OLD – Do Honor & Integrity Matter?

Do Honor and Integrity Matter?

A person or institution must be honorable and possess integrity to gain my respect. Considering some professions in order of respect, doctor, teacher, scientist, entrepreneur, military people, clergy.

Some I have no respect for include, politician, sports figures, journalists, movie stars, and lawyers.

Many of us have known people with a need to control others. Do you agree the best way to control others is to first gain their respect because then they are likely to voluntarily want to follow?

In my work, my style is to respect coworkers, showing them they are fortunate to work for me, acting as a boss who controls through respect rather than force?

Can you name a person or institution that you truly respect?

OLD – Car & Light Truck Survey

Automobile & Light Truck Survey

Style, Safety & Costs

1. The vehicles that we drive include: Compact auto; Sports car; Mid-size auto; Large SUV; Smaller SUV; Full-size auto; Light truck 2 door or 4 door.

2. My next vehicle will likely be: Purchased or Leased?

3. My next vehicle will be: Similar style & same manufacturer; Similar style but a different manufacturer; Different style but same manufacturer; Different style & different manufacturer.

4. I am fairly sure which manufacturer’s vehicle I want to buy next time. Agree or Disagree?

5. Generally, how important is styling, the looks and appearance of your vehicle to you? Very important; Somewhat important; Not at all important.

6. Country of origin is important in the selection of my next vehicle. If it is, please select any countries of origin that you favor. Country of origin is important — or — Country of origin doesn’t matter. France, Sweden, Germany, USA, Japan, Korea, Italy, Other?

7. What will be the more important factors when you select your next vehicle? Safety; Styling that’s cool; Gas mileage; Utility & convenience; Overall economy of maintenance & operation; Convertible – soft or hard top; Others?

OLD – Business Failures

Economic downturns test operations, management, product viability, & customer relations.

Generally the economies of many industrialized nations have been doing well for several years. Have you ever thought about that?

Do you own or are you a majority owner in a business? As a business owner, what would you do if the economy turned down and your business was on the edge of failure? Would you borrow from a bank, from credit cards, from any legal source, or take it into bankruptcy?

All of these companies have had difficulty and been near failure. Xerox, W. R. Grace, Crown, Cork & Seal, Federal Mogul,hundreds of Dot-coms, IBM, Daimler-Chrysler, Lucent, and AT&T.

Which of these reasons seriously contribute to businesses having difficulty or failing? Bad management, good management infiltrated by incompetent people, arrogance, government regulations, government meddling, or general economic conditions? How about interference of government agencies (OSHA, EEOC, EPA, FDA,…), technological changes, poor implementation of a good idea, poor implementation of a bad idea?

It is very difficult to effectively manage staff these days.

What other reasons why, in good economic times, many companies with solid customers are failing?

OLD – Memorials

Tragedies remembered, but for whom?
Does the media focus excessively upon tragedies?
Where are the celebrations of greatness?

I know of the several memorials, including The Viet Nam War, Columbine, Oklahoma City bombing, Lincoln Memorials.

Memorials to events (wars, national events, etc.) serve patriotic ends. Memorials to great people (FDR, JFK, etc.) serve to identify greatness.

The Viet Nam War, political bombings and school shootings are horrific and real tragedies. They involve various groups such as military, innocent victims, and perpetrators. The individual victims of these tragedies would not have been victims if they had not been members of the targeted groups.

Recently designed memorials focus on the individual victims by using names on walls and the 168 empty chairs in Oklahoma City. Personalized memorials distract from the greater struggle of ideals. Innocent victims should not be the focus of tragedies  —  as sad as it is for families and friends. It can be destructive for a society to constantly look back and focus upon tragedies.

Memorials to wars and political bombings should memorialize the events and struggles — rather than focus upon individual victims. It is inappropriate to build memorials to horrific acts perpetrated by sick individuals (such as school shootings, mass murders, etc.)

Memorials are meant to commemorate the actions of groups or individual heroes.  Therefore, it can be said that the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial commemorates the work of bombers McVeigh and Nichols.  And the Columbine Memorial commemorates those sick shooters of children.

Why has the U.S. entered The Age of Sadness where its citizens are fixated upon celebrating tragedies?