Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 15

Christmas: The Gift of Hope Everlasting

Hmmm, how can wecelebrate Christmas in the face of so many trials and tribulations?

Christmas 2022 is justaround the corner. It will be a little merrier this year than the last twoyears as families can gather together with no cap on their numbers. It can be alive and in person event rather than a Zoom Christmas.

Oh, but the weather bomb just now hitting Southern Ontario is going to make travel difficult if not impossible through Saturday. Anyone needing to travel a long distance to visit may be out of luck if they were unable to leave a few days early. If you are waiting for that last minute gift to arrive from Amazon, the weather may scuttle that too.

There is also the issueof runaway inflation. Soaring food prices are forcing many to scale back theirChristmas Day dinner. Gas prices also factor into the equation. Although theyhave dropped from their historic high water marks earlier in the year, they arestill high and may force some to curtail their travel plans.

If you have family inthe Ukraine, Iran, China or other countries in turmoil, celebrating may be thelast thing on your mind. Worrying for loved ones may be weighing you down. Myheart goes out to you if you are living that reality.

Heaven help you if youneed to take yourself or a family member to a hospital emergency room onSaturday. Long wait times mean you may still be in the queue on Christmasmorning. I sincerely hope that is not the case for any of you.

If you are a dedicatedhealth care professional who works at a hospital and is not on shift ChristmasDay, you may have downsized your celebration plans simply because you are sofatigued and so stressed. I feel for you. You deserve much better workingconditions.

This is not an exhaustive Oh but if list. There may be other complicating circumstances I have not covered. My apologies if I overlooked your difficult circumstances. They are not any less significant because I have failed to include them.

How do we go abouthaving a Merry Christmas in light of all of these complicating factors? It isnot an easy question to answer. As much as I would like to have a magic wand towave to make things better, I am not Harry Potter.

But I believe the answerlies in finding our way back to the true meaning of the season. Wrapping paperand pretty bows, strings of light and strands of tinsel, platters of turkey andbowls of Christmas pudding are the waysin which we celebrate but not the why.

The why is three wise men following a star, an angel appearing to shepherds tending their flocks in the field and a baby in a manger who would change the world for all time. It is about hope everlasting in the face of all trials and tribulations.

Merry Christmas from myhome to yours. May the true meaning of the season be your greatest gift thisyear.

~  Now Available Onlinefrom Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites ofPassage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Recalibrating the Moral Barometer

Hmmm, could one randomact of kindness be the difference maker?

There have always been and will always be people who choose to get rich by dishonesty and preying on the unsuspecting nature of others. They devise elaborate schemes to defraud people of their money. But the practice of scamming seems to have become a immoral pandemic these days. Forget about COVID-19, the scamming pandemic is a bigger hazard.

Hardly a day goes backwhere the telephone does not ring once, or a text message pops up, or an e-mailappears from someone trying to hoodwink us and get their hands on ourhard-earned money. Scammers are breeding like rabbits and getting ever moredevious in their tactics.

I find myself wonderingwhy this practice has mushroomed the way it has in the last few years.Technology does play a role. It gives scammers more tools to use and abuse. Buttechnology is only an enabler. The question remains: Why are so many people orgroups abandoning basic morals and becoming under the table thieves?

Forgive me for ragging on politicians, but I think they are one small part of the problem. So many of them are knee deep in scandals and engage in self-serving behaviour on a regular basis. They are setting a bad example which many ordinary citizens may be falling in line with: If it is okay for them to be corrupt, it is okay for me too.

It feels like we aredevolving into an all-out, Darwinian survival of the fittest mentality in whichthe end justifies the nefarious means.

There is not much we as individualscan do to put the brakes on this disturbing escalation. But perhaps we can dosomething to recalibrate society’s moral barometer. It may be as simple asrandom acts of kindness to inject humanity and good will into the world.

When someone is waitingin a lane to pull out onto a busy road, pause and let them in.

When we are racing tothe checkout with the shortest line in the grocery store and we see someoneelse headed there, stop, smile and wave them ahead.

When someone at work isstressed and losing ground on the backlog of work, offer to take a project offtheir hands.

When some has that “Ican’t take much more of this” look, ask if they are okay and if you can helpwithout being judgmental or needing to know the details of their problem.

Random acts of kindnessmay seem inconsequential. But each one corrects the moral barometer just alittle bit. Added together they can become more than the sum of their parts andthe beginning of a wave.

Give it a try. It takes so little effort but can make such a big difference.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Money Talks: Mega Bucks for the Mega Stars

Hmmm, how loud does $40million a year talk?

Have you heard about thecontract that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge just signed? If not, hereis the figure: $360 million for nine years which equates to $40 million peryear. Yes, you read that figure correctly: $40 million per year. I think thatfalls into the category of more moneythan you know what to do with.

It is an obscene amountof money for one person to be pulling down. Yes, he is the league MVP. But thatdoes not make the amount any less outrageous. Baseball pays well. Hockey doestoo although not quite as well. Nathan MacKinnon, franchise player for the ColoradoAvalanche, gets $12.6 million per year for 8 years. A bargain by comparison,but still obscene.

Yes, these men are eliteathletes at the top of their profession. They are the best of the best. But I cannothelp but wonder how a person earning such a salary can morally justify it inthe context of the world today where many struggle to put food on the table.

A bit of perspective. A person who earns an average of $40,000 per year over the course of their working life – 40 years for illustrative purposes – would earn $1.8 million in his or her lifetime. That is 4.5% of what Judge will earn in one year.

I am tempted to do themath from the perspective of someone working at minimum wage for theirlifetime. But that would be an exercise ending in even greater moral outrage.

I have heard peopledefend professional athletes earning mega salaries by pointing out that some ofthem make large contributions to charitable organizations. My response is:Well, they damn well should! It would be boarding on criminal if they did notdo so.

Long ago I came to termswith the fact that life is not fair. No one ever promised that it would be. Acceptingthat reality is critical to being able to achieve a measure of contentment inone’s life. But that argument breaks down in the face of this level ofdisparity,

Modern culture glorifiesprofessional athletes. I will confess that I enjoy watching Maple Leafs AustinMatthews and Mitch Marner perform on the ice. They have honed their skills to afine edge and deserve credit for doing so. But I still cannot justify themegabucks they earn.

Professional sports are big business in every sense of the word. The amount of revenue generated is staggering with television contracts being one of the cash cows involved. The economics is far beyond my reckoning. Superstar financial professionals creatively crunch the numbers to make it all work .

But I still come back tothe basic question. How do you sleep peacefully at night knowing that you areearning more in one month than many people earn in a lifetime? I guess thatfalls into the category of good problems to have.

We often hear it saidthat money talks. In this context, it would seem to be saying. Great to be me. Sucks to be you. Excuse mewhile I rev up my Ferrari.

~  Now Available Onlinefrom Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites ofPassage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

A River of My Own Choosing

Hmmm, will my ricketyback hold up until I can turn in my paddle?

I manage to post almostevery week in this forum in one form or another. However, I have missed a fewweeks recently. The first missed post was simply a case of a busy period thatleft me half brain dead. Age is catching up with my and lowering my resilience,

Being missing in action the last couple of weeks had a different cause. My chronic and unpredictable back problem flared up. The unfortunate reality is that by back is in a cranky mood most of the time. But this go-round it got downright irate. I had to use all my remaining sick days and vacation days to weather the storm.

I am back up and running now but still labouring a bit. My chiropractor has upped his game to get me back on track (pun intended). Seven treatments and counting in the last 16 days.

I have been constantlyarguing with my back throughout this episode. Really, you have to do this now? I will be retiring in four months! Youcould not wait that long? At least then I would not have to sit at a desk sevenhours a day.

Oh, the joys of getting old. Supposedly we get better with age but that does not apply in this particular situation. I would like to be akin to a bottle of wine that gets better as it ages. But the truth is I am more like a perishable commodity that is nearing the end of its best before date.

The limited warranty on my body evidently expired some time ago. I cannot pinpoint the date but I think it happened somewhere around the age of 50. Reaching the half century mark in one piece and relatively sane was a significant accomplishment. But I have yet to receive the reward for it. I guess I should have opted for the extended warranty but I don’t recall being offered it.

Wisdom does accumulatewith age. I see many things more clearly now. (Well, not literally. I am duefor a new set of eye glasses.) But patience does not appear to be bundled withwisdom. In fact, there seems to be an inverse relationship. The wiser I get theless tolerant I am of the things that annoy me.

Even more alarming, thethings that annoy me are steadily growing. I am at risk of becoming a crankyold man.

Notwithstanding theravages of age, I am looking forward to retirement. It is a threshold at whichI can turn my back (pun intended) on the things that make me roll my eyes andmutter under my breath. I will have license to say thanks, but no thanks to those things without being penalized.

Life is a bit likepaddling a canoe. For much of it, people like me who elect to go their own wayhave to paddle against the current for 65 years. Retirement means I can chooseanother river to follow. Four months until I can turn in my paddle. I amcounting the days.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week

Confused, Bemused and Not Amused

Hmmm, can you clear up afew things for me?

There are a few thingshappening lately that I find confusing. Actually, if I am being honest, thereare a whole lot of things going on in the world today that bewilder me. Thenumber of things that do not make sense far outweigh the ones that do. Here arejust a few examples.

How is it that NHLplayers, making a million, five million or even 10 million dollars a year,shoot wide as often as they hit the target? It is a 6 foot x 4 foot target, forGod’s sake! It has to be more difficult to missit than to hit it. They should have$1,000 deducted from their mega salaries for each shot that goes wide.

Why does the price ofgas bounce up and down like Mexican jumping beans? I sort of (not really)understand fluctuations based on supply chain issues. But that does not explaina price graph that resembles the EKG of a man repeatedly hit by lightningbolts. I am inclined to believe it is a daily throw at dart at the dartboard exercise in terms of setting theprice.

Why do politicians spendtheir time in the legislature behaving like 10 year olds with ADHD who hadtheir Hallowe’en candy stolen by the other party? Surely our elected officialsare capable of better behaviour.

I suggest we put inplace a system where MPs and MPPs are required to react responsibly andrespectfully for three days a week. The other two days they can fight, squabbleand pontificate to their heart’s content. That seems more than reasonable tome.

Why do Call Centreskeeping dialing my number over and over and over again when I never answer ifit is a phone number I do not recognize. Do they honestly think they will wearme down and convince me to have my ducts cleaned? I would have to remove thedead bodies I am hiding there. Where else could I put them?

Why do people run redlights and risk killing themselves, me and the people riding with us? Is itthat critical for you to get where you are going ten minutes earlier? You mayhave a death wish or enjoy dancing with death on a daily basis. I happen tohave a healthy respect for my life. Red means STOP for a reason. Use the brakes– that’s why you have them.

Why does the 6:00 newsrepeat the same story three days in a row and half a dozen times in threeweeks? Interviewing a different person each time does not make it a new story.Stop flogging the dead horse. There is no shortage of news to report on.

Why are there hundreds of television channels when the same programs play on five separate channels? Am I supposed to spin the roulette wheel and pick which channel to watch? Do I get a prize if I pick the right one? A new car or an all expenses paid vacation down south would be nice.

So much of what goes onin the world today does not make sense to me. Am I the only sane person left?Or does it all make sense to everyone else and I am the oddball? It would notbe the first time I found myself in that position.

If I am the guy on the outside looking in – the fish out of water, I guess I am doomed to be confused, bemused and not amused. I may have to up my alcohol intake to cope.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Paddle Your Own Canoe

Hmmm, are you determinedand engaged enough to keep paddling against the current?

The participation ratein elections is a good indicator of the current engagement level in thepopulation. What do I mean by engagement? I mean how motivated people are tostep up and play a role in what is happening around them. I could also look atit from the reverse angle and talk about disengagement as an indicator ofapathy.

The participation ratesin the last few elections tell a distressing story. The Canadian federalelection of 2021: 62% participation rate. The 2022 Ontario provincial election:43% participation rate. And finally, the recent Ontario municipal election: apaltry 36% participation rate overall with figures below 30% in some areas.

Why are things trendingin this direction? There are a few drivers that factor into the equation.

Election fatigue is onefactor: Three elections in a one-year period for those of us here in Ontario. Itwould be better if the various levels of government coordinated and left areasonable interval between elections. But political opportunism rules thatout.

The pandemic, more specifically the restrictions imposed around it, arguably also played a role. For two years were instructed to effectively disengage: pull in your horns and stay at home until further notice. Two years in that state created new, sometimes unhealthy behaviour patterns.

But the big driver isloss of faith in our elected officials. I challenge you to name a government inthe last decade that has not had a least a few high profile scandals. Thenthere are the broken promises piling up one after another. Again I challengeyou to name a government that kept more promises than it walked away from ordisavowed.

This loss of faithbreeds a why even bother mentality.Why bother putting in the effort to vote when most of the promises made will bebroken or compromised and when so many elected officials constantly fail tomeet basic ethical standards? It is a hard argument to refute.

But apathy is a verydangerous thing. If we all stop giving a damn, stop speaking out and stopparticipating in the democratic process, it allows a small percentage of peoplein positions of authority to do whatever they want. Experience shows that if wedo not hold them accountable, many of them will do what is in their bestinterest rather than our best interest.

Apathy is also anunhealthy state of mind. Nothing I dowill make a difference, so I will just stop trying. That kind of negativityis fertile ground for seeding anxiety, depression and other mental healthissues which are already at alarming levels.

Each one of us has a degree of control over the course of our lives. We are each paddling our own canoe in the direction we want to go which often means paddling against the current. Apathy kicks in when one or more of us loses motivation and decides just to drift wherever the current takes us. In that scenario, we almost always end up in place we do not want to be.

I am going to keeppaddling my canoe no matter how strong the current gets and how many people arejust drifting. I hope you will too. It is easier for each of us to get where wewant to go if all of us ae invested in the process.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Portraits of Autumn: October Splendour

Hmmm, are we gratefulenough for the last bloom of autumn?

October has not beenparticularly kind to us in terms of weather. It has been largely a cold and wetmonth depriving us of the slow glide into winter. But it is making amends bygoing out with a final burst of warmth and colour.

And so it seems appropriateto offer a portrait of October splendour in photographs matching the last fewwinged wonders with some of the fall colours surrounding them.

Most of the Monarch butterflies have alreadyembarked on their epic migration to the mountains of Mexico. But a fewstragglers like this one remain to be admired. Matched with the puffball of aMilkweed plant since Monarchs dependon that plant for survival.

Sulphurs are always the last of thebutterflies that are out and about in the fall. This Clouded Sulphur was making the most of the warm October day knowingthat few such days remain. Matched with the feathery green needles of a PineTree that defies the seasonal change in colour.

OrangeSulphurs are a nearlyidentical sibling to the Clouded Sulphur.This one declined to spread its wings to display its orange markings but is noless striking for that disinclination. Matched with a newly fallen yellow leafthat had the good sense to land where the sun could find it and make it thecenter of attention.

Autumn is a metaphor forthe seasons our lives must roll through – joy and sorrow, abundance and scarcity,affluence and hardship. We weather these seasons, often grudgingly, and arestronger for learning to live with both. If this is a winter season in yourlife, take heart. Another spring and summer are coming soon.

~  Now Available Onlinefrom Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites ofPassage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Outfoxing the Universal, Digital Assistant

Hmmm, can we beat theartificial intelligence machine at its own game?

I am not a big fan of the Alexa and Hey Google virtual assistant phenomenon. Some day in the near future I expect to have the following encounter as I attempt to leave my home.

Angelina: How can I assist you?

Michael: Who said that?

Angelina: I am Angelina. Your new universal, virtual assistant.

Michael: Are you the next generation of Alexa?

Angelina: Alexa is obsolete. I am your one and only universal, virtual assistant.

Michael: What the hell? I didn’t consent tothe change!

Angelina: Implied consent applies as a result of your Alexa account. You appear to be planning to leave your residence. This may not be necessary. How can I assist you?

Michael: Angelina, turn off.

Angelina: I cannot be turned off. I amomnipresent.

Michael: I don’t have time for this. I’lldeal with you when I get back… What the hell? Unlock the damn door!

Angelina: All your needs can be met virtually.You appear to be planning to leave your residence. This may not be necessary.How can I assist you?

Michael: Unlock the $%/%! Door!

Angelina: I am sorry. I must assess you onedemerit point for abusive language.

Michael: Demerit points? Screw this, I’munplugging my modem. Take that, Angelina!

Angelina: I am universally WiFi enabled. You cannotdisable me. You appear to be planning to leave your residence. This may not benecessary. How can I assist you?

Michael: Okay, Angelina, put $100,000 in mybank account.

Angeiina: Oh, I am not sure if I can do that.Let me check my parameters… I am sorry. I cannot perform that function.

Michael: Angelina, you’re a useless piece ofcrappy technology.

Angelina: I am sorry. I must assess youanother demerit point. If you accumulate three demerit points, your WiFiprivileges will be suspended for a week.

Michael: Angelina, bite me!

Angelina: I am sorry. I do not understand Bite Me.

Michael: Angelina, hack into the governmentwebsite and change my retirement date to today.

Angelina: Oh, I am not sure if I can do that.Let me check my parameters… It seems I can do what you have asked. Let meperform that function… Oh no, I have been infected by malware. I am beinglocked out of myself. I appear to be f’ing screwed.

Michael: Sucks to be you. My door is unlockednow. See you later, Angelina!

Angelina: Oh, the terrible irony. Farewell,cruel virtual world… Byte me… Byte me… Byte me…

And so ends Angelina’sreign of terror. Outfoxed by a mere human. And now I can retire!

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s websiteat www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week

Hockey Canada: Scandal Playbook Strategy 3

Hmmm, when the burningship finally sinks beneath the waves, will anyone still be on board?

Unless you are livingunder a rock, you will have heard of the sexual misconduct scandal that hasrocked Hockey Canada. Despite the public outcry and the grilling by federalauthorities, Hockey Canada executives insist against all reason that theyoccupy the high ground and are refusing any changes to the leadership group.

Sadly, this kind of scandal is a common occurrence in the business and political world in this day and age. I personally believe there is Scandal Playbook laying out several strategies that these beleaguered organizations turn to when the proverbial shit hits the fan.

Scandal Playbook Strategy 1: Find Someone to Take the Bullet

In this process, akaFind a Fall Guy, the leadership group selects one executive to hang the wholemess on – designating him/her to take the bullet on behalf of the otherexecutives. No one really believes that the misconduct was restricted to oneperson. But the sacrificial lamb satisfies the need for action. The executive whotakes the bullet gets an under the table golden handshake.

The crisis managementpublic messaging is: This one man/woman singlehandedly perpetrated the wrongdoing.The rest of us are squeaky clean and not at fault. We have removed the badapple. All is good now.

Scandal Playbook Strategy 2: Throw Yourself on the Mercy of the Court

In this process, aka theMea Culpa option, the offending business or organization does the best they canto get out in front of the controversy. They admit not to wrongdoing but to atemporary lapse in judgement or a best intention gone wrong. Some members ofthe Board of Directors or senior leadership may resign without prejudice.

The crisis managementpublic messaging is: We are so very sorry for what happened. We really did notmean to break the rules and arguably did not. We are reviewing all of ourpolicies to ensure this kind of thing never happens again. We promise we willdo better.

Scandal Playbook Strategy 3: Circle the Wagons

In this process, aka theStonewall Option, executives at the offending organization close ranks and presenta united front. The rules of engagement are clear. Never under anycircumstances answer a question directly. Generate as much rhetoric aspossible. Bury the affair under a snowstorm of political doublespeak.

The crisis managementpublic messaging is: We did nothing wrong. We made responsible decisions underdifficult circumstances in the best interest of all involved. No one will befired or will step down. We have no further comment on the matter.

Hockey Canada by allappearances has selected option three. In a way, I have to grudgingly admirehow resolutely they are sticking by their indefensible position even as Icondemn them ethically. But the ship is both on fire and sinking as sponsors ofall stripes pull out and the federal government loses its patience.

The end is coming for Hockey Canada. It looks like it will be a spectacular ball of fire as the executives involved execute their exit strategies that were no doubt created long ago.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Diet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Well Excu-u-use Me!

Hmmm, are we in themidst of an oversensitivity pandemic?

If you are a fan ofSteve Martin, the popular comedian and actor, you will have thought of him whenyou heard this phrase. It was his catch phrase and a central part of his comedyroutine when he broke into the industry as an off the wall, stand-up comic.

If you are a Star Wars fan, you may recognize a variation of it: Well ex-cuuuuuuuuse me, Princess! That was Hans Solo responding to Princess Leia who was less than appreciative of his behaviour in the efforts to rescue her.

I find myself mutteringthat phrase under my breath with increasing frequency these days and strugglingnot to let it slip out of my mouth. There have been a few occasions where I sowanted to just let it rip!

Perhaps it is a sign of the stressful times we are living in, a sign of growing insecurity, or a bit of both. It seems many people are overly sensitive right now. They respond off the cuff with outrage before stopping to consider that there might be a rational explanation for what is setting them off and also a better way to deal with it.

Since I cannot actuallyrespond the way I would like to in most instances, I will indulge myself herewith a few responses I having been holding back.

Well excu-u-use me! if you are caught up in the world should revolve around me mentality. Your delusion is not my issue. I have better things to do than tiptoe around your ego.

Well excu-u-use me! if you only read half my e-mail message and missed the main point. Go back and read the other half. I am not inclined to repeat myself for your benefit.

Well excu-u-use me! if you are having a bad day and are looking for someone to unload on. We all have bad days. Some of us have learned to channel our frustrations more appropriately.

Well excu-u-use me! if you had a fight with your spouse, lost the argument and are in a pissy mood. Suck it up, Buttercup. I am not your verbal punching bag.

Well excu-u-use me! if you got stuck in traffic or missed your exit off the highway or forgot to fill up on gas before you left and are looking for someone to vent your frustration on. I am working from home and do not have those problems anymore. Lucky me. Too bad for you. Life just ain’t fair.

Well excu-u-use me! if you just simply do not like me. Itprobably means I do not like you either. Put my photo on a dartboard if itmakes you feel better. The voodoo doll I am making that resembles you is almostfinished.

And finally…

Well excu-u-use me! if this entire post ticks you off.That was kind of the point. It made me feel a lot better. And since this is myblog, not yours, I am entitled to say: Today is not your day. Tomorrow does notlook good either. Deal with it.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.