Compact Fluorescent Lights-Made in China!

This YouTube video speaks volumes about our society and our government.

Lessons of Life From Nature

Even if life placed you somewhere tough, it doesn't mean that you can't rise above it and blossom.

Trouble in the Neighborhood?

At one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. Though our experience dining there last night might be reason enough to drop their standing on our list of preferred eateries.

Our "server" asked us for our beverage choice, I gave her mine which she acknowledged. The she asked my wife's and then turned back to me and asked me again...I repeated my request and it didn't seem to click.

The beverages were delivered by her promptly, and she took our order and left. We proceeded with our conversations while we waited for our salads to arrive. Our "server" never returned. Our main entree arrived being delivered by a member of the kitchen staff (I'm guessing). Though our "server" continued to wait on other tables, she never returned to check how things were. She delivered our salads after another customer asked where his was when the same kitchen person delivered his main entree.

She offhandedly apologized that the salads had been sitting in back and someone else was suppose to deliver them it wasn't her job. She said all of this while quickly placing the salads on our table and disappeared again not even asking how our main entree was.

My wifes salad was served with the wrong dressing. We looked around the restaurant seeing others were expressing their discontent with the service. I asked one of the hostesses to summon the manager to our table.

The manager was polite, listened and explain he was having staffing issues. Seems there was discontent between the wait staff and the cooking staff. We explained our minor inconveniences with the service, but really were mostly upset that our "server" didn't accept her duties as just that a server.

The manager apologized and offered to pick up the cost our meals. We didn't expect that, but we accepted it. We've been eating at this particular eatery for a more than a decade, only once did I ever remember this problem before. Then too it was the beginning of summer, new staff and the manager frustrated with the situation. Then too we were given a complementary dinner.

I hope they get their staffing issues squared away soon. In this time of tight economics, many people will dine out even less (we are) so it could seriously effect their bottom line.

The Tears Are Yet To Come

Looks as if all of the Angels in heaven have been letting their tears flow freely today. Rain has been falling and things are getting very squishy around these parts. Rain and lots of it has some areas experiencing severe flooding.

The local evening news started at five and lasted until past seven as the local weathermen followed the track of the nastiest of the storm cells that produced not only the rain but hail and tornadoes. Fortunately so far we haven't had any major destruction!

Our past winter was a record setter in the amount of snow accumulation we received. It brought back memories of what winters used to be. Our spring was equally generous with just enough precipitation to facilitate farmers to get their crops planted and get a good start towards harvest.

Well all that changed this week as the rains came. In the first wave (literally) the farmers experience only about a quarter of their crops lost to the heavy rains. Had we had several dry days in a row things probably would have allowed some of those crops to recover. But, the sky began to weep again and again.

After todays rains, the devastation will continue to take its toll, not only on the crops but on those who experienced the effects of high water and flooding. In short course we'll feel the floods yet again even if it doesn't rain another drop for a month or two. Food prices are surely going to skyrocket and remain in orbit until next years crops can be harvested.

For those with wet basements and water damage to personal property, hopefully you have insurance to cover your loss. Even those on "high" ground that didn't have proper gutters, downspouts and landscaping to carry water away fast enough also have felt ill effects of the weather.

Then there are those who, for some reason decided to attempt to drive through roads covered with water. Water does have a tendency to hide its depth...it could be a half inch or half a foot. Yet many don't heed the warnings and drive right on into the unknown. Some make it, others find themselves floating on an uncontrollable course and end up stranded.

They may have learned that the old sayings do mean something worth listening to..."When in doubt, wait it out." Which to me makes good sense. Time to find the life jackets and put them in the car, so the next time I have someone that passes me and drives into the big puddle, I can toss them one. Then watch the comedy act of them trying to put it on.

Then there are those who've done nothing wrong. Their homes and cars damaged by flood waters, helpless watching everything turned to ruin. Evacuation becomes a topic of discussion. Some have nearby families, others don't. Some will find dry shelter in a school with fellow citizen displaces as they were.

In time the waters will recede, then the process of cleaning up begins. With luck, life as it once was can be restored back to normal. In time, the event will be but a memory to serve as a lesson and reminder of what to do and what not to do. Hopefully never to repeat again, but should it happen, better prepared.

Hopefully sunny and drier days are only a few long hours away.

Ya Know When Schools Out For Summer!

The first clue is the presence of kids playing in the yard when it isn't a weekend or holiday. When you run across town to do errands the streets are filled with bicyclist in the middle of the day. Let's not forget those moms and grandmothers who are riding along with the kids, who haven't been on a bike in months.

Normally we enjoy relative quiet while we work during the day. Even if the windows are open, we generally hear the birds, an occasional barking of a dog and the slight din of the vehicles traveling down the streets. But now we get to hear some kid riding his ATV which apparently lacks a muffler because he's a quarter mile away and it sounds as if he's in our offices.

If you play hooky and decide to do a little mid day shopping (for office necessities of course ;-) ) you'll find that the stores aren't as empty as you'd expect. Nope, they're filled with kids. Hopefully for the merchant they are spending money, stimulating the economy. But a smart kid will be slowly spending his or her money so it lasts all summer long.

I guess I should have never complained about getting behind those school buses in the mornings and afternoons while I ran errands. I thought it was better to change my schedule to do things while those buses were parked in their barns...but now they are parked for the summer. Now all I have to deal with is kids everywhere all day and evening! How many days before school starts back up?

Enjoy your summer! Drive carefully!

Free to Run

Within a few minutes walk of our home there is a park that holds a variety of wildlife. On occasion we'll be treated to the sight of turkeys, pheasant, deer and an occasional coyote. We're able to walk up relatively close giving the opportunity to enjoy them without a chance of a confrontational encounter.

There is something about the grace and speed that a deer running that captures our attention and eases the stress from ones day.

For us it has become a source of enjoyment taking a leisurely walk through the park. Always looking to see what wildlife we might chance upon to snap a quick photograph such as this deer running at full stride. Through these treks, we have become keenly aware of the environment around us. It's interesting to note the daily changes of the various species of plants and animals. We've also noted that the animals take notice of us, as we stroll along keeping a watchful eye and respectable distance from each other.

Hopefully, you too have such an place where you live...it's fun, it's healthy and it's free!

Afternoon Coffee and News

As I sit here at my desk sipping my afternoon cup of coffee scanning the day’s news headlines. It was somewhat of a shock to see that GM and Ford are planning to scale back production of their pickups and SUVs and indicate closure of those plants.

Ford has trimmed back overhead by selling off a couple of divisions, Land Rover and Jaguar, and now General Motors is considering selling off the Hummer brand. Is the automotive industry finally sensing a need to change and influence the market to better serve our society? Will they promote responsibility, creating a demand for smaller more efficient vehicles? Or will they continue to support our lust for vehicles of a much larger capacity than our needs actually require?

I’m hoping that they take the road of being responsible for both our environment and turning our society around away from its gluttonous habits of over consumption. To use a popular quote “Americans have been stuck on stupid for too long.”

Our rising gas prices are nothing when compared to many other nations. In fact our whining about them falls on deaf ears. Those nations have been paying double what we are now paying for quite some time. We’re just beginning to feel the pain they have endured for so long at the pump.

As in other countries they love their vehicles as much as we do. Yet they don’t drive vehicles beyond their needs such as those here that drive Suburban’s when a Subaru would meet their real needs. One of our neighbors does need a Suburban or a large passenger van, they have six kids! Another neighbor drives one as well, yet he is the only occupant 99% of the time. He drives it back and forth to work, at 14 mile round trip at most. His rationalization is he needs a four wheel drive vehicle to traverse the roads in the winter months…again a Subaru or other all wheel drive vehicle do as well.

Example, in the state of Montana, Subaru’s is one of the top most registered vehicles. Why, because of their ability to handle the extremes of Montana’s roads and weather conditions. They’re practical and durable in such conditions, so why is it then, there are those who still believe they must have a large four wheel drive pickup or SUV to drive in winter? Sounds to me like it is a pure case of choice, one governed by vanity.

Auto manufacturers have marketed to us a lifestyle beyond our needs, having a utility vehicle capable of off road exploits. Yet, very few are actually ever driven off our streets and roads. Back in the late ‘70’s smaller more fuel efficient cars were built and the automakers marketed them to use as the answer of higher gas prices. We bought one and stayed small until vanity (and marketing) convinced us to upsize to a pickup truck.

Then practicality came into play and we downsized to a small SUV. When it was perceived as being too small and impractical we upsized yet again, and then downsized when the cost of operating was taxing our budget. Later, we again upsized for sound practicality purposes, while also adding in a second family vehicle due to both spouses working away from home. Now several years later we find ourselves reducing to one vehicle, the older of the two because of its low operating costs and better gas mileage.

As American's cringe at the gas pumps, a valuable lesson can be learned. We'll see if it is or if this is history repeating itself as it did in the seventies. Stay tuned!

Festival or Folly?

Many communities have a festival as a means to celebrate a holiday or a historical event in their community’s history. Organizing and planning such an event requires as much moxie as it takes to run any major corporation.

One of the first tasks organizers must consider is placing competent and well motivated people into positions of responsibility, to ensure each portion of the event's planning and execution is viable and completed.

If an individual doesn’t have the same enthusiasm or perception of priority that the organizing body has, don't expect too much in return from that individual. There are a number of eager volunteers who’ll jump at the chance to assist, but is their experience and ability conducive to meet the end goals? Or is this “opportunity” just a means to help them forward their own career or personal agenda, not to provide the required support needed toward the success of the event? There are many who say, “I can do that,” but in retrospect they really could not. Obviously, this impacts the overall success of the event.

As organizers/promoters, you have to run an event as a business. After all, if the event doesn’t live up to its promotions, an encore event will be even more difficult to pull off. The adage of “garbage in, garbage out” holds especially true here. If one entity of the organization cannot deliver, it affects the rest, potentially leading lead to an overall catastrophe. The strength of a chain is based on its weakest link, so it goes in business and event production.

If you pull together the makings for a great event - bands, food, rides and all of the other fun things, but you fail to promote the event properly…no one shows up to the party. Poor promotion has resulted in failed product releases, sales and even birthday parties. If the marketing materials submitted to the community are dull and boring, so is the perception of the event.

So, to those of you who sit on a board and oversee an event, choose the right people. Choose those who are knowledgeable, capable, resourceful, enthusiastic, determined and motivated to provide the proper planning, promotion and production of your event. Failure to do so…well you understand the consequences don’t you?