I was sent a video link on my email from a friend the other day and it was imensley inspiring to me. The link is http://www.mywarvideo.com/play.php?vid=132 I recommend watching it prior to reading the rest of my blog. WARNING, there is lots of harsh language in the video. It was an awesome 5:35 that I have watched six times in two days. When sharing this video to others I got some mixed reviews which honestly surprised me. Now I expected the anti war crowd to think it was harsh and disrespectful but one comment I received was interesting it went like this: "Well, that guy was boldly talking a good game and had some good/funny lines, but I don't think insults work as motivation."
My first point is "boldly talking a good game" does it really look like a game? Putting your life on the line every minute of every day to help secure a foreign country is no game. This speech was bred from frustration for people who didn't care enough to free their own country and protect it from those within that are killing their families and friends. This was the speech to light a fire under apathetic participants. Guys who would rather follow then lead and follow at a great distance. What I saw was an American soldier giving those Iraqi police a wake up call letting them know it was their turn to carry the ball. A speech like that however "insulting" it may be just might cause one or more of those men to step up to the task their country so desperately needs them to and lead them to true victory; Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I think this rings true to Americans because we know that all things stem from freedom and that freedom is not free. There obviously is a huge cultural difference between Iraq and the USA. Iraq has never known true freedom. But don't think they will not know what to do with it when given the chance. Both man and beast know what to make of freedom.
The problem I see with people who have a dislike for this soldier and his speech are those who have a problem with true leadership. They themselves perhaps have never led anything let alone a combat situation. A situation where your decisions can cost lives in a heartbeat. those lives are in your hands as that leader. You are not trying to motivate some corporate salesmen to get their numbers up for the next quarter. This is the get it done attitude that is waining in our country today. The societal beat down of the Alpha Dog. Discouraging young boys from being competitive, aggressive leaders for our countries future. They need to get in touch with their feminine side. They need to cry. Lets not keep score. They need to understand that women are equal in all ways to men. Well they are not! (this is where I'm supposed to say the "No disrespect to women" line) but I'm not going to! That simple line is part of the problem. It's not disrespect pointing out the obvious truth. As a male I can't have a baby, do women say "no disrespect to men" but they can't have a baby. It's not disrespectful it's the truth. Therefore true leaders must speak the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts but mostly it sets you free.
I commend this soldier for his approach and I would be honored to have him on my staff anytime, anywhere.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tea Parties
April 15th was not only tax day but over 700 "tea parties" were held throughout the country in protest of over taxation. I attended the tea party in Chicago which is actually rare for me since I usually will prioritize work over such things. It was entertaining though I must say. Probably 1000 - 1500 people there. The signs were great. Every thing from "Don't tread on me" to my favorite this young kid had, a large reproduction portrait of George Washington standing by a desk with a large bubble next to him with WTF ! in it. The speakers were good. Mostly emphasising the need for individuality, liberty and freedom.
This rings so true but the dissapointing thing is so many have forgetten what those words really mean. In a recent poll it was announced that 53% of Americans are ok with big government for now. "For now"? This is where the uninformed and just plain ignorant come in to play. When have you ever seen government reduced? It is like a tempory tax, there is no such thing. How many times does it have to be demonstrated that government spending does not stimulate the economy? The level of frustration on this topic is immense. The whole point is about rugged individualism. We can generate our own stimulis by working hard. Another great sign at the tea party read "Don't spread my wealth around spread my work ethic". I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be under the yoke of the government for their existance. Have these people never experienced the joy of self accomplishment? Do they really not know what it is like to work hard at a difficult task and complete it successfully? Have they been so coddled that this experience has escaped them? Look at the banks that were "forced" to take TARP money who didn't need or want it. They are trying to give it back but the government will no take it. Other banks figured the system out quickly. They did all the paper work for TARP funds but when it came time to get it they said no thanks. As long as they went though the hoops to apply they were left alone. That is buerocracy at work for you. The government should not be running business, period. They can't balance their own books!
People need to be aware of this slow, deliberate action to undermine capitlism by the government. The more they control the more they dictate your way of living. The government machine has a voracious appetite, the more it eats the more it grows, it's an endless upward cycle. I have never heard of one government institution that has eliminated a benefits package for their work force. They complain they are all in record deficits but they don't work very hard at job and benefit reduction for their work force like a normal business would. They lay off 1,000 workers on occasion, which is like a flea on an elephant, only to rehire them as soon as no one is paying attention. Which in this day in age is about a week. They make the big announcement about government layoffs for the press to get sympathy and out rage but you never hear a big announcement about the rehiring of this same dead weight they cut loose. I know as for me when they loose these "workers" my life is not affected one bit. So lets try an experiment, Keep cutting government jobs until it actually affects 60% of the population. I'm pretty sure we'll have a rather small government when it hits that point. I implore you to look at yourself and ask "what can't I do for myself?" If you give it hard thought I believe you will realize, as any true American would, it is very little.
This rings so true but the dissapointing thing is so many have forgetten what those words really mean. In a recent poll it was announced that 53% of Americans are ok with big government for now. "For now"? This is where the uninformed and just plain ignorant come in to play. When have you ever seen government reduced? It is like a tempory tax, there is no such thing. How many times does it have to be demonstrated that government spending does not stimulate the economy? The level of frustration on this topic is immense. The whole point is about rugged individualism. We can generate our own stimulis by working hard. Another great sign at the tea party read "Don't spread my wealth around spread my work ethic". I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be under the yoke of the government for their existance. Have these people never experienced the joy of self accomplishment? Do they really not know what it is like to work hard at a difficult task and complete it successfully? Have they been so coddled that this experience has escaped them? Look at the banks that were "forced" to take TARP money who didn't need or want it. They are trying to give it back but the government will no take it. Other banks figured the system out quickly. They did all the paper work for TARP funds but when it came time to get it they said no thanks. As long as they went though the hoops to apply they were left alone. That is buerocracy at work for you. The government should not be running business, period. They can't balance their own books!
People need to be aware of this slow, deliberate action to undermine capitlism by the government. The more they control the more they dictate your way of living. The government machine has a voracious appetite, the more it eats the more it grows, it's an endless upward cycle. I have never heard of one government institution that has eliminated a benefits package for their work force. They complain they are all in record deficits but they don't work very hard at job and benefit reduction for their work force like a normal business would. They lay off 1,000 workers on occasion, which is like a flea on an elephant, only to rehire them as soon as no one is paying attention. Which in this day in age is about a week. They make the big announcement about government layoffs for the press to get sympathy and out rage but you never hear a big announcement about the rehiring of this same dead weight they cut loose. I know as for me when they loose these "workers" my life is not affected one bit. So lets try an experiment, Keep cutting government jobs until it actually affects 60% of the population. I'm pretty sure we'll have a rather small government when it hits that point. I implore you to look at yourself and ask "what can't I do for myself?" If you give it hard thought I believe you will realize, as any true American would, it is very little.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Do you go to "work" or to your "job"?
In a discussion with a friend on the topic that words have meaning a great example was brought up. In the morning when I get up I think to myself "Ive got to get going I have to get to work" Others will say " I've got to go to my job." Sounds innocent on the surface but when you look a little deeper you see something else. I use the word "work" as a verb, something I'm going to do or perform almost in a motivational sense. The person going to their "job" is implying a forced commitment.
When unemployed are you looking for work or for a job? The one looking for work is who I am searching for to hire. The one looking for a job is looking for a paycheck for doing minimal work, health benefits, Time off, etc. Now I'm not knocking these things, well maybe the minimal work part, my point is the earning of these things. I have had employees that do just an awful job at their prescribed tasks (it's a "job" to them) but when confronted about their poor performance they insist that if I payed them more they would do a better job. The funny thing about that is they honestly believe that I should reward them for doing a poor job. I try to explain to them "if you can't do the job at $12.00 an hour why would I pay you $14.00 an hour to not do your work properly?" It still doesn't sink in.
This is the entitlement mentality at work. This is the result of political correctness. When kids soccer teams play and the parents think they shouldn't keep score because someones self esteem may get bruised, that is entitlement and PC wrapped up in one. This is why these younger generations want everything for nothing. They want a "job" they don't want to go to "work". Work is a verb, job is a noun.
I would be curious in unions if say a UAW member gets a pay raise is it because they have improved in their work or because they show up to their "job" every day? The same goes for school teachers, are they graduating more kids with the ability to actually read, write and do math? Or are they just "graduating" kids for numbers sake so they can get federal funding to keep "rewarding" themselves for poor performance? So I ask you, are you "work" or are you "job"? Are you a verb or a noun?
When unemployed are you looking for work or for a job? The one looking for work is who I am searching for to hire. The one looking for a job is looking for a paycheck for doing minimal work, health benefits, Time off, etc. Now I'm not knocking these things, well maybe the minimal work part, my point is the earning of these things. I have had employees that do just an awful job at their prescribed tasks (it's a "job" to them) but when confronted about their poor performance they insist that if I payed them more they would do a better job. The funny thing about that is they honestly believe that I should reward them for doing a poor job. I try to explain to them "if you can't do the job at $12.00 an hour why would I pay you $14.00 an hour to not do your work properly?" It still doesn't sink in.
This is the entitlement mentality at work. This is the result of political correctness. When kids soccer teams play and the parents think they shouldn't keep score because someones self esteem may get bruised, that is entitlement and PC wrapped up in one. This is why these younger generations want everything for nothing. They want a "job" they don't want to go to "work". Work is a verb, job is a noun.
I would be curious in unions if say a UAW member gets a pay raise is it because they have improved in their work or because they show up to their "job" every day? The same goes for school teachers, are they graduating more kids with the ability to actually read, write and do math? Or are they just "graduating" kids for numbers sake so they can get federal funding to keep "rewarding" themselves for poor performance? So I ask you, are you "work" or are you "job"? Are you a verb or a noun?
Friday, March 27, 2009
EARTH HOUR
So Saturday is the big "turn off all your lights for one hour to show you care about global warming, saving the planet, blah blah blah. Well here is what I'm going to do. during this one hour anti capitalist protest I will turn on every one of my lights, my TV, my stereo, I'll leave the fridge door open, run my heat with a door open and let my car idle for that hour in the driveway. I think I will also go in my shop turn all of those lights on and fire up my welder at its 230 v and weld for a full hour straight.
Why, you ask? Well as I said earlier this global initiative is a bunch of America hating capitalist despising control movements. It's an assault on freedom. Don't think so? First I'm not going to debate the idiocy of the global warming theory. But what I will contend is that someone telling you what to do in the name of the Environment is fear mongering manipulation at its core. They say the whole world will participate, lets say 2/3 because the other 1/3 is so primitive they don't even have electricity! they have never felt the comfort and joy of central air conditioning on a 95 degree day. They have never reached into the freezer on that same day retrieve some ice cubes, drop them in a glass and pull the ice cold filtered water from the refrigerator and drink it down. They don't stay up past sundown and enjoy a good book or cook some Cornish hens on the gas grill with its built in light and rotisserie. They can't open a bottle of 1978 Chateau Margeaux and sip it with that fine meal because it would have to be shipped by plane, truck and car to get to their table.(not to mention the cork screw to open it)
They can't order a pizza. They don't have phones or batteries or pizza ovens running at 500 degrees all day long to bring them one of the finest dishes in the world. yes I'm still talking about pizza, not to mention how well that bottle of '78 would go with it. Shall we talk about flush toilets? In India over half the population just "goes outside" do I need to be any more graphic then that? Lets hope they don't shut the runway lights off when you are about to land coming home from that business trip that took you to Rome, Frankfort, London then back to Chicago so you can earn that six figure income you've grown so accustom to. All this (and so much more) brought to you by that little thing called Energy. You know that evil thing they want you to shut off for one hour in protest.
Think about this for one moment, What has energy, in all its forms, given to the world? I have named just a few. The list would consume volumes. Look at every thing around you from a pencil, your food, your car, everything, it all is derived from the use of energy. I drove by an 18 wheeler today and just started looking at all the parts that went into creating that beautiful truck. I mean from the lug nuts to the lights on top of the cab not to mention what it was carrying. Instead of turning off your lights Saturday night and sitting in the dark contemplating how greedy and wasteful we are "compared to others" keep them on and look at all that, Energy, has created, How it has bettered the lives of all who have contact with it. Energy and the resources it takes to produce it are all a gift from God for us to use, flourish and enrich our lives. Those who want you to "turn off" to save the Planet have just come up with another method of punishing the successful. Remember when people believe every one should be equal they mean equally miserable. As Tom Bodett says at Motel 6, "We'll leave the light on for ya".
Why, you ask? Well as I said earlier this global initiative is a bunch of America hating capitalist despising control movements. It's an assault on freedom. Don't think so? First I'm not going to debate the idiocy of the global warming theory. But what I will contend is that someone telling you what to do in the name of the Environment is fear mongering manipulation at its core. They say the whole world will participate, lets say 2/3 because the other 1/3 is so primitive they don't even have electricity! they have never felt the comfort and joy of central air conditioning on a 95 degree day. They have never reached into the freezer on that same day retrieve some ice cubes, drop them in a glass and pull the ice cold filtered water from the refrigerator and drink it down. They don't stay up past sundown and enjoy a good book or cook some Cornish hens on the gas grill with its built in light and rotisserie. They can't open a bottle of 1978 Chateau Margeaux and sip it with that fine meal because it would have to be shipped by plane, truck and car to get to their table.(not to mention the cork screw to open it)
They can't order a pizza. They don't have phones or batteries or pizza ovens running at 500 degrees all day long to bring them one of the finest dishes in the world. yes I'm still talking about pizza, not to mention how well that bottle of '78 would go with it. Shall we talk about flush toilets? In India over half the population just "goes outside" do I need to be any more graphic then that? Lets hope they don't shut the runway lights off when you are about to land coming home from that business trip that took you to Rome, Frankfort, London then back to Chicago so you can earn that six figure income you've grown so accustom to. All this (and so much more) brought to you by that little thing called Energy. You know that evil thing they want you to shut off for one hour in protest.
Think about this for one moment, What has energy, in all its forms, given to the world? I have named just a few. The list would consume volumes. Look at every thing around you from a pencil, your food, your car, everything, it all is derived from the use of energy. I drove by an 18 wheeler today and just started looking at all the parts that went into creating that beautiful truck. I mean from the lug nuts to the lights on top of the cab not to mention what it was carrying. Instead of turning off your lights Saturday night and sitting in the dark contemplating how greedy and wasteful we are "compared to others" keep them on and look at all that, Energy, has created, How it has bettered the lives of all who have contact with it. Energy and the resources it takes to produce it are all a gift from God for us to use, flourish and enrich our lives. Those who want you to "turn off" to save the Planet have just come up with another method of punishing the successful. Remember when people believe every one should be equal they mean equally miserable. As Tom Bodett says at Motel 6, "We'll leave the light on for ya".
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Health care is the future of our economy?
I'm going to keep this brief. In President Obamas press conference last night one thing stuck with me. He said that creating a national health care system is the way to correct the economy. I know I'm paraphrasing, But please tell me how giving away health care create jobs and revenues? I'm no economist but I can see that statement is inept. There is but one way to stimulate the economy. Last night Obama said his critics have no suggestions or solutions. Well I've got some. That one way to stimulate the economy is by eliminating the capital gains tax permanently and eliminating the corporate tax for 3 to 5 years at least (permanently would be better) This would spur immediate business growth and investment in this country. I am talking about a turn around tomorrow not in two years or three years I mean tomorrow!
The reason it does not happen is the politicians want to take credit for fixing the same thing they broke. It's disgraceful. Think about if you gave any business a 37% increase in their bottom line. What do you think they would do with it? I'm sure the ill informed will think they will stick it all in their own bank account but the semi conscious would understand they would reinvest that money to grow more and make more. What does it take to grow? Employees, materials, buildings, vehicles and on and on.
If you eliminated capital gains taxes people would reap more rewards from their investments and that too would get spent thus boosting the economy also. It is so simple.
The reason it does not happen is the politicians want to take credit for fixing the same thing they broke. It's disgraceful. Think about if you gave any business a 37% increase in their bottom line. What do you think they would do with it? I'm sure the ill informed will think they will stick it all in their own bank account but the semi conscious would understand they would reinvest that money to grow more and make more. What does it take to grow? Employees, materials, buildings, vehicles and on and on.
If you eliminated capital gains taxes people would reap more rewards from their investments and that too would get spent thus boosting the economy also. It is so simple.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Societies weak link; People
Does this title sound obvious to you? Well if it does'nt you are whom I'm talking about. The people who think the company they work for is there to serve them. The people who don't understand that if I pay you in cash your full hourly wage you come out ahead. (I will not waste my time with a tax lecture). You are the people who cannot have enough breaks in the day from work because to you work is so demanding! I mean it is way to much to ask to put in a full eight hour day. You are the people that will never ask "what else can I do" when you have finished your current work. You might get noticed and actually have a difficult task given to you which in turn you might actually complete successfully then get promoted to more responsibility and a pay raise. But you would not want that because you would really have to put in some thought and energy to your job and all you really want to do is get home to watch reality TV because those people are interesting.
You are the people who arrive to work one minute prior to your start time or you are three minutes late everyday. You are not going to give the company one extra minute of your time without being compensated for it! You are the people who will not innovate your own occupation, create efficiencies, increase productivity, implement cost saving strategies, etc. You are the ones who moan and groan every night about how miserable things are while you sit in your recliner with a beer in your hand again watching re-runs of happy days. You don't realize that you are home by 5:00pm and don't go to bed until 10 or 11:00pm so that gives you 5 or 6 hours to start a new carreer or business every day plus weekends. No, that would be work to you and if no one is paying you then forget it. You are the people who just keep drivng or walking when someone is in trouble, "let the other guy help them" that's your motto. You are the ones clammoring for free health care not understanding that you will actually pay even more for it when it is free and get half the service.
I think you may now begin to see my point. If you are not one of these slugs then Thank You from the bottom of my heart. We used to have a country full of people like you and I but where have they all gone? As usual the few will be carrying the many. We've got broad shoulders and strong backs but eventually your weight will kill us. So do yourself and us a favor, light a fire under yourself and make something happen to improve your life and those around you, please.
You are the people who arrive to work one minute prior to your start time or you are three minutes late everyday. You are not going to give the company one extra minute of your time without being compensated for it! You are the people who will not innovate your own occupation, create efficiencies, increase productivity, implement cost saving strategies, etc. You are the ones who moan and groan every night about how miserable things are while you sit in your recliner with a beer in your hand again watching re-runs of happy days. You don't realize that you are home by 5:00pm and don't go to bed until 10 or 11:00pm so that gives you 5 or 6 hours to start a new carreer or business every day plus weekends. No, that would be work to you and if no one is paying you then forget it. You are the people who just keep drivng or walking when someone is in trouble, "let the other guy help them" that's your motto. You are the ones clammoring for free health care not understanding that you will actually pay even more for it when it is free and get half the service.
I think you may now begin to see my point. If you are not one of these slugs then Thank You from the bottom of my heart. We used to have a country full of people like you and I but where have they all gone? As usual the few will be carrying the many. We've got broad shoulders and strong backs but eventually your weight will kill us. So do yourself and us a favor, light a fire under yourself and make something happen to improve your life and those around you, please.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It's a FAT, FAT world arter all
It's just a matter of observing, I mean really look around you and tell me what you see. I see FAT. Now, just for full dis closer I am/was one of those fat folk. I was fit then got fat then I was fit then got fat, you know the drill. But I guess in all honesty I never realized how serious and debilitating it can be. I look around when I am in public and It has to be 85 - 90% of people I see are over weight. Now I know there are a million reasons why people are over weight, hold on, let me cast out the PC police and call them FAT! That is one of the contributing problems to Fatness (PC term=obesity) Giving it a euphanism like obese, large boned or has a thyroid problem or whatever ridiculous thing you want to call it. You are FAT! It comes down to that pesky little thing called personal responsibility. Now I know in this entitlement society we are living in people don't like that term either. I've got news for you it is the only way towards improvement and success. Is there someone who pulls you out of bed in the morning to exercise and does the exercise for you? I didn't think so. Does someone go to work for you, do your work and give you the paycheck? I didn't think so. Does someone force bad food into your mouth then make you chew it, swallow it and then stuff more in your face? I didn't think so. When you got sick was it the doctors fault? I didn't think so. So why do expect someone else or the doctor for that matter to pay for it? Why does your employer have to give you health bennefits? Is it your employers responsibility to take care of you physically? And please don't say "well if I am healthy it only benefits my employer because I'm more productive". How about being productive for the sake of being productive? How about the joy of working, using your mind for something other then watching TV, producing something other then what you leave in the toilet every day. This is the joy of personal responsibility it is about freedom at its very core. If you produce, you earn, you earn, you purchase and aquire, with these aquasitions you grow and prosper, you give to others of your own free will not government mandates. The government is not going to make you thin, healthy, wealthy, generous or any thing except miserable. Freedom means you are free not to be FAT! Put that candy bar down that you just had to have because it was next to the register at the hardware store where you were just at picking up some picture hangers. Go home, hang the pictures of your FAT self, then get on your face and do some push ups! (is this where I should say check with your doctor first to see if your FAT self can even handle one lousy push up?) Well screw that. Give me twenty right now! When you are finished turn off that TV and get into the kitchen, open the cabinets and throw out any proccesed food you have. Basically anything in the ingreidients that ends in OSE (sucrose, fructose, etc.) Any white sugar or white flower any hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils. Whole, live foods are what you need. And you thought you needed more cabinet space. I guarantee when you are done throwing that garbage out you will have 2/3 more space. Prepare your own food you lazy, FAT, unhealthy individual. Stop poisoning your kids with this trash. No more drive thrus! You might even teach your kids how to cook, now there is a novel idea, now they won't need to go to the drive thru to eat! You might even be able to muster the intestinal fortitude to have a conversation with them. That is if you don't have the TV on in the kitchen watching something important like Dancing with the Stars or some "when is something going to happen" baseball game. Get your priorities straight...God, health, family, work, is that so difficult?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
