Shame on you Norfolk

I was recently traveling down Little Creek Road, between Azalea Garden Shore Drive, when something in the median caught my attention.  From A distance it looked like a large back garbage bag flapping in the breeze.  I watched other cars in front of me move from the left lane to the right lane to avoid the “garbage bag”.  As I got closer I realized that what I thought was a garbage bag, was a person on the side of the road.  I slowed and came to a stop with hazard lights on and blocked most of Little Creek road for my own protection and what turned out to be not one, but two people on the side of the road. 

I approached the two and was shocked to find an elderly couple who were crossing the street. The woman had a walker and had fallen.  Her husband was trying to help her up, his back to approaching traffic, and was having a difficult time getting her off the ground and onto her feet. I ask if she was hurt and the elderly man said she had just fallen.  In the distance I heard and saw an ambulance approaching.  I encouraged the woman to remain sitting so the approaching paramedics could further evaluate her.  This lady would have none of it and I helped her to her feet.  The ambulance stopped, it was on its way to another call and asked if they could provide assistance.  I told the driver that it looked like the elderly lady was going to be alright.  I also shared my displeasure for the drivers on Little Creek road that did absolutely nothing but get out of the way the obstacle impeding their right of way!  The ambulance driver sort of rolled his eyes and said “yeah, this Is Norfolk.”  Norfolk, you are an embarrassment!

Continental Airlines

Not a big fan right now have been on hold for over 2.5 hours!

Let the 15 days of Saturday commence!

Home sweet home!

Can o Whoop Ass!

Happy Thanksgiving (Not a Monday)

As you partake of the bounty of America's heartland, enjoy time with family and friends and nap on the couch, please take a moment and give thanks to all those that let you sleep soundly. 

This year, goes without saying that I have a lot to give thanks to and for. There are lot of people who allow me to sleep soundly knowing that everything is going to be alright.   Today, I have a new group I would like to include and thank; the boys from Kansas who provide me the luxury of sleeping safely and securely while at my home away from home. 

Book Review "Blackwater" (Audio Book)

By Jeremy Scahill

This one I struggled to get through and it was an audio book courtesy of the Navy’s online book library. This book dripped of anger at the Bush administration, defense contractors, right wing conservatives and the Christian right.  If you chose to read it, get a copy from the library. Remember we are imperialistic capitalist! (FYI Our current military structure would fail without contractors on the battle field!)

Missile or Airplane??

FOIA the Federal Aviation Administration for the radar tapes! Everything in SOCAL is under radar control or being monitored!  Easy, easy.  If not an airplane some serious heads will roll!

Things that make you go..."Hummmmm"

UAE Taking Al Qaeda Claim Seriously in Crash Probe

and

Lufthansa cargo plane splits in half on landing in Saudi capital, injuring pilot and co-pilot

Now ties this in with....

Explosives Found on Planes amid US Terror Probe

Makes you go hummmm?!

Book Review: “The Defector” by Daniel Silva

This is one of those post 9-11 not quite techno thrillers along the line of Vince Flynn.  This time it is the Israelis getting even with some Russian gun runners.  Interesting and the 497 pages were a quick read, especially when compared to” Atlas Shrugged”.  Would I get this in a bookstore?  Maybe an airport book store, defiantly.  This one is a hand me down and I will in do the same. 

Where did all the "Smart" people go?

Don't forget to VOTE

"Should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights. "
Thomas Jefferson

"The elective franchise, if guarded as the ark of our safety, will peaceably dissipate all combinations to subvert a Constitution, dictated by the wisdom, and resting on the will of the people. "
Thomas Jefferson

"Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption."
James Garfield

"Pure" Michigan Politics I would vote for him.....

David L. Dewey has a varied work background and now he wants to add county commissioner to that.
Running as an independent and on a campaign which is not spending money on signs or ads, Dewey said he is entering politics because he does not agree with where this country is heading and is not longer going to stand by and watch.
 
Dewey has worked as a recreation therapist, been in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, has worked in the Michigan prison system in leisure activities, has sailed extensively and ran a charter service, worked as a mental health case manager, was in ownership of video stores, taught overseas in American schools, was principal for Walkerville Public Schools, was assistant principal/athletic director for Holton High School and has been in ownership of a crematorium. He has worked as a substitute teacher and is now a truck driver.
“And I know what it’s like to be unemployed,” he said.
 
Dewey is fiscally conservative, and believes the county has to look seriously at what services it can provide within its budget.
 
Instead of expanding the jail, Dewey said the county should look at less expensive housing for convicted criminals, such as barracks located at the wastewater facility.
 
Dewey said the county can’t keep adjusting the budget, but must have to make tough decisions on across the boards cuts among all the departments.
 
In economic development, Dewey said he sees heavy industry coming back into the county, and tourism needs to be promoted better. He suggests a passenger ferry route from Chicago to Muskegon, a casino located on the waterfront, and more promotion of tourism.

The challenge of getting “buy in”

In my organization there are a lot of relatively smart people; college educated, technical folks who understand complex systems.  The challenge I have seen is getting them to “buy in” to a new way of doing things.  As a SharePoint and web 2.0 person, getting others, the types mentioned above, to engage and embrace the new technologies has been a challenge.  You could place some blame on me for not forcing the issue.  However, force is never a good way to convert. 

Failure however is a great conversion tool.  This group was raised on the “C:” drive and understand and are familiar with the digital junkyard known as the “shared drive”.  Although it would be devastating to some, I would like to see the “shared drive” crash.  Then I could go back and say, “Well, if you had moved your files to the cloud, SharePoint etc. you would not have lost all that work.”

Tell me again where did you say you saved that file?  Can you email the latest version of the spread sheet… Pain to my ears…..

Book Review “Atlas Shrugged”

 By Ayn Rand 

Holy Cow!  1069 pages of micro font!  It took me on average 3 minutes to read a page!  I started this book back in July and just finished it Crazy!  Well, what can I tell you?  It is crazy similar to what is now going on in America. Weird that it was written in the ‘50’s.  If you have the time, I would add it to you “to read” list.  Don’t let the “looters” prevent you from reading this.  Tell them to get out of your way! 

220 Miles on the Trail

Something close to 10 Marathons! 

Did I mention the dust, dirt and rocks?