Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My TAKE on the CAKE: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words but this Cartoon is Worth TRILLIONS


Bake Sale
George Bush Sr. is pictured conducting a "bake sale" to help fund his S&L Bank Bailout with the poor black child portrayed as "social need." Yes it's an old cartoon that I found thumbing through an old URW (United Rubber Worker) publication (Vol. 57/No. 4 July/August 1991) but I still had to laugh. Times haven't "changed" (there's that word again). I see "social need" as a childhood OBAMA saying, "I wanna grow up to be just like him! He's MY idol."

Is Obama Really that Different from Bush?
It's not a trick question. Put aside the Democrat/Republican thing and look at the similarities. No wonder there's a TEA PARTY! And honestly, if you're going to have tea, you should--by all means--have CAKE!

 
We can't forget how good ol' George got us in Operation Dessert Storm or simply--"The Gulf War" because Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Kuwait and all George and company wanted was control of the oil--oh, and a cover up on the S&L scam.

 
Obama can't keep America out of wars either. His political platform on which he was elected promised Americans to bring home our troops. I call that fraud and grounds for impeachment. Not only has he not kept his promise, he has the United States involved in more wars than the inherited War in Afghanistan. Now we are involved in conflict in Egypt, Iran, Syria and Libya. It is endless.

 
George Sr. cost Americans $1.4 TRILLION towards the National debt with his S&L dealings. That seemed like A LOT in 1992 when 14.2% of Americans were living in poverty and unemployment reached 7.8%. What is the National debt today? 14 TRILLION and climbing at borrowing 2 MILLION per minute.  Now today, Obama's income for 2010 is announced--1.7 MILLION (and change) in earnings. He attributes this to "book sales." Reminder to self: DON'T BUY IT.
 
Let Them Eat Cake
It has been attributed to Marie Antoinette for saying, "Let them eat cake." It's unknown whether it was in fact Marie or another out of touch, greedy royal pain in the ass. The fact remains that we will be LUCKY to get crumbs.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Listening and Observation Skills

This blog is a partial republish of articles written by Dr. Jim Jesse from
The United Rubber Worker publication:  URW  September/October 1991 (Vol. 57/No.5)


A few days ago, I met a person who had been a Kelly/Springfield Tire employee at the Tyler, Texas plant.  They were surprised to hear that my dad had been an educator/labor leader for the URW.  It put me on the hunt for some of the old URW publications that were hiding in the attic. 

The loss of my dad 13 years ago was and remains a difficult struggle.  I have to admit that seeing photos of him lecturing left me in tears.  He had so much to say but needed a longer life in which to say it.  That being said, he is a driving force for The People's County.

"The URW Leadership Development Program"

"To set the stage for developing a viable and effective educational program for this international union, it is important to understand what is going on around us--the social, economic and political issues confronting us as working Americans.

Our daily lives are influenced by a global economy which affects the very survival of the American wage earner.  This economy is different than anything we have experienced before.  It threatens the overall quality of life of Americans in general.  It determines whether we are employed, underemployed or unemployed...."

"Union Steward's Corner:  Hints for Effectiveness"

"...There are two skills to becoming effective union stewards--listening skills and observation skills." 

Listening Skills
"Listening with genuine interest is difficult to do.  It is a skill that has to be developed.  Generally we listen out of politeness and while a person is talking we are thinking about our response to the information that we have not completely heard--consequently we miss the message.  One way to improve our listening skills is to take notes and occasionally ask the speaker for clarification and meaning.  Verbally sum up what was said when the speaker finishes so that you both know what was said and what was meant.

This is a good tool to use in situations where your member is irate and is reading the riot-act to you.  Taking notes means you are genuinely interested, it forces both of you to clarify the information, and the member feels somewhat confident that you are going to take action toward solving a problem.  It also disarms the irate members.  This is also a good tool to use in your interrelations with management personnel."

Observation Skills
"Observation skills also must be developed.  What we must do is practice observing "people" behavior without forming conclusions.  We are really not justified in making conclusions until we are reasonably sure that we have enough information.  If the behavior is observed over a period of time and on numerous occasions, perhaps we can form a conclusion as to why something happens.  Otherwise, we are on "shaky grounds."  Be careful stewards, and keep up the good work!"

Afterthoughts

One of the most vivid visual memories I have of my dad is that he ALWAYS had a yellow legal pad within arms reach.  I remember how it often irritated and amused me simultaneously.  We couldn't have a discussion without taking NOTES!  Was it effective?  Absolutely!  His "union" advice transcended the workplace, it was useful in everyday life.

Jim Jesse was not just a great Union Leader, he was an insightful, inspirational man--a prophet of sorts who foresaw the directional demise of America.  We live in that global economy to which he makes reference.  Being employed is becoming increasingly more difficult.  Lay offs are always looming.  Unemployment is seemingly unavoidable.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

TRUMP Donald: "The Deal Man"

Wikipedia defines a "trump" as "a playing card which is elevated above its normal rank in trick-taking games."  The "trump card" is a players decisive advantage.  So is Donald "The Deal Man" Trump just living up to his name?



The Trump Card
In a recent interview with Meridith Vieira on The Today Show, Trump refers to himself as the "Deal Man" and openly states that the best thing Obama accomplished was "getting elected."  You have to admit--he was good at that!.  Trump also stated, "This country is going to hell" and openly admits that "it's all about money".  When it comes to foreign affairs, he says that we should be putting ourselves first and raised a valid question--WHY should we build schools and roads in other countries where they just get blown up?  Shouldn't we put that money into our own schools?  What about America?

Asshole or Ace in the Hole?
Though I have never been a Trump fan, I do believe as a country we have tried the diplomatic presidential approach enough that we should have learned something by now.  In fact, I'm not even seeing "diplomacy" in our current president.  I think it's high time for a real "ace in the hole."

When companies are struggling, what do they do?  They get rid of their top management who is totally inept and bring in a deal man.  How is this country any differnet than a big business?  It's not.  It is BIG Business and needs to be run as such.  Big businesses employ many people, generate revenue, work in the best interest of their customers or are held accountable in the form of dwinding sales.  Finanical responsibilty is pinacle.

Texas Hold 'Em
Texas Hold "Em is a poker game of stategy.  The object is to win "the pot" no matter how much is in it.  Trump IS NOT an attorney.  He is a business man.   I personally find this refreshing and encouracing to have our country run as a business. In Hold 'Em, you can check, bet, raise or fold at the end of each deal.  The object is to control the amount of money in "the pot" based on "your hand" while predicting what your opponent may be holding.  Of course it can always end in a "show down."  What we don't want is for it to end up in a SHUT DOWN.

A Spade's a Spade
Obama swept the polls because people said he was "charismaic," a great "orator" but MOSTLY they wanted "CHANGE."  The "change" has turned into a more of a "buddy can you spare a dime" sort of change as we are all raiding our "change" jars just to get a few groceries for our familes and gas for our vehicles.  How did a black man who is supposed to understand the underdog further drive this country to its knees?

Poker Face
DONALD IS HARD TO TRUMP.  And really, with that hair, I guess, he has no worries with his poker face.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

CNN: A Tale of the Half-Life and the Half-Wit

I have to admit that I watch CNN more than any other news channel. I believe that Americans are only exposed to what the government allows us to see or the bias of the channel wants to convey.  News is news.  You're not going to get more news from another channel: it's a matter of presentation.

News is just a different Hollywood

I also have to admit that I am often very appalled at the lack of news and wonder if Journalists have any education beyond broadcasting.  It is just a different kind of Hollywood.

In the recent Tsunami that hit Japan, I was glued to CNN.  I was waiting for news on the nuclear power plant (Fukushima Daiichi) that was "hit" by the wave.  My interest was humanitarian but also scientific.  As I watched and watched, only ONE physicist was interviewed.  Clearly, he had much to say, but was constantly interrupted and then cut off.  Though physics wasn't my best subject in school, it certainly was the most challenging and fascinating subject.  It taught me how all things are interrelated and affect each other at all levels--from subatomic to the visible world.

I had many first thoughts of,  "Oh no not seawater--where will it end up after being used for cooling?" "Oh shit, was it JUST steam or was it an explosion?"  "What about the radioactive particles--all I am hearing is about the Gamma Rays and how they are harmless like sunlight!"  "Is there going to be nuclear fallout?" "PLEASE explain to the public what this means."  "Interview people from Russia who were involved with Chernobyl or Three Mile Island workers."  I felt like one of those OLD PEOPLE who yell at the television who I used to make fun of!  Of course, now we can "Twitter" and have some interaction.

Perhaps the most shocking element is that a journalist has the responsibility to not only report the news but to inform.  I kept waiting for explanations and definitions of things like:  gamma rays, alpha particles, gamma particles, radioactive isotopes and HALF LIVES.  Nothing.  My mother called me many times asking questions knowing that I am a nerd.  I think I gave her a headache on several occassions but I also gave her some understanding.  Half Lives -- as other seemingly complex subjects are not that hard to explain if you have a captive audience.

Half-Life is like losing your "-ness" from You, Me and DuPree

Since I have a captive audience, let's talk about the "half-life."  Some will assume that I am inferring the time when one reaches the ripe old age of 50.  In a sense, I am.  Simply, it is the period of time when half of your "-ness" is gone!  For example, CNN kept stating that the half-life of radioactive Iodine was 6 days.  Which is fine. However, when there is 1000+ times the amount that is safe for humans, 6 days still means that you will die.  So, how many days would have to pass to be safe for humans?  Good question!  About 60 days.  Here's why.  In 6 days, there is 1/2 of the radioactivity left.  In other words, it has decayed.  Our illustrious Anderson Cooper was claiming that everyone was safe after 12 days.  Sounds simple enough.  If half is gone in 6 days, then all will be gone in 12.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.  After 12 days, 1/4 of the radioactivity is left.  It isn't until 1/1024 amount of radioactivity is left and 60 days have passed that you are safe.

When the going gets tough, Sanja goes

No one probably noticed that Sanja Gupta got his rear back on a plane to the U.S.  Did you?  I did. 

I was shocked of the comparison to Three-Mile Island (TMI) and not to Chernobyl.  In the history of nuclear disasters, Three Mile Island was rated a 5 and Chernobyl a 7 (International Nuclear Event Scale) Fukushima was immediately rated a 5.  Keep in mind that the Three Mile Island nuclear incident  happened in 1979 in Dawphine County, Pennsylvania.  There was a complete meltdown with environmental exposure of 20 Curies of of iodine 131 (radioactive Iodine) and 13 million Curies of radioactive gases.  Also 40 thousand gallons of radioactive waste water was pumped directly into the Susquehanna River with authorization by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the USNRC). 

Chernobyl occurred in 1986 in the Ukraine SSR (Russia).  It was a complete meltdown and explosion that caused 31 immediate reactor related deaths  and perhaps a million over all deaths to date.  The surrounding environment was altered in Russia , Western Soviet Union and Europe.   47 million Curies of Iodine 131 (radioactive Iodine) were released, 2.3 million Curies of Caesium 137 and 2.3 million Curies of Tellurium, Strontium, and numerous other radioisotopes.  The after effects are expected to be seen for at least another 100 years.

NOTE:  A CURIE is a unit of radioactivity and are used to provide information on the radioactivity of a given isotope.  Named for Marie and Pierre Curie and their research involving radium 226 (isotope).

NOTE:  An isotope is a variant a of particular element.  The difference being that they have extra neutrons which make them unstable.  The atomic number of an element is based on the number of protons contained.

Back to you Anderson...

The news was quick to minimalize the Fukushima incident.  Without inspection or adequate testing, it was rated a 5--meaning that like Three Mile Island, there was minimal, short term damage to the environment.  Though now we know that Fukushima exceeded Three Mile Island, the rating remains the same--at a 5.  So, Anderson…why is it that technology has advanced at a staggering rate since 1989, yet we have much less information on Fukushima explosion than on Chernobyl?!  Back to you Anderson….

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