I guess I have to say that’s my other “hobby” 
Electronics.
Here a opinion which is asking for trouble,
Keep an open mind when reading this, he means this for both Democrats and Republicans alike…
This makes sense no matter what political party you might be for…The two party system ???
Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it’s death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.
Lee Iacocca Says:
'Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course’
Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned ‘Titanic’. I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’
You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have… But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is w aving ‘pom-poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ’ America ’ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?
I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have.
The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis !
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here’s where we stand. We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I t hink you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem… The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead o n Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough?
Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope; I believe in America . In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the ‘Great Depression’, ‘World War II’, the ‘Korean War’, the ‘Kennedy Assassination’, the ‘Vietnam War’, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this:
'You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a call to ‘Action’ for people who, like me, believe in America . It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell 'em all we’ve had ‘enough.’
Make a ‘real contribution’ by sending this to everyone you know and care about…our future is at stake!
This will lead to some interesting responses I am sure.
TonyWalsham said:Not from me, it won't.
This will lead to some interesting responses I am sure.
I’ve been saying much the same thing for years. He must have been listening to me.
tac
Perhaps I’m just getting cynical, but it seems much easier to criticze than to lead.
Good questions and comments , perhaps the result of years of lowering standards of requirements , so that ‘everybody’ gets to do what ever they want , even if they are too short and little , or stupid , or too tall and overweight , or needed special training to just pass the test to even begin , and you HAVE to be PC , so that no one even gets their feelings hurt .
Quality in being the 'best there is ’ is getting so low that we are reaching the bottom , but , we are all PC , and everyone gets a hug .
Everyone should remember that Rome wasn’t conquered, it collapsed from within, the Barbarians pretty much just walked in and took over.
Tom Ruby said:Hey Tom, just a question, are leading AND critic, bot of them a necessary for a real democratize. Do i see that wrong, if i belief that we need strong leaders, but also the criticizers to keep our leaders on track. I belief that a real democratize must have leaders and criticizers, otherwise the democratize is dead.
Perhaps I'm just getting cynical, but it seems much easier to criticze than to lead.
think global Pius
Victor Smith said:Hey Vic,
Everyone should remember that Rome wasn't conquered, it collapsed from within, the Barbarians pretty much just walked in and took over.
Isn’t that what they’re working on??? 
Not certain what this has to do with “Other Hobbies”, but here is the full reference to Iacocca’s latest book P.J. quoted from above:
Iacocca, L. (2007). Where Have All the Leaders Gone?. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Available at Amazon and lots of others. Also available in audio versions. See:
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Have-All-Leaders-Gone/dp/1416532471
It’s a good read and he really makes sense to me. Tends to produce one of those ‘I’m mad as hell and won’t take it anymore’ responses!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Ya know, I saw that book in the store the other day and made a mental note to buy it. Maybe I’ll just run down there and do that. I’ve always admired that guy.
- Job at work needed doing about two months ago. Not remotely my responsibility, but relevant.
- Looked at job, saw a way to do it, built a tool to do it, started using said tool. Didn’t ask anybody.
- Next thing, another bloke sees the tool and asks if he can use it. Sure!
- Next thing, three other folks are using it, and improving on the original model. Great!
- Where we’re at now is “Gee, isn’t OUR tool wonderful?”
Wasn’t it Bob Townsend, back in 1970 in the original “Up The Organization”, who said that, if you invented an effective and inexpensive way to rid the US of air pollution, the best way to accomplish the job would simply be to start doing it, state by state, and hope you don’t get arrested?
Don’t get mad, guys - get busy!
There is nothing that a man can’t do if he puts his mind to it. And there is nothing that can’t be stopped if the government decides to help. We play this game locally every day. Great fun, if you can keep the right mind set. Right now we are trying to get a blind curve by the marina protected with a “Share the Road” sign, because we are in the 4th year of trying to get a sidewalk/ bike trail built to keep some little kid from being turned into roadkill. The city has stated it will be at least next year before sidewalk/bike trail is built. The Corp agrees we need the sign, but signs on the road are the responsibility of the County, County says they need to do a study, but they have the signs in inventory at the County Barn. The road is in the city limits of Carlyle. City Administrator says he has to consult the City’s lawyer. Two weeks from Friday, we will have 85,000 people within a 1/2 mile of this blind curve. Will the signs be put up? Will Carlyle make the national news again for the wrong reason? Will the Feds, the State, the County and the City all get dragged into court for known neglligence and liabilty? Stay tuned folks, its getting interesting now.
Know anybody who works in that barn? You’re a man of action! Time for a couple guys to get one of those out and put it up.
…grinning…
Methinks the game is afoot, Watson.
Ric Golding said:Hi Ric,
;-)
I love your statement “God bless America”
i prefer to cal god the creator, this way there is just one. So far no one stated that they kill in the name of the CREATOR, but many did in the name of God. I have no problem with the Creator, just the ground crew sucks sometimes.
think global Pius
Interesting, that two of my threads have degenerated to politics. Must be that time that comes once every 4 years.
All threads on a programming forum I follow eventually go to food.
Hey Tom,
Keep em coming if it leads to genuine self analysis on the part of the posters.
Tom Ruby said:
Interesting, that two of my threads have degenerated to politics. Must be that time that comes once every 4 years.All threads on a programming forum I follow eventually go to food.
Food,Cooking would be another hobby like politics, and would fit just in this sector, so i guess you are safe. You mentioned all four years, and i could image you referee to the upcoming elections, even here i see no trouble, since there are just two parties involved, so no real healthy political debate, just the usual dirty laundry to replace real arguments, you are save.
Think global Pius