Wrapping Up May

"There's Just Never a Dull Moment "

Well, as always, there was more going on in May than I had a chance to comment on. Some last minute details and honorable mentions are:

Thunder Blunder: The Oklahoma City Thunder closed out a remarkable season by giving up two fourth quarter leads to be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. It was still a great season though. Personally, I'm not a basketball guy. Seems to me that if a basketball game is any good at all, only the last two minutes matter. If the last two minutes don't decide the game, it wasn't a good game anyway. So why don't they just play a bunch of two minute games all on one Saturday and be done?

The pharmacist who shot and killed the armed robber was indeed convicted of Murder 1, and the jury recommended life. I guess I'll never get to hear any details, but as I said, I'm glad I didn't have to make that decision in this case. Bad deal all around.

Know It All Redneck Junk Punks: At the lake this weekend, we stopped in to say hello to our favorite boat mechanic. A couple of years ago, we sold our old boat and got a new one. We asked how the new owners of our old boat were getting along. "Ah, I sent them guys down the road." says the mechanic. "They ain't nuthin but a couple of Know It All Redneck Junk Punks." I thought the nickname was hilarious, especially considering the source. Then I thought about all of the Junk Punks I've run across in life in a number of professions. I wonder of there's a pharmaceutical cure for that?

My youngest Niece and Nephew (Five and Six of Six) provided the most entertaining conversation of the weekend when they decided it was just fine that Mom forgot the marshmallows for the campfire. They could roast the powdered mini donuts that Mom did remember to bring instead. Mom said, "No" and the debate was on. I took the kids' side since the ingredients aren't much different. Besides, the donuts already have a hole for the coat hanger. And the kids don't eat the marshmallows anyway. So what's the problem? Sounds like a good recovery for mom to me. She still doesn't  think so.

IPhone Phooey: I finally fastened a clothes pin securely to my nose and tried to make friends with my sister in law's IPhone.  What a piece of crap that is! After fifteen minutes, I decided my time would be better spent roasting mini donuts instead. Do people actually pay money for this crap? Talk about Junk Punks!

The Paseo Arts Festival was this weekend too. I spent a few hours there before heading for the lake. The excursion was well rewarded. I had a blast, and will be presenting the "Best of Show" award tomorrow. Nope, no hints or sneak peaks. You'll just have to wait a day.

Finally, my dear ol' Mom turns seventy-two today. What a way to end the month. If I'm still around at her age, I only pray that I'm as healthy, active, energetic and happy as she is. Maybe for her birthday, I'll let her read my blog. Ummm, Nah...

Thank You. those of you who are reading my blog. I can tell from the stats page that somebody out there is actually reading my crap. I appreciate it. I notice that many days I'll get a bunch of single hits, probably because of a malfunctioning search engine. But every few days somebody sits down and reads a bunch of pages all at once. That's cool - especially when they're evidently from Malaysia or Germany or someplace I've never been. God Bless and Thanks. Journals are good things, and your reading mine keeps me motivated to write it.

To The Troops of the U.S. Armed Forces, Veterans and Families

"Thank You!"

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!

"Plenty of sunshine headed my way..."

I'm very ready for a long weekend. I'm starting it by meeting a friend for coffee. Then it's off to the Paseo Arts Festival, which is in my opinion one of the best events Oklahoma City has to offer.

We have a regionally famous Arts Festival downtown in April every year. It's cool too, and I always find something there I can't live without. But the art for the most part is really expensive, really high brow stuff that is out of my league, financially and artistically. I love going, but I enjoy Paseo more.

Banana Republic makes great clothes for young, cute guys. I like their clothes, but I don't look my best in them. Eddie Bauer makes nice clothes for old, fat guys. I do better shopping there. The same holds true for the two Arts Festivals we have. The real one is the Banana Republic, and the Paseo Arts Festival is the Eddie Bauer of Art. Not only can I afford stuff there, but overall it has more applicability to my world than the uppity one earlier this year.

So, I'm looking forward to exploring down there a while.

Then, finally, at long last, with great enthusiasm, I'm going to the lake for the first time this year.

I can't believe I haven't already been down there any number of times. But the weather has been weird, I've been really busy, SEL (Standard Excuse List) # 14, # 27 and of course # 7. Usually, my lake season runs March 15 through July 4. After that, it's too damn hot for this boy. This year, it's already the end of May and I haven't been once. What a shame.

Anyway, the whole family is going, and we'll eat good, drink a little and have nice campfires. And it isn't work. And I'll get to renew my acquaintance with the lake again. I've had some of my best conversations ever with the lake. Stay tuned, and hopefully I'll get around to sharing some of them on my blog.

For now though, all I need is Mr Bluebird on my shoulder.

Last Work Day of May - Color It Done (or not?)

"I am now officially behind the eight ball."

As I think through May, in the context of this year's ever increasing momentum, my thoughts can't help but survey all of the things I didn't get done this month.

I love being busy, especially if I'm doing something that I'm convinced is important or has a positive impact on someone else or the world at large. It is hard for me to do anything that I'm not passionate about, and it's hard to stop me or hold me back if the passion for accomplishing something is there.

As much as I love being busy, I absolutely detest busywork. And most everything I do can be looked at as busywork form a certain point of view. Generally, I just don't look at that perspective, and stay passionate and productive. But when I get behind and my world seems full of things I just didn't get done, my defense mechanism kicks in and I tell myself that those things aren't very important anyway.

So I tend to set up the following 'no win' situation: Either I failed to get my important stuff done and let people down in the process. Or my life is full of meaningless busywork that I shouldn't have to do anyway. Neither of these options are good. Both lead to burn out and depression if allowed to flourish and grow.

So...what to do?

I can work more hours. Saturdays, early mornings, later at night, etc. I've tried that before. It just prolongs the real answer whatever that is. 'Working longer' (for me) does not translate to 'more productive', at at some point I'm working all the time and I'm still behind. Find a better answer.

I can manage time better. Clear off my desk by only touching each thing once and either finish it, file it, delegate it or throw it away. I can forget about making my day productive, and work to make each five minutes productive. Accomplish some task or resolve some issue every five minutes. I have a lot of five minute tasks to do. Maybe just clearing out all of those will make the pile of unfinished stuff seem smaller and less intimidating. I think I'll try this today.

I can learn to say 'no'. "Sorry, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full." Everybody else on the planet has a list of things that are important for me to do, and it should be me, not them, that fills up my day and the top of my desk. I've been doing this a little, but I think I need to make "NO" the default answer for a while.

I think that in the near term, all of the answers above are good ideas for now.

And I think it's good to be busy, and I should stop complaining and get to work.

My Nephew's Baptism

"All of the flair and style of a drive through wedding."

My 11 year old nephew (fourth of six) was baptized Wednesday evening. The event made me think of my own baptism, 39 years ago next month. Man, that's a long time ago. And man, they don't do things like we used to.

There are probably 5,000 web sites to go to that explain the doctrine and theory behind the sacrament of Baptism. I don't want to write another one. But it is a sacrament just like marriage, and deserves the reverence, dignity and meaning that goes along with each of the sacraments - especially marriage.

In a nutshell, a wedding ceremony is a public declaration and formal introduction of two people who are already in love and committed to each other to the rest of the world - no longer as two people, but as one couple. It is an opportunity for the couple to state their vows publicly and commit and commend themselves to each other in the sight of God and man. Marriage done right is a big deal. So is baptism.

In a nutshell, baptism is a public declaration and formal introduction of one who has already accepted and is committed to the lordship of Christ to the rest of the (universal) church - no longer as an outsider looking in, but as an integral part of Christ Himself. It is an opportunity to commit and commend oneself to God's people and to publicly acknowledge and affirm one's faith in Christ and all that He stands for.

I remember my baptism even though I was only nine. I remember taking it about as seriously as I had ever taken anything. I remember getting wet in the water, but when I dried off, I still felt wet, coated with something I couldn't explain. Different, older, special, chosen and accepted. Later, I learned the word 'annointed', and thought, "Yeah, that's what baptism was like." It was then, and is now, a very real experience for me.

I remember the pastor praying over me, asking me if I was ready to publicly proclaim my decision to make Christ Lord of my life, baptising me and introducing and welcoming me to the family of God. I remember it being an awesome, incredible day.

My nephew's church didn't take the ceremony very seriously, so I'm not sure how they could expect my nephew to take it seriously. They ran 25 kids through a swimming pool set up on stage in children's church. They didn't pray over or introduce anyone. They just ran them through, dunked them and reached for the next one. I felt like I was in Vegas at a drive through wedding.

Still, I hope the experience was and will be as meaningful and special for my nephew as it was for me. Being baptized was truly one of the highlights of my life. I am glad and proud to be a part of what God is doing in the human race, and I know that I have a role to play and a destiny when it's all said and done.

Crazyness - Tragic, Stupid and Awesome Events

"In the midst of stupidity and tragedy, I want to write about something awesome. "

I guess yesterday's post about severe weather turned out to be pretty prophetic for Oklahoma City. We got pounded last night. Fortunately all of the really bad stuff stayed a few miles north and west of us. But, like Joplin, there were not just houses, but entire neighborhoods that were flattened by tornadoes. Families lost everything. Lives were lost too, which hardly ever happens here anymore. We know what these things can do, and everyone stays weather aware when conditions are like they were yesterday.

But the tornadoes were too big. Even following the rules didn't help. The kind of tornadoes we had yesterday were not the kind you can hide from in an interior closet or bathroom. They were the kind of tornadoes that you have to run from. Those that couldn't or didn't were vulnerable to the tragic results.

The tragic events in Oklahoma yesterday and Joplin a few days ago somehow don't mix well with the stupidity of last weekend and the supposed end of the world. The mix between real life calamity and some kooky preacher saying the end of days is here is somewhat distasteful today. Like mustard and ice cream, each is tolerable on its own, but the two together is not a good combination.

In the midst of all of this, I want to find something awesome and terrific to write (and think) about for a while. And in the best of what Oklahoma has to offer, that opportunity has presented itself this morning.

The awesome thing about people in general and Oklahomans specifically is the way everyone comes together after a tragedy. It's amazing and impressive how differences melt away when there is a common enemy or problem. There are so many people out helping others this morning instead of working or going about their normal day that one cannot help but be impressed.

My brother, his family and our entire staff (excepting yours truly) are out doing what they can for families that have lost their houses. We loaded up a bunch of bottled water, sandwich stuff and our whole inventory of boxes to distribute as needed in these places where people are picking through sticks that used to be houses and finding some remnants of family mementos and pictures. The biggest problem is finding people who need this stuff that don't already have fifty other people offering to help.

There's plenty of work for everyone, and if anything it seems like the media is under reporting the extent of the damage. How do you show the devastation of family after family who has lost every single thing they own?

But the response from people everywhere has been terrific - just like it always is here. It's truly an amazing thing, worthy of the highest recognition and praise. Nobody is sitting around waiting on the government to do something, or complaining that FEMA isn't doing enough. Everyone is pitching in, offering what they can and helping each other.

It's just too bad that it takes a tragedy to make this happen. How awesome would it be if people behaved this way all the time?

Severe Weather Wisdom

"I wish I had some."

My thoughts are with the people in Joplin just now, and by extension, the people in the Southeast that faced their tornadoes last month. And when it comes down to it, there is no difference between the tornadoes, a tsunami, a flood or an earthquake. The world has seen each of these events unfold an a major scale of late.

So I looked through my arsenal of wisdom, looking for something to say to people impacted by these events. I want to say something profound, encouraging, hopeful or consoling. But I also want to say something meaningful and intelligent. Something that makes things better.

So I could talk about the fragility of life, and because it is so fragile it is precious. I could talk about how important it is to number our days, as each day can be our last. We need to be careful with our time here, and our resources, knowing that everything we have is only on loan for just a little while longer.

I could talk about not getting so attached to stuff that a tornado can destroy in seconds. Rather we need to place value in each other - in loving each other, helping each other and making each other strong. All of the stuff we work so hard for doesn't mean a damn thing. But the universe will remember how we loved forever. The value of life is in relationships and service. Not in all of the things we accumulate.

I could talk about our tendency to take storms of life personally. This is not God's judgement, nor does it demonstrate His incompetence. It's just a storm, and they happen all over the world to everybody. Part of the value of knowing God is that knowing that He is bigger than the storm. No storm, or anything else in all of creation can separate us from His love and presence. Through that knowledge, we handle the storms and recover. A tragedy is turned into a monument of His grace, mercy and help.

I could talk about peace. Possessions do not give us peace, and the loss of these things cannot take it away. When the storm comes and does what it does, we need to stand in confidence and do what we do. Today is a new day, and though life may be different that it was yesterday, it is good because we have confidence in a Good God.

But somehow, none of this says what I really feel. Pastors and friends have looked through the storehouses of wisdom for centuries, trying to say the right thing to people who have suffered loss. I think overall, they didn't find anything better than I did.

I wish I had something better to offer.

Balance: Walking at God's Pace

"Patience, my dear. Patience."

If we don't eat enough, we spend our lives hungry. If we eat too much, we spend our lives fat and unhealthy. If we don't work, we spend our lives poor. If we work too much and have great success, we miss out on the best life has to offer.

Life is about Balance. Eating what we need and not overeating. Working with passion and vision and not making our profession our identity. There are many conceptual definitions of balance, and most of them make no sense. The best one I've heard of is that balance is the stalemate between two conflicting forces.

Earth orbits the sun at just the right distance to support life, humanity and hope. The orbit of the earth actually represents a balance between inertia and gravity. Should either force overcome the other, the earth and all we know would be destroyed within minutes.

In life and thought and worldviews, there are numerous competing and conflicting forces in play all the time. And, naturally, for humans the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. That's why we're all such a mess, individually, culturally and as a race.

We want what we don't have, and take for granted that which we have been given. To find balance is to find the point where our ambition is tempered by thankfulness and our desire for gain is met by our awareness that we already have more than we deserve.

The conflict between desire and contentment is a legitimate one. I can look around me and see opportunities for good everywhere. I want to bring that goodness to fruition and benefit from the process. I always want this. And at the same time, life really is good. I have a great life, and don't really want to screw it up.

The wisdom in the midst of this conflict is to realize that the world moves at God's pace. Remember the old song, "He's got the whole world in His hands?" I believe that to be true, and He is not letting go. So to attain balance that supports a healthy, happy, positive experience in this life, I have to find and stay in that place where I am walking at His pace; Not letting my ambition push me faster and not allowing contentment to morph into complacency.

A life lived out of this balance is tragic, and sometimes funny. The whole world is having a great laugh at the guy that predicted the Rapture yesterday. Not sure how he and his followers feel this morning, but tragic may not quite cover it. They should have realized that the world will end soon enough - at just the right time and in just the right way.

In the mean time, let's focus on being thankful for all that we have, diligent to take action whenever we have the opportunity to do something good and positive. and walk in the balance of patience at all times.

Top Ten Reasons for No Rapture Today

"Don't worry if you can't come up with a Rapture joke. It's not the end of the world."

What a beautiful day for a rapture! But, alas, today is not the day. I guess I'm eventually going to have to set the world straight on the concept of rapture. But today, I can't resist having some fun with it.

So here's my Top Ten List of reasons why the rapture didn't happen:

• The Rapture was postponed until God could go see "Thor".
• They couldn't wake the Pope from his drunken stupor.
• People didn't give enough at church last week, so the Rapture fell victim to budget cuts.
• Jesus is still waiting on Mary Magdalene to finish getting dressed.
• Camping made his calculations using the King James bible instead of the NIV.
• George W. convinced God the Rapture had already occurred last November.
• The White Horse is as confused as the White House and took Christ to the wrong planet.
• Randy Savage, "Macho Man" saved us.
• A bug in Microsoft Excel caused numerous miscalculations.
• Oprah insisted that God wait until after her final show, May 25th.

So, there you have it. Now you know the Rest of the Story. But for the record, I did actually write a couple of tongue in cheek 'bye-bye' emails to some folks I know aren't coming along, just in case.

I'm Glad I'm Not On This Jury

"A worldview is mostly conceptual, but the Law is about splitting hairs."

I've done a couple of stints on jury duty, and every case I sat on was a total waste of time. Anyone with just a little intelligence would have been able to resolve those cases in a fifteen minute conversation. In every case, the jury deliberations lasted less than five. But a trial has begun in Oklahoma City that I'm very glad I don't have to participate in.

Basically, the case is a murder trial where a pharmacist shot and killed an armed robber. In Oklahoma, if someone comes in to my home or business with a gun and tries to rob me, I can kill him. But in this case, the defendant shot the robber, chased another one, got a different gun and unloaded it into the guy he'd already shot.

The DA says that he went way beyond what the law allows and charged him with murder. The defense is that he thought his life was in danger and was lawfully defending himself. There are a bunch of melodramatic, emotionally charged, irrelevant facts to the case, but the question to be decided is, "How far does the 'Make My Day' law go?"

Everyone in my circle, without exception, thinks that pharmacist's actions are justified and that the DA is a prick for charging him. And every argument I've heard from each of them would convict the pharmacist if I were on the jury. The consolidated, paraphrased opinions of my friends go something like this:

The pharmacist had already been robbed numerous times, and was doing what he could to protect himself, push back and make a statement to anyone who even thinks about robbing him in the future. His adrenalin was off the charts in the moment of his actions, and he wasn't thinking about anything except stopping a potentially lethal attack. If he overreacted, it was only because he was scared, frantic and mad as hell.

Hmmm. I agree with my friends totally, and don't think the pharmacist should be punished. The kid that died bought his fate when he went into the store. If someone doesn't want to die that way, she should probably try to avoid committing armed robbery.

But, the argument above in totality is not what the 'Make My Day' law is about. We are not allowed - nor should we be - to kill someone because we're scared, frustrated over past events, frantic or pissed off. If the guy was under the influence of something similar to road rage, and dumped a whole gun load of bullets into the kid he killed, he's absolutely guilty of at least manslaughter and maybe murder.

Part of carrying a concealed weapon is to be level headed and sensitive to your surroundings when you use that weapon. And if you can't do that, don't carry a gun. What if, in his manic rage and panic, he had shot an innocent customer who was just in the store to buy Advil?

"Aha," say my friends. "He didn't shoot an innocent bystander, he shot a perpetrator - on purpose with intent."

Well, they just made the "guilty" verdict inescapable, no matter how much I feel for the pharmacist.

Business Opportunity: Post Rapture Pet Care

"Gotta Luv Capitalism!"

Earlier, I wrote about a group that has decided the rapture is coming May 21,2011. That's just three days from today. The original post was called Noah Knew.

So I guess that some doubters have come up with a way to profit from the event. For somewhere between $20 and $135, those who have confidence in the prediction can make sure their pets are well cared for after they're gone.

Rather than poke fun at anybody - and for all I know they may be right, and if the rapture happens Saturday, I hope it's in the early morning because it would get me out of a little league baseball game.- Anyway, rather than poke fun, I thought I would highlight a pretty well thought out business idea.

Just look at the benefits of this business model:

• It provides peace of mind for those leaving - that in itself is worth the small fee.
• It makes money for the enterprising people who thought of it. 
• It keeps stray pets off of the street and out of people's garbage cans.
• It comes with a 10 year margin of error. Who else provides that flexibility?
• And if the rapture occurs, it should dramatically reduce the cost of Chinese food in just about every city in America.

 As far as I can tell, there is no down side. What a perfect business plan. I wish I'd thought of it.

But I could never be a customer. I have a dog, and really enjoy her. But it's just a damn dog. If it dies, I'll get another one.

Caught Between Two Wrong Answers

"But wisdom is proved to be right by what it does."

I was reading this morning in Luke 7 - The story of how the churchy people of Jesus' time couldn't accept John the Baptist because he didn't eat and drink like they did. (They said he had a demon.) Then they called Jesus a glutton because He did eat, drink and associate with undesirable (in their eyes) people.They were caught between two things that really don't matter much in terms of what Christ came to show them. And they missed the point completely.

My thoughts wandered to the debates going on in our culture and politics today. Here are a couple of examples of what I'm talking about:

Family Values: There is an obvious disconnect between those who would 'protect family values' and those who believe all relationship boundaries are subjective and flexible. Of course, the GLBT world is excluded by the first group and tolerated by the second. But neither camp seems to realize that the destruction of the American Family Unit is a direct result of people cheating on and betraying the ones they committed to love and be faithful to forever.

It is not keeping gays from getting married (or allowing gays to marry) that protects or destroys anything. It is how every married person behaves in the context of their own marriage that males the word 'family' a meaningful word in our vocabulary - and nothing else. Wisdom is to take great care of your own marriage.

The Federal Debt: Everyone knows there is a debt crisis. Some say stop spending. Some say raise taxes. Of course both sides say that it's all necessary, but neither side really believes that. And the problem is neither spending or taxes! The problem, as with all debt, is wanting something now for nothing (or next to nothing) later.

Americans, politicians, businesses, unions and even criminals all need to realize that this equation is no longer tenable given the position we've put ourselves in. The math doesn't work, and that culture is ending. The question is, "How?" The choices are 1) Anarchy and Chaos or 2) Intelligent, painful but not fatal money management.

We have to ask the right questions in life to get the right answers. And wisdom is a lot more than rhetoric. It is easy for us to avoid the hard questions by debating two points of view that obviously differ. For the debate to be anything more than distracting noise, we need to focus on wisdom and her children, not on winning an argument.

Such is the wisdom of Luke 7.

Look Good to Feel Good

"Sometimes looking good is the first step to feeling good."

I think I haven't felt very good the past few days. I mean physically, not emotionally or mentally. I don't spend very much time sick in life. It just doesn't happen that often. But for the past couple or few days, I haven't felt worth a crap.

Nothing is specifically wrong. I don't really hurt or have a fever or symptoms of cough due to cold or anything. I'm not especially tired or drained. I just don't feel like I usually do. So whachagonnado?

I learned a concept way back in college that looking good makes one feel good too. It increases focus, enhances memory, creates a sense of awareness, helps facilitate things like smiling and laughing and overall promotes a feeling of well being not only for oneself, but also for those around her.

OK. I'm game.

I came to work today an hour early, dressed in a shirt with a collar. My belt matches my shoes and everything. Trust me, at my work business casual is three steps above normal. I looked good enough that everyone in the office picked shit with me over it. And everyone laughed or smiled when they did it too.

Not sure yet whether I feel better, but everyone else does so that's something.

Tomorrow I may wear a button down shirt and tie.

Content, But Not Satisfied

“There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ "

Sometimes it is good to be unsatisfied. That's what keeps us looking, motivated and 'in the game' of life. There are some things I want very much, and don't know how to attain.

I want to quit smoking. Period. I've read all the crap on the subject, can list a hundred reasons why, have tried the tools out there, and still can't quit. But quitting smoking is something I hunger for as the ground thirsts for water.

I want to be more comfortable socially. I always feel like I don't belong. At church, at the bars, at dinner with strangers, in about any social situation to which I have not been invited for a specific, known purpose. I think there's a name for this...'social anxiety disorder'. I think I have a not-so-mild case of it. Probably comes from trying to live a life for many years when I knew I didn't belong - and knew why. Now I just know I don't fit in and have no clue why. Others feel this way too and overcome it with alcohol. That doesn't work for me. It just makes me depressed and sleepy.

I want to be successful in business. I tried for 19 years, and never failed. But I wasn't all that successful either. I have an important position at my current company, but it's not mine. I'm hungry to be in business again, in a profitable business that positively impacts lives somehow. And I'm hungry to succeed at it.

I want to see better. I know everyone has their shortcomings, and I do what I can to compensate for mine - and I haven't done a bad job. But I want to be able to see the things everyone else sees. Health sciences has no answers. But I still want it.

I want to find someone to share life with that I can connect with and who can connect with me. Everybody wants that until they either find it, or become so bitter, cynical and jaded that they decide they don't want it at all. Most gay guys my age (that I've met anyway) are pretty much there. I'm not. And this is something I'm hungry for.

I don't really know what to do about any of these things. But I think it's good that I still want them. I don't mind working through my handicaps, but I'm not giving in to them either.

I think that's healthy, just as a fire is healthy as it seeks new fuel. Sometimes I really just want to be satisfied. But today, I'm glad to still be a little hungry.

"No, We're Going To Pass"

"None of us is as smart as all of us."

As a followup to Thursday's post, my answer concerning the decision we need to make is, "Yes. Go For It."

But the consensus - and therefore the decision - is, "No. We're going to pass".

The consensus is that our infrastructure cannot handle the additional responsibilities and work flow at this time. No matter how well a bridge is constructed, if you put too much weight on it, it will collapse.

The consensus is that resources are better placed in acquiring assets (inventory) just now rather than people. People involve risk. Inventory basically doesn't (at least in our industry at the present time).

The consensus is that our efforts are better utilized in securing and strengthening our position in our current area of specialization at this time rather than embracing a new specialty and the learning curve that inherently comes with it. The Jack of All Trades is Master of None.

The consensus is that the candidate available to us is a good catch, but in this economy there are a lot of fish in the sea.

The consensus is that momentum is carrying us forward at present all by itself, and as momentum increases and continues to increase, our focus should be on riding the wave, not creating new ones.

I won't say that I agree with the consensus. But I absolutely agree with the "decision by consensus" management style we use in our business. And I am very proud to be associated with a company that works this way effectively. Hell, I basically created this part of our company structure anyway. How can I criticize it? I have tried to create it before in other paradigms, but only ended up with people who answered however they thought I would answer or said what they thought I wanted to hear. I'm proud of our company, our decision making process and our progress and success.

As to the decision, I'm OK with it too. Part of good decision making is to position the decision in such a way that the answer can be "Yes" without fear or "No" without remorse. This decision absolutely fits that criteria.

I just hope we arrived at the decision through consensus, not complacency.

Friday the 13th

"Earthquakes, Tornadoes, Floods and Blogspot Service Interruptions."

Wow, the world is really falling apart. I couldn't get to my blog for a whole day! Oh, the drama!

I guess for the folks at Blogspot.com, Friday the 13th came a day early. Evidently this means I have reconstruct my Thursday post about the space between Yes and No. Since it's about the only intelligent post I've had time to put into words for the past few days, I guess I better get 'er done.

Other than that, Friday the 13th was just another beautiful day. I was thinking earlier today that I didn't have anything to blame Friday the 13th for. Hmmm. It's just another in a long string of busy, productive, profitable and enjoyable days (except for the Walgreen's experience, but that one is easy to prevent from now on).

So, to all of you people who are getting ready to go out tonight and wash away your terrible week with excessive amounts of alcohol, I wish you safety and success. And I'm glad I don't need to do that. I may go out and watch for a while though. Maybe I can find some who are celebrating a really good week and join them.

The Space between Yes and No

"The Earth was without form and void. And God said..."

At work, we're faced with a decision. We have the opportunity to hire someone new, or not. There really aren't any other available answers besides Yes and No. We can't defer, procrastinate, do a half-yes, yes...but, or if...yes. We just have a decision to make that comes down to either "Yes, go for it" or "No, we're going to pass".

There are a hundred reasons to say yes. There are a hundred reasons to say no. And some of the 'yes' reasons are exactly the same as the 'no'. We've done due diligence to make sure that the candidate we're looking at has a good reputation and does what he says he does. We've looked at his customer base, character and reputation, plan for success, resources he will need and impact on our current infrastructure. There are many valid reasons to 'go for it', or not.

It's my tendency to go for it, and many times in my career I have made that decision when it was up to me. Many times, the yes answer turned out to be exactly the right answer, and really good things happened in business and in the lives of the people involved. Risk is rewarded. Other times, well, bad decisions made with the best intentions hurt and are destructive. There are a couple of major ones that I wish I could have back - and a couple that I ran from making that should have been made years earlier. Life is unapologetically cruel to those who make poor decisions.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody in the history of modern thought has come up with a math equation or algorithm that makes these kinds of decisions correctly. I have invested in more than one magic wand and several crystal balls, and FYI, they don't work. My heart and worldview are a compass, and they guide me, but they do not come with a warranty, and I can't sue anybody when they guide me wrongly.

I wonder how long God looked at the void that was would be Creation before he said, "Go For It: Let There Be Light!" and all that is, suddenly was, and what will have been is given dimension and form.

Had He said, "No, we're going to pass," the void would still be void, the status quo would not have been shaken, and I would not have the opportunity to make any  decisions at all.

Creation, genesis of Good, possibility and intention, faith and hope, achievement and growth, pride and confidence only come from the "Yes" side of questions like we are faced with just now. "No" cannot possibly deliver these benefits, even if 'no' is the right answer. Maybe that is why God spoke into the darkness and created the light.

And maybe that's why I have trouble saying, "No".

Beans and Cornbread

"Today, the good things in life come together."

Some days are just crappy. It's a challenge to look at these days differently so they don't seem so bad. There are a lot of tactics that work well, and I am well versed in many of them.

Finding something to be thankful for is one of them. There's always some angle to appreciate. Knowing that my bad day facilitated someone else's good day is cool too. They may have needed a good day. The attitude that my bad day is an investment always helps. Because of my day, be it good or bad, some children in Zambia did not go to sleep hungry.

There is always a way to look at things that make bad days better.

And then there are days like today. It rained here. The whole state got a much needed, much appreciated, really good rain - the likes of which we haven't seen since last July.

And Mom cooked beans and cornbread with fried potatoes for dinner - and fudge brownies for desert.

And the Thunder wasn't limited to the weather tonight as our NBA team took game five in the playoffs against Memphis.

So probably the very best tactic to defeat the inevitable crappy days that happen from time to time is to remember really good days like today, when everything that happens is good.

You gotta love days like today.

Walgreen's Files Bankruptsy - Burns 6300 Stores to the Ground

"Burn Baby, Burn."

At least this is the impact on the part of the universe where Walgreen's Pharmacy and I intersect. I went in there yesterday to buy some over the counter allergy junk, and there's a huge yellow sign that says "Sale, $12.00" in two inch letters.

When I went to check out, they rang up at $16. I objected, they called for a price check and the guy actually laughed at me for believing their sign.

It's amazing what can be said without words. With his cute little chuckle, he made the following speech:

"Walgreen's has no integrity when it comes to advertising in our stores, and everyone on earth (except you) knows it. 'Sale $12.00' doesn't mean that the price is $12. What do you think we are, stupid?

"What the "Sale $12.00" sign means is that we think all of our customers are stupid, and won't notice when they go to check out that the item actually rang up $4 higher. We make a ton of money with our lack of integrity, because money is more important than integrity, and we have no respect at all for our customers."

Hmmm. I think I won't be shopping at Walgreen's again, even if they rebuild what they burned to the ground last night.

From Zambia to Slightly Stupid

"Don't tell people that. They'll think less of you."

So my nephew that spent some time in Zambia earlier this year tells me he's taking a road trip next weekend. He's Dallas bound to see a concert and generally misbehave, I expect.

Had he stopped there, all would have been well. I'd have thought he and a few buddies were going on an adventure that is appropriate for a 20 year old, and wished them well. I remember taking off for Dallas or Tampico, Mexico or some other place when I was around that age. I had no real responsibilities here, and was interested in seeing the world and building experiences.

But I asked what the occasion was, and heard the rest of the story.

Turns out that he and some friends wanted to see some concert. So my nephew, apparently being the brightest of the bunch (or else the only one with a debit card) logged on to TicketMasters and bought the tickets. Paid for them and printed them out, he did. Proud of himself, he was,  that he got the tickets he wanted at just the right price. Then he read the tickets.

Now instead of going to Tulsa on Thursday, he and his friends are going to Dallas on Friday, because alas, my brightest of the bunch nephew with a debit card did indeed purchase tickets for the right concert, on the wrong date and in the wrong city.

It's good to be twenty, cause none of his friends really care. I just hope that between the bunch of them, they find the right highway that leads to Dallas so they don't end up at a bluegrass concert somewhere in Arkansas. But somehow, I bet they would have a good time even if they did that.

Oh Yeah...The band they're going to go see? "Slightly Stupid."

Sometimes things fit together so well they just couldn't happen by accident.

Making Mom Proud

"Don't do anything you would be embarrassed to tell you mother about."

Of course none of us live by this proverb, and of course mothers have done things they didn't tell us about too. But still, no matter what our belief system, we will go to great lengths to keep up appearances for mom.

We do this for dad too most of the time, but somehow we always know that dad knows better (so does mom, be we don't know that). And dad's an asshole anyway, so he can't say much about whatever we're doing that he doesn't like without being an overbearing hypocrite. But moms are perfect, and we will work hard to make her proud of us.

The kicker with mom is that she will do about anything to be proud of us anyway. Of all of the people in the world to impress, Mom should be the least important because she'll find a way to be impressed, proud of us and supportive in all but the rarest circumstances. She'll ignore any number of bad things and hold on to even one little good thing about us forever. She wants and needs to be proud of us.

I don't know how mothers get along in the world without gay sons. It's not like dad is going to help her pick out that perfect new dress or talk to her about what color scheme would work best on her patio this year. Nobody loves Mom like a gay boy, and nobody needs mom's support and compassion like someone who the rest of the world despises.

So here's to Mother's Day, a day when butch and nelly alike need not be embarrassed to tell mom how much we love her, and how much she means to us. Hearing that from us makes her happy and proud.

And it's really nice to have at least one person in the world that is always proud of us.

Giving Is Investing

"The total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time."

I'm not sure why I've been thinking about money this week. It's not like I have any, or need any for that matter. And overall, I don't consider it very important. It is a means to an end - nothing more.

People who think it represents power, success, security or God's favor are misguided in my opinion, and are destined to be disappointed in it. Those who think it can dramatically and instantly change their lives for the better are confused. Only one's character and worldview can do that, and then only if the worldview is based on that which could reasonably be considered universally Good.

But this post is not about money, really. It's about energy - the energy each of generates from the food we eat and the thoughts we think each day. Energy applied to a job or business is converted to money. Energy applied to relationships converts to emotional and spiritual outcomes like intimacy, love, patience, honor and hope - or the recripicals of these, jealousy, selfishness, contempt, rebellion and despair.

I think it is helpful to understand ourselves and the energy we release into the world around us as a gift. I could choose to work many places. I honor the company I choose to work for. I could choose to love many. My love for someone specific is a blessing to them.

It is my contention that our energy - our money, time, respect, affection and effort - should be offered as a gift, as an intentional act on our part to cause good in the paradigm where we release it. And in this context, our energy is not only a gift, it is an investment.

So, be it in the form of money, time, effort, or some other form, when we invest ourselves into a situation, be it work, charity or something else, we should be mindful of some basic concepts of giving.

First, we need to be careful and intentional about where and how we give. Nobody wants to buy a fraud or invest in Arizona swamp land. Let's not invest or energy into dead end jobs, liars, flakes or rip-offs. Let's invest ourselves on purpose with specific ideas in mind about what our investment should accomplish. As with any investment, expectations are good. We should expect some good to come from our investments, and if none are realized, we should modify our giving accordingly.

Second, we need to invest with passion. Having chosen an ecosystem, be it a job, relationship, charity or cause, and having set our expectations appropriately, we need to make our investment enthusiastically and competently. If our investment is half-assed or half-hearted, the outcome will show it. Our return on our investment will be poor and puny, just as if we planted a garden but refused to water it. If something is worthy of our time or money, it is also worthy of our passion.

Finally, we have to understand that not every investment pays off. Investment involves risk, and we cannot be crushed or shattered if something we have chosen to invest in doesn't ever deliver on our expectations.

There are a hundred more thoughts that should go here. But the concept is to consider our time, money and life energy as a gift to the world around us and to invest that gift appropriately.

Cinco de Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion

"...and a sombrero, pretty please."

I know, I know, it's a little bit typical white American stereotype of another people group. Don't be offended. He's adorable.

I know Latinos and especially Mexicans take a lot of crap from Americans. The stereotype is that they come up here illegally, don't pay taxes, use public resources and steal American jobs. Blah, Blah.

There are political issues, and there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish one's goals in life. But there's also a human issue that to me takes precedence over politics. I really respect people who reach out for a better life.

For the most part, whether legally or illegally, they come here for that purpose. They work hard, stay out of trouble, contribute as much or more than they take and are just trying to improve life for their families and people they love.

Let's get off their backs a little, huh?

Don't Trust Money

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."

The take home from yesterday's post is, "Don't Trust Money." Everything on the planet  is doing its very best to erode the stability and security of money. Dave Ramsey says that we need to have a plan for our money because if we don't, there are thousands of companies with highly educated, motivated, experienced and talented people that do.

Every commercial on TV, every pretty Hollywood actor, every new cell phone feature, every professional athletic event and a zillion other things that surround us every day is the product of someone's well thought out plan for our money. Their plans all have one thing in common: They get our money (hopefully before we even earn it), and we don't.

What Ramsey forgets to tell us is that even if we make our own plan and keep our money, we still don't have it. Through taxation, devaluation or inflation, the value of money erodes. Like chariots and horses in days gone by, it's just not capable of providing the security it promises.

I don't trust money, but I trust my ability to make money. Money is an outcome - a fruit of my labor, imagination, experience, faith and passion. But where do these things come from? From my character, forged in the furnace of life over the past few decades, on purpose, tested at times, affirmed at times, but solid and real.

I trust my character because it is built on more than my shallow desire and pleasure. I hear others say that they only trust themselves. I don't see how they can trust themselves when nobody else on the planet can believe anything they say. I am a trustworthy person. Others can trust what I say and what I do. This gives me confidence (faith) to trust myself.

And I trust the concepts, ideals and wisdom that I have tried to imitate and integrate into my character. God created me me and God created the universe. It stands to reason that He knows better than I how best to relate the two. And what is His wisdom? A laundry list of "Thou Shalts" and "Thou Shalt Nots"? Nope.

His wisdom is that life comes down to loving and giving - making a positive difference in the world around us and the people we encounter. Doing all that I do in a way that demonstrates respect and honor for Him. It is really His character, infused into and flowing out of me, that I have confidence in.

This confidence transcends money, chariots and horses. It is confidence in that which is universally and objectively Right, Good, Pure and True. And it's a much more stable foundation to believe in then my checking account balance, I guarantee.

The Federal Reserve Shell Game

"Three shells and a pea is portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud."

Let's see. The country has an unsustainable debt load, exacerbated by a trillion dollars thrown randomly into the economy in an effort to curb the effects of a recession that George W. denied the existence of until the financial system basically collapsed, not to mention two (and now three - what a coincidence!) wars, decades of irresponsible spending by congress and a ponzi scheme called Social Security. Add Medicare and a bunch of entitlements to earn votes, and you have a bona fide debt crisis.

So let's wager on the shell game and see if we can find the pea that makes all of these problems go away, shall we?

Under Shell Number One, lower interest rates to keep people borrowing (therefore spending) more. This was great for 20 years. Anytime the economy sneezed, lower interest rates again. But don't say the "I" word, because if inflation raises it's head, lower interest rates are counterproductive. And don't worry about whether people can actually repay what they borrow. It'll all work out when the economy grows and everyone makes more money.

But rates can't drop below zero - you can't pay people to borrow (and spend) money. The math doesn't work. No pea here.

Under the second shell, we have the Feds buying our debt back (with money that doesn't exist) to falsely prop up its value. The result is the devaluation of the U.S. Dollar, but who cares? Everybody feels better if they have more of them. It doesn't matter that each is worth less. That stops June 1. Then US debt will have to be purchased by real investors that want to make a real profit proportional to their perceived risk.

And who's gonna buy it? China has enough of it to foreclose on the USA already, and has said they don't want to buy more. Japan has their own problems just now. Western Europe is in worse shape the the US. Pig farmers in Chile don't have nearly enough money. Hmmm...Maybe the drug lords in Mexico would be interested.  No pea here either.

Shell Number Three was outlined by the Feds this last week. Their contention is that there is no inflation, despite the fact that everything we have to buy costs more. Their justification? You can buy an IPad with twice the memory and speed of last year's model for the same price. That means the price is actually lower year over year for an IPad, which offsets the increased costs of food and energy (gasoline, utilities, transportation, production). So let's all bury our heads in the sand and tell ourselves that we're OK. (It didn't work for Dubya, and it ain't gonna work for Bernanke either.)

Obviously if you discard things that increase in price and only count things that stay the same or go down, you will never report inflation. But that just proves the reports are flawed, not that prices aren't going up for energy, food, transportation, health care and all of the other things we have to buy. There's no pea here, just a bunch of college educated idiots with titles and graphs and no sense. And these are the folks that are supposed to be the guardians of the money supply.

And our president, the ambassador for Change, stands there with a stupid grin on his face cause he doesn't have the first clue what I said in this post. Besides, he's too busy trading snipes with the Donald, five time bankrupt, all bravado and no substance, wannabe president with bad hair.

I feel for all of those who have their trust in their retirement plan or their bank account. I feel that these things are about to show each of us their inadequacies. Even those who don't believe in God need to pray at this point. Cause the way things are going, there's gonna be hell to pay.

Osama bin Blown Away

"If you cut the head off of a snake, does the snake die?"

Well it looks like May is going to start with some international momentum! We finally got the Son of a Bitch, eh? It only cost several trillion dollars, several thousand soldiers' lives, a decade, the disruption or deaths of who knows how many lives in several countries, possibly the U.S. Economy and God knows what else. But we won, I hope.

There's a concept that if you kill the queen, the whole colony dies. It works with termites, anyway. But I'm not sure it works with terrorist cell groups. Doesn't really matter the guy had to go, and for the record I don't think he made a very good Queen. I hope his 'followers' don't want to lead his life. But I think the best outcome we can hope for is a little different.

Maybe the best thing for us from this point is that the snake called Al-Qaeda will grow four of five new heads to replace the one we cut off yesterday. The theory would be that in the competition for resources and popularity, the new heads would all fight with each other and leave us relatively alone. They'd be weaker and easier targets when we decide to clean up the mess.

Sound a little far fetched? Hey, it works great in American politics.

Terrorism is such a terrible thing. A terrorist basically says, "I know I'm totally in the wrong, and I represent a position that the world at large rejects, but I'm going to make the whole world respect my point of view by blowing up innocent people and destroying things." How do they ever expect to win any support or advocacy for their positions and beliefs. They pick a fight that nobody, least of all themselves, wins.

The terrorist says, "A world that disagrees with me should be destroyed." Even if they win, they lose. A world destroyed cannot honor their God, and their God - if He is indeed the creator of the world - cannot possibly respect them for trying to destroy it. The whole paradigm makes no sense.

And those who feel this is a "Great Victory for America" should count the cost. It is undoubtedly the most expensive assassination in the history of the world. Congrats all around for that one, guys.

Anyway, Good Riddance to Osama bin Sleeping With Fishes. I think that wherever he is this morning, it is not where expected to end up.

May Momentum Mellow!

"April Showers Bring May Showers?"

I don't think it rained twice in April. I don't think it rained a quarter of an inch the whole month. Now May is here and it's been raining all day. No complaints here, really. We need the rain and it smells good! And Oh! the nap I'm about to take! The whole world should be as fortunate as me today!

But the break is only temporary. Momentum is my buzzword this year. "May the momentum continue and continue to increase." The last few days of April were relatively stress free. A great weekend in Houston, a free birthday and a really fun trip to the Arts Festival provided a very necessary time of rest and relaxation. And my known agenda for May doesn't look to be too intimidating. Could it be that things are going to slow down a little in May?

What the hell am I thinking? We're in the middle of trying to buy two airplanes at work, considering adding yet another new employee, selling aircraft parts like they're Thunder tickets and the year's pace continues. What's this about Mellow May?

But I'm ready. I've had a few days to rejuvenate and recharge, and I'm ready for whatever comes.

My only concern is that if March and April were so crazy and there was no rain, what happens when the rain comes? Is life going to get even crazier? Will the rain stimulate the same kind of growth explosion in life overall that I anticipate it will do in the flowers I planted last month?

In a way, I really hope so. As I've said many times, this has been a great year. I want more. Part of me says, "Bring it on!" But in another way, the past 10 days or so have been really fun. I've enjoyed slowing down the pace just a little and enjoying the ride.

So we'll see. Either way, I'm excited. I am in a mode of life where I wake up every day pumped and ready to see what's in store. So far, it's good and getting better. My desire, prayer and choice is that momentum would continue to grow, and soon will break wide open like May flowers after April showers.

Life is Good!