The Road Not Taken

This is one of my favorite poems. It gives me the courage to be an individual. It confirms to me to take the occasional (and well thought out) risk. It helps me listen to the "still, small voice". It comforts me when it would take too long to go back, but yet I can't see anything ahead -- the hardest part of a trial.
Perhaps these words will offer you some hope and inspiration too.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.^[1]

Alone in the Car: Raising the Debt Ceiling

The federal government is $14.3 trillion in debt. Someone (I know, but said this deliberately because at this stage does it really matter?) wants to raise the debt limit to $16.8 trillion in debt. Think of your payment plan on your credit card, how much you pay per month, how much goes to interest (which is paid first), and how long it will take you to pay the balance off. You know how hard it is. Now think of $14/16 trillion's interest due and just like you, the government makes payment on the interest. We don't even have money to reduce the original bill.

The rhetoric has been incredible. I don't care if it is coming from the major parties or the minor one. I don't differentiate between them. Can you imagine what excuses any of them used when they didn't hand in a paper on time when they were in high school?

Do you realize the government had a surplus in 2001? The Treasury Department reported a budget surplus for that year of $127 billion, compared with $237 billion for 2000. Granted 2000 was better, but we still had a surplus, the last year we had one. So in 10 years we went from $127 billion in the black to $14.3 trillion in the red. That is quite some spending spree.

I am not here to debate why. Everyone likes to point fingers and usually there is some truth to most. In other words, it is complicated and everyone contributed to the causes. What is most important now is what to do with the problem.

These are very simplified solutions and people smarter than me would have to take these basic concepts and ramp them up a bit, but I think you will get the idea.

1. I don't see too much "on the ground" real information getting through the beltway barricade. So we will just have to make do with what we've got. Make every congressman/woman and their staff work at McDonald's, et.al for a week. There are certainly enough fast food restaurants inside the beltway to make this work. McDonald's is a global company, it is about customer service, it is about logistics and timing, wearing a uniform and working all shifts. Give them real life experiences. Hopefully this will clear out the cobwebs and get them to think of what is important and how to implement a real plan of action.

2. Wipe away the tax code and charge everyone a 10% tax. Poor people who spend little would hardly pay any tax; those wealthier and supposedly with more discretionary income would pay more taxes. It is equitable, fair, and easy to keep track of. There are many who don't file taxes, so I would be willing to consider a 10% sales tax under this same premise. Even drug dealers buy things and yet don't file taxes, but having a sales tax may actually increase the government coffers.

3. "Adopt an Agency" or "Adopt a program, department, policy,...." Citizens get to choose where their taxes go to. Instead of the representatives in Congress decide, voters decide. We would rather have a representative form of government, but it isn't working too well lately. So bring it back and have the "stock holders" vote directly until things can be fixed and a day-to-day group can run it again.

4. Put the full resources of the federal government behind several new discoveries/ideas/inventions. They truly change the course of human endeavors on the planet and the patents belong to the government. Profits from the sale of such products go directly to paying off the debt.

5. Sell off Hawaii. Native Hawaiians consider their islands as a country. Give them that opportunity.
Likewise, there may be other areas that would like to buy the land. A native culture would have to prove it truly is an independent culture before it became a state, could be self sustaining, etc. etc.

Random Facts Friday July 29, 2011

Hello all,
Here are some facts I thought you may find interesting.
See if you already know them!

1. The Ohio Supreme Court has 7 judges. The Chief Judge sits in the middle. The longest serving sits on the left (as seen by the audience), the 2nd longest sits to the right of the Chief Judge, and they go back and forth until the shortest serving, the 7th, always will sit on the farthest right seat.

2. It takes 8000 pieces to construct a wind turbine.

3. Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine has posted a blog about a scam directed towards grandparents. In a typical grandparent scam, con artists call grandparents and say, “Hi Grandma” or “Hi Grandpa,” tricking grandparents into believing that their grandchild really is calling. Posing as grandchildren, the scammers claim that they are stuck in another country and need money. They may say, “Please, Grandma, don’t tell my mom or dad. Let’s keep this between us.” Please see: http://ohioattorneygeneral.gov/SpeakOutOhio/Blog/July-2011-%281%29/Don%E2%80%99t-let-your-family-fall-prey-to--grandparent-sc. I know this to be true and the scammer used the grandchild's first name when introducing themselves. The grandparent was unsure at first, but then determined something just didn't seem right. When the scammer figured out the grandparent was ready to call their bluff, they abruptly hung up. PLEASE be sure your senior loved ones are informed.

4. Ocracoke Island has been in the news lately because of the shark attack on the little girl. Did you know that at the beginning of World War II, Britain sent boats over to protect us against the Germans? We did not have enough boats ourselves, so England patrolled our Eastern shores until we could to it ourselves.  Off the Ocracoke shore “Torpedo Junction” claimed more than 60 ships during the first 6 months of 1942. There is a British Cemetery on the island which holds four soldiers' graves. They lost their lives when the HMC Bedfordshire was torpedoed by a German submarine.

5. Recipe: Zucchini Chocolate Cake.
1/4 c. margarine                       2 1/2 c. flour                                   
1/4 c. shortening                      4 tbsp. cocoa                                                      
1/2 c. vegetable oil                  2 tsp. baking soda                            
1 1/2 c. sugar                                                                                                                                                       
1 egg                                       2 c. shredded zucchini
1 tsp. vanilla                           12 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 c. sour milk

Cream first four ingredients with your mixer. Add egg, vanilla, sour milk until well blended. Sift dry ingredients and add. Stir in zucchini. Spoon into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes.

Working Wednesday: Business Evolution

BioStart, Cincinnati's life-science business incubator, is closing its facility in the University of Cincinnati Hoxworth Blood Center in Corryville on Sept. 30 when its lease expires. It began in 1996. What was your business doing then?

I think this was pretty forward thinking for U.C. and BioStart at the time. During the 15 years of operation, BioStart has helped 125 companies launch businesses, build management teams, and raise $180 million in funding.

Now they are evolving. They saw their value added strengths and are staying in business, but are not in need of a laboratory setting. BioStart plans to focus on offering services and coaching expertise to life-science startups. Carol Frankenstein, BioStart president, said laboratory space, like that offered at the Hoxworth building, is less important to startups today with product development outsourcing and commercial real estate space widely available.

When I first read the news article, I wasn't sure how I felt. I see incubators as a critical and large piece to economic recovery. I also see them as one way the U.S. stays a 1/2 step in front of our competitors.
But kudos to Carol and her board for understanding what bioscience clients need and are willing to adjust to provide those services.

This is so critical to keeping a business alive. A pond without fresh water becomes stagnant. Mission and vision statements need to be measured against the panoramic view to see if your company has selected the correct "slice" from that view or has the company evolved. Are you in the same business sector as you once were? Same evaluation process goes for the topic within the sector, and the product/service within the topic.

How often a company needs to go through this evaluation may depend upon the business cluster, but it must be on a regular schedule. And always start at the panoramic view, not at the product/service level.
By so doing, you will be sure you are putting forth fresh ideas and evaluating the concepts and the realities, just like BioStart.

The news article mentioned is below:
http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110725/BIZ01/107260313/BioStart-move-out-UC?odyssey=nav|head,

A Reverent People

 We all have names. We are "Susie's" parent; "Pete's" supervisor, the volunteer at the library on Tuesdays,  you-know-the-soccer-coach-who-fell-and-sprained-their-ankle; the one who makes that favorite dish that everyone loves at work; etc. etc. etc. 

We need some time to remember who we are, what our real first name is and what our natural skills and traits are. We need to ponder what we believe, what our priorities are. We all need quiet moments - to ponder, reflect, recharge, relax, and rest.

We also need to take time to show reverence. Several people have described reverence as profound respect mingled with love. For me reverence is a quiet word - it isn't boastful or loud, neither hasty or incomplete. It would be a word that I would act differently around, made sure I "washed behind my ears" so to speak.

The first person in my life that I would describe as me acting differently around was my great-aunt Mabel. We called her Auntie May. She seemed old even when I was a little girl, probably because her hair had turned gray prematurely. But she treated me with respect and in turn, I did the same back. One was proper and dignified around Auntie May because she was. And she always sent me post cards when she took trips, which was such a delight to get mail!

Reverence is about having respect, honesty, and integrity in ourselves and choosing to find and be with  others who are practicing these too. By supporting each other, we return to a more reverent people, not drifting like we are now. Some say that revelation is dead. Not so. Revelation is just another word for "idea". They just come from On High, and not from ourselves. By being reverent, good, and quiet, we could hear those ideas more and by acting upon them, we definitely would know the course to follow, don't you think?

Alone in the Car: Government last employer to make job adjustments

 Sometime during the Spring, Ohio schools announced cutbacks to their teaching, support, and administrative staffs. This was the beginning of government's massive cutbacks that will continue for the next several quarters or so.

Government is a business cluster, just like manufacturing, health, finance, etc. Employers face staffing decisions just like the private sector. Granted it moves slower, and in many cases much slower, but at some time it also must deal with the low economic times we live in.

Many people have been laid off this year. Towns and counties started long ago to lay off workers. Now that the state budget has been passed, more state workers will be getting their "pink slips". And I believe it will happen at the federal level too. The news media is making a fuss about this for several reasons: they like making and influencing news themselves; they may not have realized layoffs were already in motion, which is highly doubtful, so they put out their articles now so readers will think they are ahead of the game; they don't understand the speed of government or again they do and rush to get something in print before government ramps up their layoffs.

For example one report said that NASA rarely changes staff. But they certainly stop using vendors, thus people loose jobs all the time. Because they are contractors and not federal employees, they don't count as per government layoffs. NASA announced this week contractors will be given notices, which will amount to 3200 layoffs.

Ohio is not unique in this. Government layoffs are happening at all levels throughout the country. I believe we will eventually see higher amounts of federal layoffs as well. This could drag out for months.

So my question is this: will this lead to a double dip depression? Yes, my regular readers know I believe we were/are not in a Great recession but a depression. I ask again--will it be a double dip? We now have all these formerly employed people not able to pay mortgages, bills, have little discretionary money, etc. etc. What impact will this have on our local, state, and national economy? Will they be able to find jobs?
Do they have transferable skills to go into another business cluster?




Other topics to consider for another day:
1. In Ohio, many government workers who can, are retiring because benefits will decrease because of the economic downturn. They hope they will be grandfathered in at the levels of retirement when they quit work. Will they support the economy as much as they did when they were working?

2. In many instances hiring has stopped altogether when someone leaves, but the amount of work hasn't stopped. Just like private industry, the employees have been doing double duty for quite some time and it is bound to get worse.

3. Layoffs of government workers will affect again our unemployment funds. Ohio, as well as other states, used up their funds long ago and are borrowing money from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits. Will this add to the possibility of a double dip depression? Federal debt situation?

Here are the news articles referred to above:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-07-18-fderal-job-security_n.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/income/2010-08-10-1Afedpay10_ST_N.htm

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/07/23/jobless-hike-first-in-two-years.html?sid=101

Random Facts Friday July 22, 2011

 Hi all,
These are some facts I have learned recently.
See if you already know them!

1. The U.S. Treasury is not making as many 5 dollar bills as they used to. In fact, production fell to a 30 year low.  The $100 bill continues to remain popular especially among foreigners living in unstable economies. The Treasury actually printed more $100 bills than $1 bills as people use their debit/credit cards more than cash.

2. Nineteen NASA shuttle astronauts were born/raised in Ohio and call it home.

3. Great idea to hide small valuables in your home: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Doortop-Stash/638/1

4.  Blueberries are native to North America.

5. Terrific Greek Salad Dressing: 2 1/4 cups vegetable oil; 1/4c. olive oil; 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar;  3 TBSP salt; 2 heaping TBSP oregano; 3 heaping TBSP of MSG; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 heaping TBSP of chopped garlic. Makes 4 cups.

Working Wednesday: Ohio Credit Unions Lending More to Small Businesses

Thank You Credit Unions! At the end of the first quarter this year, small business loans from credit unions were up 20% compared to first quarter of last year. The dollar amounts were $28.4 million versus $23.7 million. Loans were originated by 101 of Ohio's 384 credit unions. So reported Dayton's Business Journal. Small businesses need loans badly and have had a hard time finding them. They basically have to be a perfect scenario before they can approach some lending institutions. The credit union lending  story is good news indeed!

Now we have to do our part. Make a pledge to yourself to support small businesses in your community next month. I say next month because it is a short term action plan and hopefully will get you to have a long term one. The owners usually live there, the taxes will stay there, and you live there while you use their services and/or products. Three good reasons why it will keep your town strong.

A town stays strong where business, education, the arts/recreation, to name just a few, are all connected.
By supporting one another, volunteering, and using your skills/talents the town continues to save its foundation while renovating its present and preparing its future. You also make a contribution by supporting small business. They pay back those loans and pay for Little League T-Shirts because they are still in business and growing.

Four Seasons

My husband and I are exact opposites when it comes to which seasons of the year we like: my favorite is Spring, his is Fall, my worst is Winter, his is Summer. This week we will be experiencing the 95/95 weather which I must admit is not my favorite either: 95 degrees heat and 95 percent humidity. From now until Labor Day, it is pretty miserable. Likewise from the middle of January to March 1st, I can't stand winter. But if you wait, sometimes in Ohio for not very long, things change and balance returns.
As a friend of mine once remarked that the seasons always show up, never failing, year after year.

I am glad I live in the area of the country that experiences all 4 seasons. I like the variety because that means I get to see more in nature, whether it be in vegetation or in the animal kingdom. I am glad the Creator gave us the seasons to appreciate this variety and to teach us to look for details.

So I list here a few things about each season I like to perhaps be a discussion starter around the dinner table. You may learn something about each other and then how to appreciate the seasons in a different way than you had thought of before. Winter: clear nights/star gazing, the first snow, red cardinal birds; Spring: snow drops and crocus flowers pushing out of the ground, the first robin bird to appear, the fresh smell of Spring rains; Summer: fireflies, sunsets, tomatoes fresh from the garden; Fall: Sugar Maple leaves, opening Buckeye nuts; flying geese in V formation.

Alone in the Car: Family T.V. shows

Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of the long standing television series "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." died July 12th, 2011 at age 94. I was not a regular/re-run watcher of either show, but it made me think of how many shows were produced with a G rating.


I can safely say I would have no hesitation letting my children watch Lucy packing candy, Dr. Cosby celebrating his parents' 50th anniversary, or the Waltons saying goodnight.  Did you realize the Flintstone Cartoon was actually 18th in the 1960 t.v. ratings?


As I have done a quick research of the top shows per the first year of each decade, it seems that we began to drift away from family viewing around 1990. No research paper here, folks. Just a down and dirty, precursory look at the top shows since 1960(about 50 years). 


I wanted to do this because my themes in Alone in the Car have been serious, as this one. But I wanted to add a bit of smiles to our summer days too. We need some balance to our lives. Thus, some suggestions for new t.v. shows to go into production. You think who could play the parts:


1. A period piece combining "A Christmas Story" and "The Sandlot". Lots of  kids with no drugs, alcohol, divorces, murders, abuse, prejudice, or war story lines. Just kids being kids. Like how to explain what happened to the box of nails Dad just bought which you used to build a pirate ship from an old shipping crate. Or how you saved some money, bought a nice handkerchief at the Five and Dime, let Grandma show you how to sew it into a rose corsage for Mother's Day, and then tried to dye it a pretty color of cranberry red...


2. Historical fiction about merchants in Philadelphia around the days of the Revolution/Constitution. In and out of the story line come the VIPs of the day. This is not an ideological show, as Hollywood tends to do sometimes, but one to honor those who were willing to give all. And they were just men and women who had sense of humors too.


3. A retirement village is the setting and every year they host an annual jigsaw puzzle competition between themselves and 5 other retirement towns which is the base of the story line all year and concludes the season each year too. Awards include Miss/Mr. Congeniality, Speedoe/
Speedbuck, and It's All in the Details.


4. America loves their entrepreneurs. In this case it is a family affair where each person feels so inclined to follow their love of invention. For example, taste tests are in order which calls for asking friends to help out but they are a little gun shy after some of the experiments they have tried already.....At the end of each show, a real American inventor is noted. For more information see your local library, website, etc. etc.


5. Make life simpler, people are always saying. Ok, let's do it and so the pact begins between husband Carl and Lydia with baby Juliana presiding. Some make changes to their home, some to their jobs, but Carl and Lydia say they will just start with their car. They are getting a much smaller one, not necessarily for energy savings, which is good, but they find they carry sooo much stuff. Especially now with the baby! So if it can't fit into the car, so be it.....

Random Facts Friday July 15, 2011

Hi all,
Here are some facts I have picked up along the way this past week.
See if you already know them!

1. The female ancestor of all living polar bears was a brown bear that lived in the vicinity of present-day Britain and Ireland 20,000 to 50,000 years ago, according to an international team of scientists. See:http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?docID=654657 

2. Baseball's first All-Star game was held in Cleveland on July 24, 1911. It was organized by Cleveland's team at the time, the Naps, as a benefit for their pitcher's family, Addie Joss, who had died suddenly of tubercular meningitis at the age of 31. In today's equivalent, they raised $300,000. See: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/07/12/joss-all-star-game-art-gpodbhug-1.html?sid=101

3. Want to know about product recalls? Go to Recalls.gov

4. Want to stop credit card offers? Go to www.optoutprescreen.com.
Stop junk mail?  www.dmachoice.org

5. Recipe: Potato Soup - can be served chilled or warm
2 chicken bouillon cubes      4 cups boiling water    4 cups diced potatoes   
1/4c. sliced onion                 2 tsp. salt                     dash, garlic powder
8oz. cream cheese                1 tsp. parsley flakes

Dissolve bouillon cubes in the water. Add potatoes, onion, salt, and garlic.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Force mixture through sieve or put through blender. Gradually add cream
cheese until well blended. Add parsley. Chill or serve warm.

Working Wednesday: Business Poaching

 Where does a city(I use the word to represent also any county, town, village) attract a new business to come there? That is a true panoramic view question. They could start globally and try for a company operating in another country. The city may decide first to narrow it somewhat, taking a slice of the panoramic view which they know they have edge in a particular business cluster due to geography, raw materials, scientists, etc. 


Perhaps they further narrow down the scope to a more specific topic. Not just medicine, but geriatrics.
Not just energy, but solar.  Not just agriculture, but organics.

Now they know what companies they want to attract and they very well may start with companies from another country, or state, or city, or suburb.... When it is next door, it is called "poaching". 

Companies take advantage of this all the time. They play one "burb" against another, or city, or state. It happens every day here in the U.S. They are looking for the best incentives, usually taxes, to move. The one that is talked about where I live is a classic. A company literally moved a few hundred feet from one suburb to another just to get a tax break and the second suburb were very proud of themselves. The big city does the poaching to the suburb, but screams when a suburb poaches the city. And so it goes.


Now, not even big companies are using this standard practice, but small businesses are too. Please see this report found in Forbes: 
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/07/08/business-us-ohio-business-sprawl-ohio_8555279.html

This can only be stopped if the pain becomes intense enough for all - the city and the suburbs get disgusted enough and come together to work as a region. There is much discussion about regional efforts right now, I know. But this one may be the topic that brings everyone to the table.


I can't leave company attraction/poaching without saying something about the real deep underlying issue. Grabbing each other's businesses, whether it being state to state, city to city, etc., is just moving the chess pieces around the board. Where we really need to be putting our funding/effort is not attraction, but supporting new ideas/inventions/ventures. That is what really keeps our economy moving forward. Support your local base of entrepreneurs and your return will be immeasurable.

Family Unit

During Sunday School, our church has children give sermonettes. This is through a rotation system so every child has an opportunity to speak, is given a specific topic to speak on, and they talk for just a few minutes.

I learned about an 8 year old child named Will who spoke on the family. He talked about how he liked riding horses and going roping with his dad. Will said the rope would not be very strong with only 1 strand, but with more strands working together, the rope is strong to get the job done.

He likened the strength of the rope to the strength of the family.  If only 1 person was doing good things, the family would not be strong, but when all are working hard to do good things, then the family will be very strong. That is why he tries to play nice with his sister and brother, do his chores, and listen to his parents.

The family is the smallest unit of government. It is also the smallest unit of a business, delegation, efficiency, etc. These things are in and of themselves quite a lot to ponder about.

But today is Spiritual Sunday theme. So let's ponder about what a family is under this theme. It is where people of any age contribute to, be examples for, and learn about values, charitable acts, and making good choices. It is a place to feel safe, to feel loved, to learn lessons on life, and to recognize there is Someone who knew you from the Beginning.

And that is the Panoramic View. The majesty of it all includes everyone. Every continent, nation, state, city, town, village, and family. You fit in and your family is important. Decide in your family what is right and wrong, stay true, be courageous and help each other just like Will. And if you don't have a biological family, then create one - - a small group of friends that you know you can rely on and share good ideas and actions.

Remember your strand counts and woven together with other strands, the rope can pass down to the next generation.

Alone in the Car: America Invents Act

It was bound to happen sometime. I am going to have to update my vision of inventors. I always think of somebody having an idea and writing it down quickly on a restaurant napkin. Or perhaps another person coming up with an invention in their barn, kitchen, or garage. They have been working on this for a long time and it comes together! They are so excited, get the invention down on paper, and mail it in to the Patent Office for official blessing and cataloging. The under dog has won again.

The U.S. Senate and House have passed versions of a bill to revise how patents will be registered. They now will go into conference and will eventually pass the America Invents Act, which proposes America transition from a first-to-invent patent system to a first-to-file system.  This will bring US patent law into line with Europe and other parts of the world.

Currently, under the first-to-invent system, an inventor can claim the right to a US patent if the inventor
can prove they were the first to invent.  The surest proof has long been a filed patent application, but other kinds of proof are acceptable - dated journals, photographs, letters, videos, etc. can be used to substantiate a claim of inventorship as of a certain date. Under first-to-file, the only thing that matters is the filing date of the patent application.

I think this will make it easier for those with banks of attorneys and funding to get to the Office first and file. But it will also make the individual inventor more aware of the process and they will need to be more focused on properly protecting their intellectual property. It will be harder on the small inventor to be sure. You just need to know this and go in with your eyes wide open.

EDITORIAL NOTE: I wish to add that today, September 16, 2011, President Obama signed the America Invents Act into law.

Random Facts Friday July 8, 2011

Hello all,
I gathered some random facts for this week from my comings and goings.
See if you already know them!

1. To get the desired color in fireworks, you need certain minerals such as: copper salts for blue; carbonate for red; magnesium or aluminum powder for white; and chlorate for green.

2. An 8 inch shell fireworks has an initial velocity of 235 feet per second, and the diameter of the explosion is 360 feet.

3. Most of the Carbon in our body is Carbon-12, which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Carbon-13 has an extra neutron.

4. The British Blue cat is the oldest English breed of cat, and traces its ancestry back to the domestic cat of Rome. It has a short plush coat with a luxurious feel.  They are steadfast companions to the entire family and definitely look before they leap. Although first known as the British Blue, due to the breed's original color, Britain incorporated a wide variety of colors under the term British Shorthair in the 1950's. 

5. Recipe: Our family enjoys garlic in many dishes. One side dish that is easy to make - grate washed, raw carrots in a saute pan. Add enough butter to coat the carrots and stir over a medium flame until soft. Add crushed garlic to taste. Warm and serve.   You can thinly slice the carrots if you wish instead of grating. I would plan for about a half a carrot per person for your first taste test and see how the "judges" like the carrots. Enjoy!

Working Wednesday: "Joint Ventures"

Last week I attended a seminar for small business owners. One of the speakers addressed opportunities with the military. As some readers may know, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base located close to Dayton, is the largest single-site employer in Ohio with about 27,000 employees. That does not include the businesses in close proximity to the base that may have contracts with it.

One of the challenges of small businesses is to bid against large companies for contracts. The speaker suggested small companies team up together and bid as one. Then you may have more equal footing.

I have been thinking about the analogy of the children's game "Red Rover" for so many topics I bring up on this blog, and certainly this example applies here. Red Rover is played with 2 rows of children, holding hands, stretching out their arms, and the rows facing one another. Each team takes turns and during a turn each row yells out a name of a child on the opposing team. The child runs, chooses where to break the holding hands by their body, and if they break the hold, takes a child back to its team. If not, the runner stays on the opposing side. Eventually one team has all but one child and the game is concluded.

The phrase I have wanted to use so many times is this: "it isn't fun to play Red Rover by yourself." In other words, holding out your arms to your side won't get much done, but when others hold on to you, and others hold on to them, etc. then things can get accomplished.

This rule of thumb can be applied to so many situations and certainly in business. Looking, networking, and combining with others can put ideas into actions and results in success.

Time Stood Still

I have some friends who were in a severe car accident. When news first reached us, all we knew was that the parents were injured and 1 of their 5 children was in critical condition. Three of their children were in another car with the grandparents. The grandparents saw the whole accident unfold as it happened right in front of them. The dad had hydroplaned during a thunderstorm.

Today, about 2 weeks later, we found out more details. The grandfather was noted to say that it was as if time stood still and allowed the van to slide cross the freeway lanes without car or truck interference and land in the grass. Thus it was a one-car accident and not a multi-car one. A Miracle born.

The little girl injured was expected to die that first night. Close friends rushed to the accident scene, others met the family at the different hospitals and assisted where they could. Instantly cell phones were used at the accident scene and family members several time zones away were alerted. Prayers and fasting began. I dare say time stood still for those that received the phone calls.

The dad has recovered, the mother is doing ok, and the little girl - - should be out of the hospital in about 3 weeks. A second Miracle born.

I acknowledge the importance of times that Time Stood Still and Miracles born. It makes us stay connected to each other, allow service to be given and hearts to overflow, and sets examples for us to live by.

Alone in the Car: A Salute to the Founding Fathers

This blog was created with the Founding Fathers as one of its guiding principles. I had read the book, "The Summer of 1787" by David Stewart some time ago, and have pondered about that summer ever since.

Those men truly got The Panoramic View. Many members of the Constitutional Convention came in May thinking they would end up with 4 countries: New England, the Middle states, the South, and the Northwest Territories(which included Ohio). Because of their Panoramic View, they stuck with it, returning again and again to the same issues. They formed committees which would discuss, write a portion of the Constitution, and bring it back to the full Convention. This happened throughout the summer until the committees in August wrote for the last time the sections, using what had come about from previous attempts.  They made compromises and tough decisions. They also knew the Constitution would still have to go back to the states for final approval.  The "every day" citizen was ever in their minds. Because of this process, they created a document that has stood the test of time.

They also get my respect because these men met behind closed doors. The delegates met in Philadelphia, the nation's largest city which was home to about 40,000 people. They met at Pennsylvania's statehouse, what we know as "Independence Hall". They had all the windows shut and asked that guards stand at the doors of the room when they met. Philadelphia is quite hot and humid in the summer, but no one was going to know what was discussed. The delegates told no one either. Interesting thought...

I salute these men who set a course for this country that was unprecedented.  Many nations have used our Constitution as a model for their own.

What an incredible generation of people. A generation who understood The Panoramic View.
Happy 4th of July!

Random Facts Friday July 1, 2011

Hi all,
As regular readers are aware, I am very patriotic.
Usually random facts mean little facts I have learned about throughout the week.
I have taken the liberty of changing the definition this week to mean random, little known facts about America and our founding as a nation. See if you already know them!

1. "This land is your land": The longest river in the U.S. is the Arkansas River at 2,540 miles. The Mississippi River has the largest drainage area, but the Arkansas River is longer. See http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1987/ofr87-242/.

2. The names of George Washington's horses he rode during the Revolutionary War were "Nelson" and "Blue Skin".

3. The first patent issued on U.S. soil was granted to Samuel Winslow in 1641 for a new way to make salt. Since this was during colonial times, these patents were granted by the colony(in this case, Massachusetts). The first one by the U.S. Patent office was in 1790 and was issued to Samuel Hopkins for an innovative way of making pot ash and pearl ash. Small business recognized from the beginning!

4. For a map of Ohio around 1776, see: http://www.birdsofafeather1.com/maps/1776ohio.html.
Marietta, Ohio, the first town settled in the Northwest Territory, was not founded until 1788.
By 1803, Ohio had enough population to become a state.

5. Recipe: For a variation of a July 4th cake, make a cake cut out as the U.S. map. I actually have a cake pan of the U.S. After baking, cooling, and icing, get each person to mark their birthplace on the map.
We use M&M candies. You could also mark who was each Founding Father and what colony each  represented (some were not born in the States), location of Revolutionary battles, where each President was born or what state he came from, etc.