Kodak. Appleton Paper. United States Postal Service. Proctor and Gamble.
President Barack Obama and his cronies have been crowing in recent months about economic recovery. Obama claims that Americans are going back to work and the new jobs are being created.
Yet, the companies listed above have all announced significant reductions in their workforce. Thousands of jobs will be gone, probably forever. These announcements occurred in just one week.
American jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate yet our president has the nerve to tell us that the job market is looking brighter. Something is definitely wrong with the picture that Obama is painting. Now that presidential elections are looming, don’t expect the rhetoric to get any more truthful.
There is no doubt that changes in technology are responsible for some of the shift in the American job market. Union greed has spelled the downfall of a large number of manufacturing jobs in our country. The saddest part of the whole situation is not that the large corporations, like our auto manufacturers, have priced themselves out of business, but rather the hundreds, if not thousands of subcontractors to those types of companies who have been forced out of business by foreign outsourcing. In order for a General Motors, or Ford, to continue to afford the ridiculous pay scale for union workers, not to mention the salaries of arrogant and greedy executives, they claim to have no option but to outsource parts jobs to out-of-country manufacturers who pay pennies per day wages.
What I am saying is that, while the president may be lying through his teeth to us about the job market, much of the blame for America’s employment issues falls on the shoulders of large corporations. Corporate greed in America is nothing new but I fear that a “perfect storm” is developing as jobs evaporate, corporate giants become more greedy, and politicians who are more interested in their own careers than those whom they represent fight amongst themselves and continue to sell us out at every turn.
I am beginning to believe that the answer is, do the same thing that saved lives in pioneer days. We must “circle the wagons” of America. Forget much of this “global economy” stuff. We obviously must continue to work with, and trade with other countries, but we need to develop an attitude of looking out for “number one.” We have spent decades “kissing up” to other countries, around the world.
We need to bring our troops home and concentrate on our own issues. A side benefit would be that our cowardly president would no longer feel the need to issue an apology to foreign groups who just murdered soldiers, but we will save that for another time.
The time has come for Americans to worry about America. The rest of the world seems content to see us fall. We know that they are not going to help us. We have spent too many decades trying to appease everyone else. Our government has offered up our hard-earned money to every Tom, Dick and Harry excuse for a foreign program while our own people starve, cannot find work and are unable to pay bills, partially due to our being taxed and mandated to death by our own government. We can’t pay for our schools. We can’t fund our highways and bridges. The list goes on.
I’m sorry to all of you bleeding-heart liberals but we must stop worrying about who is starving in Africa, and every other corner of the world. We need help at home. It is time for our tax dollars to go to work for us, not be sent to an impoverished country.
We better start watching out for ourselves because no one else is going to lift a finger to help.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Scammers are everywhere. Just because it is on the Internet, does not make it true
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
gullible |ˈgələbəl|
adjective
easily persuaded to believe something; credulous : an attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money.
More Americans should pay attention to this word, and its definition.
Scams have been around since biblical times. The only thing that seems to change is that while more and more people are evil enough to attempt to perpetrate a scam, there seems to be an even larger number of people gullible enough to fall for the fleece job.
I consider thieves and deception artists to be among the most evil of all criminals. Like wolves, they prey upon the the weak.
Throughout the years, scam artists have been at work trying to convince Americans that they should part with their hard-earned cash by way of donations and get-rich-quick schemes.
With the proliferation of the social media generation, scams and schemes of all sorts have surfaced around the Internet. Facebook seems to be one of the most frequent avenues for 21st century scam artists to ply their trade.
Many of the Facebook scams don’t necessarily dip into your pocket, they just play on your emotions, probably for the scammer’s own amusement.
What I do not understand is why more people don’t ask themselves, “Does this seem right?” before they share a post with others.
One of the “old sayings” that my dad was fond of repeating was, “If it seems too good to be true, it is.” I have learned repeatedly through the years that my dad was right.
I cannot believe the number of people, who upon seeing a photograph of a forlorn-looking sad-eyed puppy or kitten will immediately hit the “share” button on Facebook on a post that says something to the effect of, “The Humane Society will donate $1 for every share….”
Come on folks! First of all, many so-called help-the-animals organizations are too busy perpetrating their own scams against the American public. Those television commercials with the sad music and the video of “abused” animals, put together with a professional actress, commenting in a suitable sad tone of voice.
(Note: if you want to donate your hard-earned money to a worthy cause involving animals, please donate locally. Here, you know that your dollars are going to the intended purpose, not to line the pockets of paid employees of the national organization.)
What is it with Americans that causes them to throw their nose into the air and turn away from causes that will help people but those same folks will “share” like crazy at the sight of a puppy or kitten.
This must be a glorious time to be a Facebook scammer. Even normally sensible people somehow believe that if they find it on the Internet, it must be true.
Here is where you need to think. In the past, when people read something in the newspaper, or saw it on a television news story, they took it for granted that it was true. These were, after all, professional and ethical reporters and writers.
Today, one can not always go by what they read on the Internet. As more and more iReporters (a la CNN) have their unprofessional, often biased and sometimes totally inaccurate stories mixed in with those of an ever-shrinking corps of professional journalists, it is ever more difficult to separate fact from fiction.
My message to all is to only trust stories that you read and watch from trusted sources. Facebook, and other social media sites, are not necessarily trusted. Some of the content comes from trusted media sources, but all too much of it comes from unknown people out in cyber land.
I recall another of my dad’s “old sayings” — “Don’t believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see.”
You will get much further in your life by taking a few minutes to verify or corroborate a story, than by just assuming that it was in the Internet, so it must be true.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
gullible |ˈgələbəl|
adjective
easily persuaded to believe something; credulous : an attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money.
More Americans should pay attention to this word, and its definition.
Scams have been around since biblical times. The only thing that seems to change is that while more and more people are evil enough to attempt to perpetrate a scam, there seems to be an even larger number of people gullible enough to fall for the fleece job.
I consider thieves and deception artists to be among the most evil of all criminals. Like wolves, they prey upon the the weak.
Throughout the years, scam artists have been at work trying to convince Americans that they should part with their hard-earned cash by way of donations and get-rich-quick schemes.
With the proliferation of the social media generation, scams and schemes of all sorts have surfaced around the Internet. Facebook seems to be one of the most frequent avenues for 21st century scam artists to ply their trade.
Many of the Facebook scams don’t necessarily dip into your pocket, they just play on your emotions, probably for the scammer’s own amusement.
What I do not understand is why more people don’t ask themselves, “Does this seem right?” before they share a post with others.
One of the “old sayings” that my dad was fond of repeating was, “If it seems too good to be true, it is.” I have learned repeatedly through the years that my dad was right.
I cannot believe the number of people, who upon seeing a photograph of a forlorn-looking sad-eyed puppy or kitten will immediately hit the “share” button on Facebook on a post that says something to the effect of, “The Humane Society will donate $1 for every share….”
Come on folks! First of all, many so-called help-the-animals organizations are too busy perpetrating their own scams against the American public. Those television commercials with the sad music and the video of “abused” animals, put together with a professional actress, commenting in a suitable sad tone of voice.
(Note: if you want to donate your hard-earned money to a worthy cause involving animals, please donate locally. Here, you know that your dollars are going to the intended purpose, not to line the pockets of paid employees of the national organization.)
What is it with Americans that causes them to throw their nose into the air and turn away from causes that will help people but those same folks will “share” like crazy at the sight of a puppy or kitten.
This must be a glorious time to be a Facebook scammer. Even normally sensible people somehow believe that if they find it on the Internet, it must be true.
Here is where you need to think. In the past, when people read something in the newspaper, or saw it on a television news story, they took it for granted that it was true. These were, after all, professional and ethical reporters and writers.
Today, one can not always go by what they read on the Internet. As more and more iReporters (a la CNN) have their unprofessional, often biased and sometimes totally inaccurate stories mixed in with those of an ever-shrinking corps of professional journalists, it is ever more difficult to separate fact from fiction.
My message to all is to only trust stories that you read and watch from trusted sources. Facebook, and other social media sites, are not necessarily trusted. Some of the content comes from trusted media sources, but all too much of it comes from unknown people out in cyber land.
I recall another of my dad’s “old sayings” — “Don’t believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see.”
You will get much further in your life by taking a few minutes to verify or corroborate a story, than by just assuming that it was in the Internet, so it must be true.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Athletes and parents need attitude adjustment
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
As much as I try to be an optimist about the direction our society is heading, it is difficult when I see weekly examples of the horror some of our kids are capable of causing.
Just over a week ago, a high school basketball game between Fairborn and Miamisburg ended with a fight. The fight left one young Miamisburg player with serious injuries. A number of players were involved as well as some student fans.
The seriousness of this incident is closer to “home” than you think. Both of the teams involved in the altercation belong to the Greater Western Ohio Conference.
It is not hard to see where some the anger is coming from. Students, both players and fans, are growing up as part of a generation who cares little about anything but themselves. They have no respect for their teachers, parents or authority. They believe that they are entitled to anything that they want. There is no need to work for anything. If they want something, they will just take it.
Mind you, this is not a blanket description of everyone. There are still a lot of shining examples of how we want our kids to grow up, especially right here in Piqua. I still see good sportsmanship on the floor and in the stands.
Unfortunately, when one of our kids runs up against one of the unscrupulous types, he, or she, sometimes end up caught in the situation.
Too many of these testosterone-filled conflicts between athletes are spin-offs from how over-zealous parents treated their kids since they began playing sports.
Some are parents who, maybe, weren’t such hot athletes when they were growing and are reliving their dreams of athletic stardom through their kids. Others are parents who see the path to a college eduction for their child going by way of the football field or basketball court.
Too many kids have grown up hearing nothing but hype about how they are such superb athletes — in the minds of their parents. I have a news flash … just because one’s parents are willing to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to pay for their child to be on a traveling, or “select” team, does not mean that their child really is a superb athlete.
There is a time for encouraging and supporting our kids as they compete. That is part of being a parent. There are other, very valuable, lessons for our kids to learn. No one deserves to win. You win by working harder, by playing better. Another lesson to be learned is that not everyone is cut out to be a star athlete. You can want to be a star as much as you like, but some people have the athletic ability, and some do not. There are a few, for whom a great deal of hard work and dedication can make up the difference, but for some, they are never going to play above the high school level.
I might mention a side-effect of this parental attitude. A good number of these kids are so burned out on sports by the time they reach high school, that many want nothing to do with the sport when they can actually make their own decision.
By the time these kids get to junior high and high school, they believe the hype. Add to this, the selfish and uncaring attitude, and you have a walking stick of dynamite, just waiting for someone to light the fuse.
Sportsmanship. High school athletics are supposed to be about sportsmanship. Yet, schools allow, and I believe some even encourage, “trash talking.” I have even seen parents “trash talking” opponents. Student sections at games no longer chant encouragement to their players. Chants of “airball,” and other teasing and derogatory remarks are common. Granted, these are minor things, but they lead to more serious unsportsmanlike remarks.
I believe that if the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who claims to be all class and sportsmanship, really is serious about what they claim to stand for, they should take a hard-line stand against derogatory remarks, by both athletes and fans, as should the GWOC and other conferences.
Some, probably many, will say that such acts are done in fun and should be treated as such. There is no one who believes that the world is too thin-skinned more than I, but if if the OHSAA claims to be teaching sportsmanship, our high school athletic competitions are no place to allow negative remarks or actions.
The OHSAA slogan is “Respect the Game.” I think that it is time for them to draw the line, and close the door, on those who do not — respect the game.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
As much as I try to be an optimist about the direction our society is heading, it is difficult when I see weekly examples of the horror some of our kids are capable of causing.
Just over a week ago, a high school basketball game between Fairborn and Miamisburg ended with a fight. The fight left one young Miamisburg player with serious injuries. A number of players were involved as well as some student fans.
The seriousness of this incident is closer to “home” than you think. Both of the teams involved in the altercation belong to the Greater Western Ohio Conference.
It is not hard to see where some the anger is coming from. Students, both players and fans, are growing up as part of a generation who cares little about anything but themselves. They have no respect for their teachers, parents or authority. They believe that they are entitled to anything that they want. There is no need to work for anything. If they want something, they will just take it.
Mind you, this is not a blanket description of everyone. There are still a lot of shining examples of how we want our kids to grow up, especially right here in Piqua. I still see good sportsmanship on the floor and in the stands.
Unfortunately, when one of our kids runs up against one of the unscrupulous types, he, or she, sometimes end up caught in the situation.
Too many of these testosterone-filled conflicts between athletes are spin-offs from how over-zealous parents treated their kids since they began playing sports.
Some are parents who, maybe, weren’t such hot athletes when they were growing and are reliving their dreams of athletic stardom through their kids. Others are parents who see the path to a college eduction for their child going by way of the football field or basketball court.
Too many kids have grown up hearing nothing but hype about how they are such superb athletes — in the minds of their parents. I have a news flash … just because one’s parents are willing to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to pay for their child to be on a traveling, or “select” team, does not mean that their child really is a superb athlete.
There is a time for encouraging and supporting our kids as they compete. That is part of being a parent. There are other, very valuable, lessons for our kids to learn. No one deserves to win. You win by working harder, by playing better. Another lesson to be learned is that not everyone is cut out to be a star athlete. You can want to be a star as much as you like, but some people have the athletic ability, and some do not. There are a few, for whom a great deal of hard work and dedication can make up the difference, but for some, they are never going to play above the high school level.
I might mention a side-effect of this parental attitude. A good number of these kids are so burned out on sports by the time they reach high school, that many want nothing to do with the sport when they can actually make their own decision.
By the time these kids get to junior high and high school, they believe the hype. Add to this, the selfish and uncaring attitude, and you have a walking stick of dynamite, just waiting for someone to light the fuse.
Sportsmanship. High school athletics are supposed to be about sportsmanship. Yet, schools allow, and I believe some even encourage, “trash talking.” I have even seen parents “trash talking” opponents. Student sections at games no longer chant encouragement to their players. Chants of “airball,” and other teasing and derogatory remarks are common. Granted, these are minor things, but they lead to more serious unsportsmanlike remarks.
I believe that if the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who claims to be all class and sportsmanship, really is serious about what they claim to stand for, they should take a hard-line stand against derogatory remarks, by both athletes and fans, as should the GWOC and other conferences.
Some, probably many, will say that such acts are done in fun and should be treated as such. There is no one who believes that the world is too thin-skinned more than I, but if if the OHSAA claims to be teaching sportsmanship, our high school athletic competitions are no place to allow negative remarks or actions.
The OHSAA slogan is “Respect the Game.” I think that it is time for them to draw the line, and close the door, on those who do not — respect the game.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Gun-toting student made a mistake, but let's keep our perspective
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
A young man from Troy is in hot water after he allegedly carried a loaded handgun to school last week.
Troy High School took the appropriate action by immediately suspending the 15-year-old, who also was arrested and faces criminal charges.
As news of the incident came to light, everything from coffee shops to social media were buzzing with the news.
The incident was the hot topic on Facebook, both on local television stations' and personal pages. Almost everyone was chiming in with an opinion.
What surprised me — I should not say surprised really, as not much really surprises me any more — was the number of people, mostly adults, who were quick to level blame on Troy High School and/or the youth's parents.
Let me tell you something folks, this same thing could happen to any one of us. This same thing could happen at any school.
That statement does not mean the schools are lax on security. It does not mean that teachers and administrators do not pay attention to what is going on within their buildings.
Short of strip searching every student who comes through the door, there is no way to monitor every item that enters the building with students. Even then, there is no 100 percent guarantee.
I know that some schools, particularly inner-city institutions, have begun using metal detectors. Do any of us really want to go that far? Many students already feel that school is like a prison. How do you think they would feel if metal detectors were used?
The fact that most schools require us to be "buzzed" in, is to me at least, already crossing the line. I understand the need, but lament the necessity.
School officials can only do so much. To lay blame on them is unfair.
Speaking of unfair, a number of people were also quick to lay blame on the parents of the accused in this case. Ok, his father owned a handgun. Many of us own weapons. Many of us have raised our children to respect a firearm and educated them on the responsibilities of owning or possessing a weapon.
I do not know if the handgun in question was locked up. It really does not matter.
The bottom line is that, as a parent, there is only so much that we can do when it comes to our children. They are human and they make mistakes. For those perfect parents, or maybe childless adults, who were quick to blame this young man's parents for his taking a gun to school, I have a news flash ... our kids don't always obey us. The don't always think before acting. Teenagers are in a hurry to grow up, and in attempting to do so, they sometimes make bad decisions. It is part of growing up.
Granted, some of those decisions have more long-term implications. We have all made bone-headed decisions at one time or another. It does not mean that our parents were bad. It does not mean that our parents were incompetent.
As for this particular case, I feel that Troy City Schools officials must stick with their zero tolerance policy and do what is necessary to teach this young man the error of his decision. It must also set an example for others. The criminal charges against him will run their course, as well.
I also feel that everyone involved needs to remember that they are dealing with a young man who made a mistake, a serious one, but still, a mistake.
If expulsion from school is the punishment handed down, I hope that school officials will work with this young man and his parents to help them arrange for home schooling, or some other alternative, to keep him on track with his education.
I do not know the young man in this case. I do know that "writing him off" because of this incident would be a mistake.
Then, and only then, would his parents and the school be to blame.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
A young man from Troy is in hot water after he allegedly carried a loaded handgun to school last week.
Troy High School took the appropriate action by immediately suspending the 15-year-old, who also was arrested and faces criminal charges.
As news of the incident came to light, everything from coffee shops to social media were buzzing with the news.
The incident was the hot topic on Facebook, both on local television stations' and personal pages. Almost everyone was chiming in with an opinion.
What surprised me — I should not say surprised really, as not much really surprises me any more — was the number of people, mostly adults, who were quick to level blame on Troy High School and/or the youth's parents.
Let me tell you something folks, this same thing could happen to any one of us. This same thing could happen at any school.
That statement does not mean the schools are lax on security. It does not mean that teachers and administrators do not pay attention to what is going on within their buildings.
Short of strip searching every student who comes through the door, there is no way to monitor every item that enters the building with students. Even then, there is no 100 percent guarantee.
I know that some schools, particularly inner-city institutions, have begun using metal detectors. Do any of us really want to go that far? Many students already feel that school is like a prison. How do you think they would feel if metal detectors were used?
The fact that most schools require us to be "buzzed" in, is to me at least, already crossing the line. I understand the need, but lament the necessity.
School officials can only do so much. To lay blame on them is unfair.
Speaking of unfair, a number of people were also quick to lay blame on the parents of the accused in this case. Ok, his father owned a handgun. Many of us own weapons. Many of us have raised our children to respect a firearm and educated them on the responsibilities of owning or possessing a weapon.
I do not know if the handgun in question was locked up. It really does not matter.
The bottom line is that, as a parent, there is only so much that we can do when it comes to our children. They are human and they make mistakes. For those perfect parents, or maybe childless adults, who were quick to blame this young man's parents for his taking a gun to school, I have a news flash ... our kids don't always obey us. The don't always think before acting. Teenagers are in a hurry to grow up, and in attempting to do so, they sometimes make bad decisions. It is part of growing up.
Granted, some of those decisions have more long-term implications. We have all made bone-headed decisions at one time or another. It does not mean that our parents were bad. It does not mean that our parents were incompetent.
As for this particular case, I feel that Troy City Schools officials must stick with their zero tolerance policy and do what is necessary to teach this young man the error of his decision. It must also set an example for others. The criminal charges against him will run their course, as well.
I also feel that everyone involved needs to remember that they are dealing with a young man who made a mistake, a serious one, but still, a mistake.
If expulsion from school is the punishment handed down, I hope that school officials will work with this young man and his parents to help them arrange for home schooling, or some other alternative, to keep him on track with his education.
I do not know the young man in this case. I do know that "writing him off" because of this incident would be a mistake.
Then, and only then, would his parents and the school be to blame.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Cruise ship sinking tragic, but not titanic
Another tragedy occurred this past week when the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia sunk on Italy’s western coast.
The event served to bring to light one of the irritating traits common in today’s world. That is the tendency, maybe I should say, the habit, of exaggerating severity and comparison of dangerous and tragic events.
I am in no way saying that the fate of the Costa Concordia, passengers and crew is not a tragedy. Any loss of life is a tragedy.
The habit of exaggerating tragedy and danger is the fault, in large part, of the big media outlets. Sensationalism is not a new media ploy. The tactic has been used for centuries. It seems that as many media outlets become more unscrupulous about their practices, the tendency to exaggerate rears its ugly head far more often.
To put a point on the Costa Concordia sinking, there have been a number of stories attempting to make comparison to the sinking of the Titanic. I fail to see where the loss of less than 50 crew and passengers is comparable with the 1514 people who lost their lives on Titanic. I fail to see where the collision with a reef, within sight of land in 2012 is even in the same league with striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, nearly 100 years ago, where the water was so cold that one could not survive more than minutes in the water.
The sinking of the Costa Concordia is tragic, yes. Is it “titanic?” I think not.
Just as frustrating is the inevitable questions that occur after such a tragedy. Headline after headline asks, “Is cruising safe?” Granted, cruise ship lines have had a fair amount of bad press in the past dozen years, or so. I suppose that much of it is deserved. Since the closest I have been to a cruise is watching “The Love Boat,” maybe I am not as qualified as some to be the judge.
The question that the media keeps asking, (I don’t know, maybe people really do want to know,) is if going on a cruise is safe. We have this sinking, of course. There have been a couple of other incidents, I seem to recall of ships running aground or colliding. There have also been several instances of passengers coming down with food poisoning. I believe that a couple of cruise ships have run afoul with pirates, as well.
Going on a cruise is not unlike anything else that we want to do by way of a vacation, a weekend adventure or everyday life. There is an element of danger to everything.
Your cruise ship could sink. You could get hit by a bus. A Russian satellite could fall on your house while you are sleeping.
I see no purpose in worrying about such things. Is sailing on a luxury cruise ship safe? It has to be safer, and more comfortable, than making the same trip in a rowboat. It is all about perspective.
As I see it, if you want to go on a cruise, don’t let the big media outlets make the call for you. You only live once.
The event served to bring to light one of the irritating traits common in today’s world. That is the tendency, maybe I should say, the habit, of exaggerating severity and comparison of dangerous and tragic events.
I am in no way saying that the fate of the Costa Concordia, passengers and crew is not a tragedy. Any loss of life is a tragedy.
The habit of exaggerating tragedy and danger is the fault, in large part, of the big media outlets. Sensationalism is not a new media ploy. The tactic has been used for centuries. It seems that as many media outlets become more unscrupulous about their practices, the tendency to exaggerate rears its ugly head far more often.
To put a point on the Costa Concordia sinking, there have been a number of stories attempting to make comparison to the sinking of the Titanic. I fail to see where the loss of less than 50 crew and passengers is comparable with the 1514 people who lost their lives on Titanic. I fail to see where the collision with a reef, within sight of land in 2012 is even in the same league with striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, nearly 100 years ago, where the water was so cold that one could not survive more than minutes in the water.
The sinking of the Costa Concordia is tragic, yes. Is it “titanic?” I think not.
Just as frustrating is the inevitable questions that occur after such a tragedy. Headline after headline asks, “Is cruising safe?” Granted, cruise ship lines have had a fair amount of bad press in the past dozen years, or so. I suppose that much of it is deserved. Since the closest I have been to a cruise is watching “The Love Boat,” maybe I am not as qualified as some to be the judge.
The question that the media keeps asking, (I don’t know, maybe people really do want to know,) is if going on a cruise is safe. We have this sinking, of course. There have been a couple of other incidents, I seem to recall of ships running aground or colliding. There have also been several instances of passengers coming down with food poisoning. I believe that a couple of cruise ships have run afoul with pirates, as well.
Going on a cruise is not unlike anything else that we want to do by way of a vacation, a weekend adventure or everyday life. There is an element of danger to everything.
Your cruise ship could sink. You could get hit by a bus. A Russian satellite could fall on your house while you are sleeping.
I see no purpose in worrying about such things. Is sailing on a luxury cruise ship safe? It has to be safer, and more comfortable, than making the same trip in a rowboat. It is all about perspective.
As I see it, if you want to go on a cruise, don’t let the big media outlets make the call for you. You only live once.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Proposed NTSB cell phone law goes too far
Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Radio telephones. Car telephones. Cellular telephones. Mobile telephones.
No matter what you call them, these mobile communication devices that actually trace their origins to the early 20th century have become a part of our daily lives.
Like many inventions, mobile telephones, for many years, were restricted to military, law enforcement and the wealthy. It was not until the 1980s that technology allowed pricing to fit the budget of middle-class Americans.
Fast forward to the second decade of the 21st century. It seems that everyone has a cell phone. More and more Americans use cell phones as their “home” phone in lieu of the traditional hard-wired “land line.”
One cannot drive from point A to point B without passing, or being passed, by a number of drivers engaged in a cell phone conversation or texting as they navigate their vehicle along our roadways. We are all guilty of talking on our phones while driving. Many of us are equally guilty of texting while driving.
Therein lies a major issue in traffic safety, an issue that has been undertaken by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is working on legislation to ban the use of mobile telephones while driving. The ban would include using a mobile phone with hands-free devices while behind the wheel.
I agree that the use of cell phones while driving is dangerous. More dangerous is the practice of texting while driving.
I can’t begin to count the number of times that I have observed erratic and dangerous driving, and find the driver entranced with their cell phone instead of paying attention to the road, and the potential weapon they are driving.
I will also admit to finding myself in situations where I am on the phone and knowingly distracted from my primary responsibility – driving my vehicle. I have been trying hard to avoid using my phone while in traffic but, sometimes, situations occur where I still find myself engaged in phone conversations when and where I should not.
First of all, I do not believe that the NTSB recommendation should ban the use of cell phones when used with a hands-free device. Granted, there is still a danger, but no more than that of listening to a car radio or being engaged in a conversation with a passenger. In my opinion, the NTSB proposal to ban cell phone use, even with hands-free devices, is an over-reaction to the issue.
Part two of the problem is that I can see most adults at least attempting to follow new laws about not talking and driving, but I do not see our younger generation following the ban. Our kids are part of the “entitled generation.” Far too many of them believe that they can do what they want and no one is going to tell them they cannot do something.
These are children and young adults who grew up with a cell phone “attached” to their ear and text with friends and family more than they actually speak to them. Arrogance and disrespect of authority is their trademark.
Unless this new law allows for the confiscating of cell phones from these youngsters, (which I doubt is constitutional,) they are not going to abide by this proposed ban.
This proposed legislation could be the most defied, and difficult to enforce, series laws since prohibition.
It is definitely time to curb that use of cell phones while driving and eliminate texting while driving. I believe, though, that better education on the dangers and stiffer penalties for those who cause a crash while using their phones are a better answer.
It is also time to make hands-free devices more available and less expensive.
I see this as another place for more common sense and less government demand.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Radio telephones. Car telephones. Cellular telephones. Mobile telephones.
No matter what you call them, these mobile communication devices that actually trace their origins to the early 20th century have become a part of our daily lives.
Like many inventions, mobile telephones, for many years, were restricted to military, law enforcement and the wealthy. It was not until the 1980s that technology allowed pricing to fit the budget of middle-class Americans.
Fast forward to the second decade of the 21st century. It seems that everyone has a cell phone. More and more Americans use cell phones as their “home” phone in lieu of the traditional hard-wired “land line.”
One cannot drive from point A to point B without passing, or being passed, by a number of drivers engaged in a cell phone conversation or texting as they navigate their vehicle along our roadways. We are all guilty of talking on our phones while driving. Many of us are equally guilty of texting while driving.
Therein lies a major issue in traffic safety, an issue that has been undertaken by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is working on legislation to ban the use of mobile telephones while driving. The ban would include using a mobile phone with hands-free devices while behind the wheel.
I agree that the use of cell phones while driving is dangerous. More dangerous is the practice of texting while driving.
I can’t begin to count the number of times that I have observed erratic and dangerous driving, and find the driver entranced with their cell phone instead of paying attention to the road, and the potential weapon they are driving.
I will also admit to finding myself in situations where I am on the phone and knowingly distracted from my primary responsibility – driving my vehicle. I have been trying hard to avoid using my phone while in traffic but, sometimes, situations occur where I still find myself engaged in phone conversations when and where I should not.
First of all, I do not believe that the NTSB recommendation should ban the use of cell phones when used with a hands-free device. Granted, there is still a danger, but no more than that of listening to a car radio or being engaged in a conversation with a passenger. In my opinion, the NTSB proposal to ban cell phone use, even with hands-free devices, is an over-reaction to the issue.
Part two of the problem is that I can see most adults at least attempting to follow new laws about not talking and driving, but I do not see our younger generation following the ban. Our kids are part of the “entitled generation.” Far too many of them believe that they can do what they want and no one is going to tell them they cannot do something.
These are children and young adults who grew up with a cell phone “attached” to their ear and text with friends and family more than they actually speak to them. Arrogance and disrespect of authority is their trademark.
Unless this new law allows for the confiscating of cell phones from these youngsters, (which I doubt is constitutional,) they are not going to abide by this proposed ban.
This proposed legislation could be the most defied, and difficult to enforce, series laws since prohibition.
It is definitely time to curb that use of cell phones while driving and eliminate texting while driving. I believe, though, that better education on the dangers and stiffer penalties for those who cause a crash while using their phones are a better answer.
It is also time to make hands-free devices more available and less expensive.
I see this as another place for more common sense and less government demand.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
The Kodak company has been in the news again. The company, once referred to by many in the photography industry as "the big yellow god," is sliding closer and closer to the precipice of bankruptcy.
Kodak is becoming another victim in our ever-changing world. The use of film for taking photographs has all but ceased. For decades the name "Kodak" was to photography as "Kleenex" is to facial tissue.
Back in the good old days of film, when one purchased a camera, there was a constant need to purchase, develop and print film. Kodak filled that need, almost to the point of monopolizing the industry.
There is no doubt that Kodak film was among the best ever produced. Who else, after all, has had there film mentioned, by name, in a Simon & Garfunkel song?
Kodachrome slide film is one of the most recognized products in the history or photography, or retail goods.
What is sad, even depressing, is that while film use has all but ceased, and digital photography is still skyrocketing, the archivability of digital images is still in question.
I don't know if Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner, who were plying their trade during and after the Civil War, ever gave much thought to whether, or not, their negative plates and prints would still be serviceable in the 21st century. I do know that, when cared for properly, both glass and early film negatives are as useful today as they were when first exposed to light.
The mantra with today's digital files is, "Well, back them up!"
Failed hard drives, corrupt files on computers, CDs and DVDs are among the many things that can leave today's photographers without their valuable images.
Photography has advanced so far in the past 150 years that we now have to purchase a new external hard drive every couple of years to transfer and back up our images. I know, you can use CD/DVDs, but who is to say that they will not deteriorate?
One of the best ways to store images is off-site storage but that tends to get expensive.
In spite of the many conveniences of digital photography, there are some aspects that make me wonder just how much "better" our 21st century technology really is.
Everyone knows and understands that taking photographic images for family fun or personal fun is, well … fun. We look at photographs in our newspapers and magazines and understand the significance or beauty of the images for their immediate impact. How many of us realize that many of these same images need to survive to provide the same historical significance to future generations as we get from images such as the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk, or the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination?
No doubt, digital photography is great.
I do wonder, though, if the person who might ultimately have the last sad laugh, is George Eastman, as he watches from heaven and sees the company he founded pushed aside by new technology , state-of-the-art technology that may not be as reliable as that used to take photographic images of man's first powered flight.
Kodak is becoming another victim in our ever-changing world. The use of film for taking photographs has all but ceased. For decades the name "Kodak" was to photography as "Kleenex" is to facial tissue.
Back in the good old days of film, when one purchased a camera, there was a constant need to purchase, develop and print film. Kodak filled that need, almost to the point of monopolizing the industry.
There is no doubt that Kodak film was among the best ever produced. Who else, after all, has had there film mentioned, by name, in a Simon & Garfunkel song?
Kodachrome slide film is one of the most recognized products in the history or photography, or retail goods.
What is sad, even depressing, is that while film use has all but ceased, and digital photography is still skyrocketing, the archivability of digital images is still in question.
I don't know if Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner, who were plying their trade during and after the Civil War, ever gave much thought to whether, or not, their negative plates and prints would still be serviceable in the 21st century. I do know that, when cared for properly, both glass and early film negatives are as useful today as they were when first exposed to light.
The mantra with today's digital files is, "Well, back them up!"
Failed hard drives, corrupt files on computers, CDs and DVDs are among the many things that can leave today's photographers without their valuable images.
Photography has advanced so far in the past 150 years that we now have to purchase a new external hard drive every couple of years to transfer and back up our images. I know, you can use CD/DVDs, but who is to say that they will not deteriorate?
One of the best ways to store images is off-site storage but that tends to get expensive.
In spite of the many conveniences of digital photography, there are some aspects that make me wonder just how much "better" our 21st century technology really is.
Everyone knows and understands that taking photographic images for family fun or personal fun is, well … fun. We look at photographs in our newspapers and magazines and understand the significance or beauty of the images for their immediate impact. How many of us realize that many of these same images need to survive to provide the same historical significance to future generations as we get from images such as the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk, or the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination?
No doubt, digital photography is great.
I do wonder, though, if the person who might ultimately have the last sad laugh, is George Eastman, as he watches from heaven and sees the company he founded pushed aside by new technology , state-of-the-art technology that may not be as reliable as that used to take photographic images of man's first powered flight.
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