So it has been a long time since I put anything in writing but today I felt it was time. My wife, daughter and youngest son have been gone for a week. It is now starting to get "too" quiet around here.
My wife is visiting friends and family back home. It is a place we greatly enjoy but it also a place where old wounds are opened anew. My wife called my parents a few times prior to arriving and even had other members of our family attempt to contact my parents and notify them of the soon to come visit. Phone calls were not answered and when my wife stopped by to visit my parents were not home.
To think a parent could dislike a child is not too unusual. There have been times I have not "liked" my children. But to dislike a child to the point of avoiding all contact is something I do not understand. I am so thankful the God I worship is not molded after my parents.
My parents apparent dislike for me has gone on for as long as I can remember and to this day I am not sure why. What makes me wonder the most is my parents insistence on passing their apparent hate for me to their children and grand children. My 12 year old son has done nothing but try and figure out who this person called "grand ma and grand pa" are.
My kids knew and know my wife's parents "grand ma and BIG grand ma (grand pa) " were and are still a part of the life of my children. My mother and father-in-law shared life with me and their grand kids as if they were family. Isn't that how it is suppose to be.
So my wife will begin the two day trip back home in two days and my parents could not be bothered to give up a little of their time to reconnect with a daughter-in-law and their grand children. Because of reasons unknown.
It has been many many months since my parents have called or initiated contact. I use to call on a monthly basis. I would get all the "news" most of it just belittling others then I would be passed off to someone in the room. I then tried quarterly contact, same thing, now it has been a year or so and same thing. My parents have become the "people we don't talk about or too". And for what ever reason they have only called me once this entire year, and that was to ask if I could help out my sister.
So I wonder if they are content with the "lack" of relationship. I wonder if they planned to push people away. I wonder if they even care that one of their own has given up trying to connect and be a part of their lives.
The title of this is Why Hate? From my perspective it profits no one. There is so little time to connect and find common ground. What a waste to leave this world with nothing but disdain for those around you. Their are folks I "dislike" but at the end of the day I would connect with them if they desired such, it doesn't create world peace but it does make life easier to live.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The God I use to know is the God I want to know again.
So some things have been happening in my world the last few weeks that have made me wonder what might have been. There is so much water under the bridge as a result of choices I have made in the last 30 years. Most of which I realize I can never undo. One of the things I can work at turning around is the child like faith I had after accepting the saving grace of Jesus Christ as a troubled teenager. After that time it was ok to raise my hands in praise. It was ok to talk about faith. It was ok to talk about the problems I still had.
I left home and attended other “churches” where it was not OK to be open, transparent, vulnerable. It is time to swing back around to the faith of my youth. My children know the god of my church. I want them to know the God of my heart. They know the god that says you must not miss a Sunday. I want them to know the God that never leaves all week long. My children know a god that follows a program and a sequence that cannot be altered. I want them to know a God who works miracles in the wink of an eye and knows no schedule.
I am sure this will be a process of change but I am also sure the God of my youth can do it. I have no idea what that means, I am not sure I care. Life on this planet is short. There is an end. It is the ever after I am concerned with. Did I listen with the faith of a child and do as instructed?
I read the book So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore and it is a must read, but only if you miss the initial love of the Lord that was tamed, trained, organized, prioritized and otherwise “adjusted” through normal “church”. The book has done a marvelous job of rekindling the spark of the childlike faith I knew when I first accepted Christ as my personal savior. It is ok to “skip church” to help out a neighbor. It is OK to get to know people in the “congregation” it is ok to be a child like believer in the grace of Christ. He met us where we were and he still meets us where we are, we just got to be willing.
I left home and attended other “churches” where it was not OK to be open, transparent, vulnerable. It is time to swing back around to the faith of my youth. My children know the god of my church. I want them to know the God of my heart. They know the god that says you must not miss a Sunday. I want them to know the God that never leaves all week long. My children know a god that follows a program and a sequence that cannot be altered. I want them to know a God who works miracles in the wink of an eye and knows no schedule.
I am sure this will be a process of change but I am also sure the God of my youth can do it. I have no idea what that means, I am not sure I care. Life on this planet is short. There is an end. It is the ever after I am concerned with. Did I listen with the faith of a child and do as instructed?
I read the book So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore and it is a must read, but only if you miss the initial love of the Lord that was tamed, trained, organized, prioritized and otherwise “adjusted” through normal “church”. The book has done a marvelous job of rekindling the spark of the childlike faith I knew when I first accepted Christ as my personal savior. It is ok to “skip church” to help out a neighbor. It is OK to get to know people in the “congregation” it is ok to be a child like believer in the grace of Christ. He met us where we were and he still meets us where we are, we just got to be willing.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Things you should not read.
So a friend of mine whom I have known for many years visited my wife and I a while ago. Our relationship has been on for a season off for a season and a spattering in between. I don’t know if I would be considered a good friend or just a friend. I am not sure I can determine where he (and her) are as far as my friends. I am not sure if they are just friends or good friends. Does it matter?
What I am sure of is that they are steel upon steel. The times of togetherness are challenging, encouraging, sometimes uncomfortable but always, always, always times I remember and reflect up during and after the times together. So we visited not too long ago and they told me what books they were reading and I wrote down the titles with the intent to in fact read the same books. Well time being what it is, scarce, I finally got around to it and wow is the first thing that comes to mind.
I have been a born again believer of Christ since my 11th grade in high school. That is a phrase that should mean little as it represents what most folks claim as normal. All too often I claimed to be Christian and all too rarely was that “title” a personal experience of being a disciple of Christ. I have not always had the kind of intimate relationship with Christ the person during my following 29 years. I remember the passion, the burning desire to tell the world that a personal faith in the saving grace of God is a real thing. I remember the joy of being real, honest, and open with a few like minded believers. I remember the freedom of being secure to say “I am a mess”. But it has not been a lifestyle that has been instilled upon me much less my family. Read on and you will see why.
I have also spent many years in the “church”. And after years of being in the “church” I find the church is not the body of Christ I knew in my youth or during my times of relationship with truly like minded believers. My time in the church is very “institutional” And therein lays the problem. Church is not an institution it is a relation. To be a disciple of Christ is to be in relation with Christ. To be the Church that Christ speaks of in his word is to be in relationship with Christ. Church is not a building or an institution it is a relationship of people seeking to be Disciples of Christ first and foremost. It is not the program, the worship time, the meeting of the “rules” it is building a relationship with Christ and sharing that with others.
A few of the books that my friends recommended are thought provoking to say the least. They have struck at a chord that has not been resonated in many years. So much so that it is likely time to get out of my “comfort zone” to do what the “institutions” discourages. It is to search for a body of believers seeking to be Disciples of Christ. Not followers of a program, a routine, or a tradition. To have the passion to share with others this Christ who meets us where we are at in all out yuck. To be transparent so other can see the Christ I see. The Christ who seeks to be so real in our lives that we are not ashamed to share him with others the relationship we have with him. To be willing to get out of our comfort zone and be real with our neighbor instead of being false and phony with the person sharing a pew with us in the “institution” and ignoring our neighbor on the street.
If you have read this and care to know the titles ask and I will gladly share but dont ask if your not willing to look upon the church in a different way.
What I am sure of is that they are steel upon steel. The times of togetherness are challenging, encouraging, sometimes uncomfortable but always, always, always times I remember and reflect up during and after the times together. So we visited not too long ago and they told me what books they were reading and I wrote down the titles with the intent to in fact read the same books. Well time being what it is, scarce, I finally got around to it and wow is the first thing that comes to mind.
I have been a born again believer of Christ since my 11th grade in high school. That is a phrase that should mean little as it represents what most folks claim as normal. All too often I claimed to be Christian and all too rarely was that “title” a personal experience of being a disciple of Christ. I have not always had the kind of intimate relationship with Christ the person during my following 29 years. I remember the passion, the burning desire to tell the world that a personal faith in the saving grace of God is a real thing. I remember the joy of being real, honest, and open with a few like minded believers. I remember the freedom of being secure to say “I am a mess”. But it has not been a lifestyle that has been instilled upon me much less my family. Read on and you will see why.
I have also spent many years in the “church”. And after years of being in the “church” I find the church is not the body of Christ I knew in my youth or during my times of relationship with truly like minded believers. My time in the church is very “institutional” And therein lays the problem. Church is not an institution it is a relation. To be a disciple of Christ is to be in relation with Christ. To be the Church that Christ speaks of in his word is to be in relationship with Christ. Church is not a building or an institution it is a relationship of people seeking to be Disciples of Christ first and foremost. It is not the program, the worship time, the meeting of the “rules” it is building a relationship with Christ and sharing that with others.
A few of the books that my friends recommended are thought provoking to say the least. They have struck at a chord that has not been resonated in many years. So much so that it is likely time to get out of my “comfort zone” to do what the “institutions” discourages. It is to search for a body of believers seeking to be Disciples of Christ. Not followers of a program, a routine, or a tradition. To have the passion to share with others this Christ who meets us where we are at in all out yuck. To be transparent so other can see the Christ I see. The Christ who seeks to be so real in our lives that we are not ashamed to share him with others the relationship we have with him. To be willing to get out of our comfort zone and be real with our neighbor instead of being false and phony with the person sharing a pew with us in the “institution” and ignoring our neighbor on the street.
If you have read this and care to know the titles ask and I will gladly share but dont ask if your not willing to look upon the church in a different way.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Entitlement the attitude of ingratitude
From Merriam-Websters
Main Entry: entitlement Function: noun Date: 1942
1 a : the state or condition of being entitled : RIGHT
b : a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2 : a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
3 : belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges
So this weekend I had a "session" with members of my family over something that I provide. The something is not critical as much as the attitude of the discussion. I pay for this service to be provided and ask nothing of those who enjoy the service. The reason for the definition above is because the other members involved in this "session" approached it from an attitude of an entitlement. The word entitlement did not even exist until 1942 and it grew from the "New Deal" programs. The closest term for entitlement before 1942 was "right" or "privilege"
Websters 1828
Right
5. Just claim; legal title; ownership; the legal power of exclusive possession and enjoyment. In hereditary monarchies, a right to the throne vests in the heir on the decease of the king. A deed vests the right of possession in the purchaser of land. Right and possession are very different things. We often have occasion to demand and sue for rights not in possession.
6. Just claim by courtesy, customs, or the principles of civility and decorum. Every man has a right to civil treatment. The magistrate has a right to respect.
Privilege
1. A particular and peculiar benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person, company or society, beyond the common advantages of other citizens. A privilege may be a particular right granted by law or held by custom, or it may be an exemption from some burden to which others are subject. The nobles of Great Britain have the privilege of being triable by their peers only. Members of parliament and of our legislatures have the privilege of exemption from arrests in certain cases. The powers of a banking company are privileges granted by the legislature.
a. He pleads the legal privilege of a Roman.
b. The privilege of birthright was a double portion.
So our "session" was not received well because the members of the family felt the entitlement or the right to the item in question. As the provider of the item in question I feel that the item in question is a privilege and not a right or entitlement. The attitude of ingratitude was made clear and I spent the remainder of the day feeling like I have "wronged" the members of the family.
My parents make and burn a significant chunk of change on a monthly basis. Their ability to manage well their funds is a bit lacking. I may not approve of there method of financial management but the reality is I have no "right" or "privilege" nor do I have an "entitlement" to their finances. As long as they are of sound mind and body it is theirs not mine. Should they choose to share, bless, give then I am ?entitled? to or have the "right" to but until then it is not mine.
I am often accused of being black and white. The only way to share something is if the "owner" chooses to share if the owner chooses not to share then it become an issue of stealing I have no right, entitlement, claim to that which is not mine. I should be thankful for receiving anything for which I did not have to give up something for.
Matthew 20:1-16 voices my perspective well. If I agree to work for a set wage then that agreement is between me and the employer. What the employer agrees to for the next guy is none of my business. I have no right or entitlement in this regard.
Main Entry: entitlement Function: noun Date: 1942
1 a : the state or condition of being entitled : RIGHT
b : a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2 : a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
3 : belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges
So this weekend I had a "session" with members of my family over something that I provide. The something is not critical as much as the attitude of the discussion. I pay for this service to be provided and ask nothing of those who enjoy the service. The reason for the definition above is because the other members involved in this "session" approached it from an attitude of an entitlement. The word entitlement did not even exist until 1942 and it grew from the "New Deal" programs. The closest term for entitlement before 1942 was "right" or "privilege"
Websters 1828
Right
5. Just claim; legal title; ownership; the legal power of exclusive possession and enjoyment. In hereditary monarchies, a right to the throne vests in the heir on the decease of the king. A deed vests the right of possession in the purchaser of land. Right and possession are very different things. We often have occasion to demand and sue for rights not in possession.
6. Just claim by courtesy, customs, or the principles of civility and decorum. Every man has a right to civil treatment. The magistrate has a right to respect.
Privilege
1. A particular and peculiar benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person, company or society, beyond the common advantages of other citizens. A privilege may be a particular right granted by law or held by custom, or it may be an exemption from some burden to which others are subject. The nobles of Great Britain have the privilege of being triable by their peers only. Members of parliament and of our legislatures have the privilege of exemption from arrests in certain cases. The powers of a banking company are privileges granted by the legislature.
a. He pleads the legal privilege of a Roman.
b. The privilege of birthright was a double portion.
So our "session" was not received well because the members of the family felt the entitlement or the right to the item in question. As the provider of the item in question I feel that the item in question is a privilege and not a right or entitlement. The attitude of ingratitude was made clear and I spent the remainder of the day feeling like I have "wronged" the members of the family.
My parents make and burn a significant chunk of change on a monthly basis. Their ability to manage well their funds is a bit lacking. I may not approve of there method of financial management but the reality is I have no "right" or "privilege" nor do I have an "entitlement" to their finances. As long as they are of sound mind and body it is theirs not mine. Should they choose to share, bless, give then I am ?entitled? to or have the "right" to but until then it is not mine.
I am often accused of being black and white. The only way to share something is if the "owner" chooses to share if the owner chooses not to share then it become an issue of stealing I have no right, entitlement, claim to that which is not mine. I should be thankful for receiving anything for which I did not have to give up something for.
Matthew 20:1-16 voices my perspective well. If I agree to work for a set wage then that agreement is between me and the employer. What the employer agrees to for the next guy is none of my business. I have no right or entitlement in this regard.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No
The 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language has this to say on the word vow
2. A solemn promise; as the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promises to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity, and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.
OK so here goes today I celebrate my 26th year of marriage. My bride of 26 years and I went to dinner last night and spent some "quality" time together. With 4 children, a house, work and needs all around us a few hours out is quite an accomplishment.
As I look back over the 28 years I have known my wife I am struck by the fact that marriage is more than "just love". I believe love is the part that brings a guy and gal together. Love is that initial catalyst that causes a guy and gal to desire to be with the other. But love is often the first wound suffered as a result of a disagreement. It is those disagreements that cause us to realize the other person is just that a person. Not the intoxicating object we first encountered.
Then life happens and there are many opportunities to realize your mate is a real person with real needs, real issues, and real hang-ups. Your mate has positions, objectives, desires that are different than yours.
So here are two individuals who don?t agree on ?an issue? and love is the first injury. So what keeps a couple together? Well reflecting on the initial love that brought a guy and a gal together can help. I have found that being committed to the mate is critical for the marriage to survive the challenges of a life together.
In my humble opinion reflecting back on the initial commitment made on the day the couple takes their wedding vows. If you believe the 1828 Webster?s definition then the breaking of the wedding vow is "a most heinous offense."
The vow of commitment:
" I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
Is as important or more important then the feeling of love that initially brought a couple together. The commitment is the work that makes the ?feeling? one of joy.
So here we are coming down the home stretch. I celebrate 26 years of a commitment to my wife today. Yes I love her, and yes that love has been reflected upon during times of "troubles" More than that I have sworn a vow of commitment that says I will at all cost hold her above all others until death do us part.
It has been a great 26 years. Those 26 years have had their challenges. But I gave my word; I swore a vow before God and man that says I will commit myself to her. It isn't just love, it is work, fun, sadness, joy, and it is living life as a team. Each year we team together we get a little better at it. So off we go on to year 27 as a couple and I am sure life will be lived this year. It will be nice to live it with my friend, my wife, my lover.
2. A solemn promise; as the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promises to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity, and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.
OK so here goes today I celebrate my 26th year of marriage. My bride of 26 years and I went to dinner last night and spent some "quality" time together. With 4 children, a house, work and needs all around us a few hours out is quite an accomplishment.
As I look back over the 28 years I have known my wife I am struck by the fact that marriage is more than "just love". I believe love is the part that brings a guy and gal together. Love is that initial catalyst that causes a guy and gal to desire to be with the other. But love is often the first wound suffered as a result of a disagreement. It is those disagreements that cause us to realize the other person is just that a person. Not the intoxicating object we first encountered.
Then life happens and there are many opportunities to realize your mate is a real person with real needs, real issues, and real hang-ups. Your mate has positions, objectives, desires that are different than yours.
So here are two individuals who don?t agree on ?an issue? and love is the first injury. So what keeps a couple together? Well reflecting on the initial love that brought a guy and a gal together can help. I have found that being committed to the mate is critical for the marriage to survive the challenges of a life together.
In my humble opinion reflecting back on the initial commitment made on the day the couple takes their wedding vows. If you believe the 1828 Webster?s definition then the breaking of the wedding vow is "a most heinous offense."
The vow of commitment:
" I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
Is as important or more important then the feeling of love that initially brought a couple together. The commitment is the work that makes the ?feeling? one of joy.
So here we are coming down the home stretch. I celebrate 26 years of a commitment to my wife today. Yes I love her, and yes that love has been reflected upon during times of "troubles" More than that I have sworn a vow of commitment that says I will at all cost hold her above all others until death do us part.
It has been a great 26 years. Those 26 years have had their challenges. But I gave my word; I swore a vow before God and man that says I will commit myself to her. It isn't just love, it is work, fun, sadness, joy, and it is living life as a team. Each year we team together we get a little better at it. So off we go on to year 27 as a couple and I am sure life will be lived this year. It will be nice to live it with my friend, my wife, my lover.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Do you believe that what your really believe is really real
The problem with truth is that the pursuit of truth by definition means work. In modern Christian circles the drive is for the feelings not for the truths. Groups gather, blocks get checked, people who are "different" get cast out and our "church" meets our needs. There is little thought on meeting the needs of others or verifying the claims of the church leaders. We truly are the dumb sheep in the parables. As long as we are fat dumb and happy we don't change. And when our comfort changes we whine and complain but we don't seek out a solution. Modern truth is easy someone famous says it is so therefore it must be. Like most things in the body of Christ truth requires work. Body life requires work. Knowing what you believe requires work and we are too happy being fat dumb sheep. If we are not willing to know the truth based upon facts then we will be swayed by anything that plays upon our feelings. But don't trust me on this. Get up off your back side and be willing to fight with fact that "what really you believe is really real.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The President's 2 cents
So last week a white police officer arrested a black man in his home. The reasons are not important. The fact is last week a black man was arrested by a white officer. Meanwhile last week in South Carolina a black officer arrested a white man in his home. Once again the reasons are not important. In both cases the officer was doing what he deemed necessary at the time. That was to up hold the rule of law. It really does not make a difference what the outcome is or was the fact is the officer upheld the rule of law as he saw it at the time. If in a court of law the officer is found to have over stepped his boundaries then he will answer for that and in severe cases answer dearly. If on the other hand the suspect is found guilty of whatever the supposed offense then he will be found guilty in a court of law and also pay for the offense and in some cases dearly. In both cases we count on the police to spot and if required make corrections to ensure the rule of law is upheld. We expect the court to weed through the ?drama? of the event and rule based upon the established law.
It happens the black man arrested was in an "open and enlightened" society in Cambridge Massachusetts. The black man was a professor at Harvard and as such felt he was above and beyond the normal rule of law he was entitled to a faster rule of law. The officer was just a white guy working a shift weeding through the garbage of a day keeping us safe. So the black guy throws the race trump card and short circuits the entire process. There is no court looking for the right and wrong. There is the race card.
What if the white police officer was dead wrong? He will not pay the consequences because the black guy needed his immediate satisfaction. He is black, he was wronged, and he need no, was entitled to immediate satisfaction because of his status in society. Mean while we have a supposedly ?profiling? officer still on the loose to choose his black targets better, maybe not one so well connected in the immediate Harvard area.
My point is that blacks and whites wearing a badge are wearing it to serve the community they live in. They do a job, most well, some not so well. The court determines how well or bad that job is conducted. When people who believe they are special (professors, celebrities, politicians, etc) throw their ?special? card down because they are above the law then the system breaks down. The rest of us lose confidence in the process.
Enter President Obama
To make matters worse. The chief executive of the United States says the police officer acted stupidly. Does our chief executive have nothing more pressing to do than to comment on what is a routine event, unless you?re a (professors, celebrities, politicians, etc). Right here in my town a black man was arrested in his house by a white officer. Is our white officer acting stupidly?
The president claims to profess equality. Then without giving the rule of law a chance to work its course declares the enforcer of the law stupid. That is not the way to level the race playing field, in fact is adds enormous fuel to the fire. The president should encouraged all people, black and white, to let the process work. Instead he called our law enforcers stupid. If they are stupid then we the people have no option but to start taking law enforcement into our own hands. Society breaks down and the rule of law is non-existent. Mr. President you have a job that is to represent the people of this country, regardless of color. You cannot look at this country through colored lenses regardless of the color. You must be fair and equal to all. You must encourage the people to use the processes in place. You must accept that every now and then the process does not get it right. The moment you take a side you create a tear through the great melting pot and the damage left behind is terrible for all regardless of color.
We have police, firemen, service members of all colors and genders standing in the gap for the greater good of this society. They are not perfect, errors are made, and people suffer unnecessarily. They are not stupid; they are doing the best they can. They make mistakes. But they get it right much more often then they get it wrong. They are great people doing the job most Americans do not want to do. Support them don't call them stupid Mr. President.
Last thought. Mr. Harvard Professor. Do you not think you would have made more for the racial equality by letting the system work and if as you claim you were innocent let the court declare that. Congratulations for your big step backwards for equality. I hope that white guy in South Carolina chooses better.
It happens the black man arrested was in an "open and enlightened" society in Cambridge Massachusetts. The black man was a professor at Harvard and as such felt he was above and beyond the normal rule of law he was entitled to a faster rule of law. The officer was just a white guy working a shift weeding through the garbage of a day keeping us safe. So the black guy throws the race trump card and short circuits the entire process. There is no court looking for the right and wrong. There is the race card.
What if the white police officer was dead wrong? He will not pay the consequences because the black guy needed his immediate satisfaction. He is black, he was wronged, and he need no, was entitled to immediate satisfaction because of his status in society. Mean while we have a supposedly ?profiling? officer still on the loose to choose his black targets better, maybe not one so well connected in the immediate Harvard area.
My point is that blacks and whites wearing a badge are wearing it to serve the community they live in. They do a job, most well, some not so well. The court determines how well or bad that job is conducted. When people who believe they are special (professors, celebrities, politicians, etc) throw their ?special? card down because they are above the law then the system breaks down. The rest of us lose confidence in the process.
Enter President Obama
To make matters worse. The chief executive of the United States says the police officer acted stupidly. Does our chief executive have nothing more pressing to do than to comment on what is a routine event, unless you?re a (professors, celebrities, politicians, etc). Right here in my town a black man was arrested in his house by a white officer. Is our white officer acting stupidly?
The president claims to profess equality. Then without giving the rule of law a chance to work its course declares the enforcer of the law stupid. That is not the way to level the race playing field, in fact is adds enormous fuel to the fire. The president should encouraged all people, black and white, to let the process work. Instead he called our law enforcers stupid. If they are stupid then we the people have no option but to start taking law enforcement into our own hands. Society breaks down and the rule of law is non-existent. Mr. President you have a job that is to represent the people of this country, regardless of color. You cannot look at this country through colored lenses regardless of the color. You must be fair and equal to all. You must encourage the people to use the processes in place. You must accept that every now and then the process does not get it right. The moment you take a side you create a tear through the great melting pot and the damage left behind is terrible for all regardless of color.
We have police, firemen, service members of all colors and genders standing in the gap for the greater good of this society. They are not perfect, errors are made, and people suffer unnecessarily. They are not stupid; they are doing the best they can. They make mistakes. But they get it right much more often then they get it wrong. They are great people doing the job most Americans do not want to do. Support them don't call them stupid Mr. President.
Last thought. Mr. Harvard Professor. Do you not think you would have made more for the racial equality by letting the system work and if as you claim you were innocent let the court declare that. Congratulations for your big step backwards for equality. I hope that white guy in South Carolina chooses better.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
"Once you know you know, and until you know you don't know"
I ran across this quote today and it struck me. I know many folks who base their knowledge upon limited references and experiences. Most people have the mainstream media as their primary point of knowledge. The evening news, CNN, Fox, NBC they cant be wrong after all it is on TV. Or the morning paper after all it is our ?local? paper surely it can?t be wrong. Then there are those folks who get their view of the world from the books they read, after all if you?re published you must be the authority on whatever the topic is.
My issue here is that all the above represent second, third or fourth hand knowledge. Look at your local paper most of everything except the obituaries are provided by a news wire service. Look at the television they are showing you exactly what triggers their network ratings. The color of your neighbors flowers does not register and get no publishing. If your neighbor is breaking the law, that is something which starts the interest juices flowing and therefore gets media attention. Then there are the books, the more pages the more authoritative the book rarely is the sources sited and when they are it is incomplete or out of the intended context. Just look at the various Christian demonization who use parts of the bible at the base of their doctrine, but only parts.
Once you know you know:
Hammer your finger and you then KNOW it hurts.
Crash your car and then you KNOW it is not a good thing.
Play Russian roulette and loose and well you get the point.
What I am saying is they too many folks have stopped living life. They rely on second hand experience to ?know? what life is all about. They never dug a fence line but they read it is hard work. They never ran a 10K race but they watched it on TV, and it looked hard. They never had to duck incoming rounds but they watched it on the evening news and therefore they believe it is dangerous. They never had to build something and then watch it be destroyed, stolen, or abused.
I KNOW members of my family think I am an opinionated narrow minded bigot. I know they view my actual experiences as second to those experiences they have received by their media. I know they have had some very comfortable miles under them compared to miles on the road of hard knocks.
And until you know you don?t know:
I am not advocating that people should run in front of bullets to ?prove? it is painful. I am however advocating that people should live. They should try those things that they have only heard about from second and third hand sources. Dig a whole plant a tree. Build something with your hands. Try something harder than you can actually do today. Prove the media right or wrong just prove something. Get up and live life.
I know that those members of my family who think I am an ?opinionated narrow minded bigot? have never walked a day in my shoes. I know that it hurts they have formed negative opinions based upon a limited experience base.
?Once you know you know, and until you know you don?t know.?
I know war is no fun. I know family will hurt you first. I know people all over the world have it harder than I do. I know my children have it better than I did. I know that the media only tells me what they want me to hear. I know God can change a life. I do not know what happens after life, I have my faith, my belief, and my ideas and they are strong. But until I experience that day I only have my faith. Oh by the way when I KNOW what happens after life, you wont be able to watch it on television, or read about it in a book. You will just have to experience it for yourself, and then you will know.
My issue here is that all the above represent second, third or fourth hand knowledge. Look at your local paper most of everything except the obituaries are provided by a news wire service. Look at the television they are showing you exactly what triggers their network ratings. The color of your neighbors flowers does not register and get no publishing. If your neighbor is breaking the law, that is something which starts the interest juices flowing and therefore gets media attention. Then there are the books, the more pages the more authoritative the book rarely is the sources sited and when they are it is incomplete or out of the intended context. Just look at the various Christian demonization who use parts of the bible at the base of their doctrine, but only parts.
Once you know you know:
Hammer your finger and you then KNOW it hurts.
Crash your car and then you KNOW it is not a good thing.
Play Russian roulette and loose and well you get the point.
What I am saying is they too many folks have stopped living life. They rely on second hand experience to ?know? what life is all about. They never dug a fence line but they read it is hard work. They never ran a 10K race but they watched it on TV, and it looked hard. They never had to duck incoming rounds but they watched it on the evening news and therefore they believe it is dangerous. They never had to build something and then watch it be destroyed, stolen, or abused.
I KNOW members of my family think I am an opinionated narrow minded bigot. I know they view my actual experiences as second to those experiences they have received by their media. I know they have had some very comfortable miles under them compared to miles on the road of hard knocks.
And until you know you don?t know:
I am not advocating that people should run in front of bullets to ?prove? it is painful. I am however advocating that people should live. They should try those things that they have only heard about from second and third hand sources. Dig a whole plant a tree. Build something with your hands. Try something harder than you can actually do today. Prove the media right or wrong just prove something. Get up and live life.
I know that those members of my family who think I am an ?opinionated narrow minded bigot? have never walked a day in my shoes. I know that it hurts they have formed negative opinions based upon a limited experience base.
?Once you know you know, and until you know you don?t know.?
I know war is no fun. I know family will hurt you first. I know people all over the world have it harder than I do. I know my children have it better than I did. I know that the media only tells me what they want me to hear. I know God can change a life. I do not know what happens after life, I have my faith, my belief, and my ideas and they are strong. But until I experience that day I only have my faith. Oh by the way when I KNOW what happens after life, you wont be able to watch it on television, or read about it in a book. You will just have to experience it for yourself, and then you will know.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Truth, lies and the stuff in between
So I had a person I know ask me for some assistance. The assistance was in the form of cash and I did as I always do when folks ask for help in the form of cash. I asked how much was needed. I asked nosey questions. I asked if alternatives were available. When this was all done I agreed to help out in a certain amount. A short time later I was contacted again and I was told that the agreed assistance just would not do. So I repeated the process. After checking our finances I dug down deep into our reserves and provided 40% more than initially requested. I gave it as a gift as I do not loan money.
Now comes the rub. The gift was to provide a short term solution to a problem and allow the person to get back on solid ground. The person used the gift to dig a hole of debt. The agreed upon approach was not the one taken. The person failed to tell me that my ?gift? was to be a down payment on something they could not afford to pay cash for.
Questions:
Was I lied to? I certainly was not given the whole picture.
Was not telling me the true motive a deceitful method to get cash.
As it was a gift do I have a right to be upset?
Answers:
It feels like a lie as I was not given the whole picture.
Not telling the true intentions was deceitful.
I do not have the right to be upset. It was a gift. I am trying and will eventually get over this
I will also add that person to my list of folk whom I can no longer trust. That person will not be given an open gift again. I may meet a specific need but it will be on my terms as the individual lost something more valuable than the cash amount. They lost their credibility, once lost hard regained.
Now comes the rub. The gift was to provide a short term solution to a problem and allow the person to get back on solid ground. The person used the gift to dig a hole of debt. The agreed upon approach was not the one taken. The person failed to tell me that my ?gift? was to be a down payment on something they could not afford to pay cash for.
Questions:
Was I lied to? I certainly was not given the whole picture.
Was not telling me the true motive a deceitful method to get cash.
As it was a gift do I have a right to be upset?
Answers:
It feels like a lie as I was not given the whole picture.
Not telling the true intentions was deceitful.
I do not have the right to be upset. It was a gift. I am trying and will eventually get over this
I will also add that person to my list of folk whom I can no longer trust. That person will not be given an open gift again. I may meet a specific need but it will be on my terms as the individual lost something more valuable than the cash amount. They lost their credibility, once lost hard regained.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Equality for all if you're a minority. Or; Pick me I want to be a minority.
So it is a given that there is a limit to materials available for humans to consume. For example there is only so much oil in the earth, water in the ocean, sand on the beaches. And only God knows how much there truly is.
We now have a president who is bent on making his mark on the country by addressing the needs of everyone, all at once. AIG failed so he propped them up. Detroit failed so he propped them up. Health care failed so he wants to prop them up. Now the president is trying to deal with another ?inequality? that being the rights of gays.
The president?s solution is to incrementally grant ?rights? to this yet another ?minority? group. Problem is that even this group of people (gays) is like all other groups of people. The more they get the more that want. It will never be enough until gays are granted the same status as married people.
In fact like other minorities the fix will never be enough because America will have to ?right the wrongs? of the past for decades to come. A great example is affirmative action which is still adding fuel to the race issue.
The president will provide a solution to the gays in the federal government that will do nothing but add fuel for their demand for more. First the state department as a result of far left hillery, now the federal government as a result of far left barack.
Now back to my first sentence. There are limited resources available. If we fight to give equal everything to everyone when will we run out? Furthermore how much of what I have worked hard for will be denied to me as a result of ensuring equality? Currently my contribution to Social Security is being used for an excessive number of programs besides Social Security and I am being told there will be no Socical Security for me when I am old enough to draw it. This by the way continues to be pushed farther back because the account is broke.
I earned those resources and if the government is going to ?reallocate? them for ?minorities? I should have a say. I am tired of paying for the fact that my great, great, great grandfather may have ?owned? a slave. As a white Anglo-Saxon protestant (WASP) I have become a minority as a result of ?fixing? all the injustices of the past. I take a second seat to minorities not because of my lack of qualification but because of my lack of color, gender, religion or sexual preference.
This country was established on the premise of freedom of individual rights, competition was the cornerstone of our growth. We are now leaning toward socialism and as a result I no longer feel like being competitive will get me what I desire. In fact doing less is more appealing because all I have to do is get into a government ?equality? line and some other non-minority will be there to support me. Sure we will run out of non-minorities as we make everyone equal but then who will care.
We now have a president who is bent on making his mark on the country by addressing the needs of everyone, all at once. AIG failed so he propped them up. Detroit failed so he propped them up. Health care failed so he wants to prop them up. Now the president is trying to deal with another ?inequality? that being the rights of gays.
The president?s solution is to incrementally grant ?rights? to this yet another ?minority? group. Problem is that even this group of people (gays) is like all other groups of people. The more they get the more that want. It will never be enough until gays are granted the same status as married people.
In fact like other minorities the fix will never be enough because America will have to ?right the wrongs? of the past for decades to come. A great example is affirmative action which is still adding fuel to the race issue.
The president will provide a solution to the gays in the federal government that will do nothing but add fuel for their demand for more. First the state department as a result of far left hillery, now the federal government as a result of far left barack.
Now back to my first sentence. There are limited resources available. If we fight to give equal everything to everyone when will we run out? Furthermore how much of what I have worked hard for will be denied to me as a result of ensuring equality? Currently my contribution to Social Security is being used for an excessive number of programs besides Social Security and I am being told there will be no Socical Security for me when I am old enough to draw it. This by the way continues to be pushed farther back because the account is broke.
I earned those resources and if the government is going to ?reallocate? them for ?minorities? I should have a say. I am tired of paying for the fact that my great, great, great grandfather may have ?owned? a slave. As a white Anglo-Saxon protestant (WASP) I have become a minority as a result of ?fixing? all the injustices of the past. I take a second seat to minorities not because of my lack of qualification but because of my lack of color, gender, religion or sexual preference.
This country was established on the premise of freedom of individual rights, competition was the cornerstone of our growth. We are now leaning toward socialism and as a result I no longer feel like being competitive will get me what I desire. In fact doing less is more appealing because all I have to do is get into a government ?equality? line and some other non-minority will be there to support me. Sure we will run out of non-minorities as we make everyone equal but then who will care.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What is important?
I was in church this past Wednesday. Something I have done pretty regular for the last ten to twelve weeks. The church has quietly decided that in order to ?lead? an event at the church you need to be trained in basic discipleship. Not a bad idea. This is not about the merits of that decision.
At the training this week I listened as the session was read to us. This has been the normal mode of instruction since this training started. Not a lot of interactive teaching more lecture than participation. Again this is not about the training.
One of the folks in attendance asked by way of a greeting ?Why are you here?? That question got several hard stares and a comment from the instructor. The gal who asked the question was surprised because I was in class and not at my daughter?s high school graduation ceremony. A couple of things amazed me at that moment. One was that some gal who has no relationship with me or my daughter is intimately aware of her education progress, so much so she even provided a graduation card. Two was that my presence in class was questioned, as if my priorities were wrong for being in class instead of not at my daughter?s graduation.
Which brings me to the real reason for this little word dump. Priorities. I have been very fortunate to have had some really good teachings many by good teachers many by some really hard lessons learned. One of the teachings I received is titled ?Living for the line? Its primary focus is to encourage the establishment of priorities, of running the race well, and keeping focused on the finish line. So what is the finish line, why death of course, when we are dead we are finished here, but we are just starting there. Death is the start of the really long line called eternity. Finishing or starting depends on your point of view. There are many events that are called the teacher called ?dots? birth, HS graduation, collage, marriage, kids, careers all of these represent dots on the short time line to death.
My daughter and I have a similar view on the HS graduation thing. It is a requirement to progress through high school for life skills. But act of walking across the stage at the high school graduation itself is not a significant event in light of eternity. Releationshps established in high school can be and are significant, but walking across the stage, not so big. She graduated well, good grades, no dramatic or traumatic events, just a job well done.
Is she less of a person for not having ?walked the stage? for her diploma, I think not. It is likely that in 6 months only she and I will know she did not walk. Her dots in life are different. Her dots really are focused on the line and not on the lifetime of worldly dots.
So as I sit in ?discipleship? class I am thankful that I did not wait for this class to establish priorities and to focus on the line. I am thankful that the relationships I have been a part of are real. It is nice to acknowledge achievement, but when the acknowledgement comes from someone with no relationship it seems shallow.
Living for the line means establishing long term relationships that are deep and bring with them all the joys and sorrows of life. Shallow relationships make a dot all the more less important. My daughter completed high school well. The fact she did not walk out of choice is trivial to the point of non-existent. She did well, one dot done well, on to the next dot constantly heading toward the line, and building relationships, that is exceptional.
At the training this week I listened as the session was read to us. This has been the normal mode of instruction since this training started. Not a lot of interactive teaching more lecture than participation. Again this is not about the training.
One of the folks in attendance asked by way of a greeting ?Why are you here?? That question got several hard stares and a comment from the instructor. The gal who asked the question was surprised because I was in class and not at my daughter?s high school graduation ceremony. A couple of things amazed me at that moment. One was that some gal who has no relationship with me or my daughter is intimately aware of her education progress, so much so she even provided a graduation card. Two was that my presence in class was questioned, as if my priorities were wrong for being in class instead of not at my daughter?s graduation.
Which brings me to the real reason for this little word dump. Priorities. I have been very fortunate to have had some really good teachings many by good teachers many by some really hard lessons learned. One of the teachings I received is titled ?Living for the line? Its primary focus is to encourage the establishment of priorities, of running the race well, and keeping focused on the finish line. So what is the finish line, why death of course, when we are dead we are finished here, but we are just starting there. Death is the start of the really long line called eternity. Finishing or starting depends on your point of view. There are many events that are called the teacher called ?dots? birth, HS graduation, collage, marriage, kids, careers all of these represent dots on the short time line to death.
My daughter and I have a similar view on the HS graduation thing. It is a requirement to progress through high school for life skills. But act of walking across the stage at the high school graduation itself is not a significant event in light of eternity. Releationshps established in high school can be and are significant, but walking across the stage, not so big. She graduated well, good grades, no dramatic or traumatic events, just a job well done.
Is she less of a person for not having ?walked the stage? for her diploma, I think not. It is likely that in 6 months only she and I will know she did not walk. Her dots in life are different. Her dots really are focused on the line and not on the lifetime of worldly dots.
So as I sit in ?discipleship? class I am thankful that I did not wait for this class to establish priorities and to focus on the line. I am thankful that the relationships I have been a part of are real. It is nice to acknowledge achievement, but when the acknowledgement comes from someone with no relationship it seems shallow.
Living for the line means establishing long term relationships that are deep and bring with them all the joys and sorrows of life. Shallow relationships make a dot all the more less important. My daughter completed high school well. The fact she did not walk out of choice is trivial to the point of non-existent. She did well, one dot done well, on to the next dot constantly heading toward the line, and building relationships, that is exceptional.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Things that make you wonder
I work in a project office that spends tax payers dollars, lots of them, not as much as the current administration, but lots. So trying to get things accomplished here is a lot like pushing an over cooked noodle up hill. Not impossible but not easy either. So today I was surprised when a policy came out that defined how the organization was to conduct going away parties for people leaving the organization. And yes there was an approval process to be followed and who was allowed to do what before someone could be ?recognized? by a going away party of types. Did I mention I work from taxpayers dollars? Needless to say I was a bit frustrated that trivial things warranted a ?process? but important actions only merit more study and repeat evaluation to determine what the real ?problem? is. For many reasons the government can not function like a business. But should this give the government the excuse to not be concerned and to be good stewards of the tax payers money, my money. Maybe it is time we ran the government like a business. Maybe we should charge organizations for worthless processes and procedures, like the party policy. Reward organization for doing things more efficient. Its time all levels of the government started addressing problems instead of spending all their time to determine if a problem really is a problem. The fact is we waste most of our resources trying to come up with a 100% solution to an issue. We are not happy with 80% there fore we wait until we have a 100% solution. So instead of getting 80% of something we get 100% of nothing.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Who is bailing out the bailers
So I have gotten in the habit of doing a weird thing. I am not sure where this habit came from. Most folks would call me conservative, a few old fashioned and some antique. This thing is called fiscal conservatism. I did not get this trait from my parents. I was not given this trait by a neighbor or friend. I think I picked it up when I got my first loan for someone with "no" credit and I paid 21% interest on a loan for something I just absolutely had to have new. I do things like live in houses that are below my income level. I drive used in some cases very used cars, I wait for the sales and watch my expenditures. Bottom line I have gotten accustomed to doing more with less and saving at every corner. I have also learned the value of giving back to God. It has been the life saver especially during tax time.
So here I am watching Detroit getting funds to stay solvent. The auto "bail out" as it is called. My Toyota has 280 thousand miles on it and runs like a top. My Detroit mini-van has 80K and I work to stay in front of the constant maintenance. Detroit has proven yet again that it can not be competitive. And Americans have proven yet again they have lost the ability to make the hard choices. Chrysler has been bailed out before and we are doing it again. GM and Ford have proven that they can not stay in front of the competition. And the UAW has proven that they are more concerned with the now than with tomorrow. So Detroit has mismanaged, failed to stay competitive and proven they can not compete on a global scale. The tough decision by Americans is to let them fail. The easy one is to tax folks like me to bail them out and to give them yet another opportunity to fail. Now the real rub. If I were a small business and I mismanaged my accounts, failed to plan for the next technology, failed to provide the best product for a competitive price I would not be in business and you would not be bailing me out. Why is Detroit different?
AIG has proven they can not provide a quality product for a competitive price. As such they went to the government watering hole for a bail out. And America did just that bailed them out. Then they went back for a second gulp, why? Because they needed more funds to become solvent. Oh did they fail to mention that solvency meant paying their executives lucrative bonuses. Once again America has proven that it has lost the will to make the tough choices. The tough choice here is to let AIG fail. Someone will scoop in and buy up the remains and turn it into a profitable operation but Americans are not comfortable with tough choices that mean change.
I have gotten in the habit of writing my congressional representatives and the president. The message is simple if they are going to reward the poor performance of Detroit, AIG, Bear Sterns, Fannie, Freddy, etc then the conservatives like me will jump on that band wagon. I want my hand out to. I want my neighbor to pay my bills, buy my house, and my car. If there is a line giving it away I want in it.
Problem here is I am not the only one. In fact everyone wants a freebie, but as I found out early in life nothing is free. So what happens when you are told there is no more, when you got all the way to the window just to have it close on you. This happened in the 30's it can happen again. I don't plan on being in line for the freebie. I will be out doing the conservative thing, like paying the bills, selling the unneeded unnecessary, unwanted. And doing what Americans use to do, be self sufficient.
So here I am watching Detroit getting funds to stay solvent. The auto "bail out" as it is called. My Toyota has 280 thousand miles on it and runs like a top. My Detroit mini-van has 80K and I work to stay in front of the constant maintenance. Detroit has proven yet again that it can not be competitive. And Americans have proven yet again they have lost the ability to make the hard choices. Chrysler has been bailed out before and we are doing it again. GM and Ford have proven that they can not stay in front of the competition. And the UAW has proven that they are more concerned with the now than with tomorrow. So Detroit has mismanaged, failed to stay competitive and proven they can not compete on a global scale. The tough decision by Americans is to let them fail. The easy one is to tax folks like me to bail them out and to give them yet another opportunity to fail. Now the real rub. If I were a small business and I mismanaged my accounts, failed to plan for the next technology, failed to provide the best product for a competitive price I would not be in business and you would not be bailing me out. Why is Detroit different?
AIG has proven they can not provide a quality product for a competitive price. As such they went to the government watering hole for a bail out. And America did just that bailed them out. Then they went back for a second gulp, why? Because they needed more funds to become solvent. Oh did they fail to mention that solvency meant paying their executives lucrative bonuses. Once again America has proven that it has lost the will to make the tough choices. The tough choice here is to let AIG fail. Someone will scoop in and buy up the remains and turn it into a profitable operation but Americans are not comfortable with tough choices that mean change.
I have gotten in the habit of writing my congressional representatives and the president. The message is simple if they are going to reward the poor performance of Detroit, AIG, Bear Sterns, Fannie, Freddy, etc then the conservatives like me will jump on that band wagon. I want my hand out to. I want my neighbor to pay my bills, buy my house, and my car. If there is a line giving it away I want in it.
Problem here is I am not the only one. In fact everyone wants a freebie, but as I found out early in life nothing is free. So what happens when you are told there is no more, when you got all the way to the window just to have it close on you. This happened in the 30's it can happen again. I don't plan on being in line for the freebie. I will be out doing the conservative thing, like paying the bills, selling the unneeded unnecessary, unwanted. And doing what Americans use to do, be self sufficient.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The absence of right.
Here we go. I am a business CEO and for the last decade I have been letting the business as usual be “business as usual”. Rather than look to the future and be innovative, competitive, trend setting I have been very comfortable with “business as usual”. Many of you would call me the government and you would be right. I am actually the big three auto makers I have failed to provide a quality product. I have failed to be innovative and seek alternate technologies. I have failed to set the standards in all manners. I have been happy in the knowledge that the American people are basically dumb and will buy American because they have always “bought American” So now I am standing in the government bail out lines begging for funds so I can stay afloat.
Here we go again. I am the CEO of a major banking firm. I have become aware that most folks really don’t have a clue what I do. I have convinced the stockholders that I am worth 1-10% of their total profits because I am “that good”. I have encouraged questionable investments. I have failed in my due diligence with my customers and loaned them money that 20 years ago they would have never been considered eligible for. I put questionable customers into risky loans so they could buy homes they were under qualified for. Now the housing market has tanked, the people of questionable means have defaulted because they lost their income, yes some worked for the big three. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.
Here we go again. I am the working person who was enticed by the bankers and the auto manufactures to “buy off” more than I can chew. I fell for those really “low” interest loans for my mortgage. I figured in 5 years I would be able to pay the balloon payment. I figured I would have no problem because I was assured by the banker that the interest rate would not “skyrocket” I was assured by the auto dealer that even with “bad credit, or no credit” I could get that new “American made” car. I never thought about tomorrow and was more concerned with my wants today. I did not develop a good saving habit. I did not right size my home to my needs and abilities, I did not drive my car an extra year or two. I just made sure I got my immediate needs satisfied. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.
One more time. So I am the guy who has denied himself in one manner or another. Wanting things yes. Waiting for those things, yes. Driving an older car, yes. Buying a house I could afford, yes. Using a “conventional” loan that I qualified because I did save for the 20% down payment, yes. I have lost some funds as a result of the banking crisis, but not as much as most. I chose to be conservative in my investments. A 3% return was not as glamorous as the 12% but then when all tanked my fall was not as steep. So now I am watching the auto makers, the bankers, and the people who pushed the credit envelope for personal gain, standing in the government line begging for funds so they can stay afloat.
The problem here is I am not in the line. I am providing the funds for the line. It is my pocket that the government is dipping into even further to cover the people who did not do the right and prudent thing.
Furthermore what have we done to those who have tried hard to do the right thing, As it stands today if you’re a banker, automaker, defaulter of loans you stand a good chance of getting bailed out. If you’re prudent, conservative, patient you get to loose even more money.
The absence of right. We are rewarding wrong and penalizing right. We are encouraging business as usual and discouraging change of faulty processes. We are asking the people who try hard, to try even harder to support those who do the wrong thing. There an end. The right can not continue to cover all the wrong.
There is an end. If you’re the big three and you can not complete, goodbye. If you’re a banker who got your million dollar bonus just before the bank collapsed go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you’re the greedy American who had to have a bigger car, bigger house, bigger boat and did it by “creative” financing, go bankrupt, turn in all your “ill gotten” gains in and live within your means. If you’re the guy who did the right things the continue doing the right things. Also be vocal, don’t let the government continue to practice what King George III practiced “taxation without representation”. Let your representative know with all your words both written, spoken, and voted that there is an end and it has been reached.
Here we go again. I am the CEO of a major banking firm. I have become aware that most folks really don’t have a clue what I do. I have convinced the stockholders that I am worth 1-10% of their total profits because I am “that good”. I have encouraged questionable investments. I have failed in my due diligence with my customers and loaned them money that 20 years ago they would have never been considered eligible for. I put questionable customers into risky loans so they could buy homes they were under qualified for. Now the housing market has tanked, the people of questionable means have defaulted because they lost their income, yes some worked for the big three. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.
Here we go again. I am the working person who was enticed by the bankers and the auto manufactures to “buy off” more than I can chew. I fell for those really “low” interest loans for my mortgage. I figured in 5 years I would be able to pay the balloon payment. I figured I would have no problem because I was assured by the banker that the interest rate would not “skyrocket” I was assured by the auto dealer that even with “bad credit, or no credit” I could get that new “American made” car. I never thought about tomorrow and was more concerned with my wants today. I did not develop a good saving habit. I did not right size my home to my needs and abilities, I did not drive my car an extra year or two. I just made sure I got my immediate needs satisfied. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.
One more time. So I am the guy who has denied himself in one manner or another. Wanting things yes. Waiting for those things, yes. Driving an older car, yes. Buying a house I could afford, yes. Using a “conventional” loan that I qualified because I did save for the 20% down payment, yes. I have lost some funds as a result of the banking crisis, but not as much as most. I chose to be conservative in my investments. A 3% return was not as glamorous as the 12% but then when all tanked my fall was not as steep. So now I am watching the auto makers, the bankers, and the people who pushed the credit envelope for personal gain, standing in the government line begging for funds so they can stay afloat.
The problem here is I am not in the line. I am providing the funds for the line. It is my pocket that the government is dipping into even further to cover the people who did not do the right and prudent thing.
Furthermore what have we done to those who have tried hard to do the right thing, As it stands today if you’re a banker, automaker, defaulter of loans you stand a good chance of getting bailed out. If you’re prudent, conservative, patient you get to loose even more money.
The absence of right. We are rewarding wrong and penalizing right. We are encouraging business as usual and discouraging change of faulty processes. We are asking the people who try hard, to try even harder to support those who do the wrong thing. There an end. The right can not continue to cover all the wrong.
There is an end. If you’re the big three and you can not complete, goodbye. If you’re a banker who got your million dollar bonus just before the bank collapsed go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you’re the greedy American who had to have a bigger car, bigger house, bigger boat and did it by “creative” financing, go bankrupt, turn in all your “ill gotten” gains in and live within your means. If you’re the guy who did the right things the continue doing the right things. Also be vocal, don’t let the government continue to practice what King George III practiced “taxation without representation”. Let your representative know with all your words both written, spoken, and voted that there is an end and it has been reached.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The price of convinces
For background purposes. My hot water heater went out on 5 Dec 08. I finally had it fixed on 13 Jan 09. Yes over a month with a water heater that leaked when ever it was on and on many occasions would not even turn on.
I spent a lot of time on the phone and in person with people who were convinced the average consumer is in the end willing to accept what ever is thrown at them. For those who know me. I am not average. So I spent a month with no hot water and in the end the insurance company did in fact pay, the plumber who was trying to get that bucket of gold prior to Christmas at my expense walked away with nothing.
I am writing this because the next plumber to arrive installed the new hot water heater and it was a direct replacement. The whole process took all of about 40 minutes and required no parts. The bill, over $200. Could I have done it, yes. But then in the eyes of the insurance company and the plumbers I am a “dumb consumer” who will accept what ever is thrown at them as “price of convinces”
The insurance companies have a “racket” going with many of the providers of service. The consumer pays up front in the form of insurance premiums. Then the consumer pays again for the on sight “service call fee” and the extra “other” things not authorized to be covered by the insurance company.
At the height of this fiasco I was expected to wait 3 weeks and pay $1500 for my hot water, I can imagine how many consumers bite the bullet and give in.
Be a smart consumer there is a reasonable price for convinces. Pay a worker a good wage for their work, but be smart don’t let them treat you like the “dumb consumer”
I spent a lot of time on the phone and in person with people who were convinced the average consumer is in the end willing to accept what ever is thrown at them. For those who know me. I am not average. So I spent a month with no hot water and in the end the insurance company did in fact pay, the plumber who was trying to get that bucket of gold prior to Christmas at my expense walked away with nothing.
I am writing this because the next plumber to arrive installed the new hot water heater and it was a direct replacement. The whole process took all of about 40 minutes and required no parts. The bill, over $200. Could I have done it, yes. But then in the eyes of the insurance company and the plumbers I am a “dumb consumer” who will accept what ever is thrown at them as “price of convinces”
The insurance companies have a “racket” going with many of the providers of service. The consumer pays up front in the form of insurance premiums. Then the consumer pays again for the on sight “service call fee” and the extra “other” things not authorized to be covered by the insurance company.
At the height of this fiasco I was expected to wait 3 weeks and pay $1500 for my hot water, I can imagine how many consumers bite the bullet and give in.
Be a smart consumer there is a reasonable price for convinces. Pay a worker a good wage for their work, but be smart don’t let them treat you like the “dumb consumer”
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tolerating the intolerable
So I am heading out the door this morning and in my preparations for work I do the normal guy things, you know shower, shave, coffee, quiet time. Not today. Work is one of those things I tolerate because if you don’t tolerate work then small other things like cash become a challenge.
Anyway I am at step one of the morning preparation, shower time. In most American home this is easy, turn on the water adjust to desired temp, do your business. For the last month that has not been my privilege. There is a process for hot water because my water heater has gone south. It now requires opening several valves hoping the igniter will work, running lots of water to ensure a higher than truly needed flame and being quick because anything can bring it all to a very cold cold halt. Once again this is something I tolerate because it is a part of the process of getting out the door and going to work to make the money that makes the house go round. It has become yet another example of tolerating the intolerable. It helps that I am aware that most people in the world do not have a hot shower every day and many are fortunate to get a running shower on a weekly or monthly basis.
There are some things I have been tolerating that add nothing to the process of making the house go round and round. CATS. Last year I went from 2 to 4 cats overnight. If I had doubled my cars, my kids, my bills, my computers, my wives overnight there would be hell to pay, but not cats. They fight me going in and out of doors in the morning when normal people are still sleeping. They have no issues with taking several thousands of dollars worth or furniture and changing it to tattered rags. They have now qualms about parking their big lazy butts over the heat vents so they stay warm, at everyone else’s expense. And of course the expectation is that I will feed them, keep them healthy and if you’re a cat nut I will leave their destructive claws in tact.
So this morning as I have no hot water and ungrateful cats about my feet I have decided to not tolerate the intolerable. Work, cold shower, house issues tolerable because they add value to the running of the house. The new cats that “appeared” overnight, no value to the running of the house. They require resources of the house, they take resources of the house, and they don’t add value to the house. So there days are numbered, anyone want a fat lazy obnoxious cat?
Anyway I am at step one of the morning preparation, shower time. In most American home this is easy, turn on the water adjust to desired temp, do your business. For the last month that has not been my privilege. There is a process for hot water because my water heater has gone south. It now requires opening several valves hoping the igniter will work, running lots of water to ensure a higher than truly needed flame and being quick because anything can bring it all to a very cold cold halt. Once again this is something I tolerate because it is a part of the process of getting out the door and going to work to make the money that makes the house go round. It has become yet another example of tolerating the intolerable. It helps that I am aware that most people in the world do not have a hot shower every day and many are fortunate to get a running shower on a weekly or monthly basis.
There are some things I have been tolerating that add nothing to the process of making the house go round and round. CATS. Last year I went from 2 to 4 cats overnight. If I had doubled my cars, my kids, my bills, my computers, my wives overnight there would be hell to pay, but not cats. They fight me going in and out of doors in the morning when normal people are still sleeping. They have no issues with taking several thousands of dollars worth or furniture and changing it to tattered rags. They have now qualms about parking their big lazy butts over the heat vents so they stay warm, at everyone else’s expense. And of course the expectation is that I will feed them, keep them healthy and if you’re a cat nut I will leave their destructive claws in tact.
So this morning as I have no hot water and ungrateful cats about my feet I have decided to not tolerate the intolerable. Work, cold shower, house issues tolerable because they add value to the running of the house. The new cats that “appeared” overnight, no value to the running of the house. They require resources of the house, they take resources of the house, and they don’t add value to the house. So there days are numbered, anyone want a fat lazy obnoxious cat?
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