Monthly Archives: June 2011

A Magical Musical Tour

Posted on June 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

I grew up in the sixties, meaning I entered high school in 1965 and graduated in 1969.  As is common to all generations, my music and attitudes grievously offended my parents.  The Beatles were perhaps the most influential, such that my father still talks about that “Yeah, yeah, yeah” music.

We had many influential groups back then, many of which you can only find in the “Where Are They Now?” articles.  The biggest competitor to the Beatles was probably not the Rolling Stones but instead the Dave Clark Five.  It’s rare to hear their songs even on an oldies station today.  The Rolling Stones, on the other hand, are still performing; I’m not exactly sure what my reaction to that is.  Let’s face it, Mick Jagger was not aesthetically pleasing in appearance then, and remains the same today; I don’t want to know what creaking and cracking sounds accompany his gyrations if one were to be close enough to hear.  However, in my freshman year of high school I remember I still recall “Satisfaction,” “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Paint It Black.”  Even so, I find that I define my high school years more according to the Beatles than any other band.  Why?

Perhaps it was because the Beatles marked the change from mor ‘50’s greased hair swept back in a “DA” (terminology used around parents for “duck’s ass”), blue jeans and white socks to a different look.  It wasn’t just the hair, it was the whole package.  Dress boots, modern styled suits, and yes, the hair.  By the time everybody copied that look and that style of music, the Beatles had moved onto new and different.  As Broadway showcased “Hair” and television offered the “Mod Squad” and “Laugh In” the Beatles had moved on through the glitter of “Sergeant Pepper” all the way to “Abbey Road.”

I guess the reason that the Beatles marked my coming of age is because they joined me and changed with me during a key time of my life.  They first appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February, 1964.  I was in 7th grade and America was just starting to heal from the assassination of President Kennedy.  We needed something to look toward rather than looking back.  The Beatles showed up just as I was beginning to really identify with rock and roll.  Throughout high school as I tried to find myself they morphed at almost the same times as I did.  As I progressed through high school, the Beatles stopped touring and concentrated on studio work.  As I graduated, they started heading their separate ways.

I drifted away from their music for a while focusing instead on Jethro Tull, the Who, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Queen.  I still enjoyed the Beatles’ music but it was more of a peripheral enjoyment.  During my deployment one of the other Sailors was putting together a group to play Beatles music and I was included; it wasn’t due to talent but instead to a shortage of people who a) at least knew how to hold a guitar and; b) were old enough to know something of the Beatles.  They’ve remained a resurgent favorite ever since.

As I look back, though, I realize that the interesting thing is that the Beatles never really influenced or inspired me.  I enjoyed them, but the kinship is more due to the fact that they mirrored my own growth.  As I entered my teenage years, they entered the world stage.  As I went through stages, they changed their music style.  As I left my youth and my high school friends to enter young adulthood, they went their separate ways as well.

Their music provides a timeline to years in which I was changing rather than the stimulus to create that change.  Perhaps that’s why the music we grew up on music is so powerful it reminds us that “When this song was popular I was doing/facing/experiencing a particular event or challenge.

The good news is that when I hear a particular song today I can truly enjoy it because I know that whatever challenge was occurring when the song was new, I endured or overcame a challenge, succeeded at achieving a goal, or at the very least survived.  I may have the scars, but I also have the music to remember these things.

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Posted in Music

Excuse My Muse

Posted on June 28, 2011 | 1 Comment

As I was looking for an idea about which to write, I kept coming up with the same old ideas.  Maybe I’ve managed to say everything that I have to say.  Maybe by blogging I’ve used up all the stories that I used to repeat because I’d have a different audience who may not have heard the one about the (fill in topic here).

The problem with blogging is that you don’t know who is reading, and once something is written in a blog it is there potentially forever.  Even television gets to show reruns in the summer and then sell shows to be syndicated.  Bloggers can post something once and not revisit the subject until they have something new and interesting to say.  Having said that I’m sure if someone cared to research my site they’d probably find several topics that I’ve already reused without even being aware of it.

The ancients believed that muses were actual creatures who inspired people to think, write, sculpt, paint or whatever.  We on the other hand are technologically smarter and know that inspiration is just some neurologically induced electrical signals based on experiences we’ve had in the past.  How pathetic is that?

Maybe what we need these days is a little less reality and a little more mythology.  Maybe we’d be more productive and more satisfied if we ignored the electrical impulse theory and instead looked for some supernatural (or at least extranatural) explanation for inspiration.  After all if the muses did not inspire a story teller in ancient times, the absence of the muse was a story in itself.

So here goes.

Once upon a time there were two neurons who shared a synapse.  The one cell’s axon was intertwined, but not quite touching the dendrite of the second cell.  The second cell longed to feel the electrical stimulus from the first cell’s axon, but sadly today it was not meant to be.  There would be no serving of acetylcholine to share between them as the electrical signal connected them together.

The first neuron looked sad and said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got this terrible headache.”  The second neuron tried to look supportive, but when the first wasn’t looking, the second sent a message to the person whose nervous system they were controlling.

A frustrated writer pushed the keyboard away, carelessly tossed the mouse on the desk top and uttered his frustration.

Hey, don’t blame me – if I had a decent Muse, this would have been interesting.

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Posted in Blog, Culture, Writing

IF child THEN do as i say

Posted on June 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

I am not a computer scientist, but I have written a few basic programs over the years.  I used to comment to people that programming was fulfilling because a computer would do exactly what I told it to do, no matter how right or wrong.  I would then proceed to contrast this to my children and how they respond to my instructions.  As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes when talking to my kids I feel like I suddenly am speaking in Mandarin Chinese or Martian.  They look at me as though I am making no sense at all.

There was a time when I’d choose programming any day.  If I chose my words and phrases carefully, the computer “understood” what I wanted and would carry out those instructions.

However as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized two things.  First, in programming you have to choose precisely the correct word and syntax in order for the computer to follow instructions.  With our children we are often content to vaguely wave in a direction and tell them to “Get that thing over there.”  Not only are we careless with choosing what we say and how we say it, we then are amazed and become impatient when they do not successfully comply.

The second is closely related to the first.  When our children do learn something, they have the ability to take that knowledge to the next level by adding other learning, experience or even intuition.  While we expect them to make the logical jump to that vague “thing” we meant, we sometimes forget that they can take what we said and improve on it as well.

It’s hard as a parent, particularly when things are busy and chaotic to remember this.  It is a natural impulse to demand that a child, “Just listen!” However, it is we who should listen as well.  My kids, as it turns out, are actually pretty smart and even though I have a many-years head start on them, I can learn from them just as well as they can learn from me.  Best of all we both benefit.

It just might be better to have a conversation with my children instead of merely trying to lecture them.  Not only will it be more productive, it’ll probably be more fun.

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Posted in Family, People, Philosophy

Field Day

Posted on June 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

Today and tomorrow is “Field Day” for amateur radio operators.  Local ham radio clubs set up a station, or more commonly multiple stations in places such as parks.  Antennas are strung up and tents or picnic shelters used as operating locations that are run off generators, solar power or other alternative electric sources.  While this is a social event and an opportunity to work many other stations in a short period of time, the purpose is to practice and demonstrate how amateur radio provides communications in an emergency.

Our local club set up in a park and operated stations using digital communications, voice and Morse Code.  They’ll operate through the night and tomorrow afternoon shut down and return the park to its original condition.  Why?  Because in the event of an emergency, that is how it would actually be done.  If a storm hit and knocked out regular communications, amateur radio could be up and operating in a matter of hours.  Digital communications are relatively secure so sensitive information could be passed without casual eavesdroppers being able to hear details.  Voice communications are useful for information that needs to be passed to multiple stations at the same time in a quick fashion.  Even in this computer age, Morse code has a place.  When there is a lot of noise on the frequency, a message in Morse can be heard when voice would be lost in the noise, and communications can be carried out with a minimum amount of power.

Our mayor came out to the site because he knows that this is a resource that the city would need in an emergency.  When the city activates their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) they count on us to have operators at the EOC for as long as it is operational.

Some people look at amateur radio as just some nerdy hobby.  It’s true that you have to understand physics, regulations and safety in order to pass the examination to be licensed.  However, I’ve been involved with enough disaster support over the years to realize that it plays a significant role in emergency situations.  In fact, the first section of the federal law that governs amateur radio (FCC Part 97) states:

  • The rules and regulations in this Part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:

(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.

Most of us have hobbies that we enjoy and allow us to decompress from our regular responsibilities.  Sports, fishing, stamp collection, etc. all have their benefits, but most don’t give you a chance to help out your friends and neighbors in a large scale emergency.  When the disaster hits, people want to help and ask, “What can I do?”  Amateur radio operators know what we will do and we’ll be in the thick of it.

Doesn’t sound nerdy to me.

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Posted in Communications, Government, Technology

It’s All in the Name

Posted on June 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

We seem to have forgotten the importance of names.

One’s name was once seen to represent the person and was jealously guarded. Dishonoring someone’s name was grounds for demanding a duel to the death to restore that honor. Although a bit extreme, and in today’s society impractical and illegal, it illustrates in what importance names were once held.

Even God takes names seriously. In the Ten Commandments the third forbids taking His name in vain showing the value that He and his people placed on a name. This is not merely a theological or philosophical belief, however, but a practical one. Companies have long placed a value on their names, trademarking them to protect others from using them. Aspirin, Xerox and Kleenex are used as a common description rather than a trademark, much to the chagrin of their parent companies. In accounting there is a concept known as “goodwill.” This means that if someone has established a business and it is respected, when evaluating the company, such as when someone wishes to buy it, there is a dollar value associated with the reputation and the name of the business.

In our culture it is common for a woman to take the surname of her husband to show that the families have combined; while it once it designated ownership we have finally advanced beyond that stage. However, in other cultures the surname often became hyphenated indicating the merger of the families and their history and might even have a geographic reference at the end such as Ramone-Rodriguez-Torres del Castillo.

In recent years, the emphasis on names has changed so that people place less stock in their name as it is and more in the name they wish they had. Entertainers have long changed their names to be more marketable; Tony Curtis does sound better than Bernie Schwartz and John Wayne sounds more macho than Marion Morrison. Recently, though, some entertainers have begun to change their names more often than most folks change cars. Puff Daddy. P. Diddy. Whatever. A name has become like a fashion accessory rather than a part of a person.

Perhaps some of this is due to the decline of the importance of the family or perhaps families’ mobility. Most of my family lives in Northwest Ohio or Southeastern Michigan while my nuclear family and my older son’s family live in Virginia. I’ve laughingly pointed out that someday we may speak of the Ohio Nowaks and the Virginia Nowaks.

Incidentally Nowak is often referred to as the “most popular name in Poland.” That means that it is a very common name and translates (so I’ve been told) to “Newman.” As near as I can tell this was assigned to the “new guy” who just moved into the village or whatever. However, after a time even the new guy is no longer new, and Nowak is just another name. Supposedly there are several lines of the Nowak family that are supposedly Polish royalty. However, just as Johnson means “John’s Son” and all Johnsons aren’t related, so too with Nowak, Novak, Newman, etc.

I do believe that names are important. Products produced under a certain brand name that proved their quality gave that name a particular credibility. We tested Craftsman, Hewlett-Packard and Black & Decker and found their products to be creditable and came to expect that other products carrying that name would also be quality products. Unfortunately, names are bought and sold and the products today may or may not share attributes with their forebears.

Maybe if each of us looked at our family name as representing more than just one person, or even one generation we might handle it differently.

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Posted in Business, Culture, Family, Uncategorized

Redistributing Wealth

Posted on June 23, 2011 | 1 Comment

I hear a lot of pundits bemoaning attempts at redistribution of wealth as being the critical step down a slippery slide to socialism and the end of America as we know it.

I can’t help but think that we’ve already successfully redistributed wealth; taking it from the middle class and giving it to the wealthy.

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Posted in Culture, Wealthy

Comments on Our Lefty Military

Posted on June 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday The Virginian Pilot printed an editorial by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof entitled “Our Lefty Military.”  It is an interesting commentary and I recommend that you read it.  In it he points out that the military is more left leaning because there is a narrower gap between what top officers earning and junior enlisted than between corporate CEOs and line workers.  He also points out the military’s equal opportunity focus, child development and education.

I concur with most everything Mr. Kristof says.  The military invests in its people and views them as assets rather than expenses the way corporate America does at this time.  The military also took the point when it came to integration – not an easy task in the late 1940’s.  Much of the rest of American society did not seriously address these issues until the 1960’s and in my opinion the military is still ahead of society in general.  I suspect that as the process of gays serving openly evolves, the military will prove more inclusive.  Part of this is that a military organization has a harder time talking the talk without walking the walk.  If you have to count on the person next to you for your continued survival when the shooting starts, and that person counts on you, you can’t rely on a façade.

In the military there are two key factors that have helped this.  The first is that everyone in uniform has been repeatedly informed that for every right there is a responsibility.  A quality leader will not expose his or her troops to conditions that the leader is unwilling to share.  A junior enlisted has learned that if one person does not discharge their duties, the entire unit or ship could be destroyed.  I believe far more people in the military understand this than those from other walks of life.  In a nutshell, it’s not about me, it’s about us.

If our corporate leaders, our sports stars, our actors and our musicians could appreciate this perspective, it might be a better world.

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Posted in Business, Culture, Leadership, Military

Is This Really Progress?

Posted on June 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

I have been working on a number of small projects – you know the ten minute repairs that (if you’re lucky) only take 5 – 6 hours.  With it being summer it’s too hot to work out in the garage for very long and definitely not after early morning.  I naturally have a few minor observations that I’m willing to share.

As we’ve advanced in technology, items have become more difficult to repair.  Many are sealed to prevent access and the component values obliterated or epoxied to prevent identification.  I’ve been told that in some cases such as televisions, adjustments can be done if you know the top secret codes to enter into the remote control.  However, these are guarded with more efficiency than the names of terrorists’ couriers.

My grandparents had radios that were handed down to my parents and then handed down to me.  Having large individual components meant that repairs could be effected fairly easily.  In most cases the components were robust enough to last a long time with no maintenance.  Tubes needed to be replaced from time to time, but tubes could be bought at the corner drugstore.  Plenty of used parts were available by watching the curb for old black and white TV’s as color became affordable. 

While tubes did wear out, some components such as electrolytic capacitors tended to fail only if the device was not used on a regular basis.  Turning the radio on allowed the capacitors to “form” which extended their life; after long disuse the capacitor broke down and the electrolytic paste seeped out of the case – the first indication that the component needed to be replaced.  The second indication was that the device failed to work and developed a strange smoky aroma.  This led to the myth that all electronic components have smoke inserted during the manufacturing process; when the smoke leaks out the component will no longer work.

In order to make repairs easier, one could visit the local public library for easy access to the repair manuals.  These provided information on testing procedures, component identification as well as repair and reassembly instructions.

Electronic devices were less forgiving back in those days.  The voltages within televisions and radios were fairly high, and certain components could provide an especially nasty surprise.  A television’s flyback transformer, for example could deliver a jolt that would render the tinkerer’s arm mostly useless for several hours.  Of course in those days people knew that coffee was hot, ladders were dangerous and if you weren’t careful, poking around in a television while it was on could have consequences.  Today’s electronic devices operate at much lower power levels so although they are safer, they are harder to work on.  While some could claim it is to keep consumers safe I suspect it is more to generate the market for replacements.

I removed an automatic device from my ham radio equipment that had failed and replaced it with an older manual device.  The older device works fine and will probably provide many more years of reliable service.  This made me think; for how long can we support an economy that depends upon failure and replacement on a two to three year cycle?  Talk about an environmental issue – what is the carbon footprint or the amount of landfill that holds electronic devices, not to mention the hazardous metals that they contain. 

Then of course there is the fact that we have pretty much removed an entire tier from our economy – the workers who are technically trained to repair electronics.  This is especially significant when coupled with the fact that we’ve shifted much of our manufacturing and tech support overseas?

I realize that in some cases new technology provides capabilities that prior technology did not, but I challenge whether newer is always better.  Maybe we should recycle more than newspapers and milk jugs.  Just a thought.

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Posted in Business, Culture, Energy, Philosophy, Solving Global Warming

Preparing for Fathers’ Day

Posted on June 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

Preparing for Fathers’ Day means selecting the card, buying the trinket and getting mentally prepared.  I can’t help you with the first two, but here’s a guest blog by Rick Martinez to help you with the third.

When a Child is Born, A Father is Also Born!

 Fathers Day is here…again.

 On the third Sunday of June in the U.S., we celebrate the importance of fathers, grandfathers, and other male relatives who have been important in our lives.

Although a relatively modern holiday (first celebrated in America in 1910), it has nonetheless spread to many other countries in the world.

 For those who respect, admire and love the men in their family, it is a day to honor and recognize them with at least a card, maybe one of summer’s first barbecues and the traditional gift of yet another tie. For those who have an ambivalent or strained relationship with their dad, it’s sometimes a painful reminder of what could have been — a time, if male, to resolve to do better. And, if female, to choose better.

 A man can be a good father in many different ways. There is no rulebook for how best to provide love, financial support, and physical and emotional wellness and security for one’s family—especially children. However a man goes about it, it’s true that being a good father is not easy. It requires a man to take his responsibilities to  the children seriously and consistently. He is, after all, modeling for his boys what they are expected to become, and modeling for his girls what they can expect in a future lifelong, marital partner.

 Here’s what another take on makes for effective fathering?

 Children need constancy, a father who is a constant figure and in their lives. They don’t really need special adventures, events, and expensive presents. What they do need is time hanging out with their dad. They need casual contact around meals, household chores, and running errands: Responsibility, accountability and reward. They need the kind of talk that happens while riding in the car or while cleaning out the garage…together.  

 As nice as it is to spend two weeks in the summer at a dude ranch or to go for a ski weekend over the winter holidays with dad, bumping into each other at home several times a week or day is far more valuable. When children interact positively with their father regularly and often in daily life, the relationship has a chance to be deeper and more meaningful.

 Children need care, fathers who are concerned and who show it. Care means love. Loving care includes hugs and pats on the back and compliments and, yes, actually saying “I love you” when the sentiment arises. Yet, care also means taking care, as in protecting from harm; as in seeing that bath times happen, that kids eat their vegetables and get bedtime stories; as in attending teacher conferences and going to a kid’s special events. Care also means taking financial responsibility and doing one’s share to make a safe and secure home. Most important, care means providing a positive role model for what it means to be simply a “good man.”

 And children need courage. They need to grow up observing a father who has the courage to do the right thing, even when it has personal costs. They need to see a father figure having the courage to take his responsibilities seriously–even when he’d rather not. They need him to demonstrate the courage to be vulnerable and tender, as well as strong and in control. Children need a father with the courage to be their dad regardless of how angry he may be with their mother, regardless of how disappointed he may be with his own choices, regardless of how successful and interested he is in other realms of his life.

 Yes, living up to these three simple yet profound mandates is a rather tall order. Good dads and male relatives have been doing it one way or another for generations. When a man joins in this long tradition of loving and responsible fathering, children  develop the positive self-image and emotional wellness they need to be successful adults. Home is their foundation. They recall a refrigerator of plenty. Mom will always be their angel. Their mirror, dad.

 This definitely deserves a Father’s Day card–and yes, maybe another new tie.

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Posted in Family, Holidays

I’m Like a Rock Star!

Posted on June 16, 2011 | 2 Comments

Sometimes being a blogger is like being a rock and roll star.  Not the fame and fortune.  Not the big bucks.  You write something good from time to time with a lot of effort in between; a lot of waiting for the muse to hit.

Supposedly Chicago’s song “Twenty-five and six to four” was based on such an event.  The author, Robert Lamm supposedly was trying to write a song without luck.  He looked at the clock and it was twenty five/ or (twenty) six to four [curse those analog clocks!].

Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say

Flashing lights against the sky
Giving up I close my eyes
Sitting cross-legged on the floor
25 or 6 to 4

Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
Wanting just to stay awake
Wond’ring how much I can take
Sitting cross-legged on the floor
25 or 6 to 4

Turned out to be a great song about having trouble writing a song.  Of course if you sound like Chicago, you could sing a menu (preferably from Pizzeria Uno or Deux) and it would be a hit.

So today my muse and I are apparently not speaking, so I’m left to write this.  I think I may have to listen to a little Chicago music for obvious reasons.

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Posted in Arts, Blog, Music, Writing

KISS Me You Fool!

Posted on June 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

I see where Gene Simmons (formerly of the rock band KISS and now yet another reality show “star”) and his main squeeze are making the rounds of talk shows.  Their relationship appears rocky and some are wondering whether it might be staged to increase their television show ratings.

Let’s see, we have a former high school teacher who wears kabuki makeup, is known for his ability to stick out his tongue and wears outlandish costumes, complete with giant shoes.  KISS’ shows are known for their extreme sets, loud sound systems and use of more pyrotechnics than most towns’ 4th of July celebrations.  Do you think he’s the type  who would fake a relationship problem just to build up ratings?

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Posted in Celebrity, Culture

Solar Cooling?

Posted on June 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

A report came out yesterday indicating that scientists expect the sun to enter a period of lower activity beginning somewhere around 2021or 2022.  This prediction is based on the precursors to the sunspot cycle – an 11 year evolution during which sunspots peak then fall.  The magnetic flow for the next sunspot cycle should be visible by now, but it is not.

(Note:  The reason I’m so interested in this is because sunspots determine the propagation of radio waves, an important issue to ham radio operators.  Too few sunspots and the ionosphere doesn’t reflect radio waves back to earth; too many and communications can be disrupted by noise from solar flares.)

There is the possibility of a “Maunder Minimum” which is a prolonged period marked by minimal sunspots.  Until now, this term has been used primarily to describe the period between 1645 and 1710, during which winters in the Northern Hemisphere were particularly cold.   These conditions led to colder temperatures, reducing agricultural output and leading to decreases the human population in some areas. 

While three scientific studies are see indicators believed to predict reduced solar activity, it’s too early to predict what effect, if any, it may have.  In the past I have written about global warming and taken the position that it is never wise to foul one’s nest, so we are best served by being good stewards of our planet.  I’ve also said that global warming should be handled as a scientific question rather than a political one.  I believe the same approach is appropriate when looking at solar variations.

I think there’s one definite lesson here; we are an intelligent species, but not an omniscient one.  Add to this that issues once relegated to Scientific American or summarized in Popular Science are now immediately broadcast on cable news within the hour.  These theories are then accepted as “facts” when, as theories, they are not.

If true, and we are headed toward cooler climates, isn’t it convenient that we may have created a greenhouse effect that could minimize its effect? 

Some might even suspect the hand of a loving God once again protecting us.

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Posted in Science, Solving Global Warming

Priorities

Posted on June 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

We had my daughter’s class party today and tomorrow is her class’ honors night, so don’t expect much from me.  I’ve got Daddy duty!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Wonder What’s on Television (Looks Like a Penguin?)

Posted on June 13, 2011 | 2 Comments

I made it a point last night NOT to watch “So You Think America’s Dancing Stars Got Talent to Be Survivors” just like I do every day. 

You see, I’m a writer.  I like a good story.  I like a good story in a magazine, in a book, on television or on the movie screen.  If I like a story I’ll buy the book.  In some cases I’ve bought the book, the videotape, the DVD and may have to buy the Blue Ray or cloud version or whatever comes next.  So many things passed off as entertainment have no story but instead rely on spectacle.  Will this over the hill star succeed at [fill in the blank] or make a complete fool of herself.  It’s like going to a NASCAR race strictly to see if there’s a horrible crash.

It’s easy to understand why so many television producers rely on this alleged  “reality” programming.

It’s cheap.

They’re cheap.

If Americans are willing to accept cheap entertainment, why should the producers spend one more penny than necessary?  Of course, there is the fact that while some Americans are happy with these cheap products, the major networks are not the powerful entities they once were.

Let’s take a few minutes to look at the economics of home television viewing.  There’s a difference between efficient and effective.  Efficient means that the minimum resources are used.  Effective means that the goal is achieved.

Here’s an example; if your goal is to go to Europe, the most efficient means would be to start walking roughly East-northeast.  When you reach the Atlantic Ocean, start swimming in the same direction.  You will not actually achieve your goal, but you will have utilized minimum resources.  You are being efficient.

On the other hand to be effective you could lease a private jet and have the pilot fly you to your destination while you sit as the only passenger drinking champagne and eating caviar.  You will have achieved your goal, although at a high cost.  That is effective.

You could graph the cost efficiency and effectiveness and find that as one increases the other decreases.  There is a point at which the two cross; somewhere near that point is where the ideal situation should be found – the point at which the goal is achieved with the least resources necessary to achieve it.

Why the economics lesson?  So just in case someone from the entertainment industry is reading this.

There’s a reason people pay outrageous cable bills, rent and buy movies.  It’s because many people appreciate a good story, well written, well acted and without the need for a laugh track to tell us when it’s supposed to be funny.  They’re watching niche cable channels instead.  The people who are watching your shows are the same people who read the tabloid newspapers.

Side note to cable companies – as you keep raising your prices people are switching off their cable and just using the internet to watch those things they really want to.

You could always give us something worth watching, perhaps with a good story…

 

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Posted in Business, Celebrity, Communications, Uncategorized, Writing

Struggling Toward Normalcy

Posted on June 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

The young couple sat waiting in the doctor’s waiting room looking quite uncomfortable glancing toward the receptionist then back at each other.  The wife wore dark glasses and a scarf over her hair while the husband wore a baseball cap with a hoodie pulled over it to go with his dark glasses.

“I hope no one sees us here,” the wife whispered.

“If anyone does, then they’ll be just as embarrassed at us seeing them,” her husband said trying to sound comforting.  However, if truth be known, he was more worried than she was.

“Mr. and Mrs. uh,” began the receptionist who then paused.  “Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Smith?”  The couple stood together and almost bowled the receptionist over in their effort to get out of the waiting room and into the privacy of the hallway behind the door.  The receptionist was obviously used to this and stepped out of the way with the grace of a bullfighter, letting them pass and then turned smoothly to close the door behind them.  “This way please.” 

It was a short walk down the hall before they turned into an office with a middle aged man sitting behind a desk.  The wall was festooned with diplomas and certificates documenting his college, medical school and residency as well as his state medical license and honorary membership in the PGA.  The receptionist left, closing the door behind her, turning on a small white-noise machine to further insure privacy.

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” the man began with a smile, his hands folded professionally on the desk before him.  “I’m Dr. Bartlett.”  The husband looked around and leaned toward the doctor.

“That’s not our real names,” he softly offered but then quickly added, “But don’t worry, we filled out all the insurance forms with our real identities.”

“I understand,” replied the doctor soothingly.  “It happens all the time.  Besides, I would have guessed that with you dressed like the Unabomber and your wife like Thelma – or was it Louise?  In any case, you need not fear – my staff represents the soul of discretion.  If it makes you comfortable, I’ll continue to refer to you as the Smiths and keep all my files identified as such.”  The young couple visibly relaxed.  “Now, how can I help you?”  The wife reacted as if a valve had suddenly been opened on a canister of highly pressurized compressed air.

“I don’t know where to start, doctor.  We don’t fit in.  Our kids are abnormal.  Nothing about our family even remotely resembles normal people!”  The doctor took a fresh pad of lined paper out of his desk, wrote Smith on the first page and started taking notes on the next.

“I see,” began the doctor.  “Could there be a problem with your sex life?”  The couple looked at each other.

“No, we’ve been married for ten years and physically things just get keep getting better.”

“Have either of you had any, shall we say indiscretions?” the doctor asked.  When he saw their puzzled expressions he added, “You know, an affair – perhaps sexual or just emotional?  Maybe someone on the internet?”  The couple shook their heads to indicate that this had not occurred.

“Do either of you use drugs?  Bar hop? Gamble?” the doctor asked, each one being emphatically denied by the couple.  “Then what about your kids?”  At this the young woman began to sob and her husband put his arm around her.

“Attention deficit disorder? Gang membership?  Discipline problems at school?”  Once again each of the doctor’s questions elicited a negative response.  He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair.  “Well, why don’t you just tell me about it?”  The wife was now sobbing uncontrollably, so her husband took to answering.

“Doc, our kids are good students; honor students.  They both are talented musicians.  They play organized sports.  Other than sibling rivalry and messy bedrooms, they’re never a problem.  There are no food allergies – they can eat peanuts all day if they wanted to.”

“Don’t you see, doctor,” the wife struggled between sobs, “there’s nothing normal about us.  No cheating. No sexting.  No shoplifting.  My husband wouldn’t go on a date with a porn star to save his life.  Our family goes to church!  Our kids may act like kids but deep inside they actually love and respect us.  Our family is nothing like anything you see on television.”  The doctor opened a desk drawer and retrieved a box of tissues that he handed to the woman.

“Now I understand,” he offered.  “But there’s nothing to worry about.  I can take you through a twelve step program so that you’ll be as neurotic as a situation comedy star!  Best part is I can treat one of you or both as a couple and by the time you’re done with therapy your kids will make Woody Allen seem calm.”

“Will we make the tabloids and get a reality television show?” asked the wife, now composing herself.

“I can’t promise anything like that,” replied the doctor.  “I can give you the tools, but what you do with them is up to you.”

 

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Posted in Culture, Family, Fiction, Humor

Father & Son

Posted on June 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

The younger man sat across from his father, concern showing
on both their faces.  The family
resemblance was absolutely striking; you’d know they belonged together if you
saw them anywhere under any circumstance.
The conversation between them had been going on for a while and although
there were several other men in the room, the others would not dare to have spoken.  This was a powerful man – one to be served
and feared and this was strictly between him and his son.  The others were there to serve when summoned
and to be silent until such a summons occurred.

“Father,” the younger man began, “I know you don’t like
it.  I know that this troubles you beyond
imagination, but it was you who told me that it must be done.  I believed you then and I believe you now.”

“No person who understands the responsibility of being in
authority relishes sending another on such a terrible assignment.  If I could, you know that I would do this
myself.”

“But that’s just the point, father.  You can’t, and I’m the only one who can.”  The father stood up and began to pace around
the room.

“I sometimes wonder why I started all of this.  Some people can be so ungrateful – and talk
about stubborn!  I fear that they’ll
never appreciate what you’re doing.”

“Some will, father.
Those are the ones for whom I do this.
I know how you think – if there were a thousand or a dozen or even one,
you’d still do what you needed to do, and so will I.  We can give them the chance they need.  We can guarantee them survival.  Once the door is open, they must choose to
walk through it, and many will.”

“Oh I see that,” his father replied, “but it makes it no
easier.”

“Everything you’ve done you’ve done because you care.   That’s what makes you different.  That’s why people seek you out and why the
follow you.  If not for you, none of this
would be possible and because of you we can make the possible real.”  One of the men who had been standing near the
door approached the two.  He did not
speak – there was no need.

“It’s time for me to go,” the younger man said.  His father put both his arms around him, pulled
him close and briefly let his emotions show on his face.  He then clenched his jaw with resolve.  The younger man turned and walked from the
room.  The father watched until he was
out of sight then turned his back to the door.
He put his hand on the silent man’s shoulder and wiped a single tear
from his eye.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried before,” he explained.  “It is a very strange sensation.”

Days passed into years before his son’s return.  The quiet bodyguard made sure that the son
was carefully watched and given whatever help was possible.  The father was constantly kept informed of everything
that affected his son.  He said nothing,
but it was obvious that he was pleased with his son’s progress.  Even so, the assignment was every bit as
onerous as he knew it would be.
Unfortunately there was no way to change that.

The day of the son’s return was a stormy one marked not only
by thunder and lightning but the shaking of the very earth.  The final hours of waiting were tense
throughout the entire household.  Everyone
knew and couldn’t wait for him to return, but every assignment, every mission,
every effort hinges on what is done at the very end.  Everything else is preparation for that final
action.  That moment was at hand.

They heard the young man call out, “Father!”

The older man continued to sit in his chair, his knuckles white
against the arm rests.  They heard the
young man call out again and the father ran to the door.  When his son appeared the father embraced him
as he had when he had left.  This time
the tears were tears of joy and they flowed freely.

“I always knew you would succeed!” he said with pride.  “I knew that from the very beginning, but it
is such a relief that it is over and I have you back.”  He continued to hold onto his son’s
shoulders, but extended his arms so as to look at him.  The father positively beamed.  He took his son’s hands.

“Such a terrible price to pay,” he said as he looked at the wounds
where nails had pierced his son’s wrists.

“You love them.  I
love them.  They’re our people and now
they are reclaimed.”  The young man
looked past his father at the bodyguard.

“Michael,” he began, “Thank you for being there last night
when I was all alone praying.  I really
appreciated your support.  It was a
terribly lonely night for me and I needed a friend.”  He turned back to his father.

“Hopefully they’ll realize how much you love them so as to
send your only son.”

“Even so, it was very,
very hard,” the father replied.  “I hope to
never experience such pain again.”

The son looked at his father and said, “I have a few last
minute details to take care of on earth then my disciples need to carry on from
there.”  He saw the expression on his
father’s face.  “I promise that I’ll only
make a few brief visits and be home between them.”

He looked into his father’s eyes, “It’s good to be home.  I missed you as much as you missed me!”

 

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The Alternative US Economy

Posted on June 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

Recently I’ve been seeing many snippets about alternative economies in the United States.  Given the current state of the job market, that would make sense. 

From my perspective the traditional dollar based economy has become the medium among those who move money around; this includes financiers such as bankers and brokers.  These people are basically gamblers who invest a certain number of dollars and bet on the outcome.  If you buy stocks, you expect the combination of dividends and increased value to be a more attractive alternative to hanging on to cash.  Those who sell short, where an investor buys stocks at one price and has to replace them in the future (hopefully at a lower price) are betting that the value of that particular stock will decrease in value.  Derivatives, on the other hand are the twenty first century version of snake-oil.  No one knows what’s in it, how it was made or if it will work, yet there are some who are willing to buy it.

Most of us don’t have sufficient stores of wealth to be able to earn an income by investing.  Sure, we may have some mutual funds or an IRA for retirement, but that’s not the same.  Most of us must trade our abilities, primarily labor, for the money to pay for housing, food and other necessities.  With high unemployment rate, many have to work around the normal economy resulting in the alternative systems.

Bartering is one of the most basic form of non-monetary economy.  Let’s assume that I have an extra bushel of wheat and you have an extra piglet.  I want to raise a pig to provide meat in the future, and you need wheat to bake bread.  We trade and both are more or less happy with the arrangement. 

Unfortunately it is oftentimes difficult to locate someone who has exactly what you want, wants exactly what you have and is willing to trade.  This resulted in three or four way trades that often fell apart or resulted in at least one unhappy participant.

About 10 years ago I knew some folks who belonged to a barter club and the way that they made it easier was to essentially create its own currency; you provided a good or service and were credited so many points.  You could then use those points with another member to “purchase” other items.  When the IRS became aware of the popularity of bartering they began requiring participants to pay tax on their bartering “income.”  I suspect that compliance was not overwhelming not to mention that the US government gets touchy about their monopoly on currency. 

Today a lot of “neighborly” bartering is occurring.  Neighbors have often helped one another.  We look at our past and see such events as a barn-raising where neighbors gathered to build a barn for a neighbor.  It was a social event as well as construction project; over time the recipient of the barn construction would include each of the participants.

Although it is more difficult in a mobile society in which we do not live near family and may not know our neighbors well, communal projects are again becoming more popular.   It may not be a single large event, but multiple small ones.  People may not be able to afford to hire someone for home repairs or such.  If they can, they may do-it-yourself.  On the other hand, they may not have the skill to do a certain job and may have to turn to someone else.  As people pull together to help each other out they do so without placing a specific value on the exchange.  Bob knows car repairs; Sally can do income tax returns and Joe has a garden tiller.  Joe may help the others put in a garden even though his income tax is done and his car is running fine.  Bob may help someone thaw out frozen water pipes in the winter.  We notice people reaching out to one another after a disaster such as a tornado or a wildfire, but they are not limited to such times. 

I’ve also heard of another economic system that has supposedly arisen.  People are doing work for one another for cash, but not just any cash.  The coin of the realm is limited to US coins dated 1964 or earlier since these contained 90% silver; pennies and nickels are excluded because they are made of copper and a copper nickel alloy respectively.  In this way there is the intrinsic value of the silver in the unlikely event that American money would lose all its value.

I guess the interesting point is that alternative economies arise when the regular economy is not working.  One would think that the economists would watch this as a significant indicator and determine what issues need to be addressed.  I haven’t heard anyone discuss this in the mainstream media, but perhaps it isn’t considered newsworthy.

Given that these parallel systems (and probably many others) have appeared is significant.  The bad news is obvious – many people cannot survive within the regular economy.  The good news is that people are innovative and will figure out how to make things work, and by helping one another, we just might come out better for it.

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Posted in Business, Culture, People

From D-Day to Women in the Military

Posted on June 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

When I wrote the article about D-Day, yesterday, I found it interesting to think of a time when all members of the military engaged in fighting were men.  I then realized that those who have not been in the military in the last ten years may not understand how significant women are in the military today.  I’ve seen figures that women comprise about 20% of the military, but it’s not the numbers, it’s the roles they play.

Many people believe that women are not assigned to combat units.  First, if there is no front line and the enemy is not identifiable by uniforms, everyone is subject to combat.  The front is wherever the shooting, IED, or whatever occurs.  In our current war this not only affects men and women, but some women who have paid the ultimate price.

Second, women fly fighters and helicopters; they command combat ships and the first woman has taken command of a carrier strike group – an aircraft carrier and all the other ships that fight with it.  They will soon begin serving on submarines.  It’s not just adding restroom facilities – the military has had to redesign some parts of body armor to fit women better.  The military doesn’t go to such expense out of a sense of fashion – they do so because women are being shot at – routinely and the body armor designed for men doesn’t fit properly.  And yes, women in the military shoot back – or when appropriate, they shoot first.

There is one quirky issue, though.  Politically it is advantageous to ignore one part of the women in the military development.  It’s easy to point out that if a woman wants to serve in the military that is her choice.  Of course with an all-volunteer military,  the same can be said of men.  However, even though there’s no draft, young men are expected to register with selective service when they turn 18 while young women are not.  Politicians are happy to ignore that particular elephant in the living room.

But from a practical standpoint, the current situation and its evolutionary outcomes are fine with me.  I would much rather have another volunteer rather than a draftee watching my flank regardless of whether they have XX or XY chromosomes.  And if the best is chosen to command, that’s far more important than any other criteria.

 

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Posted in Culture, Military, People, Philosophy, Politics

Thoughts After D-Day

Posted on June 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday was the 67th anniversary of D-Day.  As a baby boomer I was born after the end of the Second World War, but it colored much of the culture of my early years.  The difference between the members of my parents’ generation attitude toward the military and those of my generation toward Viet Nam was likewise colored by the Second World War.  Today we continue to build on that foundation.

In WWII, there was an attitude of “I commit myself because my home, my family and my country are at risk.”  That was what probably what set that generation apart from many others; they had something into which they were invested and that they counted as more important than self. 

Just think about D-Day.  Pretend you’re a 19 year old from Somewheresville USA.  You know that every ship, boat or vessel available (regardless of type or seaworthiness) is carrying you and thousands of others to France.  The Germans have had years to prepare for your arrival with every type of obstacle, weapon and tactic possible.  Your chances for survival are not very good.  Yet when the command is given, you and your fellow Soldiers move forward.

Stop and try to imagine that for a second.  Why would any rational person ever do such a crazy thing?

Those men did it because what they believed in was more important than themselves.  Maybe not at that particular moment, but most everyone believed.  They believed in an idea, an ideal a dream called America.  They believed in their family and their home town.

In the Second World War everyone was invested.  Obviously the men in the military were, but women worked in factories, flew planes from the states to forward locations and as medical personnel experienced the same conditions as others in uniform.  People too old to serve raised victory gardens and lived with rationing.  Those too young planned scrap drives to collect metal for the war effort and used their allowance to purchase war bonds.   These were not just things to do, they were the way to be personally involved.  Everyone was involved.  We were fighting for the survival of our ideals, our principles, our homes and our nation. 

We won that war.

Some say Korea was merely the continuation of the Second World War.  However, the war in Viet Nam was something totally different.  The people sent to fight in that war were invested in it; the people not in the war were disassociated at best or at worst totally alienated from it.  Early in Viet Nam there were deferments from being drafted into military service and families with wealth or power could ensure that their children qualified and therefore would not be drafted.  Joining the National Guard or the reserves was seen as a way to be able to serve at home rather than being deployed.  With such a chasm between “Us” and “Them,” deferments became politically inconvenient and died.  When the young men of all families were at risk to be sent to Viet Nam, support for it dissipated.  There was no risk to America, so why was America spending its blood and treasure?

When that war ended, there was no longer a need for the draft, so it was eliminated as well.

Things changed on September 11, 2001.  Once again we were attacked and with more casualties than we experiened at Pearl Harbor.  At Pearl Harbor, most were military; on September 11, most were civilians.

Today we have an all-volunteer military.  It sounded great in the peacetime after Viet Nam, but when shooting starts, it looks a bit different.  Being in the reserves or the National Guard is no shelter – it almost guarantees you’ll be deployed.  Everyone who owns a uniform and carries a Department of Defense Uniformed Services identification cards is probably going to spend some time “over there.”

Those in uniform today are pretty much like those who fought on D-Day.  They may not like the odds.  They may not like the mission.  They most certainly don’t like the risk of dying or being maimed, but they will go forward, as their grandfathers did on D-Day.  Some are in uniform because of patriotism.  Some because of economics and others for a chance to go to school, but they are there, and they do what is expected of them with few exceptions.

The difference today is that some Americans are fully invested while others are not, will not and cannot.  I’ve seen comments posted following news stories about the war that “They volunteered, so they deserve (fill in the blank.)”  This can also be phrased as “I didn’t volunteer because I’m overweight, use drugs or don’t care.” 

There are no victory gardens. No war bonds.  No rationing.  Some are totally involved, others are totally not.

So where does that put us on D-Day plus 67 years 1 day?

We have the same brave souls America has always counted on.  These are the men and women who will return home and be Moms and Dads, carpenters, lawyers and business people.  They are making a difference for the country today and will make a bigger difference in the future.

We have those who are in opposition war; I don’t fear this.  A democracy cannot succeed and grow without a thoughtful and robust opposition.  We need those who are invested in the opposing position to keep everybody honest and demand that everyone explain their position in terms that ring true. That is what makes a democracy possible. 

D-Day.  Chosin. Saigon. Kuwait. Baghdad.  Kandahar.  I thank God that there are those who have been and are committed to something important.  Something greater than themselves.  Something worth fighting and dying for.  Something that cannot be bought or sold.  Something that is an ideal.  Something called America.

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Posted in Culture, Military, People, Philosophy

Exciting Conclusions

Posted on June 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

The problem with exciting conclusions is that you have to have conflict and danger first.  In a book or movie this is relatively easy; you know the running time of the movie and you can see how far you are into the book – even an e-book.  In an epic like The Lord of the Rings there may be many crises leading to the final satisfying resolutions for all the protagonists.  In series stories like Harry Potter you get the satisfaction of resolving multiple conflicts; one per book and then the final conclusion.

When we read a book or see a movie with an unsatisfying conclusion most of us tend to feel cheated.  Movie critics are the only people I know who seem to like unhappy endings.  Needless to say, I am not close friends with any movie critics.

Unfortunately, with life we have no way of knowing where we are in the story.  Is this problem going to be solved?  If so when, and to whose satisfaction?  In real life, there’s no point at which you can say, “It can’t get any worse.”  Likewise, the happily ever after ending is never assured.  But that’s what makes real life real.  A tragedy is just that. 

However, how we handle a tragedy is what sets on person apart from another.  Likewise we all have our share of miracles, and once again, how we deal with them is what’s important.  It’s not so much about what happens as whether we let things conquer us or if we conquer them.  Sudden wealth can be just as devastating as sudden poverty.  On the other hand a person’s response to good or bad can be inspiring or devastating.

George Carlin had a line in his routine that said, “Remember, inside every silver lining – there’s a dark cloud.”  It’s funny because we humans inherently believe in the silver lining.  Is that irrational?  I think not.  I think we are born to seek and try to find the good in every situation.  If there’s an ocean we sail it.  If there’s a mountain, we climb it.  It doesn’t even have to be an obstacle – just by virtue of it being there we are drawn to explore, learn and conquer.  The first thing we must conquer in any of these situations, of course, is ourselves and our own fear.

I believe that as children of God there’s an inherent goodness that surrounds us; this is His love for us.  We may not understand why things happen, or even exactly what is happening, but we don’t need to.  We want to and we tie ourselves into knots trying to, but we’re in the middle of life and only someone who can step back and see the whole picture could understand it.  He’s in a position to see the big picture, whereas I’m not.  I’m better off to trust Him.

As I’ve said many times before, even when the glass is half empty, it’s also half full.  If it isn’t even half full, there’s still something in the glass.  When the glass is empty I still have an advantage.  When I find what I’m seeking I have the glass to put it in and carry it home.

 

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Posted in Culture, Philosophy, Religion