The Gang that Could Shoot Straight!
D
on’t go to Florida if you plan to commit a crime and then confront the police. A South Florida SWAT team poured 110 rounds into the woods killing Angilo Freeland. Freeland, suspected of killing a sheriff’s deputy, a police dog and wounding another deputy, was shot 68 times and died at the scene. That means that nearly 70% of the rounds fired hit Freeland. Police reported that Freeland, who is black, raised the gun of the deputy he had killed, prompting the nine officers to fire. Evidently, challenging the police in Florida is not conducive to life. On the other hand, in 2005 Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies officers fired more than 120 rounds to stop an unarmed SUV driver and only wounded him and another police officer! Apparently, perpetrators have a better chance of escaping injury in Los Angeles if they just stand still. Counting the officer hit with friendly fire and the four bullets that struck the suspect, Winston Hayes, in the finger, toe and shoulder, the 10 Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies had a 4% hit rate. Counting the five homes that were hit a dozen times the rate rises to 14%.
D
on’t go to Florida if you plan to commit a crime and then confront the police. A South Florida SWAT team poured 110 rounds into the woods killing Angilo Freeland. Freeland, suspected of killing a sheriff’s deputy, a police dog and wounding another deputy, was shot 68 times and died at the scene. That means that nearly 70% of the rounds fired hit Freeland. Police reported that Freeland, who is black, raised the gun of the deputy he had killed, prompting the nine officers to fire. Evidently, challenging the police in Florida is not conducive to life. On the other hand, in 2005 Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies officers fired more than 120 rounds to stop an unarmed SUV driver and only wounded him and another police officer! Apparently, perpetrators have a better chance of escaping injury in Los Angeles if they just stand still. Counting the officer hit with friendly fire and the four bullets that struck the suspect, Winston Hayes, in the finger, toe and shoulder, the 10 Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies had a 4% hit rate. Counting the five homes that were hit a dozen times the rate rises to 14%.Male Rating System
I’ve come up with a new rating system to make it easy for men to avoid movies that waste time plumbing sticky social issues, exploring romantic relationships or examining meaningful subjects. With my new rating system, men can avoid tight knit plots, strong story lines and character development and concentrate on the things that count in a movie like special effects, digital surround sound and realistic animation. The following are Don’s suggestions for a new rating system: NSR=No socially redeeming content, MSV=Meaningless sex and violence, GSV=Gratuitous sex and violence (same), NS=Nudity and Sexual content and LS=Adult language and Stupidity. No more chick flick ambushes. No more dull documentaries. No more wondering. At last, no more duds for studs. Let the body count begin.
I’ve come up with a new rating system to make it easy for men to avoid movies that waste time plumbing sticky social issues, exploring romantic relationships or examining meaningful subjects. With my new rating system, men can avoid tight knit plots, strong story lines and character development and concentrate on the things that count in a movie like special effects, digital surround sound and realistic animation. The following are Don’s suggestions for a new rating system: NSR=No socially redeeming content, MSV=Meaningless sex and violence, GSV=Gratuitous sex and violence (same), NS=Nudity and Sexual content and LS=Adult language and Stupidity. No more chick flick ambushes. No more dull documentaries. No more wondering. At last, no more duds for studs. Let the body count begin.
The More Things Change . . .
. . . the more things stay the same. In the 70’s African-Americans adopted natural hairstyles as one way of proclaiming that black is beautiful. Ideas of good hair and bad hair disappeared like wallets at a pickpocket convention. The once popular process and permanent went the way of the dodo bird. Kinky hair became a crowning symbol of new black pride, as African-Americans stood together in unity and defiance.
. . . the more things stay the same. In the 70’s African-Americans adopted natural hairstyles as one way of proclaiming that black is beautiful. Ideas of good hair and bad hair disappeared like wallets at a pickpocket convention. The once popular process and permanent went the way of the dodo bird. Kinky hair became a crowning symbol of new black pride, as African-Americans stood together in unity and defiance.Fast-forward thirty years.
Sitting in the beauty shop with my wife, I heard it, I heard it for 20 minutes as a discussion about good hair, and bad hair broke out. I wasn’t surprised. Over the years, I’ve watched and listened as the terms crept back into the neighborhood. During the 80’s, fashion dictates brought the Jeri curl and the S-wave. By the 90’s, dreadlocks snuck in and transformed into braids. Now, when it comes to hairstyles in the black community, anything goes.
Still, the discussion of good hair and bad hair bothers me. It brings back memories when blacks had no respect for themselves and their African heritage, when white was right and black was, well, that’s another story. My main concern is I feel that the good hair-bad hair is just the tip of the coiffure.
When I look at black on black crime statistics, the failures of African-American marriages, the rise in illegitimate birth rates and the transformation of African-American women into sex objects by African-American men, I hear the echoes of an earlier time when blacks were wracked with self-hatred, self-doubt and no self-respect.
Hoppin’ Bob
I find out more things at the beauty shop about male-female relationships. Recently, I overheard two women saying that they wouldn’t report the fathers of their children to the police for child support because the men already had too much pressure on them. Well, they need the pressure, a lot of pressure, enough pressure to make dead beat men do the right thing. Raising a child in a two-parent household isn't cheap and for a single woman trying to do it on her own, the burden is heavy, but many don’t want to pressure the baby’s father. Bullshit! If I’m a single mom trying to make it on my own, the baby’s father will be paying child support, going to jail or become Hoppin’ Bob, jumping from job to job trying to stay one step ahead of the collection agents. Perhaps, a little time in jail will help these reluctant fathers keep their peckers in their pants or do what they should—help the mother with the baby they both created. Otherwise, I say put Hoppin’ Bob on the gun-line where he belongs. No sympathy here.
I find out more things at the beauty shop about male-female relationships. Recently, I overheard two women saying that they wouldn’t report the fathers of their children to the police for child support because the men already had too much pressure on them. Well, they need the pressure, a lot of pressure, enough pressure to make dead beat men do the right thing. Raising a child in a two-parent household isn't cheap and for a single woman trying to do it on her own, the burden is heavy, but many don’t want to pressure the baby’s father. Bullshit! If I’m a single mom trying to make it on my own, the baby’s father will be paying child support, going to jail or become Hoppin’ Bob, jumping from job to job trying to stay one step ahead of the collection agents. Perhaps, a little time in jail will help these reluctant fathers keep their peckers in their pants or do what they should—help the mother with the baby they both created. Otherwise, I say put Hoppin’ Bob on the gun-line where he belongs. No sympathy here.
Business is Business!
Business is business. Most Americans ignore this simple concept and while they do, the businesses of America line up to kick them in their collective ass, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you understand a few things! Rule One: Businesses exist to make money—A business can’t stay in business without money. It must make money in order to meet the public's need. With publicly held corporations, businesses exist to make money for stockholders who care less about what the public needs unless it affect the bottom line and subtracts from the booty. Rule Two: Businesses are not philanthropic by nature—Businesses exist to supply a living to the owner(s) and stockholders of that business as well as meet a desire of a publicly expressed need. In return for meeting that need, businesses expect to be paid. Any philanthropic work coming from business, with some exceptions, generally hide public relations and marketing strategies designed to make more money. Rule 3: Businesses care little for people except those who are irreplaceable assets. Businesses devour people using their skills, time and talent to advance the goals of the business, which is primarily to make money and gain market share. Businesses pay people for their indentureship, but once an asset no longer functions, becomes too expensive because of raises, becomes out of date or a cheaper resource becomes available, that people asset is sold off or downsized in the interest of saving money in order to increase profits. Rule 4: Businesses don’t want competition. Competitors force price changes, quality and ultimately affect the bottom line. Elimination of competition is good business strategy to maximize profits. Although competition makes good propaganda for consumers, in reality, competition is an item targeted for elimination because the less competition, the higher the prices and profits. The higher the prices, means there is more money available for corporate growth and dividends. Competition is only good for consumers. It makes pricing more competitive and it forces businesses to improve their service and products to keep up with the competition. No competition is the preferred state. Rule 5: Quality is always a forced item. Few companies build anything to last unless forced into that position. Planned obsolescence is a common practice in order to keep the consumer dependent upon the business. However, competition changes that equation and force businesses to consider quality in order to keep market share and make money. Business seeks the lowest common denominator the public will accept unless forced by a competitor to raise the quality bar. Rule 6: Businesses never exceed expectations, unless forced to do so by competition businesses will never exceed expectations. They play to the lowest common denominator. Under normal circumstances, companies don't try to build the best; they build what the public will buy at the highest price. In other words, businesses always try to get by with as little as possible in order to keep costs down and therefore make more money. This is open to dispute, but giving more than what the public expects is a good way to go out of business. It is also a way to win customers loyalty. There is a fine line here and most fear to tread it. Only if there is a perceived value will the consumer appreciate the extra effort. Giving the consumer more than they expect raises costs unnecessarily. Rule 7: Business always looks for a way to spend less and make more. Whether it is through laying off employees, cutting expenses, closing divisions, outsourcing or all of the above, businesses are always looking for ways to spend less and to make more money. As a 20-year employee, your salary is, more than likely, much higher than a one-year employee doing the same job. It is in the interest of the company to have you leave your position in order to cut costs. They will also give you an offer you can’t refuse, downsizing. By the time you have worked at a company for twenty-five years you are more than likely in a protected class that could bring an age discrimination lawsuit against the company. Many companies will do it anyway, then settle out of court with each individual because it is cheaper. If you want the true story, always follow the money! Rule 8: Business want less government intervention until they find themselves in trouble, then they want the taxpayers to bail them out. Business’ first priority, today, is to stay in business. Perhaps, you were fooled by the gold watch routine and family corporation pictured in the media, but that’s not the way it is. Once a business is in business, it will do about anything to stay in business including layoffs, downsizing, merging and even declaring bankruptcy. They will stay in business, but you won’t. Rule 9: Businesses only change when forced to do so. Business conditions rarely change without a catastrophic event caused by the competition, government intervention, and union trust or employee ownership. Changing operating procedures is not in the interest of a business unless current procedures cause a loss of a competitive edge. Otherwise, it’s business as usual. The tobacco industry is a clear example of this. Rule 10: Businesses always do the least. Businesses, especially large businesses always follow the letter of the law, but not the spirit. The public interest suffers from a phalanx of lawyers and loop-whole finders. Large businesses hire and retain expensive attorneys to find loopholes in the law so they can make profits while sticking to the letter of the law while violating the laws intent. Rule 11: Government wants business to tell them what to do, so they’ll know which way to vote to make the most money. If it’s not clear to you by now, let me say it again—businesses exist to make money. If you help them make money, you are a valuable asset. If you stop them from making money, you are expendable. Whether this is right is wrong depends upon your point of view, but from this point forward be clear about the mission of business. Today we have the United States and agents of the United States doing business with known enemies of the United States. They do it legally by avoiding the spirit of the law, using third parties and neutral intermediaries. In some cases, our own government even sanctions these trade agreements with non-sanctioned countries. As an example, we are fighting a war in Iraq. Yet, the military complex continues to sell weapons to businessmen who sell to the enemy. Some businesses are even letting secret technology out of the country in order to stay in business. Businesses are great for providing people with jobs, but don’t forget why they exist in reality—to do business. Business is a high-level form of prostitution. Anyone with money is a potential customer. Finally, common sense should tell Americans where business is headed. The cost of labor in the United States has become such that it is cheaper to pay an overseas workforce to the do the things once done in the United States. As a business owner, why would I pay an American worker $20 an hour to make tennis shoes when I can have it done overseas for 50-cents an hour, ship them back, pay import fees and still make a tidy profit. I wouldn’t. As long as the world is divided into the haves and have nots, American businesses will continue to move opertions to other countries to take advantage of the disparate standards of living. It makes plenty of business sense, but you can’t see it if you don’t understand how businesses operate. I liken anything business says in the interest of the public like statements coming from the fox that is guarding the hen house, not that there is anything wrong with that as long as you realize the situation.
Business is business. Most Americans ignore this simple concept and while they do, the businesses of America line up to kick them in their collective ass, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you understand a few things! Rule One: Businesses exist to make money—A business can’t stay in business without money. It must make money in order to meet the public's need. With publicly held corporations, businesses exist to make money for stockholders who care less about what the public needs unless it affect the bottom line and subtracts from the booty. Rule Two: Businesses are not philanthropic by nature—Businesses exist to supply a living to the owner(s) and stockholders of that business as well as meet a desire of a publicly expressed need. In return for meeting that need, businesses expect to be paid. Any philanthropic work coming from business, with some exceptions, generally hide public relations and marketing strategies designed to make more money. Rule 3: Businesses care little for people except those who are irreplaceable assets. Businesses devour people using their skills, time and talent to advance the goals of the business, which is primarily to make money and gain market share. Businesses pay people for their indentureship, but once an asset no longer functions, becomes too expensive because of raises, becomes out of date or a cheaper resource becomes available, that people asset is sold off or downsized in the interest of saving money in order to increase profits. Rule 4: Businesses don’t want competition. Competitors force price changes, quality and ultimately affect the bottom line. Elimination of competition is good business strategy to maximize profits. Although competition makes good propaganda for consumers, in reality, competition is an item targeted for elimination because the less competition, the higher the prices and profits. The higher the prices, means there is more money available for corporate growth and dividends. Competition is only good for consumers. It makes pricing more competitive and it forces businesses to improve their service and products to keep up with the competition. No competition is the preferred state. Rule 5: Quality is always a forced item. Few companies build anything to last unless forced into that position. Planned obsolescence is a common practice in order to keep the consumer dependent upon the business. However, competition changes that equation and force businesses to consider quality in order to keep market share and make money. Business seeks the lowest common denominator the public will accept unless forced by a competitor to raise the quality bar. Rule 6: Businesses never exceed expectations, unless forced to do so by competition businesses will never exceed expectations. They play to the lowest common denominator. Under normal circumstances, companies don't try to build the best; they build what the public will buy at the highest price. In other words, businesses always try to get by with as little as possible in order to keep costs down and therefore make more money. This is open to dispute, but giving more than what the public expects is a good way to go out of business. It is also a way to win customers loyalty. There is a fine line here and most fear to tread it. Only if there is a perceived value will the consumer appreciate the extra effort. Giving the consumer more than they expect raises costs unnecessarily. Rule 7: Business always looks for a way to spend less and make more. Whether it is through laying off employees, cutting expenses, closing divisions, outsourcing or all of the above, businesses are always looking for ways to spend less and to make more money. As a 20-year employee, your salary is, more than likely, much higher than a one-year employee doing the same job. It is in the interest of the company to have you leave your position in order to cut costs. They will also give you an offer you can’t refuse, downsizing. By the time you have worked at a company for twenty-five years you are more than likely in a protected class that could bring an age discrimination lawsuit against the company. Many companies will do it anyway, then settle out of court with each individual because it is cheaper. If you want the true story, always follow the money! Rule 8: Business want less government intervention until they find themselves in trouble, then they want the taxpayers to bail them out. Business’ first priority, today, is to stay in business. Perhaps, you were fooled by the gold watch routine and family corporation pictured in the media, but that’s not the way it is. Once a business is in business, it will do about anything to stay in business including layoffs, downsizing, merging and even declaring bankruptcy. They will stay in business, but you won’t. Rule 9: Businesses only change when forced to do so. Business conditions rarely change without a catastrophic event caused by the competition, government intervention, and union trust or employee ownership. Changing operating procedures is not in the interest of a business unless current procedures cause a loss of a competitive edge. Otherwise, it’s business as usual. The tobacco industry is a clear example of this. Rule 10: Businesses always do the least. Businesses, especially large businesses always follow the letter of the law, but not the spirit. The public interest suffers from a phalanx of lawyers and loop-whole finders. Large businesses hire and retain expensive attorneys to find loopholes in the law so they can make profits while sticking to the letter of the law while violating the laws intent. Rule 11: Government wants business to tell them what to do, so they’ll know which way to vote to make the most money. If it’s not clear to you by now, let me say it again—businesses exist to make money. If you help them make money, you are a valuable asset. If you stop them from making money, you are expendable. Whether this is right is wrong depends upon your point of view, but from this point forward be clear about the mission of business. Today we have the United States and agents of the United States doing business with known enemies of the United States. They do it legally by avoiding the spirit of the law, using third parties and neutral intermediaries. In some cases, our own government even sanctions these trade agreements with non-sanctioned countries. As an example, we are fighting a war in Iraq. Yet, the military complex continues to sell weapons to businessmen who sell to the enemy. Some businesses are even letting secret technology out of the country in order to stay in business. Businesses are great for providing people with jobs, but don’t forget why they exist in reality—to do business. Business is a high-level form of prostitution. Anyone with money is a potential customer. Finally, common sense should tell Americans where business is headed. The cost of labor in the United States has become such that it is cheaper to pay an overseas workforce to the do the things once done in the United States. As a business owner, why would I pay an American worker $20 an hour to make tennis shoes when I can have it done overseas for 50-cents an hour, ship them back, pay import fees and still make a tidy profit. I wouldn’t. As long as the world is divided into the haves and have nots, American businesses will continue to move opertions to other countries to take advantage of the disparate standards of living. It makes plenty of business sense, but you can’t see it if you don’t understand how businesses operate. I liken anything business says in the interest of the public like statements coming from the fox that is guarding the hen house, not that there is anything wrong with that as long as you realize the situation.Doctor Bodacious
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