There is a time for everything . . . so we are told.
The man who some 50 years ago was my favorite supervisor during my long career in writing and publishing also was one of the best communicators I've ever known. One day when he was sharing his thoughts on public speaking, he presented a small list of keys to success in that field. The last one was, "When you've said what you needed to say, stop."
Since celebrating my 82 birthday a few weeks ago, I've started writing several posts but stopped with the realization that I had told that tale before on this blog. Really, I've nothing more to say. So, with fond memories of contacts with readers over the past 11 years, this is the time to stop.
I've enjoyed the journey. May yours be equally satisfying.
gabbygeezer
A fully mature adult writes about whatever strikes his fancy
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Now That's Optimism
Beautiful wife Sandy recently invested a few dollars in a new calendar. Nothing unusual about that, except that Sandy is enjoying her 75th year on this planet. And she bought a five-year calendar.
As one who is a half-dozen years older than her, I hurried to share the optimism by making a few entries in the Year 2022 section.
As one who is a half-dozen years older than her, I hurried to share the optimism by making a few entries in the Year 2022 section.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Way Too Much Pay For Play
My how salaries of American professional football players have changed.
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins recently turned
down a long-term contract offer of $53 million. In 1924, the Green Bay Packers
payroll for the entire team was $12,000. The 1924 team consisted of 18 players.
Ah, but inflation changes the picture. Yes, but the 1924
dollars are equivalent to only $171,530 in 2016 dollars. That would be about $9,530
per player, hardly a living wage. Of course, the 1924 salary money was not
divided equally. Curly Lambeau was the Packers' player-coach that year, and he
certainly got a bigger share than most, of not all, of the other players.
Players in those days had to have other sources of income to survive.
We don't know the details of Cousins' $53 million contract
offer, except that both he and the team have said the money was guaranteed, and
not dependent upon performance or other factors. We do know that top star quarterbacks in the
National Football League are paid in the $10 million to $15 million per year
range. Although Cousins has shown considerable potential, he is not yet an
established top star. So let's assume his offer was for 5 years.
Is Cousins, or any athlete, worth $10.6 million
per year?
Those who contend that professional football players are
worth their huge compensation packages point out that careers can be cut short
by injury at any time and the players cause teams to make the huge profits that
enable them to pay top dollars to compete for talent.
Hogwash. Pay for professional football players has become
ridiculous. Although some top surgeons in the U.S. can earn $1 million per year,
average earnings for doctors in family practices, who strive to help rather
than hurt others, are in the $200,000 per year area. The salary of the president
of the United States
is $400,000 per year.
Racing toward self-destruction? |
A large share of the income of professional football teams
is revenue from television contracts. Nevertheless, game ticket prices have
soared to levels as exorbitant as player salaries and costs for food and drink
in stadiums are likewise elevated.
There is mounting concern in this country about inequality
in incomes between the rich and all others. A start at correcting the situation
could be made in pro sports by winding down salaries of wealthy players and
using the savings to reduce the costs for Joe Fan by lowering outrageous prices
for tickets, hot dogs, and beer.
The current salary situation is well on the way to making me
an ex-fan, and declining attendance figures for some teams indicate many
already have become former supporters. Pro football is on a path of
self-destruction if drastic changes are not made .
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Will Had Words For It
I recently was given a small volume of Will Rogers' sayings,
and it proved to be a gem in several ways. Of course, it was fun to once again
be entertained by the words of one of America 's most beloved humorists.
But of more interest, I thought, was how applicable many of Rogers '
sayings are to today's political and social situations.
The old Texas cowboy
started his career in 1902 touring with a Wild West Show and then a circus in South Africa , Australia ,
and New Zealand .
He performed in U.S.
theaters for three decades, appeared in 70 movies, and published his
observations on just about everything in some 400 newspapers until he died in
1935.
On Female Inequality
You can't pass a park without seeing a statue of some old
codger on a horse, it must be his bravery, you can tell it isn't his
horsemanship. Women are twice as brave as men, yet they never seem to have
reached the statue stage.
On Civilization
There ain't no civilization where there ain't no
satisfaction and that's the trouble now. Nobody is satisfied.
On the Pace of Life
I have never yet seen a man in such a big hurry that a horse
or train wouldn't have got him there in plenty of time. If fact, nine-tenths of
the people would be better off if they stayed where they are instead of going
where they are going. No man in America
if he didn't get where he is going would be missed.
On American Prosperity
We'll show the world we are prosperous, even if we have to
go broke to do it.
On Taxes
I don't see why a man shouldn't pay inheritance tax. If a
country is good enough to pay taxes to while you are living, it's good enough
to pay in after you die. By the time you die you should be so used to paying
taxes it would almost be second nature anyway.
On High Food Costs
Got a wire today from an old boy in Parsons, Kansas, and he
wanted me to enter in a hog-calling contest; you know I used to be an awful
good hog caller when hogs were cheap, but the way hogs have gone up in price
it's changed the whole system of calling 'em. It would take Henry Ford
hollering with his check book to get one to come to you nowadays. I hollered
all morning just for three slices of bacon and it didn't come, so there ain't
much use of me howling my head off to try and get a whole hog to come.
On the Criminal Justice System
There are two types of larceny, petty and grand, and the
courts will really give you a longer sentence for petty that they do for grand.
They are supposed to be the same in the eyes of the law, but the judges always
put a little extra on for petty, as a kind of a fine for stupidness. "If
that's all you got you ought to go to jail longer."
On Characteristics of Politics
Common sense is not an issue in politics; it's an
affliction. Neither is honesty an issue in politics. It's a miracle.
On Political Parties
If we didn't have two parties, we would all settle on the
best men in the country and things would run fine. But as it is, we settle on
the worst ones and then fight over 'em.
On Congress
We have the best Congress money can buy.
On Foreign Relations
Several papers have asked, "What would Europe do if we were in difficulties and needed
help?" So this is in reply to those inquiries: Europe
would hold a celebration.
On Communism
Communism is like Prohibition; it's a good idea but it won't
work.
On International Travel
A bunch of American tourists were hissed and stoned
yesterday in France ,
but not until they had finished buying.
On Cars and Driving
The trouble with us is America is just muscle bound from
holding a steering wheel; the only place we are callused from work is the
bottom of our driving toe.
On War and Peace
If we can just let other people alone and do their own
fighting, we would be in good shape. When you get into trouble five thousand
miles away from home you've got to have been looking for it.
On How He Wanted to be Remembered
When I die, my epitaph or whatever you call those signs on
gravestones is going to read: "I joked about every prominent man of my
time, but I never met a man I didn't like." I am so proud of that I can hardly wait to die so it can be
carved. And when you come to my grave you will find me sitting there, proudly reading it.
Labels:
American humor,
comedy,
timeless comments,
Will Rogers
Friday, May 19, 2017
A Poetic Guide to Good Living
Some of us who reach a certain age become convinced we've
seen, read, or heard just about everything--at least everything of any
importance. Then along comes a bit of impressive
wisdom that had completely escaped our notice.
That happened to me last weekend. As a part of the prelude
to a talk by a local Rabbi at my church, a program coordinator read part of the
poem "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann. A fellow geezer stopped me after
the program and asked if I had heard of Desiderata. I said no, and he said,
"We ought to check it out, that reading was wonderful." So I did.
The background was interesting. Ehrmann was a lawyer and
poet who lived in Indiana .
He wrote Desiderata in 1927, but only circulated copies locally and the poem
was largely unknown during his lifetime. Because a clergyman in New York included it in
an array of writings he mislabeled, some who did learn of it thought it was centuries-old
philosophy. When Adlai Stevenson, an Illinois
politician who unsuccessfully ran for president of the United States
against Dwight Eisenhower, died in 1965 a copy of the poem was found on a night
stand beside his bed. We are told that Desiderata then became hugely popular
with counter-culture people in the late 60s and early 70s.
It seems reasonable that I would have heard of any bit of
philosophy that was "hugely popular" for a decade or more during
prime years of my lifetime. However, I definitely was not part of any
counter-culture movement and also have never been much of a fan of poetry. I thus missed inspiring advice on what is desirable for those striving to
live a good life, and some powerful words of hope during trying times. I think it is worth sharing:
Desiderata
Go placidly
amid the noise and haste,
and
remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as
possible without surrender
be on good
terms with all persons.
Speak your
truth quietly and clearly;
and listen
to others,
even the
dull and the ignorant;
they too
have their story.
Avoid loud
and aggressive persons,
they are
vexations to the spirit.
If you
compare yourself with others,
you may
become vain and bitter;
for always
there will be greater and lesser persons then yourself.
Enjoy your
achievements as well as your plans.
Keep
interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a
real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise
caution in your business affairs;
for the
world is full of trickery.
But let
this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many
persons strive for high ideals;
and
everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be
yourself.
Especially,
do not feign affection.
Neither be
cynical about love;
for in the
face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as
perennial as the grass.
Take kindly
the counsel of the years,
gracefully
surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture
strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not
distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears
are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a
wholesome discipline,
be gentle
with yourself.
You are a
child of the universe,
no less
than the trees and the stars;
you have a
right to be here.
# # #
# #
Labels:
Desiderata,
hopeful thoughts,
Max Ehrmann,
personal philosophy
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Lady Luck Smiled On a Low Roller
Beautiful wife Sandy and I consider ourselves to be quite
expert at playing deuces wild poker on slot machines. We practiced for years
during short vacation trips to Wendover , Nevada , from our long-time home in Ogden , Utah .
Of course, we didn't need many trips to learn the golden
rule of slot playing--stay there long enough and you will lose. Casinos are not
charities, and the odds are not in your favor. I also learned the hard way that
my father's advice about gambling in general was wise counsel. "Never play
any games you don't thoroughly understand, and don't risk a penny you can't
afford to lose," he said.
Those good old days are long gone, but an occasional 15-mile drive to
an elegant casino operated by a local Indian tribe provides exceptional meal
offers to seniors like us and has a few slots we enjoy playing. So we go there
about once a month to savor the food and risk a bit of surplus money.
Our gambling strategy is simple. We start with equal small
cash stakes. We play only deuces wild poker on machines that accept nickels,
because we know how to play them well to improve the odds a little, and at
worst our stakes will last quite a while. We play only five nickels at a time, although messages on most machines strongly encourage playing ten. We establish
a time when we will leave no matter what. If one of us loses the stake, he or
she simply waits for the other to lose or the departure time arrives. If we
happen to hit a substantial jackpot, we cash it out as it happens and go home
with the proceeds.
We are the ultimate low rollers. But sometimes we leave with
a profit. Yesterday was one of those times. The biggest deal of the day was
when Sandy
broke our rules by accident.
Four deuces popped up on Sandy 's machine, and the jackpot bells
started ringing. I knew that was a $50.00 winner for her quarter investment, so
was amazed when the total went higher than that. "What's going on?" I
asked.
She laughed and said, "I made a mistake. I looked over
at a lady who was acting strangely a couple of machines away and hit the ten
nickel bet button instead of the five."
Friday, April 14, 2017
New Attacks Target Newspapers
Just as President Trump seems somewhat distracted by world
events from his war against news media, far right and alt-right Republicans are
launching new assaults on the press, especially newspapers that serve small
communities. My hometown newspaper in Wisconsin
published an appeal to readers to "oppose proposals to eliminate legals
from newspapers" by contacting elected officials.
Old-style progressive Republicans such as "Fighting
Bob" LaFollette, once powers in the Badger State ,
must be turning over in their graves. As in many states, progressives led the
way in pushing adoption of legislation requiring openness in local government
operations and some private matters such as settling estates and debt
collection. Some key features were requirements to print notices of bid
invitations, election sites and hours, government employment opportunities, and
proposed regulation changes in a "newspaper of public record." These
"legals" or "legal ads" not only have long supported democracy
by helping to make government activities transparent, they have been important
sources of revenue for community newspapers.
I did a bit of calculating just how important legals can be
to a small newspaper by measuring ads in my local weekly paper, a modest
journal that usually publishes eight pages per issue. The number and sizes of
ads seemed normal. Of the 197 total
column inches of advertising, 74 or 37.6 percent were legal ads. A small
newspaper simply cannot survive if it loses a third of its advertising revenue.
Newspapers, generally, have taken heavy hits in the last two
decades. Many closed, consolidated with others, or made moves into internet
publication to stay in business. Advertising revenues plunged. In the U.S. , print
display advertising revenue dropped 45 percent. Revenue from classified ads
went down 75 percent, with declines in real estate ads leading the way. Revenue
from just two forms of advertising--paid obituaries and legal notices--stayed
relatively stable.
Losing legal ad revenue would be a crushing blow to many
community newspapers. Wisconsin is not the only state where moves are afoot to
eliminate laws designating "newspapers of record" and requiring legal
notices be placed in them. In New
Jersey , where governor Christie has had numerous
run-ins with the press, legislation to curtail legals has been introduced
several times and is said to have a good chance of passing this year.
The reasoning of proponents is simple, and difficult to
argue against. They claim cities, counties, and townships would save
considerable costs. Legal announcements could be made available just as well
through the internet. Opponents say there are undefined but substantial costs
in setting up and maintaining web pages to post legals. They also decry a loss
of openness in public affairs without state laws requiring traditional
publication of legals.
Unfortunately, I think those who would strip newspapers of
their monopoly on publishing legal notices will prevail eventually. Printed
community newspapers are destined to succumb to financial pressures and be
replaced by some form of internet news media. What the effect on democratic
processes will be is unknown, and that is frightening.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Finding An Honest Man
Greek philosopher Diogenes is said to have strolled about in
broad daylight carrying a lamp as he looked for an honest man. Legend has it he
found only rascals and scoundrels in the human race.
I found an honest man this week without searching.
Following our last winter snowstorm about two weeks ago,
roads were icy in places. One especially treacherous stretch was a curved
section near our driveway on the entry road to our community. Our
home is set back far enough from the road so we seldom hear any traffic noises
when we are inside.
In mid-afternoon, I answered the door and met Jim Beebe. To
my surprise he said, "My 16-year-old son came home and told me he slid off
the road onto your property. He grazed your mailbox and ran across part of the
lawn. I do home improvement and repair work for a living, and want you to know
we will take care of all damages."
Mr. Beebe handed me a
business card and said I should call him to get the work done when the
snow was gone and I had a change to assess the situation. He thought the
mailbox was OK, but knew there would be some work needed on the lawn.
The first day of spring brought good weather, and beautiful
wife Sandy and I checked things out. Big chunks of sod were gouged out of the lawn in three
places. At first I thought the mailbox was a little wobbly, but probably would
be all right. Sandy
thought otherwise. As usual, she was right. The plastic parts that
Diogenes failed, but I found an honest man. |
I phoned Mr. Beebe. He said he and his son would be over
that afternoon to take care of things. Kenny Beebe rang our doorbell at about 3
p.m. He said we should buy a mailbox, we would be reimbursed, and he and his
father then would be over to install it and repair the lawn.
About an hour later we spotted Mr. Beebe and son working on the lawn damage. I
told Mr. Beebe we thought the work would be done after we got a mailbox. He
said, "I told Kenny that's not good enough. When we've done with this,
we're going shopping for a box. When we have one, we'll ask you to approve it
before I install it."
Two hours later, the Beebes reappeared with a mailbox that
proved to be an updated version of the one that was damaged. They said they
visited three stores to find just the right one. We agreed they had succeeded. Mr.
Beebe did a beautiful installation job, and the result was a unit superior to
the one it replaced.
Had Kenny Beebe simply driven away and not
told his father about the accident we would have had no way to know who caused
the damage. I told Mr. Beebe that his son seemed like a fine young man.
"Not quite," he replied. "He should have told you right away,
not gone home to tell me. I've straightened him out about that."
I think there will be more than one honest man in the Beebe
family if Jim has his way.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
A Stress Buster
These are stressful times as Americans and others vitally
interested in American government policies ponder the damage caused by
pronouncements emanating from the White House and quiver at thoughts of what is
yet to come.
Responding to the excessive worry, experts in the workings
of the human mind have produced hundreds of words of advice on how to cope
with stress. Ideas range from hugging your puppy to taking a strenuous run
through the park. So far, only a few I've read have suggested a hearty laugh.
Yet laughter can be good medicine in trying times. It was
years ago when I was one of about 100 college students taking the final exam in
Psychology 101. The multiple-choice test would determine a full half of our
grade for the course. The lecturer was a newly appointed PhD who brought lots
of enthusiasm to his task. He was serious about his work and had presented a ton of information. No one thought the final would be
a snap.
Sure enough, there was dead silence in the lecture hall and sweat
popped forth on more that a few foreheads as we started work on the problems.
But after about 20 minutes a few snickers were heard. Then mild laughter filled
the hall, followed finally by raucous guffaws.
Most of the students had reached the tenth question:
"10. The Fallopian tubes are:"
And read the third choice:
"Subways in Rome."
Arrivederci, stress.
Labels:
college tests,
laughter as medicine,
stress,
Trump policies
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Trump Started a War He Cannot Win
On Friday, Donald Trump once again lashed out at the news
media, this time for no apparent reason. He endorsed a comment by his chief
strategist, Stephen Bannon, that the media are "the opposition party in
many ways."
Trump added, "I'm not talking about all of them . . .
but a big portion of the media, the dishonesty, total deceit and deception. It
makes them certainly partially the opposition party, absolutely."
That garbled prose seems to indicate that Trump is slightly
narrowing the number of his journalistic enemies. Earlier, he exempted no one
in a talk at the Central Intelligence Agency. There he said, "I have a
running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on
Earth, right?"
I'm a journalist. I've never considered myself to be a
dishonest person, let alone one of the most dishonest on the planet.
By coincidence, two of the most principled people I've ever been
acquainted with, both journalists, died recently. Their passing and Trump's
assaults on the profession caused me to spend some time recalling my hundreds
of encounters with journalists both as a newsman and as an information
specialist in government and private industry. How many individuals do I
remember practicing "deceit and deception?" Exactly two.
One was a young television reporter who interviewed me about
a Forest Service program. Before he turned on the camera, we agreed that he
would not ask questions in one area. To my amazement, his
Trump will be scrutinized as no other has been |
The other miscreant was a reporter for a small radio
station. He taped a speech I gave at a luncheon following the announcement of
the closing of a Job
Corps Center
operated by RCA where I served as public relations coordinator. I was astounded
to hear his broadcast that evening. The tape of my talk had been edited to
completely reverse the meaning of what I said. That reporter merely was running
true to form. He was opposed to the Job Corps as part of his personal political
ideology, and took every opportunity to show the program in a negative light. Certainly,
there are people like him associated with media in small and large markets, but
I believe their numbers are relatively small.
It's only one person's experience, but two bad apples in a
barrel with hundreds may indicate there is little reason to disparage the
entire group.
Above all, journalists who follow the code of ethics that guides
the profession attempt to be objective. They often fail. Humans develop biases
and it is difficult, perhaps impossible, for anyone to completely set theirs
aside when reporting events or selecting which items to include in print or programs
and how to present the stories. Nevertheless, the true professionals strive for
personal integrity in their work and balance in the products.
When anyone, especially a person who frequently displays his
own lack of integrity, accuses journalists of deliberate dishonesty he is making
a big mistake. I take Trump's remarks along those lines as a personal insult, and
I've been out of the workaday information business for a long time. You can bet
many in the media are going to have more than the usual struggle to keep their anti-Trump
biases under control. They will try to treat him fairly, but they also will be
extra diligent in their responsibilities to serve as watchdogs over government,
and they will pull no punches in their reporting.
Mr. Trump can expect to see a whole lot of reports such as
the one that appeared in the January 24 New
York Times under this headline: "Trump Won't Back Down From His Voting
Fraud Lie. Here Are the Facts." An editor who had not been insulted by the
major player in the story might have created a more kindly label, yet it is not
"dishonest and deceitful."
Trump's assaults on the media ensure his activities will be
scrutinized as no other president's have been. Every move will be reported, and
not kindly. Who will win this "war"? We might get a clue from an historic figure
who participated in many wars:
"Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a
thousand bayonets."--Napoleon Bonaparte
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