I hope that you are one of the millions of Americans that have an opportunity to celebrate Labor Day with family and friends. On a normal Labor Day, I would be at work with thousands of other men and women that are watching the skies. Since I am still waiting for medical clearance, I get to enjoy the beautiful Ozark's day at home.
Too often we take for granted all of the benefits that we have because of the victories of the Labor movement. In the Ozarks, labor unions are not well thought of and often blamed for all of the economic woes of our country. The people that complain about unions fail to realize that their 40 hour/5 day work week is a result of a battle won by organized labor.
Here are a few others:
-minimum wage
-paid vacations
-paid sick leave
-paid holidays
-health benefits
-Family Friendly Medical Leave
-overtime pay
-a safe working environment
-compensation for on the job injuries
-freedom from harassment
These are a few of the many battles that have been fought and won by labor unions. If you think that your employer would bless you with these benefits on their own--you're wrong. Our working conditions in the USA have evolved over the last 120 years from 12 hour days, 6 days per week with no benefits and no security to what they are today. The right to safe working environments is taken for granted today, but many miners, factory workers and others suffered brutal accidents or death before safety in work places became the standard. Even our highways are safer because of the actions taken by the Teamsters.
However you spend your Labor, I wish you a great day. Support Labor. Celebrate Labor.
John <><
Monday, September 07, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Who/What Do You Trust?
I'm not a real big fan of Glenn Beck, especially since he's gone over to Fox News. I think that his candid observations of government and life have taken on the slant of his new employer. He was less offensive before, but still able to point to our government's faults and society's weakness.
Last night, I was killing some time while Chris was shopping and picked up a copy of his book, An Inconvenient Book. I'm sure that there are many areas in his book with which I will disagree. However, the last part of his introduction is one that I truly like and want to share with you.
He writes:
Putting your trust in people to do the right thing, especially those people to whom we've lent our power, will almost always result in disappointment. That's why you have to put your trust in things that are everlasting; things that won't ebb and flow with the times or change their core values based on some poll.
Things like our Constitution and our Creator.
The words contained in our Constitution, while written by our founding fathers, come directly from God--as do the rights they grant us.
Read them. Know them. Believe in them.
When everything around us is crumbling, they will be our only true guide.
I guess that what I've learned over the last year is really something that I've known all along: The best way to solve whatever problems we face and keep America great is by putting our trust in God, our faith in the Constitution, and, most importantly, neither of those things into the people we elect.
Or...we could just sit back and hope for change. The choice is yours.
Truthfully, there is a fine line between too much government and too little. As a society, we have social responsibilities. Of course there will be things that are labeled as socialist--it's the nature of social beings.
Our society has to make room for those that excel and prosper. We (I) certainly don't want a society that discourages achievement and the pursuit of a better life. Prosperity needs to be encouraged. Prosperity makes us a better society.
On the other hand, our society needs to take care of our poor, sick and needy people (Jesus teaches this, too). Just as there are differences in being too lazy to work and unable to work, there are differences is being wealthy and being greedy.
Unfortunately, the "too lazy" have made it hard for the unable and the "greedy" have given the wealthy a bad name. Greed and laziness are both anti-social behaviors (and anti-Christian behaviors).
I want to challenge you today--have a social mind set. I'm not telling you to be a "socialist." Just be aware that we live in a society. Some people need our help. Some people help us. We are in this together...and we have to make it work. Our kids are counting on us.
John <><
Last night, I was killing some time while Chris was shopping and picked up a copy of his book, An Inconvenient Book. I'm sure that there are many areas in his book with which I will disagree. However, the last part of his introduction is one that I truly like and want to share with you.
He writes:
Putting your trust in people to do the right thing, especially those people to whom we've lent our power, will almost always result in disappointment. That's why you have to put your trust in things that are everlasting; things that won't ebb and flow with the times or change their core values based on some poll.
Things like our Constitution and our Creator.
The words contained in our Constitution, while written by our founding fathers, come directly from God--as do the rights they grant us.
Read them. Know them. Believe in them.
When everything around us is crumbling, they will be our only true guide.
I guess that what I've learned over the last year is really something that I've known all along: The best way to solve whatever problems we face and keep America great is by putting our trust in God, our faith in the Constitution, and, most importantly, neither of those things into the people we elect.
Or...we could just sit back and hope for change. The choice is yours.
Truthfully, there is a fine line between too much government and too little. As a society, we have social responsibilities. Of course there will be things that are labeled as socialist--it's the nature of social beings.
Our society has to make room for those that excel and prosper. We (I) certainly don't want a society that discourages achievement and the pursuit of a better life. Prosperity needs to be encouraged. Prosperity makes us a better society.
On the other hand, our society needs to take care of our poor, sick and needy people (Jesus teaches this, too). Just as there are differences in being too lazy to work and unable to work, there are differences is being wealthy and being greedy.
Unfortunately, the "too lazy" have made it hard for the unable and the "greedy" have given the wealthy a bad name. Greed and laziness are both anti-social behaviors (and anti-Christian behaviors).
I want to challenge you today--have a social mind set. I'm not telling you to be a "socialist." Just be aware that we live in a society. Some people need our help. Some people help us. We are in this together...and we have to make it work. Our kids are counting on us.
John <><
Thursday, September 03, 2009
What Do You Do When the Other Side is Reasonable?
I was never a big Ted Kennedy fan. I certainly wasn't a Kennedy hater. I was (an am) pretty neutral when it came to the late Senator Kennedy. I was pretty shocked to hear many of the post death comments that came from people--especially the Catholics that were glad that he is dead and have hopes of him burning in eternal torment. Sen. Kennedy certainly took a different stand than the Catholic Church on some issues. Differing opinions on social/moral issues shouldn't rate the eternal death judgment from others...I think that Judgment stuff still falls under the heading of "Things That Jesus Gets to Do"--at least for those that are of a Christian persuasion. As far as politics are concerned, the Senator was pretty good at reaching across the aisle in efforts to hear the arguments from the other side.
One of the other blogs that I read posted this link to the text of a speech that the Senator gave in 1983 at Liberty University. (yeah, that Liberty University--Jerry Falwell's) You Tube has a clip from that speech. I include it here to entice you to read the text.
John <><
One of the other blogs that I read posted this link to the text of a speech that the Senator gave in 1983 at Liberty University. (yeah, that Liberty University--Jerry Falwell's) You Tube has a clip from that speech. I include it here to entice you to read the text.
John <><
Monday, August 31, 2009
Living in a Vacuum
I love living in the Ozarks! The climate is moderate through all four seasons. The landscape is beautiful with hills, rivers, lakes and beautiful skies. The people are pretty down-to-earth folks (though not necessarily pretty folks) that (for the most part) love their families, their country and their God (although I'm not really sure what order to put those in). If I were to pick a downside of living in the Ozarks, it would have to be the lack of diversity. We are a pretty pale section of the American population. Of course, there are many that would argue that this is a good thing...I disagree. It gives us a pretty narrow view of others and breeds all kinds of prejudice and misunderstandings of other races, nationalities, religious beliefs and cultures.
I grew up in a small town that was (and still is) a lot like Ozark. In all of the years that I lived there, there weren't more than a few African-American families that moved into town...and they never stayed for long. We had plenty of families with Mexican backgrounds...but that wasn't the same (or as bad) as being black. All in all, my sixties childhood was spent with white kids, white families in a white town.
I am surprised (and thankful) that I have had to overcome as few prejudices as I have. Hopefully, my kids will have even fewer.
That is a challenge when you consider that our part of the Midwest is pretty much white, middle class America, located in the middle of the Bible belt. Although we are taught to love our fellow man (friends and enemies alike) in the Bible, it is easier to deal with what we don't know by maintaining a defensive posture and expecting the worst from people than by opening our minds and hearts to a different way of thinking, acting or living. The hispanic population here is pretty invisible (by their choice). The Asian population is growing and the African-American population is still considered a suspicious minority.
There is a part of me that has difficulty with the changes that are politically correct--African/American vs. black, Asian vs. oriental, Hispanic or Latino vs. Mexican or other Latino Cultures. But I really need to make those changes because I don't want to unknowingly offend someone. It should be our goal to learn about and understand the cultures that are living around us and not to speak about them out of our ignorance and hatred.
There are certainly cultures that have evolved with (and value) a purity in their race or culture. That is not the case in the United States. We are a country of immigrants. We are a blend of cultures. We have many different religious beliefs. We are a nation with many different backgrounds and origins...including the Native Americans that were here before the rest of us. We are far from a pure race. But we are Americans. I believe that our differences are part of what makes us the greatest nation on Earth. (Yes, I still believe that we are the greatest.) The people of the United States are free to come and go as they please. We travel from state to state, leave the country for vacation and business and have very few restrictions. If we want to move to another country, no one will stop you.
Though we have overcome many of the prejudices that have caused problems in the past, we still cling to others. If you are gay or Muslim (or a Democrat), you can expect to be hated in the Ozarks. Some still cling to racial prejudices (and hatred) that is very unbecoming for those that claim to be upstanding Christian citizens. In many communities, it is still the "good ol' boy" network that rules. I am often surprised by the prejudicial garbage that I still hear coming from otherwise decent people. Perhaps it is a result of living in the vacuum of the Ozarks.
I hope that as my kids grow up and expand their worlds, that they will learn about other cultures and beliefs. I hope that they will make friends and experience foods and traditions from others as well as sharing their own heritage, traditions and beliefs. I think that there is more than enough hatred in the world. It's time for us to share some love...or at least some tolerance.
John <><
I grew up in a small town that was (and still is) a lot like Ozark. In all of the years that I lived there, there weren't more than a few African-American families that moved into town...and they never stayed for long. We had plenty of families with Mexican backgrounds...but that wasn't the same (or as bad) as being black. All in all, my sixties childhood was spent with white kids, white families in a white town.
I am surprised (and thankful) that I have had to overcome as few prejudices as I have. Hopefully, my kids will have even fewer.
That is a challenge when you consider that our part of the Midwest is pretty much white, middle class America, located in the middle of the Bible belt. Although we are taught to love our fellow man (friends and enemies alike) in the Bible, it is easier to deal with what we don't know by maintaining a defensive posture and expecting the worst from people than by opening our minds and hearts to a different way of thinking, acting or living. The hispanic population here is pretty invisible (by their choice). The Asian population is growing and the African-American population is still considered a suspicious minority.
There is a part of me that has difficulty with the changes that are politically correct--African/American vs. black, Asian vs. oriental, Hispanic or Latino vs. Mexican or other Latino Cultures. But I really need to make those changes because I don't want to unknowingly offend someone. It should be our goal to learn about and understand the cultures that are living around us and not to speak about them out of our ignorance and hatred.
There are certainly cultures that have evolved with (and value) a purity in their race or culture. That is not the case in the United States. We are a country of immigrants. We are a blend of cultures. We have many different religious beliefs. We are a nation with many different backgrounds and origins...including the Native Americans that were here before the rest of us. We are far from a pure race. But we are Americans. I believe that our differences are part of what makes us the greatest nation on Earth. (Yes, I still believe that we are the greatest.) The people of the United States are free to come and go as they please. We travel from state to state, leave the country for vacation and business and have very few restrictions. If we want to move to another country, no one will stop you.
Though we have overcome many of the prejudices that have caused problems in the past, we still cling to others. If you are gay or Muslim (or a Democrat), you can expect to be hated in the Ozarks. Some still cling to racial prejudices (and hatred) that is very unbecoming for those that claim to be upstanding Christian citizens. In many communities, it is still the "good ol' boy" network that rules. I am often surprised by the prejudicial garbage that I still hear coming from otherwise decent people. Perhaps it is a result of living in the vacuum of the Ozarks.
I hope that as my kids grow up and expand their worlds, that they will learn about other cultures and beliefs. I hope that they will make friends and experience foods and traditions from others as well as sharing their own heritage, traditions and beliefs. I think that there is more than enough hatred in the world. It's time for us to share some love...or at least some tolerance.
John <><
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
MWT Fail
In spite of the success at the first two Maintenance Wakefulness Tests (MWT), today's test was a failure. The tech monitoring the test told me that I fell asleep for just over two minutes during the second test period. I don't recall dozing off, but that's what the test showed.
They tell me I have to wait a week before I can test again so I'll be off of the boards for another week. Sacre Bleu!
My sick leave balance is pretty low so I'll have to take advantage of my manager's generosity and spend a few days doing administrative stuff. Tomorrow I'll spend my day of sick leave and make the trip to St. Louis with some buddies from church and we'll take in some Cardinal baseball, the obligatory ball park dog, a few White Castles and the after ballgame trip to Ted Drewe's. The problem with only having four tickets is choosing just three friends. I think my pastor's disappointed that he missed the cut...maybe next time.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to a great day.
John <><
They tell me I have to wait a week before I can test again so I'll be off of the boards for another week. Sacre Bleu!
My sick leave balance is pretty low so I'll have to take advantage of my manager's generosity and spend a few days doing administrative stuff. Tomorrow I'll spend my day of sick leave and make the trip to St. Louis with some buddies from church and we'll take in some Cardinal baseball, the obligatory ball park dog, a few White Castles and the after ballgame trip to Ted Drewe's. The problem with only having four tickets is choosing just three friends. I think my pastor's disappointed that he missed the cut...maybe next time.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to a great day.
John <><
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Real Trick
After viewing yesterday's post about a young man using a magician to help with his marriage proposal, I was thinking to myself--"The real trick isn't the proposal--it's keeping the marriage together."
For as long as I can remember, the failure rate for marriages has been around 50%. Half of all marriages end in divorce. It doesn't seem to matter if you get married in a church or at the court house. It doesn't seem to matter if you are younger or older. About half of the time marraiges end in divorce.
The reasons vary--money, infidelity, career moves, family problems (in-laws), etc. But the reasons for divorce are often overcome by couples that find a way to stay together. I imagine that if half of marriages end in divorce, there are many more that are void of love but the couples stay married because of kids, religious beliefs, traditions or not wanting to admit failure and suffer the shame they would feel before their families and friends.
So what's the trick? Is there a secret to a successful marriage? How do you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with that one person? Do we still think of marriage as a life long commitment? And if not...well how do you know when it's over? How do you reach the decision that I'm not going to love you anymore? How can somebody knowingly do something that will hurt the person that they've committed to love forever? And how can the offended person choose not to forgive the person that they've loved--faults and all--to this point?
How can one person just walk away and leave another person totally devastated? It would be so cool if I could tell you that putting God at the center of your marriage is the answer. But there are people that don't believe in God that have successful marriages and there are very religious people that can't seem to keep it together.
What is the secret?
In a couple of weeks, Chris and I will hit the 28 year mark. One might wonder why we ever fell in love to begin with. I love baseball, she doesn't like any sports. She's a handwashing neat freak, I'm a slob. She watches Jon and Kate + eight and The Duggers, I watch NCIS and CSI. We are as different as night and day. If I think about it too much, it scares me. In another year Hannah will graduate from high school and we will face the empty nest...another critical (and often final) moment in the life of a marriage.
I know that one might think--twenty-eight years seems like a pretty successful run. But what if we don't make it to thirty-eight? Can you say that we had a successful marriage for 30+ years and then...? Is it really a success if you don't take it all the way?
Sure, I could tell you how the street magician amazed the audience and helped the young man pull off a very memorable proposal...but I would rather tell you how they might beat the odds and enjoy a lifetime of loving one another.
What's your secret?
John <><
Wow! I just noticed that this is post #400! Thanks for reading!
For as long as I can remember, the failure rate for marriages has been around 50%. Half of all marriages end in divorce. It doesn't seem to matter if you get married in a church or at the court house. It doesn't seem to matter if you are younger or older. About half of the time marraiges end in divorce.
The reasons vary--money, infidelity, career moves, family problems (in-laws), etc. But the reasons for divorce are often overcome by couples that find a way to stay together. I imagine that if half of marriages end in divorce, there are many more that are void of love but the couples stay married because of kids, religious beliefs, traditions or not wanting to admit failure and suffer the shame they would feel before their families and friends.
So what's the trick? Is there a secret to a successful marriage? How do you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with that one person? Do we still think of marriage as a life long commitment? And if not...well how do you know when it's over? How do you reach the decision that I'm not going to love you anymore? How can somebody knowingly do something that will hurt the person that they've committed to love forever? And how can the offended person choose not to forgive the person that they've loved--faults and all--to this point?
How can one person just walk away and leave another person totally devastated? It would be so cool if I could tell you that putting God at the center of your marriage is the answer. But there are people that don't believe in God that have successful marriages and there are very religious people that can't seem to keep it together.
What is the secret?
In a couple of weeks, Chris and I will hit the 28 year mark. One might wonder why we ever fell in love to begin with. I love baseball, she doesn't like any sports. She's a handwashing neat freak, I'm a slob. She watches Jon and Kate + eight and The Duggers, I watch NCIS and CSI. We are as different as night and day. If I think about it too much, it scares me. In another year Hannah will graduate from high school and we will face the empty nest...another critical (and often final) moment in the life of a marriage.
I know that one might think--twenty-eight years seems like a pretty successful run. But what if we don't make it to thirty-eight? Can you say that we had a successful marriage for 30+ years and then...? Is it really a success if you don't take it all the way?
Sure, I could tell you how the street magician amazed the audience and helped the young man pull off a very memorable proposal...but I would rather tell you how they might beat the odds and enjoy a lifetime of loving one another.
What's your secret?
John <><
Wow! I just noticed that this is post #400! Thanks for reading!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Great Deal
Sunday evening the Cardinals ended a six game homestand. As a promotional deal, they offered a limited number of Outfield Loge Seats at a discount--$6 off for each win of the homestand. Since they won 5 of the 6 games the $34 seats went on sale at 9 am this morning for just $4 each. They were only available online and each buyer was limited to 4 tickets. The tickets are for the series with the Houston Astros on the 25th-27th.
I did manage to score 4 tickets in the section next to Big Mac Land for the afternoon game on Thursday. I can't wait. There are not a lot of things that I enjoy more than an afternoon at the ballpark with friends.
Go Cardinals!
John <><
Monday, August 17, 2009
Get Some Sleep--You're Grounded
Well there is a new development in the continuing saga of an airtraffic controller with sleep apnea.
Since the "wakefulness test" that I recently took didn't include a stimulant screen test (including caffeine) I have to retake it. Also, my 4 hours and 11 minute per night average of using my CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machine is not "aeromedically acceptable" according to Central Region Flight Surgeon, Dr. Wilson.
I tried to explain to him that I don't usually sleep more than 4-6 hours per night and that when working mid shifts, I basically sacrifice a night's sleep to get back on a normal schedule. I gave him an example from this past week:
Wednesday night bedtime about midnight.
Thursday--up at 4 am, work 5:30 am to 1:30 pm. Late in the evening, I took an hour long nap then went back to work at 10:30 pm.
Friday--get off work from the mid shift at 6:30 am. Once home I chill for a bit in front of the TV, have a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. I doze off on the sofa and miss 45 minutes of the movie that was on. Then I'm on the computer for a little bit before taking a shower. After that it's out the door to get gas for the lawn mower. I mow the lawn, work in the yard tearing out some overgrown landscaping and finish my day pretty much the same way everybody else does--dinner with the family, watch the Cardinals win another baseball game, read for a bit, play on the computer and a slightly earlier than usual bedtime of around midnight.
Having pretty much missed a night's sleep, I slept until 7 am on Saturday morning. I had a morning meeting with the American Christian Writers and a pretty normal kind of day. We met some friends for dinner and they came over to the house until about 10 pm. Then I watched some UFC fights with Aaron until a little after 11 pm.
I worked for one of the other controllers on Sunday morning from midnight until 8 am. When I got home, I showered, changed and went to church. After church, we went out for lunch and then came home and watched the Cardinal's ballgame until they went into a rain delay after 7 innings. I slept from 4 pm to 6 pm and was up a few minutes before company arrived for dinner.
I will say that I went to bed early Sunday night--about 10:30 and slept until 7 this morning.
Now if you total the sleep from Wednesday night through Sunday night/Monday morning (five nights) it comes out to less than 24 hours...and that's counting the 8.5 hours from Sunday night. If you throw out the 8.5 hours (since that woiuld be a "normal" night's sleep), you have about 15 hours in four nights. Truthfully, I just don't sleep that much. Besides, if 4 hours of sleep is not "aeromedically acceptable," I would think that most controllers across the country would need to use sick leave for all of the 8-10 hour turns that we do on a weekly basis.
The end result is that I'm medically disqualified until I retake the wakefulness test with the stimulant screen (including caffeine--which is stupid since you can drink coffee, tea or colas at work).
While all of this might bring comfort to the flying public (yes, the FAA is really concerned about your safety...either that or they're just covering their legal butts), the sad truth is that far too many controllers refuse to seek medical help for this dangerous illness because of all of the hoops you have to jump through once you have a medical diagnosis and are receiving treatment.
But don't worry. I'm used to this kind of thing...it's all a part of working for the federal government.
John <><
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sorting Out the Trash & Guilty as Charged
Late last night I was taking some time to delete the abundance of old e-mails that have accumulated in my inbox. (Because of the ridiculous amount of storage on G-mail, this isn't really necessary.)
However in doing so I ran across an e-mail from a couple of weeks ago that really nailed me. I subscribe to the postings from James Emery White on Serious Times. This one is titled Of Bitter Blogs. You'll quickly see why the second part of my title today is Guilty as Charged. Isn't it odd--the things that we think we can say because we have the inside scoop on how God feels about a given people group or situation?
At first glance, this may seem like another post that is directed at others--it is not. It is a post that hit me...hard. The human part of me wants to say that I am justified in sharing my feelings on my blog. Freedom of Speech--right? But if one were to apply the once popular WWJD (What would Jesus do?), some how I think that I would have a very difficult time debating with Jesus the merits of my post. The Bible teaches things that are quite different from our human instincts. Things like--loving our enemies, giving our coat as well as our shirt, going farther than the law requires, respecting authority, having the attitude of a servant.
I know that I have (on more than one occasion) said that I need to quit blogging about politics. I think that I'll make the commitment to quit blogging in a hateful or hurtful manner--no matter what the topic is. That way I can freely express myself--I'll just have to choose my words more carefully.
John <><
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