The title of this piece is a quote from the late Vice President Hubert Humphrey. When I first moved to Vermont, I was struck by the impression that it seemed like everyone had an opinion about everything. Since I don't (see my earlier piece entitled "I Don't Care"), I had a little trouble relating to this. Even though I don't really understand, I have learned to accept the idea.
Vermont has a quaint culture that is inclusive and which can be quite positive. Town Meeting Day is an example of this inclusivity and offers everyone an opportunity to participate in debate and decision-making. While this can be a good thing, there is good judgment and bad judgment, so being inclusive can be a mixed blessing, which leads me to Hubert's quote.
Working in State government, I am in an environment in which Public Meetings are a common practice. How public meetings get communicated to the public varies, but the "official" notification is to post a notice on the State's Department of Libraries website. Why it gets announced here escapes me, but it probably goes a long way toward explaining why I am pretty much totally unaware of most of the public meetings are being held.
Depending upon the topic, some meetings generate a great deal of interest and draw decent-sized crowds. The discussion can be quite interesting, with the potential for some of the opinions expressed to be a bit out there. That being said, people have every right to express these opinions, and I will always make a point of listening politely (good manners are important regardless of my personal opinion of what is being said).
One of the potential pitfalls one can encounter in these situations can occur when someone offers an opinion or a suggestion that there is no way on earth you are going to follow through on it. While you may have perfectly good reasons for doing so, the complaint you may get is that the individual who offered the advice is "not being heard". Some people hold the belief that, if they offer suggestion to a public official, that suggestion should be followed; being heard is just not enough. Sometimes, though, the answer needs to be "no", and one needs to learn many tactful ways to say so.
That being said, the inclusive culture in Vermont is not going to go away, so I need to ensure that one is "being heard". While we are listening, though, remember Hubert's observation.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
"My country, right or wrong" is like saying "My mother, drunk or sober"
The title of this piece is from author GK Chesterton. Although he was talking about patriotism, we could easily interpret this statement to be talking about any rigid or strongly-held belief.
The problem with adopting this mindset is that life around us is constantly changing, and it is highly unlikely that any two situations are exactly alike. There are countless examples of how we vary our approaches to situations. With driving a car over the same stretch of road, for example, we are going to do it differently in a blinding snowstorm as opposed to on a bright sunny day. We change our approach when our children are oppositional to get them to comply. We change our spending habits in response to changes in our income.
Are we all flexible and responsive to changes in our lives? Certainly not. We all know individuals for whom rigid inflexibility keeps them in their comfort zone, regardless of how silly or frustrating this may appear to those of us who can flex. If you work in a factory making widgets, all of which must be exactly the same, this mindset can be an asset, but it can become a handicap once you step outside of the factory and have to deal with the rest of the world with all of its' vagaries and challenges.
If you happen to work in a place where flexible thinking is an asset, but you have some widget makers as co-workers, stress and conflict are sure to arise. Over the years, I have worked with nurses who "always do ____ this way". For some tasks (taking vital signs, applying restraints, starting an IV) this mindset is fine. However, when you are dealing with a dissatisfied patient, these nurses often struggle and end up looking silly (or worse).
These folks will be the first to tell you "I hate change". Unfortunately, change is always happening, and we need to be able to adapt to be successful. For those who can't or won't, it's "My mother, drunk or sober".
The problem with adopting this mindset is that life around us is constantly changing, and it is highly unlikely that any two situations are exactly alike. There are countless examples of how we vary our approaches to situations. With driving a car over the same stretch of road, for example, we are going to do it differently in a blinding snowstorm as opposed to on a bright sunny day. We change our approach when our children are oppositional to get them to comply. We change our spending habits in response to changes in our income.
Are we all flexible and responsive to changes in our lives? Certainly not. We all know individuals for whom rigid inflexibility keeps them in their comfort zone, regardless of how silly or frustrating this may appear to those of us who can flex. If you work in a factory making widgets, all of which must be exactly the same, this mindset can be an asset, but it can become a handicap once you step outside of the factory and have to deal with the rest of the world with all of its' vagaries and challenges.
If you happen to work in a place where flexible thinking is an asset, but you have some widget makers as co-workers, stress and conflict are sure to arise. Over the years, I have worked with nurses who "always do ____ this way". For some tasks (taking vital signs, applying restraints, starting an IV) this mindset is fine. However, when you are dealing with a dissatisfied patient, these nurses often struggle and end up looking silly (or worse).
These folks will be the first to tell you "I hate change". Unfortunately, change is always happening, and we need to be able to adapt to be successful. For those who can't or won't, it's "My mother, drunk or sober".
Friday, January 11, 2013
At least they didn't have to buy tickets
For those of you who are not aware, Darwin Awards are given to someone who does the gene pool a big favor by getting himself killed in a creative way. Here is the story of two past winners:
(The late) John Pernicky and (the late) Sal Hawkins, of the great state of Washington, decided to attend a local Metallica concert at the Amphitheater at Gorge, Washington. Having no tickets (but 18 beers between them) they thought it would be easy enough to hop over the nine-foot high fence and sneak into the show.
The two friends pulled their pickup truck over to the fence and the plan was for John (100 pounds heavier than Sal) to hop over and then assist his friend over the fence. Unfortunately for John, there was a 30-foot drop on the other side of the fence. Having heaved himself over, he found himself crashing through a tree. His fall was abruptly halted by a large branch which snagged him by his shorts. Dangling from the tree, with one arm broken, John looked down and saw a group of bushes below him. Possibly figuring the bushes would break his fall, John removed his pocket knife and proceeded to cut away his shorts to free himself from the tree.
Finally free, John crashed below into holly bushes. The sharp leaves scratched his entire body and now, being without his shorts, he was the unwilling victim of a holly branch penetrating his rectal cavity (now THAT has GOT to hurt). To make matters worse, his pocket knife fell with him and landed three inches into his left thigh.
Seeing his friend in considerable pain and agony, Sal decided to throw him a rope and pull him to safety by tying the rope to the pickup truck and slowly driving away. However, in his drunken state, Sal put the truck into reverse rather than first, and crashed through the fence, which landed on and killed his friend. Sal was thrown from the truck, suffered massive internal injuries, and died at the scene.
Police arrived to find the pickup truck with the driver thrown several feet from the truck. Upon moving the truck, they found John under it, half naked, with scratches, a holly stick up his rectum, a knife in his thigh, and his shorts dangling from a tree branch 25 feet above him.
Congratulations, gentlemen.
(The late) John Pernicky and (the late) Sal Hawkins, of the great state of Washington, decided to attend a local Metallica concert at the Amphitheater at Gorge, Washington. Having no tickets (but 18 beers between them) they thought it would be easy enough to hop over the nine-foot high fence and sneak into the show.
The two friends pulled their pickup truck over to the fence and the plan was for John (100 pounds heavier than Sal) to hop over and then assist his friend over the fence. Unfortunately for John, there was a 30-foot drop on the other side of the fence. Having heaved himself over, he found himself crashing through a tree. His fall was abruptly halted by a large branch which snagged him by his shorts. Dangling from the tree, with one arm broken, John looked down and saw a group of bushes below him. Possibly figuring the bushes would break his fall, John removed his pocket knife and proceeded to cut away his shorts to free himself from the tree.
Finally free, John crashed below into holly bushes. The sharp leaves scratched his entire body and now, being without his shorts, he was the unwilling victim of a holly branch penetrating his rectal cavity (now THAT has GOT to hurt). To make matters worse, his pocket knife fell with him and landed three inches into his left thigh.
Seeing his friend in considerable pain and agony, Sal decided to throw him a rope and pull him to safety by tying the rope to the pickup truck and slowly driving away. However, in his drunken state, Sal put the truck into reverse rather than first, and crashed through the fence, which landed on and killed his friend. Sal was thrown from the truck, suffered massive internal injuries, and died at the scene.
Police arrived to find the pickup truck with the driver thrown several feet from the truck. Upon moving the truck, they found John under it, half naked, with scratches, a holly stick up his rectum, a knife in his thigh, and his shorts dangling from a tree branch 25 feet above him.
Congratulations, gentlemen.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Rugged Vermonters
Sam has been in the computer business for 25 years and is finally sick of the stress. He quits his job and buys 50 acres of land in Vermont as far from humanity as possible. Sam sees the postman once a week and gets groceries once a month. Otherwise, it's total peace and quiet.
After six months or so of almost total isolation, he's finishing dinner when someone knocks on the door. He opens the door to find a big, bearded Vermonter standing there.
"Names Enoch...your neighbor from four miles over the ridge...having a party Saturday...thought you'd like to come."
"Great," says Sam. "After six months of this I'm ready to meet some local folks. Thank you."
As Enoch is leaving he stops, "Gotta warn you there's gonna be some drinkin'."
"Not a problem...after 25 years in the computer business, I can drink with the best of 'em."
Again, as he starts to leave, Enoch stops. "More 'n likely gonna be some fightin' too."
"Damn", Sam thinks. "Tough crowd." "Well, I get along with people. I'll be there. Thanks again."
Once again Enoch turns from the door. "I've seen some wild sex at these parties, too."
"Now that's not a problem" says Sam. "Remember, I've been alone for six months! I'll definitely be there. By the way, what should I wear?"
Enoch stops in the door again and says, "Whatever you want, just gonna be the two of us."
After six months or so of almost total isolation, he's finishing dinner when someone knocks on the door. He opens the door to find a big, bearded Vermonter standing there.
"Names Enoch...your neighbor from four miles over the ridge...having a party Saturday...thought you'd like to come."
"Great," says Sam. "After six months of this I'm ready to meet some local folks. Thank you."
As Enoch is leaving he stops, "Gotta warn you there's gonna be some drinkin'."
"Not a problem...after 25 years in the computer business, I can drink with the best of 'em."
Again, as he starts to leave, Enoch stops. "More 'n likely gonna be some fightin' too."
"Damn", Sam thinks. "Tough crowd." "Well, I get along with people. I'll be there. Thanks again."
Once again Enoch turns from the door. "I've seen some wild sex at these parties, too."
"Now that's not a problem" says Sam. "Remember, I've been alone for six months! I'll definitely be there. By the way, what should I wear?"
Enoch stops in the door again and says, "Whatever you want, just gonna be the two of us."
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Ever Wonder Why?
The US standard railroad gauge (width between the two rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates.
Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.
Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons which used the same wheel spacing.
Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long-distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.
So who built those old rutted roads? The first long-distance roads in Europe (and England) were built by Imperial Rome for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.
And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots first formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specifications for an Imperial Rome war chariot. Specifications and bureaucrats live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Rome war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.
Now for an extra-terrestrial twist:
When you see a photo of the Space Shuttle sitting on the launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank, These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site.
The railroad line from the factory had to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horse's behinds.
So, the major design feature of what was one of the world's most advanced transportation systems was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass.
Next time you are wondering why something is a particular way, the answer may be something like this.
Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.
Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons which used the same wheel spacing.
Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long-distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.
So who built those old rutted roads? The first long-distance roads in Europe (and England) were built by Imperial Rome for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.
And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots first formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specifications for an Imperial Rome war chariot. Specifications and bureaucrats live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Rome war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.
Now for an extra-terrestrial twist:
When you see a photo of the Space Shuttle sitting on the launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank, These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site.
The railroad line from the factory had to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horse's behinds.
So, the major design feature of what was one of the world's most advanced transportation systems was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass.
Next time you are wondering why something is a particular way, the answer may be something like this.
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