Daily Mood Quotes - January 18, 2012

Daily Mood Quote

Day 243 – January 18, 2012

But just as they did in Philadelphia when they were writing the constitution, sooner or later, you've got to compromise. You've got to start making the compromises that arrive at a consensus and move the country forward.

~Colin Powell

Albert Einstein said, “In a healthy nation there is a kind of dramatic balance between the will of the people and the government, which prevents its degeneration into tyranny.” What do we consider to be a healthy nation today? Last night on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, I listened to a story about a Philadelphia area school district that did not have enough money to make it to the end of the school year. The State Department of Education has promised enough money to make payroll for a month. Then they are right back in the same situation. My husband has a favorite saying for this kind of behavior that is becoming an epidemic, “it's a band-aid on a bullet wound!” and if they are willing to “bail” on one school district, how many others will follow? Also, this position sets precedence and exposes the fundamental problem with the “No Child Left Behind Act.” It takes the most money from the districts that need it most. So, instead of leaving one child behind, thousands are being left behind; about 6000 in this particular case... Brilliant!

So, "now to the crux of the biscuit." Why are school districts underfunded? It's really simple, we have abandoned the fundamental premise that our children come first, always. Partisan politics, “what's in it for me” legislation, the fundamental neglect of the very basics of society, have left us crumbling roads, falling bridges and non-competitive and dilapidated schools; who may have tremendous athletic programs, but no money for arts, math and sciences. What's wrong with this picture? There is no easy answer and I'll admit that: It's all wrapped up in a big messy ball of entitlements, tax loop holes, abatements, and a struggling economy. There is not one clear string you can hold onto that isn't connected to something else. Now, it is kind of like a game of pick-up sticks, you can't move one without affecting another. A house doesn’t crumble in a day, it comes apart with time and neglect and that is what we have done to our children's future. While the past two generations enjoyed credit fueled vacations at Disney World and gorged on cheap imported goods, we have let our house, the place where our children spend there time attempting to learn and grow, fall apart board by board member. We only have ourselves to blame for this. Politicians may rattle on about how our government's budget overages will be paid for by our children, while continuing to approve wasteful self-serving projects, congressional junkets and pork barrels; none of which have anything to do with educating our future generations. Then we let them give themselves raises, again and again and again! To quote the cartoon Pogo “I have seen the enemy and he is us.” A generation that has had the advantage of higher education, forged on the sweat of a determined post-depression generation, has chosen to not pass the torch of American ingenuity and community centered drive to our children; but to leave that flame to flicker and die in a heap of Happy Meal boxes and video games.

I realize that it's hard to put down our own self interests of low taxes and easy patches, that don't solve the problems just cover them up; to turn a blind eye to the future of our nation and hope that some new technology will suddenly “pop up” and fix everything. It won't; especially if we aren't putting in a real effort to “teach our children well” (Thanks Crosby Stills, Nash and Young). Its hard to say; yes I'll put down the remote and think before I vote. It's hard to spend time researching our representative's activities, wade through the rhetoric and attack ads, and let them know we disapprove. It's hard to stand up and say “No more!” (thanks Jim Belushi from The Principal). But, as the late John F. Kennedy, in a voice that powered America into space and helped create all the great innovations we now accept as normal, once said. “...not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win...” Have we forgotten so soon? None of our best future happens without educating our young people, for they will become what we show them today. Tune in tomorrow for “the rest of the story” (a special thanks and “tip of the hat” to the late Paul Harvey).

How will you view “tomorrow” today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - October 27, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 176 – October 27, 2011

“it is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.

~Benjamin Franklin

Today I struggled with what to talk about, because there was so much. It has been an interesting 24 hours. I watched the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley last night and the material that was there was so incredibly overwhelming, I simply tuned it out after a while (there was a lot of bad news). Then there is my husband who completely lost his composure for a few days, after dealing with his family and his mother's death. My in-laws are not the easiest people in the world to deal with, a lot of anger and resentment, for no real good reason. Mad to just be mad, hmmm... Anyway, I had to say something, risking a possible disagreement between us. There were some hurt feelings of course, that is expected when people remind you that you are behaving badly. Moving on... Then there is the occasional teacher(s) you come across, who feel that their time as a teacher in years (tenure) is somehow more important than the fresh batch of children they are responsible for teaching each year.

Guess which subject wins? The bad teacher. Why do I feel this teacher warrants the “bad teacher” sobriquet from me. Because, it is clear that her focus is on her and not the children, a very bad habit. It appears that her teaching is more about going through the motions, choosing her favorites, separating the herd (the students she wants to teach-vs-the students she doesn't, due to challenges or other discrimination's) all aimed at making the job easier for her. Unfortunately, this bad habit causes good students to be left out in the cold, or lost in their studies through no fault of there own. Lazy teachers just piss me off.

Rob Gilber said, “First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you.” In this particular case, it seems that 20 years of teaching may be a little too long. In any career you have two choices; move forward or backward. There really is no good option to stay put, where you are. It's like being afloat and rudderless on the ocean, trying to remain completely still. Not going to happen...we begin to drift, slowly at first, but surely as the tides of time and winds of fortune drag us, one way or the other. I think another analogy might be a spiral stair case. We can chose to climb up toward better performance and greater accomplishment, or down toward mediocrity and eventually failure. Its our choice, but one we must make. The one unique thing with the spiral stairs viewpoint, is that we so often find ourselves repeating cycles and habits (including bad habits), only spread out in time and space. They can be cycles of growth, or decline and it is up to us. We always have the option to look inward to review the previous cycles and preview what may be ahead. Its the effort that makes the difference and when you are dealing with the fate of future generations it had better be forward, not backward. Like I said lazy = bad and bad teachers piss me off. Now you know why...

In the movie Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Detective John Kimble), Joyce (played by Penelope Ann Miller) said, “You know, kindergarten is like the ocean. You don't want to turn your back on it.” You should never turn your back on students. My husband once told me a story about one of his college professors, he said, “you should be nice to your B – C students, there the ones who will come back and build a wing on your school.” I think that just about says it...

Now, as to my husband, I understand he is going though a tough time right now and had been deeply hurt by venomous anger that is unfounded by my in-laws (his family). It is really out of character for him to be so abrupt and sullen, but we don’t want any of their old bad habits to take root here. Let's keep the big picture in mind and move forward also. Lets continue to climb up and not stumble down to their level. We moved for a reason and it is clear that was a good choice. Enough is enough.

How will you move forward today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - October 8, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 158 – October 8, 2011

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

~Steve Jobs

When I heard this the other day on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, my first thought was “a truer statement has never been spoken.” Many of us, myself included have listened to the voices around us, telling us what we should be doing with our lives. Some succeed and some fail. My husband and I have always told our children, “Do what you love and the money will come.” Because, we have seen what happens to people when they don't follow their true passion in life. They are unhappy, misguided and they feel trapped in the never ending cycles of life. All because someone else's opinion took away their dreams and goals.

Mr. Jobs was right, it's all noise and the only voice we should be paying any attention to is the inner voice. Our guidance system. On a Disney glass I bought one of my children many years ago, it reads “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” and someone once told me, “If you can think of it, you can achieve it.” So, why do we let other's have that say? Do other's know us better, do parents know their children better than they know themselves? How many of us bother to ask our children about their dreams, or what their thinking about? More importantly, how many of us assume we know what is best for our children? Especially, when they become teenagers, and adults. The world is changing faster than ever before and what use to be a “solid” career may no longer exist when our children grow up. Mr. Jobs mother wanted him to be adopted by college graduates, so he would have a college education. He dropped out of college to pursue his passion and look at what he achieved. Lets be honest Steve Jobs was an exception and not the rule, education can be very important and useful, but the basic premise applies. The inner voice... Study what you love and wish to spend a lifetime learning.

In the movie Fields of Dreams, The voice (spoken by Lee Garlington) said, “If you build it, he will come.” My question is, if we don't listen, what are we missing out on? Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) said, “I'm 36 years old, I love my family, I love baseball and I'm about to become a farmer. But until I heard the voice, I'd never done a crazy thing in my whole life.” We don't know when, we don't know where and we don't know how our inner voice will let us know what we should be doing, but if we don't pay attention, then we miss the chance to be our “first best” selves.

What dreams will you follow today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - October 4, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 154 - October 4, 2011

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
~Ronald Reagan 

I saw a piece on the CBS Evening News last night about the efforts of our troops in Afghanistan. Scott Pelley was reporting on how dangerous and difficult the mission there is. I reflected on this today, while I ran my daily chores and realized how blessed we are to be able to go about our business, while in so many other parts of the world simply getting food for the day can be a life threatening event. I have to say I am deeply grateful for our founding fathers wisdom and the constant vigilance of our government and the men and women who risk their lives daily to assure we remain free. Thomas Jefferson said "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." We are thankful. 

No movie quote today.

What's on your mind today?

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Daily Mood Quote - September 17, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 137 – September 17, 2011

Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.

~Wayne Dyer

Last night, I was watching the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley. I know, I watch this a lot but personally I feel staying aware on current events and affairs is important. Anyway, it makes for great family dinner conversation. One of the stories was about bullying. It is considered a national epidemic. One in four children are being bullied and nationally 160,000 a day are scared to go to school, or miss school all together due to bullying.

CBS aired a program last evening called “Words can kill” and many of the things the kids said about how they felt about being bullied I understood. You see I was bullied in elementary school. I went to a parochial school that carried kindergarten through eighth grade and in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade, I can't remember a single thing that was enjoyable about those years. I hated school, I hated the kids, but more importantly I hated myself because I began to believe all the things the kids were saying about me. In the sixth grade a horrible thing happened to me that changed the course of my life and relationships that still has a very small impact on me today. Time heals all wounds, but some wounds take a long time to heal. Anyway after this horrible thing happened, I considered suicide myself. Imagine an eleven year old thinking about taking their own life, because they believe that's the best way to handle problems. You see school bullying wasn't the only thing I was dealing with, my home life was pretty tumultuous as well. I had no escape, no safe haven, I believed (mind of an eleven year old), things would be better if I were gone. No one knew how tortured I was, because I couldn't tell anyone, not even my parents. I genuinely believed no one cared. I was alone, like many other bullied kids probably felt and possibly feel today.

The turning point in my life was a teacher, (so often this is the case) my six grade science teacher. I missed the extra credit question (I'll never forget this), “Which comes first thunder or lightening?” I put thunder, I was wrong and became very upset with myself and when we were released for lunch, my teacher asked me to stay behind. He knew I was upset and wanted to know why. I told him, “Because I got it wrong, I never get anything right. I'm stupid.” He vigorously disagreed with me, he told me, “You tried and trying is the key, no one else even tried the question. You took a chance, that's how you grow, you learn. You can survive anything if you believe you can, you just can't stop trying. Believe in yourself.” As I look back on that now, I realize he may have known I was being bullied and that my home life was not very supportive. He moved the course of my life into a different direction and I never considered being “gone” again. I realized that what those kids did to me wasn't any worse than what I was receiving at home, and what I was receiving at home wasn't any worse than what I was receiving at school. I had survived so far; so I can survive this, I will survive this, and I did. I left home at eighteen.

Dave Pelzer said, “when you please others in hope of being accepted you lose your self-worth in the process.” Last night's program, “Words can Kill” I saw a lot of kids wanting to be accepted; but instead the harder they tired, the more they were rejected. One young boy inferred that if your not an athlete, then your weird. Not really a good reason to be bullied. Everybody has different gifts, some play in band, some do drama, some write, some sing, everybody is different. It's those differences that make up the tapestry of our world. We all know my favorite quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” When children give that kind of “power” to their peers, they are taking an awful risk. Let's not kid ourselves, there is a natural tendency to try and assert dominance and get to the “head of the pack”, or be a pack member in adolescent behavior. If your out, well then your out. It's built into the DNA and this tendency will only decrease as civilization, parenting skills and growth move forward in time (Unfortunately, sooooo many of us never get past that adolescent mindset). “High school never ends” (thank you Bowling for Soup). Its how young people perceive that “outness” that makes all the difference. As parents we need to teach them to first never let others have that “power” over their decisions. If they do momentarily surrender it, then they must take back the power and take back their lives. Parents also need to teach children that the “different” gifts are important, not only for them, but also for the world in which we live. Middle school and high school last only a short while and if you can survive that... the world opens up. Because, those gifts are what drives innovation, exploration, and creativity. The world need those things more than ever.

We've lost too many young kids to bullying, time for a change. Let's “step-up and step-in” and be proactive instead of reactive. Parents, Teachers, School Districts, Siblings, and Bystanders...

How will you demonstrate “self-worth”today?

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Daily Mood Quote - September 15, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 135 – September 15, 2011

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us”

~Helen Keller

In my life I have found that getting settled in one's way can be like quicksand. When opportunity presents itself you can't seize it, because your feet are stuck in the “same old way” of doing things. Habits can work for you, or against you. There is a saying, I'm paraphrasing again, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I usually avoid waxing political in this blog, but: last night on The CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley interviewed the CEO of Starbucks Coffee, Howard Schultz and I have got to tell you, I liked what he had to say about how our political system is “broken” (his words). Unfortunately for us, he's right and until we stop doing things in Washington the “same old way” (Congress), things are never going to get better. What I thought was interesting in the interview was companies/corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars and yet jobs are not being created, and we have the highest number of people living in poverty ever. Even higher than the great depression. Sad, just simply sad!!! Mr. Shultz went on to explain that savvy companies (the ones with the cash) no longer have enough faith in our political system to invest that money on R&D, expansion and job creation. Its not the American people, tax codes, or even the global economy, preventing corporate job creation and making them sit on their cash. Its our representatives failing to work together. A simple thing that is expected in every business, everywhere. Yet Congress and the Senate can't get past their focus on the next election cycle. That focus seems to be unilaterally “make them (pick a party) look bad.” Instead of, “do better, so we look good.” It's been that way since the Newt Gingrich era (or at least it seems, some say it was the start of extreme negative partisan politics).

My husband told me a story this morning about something called “the monkey trap.” I had never heard this before, so I looked it up at www.urbandictionary.com (it's not in Webster’s) it says, “A trap to capture various monkeys used around the world which consists of a staked container with a hole cut into it just wide enough for a monkey to stick it's empty hand into. The container is baited with something attractive to the monkey. Monkey reaches for bait and then will not release the bait and cannot pull it's hand out of the trap with bait in hand. It is then captured.” Sounds an awful lot like American politics to me. The people who are supposed to be representing us, appear to be so fixated on holding onto their campaign funding, that they cannot see the opportunity to positively transform the broken system that lies right before them. It feels like we are all caught in the same trap with them.

I guess what I'm trying to say here without bashing our politicians too much is that Mr. Schultz was right when he said, “The lifeblood of the reelections of every one of our Congressional leaders in Washington is about fundraising. And I want to cut that off until we see civility, until we have a long-term debt ceiling deal that we are proud of, and restored confidence in America. And I just feel very strongly that this is a time when we no longer should accept the status quo mediocrity that we're getting.”

To be perfectly blunt, most people in America and around the world would be summarily fired if they handled their job the way Congress is handling theirs. Something to think about. Thank you Mr. Schultz for being honest, about our political system, Washington and our leaders.

Like Michael Douglas said as President Andrew Shepherd in the movie The American President, “We've got serious problems, and we need serious people...” This is now the time for serious people and maybe their fifteen minutes are up...

Just a thought, Helen Keller was blind and deaf and yet she saw and heard “opportunity” more clearly than all of Washington.

Which “door of opportunity” will you open today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - August 9, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 98 – August 9, 2011

It is an endless procession of surprises. The expected rarely occurs and never in the expected manner.

~Vernon A. Walters

Yesterday was surprising. I had stressed over something that was a waste of time. First, I did not run into any of the two-faced phoneys I know. For me, this was the first time in many, many school registrations, timing was on my side. Well almost. Second, I stopped and paid attention to the subtle things that were going on around me. I was taken back when I realized that many local people are struggling in this economy. 

Here's what happened. It was registration day at the school, time for school pictures, books and clubs. However, the only pictures being taken were ones for the yearbook and school IDs, I noticed the large stack of blank photo-order forms that were on the requisite student ID/photo table. Still...so few orders, so late in the afternoon? Under the table there were boxes of blank photo-order forms as well, untouched and unopened. Then, there were the boxes and boxes full of school spirit apparel for sale; they were not selling either. I remembered last years apparel sale and they were sold out of many items by mid-morning. In fact, the entire time we were there (almost two hours), nobody even went to the school spirit apparel table. Last year, it was staffed by three people who never seemed to stop moving and doing at that table. This year, one person was sitting down behind the table, looking rather bored and disgusted. Lastly, I noticed the number of people who were passing on the purchase of the other ancillary things, like the school yearbook, the PSAT and ACT practice tests, etc. Along with the throng of parents simply passing by the tables for donations to the school's booster programs, there was a large number of men working the tables this year. There was also an inordinate number of fathers at registration with their families. This was the middle of the afternoon, during working hours. A sign of the times, I guess. I doubt seriously they all “took off” on purpose for school registration.

It was kind of bleak, but then again material presents itself. You know the old saying, “There's always one” and she just happened be right behind us. I said to my husband, “I wish I had ear plugs.” She began talking to the woman standing next to her (thankfully, it wasn't me), apparently oblivious to the hard times around her and began an endless litany of bragging, and bragging and oh-my-gosh bragging some more. At five-foot tall and four foot wide, she put her considerable weight into her tone and timber. Everyone heard about their many vacations this summer, the many vacations their daughter took this summer, the trip to a major amusement park this week, the second home they have, the third home they want to purchase. Seriously, how many houses can you live in at one time? Oh my goodness, then she began to talk about all of the shopping they were planning to do this week. For me and my family, minutes dragged on like hours, which seemed to turn into days. Was there no end to this woman's diatribe of decadence? Again, there is always one that makes you roll your eyes, take a deep breath and shake your head. A few years ago, I may have “cut loose” on her, but I suspect that she was so disconnected, she wouldn't have understood anyway.

At the end of the day, I listened to Scott Pelley deliver the CBS Evening News from a refugee camp in Kenya, just outside the Somalian border, where it hasn't rained in three years. Children are dying of starvation everyday and they parents are forced to leave them where they drop, because they themselves are too weak from their own starvation, to carry or bury them. It brought tears to my eyes; not just for the sadness of this situation, but because the bragging woman was so completely ignorant of the hard times in her own community. How could she and those like her, possibly begin to grasp the scope and breadth of unnecessary, daily human suffering on the planet. I don't even have the words...

However, I do have words that apply to today's quote. I never expected to witness such a broad contrast in the human condition within the scope of a few short hours. I never expected to feel total distain and unnerving sympathy all at once, while I pondered the events that had unfolded before me. And because of this, I made a resolution to not take anything for granted, because I clearly see that for the lowly darkness that it is. Plus, I will be thankful for what I do have, because we have no real control of when it might be taken away by circumstance and/or time. I do expect to take every day as a gift and not squander the gifts, with which I have been blessed and to share when I can. This, I can control.

In the movie, Dead Poet Society, John Keating (played by Robin Williams) said, “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” The words I heard yesterday, changed my world. From the clearly over-the-top selfishness (there really isn't anything else you can call that?) to the painful description of the desolation and suffering on Africa's East Coast; how I viewed the world, the people in it, and my connection to them has forever changed. It's a bittersweet thing. As Loretta Lynn said, “I've been around a long time, and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me.”

What “words” will change your world today?

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Daily Mood Quote - August 4, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 93 – August 4, 2011

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.

~Betty Friedan

I have a question: When did uneducated and inexperienced become the solution? Isn't that the same kind of thinking that is responsible for some of the problems we face today? I don't know, but it seems when experienced and educated professionals come to the table, instead of respecting those who have earned it, the behavior begins to mirror that of an unruly teenager who rolls his/her eyes and the frustrated parent who knows he can longer teach, because they're not going to listen anyway. Game over.

Last night, I watched The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, interesting reporter Mr. Pelley is, he seems to ask the hard hitting questions that many gloss over. In a news report, he interviewed four unemployed, educated, experienced professionals, who have been out of work, from 14 months to more than two years, due to lay offs, downsizing or closing companies They had positive attitudes and believed they will find jobs. This despite the fact that one was told in an interview, “they were looking for someone younger with newer, fresher ideas.” Just another way of saying, “your too old?” Where I live, they don't say anything, or they just lie. Either way, still game over.

A very wise man once said to me, “You know, when we're 18, no one can tell us or teach us anything, because we know it all. When we are 26, we realize we only know half of what we thought we knew when we were 18. And, when we are 40, we realize we know nothing and are now open to learning everything.” Except, now the 40 and older crowds are dealing with the 18 to 39 year olds, who have the power to hire and we are... well, “dinosaurs” in their eyes. I wonder if this attitude stems from parent/child relationships? I guess Tom Stoppard was right, when he said, “Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.”

My husband says, “The baby boom generation is just getting our due” he elaborated with, “This is how our generation treated their elders, the planet, and the economic system... complete disrespect, we abused it and let it to rot.” Then he asked the question, “What did you think would happen?” Boy, I want to believe he is wrong, but I don't think so. He says, “Not everyone is guilty of acting like this, but we are all, as a group, paying the price.” Last night I also watched (it was a television night) Al Gore's “An Inconvenient Truth” I know we think our economic troubles are a huge issue, but when you think about the price we are about to pay environmentally, it seems that we have truly neglected our responsibility to the greatest elder on the planet... the planet. I don't think she is going to stand for it. The next generation will have that on their plate as well. No wonder they're pissed.

Again, it was our generation who drove this response and set the example. Did we not as a generation worship youth, say never trust anyone over 30 and put our parents in adult day cares, rather than take care of them, because we had “other things” to do? Ours is the first generation in history to leave the world a worst place than when we arrived. So, how do you think the next generation is going to respond to that? I'm not saying its right or that I like it, I certainly don't, but the examples have been set and you just can't turn an 18 wheeler on a dime. Payment is now due and the Bank of Human Trust is a tough creditor, my friend (thanks The Family Man with Nicolas Cage).

In the movie, Baby Boom, J.C. Wiatt (played by Diane Keaton) said, “I can't have a baby because I have a 12:30 lunch meeting.” Is this really the mindset of our generation and the example that was set by us? I know a woman from the very tail end of our generation (The Baby Boom), who from the very day she became pregnant, starting looking for a daycare. This is someone who “wants a baby,” just doesn't have the time to raise the baby, isn't that why daycare's were invented? Sad... OK, so the piper needs payed and our generation is going to have to dig deep to cough up our share. Whether we like it or not.

I usually end the blog with a positive spin and to that end I offer this thought. The thoughtless behavior of our generation may have put us in this jam, but better to be in a jam, with the “education” and “will” it takes to climb out, than to, without hope, surrender to the gravity of time and sink to the bottom of the jar.

What changes will you make today for a better tomorrow?

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Daily Mood Quote - July 30, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 88 – July 30, 2011

Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.

~Les Brown

Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment.

~Marsha Sinetar

Another disappointing week, on Thursday my husband received an e-mail, not a phone call (cowards) saying he was no longer a candidate for a job he had an in-person interview for, a week earlier. Yes, this was the job he had to “sign-off” on for a credit check, to get the interview. Yes, this was also the job that “claimed” they wouldn’t “do” a credit check, unless they offered him a job. No job offer, a credit check was done... typical...immoral, unethical, but typical. Shame on you, because you just lost the hardest working, most honest, educated, intelligent and talented person you could ever find to work for your company. I wonder if Warren Buffet would approve of these hiring practices? I have also wondered if Donald Trump, a man who has filed bankruptcy himself-several times, has ever turned away a good employee candidate, because they have had hard, or unfortunate times? Just a question.

I can tell you when someone in the family suffers a disappointment, it affects everyone in the family and it takes sometime to get over it. Especially when you have the education, experience, intelligence, talent and drive, but you can't catch a break because of your credit score. Hard to believe that our society has found a way to pre-judge people, make assumptions (we all know what a-s-s-u-m-e means) and use irrelevant personal information against someone. Studies have shown repeatedly, credit rating cannot predict job performance. Yet, it continues to be a HR screening tool. If I didn't know better, I would think we were all back in high school. Wow, what a flashback .. “not happy Bob, not happy at all” (thanks The Incredibles). In my personal opinion human resources people - departments are just about the worst thing to ever happen to the business world. The first, depends on who you are and your situation. For us, the worst are small minded, business people who lie, or claim to be experts (accountants) and then sell you a bill of goods and Famuzzled (fa-muzz-l-ed, my husband has stronger words,but we won't use them) up your taxes. Don't even get me started....

All right, maybe I am being a little harsh, but everybody needs to vent, this is me venting, or hopefully making enough of a point to change things. I really don't like the way businesses do business anymore. Yesterday, on the CBS News with Scott Pelley (Bob Schieffer was filling in) there was a news report on the four newly elected politicians from South Carolina, discussing their votes on the debt plan. I found myself having respect for these four “Renegade Republicans” for standing their ground and not letting Washington get away with “business as usual” “the wheeling and dealing for a vote.” Maybe some companies can follow the examples of these Renegade Republicans and hire the right people and not “paper-perfect”, or worthless relatives for the job. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Why would someone want to continue to cause bad things to happen to others by not giving them a opportunity? What have we previously said about the universe? “What goes around, comes around!” Look out.

In the movie Major League, Ricky Vaughn (played by Charlie Sheen) said to Lou Brown (James Gammon), “I got news for you Mr. Brown, you haven't heard the last of me. You may think I'm shit now, but someday you're gonna be sorry you cut me. I'm gonna catch on somewhere else and every time that I pitch against you I'm gonna stick it up you're f@#$%^' a**!” OK, you get the point. In the movie Dave, President “Dave” (played by Kevin Kline) says to a room full of press reporters, “If you've ever seen the look on somebody's face the day they finally get a job, I've had some experience with this, they look like they could fly. And its not about the paycheck, it's about respect, it's about looking in the mirror and knowing that you've done something valuable with your day. And if one person could start to feel this way, and then another person, and then another person, soon all these other problems may not seem so impossible. You don't really know how much you can do until you, stand up and decide to try.” People are trying, now companies and organizations need to try too.

Who will you give a “second chance” to today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 16, 2011

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 43 – June 16, 2011

Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.  

~Pete Seeger

So, I watched the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on Tuesday, and the subject was the high unemployment rate among people over the age of 50. One gentleman said, he had an employer tell him, “You have the experience, the education, the knowledge and skills, if only you were 25 years younger.” Therefore the gentleman did not get the job. Can anyone say EEOC law suit? My husband who is over 50, just shook his head and said, “That's it for me.” This has been sticking in my craw ever since.

I wonder if employers understand that saving the nickel in salary can cost them dollars. The difference between youth and experience is a hard lesson that human resources personnel will have to face when inexperience creeps through the door, all shiny and new and kicks them in the backside. There will be more mistakes, less careful planning, more ticked-off customers... the list goes on and on. I'm not saying don't hire young people, but to overlook older, more experienced people can ultimately cost the company, as it pays the price of gaining experience. Those are statistical facts. We as a nation, have a misconception that younger is brighter, bigger is better and for some of us, that may be the case, but eventually there is a high price to pay. Lets face it, even in sports, where youth supposedly is golden, who would you want coming to bat for you in a tight game Derek Jeeter, (Paul Konerko for you White Sox fans), or some rookie that may have batted .350 in AAA ball? Yes, you need to hire youth and develop talent, but experience is what wins championships. Just ask Kurt Warner (then age 37 + ancient by NFL standards) who took a youthful Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl in 2009. After a series of rookie mistakes on both offense and defense, they were defeated by a very experienced Pittsburgh Steeler team. But, I digress into sports analogies, I apologize. The point is that experience is an ally, not a foe and many companies are suffering from a brain drain they may not be able to recover from.

In the movie Top Gun, Goose played by Anthony Edwards said to Tom Cruise (Maverick), “The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.” This is a classic example of the value of experience. So, when we turn away an experienced potential employee, because we think they are too old, we are turning away a valuable resource that could help our companies succeed on the business battlefields.

How will you view “experience” today?

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Thank you for reading