We are miracles ya know? We're walking, talking living miracles. For a lot of folks, they're living miracles constantly on a mission of searching for a miracle. That would be called religion or spirituality. The miracle of this thing we call life is most people have no idea at all that the miracle is themselves. In fact this whole thing we call life is plainly one big miracle now isn't it?
So here we are existing on this big old ball in the ether that we've named Earth. It's exactly at a distance from the Sun in our solar system to make the temperatures perfect for our very delicate bodies to not only exist but thrive for millions of years. With just the right combination of gases and oxygen to allow us to breath and live. With the perfect amount of gravity to keep us firmly rooted to the ground, without just floating off into the sky. The Earth is also conveniently a little off center with it's axis to cause and create our seasons, which allows all the crops and food producing plants to go thru their cycles and allow us to live off it's bounty.
Everything on this earth has an exact and perfect reason to exist. Starting with the large animals and plants, down to the smallest life forms. Some so small, we can't even see with our naked eyes. Even these things are all vitally crucial to our existence here on Earth. When one pictures this whole thing from a distance, like our astronauts luckily get to do, it would seem like one big living, breathing, alive, vibrant organism, which of course it is. The heart would be the burning, molten, churning, liquid metals deep within the core. The skin would be the outer layer where we and everything alive call home. The oceans and upper atmosphere would of course be the producer of air and Earths lungs. The Sun out in space would be the heater and giver of life as we know it.
This whole thing I'm calling a miracle is indeed a complex, wondrous mess, that's for sure. It sure would be nice to put a purely positive, loving slant on the whole thing now wouldn't it? But people, animals and all else alive go through terrible pains, diseases, traumas and all eventually die, rot and go back to mother earth, where the worms get to fulfill their destinies. Everything on Earth also has great joys, wondrous life experiences, pure pleasures and get to experience things like love, happiness, brother and sisterhood and greatness also.
The reality is this whole "Life on Earth" thing doesn't have anything to do with our concept's of positivity or negativity at all. It just is.....All of our concepts, philosophies, ideas, opinions and general bullshit mean absolutely nothing to reality. The Earth could so easily just shrug us off in a moment with a cataclysmic event like a earthquake or all encompassing flood. Luckily for us so far, it's decided to let us stay here. Who knows how much longer but here we are.
As far as how we got here? Whether from a divine source, planted by aliens as a test tube project or just grew from the Earth's bowels? Personally, I don't think that matters in the slightest. Just more opinions to add to the crazy mix we call intellect.
So in my humble opinion, all this bullshit adds up to how us humans want to view all this. As a glass half empty, knowing we all are just going to die someday for sure, or......as a glass half full, living each moment as the very cool miracle that it is....
So, dance like no one is watching and make the most of it huh?
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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The News
When you tune in the news on the TV or listen to the news on the radio, what are you expecting to see or hear about?
I consider myself to be just a regular common, middle class American with normal (well, maybe higher than many) intelligence. I also know that I'm part of the vast majority of folks. The way I see it, here's what's happening to a minority of Americans right now. What they call news is actually just the "political" news. Nothing else matters to them. They live, breath, discuss, harangue, bitch, moan, scream, have fits, lose friends, gain enemies, fight, slobber, spit, lose sleep and join causes all in the name of "the news", they consider the gospel truth. Now where this minority of people get their news depends on their political leanings. If they lean to the right wing, they get their news exclusively from places like talk radio and FOX NEWS. If they lean to the left, they rely on MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS. For the more middle of the road folks, Public Radio probably fits the bill.
Well folks, us regular folks who could care less about extreme viewpoints with real lives, head for the fridge or the shitter when that right or left leaning crap comes on the tube or radio. What we're interested in is the regular, what's going on with people in the world news. How's the economy right now? Up or down? Not the extremist spin on why. What's being done by other intelligent, creative folks around the country. What's the latest high tech stuff, cars, environmental concerns? What's going on in the educational world? What's the weather going to be, What's happening in the sports world. We are only interested in the facts of these things, not the "spin" crap that the political junkies put on everything. The last thing in the world we're interested in is the left or right extremist and what they think about the other side's ideas and philosophies..I personally can't think of a more boring subject than politics in general and that would certainly include all the extreme political junkies....
It seems to me that this minority of Americans have lost the ability, or desire, to use rational, critical or logical thinking. They forgot how to choose their battles wisely. To keep everything in perspective. Politics in the everyday, common person's lives takes up at most a few moments of reflection a day. We have a whole lot more important and real, I might add, things to spend our time and energy on. At my business, the subject of politics rarely even comes up. Of course me not bringing it up or not contributing to it probably has something to do with that fact. As all that know me can attest to, I'm probably the epitome of the proverbial blabbermouth but there are tons of creative, interesting, intelligent topics of conversation to be had without digging in the shithole of politics.
So........How much of your life is taken up in with serious, ongoing, engaging, all inclusive talking about the subject of politics, especially in a loud pervasive voice? If a lot, have you noticed normal, regular people making excuses that they have to be somewhere else quickly? If so, maybe you have a social problem you might want to give some serious thought about huh? I do know that all the regular folks I ask are clearly getting sick and tired of constantly being bombarded with all this political nonsense and they do try and avoid all the political nut cases running around nowadays.
Whatchthink???
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I consider myself to be just a regular common, middle class American with normal (well, maybe higher than many) intelligence. I also know that I'm part of the vast majority of folks. The way I see it, here's what's happening to a minority of Americans right now. What they call news is actually just the "political" news. Nothing else matters to them. They live, breath, discuss, harangue, bitch, moan, scream, have fits, lose friends, gain enemies, fight, slobber, spit, lose sleep and join causes all in the name of "the news", they consider the gospel truth. Now where this minority of people get their news depends on their political leanings. If they lean to the right wing, they get their news exclusively from places like talk radio and FOX NEWS. If they lean to the left, they rely on MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS. For the more middle of the road folks, Public Radio probably fits the bill.
Well folks, us regular folks who could care less about extreme viewpoints with real lives, head for the fridge or the shitter when that right or left leaning crap comes on the tube or radio. What we're interested in is the regular, what's going on with people in the world news. How's the economy right now? Up or down? Not the extremist spin on why. What's being done by other intelligent, creative folks around the country. What's the latest high tech stuff, cars, environmental concerns? What's going on in the educational world? What's the weather going to be, What's happening in the sports world. We are only interested in the facts of these things, not the "spin" crap that the political junkies put on everything. The last thing in the world we're interested in is the left or right extremist and what they think about the other side's ideas and philosophies..I personally can't think of a more boring subject than politics in general and that would certainly include all the extreme political junkies....
It seems to me that this minority of Americans have lost the ability, or desire, to use rational, critical or logical thinking. They forgot how to choose their battles wisely. To keep everything in perspective. Politics in the everyday, common person's lives takes up at most a few moments of reflection a day. We have a whole lot more important and real, I might add, things to spend our time and energy on. At my business, the subject of politics rarely even comes up. Of course me not bringing it up or not contributing to it probably has something to do with that fact. As all that know me can attest to, I'm probably the epitome of the proverbial blabbermouth but there are tons of creative, interesting, intelligent topics of conversation to be had without digging in the shithole of politics.
So........How much of your life is taken up in with serious, ongoing, engaging, all inclusive talking about the subject of politics, especially in a loud pervasive voice? If a lot, have you noticed normal, regular people making excuses that they have to be somewhere else quickly? If so, maybe you have a social problem you might want to give some serious thought about huh? I do know that all the regular folks I ask are clearly getting sick and tired of constantly being bombarded with all this political nonsense and they do try and avoid all the political nut cases running around nowadays.
Whatchthink???
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Monday, November 16, 2009
The answer is Middle America
The sooner we as a nation reject the extreme right- and left- wing views and bullshit agendas that are so prevalent today and find common ground in the center, the sooner we can get the country back on its feet and maintain - at least for a few more decades - our global lead over the Asian tigers. Hell we might even solve some of the 1,677 or so very, very serious problems here in America. We need to get both extremist sides out of politics and in the gutter where they belong. They all need to shut the hell up and go away!
Try to understand that the world is not black and white, but rather various shades of grey. Personally I have liberal views in some regards ( environment, personal rights, morality, freedom of speech).) but conservative views in other areas (law enforcement, balanced budget, taxation).
Then we need to find people with intelligence (NOT POLITICIANS!!!) who can see all the gray areas of real life and start thinking completely out of the normal box to make some real, intelligent changes to our tax, prison, drugs, social benefits, health care, environment, big business rip offs, immigration systems just to name a few, which in most cases are complete failures. I think the biggest reason we are in our financial mess right now is because of the complete waste of money our approach to these problems causes.
My immediate suggestion is to vote all Republicans and all Democrats out of office as soon as possible. Who to vote for? ANYONE other than them. Look where both sides have gotten us so far.
Have you been satisfied?
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Try to understand that the world is not black and white, but rather various shades of grey. Personally I have liberal views in some regards ( environment, personal rights, morality, freedom of speech).) but conservative views in other areas (law enforcement, balanced budget, taxation).
Then we need to find people with intelligence (NOT POLITICIANS!!!) who can see all the gray areas of real life and start thinking completely out of the normal box to make some real, intelligent changes to our tax, prison, drugs, social benefits, health care, environment, big business rip offs, immigration systems just to name a few, which in most cases are complete failures. I think the biggest reason we are in our financial mess right now is because of the complete waste of money our approach to these problems causes.
My immediate suggestion is to vote all Republicans and all Democrats out of office as soon as possible. Who to vote for? ANYONE other than them. Look where both sides have gotten us so far.
Have you been satisfied?
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Reality = Change
Listening to all my old as hell friends, customers and especially extremist right wing political people constantly rant on and on about how much better things were in our past got me to thinking (ooooooh, there's that dreaded problem I have again). Thinking back to my own youth, I do have to admit that from the present perspective, everyday life sure did seem to be a lot simpler, more clear cut and easier to understand . There were far less consumables, things to do and see, far less information or choices that seemed important. One basically only had to deal with your immediate surroundings, not the whole country, much less the whole world. All of that stuff "out there", didn't even exist for me in my youth on the farm.
Having admitted all that, I have to face reality here though. The ONLY thing that is truly and forever true and constant is CHANGE. We go thru life, living in each moment not really noticing that everything constantly changes. So slowly that we don't always see it as an ongoing reality but it plainly is. In fact again, it is the ONLY REAL THING.
Okay, lets talk details to put all this in perspective. The price of things.....As time goes on, the price of everything slowly and unfailingly goes up. Picture an old man standing in line at the grocery store saying "Holy shit, a candy bar is now a #$% *#$* whole dollar???, Why when I was a kid, they were only 25 cents, for gods sake!? Now picture a ten year old boy standing in line right behind him. He out of a modicum of respect is not saying this out loud but what he is really thinking is "Jesus, you old grump, that's what candy bars cost. Pay the damn price, quit bitching and get out of my way, I've got more important things to do today than stand here listening to you complain". You see, to that kid, the price is just the price. It's normal to him.
How about some more serious examples of change that us old farts have such problems with. Back when all the emigrants were pouring over to America from Europe and beyond by the thousands, I would bet that the Americans living here then were outraged that these "foreigners" were coming here and taking over "our" country lock, stock and barrel (How's that for a cool old as the hills saying?) Well turns out that those "foreigners" are now "us". Those people pouring over here are our forefathers and foremothers. If they didn't have the courage, need and stamina to come to America, we all would be right now living in who knows where, with far less freedoms or choices. Now plainly the only reality that was going on then for them was the reality of change. Things were changing at a hell of a pace back then but guess what? We all made it! They were wrong thinking that "those" people would ruin America.
In the present time with all the Mexicans, and all the other "foreigners" trying to make a life in America, we again are freaking out that they are "trying to take over our country" lock, stock and barrel. Do I have a problem with all this? Hell yes!. It scares me along with all the other old shits in the country but you know what? It's just change folks. Okay, I know....the original emigrants came here legally, where now we have a lot of illegals. I personally don't like that fact but in 20 years, do you really think that will matter at all? Or just more "change" that we don't at this time understand.
Will there eventually be more people of color than white folks here? Probably...
Will the country then turn into a third world shithole....Most probably not..
Other great examples are the social ones. As time goes on humans naturally and logically become more intelligent, open minded and caring of others and their basic human rights. A perfect example right now would be the whole sexual preferences issue. Ask any young person what they think of gay rights, gay partnerships, gay marriage or gay adoptions and I'm telling you right now that the majority of them will have no problem with it at all. They will tell you that it's none of their personal business what other folks do with their private lives. You see, they live and accept natural change and are not stuck in the same grumpy time zones most of us older people are in.
Whether we like it or not, it's going to happen. It's called CHANGE. All of us old farts will eventually die and then to those left all this will be just normal life. America will keep right on changing with the times and Americans, no matter who they are will all survive just fine because of our creativity, intelligence, bullheadedness and perseverance. We always have and always will.
Now, the reasons or motivations for change are ultimately irrelevant. Even the outcome of change only depends on your personal philosophies. That all depends on whether you see life as a glass half full or half empty. I choose half full, thank you.... The whole point of my bullshit in this blog is that change is the only real thing in life. All the details are just that. They are all subject to change with the times also.
So please don't fall into the trap a lot of people are in right now with believing all the idiot doom and gloom on the news. Don't forget that "only bad news sells". Normal, average people's lives are cruising along just fine. Are there problems in the world? Yup........ but guess what? It WILL change.
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Having admitted all that, I have to face reality here though. The ONLY thing that is truly and forever true and constant is CHANGE. We go thru life, living in each moment not really noticing that everything constantly changes. So slowly that we don't always see it as an ongoing reality but it plainly is. In fact again, it is the ONLY REAL THING.
Okay, lets talk details to put all this in perspective. The price of things.....As time goes on, the price of everything slowly and unfailingly goes up. Picture an old man standing in line at the grocery store saying "Holy shit, a candy bar is now a #$% *#$* whole dollar???, Why when I was a kid, they were only 25 cents, for gods sake!? Now picture a ten year old boy standing in line right behind him. He out of a modicum of respect is not saying this out loud but what he is really thinking is "Jesus, you old grump, that's what candy bars cost. Pay the damn price, quit bitching and get out of my way, I've got more important things to do today than stand here listening to you complain". You see, to that kid, the price is just the price. It's normal to him.
How about some more serious examples of change that us old farts have such problems with. Back when all the emigrants were pouring over to America from Europe and beyond by the thousands, I would bet that the Americans living here then were outraged that these "foreigners" were coming here and taking over "our" country lock, stock and barrel (How's that for a cool old as the hills saying?) Well turns out that those "foreigners" are now "us". Those people pouring over here are our forefathers and foremothers. If they didn't have the courage, need and stamina to come to America, we all would be right now living in who knows where, with far less freedoms or choices. Now plainly the only reality that was going on then for them was the reality of change. Things were changing at a hell of a pace back then but guess what? We all made it! They were wrong thinking that "those" people would ruin America.
In the present time with all the Mexicans, and all the other "foreigners" trying to make a life in America, we again are freaking out that they are "trying to take over our country" lock, stock and barrel. Do I have a problem with all this? Hell yes!. It scares me along with all the other old shits in the country but you know what? It's just change folks. Okay, I know....the original emigrants came here legally, where now we have a lot of illegals. I personally don't like that fact but in 20 years, do you really think that will matter at all? Or just more "change" that we don't at this time understand.
Will there eventually be more people of color than white folks here? Probably...
Will the country then turn into a third world shithole....Most probably not..
Other great examples are the social ones. As time goes on humans naturally and logically become more intelligent, open minded and caring of others and their basic human rights. A perfect example right now would be the whole sexual preferences issue. Ask any young person what they think of gay rights, gay partnerships, gay marriage or gay adoptions and I'm telling you right now that the majority of them will have no problem with it at all. They will tell you that it's none of their personal business what other folks do with their private lives. You see, they live and accept natural change and are not stuck in the same grumpy time zones most of us older people are in.
Whether we like it or not, it's going to happen. It's called CHANGE. All of us old farts will eventually die and then to those left all this will be just normal life. America will keep right on changing with the times and Americans, no matter who they are will all survive just fine because of our creativity, intelligence, bullheadedness and perseverance. We always have and always will.
Now, the reasons or motivations for change are ultimately irrelevant. Even the outcome of change only depends on your personal philosophies. That all depends on whether you see life as a glass half full or half empty. I choose half full, thank you.... The whole point of my bullshit in this blog is that change is the only real thing in life. All the details are just that. They are all subject to change with the times also.
So please don't fall into the trap a lot of people are in right now with believing all the idiot doom and gloom on the news. Don't forget that "only bad news sells". Normal, average people's lives are cruising along just fine. Are there problems in the world? Yup........ but guess what? It WILL change.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sleeping Pilots
The news about the Northwest Airline overshooting their destination by something like 90 minutes hit the front page news all over the world. As usual, it got me thinking (Crap, that bad habit again) about the whole issue of doing well your whole life and then screwing up once. I'm not at all sure that our society handles this with complete logic, compassion, individualism or common sense at all.
Now I completely understand all the standard arguments about their screw up possibly putting hundreds of people's lives on the line because of their line of work. What if their apparent lack of situational awareness (cool words I learned from my pilot daughter) buried the plane in the dirt destroying those poor unsuspecting people's lives and even potentially more on the ground? The other argument running around in the aviation world is that these guys were probably screw-ups before and only just now got caught with their preverbal pants down on this one flight. I'm certainly not sure how we would know that though, now would we?
Ya know? It struck me that these two pilots, whom I know nothing at all about, have ( I heard) thousands of hours of perfect service. Hours and years apparently doing everything by the book and safely doing their jobs. It would seem to me these facts would have to be taken into consideration when trying to judge this one infraction, no matter how grave it is. After thousands of hours of professional, safe flying should their licenses, career and livelihood be taken from them over this one thing?
I think this situation unfortunately happens a lot of times in normal life also. Where good, hardworking, honest folks just plain screw up once in a blue moon after a lifetime of being "perfect". Where people who would normally not do anything wrong or crazy at all go off the deep end for some crazy once in a lifetime reason that cannot be understood. I wonder how many crimes of passion or rage are completely out of character for the people involved. Things they would never think of doing when their lives are on track and normal.
I know this can't be compared with the airline pilots dilemma but I do know I've had weird moments when I thought I was being treated unfairly taking into account my normal reputation. When for instance the power company sends me a "shut off" notice because I forgot or mislaid my bill and it was late. When that happens, I always get super angry with them for not checking my record to see I've paid perfectly on time for years on end with no problems whatsoever. It lets me know I'm just a damn number to them after all these years and they could care less of my record of perfection.
Okay, I'm certainly not the FAA or any other aviation department who has to make these decisions about these two pilot's licenses, lives and career but I sure would hope their entire flying record would be at least as important as this one incident. Personally, I would think when both facts are put on a balance scale, their total service would far outweigh this one screw-up.
What say you?
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Now I completely understand all the standard arguments about their screw up possibly putting hundreds of people's lives on the line because of their line of work. What if their apparent lack of situational awareness (cool words I learned from my pilot daughter) buried the plane in the dirt destroying those poor unsuspecting people's lives and even potentially more on the ground? The other argument running around in the aviation world is that these guys were probably screw-ups before and only just now got caught with their preverbal pants down on this one flight. I'm certainly not sure how we would know that though, now would we?
Ya know? It struck me that these two pilots, whom I know nothing at all about, have ( I heard) thousands of hours of perfect service. Hours and years apparently doing everything by the book and safely doing their jobs. It would seem to me these facts would have to be taken into consideration when trying to judge this one infraction, no matter how grave it is. After thousands of hours of professional, safe flying should their licenses, career and livelihood be taken from them over this one thing?
I think this situation unfortunately happens a lot of times in normal life also. Where good, hardworking, honest folks just plain screw up once in a blue moon after a lifetime of being "perfect". Where people who would normally not do anything wrong or crazy at all go off the deep end for some crazy once in a lifetime reason that cannot be understood. I wonder how many crimes of passion or rage are completely out of character for the people involved. Things they would never think of doing when their lives are on track and normal.
I know this can't be compared with the airline pilots dilemma but I do know I've had weird moments when I thought I was being treated unfairly taking into account my normal reputation. When for instance the power company sends me a "shut off" notice because I forgot or mislaid my bill and it was late. When that happens, I always get super angry with them for not checking my record to see I've paid perfectly on time for years on end with no problems whatsoever. It lets me know I'm just a damn number to them after all these years and they could care less of my record of perfection.
Okay, I'm certainly not the FAA or any other aviation department who has to make these decisions about these two pilot's licenses, lives and career but I sure would hope their entire flying record would be at least as important as this one incident. Personally, I would think when both facts are put on a balance scale, their total service would far outweigh this one screw-up.
What say you?
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Bottom up leadership?
Listening to the common workers around my little world through the years always had me thinking (bad habit of mine). I listen to them complaining about idiotic policies, rules, proclamations, changes and procedures constantly coming down the pike from who in the hell knows where at their jobs. Somewhere toward or at the top of the totem pole of whatever big company or government agency they work for. Usually they come from some guy/gal in a fancy suit who got some kind of degree from a collage proclaiming they are way smarter than those little guys out in the field actually doing the work on the ground, or in the air for you pilots. Everything they learned came out of some usually very expensive books having almost nothing to do with the reality of doing things logically or right.
Interestingly, most if not all small businesses don't have these kinds of problems because the decision making processes are still being handled by the owner and he has to run a tight, efficient ship or he doesn't make any money to keep going. He has no desire or the money to hand out vital, important decisions for his company to some collage graduate to analyze.
No, most of these crazy things happen in the big business or even bigger government arenas. These become so large that they completely loose track of the real purpose and mission they started out to do. They lose sight of the fact that the actual worker, laborer and employee doing the work day in and day out is really the only ones who see what's really happening. They are the only ones who know if the work is being done in a logical, reliable, efficient, product producing way. They are the ones who see the waste, inefficiency and just plain stupidity being handed down from up above.
What brought all this to a head was a customer just the other day who works for PG&E. He works in their building and maintenance department. He was complaining up a storm about how these stupid directives come down the pike and eventually get to him. These papers are telling him to do things which he plainly knows are just plain stupid and wasteful in the extreme. He told me of a case where PG&E was setting up a job to put parking and directional stripping on the pavement around one of the buildings he is responsible for. So of course they put out bids to all the giant paving/stripping contractors in the whole state of California. Then bids for 5 or 6 other contractors for various other issues involved with this project. He said this relatively simple little job is going to cost the company some astronomically high amount of money. He told his boss to give him the budget set up for this one job and if he couldn't do it for less than one quarter of the money, they could fire him. He was so disgusted with their insanity that he meant it but alas, they just mumbled some crap and walked off.
Now in PG&E's case, guess where their headquarters is? Guess where the suits sit making these kinds of insane, wasteful decisions? In downtown San Francisco. Yup, these idiot suits have never even seen the job site. They have no need to actually visit the work site in person to know what the best, most cost effective, logical way to get the job done.
What kind of world have we inherited where this kind of foolishness can happen. Shouldn't the first and foremost people big business and government look to for answers be those very peons at the very bottom of the hill. The ones with the shovel, hammer, tape measure, tool kit or sales laptop in hand. The ones who are sweating, trying their damnedest to do the best job they can with the tools, instructions, skill and information they have available. They are the ones to ask, Mr/Mrs stupid CEO, Manager, Stock Holder for the answers you need.
One more thing and I'll try and climb down from my self inflicted soap box for today. These lowly workers, if asked their valuable opinion, should be paid a hell of a bonus (yea, cold hard cash), if and when their ideas are put in place.
So......wherever you work. Do you see waste, ineffective, idiotic policies happening and if asked could probably do it way better with better results, profits and a much better end product?
Then read the next bit and add your bitch to this blog....
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
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Come on.......DO IT!
Interestingly, most if not all small businesses don't have these kinds of problems because the decision making processes are still being handled by the owner and he has to run a tight, efficient ship or he doesn't make any money to keep going. He has no desire or the money to hand out vital, important decisions for his company to some collage graduate to analyze.
No, most of these crazy things happen in the big business or even bigger government arenas. These become so large that they completely loose track of the real purpose and mission they started out to do. They lose sight of the fact that the actual worker, laborer and employee doing the work day in and day out is really the only ones who see what's really happening. They are the only ones who know if the work is being done in a logical, reliable, efficient, product producing way. They are the ones who see the waste, inefficiency and just plain stupidity being handed down from up above.
What brought all this to a head was a customer just the other day who works for PG&E. He works in their building and maintenance department. He was complaining up a storm about how these stupid directives come down the pike and eventually get to him. These papers are telling him to do things which he plainly knows are just plain stupid and wasteful in the extreme. He told me of a case where PG&E was setting up a job to put parking and directional stripping on the pavement around one of the buildings he is responsible for. So of course they put out bids to all the giant paving/stripping contractors in the whole state of California. Then bids for 5 or 6 other contractors for various other issues involved with this project. He said this relatively simple little job is going to cost the company some astronomically high amount of money. He told his boss to give him the budget set up for this one job and if he couldn't do it for less than one quarter of the money, they could fire him. He was so disgusted with their insanity that he meant it but alas, they just mumbled some crap and walked off.
Now in PG&E's case, guess where their headquarters is? Guess where the suits sit making these kinds of insane, wasteful decisions? In downtown San Francisco. Yup, these idiot suits have never even seen the job site. They have no need to actually visit the work site in person to know what the best, most cost effective, logical way to get the job done.
What kind of world have we inherited where this kind of foolishness can happen. Shouldn't the first and foremost people big business and government look to for answers be those very peons at the very bottom of the hill. The ones with the shovel, hammer, tape measure, tool kit or sales laptop in hand. The ones who are sweating, trying their damnedest to do the best job they can with the tools, instructions, skill and information they have available. They are the ones to ask, Mr/Mrs stupid CEO, Manager, Stock Holder for the answers you need.
One more thing and I'll try and climb down from my self inflicted soap box for today. These lowly workers, if asked their valuable opinion, should be paid a hell of a bonus (yea, cold hard cash), if and when their ideas are put in place.
So......wherever you work. Do you see waste, ineffective, idiotic policies happening and if asked could probably do it way better with better results, profits and a much better end product?
Then read the next bit and add your bitch to this blog....
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Humans are amazing creatures...
Ok, with all the negative doom and gloom naysayers screaming their insanity's (are you as sick of it as I am?), especially on the political bullshit front, I thought it was about time to point out some amazing positive facts about us humans.
It has always amazed me that in the worst times and situations we find ourselves in, people of every color, ethnicity, age, economic statis and sex always put their best foot forward and do incredibly heroic and brave things for the good of their fellow man.
One of the examples that comes to my mind would be the Earthquake we had in Northern California a few years back. You know...the one where entire freeway bridges collapsed, trapping poor souls in their cars between the layers? If I remember this correctly, a lot of those scenes took place in downtown Oakland. In some of the worst places in that city. Places where crime ran in the streets like greasy liquid. Gangs, drugs, prostitution and killings were an everyday happening. Bars on most every window and where the average person generally lived in fear for their lives.
I watched the news that day in complete fascination and awe with what was taking place. People including those same druggies, robbers and rapist ran out of their homes, risked their lives climbing up into the crumbling cement structures and went to work trying to save anyone they could. They worked for hours with no care of their own safety right beside the emergency personnel who eventually came to help. I saw overweight, out of shape, never exercised in years type folks sweating blood that day putting their lives on the line to try and save complete strangers.
You see on the news all the time where car accidents happen and strangers get out of the safety of their own cars, run up to a burning inferno, break out windows and drag the victims to safety. They suffer severe burns to their arms and more but do it anyway. The other thing that comes to mind is when a heavy weight falls on a person and someone comes along and lifts far, far more than they should be able to in order to save the victim. I'm sure all of us have seen stories like these.
Seems the truth is us humans always shine the brightest in the darkest times imaginable. The more horrible the situation, the more we rise to the occasion and do the right and honorable thing. I would bet these kinds of incredibly heroic acts of bravery have been happening since humans came to this earth. To me one of the most interesting facts about all this is how no matter how noble and brave or not people are in their normal lives, in the right situations all that goes out the window and most everyone becomes like some kind of superman or women and does whatever it takes to help others out.
So, being the incredibly complex creatures we in fact are just makes us more, not less enduring and interesting to be sure. Yes obviously we can be complete monsters, pricks and idiots at times but at the most important times, even those types of people can be angels in drag also. So when the news portrays us with their dark lenses, we should all not forget that we are really like many faceted diamonds, even to the extent that diamonds can be beautiful and at the same time cut the crap out of you.
So, come on folks. Hold your chin up and face this crazy world with a huge helping of hope with a healthy dollop of positiveness. Take a moment to view it as a glass half full and smile once in a while. At least you and I are looking down at the grass. Think of how many people over at the cemeteries are looking up at the roots possibly wishing they had our measly problems.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
It has always amazed me that in the worst times and situations we find ourselves in, people of every color, ethnicity, age, economic statis and sex always put their best foot forward and do incredibly heroic and brave things for the good of their fellow man.
One of the examples that comes to my mind would be the Earthquake we had in Northern California a few years back. You know...the one where entire freeway bridges collapsed, trapping poor souls in their cars between the layers? If I remember this correctly, a lot of those scenes took place in downtown Oakland. In some of the worst places in that city. Places where crime ran in the streets like greasy liquid. Gangs, drugs, prostitution and killings were an everyday happening. Bars on most every window and where the average person generally lived in fear for their lives.
I watched the news that day in complete fascination and awe with what was taking place. People including those same druggies, robbers and rapist ran out of their homes, risked their lives climbing up into the crumbling cement structures and went to work trying to save anyone they could. They worked for hours with no care of their own safety right beside the emergency personnel who eventually came to help. I saw overweight, out of shape, never exercised in years type folks sweating blood that day putting their lives on the line to try and save complete strangers.
You see on the news all the time where car accidents happen and strangers get out of the safety of their own cars, run up to a burning inferno, break out windows and drag the victims to safety. They suffer severe burns to their arms and more but do it anyway. The other thing that comes to mind is when a heavy weight falls on a person and someone comes along and lifts far, far more than they should be able to in order to save the victim. I'm sure all of us have seen stories like these.
Seems the truth is us humans always shine the brightest in the darkest times imaginable. The more horrible the situation, the more we rise to the occasion and do the right and honorable thing. I would bet these kinds of incredibly heroic acts of bravery have been happening since humans came to this earth. To me one of the most interesting facts about all this is how no matter how noble and brave or not people are in their normal lives, in the right situations all that goes out the window and most everyone becomes like some kind of superman or women and does whatever it takes to help others out.
So, being the incredibly complex creatures we in fact are just makes us more, not less enduring and interesting to be sure. Yes obviously we can be complete monsters, pricks and idiots at times but at the most important times, even those types of people can be angels in drag also. So when the news portrays us with their dark lenses, we should all not forget that we are really like many faceted diamonds, even to the extent that diamonds can be beautiful and at the same time cut the crap out of you.
So, come on folks. Hold your chin up and face this crazy world with a huge helping of hope with a healthy dollop of positiveness. Take a moment to view it as a glass half full and smile once in a while. At least you and I are looking down at the grass. Think of how many people over at the cemeteries are looking up at the roots possibly wishing they had our measly problems.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
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