In the world of Information Systems Development, there are ‘many ways to skin a cat’ as the saying goes but, when all is said and done, there are two major school of thoughts (or philosophies) on implementation approaches, or how and when to implement what has been developed; here they are:
Implement your best. This approach states that it is extremely important to put up a quality product that, on the vast aggregate, meets the stated requirements, and it is the best the team is able to produce. There will be issues that come up and require fixing but, for the most part, they are cosmetic in nature. The ‘customer’ will be satisfied from the beginning. --- There are many merits on this approach (no need to re-state the obvious) and there are also pitfalls, the main ones being that, in the pursuit of the best, time lines are blown, budgets are busted; at the end, it may be a great product but no longer desirable due to the CBA (Cost-Benefit Analysis) being no longer valid because of cost overruns or a closed window of opportunity…
Implement what you’ve got. This approach subscribes to the principle that it is extremely important to implement what you’ve got at the expected time, ready or not. It states that it is easier to deal with issues from the inside that from the outside looking in (not having implemented); it is easier to cancel an implementation than to revert one. --- Although there are many benefits to this approach (Microsoft has been practicing it for 20+ years making billionaires out of thousands of people and achieving an until-recently unchallenged market dominance) there are also mortal sins when overdone.
Having professionally practiced the discipline (or art?) of Systems Development in all possible rolls for the last 35+ years, I have selected/directed/used, and successfully executed, both of those approaches in many instances. Although I strongly favor one of them above over the other (won’t disclose which one), the overarching principle always has to be not to overdo either one of them; in the end, all successful endeavors are a healthy mix of both approaches. You take reasonable risks on the timeline and budget but deliver sound functionality; or you take reasonable risks on functionality and deliver on time and within budget; and sometimes, when almost everything goes perfectly, you deliver the expected functionality, on time and withing budget! The decision making process (regarding the reasonability of the risks you take) is always influenced by your understanding of the role of the project, the priorities of the 'customer' (the person paying the bills), and what risks they could either afford the most or hurt them the least; in other words, always picking the lesser of all evils…
In the case of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) electronic interface (web site), there seems to be a multitude of basic leadership and Project Management concepts that were either ignored, neglected or plain all abandoned. All the information one hears on the media (after filtering for political biases/noise) seem to point out to lack of focus, lack of coordination, lack of care, lack of accountability, lack of communication and last – but not least - lack of understanding of what were the project organizational and institutional priorities. These lapses in all these areas seem to have permeated from the project leadership (Sibelius) through middle management, down to the myriad of contractors running amok, enriching themselves and delivering garbage.
One month after the implementation debacle there seems to be nobody in charge, no credible remediation plan in place, no time frames as of when the deficiencies will be satisfied and a hell of a political rainstorm.
I personally do not think President Obama was either coding or testing or managing the project; he should not have been. But his Secretary of Health and Human Services was the manager in charge. Full accountability needs to be established and made public; that includes the chain of command within the administration and contractors involved; and heads should roll!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
0028 - 10OCT2013 - "How Fanatics/Extremists just take over…"
This is an adaptation from, and not a verbatim copy of, an article by Dr. Emmanuel Tanay, a respected psychiatrist.
A man whose family was German aristocracy prior to WWII, owned a number of large industrial concerns and estates; when asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave may be an indication of some of the realities we currently face and are living through…
“Very few people were true Nazis” he said, “but many enjoyed the return of German pride and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools who eventually would go away… So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world as we knew it, came. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and my family lost everything.”
We are told, again and again by ‘experts’ and ‘talking heads’ that Islam is a religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace and are normal people just like us. Although these assertions may be true, they are entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe on the name of Islam and other causes, and here in our own backyard with other types of extremisms.
The fact is that the fanatics/extremists rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics/extremists who march. It is the fanatics/extremists who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics/extremists who systematically slaughter Christians or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics/extremists who bomb, behead, murder or honor-kill. It is the fanatics/extremists who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics/extremists who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics/extremists who teach their young to kill and become suicide bombers. The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the ‘silent majority’ is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists under the Stalin regime were responsible for the murder of about 20 million of Russians and other Soviet people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people under Mao's Cultural Revolution.
The average Japanese individual prior to WWII was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an bloody orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians, most killed by sword, shovel and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda which collapsed into the butchering of millions of innocent civilians by a small minority of fanatics/extremists? Could it not be said that the vast majority of Rwandans were ‘peace loving’ people?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving people are made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving people will become tacit accomplices of the extremist minority if they don’t speak up because, like the German man mentioned above, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics/extremists own them, and that the end of their world has begun.
Peace loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians and many, many others died because the peaceful majority did not speak up against the fanatics/extremists until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts: the fanatics/extremists who threaten our way of life!
Editorial Note:
We are currently witnessing how a small group of fanatics/extremists in position of power are managing to derail the country’s economy and the future of the republic as we know it. They were sent there by their fanatic/extremists constituents to destabilize the system, create chaos and eventually impose their will; nothing else matters; no other ways are feasible; no other opinions count; bye-bye democracy! Unless the vast ‘silent majority’ acts decisively and send these fanatics/extremists back to where they came from, we are on our way to be ‘owned’ by them. For many years, around the world, the word German was synonymous of Nazi; unless the vast 'silent majority' act decisively starting now, the word American will become synonymous of right-wing-extremist!
A man whose family was German aristocracy prior to WWII, owned a number of large industrial concerns and estates; when asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave may be an indication of some of the realities we currently face and are living through…
“Very few people were true Nazis” he said, “but many enjoyed the return of German pride and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools who eventually would go away… So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world as we knew it, came. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and my family lost everything.”
We are told, again and again by ‘experts’ and ‘talking heads’ that Islam is a religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace and are normal people just like us. Although these assertions may be true, they are entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe on the name of Islam and other causes, and here in our own backyard with other types of extremisms.
The fact is that the fanatics/extremists rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics/extremists who march. It is the fanatics/extremists who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics/extremists who systematically slaughter Christians or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics/extremists who bomb, behead, murder or honor-kill. It is the fanatics/extremists who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics/extremists who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics/extremists who teach their young to kill and become suicide bombers. The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the ‘silent majority’ is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists under the Stalin regime were responsible for the murder of about 20 million of Russians and other Soviet people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people under Mao's Cultural Revolution.
The average Japanese individual prior to WWII was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an bloody orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians, most killed by sword, shovel and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda which collapsed into the butchering of millions of innocent civilians by a small minority of fanatics/extremists? Could it not be said that the vast majority of Rwandans were ‘peace loving’ people?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving people are made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving people will become tacit accomplices of the extremist minority if they don’t speak up because, like the German man mentioned above, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics/extremists own them, and that the end of their world has begun.
Peace loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians and many, many others died because the peaceful majority did not speak up against the fanatics/extremists until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts: the fanatics/extremists who threaten our way of life!
Editorial Note:
We are currently witnessing how a small group of fanatics/extremists in position of power are managing to derail the country’s economy and the future of the republic as we know it. They were sent there by their fanatic/extremists constituents to destabilize the system, create chaos and eventually impose their will; nothing else matters; no other ways are feasible; no other opinions count; bye-bye democracy! Unless the vast ‘silent majority’ acts decisively and send these fanatics/extremists back to where they came from, we are on our way to be ‘owned’ by them. For many years, around the world, the word German was synonymous of Nazi; unless the vast 'silent majority' act decisively starting now, the word American will become synonymous of right-wing-extremist!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
0027 - 03OCT2013 - "Who needs a government, anyway?"
And so it goes, that on October 1st 2013, the US Government was shut down and more than 800,000 ‘non-essential’ government workers were furloughed… Are the national parks and museums non essential? During WWII, somebody told Churchill that the funds dedicated to the preservation of Arts and Culture in Great Britain had to be diverted to fund more military equipment. He responded “If we are to disregard our Arts and Culture, what are we really fighting for?” Now, there are several key questions that, depending on your psychological profile (because that dictates your political persuasion) are valid or not, simple or not, fair or not…
Question #1: one political radio commentator asks: “If they are non-essential, why are they working for the government anyway?” Interesting question because it indicates that only essential functions are needed or necessary, right? It makes sense. However, like with everything else, the devil is on the details and, after further analysis, this criterion for essential-or-not starts getting a little fuzzy… Are janitors essential to the Pentagon or to the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building? No, they are not; Pentagon is Defense and the FBI building is Justice; period. And that all makes sense until there is no paper in the bathrooms, or the toilets are not working. The alternatives are to wait until you return home to go to the bathroom or go in any dark corner of your choosing. Are electricians essential? The same answer applies: no, they are not; that is until a breaker blows and there is no power to the whole wing of a building, or light bulbs need to be changed, or the A/C is not working, etc. Now we are talking about a stinky, dark hot and humid workplace; still non essential, right? And one can go down the line and talk about guards, cooks, secretaries, travel arrangers, couriers, etc. Can you see the difference between essential and needed? Can one understand that non-essential does not mean unnecessary? A bathroom in one’s house is non-essential because a house essential function is to provide shelter, plus you can go outside and do your ‘businesses’. Does that mean the bathroom’s services and functionality are not needed? I know that the answer to those questions depend on your political persuasion and, as such, I leave it up to you. I know what my answer is!
Question #2: another political radio commentator said: “It’s been two days with the Government out of business and I, for one, see no difference. Who needs a government, anyway?” I’d say that the logic here is infallible and as perfect as one can conceive, right? Justice, Foreign Policy and Trade, Defense, Treasury, Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, Education, Energy, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services. All those things are a waste of money and play no role, whatsoever, in the day-today lives of God-fearing, Bible/Torah-totting, red-blooded Americans. Let’s make a simple list:
I have one more example of government irrelevance, a close-to-home example: Elizabeth Warren, a senator for Massachusetts, is referred to by many people of certain political persuasion (i.e. psychological profile) as a God Dammed Liberal, a true Communist! Many also ignore (or choose to ignore) that this same ‘communist’ fought for long and hard, and founded, the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau); she caught hell from many patriots who opposed the creation of such a wasteful entity; it had to be created by executive order because the patriots in congress did not want more government. Ironically, this is the same outfit we are all looking at, and talking to, and pleading with to help us with the mess the developer left behind in Hawks Bluff… What a waste!
Lastly, for those of us who still think that government is not needed, here are a couple of suggestions where one may find the closest thing to Paradise: Somalia or Afghanistan. Little or no government whatsoever; there one can live happily ever after!
Question #1: one political radio commentator asks: “If they are non-essential, why are they working for the government anyway?” Interesting question because it indicates that only essential functions are needed or necessary, right? It makes sense. However, like with everything else, the devil is on the details and, after further analysis, this criterion for essential-or-not starts getting a little fuzzy… Are janitors essential to the Pentagon or to the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building? No, they are not; Pentagon is Defense and the FBI building is Justice; period. And that all makes sense until there is no paper in the bathrooms, or the toilets are not working. The alternatives are to wait until you return home to go to the bathroom or go in any dark corner of your choosing. Are electricians essential? The same answer applies: no, they are not; that is until a breaker blows and there is no power to the whole wing of a building, or light bulbs need to be changed, or the A/C is not working, etc. Now we are talking about a stinky, dark hot and humid workplace; still non essential, right? And one can go down the line and talk about guards, cooks, secretaries, travel arrangers, couriers, etc. Can you see the difference between essential and needed? Can one understand that non-essential does not mean unnecessary? A bathroom in one’s house is non-essential because a house essential function is to provide shelter, plus you can go outside and do your ‘businesses’. Does that mean the bathroom’s services and functionality are not needed? I know that the answer to those questions depend on your political persuasion and, as such, I leave it up to you. I know what my answer is!
Question #2: another political radio commentator said: “It’s been two days with the Government out of business and I, for one, see no difference. Who needs a government, anyway?” I’d say that the logic here is infallible and as perfect as one can conceive, right? Justice, Foreign Policy and Trade, Defense, Treasury, Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, Education, Energy, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services. All those things are a waste of money and play no role, whatsoever, in the day-today lives of God-fearing, Bible/Torah-totting, red-blooded Americans. Let’s make a simple list:
- Justice: Courts where to air one’s grievances; “Who needs that crap? Every man for himself.”
- State: Healthy and honorable relations with other countries of the world; “what the hell for, who needs to even know who they are?”
- Defense: Ability to defend our land, citizens and interests wherever they may be; “hey, we are all rugged individuals and I need nobody to defend me; I have my AK47 ready to go against those government thugs!”
- Treasury: Control and manage monetary policy. “What kind of gibberish is that? A dollar is a dollar is a dollar. Inflation, recession, depression those are inventions of the bureaucrats!”
- Agriculture: Educate, incentivize farmers and help market crops. “Bull crap; farmers need no help; they know best; leave them alone!”
- Labor: monitor, regulate and maintain healthy work rules and environments. “Who the hell needs that? A fair wage for a fair work day; that’s how this country was created; don’t interfere with the business owners”
- Transportation: safety, maintenance and expansion of means of transportation. “There is no place in the Constitution where safe roads, bridges, cars, trains or planes are guaranteed, OK? So, stop whining and travel at your own risk”
- Education: management of educational standards for curricula and educators. “It is a broken system; I don’t trust them; I do my own schooling; teacher are lazy and, at an average of $30,000/year, they are grossly overpaid; college Professors are worthless and always in their ivory towers; those who can’t do, teach!”
- ... And the list goes on with many examples of how little value the government brings to us…
I have one more example of government irrelevance, a close-to-home example: Elizabeth Warren, a senator for Massachusetts, is referred to by many people of certain political persuasion (i.e. psychological profile) as a God Dammed Liberal, a true Communist! Many also ignore (or choose to ignore) that this same ‘communist’ fought for long and hard, and founded, the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau); she caught hell from many patriots who opposed the creation of such a wasteful entity; it had to be created by executive order because the patriots in congress did not want more government. Ironically, this is the same outfit we are all looking at, and talking to, and pleading with to help us with the mess the developer left behind in Hawks Bluff… What a waste!
Lastly, for those of us who still think that government is not needed, here are a couple of suggestions where one may find the closest thing to Paradise: Somalia or Afghanistan. Little or no government whatsoever; there one can live happily ever after!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
0026 - 01OCT2013 - "So, what’s a coach, anyway?"
A few weeks ago a friend and I spent some quality time together; went out for dinner; went for a ride; got lots of time to talk. So we talked about many things and one of them was the situation of going back to work after ‘retirement’. Some people see it as a source of embarrassment since the inference is that they are not able to make ends meet; that they did not plan well; a feeling of inadequacy. Other folks see it as he saw it, a very positive event and a great opportunity; his point was (and is one I’ve advocated for years) that many of us – throughout our ‘productive’ years - have accumulated an immense amount of knowledge, experiences, and tricks-of-the-trade which are not taught in any school, at any level; that intellectual capital sits idle and unproductive (going to waste) as we are now retired; nobody is benefiting from all that wealth of wisdom. As an example, he cited himself as a business man, cited others on their known professions, and cited me as an IT guy… Many other folks would have taken offense at being referred to as an IT Guy; “Hey” they would have said, “I went to six years of school for - and became - a Licensed Computer Scientist, a Specialist in Cybernetics & Informatics, and a Systems Engineer, and you are referring to me as an IT Guy?” and they would have stomped out of the place all offended and in a huff. But that was not the case and that was not the point; the point was that I would have loved to be known as a coach, which is my passion and something that I am experienced in and trained on, instead of being known as an ‘IT Guy’, my old profession; and so I let him know… As the conversation progressed on to several other topics, he gathered the courage to ask me, “So, what’s a coach, anyway”?
I gave a good account of myself when it came to define that the type of coach that I was talking about was not the stereotypical sports or any other skills coaches (teach and drill is their model); the coaching that I practiced was oriented towards guiding and helping individuals find healthy ways to face and deal with their perceived or real shortcomings, self-defeating attitudes, and other factors that are on the way of fulfilling their full potential and producing their best, whatever that best might be. “Are you a shrink?” he asked; “No”, I replied, “Psychologists deal with the clinical areas of perception, attention, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, behavior and interpersinal relationships.” “Coaching is like – voluntarily - peeling the onion and understanding there is debris between the layers that may be getting in the way of it being a perfect onion; you get rid of nothing (that would be a job for the shrink); instead, you understand all that is there, value it for what it is – and what it is not, and move on accordingly.” I could see on his face that the whole subject was still obscure, confusing to him and that I had not really answered his question; so I proceeded to try to illustrate the whole concept with an example, oversimplifying the process and the details, and keeping the protagonists anonymous, as the code of ethics demands…
This is the case of a man who grew up in an environment in which knowledge was the most appreciated ‘currency’; there used to be a saying around his home about “Your knowledge, and not your holdings, is your worth”. So, from youth, he was a very avid knowledge acquirer. He read every book he got his hands on; if there were no new books available that he hadn’t read twice, he would read the dictionary end to end. Over the years this attitude persisted and by middle age, he was a walking throve of trivia. There is an axiom that says ‘an overused virtue becomes a liability’ and that was the case with this fellow; he was always eager to share his knowledge and to have answers for everything. At the beginning it all was well and everybody around him praised him for his knowledge and the contributions he made; however, as time went on, he started to be perceived as a ‘know-it-all’; he was still admired by all, but his contributions were not too well received any more. In the role he was expected to play he could not afford to be exiled from the rest of people and teams, so he realized he had a problem that needed resolution; and he did not know how! Through friends and acquaintances he heard about coaching and what it could do, and sought some help from a coach… After several sessions of conversations and information gathering the coach guided the man to come to the realization that his issue was not his needing to show his worth (knowledge); instead his issue was one of fear of obsolescence and irrelevance. The fellow feared to become irrelevant, of not making a difference. The coach helped him find ways to add value to people and situations by just playing his role as a leader and as a friend, and stop using his knowledge as the only tool in his bag. Instead, he tried (successfully) to stop volunteering answers when the question was not even asked; he learned how to either guide people to the answers or wait for the question to be asked; he learned to realize that if the question was not asked, it was not relevant to the situation… That made his job and relationships with others quite more normal and pleasant.
“Does that make sense?” I asked… “Yes, it does…” my friend replied. “Would coaching like that be of any value to you?” I asked… “No; I have no issues…” he replied. And I thought to myself “Right!”
I gave a good account of myself when it came to define that the type of coach that I was talking about was not the stereotypical sports or any other skills coaches (teach and drill is their model); the coaching that I practiced was oriented towards guiding and helping individuals find healthy ways to face and deal with their perceived or real shortcomings, self-defeating attitudes, and other factors that are on the way of fulfilling their full potential and producing their best, whatever that best might be. “Are you a shrink?” he asked; “No”, I replied, “Psychologists deal with the clinical areas of perception, attention, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, behavior and interpersinal relationships.” “Coaching is like – voluntarily - peeling the onion and understanding there is debris between the layers that may be getting in the way of it being a perfect onion; you get rid of nothing (that would be a job for the shrink); instead, you understand all that is there, value it for what it is – and what it is not, and move on accordingly.” I could see on his face that the whole subject was still obscure, confusing to him and that I had not really answered his question; so I proceeded to try to illustrate the whole concept with an example, oversimplifying the process and the details, and keeping the protagonists anonymous, as the code of ethics demands…
This is the case of a man who grew up in an environment in which knowledge was the most appreciated ‘currency’; there used to be a saying around his home about “Your knowledge, and not your holdings, is your worth”. So, from youth, he was a very avid knowledge acquirer. He read every book he got his hands on; if there were no new books available that he hadn’t read twice, he would read the dictionary end to end. Over the years this attitude persisted and by middle age, he was a walking throve of trivia. There is an axiom that says ‘an overused virtue becomes a liability’ and that was the case with this fellow; he was always eager to share his knowledge and to have answers for everything. At the beginning it all was well and everybody around him praised him for his knowledge and the contributions he made; however, as time went on, he started to be perceived as a ‘know-it-all’; he was still admired by all, but his contributions were not too well received any more. In the role he was expected to play he could not afford to be exiled from the rest of people and teams, so he realized he had a problem that needed resolution; and he did not know how! Through friends and acquaintances he heard about coaching and what it could do, and sought some help from a coach… After several sessions of conversations and information gathering the coach guided the man to come to the realization that his issue was not his needing to show his worth (knowledge); instead his issue was one of fear of obsolescence and irrelevance. The fellow feared to become irrelevant, of not making a difference. The coach helped him find ways to add value to people and situations by just playing his role as a leader and as a friend, and stop using his knowledge as the only tool in his bag. Instead, he tried (successfully) to stop volunteering answers when the question was not even asked; he learned how to either guide people to the answers or wait for the question to be asked; he learned to realize that if the question was not asked, it was not relevant to the situation… That made his job and relationships with others quite more normal and pleasant.
“Does that make sense?” I asked… “Yes, it does…” my friend replied. “Would coaching like that be of any value to you?” I asked… “No; I have no issues…” he replied. And I thought to myself “Right!”
Sunday, September 1, 2013
0025 - 01SEP2013 - "Are we beyond repair?"
OK, somebody please try to explain to me what just happened in Oklahoma where three teenagers were bored and, to find some amusement, decided to shoot and kill a young man that happen to be passing by… Folks, this is almost the end of the rope for some people for whom this land once was a promise as close to paradise as possible and now has fallen so far down the ladder of inhumanity that is getting hard to describe the degeneration we are experiencing…
It is evident, going by the demographics, this malaise is not race biased and it is an Equal Opportunity Decay. Three teenagers, black/white/brown (yellow and red were not represented), found no way to amuse themselves other than selecting a random jogger and gunning him down, murdering him in cold blood, in broad day light, in the middle a small town in Oklahoma… We’re not talking Chicago, or Detroit, or New York City, or Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, or Miami, or even Atlanta; we are talking Duncan, Oklahoma, Crape myrtle Capital of Oklahoma, path of the Chisholm Trail, population ~23,400; the type of town that is expected to represent all is good about the USA and now it will represent all that is gangrenous about the USA!
Now, there are already opinions out there that say this was caused by the violence portrayed in games, TV and the movies… BS! We manage to export that same violence to the whole rest of the world, and we don’t hear about this type of atrocities happening elsewhere as often as they happen here. There is also a set of opinions that says that it is that violence plus the availability of firearms… BS BS! Some other countries of the world may not have the same ungodly amount of uncontrolled firearms that the USA has on its streets, but they have other types of arms which are also lethal (remember that there were lots of people killed in this world before there were any firearms, and this is not an apology for the firearms issues we have, and boy, issues we have; but that’s the subject of another soap box stand!). Some others are pounding their chests arguing that, since all these three monsters came out of broken homes, single-parent households are the problem… BS BS BS! The current president of the USA came out of a single-parent home and there are many, many highly accomplished and remarkable people in the arts, sciences, politics, academia, military, and all other important walks of life and professions who came out of broken homes; my own father came out of a single parent home and he was one of the most remarkable, though unpublicized, men I ever knew. I’m not saying that a broken home is the same as a ‘whole’ home; what I am saying is that broken homes do not breed monsters.
Now, hang on to your pants because, at times, this may come close to home or may feel uncomfortable, but ‘it is what it is’… I’ll tell you what the problem is: it is the ‘me’ mindset. Why do I mean by that? Well, at one time, we decided we were going to take care of number one first; once we started on that path we started to drift more and more into that mindset and now we find ourselves caring about number one only; period! Look around and you will see examples, in all walks of life and in all instances, of what I am saying. It may reflect itself into simple things like “if it doesn't affect me, it is not my problem” and then one step further “if it is not my problem, there is no problem, is there?” Unfortunately, we have forgotten that it is the sense of community and our duty to care for our fellow men what makes us human; without that, we are just animals (like the three ones mentioned above). We have taken our ‘rogue individualism’ to an extreme that says ‘only I matter’. Just remember that in 1776 only few people paid taxes and, if we had had this attitude then (if it doesn't affect me is not my problem), we would still be flying the Union Jack…
It is evident, going by the demographics, this malaise is not race biased and it is an Equal Opportunity Decay. Three teenagers, black/white/brown (yellow and red were not represented), found no way to amuse themselves other than selecting a random jogger and gunning him down, murdering him in cold blood, in broad day light, in the middle a small town in Oklahoma… We’re not talking Chicago, or Detroit, or New York City, or Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, or Miami, or even Atlanta; we are talking Duncan, Oklahoma, Crape myrtle Capital of Oklahoma, path of the Chisholm Trail, population ~23,400; the type of town that is expected to represent all is good about the USA and now it will represent all that is gangrenous about the USA!
Now, there are already opinions out there that say this was caused by the violence portrayed in games, TV and the movies… BS! We manage to export that same violence to the whole rest of the world, and we don’t hear about this type of atrocities happening elsewhere as often as they happen here. There is also a set of opinions that says that it is that violence plus the availability of firearms… BS BS! Some other countries of the world may not have the same ungodly amount of uncontrolled firearms that the USA has on its streets, but they have other types of arms which are also lethal (remember that there were lots of people killed in this world before there were any firearms, and this is not an apology for the firearms issues we have, and boy, issues we have; but that’s the subject of another soap box stand!). Some others are pounding their chests arguing that, since all these three monsters came out of broken homes, single-parent households are the problem… BS BS BS! The current president of the USA came out of a single-parent home and there are many, many highly accomplished and remarkable people in the arts, sciences, politics, academia, military, and all other important walks of life and professions who came out of broken homes; my own father came out of a single parent home and he was one of the most remarkable, though unpublicized, men I ever knew. I’m not saying that a broken home is the same as a ‘whole’ home; what I am saying is that broken homes do not breed monsters.
Now, hang on to your pants because, at times, this may come close to home or may feel uncomfortable, but ‘it is what it is’… I’ll tell you what the problem is: it is the ‘me’ mindset. Why do I mean by that? Well, at one time, we decided we were going to take care of number one first; once we started on that path we started to drift more and more into that mindset and now we find ourselves caring about number one only; period! Look around and you will see examples, in all walks of life and in all instances, of what I am saying. It may reflect itself into simple things like “if it doesn't affect me, it is not my problem” and then one step further “if it is not my problem, there is no problem, is there?” Unfortunately, we have forgotten that it is the sense of community and our duty to care for our fellow men what makes us human; without that, we are just animals (like the three ones mentioned above). We have taken our ‘rogue individualism’ to an extreme that says ‘only I matter’. Just remember that in 1776 only few people paid taxes and, if we had had this attitude then (if it doesn't affect me is not my problem), we would still be flying the Union Jack…
We've no respect for human life, period.
Some of us claim to be the defenders of human life and proclaim that a life is viable since conception; however, once the child is born, who care is he/she eats? “Cut entitlements”, we cry (even though it may mean some children may starve to death); oh, but we defended them with all our might while they were in the womb… These people are all hypocrites!
Others say, we can kill them as long as they are not born (at times almost with a ‘who cares’ cavalier attitude), but once they are born, we teach them that regardless of their lot in life, they don’t have to ever worry about where the next meal is coming from because we will feed them for life; there is no merit on hard work and effort because all basic needs will be taken care of for as long as they live, even if they become animals (like the three above) and we choose to cage them for the rest of their lives (instead of killing them for their crime, as they squarely deserve) and we still will be taking total care of them in jail (food, medical, entertainment, education) at no cost to them for as long as they live… Another bunch of hypocrites!
We pound our chests and proudly salute the American flag and even shed tears when our soldiers return home being only shreds of what they used to be; oh yeah, they are our heroes but, for the life of God, balance the Goddamned budget and cut, cut, cut (who care if the vets don’t have a doctor to see for months or don’t have a leg to stand on, literally!)... The worst type of hypocrites!
I may sound a little cynical, a little bitter and a little dejected… Well, I feel cynical when I realize the wide gap between what we say we value and what we actually do value, the gap between the word and the deed; I am bitter about the horrible waste of human capital in so many ways all over the country that seems to be going on and on and has become the norm; and I am dejected that my choice of being part of once the best nation in the world, may be coming under self scrutiny…
Are we beyond repair? I don’t really know… What do you think?
I may sound a little cynical, a little bitter and a little dejected… Well, I feel cynical when I realize the wide gap between what we say we value and what we actually do value, the gap between the word and the deed; I am bitter about the horrible waste of human capital in so many ways all over the country that seems to be going on and on and has become the norm; and I am dejected that my choice of being part of once the best nation in the world, may be coming under self scrutiny…
Are we beyond repair? I don’t really know… What do you think?
Thursday, August 8, 2013
0024 - 08AUG2013 - "Who do you think you are?"
Powerful words! I've been asked that question, using the
same order of words a couple of times in
my life (once, they added a two-word ‘qualifier’ after the word Who) and, even though at
first it felt challenging and insulting (and worthy or an ‘appropriate’
response), in both cases when the dust settled it ended up being a source of
self examination, a source of ‘search and rescue’ for something I had clearly
missed, and eventually a source of learning…
These words could be used (and often are) to either question
somebody self-appointment to a position of ‘authority’, or to challenge
directly that ‘authority’… This situation usually comes about when there is a
radical unbalance between one person’s perception of their own selves and how
others perceive that person; or it may be a product of a marked difference
between what a person imagines they are and what reality says about that
person… It is also commonly found when people try to exercise some judgment or
action that is, clearly, beyond their known and/or apparent capabilities.
On these days - and the actual focus of this lines - it refers to a TV Program in which celebrities
(or pretenders) are brought in and their genealogy examined by experts.
Eventually they have all sorts of reactions, both positive and negative, to the
results… I remember vividly one in which Harry Connick Jr. was told his
great/great/great grandfather had come from Scotland in the mid 1850, settled
in Louisiana, and took arms with the Confederates… He could not hide his shame
and disappointment! In the same program, Delfeayo Marsalis was told he had 9%
of White blood and he said, with a chuckle, “I always knew something was wrong with me”…
There’s been lots of interest in the last 20 to 25 years
(that I am aware of) to look into one’s ancestry. The reasons are varied and
all valid. I've never let that bug bite me - I think - due to a pseudo ‘sour
grapes’ type of reaction. “I am from
South America; my ancestors did not land on Plymouth Rock or came through Ellis
Island; researching my ancestry with the current data available (mostly related
to US bound immigration would certainly be an exercise in futility” has
been my excuse. But some weeks ago, in a casual conversation, a friend who is
actively involved in populating their genealogical tree assured me that the
data available in sites such as Ancestry.com is worldwide and encompasses the
globe.
So, I am thinking about trying to learn a little more about,
not who do I think I am (I been put in my place enough times for me to have that down!), but more about who my ancestors
were, where did they come from, and what I can blame them for!
Has anybody in "Blogland' done any research on this and, if so, what results did you come up with?
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
0023 - 16APR2013 - "Once upon a time..."
The following story is all fictional and any resemblance to current persons, organizations or any other type of entities is merely coincidental…
Once upon a time and in a very far away land, there lived a people who had been considered at times as having an almost perfect society where all and everyone had the opportunity to better themselves, where the government played the supporting role needed to protect both individual and social rights, and where all strata of society shared a very sharp dual foci: one on society and one on the individual. They understood a simple set of concepts:
God blessed this land with thousands of hectares of arable and fertile land in many diverse climates; they could work the tropical crops (fruits, sugar cane, rice, corn, beans, legumes) all year round; they could work seasonal crops such as wheat, rye, sorghum, and all tubers (potato, carrot, etc). Due to the abundance of good land, cattle and all livestock grew fat and with high quality meat everywhere. Minerals were also in abundance; gold, bauxite (to make aluminum with) and finally, iron, lots of iron. Life was good. The country exported almost everything and imported little: automobiles and appliances.
To further the blessings, oil – tremendous amounts of oil – was found in the subsoil and overnight, a prosperous nation became a rich nation, very rich nation. Its standard of living was considered in the 1950s one of the highest in the world; its Health Care system left no one behind; school (primary and secondary) was made mandatory; superior school was optional; it was also considered one of the best in that region of the world, and it was free! Immigration was encouraged but was selective; emigration was nonexistent.
And then one day things started to change… Little changes here and there… Subtle changes – almost imperceptible – but giving way to a different type of thinking… Someone discovered that cheating was OK as long as you did not get caught (what a concept!). Someone discovered that, if some individuals needed help (pieces were not working well) and you ignored those needs, the machine still worked well enough for the majority; that society could forget about some of their individuals and it was still OK for those who were not affected directly by that situation; that if they did favors for politicians, favorable legislation would come their way quickly; they discovered that if they paid enough money out they could circumvent processes and procedures getting results quicker; they discovered that lending money was lucrative but not enough, and that money needed to be manipulated to get richer quicker. They started to get into the world of shortcuts, the world of ‘cutting in line’, the world of ‘the laws apply to the little people’, the world of ‘results is what counts, regardless of how you achieve it’… Those who took advantage of the situations around them, became ‘accomplished’; those who did not, did not. Those who shorted and twisted the system and made it work for them, became ‘successful’; those who did not, did not. Those whose only goal was to make money, made lots of money, and became ‘affluent’; those who did not, did not. Eventually, there appeared a chasm almost imperceptible at first and later more and more obvious between a few who had become accomplished, successful and affluent, and those who had not. The laws, processes, procedures only seem to apply to the one who had not because the others had enough resource to ‘buy their way’ in or out of situations. The rich became fabulously rich and the middle class all but disappeared; after 20 years of this malaise, the acquisition of a house was reserved to only few; after 40 years, the renting of an apartment was reserved for the few fortunate ones… Professionals with two and three degrees (medicine, law, etc.) could not afford a house, and might have been able to afford a condo after 15 to 20 years of sacrifice.
Eventually, the people abandoned the system for lack of trust; those who could, got out; and those who could not afford to get out, did not. Institutions broke down; legal system broke down; economic and financial infrastructures broke down; the supply chain of goods and services, all of them, broke down. That country imports everything now, and only exports oil… The story of not quite over yet; that land still exist, but not for long.
The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that when the system can be rigged with no consequences, when you have billionaires openly trying to buy politicians and elections, when you have a congress that no longer represent the people but only the lobbyists, when the middle class becomes an endangered species, when mom and dad have jobs but cannot afford a house, when the normal Joe Kidd knows that a college degree gets them nowhere, hope is lost, society breaks down, the individual primordial instincts of survival take over, and the system is all but finished.
Food for thought:
“The easiest way to repeat history, is to ignore it or forget it”
Once upon a time and in a very far away land, there lived a people who had been considered at times as having an almost perfect society where all and everyone had the opportunity to better themselves, where the government played the supporting role needed to protect both individual and social rights, and where all strata of society shared a very sharp dual foci: one on society and one on the individual. They understood a simple set of concepts:
- No man is an island. The vast majority understood that society, the aggregate of all individuals, was extremely important to create and nurture because there was a critical interdependence between all members; it worked as a well greased and effective machinery; additionally…
- Every individual, every piece in the machinery was important. If one of the pieces failed, the machinery (read Society) would not work as effectively as usual for the detriment of all.
- Everybody understood that rights and duties applied to all in the same manner, that the infringement of one individual’s rights would severely threaten the rights of all; and that dereliction of duties by one, implied larger burden for all.
- Everybody grew up knowing – having internalized since childhood – the concept of fair play, that one’s rewards depended on one’s efforts, that the individual was the only one who could put limits to their own dreams, aspirations and goals.
- The concepts of being a predator, of cutting in line, of cutting corners, of finding shortcuts, of taking advantage of others, of taking unclean advantage of situations were dishonorable and a source of shame.
God blessed this land with thousands of hectares of arable and fertile land in many diverse climates; they could work the tropical crops (fruits, sugar cane, rice, corn, beans, legumes) all year round; they could work seasonal crops such as wheat, rye, sorghum, and all tubers (potato, carrot, etc). Due to the abundance of good land, cattle and all livestock grew fat and with high quality meat everywhere. Minerals were also in abundance; gold, bauxite (to make aluminum with) and finally, iron, lots of iron. Life was good. The country exported almost everything and imported little: automobiles and appliances.
To further the blessings, oil – tremendous amounts of oil – was found in the subsoil and overnight, a prosperous nation became a rich nation, very rich nation. Its standard of living was considered in the 1950s one of the highest in the world; its Health Care system left no one behind; school (primary and secondary) was made mandatory; superior school was optional; it was also considered one of the best in that region of the world, and it was free! Immigration was encouraged but was selective; emigration was nonexistent.
And then one day things started to change… Little changes here and there… Subtle changes – almost imperceptible – but giving way to a different type of thinking… Someone discovered that cheating was OK as long as you did not get caught (what a concept!). Someone discovered that, if some individuals needed help (pieces were not working well) and you ignored those needs, the machine still worked well enough for the majority; that society could forget about some of their individuals and it was still OK for those who were not affected directly by that situation; that if they did favors for politicians, favorable legislation would come their way quickly; they discovered that if they paid enough money out they could circumvent processes and procedures getting results quicker; they discovered that lending money was lucrative but not enough, and that money needed to be manipulated to get richer quicker. They started to get into the world of shortcuts, the world of ‘cutting in line’, the world of ‘the laws apply to the little people’, the world of ‘results is what counts, regardless of how you achieve it’… Those who took advantage of the situations around them, became ‘accomplished’; those who did not, did not. Those who shorted and twisted the system and made it work for them, became ‘successful’; those who did not, did not. Those whose only goal was to make money, made lots of money, and became ‘affluent’; those who did not, did not. Eventually, there appeared a chasm almost imperceptible at first and later more and more obvious between a few who had become accomplished, successful and affluent, and those who had not. The laws, processes, procedures only seem to apply to the one who had not because the others had enough resource to ‘buy their way’ in or out of situations. The rich became fabulously rich and the middle class all but disappeared; after 20 years of this malaise, the acquisition of a house was reserved to only few; after 40 years, the renting of an apartment was reserved for the few fortunate ones… Professionals with two and three degrees (medicine, law, etc.) could not afford a house, and might have been able to afford a condo after 15 to 20 years of sacrifice.
Eventually, the people abandoned the system for lack of trust; those who could, got out; and those who could not afford to get out, did not. Institutions broke down; legal system broke down; economic and financial infrastructures broke down; the supply chain of goods and services, all of them, broke down. That country imports everything now, and only exports oil… The story of not quite over yet; that land still exist, but not for long.
The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that when the system can be rigged with no consequences, when you have billionaires openly trying to buy politicians and elections, when you have a congress that no longer represent the people but only the lobbyists, when the middle class becomes an endangered species, when mom and dad have jobs but cannot afford a house, when the normal Joe Kidd knows that a college degree gets them nowhere, hope is lost, society breaks down, the individual primordial instincts of survival take over, and the system is all but finished.
Food for thought:
“The easiest way to repeat history, is to ignore it or forget it”
- Anonymous
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
0022 - 23JAN2013 - "Perspectives"
Thirty seven years ago today, my first and only niece was born. Happy Birthday, Ana Gabriela!
Perspectives. Continuing on a theme from a previous edition, this is a statement worthy of further scrutiny: “…I see no issues with our Health Care system: I am insured… I get services; Medicare pays…; my supplemental pays…; and I can afford the rest; the system is not broken”… This type of thinking is very prevalent in our society; it is most common amongst the baby-boomers generation (who are becoming our elderly now), and it has percolated to the generations who have followed… This is the type of thinking who brought us the ‘me’ generation; it is this type of thinking that led to the decision that living as an extended family (where parents, children, grandparents, uncles and aunts were part of that family) was no longer acceptable for the vast majority of us; “I need my own space” was the argument (“It is all about me” was the underlining thinking). Now, does this type of thinking preclude us from understanding concerns that affect many people other than ourselves? Is it healthy (or not?) to practice the recommendation of “You can only worry about what you can control”? I don’t know the answer to those questions… I am rambling again…
Sports. Lance Armstrong managed to fool a lot of people for a long time… Now, it seems that he has lied to so many for so long that he cannot discern fact from fiction and is unable to tell the truth… He seems to continue to exhibit a level of arrogance not belonging to people in his position… I hope one day he finds a way to appreciate himself as he is and not as the false idol he tried to make. Moving to football, the Atlanta Falcons proved to be still just pretenders and not contenders. And so, we will have Harbaugh Bowl: John (Ravens) against Jim (49ers)… Should be interesting!
Politics. And Obama was inaugurated for his 2nd term… According to MSNBC the speech, the ceremonies, the parades were magnificent. According to CNN it all was interesting but there were about ½ million people less in attendance this time. According to FoxNews, it all was disappointing, partisan, and an affront to Reagan. I think some broadcast licenses should be pulled and let some outfits be political opinion outlets and not news channels…
Books read lately… “Killing Lincoln”, by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard. The subject is presented like a thriller, hour by hour, and with a diverse number of subplots… Although instructional and most appreciated (it was a Christmas present to me from Alex), I think O’Reilly’s efforts are best oriented to being a radio and TV commentator and not a historian…
Food for Thoughts…
“There are only two reasons for that federal list of gun owners: to tax them or take them” said Wayne La Pierre, Executive Director of the NRA referring to proposals for registering guns…
So, stay informed, my friends…
Perspectives. Continuing on a theme from a previous edition, this is a statement worthy of further scrutiny: “…I see no issues with our Health Care system: I am insured… I get services; Medicare pays…; my supplemental pays…; and I can afford the rest; the system is not broken”… This type of thinking is very prevalent in our society; it is most common amongst the baby-boomers generation (who are becoming our elderly now), and it has percolated to the generations who have followed… This is the type of thinking who brought us the ‘me’ generation; it is this type of thinking that led to the decision that living as an extended family (where parents, children, grandparents, uncles and aunts were part of that family) was no longer acceptable for the vast majority of us; “I need my own space” was the argument (“It is all about me” was the underlining thinking). Now, does this type of thinking preclude us from understanding concerns that affect many people other than ourselves? Is it healthy (or not?) to practice the recommendation of “You can only worry about what you can control”? I don’t know the answer to those questions… I am rambling again…
Sports. Lance Armstrong managed to fool a lot of people for a long time… Now, it seems that he has lied to so many for so long that he cannot discern fact from fiction and is unable to tell the truth… He seems to continue to exhibit a level of arrogance not belonging to people in his position… I hope one day he finds a way to appreciate himself as he is and not as the false idol he tried to make. Moving to football, the Atlanta Falcons proved to be still just pretenders and not contenders. And so, we will have Harbaugh Bowl: John (Ravens) against Jim (49ers)… Should be interesting!
Politics. And Obama was inaugurated for his 2nd term… According to MSNBC the speech, the ceremonies, the parades were magnificent. According to CNN it all was interesting but there were about ½ million people less in attendance this time. According to FoxNews, it all was disappointing, partisan, and an affront to Reagan. I think some broadcast licenses should be pulled and let some outfits be political opinion outlets and not news channels…
Books read lately… “Killing Lincoln”, by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard. The subject is presented like a thriller, hour by hour, and with a diverse number of subplots… Although instructional and most appreciated (it was a Christmas present to me from Alex), I think O’Reilly’s efforts are best oriented to being a radio and TV commentator and not a historian…
Food for Thoughts…
“There are only two reasons for that federal list of gun owners: to tax them or take them” said Wayne La Pierre, Executive Director of the NRA referring to proposals for registering guns…
So, stay informed, my friends…
Monday, January 14, 2013
0021 - 14JAN2013 - "The 2nd Amendment"...
Where do we start fixing this mess? “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”, reads the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (by the way, this is the version that the states approved, and differs slightly from the originally proposed one)… I believe that, to one degree or another, every US Citizen is in favor of, and supports, the 2nd Amendment and its meaning: the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. Now, there is something really twisty here that I am trying to understand: there are folks who interpret that right to bear arms as a mandate for citizens to be armed and vigilant to ensure they can keep the government in check, and to ensure they, given some circumstances, can fight and beat the Armed Forces of the US Government to avoid tyranny; they embrace - fiercely - part of the amendment and consider themselves the self appointed state militia, but – simultaneously - reject vigorously any type or regulation as clearly stated in the amendment. I respect that interpretation, although I struggle to understand it. But here comes the twisty part: these folks are usually the same group that gets very upset when there is any mention or proposal to cut the growth (let alone actual reduction of) the budget for the Department of Defense, also known as the Armed Forces of the US Government; they insist – and I agree with this position - we must have the best, most respected and best equipped armed forces in the world. So, let me get this straight: on one hand you consider the US Government the enemy and stand ready to fight it; and on the other hand you insist that the US Armed Forces, that same enemy you stand ready to fight, must be the best fighting force in the world… Am I the only one who sees the contradiction here? You want to make sure that your enemy is unbeatable? Isn't that suicide? This is one of those things that make you go: hmm..! I suggest this one needs to be re-thought!
Football. The Notre Dame coach needs to be fired too! I think the fans who went to the Orange Bowl should get their money back! It was such a one-sided affair that I turned it off within four minutes and watched Alaska State Trooper instead! Regarding the NFL, in the last two week-ends there were several shows worth mentioning. First, the whole managing team of the Redskins must be fired and banned from ever coaching again: how dare they send a visibly and ostensibly impaired rookie to be immolated and forever diminished just because the chance of winning the game… The kid was destroyed and according to some orthopedic surgeons, he will be able to play again, but will never be the kind of player he was… On the other hand, there were two superb games this past playoff week-end. On the first one, the Ravens edged the Broncos in an overtime thriller. I must mention that last year Tim (inadequate, subpar, not-good-enough, not-NFL-material) Tebow, took the Broncos to a play-off win against the Steelers, one game further than Peyton (8th-wonder-of-the-world) Manning took them this year… Makes you think if the people managing football really know anything about the game…! On the other great game, the raptors (Seahawks and Falcons) went after each other with all they got and delivered a whale of a game… Congrats to both and again to the winning Falcons… Well done!
Hawks Bluff. Not too much to talk about… There have been reports of two more fires along roads that border some Phases of Hawks Bluff. Five weeks after I called the Sheriff office looking for information/update regarding the original fires, the sheriff returned my call this past week; left me a message saying he would call again soon, but that second call hasn't come in yet… I will have to call the sheriff again… Will update if I learn something new… I also heard this past weekend that, as drainage works on the swales was being done in Phase III, as mandated by the Tennessee Department of Natural Resources, resident complained to the working crew about them creating a mess and making the place look bad. The workers stopped works and have not returned… Does anybody know anything else about this?
Quote of the week…
“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”
Football. The Notre Dame coach needs to be fired too! I think the fans who went to the Orange Bowl should get their money back! It was such a one-sided affair that I turned it off within four minutes and watched Alaska State Trooper instead! Regarding the NFL, in the last two week-ends there were several shows worth mentioning. First, the whole managing team of the Redskins must be fired and banned from ever coaching again: how dare they send a visibly and ostensibly impaired rookie to be immolated and forever diminished just because the chance of winning the game… The kid was destroyed and according to some orthopedic surgeons, he will be able to play again, but will never be the kind of player he was… On the other hand, there were two superb games this past playoff week-end. On the first one, the Ravens edged the Broncos in an overtime thriller. I must mention that last year Tim (inadequate, subpar, not-good-enough, not-NFL-material) Tebow, took the Broncos to a play-off win against the Steelers, one game further than Peyton (8th-wonder-of-the-world) Manning took them this year… Makes you think if the people managing football really know anything about the game…! On the other great game, the raptors (Seahawks and Falcons) went after each other with all they got and delivered a whale of a game… Congrats to both and again to the winning Falcons… Well done!
Hawks Bluff. Not too much to talk about… There have been reports of two more fires along roads that border some Phases of Hawks Bluff. Five weeks after I called the Sheriff office looking for information/update regarding the original fires, the sheriff returned my call this past week; left me a message saying he would call again soon, but that second call hasn't come in yet… I will have to call the sheriff again… Will update if I learn something new… I also heard this past weekend that, as drainage works on the swales was being done in Phase III, as mandated by the Tennessee Department of Natural Resources, resident complained to the working crew about them creating a mess and making the place look bad. The workers stopped works and have not returned… Does anybody know anything else about this?
Quote of the week…
“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”
- Peter T. Mcintyre
So, stay fearless, my friends…Sunday, January 6, 2013
0020 - 06JAN2013 - "Survival of the fittest"...
The Fiscal Cliff. There is a pervasively common thought among 53% of us Americans (the other 47% disagree) that is quite disturbing: I believe they are fully convinced that people who are receiving the benefit of welfare aid, or food stamps, or any other social program benefit, are all behaviorally and genetically lazy and have mastered the ways to ‘milk’ the system! (I acknowledge there are many cases of fraud, but I believe them to be the exception and not the rule). But going back to the mainline, these folks truly believe, and without meanness or malice, that those people currently on welfare, when taken that benefit away, would find gainful employment in the blink of an eye; all they have to do is look for a job and they’ll get it; they don’t do it because they have the safety net of the welfare check… In their Christian minds (chuckle!) they are convinced that the easiest and most fair way to deal with the National Debt is to cut social programs; there is no need for social programs. It is their honest belief that societies, like businesses, can and do regulate themselves (another chuckle!). If the situation gets too out of control, then war, famine and/or disease would take out enough subjects (usually the weakest: youngest and oldest) to bring the population back to normal levels (like lemmings do!). They have taken a Darwin postulate “Survival of the most adaptable” (that is part of his yet-to-be-proven Theory of Evolution), have bastardized it as the truism “Survival of the fittest” and made it their creed (but on the other hand, don’t you dare teach Darwinian Theories of Evolution in my schools!) I am rambling… Enough of this!
Football. Well, it is hard to write about it since, I think, the football world is upside down… The Florida Gators decided to take vacations after the last regular season game and only some of them showed up for the game against Louisville… I don’t blame the players (still mere immature adolescents – yes, it is redundant!); I blame the coaching staff starting with the head coach… He should be fired… His only job is to get the team ready to play and he did not do it; he should be fired! On the Pros side, it is almost an out-of-this-world experience watching a playoff game between the Texans and the Bengals, knowing that the Steelers and the Giants are out… Unreal!
Perspectives. Al old and dear friend and his wife, also an old and dear friend, came by to visit this past week; had a great time with them. They retired last year. They own a lot in Hawks Bluff Phase I (bought before we did) and, as part of our conversation, they shared that they will never build here; they are quite disappointed with the way the place looks, how much in a state of disarray it seems to be, how deteriorated the roads are, and so on… I shared that, although I understand their view point, those issues become irrelevant once you are living here; what is important is how is your water well holding up, and how’s your septic tank behaving, and do you have enough fuel for the generator in case of power failure, and so on (more basic and less mundane necessities); the concerns related to appearances and aesthetics, although still present, become a non-issue. He conceded the point (although I could smell high reluctance). The day after, we were visiting again – this time at a cabin they were renting at Fall Creek Falls State Park - and among many things we talked about during the gathering, the issue of health care came up; I expressed my opinion that the system is broken and needs fixing (and proceeded to enumerate reasons and examples of why I said that). Eventually he came around and said: “it is a matter of perspectives. Yesterday, we talked about the HB issues and how they, from where you sit, are irrelevant. Today, I see no issues with our Health Care system: I am insured; if I need services, I get services; Medicare pays what I consider a fair amount; my supplemental pays another fair portion, and I can afford the rest; the system works for me. So, from where I sit, it is not broken”… His argument, as narrow-minded as mine was the day before, was also as valid and so I let him know. I could see he was very satisfied with himself (and relieved) that he had won; he needed that and I was happy to provide the opportunity… But his point confirmed one of my earlier assertions: it continues to be all a matter of perspective and perception; reality is relative, my friends!
2013. I guess I forgot to wish us all a very Happy and Prosperous New year 2013!
Quote of the week…
Heard this from, believe or not, a Republican friend:
“If you believe that the government is going to take your guns, you’re an idiot; if you believe that the government is going to take away your God and Bible, you’re an ignorant. if you believe the government is going to take your money and give it to illegal immigrants, you’re a bigot; if you believe that the government is going to take away your guns and your money, give it to the Mexicans so they can come and kill you and your God, you’re Bill O’Reilly!”
So, enjoy the good humor, my friends…
Football. Well, it is hard to write about it since, I think, the football world is upside down… The Florida Gators decided to take vacations after the last regular season game and only some of them showed up for the game against Louisville… I don’t blame the players (still mere immature adolescents – yes, it is redundant!); I blame the coaching staff starting with the head coach… He should be fired… His only job is to get the team ready to play and he did not do it; he should be fired! On the Pros side, it is almost an out-of-this-world experience watching a playoff game between the Texans and the Bengals, knowing that the Steelers and the Giants are out… Unreal!
Perspectives. Al old and dear friend and his wife, also an old and dear friend, came by to visit this past week; had a great time with them. They retired last year. They own a lot in Hawks Bluff Phase I (bought before we did) and, as part of our conversation, they shared that they will never build here; they are quite disappointed with the way the place looks, how much in a state of disarray it seems to be, how deteriorated the roads are, and so on… I shared that, although I understand their view point, those issues become irrelevant once you are living here; what is important is how is your water well holding up, and how’s your septic tank behaving, and do you have enough fuel for the generator in case of power failure, and so on (more basic and less mundane necessities); the concerns related to appearances and aesthetics, although still present, become a non-issue. He conceded the point (although I could smell high reluctance). The day after, we were visiting again – this time at a cabin they were renting at Fall Creek Falls State Park - and among many things we talked about during the gathering, the issue of health care came up; I expressed my opinion that the system is broken and needs fixing (and proceeded to enumerate reasons and examples of why I said that). Eventually he came around and said: “it is a matter of perspectives. Yesterday, we talked about the HB issues and how they, from where you sit, are irrelevant. Today, I see no issues with our Health Care system: I am insured; if I need services, I get services; Medicare pays what I consider a fair amount; my supplemental pays another fair portion, and I can afford the rest; the system works for me. So, from where I sit, it is not broken”… His argument, as narrow-minded as mine was the day before, was also as valid and so I let him know. I could see he was very satisfied with himself (and relieved) that he had won; he needed that and I was happy to provide the opportunity… But his point confirmed one of my earlier assertions: it continues to be all a matter of perspective and perception; reality is relative, my friends!
2013. I guess I forgot to wish us all a very Happy and Prosperous New year 2013!
Personal. Here are my last baby and her nephew, my first grand-baby...
Quote of the week…
Heard this from, believe or not, a Republican friend:
“If you believe that the government is going to take your guns, you’re an idiot; if you believe that the government is going to take away your God and Bible, you’re an ignorant. if you believe the government is going to take your money and give it to illegal immigrants, you’re a bigot; if you believe that the government is going to take away your guns and your money, give it to the Mexicans so they can come and kill you and your God, you’re Bill O’Reilly!”
So, enjoy the good humor, my friends…
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
0019 - 02JAN2013 - "No brainer"...
Opinion. I told you I would find something to get a chuckle out of… Here it is. The subject is an artificially complex one, Gun Control, and some clowns are coming out with outrageous stuff… These are some ‘facts’ popping up all over Cyberspace as arguments to oppose even some fashion of gun control; read carefully:
Here is the second part of the argument:
And one last thing: to the brilliant minds that are saying “you fight fire with fire”, try to see if giving more alcohol to an alcoholic will really help… I wish they just would think twice before opening their traps!
Football. All my teams (Dolphins, Bucs, Lions and Giants) are out of the playoffs! Horror! Now I am left to watch the Bengals against the Texans, woo hoo! And what about bloody Monday, huh? Seven head coaches and five GMs were sent packing! I think that is the way it should be; you are being paid an obscene amount of money to win; you don’t win, then your tail is grass! And one more thing: I think there should be a rule like in the British Premier Football League: if you come in last, you are demoted to the minors (and your salaries are demoted too), and replaced by the team which came in first in the minors… We don’t have - in US Football - a set of major and minor leagues like in baseball, but I’m sure we would come up with something comparable (like 1/3 season suspension for the entire team) if we wanted to…
2013. For some of us, this was a year of extremes… Extreme pain, like the loss of Freddie and for a friend of mine the loss of his son at only 39, the Sandy tragedies (Hurricane Sandy and then the massacre at Sandy Hook, CT); extreme joy, like for me, the birth of my first grandbaby with everybody (including the mother - my first baby) coming out OK. And there are, for all of us, great/good and bad/painful episodes and instances throughout the year… The only things we are left with are the memories of 2012, and the commitment we must make to ourselves of making our lives – and the lives of those around us - better, even if it is just a little, in 2013!
Quote of the week…
“Beware of what you ask for, because you may get it!”
So, think before speaking, my friends…
- In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
- In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
- China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated
- Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Here is the second part of the argument:
- Switzerland issues every household a gun!
- Switzerland's government trains every adult they issue a rifle.
- Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world!!!
- It's a no brainer!
And one last thing: to the brilliant minds that are saying “you fight fire with fire”, try to see if giving more alcohol to an alcoholic will really help… I wish they just would think twice before opening their traps!
Football. All my teams (Dolphins, Bucs, Lions and Giants) are out of the playoffs! Horror! Now I am left to watch the Bengals against the Texans, woo hoo! And what about bloody Monday, huh? Seven head coaches and five GMs were sent packing! I think that is the way it should be; you are being paid an obscene amount of money to win; you don’t win, then your tail is grass! And one more thing: I think there should be a rule like in the British Premier Football League: if you come in last, you are demoted to the minors (and your salaries are demoted too), and replaced by the team which came in first in the minors… We don’t have - in US Football - a set of major and minor leagues like in baseball, but I’m sure we would come up with something comparable (like 1/3 season suspension for the entire team) if we wanted to…
2013. For some of us, this was a year of extremes… Extreme pain, like the loss of Freddie and for a friend of mine the loss of his son at only 39, the Sandy tragedies (Hurricane Sandy and then the massacre at Sandy Hook, CT); extreme joy, like for me, the birth of my first grandbaby with everybody (including the mother - my first baby) coming out OK. And there are, for all of us, great/good and bad/painful episodes and instances throughout the year… The only things we are left with are the memories of 2012, and the commitment we must make to ourselves of making our lives – and the lives of those around us - better, even if it is just a little, in 2013!
Quote of the week…
“Beware of what you ask for, because you may get it!”
- Anonymous
So, think before speaking, my friends…
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