Living on the World...

and "Leading the World".

I was thinking about this yesterday and so I want to explain it briefly and find out who agrees with me.

Any world leader that runs a government with more of a focus on special interest groups and passing legislation that serves their campaign contributors is being both selfish and short-sighted.

The idea of leading a country and its people by example seems to have been forgotten with other priorities taking its place. While I realize it is important to insure the major businesses and investors in a country's economy remain stable and continue to make a profit, I also think choosing the right technologies to invest in and looking towards the long-term impact of those is THEIR job, not the governments.

A leader needs to think about what the current generation of voters children will have to live with and how their lives will be improved as a result of what we do today. This goal of responsible investment in the future of its citizens must be the highest priority our elected officials assume.

America should invest in generating power from the wind, the sun and the naturally renewed resource of falling water. There is no practical or long-term reason why we must continue to be dependent on oil as our principal source of energy! Do you think Americans invested in U.S.-based or foreign-based oil producers will take a huge financial loss if the U.S. stops buying as much oil from these sources? I don't. If the U.S. energy market does not consume the oil, someone else certainly will. It will be a slow financial transition and it should begin now while we have the presence of mind to make it happen and before something WORSE cuts us off from the overseas sources of our energy.

The types of energy people can afford to spend their money on is not the biggest part of this issue, it is the productivity they accomplish with the energy delivered in to their homes and offices. This is an information-based economy and we must continue to lead the world in the "use of" information and understanding how managing information CAN be the basis for an entire economy.

Our technology has advanced to the point where we should be able to design and build homes also capable of delivering more energy than the people living in them need to get by daily. Are we doing this? No. We build houses that are "shells" and must be fed energy on a continual basis and we spend HUNDREDS-OF-THOUSANDS-OF-DOLLARS on them. The interest on our home mortgages goes into the lenders pockets and certainly may be used to back other worthwhile investments and ventures. But has the actually cost of building a house risen from $15,000 to $250,000 in reality? And if you are paying $450,000 for a home and then another $450,000 dollars in interest over the life of the mortgage, where is that money going? What sort of projects is your hard earned money going to support?!? Is it supporting the country, or is it backing the war on terrorism several thousand miles away? Is it helping build renewable energy sources for your children or is it going to pay farmers with short-term losses because their farm was flooded out this year?

If I were going to invest $450,000 in stock, yes I would look for a company or products that will give me a good return on my investment. But, I have to ask how "good" is a "Good return"? Should I get 5% back, 7% back, 10%? There is a huge question of social responsibility tied into where our mortgage interest is going and I do not believe we have the best people leading these companies making decisions that will benefit future generations.

The next president of America needs to reorient this country's economy and give more control of the money to the people! A process needs to be developed by which the PEOPLE control where money goes, how it is invested and who will ultimately benefit from any profits. At the same time the people of this, and possibly many other countries, need to WAKE UP and inform their elected officials we will not tolerate "business as usual". Business as usual has gotten into this short-sighted cycle of spending on the wrong types of projects and programs with very little long-term benefit to the nation and its children!

I want the mortgage interest in my home loan to back investments in renewable energy, improved education, expanded foreign relations and national defense (as needed). I do not want my money building new condos on the waterfront in Florida, aiding a lumber company in clearing ANY section of any National Forest, or supporting drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I want to see new homes built in America that people can afford! Homes with individual wind generators, solar panels, passive solar heating for the winter, water wells and 50% of the land around the home used to grow food! If we begin thinking of this as a national priority and the best way to PROTECT the people of this country against the loss of large scale resources such as power plants, then protecting single fixed assets becomes less and less of a priority over time.

It is not that I worry about having a nuclear power plant in my backyard, the engineers and technicians will run it to the best of their ability, but I do worry about what happens if the plant must be shutdown. What happens if the fuel needing to run the plant becomes to complicated to handle, dispose of, protect or obtain? In a wind powered economy nobody has to bring the wind to the plant and the chances of the wind EVER stopping are tens-of-millions to one against (or higher). What about the sun? Do we have to worry the sun will stop shining anytime soon? Do we need to worry about someone stealing it and turning it into a bomb? No.

Anything that produces more waste for our landfills and pollutes the air not only has an "up front" cost of obtaining it but a "back end" cost of disposing of the left-over byproducts and managing the waste generated. So if you think of $4 (four U.S. dollars) as being the complete cost of a gallon of gasoline, you are not thinking big enough. We need to begin recognizing the many costs associated with our energy supply before we consume it, while we are consuming it, and after it has been consumed!

If a home could be built that generated all the energy needs of its occupants, then the entire country would become a producer of power! We could run our laptop computers, video games, refrigerators and washing machines and POSSIBLY have a little electricity to feed back in to a redesigned system. Tell me it is not possible and I will tell you, "ANYTHING is possible" if we want it and set our collective minds to accomplishing it. We went to the moon didn't we? We are building a permanently orbiting space platform for research and to benefit all of humankind, aren't we?

The entire issue is about collective willpower, vision and YES leadership!

The outcome of a revised plan for our collective future would be a world where it is no longer necessary to FIGHT over natural resources, to defend other countries because they sit on top of a large portion of the world's energy supply. At the same time those countries would become less of a target for terrorists because the world, not just America, would be less dependent on the resource they sit on. I believe this is already beginning to happen on a smaller scale in some parts of the world with countries such as Finland, Norway and others building more public transportation, better insulated homes and lifestyles that COST LESS to sustain on a day to day basis. Check it out for yourself, don't believe me. Read some of the headlines of foreign newspapers and articles in non-U.S. published magazines. Guess what? Those things are accessible to you now because of the Internet and a revolution in global communications that happened right before our eyes! It was all about information, it is all about information and it will be all about information for the near-term future! At least until a cheap and manageable form of small-scale fusion energy becomes available at which time it will become about getting energy to people and ONCE AGAIN making "national grids" of power stations, lines, substations and all this related infrastructure unnecessary!

People with vision are needed to lead this country and the world into a better future! We must recognize that our children NEED a better system, NEED more control over the "smart" investment of their money, and that means we must begin building that system now. We cannot wait ten years to start, we cannot continue doing things the way we have been, we must recognize that to few people control the fate of to many in our organizationally driven economy.

Remember the phrase, "By the people, for the people" - well, I can't think of a better example. The direction of the economy and its resources have to be decided by the people, for the people!

There will still be plenty of room for marketing, influence peddling, lobbyists, elected officials and the current "system"; it can go on as long as it adapts to a renewed focus on our changing needs! The needs of the world that looks to us to lead by example, and the needs of a world that wants many of the things we have or have accomplished. Maybe they do not want our religion or our freedom, but they certainly could live with our more stable economy, dependable food chain, entertainment and educational system IF they were able to move their countries forward as we have. It is something we must have the collective will to do, and a vision to accomplish.

That is all I can say for now. Please tell your friends about this column, forward to them in e-mail, send it around the world and MOST OF ALL tell me whether you think what I have written makes sense. I want to know the "Pros" and "Cons" of my thinking so I can learn from my mistakes and (possible) misinformation. I want to get better and I want to live better, don't you?

Foreclosure: The sad and maddening state of the union!

Current mood: pissed off
Category: News and Politics

I was originally replying to a posting on abandoned animals suffering and vacated homes being torn up before the evicted party moved out. This reply stirred such emotions in me that I felt it was worthy of reporting elsewhere, so over to MySpace it goes.

This pieces first title was, "A sad commentary on the human condition".

When someone feels such "hatred" or anger over the loss of a living space that they must punish an otherwise defenseless animal, leave the space even more unlivable OR both! I don't know or care to know whether any friends have been foreclosed upon because it is (most likely) statistically irrelevant, and I would like to keep on thinking nobody here would ever do either of these things.

What is the solution??

Why can't builders be convinced to build smaller, more modest and affordable homes? What is it going to take in this country before we stop "super-sizing" everything including homes? Do we need 10 times more families living in shelters? 20 times? Do we need MORE children showing up for school in threadbare clothes with more patches than original material?

I think the situation with mortgages being 4 or more times the purchase price of the property is wrong and I have written about this before. There should be federal legislation passed limiting the profit a developers or builders can make off of the sale of a single family home! All the "excess money" that is being paid to Mortgage Corporations is THE "economic stimulus" package this country needs to truly recover and regain its position near the top of the world economy.

We are talking about tens-of-thousands and in some cases hundreds-of-thousands of dollars being paid out for A SINGLE ITEM. One house. And that's not all it is going to take or cost in order to see the property "survive" through the life of its mortgage note!! From taxes, to upkeep, to expansions, repairs and renovations, all these things are additional expenses the owner is ALSO shouldering over the "life of the loan". Frankly I find the "setup" to be highly exploitative of the working class, discriminatory and ill-conceived on so many levels. It is a system of poor design, poorly functioning to the disadvantage of an entire nation and it should be overhauled or scrapped completely and redesigned from the ground up!

So if it is "economic stimulus" the nation, its president or congress want, why not do something REALLY MONUMENTAL! Channel more than a measly one-time payment of $500 dollars back into the economy by freeing up the tens-of-thousands of dollars in interest getting sucked back into a corrupt and mismanaged mortgage "institution"! Let the hard working families of America spend this money to take care of their wounded relatives returning from the war on terror! Let the children of America go to college and earn the technical degrees we will so badly need in 5 to 7 years to compete against China, India and other countries generating huge numbers of degreed persons. Let people feel good about where their money is going and restore their faith in the foundations of inclusion this country was created to foster!

$500 won't even put a complete set of tires on my car or allow me to buy 10 shares of stock in hardly anything!

If there is anyone reading this post that has made their personal fortune by holding stock in a mortgage company, well, I hope you are happy with yourself! I don't know how you sleep at night, and I am NOT even one of the people that has been caught up in this recent financial crisis. I lost a inexpensive, worn-out townhome a few years ago (2000/01) but that was entirely my own fault and due to depending on a family member that developed mental illness during occupancy of the dwelling; different time, different cause (I hope).

Every family in this country should be given a chance to integrate themselves into a "stable economy" with a reasonable mortgage payment that EARNS a predictable and predetermined value of equity in a "normal" sized dwelling. To me the present system is like taking advantage of "cheap labor" somewhere because the laborers could not afford to better educate or train themselves and make a GREATER contribution to the society around them. It is like teaching a man to fish (good) and then only allowing him to eat 5% of the edible portion of the fish caught! Eventually the person will waste away because they are not receiving an equitable portion of the "pie" for the equally back-braking effort they are contributing!

That's my peace. What's yours?

In the headlines..., or "Broken News Alert" (enough already!)

Give me a break already!!! Please!!

I understand that Paris F-ing Hilton is cute, ditsy, EXTREMELY fortunate in the bank account department and "blonde" but, I am very, very happy she is back in jail!

More to the point, and as the reason for the title of this Blog entry, Paris Hilton's tribulations are not "general" news and should be confined (along with everything her) to "E!" entertainment television, friggin' "Extra Extra" or my long loved "Entertainment Tonight"! I do not want to see endless hour upon hour of her stupid life broadcast over and over and over on Foxnews, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, or C-SPAN! Bessie bar the door - ghaaad dammit!!
Phew!

(My family feels pretty much the same way I do)

The Sheriff of Nottingham, er, I mean Los Angeles county (whatever), Mr. Lee Baca should be censured or something for his flagrant disregard of a sitting judge's direct instructions! I do not care if Paris Hilton's hair starts falling out, she get athletes foot, breaks a nail and developes a case of severe intestinal distress; to friggin' BAD!! Hello!?! Welcome to the real world you non-working, uneducated, derrrr 'when-my-next-hair-appointment' dingbat!

I hate the Simple Life and I really want to throw up on Paris right now!! The person, not the city!

From the Associated Press (AP) article posted on CNN today:
"It's not right!" shouted the weeping Hilton. "Mom!" she called out to Kathy Hilton, who also was in tears.

No kidding girlie! Why didn't you think about the consequences of driving while intoxicated TWICE! ...Not one time but two times!

Further more they write what Sheriff Baca just might think...
"The sheriff later hinted at a news conference that Hilton had psychological problems, and said she would be watched in jail 'so that there isn't anything that is harmfully done to herself by herself.' "

No really? Ya think!?

Turn in your six-shooter and tin star pardner, your a dinkleman! (or is it Dunkleman, ehh, either one - you pick)

By the way, this is The United States of America! It is a country founded on by people seeking freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness. It is not a country to be snuck into across some muddy river, given major medical coverage for free or in which ANYONE is allowed to drive around with point-oh-whatever blood alcohol like an a$$ and put other people's lives at risk!


So, what's new in your corner of the world? How's life? Been anywhere interesting lately?

If you drop me a line I am sure we will find something in common as I have appreciation for all things human and do not judge people for being curious about life, love or happiness! That's me! And inline with this philosophy I would actually read a book by Paris Hilton if she detailed her rise to celebri-whatever, dishes some dirt on the inner workings of her 'Real (simple) Life' family, or gave details of her trabels and adventures. I just can't stand the idea of someone making gobs of money for showing up to the opening of a club named after them X hours late and acting as if they didn't give a damn!

My Rant ends here! Thank you and goodnight.

Latest words of wisdom

Well, I am not sure if I have any tonight, but here are a few things...

I am travelling with my wife in NV right now, so do not bother trying to reach me at home.

The VT tragedy should have been preventable, so what do we need to do better?

I like that someone (on MSNBC) earlier posted we need to re-examine the ways we treat each other and add in my thoughts, "or ways we sometimes ignore one another". It seems there is often very little ANYONE can do when someone is "hiding" their true feelings and "shuts down" or turns inward and denies all attempts at contact.

These incidents are not about religion, gun control, lapses or shortcomings of (various) mental health care systems, or social services. They are about lack of communication, ignoring signs and sometimes accepting when people refuse to open up or reject others with replies like, "nothings wrong".

Of course we should have sympathy for the victims, the "damagaed" young man that caused their deaths, and the family that raised him without catching on to the things that were wrong in his life. Practically anyone asked would recognize this as true.

The important thing that should come out of this is what happens next, and I think the media's reporting on what led up to this end result is useful but, the entire series of events (and this new package) need not be "dissected" in public. I think analysis of this evidence should be left to the experts and no one else should speculate endlessly about what they think the "meaning" Cho's ramblings might be. What good does that do? People speculating in all sorts of directions without the knowledge to understand how the facts link together and why "A" does not equal "B" or EVER add up to "C". A series of events carried out by someone acting irrationally will not make sense and probably do not paint a picture of what the next troubled person will do.

Let it go people. Take it for what it is and reach out to the people around you, the ones you claim to know, and the ones you should be caring about. Be accepting of differences in opinions, different perspectives on life, motivations and desires. Most of all, try not to judge people or characterize their thinking according to your standards without first attempting to understand their standards. I suspect some people reading this might think, 'I don't do that' but I think we all do that - ignore others in favor of justifying our own thoughts, beliefs and standards of living.

I have posted a thought on "going green" in "Au Natural" and "naked sun" Tribes.

I have been exercising my computer-oriented helpfulness at Experts-Exchange.com; trying to make the world a better place through mutual support sites.

WikiPedia rules!
Especially en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Nudity

I ahve to close now because it is late and I have things to accomplish tomorrow.

Peace to everyone!

Latest News & Opinions

Politics:
Come on! Who does this Foley character from Florida think he is kidding? There is practically no way possible he could not have realized his actions or attempted overtures would one day come to light? And if that is the case, was the entire event the plan of a twisted imagination to get 15 minutes of fame?

Who in their right mind would take chances like that? The guy enters into a political career, which anyone would assume will receive a certain amount of public attention, and then he proceed to engage in questionable behavior? Also, don't tell me he has not heard the saying, "Don't type anything in e-mail you wouldn't want to read in the local newspaper the following day." This "rule" has been around for years and even the most naive computer user is well aware of it!

Politics in general amazes me! People get into it because they want to work for change, improve things, or perhaps generally make a difference in the world. But what happens after the enthusiams wears out? Where does the zest for championing causes go? And why do so many end up falling back on their least desirable habits, traits and behaviors? Or is this sort of thing happening everyday in much less noticed careers as well?

Having watched recent "sexual predator" sting segments on Dateline or similar early evening television, I am amazed by the stupidity of people! People with good jobs, lives full of opportunity and mostly in good social standing who throw their lives into a proverbial trash bin by, once again, falling back on their least desirable habits, traits and behaviors! All I can say is, "Oy vey!".


The war in Iraq:
Are the terrorists winning? Have they already achieved a sort of victory by drawing the conflict on this long and (essentially) proving their ability to ruin the most powerful nation's best attempt at "nation rebuilding"? It sure seems that way!

My father strongly believe the United States must remain in Iraq until the job is finished and that Senators and Congressmen need to bite their tounges when it comes to anything Iraq related. I cannot question his position on this issue but at the same time wonder if "treading water", as it appears we are doing, is really of any help to anyone.

Iraq is certainly a country in need of economic support, civil assistance, engineering support and self-defense training for its remaining people. But when Americans are "the face of the people" instead of Iraqis, who is the real target? Would as many Iraqis be killed if they were on the front lines alone? Are the terrorists pursuing their agenda in the country simply for the goal of making America's best efforts look pathetic? Would the United States government comply with the current Iraqi government if they requested our immediate withdrawal from all areas of the country? Or what about a limited withdrawal from the major cities and "urban" disaster zones? Or would we be forced to declare the government we helped install to be impotent and ineffective, and then declare martial law and commit our men and women in uniform as a FULL occupation force! I don't think anybody want to picture where that course of action would lead or what the total cost would eventually climb to.

So what is the solution? How best can one government support the efforts of another without the end result seeming like a puppet show? Would it be right to take other action to draw the terrorists attention away from the badly beaten and poorly equipped Iraqi military and focus it on ourselves? Does a police office intervene in a situation just long enough to encourage the victim to defend themself and the step aside while they are further beaten, mugged and robbed? No.

The job of a police force or military intervention is to "shield" the civilian population from harm and protect them at all costs. From the evening news and printed reports I have seen, we are not making progress in this regards. For all intensive purposes the terrorists and their cousins the insurrectionists are now beating up on the original vicitim AND the police who came to their aid!

Ultimately that is why countries typically meet on the "field of battle" and engage each other in organized warfare governed by a "Code of Conduct" and set of moral guidelines. No, terrorists are not a "state" or a "country" but they still organize in units and conceiveably could be drawn into a one-on-one confrontation IF the party drawing them out was imaginative enough. That's all I am going to say on the matter tonight. Fundamentally there seem to be a flaws in the processes of "hunting" terrorists or sitting around and waiting for them to make the next move against some target (real or created).

Bears hunt their prey, but if I'm not mistaken they CATCH their prey or give up the pursuit when it is apparent the "dinner" has eluded capture. And my childhood memories of when to fight and when to flee come back to me repeatedly. You fight when there is no way to avoid it, and you flee whenever an escape opportunity becomes clear.

Perhaps it is time to let the people of Iraq resume the course of their destiny and find a future of their own making. We can certainly continue to support them but I think it is probably a mistake to stand beside them, especially when we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt they are in the sniper's cross-hairs.

There are some people you can save, and some you cannot. This above all else seems to be an inevitable truth.


Television characters I can't stand:
Nancy Grace!
Where did they find this lady and what test audience indicated she would have strong national appeal? I dislike the accent, though I am generally fond of them. I hate her haircut, and really think it would look better on someone else. And I can't stand the way she will pick the smallest detail of a case apart over and over again, and then bring on expert witnesses who do the exact SAME THING!!

Court TV, or whatever, please send her back to the minor leagues so I can begin watching your channel again! I beg of you!!!

Is Iraq like the pre-civil war U.S.?

Are the differences or disagreements between the Sunnis and the Shite (sorry if misspelled) groups in Iraq similar to those of the "north" and "south" prior to our Civil War?

This thought occurred to me the other day and I could not help but wonder whether knowing more about U.S. history would prevent other countries from going through the same (or similar) problems. The Civil War in the United States cost our country many tens of thousands of lives and forever changed the politics of our country. Our war may have also set us back by decades in productivity and economic development, and the United States would assuredly be a different place if we had NOT fought among ourselves.

It is unfortunate that other governments must repeat the mistakes we "westerners" have already made in the name of progress. If they could have a better sense of appreciation for the loss of life and the overall impact such times have on THE OVERALL COUNTRY, perhaps they would work harder to reconcile.

As a devotee of science fiction I often wonder if someone who might have gone on to invent an incredible cure for disease or write a monumental work of literature was killed during wartime and how the ENTIRE world was affected by one death! Such a shame that we would choose actions which ignore potential and demonstrate our ignorance of individual contributions and temporal events.

That's it for this train of thought. Good luck world, you need it!!

Israel

It often seems like there should be a "simple" solution to all the troubles in the Middle East but people have a tendency to complicate matters "beyond all reason".

So it makes me wonder how "adults" can teach children to "do the right thing" and be honest, obey the law, get an education and live a good life, but NOT manage to work out their differences "like Adults"?

The only way the world is going to achieve lasting peace is for economies to become less seperated from each other, less isolated and stop trying to "rape" each other of a bigger percentage! I apologize to anyone that is offended by my use of that word, but I also say "deal with it!"

Israel isn't the only "messed up" country in the world right now. Lets make a list:

Mogadishu, Somailia
Darfur, Rwanda
Afghanistan
Iraq
Indonesia (the tsunami)

There are to many place in the world where even the basic principles of "simple living" are virtually impossible to adhere to! It makes me mad and disgusted with many members of "humanity".

If we look at the examples of excessive living and "high class" lifestyles and continue to think, 'well, that's okay because they can afford it' or 'they worked hard for their money and its up to them to decide how to spend it' we will ALL suffer eventually. That is what I believe.

The utter disparity between the populations that HAVE and those that HAVE NOT is going to perpetuate violence and terrorism for generations to come! There almost needs to be a cultural mandate to change attitudes and compel people into community service (where the community happens to include the entire world).

I am tired of hearing about countries like Israel where GOOD IDEAS like 2 years mandatory military service for EVERYONE at age 18 and Kibbutzes (sp?) get little press attention and the awful things countries do get tons of attention. Its shameful!

If you love you country than you had better be willing to support it! Or its troops! Or its economy in some way!

Get off your butts and get to work! (this possibly does not apply to many of my Tribe.net friends or casual readers, but there may be one or two people it WILL apply to...)

The world will only become a better place for everyone if everyone cares! Each man. woman and young person has got to stand up and be heard. Whether its on an Internet Blog, community service or whatever doesn't matter. Just put down the video game controller and go do something to show someone you care about a person other than yourself.

That's my thought for the evening. Good night.

Where in the World are...

Dennis & Suzy

Arrived safely in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Tuesday, June 6th. We unpacked the same evening and returned the U-Haul tow dolly the following day.

The job hunt resumed shortly there after and both the wife and I agree we will not be buying anymore "stuff". No additional knick-knacks, furniture, artwork or anything until we are both working and setup in a new, long-term location! Being forced to move from Las Vegas due to 2005's financial hardships, including my being out of work for extended periods of time, really sucked! We both loved the climate in Las Vegas and most of the people were nice to know as well. We will especially miss our former neighbors from across the street, and from next door, even though we did not get to know them in-depth.

I will miss the in-ground pool and the dry weather. But on other thing I know will surely change is the nature of people I met from around the area (that being Las Vegas) as compared to good 'ol Virginia. I have a feeling the people I meet through the Norfolk Tribe.net portal may be very different than those in the Las Vegas Tribes. It is just a hunch, but I let you know what I find.

Suzy is going to miss her KB Home co-workers Becky, Monica and Natasha the most!! (in case they read this)

We hope to return to Las Vegas one day, and possibly retire there permanently.

That's all there is to tell for tonight. Thank you and good night.

Leaving Las Vegas...

Yeah, now we are trying to, and not having much luck with it either!

After a year of financial and physical hardship, none of which are specifically connected to BEING in Las Vegas, the wife and I are packing up and heading back to Virginia. We both gave notice at work, had a moving sale which netted around $630 and terminated our house lease. Maybe a bit prematurely on these things because now that we have sold 80% of our stuff and given another 16% to Goodwill, we cannot afford to put gas in the Tahoe in order to begin the trip! Ha ha! Another snag.

Happy Memorial Day America.

I served in the armed forces of our country and was ready to be deployed wherever she needed me, and now I feel as though I am fighting a war at home. A battle to survive what some would view as ordinary events of everyday life, but ones that if they occur back-to-back or in quick succession can LITERALLY sap the will to live out of you!

I shattered my nose last year after donating blood plasma on a day off work and then ended up in the hospital for 11 days. While being treated the doctors found a vascular malformation in the back of my head near the "vision center" of my brain. It is officially called an "AVM" or arteriovenous malformation and they wanted to perform brain surgery to remove it within 48 hours! Say what! "Uh, NO, I don't think so!" All I had wanted to do was donate some blood plasma and make a few dollars for gas and food one day when the moving company I was working for could not use me, and 48 hours later I'm facing brain surgery!? God, you're kidding right?!?...

So this past year was filled with down time, challenges, interviews, job applications and more challenges like I have never know in any other year of my life! Deciding to go the route of Gamma Knife stereo-tactic radiotherapy treatment instead of brain surgery meant a quicker, less painful recovery time so I could get back to work sooner, but leaves me with an increased risk of developing a brain tumor 15, 20 or 25 years from now. Some choice, eh?

Now all we want to do is pack up and bid Las Vegas farewell because she will survive without us, and we can't even do that. Numerous clothes have been given away, keeping just the minimum needed for job interviews back east, and most of the household possession are gone because we are only taking two vehicles and our pets to Virginia. We decided to rent a tow-dolly to pull the Hyundai in order to attempt saving money on gas and use the car as a small storage trailer for our remaining possession. I did not think I would ever have to do this in life, but here it is happening for real. One step away from being homeless and sleeping in our cars, a veteran and the spouse of a former veteran, along with two dogs and a couple of cats. Happy Memorial Day America, look what I've done.

We are just lucky we did not decide to move to New Orleans in the fall of 2004 when I was considering the possibility for transferring with Lockheed Martin to a C-130 aircraft overhaul contract at Barksdale AFB! Our current situation is a little better than being hit by a hurricane and having everything you own taken from you indiscriminately!

If you are reading this please send out good wishes, my family could really use them right about now.

Thanks.

The Day a Company Lost the Best Employee it Ever Hired

The day a company lost the best employee they ever had was they day they applied their corporate guidelines to them without understanding and compassion.

The day came when it was the employee's turn to be reviewed, to be assessed by their manager and to have their performance ranked against printed standards on paper rather than in comparison to their fellows. There were guidelines to be followed for such things; carefully planned and implemented by other employees hoping to have their efforts recognized as "professional", "well structured" and "clearly defined".

During the employee's review "metrics" were applied, absences were tallied, and productivity was reviewed. Not taken into consideration was the employee's enjoyment of their job, their ability to smile even while falling short of some expectations, and their willingness to lend a hand to co-workers, cover a shift or put in extra effort "off the clock". The bottom line was all about how much the employee had "cost" the company, not how many times they had saved the company hundreds or thousands of dollars.

In the six months leading up to the employees review, their family had dealt with one crisis after another. A parent had died, a child gotten sick, the spouse's car had failed beyond repair, and worst of all the employee was nearly bankrupt and on more than one occasion found themselves at work for an entire day without a snack or a meal to sustain their efforts.

Regardless of all the challenges, the typically enthusiastic employee "bucked up" and remained vigilant towards the company's "mission statement". They serviced customers, organized information, attended training sessions and documented every detail of every task for future benefit. Some tasks were small and easily handled, while others were very "original" or rooted in mystery, but the employee now being reviewed accepted them all and gave their best effort.

Some people would call this employee a "trooper" if asked, others may even go as far as to say they had become a friend, but on review day none of that was considered. The company had a long history or service and efficiency and any part of it not performing up to standards was either restructured or eliminated; this was the policy. The policy was sometimes referred to as "zero tolerance" and most employees, even management, knew it well and regarded it with both respect and suspicion. For even long-time employees with many skills and extensive knowledge of the company's business had been "let go" or "severed" from the organization they grew to care about over many days, weeks and years. These happenings were known well and rarely spoken of.

In the end the employee's efforts were rewarded by a "satisfactory" rating. Somehow they had "made the cut" and one or two instances or not living up to standards mysteriously disappeared, perhaps they were misfiled or incorrectly submitted. On this day the typically enthustiastic employee was not given an increase in pay, no merit of their efforts was recognized and they returned to the workcenter the next morning to learn several others had no been so "lucky".

A few seats were empty. Maybe they were transferred to another department. Lets hope so.

People are not machines and we often treat our machines poorly and then complain when they let us down! Are our long-standing traditions of exclaiming, "stupid car", "damn door" or "lousey battery" shaping the way we view each other? Is our attention to "industrial engineering" failing to allow enough margin for "human factors"? Or is it simply "professional" to continue developing processes and procedures that eliminate or work around the "human factor"? How much money is being spent working against the industrial machine brought forth in a "revolution" so many years ago?

And finally, does anyone have a can of compressed air I can borrow? My CPU is clogged with dust and I think my power supply is operating below peak performance.