By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Privacy. It is something that all of us cherish, not only for our own piece of mind but also because there are many aspects of our lives that are no one else's business.
We live in a world where personal privacy is becoming an endangered species. Not a week goes by that I don't read about another "ap" or law that further erodes what should be a right for all of us.
As our government takes increasing advantage of technology and fear of terrorism, they continue to pass laws that allow the themselves to delve ever-further into our personal lives. What is even more scary is that most of us suspect, with good reason, that our own government seems unafraid to go beyond the law to intrude on our private lives.
What is, perhaps, most sad about this is that, in many cases, we aide and abet the government in its effort to make our lives transparent.
Many of us participate in social networking websites, such as Facebook. In order to participate, one must make a certain amount of information public. Much of the information that can be included on your personal pages is voluntary. I am amazed at the amount of information that some people put "out there" for the world to see.
Don't get me wrong, sites such as Facebook, are fun and convenient ways to share information with family and friends, catch up with "lost" friends and classmates, and to cyber-socialize.
What one must keep in mind is that, in spite of safeguards and privacy blockers, one must assume that anyone, that's right, anyone, with enough skill and determination can read and view everything on your site.
How many retail stores have security cameras that can watch your every move? How many parking lots have security cameras keeping watch? These cameras serve a useful purpose in identifying criminals but it is one more example that you are being watched.
Traffic light cameras in cities, which in my opinion are one of the most illegal big-brother devices currently in use, are another way that our government can keep an eye on your every move.
What about our cell phones? Many have Global Positioning Satellite technology built in. Our phones are not only tools to communicate with those with whom we wish to talk, but also devices that could allow our government to follow our every move.
Our lives have become an open book that is available from free to anyone with a computer and Internet access.
Identity theft is on the rise as criminals prey on those vulnerable to cyber-attack. It was not that long ago that the big worry was shredding your bills and correspondence to deter criminals. Now, they don' t have to dirty their hands going through your trash, they can prey on their victims from the comfort of home or the local coffee shop.
An often-used phrase for many years was, "... the privacy of your own home." Today, we have little privacy, even at home. We must maintain a constant vigil to keep criminals away from our doorstep. That includes those who would "enter" your home through your computer.
Our government is far behind in keeping laws and penalties appropriate for the age of cyber-criminals. Part of the problem is that technology is moving so fast that it is impossible to keep up. Part of the problem could be that, as the ability to pry into our personal lives increases, our government is working to decide which parts of these new-found tools might work to their own benefit to intrude "legally" into our lives.
No matter what, we individual citizens are fighting a two-front war. On one hand we have our own government carrying an ever-increasing attitude that they should have our very lives at their beck and call, while on the other, we have criminals looking for the same information as they look to steal our lives for their own profit.
We all need to think twice before posting personal information on any website. If we do business online, we must be sure of the company with which we are exchanging information. If much of the above thoughts seem paranoid, so be it. A certain amout of paranoia is necessary in order to see that we, and our loved ones remain safe.
All the while, we need, and deserve, the ability to carry on with our everyday lives. I have found no easy answer. We must remain vigilant against both criminals and our own government. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the two.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Guard deployment different this time
As our local National Guard unit readies for another
deployment overseas as part of the global
war on terror, I find myself in a different position
than during previous deployments.
As I covered the coming and going of units during
previous deployments, I have always felt somewhat
of a personal connection as I have developed friendships
with members of the unit over time.
This time, I have a personal involvement. My son,
Ryan, is a member of Bravo Battery. I should probably
say, our son Ryan, as my wife Melinda, not to mention
other family members, are beginning our first
experience with sending a loved one off to war, literally.
None of us can claim surprise that Ryan is looking
at an overseas deployment. His National Guard recruiter
was very honest and upfront with the fact
that, along with the benefits of joining the Guard, the
time would come when he would have to deploy to a
far-away land, possibly into a war zone.
Things do look different when one is a couple of
years away from an event, even one that is inevitable.
Now, as the time grows closer, I see that I cannot look
at this from a purely journalistic point of view. The
next time that I am taking photos of this unit boarding
buses to head off to training, then ultimately, to
war, it will not be just
another group of soldiers,
this time, it will
include our son.
My wife and I are extremely
proud of Ryan
and his decision to join
the National Guard. He
has a 2-year-old son,
Hayden, and his decision
to join was based,
in part, on how his service
can benefit his son.
I know that my wife is becoming more apprehensive,
by the day, on Ryan’s pending departure. I am, as
well, but am tempering my thoughts with the idea
that, while I know there is danger involved, I am
hopeful that this will also be somewhat of an adventure
for him. We pray that he, and everyone else in
his unit, will come back safe, full of stories of adventures
that they will be able to share for the rest of
their lives.
As we participate in the many activities necessary
for our soldier to deploy, I begin to see a different perspective
on how family members of all service men
and women must deal with being separated from
those they love.
Patriotism is at a high level in post 9/11 America.
We wave flags, shake hands and congratulate our
service members, as well we should. I often think that
some of this is due to a national guilt felt by many
Americans for the deplorable way that many of our
Vietnam veterans were treated on their return home.
No matter the reason, we should never forget that
our men and women in uniform stand between us and
the evil empires that would destroy us.
As we continue to honor those who serve, we were
reminded last weekend during a family briefing, that
families of service members also sacrifice a great deal
in order that husbands, wives, and children may serve
our country.
I hope that all of us can remember this as summer
approaches. Somewhere around us, there are families
dealing with a member of that family being away
from home.
In addition to thinking about care packages to send
to service members, let’s keep an eye open for a service
family who may need an extra hand mowing the
lawn, or raking leaves.
You may even consider attending a local ball game,
school play or dance recital to help cheer and applaud
a son or daughter whose family cheer section is
down one because mom or dad is 5,000 miles from
home.
If you know, or live close, to a service family who
has a member deployed,maybe you could give them a
call occasionally to see if they need something from
the grocery, or just to see how they are getting along.
Supporting our service members takes more than
being proud of them and waving flags as they come
and go. Supporting our service members takes all of
us watching out for the well-being of our service
member’s families while they are gone.
Our soldiers, sailors and Marines have enough to
worry about as they protect America. Let’s offer them
a little piece of mind in knowing that our family will
help watch out for their family.
deployment overseas as part of the global
war on terror, I find myself in a different position
than during previous deployments.
As I covered the coming and going of units during
previous deployments, I have always felt somewhat
of a personal connection as I have developed friendships
with members of the unit over time.
This time, I have a personal involvement. My son,
Ryan, is a member of Bravo Battery. I should probably
say, our son Ryan, as my wife Melinda, not to mention
other family members, are beginning our first
experience with sending a loved one off to war, literally.
None of us can claim surprise that Ryan is looking
at an overseas deployment. His National Guard recruiter
was very honest and upfront with the fact
that, along with the benefits of joining the Guard, the
time would come when he would have to deploy to a
far-away land, possibly into a war zone.
Things do look different when one is a couple of
years away from an event, even one that is inevitable.
Now, as the time grows closer, I see that I cannot look
at this from a purely journalistic point of view. The
next time that I am taking photos of this unit boarding
buses to head off to training, then ultimately, to
war, it will not be just
another group of soldiers,
this time, it will
include our son.
My wife and I are extremely
proud of Ryan
and his decision to join
the National Guard. He
has a 2-year-old son,
Hayden, and his decision
to join was based,
in part, on how his service
can benefit his son.
I know that my wife is becoming more apprehensive,
by the day, on Ryan’s pending departure. I am, as
well, but am tempering my thoughts with the idea
that, while I know there is danger involved, I am
hopeful that this will also be somewhat of an adventure
for him. We pray that he, and everyone else in
his unit, will come back safe, full of stories of adventures
that they will be able to share for the rest of
their lives.
As we participate in the many activities necessary
for our soldier to deploy, I begin to see a different perspective
on how family members of all service men
and women must deal with being separated from
those they love.
Patriotism is at a high level in post 9/11 America.
We wave flags, shake hands and congratulate our
service members, as well we should. I often think that
some of this is due to a national guilt felt by many
Americans for the deplorable way that many of our
Vietnam veterans were treated on their return home.
No matter the reason, we should never forget that
our men and women in uniform stand between us and
the evil empires that would destroy us.
As we continue to honor those who serve, we were
reminded last weekend during a family briefing, that
families of service members also sacrifice a great deal
in order that husbands, wives, and children may serve
our country.
I hope that all of us can remember this as summer
approaches. Somewhere around us, there are families
dealing with a member of that family being away
from home.
In addition to thinking about care packages to send
to service members, let’s keep an eye open for a service
family who may need an extra hand mowing the
lawn, or raking leaves.
You may even consider attending a local ball game,
school play or dance recital to help cheer and applaud
a son or daughter whose family cheer section is
down one because mom or dad is 5,000 miles from
home.
If you know, or live close, to a service family who
has a member deployed,maybe you could give them a
call occasionally to see if they need something from
the grocery, or just to see how they are getting along.
Supporting our service members takes more than
being proud of them and waving flags as they come
and go. Supporting our service members takes all of
us watching out for the well-being of our service
member’s families while they are gone.
Our soldiers, sailors and Marines have enough to
worry about as they protect America. Let’s offer them
a little piece of mind in knowing that our family will
help watch out for their family.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Americans love disaster.
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Nothing gets American blood pumping more than a good disaster. Few will admit it, but American’s love disaster.
Maybe it is because, like a train wreck, one is appalled but unable to avert their gaze. Maybe it is a human tendency to feel compassion for those who are suffering.
Unfortunately, I believe that too many Americans love disaster for the wrong reasons. Much of the blame goes to national media who descend, like vultures, upon a region ravaged by nature, to report from the scene.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper relayed a story from Japan on Thursday that the Japanese people are losing faith in their government leaders. I will say that an American reporter would be a natural to make that determination since the American people lost faith in their government leaders some time ago. How is it Cooper’s place to make that determination and broadcast his assumption to in international audience? Is it based on his vast, what … three days experience in Japan, interviewing people who are still in a state of shock?
Cooper is just one journalist who is working from Japan following the recent earthquake and tsunami. It is obvious that we need news from areas affected by natural disasters. What we do not need are rogue reporters from major media outlets looking to find whatever angle possible, not to give readers/viewers the most accurate picture of what is happening, but rather to get the most viewers, readers or website hits. Ratings, not responsible journalism, seems to be the major motivator today.
Far to the east, Americans are hanging on to every embellished news story, looking for a way to be somehow involved, to feel as if they are a part of the “action.”
What better way to feel like you are a part of the “action” than to convince yourself that possible radiation from a potential nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan is a threat right here, in the good old U.S. of A?
American drug companies report that they are running out of anti-radiation pills, a potassium iodine pill, that counter-acts the effects of some types of radiation. Never mind that Japan is more than 5000 miles away from the west coast of the United States. Many Americans, mostly in California, decided that the “cool” thing to do was to panic. What a great thing to talk about at cocktail parties later, “Yeah, I remember back in ‘11 when I nearly died from radiation sickness. If I hadn’t taken that pill…”
What happens, Heaven forbid, if an earthquake should strike in the U.S? If an American nuclear reactor should suffer a catastrophic failure, would we have enough anti-radiation pills, right now, to potentially save the lives of those who could really need the protection?
Another aspect of Americans and natural disasters is our belief that relief, in the form of food, fuel and medicine, not to mention manpower, should be available instantly.
In many ways we are victims of our own government when it comes to getting off the dime but it is unrealistic for anyone to believe that any individual, up to and including the President, can issue an order and reasonably expect troops and/or aide, of any kind, to be sitting on the affected area’s doorstep within hours.
People made a huge issue of President Bush not being like Jeanie, on I Dream of Jeanie, or Samantha, on Bewitched, and just “blinking” billions in humanitarian aide to the doorstep of New Orleans.
Within 48 hours of the earthquake in Japan, I heard reports of people asking, “Where is the aide?” Get a grip on reality folks.
Another factor at work in this case is that Japan is not Haiti. Granted, the Japanese people are in need of assistance. I do know, though, that the Japanese people, in addition to being prosperous and hard-working, are a very proud people. The Japanese people and their government will let us know what they need, and where and when. Contrary to popular belief by some members of our federal government, the U.S. does not have the right to make decisions for other countries.
I am very sure that we will respond with everything in our power, to assist … when they ask.
In the meantime, one thing that all of us can do, is continue to pray for the people in Japan. Their road to recovery will be a long one, but as they have proved in the past, they will overcome this, and a better, even more modern Japan will prevail.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Nothing gets American blood pumping more than a good disaster. Few will admit it, but American’s love disaster.
Maybe it is because, like a train wreck, one is appalled but unable to avert their gaze. Maybe it is a human tendency to feel compassion for those who are suffering.
Unfortunately, I believe that too many Americans love disaster for the wrong reasons. Much of the blame goes to national media who descend, like vultures, upon a region ravaged by nature, to report from the scene.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper relayed a story from Japan on Thursday that the Japanese people are losing faith in their government leaders. I will say that an American reporter would be a natural to make that determination since the American people lost faith in their government leaders some time ago. How is it Cooper’s place to make that determination and broadcast his assumption to in international audience? Is it based on his vast, what … three days experience in Japan, interviewing people who are still in a state of shock?
Cooper is just one journalist who is working from Japan following the recent earthquake and tsunami. It is obvious that we need news from areas affected by natural disasters. What we do not need are rogue reporters from major media outlets looking to find whatever angle possible, not to give readers/viewers the most accurate picture of what is happening, but rather to get the most viewers, readers or website hits. Ratings, not responsible journalism, seems to be the major motivator today.
Far to the east, Americans are hanging on to every embellished news story, looking for a way to be somehow involved, to feel as if they are a part of the “action.”
What better way to feel like you are a part of the “action” than to convince yourself that possible radiation from a potential nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan is a threat right here, in the good old U.S. of A?
American drug companies report that they are running out of anti-radiation pills, a potassium iodine pill, that counter-acts the effects of some types of radiation. Never mind that Japan is more than 5000 miles away from the west coast of the United States. Many Americans, mostly in California, decided that the “cool” thing to do was to panic. What a great thing to talk about at cocktail parties later, “Yeah, I remember back in ‘11 when I nearly died from radiation sickness. If I hadn’t taken that pill…”
What happens, Heaven forbid, if an earthquake should strike in the U.S? If an American nuclear reactor should suffer a catastrophic failure, would we have enough anti-radiation pills, right now, to potentially save the lives of those who could really need the protection?
Another aspect of Americans and natural disasters is our belief that relief, in the form of food, fuel and medicine, not to mention manpower, should be available instantly.
In many ways we are victims of our own government when it comes to getting off the dime but it is unrealistic for anyone to believe that any individual, up to and including the President, can issue an order and reasonably expect troops and/or aide, of any kind, to be sitting on the affected area’s doorstep within hours.
People made a huge issue of President Bush not being like Jeanie, on I Dream of Jeanie, or Samantha, on Bewitched, and just “blinking” billions in humanitarian aide to the doorstep of New Orleans.
Within 48 hours of the earthquake in Japan, I heard reports of people asking, “Where is the aide?” Get a grip on reality folks.
Another factor at work in this case is that Japan is not Haiti. Granted, the Japanese people are in need of assistance. I do know, though, that the Japanese people, in addition to being prosperous and hard-working, are a very proud people. The Japanese people and their government will let us know what they need, and where and when. Contrary to popular belief by some members of our federal government, the U.S. does not have the right to make decisions for other countries.
I am very sure that we will respond with everything in our power, to assist … when they ask.
In the meantime, one thing that all of us can do, is continue to pray for the people in Japan. Their road to recovery will be a long one, but as they have proved in the past, they will overcome this, and a better, even more modern Japan will prevail.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Interstate driving, do it right...or don't do it.
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Spring is near. While the weather may not lend credence to that, the calendar says that spring is just around the corner.
As more and more people escape their winter hibernating spot, they will be begin to take to America’s highways to explore, vacation, or maybe, just to go to work every day.
I spend a fair amount of time on the Interstate highways. Not as much as some, but enough to know that our Interstate system has become one of the most dangerous places to be.
All of our highways are becoming more congested with each passing year, but it may be most evident on our controlled-access highways. If you also factor in that the Interstate Highway system, begun in the 1950s at the direction of President Dwight Eisenhower, is aging faster than highway crews can repair and upgrade, you can see that we have a recipe for disaster.
One would assume that a driver on the Interstate would have an increased level of awareness as they navigate among other vehicles at speeds that require greater concentration, but it is not hard to see that, in fact, the reverse seems to be the case.
After getting on the Interstate, many drivers, freed from the stop-and-start driving and traffic signals on other roadways, put their car, and their mind, on cruise control.
I can think of few things more dangerous than an inattentive driver, traveling at 70 miles per hour, less than 20 feet away from several other vehicles moving at the same speed.
Perhaps the most aggravating part is the arrogance and sheer stupidity of many drivers, especially on the Interstate.
For Interstate highway travel to go smoothly, a precision, almost choreographed, smoothness must be maintained. I am beginning to believe that a special endorsement on one’s license should be necessary before a driver can operate a vehicle on an Interstate highway.
The art of entering and exiting an Interstate highway is, in itself, a vital part of just living to drive another day. Not a day goes by that I don’t see, and usually end up following, someone who does not understand that the entrance ramp is designed to allow one to accelerate to highway speed and smoothly merge with traffic. Instead, this person will maintain a steady 35 - 40 miles per hour, then find that they cannot enter traffic flow without getting run down. They don’t know, or don’t care, that they are also endangering those traveling behind them, and those already on the highway.
Sharing equal guilt are those inconsiderate drivers who stay in the right-hand lane and refuse to move over to allow others to merge onto the highway. More often than not, when one of these drivers passes, I will see that they are chatting on their cell phone, oblivious to what is going on around them.
The ever-increasing number of semi-tractor trailer rigs on the highways is another danger. Truck drivers form “wolf packs” and create havoc as they travel two and three abreast, holding up traffic for miles behind them.
I am sure that truck drivers are equally frustrated with “four wheelers” who weave in and out of traffic as they catapult themselves down the highway at breakneck speed. Drivers of cars need to be aware that semi drivers are operating vehicles that don’t stop on a dime. They can also be very dangerous to attempt sudden lane changes as shifting cargo can spell disaster.
Much of this seems to be associated with a growing segment of our population who only worry about “me.” The prevailing attitude among too many Americans is that they are going to do what is good for them, with no concern about how their actions may affect others.
This attitude is not only sad, it is dangerous.
I love to drive. I used to love driving on the Interstate as it was a road to an adventure of some sort. It might be for a day, or a week, but the Interstate spelled adventure. Now, I still love driving, but being on crowded highways, not knowing if the next danger posed is a pot hole or a pot head, is far more stressful.
Driving on the Interstate is actually an art form. It is sad that the highway is only as safe as the least experienced, or perhaps the dumbest and most inconsiderate, driver out there at any given time. Think about it. Your life, and the life of your family, may lay in the hands of the worst driver on the road at a given moment and place. Do you still want to drive with your brain in cruise control or while talking on your cell phone?
My advice is to learn to drive properly on the Interstate, or stay off it.
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Spring is near. While the weather may not lend credence to that, the calendar says that spring is just around the corner.
As more and more people escape their winter hibernating spot, they will be begin to take to America’s highways to explore, vacation, or maybe, just to go to work every day.
I spend a fair amount of time on the Interstate highways. Not as much as some, but enough to know that our Interstate system has become one of the most dangerous places to be.
All of our highways are becoming more congested with each passing year, but it may be most evident on our controlled-access highways. If you also factor in that the Interstate Highway system, begun in the 1950s at the direction of President Dwight Eisenhower, is aging faster than highway crews can repair and upgrade, you can see that we have a recipe for disaster.
One would assume that a driver on the Interstate would have an increased level of awareness as they navigate among other vehicles at speeds that require greater concentration, but it is not hard to see that, in fact, the reverse seems to be the case.
After getting on the Interstate, many drivers, freed from the stop-and-start driving and traffic signals on other roadways, put their car, and their mind, on cruise control.
I can think of few things more dangerous than an inattentive driver, traveling at 70 miles per hour, less than 20 feet away from several other vehicles moving at the same speed.
Perhaps the most aggravating part is the arrogance and sheer stupidity of many drivers, especially on the Interstate.
For Interstate highway travel to go smoothly, a precision, almost choreographed, smoothness must be maintained. I am beginning to believe that a special endorsement on one’s license should be necessary before a driver can operate a vehicle on an Interstate highway.
The art of entering and exiting an Interstate highway is, in itself, a vital part of just living to drive another day. Not a day goes by that I don’t see, and usually end up following, someone who does not understand that the entrance ramp is designed to allow one to accelerate to highway speed and smoothly merge with traffic. Instead, this person will maintain a steady 35 - 40 miles per hour, then find that they cannot enter traffic flow without getting run down. They don’t know, or don’t care, that they are also endangering those traveling behind them, and those already on the highway.
Sharing equal guilt are those inconsiderate drivers who stay in the right-hand lane and refuse to move over to allow others to merge onto the highway. More often than not, when one of these drivers passes, I will see that they are chatting on their cell phone, oblivious to what is going on around them.
The ever-increasing number of semi-tractor trailer rigs on the highways is another danger. Truck drivers form “wolf packs” and create havoc as they travel two and three abreast, holding up traffic for miles behind them.
I am sure that truck drivers are equally frustrated with “four wheelers” who weave in and out of traffic as they catapult themselves down the highway at breakneck speed. Drivers of cars need to be aware that semi drivers are operating vehicles that don’t stop on a dime. They can also be very dangerous to attempt sudden lane changes as shifting cargo can spell disaster.
Much of this seems to be associated with a growing segment of our population who only worry about “me.” The prevailing attitude among too many Americans is that they are going to do what is good for them, with no concern about how their actions may affect others.
This attitude is not only sad, it is dangerous.
I love to drive. I used to love driving on the Interstate as it was a road to an adventure of some sort. It might be for a day, or a week, but the Interstate spelled adventure. Now, I still love driving, but being on crowded highways, not knowing if the next danger posed is a pot hole or a pot head, is far more stressful.
Driving on the Interstate is actually an art form. It is sad that the highway is only as safe as the least experienced, or perhaps the dumbest and most inconsiderate, driver out there at any given time. Think about it. Your life, and the life of your family, may lay in the hands of the worst driver on the road at a given moment and place. Do you still want to drive with your brain in cruise control or while talking on your cell phone?
My advice is to learn to drive properly on the Interstate, or stay off it.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Gov. Kasich like other politicians - fails to acknowledge real cause of money woes
Ohio Senate Bill 5 is stirring debate and raw emotion around the state.
Governor John Kasich certainly wasted no time in stirring the pot as he took the reins of our state government. Within days of his inauguration, he announced intentions to eliminate collective bargaining for law enforcement, fire fighters and teachers.
I feel that I understand part of where Kasich is coming from. I have been strongly opposed to much of the demands that unions have made for many years. I feel that unreasonable demands from unions, primarily those involved with industrial workers, are largely responsible for the fact that many American workers have lost their jobs to foreign competitors.
There was a time when labor unions were necessary in order to keep factory workers from being virtual slaves. Unions then became “too big for their breeches.” The level of protection given to lazy and inept employees, forcing an employer to keep non-productive “workers” is just one example of unions crippling many employers. As bad is it is seeing jobs shipped out-of-country, I don’t feel too sorry for staunch union workers who have spent decades bringing these changes upon themselves.
There is also another side to the situation. First of all, it was widely reported that Kasich came to his governor’s job with a huge chip on his shoulder regarding police and firefighters. It seems they were correct.
Just a week ago, there was much publicity about Kasich berating a law enforcement officer … for doing his job. Now, he has begun an all-out attack against Ohio’s law enforcement and firefighters. He is also including our teachers in his strong-arm attempts to place the blame for Ohio’s money woes on many of those who we, and our children, need most.
As someone who does not receive the benefits afforded the afore-mentioned groups, I admit to some jealousy as to the benefits they receive. It is more accurately, an I-wish-we-had-those-kind-of-benefits-type of jealousy.
Before I move on, I looked at the Ohio Sunshine Law website. It states that State of Ohio employees who have served more than one year, receive full benefits, including health, dental, eye-care, and life insurance. That sounds, to me, like the very things Kasich is looking to take away from people who face danger, and our children, daily.
I have come to believe the rumors that Kasich has a burr under his saddle and is looking to make those who are most deserving of a watchdog to keep their jobs tolerable, his whipping boys and girls.
I want to know why legislators, at all levels, are so quick to point fingers at everyone but themselves when it comes to blame for out-of-control spending.
Schools and cities do not have enough money to continue to pay fair wages and benefits to employees and staff to safe levels. Do you think for a minute that Kasich has given a thought to the fact that a large part of the problem is that our government is tripping over itself in mandating things that must be done, or risk losing more funding?
A good example for city and schools alike is the EPA storm water runoff mandate from last year. The federal government gives no choice in the matter. It doesn’t matter what the cost, they say, you will just do it.
How many jobs and raises do that, and countless other laws and mandates made by an out-of-control government, cost us every year?
Ted Strickland was truly an abomination as governor, but, I fear that John Kasich may be more of a cancer to our Great State of Ohio than we can afford.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Slow down out there ... the life you save may be your own
By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Spring is in the air, and all around the area, young drivers, tired of being constrained by snow and ice are ready … they feel, “the need … the need for speed.”
As the air warms and roadways clear, an adrenaline rush turns feet into lead weights on the accelerators of vehicles operated by teenage drivers who think themselves invincible.
Parents, teachers and law enforcement officials do their best to warn young drivers of the dangers lurking on the road but too many teens, and a good many adults, choose to ignore the warnings.
Spring is still more than a month away, but I am already seeing too many examples of drivers suffering from spring fever. There is an old saying about it taking “a 2x4 to hit you between the eyes” in order to get one’s attention. The reality is that aggressive and inattentive driving can lead to a telephone pole hitting you between the eyes … literally.
In a matter of weeks we will begin to hear that it is prom time. Schools will begin to have mock crashes to re-educate students to the dangers of drunken driving and texting will driving. These are good lessons. They are lessons learned from real crashes. Those crashes resulted in real families losing real sons and daughters.
How about, we don’t wait until “prom time” to think about dangerous driving practices? How about, we adults stop thinking that warnings against aggressive and inattentive driving are only for young and less experienced drivers?
Roadways are becoming more congested with each passing year as more and more drivers take to the highway.
I lament that the days of driving on a rural roadway, night or day, and rarely seeing another vehicle are long gone. I remember that in the not-so-distant past, one could take “the back way” to get to many destinations without dealing with much traffic. Today, “the back way” is often just a heavily traveled as the main routes.
All of this adds up to more dangerous roadways. More cars and less patient drivers are a recipe for trouble. Most of us feel that we spent most of this past winter driving in slow motion. Roadways were ice and snow covered for a large part of the past couple of months. Motorists adapted to the road conditions and slowed accordingly.
This past week, we woke up and found roadways clear. There is a natural tendency to want to speed up. Maybe we are attempting to make up for time lost during the winter.
We must be aware of the many dangers lurking on re-discovered bare pavement. Potholes can cause serious damage. Driving at “100 percent alertness, 100 percent of the time,” is a phrase coined by Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Weber, who is stationed at the Piqua Post. Weber has made a personal mission of educating drivers on the dangers of inattentive driving.
One of my concerns is that many of the same parents who preach safety to the young drivers in their family, fail to “practice what they preach.” If someone is killed by an aggressive or inattentive driver, it makes no difference if the driver was 17 or 40 years old … they are just as dead.
As parents, we need to lead our children by example. That leadership extends to times when we are behind the wheel. Even little kids absorb what dad or mom are doing and saying as they drive the family car. I believe that we can begin to develop safe driving habits in our children, and grandchildren, when they are still sitting in a child safety seat.
If you think that your child is not paying attention, just think about how many times you may have uttered a “dirty word” when you thought a child wasn’t listening, only to have them repeat the word, usually at the most embarrassing moment. Kids are paying attention.
This spring, encourage your teenage drivers, and maybe take time to heed the advice yourself, the arrival of warmer weather is not the time to “feel your oats” or “blow out the carburetor,” or whatever excuse one might use for driving a nearly-one-ton wheeled weapon with reckless abandonment and endangering the lives of innocent bystanders.
When you get behind the wheel this spring, let’s put down the cell phone, the iPad, the electric shaver, the curling iron, the lipstick and the Big Mac. How about we all slow down and “smell the roses?”
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
Spring is in the air, and all around the area, young drivers, tired of being constrained by snow and ice are ready … they feel, “the need … the need for speed.”
As the air warms and roadways clear, an adrenaline rush turns feet into lead weights on the accelerators of vehicles operated by teenage drivers who think themselves invincible.
Parents, teachers and law enforcement officials do their best to warn young drivers of the dangers lurking on the road but too many teens, and a good many adults, choose to ignore the warnings.
Spring is still more than a month away, but I am already seeing too many examples of drivers suffering from spring fever. There is an old saying about it taking “a 2x4 to hit you between the eyes” in order to get one’s attention. The reality is that aggressive and inattentive driving can lead to a telephone pole hitting you between the eyes … literally.
In a matter of weeks we will begin to hear that it is prom time. Schools will begin to have mock crashes to re-educate students to the dangers of drunken driving and texting will driving. These are good lessons. They are lessons learned from real crashes. Those crashes resulted in real families losing real sons and daughters.
How about, we don’t wait until “prom time” to think about dangerous driving practices? How about, we adults stop thinking that warnings against aggressive and inattentive driving are only for young and less experienced drivers?
Roadways are becoming more congested with each passing year as more and more drivers take to the highway.
I lament that the days of driving on a rural roadway, night or day, and rarely seeing another vehicle are long gone. I remember that in the not-so-distant past, one could take “the back way” to get to many destinations without dealing with much traffic. Today, “the back way” is often just a heavily traveled as the main routes.
All of this adds up to more dangerous roadways. More cars and less patient drivers are a recipe for trouble. Most of us feel that we spent most of this past winter driving in slow motion. Roadways were ice and snow covered for a large part of the past couple of months. Motorists adapted to the road conditions and slowed accordingly.
This past week, we woke up and found roadways clear. There is a natural tendency to want to speed up. Maybe we are attempting to make up for time lost during the winter.
We must be aware of the many dangers lurking on re-discovered bare pavement. Potholes can cause serious damage. Driving at “100 percent alertness, 100 percent of the time,” is a phrase coined by Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Weber, who is stationed at the Piqua Post. Weber has made a personal mission of educating drivers on the dangers of inattentive driving.
One of my concerns is that many of the same parents who preach safety to the young drivers in their family, fail to “practice what they preach.” If someone is killed by an aggressive or inattentive driver, it makes no difference if the driver was 17 or 40 years old … they are just as dead.
As parents, we need to lead our children by example. That leadership extends to times when we are behind the wheel. Even little kids absorb what dad or mom are doing and saying as they drive the family car. I believe that we can begin to develop safe driving habits in our children, and grandchildren, when they are still sitting in a child safety seat.
If you think that your child is not paying attention, just think about how many times you may have uttered a “dirty word” when you thought a child wasn’t listening, only to have them repeat the word, usually at the most embarrassing moment. Kids are paying attention.
This spring, encourage your teenage drivers, and maybe take time to heed the advice yourself, the arrival of warmer weather is not the time to “feel your oats” or “blow out the carburetor,” or whatever excuse one might use for driving a nearly-one-ton wheeled weapon with reckless abandonment and endangering the lives of innocent bystanders.
When you get behind the wheel this spring, let’s put down the cell phone, the iPad, the electric shaver, the curling iron, the lipstick and the Big Mac. How about we all slow down and “smell the roses?”
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Heck-of-a-storm ... it's all relative
Our latest round of winter weather, once again, has news and weather reporters pawing the earth, or in our part of the country, pawing the ice, as they report snow, ice, wind and other generally catastrophic conditions from coast to coast.
If these prognosticators keep going, it will be necessary to invent new adjectives to describe storms as they have used up all of the existing ones.
As we watch and listen to reporters in Dallas describe their inch of snow while their counterparts in Chicago brave blizzard conditions, we hear much talk of “worst ever” and “unlike anything before.”
Sure, the weather is bad, but I believe that there is a perspective that we don’t often think about and one that our news and weather folks choose to ignore.
First of all, let’s look at the population of the United States in, say, 1810. The Census Bureau indicates that just over 7 million people lived here. The population rose to around 92 million by 1910. The United States census of 2000 shows us close to 300 million strong.
Next, we must consider communications ability during the time period. And last, we must look at our dependency on others from generation to generation.
One might suggest that media members have become more prone to embellishment as we have progressed but, I believe that may not have changed that much. I have no difficulty believing that journalists of centuries-past were as quick with an extra adjective and any of their 21st century counterparts.
One of the more serious factors is the sheer number of “media outlets” today. A century, or two, ago, there weren’t that many newspapers. And, of course, there was no radio or television, let alone anything like the Internet.
Now, it seems everyone thinks they are a reporter, and many media outlets encourage this. So, when a single flake of snow falls from the sky, there are a hundred people there, cell phones in hand, to take photos and cry, “it is snowing.”
Adding to the circus is the professional media who must report each and every aspect of the storm. I think they get bonus points for reporting from the most precarious or dangerous spot. The reasoning is that we are a “visual society.” The translation is that we have become too lazy to get off the couch and go look out the window.
When the good citizens of America had a blizzard or an ice storm in the 1800s, rather than looking to alert the media, folks hunkered down at home and rode it out. Most grew their own food so going hungry wasn’t an issue. There was no electricity to go out. There were no cars to slide off the road.
For the most part, Americans were heartier people then. Today, the thought of doing manual labor to dig out after a storm is beyond the ability of many Americans.
All of this adds up to my belief that many storms and weather events of today are no more powerful than those of the past. The differences are that our population has grown enormously, so more people are in harm’s way. A vast majority of our population have few skills to fend for themselves, even for short periods without electricity, fast food and WalMart.
We go through periods of cold and snow. We endure times of heat and drought. The media will continue to keep Americans informed. Some media outlets will choose to document every detail of every event. They may also relish the opportunity to speculate how each event might be the “most powerful” or “most destructive” of all time.
Rest assured that it is all relative. Storms and other weather events have been happening for centuries. We just have more people affected now, because we continue to grow, and more damage because there is more property in harm’s way.
It is also a reminder that we humans can believe what we like about being in control, but when it comes to Mother Nature, we are just along for the ride … and sometimes, the ride gets rough.
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