Happy Halloween. There is a buzz in the media about football coaches dressing up in blackface as the Jamaican bobsled team. You may recall that there is no snow in Jamaica. Two San Diego high school football coaches are under investigation after posting a photo of them in blackface on Facebook. The Jamaican bobsled team was real and was the basis for the movie, Cool
Runnings. 
Blackface has its own history in minstrel shows. Blackface became nationally popular in the late 1820s when white male performers portrayed African-American characters. Wearing tattered clothes, the performances mocked African-American behavior, using racial stereotypes to get laughs. African Americans considered blackface offensive, and this act by the coaches shows bad judgment on their part. I know they did it for laughs and not
to put down African-American. 
Humor always offends someone – guarenteed. I wrote about this in my latest e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, http://smashwords.com/b/300090. Here is what I wrote:
 5. Humor
I love humor but leader/managers need to be careful how they use humor. Humor can cause problems when it offends someone. Humor must never be sexual, racial, or
harassing. Usually, it is best to leave the humor up to the most senior person
present. Never forward or circulate humor/jokes on organizational e-mail
networks. 
Sarcasm is the cruelest, crudest form of humor. Associates often misunderstand it.
Leader/managers should avoid sarcasm.

Maybe we are too concerned about being politically correct to the extreme. I thought
it might help if I made a list for you on the type of Halloween costume that someone may find offensive in addition to blackface.
1. Any costume – Members of the Druids faith, Celtics, and the Neo-pagan Movement may think you are making fun of them or stereotyping them. According to many scholars, Halloween, is a Christianized feast based on Celtic harvest festivals. It may have some pagan roots. History is a little vague on the origin. Fundamentalist Christians that believe Halloween is a pagan custom will be offended as well as Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and other faiths. Atheists are offended.
2. Cowperson or Indians – may offend Native Americans or real cowboys. If you must go as a cowboy, do not carry a fake gun (no real guns either) (cowperson??)
3. Witches or Warlocks – offends witches or Wiccans and the good people of Salem, Mass. 
4. Cyrus Miley/hooters/strippers – offends mothers and fathers. Okay if you are over 21.
5. Toy or fake guns or real guns =- are you crazy? Do you want to be shot? Not a good idea even in states that allow people to carry guns.
6. Policeperson - may offend illegal immigrants, kids carrying fake guns, real police, and criminals. Wearer could be shot.
7. Frankenstein - may offend doctors, medical malpractice insurance salespeople, and people who favor Obamacare.
8. Ghost - may appear to be KKK and offend African Americans as well as members of the KKK. May offend other ghosts.
9. Zombie - may offend real zombies. If done too dark may appear as Blackface. If done too white,
may appear as KKK.
10. Football player - always offends fans of opposing teams. Teams like the Washington Redskins offend Native Americans.
11. Baseball player - similar to football players. Associated with drug use.
12. Historical political figures - offends members of the opposition party.
13. Congressperson/politicians – offends veterans, senior citizens on social security, federal workers who were furloughed during shut down, and one members of one party or another.
14. Werewolves - at one time wolves were an endangered species. will offend cattle famers.
15. Vampires. offends werewolves, HIV patients, vegetarians, and citizens of Transylvania.
16. Any animal costume – offends animal right activists, vegetarians, and pet owners.

Inappropriate handouts for Halloween:
 1. Candy – contributes to weight gains and high blood sugar in diabetics. 
 2. Chocolate – the price is going up. Handing out chocolate makes the giver appear uppity.
 3. Beef jerky – offends vegetarians and red necks.
 4. Fruit like apples and bananas – apples need to be X-rayed for needles and razor blades. Bananas have a sexual connotation.
 5. Alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, and drugs -  never to minors.
 6. Salty snacks like potato chips – contributes to high blind pressure and weight gain. Some kids are allegoric to peanuts. 

On second thought, it would be easier to stay home, turn off the all the lights, and hide.

Tomorrow is Halloween, my least favorite holiday. I wrote about this a few days ago but I thought I would post it again. I used to love Halloween, but over the years, I have changed my mind. However, Halloween teaches us several lessons that we can pass on to our children. For example:
1. It celebrates our pagan roots.
2. It is okay to hide behind a mask.
3. It is okay to take candy from strangers.
4. It is okay to extort goodies from strangers with the threat of vandalism.
5. It is okay to vandalize personal property.
6. It is okay to scare the hell out of people, especially young children.
7. It is okay to eat high sugar and high calorie goodies.
8. It is permissible to form in gangs on Halloween night. 
 
I read in The Week magazine that a Tennessee lawyer is suing Apple. He claims that Apple failed to warn him that
online porn might give him unrealistic expectations for sex. Duh! We all have unrealistic expectations for sex. Apparently, the law school that he attended does not want their name revealed. That started me thinking that I should provide some warnings with my blog.
Here goes:
WARNING!
Reading this blog may cause laughter which might result in a pulled stomach muscles, injured funny bones, coffee or milk to pour from the nose, and self-inflicted wounds caused by slapping knees or
foreheads.
WARNING!
Reading blogs may cause eyestrain, deep thoughts (rare), raised eyebrows, furrowing of the forehead, gnashing of teeth, and shaking of the head. If you think you have any of these symptoms, return to my blog tomorrow for more of the same. Consider yourself warned.
for more humor, purchase my e-book, Monte's Shorts, at http://smashwords.com/b/214041.

The Supreme Court has ruled that, in some instances, a suspect’s silence may be used against them in a court of law. I imagine it will work like this:
The prosecutor will asked the arresting officer, “Did the defendant say anything when you arrested him?”
The arresting officer will refer to his notebook. “Yes sir. I asked him if he killed the victim and he said, and I quote, ‘__________.’ Then I asked him where he was at the time of the murder, and, again I quote, he said, ‘_________.’”
“And what did you make of that, officer?”
“That’s as good as a signed confession.”
Authorities may have to change the Miranda reading to include “or don’t say” after “Anything you say”. Will have to see when the defense challenges that in court. The Miranda Rights have been around since 1966.
 
I wrote about humor in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two. (http://smashwords.com/b/300090) Here is what I wrote.
5. Humor
I love humor but leader/managers need to be careful how they use humor. Humor can cause problems when it offends someone. Humor must never be sexual, racial, or harassing. Usually, it is best to leave the humor up to the most senior person present. Never forward or circulate humor/jokes on organizational
e-mail networks.
Notice the part about leaving humor to the senior person present. That will keep you out of trouble. You might have to fake a laugh or two.

As veteran and a West Point grad, I thought I would throw in my two cents about the Air Force Academy’s decision to make the phrase “so help me God” optional in its honor code. The current version reads,
 
We will not lie, steal or cheat nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God.

The Air Force Academy modeled their honor code after the one at West Point. I attended West Point from 1964 to graduation in 1968. During that time, attendance at church was mandatory. It was justified as religious
instruction. Later, after being challenged, West Point eliminated mandatory church attendance. 
I am a firm believer in freedom of religion and separation of church and state. I do believe that no religion is free unless all are free and that includes atheistism (click to tweet). Therefore, I am in favor of removing the word God from all government oaths, especially military.
Christians should agree if they believe Matthew 5:34 (King James Version) where it says, “Swear not at all,” Of course, like most things in the Bible, it contradicts other readings such as 2 Corinthians 1:23 and Galatians 1:20 where oaths are looked upon more favorably. Few Christians interpret this verse literally. The Quakers and Mennonites reject all oaths. Having said that a cadet will not lie,
cheat or steal and “to do my duty and live honorably,” the “so help me God” part is superfluous. Keep in mind that my opinion is worth just two cents.
If you have followed up on the internet ads to learn Spanish in 10 days, the NSA may offer you a job. It seems the NSA has been spying on the Spanish. Now, aren't you sorry that you didn't pay attention in high school Spanish?
 

Barneys and the NYPD are under fire, again (or still), for racial profiling. The police questioned two black shoppers after they made expensive purchases at the Manhattan store. I understand what they are going through. The police have also stopped me coming out of numerous stores. However, in my case, it was the fashion police. They asked only one question. "Are you  going to wear that?” I have given this much thought and have come up with a solution. When the police stop someone coming out of a pricey store, they must give the shopper $100 before they can ask any questions. If it turns out that the credit card is legit, the shopper keeps the $100. NYC can put the officers on a budget like $1000 per week. When they run out of money, they are done until next budget period. I think I can find a different store to shop, not that I could afford to shop at Barneys.
I am sure you have all seen the internet ads that promise that you will start speaking Spanish in 10 days. I asked my wife if she thought it was possible to speak Spanish in 10 days. She said, “Si.”

There is a lot in the news this morning. My least favorite holiday, Halloween, is on Thursday. I used to love Halloween, but over the years, I have changed my mind. However, Halloween teaches us several lessons that we can pass on to our children. For example:
1. It celebrates our pagan roots.
2. It is okay to hide behind a mask.
3. It is okay to take candy from strangers.
4. It is okay to extort goodies from strangers with the threat of vandalism.
5. It is okay to vandalize personal property.
6. It is okay to scare the hell out of people, especially small children.
7. It is okay to eat high sugar and high calorie goodies.
8. It is permissible to form gangs on Halloween. 

The National Security Agency is under fire for spying on
heads of state overseas. NSA did not identify all the leaders, but France, Germany, and Brazil are upset about it. Apparently, they never got the word that they should have no expectation of privacy whenever they use their cell phones or the internet. The NSA has issued a statement that they will not monitor foreign leaders’ conversations unless they need the
information. Here is how that will work:
1. The NSA and CIA monitors foreign leaders’ conversations.
2. They gather the information.
3. They conduct an analysis of the data to determine if they need it.
4. If they don’t need it, they just give it back.
5. If they do need it, they just say that the leaders should have no expectation of privacy whenever they use their cell phones or the  internet. Meanwhile, I am still waiting for the NSA or CIA to return my e-mails that “disappeared” over the last couple of years. They know which ones.

County deputies shot and killed 13-year-old Andy Lopez Cruz in Santa Rosa, California on October 22. He was walking with a replica of an assault weapon and carrying a fake handgun. According to police, they repeatedly
ordered the boy to drop what appeared to be a rifle before firing several rounds. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
I thought, apparently incorrectly, that manufacturers were required to render toy or fake guns so they do not look like real ones by making them an odd color. If not, then it should be a law. Police shoot too many kids who are playing with fake guns. It is bad enough that they shoot adults who are holding cell phones, car keys, or other small objects. I feel for the family and think they should sue the manufacturer and the police. I saw the pictures of the fake gun next to a real one, and I could not tell which was which. The lesson learned – when confronted by police, immediately drop (not  throw) everything in your hands and raise your hands slowly (click to tweet).
I think the parents have some responsibility in this case. It probably is not a good idea to purchase real looking fake guns for kids. It definitely is not a good idea to let kids (or adults) take real looking fake guns out of the house. 

There was an interesting article on CNN on Wednesday. According to studies, spanking children may leave a lasting impact beyond the initial punishment. Children spanked often at a very young age by
their mothers were more likely to be aggressive later in childhood compared to kids who the mothers did not spank at all. Dads spanking kids was linked to vocabulary and language problems in kids. The more often the spanking, the stronger the effects. This flies in the face of the old adage--“spare the rod – spoil the child.”
The problem with spanking and violence in general is that in the short-term it works. Since it does change the behavior of the victim, the aggressor is encouraged to use violence repeatedly. In the long-term, it has devastating effects. If you spank a child and they don’t change their behavior,
what is the next step? When I was a young parent, I attended a lecture about spanking. I was so impressed that I immediately stopped spanking as a disciplinary tool. My oldest child was three at the time. I figured that as an adult I should be able to outsmart a child without resorting to violence.
He is now a senior officer in the Air Force. His younger brother was a baby at the time. He is now a successful business owner. All three of my children turned out to be mature adults.

I wrote recently about David Rothkopf, who writes
regularly for CNN. He is also the CEO of the FP Group, publishers of Foreign Police magazine. He wrote had an interesting article on the problems with America. He says there are five reasons that America is in trouble:
1. The political system is broken
2. Our national conversation has gotten off-track. 
3. Governance has become a lost art.
4. We are ignoring the big problems. 
5. The American people have failed their government ... and each other.
I wrote about the first two issues already. You can check my archives if you want to read them. Today I will address the other three issues. Rothkopf says that politicians are too often elected because they advance an ideology, and when they serve, they inevitably focus on what they need to do to be re-elected. He says that voters need to start voting for people who can get things done. He feels that we are
ignoring the really big problems - trapped in a cycle of
making incremental improvements and avoiding solving the major issue. (Kicking the can down the room.) Rothkoph goes on to say that the American people have failed their government ... and each other; that
voters are ill-informed on the real issues and problems. 
I agree with him for the most part. However, I don’t think that voters vote for an ideology. I think I am a typical voter. I am a retired, disabled veteran. I will vote for politicians who will support
Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and disability benefits. I am not too concerned about ideology other than democracy and capitalism. There are some issues that I support like gun control, separation of church and state, and social justice. Other than that, I do not voter for an ideology. I think with Twitter and Facebook, voters are more inform than ever, but that there is so much misinformation out there. Voters need to hear the truth.

NBC News reported that White House staffer, Jofi Joseph, was fired after tweeting critical comments about his bosses, government policies, and President Barack Obama. He had an anonymous Twitter account for the last two and a half years. He was a director in the non-proliferation section of the National Security Staff at the White House. In an email to POLITICO, Joseph admitted to being the author of the tweets. He apologized to everyone he insulted.
I don’t understand several things about this issue. If the NSA and CIA are monitoring all the social media, why did they allow this to go on for two and a half years? Joseph admits that he insulted some very high level people and apologized to everyone he insulted. Why apologize now that he is unemployed? If he intended to insult these people, then an apology is inappropriate. What is done is done. If he insulted them by accident somehow, then, by all and any means, apologize. When working for the man, it is inappropriate to criticize the man (http://clicktotweet.com/8NUe7). Freedom of speech is one thing – badmouthing your employer is another. That is biting the hand that feeds you. Since he no longer works for anyone, he is free to continue to criticize. Here’s a clue for others – if you have to be anonymous in order to tweet about your company, bosses, or policies, then maybe you shouldn’t do it. 

Apparently, the Vatican wants to field a cricket team. No doubt, this is part of the new people  policies of Pope Francis. He wants to reach out to the common folks. I would think he would prefer soccer, because he is from South America. However, soccer is a much more violent sport compared to the genteel game of cricket. There is a buzz in the media about what team name they will choose. Of course, there are the obvious names such as Angels, Saints, Apostles, and Disciples. One reporter suggested The Holy Rollers. My personal recommendations are The Eleven Commandments, The God
Squad, The Apocalypse, The Deadly Sins, and The Repentant. Not to be considered include Vatican
Redskins, Devils, and Sinners.

Lately I have been writing frequently about bullying and holding parents responsible. Once again, bullying is in the news. Only this time, the apparent victim of bullying has
himself become a shooter, shooting two middle school students and killing a beloved math teacher before killing himself in Sparks, NV. 
We do know that he took a handgun from home and carried it to school where the shootings occurred. One question
unanswered at this time is how did he get the gun? Was it secured? How did he carry it to school? Was it in a backpack? Parents should always checks kids’ backpacks for weapons, drugs, cigarettes, homework, lunch or snacks, underwear (?), or whatever before they go to school. No one wants to be called at work for inappropriate stuff found in their kid’s backpacks. It will be interesting to see if the police charge the parents. 
It has not yet been determined if the shooter was, in fact, a victim of bullying, but initial interviews with classmates and friends seem to indicate that he was. We will find out soon. If he was then who was aware of this bullying, and what
did they do about it? I said in my earlier posts that parents of bullies should be responsible for the actions of their children. When kids turn to bullying, the parents of the bullies should be accountable for not monitoring their children’s behavior. Bullying occurs in the workplace as well. I wrote about this in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, http://smashwords.com/b/300090.
The role of the school is another issue. So often school officials fail to act when bullying surfaces. I think that many of these people believe that kids can work these things out themselves. Schools should have a No Tolerance policy and should monitor cyber behavior by students. This requires
special software that many schools do not have. Schools should provide more suicide prevention training for students and faculty and include bullying. 
Another item in the news is the case of Glenn Taylor who was seen in a video toppling a rock in Utah’s Goblin Valley State park. There is a buzz about the fact that he has a lawsuit pending where he is claiming disability from injuries received in an automobile accident. Viewers are upset because he was able to topple the work while claiming disability.
Come on folks! Get a life. There are different types of disabilities. I am a disabled Vietnam vet
but not for my back. I do have a bad back – slipped disk and herniated disk. Anyone disabled will tell you there are good days and bad. I think even on a bad day I could topple a wobbly rock. He said it was about to fall over any way. He didn’t have to lift it – only push it. 
The  Boy Scouts of America were correct to disown Mr. Taylor. He reflects poorly on the BSA. He was trying to do a good dead, but it was misguide and lacking in  sound judgment. Apparently, Mr. Taylor lacked any adult supervision. He violated the BSA “Leave no trace” policy.

The news media is buzzing about the results of as recent pool just released. The CNN/ORC International Survey indicated that the public is dissatisfied with Congress and the GOP. No surprises there. Here are some of the results according to CNN:
1. 63% say to replace the Speaker of the House John Boehner. Only 30% say he should stay.
2. 54% say that it is a bad thing that the GOP controls the House. Only 38% say it is a good thing. I don’t think it is a bad idea for the opposition party to control the House or Senate. It offers some checks and balances. However,
it can get out of hand, as it did this time. 
3. Only 12% approve of the job that Congress is doing. 86% disapprove.
4. 44% approve of the President’s performance while 52%
disapprove.
What galls me is when any politician claims to speak for the American people, especially when the polls say just the opposite (http://clicktotweet.com/sf768). If anyone can speak for the American people, it would be the President. All other elected officials can speak only for their constituents. No one has a hot line to the American public. It is the same as when a religious leader claims to speak for God. I don’t thinks so.
I wrote yesterday about David Rothkopf, who writes regularly for CNN. He is CEO of the FP Group, publishers of Foreign Policy magazine. He had an interesting article on the problems with America.
He says there are five reasons that America is in trouble:
1. The political system is broken
2. Our national conversation has gotten off-track. 
3. Governance has become a lost art.
4. We are ignoring the really big problems. 
5. The American people have failed their government ... and each other.

 I wrote about the first issue yesterday. You can check my archives if you want to read it. Today I will address the second issue. Rothkopf says that, “Our national conversation has gotten off-track.” He says that  extremist  politicians create tension, incivility and a reluctance to compromise. He says
 that we need to defuse the loaded terminology, reinvest in the separation of church and state and call out dangerously divisive ideas, racism, sexism and sheer stupidity, like denying science, history or basic arithmetic. I agree 100%
I am a strong believer is separation of Church and State. I do believe that we do not go far enough. I do not believe that no religion is free unless all are free. That is why I supported doing away with school led prayers. Swearing on a Bible in court proceedings was always a stupid idea. We still have “In God We Trust” on all our currency.
Today, people are more informed today than ever before. If a bus crashes in China and kills several people, we see it on the news in America. We are more aware of what is going on everywhere. Politicians need to tap into social media to find out what the people really want and need.