What in the world has happened to the Oakland Raiders? One time THE most feared team in the NFL and the winningest franchise of the major sports, the Raiders are now a joke. No matter how you felt about the Raiders, you respected their fierce competitiveness and their powerful presence.
Even as a Dallas Cowboys fan, I always rooted for the men in the silver and black in the Super Bowl. I loved watching Stabler, Biletnikoff, Tatum, Atkinson, and later Marcus Allen and Ronnie Lott terrorize their opposition. They were mean, nasty, and could always find a way to win.
So, what's their problem? Simple...two words--Al Davis. The maverick's time has come and gone. He was the face that changed the game and brought respectability to a fledgling American Football League and gave the new AFC legitimacy as a superpower team that perennially challenged for the League's World Championship. Davis was disliked and feared by his fellow owners and always danced to his own tune. "A Commitment to Excellence" wasn't just the Raiders' credo, but it was a way of life for Davis and his beloved team.
Contrast that fiery past to the shell of a team the Raiders are today. Davis should have stepped down years ago. His judgment is suspect and he has turned the Raiders head coaching position into a job few, if any, want. His ego continues to impede his decision-making. The team has become secondary to Davis' self-serving attitude and that's a travesty to the honor and storied history of one of the greatest franchises in all of sport.
If I were a die-hard Raiders fan I wouldn't pay the price of admission to watch what Al Davis has done. It might just be time for the NFL to intervene, much the way Major League Baseball did with Reds' owner Marge Schott, and politely ask Davis to either pass the torch or sell the team.
As a lover of football, I hate seeing any great team go through the mass destruction the Raiders has suffered. One can only hope Davis will do the right thing and put the needs of his team and the league ahead of his own.
That's my football rant for the day.
TFR
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
I'm a Runner
I'm a runner. I didn't say I'm always a SMART runner, but I run, nonetheless. Take today. I decide to go running/hiking at our local wildlife center. It was warm, but breezy, so I figured "Eh, it won't be bad if I hydrate well." Sure. I strapped on my hydration pack and hosed myself with bug spray and hit the trail.
Halfway through, it's not too bad and I'm trying to keep myself hydrated. By the end of the run, and all the hills I've climbed, I'm a bit pooped. It's 83 degrees and I should've stopped when I was ahead and had ran close to two miles. But no, I decide to hit the running path next to the road and run another two miles. Now that was STUPID!
I got home and my temples were pounding a cadence similar to a halftime show at a USC game. So, I slammed as much water and ibuprofen as I could. It took me nearly three hours to cool off and for my heart rate to settle down.
Lesson: Quit running in the heat! Had I waited until 7, it was beautiful out and the sunset was awesome.
Yes, I'm a runner and not just a fat one, but a dumb one, sometimes.
Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I, along with several colleagues, walked with a friend and co-worker who is battling cancer. She's a tough cookie, walking the entire 3.1 miles. We've all helplessly watched as our friend is struggling to survive as the cancer has progressed throughout her body. Still, she keeps a good attitude and continues to work, when she can.
I hate cancer. Almost as much, if not on the same level, as diabetes. Cancer took my grandmother's life and has ended the lives of other family and friends. I pray that events like yesterday's will bring about a quick resolution to a terrible disease.
I hope this post finds everyone well. Tell your friends and family, especially runners, to check me out and leave me a comment.
God bless!
TFR
Halfway through, it's not too bad and I'm trying to keep myself hydrated. By the end of the run, and all the hills I've climbed, I'm a bit pooped. It's 83 degrees and I should've stopped when I was ahead and had ran close to two miles. But no, I decide to hit the running path next to the road and run another two miles. Now that was STUPID!
I got home and my temples were pounding a cadence similar to a halftime show at a USC game. So, I slammed as much water and ibuprofen as I could. It took me nearly three hours to cool off and for my heart rate to settle down.
Lesson: Quit running in the heat! Had I waited until 7, it was beautiful out and the sunset was awesome.
Yes, I'm a runner and not just a fat one, but a dumb one, sometimes.
Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I, along with several colleagues, walked with a friend and co-worker who is battling cancer. She's a tough cookie, walking the entire 3.1 miles. We've all helplessly watched as our friend is struggling to survive as the cancer has progressed throughout her body. Still, she keeps a good attitude and continues to work, when she can.
I hate cancer. Almost as much, if not on the same level, as diabetes. Cancer took my grandmother's life and has ended the lives of other family and friends. I pray that events like yesterday's will bring about a quick resolution to a terrible disease.
I hope this post finds everyone well. Tell your friends and family, especially runners, to check me out and leave me a comment.
God bless!
TFR
Friday, September 26, 2008
How Do They Get Away With It?
Okay, so in my last blog I wrote about work ethic, or America's lack of it. I read Adrienne's comment and it raises a salient point. How can restaurants, convenience stores, superstore death stars, grocery stores, and small businesses get away with providing such blatantly obvious crappy service?
Adrienne's comment was, and I'm paraphrasing, "If we did our jobs that way, we'd be fired." That's exactly right! If I was constantly late to work, sooner or later (sooner), my boss would say "Adios!" What if I kept a parent waiting in the office that had scheduled a conference with me? And I mean waiting for 15, 20, 30 minutes like customers sometimes wait in a restaurant. That parent would be livid and calling for my head! If I called everyone I met in the office "Dude" I'm guessing I'd be in my boss's office, behind closed doors, getting the lecture of my life.
Yet, we'll put up with cruddy service over and over again. To save 18 cents we'll tolerate 2 open check lanes at The Death Star SuperStore and buy that gallon of cheap bleach or that t-shirt that really wasn't made in the U.S.A.
I guess we've grown accustomed to being dumped on in this country. We make allowances for the bad behavior of surfer dude waiter guy who has to clock out to take a dump and then forgot to wash his hands because he couldn't read the sign above the sink that clearly instructs him to do so before returning to work. Then, he goes back, handles our food, we get salmonella and wind up in an understaffed E.R. waiting to be seen in an endless line of people with the sniffles that just happen to have no insurance and the free clinic has closed at 9 so they booked it over to the hospital that is only on your HMO. Nice!
When will we say no? I mean seriously, when? How long are we going to put up with this garbage? Adrienne and I know all too well the genesis of lousy service because we see it in the form of kids that don't care about the quality of their work in the classroom. Then, they take that same attitude into the workforce with them and expect everyone else in the world to continue catering to their every needs the way school did. Anyone with common sense and a strong work ethic knows that just isn't the way it is.
Sadly, we have managers and upper-level management out there that's just as bad. My daughter works in our dump of a mall in the corner bling-bling store or as I call it: "Shiny Sparkles Things-r-Us." My kid hasn't worked there long, but she's already covering for the ineptitude of her manager and general manager. My daughter is often late to work and when I gripe at her about it she says "so what, my boss is always late and doesn't care if I am." There you go. Her boss is just a few years older and has fewer brains. Scary. The GM is only a few years older than the manager and is worse. I think this company is the write-off company for the parent one. A nice tax shelter.
You can see why these behaviors are so pervasive in the workplace. It starts at the top and flows down to us, the customer. So, next time you have to stand in line, or wait forever for a seat in your local chain restaurant, or hear the Jeopardy song playing while Joe is arguing with his girlfriend on his cellphone while you're trying to check out, pitch a major fit. Ask for the big cheese, if you can find him or her. Call the 1-800 number provided on the customer comment card. Gripe, gripe, gripe. Don't let these bozos off the hook.
And do us teachers a favor...demonstrate to your kids what real work looks like. I know, I know, it's not always easy, but at least try. I'm a teacher and have a kid that THINKS it's all right to come in on HER schedule. Show your kids how it's done and we'll do our best, like always, to reinforce that at school.
Good luck and don't get salmonella!
TFR
Adrienne's comment was, and I'm paraphrasing, "If we did our jobs that way, we'd be fired." That's exactly right! If I was constantly late to work, sooner or later (sooner), my boss would say "Adios!" What if I kept a parent waiting in the office that had scheduled a conference with me? And I mean waiting for 15, 20, 30 minutes like customers sometimes wait in a restaurant. That parent would be livid and calling for my head! If I called everyone I met in the office "Dude" I'm guessing I'd be in my boss's office, behind closed doors, getting the lecture of my life.
Yet, we'll put up with cruddy service over and over again. To save 18 cents we'll tolerate 2 open check lanes at The Death Star SuperStore and buy that gallon of cheap bleach or that t-shirt that really wasn't made in the U.S.A.
I guess we've grown accustomed to being dumped on in this country. We make allowances for the bad behavior of surfer dude waiter guy who has to clock out to take a dump and then forgot to wash his hands because he couldn't read the sign above the sink that clearly instructs him to do so before returning to work. Then, he goes back, handles our food, we get salmonella and wind up in an understaffed E.R. waiting to be seen in an endless line of people with the sniffles that just happen to have no insurance and the free clinic has closed at 9 so they booked it over to the hospital that is only on your HMO. Nice!
When will we say no? I mean seriously, when? How long are we going to put up with this garbage? Adrienne and I know all too well the genesis of lousy service because we see it in the form of kids that don't care about the quality of their work in the classroom. Then, they take that same attitude into the workforce with them and expect everyone else in the world to continue catering to their every needs the way school did. Anyone with common sense and a strong work ethic knows that just isn't the way it is.
Sadly, we have managers and upper-level management out there that's just as bad. My daughter works in our dump of a mall in the corner bling-bling store or as I call it: "Shiny Sparkles Things-r-Us." My kid hasn't worked there long, but she's already covering for the ineptitude of her manager and general manager. My daughter is often late to work and when I gripe at her about it she says "so what, my boss is always late and doesn't care if I am." There you go. Her boss is just a few years older and has fewer brains. Scary. The GM is only a few years older than the manager and is worse. I think this company is the write-off company for the parent one. A nice tax shelter.
You can see why these behaviors are so pervasive in the workplace. It starts at the top and flows down to us, the customer. So, next time you have to stand in line, or wait forever for a seat in your local chain restaurant, or hear the Jeopardy song playing while Joe is arguing with his girlfriend on his cellphone while you're trying to check out, pitch a major fit. Ask for the big cheese, if you can find him or her. Call the 1-800 number provided on the customer comment card. Gripe, gripe, gripe. Don't let these bozos off the hook.
And do us teachers a favor...demonstrate to your kids what real work looks like. I know, I know, it's not always easy, but at least try. I'm a teacher and have a kid that THINKS it's all right to come in on HER schedule. Show your kids how it's done and we'll do our best, like always, to reinforce that at school.
Good luck and don't get salmonella!
TFR
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Work Ethic--A Dying Philosophy
If you've shopped at a local mall, eaten at a restaurant, or purchased items at a convenience store perhaps you've noticed how little work ethic the contemporary American worker possesses. How long have you waited for a clerk to get off his or her cellphone before getting service, if you can call it that? Have you sat at a booth at a burger joint only to have your arms stick to the table? And Lord forbid you ask the waiter or waitress to wipe down said table so you can have a clean place to eat.
My friends, welcome to the world of work in the new millennium. We've got too many workers that believe something is owed them, or take the attitude "how dare you expect me to do my job?" Where did all this come from? Us. And when I say "us" I mean whiney, cry-baby, never-lived-through-a-war-or-depression Baby Boomers. Yep, it's our fault. We were born in an era of great economic prosperity and transitioned into one of instant gratification. We raised our kids to believe they were special because they could poop or burp or color an apple purple. Wow! We are the status quo that runs this nation and makes policies and allow our children to get away with murder because we don't want to injure their fragile self-esteem.
Our kids receive awards just for participating. They all get to play in the game, no matter how crappy an athlete they are. They draw art projects we wouldn't wipe our rears with, but we tell them "Oh my, aren't you my little Picasso!" We are liars and have lowered our expectations and now we are reaping our just rewards.
Anyone under the age of 30 wants to show up to work, hang out with latte in hand, do some text-messaging, and "find themselves." Unfortunately, that isn't just limited to age 30 and under. Remarkably, we have a Presidential candidate that is that too.
The modern American worker is on a journey of self-exploration. Work is an abstract concept. Mommy and daddy are held to a higher standard than they hold their kids. I mean, would you or your boss put up with what our kids think we should allow them to get away with on the job? The aforementioned examples of long waits, dirty tables, lousy service, clerks lounging about are so commonplace that we, the consumer, have accepted this behavior.
We've got to get tougher with our kids and teach them they must do more than just show up to work. They must be present and make a contribution. If they want to "find themselves" then they need to it on their own time, not their employers' and certainly not their customers'. We must set the right example for our children and instill within them a sense of pride in a job well done and never settle for halfway. Halfway is no way.
With the impending recession and collapse of the major annuity and financial players of our country, a depression, similar to the 1930's, just might not be a bad idea. It just might galvanize this nation into the superpower it once was. Americans will be forced to quit griping and start working. People that have long mooched off society will have to take a number and stand in line. And maybe, just maybe, our kids and young people will learn it takes sweat, blood, and hardwork to be successful, not cradling an i-Phone and a Starbucks in your well-manicured hands.
That's my rant for the day.
TFR
My friends, welcome to the world of work in the new millennium. We've got too many workers that believe something is owed them, or take the attitude "how dare you expect me to do my job?" Where did all this come from? Us. And when I say "us" I mean whiney, cry-baby, never-lived-through-a-war-or-depression Baby Boomers. Yep, it's our fault. We were born in an era of great economic prosperity and transitioned into one of instant gratification. We raised our kids to believe they were special because they could poop or burp or color an apple purple. Wow! We are the status quo that runs this nation and makes policies and allow our children to get away with murder because we don't want to injure their fragile self-esteem.
Our kids receive awards just for participating. They all get to play in the game, no matter how crappy an athlete they are. They draw art projects we wouldn't wipe our rears with, but we tell them "Oh my, aren't you my little Picasso!" We are liars and have lowered our expectations and now we are reaping our just rewards.
Anyone under the age of 30 wants to show up to work, hang out with latte in hand, do some text-messaging, and "find themselves." Unfortunately, that isn't just limited to age 30 and under. Remarkably, we have a Presidential candidate that is that too.
The modern American worker is on a journey of self-exploration. Work is an abstract concept. Mommy and daddy are held to a higher standard than they hold their kids. I mean, would you or your boss put up with what our kids think we should allow them to get away with on the job? The aforementioned examples of long waits, dirty tables, lousy service, clerks lounging about are so commonplace that we, the consumer, have accepted this behavior.
We've got to get tougher with our kids and teach them they must do more than just show up to work. They must be present and make a contribution. If they want to "find themselves" then they need to it on their own time, not their employers' and certainly not their customers'. We must set the right example for our children and instill within them a sense of pride in a job well done and never settle for halfway. Halfway is no way.
With the impending recession and collapse of the major annuity and financial players of our country, a depression, similar to the 1930's, just might not be a bad idea. It just might galvanize this nation into the superpower it once was. Americans will be forced to quit griping and start working. People that have long mooched off society will have to take a number and stand in line. And maybe, just maybe, our kids and young people will learn it takes sweat, blood, and hardwork to be successful, not cradling an i-Phone and a Starbucks in your well-manicured hands.
That's my rant for the day.
TFR
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Let Him Without Sin
A couple of posts ago I sang the praises of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and now Vice Presidential candidate. Nothing has changed my opinion of her. In fact, the recent news of her 17-year old daughter's out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and Palin's response to it has increased my fondness for her.
As a father, I can only imagine what Mrs. Palin and her husband are experiencing. My guess is they are confident and brave on the outside and crying and devastated on the inside. If one of my daughters were to come home with similar news I'd be crushed. I would be disappointed and probably blame myself for not being a better parent. Well, no matter what we do as parents our kids have brains, albeit small ones sometimes, and they make their own decisions. That is not a reflection of our parenting skills. This 17-year old made the wrong decision and now must face the consequences. I applaud Governor Palin for holding her daughter accountable by ensuring she has the baby and will raise it in the best possible environment she can provide.
I have listened to Democratic pundits on some of the major news networks slam Palin for this recent news. Let him without sin cast the first stone. By the grace of God none of us have kids that became pregnant as the result of poor decision-making. I was no angel as a teen and my guess is most of these so-called "strategists" aren't either.
I believe this latest revelation will do more to help the McCain-Palin ticket than hurt it. It shows all too well the humanness of a public figure and how we are all vulnerable as parents. We can only do our best and then trust our children will do the right thing. Sometimes they don't and they end up pregnant, getting someone pregnant, or worse...dead.
Yes, I'm a Republican, but I'd feel the same way if Chelsea Clinton had gotten pregnant back when Bill was in office. It wouldn't show Bill and Hillary as any better or worse as parents. The fact remains it is a decision that stings even the toughest of families.
So, before you pass judgment on the Palin family, or any others facing similar circumstances, remember we are sinners and make mistakes. In God's eyes, sin is sin. Cut Palin some slack and look past her smiling face and put yourself in her brokenhearted shoes.
TFR
As a father, I can only imagine what Mrs. Palin and her husband are experiencing. My guess is they are confident and brave on the outside and crying and devastated on the inside. If one of my daughters were to come home with similar news I'd be crushed. I would be disappointed and probably blame myself for not being a better parent. Well, no matter what we do as parents our kids have brains, albeit small ones sometimes, and they make their own decisions. That is not a reflection of our parenting skills. This 17-year old made the wrong decision and now must face the consequences. I applaud Governor Palin for holding her daughter accountable by ensuring she has the baby and will raise it in the best possible environment she can provide.
I have listened to Democratic pundits on some of the major news networks slam Palin for this recent news. Let him without sin cast the first stone. By the grace of God none of us have kids that became pregnant as the result of poor decision-making. I was no angel as a teen and my guess is most of these so-called "strategists" aren't either.
I believe this latest revelation will do more to help the McCain-Palin ticket than hurt it. It shows all too well the humanness of a public figure and how we are all vulnerable as parents. We can only do our best and then trust our children will do the right thing. Sometimes they don't and they end up pregnant, getting someone pregnant, or worse...dead.
Yes, I'm a Republican, but I'd feel the same way if Chelsea Clinton had gotten pregnant back when Bill was in office. It wouldn't show Bill and Hillary as any better or worse as parents. The fact remains it is a decision that stings even the toughest of families.
So, before you pass judgment on the Palin family, or any others facing similar circumstances, remember we are sinners and make mistakes. In God's eyes, sin is sin. Cut Palin some slack and look past her smiling face and put yourself in her brokenhearted shoes.
TFR
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Heart of a Runner
For the last year, I've been a member of an incredible site for runners aptly named "The Runners' Lounge." I found this site by accident, but it has been a happy accident, indeed. During my membership, I have made some amazing running friends, like Amy, B.V., and Joy. I look forward to hearing from them in the forum I created known as "The Fat Runners Society."
As a runner of nearly a dozen years, I encounter all sorts of people. Non-runners ask me all the time why in the world I would want to run. There used to be this guy I played fastpitch softball with that always would say, "why run when you can walk...why walk when you can hit a three-run homer." I must admit, prior to becoming a runner I felt the same way. I thought runners were nuts. How could anyone find running fun? But, until you've done it, you'll never know the pleasure of a long run or how quirky a bunch runners can be.
Runners have big hearts. They live big, often right on the very edge of life every day. We have wild and amazing stories of what brought us into the sport. My friend and fellow lounger, BV, inspired today's post. He sent me a message on my forum asking if I was all right after what I wrote in yesterday's blog. I've never met BV, but I share a kinship with him forged in a sport we both love and participate in every day. BV's a runner, but he's more than a runner. He's a man with a big heart or else he wouldn't have asked how I was and if he could help. He even gave me his private email address if I wanted to just "talk." How cool is that?
Running brings people together. No matter the color, creed, financial status, their body type...we all come together as a special group of people sharing a special sport. Our sport isn't necessarily a competitive one like football or soccer. The only competition we have is ourselves. I run to make myself better. I run to live life on the edge. I run to escape a world that is closing in on me and my running brings me closer to the God I love.
Thanks to all you runners out there, large and small, that have big hearts and refuse to live an ordinary life. Be barbaric in everything you do. Make someone smile and maybe bring someone that doesn't run into our fold.
God bless you all with great running!
TFR
As a runner of nearly a dozen years, I encounter all sorts of people. Non-runners ask me all the time why in the world I would want to run. There used to be this guy I played fastpitch softball with that always would say, "why run when you can walk...why walk when you can hit a three-run homer." I must admit, prior to becoming a runner I felt the same way. I thought runners were nuts. How could anyone find running fun? But, until you've done it, you'll never know the pleasure of a long run or how quirky a bunch runners can be.
Runners have big hearts. They live big, often right on the very edge of life every day. We have wild and amazing stories of what brought us into the sport. My friend and fellow lounger, BV, inspired today's post. He sent me a message on my forum asking if I was all right after what I wrote in yesterday's blog. I've never met BV, but I share a kinship with him forged in a sport we both love and participate in every day. BV's a runner, but he's more than a runner. He's a man with a big heart or else he wouldn't have asked how I was and if he could help. He even gave me his private email address if I wanted to just "talk." How cool is that?
Running brings people together. No matter the color, creed, financial status, their body type...we all come together as a special group of people sharing a special sport. Our sport isn't necessarily a competitive one like football or soccer. The only competition we have is ourselves. I run to make myself better. I run to live life on the edge. I run to escape a world that is closing in on me and my running brings me closer to the God I love.
Thanks to all you runners out there, large and small, that have big hearts and refuse to live an ordinary life. Be barbaric in everything you do. Make someone smile and maybe bring someone that doesn't run into our fold.
God bless you all with great running!
TFR
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