an oxymoron). The manfestation of the problem - the stock market now reacts to the daily news - rather than investment strategies.

3) In the past, bad economic news used to be good news for the Stock Market. Layoffs meant that companies were being prudent and watched their bottom line in response to stockholder's wishes for higher company earnings. Good economic news, such as a drop in the unemployment rate, meant stocks declined, because companies were growing, and some of the funds had to be used for improvements rather than distributed as earnings.

That's all out the window now.

The old system provided some checks and balances. Now, bad news means lower stock prices, which is more bad news which means lower stock prices, which means more bad news....you get the idea. It's a vortex that will keep sucking the life out of the economy.

So, something had to be done to shock the system. But we don't know what the results will be.

Here are some considerations for simultaneous stimuli - because it's systemic -

1) Create a new status for hospitals and schools not run by religious organizations. Maybe a "half-tax."

2) Ban on-line stock trading by the general public

3) Allow a generous tax credit (not just a deduction) for charitable giving

One last item - and this would be bold, because it would test the strength of our justice system, but it would adhere to the principals our nation was founded on. Everyone has to be part of a religion that gives praise to God. Our nation was founded on the principle of freedom of religion - that we could worship God however we saw fit. Now, we dance around the definition of God, what should be worshipped, and how political party ideology doesn't necessarily mean personal commitment (as in, "Well, personally I believe that that's wrong, but I shouldn't let my personal convictions interfere with representing my consituencies.).

We need representation that will "Do the right thing" and take personal responsibility for their actions, rather than shirking it. The blame game put us into the mess we're in. It's time to stop it.

Random Thoughts for January's Posting

2008-12-17T07:33:00.000-05:00

Ford giving shares of stock as incentive

It's the Party - Not the Person - That's the Problem

Evan Almighty is one of the best movies ever.

Parking needs to be: safe, abundant, convenient, inexpensive

Your job: "What's Your Passion;" not "What's it Pay"

There's NEVER a good time; NOW is the acceptable time.

The Old Woman and Her Pig

2008-12-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

Blogging once a month seems like it's something that's easier to do than once a week...so while there are things that make me go, "Supwiddat?" sometimes more than once a day, the opportunity to digest, reflect and then consider whether or not it's really worth talking about is much easier on my plate these days.

So what makes me go "Supwiddat" today - those car bailout talks.

First, where were the bailouts for Trans World Airlines, or Pan Am? Or Allegheny Airlines or Eastern?

Second, where were the bailouts for the Atlantic-Richfield Company, Standard Petroleum or Esso?

Third, where were the bailouts for Packard, Tucker, Studebaker, Deusenberg or American Motors?

These companies merged or simply disappeared.

But I understand the reality - letting these companies disappear today would bring our unemployment levels to 10% or more, causing our recession to slide into a depression. We've learned from history. So something needs to be done. Here's a little folk story to remind us of the fact that it's ALL systemic.

An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.”
As she was coming home, she came to a stile: but the piggy wouldn’t go over the stile.
She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog: "Dog! bite pig; piggy won’t go over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the dog wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said: “Stick! stick! beat dog! dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the stick wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said: “Fire! fire! burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the fire wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said: "Water, water! quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the water wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said: “Ox! ox! drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the ox wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said: "Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the butcher wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a rope. So she said: “Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the rope wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a rat. So she said: “Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the rat wouldn’t.
She went a little further, and she met a cat. So she said: “Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won’t gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the cat said to her, “If you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.” So away went the old woman to the cow.
But the cow said to her: “If you will go to yonder hay-stack, and fetch me a handful of hay, I’ll give you the milk.” So away went the old woman to the haystack and she brought the hay to the cow.
As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.
As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile, and so the old woman got home that night.

From service technicians to parts manufacturers (remember the movie, "Tommy Boy?"), to lot attendants to sales professionals - local dealers are already shutting their doors, some after being in business since the brand they represented appeared in the marketplace.

It's been said that greed is what has driven the car companies to the fix that they're in. Indeed - but it's not the greed of the senior executives. Everyone thinks that these are the guys responsible for the situation the car manufactures are in - and, in once sense, they are. But it's not their greed that got them in trouble - it's the greed of the stockholders who want to turn a profit. It's also the case of not realizing a conflict of interest when you see one. A corporate executive who gets a profit sharing bonus by getting company stock as a bonus has bought into the greed machine. If the stockholders vote on the board members, and the board members approve the executives, but the executives are stockholders, something ain't right there.

In the case of General Motors, let's take a look at Saturn. This company was launched as a fully-owned subsidiary (not a division as all the other nameplates are) to fight the imports, to bring new technologies to General Motors and make it a world-class car company once again. I know - I sold them. Customers created cult-like enthusiast clubs that drove to Spring Hill, Tennessee to see where their cars were made and picnic on the company grounds. The union contract was unlike any other UAW contract, based on performance rather than seniority. Employees were governed by a set of values that became a mantra for any company that aspires to excellence. The problem - the company didn't make money for the stockholders. Go into a Saturn dealer (we used to be retailers) now - you'll see rebates, first time buyers cash and incentives that have made it like any other car company, and probably the first to be jettisoned by GM in any type of reorganization.

So, let's follow the old woman and the pig storyline - who are the stockholders? Indeed, many of the executives, but also mutual fund managers and those folks who use Ameritrade and any other online personal stock trading service. I wonder if, in the final analysis, these are the folks that can be blamed for the collapse of the market, since most are in it to make a quick buck, rather than for the long haul.

Then there's the other branch. Did you buy your Chevy from Chevy? You might think you did, but you actually bought it from a dealer. Chevy, as every other auto manufacturer does, sells their cars to a dealer, and the dealer sells them to you. Auto companies are losing money because the dealers can't buy the cars from the manufacturers. And following the Old Woman and the Pig again, the dealers can't sell the cars if people aren't buying them. People may want to buy, but if their credit isn't stellar, then they can't. And, who's going to buy a car now if they know that the company that they buy it from might not be around down the road?

A buyout of some type is necessary to increase consumer confidence, and credit markets need to relax so that those with need can once again participate in the free market system.

So who's going to pay for all this? Seems we've stopped worrying about that for quite a long time - since the 60's when we went off the Gold Standard. Whomever decided that our nation needs to do that bears the ultimate responsibility for all that's come after it.

Anyone have some hay?

It's 2 days before Election Day - I have to post this...

2008-11-02T11:09:00.001-05:00

Please vote on November 4th...but, in a country that has its basis in 2 principles - an informed electorate, and individual moral character - just remember that Scripture tells us, "I set before you life and death; choose life, then, so that you and your descendents may live."

Remember that there are those out there that are stating the truth, but they package it in confusing ways. I just found a Web site called www.howdidthishappen.org, which blames the failed Bush policies for the predicament our naiton is in.

While no human is perfect, the text goes on to state that laws passed in 2000 started the downward spiral of the economy.

Um, I don't know if anyone remembers 8 years ago, but if a law was passed in 2000, it was signed by then-President CLINTON, not Bush. Indeed, the sub-prime mortgage market was opened up by actions put forward by then-President CLINTON in 1999.

How did this happen, indeed. The truth is stated on the site, but the conclusions aren't based on that truth. Further, when you have Democrats with a majority in Congress and a Republican in the White House, all kinds of stalemates will happen just because of voting along "party" lines.

Folks - it ain't no party no more. We keep looking for a way out - so let's look up - and do what God wants us to do.

Lots Of Thoughts As Our Stomachs Are In Knots

2008-10-09T00:08:00.000-04:00

Presidential election...wall street melt down...war...and were trying to solve the problems "by ourselves." Since our money still says, "In God We Trust," and since our Pledge of Allegiance says we are "One nation, under God," how about we just consider one verse of the Bible - Matthew 19:26 - "With God, all things are possible."

Once we do that, and acknowledge that, then we'll be able to bring some solutions to the table.

But here are some other things that I've recently heard, which caused me to say, "Supwiddat?"

A commercial/public service announcement for a group concerned with building playgrounds so that children have a safe place to play cited childhood obesity as an epidemic. It went on to say that playgrounds are needed so that children can exercise at least 3 times a week. Hmmm - here's an idea: bring back recess.

In the midst of a newscast decrying the Wall Street meltdown came a commercial for one of those credit card counseling companies. All these do is allow people to shirk their responsibilities. Maybe if people paid what they owed and took responsibility for their actions we wouldn't be in this mess. Then again, if people took responsibility for their actions, we wouldn't have as many single parent families as we do today. Now before you rant about that, remember that responsibility is a conscientious decision, and a good conscience is formed with - yes, that's right...see the above Gospel verse. But government leaders have tried so hard to take God out of everything that that we see they have can instill no responsibility either. So the American family is "X" amount of dollars in debt; the American country is 10 trillion dollars in debt.

Speaking of 10 trillion dollars, here's today's news from the Associated Press (updated 7:34 p.m. ET, Wed., Oct. 8, 2008)

CHICAGO - The bear market that is ravaging investor portfolios is now one of the worst in modern U.S. history and has wiped out more than $7 trillion in shareholder value, with no bottom clearly in sight. When it stops and how far it drops, no one can predict with any accuracy — a painful uncertainty underscored by Wall Street's giddy mood at the moment the steep descent began. A year ago Thursday, Wall Street was celebrating the fifth anniversary of a bull market that had created $10 trillion in shareholder wealth since 2002. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index hit all-time highs on Oct. 9, 2007.

Hmmm - we created 10 trillion dollars in wealth? Then why couldn't we pay off our country's debt last year? We give money to other non-profits...why not our nation? I'd rather pay down our nation's debt than give it to guys to sling mud at one another because they want to lead our nation. Then what do we get? A mud-slinging leader.

Speaking of blame - who's to blame for this whole sub-prime housing market debacle, allowing people to purchase homes with little credit history or bad credit or no down payment? That would be the Clinton administration. Check it out - September 1999. Fannie Mae started to make mortgages available to low and middle income families that usually were not able to get a mortgage. This action was taken at the urging of the Clinton administration to help individuals in these socioeconomic groups.

A commentator was heard on the radio speaking of the "cautionary" mood of investors. "Cautionary?" I thought it was "Cautious." Since we're making up words, I lay claim to two - "Epiphancity" (the state of being most commonly described as the "Aha moment," where a person has revelation regarding a problematic situation); and "Systemicity" (the state of being which describes something which happens in a system. Because things function in a system, where the actions of one part of that system affect the actions of another part of a system, events (significant or insignificant) can occur which result in intended or unintended consequences to a system that is linked to it, or which is not directly linked to it, but is linked to other common systems). To make sense out of that, just think of our financial crisis - adjustable rate mortgages recalculate causing payments to go up, causing defaults to happen, causing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to almost collapse which causes AID to almost collapse and Lehman Brothers to go under in the matter of a weekend which causes banks to come precarious close to shut down to the point that a company can't get the short term loan it needs to make payroll so it goes out of business, putting the guy that just got hit with a mortgage APR increase out of a job. That's systemicity.

The lower the tax rate structure is, the more economically prosperous our country is. Remember when individuals who made lots of money were taxed at the 70%+ rate? It was that way in the 1960's. Then the highest tax level was lowered to 50% and the economy grew. Today, the highest tax rate is 35%. Heck, God asks us to tithe (give 10%). If it's good enough for God, it should be good enough for our government. Oh - sorry - can't do that. Most of our jobs have gone overseas. It started with NAFTA...even though it was negotiated by then-President George H. W. Bush, it was signed into law by President Clinton...and people say the Democrats know what's good economic policy. No, they know what socialism is - nationalized health care plan, unemployment compensation, etc. While social security and unemployment shows a "caring commitment" to those less fortunate, it has no place in a capitalist society. Social service in a capitalist society should be left to the churches, or non-profits who are in business to provide those services.

The latest edition of ISTE (The International Society of Technology in Learning)'s monthly publication asked if students respect intellectual property. I just laughed like crazy. Of course not. These are the people that share files, music, Myspace codes, photos, etc. They probably don't even know what intellectual property is. If you tell them what it is and that it can be protected against copying you'd probably hear the class explode in laughter. To respect something you must learn about it and treat it properly. Children learn from what we adults do. We don't respect much - we argue with the police (as least we see that on TV all the time), we blaspheme God ("Let's remove the 10 Commandments from government buildings," even though they were the "laws" that the Israelite nation used to govern themselves.), and we parody our nations leaders -just watch Saturday Night Live, and also watch who comes to your door this Halloween. The costumes will be unbelievably scary this year - Obama and McCain!

In an interview on the radio with a Frenchman, one of the local talk show hosts heard him say, "To 'take care of all' is foreign to the American psyche." Indeed it is. See above. "Taking Care of All" is called socialism.

One last thought - just remember that our financial system is NOT breaking down...it is breaking open!!

This Goes Beyond "You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato"

2008-08-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

Many of you know the song...and you can extend the argument to the proper pronunciation for the word, "Aunt."

However, how about the proper spelling of a word which leads to its proper pronunciation.

Driving through New York State a couple of weeks ago, I heard a commercial for a local restaurant that was serving a salad with "basalmic" vinegrette dressing, with the accent on the second syllable - the announcer pronounced it "bah-SAL-mik." I thought it was "balsamic" (bal-SAH-mik).

Off to consult Google - which returns entries for BOTH. Balsamic vinegar, but Basalmic vinegrette dressing. Hmmm. Which is correct...or are they actually different things?

As usual, one question led to another. I thought "vinegrette" was spelled that way, but according to http://www.cooks.com, it's "vinaigrette."

Perhaps it doesn't matter - just so it tastes good. It's always all about the food.

What's Going On In Music Today?

2008-08-03T12:49:00.000-04:00

While riding in the car recently, I was using the "seek" function of my radio to scan for strong stations in the area of my journey. I heard a Garth Brooks song, "Why Ain't I Running," which is from his "Scarecrow" album released in 2001 - a song I had never heard before. It was the last collection of original songs that Garth put out, releasing some "hits" collection CDs as well as Christmas offerings. The songs on "Scarecrow" received limited airplay - and this song told me why. Garth sings "sharp" throughout the whole song. The melody is out of tune with the instrumental background. It was painful to listen to it.

Was this a test? Was this just "bad production" (perhaps a nod to the Beatles' "Come Together" - as in, "He bad production, he got...").

Then again, perhaps Garth was actually breaking new ground. Avril Lavinge appeared on the music scene several months later with her first single, "Complicated." Excellent production, catchy lyrics, great tunes - but then when the concerts came around, people I know came back from them unimpressed. "It sounded like she was singing out of tune with the band," was one remark.

This summer, Kid Rock released "All Summer Long," built around a sample of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama." Again, great song, catchy lyric, and even harmonies on the original lyrics which sound like the harmonies on the classic Skynyrd tune. The difficulty - the guitar solo is played in the wrong key - or at least in the wrong "modality" - for the song's structure. As always, I could be wrong...all I know is that, as a musician, I can't listen to it without cringing.

Sometmes live performances are "off" a little, since everyone can have a bad night. But when today's technology can correct even the tiniest of flaws, listening to recordings that are just a little "off" makes me turn the device playing those songs "off."

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actualy liking hip-hop more and more because of the excellent production values, the creativity of the rhymes, and no one has to worry about the medoly and the accompaniment being in tune. If the language wasn't as foul and pornographic as it is, I might even call myself a fan.

Another Great Musician Joins Heaven's Band

2008-06-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

I was at a graduation party yesterday, and mentioned a piece of music by Maynard Ferguson. The gentleman I was speaking with said, "He's one of my favorite musicians - too bad he's gone."

Several posts back I lamented the passing of jazz greats Joe Zawinul on September 11th, 2007 (another reason to remember that day), and Tim Eyermann in the spring of that year. But when did Maynard pass on - August of 2006! How did I miss this!!

I'm wondering why these items aren't announced in the news, but then I realize I get upset when I watch or listen to the news. As a tribute, I'm making this post reflect "Heaven's Star Jazz Big Band." If you have suggestions, please contact me with them so I can evaluate and include them.

Trumpet 1: Maynard Ferguson
Trumpet 2:
Trumpet 3:
Trumpet 4:
Trumpet 5:

Trombone 1:
Trombone 2:
Trombone 3:
Trombone 4:

Alto Sax 1: Tim Eyermann
Alto Sax 2:
Tenor Sax 1:
Tensor Sax 2:
Baritone Sax 1:

Guitar:
Bass: Jaco Pastorius
Drums:
Keyboard: Joe Zawinul

Moving From Win-Win to Win-Win-Win is Difficult

2008-06-22T13:00:00.001-04:00

Things that appear to be a "Win-Win" situtation seem to be derailed by a third-party when they decide to throw in a technicality.

I was in a small town recently where its main industry is the factory (yes, such a place still exists today). In order to save money AND be environmentally conscious (which isn't easy to do), the management suggested the factory move to a four-day work week. Here were the benefits:

1) It would give the workers a three day weekend to spend more time at home and with their families;
2) It would save the workers that had to drive to the plant gasoline since the price of a gallon of gas keeps rising with no end in sight.
3) It would save the factory from having to use the additional electricity it takes to turn on lights and equipment one day a week, and save on having cleaning crews come an extra day of the week.

The workers would simply move to working 4 10 hour days rather than 5 8 hour days. The local newspaper reported that the workers were all in favor of it - but the workers' union leadership opposed the move.

Since this would be a change in the contract, the contract would have to be renegotiated, as the current contract calls for overtime to be paid for any time worked over eight hours per workday. Other items could then be brought to the table as well since the contract would be opened.

As a former member of a labor union, I thought the union was supposed to represent the workers. If the workers wanted to do this, then why do union officials not follow the directives of their constituencies? I guess that explains why I'm a former labor union member.

Today, our schools are teaching cooperative learning strategies since students will have to know how to compete in a global economy when partnerships with companies around the world are in place within corporations. If, as in this case, corporations and their workers aren't permitted to cooperate by labor union leadership, then it stands to reason that the workers of tomorrow could face the same resistence.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, since labor unions would never undermine the education of our nation's children.

Businesses Will Never Learn Until You Start Speaking Up and Fighting Back

2008-05-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

"We want your business!" "We want to serve you!" "We appreciate your patronage!"

BULL!

I just received two offers for "great deals" in my inbox. One is from a credit card company - I've been with them for at least five years. Because of my great payment record, they want to offer me my choice of three upgrades to my account...and they keep sending me reminders about this through the mail AND through email.

OK - I'll call....and I sit on hold (after giving my account number and zip code) for FIVE MINUTES - listening to the synthesized jazz music and the interruptive female voice which reminds me that all the associates are very busy, but they're working hard to get to my call.

BULL! Hire more associates. I just won't use your card anymore.

Then, I receive an offer with "GREAT NEWS!" Next month, kids' meals are .99. I click the link to "read more," then find out that "kids" have to be 10 and under. Wait a minute - I have 3 kids...they're 20, 18 and 15. Two of them live at home, are in college, and gas is $4 a gallon. I guess this restaurant chain doesn't think I could use some financial help as well. I know I'm not the first to realize it, but parents of small children think they have difficulties. They think incorrectly. The solution that society would want us parents to take is to jettison chlidren at 18 and let them fend for themselves.

And that's why there's so much crime, drug use, and juvenile delinquency in young adults today - there's no one to teach them what responsibility means.

When someone offers me .99 meals for my kids, that'll be GREAT NEWS. If it's just for kids under 10, then say, "We've got GREAT NEWS if you have kids under ten; if you have kids older than that, we're going to squeeze you tighter than a vise." That's the correct spelling of a gripping device...and appropriate too - since it comes from Middle English "vis," which means "screwlike device," and from Old French from the Latin "vitis", which means, "screw."

I Guess I Look Like I Don't Know What I'm Talking About...

2008-02-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

...either that, or retailers aren't training their employees to respect their customers.

I just came back from the thing I HATE to do the most in this world - go to stores like Best Buy and Circuit City looking for some type of computer accessory I need.

I needed an A male to A male USB2 cable. The one that connected my external hard drive to my computer no longer works (too much "bend" in the wire near where the connection was made). Unfortunately, the aforementioned stores no longer sell an A male to A male, since A male to B male are how most peripherals connect to the computer today, and therefore, what they sell.

The sales person at Best Buy told me, however, that they have a cable that can transfer files from one computer to another computer that has the correct ends I need, so that will work. I said I didn't think that would work since there's software associated with it. I would like to think that my possession of a Master of Education degree in Technologies Enhanced Learning and teaching Introduction to Computer classes at a local university means that I have a little knowledge about what I'm talking about. But another sales associate comes over and, after hearing what's going on, says, "Yeah, that'll work." I'm still skeptical. Maybe Circuit City has the correct cable I'm looking for.

I get there, look around like a lost puppy, and encounter a sales associate who finds the same cable that I was handed before and says, "Here - this'll work." OK, I tell myself. There's apparently been some type of training program initiated to keep sales personnel up on the latest and greatest advances in computer technology to help serve customers that are becoming increasingly computer savvy.

I get home, connect the cable and - you guessed it - it doesn't work. That was a waste of $42.95 plus tax (not to mention gasoline). Oh well, 30-day return policies are good for something, I guess. But I still need a cable. Let's see what's on Ebay....and if an animal I'm looking for still exists.

Indeed it does...and it costs 99 cents!! Plus 3.95 shipping.

Our economy isn't in a recession because we're not buying from retail stores - it's that we're all becoming experts, know exactly what we need, and can use the Internet to get exactly what we want at a price we want to pay. Don't need to buy gasoline to go out and get it, and don't have to have our intelligences insulted.

My lesson today - ask the sales person why they're working at Best Buy or Circuit City before buying. If it's a job to help supplement their college expenses, then it's time for me to move on...but maybe they'd like to take my class...

Why I'll Never Understand the English Language (or, And Then We Wonder Why It's So Hard to Communicate With People From Other Cultures)

2008-01-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

The meaning of the word "recognize" is well-known. Rather than stating a definition from a dictionary, it means to see something and know what it is, or to see someone and know who they are. In today's Gospel readings for the Sunday Mass, John the Baptist "recognizes" Jesus as the Savior when he sees Him for the first time.

But at face value, you can't "recognize" if you've never had any previous idea of what you've just seen. In educational terms, we must be "cognizant," or "know" something. Certainly John the Baptist has some idea of who Jesus was - he was Jesus' cousin, for goodness sake. Certainly his mother Elizabeth spoke about her kinswoman Mary and their meeting where the babies they were carrying were to be the one who prepared a pathway for the Lord and the Lord himself. We have to be "cognizant" before we can "recognize," or, "re-cognize," "to know again."

In that same respect, how can I be "rejuvenated" when I've never been "juvenated?"

And then the experts wonder why our nation's youth test 16th in the world in Language Arts (reading, writing, etc.) and 24th in the world in Mathematics (for one thing, we shorten the word to "Math" because the people in 16th place can't spell "Mathematics").

Perhaps technology is responsible in part for this breakdown. I'm not talking about texting and IM speak...I'm referring to the ability of technology to not only break down the barriers that separate us from one another, but also break down the rules of our language we've come to know ("recognize") and hate.

For instance: the plural of platypus is platipi; the plural of cactus is cacti. For you academicians, the plural of syllabus is syllabi; the plural of alumnus is alumni. And for you mathematicians, the plural of radius is radii; the plural of locus is loci, and the plural of focus is foci.

Note how all these multisyllabic words change the "us" in the singular to "i" to pluralize them.

Enter the technologist, who says there is a virus in the computer. If there are more than one, then a program is installed to get rid of the "viruses."

Pardon me, but the word should be "viri." No wonder malicious code writers are called "hackers."

The Current Real Estate Crisis and Credit Rates

2007-12-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

It had to happen sooner or later...all investments go through a period of adjustment...gold, stocks, gems...and with real estate the only thing that kept increasing in value (which is determined only by the price someone is willing to pay for something) for some time, it's real estate's turn. Of course it helps that adjustable rate mortgages have been marketed to homebuyers so they can get into more home than they can afford. And then rising oil prices are blamed for everything too, so throw them into the mix, along with the shrinking value of our dollar.

But the thing that I think everyone overlooks is HGTV. Yes, Home and Garden Television on your local cable provider....and the Internet.

Consider this - here in Southwestern PA, we watch HGTV, and see a house in California that people are trying to buy for $980,000. That same house would sell here for about $250,000 or less. So we email our friends out in CA (since we've both watched the same program) and tell them, "Those people are out of their minds! They could buy the same house here for $250,000." Then they start thinking...and before long, they email someone who emails someone who's looking for a house. They log on to the Internet, and find, to their amazement, that the "comparables" in other parts of the country are about 1/4 to 1/2 of what the sellers are asking. Realizing it's still California, though, they offer $750,000, and the seller takes it (because they've been getting all kinds of low offers due to others who have done the same thing). Then their lender talks them into an ARM so that they can afford the cost...at least for a while...until more economic news throws a monkey wrench into what used to be a predictably reliable investment.

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet...

2007-12-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

I have the utmost respect for the veteran mail carriers of the United States Post Office. My dad was one. After seeing the problems that he had with his back (including surgery) from "carrying the heavy bag" day in and day out, and all the overtime that he put in, I would say that our government is blessed to have such dedicated men and women who get the mail to your door (or at least your mailbox). I took the test a long time ago. While I achieved a passing score, it wasn't as high as others in regard to the ability to quickly sort letters into the groupings necessary for proper delivery. The veterans were the eyes and ears of the neighborhood...the silent patrol that knew everyone on their routes.

However, I'm not so sure about the new ones. On our recent out of town trip, we had our mail stopped. In large black letters at the bottom of the card I had to sign, it was indicated that "Customer will pick up mail" on a particular date. I also had to check a box which said I agree to pick it up, and if I don't, mail delivery won't resume until I do. Security measures, I'm sure.

Upon our return, I went to the local Post Office to find that our carrier "had made a mistake," and delivered the week's worth of mail to the house. Superior customer service, I'm sure, was foremost in mind, but since the Post Office opens at a time after I have to be at work, the service I received was not how I wanted to be serviced. Such service is not service, but inconvenience. If my carrier couldn't read the large print at the bottom of the yellow "stop mail" card, I wondered if my carrier can read addresses, especially since mail addressed to other individuals at other addresses made its way into my pile.

"Neither rain, nor snow nor sleet," for sure...but the ability to read would be helpful to accomplish the task.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

2007-11-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

Her Web site describes her latest album as containing “music that contemplates the sort of big picture questions that become more important as we grow older. Carpenter is most interested in the art of asking them than in providing answers, though; she suggests an approach to life where mystery and possibility can tantalizingly co-exist.”

May I be so bold as to asset that “where mystery and possibility can tantalizingly co-exist” is God.

God is mystery – both almighty, yet granting humanity free will; both unconquerable and conquerable (in the words of Tertullian, the only thing that can conquer God is prayer); both gentle father and jealous justifier. God will always be mystery, for once we solve the mystery, it ceases to be a mystery. As we question God, He reserves the right not to answer any “Why” questions we pose.

God is possibility – because, with God, all things are possible.

Why You Can't Always Trust Statistics

2007-11-14T17:23:00.000-05:00

Just ran across this on the Web site of a professional membership organization to which I belong - let's just say it has to do with the use of technology in education. It's inviting members to link to its newly-created MySpace site, and provides the following synopsis (for any ed tech person not familiar with it, I guess):

"MySpaceTM, a popular social networking site used by millions worldwide, allows users to create profiles, add friends, publish a blog and news bulletins, upload images, videos, and other streaming content, and customize the look and feel of individual pages. Interestingly, recent demographic studies show that MySpace is most popular among users over 35 years of age."

Does anybody see anything strange about that? Consider that anyone who's a kid these days probably has a MySpace. MySpace's security also says that you can't have access to a "space" if you're under 13. But, we hammer "Internet Security" into our culture, and, especially for children, don't reveal your age. So, the teenagers don't say they're teenagers...they say that they're 99 years old. Then MySpace crunches the numbers - lo and behold, older adults are using MySpace!! Alert the media!!

No - wait - stop the presses. The 99 year olds are actually teenagers (or younger). You'd think a company involved in technology education would realize this before they publish "Interestingly, recent demographic studies show that MySpace is most popular among users over 35 years of age" on the Internet. Then again, maybe their statement is meant to be tongue-in-cheek demonstrated by their use of the word, "Interestingly." Hard to say.

I liked it when educators were more clear in their directives.

Tim Eyermann - Rest in Peace

2007-11-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

2007 has been a bad year for incredible musicians. Joe Zawinul passed in September, but I just found out that Tim Eyermann passed in the spring due to complications from lung cancer. There's an excellent tribute to him on Greg Karukas' website. He's given me permission to post it since it's difficult to link to that specific page on his site - http://2acrossmusic.googlepages.com/timeyermanntribute. I credit his music for taking me past the rock and pop pablum of the day and into the fields of fusion, jazz and all places beyond. Rest well.

Joe Zawinul - Rest in Peace

2007-09-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

Isn't it ironic (don't cha think) that a master of building musical bridges passes on today. Music is such a powerful force, with the ability to bring people, cultures and nations together. Let us remember that - especially when we hear school boards talk about cutting funding for the arts.

Dichotomic Behavior (or, "Supwiddat?")

2007-07-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

I've finally found a situation that describes the essence of the title of this blog.

We live in a nice neighborhood - at least what most people would consider nice - and, for the most part, neighborly. However, sometimes, for whatever reason, the police are called to investigate a "disturbance." Basically, someone is being disturbed, so they feel compelled to bring their complaint to a higher authority rather than confronting those that are causing the inconvenience head on. For instance, when I was a kid, my friends and I played music in the basement of a friend's house. Nothing illegal - just loud. The neighbors didn't like it, so the police were called to investigate and tell us to turn it down. After all, the neighbor that called them pays taxes, so they feel justified to provide some return on their investment.

When you're on the receiving end of the police visit, it's puzzling when you've realized you've done nothing wrong, according to the law - you get the permits, you're following the code and ordinances, you're enjoying a musical experience with friends - but just because you're bothering somebody, the police are obligated to respond to see if you're within the law, or if you're breaking the law...after all, if you're having too much fun, something has to be illegal. I don't blame them - they're just doing their job.

But - then the 4th of July comes. Fireworks are illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and can only be utilized with proper permits and with proper fire department protection on hand for public displays. Yet, there are roadside stands and tents that proclaim "Fireworks" for sale. I really don't have a problem with that, either. Law-biding citizens can simply pass by.

However, when someone starts lighting aerial bombs two houses away from you (when you know the people that live in that house, as well as the houses on either side of that house, are away) in the wooded area behind their backyard, a call to the local police department is warranted.

The dispatcher's response - "We'll send a car around when one's available to check it out, but by the time they get there, they'll probably be done. After all, it's the 4th of July, you know."

Yes, I know. I also know that fireworks are ILLEGAL This ain't just a "Hey, turn it down - it's my baby's nap time and the whole house is shaking" phone call. This is an eyewitness report of actions that are clearly against the law. There's no ordinance that says one can launch fireworks between the hours of 12 pm and 6 pm on Wednesdays through Saturdays during the months of June through August. The law is there to protect not only the person who may light it and get his hand blown apart, but also to protect the neighbor from the potential explosion of a misfire that sets his backyard ablaze. There's also the "it's probably just kids" argument. In that case, where did they get the money for it, who got the stuff for them, and, god forbid, we'd have to cite a juvenile on the 4th of July. A kid's main job is to be a learner - that's why they're in school for 9 or 10 months out of the year. What better lesson to learn - break the law, get a citation - or worse. It could very well be their first lesson in the importance of responsible behavior, and deter them from other illegal actions in their future.

Police respond to kids jamming in the basement, but not to fireworks launchings? Supwiddat?

Math is Hard

2007-06-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

This was an email that circulated for a while. Thought I'd post it since I'm in education, and school's out for the summer. It's edited for correctness.

"Last week, I bought a burger at a fast food restaurant for $1.58. The young woman behind the counter took my $2.00 and rung up the sale as I pulled eight cents in change from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and three pennies while staring at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort, and told her just to give me two quarters in change, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction, she began to cry. Why? Because of the way math is taught to our children.

Teaching Math in 1950:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1960:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1970:

A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element of the set is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C," the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than does set "M." Represent the set "C" as a subset of "M," and answer this question: What is the cardinality of the remaining set, represented by "P" for profit?

Teaching Math in 1980:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Underline the number "20."

Teaching Math in 1990:

By cutting down a beautiful forest of trees, a logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Additional topic for class discussion: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger was cutting down the trees? There are no wrong answers.

Teaching Math in 2000:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $120. How does his financial advisors determine that his profit margin is $60?

Teaching Math in 2010:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. El hachero vende un camion carga por $100. The cost of production is $80. La cuesta de produccion es $80.....

Long live Rock and Roll!

2007-06-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

On June 15, 1954, guitarist Danny Cedrone died. He recorded the jazz guitar solo on "Rock Around The Clock" with Bill Haley & His Comets. Tragically, Cedrone broke his neck falling down a flight of stairs before he could enjoy the acclaim of generations of rock guitarists. Eight months after his death, the song became a huge hit. If you really want to be a guitar god, take a crack at that final chromatic run.

Oxymoron of the Day

2007-06-12T00:38:00.000-04:00

Perfect Communications

Quote me...

2007-03-28T18:47:00.000-04:00

Technology is only as good as the plastic it's made of.

Peace Candle

2007-02-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

"It's better to light one cande than to curse the darkness." Since we're looking for the light of peace to illuminate our lives, I invite you to right click the peace candle avatar and save it to your computer. Post it on all of your Web sites, share it with your friends, and invite them to do the same. With talk of troop build up in Iraq and mentioning new weaponry being imported from Iran to be used against us, prayers for peace is needed now more than ever. Let this candle serve as a reminder to all those that visit your Web site that your prayers are for the protection of our troops, and the hope for a just and lasting peace as we all work to build the Kingdom of God.

The Envelope...Please!

2007-02-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

I recently received my statement from my parish indicating how much I contributed during the 2006 calendar year for tax purposes. I also received the packet of envelopes for the first few months of 2007, one for every week, with specially designed ones for special collections.

One of them asked for a donation of a couple of dollars to defray the cost of the envelopes. May I offer a suggestion to defray this cost? Get rid of them altogether.

Parish envelopes were created in a culture where workers were paid in cash every week. Envelopes allowed a worker to tuck a few dollars inside, and parishes could publish bulletins that detailed the amounts of money that parishioners contributed every week.

But parishes don't do that anymore.

And most people I know get paid by check, once or twice a month, or every other week. Many have their pay automatically deposited into their bank account.

Personally, in the most recent past, rather than running to the ATM for cash to put in the envelope, we would write a check every week - but checks aren't free either.

In 2007, free online banking options exist...and, after receiving that statement of my contributions for 2006, comparing it to a "one contribution per month" model could provide an increased contribution to my Church.

Here's the scenario - 4 Sundays in a month @ 20 per Sunday = $80. Three special collections per month (one for the school, one for the Church in a remote area of the world, and one for a Holy Day of Obligation) @ $10 per Mass = $30. That's equals $110 for the month - but I have to remember to write the checks or get the cash to fill each envelope every week, or, perhaps, total the amount according to the number of envelopes for the month, and write a check for the complete amount.

However, if the Church asks me, "How much are you pledging for the coming year for support," and I could reply $125 or $150 per month, I could then incorporate that into my bill pay list to save time and aggravation, AND contribute to my Church at a higher level of support!

I know - some people are reading this saying "We do this at our Church!" Others are saying, "But the aggravation can be seen as a sacrifice." While these are valid points, passing the cost of an envelope system on to a congregation when more convenient mechanisms are in place seems to be a wasteful expense. It is also true that there are some parishioners who are not Internet savvy, and in that respect, envelopes may still serve a purpose.

Of course, if you really want to be Gospel-oriented, simply deposit a $10, $20 or $50 bill (or several) into the collection basket every Sunday, and ask that the church not send you envelopes NOR a year-end statement for tax purposes. Only then will your contributions be between you and God.

Continuing the Tradition...

2006-12-30T13:23:00.000-05:00

You might think this is about Christmas and Holiday traditions...but it's not. It's about the theater, which carries on the tradition of the great authors, from Euripides to William Shakespeare. Their theatrical works were not just forms of drama for entertainment's sake - they were commentaries on the politcal and social cultures of the day. Our culture's movies are no different - and those that seem to be "just plain entertainment" carry a message if you pay attention to them.

This realization was made when I watched two of my favorite movies this Christmas season - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and The Secret of My Success. Both of these comedies aim some pointed comments at the today's business culture, pointing out its short-sightedness when simply looking at "the bottom line."

In Christmas Vacation, Brian Doyle Murray as Mr. Shirley speaks a line that gets buried in the dialogue, yet needs to be remembered, especially as the "end of the year" rolls around. Mr. Shirley says, "Look, uh, sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how they affect real people."

In The Secret of My Success, Michael J. Fox's character states that the key to growth is expansion. While that "secret" makes perfect common sense, it makes one wonder why businesses continue to cut to - um - look good on paper (see above). Prune, perhaps, yes...since new growth happens after cutting away the dead wood. However, a distinction needs to be made between "pruning" and elimination/discontinuation of services vital to the future of an organization. In Jim Collins' book "Good to Great," the successful companies profiled had long term plans created before making major changes to their operation in order to take advantage of new opportunities. Such actions are defining qualities of leaders, rather than simply managers. After all, managers do things right, but leaders do the right things.

If there needs to be an ultimate authority for this type of thinking, we only need look to God, who said, "Fill the earth and subdue it." I don't remember Him saying anything about cutbacks (except for Jesus, who said that whatever doesn't produce good fruit should be cut down and thrown into the fire). The fruits of our current culture's attitude toward labor is certainly producing some food for thought - just the thing for this year's holiday feasts.

The Real Meaning of Christmas

2006-12-11T18:12:00.000-05:00

I don't usually forward eMails, but I'm hoping this touches as many people as it can - therefore, it's posting here. Merry Christmas, and may we all have peace in the new year.

As Paul Harvey would say -- "the other side of the story." An interesting perspective on The Real Meaning of Christmas

A letter from God to His children:

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can & may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you & what each of our tasks were. If you have forgot that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love & Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals & whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food & a few gifts & give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity that believes in Me & they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

P.S. Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me & do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above & get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember, I LOVE YOU.

(Sincere apologies if anyone owns the copyright to this. I would hope you would want this message to be proclaimed as He commanded, "to the ends of the earth." Thank you for your understanding.)

Oh, Say, Can You S...pend Money That You Don't Have To?

2006-12-04T16:44:00.000-05:00

As a musician, I have become increasingly appalled at the move to "cut" non-essential programs such as band, music and chorus from school district budgets in favor of more rigorous learning of the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Sadly, the majority of school board members don't realize that those three items are inherent in music, that music is the one medium that connects the logical/patterned left side of the brain (as in meter, tempo, notation, etc.) with the creative right side (as in melody and sound). As a person that has taught music, I've told students in their lesson, "You've played all the right notes...now play music." Research has also shown that a student's involvement in music helps foster that connection between the left and right side of the brain so that they perform better academically.

But every now and then, something comes down the pike that makes me wonder if us musicians that beat the drum for music in our schools are getting any smarter.

We received a message from our local high school band to write to our federal representatives to support the "National Anthem Project." The movement is spearheaded by the national organization of music educators (MENC), and asks the federal government to appropriate 2.9 million dollars to teach the words of our country's National Anthem to school children across the country. It seems as though our nation is "losing its voice."

Well SURE it is! When you cut music programs out of the local school district budgets, what do you think is going to happen? No music teacher, no singing.

But the bigger question is, do we really need to spend millions of dollars to do this? How about this - instead of having someone sing our National Anthem at every sporting event imaginable, simply post the words to the jumbotron and ask EVERYONE to sing it as loud as they can. Consistent repetition will not only help the children attending to learn the words, but it will help every sporting event fan learn the words too.

Oh - right...perhaps tailgaters aren't the best people to ask to sing anything.

OK - so how about at all our nation's high school football games? Rather than having the band simply play the song, have everyone sing it, filling our communities with the sound of the voices of proud parents and students alike every Friday night for two months. Put the words on the scoreboard, or print them in the programs.

I'm sure you all know the tune...

But if you really need the money to do this, rather than using our tax dollars to do it, maybe we can guilt some of our professional athletes into footing the bill...but that takes us back to the professional sporting arena. Perhaps what we're really trying to accomplish by teaching it in the school is to have students able to sing the song with respect and an historical perspective. If that's the case, no amount of funding will help. You can't buy respect - children have to learn it from their first teachers - their parents.

No Thank You?

2006-11-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

I know the reason...but it doesn't matter. One of most courteous things you can do is say, "Thank You." But then again, our political leaders don't usually say "Please," so why should we expect any other of the formalities that go along with a polite society?

As a sales/marketing/development professional, it is imperative to follow-up every opportunity with some kind of "thank you" response. A meeting with a prospective donor is actually more valuable than a monetary donation, because that person is giving you a portion of their time...and time is, dare I say, MORE valuable than money. (Yes, I dare - and I'm sure you'll agree). Therefore, spending time should be acknowledged as generously as a gift from a donor.

Some of our newly-electeds will put "Thank You" stickers on their campaign signs, which is a wonderful thing. I wouldn't even mind seeing signs with "thank yous" remain visible for several weeks. It would certainly distract from the "buy this new thing for the holiday to show you care" messages that will now begin to appear. (Here's a holiday gift idea - how about spending time with someone, rather than trying to find what they don't have...but that's another topic for another day.)

But what about TV and radio? I think I would wreck the car if I heard a message from a newly-elected or re-elected saying he or she appreciated the confidence that voters showed in them, inviting consituents to share their thoughts and ideas with their legislator. Okay...advertising rates aren't as attractive as they are before election day. The law mandates that political candidates be offered the lowest published advertising rate prior to the election no matter how "prime" the time of the day when the message is aired. But couldn't the media do its part to serve the public interest for just another week by allowing candidates to have that same ad rate to offer messages of thanks - especially during November, when we offer Thanksgiving for all of our blessings?

You want change in government? Voting is the first step. The next one is to say what your momma always told you to say.

And It's 1, 2, 3, What Are We Voting 4?

2006-11-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

The other lyric I could have started with is "Signs, signs, everywhere a sign. Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"

Perhaps the reason that no one votes on Election Day is that they're so darn tired of hearing and seeing names and what the person did or what their opponent didn't do. But to the 5 people in the world that will read this, I will not degrade any politcian/public servant who, in their heart, knows they're doing the best job they can. It's an incredibly stressful job. If you need proof, check out the photos of the three most recent Presidents of our nation. When they began their job, they had dark-colored hair - by the time their term ended, they either had less hair, or their hair turned to gray or white. It's taken Jay Leno 20 years to go from dark to gray...these guys did it in less than 8.

But why do we need all the marketing? After all, the goal of the public education system was to have a literate electorate so they can read about the candidates and therefore, make the best decision they can when they go to the polls.

Yes, it's true - public education was not designed for children to learn about quantum physics, get into the college of their choice and make a better life through their own achievements. It was to make a better life by electing qualified leaders. (and how're we doin' on that project?) Public education's roots go back to Horace Mann, who said that all people should know how to read and write so that they can choose the best leaders they can to govern them. As for prayer in public schools, or the push to abolish it, that's a very recent development. Over 100 years ago, the Bible was the teacher's tool of choice to teach reading.

And yes, things change...such as our pledge of allegience. While the battle rages over the words "Under God" in our national oath, the thing that makes me realize that many of our "informed" electorate beat the drum of democracy when it comes to the election of our nation's chief executive. Newsflash: America is NOT a democracy - it is a REPUBLIC, as in, "I pledge allegience to the flag of the United States of America and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands." Our founding fathers set up this nation with a set of checks and balances so that larger States would not necessarily have an advantage over smaller States in national elections. While some people want to abolish this "electoral college" too, it helps to remember that Hitler was elected in a democracy - by one vote. It also helps to remember the words of E.B. White: "Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time." But for those of you staunch believers in "one person, one vote," take heart - the elections of our local public servants, State leaders and congressional representatives are all based on a "democratic" process.

So when you go to the polls in this or any other election season, there are two things to keep in mind:

1) When you vote for your candidate, are you voting for this person because of their personal convictions and what they stand for because they mirror your beliefs, or are you voting for this person to represent you because you are confident they will make the best decisions they can based on the facts, situations, advice, and guidance from their constituents, peers, and their creator?

2) Since there is the presence of the "party" in the halls of Congress, consider that your one vote may tip the balance of the party's power. You may not believe in the incumbent, and believe that a "change" is necesary because the challenger is an outstanding individual that doesn't necessarily vote along party lines...but what will happen when that person's election allows the minority leader to become the majority leader in congress, and vice-versa?

But maybe those decisions are too hard for the voting public to make...which is why they stay away from the polls. Or it could be because it's raining on Election Day.

A Plan to Combat Global Warming (That No One Will Follow)

2006-10-14T22:31:00.000-04:00

The talk about the severity of global warming is increasing. Experts (see my previous post) are telling us there are many things we can do as individuals to help - such as make sure our cars are operating as efficiently as possible, running with the correct tire pressure and good spark plugs, since exhaust gasses contribute to the greenhouse effect.

So with winter on the way, here's an idea: Let's once again enjoy snow days.

When I was a kid, we got snow days here in Western Pennsylvania. We stayed home, shoveled the walkway, drank hot cocoa and warmed ourselves by the fire. Indeed, it was a gift - an unexpected day of rest in the middle of week. Today we have "Pinpoint Doppler Radar" and other fabulous technologies that help forecasters predict storms so that road crews can get ready to clear the roads. We have SUV's with four wheel drive to get us where we need to go if they don't clear them fast enough.

How about the next time a big snow is forecast, let's just all stay home. The road crews won't have to run the big trucks that eat diesel fuel, and we'll all save the fuel in our gas-guzzling SUVs. Teachers can stay home and enjoy a day of peace. Kids can stay home WITH THEIR PARENTS. We can work online and respond to emails if we need to, but we can watch a DVD - together as a family - pop some popcorn, play some Scrabble (R), build a snowman, organize the photos or rearrange the bedroom, and then have dinner together. Fewer people on the road mean fewer accidents, and a day of decreased work stress might mean a few less heart attacks.

Sure - there will be the need for an emergency worker, doctor, or other person we depend on to save lives. They should be available, and their AWDs can get them where they need to be. But for the rest of us, let's be like the environment on that day and chill. Even those employed by the US Postal Service - like it's going to make any difference if we get the bills the following day. Most of today's snail mail consists of credit card offers, advertisements and solicitations anyway, and first class mail can take anywhere from one day to two weeks to get to where it's going.

Such a day would be an interesting test of our eCommerce technologies. Imagine most of our people working from home with an online connection, further fueling the new industrial revolution, and most of our children learning online (they spend enough time there anyway...let's at least make it a proper educational experience). Imagine how much businesses would save on the heat and light bill that day. The weather forecasting technologies would still be important - since they'll alert us to stock up on milk, bread, and other necessities, rather than let us know that there might be a big fossil-fuel burning salt truck in front of us as we try to navigate through invisible patches of ice on the roadway, only to call our family members to let them know we got where we were going safely, and then look forward to the doing it all over again on the return trip home.

I Can't Believe How Difficult It Is to Get Effective Help

2006-10-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

The explosion of technology has certainly spawned new fields of expertise, and new pathways toward expertise keep opening while others close as accessibilities increase. For instance, I have produced award-winning audio producitons, have taught others how to produce award-winning audio productions, designed recording and production studios, and have spend years and several thousands of dollars in the quest to securing equipment to take an idea and transform it into a tangible product that will impact the lives of those that hear it.

That's all changed.

Let's not even go back to reel to reel and magnetic recording tape - let's just go back to the produciton computer I had especially designed and purchased for $1,400 just three short years ago. Today, I can buy a machine that's four times faster with four times the storage space and four times the connectivity for $300. Or, if I was just starting out in podcasting, I could buy a digital production deck, headphones, microphone, wiring and mic stand for $300. If I wanted to podcast on my home computer, I could buy software, mic and headphones for $300. As the cost of technology drops and becomes more accessible to the consumer, us professionals begin to become obsolete, to the point of people saying, "You want HOW MUCH for that? I could do that on my own computer for that price." I'm sure you've been able to edit and print pictures from your computer which were taken by your digital camera. You couldn't do this several years ago, when digital cameras were the newest rage in the hands of professional photographers. Now, myspace.com is full of incredibly creative photoshopped images - not only creating new forms of expression, but new words, too ("photoshopped?").

It's been said the true "expert" is one that knows more and more about less and less. Sometimes, it's up to those who have the expertise in a particular field to analyze their scope of ability, delineate and compartmentalize, and then focus in on one of those aspects they've identified to maintain their "expert" status. It's what happend to our educational process in the 1920's. That explains how education went from two areas of experitse - humanities and sciences - to ALL the certificates necessary to teach in the public school today. Praxis I, Praxis II, Certificate I, Certificate II, Pricipal Certificate, Instructional Specialist, and ALL of the Special Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education (insert CLASS here - like biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, english, communication, etc.) teachers need to hold to keep their jobs...and then we complain when they ask for pay raises.

And the compartmentalization continues today. For instance, I teach a Beginning Web Design course on the graduate level at a local university. The students that enter the class assume they're going to become comfortable with creating Web pages by the time the four week class is over. Instead, many of them leave feeling confused and overwhelmed, upset that they haven't become "experts." It's easy to create a simple Web page today - it wasn't five years ago. But becoming an expert at creating Web media means focusing that expertise on the individual areas of Web page creation, Web site design and Web site development. These are three completely different things. The design aspect deals with how the pages of the site will connect with one another, what kind of template will be followed to assure a consistent look, and the purpose of the site - eCommerce, information, or instruction. Fleshing all that out is Web site development, which takes well-honed skills and creativity to create an engaging site that's imaginative, yet functional. Students in the Beginning Web Design class are disappointed to find out that it takes lots of practice and much more than four weeks to become adept at creating what they've come to experience as a Web site today.

Because the experts are losing their grip on their "expertness," a disturbing trend is emerging, as they are ceasing to provide assistance to those of us that have questions. For instance, most Microsoft programs have built-in "help" menus. These menus provide links to transport the site viewer to a list of frequently asked questions. Many times, however, these answers are of no assistance...which moves us subscribe the their "help" service and have to pay a fee to have a "help" consultant speak with us. Helpdesks are increasingly working on networking and hardware issues, special programs that provide solutions for important corporate concerns, and defending networks against viral attacks, hacks and browser hijacks. However, if a sectretary needs to find out how to conditionally format an Excel spreadsheet cell, more than likely, the "help" comes from a menu or a co-worker that knows how to do this.

Such actions extend to this new version of Blogger. Since switching to the beta version, I could not sign in from my computer, and none of the frequently asked questions were my question. There is no "contact us" link in plain view, and if one exists, the hunt for it can take hours. After logging in with the proper username and password, the "click here to continue" link that appeared didn't work, and the name at the bottom of the Internet Explorer window was too long as to extend well beyond the viewable area. While these are great techniques to improve security, I'm glad my network of friends include people that are "technogeeks" as well as "technoexperts" (or would that be "texperts?"). My ability to read html source code, combined with one of my friend's knowledge of computer management, helped me address my concern successfully.

Technology has even changed our definition of "friends" - friends used to be people you met in school, at your work, or in your neighborhood. Now, "friends" are profiles added to our networks and myspace sites - we've never met them, but our "likes" and interests are the same. From an educator's standpoint, it's interesting to see that the place where expertise resides today is in these forums as groups of collective intelligence, rather than simply embodied in a single person. While many of those that belong to the forums are just sharing their experiences and are not necessarily experts, I think it might be safe to say today that groups of non-experts have become today's expert - which is a pretty scary thought for all those experts out there.

Too Much Information

2006-08-11T11:22:00.000-04:00

I blame my Catholic school upbringing. I learned from the good Sisters that to get an "A," you always had to have the right answer, and give that answer when it was asked for. I never learned that this would not always be helpful in life. Since I love music, I probably should have paid a little more attention to the words of The Gambler - "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Or, perhaps from George Strait's Ace in the Hole - "You've got to have an ace in the hole - a little secret that nobody knows."

A long while ago, I was asked to interview for a communications position. Part of the interview was to write a critique of the organization's newsletter. While the stories were well-written, the type size was so small that just to look at it caused eye strain. Pictures were grouped together rather than associated with the stories they portrayed, and news items were almost all text with no breaks between paragraphs.

Since I was asked to write a critique as part of the interview process, I did. If the goal was to have their constituents read it, the publication would have to be crafted so that people would WANT to read it. I offered four suggestions: 1) larger font size, 2) better layout of photos and text, 3) use of color, and 4) nice paper. Of course, conversion to an eNewsletter should be considered to save postage, paper, and printing costs.

Although it sounded like the correct answer, it was incorrect. The correct answer was, "Hire me, and I'll tell you. If I tell you now, I'm providing free consulting services. "

If there are lessons I would like to teach my children, this is one of them. Unfortunately, my son has learned the hard way that giving too much information can be detrimental to advancement. I guess that's because I learned the hard way too.

Working Backwards

2006-07-19T17:44:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite books is Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." My favorite habit is "Begin With The End In Mind."(TM) While it seems quite logical to set a goal, then figure out how to get there, this thinking is also meritorious in the spiritual sense. It goes hand-in-hand with a sign recently seen outside a local church - "Where do you want to spend eternity...smoking or non-smoking?"

Teachers work backwards all the time. They know what they want their students to accomplish, then design the learning exercises appropriately to help them get to that point. Although it's sometimes difficult to get teachers to move from weekly lesson plans to yearly lesson plans (what NEEDS to be done as a first step to educational reform), some teachers are eager to move toward this model, incorporating new technologies to get their students to the point that they need to be by the end of the school year.

Many times, though, when we look back to evaluate our performance, we find that we may have taken "working backwards" a bit too far. Could it be that our well-planned initiatives have been met with so much resistance because they should have been rolled out in reverse order?

Those sorely afflicted with difficulties from working backwards must be accounting professionals. The old stock market adage that "good news is bad news and bad news is good news" certainly applies to anyone working with financial tracking in the corporate world. Layoffs are bad news to employees - but good news for corporate profits. Conversely, the good news that interest rates have come down is met with rising prices, since retailers will have to find a way to pay for the goods that they've just purchased because they can't rely on higher prices in the future to ease their investments.

Accountants create budgets where incomes are considered "positive" cash flow and expenses are considered "negatives." But to track these transactions to make projections as the year progresses, monthly income is budgeted to be a "negative" number while expenses are budgeted as "positive" numbers. It's a wonder any progress at all happens when those responsible for fiscal resources are tracking positives as negatives and vice versa. Perhaps that's the difference between accountants and financial planners - both financial professionals, but have a preference to look in opposite directions.

But don't we prefer to look back, and long for the "good ol' days" (that weren't always good), favoring the security of nostalgia over the unknowns of the future. After all, it is the past that has shaped us, and all that has been has caused us to be who we are today. It may do all of us good to remember that God told Moses His name is "I am who am," who is here among us - NOW. What is past has passed - let us learn from it. What is in the future has not yet come to pass - let us prepare for it. Where we are right now is a gift from God - that's why it's called "the present" - let us live in it.

Oxymoron of the Day - "Beautiful Music"

2006-06-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

There's a reason the "Beautiful Music" format died on radio. However, it's found a new home on satellite music services since department stores and restaurants still use it as background ambiance. While I have no long-term research to support this claim, I would posit that it will serve to drive customers away.

Three weeks ago, a new Panera Bread opened in our neighborhood, right next to a brand new Target. We've never had a coffee bistro here, so the place has been pretty popular. Familiar with the establishment from other locations, it's a great place to have a great cup of coffee in the morning and check email with their free wi-fi. What really made the package complete was the "smooth jazz" music format played as background through their sound system. As a former radio program director, other than classical music, it's THE format for at-work listening, since popular and recognizable tunes tend to distract at times from the task at hand. For a more productive office, choose one of these two formats. Similarly, to encourage conversation at a restaurant or to allow someone to concentrate on a newspaper or on-line magazine, choose a music that is not distracting.

Upon this morning's visit to the aforementioned Panera, I found an almost empty parking lot, and only 5 patrons. Has the newness already worn off? Oh no. Attuning my attention to the speakers in the ceiling, there is no Najee nor Larry Carlton jazz eminating from them. There is, however, the strains of "Oh My Papa," complete with full orchestration and chimes, to Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" as a flute duet. Looks likes the customer base has taken that tune's title's advice already, as will I, after finishing my coffee.

Maiden Voyage

2006-05-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

This is my first venture out in to the blogosphere. My "to do" sheets have become crowded with "remember" and "possibility" items, so this seems like the perfect place to post the thoughts that should be heard, but never will if they're just put to paper and pushed into the briefcase day after day. There's the memo pad on the palm, but people don't believe me when I tell them I'm approaching the 450 memos threshold. Since I keep all my meeting minutes there, I can simply search on an item, rather than hunt through scads of handwritten scribbles kept on legal pads.

I hope to have some thought provocations here...things that others might not have thought about, and provide a skewed view of the quotidian qualities of life.