No time on my hands

There seems to be a pattern developing. Young adults don't wear wrist watches anymore. Their excuse is that they have the time on their cell phone so they don't need a watch. Ironically, if my experience is any indication, they are also late for appointment and don't have a sense of time. Most of the time (pun intended) they don't look at their cell phone, or use the alarm feature on it.

I am going to speculate that their attitude will get them in trouble. While I realize you can get caught up in paying attention to the time, it is a measure of our society. Our work day is based on time, schools are based on time, our cars get repaired on time, etc. If time is not important to you, you will get left behind by those who do value it. While time is not something that you can change, you can to a certain point control it. Planning is an important part of life these days and by ignoring it you may be setting yourself up for failure.

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BTW - Religious connection - If religion is not something that you "wear on your wrist" and check every once in a while, you will find your life slowly getting out of control. Religion is not just something that you take out of your briefcase on Sunday (or Sabbath) but something that is a guide on how to live your life.

7 min

Just like a New Year's Resolution

My intention was to write a blog entry per day over the last month. Well, it worked out well until life caught up to me. Between shoveling snow (about 10 hours + last 30 days, Work with the Boy Scouts, and dealing with taxes and my son's college financial aid, I had neither the energy or enthusiasm to update my blog. Not that I didn't have much to write about, I just didn't care about sharing my thoughts. I did this blog as a learning experience and boy am I learning. Glad I am not being paid to do this......

5 min

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Leaf me alone

This has been so serious lately I thought I would inject a little levity.

I went to sweep out my garage the other day. Now you have t know we have had 6" of snice (snow and ice) on our lawns for a least 3 weeks. So what do you think I swept out of the garage? Dirt? Salt? Snow? No - Leaves! Where did they come from? There hasn't been a leaf on a tree for 5 months. I am beginning to think there is someone in the neighborhood who saved a bag of leaves and dumps them in front of my garage, where they blow in when it is opened. If you have a better explanation, let me know.

5 min

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What do you believe?

I was watching a Sunday religious show "Give Me and Answer". I enjoy Cliff's discussions and while there may be some points we don't agree on, to the 5 nines we agree. One thing he challenges people on is their beliefs. I said this blog was going to have a religious tint to it during Lent, so he is your homework. Take out a blank piece of paper and write down up to ten statements. These should be what you believe in order to live your life. Then ask yourself "Where did these come from or who did I learn them from". Then challenge yourself and ask "What if they are wrong?" No grading, just an exercise in thinking.

5 min

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Bumper Crop of Lies

Like the title? It is sweeps week so I am using a little journalistic license.

CBS News Story

I was going to blame this on Consumer Reports, however; it was done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Every year they drag out the contention that car makers are making cars that are not designed to withstand simple parking lot accidents. Now, was anything they said a lie? No, just a streching of the truth. For example,

>>The institute tested the bumpers of 17 mid size cars. The tests were done at 6 miles per hour on the front and rear bumpers and 3 miles per hour on the corners — about the speed of a toddler walking. <<

Now 6 miles per hour is like running a 10 minute mile - I doubt many toddlers can generate that speed. Also the test were done with what looked like a fixed bumper simulator. This would have the effect of doubling the speed.

So while they are not lying, they are also not telling the truth, which is a shame. There are problems with bumpers; cars are not designed to be repaired inexpensively after minor accidents. My problem is that the sensationalism over the problem is a 15 minute story; there is no attempt to propose how to change it.

The noise becomes so great that you cannot make a rational judgement. Ironically, on their own web site, there is a more practical analysis:

Q&A Bumpers

So I report - you decide (what to do)


10 minutes