| I
Didn't Even Get to Party
Another WebSite Problem Bytes the Dust
Another Ivana Gets Trumped
Setting Sail on the Deep Blue Web
Musings on a Rainy Road
SUVS - A New Crusade
Second Ivana to be "Trumped" |
02/04/2005:
I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO PARTY (SNIFF...SNIFF...AH...CHOO!!)
What happened to the month of January?
Bronchial pneumonia kept me down most of the time and I missed out on all
the holiday parties. Missed wishing good fortune to old friends and a
chance to meet new ones. Our lives get so busy, there’s hardly time to keep
in touch with everyone and I so look forward to the holidays for that
opportunity.
But, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy. The
website has generated some very interesting writing assignments and I’m
looking forward to a very full year. Of course, it will require some
revision as I get my “sea legs” in operating a surfer-friendly site.
When I work out the mechanics of setting up a
sub-directory, I’ll be able to totally transfer the sales items. I’m going
to try to figure out a way to include them in the newsletter, as well.
12/06/2004:
ANOTHER WEBSITE PROBLEM BYTES THE DUST!
12/6/2004 – Decided to add an observation deck to my
site with some of my favorite articles from my blog. Articles will be
expanded on with factual fill-in information. This will allow me to query
them out to various magazines and retain ownership.
Have managed to make some really nice looking virtual
book covers for the site but still working out the mechanics of the proper
use. Also, still need to figure out, exactly, how to incorporate PayPal on
the pages so that payment can go directly into my account for each item. Oh,
well, that will come in time. Right now, I have to finish my article and get
two queries out. The day was an absolutely glorious one with deep blue
autumn skies and steady wind.
[top]
12/4/2004
ANOTHER IVANA GETS “TRUMPED”
I was so appalled by the
behavior of Ivana last night on The Apprentice show that I almost don't know
where to begin. Having owned and operated businesses since 1970 and been
friends with any number of professional women, it is outrageous to leave the
impression that her desperate ploy of "dropping" her skirt for $20.00 was
representative of professional women today. (Unless, of course, that is
one's business.)
And listening to the way
she trashed the "M&M" sisters, Jennifer M. and Sandy, to Kelly and Kevin
only increases the outrageousness of her behavior. America is full of
professional women who respect themselves and the work that they do, who
would never dream of offering to drop their skirts as a viable alternative
for increasing sales. In fact, just the opposite. Today's professional woman
goes to great lengths to ensure that her behavior is at all times deserving
of respect. That this would have occurred to her, at all, makes one wonder
just what is being taught at the business schools today.
There's no question in my
mind that her teammates were as useful as dandruff -- ever-present but
serving no recognizable purpose. Kelly played it safe because he knew he was
exempt and in the final four. Kevin was 100% in the wrong to lower the
price of their product without consensus from his project manager. Ivana's
job was to make sure that he did not get away with lowering the price and
she could have insisted on it. For that matter, I never understood why she
let them all stand together in a little group instead of branching out in
different directions to locate a variety of customers.
Towards the end of the
show, Ivana explained her behavior as one of desperation after hearing about
the success of the “M&M” Sisters but, in retrospect, agreed she had probably
made a wrong choice. However, I didn’t see any real sense of her recognizing
her behavior as wrong in either her expression or voice. I really believe
she just didn't understand the full impact on her professional life from
this choice. And, that is sad.
This year, it seems that
The Apprentice show has gone out of its way to locate the most immature
young women as representatives of the future business women of America.
Recognizing that the show is ultimately meant as entertainment, I can
make some allowances, but this seemed to be a season of extremely rude and
boorish behavior by the women.
But, Ivana's behavior
topped them all. She lost all professional credibility, in my eyes, yet she
will reap thousands from personal appearances because of this outrageous
behavior; although, she undoubtedly will be asked to "drop her skirt" at
some point, whether jokingly or as a part of her participation in the show.
More importantly, she
never once gave thought to how offensive her behavior was to those gentlemen
she accosted. And, years from now, like Monica Lewinsky after her debacle,
she will still be wondering why people don't respect her.
Sam, one of last year’s
contestants, said in his commentary that he didn’t understand what was so
wrong, that Ivana had put herself on the line and that her actions had been
no different than Jennifer’s and Sandy’s. Sam needs a reality check. The
young women were dressed as any PR model would have been attired to sell
merchandise. They were not in a board room; they were on the street to make
sales. And, they never once offered to “drop their skirts” in order to make
a sale.
So far as Ivana's behavior
is concerned, this was a true case of the product not being worth the cost
and, as the British are wont to say, "Some things are simply just not done."
11/26/2004:
SETTING SAIL ON THE DEEP BLUE WEB
It doesn’t seem right to set sail on a new
venture and not keep track of the journey. Once you’ve dropped anchor
and the sun has fallen below the yardarm, there’s nothing more satisfying
than enjoying the gentle rocking of your vessel with a drink in hand.
The purpose of the website, of course, is to be able to
offer those people interested in my work some clips to see what I have
recently had published, as well as a site for those items I have been able
to create through my other interests.
As this is
my first venture in creating a full service website, I’m going to make
mistakes but, at least, I’ve actually done it. The most difficult part was
learning how to use all the applications available to me. As I become
comfortable with each choice, I will be adding them but it’s enough that
I’ve accomplished this much.
[top]
11/23/2004
MUSINGS ON A RAINY ROAD
Well, it's happened again. There's a light rain falling and the lights from
oncoming vehicles fill the windshield. I'm on a 2 lane secondary road with
maybe three cars a good distance in front of me. A quick peek in my rearview
mirror shows there is no one behind me, at all. At an upcoming crossroads,
approximately 25 yards ahead on my left, a vehicle has been homesteading at
a stop sign for the past 30 seconds or so.
There has been ample opportunity for the vehicle to enter the road in front
of me but it isn't until I am less than 10 yds. from the intersection that
the driver chooses to cut in front of me. This has happened so often in the
past I'm left wondering, why couldn't the driver wait until I had passed and
then enter behind me within the safety of the open road? I just wonder...
That incident put me in mind of another intersection "phenomenon." Why is it
that you can be waiting to enter a secondary road and watch a line of maybe
ten to twenty vehicles pass by before you can take advantage of an opening.
As sure as the earth is round and the sun will rise in the morning, the last
vehicle will be the one that has to turn into your road, thereby preventing
you from entering because of oncoming traffic from the opposite side. Is
there a rule I missed in the handbook? I'm just wondering ...
FINIS
11/20/2004
SUVS - A NEW CRUSADE
I never thought I would be willing to take on a new
crusade; but, here it is. I think anyone driving the new SUVs needs to
fill out a form that explains EXACTLY why they think they need one. They
have to be the most dangerous of all vehicles on the road for drivers of
ordinary cars.
Rearview mirrors and side mirrors have been placed on vehicles based upon
an expected level for all vehicles (excluding, obviously, large trucks and
transport vehicles) and the world was capable of dealing with the
occasional high-beam driver. BUT, now it's become seriously dangerous for
night drivers to go on the road because of these invasive vehicles. SUVs
serve no purpose but status for a new generation -- an outrageous reason
to impose one's desires onto their fellow citizens.
A perfect example occurred on my recent trip to Tennessee. Because of a
rock slide in the Smokies, the lanes were reduced to single lane for both
directions, separated by low dividers, giving the effect of maneuvering
through a "shute." As Murphy's Law would have it, the weather was fine
until reaching this incredibly dangerous section of road. The skies opened
and high winds added to the danger. NO! SUVs have made it "eminent death
road"! Because of the height of the SUV following behind, using the night
view of the rearview mirror was useless. In addition, the beams also lit
up the sideview mirrors causing severe viewing limitations. Oncoming
vehicles would hit a curve that placed their light beams directly into
your eyes causing total night blindness! Humans have now become the, "deer
in the headlights."
There was a time when night driving was unpleasant because the eye had to
constantly adjust to the light changes of passing vehicles. Now, it has
become a dance with death. And, there is no excuse for it, except for the
vanity of those people wanting a "new" look for their generation's cars. A
station wagon at the same level of other vehicles would serve the purpose
of the SUV, carrying larger loads than just passengers. Oh, yeah, I
forgot, these folks like to take their vehicles into exotic places. Well,
maybe, two of them do; the rest just want the SUV in the drive to give the
impression that they drive in exotic places.
I don't understand how a country that has rounded the corners of its
childrens' toys, made schoolyard playground equipment out of plastic and
put safety harnesses into vehicles for the safety of its citizens could
have ever allowed these vehicles onto their roads. Surely, someone at the
factory checked them out? It was bad enough when everyone had to have a
van but, at least, the oncoming lights problem had a
look-to-the-edge-of-the-road-until-it-passes resolution. Now, we have gone
too far. You can't escape the invasive SUV lights. Coupled with oncoming
traffic, lives are at stake and it is unforgivable. There is more than one
generation on the road and we shouldn't have to tolerate this intrusive
killer on our highways.
FINIS
11/19/2004
SECOND IVANA TO BE "TRUMPED"
I was so appalled by the behavior of Ivana last night on The
Apprentice that I hardly know where to begin. Having owned and operated
businesses since 1970 and been friends with any number of professional
women, it is outrageous to leave the impression that her desperate ploy of
"dropping" her skirt for $20.00 was representative. (Unless, of course, that
is one's business.)
Listening to the way she trashed the "M&M sisters" (Jennifer M. and Sandy)
only increases the outrageousness of her behavior. America is full of
professional women who respect themselves and the work that they do, who
would never dream of dropping their skirts as a viable alternative for
increasing sales. In fact, just the opposite. Today's professional woman
goes to great lengths to ensure that her behavior is at all times deserving
of respect. That this would have occurred to her, at all, makes one wonder
just what is being taught at the business schools today.
There's no question in my mind, that her teammates were as useful as
dandruff -- ever-present but serving no recognizable purpose. Kelly knew he
was safe from being the previous week's project manager and did little to
help Ivana in marketing the candy bars. Kevin was 100% in the wrong to lower
the price of their product without consensus from his project manager.
Ivana's job was to make sure that he did not lower the price and she could
have insisted on it. For that matter, I never understood why she let them
all stand together in a little group instead of branching out in different
directions to locate a variety of customers.
Towards the end of the show, Ivana explained her behavior as one of
desperation but, in retrospect, probably made a wrong choice. However, I did
not see any sense of her recognizing her behavior as wrong in either her
expression or voice. I really believe she just didn't understand the full
impact on her professional life from this choice. And, that is sad.
This year, it seems that The Apprentice has gone out of its way to locate
the most immature young women as representatives of the future business
women of America. Recognizing that the show is ultimately meant as
entertainment, I can make some allowances, but this seemed to be a season of
extremely rude and boorish behavior by the women. But, Ivana's behavior
topped them all. She lost all professional credibility, in my eyes, yet she
will reap thousands from personal appearances because of this outrageous
behavior; although, she undoubtedly will be asked to "drop her skirt" in
participation. And, years from now, like Monica Lewinsky after her debacle,
she will still be wondering why people don't respect her .
So far as Ivana's behavior is concerned, this was a true case of the product
not being worth the cost and, as the British are wont to say, "Some things
are simply not done."
FINIS
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Copyright.-2004-2005 MCRP – Consulting. All rights reserved. |
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