X is…

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  Much has been said about George W. Bush setting the all time record for vacation days as a sitting president.  That’s something.  More than Reagan.

The opposition argues that Bush is still working while in Crawford by getting debriefed and staying abreast of what’s going on in the world (read watches Fox News), and he has all of his advisers still in Washington to get the important stuff done.

I understand all this, but it is an indication of his leadership style.  He doesn’t give a rat’s ass, period.  There have been many studies over the last several years about the shrinking vacation in America.  That people are not taking all their vacation or are sacrificing it because they are too busy or their boss makes them feel bad.  I know people who have had this happen.

Bush also refuses to work weekends or nights.  While people are putting in many hours of overtime around the world, the leader of the free world does not.  He’s the boss, right?

I will now compare him to my boss.  My team has been putting in many hours of overtime the past couple weeks and that will continue for another week or two.  Quarter end push by a major corporation that doesn’t really care what kind of impact they put on the people.  I am very thoughtful of this and come in to work the same hours my team does daily.  I work the weekend at no pay because I am salaried.  It’s a team.

My boss, on the other hand, ensures that he always has a reason to take the saturday off.  In fact, he generally leaves early the friday before.  Not a way to rally morale.  In fact, all he’s really done is create a complete lack of respect.  He’s put himself above the job and team.  If somebody needs to go home early or wants time off, he makes them feel guilty for it, and then leaves himself without letting anybody know.

Maybe, like Bush, my boss has earned it.  He tells me so all the time.  He argues that he’s spent enough time working late and that he is justified in getting out of work (several people on my team are older, by the way).

I think that the next time my boss wants to motivate the team to get something done, he’ll be met with less support than he has seen in the past.

And while Bush continues to fight against bringing the troops home, even for a slightly longer vacation, he finds it tougher and tougher to motivate the people to finish the job.  If he gets a little extra time away from the office, then so should the people who report to him.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Results of a survey were reported last week in which they asked people about the Constitution.  You know, the document that the current Administration has been pissing on for almost seven years.  The results of the survey were quite interesting.

Granted, this was published in the opinions section, but was geared toward what the Constitution actually meant and what people interpret it as today.  People are always referring to what the “founding fathers” intended and what they would think of society today.

I hear often that the founding fathers mention “one nation under God” or some other reference.  There is no mention; people just get their documents mixed up.

WASHINGTON — Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the nation’s founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation and 55% believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation, according to the “State of the First Amendment 2007” national survey released today by the First Amendment Center.

I am always amazed when I see numbers like that.  A majority of Americans think that the writers of the Constitution were trying to outline a document that allowed for us to be a Christian nation while granting freedom of religion at the same time.

Instead of Christian nation, it may need to be ignorant nation.  Only 19% of respondents could even name freedom of religion as a first amendment right.  And 16% named freedom of press.  I was wondering where those were going?

There was a majority, 58%, who believe teachers and other public officials should be allowed to lead prayers in school.  So it’s OK to make me feel uncomfortable?  Respondents were asked if the Bible should be allowed as a piece of literature in class and 80% agreed, while 50% said the Bible should be allowed to be used as factual text.  Christian nation.

Full results.

* 97% said the right to practice the religion of your choice is essential or important, but only 56% said freedom of religion applies to all religious groups.

I can practice my religion, and that is important, but you cannot practice yours.

Nation of hypocrites.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Part of what drives me to be an atheist is my lack of desire to belong to something. I don’t need others’ approval for my way of life or way of thinking. I know there is strength in numbers, but we really don’t believe in the right kind of numbers. We do not, and never have, sought numbers.

A classic song by John Lennon mentions religion in Imagine and also suggests that the world would be better if there were no country. I feel that the countries hold us up from progress. Some may suggest that the competitive nature of humans combined with countries, or teams, creates more progress. I simply disagree.

Nationalism is to politics what religion is to philosophy. I don’t find that either serves any real purpose. Instead, we have created a world of sheep.

Serj has a new album coming out. I’ve put the video for the first single here.

Serj put out Unthinking Majority, and you can see that video here.

Apparently, he is having every song on the new album, Elect the Dead, turned into a video. Take that Pearl Jam. Serj realizes that in order to get a point across, visuals are more persuasive. Likely. If he can get people to watch.

I would like to post here some of the words that he put under his Unthinking Majority video. Similar to Lennon, he doesn’t see the value in borders and flags.

Borders are the gallows of our collective national egos.
Subjective lines in the sand, water and air are separating plants, animals, and atmosphere.
Fear! Fear is the cause of separation for this imposed illusion, this cordoned off space from pre-birth.
When we run out of borders, we reach infinity and unity.
As for flags, they’re much less useful than toilet paper.
No one has been caused distress by running out of flags.
They become useful in times of crisis and unjust manipulative coercions pitting the victim against the victor or vice-versa.
Neoliberal globalism is failing due to its underlying imperial ambitions and the discoveries of those sinister ulterior motives.
So the ambitions have reawakened for “democracy promotion,” in the past few years.
In real terms, that means promoting democracy if and only if it serves imperial ambitions.
How about we create a real democracy right here and now!
Let’s allow the people to vote for or against a pre-emptive war, universal healthcare, expansion of social security, the Kyoto Protocol, the International Criminal and World Courts, and the role of the United Nations in interventions and reconstruction of devastated lands. Let’s vote for how we want our taxes to be spent, directly.
Major referendums discussed and debated thoroughly representing all sides of each issue on television.
All empires represent the aristocracy in their imperial ambitions, not the general populace!
Also in dire need is a true democracy of nations.

Words to consider.

Popularity: 40% [?]

I often view the world as I do a used car lot.

I am responsible for hiring and staffing my little piece of the business world.  I usually do so through temporary agencies as I get to “test drive” workers before I hire them.  Fortunately, they get to do the same for me and my company.  By the time we get to the hiring stage, it’s pretty well understood what is expected.

I am in the process of hiring six people right now, or about one-fifth my staff.

As I finalize the deal with the people I am hiring, I often think of those that I could not hire in the past.  Maybe a position did not open up in time or it took too long or whatever.  It happens.  I really would like to hire a person or they would really like to work for me, but we just don’t get to work it out.

Used car lot.

When I shop for a car I almost always go used.  It’s better if I don’t need a car.  Then I can be more picky.  It’s better if the car I really want is available when I want one, but it doesn’t always work out.

xisrandom

x= car

x= worker

I only get to choose from what’s available when I need it.

I think I am hiring some good people right now.  Only time will tell.

I think I would have hired good people before, but circumstance weren’t right.  Time would have told then.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Sometimes luck is good and sometimes it is bad.

Dad died on this day one year ago.

It’s also my aunt’s birthday.

Luck is strange.

Popularity: 14% [?]