Don't Let'em Score A Hundred!

With recent stories about bad behavior and the so-called "decline" of civility in our country today, out comes a story from Florida about a high school football team that beat an opponent by a score of 83-0.   The tone of the story was that it was shameful a coach would allow his team to run up such a high score, thus humiliating the opposing team.  Boo hoo hoo.

During my junior year in high school in Spring, Texas I was the starting center of the varsity team.  I weighed about 135 pounds, we had a 122 pound featherweight quarterback, our coach had a revolutionary ONE PLAY strategy that we were going to run for the entire 1969 season, and our team produced the longest consecutive losing streak in the state of Texas! 

That year we never scored a touchdown.  Not one.  

We lost our first game 7-0 if I remember correctly. After that we had losses of 49-0, 64-0, 56-0, and the mother of all our losses that year:  79-0.  I don't remember the other scores, but it doesn't matter.   I'll never forget half-time in the locker room during that 79-0 game.  Coming in from a driving, steady rain, our coach was literally foaming at the mouth, and the only words he could muster was, "Just DON'T let'em score a hundred!"  Those words came out through his foaming, clinched teeth!  All these years later I can't help but laugh. 

We were so bad, that the number one radio station in Houston at the time (KILT) would talk about us Spring Lions every Friday morning.  "How bad will they get beat this week?!?"  We were so bad that the then losing  Houston Oilers came to one of our Friday pep rallies!  We were (in)famous! We were considered losers.  Thinking back now, I don't believe we were losers:  We were just failures! 

But now 40 years later, some whinny mommies and daddies, and mollycoddling school administrators in Florida are all questioning whether it was sportsman-like for a coach to allow his team to continue scoring.  Boo hoo hoo again.  

At the beginning of our next season in 1970, Coach One Play had been fired, we began the year in a brand new high school with a new stadium and coaching staff, and our first game saw us score the first touchdown in nearly three years!  

We lost 7-6.  

We went on to score more and more touchdowns, we had some very close games, but we still didn't win a game that year, thus increasing the losing streak.  

But from those years of being beaten, and during our last year of rebuilding we learned life lessons.  We were taught by our parents that they could and did support us no matter had badly we played or what the score was.  They still cheered and yelled "Go Green!"  even when the score was 79-0.  We learned to have a sense of humor about our plight, even though we felt humiliated.  We witnessed the profound lack of leadership that fostered our losses, but were uplifted by the inspired humility of our new coach who never chastised us with clinched teeth, but encouraged us to pick up the slack, work harder, concentrate, and strive to work as a team.

 

He also taught us to appreciate any and every improvement and success even during moments of defeat.  

We learned that even failure has dignity if we did the best we could do with what we had to work with.  We were taught to never give up!  All that ultimately instilled in us a sense of decency and respect for self and others.  

That's what isn't being taught anymore.  A couple of generations of kids have been told that winning is bad and hurts the feelings of those who might not be as accomplished as you.  As a result, those who aren't as accomplished, don't get an opportunity to look at their failures "subjectively" and make objective decisions that facilitate success (winning).  

All the whining about how winners make others look bad will never inspire effort, learning, critical thinking skills, strategy, or creativity.  The mollycoddling that punctuates how we interact with each other these days will continue to stifle and squelch innovation and productivity, for both individuals and society.  It will encourage, at best, mediocrity, and even worse, an overall lack of civility because no one will have a real measure or benchmark of success and how to achieve it.  

The writer of the Florida story, Dallas Jackson of Rivals.com, posits this question:  "...when is enough, enough?"  The answer is this:  When they score 50.  Or 79.  Or 83.  Or 100.  To nothing!

Let'em score 200 hundred if they can, and let the losers (failures) learn as many lessons about hard work, persistence, teamwork, leadership, a sense of humor,  and humility as the score can teach. 

Rick B. Baker 

Rochester, NY 

 

©2009 by R. Burnett Baker

Bailout My Ass! Please...Bailout MY ass!

Five billion here.  Thirteen billion there.  Seven hundred billion plus around the corner.  ALL tax dollars we have worked our tails off for to send to Washington week after week, year after year.  

And today the damned auto companies want MORE.  Obamanomics has signed the so-called bailout package into law to stimulate something or other.  Most of the men and women in government who signed the bill never read it.  And frankly, with all this bailout talk day in and out, I'm clueless as to what it all means.  Even the porn industry some weeks ago asked, tongue in cheek (pun intended) for a bailout.  

So today I'm asking for MY bailout.  Not much, mind you.  Just $9000.00.  That's it.  More on this later.

Ok, let's review.  According to the Associated Press today, General Motors has already received more than $13 billion in "loans" from the government.  Now GM says that they will probably run out of money by March if they don't receive about $9 billion in new loans and a credit line of over $7 billion.  March is 11 days away.  

Chrysler has received about $4 billion so far, and is asking for an additional $5 billion.  Oh, and part of Chrysler's "restructuring" plan is to eliminate three car models while GM will eliminate up to 47,000 more jobs.  Woo Hoo!  Sign the check, Mr. O!   

According to the AP report today, Chrysler estimates that US auto makers will sell just over 10 million cars this year.  Ok. Let's review again:  How many millions of people are now jobless in the US?  I would argue that GM's plan to add another 47,000 to that number will mean that the automakers may NOT sell over 10 million cars this year.  Just a hunch. 

So where, then, will that leave the auto makers?  Asking for a couple billion MORE?  And yet MORE again down the road?  Where does all this money come from after we taxpayers have paid, and where does it all go?  Does the Treasury just crank up the printing presses?  Someone put this all into layman's terms, please!  

On top of this ongoing foolishness, Associated Press also quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. as saying she hoped this would lead to the "transformation of our domestic automobile industry into a viable, technologically advanced, and globally competitive manufacturing force." 

She expects that from a nationalized auto industry, and a  government (never mind who happens to be in the Oval Office) that can't even win wars with 13th century-minded 4th world countries!  

WAKE THE FREAK UP, AMERICANS!  ISN'T ANYONE ASKING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?   Are you all STILL too busy buying crap you don't need with money you don't have (or WON'T have for very long),  grazing in all of those stores' "Going Out of Business"  liquidation sales, and buying plasma TV's?  I'm just saying....

So this is where I ask for MY bailout.  In late 2007 I bailed out of a 24 year job with a company that isn't expected to survive through 2009.  They were purging tenured associates and managers to cut costs, as retailers are want to do.  I expected to have my employment terminated in December 2007.  So, I did what my accountant and every other "expert" says NOT to do:  Borrowed money from my 401K to pay off the car, and what little debt I had.  I couldn't have a car payment and other monthly expenses if I had to live on unemployment.  

As it worked out, I was recruited by a healthy company, for better pay.  I left the sinking ship.  I'm gainfully employed while the economy crumbles around our feet.  I'm fortunate.  Now, however, I'm liable for taxes and penalties on the funds I took out of my 401K.  My accountant estimated an additional $9000 in taxes will have to be paid this April to cover this horrible thing I did to keep from going bankrupt myself.  I took it out of an account that I'm fully vested in, and managed by banks that probably have received  bailout money to manage the failing funds that are eating away at what's left of my 401K.  

So I want a bailout.  For $9000.  Detroit gets billions, the pork barrel stimulus bill gets billions, the banks get billions, the insurance industry gets billions, the Chinese (who we are deeply in debt to) get billions, and the porn industry has the balls to ask for a bit too. 

$9000.  To pay my taxes.  After all, those billions in taxpayer dollars are getting shuffled from one account to another.  All I'm asking is that the government shuffle $9000 to me, and I'll give it right back to them.  

It's not like I'm flying to Washington in a private jet asking for money.  Or taking a multi-million dollar bonus from a failed company.  Or running a ponzi scheme.  

I'm just working my ass off to help billions. 

  

(c)2009, R. Burnett Baker  

 

outlined

a full moon 

rises, 

all life 

outlined 

in silver.  

Acrylic on canvas painting and poetry 

(c) 2009 by R. Burnett Baker 

sleeps cold 

a tree outside 

my window 

sleeps cold in winter 

a blanket 

defines the distinction 

between me and 

unborn leaves. 

Photo and poetry (c)2009 R. Burnett Baker 

A PRIVATE FAMILY MATTER

Sarah Palin's a grandmother!  How sweet.  

As reported today, Alaskan  Governor Sarah Palin's UNWED daughter Bristol gave birth to a seven pound son this week.  And the father, Levi Johnston (referred to several times in today's AP article as "the young man") can't wait to take him hunting and fishing.  Send them a rifle, amo, hooks, and a box of worms as a gift. God bless America.  Pass the bait.

Back in October I wrote about Governor Palin campaigning against gay marriage during the presidential race.  She had been interviewed by CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network), home of former presidential hopeful and television preacher Pat Robertson, about the gay marriage subject.  My main point was that gay marriage was (and still is) a non issue.  At the time it was a smoke and mirror subject that pandered to the religious right for votes, got a segment of the voting population lathered up with emotional content, and diverted attention away from the little matter of the conservative Christian Governor's reported family disfunctions, most notably her UNWED pregnant daughter.  Oh yeah....As I mentioned in October, it also diverted our attention away from issues like the Afgan and Iraqi wars, health care, energy, education, and the crumbling economy, just to name a few. 

It's not my intention here to rehash that story.  I just want to point out, and keep in view,  yet another example of the ongoing hypocrisy we tend to ignore about these public figures as they blather on out of both sides of their mouths about how we should be living our lives and how what they do is ok, fine, or none of our business.  According to the AP, the governor's office would not comment on Governor Palin's UNWED pregnant daughter giving birth, saying that it was a "private, family matter."  Indeed.  I would imagine that thousands of gay men and women would say the same thing about their own marriages, if they were allowed to marry.  

As for Bristol Palin and "the young man" getting married, it was hinted in today's report that they were "considering" getting married next summer.  Sweet!  My question is, what the hell are they waiting for?  The responsibility has arrived.  Let's see some of those evangelical Christian values put into action, even if the morality part was cast aside nine months ago.  

Well, that's ok.  No one needs the governor's office to make any official announcement.  And the Christian Broadcasting Network need not blush over the matter either.  Sarah Palin doesn't have to call Tina Fey and have it announced on Saturday Night Live.  No, none of that.  Colleen Jones, the sister of Bristol's grandmother, according to the AP, spilled the bait.  

She's the family member who was arrested this month on felony drug charges for allegedly trying to sell OxyContin to a couple of police informants.  Another "private, family matter"? 

In the mean time, let's hope (where's Obama when you need him?) this doesn't tarnish Sarah Palin's image.  After all, according to the media, she's a potential candidate for president in 2012.  And all of these trials and tribulations simply "humanize" her and her family, according to the AP report.  

Pass the bait.  But don't tell anyone, it's a private family matter.

(c)2008 R. Burnett Baker

 

BLACK FRIDAY, BLOOD RED

On Thursday we gave thanks.  This Friday morning we trampled a man to death. 

Yes, at 5AM today Long Island, NY  Wal-Mart employee, Mr. Jdimytai Damour, trying to control the doors just before opening, was knocked down by crazed shoppers forcing their way into the store, running for those oh so freakin important bargains.  They trampled him to death.  All for Samsung flatscreen TV's, Bissel vacuum cleaners, and The Incredible Hulk DVD's for $9.  Black Friday has taken on, not the color of green, but the color of blood red.  

Happy Thanksgiving!  Merry freakin Christmas!  

Having been in retail for over 25 years, I long ago lost any respect for customers overall, and I absolutely loathe the holiday period from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.  As my college classmate, columnist,  and close friend Andrew T. Durham has said many times, "Everything has the potential to be meaningless."  Today selfish, greedy, thoughtless, lowlife, consuming scum in a New York Wal-Mart showed that to be true.  

A Wal-Mart spokesman issued a statement today saying that the security and safety of Wal-Mart employees is a "top priority."  A meaningless statement.  Otherwise Mr. Damour would be alive tonight. 

And ALL retailers must be held accountable for this as well.  They have purposely created the monsters called customers who literally commit manslaughter to boost traffic, sales, and profits in the name of free enterprise and yes, Jesus!   

If security and safety were a priority for any retailer, none of them would be open at 4AM or 5AM or 6AM.  Period.  They would open when daylight appeared.  They would have ample security for crowd control.  And ideally they would not have these idiotic "door buster" sales and promotions to lure these braindead shoppers to their doors in the first place. None of these shoppers - I repeat NONE of them - are shopping early in the spirit of love and giving.  No, these jackasses are shopping for themselves.  I've seen them, waited on them, and been "polite" to them (meaningless) just to satisfy the corporate masters' desire for higher comp sales.   

None of these retailers'  balance sheets,  profit margins,  shareholders, or dividends are important enough to help participate in the meaningless death of an employee. The authorities should ensure that Wal-Mart is heavily penalized in some way as a form of accountability.  And if, through reviewing surveillance videos, the police can identify and arrest those responsible directly and indirectly for the depraved indifference that caused Mr. Damour's death, they should be put in prison for life as examples to other crapheaded shoppers who push, shove and potentially kill to buy junk they don't need with money they don't have.  Let 'em rot in jail! 

And folks, I'm being restrained here as to how I really feel about retail and customers during this time of year.  It was Harry Selfridge of Selfridge Department Store in London who, in 1909 coined the phrase "The Customer Is Always Right."  It's hogwash.  Today customers should be ashamed of themselves.  They could never be more wrong as they were in Long Island this morning.  Today retailers should be ashamed of themselves.  They could never be more wrong about making Black Friday green:  Their dollars are the color of blood red. 

Merry Christmas! 

(c)2008 R. Burnett Baker 

   

hourglass 

hourglass moments 

set on a 

table, 

our time together 

flows grain by grain, 

top to 

bottom. 

             a vial of sand  

             waiting to be 

                              upended again. 

Poetry and photo (c) 2008 R. Burnett Baker