Harass-Away

Recently, I have had the opportunity to be involved in discussions related to harassment.  Harassment can take many forms - sexual, racial, religious, cultural, intimidation...

Through many life experiences, I have developed a zero-tolerance threshold for harassment in any way, shape, or form.  When the subject of harassment comes up, suddenly, people take the "walking on eggshells" approach to dealing with the issue. 

I say, Hogwash!  If you live your every day life cognizant of the impact that your words and actions can have on others, and internalize your values, then there should rarely (never say never :o) be any issue with the potential for harassment. 

One life lesson is to treat others as you would be treated.  How true.  I attempt to keep a positive attitude, to be optimistic versus pessimistic (I almost always can find the silver lining), to  make my humor not personally directed, to not use disparaging phrases, and to be aware of others.  My natural interaction style is low key and participative. 

If you internalize your values, attempt to be positive, and to truly care for others, then harassment should be a word that you can eliminate from your vocabulary.

So, practice the Golden Rule and help eliminate harassment.

Tags: Harassment, Golden Rule, Values, blogplugs

Buyer Beware

Scammers are Targeting Economic Stimulus Checks
 
The Texas State Attorney General's office is receiving reports of scammers sending unsolicited e-mails and phone calls following President Bush’s signing of the Economic Stimulus bill.  
 
Several incidents have been reported regarding unsolicited e-mails and phone calls from purported IRS agents claiming that the taxpayers are eligible for "Bush refunds."  
 
The intent of the scam is to get you to reply with Social Security numbers and bank accounts for direct deposit.  They are trying to steal your identity!

To get a rebate, you must file a 2007 tax return and have a valid Social Security number. If you already filed your 2007 return, the IRS says you do not need to do anything extra.

The IRS will send out rebates — by mail or by direct deposit into your bank account — through the late spring and the summer. The rebates come in addition to any regular tax refund.

Delete these emails from your inbox.  Protect your identity.  Do not provide any personal information over the phone or in an email! 

We received the above information from our IT Department, so be assured that the concern and issue is real.  Please make sure you protect your information.  One of the things we have done is purchased a small shredding machine so that we can ensure that no account numbers make it to the garbage or recycling (we had my credit card number stolen and more than $1000 charged against it before we could get the account closed.  We did get a credit for most of it, but it did cost us more than $300 dollars).  :o)   

Tags: Scammers, IRS

Blilnd Spot - Be Gone!

Have you ever wondered how to get rid of your side-view mirror’s blind spot?  Here is what State Farm recommends.  Thanks Lee.
 
To adjust the left side mirror, place your cheek against the side window and adjust the mirror until you can just barely see the left side of your car.  To adjust the right mirror, sit in the center of the front seat and move the mirror until you can barely see the right side.  Once you’ve done that, you won’t be able to see either side of your own car while sitting in your driver’s seat.  But the important thing is you’ll be able to see cars approaching from your rear on either side.  The vehicles will be in your side-view mirrors before they leave your rear view mirror.  And they’ll be in your peripheral vision before they leave your side-view mirrors.
 
I have done the above and it does work.  So I recommend you give it a try. It does take a little getting used to, but well worth it to avoid an accident.  Stay Safe :o)  

Tags: blind spot, safety

Kitty Prize (Mouse-In-The-House I)

When I got up this morning I noticed something by our shoe rack.  Upon closer examination, our kitty had left us a prize, he had been mousing during the night.  He got lots of praise and multiple scratches behind his ears.  As for the prize, it is in the yard where hopefully our local hawk will have a snack.

I am just thankful that this time he left his prize in plain view.  A year or so ago, I went to put on a pair of shoes, and found his prize with my toes, still makes me smile :o) 

Hope you have a prizeless day!

Tags: Kitty

Sweet Saturday

I awoke this morning at about 7:30, toasty warm under the covers, energized for a Saturday off after a long week.  I practically leapt out of bed, immediately got dressed and made the bed. 

A quick look at the thermometer showed that it was a brisk 16 degrees outside.  I donned my winter jacket and gloves, and headed out to forage for the morning paper.  My breath sent puffs of steam into the air as I carefully sidestepped the ice patches in the driveway, the frozen snow and ice crunching loudly in the morning stillness.  When I returned to the house, my glasses quickly fogged up, and I gingerly made my way to the coat rack. After reading the morning paper and savoring my morning coffee, I headed off to run some errands. 

As I started Blacky, I smiled at the throaty roar of the GT starting up.  I popped in the new Kid Rock CD and smiled as I thought of the recent discovery by Beth that "Amen" was by Kid Rock (thanks Indigo).  Turns out that the album is very good (sorry, still think of the entire CD as an album).  As I filled the gas tank, I left the door open and was moving with the music :o)

My first encounter of the day was at the post office.  The postal clerk was very friendly and full of smiles.  As I mailed my Mom's taxes of to her, I thanked the clerk and wished her a great day :o)

My second encounter was getting a haircut.  As I sat in the chair and she was plying her trade, I was uncomfortable with the silence.  I asked whether the new nearby shopping plaza had impacted her business.   Such a simple question, asking another how they are doing and showing that you care, resulted in fifteen minutes of non-stop chatter from her.  I learned that men are more loyal to hair stylists than women are, and that women are more likely to switch do save a few bucks, all of which I found surprising.  I left her a healthy tip and was rewarded with a warm smile as I left the store.

I also exchanged warm smiles with the clerks at the hardware and grocery stores.  It never ceases to amaze me how simple it is to connect with another through a smile, and very rare is it to not be returned :o)

My last encounter was at home as the DirectTV installer was getting ready to switch satellite dishes for us (we got the HD compatible dish today, so now the Food Network is in HD :o)  I spent the next 45 minutes chatting with Henry, the installation technician.  He saw the Mustang in the garage and proceeded to tell me about his 1998 convertible GT, green with tan colored seats and top, with only 55,000 miles on it - he really is proud of his car.  He gets paid by the job, and only needed to swap dishes (less than 30 minutes), so he was in a great mood.

So, hopefully you see, I had a great day today.  So why make this entry, which is a change from my normal type of entries?  It is simple really - it is to say Thank You to J-Land.  Reading your entries and comments has inspired me to be more aware of others and to seek to interact in a positive way with them.  This is a benefit of starting this Journal that I never expected.  Here is hoping you a sweet day, with many encounters that bring smiles to others and to you!

 

Tags: Smiles, J-Land, Blogplugs, Mustang

Be Thankful, Things Can Always Be Worse

I had the opportunity to spend some quality time listening to a co-worker tonight.  Last week, she was faced with a life threatening situation for her sister, that spilled over to her own family.  Now, they have to deal with the aftermath.  The good thing is that nobody from her family was physically hurt, only the individual who caused the situation.  I pray for her and her family.  I also hope that all of you are doing well and that life is good for you. :o)

As an added thought, along the lines of my previous entry challenging if you care enough.  Tonight, while leaving work, I stopped at one of our out buildings where a friend of mine was still working (5:30 PM), I walked into his office, and asked him to stand up.  I gave him a big hug, and told him that I am there for him.  He lost his father very recently, and today was his first day back in the office.  Do not just think about showing you care, stop and show it!

Time For Change in America?

I think America is ready to punish those who are all about negative campaigning.  Even as a staunch Republican, I am turned off by the start of negative comments and attitude coming from McCain toward Obama.  In order for our country to start our next phase, we need hope and cooperation, not more stridency and negativity.  So lets "hope" that both parties can compete on who can be the most positive and provide the best picture of our next four years, and not who will be the worst for the next four years.  IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE. God Bless America.

Tags: Obama, Change, Negativity

Who Could You Have Helped Today?

We all have opportunities, each and every day, to help others.  The question is, do you stay in your comfort zone, or do you move outside that zone?  Do you allow yourself some discomfort in order to help another or to better someone else's life?  The following poem, while dealing with safety, is applicable and adoptable to many situations.  So next time, when the thought to say something to help another occurs, act on it, even if it makes you uncomfortable.  This is what giving forward is all about :o)

I could have saved a life today

 

I could have saved a life today,

But I chose to look the other way.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care,

I had the time, and I was there.

But I didn’t want to seem a fool,

Or argue over a safety rule.

 

I knew he’d done the job before,

If I called it wrong, he might get sore.

The chances didn’t seem that bad,

I’ve done the same, he knew I had.

So I shook my head and walked on by,

He knew the risks as well as I.

He took the chance, I closed an eye,

And with that act, I let him die.

 

I could have saved a life today,

But I chose to look the other way.

Now every time I see his wife,

I’ll know I should have saved his life.

That guilt is something I must bear,

But it isn’t something you need to share.

 

If you see a risk that others take,

That puts their health or life at stake.

The question asked, or thing you say,

Could help them live another day.

If you see a risk and walk away,

Then hope you never have to say,

 

I could have saved a life today,

But I chose to look the other way.

Do you care enough?

Tags: Care, Life, Comfort Zone, blogplugs

Protect Your Privacy

Two excellent locations to guard your personal information.

Do-not-call-registry: call 888-382-1222 from the phone you wish to register, or visit donotcall.gov

Stop prescreened credit offers by calling 888-5OPTOUT or registering on optoutprescreen.com

Last June, just as we were leaving on vacation, I got a call from American Express asking about some questionable activity.  It was clear that my card information had been compromised.  We were able to get a replacement, and our damage was minimized.  We now have protection and monitoring in place.

In todays information age, please make sure you protect yourself :o)

Tags: Personal Information, OptOut, Do Not Call

Retirement Planning - Already Started :o)

RETIREMENT PLANNING FOR 2008

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg Plan.

Now that is the Nutwood Plan to a "T" :o)

How Do I Love Thee

Valentine's Day is a wonderful day if you are subtle.  We start and end every day with meaningful "I Love You."  So when 2/14 rolls around, there is not much to be said.  Today's target was the "stupid birds."  Beth really loves her birdwatching, and [take note, only once per year will I admit this], and we really love our bird feeding rituals. So today she got two new feeders and some birdseed. 

You may say that that does not sound that romantic, but romance is all about understanding your partner.  Eventhough I tease about the "stupid birds", that is because I am Bucko, it is what I do.  But I know how much my bride loves those little critters, and so, that is why my focus today was to give her pleasure in an area that is important to her.  So when she is doing her backyard birdcount on Sunday, I will know that I am there with her.

So, Happy Valentine's Day Baby, I love you with all my heart (LUWAMH). :o)

Tags: Valentine'sm Day, Birds, Birdcount

Storm Worm Virus

From FBI website- Cyber Investigations Division

STORM WORM VIRUS

02/11/08—With the Valentine's Day holiday approaching, be on the lookout for spam e-mails spreading the Storm Worm malicious software (malware). The e-mail directs the recipient to click on a link to retrieve the electronic greeting card (e-card). Once the user clicks on the link, malware is downloaded to the Internet-connected device and causes it to become infected and part of the Storm Worm botnet. A botnet is a network of compromised machines under the control of a single user. Botnets are typically set up to facilitate criminal activity such as spam e-mail, identity theft, denial of service attacks, and spreading malware to other machines on the Internet.

The Storm Worm virus has capitalized on various holidays in the last year by sending millions of e-mails advertising an e-card link within the text of the spam e-mail. Valentine's Day has been identified as the next target.

Be wary of any e-mail received from an unknown sender. Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and do not click on any links provided.

Tags: Computer Virus

Do You Walk The Talk?

Today, we had a safety stand down at my job.  The reason for our safety stand down was that we are concerned that our next injury might be a fatality.  Our OSHA Injury rate was 0.28 and our severity index was 15.3.  What that means is that we had a lot of injuries, and that several of them were lost time - someone was out of work for an extended period of time.

During our last refueling outage, we had a major injury where a worker had a 300 pound device dropped on her, and she ended up with broken bones and internal injuries.  We could see her injuries on our video monitors in the Outage Command Center, and I have to tell you, that is an image that is forever burned into my memory.  Prior to that, I had been blessed to not have witnessed major injuries or accidents.  My goal is to return to that blessing, and not have to see another person seriously injured.

After the stand down, we had a group meeting to discuss what we would all be doing differently.  The bottom line, is do we Walk the Talk.  Our safety guiding principles are that All Injuries Are Preventable and Leadership Is Responsible for Safety.  As we all discussed, you need to internalize the fact that injuries are preventable, and we are all leaders.  So, we are all responsible for safety. 

During my 45 minute drive home tonight, I contemplated how this fits into our everyday life.  I know that at home, I do not always wear gloves when working outside, do not wear hearing protection when using yard equipment (lawn mower, string trimmer, etc.), and often venture out into our poison ivy without long pants on.  These are conscious choices, eventhough I know better.

So, in your everyday life, whether at work or personally, do you do things that you know do not meet your own standards?  Do you internalize the values and principles that are important to you?  Do you practice these behaviors (behaviors are key to this message by the way)?  Do you practice the values and principles that are important to you in front of others (whether this is co-workers or your children)? 

One example we all could relate to was wearing seat belts.  When the law first came out, it was not a normal or comfortable behavior.  Most of us would always strap in our children, but did we, in the early days, always buckle in ourselves? But the first time one of our children asks us - are you going to do your belt Daddy/Mommy?, we truly understand the message we are sending. 

So take a moment to reflect, what message are you sending to others with your behaviors?  Have you truly internalized your values and principles? Do you Walk the Talk?

Tags: Safety, Seat Belts, blogplugs

Wow, thanks Beth, what an inspirational video.  I watched it twice, and you needed Kleenex both times.  We are watching history unfold.  Congratulations to Barack for having a clean sweep this weekend.  We were just watching 60 minutes, which gave equal time to both Hillary and Barack.  What a difference, he is eloquent and soft spoken, and she is, well, a Clinton :o)

As I have said before, it will be a tough choice if it is McCain and Obama.  In either case, I believe we will be on a new path, one of inclusiveness and honesty.

Whatever you do, VOTE!

 

Tags: Obama, Vote

Organic Roses

You still have time to send your sweetheart organic Valentine’s Day flowers. Flowers offered by our partner Organic Bouquet are grown and harvested using practices that aim to improve the quality of farm working conditions, minimize damage to ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and enhance environmental quality for future generations. When you choose to use our special link to send Valentine’s Day flowers and gifts, you’ll be sharing your passion for environmental conservation with your lovebird. You’ll also directly help to protect the Earth’s last great places as 10% of your total purchase will be donated to The Nature Conservancy. And as a special thank you for all you do for conservation, when you use one of the special links in this email to send either the Classic Red Roses or Pink Perfection Rose bouquet, your Valentine will also receive three gourmet Swiss organic truffles in a heart-shaped box courtesy of Organic Bouquet. You won’t see the special gourmet Swiss organic truffle offer until you add an eligible item to the basket and continue to the pre-checkout order summary page. Send roses with free Swiss gourmet truffles now. Thanks for everything you do for conservation each and every day. p.s. Don’t delay! Place your order today to ensure you’ll get February 14th on-time Valentine’s Day delivery. Photos: Organic roses. Photo courtesy Organic Bouquet; Yangtze River in Shigu, Lijiang, China. Photo © Dou Weiyang; Emperor Penguins, Antarctica © Douglas K. Fryett.

Tags: Valentine's Day, Organic Roses

SAW V

SAW V - Filming on Saw V begins in Toronto on March 17.  Yippe :o)

We love this series, it is creepy, but not a slasher movie.  However, I have to admit that there is quite a bit of gore. 

If you have the stomach, click the picture below <evil laughter>

Tags: Saw, Toronto

Free Rice Site Helps Ease World Hunger

I mentioned this cause previously here in J-Land after visiting  http://journals.aol.co.uk/pharmolo/NorthernTrip/entries/2008/01/24/free-rice/5759

Below is part of an article that was in our local paper. How cool that this is new and is having such a great impact. 

John Breen displays a handful of rice in his Bloomington, Ind., office. Breen helped start a Web site, www.freerice.com, which donates rice to people in developing countries when viewers get words correct while  playing a vocabulary game.

Free Rice site helps ease world hunger

-It may seem like a scam, but it's not.

MIKE LEONARD
The Herald-Times

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- John Breen laughed when told that his Free Rice Web site is a current topic of interest on several Internet sites that vet "Internet hoaxes and urban legends."

Free money from Microsoft's Bill Gates? Millions from a Nigerian prince for just a little assistance in transferring funds? Free rice to feed the world by simply playing an online vocabulary game?

Sound the buzzer on the first two. False. Too good to be true. But say, "cha-ching!" to the third. Yes, you can donate rice, at no out-of-pocket costs to you, and help feed impoverished people in Africa and Asia through Breen's site at www.freerice.com.

Since its start-up on Oct. 7, more than 16 billion grains of rice have been donated. That'senough to feed 700,000 people for a day. And asthe Bloomington-based software programmer pointed out, the program has only just begun.

It's helped that National Public Radio, the CBS Evening News and BBC Radio are among the national and international news organizations to run with stories about the free rice program. "It is nice to get that kind of notice," Breen said. "What it's meant is that the program has grown a lot faster than I thought it would."

Tags: Free Rice

Only Once, Will I Ever Say....You Go Girl!

Hillary, even though I would rather become anorexic than see you in the White House, I applaud you for reining in your man!

Bill Clinton says he's learned a lesson about his role in his wife's campaign.

 

Tags: Clinton, Go Girl

A Rose is Not a Rose

Before you buy a rose for your sweetheart this Valentines Day, ask a few questions and do a little research.  Certified roses will be as common place in the next decade as indoor smoking has become today.

The information is courtesy of Audubon, Jan-Feb 2008.  "Long the symbol of love, irresistible desire, and ephemeral beauty, the prickliest of flowers has never been so popular, so lucrative - or so toxic for the environment.  But enterprising growers and marketers are working to turn the red rose green."

Every year Americans by about 1.5 billion roses, almost all of them from Latin America.  Flowers have become the third pillar of Ecuador's economy, behind only oil and bananas. Yet virtually every rose is really an industrial product treated with pesticides and fungicides by a commercial farm before making its way to your local flower shop.  When was the last time you bought a flower with brown leaves and with holes in the petals?

A 2007 study by the International Labor Rights Fund and the U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project (LEAP) found that Ecuadoran flower companies use 30 different pesticides, and that 20 percent of the chemicals applied in flower production are restricted or banned in the U.S. and Europe.

Buying a certified rose shows you care not only for a sweetheart but also for the environment and the health of rose workers.  Certified (Organic meaning that they use no pesticides, or Sustainable meaning that minimal chemicals and both ecological and social considerations are made) flower farms have been established in California, Ecuador, and Columbia.  While less than one percent of all roses sold are certified roses, this will change with help from all of us.

So sweetheart, if you do not get roses next Thursday, you know the reason why :o) 

Tags: Ecuador, Rose, Certified, blogplugs

Science Scene - Go Green

How do we knock off mailbox clutter? [Courtesy of NWF]

Developed by NWF, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Ecology Center, Catalog Choice aims to improve the efficiency of catalog distribution by reducing the number of repeat and unsolicited mailings - benefiting the environment in the process.

The groups behind Catalog Choice estimate that some 53 million trees are harvested annually to produce the 19 billion catalogs currently mailed to Americans.  The process of making and shipping the catalogs contributes 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Catalog Choice has signed up more than 280,000 consumers in the last two months, who have declined nearly 3.5 million catalogs. 

To learn more, visit www.catalogchoice.org.

 

Tags: Catalogs, Carbon Dioxide

Science Scene

As I continue to evolve my journal, I will R&D my topics.  In my edge of the world, R&D stands for "Rip Off & Duplicate".  So, with that in mind, I R&D the Music Moment from Beth and establish the Science Second.  [Editorial Note: I am not completely happy with this title, as it implies minimal information.  So I hereby solicit ideas on a better name].  The next morning: I decided to change the title to Science Scene. :o)

Today's Science Scene comes via the National Wildlife Federation.  The subject is the demise of the shark.  While at first blush, many might say good riddance, but that would be rash (and most likely a shudder moment if JAWS came to mind).  The reality is that the mean for human deaths due to shark attacks, in the entire world, is 4.2 per year.  The number of sharks killed, often for their fins which are considered a delicacy, is 73 million per year! 

Again, some might say so what!  In North Carolina, the bay scallop has basically been eliminated.  Since the number of sharks off the United States coasts has declined dramatically, the cownose (yes, cownose, look closely at the picture below) has increased 20 fold to approximately 40 million.  They have decimated the scallop population.  Oysters could be next.

Always remember that our world is an ecosystem, and changes, however benign they may seem, may have far reaching consequences.

Tags: NWF, National Wildlife Federation, Shark, Bay Scallop

Super Tuesday

What a country we live in.  What makes us great, democracy, the ability to speak our minds, to have differing opinions and to voice them (often boisterously), also makes us look like the ugly Americans we often are (just look at our standing in the world, and the approval ratings of Congress and our President). 

So tonight, we are watching the election results because this really is different from what we are used to; no republican incumbent, a woman and an African American on the democratic side, the potential to end the "dynasty" era, and the largest potential youth vote in history.  On the flip side (how appropriate for a political entry :o)), both parties have resorted to negative ads and campaigns.  They all claim to be agents of change, but they are also all following the recent pattern of negativity to make themselves look better. 

So here is hoping that after the evening ends, that the negativity will also end.  That as a country we can start to focus on our problems, our issues, and our future, for all of us - young and old, republican and democrat, rich and poor, Caucasian and non-Caucasian, insured and non-insured, and the list goes on......

Tags: Super Tuesday, Vote

ELI, MVP

Wow, what a great Superbowl.  The Giants pull one out at the end.  I am so glad that we do not have to hear about the Patriots being the greatest of all time for the next 10-20 years.  Go Giants. :o)

Happy Birthday LEGO

I was reading today in Time Magazine that LEGO's are 50 years old.  Since I am 45 years old, I did not realize that I was on the forefront of the Lego revolution.  I know that I loved playing with them when I was little, and marveled and was ecstatic when wheels, windows, and doors came out. 

Now, with a 16 year old son, who loved Lego's as much as I did growing up, I have been amazed with the changes.  They have full replicas of buildings, vehicles, Star Wars, and ..... (the list goes on). 

Today, you can even get programmable Lego's, and make robots.  What an era we live in.  May our innocence and love of the simple and playful never waiver.

Tags: Lego's

That's Just Obscene

What a change, watching (actually more listening) to golf early in the morning.  The Dubai Desert Classic is on, and Tiger was leading by one going into today's round.  Alas, he had a bad day and goes into tomorrow down by four. 

One of the shots that Tiger made early on  was from sand, under palm fronds, and toward the green.  When he hit the shot, using all of his might, the announcer stated "That's Just Obscene."

So why did I reference that quote???  Well, two fold. 

One, someone said that to me on Thursday when I was discussing our long range planning processes here at Nutwood, and the fact that six years ago we had a major milestone identified, and that we were going to miss it by two weeks; it would be 4/15/08 versus the original 3/31/08 date.  He actually said, "That's Obscene". 

Second, I actually started Christmas shopping today, and I know that that is hard for some to imagine.  I shop all year long, which helps eliminate year end stress and also helps levelize the budget. 

So, happy holidays to all. :o)

Tags: Budgetg,Long Range Planning, Christmas Shopping, Tiger Woods