Public Speaking

I like most people was paralyzed by the thought of speaking to more than a handful of people at one time. My past jobs did not require public speaking, so the fear was not realized often. There was just that one Sunday morning every year called "Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day" that would remind me of my fear. Since I was Superintendent of the Kindergarten class, I would be asked to introduce the teachers and helpers and briefly describe how we went about our responsibility. Every year I would get through it just fine, but that made the next year no easier.
Then came my job changed and I began working for Sprint. Since I was part of the Corporate infrastructure of a Fortune 100 company, there were times when I would be asked to present. If I had known that tidbit, I may not have taken the job. That is just how powerful the fear of public speaking is for most people. I coasted through the first few months without drawing a presentation responsibility. I was working on a technical operations manual for Fiber to the Curb networks, so most of my time was spent researching and writing. When I neared completion, my director requested that I prepare a presentation on how HR functions would change with the introduction of the new technology. He said I would present the subject to a group of director and vice presidents in the HR and operations organizations.

My knees immediately buckled. I had just been told that I would be thrown into the deep end of the pool without swimming lessons. Being the good soldier that I am, I began preparing the material I would present. Once prepared, I began practicing my delivery. I probably spent several hours practicing a presentation that would last only 15 minutes.

The day of the presentation arrived. After a bit of last minute practicing and no lunch (I did not feel hurling was good presentation form), I proceeded to the conference room with the assembled executives. My time on the agenda came and went, but I was not introduced. Finally, after an hour of extreme stress, I stepped up to the podium and began my presentation. My voice quivered, my knees shook and every part of my body began to sweat. Regardless, I delivered the presentation and opened the floor for questions. A few were asked and I handled them fine. And then I was excused.

As I returned to my work area, I experienced a sensation that I have experienced only a few times since. It was a feeling of euphoria and relief at conquering a fear. I had faced the bull and won. Later that day I asked my director for his thoughts on my presentation. He had nothing but great things to say which further enhanced the elation. He was not able to detect the voice quivers or knee knocking, a phenomenon I have witnessed several times since in myself and others.

Since that first presentation, I have taken many classes on presentation skills and public speaking. All were valuable, but the most valuable was one that actually video taped your presentation for playback. In that class I was able to see and correct many of my annoying gestures and habits that distract listeners. Running the tape in fast forward also uncovered the strange quirks of my delivery. When seen in fast motion, I waddle back and forth like a duck. These are things that I watch for when speaking and have tried to correct.

Today, public speaking is just part of the job. I still feel euphoric after delivering a message well. Most of my messages are no longer prepared presentations, but short "elevator speeches." Usually those are off the cuff, (a useful ability), and last only a minute or less. Managers usually develop the talent of turning a 1 minute elevator speech into a presentation of any length when called upon. To the basic elevator speech, we simply add a related story or two and maybe an analogy. It is a clever talent that transforms a 1 minute speech into a 15 minute presentation at a moment's notice.

Many people on my team would be in the same fearful situation if asked to present. I once had a supervisor on my team who would lock up when presenting. I coached him several times but it did nothing to help him overcome his problem. He would simply blank out while speaking. He could not utter another word and would have to excuse himself from the podium. His fear was far worse than average.
Prepared presentation is never a concern for me anymore. If given time to prepare, I can be at ease in front of any audience. I am comfortable with speaking to large groups on demand as long as I know the material. If I don't know the material, I have found it better to be frank (because I always am) and just say I have nothing important to add than make it up. People who make it up are always caught.

Larry Johnson

As I write this blog during my lunch break on Tuesday, I suspect the Chefs are getting ready to release their star running back Larry Johnson. Larry has always been a thuggish, loose cannon and has never been happy in KC. His past is fraut with stupid statements, run ins with the police and suspensions. It is time for him to move on.

There have been many embarrassing incidents over his KC career. Most recently, he dissed his coach and the front office with a single tweet. That alone was probably not enough to send him packing. He added to his indiscretion by calling a local media reporter a faggot, and following up with similar tweet. I think that was enough to seal his fate. The Chefs and the NFL can tolerate inside rants, but one minority degrading another is a sure ticket to irrelevance. They will soon drop him like a hot potato.

Ironically, this is what Larry has asked for going back at least 2 seasons. He just wants out. The surprise is that he picked this week, after such good behavior on his part all season. He will now get his wish, and will surely catch on with another team. He is still a workhorse running back with several productive years ahead of him. On just about any other team, he will be more successful than his 2 yards per carry average suggests. With the Chefs, he has no blocking. Every yard is earned. On another team, even a bad one, he will get more holes to run through that he gets with the Chefs.

I expect Larry will again become a star running back somewhere in the NFL. And I really cannot blame him for wanting his released from the Chefs.

Update late Tuesday afternoon: The Chefs have asked Larry to stay away until their investigation is complete. I suspect the investigation involves shopping him to other NFL teams. Maybe they can get a 7th round draft choice in 2015? The Chef''s official statement reads:

The Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League are continuing to investigate the alleged comments made by Larry Johnson. Until that review is complete, the Chiefs have instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities. A decision regarding Larry’s status will be made once the investigation has concluded.

By evening, a few sports blogs were reporting Larry's imminent release.




Update on 10/29: Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt it. The Chefs have officially suspended Johnson again. The statement released on their web site was:

The Kansas City Chiefs have suspended RB Larry Johnson for Conduct Detrimental to the Club effective immediately. Johnson will not be permitted to participate in any team activities or be on team premises until Monday, November 9th. The Chiefs will have no further comment on Johnson’s status at this time.

I still think they are looking to unload him.

Doesn't Tradition Count for Anything?

My favorite time of the year is just around the corner. Soon the airwaves will be full of college basketball games from all corners of America. The season leading up to March Madness is my favorite time in sports. Amateur competitors will lay everything on the line for a mere title. It really doesn’t matter whether I am watching the men or women play, it is all good competition.


An interesting thing happened during this lead up to the season. Preseason polls are starting to be published. The surprise is that Kansas, not Kentucky, is at the top.  Both Dick Vitale and CBS Sports preseason rankings read 1. Kansas 2. Kentucky.  Doesn’t a rich heritage and tradition count for anything anymore? Just which team is the one with the proudest, most celebrated past?

The answer is academic – Kentucky – my team*. And I am taking personal offense these facts are not considered when anointing the preseason #1 pick. Who are these guys anyway? What would Dick Vitale or the staff at CBS Sport know about men’s college basketball? Apparently, very little. I guess we will just need to wait for March to see the cream rise to the top.

Update: Now I am livid.  The Bleacher Report has KU #1, and Kentucky #4. 

Another Update - This keeps getting worse.  The so-called top 2 polls, (AP and COaches) polls both have Kansas #1.  Kentucky with all it's rich tradition and proud heritage is #4 in the coaches and #5 in the Coaches polls.  I say again, what do these guys know about basketball?

Closets

My brother in law, Steve, and I recently completed a large home remodel project for Jimmy and Allison. The remodel consists of finishing off an area of their basement into a master bedroom with full bathroom. We also are putting in a large closet. Allison told me a a couple weeks ago that she had some ideas for the "design of her closet".

A man would never design a closet. We expect very little from our closet and can be content with whatever space our mate allows us to occupy. Jimmy is learning that as he was recently informed that his closet is a closet area that was reconfigured to become the entrance to the new bedroom.

Women are different. Some women will select the home they wish to buy based on the master bedroom closet. This is why builders now finish off closets in ways that was never done in the past. Today, a closet does not meet the woman's expectation unless it is as large as a small bedroom, has lighting and possibly a window. It must also have plenty of shelving, clothes rods, and a shoe rack. A well designed master bedroom closet will make women weep with joy. Some will even buy furniture to put in the closet. I suppose the furniture is to sit on as they decide what to wear next.

In our last home, Terri and I were lucky. We had 2 closets in the master bedroom. She had the big one and I had the little one. There was no discussion on the assignment. The women always gets the big closet.

Currently we have a modern and large closet. My stuff occupies approximately 25% of the total space. I feel lucky. A 25% share of a modern closet is more than any man should expect. It is also more than I probably need. I once lived out of a cardboard box next to my bed, which I found to be less complex.

Men's Wardrobes

Really, the title is very close to an oxymoron. Men, especially married men, don't have wardrobes. We have a collection of clothes we never picked out.  If we actually shopped for the clothes we wear, all we would need would be jeans, gym shorts, sweatpants, and t-shirts. Maybe a sweatshirt for winter. You don't really need more than 2 or 3 of each. And color? Whatever is on top of the pile is fine.

I don't think I have bought more that one or two shirts or pants over the past couple of years. Yet, I have a closet full of clothes. How does that happen? Easy. I just wear the same thing twice in one week and new clothes appear courtesy of my wife. Terri buys nearly all the clothes I wear, so if I am well dressed (a big if), then she deserves the credit. The main reason she does the shopping is that Kohl's and Macy's make me very uncomfortable. Primarily because they smell weird - sort of that "women's store" smell. The smell is not as annoying as Yankee Candle, but close.

If I had to buy my own clothes, I would not go to a traditional clothing store. In fact, I would probably just go to Costco. The selection is as low as the prices, so decisions are limited. They always have one or two styles of pants, shorts and shirts in stock. If I bought one of each, every month for a year, I would never need to shop anywhere else. Aside from the free snacks, the added bonus of clothes shopping at Costco is that you can bury the clothes under a case of Pepsi or a power tool as you exit. Nobody has to know you went clothes shopping.

What men really need is a men's clothes store that only has 2 sections - business casual and casual. Each section would have preselected "day of the week" ensembles to purchase, complete with underwear and socks. I would go to the business casual section and pick up 5 sets for Monday through Friday, and the casual section for Saturday and Sunday - DONE! Day of the week tags in on each item would also be a plus. All clothing decisions for men would be removed, both when purchasing clothes and when picking out what to wear each day. Is this a million dollar idea or what?

While I buy few clothes, I do buy my own shoes. Typically this is an activity that occurs while on vacation. I see shoes as a necessary evil that cost 2 or 3 times more than they are worth. So when Terri wants to shop at an outlet mall while out of town, I use the trip for my benefit and shop for shoes. Every outlet mall has more than one shoe shop, and virtually every shoe is on sale every day of the year. Still, I head to the rack in the back where they keep the real cheap shoes. Among the discontinued disco models and the absurd looking basketball shoes, I can usually find a pair or two that I will wear. The last time I went shoe shopping I bought 3 pair. That's a 5 year supply!

Chefs and Weber Remodeling Project

The Chefs lost again, but that was not a surprise.  After today's games, Tampa Bay and St. Louis have claimed worst of the year based on their 0-7 records.  And the good news is that the Chefs will not lose next week.  It is their bye week, so that claim is fairly safe.  Sunday against San Deigo, the Chefs were thoroughly dominated in a 37-7 loss.  Nothing unexpected there.  The only thing the game proved is what a lousy team are the Washington Redskins.

I thought I would post a few camera phone pictures of my daughter Allison's new basement remodel.  Aside from some touch up paint, the project is done.  My brother in law, Steve and I have been working on it for around 6 weeks.  The project turned out marvelous.  I am hoping my daughter will take a few quality pictures and post them on her blog or facebook. 

First, the closet.  This is the larger of 2 bedroom closets.

The first of 2 bathroom pictures.  We added a full bath.

A large shower.

Bedroom picture 1 of 3.  Looking in from the entry door.  First door on left is to the bathroom.  Second door is to the larger closet.

Bedroom picture 2 of 3.  Looking back to the entry.  Terri is standing in the smaller closet used to enter the bedroom.  Sounds strange, but it worked out well.

Bedroom picture #3 is taken from the same spot as #2. Inset area is large enough for their dresser to fit into. Door shown in picure goes into bathroom.

All floors are ceramic tile.  Walls are knockdown textured and painted a beige.  I am glad to get my weekends back.

Kamakazi Senators

I never thought I would see the day that our elected representatives would vote for a bill that most Americans don't want, knowing they will pay for it with their job during the next election cycle. Most Democrats and a few Republican representatives seem willing to be voted out of office in order to pass a national health care bill. Their thought is that if not now, never, and we will never be this close again.

I vote for never. If I lose that vote, then vote them all out of office. I understand that we do not live in a democracy. Instead we live in a representative republic where leaders are elected to do the will of the people who elected them. Somehow that has morphed into doing the will of the minority.

Nobody has the right to health care. Everyone should have the right to buy health insurance. If someone cannot afford health insurance, they should not be turned away from a hospital. They can and will get treatment. Everyone that is insured picks up the tab for the uninsured. Our current system is ubiquitous, but not cost effective. So can someone explain why national health care under the bill just voted out of the finance committee will increase my premiums by 15%-40%?

One piece of common sense says that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Now I believe that our health care system can be improved, but folks, it ain't broke! Why does half the world come to the US for treatment? Why do all the cutting edge treatments and drug discoveries come from the US? There is one easy answer to that question: It is because we have a competitive, capitalistic system that rewards success and punishes failure. That brings out the entrepreneurial spirit that creates innovation and personal wealth.

Obama's plan will lead to bureaucratic red tape, fearful treatment, and general apathy in the medical profession. If you want to make the US a third world country, stifle competitiveness in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs will take their capital elsewhere where they can be rewarded.

Final Project Update

The rain came in time, and is now fairly regular. The cooler temperatures have really made a difference. I have a great stand of grass coming up that will survive the winter and should thicken up next Spring. I declare the project a success!

Obama Supporters

Last week I heard a term that helped me sort out in my mind the kinds of people who support President Obama. There are 2 kinds of people who support President Obama's policies.

The Far Left Looneys - These people actually understand what Obama is doing and support it. They know he is introducing a new socialism, and they want it to succeed. These people have always been around. It wasn't that long ago they were referred to as communists. They are attracted to the ACLU and see it as a way to tear down standards and principals that people live by on behalf of an "oppressed" minority. They also form the leadership of the Mainstream Media. Since they agree with Obama's philosophy, the are willing to provide him protection and support by the way the news is reported, or not reported. Overall, they are nothing new to the United States. They have been around for many years, and cannot win over the hearts and minds of common citizens, so will never win long term power. Occasionally they win an important election and we are forced to endure their representation for a few years, but they always pass. The second type of Obama supporters are far more dangerous.

The Useful Idiots - This is the new term I heard. The quote is attributed to Lenin, however there is question on his exact words that were interpreted to mean useful idiots. Lenin is believed to have said that useful idiots were the capitalist dupes "that will sell us the rope with which to hang them."

Today's Obama supporting Useful Idiots could be described as people who do not pay attention to what Obama says or does, but apologize for him because he is a good guy trying to do the right thing. And he is such a great speaker. And he is better than George Bush. Hatred of Bush has produced enough Useful Idiots to elect the least qualified man ever to run for President. There are still enough Useful Idiots to maintain his approval rate around 50%. Useful Idiots are typically good people with good intentions. They just are not paying attention. For that reason, they are far more dangerous than the Far Left Looneys.

Interestingly enough, Useful Idiots are created by the Far Left Looneys. They use selective reporting, sound bites, and develop intense hatred of opponents. This produces mind-numbed idiots that never question their own belief. Instead, thy believe what they hear from the M&M's without question. If you have any doubt, 10 minutes watching How Obama Got Elected should convince you. These Useful Idiots should not be allowed to vote.

Fall

I am against it. After the rebirth of spring, and the activity of summer, comes fall. Some people refer to it as autumn so they don't use the 4 letter word. To me, that's like saying potty instead of crap. I am just not a fan of fall or even autumn. There is very little I like about it.

The days shorten. I now go to work in the dark, and once daylight savings time expires I will come home in the dark. The day we go off daylight savings time is to me, the dreariest day of the year. Of course you get a little more light in the morning, but to me it is depressing to leave work at dusk. It requires a whole week to work out the drearies. The lack of sunlight means that I must now plan cutting the grass or other outside yard work around the expanding dark hours, so it is inconvenient too.

Warmth becomes hard to find. This fall has been an especially cool one. Since the first of October, most daytime highs have run between 18 and 27 degrees below normal. We should be topping out in the upper 60's but have only seen one 60 degree day this month. Warmer weather has come this week, but it is still below average. I certainly hope this is not a trend. The outside chill seems to work it's way inside the house. Setting our thermostat to 68 is a luxury during summer, but the same inside temperature seems frigid this time of year.

Goodbye green. The color ceases to exist during winter, and it's fall's fault. We get a lot of satisfaction from Terri's flowers and my lawn during the summer. But even now, our flowers are not producing many blooms and the lawn will soon start to turn brown. Fortunately our neighborhood was once a Christmas tree farm so we will never completely lose the green, but it gets harder to find.

But trees bring up the best part of fall.

Kansas City briefly becomes a beautiful town for a couple weeks during the fall. The city is filled with maple, oak, and other tree species that turn to various shades of yellow, orange and red. You cannot help but notice. This year has been a wet one, so the trees entered fall in a very healthy state and are just now reaching peak color.

With the recent cold temperatures, there was a risk of a marcescent fall, one with a few days of hard freezes. We had one in Kansas City back in 2001. The leaves freeze on the trees, turn brown, and do not fall until spring, So marcescent is your vocabulary word for the day.

mar·ces·cent (mär ses′ənt)
adjective
withering but not falling off

My personal definition of a marcescent fall would be an especially crappy fall.

Bang, You're Dead Bambi

Everybody loves deer. They probably make us remember poor Bambi who lost her mother during our childhood. I bet some people even shed a tear when they see deer roadkill. Recently a local news story involving deer has turned very bizarre and turned out the local wackos. A local county park is experiencing a deer over population problem. The park rangers estimate that around 200 deer per square mile inhabit the park of just over 3 square miles. They also claim the park can only support 50 deer per square mile. My limited math skills tell me they need to reduce the deer population by at least 450 deer.

Because of the over population, the county explored options for reducing the deer population in the park. They claim the deer are diseased and slowly starving to death in their competition for the scarce food supply available within the park. Deer are migrating out of the park causing a higher than normal number of deer-car accidents in the vicinity. Neighbors around the park also report deer foraging through their garbage, gardens and planter beds looking for sustenance.

Knowing the potential for over-reaction on any deer reduction plan, the county held a series of public meetings where they shared information related to the over-population problem and several solutions. Over time, one option gained the support of the county officials. The plan called for sharpshooters reducing deer population during the park's closed hours. They might as well of called the solution Murdering Bambi. The radical fringe has now descended.

I am confident the county selected the most cost-efficient and humane solution to the problem. Regardless, this decision organized a group of animal loving crazy people who regularly protest the action now underway. The county then tried to mitigate the protest by announcing the deer would be taken to a slaughterhouse, butchered, and the meat given to Harvesters food pantry. (Hey, didn't they say the deer were diseased?) This did nothing to satisfy the crazy people. They now gather near the park with signs and other forms of protest.

One especially deranged individual staged a publicity stunt by calling in the local TV media to cover (and tape for the 10:00 news) him dump a 5 gallon bucket of blood onto himself for some purpose only known to him. It did nothing to convince me of his cause. In fact, it convinced me that he was insane for thinking the stunt would be beneficial in some way.

What has been notably absent from the crazies protest are viable alternatives to the deer population problem. The county has done a good job of communicating the problem and their proposed solution. The crazies have not, so I assume their plan is one of the following:

• Ignore the problem and let the deer die a slow painful death by starvation.
• Convince the 450 of the park neighbors to adopt a deer.
• Convince the county to change the property from a public park to a deer refuge and become caretakers to a growing deer population of over 600.
• Capture each of the 450 deer individually, put them up in a Motel 6 while they figure out where to dump them to become someone else's problem.

There was one troubling suggestion from the crazies. A true rocket scientist from the group stated the county should introduce deer predators into the park to control the deer population. I assume he meant cougars or wolves (or sharpshooters?). Obviously he had not thought through ramifications of predators also leaving the park to nibble on neighborhood kittens or small children. He must also have thought that being ripped apart by a wolf is a far better way to die than getting a bullet in the brain.

This brand of animal-loving fanaticism draws both conservative and liberal members like moths to a flame. There is one notable difference between the two. Conservatives tend to be more consistent by also standing up for human life, while the libs never see the connection.

Chiefs Win ! Chiefs Win! Chiefs Win!

On Sunday the Kansas City Chiefs stunned NFL fans by beating the hapless Washington Redskins. The game was by far the most exciting played in Redskin's Fed Ex Stadium that day. For 4 quarters, the Chiefs and Redskins traded field goals as each offense was unable to find their anus with either hand.

The Chiefs won 4 field goals to 2. They also added a safety in the last minute of play to make the final score 14-6 providing an illusion they are able to score 2 touchdowns in a single game. Yet, a win is a win. That should be the last win Chiefs fans should expect this season, however future games against the Raiders and Browns will provide slim hope for a second win.

Despite the win, the Chiefs remain the worst team in football over the past 2 seasons with a combined record of 3 wins and 28 losses. They also remain solidly in contention for the first draft pick of the 2010 draft. All in all, it could be worse. The Chiefs could have been in Tennessee's position playing New England.

The Age of Magic and Wizardry

From my youth I remember Science Fiction stories of either a primitive man transported to the present, or a modern man transported back in time. In either case, the story line always describes the progress we have made with technology and how a primitive man stands in awe and disbelief of the world that is still in his future.

It is thought that man's knowledge doubles every few years, and the doubling period is reduced by half during every iteration. I suspect that would mean the definition of "primitive man"could be pulled in every few years. Instead of bringing a cave man into a world with cars, television, airplanes and telephones, the same effect could be obtained by bringing a 1980's person into today's world. In the early 80's my most high tech gadget was a digital watch that would show the time and date! Think of the changes that have occurred since then and within our lifetimes.

Cell phones are now ubiquitous. Many people are cancelling their landlines and relying solely on wireless service. The 1980's man would be fascinated by so many people walking the streets or driving their cars while carrying on a phone conversation. The computing power of a modern cell phone is more sophisticated than the computers used on the lunar landing vehicles.

Computers were around in the 1980's, but were thought of as a high tech hobby. Now every home has one, and most are connected to the Internet using high speed connections. Downloading movies, songs and even operating systems was only dreamt of in the 80's.

Did anyone ever think the VCR with their flashing 12:00 time display would ever become obsolete? It has. Digital Video Recorders integrated with electronic program guides are now more prevalent than any other type of video recorder. Don't commercials annoy you? They do me, so the DVR has completely transformed how I watch TV. Watching in real time is so 1990's.
Email has virtually replace the written letter, and is becoming the preferred distribution method for junk mail. I know that I get more advertisements via email than US mail. If the Postal Service was discontinued tomorrow, I would not care since I do not rely on it. I suspect we are seeing the last gasp of the service which will be discontinued within 5 years.

The only wires that are needed in most home are electrical. Phones are cordless or even wireless. Computers connect via WiFi connections. Video and audio services are moving to WiFi. Bluetooth is eliminating the need for wired connections to peripherals. Complete mobility is here for the technically savvy. Even our appliances can be connected wirelessly and report when they have a problem. In the business place, appliances such as printers and copiers actually call for their own service.

Devices such as cameras now have computing power never thought of a few years ago. Cameras can recognize the faces of the photography subject, and even trigger a picture when they smile. Soon, you will be able to purchase a camera that automatically uploads your digital pictures to your online albums.

How would the 1980's man react to these technologies that just scratch the surface of progress. I suspect that his reaction would be similar to the cave man's reaction to cars. That would mean that we, as 2010 people, will be awed by the progress we will see in 2020. We will see it as an age of magic and wizardry.

Nomad Gypsies

I lead a team of gypsy nomads. The executive level must have an objective to realign their organization at least once a quarter. My team seems to be included in most of those realignments. I was just realigned again to a new director team.

Between August of 1996 and November of 2003, I had 4 bosses. That works out to over 22 months between boss changes. Since November 2003, I have had 7 bosses including the next one. That is a boss change every 10 months.

Each leadership change brings a little stress into my life and the lives of my team members. You never know if you will get a banzai ladder climber who will burn through people to get his next promotion. That is the fear, but fortunately it usually turns out to be untrue. The herd of those types of bosses was culled long ago. I had one and he was fired soon after I realigned out of his organization. I called him the buffoon.

buf·foon
n.
1. A clown; a jester: a court buffoon.
2. A ludicrous or bumbling person; a fool.

Never was a more accuate name given. His idea of impressing his leadership was to create 200 page Powerpoint decks on every aspect of the work his team did. He would also calculate the Return on Investment of the team's work using bogus formulas that produced astronomical dollar amounts and could not pass the first level of fiscal scrutiny. His leadership saw through the act very quickly and he soon became the butt of their jokes. While they were joking, those in his organization were sweating. The buffoon thought that his message wasn't strong enough and that additional accomplishments would make the impression he was hoping for. So he would press harder.

Deliverable upon deliverable were piled on each of the buffoon's direct reports. Soon, it became impossible to keep track of everything we were asked to do. I tried an approach I had never used before or since. When he asked me to do something that served no value other than puff him up, I refused. At first he was taken aback. No one had told him no in the past. He recovered by saying that he would just assign it to one of my peers, hoping to shame me into compliance. It did not work.

Many of his requests started to make absolutely no sense. For instance, he wanted a custom rewards program and job family created for his team. That is the territory of human resources, not individual work groups, so was clearly out of line. As word of his requests leaked out to other teams it served only to hasten his demise. He was soon realigned to a job he did not want, and made statements that got him fired. Good riddance. Since that time, my bosses have been good people. We sometimes disagree, but I have never questioned their motives.

I am sure the next guy will be the same. And the next. And the next.

Stuffin' Envelopes

I once worked in an organization where the Vice-President was a fanatic about recognition of employees. Any recognition submission that crossed his desk would be approved without question. The managers in his organization soon realized they could enrich their employees by using the recognition program. Every month, there would be a recognition All-Hands meeting when everyone who had won an award would be recognized in front of their peers. The atmosphere was great for morale, at least initially.

One manager took the company's recognition generosity a little too far. That manager's team was required to submit nearly a thousand applications for collocation space by a certain date and were a little behind. So the manager asked each of his employees to stay a couple hours late one Friday evening to complete the 1,000 submissions and get them in the mail before the deadline. He brought in pizza for them to feed on while they worked. His entire team plus a few people from other teams participated in the work. In all, around 25 people stayed a couple hours late, ate pizza, visually checked 1,000 applications and stuffed them in envelopes for mailing. They knocked the work out relatively quickly.

At the next monthly recognition event, all 25 were recognized for their stuffin' envelopes work with a small monetary award and a crystal trophy referred to as an Excellence Award. When the team's accomplishment was announced, more than a few in the room began to squirm. After all, the description of the Excellence award was that one was given to those who display great innovation, perform in areas beyond their job description, or complete a difficult project with exceptional quality. The team of 25 had not met that expectation. In fact, all they had done was very menial tasks associated to their job.

The misuse of the recognition program actually caused morale to suffer. Those who had won an Excellence award in the past wondered if they really deserved it. Future winners would also wonder if they really deserved it. The act of giving 25 undeserved awards had cheapened the recognition experience and tainted the program indefinitely.

Does this sound familiar? It should. Barrack Obama was awarded with the Nobel Peace prize after serving an astounding 9 days in office. The award committee explained the selection by saying that he earned it by setting goals for the United States that would foster world peace. Setting goals? In the real world of business, setting goals is never rewarded. Meeting goals is however even this should not be seen as extraordinary. We are hired to meet goals set by our leaders.

Does Obama's Nobel award cheapen the prize? You bet. Consider former winners and see for yourself if Barrack's accomplishments measure up. Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Theresa, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Began, Henry Kissinger, Martin Luther King, and Albert Schweitzer are among past winners. These are people who were recognized for accomplishing something significant, not because they set goals for others to meet. To Obama's credit, even he said the award was undeserved. However, you can bet he will use this award to further his world-view agenda.

But we must also remember that Al Gore won the award a couple years ago for promoting his bogus man made global warming rubbish. Barrack's Peace Prize is just another award in a recent series that only serve to cheapen the Nobel for past and future winners.

My 100th Post

I started blogging on June 26th, 2009. I have averaged slightly more than 6 posts per week, so have hit the 100 milestone in 108 days. I really did not expect to a stay with daily blogs this long. I started blogging because I had a few things I wanted to commit to writing - sort of a therapeutic treatment for stress. I have a lot of stress at work, and found that blogging does nothing for that. It does help me reduce stress caused by non-working life - mainly my dissatisfaction with the direction of the American government. I have taken out my aggression on President Obama, those who elected him, Liberals, Democrats and several other nuisances. It makes me feel better and I thank you for putting up with it.

At first, Terri was not supportive of my blogging. I think she feared that I would be sharing all of her personal secrets and short comings (by the way, she has none). Over time, she saw that my posts are more innocuous than harmful. Now she just tells me that I got the dates wrong, which is probably true more often than not.

About a month after I began blogging, I decided to allow Google to place ads on my blog. I harbored no illusions that it would become profitable, and that has become very true. So far my blog has earned me 48 cents. That makes the math pretty easy. Each post is worth about a half cent. If I post 400 times a day, I could make a living at this.

So now I ask myself "Self, do you want to continue?". I think so, but I may start to miss a few days here and there. I find the difficulty in blogging is not the writing. I can crank a couple of posts out over my lunch hour without a problem. The difficulty is finding things that interest me enough to write about. My favorite subjects are the personal and family topics, but my life is not that exciting so that well runs dry pretty fast.

My next favorite topic is to point out the double standards our mainstream media (M&M's) apply to public servants, depending on their ideology. That is a rich source because you can find a good example every day. I suspect that my readers, all 5 of you, bore rapidly when I get on those rants.

My favorite posts so far are:

• Intervention - I thought the premise was clever. Unfortunately a nephew-in-law annoyingly pointed out the factual inaccuracies of the piece which was a buzz-kill. Still I had fun writing it.
• The Geology of my Neighborhood - I just had fun collecting the rocks and researching their origins. It probably bored those who read the post, but still was one of my favorites.
• Don't Use the Customer's Bathroom - By far my most humorous post. I wish I had another 50 stories like that.

Maybe if I cut the volume, I can improve the quality? Nah.

I like to see the comments (very rare lately), so keep them coming.

Chefs were Close

Okay, the Chefs were close to a win Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. But before we get our Super Bowl travel plans made, let's remember how the game progressed. The first 10 points were gifts. The Cowboys turned the ball over to the Chefs in great field position, and the Chefs converted that field position into 10 points - field goal and a very short touchdown drive.

With the score 10-0, 13-3, 13-10, I never even briefly considered the Chefs would win. The Cowboys quickly scored 10 points late in the game to pull to a 20-13 advantage. My belief the Chefs would do whatever it took to lose was validated. Then the unthinkable happened. For the first time in recent history, the Chefs worked a 2-minute drill. With the help of Cowboy penalties, the Chefs tied the game inside of 1 minute left in the game.

WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?

I will admit my confidence in a 1-15 record this year is now shaken. Are the Chefs improving or is Dallas that bad? I don't know. Dallas quickly ended the Chef's hopes of a win by completing a long pass and run for a touchdown during their first possession in overtime. Order was restored to the universe. Will that universal order continue? Next up for the Chefs are the 2-3 Washington Redskins. Could this be the Chef's first win? Washington has already given 2 teams their first and only win of the season. These guys are pretty bad too. But could the Chefs actually win one?

Nah. I'll keep the faith. I believe their perfect season record will continue for a couple more weeks.

Leadership Lessons

I once worked with an organization led by a man named Bob Thompson. Bob was one of the best leaders I have ever crossed paths with. He left the company to become a missionary in a foreign country. Before he left, he shared the leadership lessons he had learned over his career. I have kept those lessons because I believe they are the best set of 10 principals I have ever seen for a leader. I was so impressed by them that I review the list every so often. Bob's "top 10" lessons are:

10. Take the time to write well.

Write early and often. Write for emphasis. Write to say “thank you”. Write to confirm. Write to clarify. Write to praise. Write so people can refer to it again and again. But WRITE WELL. Remember…the BEST speech you ever give will be forgotten by most of your audience within seconds of your finishing. But your WORST writing will live forever.
Your good name will be tarnished by bad writing, so write well.

9. It’s not who you know, it’s what you accomplish.

I don’t believe in networking. I never have. I don’t call people on my Rolodex “to check in and keep my name in front of them,” nor do I appreciate people who do. My outside friends don’t work for Sprint. I was hired at age 27 as a Band 77 (mid-level) manager in Newton, Iowa. The guy who hired me promptly retired. No sponsor. I made division president at age 37. You can do it, too. I got each successive job because somebody in another department saw me accomplish something in my previous job. If you want to get ahead, put your head down, do a great job & accomplish great things. People will notice.

8. Executive leadership is about two things: Direction and Development.

Corollary: What made you successful up to now will get in your way in your executive role. You’re not a DO’er anymore. Chiefly, an executive’s role lies in direction & development. Direction - People need to know where they’re going and why they’re going there.
More on this in a minute. Development - Find the right people. Invest in your people. Listen to them. Teach them. Trust them with important stuff. It pays dividends over and over.

7. Create a compelling picture of the desired future state and describe it to anyone who will listen. A lot.

Once you’ve figured out the direction, get a “stump speech” and give it every time you see a stump with some of your people standing around it. Your stump speech must:
• point a clear picture of where you’re going,
• a plausible path to getting there, and most important -
• it must be a place that people want to go to, despite the comfort of where they are now.

6. Assume you’re in charge and the decision is yours to make unless you’ve explicitly been told “no.”

There is a “world” of difference between this philosophy and it’s opposite: assuming you can’t, unless somebody says you can. Assuming “yes” opens a world of possibilities. Don’t leave a fumbled football lying on the ground. Assume that it was left there for you… pick it up and run with it. Old saying: Better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission, is true. So break the rules. You have my permission.

5. Encourage the hearts of the people you lead - their minds and deeds will quickly follow.

If you’re going after your people’s intellect first, you’re missing the mark by about 18 inches every time. Visibly recognize people’s contributions, a thank you note or public praise
Have fun. Everybody likes fun.
Celebrate success. Even little ones. Wear a lampshade on your head or don a chicken suit.
Love: Your customers, the people who do the work, the accomplishments of the organization
They’ll love you back. It fills your tank to press on. Love ‘em and lead 'em.

4. Strategy without execution is a pipe dream.

The devil is in the details, but so are the rewards. I have never been rewarded for having dreamed up a great plan, even though that’s the part I really like to do. Rather, I’ve been rewarded for executing a great plan. Delivering the results promised. Make a decision and do something. If nobody seems to be in charge, assume you are. Collaborative decision making is best, but if it’s taking too long to get there and you feel you have at least 80% of the information you need, go with your gut and decide. Remember, one of your primary roles is direction. Adopt a long-timer’s mentality. See your plan through to completion where it is producing superior results long after you’re off doing something else. Finish well. Attend to the details. Leave a legacy of success for the next guy.

3. Be positive and optimistic.

No whining is allowed for the leader, especially in public. Optimism multiplies organizational energy. Pessimism, or cynicism (often legitimized as “realism”) drains organizational energy. If you haven’t tried this, you should. People want to follow a leader who believes in what he or she is doing. Don’t you? Give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist over the grim litany of the realist any day. Your people feel that way, too.

2. Work is temporary. Family is forever.

Ah, the work/family balance issue. Probably just the regrettable words of an old guy who didn’t spend enough time with his kids, and now they’re gone. Not really. I figured this one out pretty early. Sure I worked a lot of hours, just like you. But I made time for important family stuff. You can too. Put the important family stuff on your business calendar first and build around it. Sometimes you’ll miss an occasional school play or big game, but if you make this a priority you’ll make 80% of them. For my kids, that equated to “Dad was always there.”
There’s always a crisis going on at work. It’s always “crunch time.” There’s always a “big meeting that can’t be missed.” Miss it. We’ll get along without you for a couple of hours or a day. Be there for your family.


1. Integrity matters.

Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. Once it’s lost, it’s almost impossible to get back. If it feels wrong, it probably is, so don’t do it. Do the right thing every time. Avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Be someone other people respect and know they can count on.

Proverbs 10:9 - He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be discovered.

Just Answer the Flippin' Question!

Weekend news shows, such as Meet the Press, were once programs that interested citizens would watch to get answers on the positions of their leadership and direction of our country. That time has long since passed. Now, it these shows are simply and exercise by our representatives to say what they want to say, or are authorized to say. Moderators ask questions, and the guest use the question to communicate whatever they want to say. It is rare that an asked question ever gets answered.

There are many reasons why news show guests don't answer the question. For those poor souls who give truthful answers, their words immediately become the news reported and dissected by the M&M press for at least 24 hours, and the answeree spends the next month explaining or clarifying their answer. A good example would be former vice-president Dick Cheney. He is naturally a straight-shooting kind of guy. I also suspect that he did not need to clear his comments with anyone before issuing them - especially true since his retirement. For the past several years, anytime Cheney would be interviewed, his comments would be the news for a few days. All because he answered the questions that were asked.

Ninety-nine percent of news show guest prepare for the questions they think they will be asked by rehearsing a set of talking points they want to communicate to the TV audience. It doesn't matter what the moderator asks, their answers will not diverge from the talking points. Presidential debates are very similar. I sometimes think that if asked if their hair was brown, interviewee would answer that regardless of what their hair color is, they like black shoes. It really doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. THEY ALL DO IT!

So why do the shows? Good question. I haven't seen a single honest answer on Meet the Press since General Powell said he would support Barrack Obama for President. That was over a year ago. I think I will quit wasting my time and stop watching the Sunday Morning News shows. It is a waste of time.

Miranda's Revolution

A week ago last Tuesday, Miranda Lambert released the follow up to her Grammy winning best album "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". In a prior post, I had mentioned that with another solid effort, she could vault herself into country music's elite. My expectation for this release was high, but Miranda has pulled off another great recording. I can call her Miranda since I have bought all 3 of her CD's, each with a serial number close to 1. Heck, I think that means I practically discovered her.

The Revolution CD contains 15 tracks, many co-written by Miranda and her boyfriend Blake Shelton. Only 2 of the cuts will remind you of wild rocker-girl Miranda. You can visualize her stomping out the tune with her pink guitar, blond hair flailing, followed by destruction of the guitar. The surprise is that most of the remaining 13 cuts are much tamer with an obvious country flavor. Country flavor was sometimes hard to find in her prior releases.

One cut, named Time to Get a Gun, is pure country writing. After telling about her neighbor that had a car stolen out of the drive way, the chorus lyric goes:

It's time to get a gun,

That's what I'm thinking,

I could probably afford one,

If I did just a little less drinking.

I don't care who you are, that's country. The surprise is the song was not written by Lambert. The House That Built Me was, and is pure writing genius. Everyone that grew up in a house will relate to the song.

Revolution is the third CD released by Miranda. It is the best example of her range. She takes you from Miranda the Rocker to Pop to Ballad. Each song is well written and performed. I think this CD will be enough for Lambert to included in any country top 10 list. She has come a long way since her Nashville Star days. If you liked that clip, you like this one also. By the way, Miranda came in third during the first season of Nashville star. Buddy Jewell won.

Smoking

I recently browsed through some very old pictures of Terri and I just after we were married. We both quit smoking years ago, so it was somewhat shocking to see us with cigarettes. It got me thinking about how I started smoking and how the perception of smoking has changed over the years.

I started smoking very early. I was a paperboy delivering the Sunday edition to all customers in a certain apartment complex. I would stash my smokes under a flap of carpet under a stairwell in one building. Every week I would visit my stash for a couple of cigarettes. Obviously I was not hooked since my habit was a once a week vice.

Habitual smoking began once I became a cook at Red Lobster. I was only 17 or so, and most of my co-workers were much older. Mny of them smoked, so they took smoke breaks. I did not smoke, so I did not get breaks. It did not seem fair, so I started smoking and taking breaks. Absolutely BRILLIANT! Little did I know that stupid decision would haunt me for years to come.

Almost as soon as I was hooked, I began attempts to quit. I probably quit a hundred times before I actually quit. One memorable attempt was just after Terri found out she was pregnant with our oldest daughter Lyndy. We decided to quit while on a car trip to Memphis. Bad decision. Nicotine with drawl hit before we reached St. Louis. Two people quitting in the same car for 10 hours is not the best environment for success. We were just outside of West Memphis when Terri could not take any more of my whining and made me stop and buy a pack. She continued her effort to quit and in fact ended her habit on that attempt.

With Terri an ex-smoker and a baby on the way, my smoking habits changed. I no longer smoked in the house. I would only smoke outside, at work or in the garage, and remained under those constraints until eventually completely quitting years later.

Before I successfully quit, I tried every method available at the time. I tried gum, Nicorette, candy, a pipe, and cold turkey. Stop smoking aids only eased the withdrawal, but do not make a person want to quit. Wanting to quit is the key to success. It was not until I committed to quitting that I was successful. I remember the turning point. I had laid off the cigarettes for about a week but was having a massive urge for a smoke. I had just about convinced myself to go to the store for a pack when I stopped, summoned every ounce of will power I had, and forcefully denied the urge. It was the last massive urge I experienced. I continued to get the urge for several more weeks, but the magnitude began to diminish and they were easier to ignore.

Recently a couple of people on my staff were successful in quitting. During their ordeal, I would advise them that today they wouldn't be able to stop smoking for their entire lifetime. They can only stop for today. If they just could make it through today, then they could try again tomorrow. Each day would get a little easier until they wouldn't think about it again. Both stopped. One did so cold turkey. The other stopped with the aide of an electronic cigarette, which he is now addicted to.

These two are now part of the norm. Most people today do not smoke. It has become far to inconvenient and costly. That was not always true. I remember the day when you could smoke on an airplane. Places of business were equipped with ashtrays since most workers smoked.

Terri and I watch Mad Men, a story of Madison avenue advertising firm set back in the early 1960's. The distinction between those times and today could not be more vivid. We almost become offended by the characters who smoke so much and in any situation. And it's just a TV show! It is like our last vacation in North Carolina, a state that is protective and proud of their tobacco crop. We walked through an indoor shopping mall and were surprised at the number of people who carried lit cigarettes. We had not seen that in Kansas City for over 10 years!

Also incredible to me is the cost of cigarettes. When I quit, a pack was less than $2. I see that a pack goes for around $5, even higher in some areas. At a cost of $2,000 per year per pack smoked each day, you could pay for the catastrophic health insurance policy they may need.

Today, smokers are relegated to common ash cans a few feet away from the building they work. I wonder how they stand the zero degree temperatures just for a few puffs on a cigarette. The number of public places that allow smoking is falling at an accelerating rate. That is good. I have heard all the arguments on how smoking restrictions are taking liberties from Americans. I just don't buy it. A smoker's rights end at the tip of another person's nose. Smoking does not only impact the smoker. If it did, then I would agree with the argument.

I have been a non-smoker for a long time and have not had the urge to smoke for years. Yet, I still sometimes smoke in my dreams. It is a weird feeling to find myself in that half awake, half asleep state, feeling guilty that I had smoked, and hoping that Terri can't smell it on me.

Civility?

Remember when Joe Wilson called President Obama a liar during a notional televised press conference? The M&M press began asking "where has the civility gone?" The only reason the M&M's pounced on it was that Joe Wilson is a Republican. True to their double standard the M&M's will not criticize Democrats when they lack civility. Remember when liberals were calling George Bush a murderer? Did the M&M's suggest those words lacked civility?

I knew when I heard those comments that any civility meter would be pegged by liberals. They say the most outrageous things about those they disagree with and they are never held accountable for their statements. Just last week, a peer of Joe Wilson, Alan Grayson of Florida said on the house floor "If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick."

The most notable difference between Grayson's rhetoric and Wilson's is that Grayson refused to apologize. On the other hand, Joe Wilson apologized for his comment immediately and repeatedly for the next few days. The House of Representatives formally reprimanded Joe by a vote of 240 to 179 for his comment. Not surprisingly, there was no discussion on whether Joe's comment was true - that Obama did lie.

In addition to no apology, Grayson upped the ante by continuing his insult of Republicans, calling them "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals" and "hypocrites." Ensuring that he stayed on the Politically Correct path, Grayson, who is Jewish, did apologize to the Anti-Defamation League, for calling the health care crisis a holocaust, saying he regretted using the word. To no one's surprise, an attempt by the Republicans to formally reprimand Grayson failed.

I have not seen a single suggestion by the M&M's that Grayson acted in an uncivilized manner. In fact, the M&M's have shown the video of his antics over and over. It is how they manipulate the apathetic. From these two examples, Americans who pay little attention to facts (the Obama voters) were told that Republicans act uncivilized and want to kill citizens instead of providing health care. The M&M's subliminal messaging machine is strong and still at work to prop this President up.

Nit Pickers

Nit pickers are the kind of people that I hate to be around. You know the type. They can take any situation and find something wrong with it. They feel their gift to mankind is to find the faults in any circumstance. I see it in business almost every day. One team will complete a project they have poured themselves into for months, and the nit picker will tell them how they should have accomplished the project differently.

For example, say that we had no postal system. One day a company started a business of delivering any envelope from you to any address in the United States for 45 cents. Most people would see that as a great service. The nit picker would complain about the cost, or that international addresses are not included in the 45 cent cost.

Nit pickers make the rest of us callous to legitimate issues. When I hear a known nit picker begin their criticism, I tune out and risk missing valid feedback. Other people react differently. Some use sarcasm. I love the following greeting from an Australian school's answering machine. I am certain it is a sarcastic reaction to nit picking. Enjoy!

The Most Dangerous Man in America?

I would nominate Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York. First, he is a liberal. That should put him in the upper half of any most dangerous list.

Second, he is crooked. Wall Street lobbyist has donated almost $11 million to individual Senators since the beginning of the year, and more than 15 percent of it has gone to Schumer. His $1.65 million take from the financial services industry is nearly twice that of any other senator — and more than five times what the industry gave to any single Republican senator.

Third, he makes me livid when debating the $800 million stimulus, he said "And let me say this to all of the chattering class that so much focuses on those little, tiny, yes, porky amendments, the American people really don't care". Hey, I care!

And finally, he is completely out of touch on how the nation feels toward government run health care. Last week he said "With some work and some compromise, we can get the 60 votes on the floor of the Senate that will make our system better by providing for a strong, fair and viable public option". He went on to say that a majority of the population wants a public option government health care system. That is a completely unfounded statement.

I am perplexed the voters of New York continue to re-elect Schumer. Bringing home the pork clouds their collective judgement and they feel compelled to return him to office, even when his actions are detrimental to the country. I have heard is said, "I hate everyone elses Senator, mine is okay". That attitude returns these clowns to Congress term after term. I once heard an idea I am liking more and more. The idea is that in every election you are given 2 votes. The first vote is identical to your vote today. You cast it for your representative in Congress. The second is a negative vote. You cast that vote to remove anyone in the House or Senate that you feel is not acting in the best interest of the country. The Senator or Representative that receives the most negative votes is removed from office.

A plan like this would ensure that our elected representatives must weigh the pork they bring home to their constituents against what is good for all Americans. These people need to be accountable to the country as they represent their districts.

Who would your most dangerous person nomination go to?

It's Going to be a Really, Really Long Season

After the Oakland Raiders game, I blogged about how it was going to be a long season. I now believe I was far too optimistic. Last Sunday, the chefs played the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are an okay team. On Sunday the Eagles were missing two of their offensive play makers, but it did not matter. Rotating 3 quarterbacks into play, (one was a guy who spent the last few years in prison), the Eagles handed the chefs their rear ends.

It was not the magnitude of the loss that has me reconsidering the chef's eventual won/loss record. Instead, it is what happened to begin the second half. The chefs received the second half kick off down by a score of 24-7. Sounds like they needed to let their $60 million dollar man (Matt Ca$$ell) loose, air it out, right? No, the chefs ran the ball on 20 of the next 28 plays.

That message was heard loud and clear. It was "we know we cannot win, so let's work on the ground game for a while." You don't see a professional team give up often, but that is just what happened last Sunday. I guess another message might be "we don't want to get our $60 million dollar man hurt", which arguably is a coherent thought.

But the fact remains that my chefs will see many 17+ point deficits in the next few games. Some may be at the end of the first quarter, or even first 5 minutes of play. Will they concede those games also? I think we will get that answer this week when the chefs play the New York Giants. Eli Manning will have not seconds, but minutes of pocket protection. Eli will pick the chef's secondary apart and the Giants will build a large early lead. So large that some will wonder why Eli is not benched in the second half. The answer is that he is safer on the field against the chef's defense, than on the bench where he could be struck by an errant throw, or hit by a chef safety missing a tackle.

There is only one game the chefs might win. Late in the season they will face the Cleveland Browns. That game may be the considered the "First Pick of the Draft Bowl". And knowing how the chefs can screw anything up, I will pick them to win that game and lose the #1 pick. The chefs will go 1-15 this year.

Ouch!

Last weekend I was working in the yard and decided to cut back the 3 tall grassy plants we have hiding the utility cabinets in our front yard. They had grown to about 7' tall and would lay down on the lawn whenever it rained. It was getting hard to mow the area, so I thought it would be good to do the normal fall pruning a little early this year.

I had a plan to make the task go a little smoother. I wrapped twine around all three plants and cinched it up tight. My thought was that I could then cut the plants off at the bottom and they would be bundled and ready for the trash man. I plugged in my electric shears and started cutting the 3 plants. It was going well until I completely cut through all the grassy blades of the first plant. That allowed the entire bundle to compress further and introduced slack into the bundle.

The twine sagged down close to my shears. I reached down to pull the twine back up, but stupidly did not stop cutting thorough the next plant. A finger on my left hand found its way into the business part of the electric shears. My first thought was that I had cut my finger off. I immediately applied pressure to a couple of deep cuts. After a few moments I ventured a look at the damage. I was able to peer deeper into my body than I had ever before. The cut was laying open, flapping in the breeze, and gushing blood.

More direct pressure was applied and I headed into the house for some first aid. Terri helped me get it clean and for the most part, we stopped the bleeding. We taped and bandaged the area tightly. I then went out to finish the job and cut the grass. It's like I always told my daughters when they would get a scrap - "Rub some dirt on it and get back out there." I was walking the talk.

The injury is affecting me more at work than anywhere else. I work in front of a keyboard. I have found that with one finger out of action, I no longer type like I could. The injury is to a finger on my left hand. I would normally type with all 4 fingers on my left and right hands, but have not been able to adjust to only 3 fingers ready for service on the left hand. It's funny how difficult it is to adjust to an 8 finger task using only 7, so I am reduced to typing using 1 finger on each hand.

So do you want to see my finger?

Really?

Okay, here it is:

2 Blog Thursday

In the heat of battle, the soldier calls back to his commander for reinforcements. "We are losing the battle and cannot win without additional men!" he reports. The commander responds that he wants to make sure the strategy is right before he commits additional forces, and then goes on a working vacation to Denmark.

Since General McChrystal asked President Obama for additional troops in Afghanistan less than 2 weeks ago, 54 soldiers have died. The M&M's report on a senile old convicted child rapist who wants to get back in the USA.

The Lamest Show on Earth

A couple of weekend ago, Terri and I took our two oldest grandchildren, Madison and Clay, to Barnum and Bailey's so called Greatest Show on Earth. For the adults, it was hard to endure. The circus has really changed since my childhood. I remember the high wire and trapeze acts that were performed high over the arena floor. The acrobats and other acts were represented by highly skilled performers.

Not so much today. The curcus today is full of clowns, bikes, dogs, horses and other dime a dozen acts, all led by a ring master who sings during the entire event. The ring master and clown acts were the lamest of the lame. But that review is purely from the adult perspective.

Madison, my 5 year old grand daughter, was on the edge of her seat for the entire two hours. She was simply enchanted by the entire circus. Her joy was worth the entire price of admitting 2 adults and 2 children. Clay was a little less impressed. He paid attention until the snow cone, cotton candy and popcorn ran out. When those were finished, so was he.

The entire circus seems to be directed at draining every adult wallet in the arena. The circus started at 11:00 AM. We arrived at 10:15 ($10 to park) and HAD to get snow cones in animal shaped souvenir mugs. That was $10 for Clay's elephant mug, and $12 for Madison's horse head mug. The cotton candy vendor walked by around 10:25. Cotton candy was the highlight for Clay last year, so could not be ignored this year. Cost was another $8.

About 5 minutes later, a vendor with lighted spinning toys walked by and saw my grand kids snap to attention. Without even asking, he handed each a toy that was bright, shining and fun. We had bought similar toys for them last year, so there was no easy way to back out of the situation. Cost was another $36. Mercifully, the circus began a few minutes later and eased the cash flow problem I was experiencing.

During intermission, the popcorn vendor walked by. That cost another $12. So far, the circus was into me by $88 plus the cost of the tickets. We managed to endure the rest of the show without further cost. I knew it was going to be expensive and was prepared to meet my grand children's expectations, so nothing was a surprise to me. I have concluded that today's Lamest Show on Earth is targeted at children with well funded escorts.