I don't mean insurance policies, like my life insurance. Although I've had success with NY Life since 1972, it's really a contract. So policies can be contracts between two parties, but usually they are "issued' by a person or an organization and "followed" by others. Even my life insurance policy, is all one way - in NY Life's favor -- I had no input into its terms at all. Accept it or reject it, which is the way most purchases are (not all). I have never even seen the terms of my state life insurance policy that all employees are entitled to. That was a good deal, and cost zero, but when I was a kid just starting out with the state, I failed to sign up for contributory insurance and pay a premium -- which would have tripled my death benefit. At the time, making $3,000 a year, it didn't seem worth it. But of course it was, because it would have tripled my salary as the benefit. I could have had life insurance when I retired worth $300,000 to Janet if I had signed up for it back then.Ant the premium was just pennies on my slowly advancing salary.
No, I mean policy, as my informal policies of not stepping on trash where I walk, but picking it up and disposing of it. Even if that meant sticking it in my back pocket until I saw a garbage can later. Or tee'ing my cigarette butts -- flicking off the lit end when I'm an inch from the filter, and stomping it out carefully. Then I'd carefully empty the tobacco left in the cigarette stub, and place it in my pocket for the trash later. Over the years Janet got used to me embarrassing her and picking up trash, but hated washing my pants with butts in the pocket where it mixed with other wash. She'd say it "stinks them up" and had to wash some clothes over again. So that required a new policy on my part -- throw away those butts!
At work, circa 2002 I wrote up policies for our work unit, the Statewide Contract Consolidation Unit. Just a couple of pages, nothing heavy, but it actually became a two-inch binder after a few years. Most of our state employee policies were in the Employee Handbook (which no one got a copy of). Things like calling the boss within a half hour of work start time or leave a message that I'd be late, or out sick that day. It was against policy to call out with a vacation day without advance notice -- but no one followed that. We used sick time and vacation time, if we had it, anytime we wanted to and most managers or directors didn't balk about granting it - as long as we had accrued time. Even the three-day rule, requiring a doctor's note after three days absence, was routinely ignored by employees and managers.
So policies, like laws, rules and regulations get broken - however, there's exceptions or exceptional circumstances that change their application or enforcement. This was very easy to do for the rules I made up, like having all outside correspondence be signed by me, especially letters to state agencies, vendors or others. That changed when I was signing hundreds every busy season, and with the advent of email. Its insane to restrict employees from sending emails because they may not be my own "perfect" wording, or not letting them sign their own letters, usually modifications of our basic form letters.
So to me, policies are much easier to change than laws, rules or regulations, hence I like them better -- more flexible. There is not a single state repository for policies. The closest thing to it is the Circular Letters (go to http://www.nj.gov/infobank/circular/circindx.htm) issued by entities like the state Purchase Bureau, for all state purchasing, or those by the Office of Management and Budget for handling all fiscal and financial matters.I had to know them forward and backward because they guided our day-to-day contracting operations. The rules changed regularly based on who the new division directors were and their personal take on how they, and hundreds of other agencies, should be guided.
That was one of many aspects to work that I liked; knowing and implementing regulations and policies for our own work. It was very liberating having them -- at least we knew what they were and how to work around them when necessary (usually by a phone call or email to a sympathetic higher-up, or possibly a meeting).
But those are other stories which I'll get into when I cover the individual circular letter. Next up will be what we really did in response to 11-14-DPP for example, Requests for Waivers of Advertising. We generated over contract waivers every year, totalling $36 million, for our Information Technology procurements which covered 70 agencies and 80 vendor companies. Another favorite of mine, which we didn't use much but all agencies used heavily was 11-10-DPP Delegated Purchase Authority (DPA), which gave agencies the ability to spend tens of thousands of dollars with a vendor without any central purchasing oversight. Those were fun to do. I gave a training class on DPA use once, to all our Treasury fiscal and procurement folks.
All fun stuff -- spending other people's money that we felt was our own, and we could do anything we liked -- within limits of course. Ha!.
Like you, I've had many ups and downs, and quite a few sideways experiences. I firmly believe everyone should write theirs and share them, whether just for themselves or their kids. Here are some from my memoirs, observations and thoughts.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Why Laws, Standards and Rules?
I love most standards and many rules, but I don't know all the 40,000 estimated laws in this country, so I'm at a disadvantage here. But each law, standard or rule, has both advantages and disadvantages, which should be obvious to anyone forced to follow them. Don't get me wrong, I promote all three, but with wisdom (usually from educated and informed individuals and organizations).
We need these things if we're going to have a civilization. For example, we have motor vehicle laws and rules. The laws govern the big things, and the rules govern the little ones. I must have a valid driver's licence, and my car here in NJ must be registered and have auto insurance in order for me to legally drive. But "Speed Limit 35" or "Speed limit 65" are rules for various stretches of roadways, and can change. In government rules are called regulations, and how we get them, ideally, is thru "rulemaking" -- a process where supposedly smart people make the rules. That's why I love reading the NJ Register - NJ's rules books. And as a citizen I have a right to comment on proposed rules. That's participatory government, but few private citizens participate that way. Mostly its the special interests that 'guide' the outcome of rules (and laws). So we need more input from us, the populace -- well, someday we'll get it.
So laws and their follow up rules govern our modern civilization. Then come standards, somewhere in between and comprising both. For example, a standard of behavior in America is to hold the door open for other people before entering, or to hold it open if they're behind you. Civilized, but not a law, and not a written rule, especially in some other countries. Also like standing in a single line waiting to be seated in a restaurant, or ordering at McDonald's. Those are an American thing. Breaking laws and rules usually have penalties for noncompliance, like littering (if you're caught). Breaking standards just means you won't be able to sell your product in the marketplace well (like not having the universal size of toilet openings), or you piss someone off by cutting in line; unless you create a new universal standard, which is big business, like a 'killer app."
And this is the age of new standards what with computers, complex societal structures, internet etc. etc. I use the internet a lot, so here are some of my proposed standards:
1. When I buy something online, tell me the full cost up front in big numbers, not in the small print of "agreements." Anyway, agreements are between the parties, but onerous online agreements are all one way -- in the seller's favor exclusively. Of course some are better than others, but the point is, it's one way.
I have to tell you, as a contracts manager for thirty years, an agreement, which is an euphemism as its used today, is a binding contract if you click 'I Accept,' so be cautious. Read it first you dummy!
And by the way, Let me read the full agreement. Let me print it in all cases, even before I click (and especially after), and it should be signed by both parties AND DATED at the time of acceptance. That's fairer. That's a real contract. I won't even go into buyer's and seller's terms, and negotiation.
2. Let me print and save the receipt. Give me a confirmation or order number. Send me a confirming email after I purchase. Every purchase must say on the receipt '30 Day Return Period -- No Questions Asked,' unless you ask nicely and I want to tell you why. There may be exceptional things like clothing worn by the purchaser, for example.
3,. Every product must have a manufacturer's warranty against defects, and must have a stated warranty for fitness and merchantability, not an 'impled warrangty.' What good is implied? It doesn't protect me in a dispute well at all. All product warranties must have a minimum 30 day money back guarantee if not satisfied, and that's ALL products. (Except for a max 10% restocking fee -- they have to check the return for defects and maybe repackage it before sending it back to the warehouse for a new sale,) If I was making the laws it would be a minimum 90 days. My Sears lawn tractor lost a wheel twice within 90 days (but I still prefer it to others). And the warranty must be printed on the packaging in big letters, including the time period. Include a sheet with the product of rights and responsibilities if you like, and warranty info, or attach it online to the order.
4. Every product should have understandable English operating instructions if applicable. The better companies put product manuals online (yeah!).
5. It should be illegal to use the unqualified word "Free" in all ads or promotions, unless its truly free. NOT a "FREE" Trial, where I have to agree to automatic payments after 14 days. Free should mean free. The better companies are doing just that.
6. Abolish evergreen contracts. An evergreen contract is one in which you are billed (just doing that would be okay, with notice), an amount to your credit card 'automatically.' All payments on the internet must have a positive, clickable response from the buyer in the terms of each purchase. That's only fair.
7. Full disclosure. Right now we pay lip service to it. The so called privacy rights bullshit etc.
8. It should be illegal to sell my personal information or give it to anyone without my express permission. Good sites let me click if I want info from third parties, for example.
9. Do NOT pre-click those tiny boxes for me. I must click them myself.
That's a few for now.
Oh and by the way, we need a uniform internet products and services federal tax, we're way overdue. Level the playing field! That's fair to other businesses. BUT DO NOT PAY THE STATES! Let the Feds collect say 6 or 7%, take 1 or 2% for administration, and let the Feds distribute them back to the states monthly based on where the purchaser lives. Whatever you do, don't let these tax obsessed states set their own tax rate. Talk about onerous! That adds complexity and millions in costs to all businesses to comply, stifles competition, and kills small businesses that want to expand.
I hope someday we'll be able to do that globally as well. In that case let the country set its own sales tax rate, but have an international body oversee it. And when that higher sales tax rate shows on your purchase order form, consumers will determine whether its fair or not, all shipping costs aside.
We need these things if we're going to have a civilization. For example, we have motor vehicle laws and rules. The laws govern the big things, and the rules govern the little ones. I must have a valid driver's licence, and my car here in NJ must be registered and have auto insurance in order for me to legally drive. But "Speed Limit 35" or "Speed limit 65" are rules for various stretches of roadways, and can change. In government rules are called regulations, and how we get them, ideally, is thru "rulemaking" -- a process where supposedly smart people make the rules. That's why I love reading the NJ Register - NJ's rules books. And as a citizen I have a right to comment on proposed rules. That's participatory government, but few private citizens participate that way. Mostly its the special interests that 'guide' the outcome of rules (and laws). So we need more input from us, the populace -- well, someday we'll get it.
So laws and their follow up rules govern our modern civilization. Then come standards, somewhere in between and comprising both. For example, a standard of behavior in America is to hold the door open for other people before entering, or to hold it open if they're behind you. Civilized, but not a law, and not a written rule, especially in some other countries. Also like standing in a single line waiting to be seated in a restaurant, or ordering at McDonald's. Those are an American thing. Breaking laws and rules usually have penalties for noncompliance, like littering (if you're caught). Breaking standards just means you won't be able to sell your product in the marketplace well (like not having the universal size of toilet openings), or you piss someone off by cutting in line; unless you create a new universal standard, which is big business, like a 'killer app."
And this is the age of new standards what with computers, complex societal structures, internet etc. etc. I use the internet a lot, so here are some of my proposed standards:
1. When I buy something online, tell me the full cost up front in big numbers, not in the small print of "agreements." Anyway, agreements are between the parties, but onerous online agreements are all one way -- in the seller's favor exclusively. Of course some are better than others, but the point is, it's one way.
I have to tell you, as a contracts manager for thirty years, an agreement, which is an euphemism as its used today, is a binding contract if you click 'I Accept,' so be cautious. Read it first you dummy!
And by the way, Let me read the full agreement. Let me print it in all cases, even before I click (and especially after), and it should be signed by both parties AND DATED at the time of acceptance. That's fairer. That's a real contract. I won't even go into buyer's and seller's terms, and negotiation.
2. Let me print and save the receipt. Give me a confirmation or order number. Send me a confirming email after I purchase. Every purchase must say on the receipt '30 Day Return Period -- No Questions Asked,' unless you ask nicely and I want to tell you why. There may be exceptional things like clothing worn by the purchaser, for example.
3,. Every product must have a manufacturer's warranty against defects, and must have a stated warranty for fitness and merchantability, not an 'impled warrangty.' What good is implied? It doesn't protect me in a dispute well at all. All product warranties must have a minimum 30 day money back guarantee if not satisfied, and that's ALL products. (Except for a max 10% restocking fee -- they have to check the return for defects and maybe repackage it before sending it back to the warehouse for a new sale,) If I was making the laws it would be a minimum 90 days. My Sears lawn tractor lost a wheel twice within 90 days (but I still prefer it to others). And the warranty must be printed on the packaging in big letters, including the time period. Include a sheet with the product of rights and responsibilities if you like, and warranty info, or attach it online to the order.
4. Every product should have understandable English operating instructions if applicable. The better companies put product manuals online (yeah!).
5. It should be illegal to use the unqualified word "Free" in all ads or promotions, unless its truly free. NOT a "FREE" Trial, where I have to agree to automatic payments after 14 days. Free should mean free. The better companies are doing just that.
6. Abolish evergreen contracts. An evergreen contract is one in which you are billed (just doing that would be okay, with notice), an amount to your credit card 'automatically.' All payments on the internet must have a positive, clickable response from the buyer in the terms of each purchase. That's only fair.
7. Full disclosure. Right now we pay lip service to it. The so called privacy rights bullshit etc.
8. It should be illegal to sell my personal information or give it to anyone without my express permission. Good sites let me click if I want info from third parties, for example.
9. Do NOT pre-click those tiny boxes for me. I must click them myself.
That's a few for now.
Oh and by the way, we need a uniform internet products and services federal tax, we're way overdue. Level the playing field! That's fair to other businesses. BUT DO NOT PAY THE STATES! Let the Feds collect say 6 or 7%, take 1 or 2% for administration, and let the Feds distribute them back to the states monthly based on where the purchaser lives. Whatever you do, don't let these tax obsessed states set their own tax rate. Talk about onerous! That adds complexity and millions in costs to all businesses to comply, stifles competition, and kills small businesses that want to expand.
I hope someday we'll be able to do that globally as well. In that case let the country set its own sales tax rate, but have an international body oversee it. And when that higher sales tax rate shows on your purchase order form, consumers will determine whether its fair or not, all shipping costs aside.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Imagination Anyone?
As usual, I got up in the pitch dark and tiptoed to our bathroom so as not to wake Janet. She was sound asleep, practically snoring in her own quiet way. She needed a good sleep. She hadn't been well for weeks, with headaches and hurtful hearing loss, which had been unexplained. finally the ENT specialist had found the cause -- earwax buildup over the past year or longer, blocking the hearing canals. a good but sore cleaning solved the problem. My wife was no longer in pain.
We were taking my mom to visit Jesse, Rachel and baby Sienna Rose today at their Manhattan apartment. Sienna was less than a month old, and granny had only seen pictures and a short video. she was dying to meet her.
I did my business, swished some Bentine, brushed my teeth, and splashed cold water on my face and hair -- my usual morning ritual. It was 3:30 a.m. I turned the light off, tiptoed to my dresser chair, and grabbed my jeans, top and socks which I had laid out the night before. I again tiptoed to the dining room then dressed. Another day. I put on my jacket from the kitchen, picked up my wallet, cellphone and keys, and headed out to Dunkin for my first of six daily coffees.
I quietly walked outside and lit a smoke, again, part of my daily ritual. I stood outside in the cool air, at the top of our driveway, wondering what the day would be like seeing my first grandchild. Oh! I'm a grandfather! Even for me, I was excited thinking of the years to come. As I paced a little I noticed a sports car parked down the street a little bit from our house, about three car lengths from where I normally parked my silver Civic. As I looked at it I could see the whole right side, the passenger side, was black with gaping holes, dents and deep dark, long scratches. "Ohh!" What happened there? I thought, wondering if the car belonged to a friend of our teenage neighbors sons.
I stared at the dents wondering how the crash had happened. A telephone pole? Another car? Was anyone hurt?
Then it struck me. It's my Civic! How did it get dented in like that? I stared harder. Then I saw what it was. The gaping holes and dents were black shadows backlit by our streetlamp, showering the shadow of our dogwood tree in our front yard onto my car. Whew! It's only shasdows! I was relieved.
Imagination. The first human power, where everything starts and reaction originates. I remembered the two short pages from 'Abdu'l-Baha's book, Some Answered Questions, which we had studied last Sunday at foster Baha'i school. It was one of my very favorite passages, and I had memorized it long ago,
We all know the fiver outer senses of man; our five outer powers if you will: sight, hearing, smell, taste and feeling. Feeling, which covers all parts of the body including our brains. Five outer senses which are so common-sensical, understandable and well-known. But when I first read this treatise over forty years ago, I was also immediately stuck by the cogency of the descriptions of the five inner powers of man: imagination, thought, comprehension, memory and the common faculty, which interfaced the five outer and inner powers.
My dented car was a perfect example of the powers of man; my sight had perceived the "dented" car, my imagination conjured a certain reality, my thoughts explored the meaning, I finally comprehended the reality of what I saw, and my memory told me it was my car -- and it wasn't smashed in! I had parked it away from our house the evening before, so its position in the street was unfamiliar. I had moved it so the arriving guests for our Annual Meeting would have more room to park their cars.
And the common faculty had helped them park their cars, and me my car. All these senses and powers working together.
Man is an incredible creation of God, don't you think? I do.
We were taking my mom to visit Jesse, Rachel and baby Sienna Rose today at their Manhattan apartment. Sienna was less than a month old, and granny had only seen pictures and a short video. she was dying to meet her.
I did my business, swished some Bentine, brushed my teeth, and splashed cold water on my face and hair -- my usual morning ritual. It was 3:30 a.m. I turned the light off, tiptoed to my dresser chair, and grabbed my jeans, top and socks which I had laid out the night before. I again tiptoed to the dining room then dressed. Another day. I put on my jacket from the kitchen, picked up my wallet, cellphone and keys, and headed out to Dunkin for my first of six daily coffees.
I quietly walked outside and lit a smoke, again, part of my daily ritual. I stood outside in the cool air, at the top of our driveway, wondering what the day would be like seeing my first grandchild. Oh! I'm a grandfather! Even for me, I was excited thinking of the years to come. As I paced a little I noticed a sports car parked down the street a little bit from our house, about three car lengths from where I normally parked my silver Civic. As I looked at it I could see the whole right side, the passenger side, was black with gaping holes, dents and deep dark, long scratches. "Ohh!" What happened there? I thought, wondering if the car belonged to a friend of our teenage neighbors sons.
I stared at the dents wondering how the crash had happened. A telephone pole? Another car? Was anyone hurt?
Then it struck me. It's my Civic! How did it get dented in like that? I stared harder. Then I saw what it was. The gaping holes and dents were black shadows backlit by our streetlamp, showering the shadow of our dogwood tree in our front yard onto my car. Whew! It's only shasdows! I was relieved.
Imagination. The first human power, where everything starts and reaction originates. I remembered the two short pages from 'Abdu'l-Baha's book, Some Answered Questions, which we had studied last Sunday at foster Baha'i school. It was one of my very favorite passages, and I had memorized it long ago,
We all know the fiver outer senses of man; our five outer powers if you will: sight, hearing, smell, taste and feeling. Feeling, which covers all parts of the body including our brains. Five outer senses which are so common-sensical, understandable and well-known. But when I first read this treatise over forty years ago, I was also immediately stuck by the cogency of the descriptions of the five inner powers of man: imagination, thought, comprehension, memory and the common faculty, which interfaced the five outer and inner powers.
My dented car was a perfect example of the powers of man; my sight had perceived the "dented" car, my imagination conjured a certain reality, my thoughts explored the meaning, I finally comprehended the reality of what I saw, and my memory told me it was my car -- and it wasn't smashed in! I had parked it away from our house the evening before, so its position in the street was unfamiliar. I had moved it so the arriving guests for our Annual Meeting would have more room to park their cars.
And the common faculty had helped them park their cars, and me my car. All these senses and powers working together.
Man is an incredible creation of God, don't you think? I do.
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Right Words at the Right Time
The indefatigable Marlo Thomas compiled stories of well-known personalities -- artists, authors, celebrities, humanitarians etc. into a tome called The Right Words at the Right Time published in 2002. She calls the writers "and Friends" in the book title, and, I would like to be their friend also after reading their short inspirational stories. Each story written by her friends is clear, direct, moving, poignant and true (it would appear).
I had casually picked this book off the shelf at the Hatboro Library in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, a quaint place on Main Street. I was there early for my noon Memoir Writing Group meeting and I had half an hour to kill. I'm an on-time person. When I go to a meeting I'm either on time or early. I've always been that way and so is my wife Janet. So, here I was. Other times when early at the library, I had skimmed thru books like Stephen Covey's The Eighth Habit, or books on publishing. I was trying to get my ducks in order for pushing my first book Episodes of A Blessed Life in America by June 2013, after all.
These personal stories were fun, interesting and moving, both spiritually and intellectually, and on other levels. It's a book about how these personalities were moved to change their lives and ultimately become who they are today by the influence of another meaningful person in their lives -- a teacher, editor, coach, parent etc. Some of these storytellers were Muhammed Ali, Tom Brokaw, Venus Williams, Al Pacino, Laura Bush and Billy Crystal to name a very few.
I only had time to read some, which I share here:
1. Jeff Bezos' (founder of Amazon) father who told him "You'll learn one day it's much harder to be kind then to be clever." This is my problem -- clothing my words with kindness before speaking directly. Usually my words cut like a knife. Not a good way to make or keep friends.
2. Steven Spielberg who remembers Davy Crockett of TV and movie fame saying "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." Oh how I wished I had killed a million dollar purchase when I had my doubts, instead of being swayed by others. I learned a valuable lesson that year in the aftermath of unnecessarily high prices.
3. Gloria Steinem, who wrote "My inner world is no more important than the outer one, but no less important either." Gloria, I'm glad you got this far in your thinking. Many people don't weigh spirituality in their lives. I weigh it even higher, but that's me. Living it is a different matter -- much harder.
4. Oprah Winfrey, who's General Manager, Dennis, at her first Chicago Talk Show, told her "Just go on the air and be yourself." I think we are always "on the air," and it's so noticeable when we are not our true selves, nor true to ourselves. My bipolar experiences have taught me the reality of not being myself, even though at the time, I really thought and felt I was the Christ.
5. How Carly Simon overcame her severe stuttering after her mother told her gently "Sing it," and she did.
6. How Mel Brooks senior producer John Calley on Blazing Saddles told him "Mel, if you're going to step up to the bell, ring it." To me it's a metaphor for don't overthink it -- 'just do it' as Nike would say.
Bottom line, most of us have someone giving us great advice -- we just have to be listening for it and recognize it.
I had casually picked this book off the shelf at the Hatboro Library in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, a quaint place on Main Street. I was there early for my noon Memoir Writing Group meeting and I had half an hour to kill. I'm an on-time person. When I go to a meeting I'm either on time or early. I've always been that way and so is my wife Janet. So, here I was. Other times when early at the library, I had skimmed thru books like Stephen Covey's The Eighth Habit, or books on publishing. I was trying to get my ducks in order for pushing my first book Episodes of A Blessed Life in America by June 2013, after all.
These personal stories were fun, interesting and moving, both spiritually and intellectually, and on other levels. It's a book about how these personalities were moved to change their lives and ultimately become who they are today by the influence of another meaningful person in their lives -- a teacher, editor, coach, parent etc. Some of these storytellers were Muhammed Ali, Tom Brokaw, Venus Williams, Al Pacino, Laura Bush and Billy Crystal to name a very few.
I only had time to read some, which I share here:
1. Jeff Bezos' (founder of Amazon) father who told him "You'll learn one day it's much harder to be kind then to be clever." This is my problem -- clothing my words with kindness before speaking directly. Usually my words cut like a knife. Not a good way to make or keep friends.
2. Steven Spielberg who remembers Davy Crockett of TV and movie fame saying "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." Oh how I wished I had killed a million dollar purchase when I had my doubts, instead of being swayed by others. I learned a valuable lesson that year in the aftermath of unnecessarily high prices.
3. Gloria Steinem, who wrote "My inner world is no more important than the outer one, but no less important either." Gloria, I'm glad you got this far in your thinking. Many people don't weigh spirituality in their lives. I weigh it even higher, but that's me. Living it is a different matter -- much harder.
4. Oprah Winfrey, who's General Manager, Dennis, at her first Chicago Talk Show, told her "Just go on the air and be yourself." I think we are always "on the air," and it's so noticeable when we are not our true selves, nor true to ourselves. My bipolar experiences have taught me the reality of not being myself, even though at the time, I really thought and felt I was the Christ.
5. How Carly Simon overcame her severe stuttering after her mother told her gently "Sing it," and she did.
6. How Mel Brooks senior producer John Calley on Blazing Saddles told him "Mel, if you're going to step up to the bell, ring it." To me it's a metaphor for don't overthink it -- 'just do it' as Nike would say.
Bottom line, most of us have someone giving us great advice -- we just have to be listening for it and recognize it.
Monday, April 15, 2013
I Love Email, Don't You?
I love emailing and receiving emails. Ever since I started using
email at work in the early eighties, I've loved it. I love the written
word. I trust it. I don't trust verbal words nearly as much, unless
they're from people I trust, like my wife Janet, our kids, family, the Baha'is etc. I don't trust most TV news analysts and pundits, although they're interesting.
I've always been a good reader and speller. When I was twelve or so mom bought a whole set of Britannica Encyclopedias. I rarely used the main set, but over months I read the fourteen Britannica Juniors cover to cover. Very interesting and informative. Now I get my knowledge again from family and friends, but also from NPR and the Baha'i Writings. I rarely read the newspaper, although I like that to and hope they can continue in their physical format (as well as digital). Acquiring knowledge is the most important thing a human can do -- education opens up everything life and the spirit have to offer. And I count religious education as equally important as the sciences. The two wings of a bird kinda thing. Without both wings the bird will never fly.
I use four email addresses on a daily basis now that I'm home and retired. Two for my businesses -- ABLiA Media Co. and RR Energy & IT Consulting, as well as two personal addresses -- all gmail accounts. Gmail is the best I've found at filtering out garbage and spam, and I've been using gmail for four years now. I had used AOL previously and that let horrendous amounts of spam throuh.
I recently discovered how to "select all" my daily emails, then unclick the ones I wanted to investigate or keep, and delete the rest. So much easier than deleting each one individually! All told, between all four accounts, I get 150 emails a day. But going thru them is fun, educational and interesting. To me anyway. And it only takes me fifteen minutes. Emails I respond to take a few moments longer, but not much.
I'm very selective about what I sign up for on email. I am subscribed to about 100 newsletters, reports, news feeds, government sites etc. Most of the emails I get every day for my business, in both IT and energy (like Computerworld, TechRepublic and Network World, plus all the major energy mags and orgs). I also subscribe to a few writing sites, like Writers and Writers Digest, which are excellent articles and blogs. I can scan the subject line and quickly delete those that aren't relative at the moment or potentially in the future. I unsubscribe those I get tired of deleting. My personal emails are very different. I have subscriptions to things like the daily Gallup surveys, Factcheck, Politifact and other informational and political services. I like to stay current in certain areas.
All of my subscriptions are free right now. I know that will end someday, but its great now.
On my main personal email, for example, I have over 100 file categories like "Family," "Baha'i" "Subscriptions," "Receipts" etc. They're very helpful for archiving things I want to keep or refer to.
So I love email, don't you?
I've always been a good reader and speller. When I was twelve or so mom bought a whole set of Britannica Encyclopedias. I rarely used the main set, but over months I read the fourteen Britannica Juniors cover to cover. Very interesting and informative. Now I get my knowledge again from family and friends, but also from NPR and the Baha'i Writings. I rarely read the newspaper, although I like that to and hope they can continue in their physical format (as well as digital). Acquiring knowledge is the most important thing a human can do -- education opens up everything life and the spirit have to offer. And I count religious education as equally important as the sciences. The two wings of a bird kinda thing. Without both wings the bird will never fly.
I use four email addresses on a daily basis now that I'm home and retired. Two for my businesses -- ABLiA Media Co. and RR Energy & IT Consulting, as well as two personal addresses -- all gmail accounts. Gmail is the best I've found at filtering out garbage and spam, and I've been using gmail for four years now. I had used AOL previously and that let horrendous amounts of spam throuh.
I recently discovered how to "select all" my daily emails, then unclick the ones I wanted to investigate or keep, and delete the rest. So much easier than deleting each one individually! All told, between all four accounts, I get 150 emails a day. But going thru them is fun, educational and interesting. To me anyway. And it only takes me fifteen minutes. Emails I respond to take a few moments longer, but not much.
I'm very selective about what I sign up for on email. I am subscribed to about 100 newsletters, reports, news feeds, government sites etc. Most of the emails I get every day for my business, in both IT and energy (like Computerworld, TechRepublic and Network World, plus all the major energy mags and orgs). I also subscribe to a few writing sites, like Writers and Writers Digest, which are excellent articles and blogs. I can scan the subject line and quickly delete those that aren't relative at the moment or potentially in the future. I unsubscribe those I get tired of deleting. My personal emails are very different. I have subscriptions to things like the daily Gallup surveys, Factcheck, Politifact and other informational and political services. I like to stay current in certain areas.
All of my subscriptions are free right now. I know that will end someday, but its great now.
On my main personal email, for example, I have over 100 file categories like "Family," "Baha'i" "Subscriptions," "Receipts" etc. They're very helpful for archiving things I want to keep or refer to.
So I love email, don't you?
I Love Action Movies
I love action movies. I love them so much, that my good friend Richie and I see a new one every Saturday morning at our Hamilton AMC Theatre. Since 2009 when I retired, its become a ritual. A thrilling and exciting ritual. And surprisingly, not that expensive for a number of reasons.
I rarely go see a movie after 12 noon. Even as a senior, the price is $9 -- too expensive for my tastes. Good ones like Lincoln (saw twice), or the King's Speech, I don't mind the cost. But Hangover II? I walked out of that one 20 minutes into it. (At least Hangover III looks better.) There are very few good comedies for men like me. I still remember Rat Race (2001), my favorite, along with The Producers and the Pink Panther flicks with Peter Sellers as inspector Clouseau. All well done and hilarious.
No, action flicks are my bread and butter. I rate them on a scale of 1-5, note the main actors, and a note about the story -- good plot, realistic, predictable etc. My Excel spreadsheet listing them all by date averages 60 movies a year. I love good movies. Examples of my fives are the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all the Harry Potters, the Jason Bourne series with Matt Damon (perfectly cast and acted), and all the Marvel movies (X-Men, Transformers), for example. Lately its also been the G.I. Joe movies. But my real favorites are sci fi movies like Tron Legacy with Olivia Wilde, my honey, I Am Legend with Will Smith (haven't seen a movie with him yet that I didn't like), all the Bond movies since Dr. No, now with Daniel Craig -- perfectly cast and always a nail biter (I stopped that in the eighties thank goodness).
The best part for me is two things: one, before noon the movie only costs six bucks, and two, for about the last year, they've offered coffee at the concession stands! Smithfield or something, not to bad. Not Dunkin, my favorite, but not to bad. I petitioned AMC many times the year before to offer coffee -- and to their credit, they have. Other moviegoers must have done likewise. Yeah, AMC!
My average annual per movie cost has ranged from $3.68 in 2012, to $7.50 in 2005. It's been averaging $6.20-$6.80 most of the time. And I'm including all the ones I see with Janet at $9.00. There's a couple other reasons why its so cheap. First, I get Gift Cards for my birthday and for Ayyam-i-Ha, our Baha'i and family gift giving days equivalent (toned down), to Christmas. So those movies cost me nothing. And I get many gift cards (I don't ask for much). Second, the AMC Rewards Club. For every ten bucks spent at AMC, I get a buck (cash) in rewards, applied when it reaches $100 in spending. And that includes concession costs as well. So, that's why my real cost can be less than six bucks at times, and some actually free.
Going to the movies for me is watching pure fantasy, but always with kernels of truth -- or a future truth. Meditating about why I like them so much has revealed a simple truth about me. They remind me of the 1950's westerns I'd watch on black & white TV. The Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Have Gun Will Travel with Paladin, Maverick, Rifleman and more. Simply put: you clearly know who the bad guy is, and they get their due in the end from the good guy. Simple, clean, good against bad and good always triumphs.
Yeah, I like action flicks (especially the starlets), and AMC coffee. A perfect excursion for a few hours.
I rarely go see a movie after 12 noon. Even as a senior, the price is $9 -- too expensive for my tastes. Good ones like Lincoln (saw twice), or the King's Speech, I don't mind the cost. But Hangover II? I walked out of that one 20 minutes into it. (At least Hangover III looks better.) There are very few good comedies for men like me. I still remember Rat Race (2001), my favorite, along with The Producers and the Pink Panther flicks with Peter Sellers as inspector Clouseau. All well done and hilarious.
No, action flicks are my bread and butter. I rate them on a scale of 1-5, note the main actors, and a note about the story -- good plot, realistic, predictable etc. My Excel spreadsheet listing them all by date averages 60 movies a year. I love good movies. Examples of my fives are the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all the Harry Potters, the Jason Bourne series with Matt Damon (perfectly cast and acted), and all the Marvel movies (X-Men, Transformers), for example. Lately its also been the G.I. Joe movies. But my real favorites are sci fi movies like Tron Legacy with Olivia Wilde, my honey, I Am Legend with Will Smith (haven't seen a movie with him yet that I didn't like), all the Bond movies since Dr. No, now with Daniel Craig -- perfectly cast and always a nail biter (I stopped that in the eighties thank goodness).
The best part for me is two things: one, before noon the movie only costs six bucks, and two, for about the last year, they've offered coffee at the concession stands! Smithfield or something, not to bad. Not Dunkin, my favorite, but not to bad. I petitioned AMC many times the year before to offer coffee -- and to their credit, they have. Other moviegoers must have done likewise. Yeah, AMC!
My average annual per movie cost has ranged from $3.68 in 2012, to $7.50 in 2005. It's been averaging $6.20-$6.80 most of the time. And I'm including all the ones I see with Janet at $9.00. There's a couple other reasons why its so cheap. First, I get Gift Cards for my birthday and for Ayyam-i-Ha, our Baha'i and family gift giving days equivalent (toned down), to Christmas. So those movies cost me nothing. And I get many gift cards (I don't ask for much). Second, the AMC Rewards Club. For every ten bucks spent at AMC, I get a buck (cash) in rewards, applied when it reaches $100 in spending. And that includes concession costs as well. So, that's why my real cost can be less than six bucks at times, and some actually free.
Going to the movies for me is watching pure fantasy, but always with kernels of truth -- or a future truth. Meditating about why I like them so much has revealed a simple truth about me. They remind me of the 1950's westerns I'd watch on black & white TV. The Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Have Gun Will Travel with Paladin, Maverick, Rifleman and more. Simply put: you clearly know who the bad guy is, and they get their due in the end from the good guy. Simple, clean, good against bad and good always triumphs.
Yeah, I like action flicks (especially the starlets), and AMC coffee. A perfect excursion for a few hours.
Having Spirituality
When I was a kid growing up in downtown Trenton, of course I went to Catholic school. There was never a question about it. That also meant going to mass every morning at 8 a.m. Monday thru Friday, mass on Sundays and Holy Days like Ash Wednesday, Easter, Christmas etc. A lot of masses over my eight year sentence in catholic schools. (I guess at least 400 masses.) A lot of Sunday sermons and passing the fund basket around. I was an alter boy and in the choir. I was Godfather to my Boy Scout leader. Include weekly confessions to the priest and regular communion, and that was quite enough spirituality for me.
I had learned my catechism. I knew who God and Christ were, and the Blessed Mother, Joseph, all the bible stories,and all the saints. My brother was named after Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. I was named after the apostle Phillip in my 6th grade confirmation ordeal. How much closer to spirituality can one get?
Almost all of that was like a willowy wisp of a memory once I started attending public school in my freshman year, except for Sundays with the family and church. But gradually I stopped going to Sunday church as well when I hit fifteen. Luckily, my parents didn't protest too much, at least not enough to make me feel guilty. And I'm sure you've heard of the famous catholic guilt? Well I didn't feel it.
And until I met my future spouse Janet in my twelfth year at Ewing Public High School, I was a lost, bad, soul. Four years of robberies, lying, bad behavior, fist fists, bisexual encounters, juvenile hall and jail, drinking, drugs etc., all of it. And I didn't feel any of the remorse or consequences after those things either, nor guilt. I had no conscience. But luckily my future wife Janet brought mine back. That was when I began my path to true spirituality, for me.
The next year was spent learning how to love and care about someone else, Janet. Also learning the Tao, and interpreting I Ching hexagrams. Its called the Book of Changes for a reason. And gradually I changed. I opened up to new friends, new ideas, new questions. For once I cared about other things and people besides myself.
And that brings me to my point.
A few days ago I was listening to a Krista Tippett interview of Laurence Krause on NPR (4/14/13). Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born 1954) is a Canadian-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist well grounded in science (in my opinion). At the end of the show, he gave Krista and the listeners a statement which I had to write down after pulling over. Simply put, he said, "Having spirituality is asking questions and being open to the answers." I just love that and agree completely.
I'm still searching for Truth, as I believe every person is. If not The Truth, then at least Reality, whatever that means. I've been lucky, and with Janet, a 39-year successful work career with the State of New Jersey, my Baha'i Faith etc., I've found reality: family and friends whom all keep me stable.
I thank God for his blessings as often as I can remember to be grateful.
I had learned my catechism. I knew who God and Christ were, and the Blessed Mother, Joseph, all the bible stories,and all the saints. My brother was named after Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. I was named after the apostle Phillip in my 6th grade confirmation ordeal. How much closer to spirituality can one get?
Almost all of that was like a willowy wisp of a memory once I started attending public school in my freshman year, except for Sundays with the family and church. But gradually I stopped going to Sunday church as well when I hit fifteen. Luckily, my parents didn't protest too much, at least not enough to make me feel guilty. And I'm sure you've heard of the famous catholic guilt? Well I didn't feel it.
And until I met my future spouse Janet in my twelfth year at Ewing Public High School, I was a lost, bad, soul. Four years of robberies, lying, bad behavior, fist fists, bisexual encounters, juvenile hall and jail, drinking, drugs etc., all of it. And I didn't feel any of the remorse or consequences after those things either, nor guilt. I had no conscience. But luckily my future wife Janet brought mine back. That was when I began my path to true spirituality, for me.
The next year was spent learning how to love and care about someone else, Janet. Also learning the Tao, and interpreting I Ching hexagrams. Its called the Book of Changes for a reason. And gradually I changed. I opened up to new friends, new ideas, new questions. For once I cared about other things and people besides myself.
And that brings me to my point.
A few days ago I was listening to a Krista Tippett interview of Laurence Krause on NPR (4/14/13). Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born 1954) is a Canadian-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist well grounded in science (in my opinion). At the end of the show, he gave Krista and the listeners a statement which I had to write down after pulling over. Simply put, he said, "Having spirituality is asking questions and being open to the answers." I just love that and agree completely.
I'm still searching for Truth, as I believe every person is. If not The Truth, then at least Reality, whatever that means. I've been lucky, and with Janet, a 39-year successful work career with the State of New Jersey, my Baha'i Faith etc., I've found reality: family and friends whom all keep me stable.
I thank God for his blessings as often as I can remember to be grateful.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
42
America needed a reminder.
I'm not one to say "never forget," because I believe in forgiveness. It's the first step towards forgetfulness and soul-healing. And soul-healing is needed after watching the film depiction of Phillies baseball team manager Ben Chapman lambasting and hurting Jackie Robinson with vitriol, among many insults and death threats by others.
I've always known some Phillies fans were tough, but not that tough. Not as tough and rough as some were during the mid-forties, as depicted in this movie when Jackie made his major league baseball debut. The Phillies have been my favorite team ever since I started paying a little attention to sports. I was hooked on them after they won the 1980 World Series. Before them it was the Yankees of course, having grown up in the fifties reading, seeing, and hearing of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Dad took me to a game at the old Yankee stadium circa 1964 which thrilled and impressed me. But sports have never been my thing, although I easily see why it is for billions.
America needed a reminder.
I was living south of LA during the Watts events of 1965. I remember the black and white images on the TV news, seeing chaos and rampages, and cops and storeowners. 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. Over $40 million in damages. Millions of confirmations for some, of the activities they watched, disgust for others, and incredulity for still others. On both sides of the aisle. Watching 42 made me understand why. I would be angry also under the poor treatment received at the hands of some others. Seeing 42 vividly portrayed the motivation for that anger -- on both sides. On one side ingrained prejudice, on the other side long suffering. I got angry watching the movie. And very sad. Some of those hurts continue, and in many more forms.
We are human. Most of us have a breaking point. Jackie did - but restrained himself when it came to others. The scene in the dugout hallway with Rickey consoling Jackie, is what I've felt many times for my African-American brothers and sisters, but was unable to express. Now I'm able to express it in my old age. There is no excuse for the bad behavior against our fellow men and women, and children. However, we all slip up. Most of us have hurt others, intentionally or unintentionally. If we were man enough, we apologized. We have to learn to undue prejudice, the same way we learned it -- from our families, teachers, and friends.
But "some" is the keyword. Not all caucasians and not all African-Americans. Never all. Only some.
42 demonstrates clearly what many of those "somes" experienced for hundreds, if not more, years. On both sides. 42 depicts what some of those "somes" did to combat Racism, like Pee Wee Reese did in the Cincinatti game.
I don't know if I'll ever have the strength of character Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey had. But as a white man I can aspire to that of Pee Wee Reese.
I hope to see the day America no longer needs reminders.
I'm not one to say "never forget," because I believe in forgiveness. It's the first step towards forgetfulness and soul-healing. And soul-healing is needed after watching the film depiction of Phillies baseball team manager Ben Chapman lambasting and hurting Jackie Robinson with vitriol, among many insults and death threats by others.
I've always known some Phillies fans were tough, but not that tough. Not as tough and rough as some were during the mid-forties, as depicted in this movie when Jackie made his major league baseball debut. The Phillies have been my favorite team ever since I started paying a little attention to sports. I was hooked on them after they won the 1980 World Series. Before them it was the Yankees of course, having grown up in the fifties reading, seeing, and hearing of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Dad took me to a game at the old Yankee stadium circa 1964 which thrilled and impressed me. But sports have never been my thing, although I easily see why it is for billions.
America needed a reminder.
I was living south of LA during the Watts events of 1965. I remember the black and white images on the TV news, seeing chaos and rampages, and cops and storeowners. 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. Over $40 million in damages. Millions of confirmations for some, of the activities they watched, disgust for others, and incredulity for still others. On both sides of the aisle. Watching 42 made me understand why. I would be angry also under the poor treatment received at the hands of some others. Seeing 42 vividly portrayed the motivation for that anger -- on both sides. On one side ingrained prejudice, on the other side long suffering. I got angry watching the movie. And very sad. Some of those hurts continue, and in many more forms.
We are human. Most of us have a breaking point. Jackie did - but restrained himself when it came to others. The scene in the dugout hallway with Rickey consoling Jackie, is what I've felt many times for my African-American brothers and sisters, but was unable to express. Now I'm able to express it in my old age. There is no excuse for the bad behavior against our fellow men and women, and children. However, we all slip up. Most of us have hurt others, intentionally or unintentionally. If we were man enough, we apologized. We have to learn to undue prejudice, the same way we learned it -- from our families, teachers, and friends.
But "some" is the keyword. Not all caucasians and not all African-Americans. Never all. Only some.
42 demonstrates clearly what many of those "somes" experienced for hundreds, if not more, years. On both sides. 42 depicts what some of those "somes" did to combat Racism, like Pee Wee Reese did in the Cincinatti game.
I don't know if I'll ever have the strength of character Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey had. But as a white man I can aspire to that of Pee Wee Reese.
I hope to see the day America no longer needs reminders.
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