31 Oct 2018 What Is To Be Done About The Opioid Crisis?

What Is To Be Done About The Opioid Crisis?

I have to admit, I have not been impacted by the opioid crisis.  There is not an immediate family member I know of whose life is controlled by it. I have seen heroin destroy a couple of people.  Just because I don’t see it right in front of me does not mean it is not out there. 

I read the statistics of how many people die each year from addiction.   I also read how Congress and other organizations call it a crisis.  So how do we if not solve it at least start towards a solution? Will money be the answer?  It is always part of the solution but not the only solution. Where do you put the money, in treatment? In enforcement? I don’t know.  How successful are the treatment programs?  If they help even 25% get their lives back is it worth the investment? How about if it is only 10% successful? Do school educational programs help? Again, if it stops even 10% of students from trying opioids then it may be a good investment.  

How much are parents responsible for their children? I don’t think you can use that as a measuring stick.  There are good parents with bad kids and bad parents with good kids.  The parents of the Columbine massacre were good parents by any measurement, but they had really bad kids. 

We have tried to stop the supply of illegal drugs with very little success. The challenge with opioids is that they are prescription drugs.  Drugs that make a lot of money for companies.  Drugs that help with pain management.   

I don’t have an easy answer.  I am not sure anyone does.  Congress may throw billions of dollars but have no metric for success. If you stop the manufacture from regular companies, they would just show up on the streets by cartels.  Do nothing? That is not a smart option, but also just trying anything and everything is not the answer either.  We get the best people we can around the table to discuss it with all options available. It can’t be political.  It can’t be religious based. It can’t be with an unlimited budget.  But is has to be something. Too many are dying to not continue to find a solution. 

30 Oct 2018 Why Don’t Politicians Sell Themselves?

Why Don’t Politicians Sell Themselves?

The vast majority political ads tell me why I shouldn’t vote for a certain person. You would think a politician would be able to sell themselves. However, that seems far from the case.  Just about every sales class or program I have read says to speak positively about your product and not bash the other product. Somewhere there must be a poll that says negative advertising works. It certainly doesn’t for me. In fact, I would be hard pressed to support any candidate who could only say negative things about their opponent.

I know people consider politics a rough-and-tumble profession, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have integrity.  Part of having integrity is to be the better person and tell why you are the better candidate. Voters would be more impressed with someone who could convince them to vote for him/her because of what they would bring as an elected official in a positive sense instead of what the opponent will do or did do in a negative sense.

Congress is rated so poorly by the public.  You would think they would want to at least be seen as positive people vice just attacking ones. You don’t have to be an asshole to be a politician though most take great pride in it. 

29 Oct 2018 What Political Party Do You Support?

What Political Party Do You Support?

I was a registered Republican for many years.  It was more because I agree with about 75% of the platform. I also agreed with 25% of the Democratic platform. So, I guess I was more a liberal conservative then a conservative liberal. 

Several years ago, I became an independent. I could not be associated with either party.  Both have become a shell of their former selves because they allow the fringe elements of the party to dictate things.

That leaves me with a dilemma, who do I vote for?  Is it the lessor of two evils?  I have to vote.  It would be hypocritical to complain about politics if I did not vote. A write in vote seems like a waste.  I know that a candidate is not going to have the same views as me in all things.  Are there some areas that are “non-negotiable?” I would say yes.  I can’t support someone who wants a total ban on abortions or one that wants them at all times no matter what.  I am not complete pro-choice, hard to support late term just because you changed your mind and don’t want it.  “Free” health care for all? In theory yes, but you would have to show me how it can be funded and executable. I have not seen a system that is sustainable.  I believe in the concept, just not any of the solutions. More defense spending, no.  We spend way too much and waste way too much as it is.   Tax the rich? No.  Tax everyone the same.   Balance the budget? Yes, we need to live within the resources we have. I want someone with the political courage to make the tough choices to get us to a balanced budget.

I look at all candidates and will vote for the ones who I believe are the best for the job. No one will be perfect, most are not qualified.  But I will vote.

28 Oct 2018 How To Deal With The Bombs To Politicians?

How To Deal With The Bombs To Politicians?

Politics is a tough profession.  You have to be able to withstand constant attacks on your character, policies and votes. You can be a tough competitor. However, you should not question the patriotism of an opponent or members of another party.  

Democrats are no less patriotic than Republicans. The press is no less patriotic than Republicans.  Fox News is no more patriotic than CNN and MSNBC.  Rachael Madow is no less patriotic Sean Hannity.    We can have vast differences in our policies, but we should not take to personal hatred. Unfortunately, that is the politics of today.  It is not just policies but extreme personal animosity.  President Trump leads this. 

The constant lies and disdain he shows for Democrats and the press has directly led to the recent bombs sent to Democratic people.  You are kidding yourself if you don’t think he has not inflamed this.  He talks about unity but everything he says and does is about division.

This was domestic terror.  The Presidents half-hearted response was pathetic.  If he was truly a leader who wanted unity, he would have brought all of the intended victims to the White House and told the terrorists that he is on the side of the victims. That the full force of the US government would track them down.  He could have done this, but no.   Every single Republican in Congress should have brought them to the steps of the Capitol and stood by their side as well as with their Democrat counterparts and said, “We are with our fellow Americans.”    But that takes leadership and patriotism. Every single Republican should have denounced this in unequivocal terms and say that it goes against all we hold dear in a democracy. 

If the President and Republicans don’t change their rhetoric, the bomb packages may not stop. 

27 Oct 2018 Are You Impatient?

Are You Impatient?

One of the challenges I have battled for my adult life is impatience. No matter how many times I tell myself that it is just little shit and not worth expanding all that negative energy, I still find myself getting worked up over nothing.

It is just the everyday life things, traffic, checkout lines, waiting for a restaurant table, to board an airplane and any other number of things. I guess it will always be a work in progress. I wish I could explain why I do it. It solves nothing and only leads to internal stress. But it also impacts anybody who is with me. I’m sure many times they would want to tell me to shut the fuck up. I would deserve it each and every time. In every single instance that I show impatient behavior, I have to come up with some trigger to tell myself to be thankful for even being in the situation that I am impatient about.

This is one trait I know I have to rid myself of. Even though I have had it for many decades, I just have to take it one day at a time and recognize when that negative feeling starts to build in me. You would think this would be an easy thing to fix and I wish it will be.  Maybe, I just need to smile each time before I say something stupid. 

26 Oct 2018 What Do You Sedate With?

What Do You Sedate With?

Most people think of sedation interns of alcohol and drugs. However, there are others such as TV and the Internet. I look at sedation in terms of escaping something you are trying to avoid.

This avoidance could be anything from a stressful job, parenting challenges, financial issues, excuses to not working out and any number of other things. There are times when you need to just disconnect from life issues. Watching a favorite Netflix series or going on YouTube maybe just the thing you need to distress. However, if this is your routine every evening then you may have a bigger issue. It is so easy turn on the TV or get on that laptop and tune out the world. But that won’t solve your challenges. The sedation is strong. You may think you are helping yourself by using these to reduce your stress, but you are just putting off the real work that needs to be done.

I watch very little TV, but I have to be very careful about my time on the Internet. YouTube is a vast time pit for me.  I tell myself I learn a lot from the YouTube videos I watch.  I’m kidding myself though. I try to have the discipline and not look at YouTube during the week. On weekends I try to set time limits. I am not always successful, but I have seen a significant reduction in the time I waste on it.

I strive to spend more time creating stuff or fixing challenges I may have instead of sedation through consumption of Internet sites.  At times it is a challenge but one I work on every day.

25 Oct 2018 Do You Have Recurring Dreams?

Do You Have Recurring Dreams?

When I was young I use to have recurring things in my dreams, but as I grew older any repeating times were rare.  It has also been a long time since I had a dream that involved monsters. When you are a kid those aren’t dreams but nightmares.   I had plenty of those.

The thing I look forward to is lucid dreaming.  That is, you are still asleep but also aware you are in a dream and can control your actions.  Those are a lot of fun.  I bet there are ways to increase your ability to have lucid dreaming, I just have not looked into it.

One interesting thing I learned about my dreams was I can’t lose a fight.  Any altercation I get into I don’t feel pain and I also can win the fight.  I can also jump really high and almost fly.  Those are good feelings.  What is interesting is when I look into mirror in a dream.  I don’t see a clear image of myself.  I can’t make myself out.  It is also the same when I look at my arms or legs, they are not in focus.  Now anyone else in the dream comes in very clear. 

I do feel pain in a dream when I have a real cramp in my leg.  In the dream I try to stretch the muscle, but it does not work until I wake up and actually work it.  

There are many good dreams and challenging ones.  The really bad nightmares from childhood seem to be in the past.   Some dreams you can recall clearly, and others make no sense at all.  Someday, I may try to journal what my dream was that night before and see if I do have any other patterns.  Until then I will just get into more fights and fly away.

24 Oct 2018 Can You Ever Overcome Your Past?

Can You Ever Overcome Your Past?

The Judge Kavanaugh hearing brought up the issue of can you ever overcome something that may have happened decades ago?  I am not saying he did or didn’t do what was claimed. I am only looking at it from a redemption standpoint.  

There is a lot of data to support that Judge Kavanaugh has an outstanding record for supporting women lawyers.  A cynic would say he is doing this to atone for his past actions.  That well may be true, we will never know.  We do know that the country is pretty well split on him.  There is nothing to support that he has done anything wrong as an adult out of college. In college and before there are plenty of people to support he did abuse alcohol, but not any sexual assault.  

There is no way around the Kavanaugh story that is not political. The Democrats waited to very late in the process to let the story out. A credible victim who said it was her civic duty to come forward but only for political reasons and not a criminal one. The Republicans who allow a short “investigation” which they knew would give the answer they wanted. Even Judge Kavanaugh brought politics into his defense.

I doubt that anybody has a true clean past that would not be brought against them in some way for political gain. It does not matter how long ago the alleged offense happened, if it can hurt someone politically it will be used.  That’s a sad commentary on our political society but unfortunately it is the reality. Even something that may have been done when you were a minor is now fair game. It will be interesting to see how far back inside someone’s minor years a political party will go to discredit them. You know it’s coming.  

23 Oct 2018 Why Don’t You Run For Political Office?

Why Don’t You Run For Political Office?

I have thought a lot of running for a political office.  I have been a political junkie for a long time. However, the current climate makes it very challenging to enter into a race. Specifically, I was not looking at local positions but the House of Representatives in my Florida District.  

I would be an independent candidate. I just can’t support the platforms of either political party. In some issues I am conservative and others I would be viewed as liberal.  Neither party would accept me because of those split views. There is no such thing as a conservative Democrat or a liberal Republican anymore.

The thing that turns me off the most is how far a party or opponent or the press would dig into my background or my family’s background to find even the slightest issue that could be used against me. Now I know you need to be thick skinned to be in politics. I am willing to answer for things I have done in the past. However, my near and extended family should not have their issues brought out just because I chose to run for political office. This may sound like a convenient excuse. I can see that.

It is extremely challenging to upset the sitting House member of my district. It has been a Republican stronghold for decades.  There is an ex-Marine aviator who has now tried twice to beat the incumbent in the primaries.  Though he is the better candidate and a better person he has not been able to overcome the Republican parties backing of the incumbent. I would not have to face the incumbent in the primary as I would run as an independent.

I have not given up on the idea of running. I just need to make a realistic assessment of the chances of success.  I know I would face the full efforts of the Republican Party to do whatever it could to damage my chances. You can’t win if you don’t try, but you have to assess the cost of winning or losing.

22 Oct 2018 How Would You Change Education?

How Would You Change Education?

I am still astounded to hear about high school students who are illiterate. I can’t figure out how you can go to school for 6-8 years and just by sitting in the class you don’t gain some cognitive capabilities. How can a teacher or school move a student to the next level if they don’t meet some basic criteria?

For elementary school that is grades 1-6, I would focus on the basics which are reading, writing, math and I would add speaking. For writing it would be a combination of hand writing and keyboard. I believe it is important to start children at a very early age to get comfortable speaking in front of a group of people. I understand how challenging it is for people at any age to get up in front and speak. However, if it was just part of the curriculum from first grade on, most of the students would lose that fear.

Now I know I would have critics who would say where are the arts in this? Well, in the writing assignments they could incorporate illustration and have them tell a story. What about music? I would not be adverse to starting band and/or choir 6th grade.  What about foreign language?  Not sure on this one.

Elementary school needs to be the foundation. There is no way that a student would be harmed if they focused on the areas I recommend.  I believe that speaking training will have a profound impact. It would go hand-in-hand with the writing.

As I stated before, having competent and enthusiastic teachers makes all the difference. I want school to be challenging but also fun. It can’t be just heavy academics over and over. Students need to move during the day too. That is why recess and physical education are just as important.

We have to be willing to try new things.  There needs to be a measurable way to see the effects. There will always be detractors in whatever way you try to educate students. Don’t ignore them, or belittle them, but do your best to have a conversation with them. You never know, you may have more in common than you think.

21 Oct 2018 How Do We Attract And Retain Teachers?

How Do We Attract And Retain Teachers?

I was always one of those people who thought teachers had an easy job. Especially since they got 6 to 8 weeks off over the summer. However, I have come to really respect the profession and the effort it takes. Most of the teachers I know don’t leave their job when they go home. They have to grade papers and prepare. They are not given the opportunity to do this during their regular day. Also, the number of students in each class that a teacher has to work with has been increasing. There are multiple studies that show 15-18 students is optimal, but some classes have 25 or more.

Teachers spend more time with the student then a parent does. They have a tremendous amount of impact on a student. People are willing to spend a lot of money on quality day care, however, when it comes to paying teachers we do not look at it as an investment.  You do get what you pay for. If you want to attract the best and brightest and retain them, you have to make the necessary financial compensation. Nobody wants their taxes to go up. But as a society we have to look at where the dollars go to provide the best use of it. I know there are a lot of competing areas for tax dollars like police and fire and infrastructure.

I do not have a child in the school system. However, I would be willing to pay more in taxes if it went directly the teacher salaries and just teacher salaries and not management. In fact, I want to pay a premium for teachers for the first five years. It is not just their salary that is important, it is class size, facilities, and materials. 

If we really want our children to have the opportunity to excel, we have to be willing to pay what it takes to make that happen. There is no easy way around this. We are facing a massive loss of teachers due to pay, facilities, and other issues. You either want great schools or you don’t. There is no gray area here. It is time we make the choice to make education a priority.

20 Oct 2018 Is Either Party Diverse?

Is Either Party Diverse?

You can read a lot about how non-inclusive the Republican Party is. Is the Democratic Party inclusive? Can a pro-gun person be part of it, how about pro-life or a right-to-work supporter?  The opposite questions can be asked of Republicans.

There is a lack of the middle or someone willing to compromise is missing in both parties.  Why does someone have to strictly follow all of the parties positions?  If the extremes of both parties, and they are extreme, demand 100% loyalty to all platform areas where does that leave someone who does not fully embrace the positions? For Dems you absolutely have to be pro-choice first.  There is no deviation allowed whatsoever.   See how far a pro-life position will get you in the party.  The progressives will be relentless in their assault on you.  The assault may not be just verbal but physical.  For the Republicans, a pro-choice position including late term abortions would get the same reaction.  

We have a polarized political system today.  It was enflamed with the Judge Kavanaugh hearings.  The Dems believed Dr. Ford with no dissenting opinions allowed. If she said it, it had to be true.  The Republicans believed Judge Kavanaugh.  If he said it, it had to be true.  

We need elected officials who are willing to stand up to their respective parties.  No one should be shackled to a party’s platform at all times.  Compromise is not a bad thing.  Will standing up for what you really believe mean defeat?  If you don’t stand up, you don’t deserve to be elected anyway.     

19 Sep 2018 Are We Willing To Be Tough?

Are We Willing To Be Tough?

As a country are we willing to be tough with “allies?” How much should we be willing to sacrifice in order to stand on principle? There is substantial evidence the leader of Saudi Arabia had a citizen tortured and killed in Turkey.  This person was also a resident of the US. Saudi Arabia has billions of dollars in weapons contracts with US companies. These contracts employ tens of thousands of people. If we employ sanctions on Saudi Arabia that they feel are too severe and threaten to cancel the contracts, are we willing to risk that?

Is the life of one person who was not a US citizen more important than thousands of jobs for US citizens? This is a difficult moral question.  The US government has overlooked many atrocities conducted by leaders of foreign governments. Business interests have always trumped moral ones.  We count Saudi Arabia as a close ally, but they have an abysmal record on basic human rights especially women’s rights. We need their oil so turn a blind eye. Most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. Yet we did nothing to hold that country accountable for supporting a version of Islam that wants nothing more than to get rid of our democracy and have it become an Islamic state.

Sometimes it is important to take a moral stand even if it involves significant cost. However, I doubt the vast majority wouldn’t want the loss of jobs if contracts were canceled. They would say one man’s life is not worth it. But if you asked them if we should support countries that fund radical Islam they would say no. If you also asked if they would give up their job in order to support sanctions to fight radical Islam, they would say no. They want it both ways but that is not an option.

I know President Trump will not do anything publicly, and very little privately, to hurt the relationship with Saudi Arabia. He loves strong dictators. Let’s hope Congress has more moral courage. I am not holding my breath on that one.

18 October 2018 Is Fighting Ever Justified?

Is Fighting Ever Justified?

Other than your life in immediate danger, is there ever a justified reason to get into a fight?  Not a verbal one but a physical one.   I have been in many situations that came close to a throw down, but I have only been in one real fight. We had boxing matches in the military, however, that was organized fighting.  In high school I had a fight with another guy.  It was in the hallway in school so only lasted a short time.  Got some good hits in and avoided getting hit.  Teachers broke it up.  For some reason we did not get expelled.  We got along after that.

As an adult, I don’t think I can see a scenario where fighting is ok.  Life threatening yes.  However, guys who talk tough are rarely tough.  They just don’t think anyone will stand up to them.  About every time it is best to turn and walk away.  There is the rare case where you have to get in someone’s face to get their attention.  It may be they are harassing someone, but it calls for intervention. You will not start off with fighting behavior but a calm demeanor.  You have to get them to believe you are willing to fight but will do everything you can to avoid it.   You also have to be prepared to fight if he is not going to back down.  The situation will get much worse if you were only bluffing on a willingness to fight. That is why it is critical to decide if the situation warrants intervention. 

Today you also have to be very careful about fighting.  Guns and knives are so prevalent that you should assume the person could be armed.  You could quickly find yourself in a bad situation if you were prepared to fight but he had other weapons.  

A Navy Seal went into a bar and someone grabbed his wife’s ass.  He beat the guy up.  He went to jail for assault.  The judge said he knew how to fight and should have controlled himself.  You have to be careful how much you hit someone. 

Avoiding fighting, it has to be the very last resort.  Walk away or do whatever you can to diffuse the situation. Nobody wins a fight. 

17 Oct 2018 What Are Your Traveling Challenges?

What Are Your Traveling Challenges?

I have traveled a lot for work. In that time, I have experienced all the good and challenging aspects of that. My one complaint with the airlines is that they measure seats for short people. They can claim all they want that their seats comfortably fit on X percentage of the population. However, I know what they call a normal sized person is far from it.

I know I am not a normal sized person, but, I don’t consider myself that far from the norm. It is rare airline where basic economy is comfortable. Fortunately, I fly enough with American Airlines that I can move up to the premium economy section for little or no cost. 

The best economy section I ever flew was on Air New Zealand. They had very comfortable seats with plenty of legroom and foot rests. Those are very important on the long flights over the Pacific.

It is a rare flight that is not completely full. I wish the airlines would enforce the carry-on rules. I know they don’t want to anger passengers, but it is getting ridiculous what people bring on. I don’t think a full-size guitar case qualifies as carry-on size.  But I see that often enough. There would be plenty of overhead space if the airlines just follow the rules they publish.

I also don’t understand how someone can hold a child on their lap. If everyone is supposed to put their seatbelt on for takeoffs and landings and turbulence, how can a parent hold on to a child. That is why they are not allowed hold them while driving. Everyone including infants should have their own seat. On my flight home yesterday, I got the privilege of having a little kid on a parent’s lap kicking the back of my seat. Do you think the parent did anything, no. They thought it was so cute that their child was laughing. I felt otherwise.

Unless you can afford business class, air travel will remain a challenge.

16 Oct 2018 Are You Close To Family?

Are You Close To Family?

I spent this past weekend at my mothers.  She is in the northwest Indiana suburbs of Chicago.  I wanted to get a visit in before winter comes.  I do not like to go up there in winter.  As it was we got the big change from Florida weather. It was 80 degrees when we left and in the 40’s in Chicago.

My mom is 82 years old. My dad and her husband of 58 years passed away in 2011. She has had some challenging medical issues but still gets around.  We thought she would have been the one to die first as she was a heavy smoker and drinker. She still smokes and drinks, just not in the amounts she did even a few years ago.   She has forged a very close relationship with her grandchildren and even great grandchildren (who call her grandma the great).  My mom was and is very social.  She loved to party and dance.  She once came down to my college for an evening of bar hopping. I couldn’t keep up with her.  She also loved to put on theme parties with her friends.  Some of these became “major” productions that were filmed.  Alcohol played a big part.

My brother and two sisters get together maybe once a year at moms.  My older sister has always lived in the town with mom. My younger sister lived there until her late 40’s and now lives a couple of hours away but visits at least monthly if not twice a month. My brother and I were the two who left town and have only visited a couple times a year for decades.  My parents had and have a close relationship with their children, but the brothers have not had the same with the sisters.  Living away from each other is a big part of that.  The other is we just have lived different lives.  The sisters stayed in the small town and brothers didn’t.  I feel close to my brother even though we don’t get together often.  

Family dynamics are always a challenge.  I would bet few families don’t have some friction.  My mom just wants us all to get along.  I know the times we are all together with mom are going to be few. Someday before we know it mom will pass too.  What becomes of the relationship between siblings is hard to say.  But we can say we had outstanding parents who gave everything for us and provided the opportunities for us to succeed in whatever we wanted.  We could not have had it better.   

15 Oct 2018 What Do You Do Really Well?

What Do You Do Really Well?

Everyone has a talent at something.  It may seem trivial to you; however, it should not be looked at that way.  What you are good at usually is a good indication of what you would want to do for a living.   Many people think they could not make a living at what they are good at because they don’t believe others would want to buy it. 

The internet has opened up the world to everyone for business.  No longer are you bounded by your town size or location. You can’t think “I live in a town of 3,000 people, I can’t make a living selling X.”  You have to look at it as “there are over a billion people online, I only need 1,000 (or whatever that number is) steady customers to make a living.”  Seth Godin says you only need 1,000 true fans (customers) to be successful.  

There are many stories of people who started a business online who most thought couldn’t make money.  They not only make money but a lot of it.  

Again, the mindset has to be about the global reach of even the smallest business. So, you should consider how you can translate what you are really go at into a business.  The customers are out there. Be bold and at least try.

14 Oct 2018 What Is Trump’s Strategy?

What Is Trump’s Strategy?

I know it is easy to think that President Trump is unfit for office, he gives us plenty of reasons why.  However, have you ever tried to think what his strategy is?  Yes, he really operates on the now, today and does not give much thought to tomorrow. But, this is a strategy in itself.  He did not want to become President and had no idea how to be a President once elected.  After 20 months in office I think he actually likes it.  He knows he is in a position of power that only 44 other people have experienced.  He craved the attention of the rich and powerful in New York.  I don’t think he was ever truly accepted by them.  Now he has far surpassed them.  

He now wants two terms in office because that puts him in even rarer company. Only 21 have been elected to a second term.  To do that he is going to have to make some attempt get back even a small portion of the woman and minorities he has lost.  I have no idea how he will do that.  His base is shrinking.  His only chance at re-election is if the Democrats put forth a candidate that is even more extreme than him.  Don’t put it past them to do that.

It is safe to say that any coherent strategy will not come from him.  The mid-term elections may go a long way to see if he makes any changes at all in how he governs.  I almost think he wants a Democratic Congress because he will always blame them. He will take no responsibility for anything.  That may energize his base, but that too is shrinking. 

Trump likes chaos.  He thinks it is an effective wat to govern.  I don’t support that view, however, he has a couple of years to convince enough voters in key states that will allow him to win again without getting the most votes.   

13 Oct 2018 Do You Get Medical Check-Ups?

Do You Get Medical Check-Ups?

I was my own worst patient.  I only went to the doctor if I absolutely had to.  In June I decided to get a physical.  I didn’t even have a primary care physician.  So, I got one of those now.  He has me goes see a cardiologist because my heart was spiking high (220bpm) when I did HIIT session on the spin bike. Had an EKG and found I had “a-flutter.” Got that fixed.  Now they are looking at my PSA levels for the prostate. Get to have a biopsy for that.  Doc is not concerned, more of a let’s take a cautious approach and check it early.  

I actually feel pretty good.  I have the normal aches and pain due to arthritic knees, but they have been ok so far this year.  I have had to had them drained each year for the past the several.   I have been riding my spin bike a lot, so I am going with the story that it has helped.

I consider my health history as pretty positive.  I have had a few surgeries (gall bladder, appendix, now the flutter fix) but all-in-all I feel fortunate.  The biggest thing is I have had a relatively pain free life.  I know people who have chronic pain.  I don’t know how they are able to go months and years with it. 

I haven’t just ignored doctors.  I did the same to dentists.  Fortunately, I have had great teeth.  I now go to see my dentist each year.  

What made no sense was I have good health and dental care from my work.  I was paying into them but not using it. Not one of smarter things.

So, I recommend everyone get thorough physical every year.  Ask for a comprehensive blood work-up.  That can give you early indications of issues.  I may have not been a health wise person before, but I am now.  

12 Oct 2018 What Congressional Rules Would You Change?

What Congressional Rules Would You Change?

In Article 1 Section 5 of the Constitution, each House of Congress may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.  Over the course of time, this has grown.  The current rules for the House of Representatives is over 45 pages, the Senate over 90 pages.  

One of the unwritten rules has to do with seniority.  If a member of Congress is elected more times than another member, they somehow are afforded seniority privileges.  That is, they get to pick the committees they want to sit on before the “junior” person.  This makes no sense in a democracy, especially in the House of Representatives where each member has roughly the same number of constituents.  Why one has more power than the other is not right. It should be a lottery for positions. You can request to be on whatever Committee you want, however, if too many people want to be on it, a lottery should select who gets on.  The actual rule is the Speaker of the House assigns members to committees.  However, a seniority system is in place so he/she makes the assignments based on that. Getting rid of this one practice will improve Congress a lot.  New members with new thinking would get the chance to legislate instead of having to “wait their turn.”  

It clearly states in the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”  However, the rules of the House call for the election of a Chaplain who will offer a prayer each day in session.  How they get by with this one, I have no idea.  

The rules of Congress are designed to keep the people who have the power in power. The only way to change the system is to elect members who are not beholden to a party and want real democratic operations in Congress. 

   

11 Oct 2018 Have You Had To Fire Someone?

Have You Had To Fire Someone?

I had a couple of jobs that required me to terminate people.  It is the hardest thing to do in business.  You are telling someone they don’t meet the company’s standards and they have to go look for new employment.  Sometimes these people had been with the company for years.

I once had a boss who always wanted to be the nice guy and did not want to do the firing.  He made a “manager” and then proceeded to have me get rid of a couple of people. I always had him in the room with me, he just wanted me to bring the bad news.  The first time I did it, the person was not a productive member.  He was ok as a person but did not really do anything of value.  I need to make it clear that I would not want to work for anyone who got any satisfaction at all in firing people.  It sucks.  You hate doing it though the other person feels worse.   

The next person I had to terminate was senior to me in age and had spent many years at the company.  He could not understand or accept that his work was not good.  I know he did not like me at all for doing it.  I could see it in his eyes and body language.  I was only his manager for a couple of months. This was another one of those directed terminations because his long-time manger couldn’t bring himself to do the firing.

I was the program manager at another company.  I had to let several people go for a variety of reasons.  The toughest one was a guy who broke down and sobbed when told.  Again, I had a person from HR or another manager with me.  I did all I could to explain that it was a business decision and not a personal failing, but, it is hard not to take it that way.  

Part of being a leader in a company is making the tough calls when an employee has to be terminated.  Dragging it out helps no one.  You give them an opportunity to succeed, but, if they do not, cut ties and move on.   Do it professionally and with compassion and never, ever take any satisfaction from it.  

10 Oct 2018 Do You Love What You Do?

Do You Love What You Do?

You can read a lot of material and listen to podcasts that talk about following your passion.  I fully agree with that, however, for many people they are in their current jobs for the near future for a variety of reasons.  Can you be happy at a job you do not love?  Yes you can if there are certain conditions.  First, you have to have some enjoyment in what you actually do.  It may not be your dream job but it can still provide some satisfaction.  You cannot be bored.  If you are, you will do whatever you can to change jobs.  Next, you have to have a good working relationship with the people around you.  You do not have to socialize with them outside of work but you do enjoy their company during the day.  You also feel they are qualified and strive to do a good job.  

It can be the perception more than the reality that drives how you feel about a job.  In the long term the reality will come out, however, there may be short-term periods where you are either mad or happy at work.  

The corporate atmosphere or culture is critical to your happiness.  There will be companies that the work is what you want to do but the culture is not a good fit.  The opposite is true where you love the people but not the work.  Either situation will prevent long-term employment. 

It does not matter so much what your job is.  You can find satisfaction in everything you do.  Most people do have a passion for something.  Finding that job in the company that aligns with you is the goal.  Don’t settle until you find it.  

9 Oct 2018 Is Either Side Right?

Is Either Side Right?

With the hyper partisan atmosphere in Washington, is either side right?  I know each blames the other side for all that is wrong.  Neither one seems to want to step up and admit that both sides have blame.  No one wants to offer up constructive solutions except to say the other party needs to be voted out.  However, that is the worse solution possible.  It is critical that we have at least a viable two-party system. 

The Republicans had the closest thing to real power and they could not make it work. The Democrats have had the same issue in the past.  Both of the hard-core bases for each party don’t represent a majority.  They may be the most vocal, but they don’t represent what is best about the parties. In fact, it is the opposite.  The country would be in very bad shape if the party passed legislation and ruled by the wants of the rabid side of their respective bases. 

True leaders are able to convince part of the opposition, through compromise, to support plans and policies that are not totally in line with their parties platform.  What is best for the country as a whole has to be the foundation for all legislation.

Yes, there will always be interest groups to support.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, is an interest group in one form or another.  

No one is right today in Washington.  I don’t see a leader on the horizon to improve things, at least until the 2020 elections.  Perhaps, someone will come forward who is a true unifier?  Can one of the parties put forth a candidate that has those qualities?   I do hope so. Until then we have what we got.  That is sad.

8 Oct 2018 How Honest Are You?

How Honest Are You?

 I started a program where the number one foundation is “Stop Fucking Lying And Start Telling The Truth.”  No exceptions, ever.  They say people go through life and are not even conscious how many times they are not truthful.  Even “little lies” are not acceptable.  One other area that is stressed is that lies of omission are just as bad as directly lying.  It also means coming clean for your past.  You can’t just sweep it under the rug and ignore the damage it did.  Come clean and let others decide how they are going to deal with it.  They may still accept you or not, but they will have the full picture of the past with you. 

I have to admit I have not been an honest person, especially with the lies of omission. The “I didn’t want to hurt the other person” was a poor excuse.  In the end all that I did cause was hurt.

Will truth truly set you free?  I can’t see why it wouldn’t.  It may be uncomfortable, even very uncomfortable at times.  However, you won’t find out until you do it. 

I am now honest in what I say and do.  There are no little lies or those by admission.  It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but it is better than the alternative.  That does not mean I am going to unload on someone I have a disagreement with. There is discretion involved that does not require lying.  Deliberately hurting someone and then claiming, “I was just being honest does not make you the better person.”

It will be uncomfortable to account for your past.  It will be uncomfortable to say what you really feel.  It will take people, especially those you love, time to process your honesty.  Just do it, you will be a better person.   

7 Oct 2018 Will Judge Kavanaugh Be Accepted?

Will Judge Kavanaugh Be Accepted?

 Now that Judge Kavanaugh has been sworn in onto the Supreme Court, will he be accepted? In time he will, but it will take a lot of effort on his part.  He will have to show that he is impartial in how he approaches and rules on cases. Though most pundits can already predict how the members will vote and they don’t say they are impartial. Everyone is political, even Supreme Court judges.

I expect there will protests and shouts at Judge Kavanaugh for the foreseeable future.  He has been judged guilty by a lot of the population.  That may not be right or fair but a reality.  The circus with Clearance Thomas died down pretty quickly, however, there was no social media or internet to keep the anger going.  Today, Judge Kavanaugh can expect vilification for a long time. Both sides are going to continue to use the issue for political purposes.

We won’t how the female members of the court treat him unless some clerk leaks it. One thing the Court members are is discrete.  I expect there will be an icy relationship for a time.  Judges at that level all have known one another for a long time.  It is not like he is some outsider.  He sat on the appellate bench in DC.  

It would be best if Judge Kavanaugh disappeared from public life for a while.  Unfortunately, his wife and kids may bear the brunt of the ugly side of anger.  They should not be in the frag zone but will be.  

He is confirmed, people are and will be very angry for some time.  If the members of the court treat him as an equal, then things will eventually be ok. Until, we will just have to filter out the noise.   

6 Oct 2018 What Is The Fall-Out Of The Kavanaugh Saga?

What Is The Fall-Out Of The Kavanaugh Saga?

I said before there are no winners and only losers in this.  Will it stop women from coming forward with sexual assault claims, yes I believe it would. This is especially true if she has no one else to back up her claim.

One thing I am concerned with from the other side is assumption of guilt. It can’t be he is guilty just because someone made the charge.  If you don’t believe innocence until proven guilty then you don’t believe in the foundation of our criminal justice system.  There are Senators being accosted and screamed at because they still support Judge Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford presented credible testimony. However, she was not able to provide enough factual data to support her claim to the point that a prosecutor would take it to trial.  This has nothing to do with guilt or innocence, it has to do with can the claim be proved in court.  Also, if it was her “civic duty” to come forward, why did she not go to the Montgomery County police in Maryland and file the claim?  If all she wanted was to keep him off the of Supreme Court, then I am not as inclined to support her. Civic duty is political, going to the police is looking for justice.  Don’t claim that you have been traumatized for your life and then not take police action on it but take political action on it.

I need to state again that I believe Dr. Ford had a traumatic event in her teenage years that has had a lasting impact on her.  I also believe that Judge Kavanaugh was a very heavy drinker in high school and college and abused alcohol.  

I don’t know how we can heal from this wound. Starting with civil discourse on it would help.  Screaming at someone in a restaurant or protesting outside their home is not going to convince me of your side of the argument.  A claim is not guilt. Supporting different positions on social issues from you does make someone guilty. 

We need leadership to help heal and there is no one is Washington capable of that right now.