Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is , page 12
December 13, 2011
The Great American Victory (Loss)
I've been told that President Ronald Reagan once asked, "What is it we have that the Russians don't?" "Money," was the answer. The president said, "Then that's what we'll use to beat them." I don't know if President Reagan really ever asked that question, but it is an appropriate short summary of the Cold War. America certainly beat the Russians with money. And, it was the right decision at the time as victory was imperative. The problem is... America won the war but still lost.
The American national debt was 907 billion dollars upon President Reagan's inauguration. At the end of his presidency, it stood at 2.6 trillion dollars. Of course, the next right decision would have been to start paying off the debt, but that didn't happen. The national debt since the end of the Cold War has never been less in any year compared to the previous year. Now, the current debt is trillions and trillions of dollars and totally out of control. To borrow from one of my previous articles (America the Once Great, Part 2, November 22, 2011), the current national debt equals $197,579 per family according to Terence P. Jeffrey, a veteran budget reporter and columnist for CNSNews.com. This brings to mind the famous quote attributed to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, "We will take America without firing a single shot."
No politician is willing to do what is necessary to fix the debt problem because it would mean certain defeat come the next election. No matter what areas that might be chosen for reduction, there would be tremendous backlash from the fully entitled American special interest (see Greece). But there is a way...
In order to cut the programs necessary to create meaningful reduction, we must institute a one term limit (of maybe six years) for the President and congress. In the past I have always been against anything that would limit my choice in an election. However, there cannot be real deficit reduction without eliminating the need for re-election. As it is, once a president or congressman is elected, he or she immediately begins thinking about campaigning for re-election. Without this obstacle, a politician would be free to do what's necessary, even if it isn't politically popular. Besides, we shouldn't be paying a politician to campaign anyway.
The American national debt was 907 billion dollars upon President Reagan's inauguration. At the end of his presidency, it stood at 2.6 trillion dollars. Of course, the next right decision would have been to start paying off the debt, but that didn't happen. The national debt since the end of the Cold War has never been less in any year compared to the previous year. Now, the current debt is trillions and trillions of dollars and totally out of control. To borrow from one of my previous articles (America the Once Great, Part 2, November 22, 2011), the current national debt equals $197,579 per family according to Terence P. Jeffrey, a veteran budget reporter and columnist for CNSNews.com. This brings to mind the famous quote attributed to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, "We will take America without firing a single shot."
No politician is willing to do what is necessary to fix the debt problem because it would mean certain defeat come the next election. No matter what areas that might be chosen for reduction, there would be tremendous backlash from the fully entitled American special interest (see Greece). But there is a way...
In order to cut the programs necessary to create meaningful reduction, we must institute a one term limit (of maybe six years) for the President and congress. In the past I have always been against anything that would limit my choice in an election. However, there cannot be real deficit reduction without eliminating the need for re-election. As it is, once a president or congressman is elected, he or she immediately begins thinking about campaigning for re-election. Without this obstacle, a politician would be free to do what's necessary, even if it isn't politically popular. Besides, we shouldn't be paying a politician to campaign anyway.
November 28, 2011
Techno Reject
I have to admit I'm a Trekkie and can't wait for the next Star Trek movie to come out. I love to see all the possible (and not so possible) technology on display. But one thing I've noticed is that, contrary to present day technology, it all works and everyone knows how to use it without having to get the user guide out.
Even today's computers are almost miraculous in their abilities. Without them, I certainly wouldn't be able to present The Other Way It Is to the world each week! But, they are also the most user-unfriendly mass marketed items in the history of man. When attempting to perform even simple tasks the machines frequently fail; whether it's because of user error (over-complication), bad programming, excessive security or equipment malfunction. I often wonder when there will be an all out revolt among frustrated users.
In addition, I suspect that the computers we are being sold are designed to have a short lifespan thus requiring frequent upgrades. This is because new programs require faster computations than recently purchased computers can provide. The same is true for the internet. I can remember when DSL was a huge improvement over dial-up and with it one could view anything online. Now DSL can no longer keep up with the massive content being forced through our phone lines and is fast becoming obsolete. The bad news is that, if we upgrade, we'll soon be facing the same problem again. Compare this to my 24 year old convertible which is still serving us well.
It seems that the complexity of modern technology defeats its very purpose. I can remember a story told to me by my father about my grandfather. He said that Grandad told him he felt the world and all the modern (1960s) technology was passing him by. Dad said he didn't really understand at the time because he had no difficulty with 60s technology. However, in the 1980s, when the cars of the time started to come equipped with complicated emission controls and computers, he began to understand. Now my dad is totally out of the loop and doesn't even own a cell phone or home computer.
Well, now it's my turn. When I grew up I could go into anyone's home and operate their telephone or television, which were about all the high-tech offerings of the day (1970s). But now, I can't even fully understand my own gadgets. It's a good thing I still have a teenager in the house. And, to make matters worse, the current technology is so complicated that even the I.T. guys don't fully understand it. I am reminded of this every time my newest computer upgrade makes life worse instead of better.
All of this represents an arrogance among the information technology industry, as opposed to the "bend over backwards for the customer" attitude we find elsewhere. This becomes quite apparent when one contacts them for help.
And the scourge of the modern world? Passwords! It wouldn't be so bad if I could select my own password. But, for security purposes, many of them must be changed frequently and must contain an upper case letter, a number, a character, and must be so many characters long and you can't use any of the ones you've used before, etc... I'm on password overload!
The key to the success of future technology...make it user friendly!
Even today's computers are almost miraculous in their abilities. Without them, I certainly wouldn't be able to present The Other Way It Is to the world each week! But, they are also the most user-unfriendly mass marketed items in the history of man. When attempting to perform even simple tasks the machines frequently fail; whether it's because of user error (over-complication), bad programming, excessive security or equipment malfunction. I often wonder when there will be an all out revolt among frustrated users.
In addition, I suspect that the computers we are being sold are designed to have a short lifespan thus requiring frequent upgrades. This is because new programs require faster computations than recently purchased computers can provide. The same is true for the internet. I can remember when DSL was a huge improvement over dial-up and with it one could view anything online. Now DSL can no longer keep up with the massive content being forced through our phone lines and is fast becoming obsolete. The bad news is that, if we upgrade, we'll soon be facing the same problem again. Compare this to my 24 year old convertible which is still serving us well.
It seems that the complexity of modern technology defeats its very purpose. I can remember a story told to me by my father about my grandfather. He said that Grandad told him he felt the world and all the modern (1960s) technology was passing him by. Dad said he didn't really understand at the time because he had no difficulty with 60s technology. However, in the 1980s, when the cars of the time started to come equipped with complicated emission controls and computers, he began to understand. Now my dad is totally out of the loop and doesn't even own a cell phone or home computer.
Well, now it's my turn. When I grew up I could go into anyone's home and operate their telephone or television, which were about all the high-tech offerings of the day (1970s). But now, I can't even fully understand my own gadgets. It's a good thing I still have a teenager in the house. And, to make matters worse, the current technology is so complicated that even the I.T. guys don't fully understand it. I am reminded of this every time my newest computer upgrade makes life worse instead of better.
All of this represents an arrogance among the information technology industry, as opposed to the "bend over backwards for the customer" attitude we find elsewhere. This becomes quite apparent when one contacts them for help.
And the scourge of the modern world? Passwords! It wouldn't be so bad if I could select my own password. But, for security purposes, many of them must be changed frequently and must contain an upper case letter, a number, a character, and must be so many characters long and you can't use any of the ones you've used before, etc... I'm on password overload!
The key to the success of future technology...make it user friendly!
November 22, 2011
America, the Once Great, Part 2
In days past a handshake was all it took to complete a business deal. Now our transactions are covered by so much fine print, placing every advantage with big business, that we can no longer trust companies with whom we interact. It's amazing what we Americans will do to one another under the guise of "business." Take a look at your telephone bill and you'll understand.
With this type of corporate greed having become commonplace, I can understand what the Occupiers are upset about (although most of the Occupiers don't know why they're upset). It doesn't help matters when we see the CEOs of big companies taking enormous salaries and bonuses, especially after some of those companies were bailed out by the American government.
And, when it comes to government, they're no better. The years and years of reckless pork barrel spending has caused our debt to grow so large ($197,579 per family according to Terence P. Jeffrey, a veteran budget reporter and columnist for CNSNews.com.) we will never recover. As evidence of that, the congress has admitted its failed attempt at a compromise deficit reduction plan. We'd better get used to this new "normal" as this recession isn't going away anytime soon. New taxes will likely have to be part of any solution, but it is absolutely wrong for it to have come to this. Congress has wasted so much of our money it should be criminal.
So, it appears that both extremes of our political spectrum; the Occupiers and the Tea Partiers, have some valid points. It's past time for us to come together and fix our mess.
With this type of corporate greed having become commonplace, I can understand what the Occupiers are upset about (although most of the Occupiers don't know why they're upset). It doesn't help matters when we see the CEOs of big companies taking enormous salaries and bonuses, especially after some of those companies were bailed out by the American government.
And, when it comes to government, they're no better. The years and years of reckless pork barrel spending has caused our debt to grow so large ($197,579 per family according to Terence P. Jeffrey, a veteran budget reporter and columnist for CNSNews.com.) we will never recover. As evidence of that, the congress has admitted its failed attempt at a compromise deficit reduction plan. We'd better get used to this new "normal" as this recession isn't going away anytime soon. New taxes will likely have to be part of any solution, but it is absolutely wrong for it to have come to this. Congress has wasted so much of our money it should be criminal.
So, it appears that both extremes of our political spectrum; the Occupiers and the Tea Partiers, have some valid points. It's past time for us to come together and fix our mess.
November 14, 2011
America, the Once Great
I once thought of America as a relentless, unyielding force for good in the world. And, I thought it was the kind of place every other nation aspired to be. But, as a teenager, I started to pay more attention to what was happening in the world around me. I saw that America wasn't quite the promised land I'd imagined. Even so, I believed (and still believe) that it is the best place to live and raise a family.
But, America is in decline and I think it began before I was born. If I had to guess, I'd place America's peak at about 1945, just after a World War II victory on two fronts against formidable opponents. Post-war America was the most powerful nation to have ever existed to that point. She still holds that position but, since that time, America has been slipping. This first came to our attention in Korea and Vietnam when, in front of the whole world, America failed as she attempted to rid these far-off places of communism.
To make matters worse, America's own people turned against her as they watched the horror of war from their living rooms. In the days of World War II no one back home, other than former soldiers, really knew how awful war was. The unabashedly biased newsreels kept Americans feeling good about what their military was doing. And what they were doing was good. America was fighting real evil that everyone could recognize; Japan had slaughtered thousands of Americans in an unprovoked attack and Germany was trying to take over all of Europe while attempting to exterminate an entire people group. However, in Korea and especially in Vietnam, the American goals were less noble and their effort to win was less committed (on the part of the government, not the soldiers). All this led to the 1968 announcement by CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite that the Vietnam War was "unwinnable." From that moment until now, Americans have lost the will to fight.
In 2001, after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the American will briefly rallied. Patriotism was at a higher level than I'd ever seen as there were flags flying everywhere. President Bush vowed to chase the terrorists to the ends of the earth in order to achieve victory. He said it would be a long and difficult fight. But, what he didn't consider was that Americans could not sustain their will to win for that long. As soldiers began arriving home in body bags, Americans turned against the military effort. This happened even though far less soldiers were being killed than in previous wars. In the Korean War 36,516 Americans were killed between 1950 and 1953, or 9,129 per year. In Vietnam 58,209 Americans were killed between 1955 and 1975, or 2,910 per year. That number is more likely about 5,000 per year as the overwhelming majority of the deaths occurred in the last ten years. By contrast, there were 258 Americans killed in the first Gulf War and 4,477 between 2003 and 2011 (559 per year) during the second war in Iraq. In Afghanistan, 1,803 Americans have been killed since 2001, which is 164 per year. For comparison purposes, there were 310 homicides in Detroit in 2010.
Each of these deaths is a tragedy and we all recognize that. But, rather than commending the military for keeping so many more young American soldiers alive in recent wars, the public, being led by Hollywood and the news media, has concentrated on the deaths and other casualties resulting in, once again, a loss of the American will to win. It became popular to say "Support our troops," which implied that the troops deserved support even though the mission didn't. Of course, it didn't help that there were no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. This after the Iraqis were given months of warning of a possible invasion.
As the future unfolds with who-knows-what in store for America and the world. America should be ready for any threat. And, they should be ready not only to do what it takes to counter those threats, but to win and win decisively. It may not be pretty.
But, America is in decline and I think it began before I was born. If I had to guess, I'd place America's peak at about 1945, just after a World War II victory on two fronts against formidable opponents. Post-war America was the most powerful nation to have ever existed to that point. She still holds that position but, since that time, America has been slipping. This first came to our attention in Korea and Vietnam when, in front of the whole world, America failed as she attempted to rid these far-off places of communism.
To make matters worse, America's own people turned against her as they watched the horror of war from their living rooms. In the days of World War II no one back home, other than former soldiers, really knew how awful war was. The unabashedly biased newsreels kept Americans feeling good about what their military was doing. And what they were doing was good. America was fighting real evil that everyone could recognize; Japan had slaughtered thousands of Americans in an unprovoked attack and Germany was trying to take over all of Europe while attempting to exterminate an entire people group. However, in Korea and especially in Vietnam, the American goals were less noble and their effort to win was less committed (on the part of the government, not the soldiers). All this led to the 1968 announcement by CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite that the Vietnam War was "unwinnable." From that moment until now, Americans have lost the will to fight.
In 2001, after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the American will briefly rallied. Patriotism was at a higher level than I'd ever seen as there were flags flying everywhere. President Bush vowed to chase the terrorists to the ends of the earth in order to achieve victory. He said it would be a long and difficult fight. But, what he didn't consider was that Americans could not sustain their will to win for that long. As soldiers began arriving home in body bags, Americans turned against the military effort. This happened even though far less soldiers were being killed than in previous wars. In the Korean War 36,516 Americans were killed between 1950 and 1953, or 9,129 per year. In Vietnam 58,209 Americans were killed between 1955 and 1975, or 2,910 per year. That number is more likely about 5,000 per year as the overwhelming majority of the deaths occurred in the last ten years. By contrast, there were 258 Americans killed in the first Gulf War and 4,477 between 2003 and 2011 (559 per year) during the second war in Iraq. In Afghanistan, 1,803 Americans have been killed since 2001, which is 164 per year. For comparison purposes, there were 310 homicides in Detroit in 2010.
Each of these deaths is a tragedy and we all recognize that. But, rather than commending the military for keeping so many more young American soldiers alive in recent wars, the public, being led by Hollywood and the news media, has concentrated on the deaths and other casualties resulting in, once again, a loss of the American will to win. It became popular to say "Support our troops," which implied that the troops deserved support even though the mission didn't. Of course, it didn't help that there were no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. This after the Iraqis were given months of warning of a possible invasion.
As the future unfolds with who-knows-what in store for America and the world. America should be ready for any threat. And, they should be ready not only to do what it takes to counter those threats, but to win and win decisively. It may not be pretty.
November 5, 2011
Fall Back
I'm still relatively new to this semi-annual time change event as Indiana was one of the last states to enact Daylight Savings Time (DST). Tonight we change our clocks again and for the life of me I can't figure out why we do it. Why do we subject ourselves to this misery twice a year? They tell us DST is good for business as companies wanting to trade with Indiana no longer have to wonder what time it is here. But, the most common reason given for DST is to save energy as we will supposedly use less artificial light. But, for the most part, it's just semantics, right?
Maybe not. Time change can actually be deadly as it has been discovered that changing our sleep rhythm causes problems such as heart attack, suicide, car crashes and even lower SAT scores (The Mother Nature Network). Is saving energy really worth all that?
Tonight I will have to change nine clocks. Tomorrow people will show up to church at the wrong time. Third shift workers will be working an extra hour tonight. It's even worse in the Spring when we lose an hour of sleep. What sane person would do this? Please make it stop!
Maybe not. Time change can actually be deadly as it has been discovered that changing our sleep rhythm causes problems such as heart attack, suicide, car crashes and even lower SAT scores (The Mother Nature Network). Is saving energy really worth all that?
Tonight I will have to change nine clocks. Tomorrow people will show up to church at the wrong time. Third shift workers will be working an extra hour tonight. It's even worse in the Spring when we lose an hour of sleep. What sane person would do this? Please make it stop!
October 21, 2011
The Dread of Winter
October is my favorite month of the year and I try really hard to enjoy it. I have to "try" because, from the depths of my mind, right where I've tried to bury it, frequently comes this realization that Autumn won't last long and a furious Winter will follow. I dread Winter more than I dread going back to work after vacation. When I'm on vacation (I'm trying to remember what that's like), I'm always trying really hard to enjoy it even though the thought of returning to work keeps surfacing (I must add here that I have a good job and I'm thankful for it; I'd just prefer to decide for myself what to do all day).
On a recent afternoon I was thinking along these lines when I realized that Winter will come with or without me. This was profound. I will either be here to "enjoy" it, or I'll be dead and in Heaven (not a bad alternative, really). Of course the other option is to be somewhere Winter isn't, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, if I want to see this story of my life all the way through, I will have to be here for at least several more Winters.
I guess if I'm going to be here, I might as well enjoy the hot cocoa, the Christmas season, and the Super Bowl while trying to bury that thought of slogging through the slush and driving snow, and that's just to get the mail.
On a recent afternoon I was thinking along these lines when I realized that Winter will come with or without me. This was profound. I will either be here to "enjoy" it, or I'll be dead and in Heaven (not a bad alternative, really). Of course the other option is to be somewhere Winter isn't, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, if I want to see this story of my life all the way through, I will have to be here for at least several more Winters.
I guess if I'm going to be here, I might as well enjoy the hot cocoa, the Christmas season, and the Super Bowl while trying to bury that thought of slogging through the slush and driving snow, and that's just to get the mail.
October 6, 2011
Citizens of the World
I don't mean for you to think I'm bragging when I say I've been to dozens of countries over the last 30 years. I say this only to help make a point. I have generally felt welcome in each nation, with the exception of some countries known to be enemies of the United States (and in France, of course). Without knowing the specific laws of each country, I can tell you that my perception is that I could pick up and move to one or more of these countries tomorrow with little bureaucratic red tape. When I'm in Europe I can, with some exceptions, legally travel from one country to the next without so much as stopping at the border. This seems right to me. I am a citizen of this world and feel that the governments of the world, and especially the Europeans, recognize me as such. So, how did I get this status? It appears that I have attained this level of world citizenship because I was lucky enough to have been born and raised in a developed nation like America. But what if I weren't?
In 1999 my daughter, Ashley, and I, along with the youth group from our church, went to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. While I was there I observed the squalor in which most of the locals live. It was much the same as I had seen in other third-world countries with one exception; these people can see from their lean-tos the gleaming skyscrapers of El Paso, Texas. They can see the better life; the American Dream.
I tell this story because it changed the way I feel about illegal immigration. If my family lived in Juarez in the conditions I saw there, I absolutely would make every effort to get them out. I would want to do it legally but, if that weren't possible, I would do it any way I could. That's not to say I don't believe we should have good border security, especially considering the terrorists and drug cartels threatening us. But, from the perspective of an immigrant, I think my family's potential for much improved living conditions would out-weigh laws of which I had no part.
I don't know what the solution to this problem is, but I know it must be fixed soon. The people involved are real people and, in most cases, good people. They are hard working people known to have strong families; values we should be encouraging in this country.
When you ponder this enormous problem, I'm asking you to consider the people involved as citizens of the world, just like you and me.
In 1999 my daughter, Ashley, and I, along with the youth group from our church, went to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. While I was there I observed the squalor in which most of the locals live. It was much the same as I had seen in other third-world countries with one exception; these people can see from their lean-tos the gleaming skyscrapers of El Paso, Texas. They can see the better life; the American Dream.
I tell this story because it changed the way I feel about illegal immigration. If my family lived in Juarez in the conditions I saw there, I absolutely would make every effort to get them out. I would want to do it legally but, if that weren't possible, I would do it any way I could. That's not to say I don't believe we should have good border security, especially considering the terrorists and drug cartels threatening us. But, from the perspective of an immigrant, I think my family's potential for much improved living conditions would out-weigh laws of which I had no part.
I don't know what the solution to this problem is, but I know it must be fixed soon. The people involved are real people and, in most cases, good people. They are hard working people known to have strong families; values we should be encouraging in this country.
When you ponder this enormous problem, I'm asking you to consider the people involved as citizens of the world, just like you and me.
October 3, 2011
Freedom from Being Offended
In recent years it's become less likely that I'll believe what people say publicly. Sometimes it's because the speakers have previously proven themselves to be liars who will say whatever necessary in order to get what they want. Politicians come to mind here. But it's also because many people who are not generally considered "liars" don't really say what they mean, either. They don't want to offend the Politically Correct, for doing so will result in them being labeled "haters." And, when they do run afoul of the left-leaning language police, many quickly apologize for their "blunder," which is again less than genuine.
This is really a control issue. Somehow, the people who only represent half or less of our population have gained control over how everyone speaks. When the non-PC half speaks the truth, the other side gasps in shocking disbelief. I think I'd rather people say what they mean, even if it is offensive. At least I'd be able to believe them. Of course, the flip side of this issue is that those in the media frequently ask questions of people, especially celebrities, that are none of their (our) business. And, many times, a non-answer gives away the answer, thus encouraging fabrications.
An example of how the left accomplishes its control of public speech could be found in the introduction to this weeks' Monday Night Football (MNF) game between Indianapolis and Tampa. The intro was unexpectedly unrecognizable, or so I'm told. I don't have cable and, therefore, can no longer see MNF. But, I was shocked to hear that Hank Williams Jr.'s famous "All My Rowdy Friends are Here on Monday Night" was absent.
It turns out that, according to the Huffington Post, Hank made a statement concerning President Obama playing golf this summer with the Speaker of the House, John Boehner. He said it was "one of the biggest political mistakes ever" and said it "would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu." He later called the president and Vice President Joe Biden "the enemy."
In response to this "outrage," that being that Hank used Adolf Hitler in an analogy involving the president, ESPN pulled one of the most loved songs on television. The first thing that came to my mind was that ESPN thinks that, if they had left Hank's song in the introduction, we would all mistakenly think that ESPN equates the president with Adolf Hitler. If that wasn't it, then maybe they thought it was their job to punish Hank Williams for this unacceptable outburst. My guess is it was a little of both but more the former rather than the latter.
A similar incident occurred recently involving Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. He had been scheduled to speak at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit near Chicago. However, prior to the engagement, Asher Huey, on change.org, began a campaign to boycott Starbucks if Mr. Schultz gave his speech. This is because Mr. Huey believes that the Willow Creek church, where the conference was to be held, is "anti-gay." The petition to boycott was signed by just 728 people while the conference was attended by 165,000 people, including worldwide satellite locations.
Mr. Schultz promptly withdrew from the conference and an official Starbucks statement was made to change.org saying that he would not be speaking.
Our government guarantees the right to free speech but, when it comes to the corporate world, there is no free speech. Instead we get the freedom from being offended. Well, ESPN and Starbucks, I find this offensive.
Just so you know, if you ask me a question that's none of your business, I won't hesitate to say so. And, if I do answer, I aim to speak the truth whether you like it or not and I'm not going to apologize for it. Otherwise, why would you believe anything I say?
This is really a control issue. Somehow, the people who only represent half or less of our population have gained control over how everyone speaks. When the non-PC half speaks the truth, the other side gasps in shocking disbelief. I think I'd rather people say what they mean, even if it is offensive. At least I'd be able to believe them. Of course, the flip side of this issue is that those in the media frequently ask questions of people, especially celebrities, that are none of their (our) business. And, many times, a non-answer gives away the answer, thus encouraging fabrications.
An example of how the left accomplishes its control of public speech could be found in the introduction to this weeks' Monday Night Football (MNF) game between Indianapolis and Tampa. The intro was unexpectedly unrecognizable, or so I'm told. I don't have cable and, therefore, can no longer see MNF. But, I was shocked to hear that Hank Williams Jr.'s famous "All My Rowdy Friends are Here on Monday Night" was absent.
It turns out that, according to the Huffington Post, Hank made a statement concerning President Obama playing golf this summer with the Speaker of the House, John Boehner. He said it was "one of the biggest political mistakes ever" and said it "would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu." He later called the president and Vice President Joe Biden "the enemy."
In response to this "outrage," that being that Hank used Adolf Hitler in an analogy involving the president, ESPN pulled one of the most loved songs on television. The first thing that came to my mind was that ESPN thinks that, if they had left Hank's song in the introduction, we would all mistakenly think that ESPN equates the president with Adolf Hitler. If that wasn't it, then maybe they thought it was their job to punish Hank Williams for this unacceptable outburst. My guess is it was a little of both but more the former rather than the latter.
A similar incident occurred recently involving Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. He had been scheduled to speak at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit near Chicago. However, prior to the engagement, Asher Huey, on change.org, began a campaign to boycott Starbucks if Mr. Schultz gave his speech. This is because Mr. Huey believes that the Willow Creek church, where the conference was to be held, is "anti-gay." The petition to boycott was signed by just 728 people while the conference was attended by 165,000 people, including worldwide satellite locations.
Mr. Schultz promptly withdrew from the conference and an official Starbucks statement was made to change.org saying that he would not be speaking.
Our government guarantees the right to free speech but, when it comes to the corporate world, there is no free speech. Instead we get the freedom from being offended. Well, ESPN and Starbucks, I find this offensive.
Just so you know, if you ask me a question that's none of your business, I won't hesitate to say so. And, if I do answer, I aim to speak the truth whether you like it or not and I'm not going to apologize for it. Otherwise, why would you believe anything I say?
September 27, 2011
Nostalgia
Each year, as my memory fills with all that another year adds, there is more "past" to think about and so I find myself thinking about it more and more. Sometimes I think I'm becoming like those older folks I've known who've been "stuck in the 60s" or some other decade appropriate for them. I frequently think about the way things were and, increasingly, wish it were that way again. But, I've discovered, there's more to it.
I don't believe that nostalgia is just thinking about the past and wishing it were that way again. It's about feeling that way again. When we go way back, all the way to our childhood, there was an innocence, a naivety, through which we viewed the world. That is what we really miss. The "things" of that time, especially the music, are only reminders of that wonderment. It reminds me of the words of George Bernard Shaw, "It's too bad that youth is wasted on the young."
I don't believe that nostalgia is just thinking about the past and wishing it were that way again. It's about feeling that way again. When we go way back, all the way to our childhood, there was an innocence, a naivety, through which we viewed the world. That is what we really miss. The "things" of that time, especially the music, are only reminders of that wonderment. It reminds me of the words of George Bernard Shaw, "It's too bad that youth is wasted on the young."
September 18, 2011
The American Dream
I'm thankful that my family and I have been blessed with this great land in which we live. Our lifestyle is among the best in the world. But, apparently, not everyone feels the same way. I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "It's called the American Dream because it's only real when you're sleeping." I know that's not true because I'm living it right now. However, I'm so goal oriented that I sometimes forget I've arrived. I keep longing for that next big step in life (at the moment that would be my complete retirement from work) without thinking about how lucky I am to be where I am today.
Myself and many others are in this enviable situation; a wonderful family, a modest but nice home, a good job, solid transportation, etc... Our standard of living is so great that we don't even realize how rich we are. And, who should we thank for all this? Not ourselves, certainly. I know I've bungled my way through life only to arrive exactly where I want to be. No, it is God who has provided for me and my family in an amazing way, for "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10, NIV1984). If you knew my whole story, which you never will, you would see how obvious it is that He is the One. Thank you Lord for all that you've given such an undeserving guy like me.
If you're like me, take a moment to appreciate all that you have and then thank the One who made it possible.
Myself and many others are in this enviable situation; a wonderful family, a modest but nice home, a good job, solid transportation, etc... Our standard of living is so great that we don't even realize how rich we are. And, who should we thank for all this? Not ourselves, certainly. I know I've bungled my way through life only to arrive exactly where I want to be. No, it is God who has provided for me and my family in an amazing way, for "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10, NIV1984). If you knew my whole story, which you never will, you would see how obvious it is that He is the One. Thank you Lord for all that you've given such an undeserving guy like me.
If you're like me, take a moment to appreciate all that you have and then thank the One who made it possible.
The Other Way It Is
The stories and opinions of author Trent Ruble.
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