Fisticuffs Needed?

On a news clip from CNN last night John Boehner was quoted as saying George W. Bush would have punched Putin. And Boehner believes that is the difference between Bush and Obama.

Yes. That’s about right. Bush shot from the lip and the hip before thinking things through. He had lots of advisers clamoring for action and bravado. Machismo, really. And the result was two wars with no end; trillion dollar deficits with no defense budget ever disparaged for over the top spending; trillion dollar annual tax cut for the rich and silly; down the drain real estate values and banking industry with enormous bail outs required for national stability; growing poverty in America, especially among children, but the entire global village has grown poverty exponentially in the years since Bush’s failed policies.

But he could fight. Like a Texan, no doubt.

The false front of bravado instead of brains seems to capture the republican sentiment precisely.  This is the sophisticated, learned and wise course advised by the republican party leaders? Really?

I pale at the lack of unity among Democrats. They have failed their party leader and President. But the course chosen and followed by Obama is one of history and wisdom. One does not settle long term issues with short term tactics. Short term thinking barely earn short term results. Rarely are long term ends served well with short term maneuvers.

Public policy is often thought to be common sense. It is not. It requires disciplined thinking focused on long term desired results. This sort of leadership does not fit well with sound bite journalism. It also doesn’t fit audiences with lazy instincts about thinking and action. No. Long term strategic thinking requires a commitment to research, logic, wisdom, historical context and a lot of concentration. Those doing the work require teamwork and trust. They need to be focused as a team to problem solving vital to the common good of the nation.

Needless to say Bush and Cheney were men of action. Unfortunately it was the manhood of the nation and their own they were defending. History is made from such blunders, but not the good kind of history. The Crusades were that kind of history. Popes fomented it. Knights Templar waged them. History recorded the folly and the results several hundred years later. World unrest among the main religions is the result. Terrorism is a result as well.

Diplomacy gets lost in such an environment. Long term thinking gets lost quickly. Bush made diplomatic circles so uncomfortable, so anti-intellectual, that hoards of seasoned diplomats simply retired from public service. Our foreign policy establishment was severely weakened as a result. We are still paying the price of those blunders years later. Only now Cheney and Boehner fault the current President for these problems when it was they who made them happen in the first place. The chutzpah of these people is enormous!

What to do about it? Who do you believe? Who are you comfortable following? Men of ‘action’ or people of thought and long term logic? Which is easier to follow? Which takes more faith and strength of character?

Thought so! Now you see why our system of governance is so screwed up and ineffective. Generations of sloppy thinking and short term results focus get you there every time.

And it’s not a good place to wind up. It will take even more discipline and courage to repair the damage and rebuild the platforms of public policy. But will short term thinkers step on the stage promising quicker results? Will the public fall for it again?

Yep, I think so. Bad history has a habit of repeating itself endlessly.

Maybe it is better to grow up stupid and lazy. At least then we wouldn't care.

October 31, 2014

Miscellaneous

A few topics to ponder today.

1. Norway versus American campaign finance differences:

            “In Norway, elections are 74% government funded, political advertising on TV 
            and radio is banned, and voter turnout is 81% (ranked 15^th highest in the world).”

           “In the US, elections are 80% funded by corporations and the super-wealthy, 
           much of it for negative TV and radio advertising, and voter turnout is 48% 
           (ranked 120^th out of 169 countries).”

I’m surprised American voter turnout is as high as 48%. It is much lower in most locations and for most elections. Still the parallel between Norway and the US is stark. I’ve suggested government funding of elections and no negative ads. The focus should be on ideas, programs and solutions to public problems. It the candidate cannot sell his/her ideas to the public, then they are most likely not leaders. It is leadership we need.

2. Seattle, WA suburban high school shooting death toll rises to 3; 3 more hospitalized in critical condition

These kids were known to each other. They were popular and several were related. Some were successful athletes and well respected. This is not a situation of a loner acting in secret. Emotional issues of course. Most likely a love interest or triangle of competitive feelings. Still, a gun was present in a location ill-suited for it. Death and violence followed.

When will common sense laws on gun ownership, placement and use be adopted to save lives? Living in an armed camp is not the answer.

3. Ebola deaths in the USA = 1; ISIS deaths in America = 2; gun deaths in America = 40,000 annually; auto accident deaths in America = 30,000+ annually.

A little perspective on these facts, please. We’ve accomplished much to reduce traffic deaths. It took a lot of effort and creativity was we are succeeding in spite of more cars, more people and more miles driven annually. The death toll continues to drop. Not so for gun deaths whether accidental, criminal or suicidal. We can do much better without eliminating the Second Amendment.

Then too we must strive to keep our heads from panic when considering ISIS and Ebola threats. Work at it but do not panic.

4. Freedom of speech and press in America

We have more press outlets, at least electronically, and we have more freedom to write and say what we wish. This has not raised the quality of thought, unfortunately. Each electronic outlet continues to be more strident and non-factual by the week. Ratings are king and the media becomes the news. Its contents becomes its brand. Still, it is not factual. The history this distortion is writing is hideous and an embarrassment to the American character.

Meanwhile, printed news outlets continue to struggle to remain in operation. Ad revenues have plummeted. Distribution costs have skyrocketed. And printing costs have become unsustainable. National attention is not on the printed word but on the electronic noise of partisanship and ideology.  Shameful.

5. Economic Recovery

This is an oxymoron. The economy is rebuilding and being redefined. It is not recovering. People are not going back to work to the jobs they lost. They are finding new careers, doing different kinds of tasks and recalibrating their household finances.  Housing is being redefined to smaller scale, more energy efficient physical plants, and more sustainable surroundings. Keeping up with the Jones is an emotional draw that is losing its allure. Finally!

Whole industries are being replaced with new ones, mostly electronic. Retail shopping is less accomplished in a retail storefront and more on electronic shopping sites. Automobiles are downsized, sustainable and safer. They are better engineered to save lives and last longer. American auto industry makes fewer cars in-country and builds more components and assemblies in foreign lands.

Shipping is an everyday thing moving from manufacture to home (Viva UPS and FedEx!) Moving cars from foreign suppliers to American markets is now more than domestic production. And if the latter shifts forward it will be done by foreign brands with American-based manufacturing plants.

Gone are the days of careers made at one or two employers for a lifetime. Current reality is for 15 or 20 employers in a lifetime career. And the career itself is becoming more adaptive to change and personal invention.

Employers no longer rule household finance. Available labor and talent rule the employment markets. Educational institutions need to pay attention to this fundamental fact.  Employers, too; wake up and realize your people are your most valuable asset and always have been. You need to attract them and retain their interest and willing productivity. This is not a master/slave relationship.

These are my two cents from my perspective. Nothing I have read recently has disputed these opinions.

You?

October 30, 2014

Making Tracks

Our apartment/condo is across the street from a suburban/urban commuter train station. The track line is a main east/west corridor for Union Pacific Railroad trains. This may be the most busy rail line in the nation, or in the top five. Trains pass through 24/7. Long trains and frequent ones. Commuter trains, too, of course.

Maybe a quarter of a mile to the west of us is the main north/south rail line of the Canadian National Railway. This, too, is a very busy line. About 27 trains a day pass through on a 24/7 schedule. CN has owned this line for about 3 years. Initially traffic by the previous owner managed to send maybe 4 trains a day through the corridor, short trains, at that, and slow and lumbering.

CN’s traffic is fast and each train is nearly a mile long. Their plans are to pass 42 trains daily through the area and each train will approach 2 miles in length. With track improvements the traffic will likely move past the 42 train count.

The CN trains cross the Union Pacific tracks at grade. The clickety-clack from the crossing is very noticeable. Trains from all directions must await their right of way and so some of the traffic is left idling on sidings for their green light.

Needless to say, we know about train traffic. We have good windows and doors that blank out much of the noise, but some trains blast horns as needed, especially when nearing a commuter station with a train at the depot.

Train horns, rail rumble, swish of steel against steel, and clickety-clack. 24/7. All kinds of weather. Cold air makes the sound more intimate and immediate. Warm weather muffles the sound. Either way we live with railroad hubbub and have come to blend it in with the other noise of life. I rather enjoy the constancy and regularity of the trains. It is comforting to know that someone, at least, is doing something and supporting economic activity!

Back in the early 1960’s I attended college in a west central town in Illinois. Galesburg, Illinois, Knox College to be factual. Galesburg was a major railroad town: Santa Fe, and Burlington Northern railroads. Each had their own corridor and routes passing through town. In those days Galesburg was a junction point that could support trains stuck in blizzards on the plains and eastern Rockies. A small fleet of steam engines were maintained even then just for that service need. They could pass through drifts easier than the diesel-electric locomotives.

So, throughout my college years (1961-1965) we were treated to railroad sounds 24/7. Walking for exercise and entertainment on the weekends, many students would pass over track beds. Often just before or after a train had passed through.  Staring down the tracks wondering where they went, we could also imagine our own travel back to home. Mine was in New York and I was 1000 miles from family. Sometimes I felt lonely. Oftentimes I felt marooned with studies, academic challenges and tasks of growing up and knowing more about myself.

Imagination and flights thereof fueled ‘trips’ to home and new, exciting places. I knew then it was a form of escape. But that image comes back to me now, 50-plus years later and conjures the same imaginings.

Where to? All aboard! What’s the next stop?

At my age there are still journeys to be made and enjoyed. Or at least hoped for!

Clickety-clack calls me to other places, at least for a moment.

How about you?

October 29, 2014

Count Down to Duty

One week from today – seven days – Americans will go to the ballot box and vote in the mid-term elections. Every seat in the House of Representatives is up for re-election. One third of all Senate seats is up for re-election. And countless states are electing their governors and house and senate seats in state legislatures. Lots of action. Unknown results.

Accept for one: poor voter turnout.

I live in an area that usually turns out for all elections, 50% of eligible voters cast their votes. Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower, but generally around 50%. Most people think that is very good. Actually I think that is still too low. Better than most but still too low.

Wars have been fought to construct our form of government. Each individual of voting age has the authority to vote unless they have committed serious felonies or are incarcerated. You would think this would cause people to value their voting rights and exercise them! But not!!

Some would argue that an uninformed voter is anathema to the election process. I agree. Ignorance is an enemy of public order and progress. How can a society improve upon itself or intelligently manage public issues properly if voters do not understand those same issues or have a good working knowledge of how things should be?

The simple answer is: it cannot manage its public issues properly.

In place of logic and knowledge is manipulation and distortion. For what purpose you ask? The answer is: power and money. Political power and political money.

The ugly truth in America is that elections are bought by special interests with vast sums of money for candidates, campaign expenses and advertising designed to manipulate public opinion rather than educating it.

This is a complex issue but it is simple in nature. Money corrupts people and process.

Fixing it is very complex. That’s because the process is corrupted by money and power influences. This is a fact of life and embarrassing to our nation. But it is a truth.

Campaign finance reform has been attempted but failed. Many times. The very people who should be interested in these reforms are the very same people who likely will lose power and influence. So they evade the responsibility and allow the broken system to remain in place.

Meanwhile the system continues to mislead, mis-educate, fail to educate and otherwise manipulate voters. In this climate the will of the people is not represented. Indeed, the will of the people is thwarted. And many citizens get this sad state of affairs, so much so they fail to vote. They are afraid that their vote is likely serving the wrong ends so rather than be a part of the fraud they remove themselves from the playing field.

That is too bad for them and the rest of us. We need them to take charge of their own education on the issues and to cast intelligent votes. Being involved in the process is a major step toward solving the problem in the first place. Not voting is giving up.

Being an election judge I have to vote early unless I am assigned to be a judge at my own precinct’s voting site. I voted yesterday. I could not vote for each position because I did not know the people and their positions on the issues involved for them. For those offices and candidates I did have knowledge, I voted with confidence. In this way I may have made a difference in some races. I will never fully know that.

It was the best I could do and I am a constant reader on these issues. I even write editorials and news copy on many of the issues. Still I am unable to confidently vote in some instances.

I did do my best, however. And I did vote.

Now it is up to the rest of the eligible voters to do the same. Please do not fail the system any worse than the politicians do. Exercise your right to vote. And do so with intelligence and preparation.

You deserve that. And so do the rest of us.

October 28, 2014

Ebbing Confidence

I write on this topic today because I am frustrated by many things. First was the news media assertion that the public has lost faith in President Obama and that confidence in his presidency is ebbing. I’m not sure any of this is true. Allow me to sort through some items before getting to the nut of this topic.

First, there is a hardcore group of citizens who are anti everything. If pressed they would probably speak against their own mother. Like hardcore conservatives, they will not give an inch to anything with a Democrat label; and God forbid they would give any support to their President, especially a black one.

Yes, America continues to be plagued by a racial divide. Our situation is vastly better than it was 20 years ago, but it is still a barrier to true advancement of the health of our society. Get over it!

Second, there is another hardcore group of republicans who will never grant Democrats any credit for positive accomplishments. Together with conservatives this approximates a group of about 30% of Americans. Possibly a little more.

Third, leadership on any issue requires courage to take a stand and work on a common goal. Followers are loathe to form a line. They huddle at the back of the room or on the edge of a crowd waiting to determine if ‘popularity’ will help them decided whether to get involved or not.

Fourth, many of our current problems or issues are made of decades of neglect and political hedging by cowards. They only act when it has an advantage to them, not for the good of the public weal. These problems are intransigent because they have been allowed to fester for so long and accumulate yet more layers of complications. Solving any of these problems is extremely difficult.

Fifth, to lead requires introspection and study. Careful analysis and probing for workable solutions with the aid of countless partners is required. This takes time. It also takes timing. And aplomb and diplomatic skill. In turn that demands patience.

The qualities the last paragraph listed are what are needed in any leader who is focused on long term results. Impatient folk should not apply for such a position. Academicians, researchers, and careful builders of the future are role models we seek for leaders.

In my opinion we have such a person in Barack Obama. He has not rushed off to war. He has not caused new skirmishes internationally or domestically. He has carefully accepted the table of contents left by past leaders of problems unaffected or unengaged. Meanwhile, he accept the horrors of their poor leadership and bumbling and is in the process of fixing those goofs. One is the war in Iraq. Another is the bumbling in Afghanistan. Still another was the persistent disassembly of American statecraft internationally. Diplomatic horsepower and esteem had been badly eroded. Obama is rebuilding it.

Typical of a political nation with sick, greedy power centers, our President is required to do his job with 10-ton weights attached to every appendage! He drags Congress with each step. He is discomfited by countless special interest groups each crying for its pound of attention and solace if not outright treasure. And each power center demands that it is central to the nation’s health in spite of the facts to the contrary. Gun rights, abortion rights, gay rights, or any other interest group’s rights are not central to the nation getting along in a global community. Or finding energy supplies to fuel a future generation or two of citizens. Important issues, yes; central to all else? No!

Mr. Obama soldiers on in spite of all the barricades placed in his way. Some of these are automatic with the passage of time. But others, most of them I think, are manufactured obstacles by people of power and selfishness. They see their situation as all-important. They refuse to place their concerns second to the needs of others and the nation.

Where did America go wrong on this? This is not just a simple matter of small government is best. This is a stubborn tantrum of the self anointed taking center stage from all others in the land. Evidently they think they know best.

I’m thinking they don’t know best. I’m thinking the rest of us need to get into the action of allowing the nation to progress towards solving its problems in an orderly way and accepting a prioritization of those problems in some manner that does not favor the powerful and selfish.

I trust government. I don’t always trust individual people. I do trust this President. I feel certain he has the best interests of the country firmly centered in his being. He is a person of high intellect. He is an analyzer of facts. He is a dreamer of what can and ought to be. He does not power down on others and force his view on them. He accepts the commonality of consensus and democracy. He believes in the American system and allows it to work.

Trouble is there are fools mucking up the works. Thus the work of the nation gets sidetracked and frustrated. And others suffer because of this.

We have become a nation of nit pickers and obfuscators. Like the little kid who sits in his chair, arms crossed and breath held. He turns blue. He wants attention. He wants his will done. Until he passes out and the rest of us walk past his inert body still breathing but still selfish.

Haven’t we matured enough to move on with the important work at hand? Must everything be political or ideological?

We allow this foolishness to continue at our own risk. Have we become such an intellectually lazy nation? Are too many people sitting on the sidelines right now unwilling to get involved and let others do their work? Will we continue to waste opportunities to move forward in history accepting the challenges and making good things happen?

Let President Obama do his job and support the independence of thought and public well being he is laboring so hard to support.

October 27, 2014

Thought for the Day

Trust

“Trust is a constant when not sought.

Trust is elusive when hunted.

Trust is where we need it each and every time.

It is the product of our faith in each other properly placed.”

Think about that this weekend and see where it takes your mind.

October 25, 2014

The Global Village

           

With three years of blog posting I recently discovered some blogger tools I had not know existed. Behind the scenes the support software gathers data on users, not identities but geographical territories where readers are accessing the blog. It seems there is interest in my musings! In Germany, China, Russia, Malaysia, Canada, France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and more.

I hadn't thought about this really. But there is a global community ‘out there’ in which we live, work and play. Our minds encounter one another. We can hear each other in astonishing ways we once never imagined. Electronics has made the world smaller in a way that makes it very personal.

It still makes me pause while forming a thought before writing it down. Who is listening, reading this post? Who might be insulted or lifted up by whatever it is I write? Might the reader and author combine to strengthen the global village?

If so what would we say to make that happen? 

I do not speak any language other than English. I have studied Latin, German and Spanish. But then it was only to write and read material in those languages. How do readers in foreign lands read my material and understand it? The tone, the nuance and inner voices of languages? Are these readers other Americans? Or are they foreign students studying America? Or the English language?

Interesting questions for a writers to ponder. Of course I consider my audience as I write. But I don’t often think of that audience in global terms. But I should.

I think this topic today is a huge one. I will revisit it soon. But for now, let us just contemplate that the global audience and village exists and communes with itself.

Think what this could mean.

October 24, 2014

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

All About You

Awaking early the silence is stark. So too the darkness. Outdoor shimmers remind a small city lies inches outside the windows. Brain is turning. Ideas float in and out of focus. One sticks out. A large group of people assembled in an auditorium. They are there to talk about their joint problems in business. They are farmers in a mostly rural state.

A man approaches the podium. The crowd does not pause its whispers and side comments to one another, so the murmurs become the background noise prominent to steal attention from the host speaker.

He speaks. “Good morning. Welcome to the Growers’ Forum. We will share ideas today of common concern and seek some answers that will make each of us stronger.”

Some are listening but most are not. Clearly emotions run high. This audience is committed to its pain and fear. They do not understand what is controlling their financial success in today’s turbulent market – the commodity markets, actually. Their expenses to run their farms are often fixed and many times soaring. What they sell their crops for is another thing entirely. Prices rise enticingly when supplies are low but slump quickly when supplies are ample. The speed at which prices change is dizzying. More so are the stubborn producer costs.

This reality means each farmer is committed to his crop come what may – drought, marshy rains, crop disease and insect damage. The equipment relied on to do the heavy lifting needs constant maintenance and attention to be reliable. Ready cash for farm expenses is a must but so too cash for family living expenses. Those are part of the overhead and cannot be easily ignored.

This is the constant context of being a farmer. That is why the state universities are important partners with farmers to help them make the most of their opportunities and work smart, not just work hard.

Today’s Growers’ Forum is sponsored by the state’s largest public university. It’s agriculture department is legendary. Inventions and discoveries which have advanced agriculture in the state many times over have propelled the state’s farmers to an enviable position of profitability and long term sustainability. These are hard won successes of the industry and its primary players. The farmers of course are in the primary position. So too their families who support the details of each and every farm. But the university is a key player as well.

The university continues its research on soil sustainability, enhancement, and pest controls that do not poison the product, its growers or users. Mostly the university endeavors to protect an industry vital to the well being of the region and nation. In doing this the university encourages and mentors farmers to do their best and feel proud of their contribution to the American way of life.

This is not always easy. Today’s audience is an indicator of this. Rumbles. Murmurs. Uneasiness and suspicion that all is not right and what will we do about it?

The host speaker raises his voice into the microphone. In a few moments he has audience attention and the room quiets. He clears his throat and says:

“The challenges you face today are the ones we face together. For the short-term it is about you; together it is about we.”

“At this moment you are looking at me standing in this spot at the microphone. Your focus is on me. But my focus is on you. In fact this entire program is about you and only you. I invite you to join with your fellow farmers and become a mighty we!”

At that moment, from behind the curtains, TV cameras scanned the audience, the curtains parted and unveiled large exhibition screens that reflected the audience back to the audience. They were looking at themselves.

The host went on to say: “This is what you look like as we.”

“You are the face and personhood of the agricultural industry in our state. You have brothers and sisters in all the other agricultural states. Together you are the national industry of growers. Together just imagine what you all do right now.”

“Our task today is to share our problems and challenges in a way that we can respond to with answers that will make our jobs easier and more successful. Our unity makes us ‘we’.”

With that opening, the conference went on to resounding success.

I wonder how many gatherings of me and you fail to become a we? If we could see ourselves as groups gathered as one and realize we are the industry, the corporation, the university, the whatever, would that change us and galvanize our abilities to make really exciting things happen?

If that is so, when will the energy companies realize they are not the owners of vast mineral rights but purveyors of energy in many forms? When will they realize that the gas and oil below the earth’s surface is not the long term focus or solution? Energy in its purest form is an element of physics. When will they broaden their scope and discover the energy forms that will transform the globe? And peacefully?

You and I are users of energy. We are not galvanized. We are not a ‘we’ yet because we don’t view ourselves in that way. But if we did I think the energy producers just might find their true mission in life and become a part of our ‘we’.

The time is now. Are you ready to make it happen?

October 23, 2014

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The Big Picture

We all want to place our attention on what’s important. That’s where our responsibilities are and, if successfully maneuvered, that’s where our payback is.  A good investment in education hopefully yields a good career with strong earnings. Good earnings means family expenses can be supported fully. Proper career investments of time and further education may mean promotion, higher earnings or a successful jump to another employer for still better opportunities.

It is not always apparent what constitutes a good move, a promising career option, the best educational focus or major, or anything, actually. What is important to myself is most likely quite different from what is important to society or the world, or the employer at any given moment.

Trends of life, history and the unfolding of sagas, however, give us powerful peeks at what is important. Knowing what to put our time into is a crap shoot.  Well maybe not really!

Think of the basics in life that most of us think are important most of the time. These would include:

-Peace, a stable present and future

-Plentiful energy for now and the future

-A good education to help us live in the now and yet adaptable in the future

-Good housing that is healthy and adequate to our needs at any given phase of our life

-Reliable transportation for errands, work commute and pleasure travel, now and in future

-Food supply that is healthy, plentiful, affordable and exciting to our tastes

-Supportive social structures which enhance our lives in the present and future

-Access to health care for all phases of my family’s life and needs

I suppose there are many other big picture items on which to focus our attention. But I think these are the most important. If you have others to suggest, feel free to do so!

Perhaps the element that makes these items ‘big picture’ is the sense of present and future. These are the needs we all have throughout life and our needs change continually. Big picture elements shift as well throughout our life.

Present and future demands force us to think in a continuum of time. Energy is not just a

‘now’ issue, but an always one. Same for housing, peace, education…you get the point. The job of living requires an effort and attention to detail for all the moments between birth and death. It is the nature of the thing!

Same for big picture issues. Our job is never done. Thus our thinking is never done.

Energy: the supply of needed heat, light, and power, both stationary and mobile is a constantly changing element in our lives. Whether electric, nuclear, coal powered, hydro generated, or other fossil fuel driven, there is an implied limit to the supply. There is only so much coal to extract from the earth. Same for natural gas. Nuclear power is limited to the resources available in the earth’s soil to extract.

There are other constraints as well: healthy environment which can easily be spoiled by fossil fuel use, production of permanent wastes to safely dispose of, cost of the supplies and the technology, and much more.

And that’s just energy. We cannot sit idle and think we have this issue covered. The globe’s population is growing. The needs for energy grow. Standards of living for a vast population improve as well and require more energy supplies. The need to discover and manufacture energy in compact, affordable environmentally friendly and easily transportable forms is great. Life times can be spent focusing just on this industry. And best we do.

While on other fronts we must expend time, attention and resources to manage the other big picture issues. We must because they are important. Vital to our interests and every other person’s on the planet. We all need peace and stability in which to live lives of promise, happiness and worth. Same with good housing, food and transportation. And education, health care and social institutions. The latter may be the biggest element of all.

No man is an island. We know that. We live in concert with one another, most times peacefully and productively. Some times we are not peaceful. Some families are dysfunctional, same with individuals. Even nations, cities and continents are not living in accord with one another let alone each other!

Social institutions focus our energies and talents on common functions we take for granted. Making these functionalities perform well now and in the future will pay huge returns on our investments. Education is such a product of a social institution. So is justice. Food safety and environmental protection. Just naming a few here, not all! Think about it. We live much of our lives in concert with others. It is the nature of mankind.

It is why we invest great expectations in our social institutions. Government is also one of the constructs of mankind. It is our way to get along, perform the functions we need done in common, and behind the scenes. Government is not a bad thing. Only we can make it ‘bad’.

So, if you really think government is intrinsically bad, then do something to improve upon it. It is a necessity of life. Make the best of it. Help the rest of us as well do this.

Meanwhile, trust in our social institutions. They are the common ingredient we take for granted most but need dearly.

October 22, 2014

Losing a Football Season

By now you may have read or heard from the media that a high school in Sayreville, New Jersey has cancelled its football season. The reason? Hazing and sexual abuse on the team. It appears upper classmen on the team bullied and hazed the freshmen players. The pattern escalated and soon it became physical, demeaning and somewhat sexual. Laughter, of course, accompanied the abuse; the more to abase the victim. The jollies felt by the older players, however, soon turned sour as school administrators cancelled the entire football season. They were appalled that such behavior was happening on school property.

Looking closely at the athletic program personnel, the school administration is weighing all options. For now the incidents are embarrassing. Powerfully so. What to do?

The community is shocked. They have lost their football season. And they wonder why!

They wonder? At physical and sexual abuse by older players targeting younger players? Really? They wonder why the school cancelled the season because of that? After all, only a few perpetrated the violations. Really?

It takes a group to do what happened. It took the entire team to let it happen. All said nothing until the cost not to say something became too great. The hazing was reported. The story came out. It takes a team, you know, to get things done, or not.

It also takes a village to raise a kid. Sayreville may be in trouble on that score. It seems football is more important than morals.

Bullying is like that, isn't it? At first it entices the participants because of its forbidden nature, then the excitement of embarrassing another person just for the fun of it. Just don’t go over the line, whatever and wherever that is! Problem is we don’t know where those boundaries exist, but we will know them when we see them.  Really?

The nature of bullying is that it almost always goes too far. And that’s just the point of the problem, and hazing, too. It almost always goes too far. Besides the emotional hurt of the actions, the damage is likely to be long lasting – or permanent. The sexual aspect is just an added allure that crosses the boundary unannounced.

Life’s like that! At any given time we don’t know what entices us, or doesn't. Until it does. Then boundaries are crossed and we get in trouble. With ourselves. “Deliver us from evil…”

Football is not as important as morals. Football is not more important than scholastics.

Successful football teams at high schools know this. Team experience teaches many values.  Most of them are wholesome and life-supporting. Out of control and team experience is not much different than a mob.

Lessons to be learned here. Bullying has no place in any society focused on justice. Physical abuse – sexual or not – has no place in our social institutions. Sports, schools or clubs. Teaching the next generation requires leadership and attention to detail. Set the tone and inspect what you expect. Teach again from those lessons learned. Help the kids understand what is right. The wrong will take care of itself.

But only if a village has its eyes focused on what’s important.

Hopefully Sayreville, New Jersey will learn from this experience. Currently a witch hunt is on in the community to discover who were the snitches that led to the cancellation of the season! Right now the village is in trouble. The focus needs to be on what happened, why and how to never allow that to happen again. The snitches are the heroes of the moment.

Perhaps the village needs to learn still more?

October 21, 2014

Ebola Scare?

One would think the nation is in the grips of a health crisis. The news is filled with reports of Ebola infections in Africa and the few cases making it to other parts of the globe because of air travel. Two health care workers, a doctor and a nurse, came home from Liberia to America for special care. Both were cured and are back to their careers.

Reports arose of other health care workers returning home from Liberia infected. They were treated, one with faulty protocols and the patient was sent home and then returned to hospital where he died because his infection had not been properly treated.

So, too, a nurse who was not suspected of Ebola infection but was and allowed prematurely to travel to Ohio and back when her infection was diagnosed. She is being successfully treated in Maryland. But she exposed fellow travelers to the disease twice - each leg of your round trip - to say nothing of the family and friends she visited in Ohio. 

And now the nation is on emergency alert to guard against a massive avalanche of infection which will probably not occur.  But you wouldn't know the latter. News media have ramped up their reports and grabbed headlines and attention by just sounding the alarm. And they know what they are doing.  Ratings.

So now Congress is all excited, well not all of Congress. Just the republicans who feel that somehow the Ebola infection is the personal fault of President Obama, and that his administration is fumbling the administrative ball against Ebola. The sky is falling to republicans, and of course they boost that image because they think it makes Obama vulnerable in the mid-term elections, and that is what they are trying to influence.

Such nonsense. Ebola is serious business wherever it exists. America is lending its medical personnel and military systems to aiding the cause in Liberia and elsewhere in western Africa. Those caregivers will return home and their health condition will be carefully monitored before returning home and after they are on homeland soil. Just to be sure. And if they return infected with Ebola, there are several specialized sites set up to quickly respond to their medical needs in quarantine from other medical facilities.

Once again American know-how is being applied to a serious problem. Instead of congratulating this courageous leadership and assistance, politicians have struggled to find the double edged sword. How convenient for them. They risk nothing, but they have plenty to say about that which they know nothing.

No wonder Americans cringe at the sight of a politician! No wonder the brand of republicans is so diminished. They continue to make foolishness a national icon!

I am not worried about contracting Ebola. I trust the experts know what they are doing and are dedicated enough to fulfill their charge to protect the nation’s health. I doubt I am in a situation where I will be exposed to the infection in the first place. But if I am I trust the medical community will take on the challenge immediately.

Notifying Americans that a medical threat does exist is an appropriate role for the media. Blowing it out of all proportion is not an appropriate response. But then they have ratings to chase and add to their ad revenue. Trouble is they look foolish. And are!

So too the politicians who chase the Ebola tragedy in West Africa for political value. They have cheapened themselves and embarrassed the honest, hard working people who are serious about their medical careers and role. And they are brave and selfless in the discharge of their responsibilities.

If only congressmen acted the same. And the news media.

Where were they in the AIDS crisis? The modern day Pandemic?  38 million soles have died. A lot of Americans perished as well. Oh yes; they were gay and not to be worried over. But let’s send $5 billion in aid to Africa to help them. Not much investment in federal dollars for AIDS research. The stigma still shines in the land of the free. But Ebola? It could affect normal people, so we are very afraid!

Boo!

October 20, 2014

Thought for the Day

Simple but basic thought today. It comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.:

            “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

That’s a good thought to ponder through the weekend!

Have a great time. We’ll meet up again Monday.

October 18, 2014

Strategic versus Tactical

I work with a bunch of volunteers to help small businesses advance to their next level of success. We also coach start up businesses, help them with articles of incorporation, choosing their organizational structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, C corporation, S corporation, Limited Liability Corporation, etc.). We help them map out strategies for a successful launch of their new business.

Chatting among the volunteer mentors it is easy to discern which careers each has retired from. Some are powerful executives finally free to serve their own interests. These guys are usually picky about choosing the mentee’s next step; he is used to power decisions and directing the efforts of others. Then there are the accountants and tax strategists, the bean counters and classifiers.  Others are sales execs who would glad-hand your arm off is you let them!

Some of these comments are terrible stereotypes, but they still echo reality!

More interesting is to observe retired women executives. By far they are easy to meet and talk with. They are responsive to feelings and communications. Easily supportive of others they make good coaches and mentors. They seem to quickly subdue their ego and get down to business of the client mentee. Not very surprising is it? Women make excellent teachers and coaches. Their ideas and thinking processes are tops, too. I've found it vastly more pleasing working with women over the years than men. The latter are usually too tied to ego.

We have many good mentors, thought. The best are those who do suppress their egos and focus on the needs of the client.

In a recent chat I shared the fact that I had made a career in strategic planning. Many of my peers in the volunteer group, however, worried about too many people planning tactics and not strategies. Thinking back over my many paying clients of the last 25 years, I sensed some parallels. But such was their behavior before they engaged in true strategic planning.

I think the difference – what makes a planning effort strategic rather than tactical – is the discipline forcing the decision-making group to envision themselves as an organization 15 to 20 years into the future. Dreaming what that would be like helps us picture what needs to be happening then and what sort of operating platform we will need to support those happenings. Getting outside the boundaries of our current thinking is difficult. Moving outside of the box means removing ourselves from today. Focus on function, on mission. What is it we really are about and mean to devote our time, attention and resources to?  Then make that happen in a time far removed from today.

Making that break allows the envisioned future to draw us forward toward it.

Think about that sentence – ‘draw us forward toward it’ – and let it pull you out of today.

Remember when President Kennedy challenged the nation to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade (by 1969)? A lot of people thought he was nuts, talking through his hats. He was not. He clearly established a goal that was seemingly impossible to attain. But he reminded everyone that we had the building blocks to make it happen: we knew where we were at the time (Earth), we had capabilities to reach into space (missiles and rockets), and we had burgeoning technology to guide us; we now have a goal of where we want to get to. The trick was to invent the ways and means of getting there.

And that’s exactly what happened. It took a lot of science, math and engineering, but it also took commitment, organization and financial resources. Research soared. New careers were built out of thin air. Whole new industries popped up. And the result?

We did invent our way to the moon in 1969 – right on schedule – July 20, 1969.

Becoming strategic requires moving our frame of reference out of our norm. Strategic thinking requires us to invent new ways of doing things, new goals, new times and eras. Making that break gets us out of the ‘box’. We are then free to think unfettered to the present. We are able to create and invent come what may.

Once we have a good grounding in the future vision, we can move backwards and figure out how to get from the present to that desired future. The how is tactical. The where and when and nature are strategic.

Envision the future of your firm or organization or pet project. Envision your life as you would like it to become. Then choose to make it happen. The rest is to be invented by you or your team.

Think how this might change your life.

October 17, 2014

Happening To Us

Read the headlines. From around the nation. Peek at those from around the globe. Let the stories sink in. Then think this thought: ‘if I were in charge, what would I do?’

Does this simple exercise change anything for you? Does it broaden your perspective on the issues? Does it make the work of leading and following more personal and compelling?

This headline was posted moments ago – “Obama, foreign military chiefs, to thrash out Islamic State plans.” The headlines before this one entailed stories of ‘who’s in charge?’ and ‘what’s the plan?’ This entire story – ISIS and its threat to world stability – is a new encounter, multi-national, and completely outside national borders of the combatants. Who makes the rules for this sort of engagement? Who determines – oh please! – who discerns what is important, when and how we are to respond?  Indeed, who is the ‘we’?

Some would cast the ISIS threat as a religious war. They would be wrong. This is a cultural battle between many mindsets and thrust on the world stage in a suit of terrorism. The good, bad and ugly are all included here. The players are difficult to determine, however, and that makes this a messy affair.

If we protect the region from ISIS, who do we harm?  Again, who is the ‘we’? and then again, how do we identify the players, those harmed, those doing the harm, and the long term goals that everyone is concerned about protecting? None of these is known for certain. In this mish-mash circumstances, serious business of military action, killing, air attacks and bombings are taking place.

Here’s what I wish would happen. Let all the media writers and producers close their mouths to listen and learn. There is much to this situation and it is not simple. Stop the reports on skirmishes as though they are major battles and ones that demonstrate the entirety of the discord. It is way too early to know any of this. The players are still learning their roles, making mistakes and wondering how and when the right things will fall into place. Meanwhile, we all need to take a collective breath.

When Al Qaeda destroyed the World Trade Center and attacked the Pentagon, we didn't know what was happening and by whom. We had to learn that in a hurry and piece together enough facts to pull together a plan of defense as well as a response to the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. We took American military forces to Afghanistan to chase down Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Lama.  We were fighting a war outside of our borders but protecting them nonetheless, and doing so in foreign territory with hastily gained approval to do so. We needed and acquired the help of other nations in the region (Pakistan) to use their lands as staging areas. We transported materiel and troops to the region to engage the ‘enemy’ wherever he was. We had to invent the whole procedural protocol then, and we are in the midst of doing the same with ISIS.

This is not a political football for politicians to toss around. This is not a Saturday afternoon touch game of football. All those who think it is, grow up! And take a deep breath. You are entering a different time zone and era. It is fraught with danger and unknowns.

I hope we don’t see this as an adventure. Rather, I pray we see this challenge as a new way of engaging the world in building peace from ignorance and cultural collisions.

America should not engage this maelstrom on its own. The fight belongs to the world. It is an issue that will not go away.  Our attention and intellect is called to focus on this issue. At the end of all the skirmishes, battles and disastrous results of war, we need to clearly see a vision of peace and comity. What will quell the unrest of the ISIS warriors? What will convert them if anything? How do we build peace upon this disturbed soil?

Surely we cannot bludgeon our way to peace or expect that peace to last.

We need new people of goodwill and strong minds to step up and replace all those who argue for war and death out of spite. Good and Evil?  Certainly. But I believe fervently that we can make a lasting peace. It will take time and patience.  And goodwill. And a calming of our instinct for reprisal and revenge.

October 16, 2014

Being a Grandfather

As I write this it feels surreal. I am a grandfather, three times over. Have been called grandpa for nearly 14 years. Two granddaughters – Lindsay and Kira – and one grandson – Jax. Jax is the latest addition to the Safford clan. He is 8 months old, plus two weeks!

I don’t see much of Jax because he is living with his mom and dad with mom’s parents while their home is being renovated. Maybe by Christmas they will be in their own fully completed home.

But Lindsay and Kira I visit weekly. That started a few years ago – maybe four – when I began reading to them. It started with Dandelion Cottage by Watson Rankin published in 1904. I had this story read to me as a child and I read it on my own a few years later. I thought the girls would enjoy the tale. They did and that started years of reading to them on Saturday mornings.

A few Christmases ago I remembered Anne of Green Gables written by Lucy Maud Montgomery in 1908. My mother had read the book to we three kids – sister Carol, brother Sherm and me. Later the book was made into a movie I watched on PBS. Loved it again; watched it with my wife Ann and daughter Elizabeth. Now years later I found the Anne of Green Gables series of books on Amazon and bought it for Lindsay. I had not known there was a series of books. But yes; eight of them!

I bought the series in paperback. Little did I know the print would be so small! But Lindsay and I labored on for three years reading all eight books.  Refreshing, charming and coming of age, too. Through a few generations the stories track life on Prince Edward Island before World War I and then through the entire war. The history presented was from the Canadian perspective of the day and one I had never encountered. It also gave Lindsay the opportunity to meet that era in a special way, expanding her world view.

Lindsay if 13 and will turn 14 in March, 2015. She is a bright, light haired young lady working hard to master the violin. She has attended two music summer camps in Michigan, plays in the orchestra there and at home in her middle school. She is also playing with the Elgin Youth Symphony and was recently asked to play in a string quartet. She practices on her own and enjoys the music both inside and outside of it.

She is also an excellent student earning all A’s. Her latest ‘bug’ is theater and she has appeared in three or four productions at her school. This past summer she added drama to her musical interests at the Michigan arts camp.

We are now co-reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). Our work together is sort of a self discovery co-tutorial. We both read two chapters per week then discuss the material. I’m new at this particular role but together we are finding the exercise interesting. Mostly I’m discovering what a delightful mind my beautiful granddaughter has!

Kira just turned 11. When asked a few years ago (age 7?) what she would like me to read to her, she said the Bible! So we started. With Genesis. As I recall we didn't get far when Kira suggested we find a new book! I was more than a little relieved and we went on to a few children’s books, then one or two Nancy Drew mysteries. We are now tracking through some hilarious material that pairs up with her classroom experiences. She too is a good listener, just a bit more kinetic because of her age.

And she is learning the cello and likes it. Learning more each week she and Lindsay even work out duets for cello and violin. Holidays they treat the family to mini concerts!

Kinetic Kira also likes gymnastics. She has tumbling mats and a practice beam mat at the house. In mid conversation with her mom Kira is likely to make an entrance with handstands and back and front flips. All while never missing a point in the conversation.

Jax is the human football passed among adults at every family gathering. I worry he will be dropped but not yet! And being passed over the heads of the busily chatting adults doesn't seem to phase him one bit. A solid kid Jax has a face filled with wonder and dark eyes watching everything going on around him. In the midst of the noisiest part of a gathering he will be found asleep in his carrier on the floor or sofa. Nothing seems to disturb his sleep.

And that’s a good place to end this posting. With the littlest one asleep I am reminded of the comfort and security of youth. Among family they know they are safe. At my age I feel the same with them. And that makes me think of a nap!

Ta ta!

October 15, 2014

Top News Stories on the Web

Here is my take on what the internet has to offer in the way of news. Some are current. Others are always with us. Just in case it is a slow news day, I have included the filler headlines that are all too present!

Ebola comes to America: treatment of Liberian patients

Sub stories:

            -Journalists covering the story and their risks

            -Medical workers exposed and infected; treated in America

            -US Military personnel on scene to help; risks they face

Middle East Military Action: battling ISIS in the region with two hands tied behind the back

Sub stories:

            -Coalition Support: air strikes and their effectiveness

            -Beating back ISIS gives Syria tactical advantage

            -Turkey and Saudi Arabia sitting on their hands

            -Iraq begs for return of US troops

            -Egypt, Libya, Lebanon ferment continues

            -Israel silent for now; how long?

            -America’s resolve is long term: Really?

Old News Topics:

            -What happened to US cash in Iraq? Tracing final destinations

            -Snowden Effect: future of US spying on citizens?

            -Racism in America: St. Louis is just a symptom

           

Sports: seasonal athletic contests

Sub stories:

            -Personal Stories: conquests from diversity

            -Regional teams and their allure

            -Distraction Value: escaping the horrors of the world

Celebrity News: The Kardashians Again?

Sub stories:

            -Looking back at old favorites

            -Who’s new on the scene?

            -Trends in celebrity fashions

            -Trends in celebrity behavior

            -Sex and celebrities

            -Distraction Value: escaping my dull life

Weather; whether it will, or won’t

Sub stories:

            -To umbrella or not

            -To bundle or not

            -To shed or not

            -Disasters of yesterday, today and tomorrow

Education and Science: where technology is taking us

Sub stories:

            -Learning successes

            -Measuring our progress

            -Little known facts that startle

            -Harnessing technology for quality living

            -Labor woes in education circles

            -Return on Investment: does education pay any dividends?

            -Keeping it fresh: discovering new worlds of thought

Arts and Entertainment: celebrating life and vision

Sub Stories:

            -Who’s new in the visual arts?

            -What’s new in the performing arts?

            -Making new celebrities: what attracts audience?

Medicine: the good, bad and ugly of keeping us alive

Sub stories:

            -New trends in health care

            -Paying for health care

            -New hope from old ashes

            -Careers and medical care advancements

            -Same Old…: what medical care never goes away

Business news: An old tale of effort and profit

Sub stories:

            -Mergers and sell outs: who’s new and who’s passé?

            -Re-branding: selling the old with a new name

            -Advertising for fun and profit, or prophet?

            -Stock market swings: boom or bust and other cliff hangers

            -CEO pay trends; minimum wage drama

            -IPOs and other sell outs

Politics and Government: the war of ideologies

Sub Stories:

            -Cynicism and power: the struggle goes on and on and on…

            -Political Parties: relevant or not?

            -Campaign Finance Reform: Really?

            -Fairness Doctrine and other myths

            -The Right and Left against the Middle: the struggle goes on and on and on…

            -Political careers for fun, prophet and profit; yet another saga of greed

These may be headlines or story lines common to American sociology. My question is: do these story lines reflect life in other countries around the globe? If so, what on earth do we do now? Anyone have an answer?

Have all the normal people gone to bed or are they still paying attention? Inquiring minds want to know.

October 14, 2014

Voter Sentiments

I’m a voter. I have voted in every election but one primary since turning 21 years of age. The missed primary election was due to an emergency business trip arranged the day before the election. The age of 21 was the legal voting age at the time; currently the voting age is 18. I’m now 71; that’s half a century of serial voting!

I’m serious about voting at every opportunity and understanding the issues on the ballot. I also take the time to know something about the candidates on the ballot and their positions on key issues. I write news articles, a column and other copy for my community newspaper, author a daily blog on current events, and write at least one newsletter monthly. When necessary I inform my readers about issues and candidates to assist them to become knowledgeable voters.

America’s political mood is grim. It is rooted in negativity. This produces nasty political ads that ignore innovative ideas on important issues. For the most part voters receive no meaningful guidance on voting from the ads. Each candidate tears down the opponent which only arouses more rounds of nasty ads. This is time consuming, enormously expensive, and destructive of the election process itself. No one wins because the issues are not intelligently discussed or presented to the voter.

Special interest groups and their ads abound. They continue the nasty rhetoric and damage the credibility of all candidates. Money from wealthy supporters, corporations and interest groups wield major power over most campaigns and thus skew results. No one seems to know or feel voter sentiments on these issues. The dog fight is engaged among entrenched groups and the voter is not seen or heard.

There in lies the folly of modern electioneering.  The voter is lost in the dust. Somehow the system needs improvement. It would help if basic information were provided on the issues. Candidate positions on the various issues need to be shared in a manner that is easily accessed for those interested in learning how candidates are similar, and how they differ across a spectrum of issues.

It would help if candidates also provided an outline on the programs, policies and legislation they each feel would help the city, county, state or national government perform its services better. Not all candidates are involved in legislative processes; some positions perform specific management or professional services such as treasurer, attorney general or archival functions. In those situations the candidates should offer what goals they will set for themselves while in office and how they see their office collaborating and dovetailing with other elected positions and levels of government.

I don’t need to witness a candidate debate. I don’t need to view an endless stream of campaign ads. What I do need is clear communication from the candidates concerning what they intend to do in office and how their qualifications and experiences would help improve the odds their time in office will likely be successful.

We don’t know this information today. The issues are clouded with campaign rhetoric. Ads are self serving if at all positive, while attacks on opposing candidates are viciously degrading.

Voter manipulation is the common target. Truth rarely is. The system appears dirty and unreliable to voters. No wonder the public distrusts both the process and ‘politicians’. When most of the communications are negative it is natural to assume not much is clean or positive.

The electoral system needs to be overhauled. Big money needs to be removed from the process. Pure information properly supervised and proven should be provided voters.  The time to begin this process is now.  Sooner or later the system will be cleansed and reliable and serve the needs of a just society.

Until that happens our nation is dirty. Each political party has a role in the current lousy situation. Each party needs to clean up their act or cease functioning.

As voters we deserve to have the best candidates possible to meet the challenges of our society. And candidates need to be held accountable for their failures to perform, as well as any and all dishonesty. Allowing the system to limp along in its current manner is a travesty for a nation which prides itself on education, creativity, individual accomplishment and far reaching vision.

We know we can do better. Why don’t we?

October 13, 2014

Thought for the Day

As we experience autumn’s glorious weather and changing tree colors, let us ponder this quote from an American Indian:

“Some day the earth will weep, she will beg for her life, she will cry with tears of blood. You will make a choice, if you will help her or let her die, and when she dies, you too will die.”  ~John Hollow Horn, Oglala Lakota

Startling but essential for us to think about.

October 11, 2014