I had my first doctor appointment in over 2 years today. Not by my choice mind you. I called to have my “once-every-6-months-or-so” refill of pills, for when I get a migraine, called in and was told I had to come see the doctor or no pills. Ok, so I understand that office visits are how she gets paid but all they did was listen to my aches and pains, take my blood pressure (which was down thankfully), then make me an appointment for next April. Just seems like a waste of time and energy to me…
And basically I have the same thing wrong with me everyone else does. The whole sexually transmitted and incurable thing called life is taking its toll on me.
But while I was there the TV in the waiting room was playing the news and all the stupid political ads. It got me to thinking and wondering if I was lied to as a child. There were a set of things I was told everyone was taught as a child. Rules to live by, or so I thought. I am discovering that some parents failed to teach these rules to their kids. But if that is true then so did the education system and in some cases the church’s as well.
Were these children failed? Did somehow a large group of children from all over the country or the world just happen to miss the same days of lessons, missing out on important teachings? Did no one think it important to take them aside when they returned and share with them what they had missed?
Then I got to thinking about all the years between then and now and all the times that broke the rules. Did some explain it then or just let it pass? And now that these people are all adults do we just ignore it when it happens or should we inform them of their wrongs and that these rules are not to be broken?
I know, a bit dramatic… But my point is this, how did so many miss out on being taught the rules? So I believe that they know the rules and are just choosing to break them. They saying to us that they just don’t care, they know we are follow the rules but they are not.
So now I think it has come down to us, we need to tell these people that we won’t tolerate it! They should be removed from a place where they can flaunt their disregard for the rules. Then someone needs to reinforce the rules.
We need to make it known to those in politics and the media that “If they can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”
A political campaign should be about telling the people what they have done and what they plan on doing, not telling you half truths or opinions or out and out lies about the person they are running against. Our society has become a place where we are always being told to choose “the lesser of 2 evils”. Why should I vote for someone I don’t like just because I like the other guy less. Compromise is fine and will always be a part of government but come on, when was the last time you agreed with everything a candidate said? When was the last time you trusted the person you voted for to do everything they said? It has become a running joke in our country that politicians LIE! I don’t find that funny!
We give these people so much power and control over our lives but we EXPECT them to lie to us? This is just as dumb as just accepting that there will be add-ons to every bill that passes, whether they have anything to do with the original bill or not. What has happened to this country and its people…Well that’s just the way it is. BULLSHIT
Elections should be nothing more than a candidate laying out a plan, itemizing in detail what they plan to do, why and how. They should explain why they think they will be the better person for the job. Then a group from both sides should investigate and report on whether what they said about themselves is true or not. Then leave it to the people. Think of the money savings on political campaigns. After the election the winner will then be judged on whether they follow through on their stated plans so when election time comes again the facts will be shared from one place. NOT from theirs or the other side but from the middle. In this system the politicians and their staff can spend more time explaining why they are not accomplishing what they told us they would rather than campaigning.
We are being told “That’s just the way it is.” The one that really sickens me to hear is “We have the best system in the world what more do you want?” Right so everyone turn in ALL your electronics, hand over the DVD and IPods we are going back to 45’s because they were the best there was.
REALLY?
We never sit by and except that, we are always trying to make things better so why not here, why do we except half truths from the system the governs us? Why do we just except that we will be lied to? We are WAY past preventative maintenance, it is broken and the people in charge of it like it that way! Would you keep going to a car mechanic that never totally fixed your car or broke other things on it each time you took it to them and charged you to fix them?
NO, so what’s up people, that is exactly what you are doing!
c Shell Franklin
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Eggshells and Friends
We’ve all heard at least one of the saying about true friends: there are a lot more than these. ‘Friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.’ And ‘A friend will bail you out of jail; a real friend will be sitting next to you saying, “Damn that was fun!”.’
So here is my take on the different levels of people we know and how we interact with them. A friend is someone you know well and regard with affection and trust. Most of us have very few of these, maybe 10 at the most. We have even fewer true friends. These are people we trust with almost all of our secrets, but they are also the ones that can hurt us the most with betrayal.
Most people in our lives are not really friends they are just acquaintances. They are simply people with whom we are acquainted. They are the people we may or may not know their names but we see them often enough that we say we know them. We say hi to them on the street or at work but we would not really say we know them personally.
Where am I going with this you may be asking; well, I want you all to think of the last group meeting you were in, maybe a church group, a community organization, or even a business meeting of some sort. Now, with that in mind did you like everyone there? Are any of them friends or were they just all acquaintances?
Now as happens in groups; discussions break out, topics are brought up that not everyone agrees on and the topics are talked about, maybe debated, and sometimes they are even argued loudly. Once this starts everyone takes sides based on what they believe or feel on the topic.
Now that we all have the picture in mind I want each of you to think about how you feel, how you go about bringing up your point or disagreeing with others. Do you just speak your mind or do you temper your opinion so as not to hurt others feelings?
Example: You are in a meeting and there is a person that each meeting has to go into so much detail about how hard their job is and how much they do for the group. They have done this for years and everyone just sits and listens to them, not correcting them, not cutting them short, and not telling them when they are wrong. Now, after this has happened for so long, the person actually believes they are as good as they say and that everyone else thinks so too.
My first thought on this is no one there is truly their friend, a true friend would have told them the truth, shut them up and put them in their place. A true friend would not let them stay at the level there are or allow them to get to the point where no one else at the meetings even listens to them anymore. The rest of the people in the room are just being polite, in their minds. Most would rather just tell the person to sit down and shut up but they don’t for fear that they may be the only one thinking that way. So we are worried about friends of friends and so on.
I have several concerns about this, first is how this is harming the group/organization. It is a waste of meeting time, sets a bad precedence, and leads to bad feelings. A meeting is not the place for egos. Meetings take planning to make sure everyone that needs to be there can make it and that there is enough time for all the topics that have to be discussed. Everyone’s time is valuable so allowing a few people to take it up just to build their own ego is a disservice to everyone else there. I am also concerned that this person may not be the best person for the job if so many people want to shut them up. An organization needs to be run by those that have the best interests of the whole organization and its future in mind. If someone is in a place of authority just for the power or the ego boost this is harming the organization. This may not always be visible, as other may be picking up the slack of the few not doing their jobs, but think how much farther the group could be if everyone was able to put that extra time and energy into their own work?
Now I am just as guilty of this as the next person but I think that will come to an end now that I recognize it as happening. If someone is not doing their job point it out, make it clear why you feel that way and how to correct it. If after time it does not get fixed, remove the person and get someone that will do the job. If they are doing the job but just want to brag about their work to boost their ego, put a stop to it. If the person is in a visible job others will know they are doing it well, if they are not then management should be publicly acknowledging theirs and everyone else’s work performance.
c Shell Franklin
We’ve all heard at least one of the saying about true friends: there are a lot more than these. ‘Friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.’ And ‘A friend will bail you out of jail; a real friend will be sitting next to you saying, “Damn that was fun!”.’
So here is my take on the different levels of people we know and how we interact with them. A friend is someone you know well and regard with affection and trust. Most of us have very few of these, maybe 10 at the most. We have even fewer true friends. These are people we trust with almost all of our secrets, but they are also the ones that can hurt us the most with betrayal.
Most people in our lives are not really friends they are just acquaintances. They are simply people with whom we are acquainted. They are the people we may or may not know their names but we see them often enough that we say we know them. We say hi to them on the street or at work but we would not really say we know them personally.
Where am I going with this you may be asking; well, I want you all to think of the last group meeting you were in, maybe a church group, a community organization, or even a business meeting of some sort. Now, with that in mind did you like everyone there? Are any of them friends or were they just all acquaintances?
Now as happens in groups; discussions break out, topics are brought up that not everyone agrees on and the topics are talked about, maybe debated, and sometimes they are even argued loudly. Once this starts everyone takes sides based on what they believe or feel on the topic.
Now that we all have the picture in mind I want each of you to think about how you feel, how you go about bringing up your point or disagreeing with others. Do you just speak your mind or do you temper your opinion so as not to hurt others feelings?
Example: You are in a meeting and there is a person that each meeting has to go into so much detail about how hard their job is and how much they do for the group. They have done this for years and everyone just sits and listens to them, not correcting them, not cutting them short, and not telling them when they are wrong. Now, after this has happened for so long, the person actually believes they are as good as they say and that everyone else thinks so too.
My first thought on this is no one there is truly their friend, a true friend would have told them the truth, shut them up and put them in their place. A true friend would not let them stay at the level there are or allow them to get to the point where no one else at the meetings even listens to them anymore. The rest of the people in the room are just being polite, in their minds. Most would rather just tell the person to sit down and shut up but they don’t for fear that they may be the only one thinking that way. So we are worried about friends of friends and so on.
I have several concerns about this, first is how this is harming the group/organization. It is a waste of meeting time, sets a bad precedence, and leads to bad feelings. A meeting is not the place for egos. Meetings take planning to make sure everyone that needs to be there can make it and that there is enough time for all the topics that have to be discussed. Everyone’s time is valuable so allowing a few people to take it up just to build their own ego is a disservice to everyone else there. I am also concerned that this person may not be the best person for the job if so many people want to shut them up. An organization needs to be run by those that have the best interests of the whole organization and its future in mind. If someone is in a place of authority just for the power or the ego boost this is harming the organization. This may not always be visible, as other may be picking up the slack of the few not doing their jobs, but think how much farther the group could be if everyone was able to put that extra time and energy into their own work?
Now I am just as guilty of this as the next person but I think that will come to an end now that I recognize it as happening. If someone is not doing their job point it out, make it clear why you feel that way and how to correct it. If after time it does not get fixed, remove the person and get someone that will do the job. If they are doing the job but just want to brag about their work to boost their ego, put a stop to it. If the person is in a visible job others will know they are doing it well, if they are not then management should be publicly acknowledging theirs and everyone else’s work performance.
c Shell Franklin
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Let’s take a walk down memory lane today. Close your eyes and think back to your school days, remember the different elections we had and how they were handled. Now open your eyes before you see something there to make you scream.
I remember having an election for student body officers and an election for kings and queens of dances. Thinking back I recall teachers explaining that the elections for officers were important and should not just a popularity contest like the other elections were. Voting we were taught was suppose to be done only after you had looked at the issues, listened to what the candidates had to say on the issues, and then you decided who would do the best job for position. I was taught that voting for a party simply because they were the best for you personally; was short sighted, selfish, and strictly a political move for your own gain.
If an election is simply a popularity contest; then let’s treat it as such! Let get rid of all the questions and answers, stop talking about what is best for the organization, and call it what it is, a barter, I give you my vote and you do something for me.
When you vote do you vote based on your whole hearted belief that your candidate will be the best for the organization? Or do you vote based on a hope they will give you a job you want or they won’t hinder your goals for a different organization? Or the one that bothers me most, I think, voting based on family or friendship. This one says to me that you truly care nothing for the future of the organization and you are just throwing your vote away without thinking.
But in the end it comes down to the same thing, politics and friendships win out over what’s best for the organization once again. “Me, me, me”. That is what politics have become. What is the person running going to do for “me” not are they the best for the job.
When a candidate listens to what the masses are demanding, takes the time to design out a plan to get there, and then actually sets it in motion showing visible signs it is working; and then someone else is elected, what does that say about the voting habits of the masses? Then when the winning candidate takes the ideas and plans of the other and runs with them; that tells me a lot about candidate that did win.
So, to finish, I will leave you all with a simple question; Do you vote based on what is best for the future of the organization or what was best for you?
c Shell Franklin
I remember having an election for student body officers and an election for kings and queens of dances. Thinking back I recall teachers explaining that the elections for officers were important and should not just a popularity contest like the other elections were. Voting we were taught was suppose to be done only after you had looked at the issues, listened to what the candidates had to say on the issues, and then you decided who would do the best job for position. I was taught that voting for a party simply because they were the best for you personally; was short sighted, selfish, and strictly a political move for your own gain.
If an election is simply a popularity contest; then let’s treat it as such! Let get rid of all the questions and answers, stop talking about what is best for the organization, and call it what it is, a barter, I give you my vote and you do something for me.
When you vote do you vote based on your whole hearted belief that your candidate will be the best for the organization? Or do you vote based on a hope they will give you a job you want or they won’t hinder your goals for a different organization? Or the one that bothers me most, I think, voting based on family or friendship. This one says to me that you truly care nothing for the future of the organization and you are just throwing your vote away without thinking.
But in the end it comes down to the same thing, politics and friendships win out over what’s best for the organization once again. “Me, me, me”. That is what politics have become. What is the person running going to do for “me” not are they the best for the job.
When a candidate listens to what the masses are demanding, takes the time to design out a plan to get there, and then actually sets it in motion showing visible signs it is working; and then someone else is elected, what does that say about the voting habits of the masses? Then when the winning candidate takes the ideas and plans of the other and runs with them; that tells me a lot about candidate that did win.
So, to finish, I will leave you all with a simple question; Do you vote based on what is best for the future of the organization or what was best for you?
c Shell Franklin
Monday, June 21, 2010
He swings in on rope, not asking what the other end is attached to, sword in hand and feather sticking out of his hat. He lands in the midst of the crowd and challenges them all. “I’m back and I’m disgusted with what I am finding!” No one moves or speaks, they just stare, a look of puzzlement on their faces.
Ok, maybe it is not that dramatic but that would be cool! Ok, maybe not the green tights or the pointed leather booties. (We’re men, we’re men in tights. Yeah, tights!) I know, it has been a long time since my last post, my apologies. But it has been a very long time for me. The things I’ve seen, the stuff I’ve done… Ok, briefly, for those that are going to ask.
Since my last post I have seen drag queens, zombies, hypocrisy, and mislead freedom. I planned for horrors yet unseen while I held my breath knowing those in charge could not be counted on. I have seen more skin of more people. (Put some damn clothes on people! Unless your female and size 14 or above, then you are allowed to take it all off.)
I have dreamed of a world where all the people in charge were appointed by me and it was a wonderful place. A place where crimes were punished quickly and publicly. Good was rewarded and bad was shunned and humiliated.
But that is all that needs to be said and I will move on. On to some random thoughts I have had and put to paper recently.
So, someone please explain to me why the bicyclist that ran the red light, cut off the street and onto the sidewalk almost running over several people walking has the right to demand I share the road with him? I will gladly share the road with other law abiding citizens but as I have not seen one person on a bicycle in this town obeying the same laws I do why should I look out for them?
As a society, we force feed our children fast food an apathy while the media tells them they are fat and lazy. We tell our kids that hard work and being responsible is what will get them ahead in life but in the real world it comes down to money and who you know or how much noise you can make. We lie to our kids thinking they are too young to understand the truth but at what age are they old enough? And is that different for each kid and each generation? Children look to adults for everything, like sponges they absorb everything; even that it is ok to lie… We tell them not to do things that are bad for them but they watch us do those same things. We swear, speed, j-walk, and even cheat and then we wonder why each generation is getting worse. We are teaching it to them!
We send our kids to school to learn and be socialized but take no interest in what they are getting taught till there is a problem then we blame the teachers and the system. Teaching our kids is our job, we, the parents, are the ones ultimately responsible for their education. We choose to pass that on to our local schools and the teachers they hire but that is the same thing as a manager passing on a job to a subordinate, ultimately it still comes back to us. Teachers are simply our employees and as such we should be communicating with them constantly, adjusting things that are not working properly and checking the work they are doing. And here is the important part, are you ready? IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO DO YOUR PART, DO NOT GET MAD AT THE TEACHERS!! Enough said, moving on….
People of self importance amuse me. I have encountered a few recently and though they are a pain in the butt, mostly they are only important in their own mind. They hype themselves so often that they have come to believe it’s true. Some people have the ability to make the hype come true but most don’t. The ones that do were important to begin with and hype was not necessary. For the others no amount of hype will ever be enough. A lot of celebrities have bought into their own hype even though they are just people, like you and me, doing a job, unlike you and me, being over paid for it. But at the point they are inconsiderate or rude to the fans that keep them working they have lost perspective and are no longer worthy of the position they hold.
Demographics are interesting, they help you understand the who, what, when, where, how, and how much in most situations. Demographics for a group of people would be ages, races, genders, religious beliefs, income, marital status, and so on. You know, we have all seen the question and thought “Why do they need to know all this?” Well, here is why. If I own a business that sells products to consumers, knowing all that about them helps me determine what products to carry. If 80% of my customers are between the ages of 15 and 20 then I will not stock a lot of products that are primarily bought by senior citizens. I also will not be advertising in AARP’s monthly magazine. You will most likely not see an ad for Mtn Dew or Cheetos in a health food magazine because the people that read that magazine are not the people most likely to by those products. Understanding demographics can help most businesses and not knowing them can kill a business faster than poor service or over pricing.
So there I was driving down the freeway, my thoughts on why each generation seems to care less and less about laws, manners, or just common courtesy” when a police call sped past me doing at least 20mpg over the speed limit. My first thought was “shouldn’t they have their lights on if they are rushing to a call?” Well I followed them, not speeding but watching to see where they went. They got off the freeway at the same place I was so when I pulled off I was surprised to see them parked at Wendy’s. I was saddened. How is it that the people we pay to enforce our laws don’t seem to follow them? And why should our children look up to or respect the police if they punish us for breaking the law but they do it on a regular basis? I got to thinking about how many times lately we have heard about politicians breaking some law or another and just getting a slap on the wrist, if that.
Once again I am pointing out that we are teaching our kids by example, whether we like it that way or not, that the rules don’t always apply so they don’t need to always follow then. There is no consistency in what they are taught and what they see everyday going on in the world.
c Shell Franklin
Ok, maybe it is not that dramatic but that would be cool! Ok, maybe not the green tights or the pointed leather booties. (We’re men, we’re men in tights. Yeah, tights!) I know, it has been a long time since my last post, my apologies. But it has been a very long time for me. The things I’ve seen, the stuff I’ve done… Ok, briefly, for those that are going to ask.
Since my last post I have seen drag queens, zombies, hypocrisy, and mislead freedom. I planned for horrors yet unseen while I held my breath knowing those in charge could not be counted on. I have seen more skin of more people. (Put some damn clothes on people! Unless your female and size 14 or above, then you are allowed to take it all off.)
I have dreamed of a world where all the people in charge were appointed by me and it was a wonderful place. A place where crimes were punished quickly and publicly. Good was rewarded and bad was shunned and humiliated.
But that is all that needs to be said and I will move on. On to some random thoughts I have had and put to paper recently.
So, someone please explain to me why the bicyclist that ran the red light, cut off the street and onto the sidewalk almost running over several people walking has the right to demand I share the road with him? I will gladly share the road with other law abiding citizens but as I have not seen one person on a bicycle in this town obeying the same laws I do why should I look out for them?
As a society, we force feed our children fast food an apathy while the media tells them they are fat and lazy. We tell our kids that hard work and being responsible is what will get them ahead in life but in the real world it comes down to money and who you know or how much noise you can make. We lie to our kids thinking they are too young to understand the truth but at what age are they old enough? And is that different for each kid and each generation? Children look to adults for everything, like sponges they absorb everything; even that it is ok to lie… We tell them not to do things that are bad for them but they watch us do those same things. We swear, speed, j-walk, and even cheat and then we wonder why each generation is getting worse. We are teaching it to them!
We send our kids to school to learn and be socialized but take no interest in what they are getting taught till there is a problem then we blame the teachers and the system. Teaching our kids is our job, we, the parents, are the ones ultimately responsible for their education. We choose to pass that on to our local schools and the teachers they hire but that is the same thing as a manager passing on a job to a subordinate, ultimately it still comes back to us. Teachers are simply our employees and as such we should be communicating with them constantly, adjusting things that are not working properly and checking the work they are doing. And here is the important part, are you ready? IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO DO YOUR PART, DO NOT GET MAD AT THE TEACHERS!! Enough said, moving on….
People of self importance amuse me. I have encountered a few recently and though they are a pain in the butt, mostly they are only important in their own mind. They hype themselves so often that they have come to believe it’s true. Some people have the ability to make the hype come true but most don’t. The ones that do were important to begin with and hype was not necessary. For the others no amount of hype will ever be enough. A lot of celebrities have bought into their own hype even though they are just people, like you and me, doing a job, unlike you and me, being over paid for it. But at the point they are inconsiderate or rude to the fans that keep them working they have lost perspective and are no longer worthy of the position they hold.
Demographics are interesting, they help you understand the who, what, when, where, how, and how much in most situations. Demographics for a group of people would be ages, races, genders, religious beliefs, income, marital status, and so on. You know, we have all seen the question and thought “Why do they need to know all this?” Well, here is why. If I own a business that sells products to consumers, knowing all that about them helps me determine what products to carry. If 80% of my customers are between the ages of 15 and 20 then I will not stock a lot of products that are primarily bought by senior citizens. I also will not be advertising in AARP’s monthly magazine. You will most likely not see an ad for Mtn Dew or Cheetos in a health food magazine because the people that read that magazine are not the people most likely to by those products. Understanding demographics can help most businesses and not knowing them can kill a business faster than poor service or over pricing.
So there I was driving down the freeway, my thoughts on why each generation seems to care less and less about laws, manners, or just common courtesy” when a police call sped past me doing at least 20mpg over the speed limit. My first thought was “shouldn’t they have their lights on if they are rushing to a call?” Well I followed them, not speeding but watching to see where they went. They got off the freeway at the same place I was so when I pulled off I was surprised to see them parked at Wendy’s. I was saddened. How is it that the people we pay to enforce our laws don’t seem to follow them? And why should our children look up to or respect the police if they punish us for breaking the law but they do it on a regular basis? I got to thinking about how many times lately we have heard about politicians breaking some law or another and just getting a slap on the wrist, if that.
Once again I am pointing out that we are teaching our kids by example, whether we like it that way or not, that the rules don’t always apply so they don’t need to always follow then. There is no consistency in what they are taught and what they see everyday going on in the world.
c Shell Franklin
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sigh…
Wow has it been a long couple of months. Sorry to my followers for the lack of post, way too many other things going on.
Ok, first some history…
I was married at the way to young age of 18 and first child by 19 (na na na nineteen, for those that get the song) and all while in the army. My wife then was 6 years older than me and Korean. We had our problems at times communicating, getting over cultural differences, and a military lifestyle to deal with. I do feel she has some variation of depression so that to was a running problem. I also believe she was/is a bit racists, as in, she never wanted the kids to learn Korean and talked about how they were American and should only learn that. We had two kids together, both daughters which was another point we didn’t agree on. She wanted boys, I so only wanted girls. Divorced in the mid 90’s, remarried a couple of years later and am still married.
So jumping ahead to now, my ex still calls me if she has a problem, needs someone to talk to, or just to vent at someone. Her current husband still cannot talk to her about everything, so I get the pleasure of explaining things to her at times that he can’t.
But, my whole reason for this history lesson is this; her and her husband promised our youngest that her collage would be paid for so she enrolled. She started her first quarter, was told not to worry about it, so she didn’t. Now the quarter is over, they didn’t pay it all so now she can’t register for next quarter and has now had to move back home. She made that decision; didn’t want to keep going through this. So she is now going to go to a cheaper and closer college for a year. Going to get a job to cover her own schooling so she can go back to where she wants to be.
I don’t totally blame the ex, her husband more. He was the one with connections at the school and promised they get it taken care of. She has enough troubles right now, new business, lost their house, and he spent 9 days in the ICU recently. With all that going on… Oh well, another day another problem to fix.
Let’s see, what else has been happening?
Well, same daughter was assaulted by her now ex boyfriend. He hit her so hard he broke his hand. She has not a mark on her, other than a broken heart. But she now has a new guy taking a lot of interest in her and they are now dating, we’ll see where that goes. But for now it was good for her to see she was wanted by others (self-image and youth problems).
Other daughter, older one, has been saving her money for a car, and to go back to school. She has recently become engaged to her current boy toy, we called him Mr. Right-now for a long while. I’m not sure how I fell about him as I see her having to argue with him about things that I would not think anyone would see the way he does. He has a lot of chauvinistic outlooks on life and that just will not cut it with her, so they fight. But he must be doing something right; she has kept him this long. But time will tell…
With all this I am going back to school for some software classes and maybe take enough to transfer my other school credits and life experiences into enough credits to get that paper degree. I think it would be nice get but don’t get me wrong I will take real world experience and training over classroom work any day.
I thought my cat was dying but it turned out to be a hyperthyroid. Now we need to give him a pill 3 times a day. And feed him special food for awhile to rebalance his system. Not that any of this would of matter if I had just killed him last night for looking at me and pooping on the carpet. But he is still alive by sheer force of will on my part.
Other things going on in my life are; helping to plan two conventions, coding the software to run one of them, trying to stay ahead of bills, and hoping this next year will be better for everyone.
I know I need to answer a few of you back and Thank you to Heather for the Award. I will try to get to all this soon!!
c Shell Franklin
Wow has it been a long couple of months. Sorry to my followers for the lack of post, way too many other things going on.
Ok, first some history…
I was married at the way to young age of 18 and first child by 19 (na na na nineteen, for those that get the song) and all while in the army. My wife then was 6 years older than me and Korean. We had our problems at times communicating, getting over cultural differences, and a military lifestyle to deal with. I do feel she has some variation of depression so that to was a running problem. I also believe she was/is a bit racists, as in, she never wanted the kids to learn Korean and talked about how they were American and should only learn that. We had two kids together, both daughters which was another point we didn’t agree on. She wanted boys, I so only wanted girls. Divorced in the mid 90’s, remarried a couple of years later and am still married.
So jumping ahead to now, my ex still calls me if she has a problem, needs someone to talk to, or just to vent at someone. Her current husband still cannot talk to her about everything, so I get the pleasure of explaining things to her at times that he can’t.
But, my whole reason for this history lesson is this; her and her husband promised our youngest that her collage would be paid for so she enrolled. She started her first quarter, was told not to worry about it, so she didn’t. Now the quarter is over, they didn’t pay it all so now she can’t register for next quarter and has now had to move back home. She made that decision; didn’t want to keep going through this. So she is now going to go to a cheaper and closer college for a year. Going to get a job to cover her own schooling so she can go back to where she wants to be.
I don’t totally blame the ex, her husband more. He was the one with connections at the school and promised they get it taken care of. She has enough troubles right now, new business, lost their house, and he spent 9 days in the ICU recently. With all that going on… Oh well, another day another problem to fix.
Let’s see, what else has been happening?
Well, same daughter was assaulted by her now ex boyfriend. He hit her so hard he broke his hand. She has not a mark on her, other than a broken heart. But she now has a new guy taking a lot of interest in her and they are now dating, we’ll see where that goes. But for now it was good for her to see she was wanted by others (self-image and youth problems).
Other daughter, older one, has been saving her money for a car, and to go back to school. She has recently become engaged to her current boy toy, we called him Mr. Right-now for a long while. I’m not sure how I fell about him as I see her having to argue with him about things that I would not think anyone would see the way he does. He has a lot of chauvinistic outlooks on life and that just will not cut it with her, so they fight. But he must be doing something right; she has kept him this long. But time will tell…
With all this I am going back to school for some software classes and maybe take enough to transfer my other school credits and life experiences into enough credits to get that paper degree. I think it would be nice get but don’t get me wrong I will take real world experience and training over classroom work any day.
I thought my cat was dying but it turned out to be a hyperthyroid. Now we need to give him a pill 3 times a day. And feed him special food for awhile to rebalance his system. Not that any of this would of matter if I had just killed him last night for looking at me and pooping on the carpet. But he is still alive by sheer force of will on my part.
Other things going on in my life are; helping to plan two conventions, coding the software to run one of them, trying to stay ahead of bills, and hoping this next year will be better for everyone.
I know I need to answer a few of you back and Thank you to Heather for the Award. I will try to get to all this soon!!
c Shell Franklin
Friday, December 04, 2009
Really?? Is it really that hard to use your turn signal?
As many of you may have guessed from some of my earlier post, I spend a lot of time in my car. I drive all over town for client appointments, taxiing the kids, taking my wife to and from work, and just to be out of the house. A lot of times it is just me in the car so I get to spend time “sightseeing” as it were; watching all the other drivers, people on the sidewalks, and don’t get me started on bicyclists. (If the hundred or so I see on a daily basis are the norm for the rest, none of them should be allowed on the road! But that is a post for another day.)
Today we discuss the simple use of the turn signal. You know, that thing that the law requires you to use when turning or changing lanes. Way too many drivers don't use their turn signals, some because one hand is holding a cell phone while the other is needed to steer the car. Bit I have seen people drinking coffee and talking on the phone at the same time so I don’t think the lack of a hand is really the problem.
Daily I see countless vehicles weave in and out of lanes without signaling their intent and possibly with very little forethought. Too high a percentage of drivers ignore street markings all together, straddling the lanes as they multi-task or just daydream. Drivers get in their car and seem to believe they are the only ones on the road and to my great horror they drive with that thought in their head.
Let’s do a comparison. If you drive your car at least once a day for more than 10 miles, which applies to most of us, then you change lanes or turn corners at least 5 times a day. This is a very conservative number, I know. So, with this in mind using your turn signal should happen at least 5 times a day. The reason I figure this number out is a friend of mine told me that it was just too much to remember to do each time they changed lanes or turned.
So I asked them, “How many times a day do you use the restroom?”
They guessed maybe 5 times. So I felt it important to ask them if they remembered to pull their pants down or back up each time they went. Needless to say they did not get it.
My point is this, if you can remember to pull your pants down and back up each time you are capable of remembering to use your turn signal.
With that said I think it is pure laziness and rudeness that keeps most people from using their blinkers. Most people just don’t care about anyone else on the road. They drive like they are the only ones out there and that even if they aren’t “who cares.”
Each time you get behind the wheel of a car you are legally required to follow the law but even more than that you are possibly putting your life and the lives of everyone else you come in contact with on the line. Slippery road, road hazards, car malfunctions, or even medical emergencies can all cause you to do something that could injure you or someone else by accident, hence the name “Car accident.”
But driving with no regards to others sharing the roadways with you is not an accident, it is something that you do on purpose. Every one took the driving test, we all know the rules. We all know that turn signals are required by law to be used EVERYTIME we turn or change lanes. So failing to use them is on purpose and as far as I’m concerned any damages or injuries should be considered a planed event.
If you can do something that could have prevented a car collision and you do not to me it is the same thing as you having done it on purpose.
A turn signal is there to alert others around you that you are about to change the direction of that ton or more of metal you are in control of and moving at a great speed. It is there to give others that ability to, in some small way, know your intent and adjust accordingly so as not to get hurt.
I was riding with my youngest daughter the other day and she was trying to change lanes so as not to miss her turnoff. She had her turn signal on and was half way into the lane when this pickup truck comes across 2 lanes, no signal, and almost into the side of her. She moved back where she was and slowed a little as he continued to cut across 2 more lanes, still no signal. As she was catching her breath the guy in the car that she would have ended in front of sped up and pulled over right in front of her with no signal.
The saddest part of all this is neither of these people was even aware that they had almost caused an accident…
Is a life worth more than the second it takes to flip that lever?
Is it really that hard to use your turn signal?
c Shell Franklin
As many of you may have guessed from some of my earlier post, I spend a lot of time in my car. I drive all over town for client appointments, taxiing the kids, taking my wife to and from work, and just to be out of the house. A lot of times it is just me in the car so I get to spend time “sightseeing” as it were; watching all the other drivers, people on the sidewalks, and don’t get me started on bicyclists. (If the hundred or so I see on a daily basis are the norm for the rest, none of them should be allowed on the road! But that is a post for another day.)
Today we discuss the simple use of the turn signal. You know, that thing that the law requires you to use when turning or changing lanes. Way too many drivers don't use their turn signals, some because one hand is holding a cell phone while the other is needed to steer the car. Bit I have seen people drinking coffee and talking on the phone at the same time so I don’t think the lack of a hand is really the problem.
Daily I see countless vehicles weave in and out of lanes without signaling their intent and possibly with very little forethought. Too high a percentage of drivers ignore street markings all together, straddling the lanes as they multi-task or just daydream. Drivers get in their car and seem to believe they are the only ones on the road and to my great horror they drive with that thought in their head.
Let’s do a comparison. If you drive your car at least once a day for more than 10 miles, which applies to most of us, then you change lanes or turn corners at least 5 times a day. This is a very conservative number, I know. So, with this in mind using your turn signal should happen at least 5 times a day. The reason I figure this number out is a friend of mine told me that it was just too much to remember to do each time they changed lanes or turned.
So I asked them, “How many times a day do you use the restroom?”
They guessed maybe 5 times. So I felt it important to ask them if they remembered to pull their pants down or back up each time they went. Needless to say they did not get it.
My point is this, if you can remember to pull your pants down and back up each time you are capable of remembering to use your turn signal.
With that said I think it is pure laziness and rudeness that keeps most people from using their blinkers. Most people just don’t care about anyone else on the road. They drive like they are the only ones out there and that even if they aren’t “who cares.”
Each time you get behind the wheel of a car you are legally required to follow the law but even more than that you are possibly putting your life and the lives of everyone else you come in contact with on the line. Slippery road, road hazards, car malfunctions, or even medical emergencies can all cause you to do something that could injure you or someone else by accident, hence the name “Car accident.”
But driving with no regards to others sharing the roadways with you is not an accident, it is something that you do on purpose. Every one took the driving test, we all know the rules. We all know that turn signals are required by law to be used EVERYTIME we turn or change lanes. So failing to use them is on purpose and as far as I’m concerned any damages or injuries should be considered a planed event.
If you can do something that could have prevented a car collision and you do not to me it is the same thing as you having done it on purpose.
A turn signal is there to alert others around you that you are about to change the direction of that ton or more of metal you are in control of and moving at a great speed. It is there to give others that ability to, in some small way, know your intent and adjust accordingly so as not to get hurt.
I was riding with my youngest daughter the other day and she was trying to change lanes so as not to miss her turnoff. She had her turn signal on and was half way into the lane when this pickup truck comes across 2 lanes, no signal, and almost into the side of her. She moved back where she was and slowed a little as he continued to cut across 2 more lanes, still no signal. As she was catching her breath the guy in the car that she would have ended in front of sped up and pulled over right in front of her with no signal.
The saddest part of all this is neither of these people was even aware that they had almost caused an accident…
Is a life worth more than the second it takes to flip that lever?
Is it really that hard to use your turn signal?
c Shell Franklin
Monday, November 23, 2009
Evolving toward what?
The human race is always striving to better itself, make life easier for all of us. We envision a better tomorrow, a world free of conflict, a world free of wars, and plainly put a easier more comfortable life.
That bothers me!
Are we trying to make life too easy? Are we on our way to the humans in Wall-e?
In today’s day and age we are so obsessed with living longer, saving every possible life and then prolonging them; even if they are only being kept alive by machine. What happened to Darwinism? Have we in our fight for survival made Darwinism obsolete? Personally I think in moving to the top of the food chain and destroying all the predators bigger than us, Mother Nature has just made them microscopic.
Humans, just like all animals, exist for one purpose: to breed. We fight against it, we say we have evolved but it still comes down to women look for a good provider and men look for younger women more capable to bare children. We claim to be interested in higher purposes, such as artistic or scientific pursuits, the fact remains that these are superfluous activities. On an instinctual level we all revert back to what we have done since the beginning of time and that can be broken down into two things: Stay alive as long as possible and Breed as much as possible.
It’s sad, but true. As a kid, I was always under the misguided impression that grown-ups were subject to significant obstacles to achieve the whole “staying alive” thing. But each generation does its best to make sure that the obstacles they had are not there for their children. Then you had to get a job so you could get food and shelter and all that was hard and costly.
But our kids grow up to discover that none of that is true, each generation makes life for the next easier in some way, but the younger generation never sees it. All they know is it has always been this way for them and they want it easier and with less hard work.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of my kids having to go through any of the hard stuff I did, but if they don’t, they won’t learn the lessons I did and I worry what sort of a person they will grow to be. Are we creating bigger problem down the line by reducing smaller ones now? What are we teaching the next generation by removing the things that taught us as we traveled the path?
Are we really doing them a kindness?
I have to wonder if the fittest are really the ones that are surviving in today’s society. Hass the human race become a giant net, dragging along all the genetic flotsam and jetsam that should have long ago been weeded out of the gene pool?
But if our “herd” should have been thinned, why wasn’t it? Is nature allowing us to over populate, under prepare, and just get fat and lazy so she can do a mass thinning?
Why has evolution seemed to have stopped?
Humans have no natural predators, and we allow even the weakest among us to survive and long enough to breed. The human gene pool is becoming more diluted every day.
From this viewpoint I believe we are heading into the twilight of the human species: as our artifices become stronger and stronger, and do more for us, we become weaker and weaker.
We have stopped thinking of a hard day’s work as a good thing. And we are teaching our kids that that laziness is something to strive for.
c Shell Franklin
The human race is always striving to better itself, make life easier for all of us. We envision a better tomorrow, a world free of conflict, a world free of wars, and plainly put a easier more comfortable life.That bothers me!
Are we trying to make life too easy? Are we on our way to the humans in Wall-e?
In today’s day and age we are so obsessed with living longer, saving every possible life and then prolonging them; even if they are only being kept alive by machine. What happened to Darwinism? Have we in our fight for survival made Darwinism obsolete? Personally I think in moving to the top of the food chain and destroying all the predators bigger than us, Mother Nature has just made them microscopic.
Humans, just like all animals, exist for one purpose: to breed. We fight against it, we say we have evolved but it still comes down to women look for a good provider and men look for younger women more capable to bare children. We claim to be interested in higher purposes, such as artistic or scientific pursuits, the fact remains that these are superfluous activities. On an instinctual level we all revert back to what we have done since the beginning of time and that can be broken down into two things: Stay alive as long as possible and Breed as much as possible.
It’s sad, but true. As a kid, I was always under the misguided impression that grown-ups were subject to significant obstacles to achieve the whole “staying alive” thing. But each generation does its best to make sure that the obstacles they had are not there for their children. Then you had to get a job so you could get food and shelter and all that was hard and costly.
But our kids grow up to discover that none of that is true, each generation makes life for the next easier in some way, but the younger generation never sees it. All they know is it has always been this way for them and they want it easier and with less hard work.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of my kids having to go through any of the hard stuff I did, but if they don’t, they won’t learn the lessons I did and I worry what sort of a person they will grow to be. Are we creating bigger problem down the line by reducing smaller ones now? What are we teaching the next generation by removing the things that taught us as we traveled the path?
Are we really doing them a kindness?
I have to wonder if the fittest are really the ones that are surviving in today’s society. Hass the human race become a giant net, dragging along all the genetic flotsam and jetsam that should have long ago been weeded out of the gene pool?
But if our “herd” should have been thinned, why wasn’t it? Is nature allowing us to over populate, under prepare, and just get fat and lazy so she can do a mass thinning?
Why has evolution seemed to have stopped?
Humans have no natural predators, and we allow even the weakest among us to survive and long enough to breed. The human gene pool is becoming more diluted every day.
From this viewpoint I believe we are heading into the twilight of the human species: as our artifices become stronger and stronger, and do more for us, we become weaker and weaker.
We have stopped thinking of a hard day’s work as a good thing. And we are teaching our kids that that laziness is something to strive for.
c Shell Franklin
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