Independence Day, July 4, is just around the corner. That means that, starting yesterday, there will be fireworks displays. I love fireworks shows. However, I don’t think that the public should be able to purchase fireworks, only trained, licensed professionals. First, fireworks are a source of explosives for terrorists. Second, every year fireworks injure many people needlessly. Usually, there is alcohol involved-a bad combination.
 
When I was a kid about 10 years old, I made my own firecrackers and rockets. I purchased rolls of toy gun caps. I would scrape off the tops and collect the black powder. I then poured the powder into straws and wrapped tape around the straws. They made great firecrackers and rockets. Many times I would have the powder blow up in my face. It is a wonder that I survived my childhood. It was dangerous and stupid-another bad combination. I know people maimed, blinded, or killed by fireworks - preventable and senseless injuries. 

I strongly believe that only licensed professionals should handle fireworks. Licensing should require annual training.

I see that President Obama said he would not scramble the jets over Edward Snowden and his leaks of secret information. That’s good since Snowden is in Russia and I do not think the Russians would take kindly to an invasion of their air space. I did notice that the President did not mention drones. I am not sure that a drone strike at a Russian airport
is a good idea either. Nonetheless, Snowden should not stand too close to the windows. 

I think we should go ahead and try him in absentia. Then when he finally surfaces, depending on the country, we can go ahead with a drone strike. We could also offer a reward for his return. Something like a few million dollars should do it. Dead or alive? 
 
Here’s a thought; I do not think that anyone has seen Snowden in Russia. Maybe he isn’t there at all.(http://clicktotweet.com/FsOfg)
Snowden’s trip to Russia could be an elaborate ruse to mislead everyone while he slips away into China or some other country. (http://clicktotweet.com/Vl2F8)

He could disappear and never surface again. I think he is long gone by now. The drone strike is looking better all the time.

I am a little disturbed about all the fuss over Paula
Deen. My wife would say that I am more than a little disturbed, but that is another issue. I think some of the fuss is an overreaction. Big companies do not want to be associated with a celebrity who may be a racist. I can understand that-it’s good business. Big companies do not want their customers to boycott their products. I think Paula may fall into that category of a “Big Company.” I
am sure she does not want to lose business over this issue. 
 
There seems to be a backlash forming in support of Paula
and against some of these companies that have dropped her. Her troubles started after a deposition surfaced in which she admitted to using the "N-word." For a while, I thought she might have said “nutmeg.”

I still don’t know the context in which she used the word, whether it expressed actual racism or merely anger, or whether she has changes since then. She admitted to using the word and that shows honesty. Of course, others have pointed out that she had to admit it once it was revealed. To deny it would have been worst. Apparently, others know all the facts or are quick to judge.

 A few weeks ago, I wrote in this blog that Ben Franklin said that all people want to appear reasonable. I think that is true, and it is good business. I also wrote that most people think that they are open-minded. That is also good for business. I guess all the money involved clouds the issue for me. Can we believe that Paula Deen is sincere in her apology and is not a racist or is she is more interested in saving her financial empire? 
 
We do not know what type of person Paula is except for the image we see on TV. We do not know if she was a racist or is a racist now. We do not know if she is a changed person who is now, as she says, a tolerant person. In my case, I don’t know what her state of mind when she used the word,
and I have not seen the context in which the word was used. Until I know everything, I will reserve judgment and not cast the first stone.

According to a report from Washington, al-Qaida and other terrorists organizations are working frantically to change how they communicate after the Snowden leaks about two NSA spying
programs. The article quoted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., as saying, “There are "changes we can already see being made by the folks who wish to do us harm, and our allies harm." Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said that Snowden "has basically alerted people who are enemies of this country
... (like) al-Qaida, about what techniques we have been using to monitor their activities and foil plots, and compromised those efforts, and it's very conceivable that people will die as a
result."

 I guess that removes any doubts about Snowden being merely a whistleblower. He has given secret information to our enemies, and that makes him a traitor. The leaks are aiding the terrorists. I
think that outweighs the privacy activists’ concerns. Now two things must follow: terrorists will find other means to communicate that make tracking more difficult, and NSA will broaden the surveillance programs.

Americans have a difficult time understanding suicide bombers. Western societies have a long history of dislike toward suicide. We even have laws against it. That is not true of many cultures, especially those that are home to terrorist groups. I have often called suicide bombers a poor man’s cruise missiles. They have the same accuracy and effect but cause much more collateral damage and victims than our high tech missles. The intent of the bomber is to kill as many people as possible. 
 
In an effort to understand why anyone would be a suicide bomber, some people have latched onto the idea that these bombers are convinced that when they get to heaven, they can make love to 72 virgins. I seriously doubt it. That thought assumes that these bombers are very stupid, and that simply is not true. I assure you that making love with a virgin is not all that great. Having done so with at least one virgin, I think I can safely say that given a choice, most males would prefer a more experienced woman. Believing this concept is the same as believing all Christians will get a harp and wings when they get to heaven. In the hands of some people that I know, the harp would be considered a deadly weapon. I believe that suicide bombings would continue, with or without the 72 virgins. 
 
We American can’t understand the killing of innocent people, which are often the targets of suicide bombers. Terrorist groups do this to demonstrate that the government can’t protect the people. They do not view the victims as innocent people but as martyrs in a holy war. These martyrs are instantly accepted into heaven in the same manner that early Christian martyrs were instantly saved. In a sense, the bombers feel they are doing the victims a big favor. Of course, the victims do have to believe in order to be saved. The non-believer victims instantly go to hell to receive their just fate. Therefore, according to the terrorists, there are no real victims. 

Now let’s consider the bombers. In many cases, they come from poor families. Many terrorist organizations promise to take care of the families of the bombers. The bombers sacrifice themselves for the cause, but more importantly, for the good of their families. What is so hard to understand? Many Americans would consider suicide if they knew their families would benefit from it. In fact, some people who commit suicide feel that their families and the world will be better off
without them.

I am afraid that suicide bombers are going to be around for a long time.


 

Terrorism, home grown or overseas, is an ever present news item. For many of us Americans, it is hard to understand. We can understand, somewhat, that people hate the USA, but it is harder to understand that they want to kill us all. We like to think that the people who advocate killing Americans are religious extremists. However, it is not just American they want to kill; it is all non-believers. I  believe that our own Christian background works against us in understanding terrorists. Here is why I say that:

Christians believe there is one God-a monotheistic belief. Therefore, the argument goes, Allah and Yahweh must be the same God. I have a hard time imagining a God that
would pit millions of followers to fight against each other. They cannot be the same God.

Christians tend to equate the Bible with the Koran. There is not direct correlation between the two. What most Christians not know is that there is a collection of Muhammad’s speeches that is deemed as important as the Koran. All of the things that Jesus (or Moss, or any other Bible leader) said are written in the Bible. The things that Muhammad said are not written in the Koran but are collected separately. There is where you will read that Muhammad said to kill all non-believers-a holy war, or jihad. (Correct me if I am wrong).

Christians use the Bible as the major foundation of Christian churches (fundamentalists). Some denominations also use tradition (Catholics), divine revelation (Mormons), and writing of church leaders (Christian Science and Lutherans). The Muslins use the Koran and the writings and speeches of Muhammad. 
 
Christians believe that only those who believe in Jesus can go to heaven. It is not hard to understand why the Muslin faith or Jewish faith can’t accept this idea. It leaves little room for compromise. I have heard people say that if you are a good person, you will go to heaven regardless of whether you believe in Jesus. However, there is no basis for this belief in scripture. 

Americans do not under terrorism because we do not under other religions and can’t except  terrorism as a religious battle. We should study more about other cultures. 

I am reading an interesting article in July issue of GQ Magazine about the Boston Marathon bombing. The Article, The Finish Line, by Christopher Churchill follows some of the individuals that were there on that fateful day. One person, Jeff Bauman, was one of the victims, but he also provided a description of the bomber to the police. That description was a crucial piece of evidence in identifying the bomber. 
 
Before the bomb went off, the bomber was standing next to Jeff in the crowd. The bomber looked right at Jeff and did not look away until Jeff did. Jeff thought that the man looked like he was not having any fun. Jeff said in the interview that he thought, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy.” He was so right.

The eyes are critical in non-verbal communications. They
telegraph a lot of information. I remember when I was a company commander in the Army; I had to disciple a soldier for punching another soldier. When I asked why
he did it, he said because he could tell from the other soldier’s eyes that he was about to punch him, so he punch him first in self-defense. The eyes can
communicate disrespect, anger, fear, jealousy, friendship, love, and other emotions. We learn to read and understand non-verbal communications as babies. We become quite good at reading non-verbal signals before we learn to speak. As we grow older, we forget how to read non-verbal
communications.

 We still read the non-verbal clues in the first few seconds when we meet someone. We take an instant liking or dislike to people-a gut reaction. Then we tend to dismiss those gut reactions. Often those initial instincts are reverting to our childhood when we could read the non-verbal signals better. Later we pay the price for not listening to our instincts. Hopefully, the price will not be as steep as they were for Jeff when he lost his legs. 

Most people think they are team players. And they are. I have been racking my brain trying to think of a profession that does not require teamwork. Even jobs like boxer require support such as a coach, trainer, and work out partners. A thief might work alone, but that is not a profession. Every job requires teamwork and employers want and need to hire team players. I have never seen an ad for a position that states, “Team players need not apply.” 

I don’t think team player is a particularly valuable skill, since everyone is a team player. I know many would disagree with me. It is usually an unstated requirement for every job. It is like reading and speaking English for most jobs. If the requirements don’t list English language skills-it is understood. People do not usually list English as a skill (in the USA) on their resume. Lately, I have
been telling fellow job seekers not to list team player on their resume if they have other skills. The exception, of course, would be applying for a position on a team such as hockey, baseball, football, and technical teams.

The real issue is how good of a team player you are. As I said earlier, all jobs require teamwork. However, some teams lack good teamwork and are actually dysfunctional. Instead of saying, someone is a team player, it might be better to say they work well with others.

I recently made contact with an old Army friend, Ed Stone. I do not mean to imply that he is old or that the Army is old (which it is) but that we lost contact over 20 years ago. I write about leadership and values in my blog and in my
e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two. (http://smashwords.com/b/300090) He sent me the
ethical principles that Rotarians live by. His Rotary club like many, verbalize them at the end of every meeting. I think they are excellent values.
 
In everything we think, say, and do: 
First, is it the truth? 
Second: Is it fair to all concerned?
Third: Will it build good will and better friendships?
Fourth: Will it be beneficial to all concerned? 
 
(Learn more about Rotary at www.rotary.org)
 
Often people feel that if what they say, or expose/reveal, is true, it is okay to say it. It is not. It may do more harm than good. A good example is when your significant other asks, “Does this outfit make me look fat?” You know the truth is that his/her fat butt makes him/her look fat, or that he/she is fat and no outfit can hide it. However, using the rotary principles, it is not fair to your significant other to tell them at this time, it will not build good will, and it is not beneficial. Save the I am concerned about your weight discussion for another time. Trust me on this issue.

On CNN this morning, there is an article that says that Michael Jackson went for 60 days without REM sleep. It may be true, but it hard to believe. I know the effects caused by lack of sleep. As a young officer in the infantry, I attended Ranger School at Fort Benning, GA. The cadre at the school used sleep deprivation to create stress on the students. When deprived of REM sleep, people begin to hallucinate. The hallucinations are different for each
person. 

I saw a fellow student trying to put coins in a tree. He thought it was a soda machine. Another student thought he was leading a deer on a rope. Sometimes, people just fall asleep. I have seen people sleeping while standing up. For me, it was flashes of light out of the corner of my eye. I do not mean little specks of light; more like car headlights. When I turned my head for a better look, the lights disappeared. 

If Michael Jackson went 60 days without REM sleep, he had to hallucinate. His
staff would notice that he was acting weirder than usual.  (clicktotweet.com/tiea9)

I have my doubts about Michael Jackson going 60 days without REM sleep.