More Food for Thought

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue May 13, 2014 7:35 pm

For those who are not interested in wood working or in the care and use of Shopsmith equipment but would rather debate political issues, you should try logging in here.

algale · Post by **algale** » Tue May 13, 2014 9:55 pm

Wish there was a "Like" button.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed May 14, 2014 12:23 am

algale wrote:Wish there was a "Like" button.

There is! I gave it 5 stars!:D

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Thu May 15, 2014 10:12 am

Interesting... I just clicked back here this morning for the first time in a while. After being here many times a day for several years and participating in a large number of discussions (see my message count) I had just lost interest and quit coming back. I just got really tired of those who have so little self control that they apparently cannot even say good morning without spewing their politics at everybody around them... Some are rather pitiful but will never see what they have become because introspection is just not their strong suit.
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Just yesterday I watched as a zealot was "bludgeoning" with his opinion a person that I suspect was quickly becoming a "ex" friend during a simple discussion of a variation in religion in a McDonald's. The zealot was too caught up in his own rather loud spouting to even see the disgust and and desire to escape in the face of the man he was spewing at. I could see it. Any time the other guy attempted to say anything the zealot would just talk over him. Did he change the other guys opinion? I don't think so... If anything he likely sat him even farther against the position that he was trying to force on him. Many political zealots function the same way and get the same result.
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For now I just have too many other places to be, too much else to do. Maybe I'll get back to the wood shop when it gets hot and I want to work in the air conditioning.

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Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu May 15, 2014 1:14 pm

If it doesn't interest you why read it?

I come to this Shopsmith forum daily but there are many many threads I never read because they simply don't interest me.

That is self control the American way.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Thu May 15, 2014 2:24 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:If it doesn't interest you why read it?

I come to this Shopsmith forum daily but there are many many threads I never read because they simply don't interest me.

That is self control the American way.

You kind of missed the whole point "again" Ed...
And why is that "the American way"? Was Superman involved?

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JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 15, 2014 2:48 pm

robinson46176 wrote:You kind of missed the whole point "again" Ed...
And why is that "the American way"? Was Superman involved?

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Your recent absence following yer hospital trip had me concerned. I know your reaction to politics and am sorry you came back during the latest.

Do not know about the 'American way', but water and a duck's back come to mind!;)

Maybe spiderman?:D

Cool enough fer thee today?:)

benush26 · Post by **benush26** » Thu May 15, 2014 6:09 pm

robinson46176 wrote:Interesting... I just clicked back here this morning for the first time in a while. After being here many times a day for several years and participating in a large number of discussions (see my message count) I had just lost interest and quit coming back. I just got really tired of those who have so little self control that they apparently cannot even say good morning without spewing their politics at everybody around them... Some are rather pitiful but will never see what they have become because introspection is just not their strong suit.
.
Just yesterday I watched as a zealot was "bludgeoning" with his opinion a person that I suspect was quickly becoming a "ex" friend during a simple discussion of a variation in religion in a McDonald's. The zealot was too caught up in his own rather loud spouting to even see the disgust and and desire to escape in the face of the man he was spewing at. I could see it. Any time the other guy attempted to say anything the zealot would just talk over him. Did he change the other guys opinion? I don't think so... If anything he likely sat him even farther against the position that he was trying to force on him. Many political zealots function the same way and get the same result.
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For now I just have too many other places to be, too much else to do. Maybe I'll get back to the wood shop when it gets hot and I want to work in the air conditioning.

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I could be very wrong, but what I am seeing is many members of society refusing to accept responsibility for their actions as a result of leaders, (not just political but social and spiritual) leading by example. Not the example I'd prefer to see, but an example none the less!

How are we to mentor anyone when the reporters, athletes, military leaders and media darlings brag about their world / lifestyle, yet when something bad happens it is never their fault? All the glory and none of the guilt! Corruption is not punished. There are no longer consequences to actions, so why worry!?!

Because it sells more column inches or minutes of air time, media chooses to air the squalid, morbid and demeaning. I watch CBS evening news for no other reason than "usually" the final story is of something uplifting.

Farmer Francis Robinson (I like using that title for you, it's sounds dignified ), I am sorry if you don't get to read this because your are exasperated, but I truly understand. Sometime back I started a thread about being frustrated with nation mired in non-action and what this forum could do as a group to brainstorm. By the time that thread had hit its lowest point, I apologized to the members for even starting it. I belong to a few other forums, but as I have stated, I find this group (for the most part) unique. The VAST majority seem decent people with no axe to grind, it's fun to see what they have accomplished and frankly people who I would be proud to call a friend (even in public"

).

I spent time in politics and found it to be vile and demeaning. One moment someone is your friend and the next they are trying to eviscerate you in public so they have another body to stand on. Too many have no conscience and fewer have any moral compass. As I ran away from that world I noticed school boards and public workers taking up the flag of "righteous without a reason". Now it seams that mentality is permeating everything.

So, if I may be so bold, most here are a true friend. And in this world a true friend is getting to be too rare to waste.

Be well,
Ben

db5 · Post by **db5** » Thu May 15, 2014 8:32 pm

[quote="JPG40504"]Your recent absence following yer hospital trip had me concerned. I know your reaction to politics and am sorry you came back during the latest.

Do not know about the 'American way', but water and a duck's back come to mind!]

As time goes by JPG is becoming a better Psychologist than I; I doubt I'll ever equal him as an engineer. However, I can learn many things and do.

db5 · Post by **db5** » Thu May 15, 2014 9:28 pm

benush26 wrote:I could be very wrong, but what I am seeing is many members of society refusing to accept responsibility for their actions as a result of leaders, (not just political but social and spiritual) leading by example.

I've truncated most of Ben's excellent observations to comment only on this: Leading is just that: In front setting the way] Leading from Behin[/B]d (the only way you do that is if you have your back turned or your behind - is making the decisions); what a stupid concept.) Forty years ago I had a trainee (brazen female) tell me "If you can't show me how to do it, don't tell me. I could both show and tell but she raised an awareness that if you tell people how to do something and you can't do it by your example then it is worthless. I kept her admonition in mind throughout my career.

Leaders lead from the front by example.
Preachers often tell you what to do but can't and don't demonstrate it in their lives.
Teachers often have learned it but never done it and tell you to do it.
Trainers (with some exceptions) have learned a program that they teach but have never learned through experience and thus can't demonstrate how to do it.
Managers (with the exception of those who have done it) just want results and can't help you in achieving them.
Administrators never know how to perform many of the tasks they require of employees. They just move things around and make sure that everyone is doing something and not creating waves.
Consultants are temporarily unemployed experts in some of the above positions who can, for a phenomenal fee (particularly if it is charged by a consulting firm) provide services for everything except Preachers - unless for a religious establishment.

One final comment: You can only do what you have done or learned to do and will put into practice. The learning curve is a curve, not a leap. For example, if you haven't done it you can't do it without error. Never been a CEO or at least on a track for that position? You don't jump from Mail Clerk (as in the movie "The Secret of My Success") to CEO nor from community organizer to Senator and then to CEO of the USA with no experience in running anything. Nor do you jump from upper echelon in the Gestapo (KGP in the USSR) to President and then because of term-limits, Premier and now jointly being both President and Premier. Putin is on the move. Curious.

We have a CEO in the USA with no experience in running anything and another CEO in another country who was upper escehlon in one of the most ruthless regimes in history who are now in charge of two countries.

Barney Fife vs. Rocky Balboa. Coming to a boxing ring near you. Well, it may not be that close but no matter how close it is it will be too close for comfort. Better duck. I doubt that Obama will duck when it comes to the knock out punch from Putin. He'll wait for Jay Carney to tell the public why Putin wouldn't punch him.

Yes, I know that this should have been on the other site that Farmer suggested but I still haven't received an email letting me register so I decided to reply to this.