How to fix the Un-Leadership in DC?

I’m wondering! Just what will be the next crisis for our lack-of-leadership in our nation’s capitol.

It seems to me that these guys don’t have a production scheduler. Twenty-eight years in manufacturing taught me that just a mid-level production scheduler would solve all their problems. Here we sit, again, staring at another cliff—the 1^st of March—when mandatory spending cuts are supposed to start if legislation to stave them off is not enacted.

We currently have 7+% unemployment and can expect, at least from the government itself, maybe as much as 20% furloughs or even more drastic cuts. What are these guys thinking?

I know that there is room for better and wiser spending. I think everybody realizes that. Taking a hit like the media suggests will be devastating. I can imagine something in the neighborhood of 20 – 25% unemployment when the trickle down from the sequestration action runs it’s course. It might even be worse. All those people out of work, the $$$ devalued world-wide, recession leading to depression, etc….. Where might it stop?

The government might be too big! But what will it be if the worse happens? I’m not here to argue the efficiency of the work-staff or whether this department is needed or that one isn’t. None of it will matter if they don’t get this runaway train back on the tracks.

The legislative branch doesn’t have to look or common ground. They just have to open the heads to a common sense approach. If the American populous can see it, why can’t they?

We missed our chance last November and I don’t mean at the presidential level. Democrat or Republican pretty much doesn’t much matter. The REAL problem is in the Legislative Branch. It needs fixing and we didn’t follow through. Still at an all-time low in approval rating and we sent most of the same right back there to continue to do the same thing we were unsatisfied with them before.

Will we remember this simple fact in another two years? We just might not have to if we don’t get the train back on the tracks.

Just a production scheduler laying out a you-gotta-do-this-today-schedule. Don’t go home until complete. Then come back in tomorrow and accomplish another you-gotta-do-this-today-schedule. It’s just that easy!

It’s been a bad week for Sports Heroes or has it?

It’s been a bad week for Sports Heroes or has it? It all depends on who you describe as a hero.

First, ya got your Lance Armstrong, or as I refer to him—Lance Madolph. We realize he has been falling for some time now, but those still riding his band wagon weren’t really sure until he told Oprah the dirty little news. The guy seems to be nothing more than a thug and a cheat—definitely not your everyday-run-of-the-mill hero.

Then we find out that Manti Te’o’s imaginary girlfriend most likely never existed even though he kept us up to date on the minute-by-minute developments of his hurt for more than a month after discovering that she didn’t die on the same day as his grand mother and never even existed at all. String-along-fiction at it’s best!

This morning I woke up to more bad news about still yet another sports hero. Stanley Frank Musial (Stan the Man) passed away Saturday at his home in St. Louis. This is a far better candidate for bad sports news than either of the two accounts above.

 

For more than 60 years I have maintained Stan the Man as my primary idol in the world of sports and a true hero—a far piece from the Johnny-come-latelies above—neither of which can reach the coat tales of the Cardinal Legend.

I first became a follower of Stan Musial listening to the Cardinal games over the radio as my family moved around the South, the Midwest, later the West and finally in Texas—the Cardinal games were always available on the radio; they being the most western existing team playing Major League Baseball at the time.

Then I got the chance of a lifetime for a kid born in the forties and growing up in the early fifties. While living in Taylorville, IL, my family chose to drive to St. Louis one sweltering August weekend to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play the St. Louis Cardinals in ole Sportsman Stadium. I thought I had been elected with a ticket to heaven.

We made the trip and I still have the program, the Cardinal yearbook and the Stan the Man bat I managed to talk my dad into buying for me—I don’t recall it being that hard of a task; he was a Cardinal man himself.

I know it’s one of those kid-bats, but it’s my Stan the Man Bat

Stan Musial was part of that Greatest Generation and even took a year off in 1945 to serve in the Navy during World War II—you wouldn’t catch either of the above serving anywhere that wasn’t in their money grubbing future.

Musial, while playing 22 years with the Cardinals, won the batting title seven times, hitting .300 or better for 16 straight seasons, played on three World Champion Teams, won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times, played in 24 All-star games (tying a record) and held the National League record for hits.

One of my fondest memories came in the late 70s during a trip to Cooperstown when I had the opportunity to stand beside the locker of Stan the Man and introduce my son to the record plaques hanging on the wall of the top ten record holders in all the primary statistical holders in baseball up to that time. At the top of most and mixed somewhere in the top ten of all was the name Stan Musial. He was simply the best at what he did and held that level for a long, long time.

Oh, that game in August of 1951, the Cardinals won by-the-way. There were some very memorable names on the field that day— Enos Slaughter (9) and Red Schoendienst (2) for the Cardinals and Roy Campanella (39), Pee Wee Reese (1), Jackie Robinson (42), Duke Snider (4) and Dick Williams (38) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (for the sake of space; I’ll just name the eventual Hall of Fame members on the field that day). But I came to see  Stan Musial (6).

“A large bronze statute erected outside Busch Stadium II and then moved to the newest Busch Stadium carries the words uttered by then commissioner Ford C. Frick the day Musial retired, on Sept. 29, 1963. Frick said: “Here stands baseball’s perfect warrior. Here stands baseball’s perfect knight.”” (“Cardinal’s Hall of Famer Stan Musial dies at age 92” R.B. Fallstrom, The Associated Press, Jan. 20, 2013)

That's me in front of the Musial statue referenced above on a pilgrimage to the Stadium.

Will we ever see another the likes of Stan the Man?

It’s Cold outside – time to step it up!

So, it’s colder than usual outside. It’s time to step it up—time to do your best. The invigoration of the cold always gets my blood churin’!

Time to look for a cold weather challenge—something out of the ordinary, something you don’t do in the everyday world you survive in. Take on a task that pushes your limits.

In my younger days, this might have been a road trip—we called them convoys back then—of multiple days and an extended duration. I realize you might not be able to arrange for a cool 100 vehicles to tag along with you, but so what? Try it without the extra hundred of friends and acquaintances. Just a couple of family members will suffice to make the endurance worthwhile.

It really doesn’t matter to me if there is an itinerary or you take off ad hoc and see where you end up. The fun and the challenge is the going.

While we are discussing the cool, this time of year always causes me to undergo Moose withdrawals. I haven’t seen nor interacted with a Moose in some time. I miss the excitement of one of those 1200+ pound beasts trying to get the best of me. A side note: Moose should always be capitalized—they weigh 1200+ pounds and anything that big deserves respect—always.

At one point in my life, I used to come across a Moose all the time. Just a few encounters I might mention:

Playing Moose tag in the far, far woods (Patsy never enjoyed it as much as I did.)

Moose in the morning formation

Moose foraging under the back deck

Moose inside the Battalion Headquarters

Many, many more

Back yard

Same shot as above - taken through binocular lens 

(couldn't afford telephoto lens at the time!)

Moose headed into playground area

Take the challenge and just maybe include a Moose along the way—take my word both will invigorate your day (or week)!

Rough Eye Job, My most recent trip to the eye doctor!

Had the opportunity to have a little eye work done this morning. Wasn’t expecting it to happen today, but glad it did. I find the worst aspect of medical procedures is the anxiety that builds toward that procedure out in the future. I tend to spend far too much time worrying about the possible pain, the what-can-g-wrong, the recovery, etc. The actual procedures seem to never reach the level of worry and anxiety I put into them.

Back in November, I got an appointment with my ophthalmologist, Doc Real-Good-Hands, because of a problem resembling a sty on my right eyelid. There wasn’t much pain, just a little tenderness, but I was concerned because I woke up every morning with the eye swollen shut about half-way. Of course it was a much bigger problem to Patsy than it was to me. After a couple of days of trying to ignore her—sure that the problem would go away—I knuckled under and scheduled a visit to my doc.

Doc Real-Good-Hands down played the importance of the problem—not a sty, just a blocked tear duct. His advice at the time was to apply hot compresses multiple times a day and see if the problem resolves itself. Well, the holidays threw a clinker into that process. Three trips to the Dallas area, three trips to Bryan-College Station, one trip to Mississippi and the grand kids for a week didn’t help the matter much—not to mention the weather and cleaning pup feet constantly over the last two months—rain finally came to Austin. I admit that I coulda done better.

The knot of my eyelid kept getting bigger and bigger. Again came the ragging from Patsy and still more feet cleaning getting in the way. I’d finally had enough of it and called this morning to see when I could get an appointment. To my utter surprise, the lady said “how about ten o’clock?”

I responded: “What day?”

She said: “This morning!”

I said: “Fine. I’ll see you at ten.”

I was on time, even a little early. They weren’t. After a short wait (the first of seven) I was ushered back for the prelim of taking evidence. Then to another waiting area, probably the longest wait of all. Finally, the original note taker puts me in another room to (again) wait the doc.

Doc Real-Good-Hands comes in and looks at the eye and says: “Didn’t get better? Pretty big knot now. Let’s fix it!” Follow me over to a room where we will do the work. I hadn’t expected this to happen today—it almost never does. He showed me to another room and said wait here and we’ll be right back with what we need to get this fixed.

A nurse came back in a matter of minutes with the paperwork—releasing the medical profession of all liability because I signed away the authorization for them to gouge out my eye. Again I wait.

Both Doc and the nurse blast back in through the door throwing on all the lights and a few more strong light sources hidden away in unsuspecting corners of the room. While Nurse fiddles with the instruments, Doc lays me back in the exam chair in most likely the worst comfortable of all positions. I complain a bit and he adjusts the head rest—this restores blood to my lower extremities but doesn’t feel much better.

Doc states: “The worst of the procedure is the numbing needle. It’s all downhill from there. First I have to apply this clamp that will hold your eyelid inside out and back out of the way.”

“Go get it doc; I’m ready!” False bravado always sounds so good.

“Kook up this way and push out your chin.”

“My chin! I thought you were going to work on my eye.” I respond.

Doc chuckled once and grabbed my eyelid and attached it to what felt like my rear end—I know it was at least the back of my neck. You know, I don’t care too much for needles around my eyes, but in this position with a million candle power light shining in my eye, my eyelid hooked behind my ear and the doc’s death grip on my head I couldn’t do anything but observe the procedure.

First Doc pores a numbing solution into my eye socket and then pokes me three or four times with the numbing needle—the first prick having a small sting to it, but the rest felt like just a touch; quick stuff!

Then comes the Bowie Knife to make the incision which was quickly followed by what appeared to be a tiny small hook apparatus that he gouged out the oil build up. Over and over this part of the procedure continued—a Que-tip in one hand and a new wire hook in the other after each new gouge. “There’s a lot here to get.” Doc says.

Several minutes past and Doc is still digging and retrieving new tools. Nurse seems worried if she brought enough and asks if he might need more. Doc responds: “No, I think I can get it all with what we have. This is the biggest knot of the year though.”

I said: “Doc, it’s only the 11^th of January!”

“OK, OK! But still in the top ten of last year.” Still more digging.

Finally comes the “there, we’ve got it all. I’m just going to put some ointment on it and cover it with a compression patch in case it bleeds a bit and we’ll give you a rest for about ten minutes.” Well, finally the last of the waits is upon me. They both depart and turn of some of the flood lights on their way out. There I sit, finally upright again.

I wasn’t paying much attention and assume ten minutes past. Doc came back in and removed the patch, dabbed the eye a bit and said I might have a little pink colored tears until the healing finishes.

I was ushered out and able to continue my day.

While the doc was outta the room the last time, I broke hospital rules by taking out my phone and snapping a pix of my eye area—I hope I didn’t offend somebody’s pacemaker or stop an assisted breathing apparatus while I was in action.

When I got to my vehicle I text’d the pix to Patsy and ask her if she would like me to stop by for lunch. The result is exactly what one might expect: “Can you drive like that?” I had brought my glasses and was set—of course Patsy didn’t know that! I’ll probably dream tonight ‘bout that needle and wire hooks around my eye.

 The pix did it's intended job!

Cliff! What Cliff?

Did you jump or stand on the periphery and watch the orchestrated mambo-jumbo by both parties (Dems & Repubs) as they made the (almost) exact deal most us expected back in mid-summer?

There was absolutely no valid reason for the American populous to have been put through this rigmarole for the past six months.

Rigmarole is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as (1) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense and (2) a complicated, petty set of procedures. I believe they hit it right on the nose. Right!

We have seen wild fluctuations in the market and big drops for absolutely no reason whatsoever. We have seen oh, so many days of no action other than name-calling. Any non-productive term one can bring to mind can be attached to the D.C. goings-on!

We all knew they would rush at the very last minute to a compromise, somewhere just to the right (or left) of the middle, depending on your point of view, so that each side could claim to their constituency that they had won in the end.

Constituency is defined by the Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed. (1) the body of people who are eligible to vote and elect a leader or (2) a group of supporters or potential supporters.

Right again?

Here I would question if we really got what we, the people voted for—I don’t think so. There are some that would disagree to a varying extent in both directions.

We voted for this!

 

But we got this!

I think the only winners here are those that make their living from the transactions lobbying with the congress and those that make their living charging a fee for transacting the business of buying those stocks that go up and down as a result of the actions of those lobbying with the congress.

The rest of us just pay, one way or the other.

We had our chance to change this course for approximately 5/6ths of those in the D.C. area—the entire House of Representatives, 1/3^rd of the Senate and the President. We failed to do our part!!!

By the time our chance to take action on this stage comes around again (2 years down the road), we will have forgotten our displeasure and fall right back into our no-action ways.

Who out there thinks there is a chance in the world that there could be a recall election of those members who won reelection or had a bye and will move on into the next version of the same-ole-same-ole body of derelict operators residing in the seats that actually belong to us?

Derelict is defined by:

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1) run-down; dilapidated (2) neglectful of duty or obligation; remiss.

Collins English Dictionary - a person who is neglectful of duty or obligation

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, 11th Edition - lacking a sense of duty, negligent

Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition - lost; adrift; hence, wanting; careless; neglectful; unfaithful.

The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus - (1) failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. (2) abandoned, because of failure to function.

Take your pick!

Strain Capital Leverages Clause International Ltd

My mind tends to wander when not engaged. I’m sorry, but this is where it went overnight.

We have seen the very last of Santa Claus deliveries on Christmas Eve, at least for the near future. This afternoon, the Director of International Acquisitions and Operations for Strain Capital, Semore Layoffs, announced the leveraged buyout of Santa Claus International, Ltd. The oldest continuously operated family enterprise and located at the North Pole has fallen on tough times as of late.

R. R. Reindeer, the official spokesman for Claus stated in a press release just last week that the shrinking of pack ice due to global warning has reduced the availability of inexpensive labor in the region. The operation has had to import workers from regions outside the regular commute, paying expenses as well, and now sees profit margins dwindling.

The company is now scheduled for a complete overhaul—the usual result for a Strain Capital acquisition. Layoffs stated that several major changes are in order starting immediately after the completion of this holiday season’s delivery schedule.

Advance personnel are already reconnoitering sites at the more-stable South Pole and the move will begin on 26 Dec 12. The first of the major changes will be accomplished fairly easily due to the current administration’s cut back in funding of the sciences—those guys in D.C. are looking to cut all social spending. The availability of adequate shelter at the South Pole will expedite the move to new facilities.

Then the big challenge begins. Where will Strain find labor? Several colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands make their home in the area, but are mostly unskilled labor. “We all realize the obstacle that brings,” Layoffs says: “but they have met this challenge before and sees no real problem overcoming it.”

The seasonal change to a new delivery date seems to be the largest problem facing Strain and its management team. The 25 December delivery date is expected to shift to 21 June—the shortest night of the year. Semore indicated that the new date fits nicely with the organizations goal of efficiency improvements. “We don’t need a long night to get deliveries made.”

The manufacturing schedule will be augments wit temporary workers and Black Friday will be moved to the American holiday Memorial Day—lobbyist are already in place working on legislative action to reschedule Memorial Day from a Monday to a Friday holiday. “OK, we know it’s a purely American holiday and we know we are going to get pushback in this area, but get over it Germany and Great Britain!” Layoffs was quoted as saying.

Layoffs went on to point out that the increased efficiency they believe they will gain by outsourcing delivery from the tried and true reindeer powered vehicle to conveniently established organizations and a newly developing franchise in the Far East with costs will diminishing quickly.

Current plans call for the Western Hemisphere deliveries to be divided UPS and FedEx with the senior firm, UPS, being allocated the northern half and FedEx getting the southern half. These two firms have proven that they can accomplish overnight exactly what is needed to reign in costs and insure deliverability. In an abrupt and unexpected move, a niche market was cut out and allocated to the United States Post Office. The District of Columbia seems to deserve special handling—it is note quite sure the overnight schedule will be met here, but this is the current plan—maybe they deserve a little less attention than the rest; it sure seems that they have paid in kind to their constituents.

A bold plan seems to be in order for the Western Hemisphere where a start-up company, ChiEx will assume the load for this region. ChiEx has plans on the table for some interesting approaches planned to meet the overnight market and continued operations throughout the remainder of the delivery market that now exists as a very slipshod situation.

With enormous resources available—let’s just say billions here—at minimum costs, ChiEx plans to reallocate assets hemisphere wide. One of the unique approaches is the human chain where the organization will stretch out hordes of humanity from all the major population centers to the country sides and deliver small to medium packages by hand. A second approach revealed just lately is the three-person rickshaw. Utilizing two runners and a jump seat allowing the third operator to rest in turn increases the usual stamina associated with this mode of transportation two to three fold. The new mode of transportation—currently labeled the Thrickshaw—is believed to be the preferred method for the larger requirements. No images are available of the Thrickshaw were available as yet but it is believed to be a modern and sleek upgrade to current models available on regular markets.

The entire market seems to be wide open for opportunities and improvements. The biggest question remains to be the ability of Strain to complete the turnaround in the small window the plan calls for. Markets will be watching closely, as will the delivery receiving public.

My Money returns and a Raise also!

I recently had the opportunity to sign up for Social Security. It was very easy; all online and not one problem. The checks started hitting my account down at the credit union almost immediately and have so for a couple of months.

The guys down at the credit union called and ask if I would like to come down and see my money, What a treat! I took them up on the offer and went down and gave the cash a look.

I was dumb founded! I actually recognized some of the bills laying there in my account. I hadn't seen them since some time in the early 70s, but I recognized them. It was like old home week. We sat there and commiserated with each other over the journey each had taken over the years.

I go back after each deposit and check out the cash. Still recognizing some of them but nothing from the 80s yet.

So, I been with this Social Security System for just a short time and low and behold I get great news. I got a raise after such a short time.

I tell my wife, with a great big smile on my face, "I got a 1.7% raise!" She, being the ever encouraging Human Resource professional she is replied: "What? Only 1.7%. The national average is 3.5%."

The wind left my sails immediately. Any more good news from my System buddies, I'm gonna keep to myself.