Empowerment

For some reason this thought popped into my head this morning. Here it is, Friday, also payday, and I am starting to realize a weekend where I may actually do something (have plans), then this idea formed.

I do not know if this is original. It probably is not my idea -- I do read a lot and I could just be ruminating someone else's thoughts. But, I knew I needed to write it down, lest I forget it, so here goes:

Empowerment

Think of life as a series of choices: when we wake up in the morning, what we eat for breakfast, how fast we drive to work, etc. Most of these choices have limited options and have small consequences if a wrong choice is made. But, these choices are our own.

Power can be defined as important choices. Your boss has more power than you because his choices can determine the options for your choices. In other words, your boss can choose to not employ you, and now you need to radically update your choices for things like food and housing. This means that the more people that are impacted by your choices the more power you have.

A good leader does not abuse his choices (power). A good leader does two things:
(S)he shows others that their individual choices are important, thereby elevating the perceived value of their choices;

and (s)he abdicates their trust to others by allowing them to make certain choices (empowerment). This can also be know as delegation or representation. It is what we do when we vote. We give our power of choice to someone else.

OK, that is all I have for now, but it felt good to get it documented.

Grammar and Punctuation

OK, so I need a little time with my Hobrace Manual.

Your English Skills:

Spelling: 100% Vocabulary: 100% Grammar: 80% Punctuation: 80%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

Actually I have noticed that I do tend to over-punctuate when I write. I find that an extra comma helps me clarify my written thoughts. When I read other people's works, especially those who write in run-on sentences, I find putting a comma in does help to separate several verbs.

Back to work...

Memed again.

Although this is really voluntary, I was memed by amused, but I am modifying the original meme to have a male slant.

Favorite hot dog: Basic ball park dog with mustard. Anything else just covers the taste of the meat.

Favorite cookie: oatmeal chocolate chip with walnuts (and a glass of cold milk)

Tech junkie or luddite: Techie. I assembled my own PC.

Favorite tv show as a kid: I was a real TV watcher growing up - 'The Rifleman'

Favorite tv show this minute: Studio 60 - premiered last night.

Favorite animal: Dog (man's best friend)

Favorite bird: Pelican

What I’m reading this week: C# programming guide, for work.

Favorite tool in my garage: Power drill

Famous woman I might run away with (if she weren't married): Bonnie Hunt

Famous people it might be fun to go drinking with: Anyone who picks up the check, including, Jon Stewart, Jack Nicholson, Senator Dole, (ex)President Clinton, I could go on, but this is taking too long.

Three words about me: eccentric, eclectic and errotic

Worst thing about me: I am dogmatic

Best thing about me: I am really a sweetheart

Favorite type of tree: A mighty oak

Which of the Monkeys: Mikey Dolenze. I was also a goofball growing up.

Favorite color: Navy Blue

Something I hate a bunch: My current lack of motivation

Something I adore: Reading and writing

In my junk drawer: Screwdriver, misc. hardware, a roll of breath mints, white glue, a photo of my children when they were very young.

OK, that was fun.

Pennies

I am using Mona's Friday suggestion for this post.

The Penny

I remember a 'West Wing' episode about the penny, where one of the characters was researching this coin because there is a trend to eliminate it from US currency. At present, it costs the US Mint about 2.5 cents to manufacture a single penny. The reason that pennies are no longer solid copper is because of the cost of the metal. Today a new penny is made of Zinc that is clad in copper.

A fun trick for a child is to scratch a penny, then drop it into some Coke. Over a couple of days, the zinc will dissolve in the cola and all that is left will be the shell of a penny.

So, why do we hang onto this smallest-dollar unit? Our base-10 currency system almost requires that we keep the penny. To round off all financial transactions to the next nickel would put people off. Who is actually going to pick up the cost of those lost pennies: the buyer or the seller? Plus, if I don't pay cash, can I get my three cents back?

I also think that getting rid of the penny is tantamount to admitting that inflation has finally caught up with everyone. If we decide to eliminate the penny, then will the nickel be far behind? If 1/100ths of a dollar is virtually meaningless, then eliminate the nickel also. Just jump to the dime as the smallest coin (both figuratively and literally) in the realm.

Finally, I think the biggest winner in this idea is government. All that rounding and/or truncation of using pennies will allow taxes to increase a couple of percent without raising taxes. In other words, an 8% sales tax on 1 dollar will now be 10 cents (rounded up). Thankfully does not hold true for 10 or 100 dollars.

Still, a penny is a penny.

"See a penny, pick it up, and all the day you will have good luck."

Blogger Sag

What does that mean?

One of my favorite bloggers has decided to end the almost daily ritual of blogging. I don't want to tell you the site (although I have mentioned it in the past) because it would be an unjust disappointment for you to read the prose there and know that it will not continue. On the otherhand, maybe the writer will take a break and decide to return, or simply start a new blog with a different slant. Hard to say.

If the latter occurs, I will try and remember to provide a link so that you can discover the site for yourself.

Some time ago, I did a brief survey of some blogs and estimated that most blogs have about a three-month half-life. True, many of them, presumably the better ones, last much longer, however many people start a blog to make a point or begin a personal saga and then peter out in a short while. Until you start a blog and try to keep up with it, it is hard to appreciate the effort that some people put into them. I truly respect those who are able to do a daily post and keep it fresh and readable.

So, i will try to maintain my discipline also and keep on typing. No, I will not be here daily, but I will attempt to post at least once a week.

I also want to thank those of you who do comment. I have installed a counter to help me realize how many people do visit my rants and raves, so that should bolster my enthusiasm.

Until next time, dear readers... BLOG ON!

The Intermittent Blog

I do have blogs that I visit on a (almost) daily basis, and then there are the blogs that I check in on about once a week to see if they have added anything new. I used to worry about readership and keeping current with my posts, until it stopped being an enjoyment and started being a drudge.

I have been doing some self-searching for a reason. Why am I not compelled to write as much as others? I do have thoughts and feelings, and I do enjoy expressing them (such as I am doing now). Well I do have a couple of reasons that I can definitely point to:

1) I am a lazy good-for-nothing by nature. It is not that I don’t finish anything I start, but I do tend to start many things that sort of peter out and die. I was hoping that this blog would not be one of them.

2) I often have good ideas for a post, but they happen at times when I cannot really write them down or fully develop the thought, so it sits in my brain for about 47 seconds and then I forget about it.

3) I know that I do have readers to this site because some of you have been kind enough to comment and give some support. As a ‘wanna-be’ writer, I do want to reach an audience of more than three people.

4) So, I am back to where I started, when I began this blog. What is its purpose? Whom doe sit serve? (I am having a flash back from the movie “Excalibur”.) It is my blog to allow me to vent and rant and express myself when I feel the need. Therefore, it serves me.

OK, I feel better now. I have purged some of my demons and have had the cathartic experience that I hoped for. Hey, it is Monday, and I am not quite fully caffeinated, yet. Have a good week.

A writer?

No big suprise here:

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Asian Culture

We know that a culture that has been around for thousands of years must be doing something right.

For Example

Will American culture ever be able to do better?

Writing off the Republicans

Has success been too much for the Republican party. Will the GOP realize that they cannot have it all theri way all the time? Probably not.

President George W. Bush is still trying to pull his legacy out the trash can and turmoil that is Iraq. At the same time, he is not making any headway with the issue of Iran and their ability to make a nuclear weapon. By the time the enxt President takes a seat in the oval, the quagmire of the middle East will be no better (and probably worse) than what it is right now.

So, I need to decide if I am going to stay with the over-righteous conservatives, or re-align my declaired party with someone else. I say 'someone else' becuase for me to jump over to the DMC would be utter stupidity and I could not look myself in the mirror for months.

What is left then? Should I stay registered with the GOP and just vote for someone else in the national elections? My biggest issue is that there really is not anyone else to vote for. The status-quo of the two-party system does not bode well for the moderates, does it?

And it seems that the independant parties only put up radicals and goof-balls who just want to be heard. My original thought about backing a Republican was to maintain fiscal constraint. You know, keep taxes low and the economy up. It seems that the current administration has sort of missed the target on that one.

So, with just over two years left before teh next big election, I will need to keep my eyes peeled for other options. Unfortunately, the big compaign machines can take anyone and make them look like something the may not really be. So, be wary, and read as much independant information that you can trust. Remember, that some so-called independant reports are actually supported by someone with specific interests. Mr. Rove has shown that his party is not above any type of madia manipulation to distort the truth.

Boy, that felt good to get off my chest.

And you thought...

And you thought I forgot about this.


You are ANY MORE USELESS, I'D BE A CAT
Take Which Useless Man are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

You are ANY MORE USELESS, ID BE A CAT, a fun-loving mixed mutt with a red nose causing controversies with your common sense. You can be found both behind and in front of a camera, occasionally at the same time. You are happy to hone a skill, or ham it up, but you are the penultimate friend, always available to help someone renovate, fix a car, or move a body. Mainly, if you are ANY MORE USELESS, ID BE A CAT, it is because you do not like cats.