Time Makes the World Go Round

Time plays a big role in our lives. Unfortunately, many of our activities are governed by the clock. We work "on the clock." We often eat and sleep by the clock. We are very regimented.

Many pieces of our lives are based on being in the right place at the right time. Actually, we could say being anywhere at the time is what life is. It isn't always right. Time has a way of getting away from us. We must make time to do things. We must find the time to things. There is only so much time. We cannot manufacture it by pulling some magically out of a hat.

Once the time has passed, it doesn't come back. If we resolve to write each day and we don't do it, we cannot recoup that loss. I always find that everything takes longer than it should. Generally, I ride my exercise bike at 6 pm and watch a cooking show while doing so. Other factors got out of hand yesterday and 6 o'clock came and went without my getting on the bike. I never did ride and I never did turn on the cooking show. I lost that time. I lost that benefit.

We have to face the fact that shit happens. All kinds of things will screw up our schedule. When we make a commitment to something, though, we should try to stick with it. My commitment is to ride every day. I am, however, satisfied if I manage six days a week. My commitment is to write a blog entry every day. I haven't missed one yet.

Round Robins

I've been part of some round robins. This is our third robin and we are on round 4 currently. In the first robin, we were given some prompts that must have sparked six poems that I wrote. I was very happy with them. I've got some more prompts now! I'm excited.

Here's what we got. I have to get to work.

Guidelines:

Pick something from the following list to be your title, and include something else from the list in your poem:

A memory of smoke
Asphalt and scat
Drastic measures
Lace it up
Treasure me
I never played chess
Vinyl and Formica
Wooden Horses
pretty whispered lies
Then knock it down
Out of the sugar snow
Into his breath
old rag quilt

Experience

Just because we've experienced something in the past doesn't mean that we become experts. Sometimes it is enough to have a sense of what someone is going through. We can sit back and listen and share the feeling of pain. When asked, then we can supply what information we know.

It is often helpful to share experiences. One great way to do this is through our writing. We write about what we've been through so that maybe others can be more enlightened. I found myself on a site for stroke survivors earlier. The stories were heartbreaking. Some of these people were young adults when they had strokes. I'm not sure why I find myself so surprised since I was aware of a pediatric stroke study when I worked at the hospital years ago.

These survivors wrote of their experience in order to help the next person that finds themselves in similar shoes. A woman of my age feels her stroke was caused by the birth control pill. She is strongly advising against the "pill" and any means of hormone therapy. A low dose pill was being used to treat pre-menopausal symptoms. How often have we heard that the treatment is sometimes worse than the illness? It gets scary.

The problem with some of these sites is that they are discovered too late. A stroke survivor's site is most likely to be found by other survivors. I'm wondering if these stories might serve a better function of being more widely dispersed in order to be more proactive instead of reactive. These stories do help to support other survivors, of course, and their families and friends. These people are not alone and, unfortunately, their stories are not rarities.

Share your experiences. What you share may help someone else. Not all of us can build lovely web sites (see Poetic Acceptance for Grieving Parents) or devote extensive time to helping others. We have problems helping ourselves sometimes. Share what you've learned. You never know who it might help.

Supreme Being?

To think that one supreme being created the chaos that is called life seems impossible. Even if such a thing were true, everything starts with a seed of sorts. That seed has to come from somewhere. Where did the seed itself come from?

I don't profess to believe in God. I do, however, believe there is something out there...a driving force if you will. I believe that most things happen for a reason. Maybe the reasons aren't always to my liking, so I don't attribute them to an amicable being. Sometimes I even refer to what's out there as "fate" or "destiny." These terms don't necessarily require embodiment. They are safer.

I don't know what brought this on tonight. I suppose it has to do with natural disasters, death, and destruction that we've been exposed to for so long. If man was created in the image of God, how is it that man is so fucked up? How is it that we have terrorism and prejudice and discrimination? Actually, that one might be easy to answer. If every man feels that he is supreme, then it follows that all others are inferior.

We won't even get into "free will." Since the origin of life remains largely unanswered, there's no point in taking the argument further. I simply envisioned something better. I suppose there's still hope and that is why optimism exists.

Some days, I just don't get it. But, life goes on...

Letter Writing

We're writers. Do you know the best way to get something resolved? Write a letter!

I finally got fed up and started thinking I imagined my recent good fortune when the radio station wasn't providing satisfaction. I went to their web site yesterday to get the name of the station manager. It turns out the email address of the program manager was listed. I happen to like email; it is faster than regular mail.

I wrote a letter and explained how I won, what I won, and how I still had no evidence of either prize. I asked for help in rectifying the matter. When I sent the email, I did not expect to hear anything until today since I figured they were a Monday through Friday operation. I was also under the impression that they started around 9 a.m. I might be wrong about that.

Any way, at 9:06 this morning, I had an email from the program manager. He was not too happy with his staff for not keeping me posted as to what was going on. He told me he would contact the right people and I would have answers TODAY. Terrific!

Shortly after 11 this morning, I had a voicemail from the head of the promotions department. He wasn't too happy with his staff either. When I called him back, he was in the middle of writing me an email. Of course, he never sent it since I was on the phone. While we still don't have all of the information about the trip, I will hear from him no later than next Monday about this. His contact person at Sandals is out of the office this week. In the meantime, I asked him about the DVDs. He said he would look into it and call me this afternoon. I then got a call from home about a message left on my answering machine from the same guy. This man was covering all of his bases.

I arrived home shortly after 4:30 p.m. to be told the radio station had called 30 seconds prior. I checked the message. Oh, this is good. They had held onto the DVDs thinking I could pick them up when I came to the station for my paperwork. He had them mailed out today. He told me he left a similar message on my voicemail at work.

So, things are moving along. The radio station has my air travel certificate and if I have any questions, I have a name and a number to call. We may get to Jamaica yet.

The Library

We sit on opposite sides of the room, bent over paperbacks, reading in silence. It is rare that we make eye contact with each other even though I suspect we are both curious. We have gravitated to this place every day for the past two weeks. Each day, we end up inches closer to each other, but still a good distance away.

With bowed heads, I can't tell what you are thinking. As I glance your way, you are intent on your book. I often wonder what it is you're reading. Little did I know that you were stealing the same glances at me and had the same questions.

There's something about the way you're sitting that appeals to me. It is as if you're saying "I'm here, I'm important, and I don't care what you think." Your posture exudes attitude. I find it irresistible, but I'm powerless to do anything more than sneak glances your way.

After reading the same page for the twentieth time, I decide to call it a night. As I rise to leave, I send one more glance your way. I am startled to find that you have already left. I collect my things and head to the elevator. As I approach, I see the doors closing, "hold it, please!" I yelled as quietly as I could. The doors opened to accept me.

As I step in, I find myself looking into the bluest eyes I have ever seen. My secret glances are gone and I find myself staring into those eyes. "Oh, sorry!" as I regain my composure and take my place next to you in the elevator. We ride down to the main floor in silence. I wanted to say something, but couldn't.

You went to the left off the elevator and I went to the right. I was haunted by those eyes all night. I hope you'll be there tomorrow.

Systems

Isn't it amazing how much crap people can accumulate? I'm continually cleaning out email, catalogs, and general clutter. It never seems to totally disappear. Each week on garbage night, we check the refrigerator to see if anything needs to go out. We collect the recyclables, newspapers, magazines, and cardboard to do the same thing. The next day, there's more where that came from.

I think Americans are already too compartmentalized. However, I think if they weren't they would be inundated with crap. If we didn't have a system for deciding what to keep and what to throw away, there would be no room for us. Isn't that already a problem? Aren't our landfills becoming overly full? Weren't there some bad decisions made about what could be put into a landfill?

Even having a system to stay organized, it doesn't always work. We don't always have the time to keep after the loose ends. We don't have the energy or other resources to make the crap disappear completely. I recommend simplicity wherever possible. Too bad it is easier said than done.

I, personally, find that it is easier to add to than subtract from anything. This is especially true in writing. We are more inclined to expand on something rather than minimalize it. Maybe minimal is the way to go. We have less time, less energy, and less attention to give to longer matters. Let's find a system that works and keep with it.

Rights

We have rights and expectations. Men have gone to great lengths to protect our rights. Because of those rights, we have expectations. We have a right to free speech. We expect our school systems to supply a proper education. We have a right to protect ourselves. We expect to earn enough money to support our families.

We can defend ourselves from people who violate our rights. We have recourse when our expectations fail. What can we do when mother nature declares war on us? We just moved people from New Orleans to Houston because of Katrina. Rita is right on her tail and is forcing us to move these same people from Houston to other places. How can you protect yourself from that?

A lot of what's happened could probably be blamed on poor choice. It was a poor choice to build a city below sea level. It was a poor choice to live within x number of miles of the coast. Well, is anywhere really safe? I'm thinking we have a right to feel safe in our own homes. We have police to respond to complaints of burglary and intruders. We have fire departments that will douse our flames. Who will protect us from Mother Nature?

There are many things we can do to prepare ourselves for disaster. We should all check to see what we need to do within our own homes to aid in this preparedness. A simple thing would be to save the gallon jugs from the milk we buy. Wash them out and fill them with drinking water. This is cheaper than buying bottled water and is just as drinkable. Keep batteries on hand for flashlights and radios. Have a manual can opener available just in case one is needed. Keep extra prescriptions on hand and keep them together so they can be grabbed in a hurry. Keep extra cash on hand and gas in the tank. Things like this we can do.

Now if we could solve the bigger problem of preventing disasters completely, we'd be home free.

The Mundane

When things don't go right, you take it in stride. When I'm continually butting my head against a wall, I begin to take it personally. I am good at what I do, but lately I've been doubting my own ability because either the system or the company is not cooperating. And, that's just at work. Outside of work could take a book. I think I need a couple of days off soon.

The last two entries I posted were written while I was at work. Once I got home, I simply posted them straight from email. I didn't bother even reading them again. When I'm at work, I will write, but I'm there to work and I want to work. Writing at work doesn't give me the same satisfaction. It wouldn't be so bad if other things were getting done as well. When it is the only thing getting done, that's a problem.

I got my free issue of Modern Review yesterday. I got through the preface and maybe the first poem today. I'm not terribly impressed with in and it carries a price tag of $6 per issue. I'll have to let you know once I get further into it. I'd really like to see the next issue of JAW. I've been reading those from cover to cover. I'm beginning to think maybe an issue came out and I didn't get one.

And life goes on...

The Moon

The moon greeted me this morning as it hung low in the sky. It watched me get into my car and I wondered what it knew that I didn't. Had I continued to look, I might have seen the moon wink. If only the moon could talk, I would think the stories it could tell would be spellbinding. How many lovers have taken refuge in its light on a warm summer night? How many romantic tables have been set with the moon and candles for ambiance?

Nights were made for harboring the secrets of lovers wrapped in the embrace of darkness and each other. The stars are our bedcovers and perspiration our aphrodisiac. No love potion is needed as they drink of each other. Music is provided by a myriad of sounds natural to the season. Crickets sing their melodies in tune to distant traffic with an occasional horn for emphasis. Harmony is provided in the owl with his infamous question of “Who?”

Whispers are echoed in the stillness until they reach the edge of oblivion. Nonsense becomes most significant under the cover of romance. And, ecstasy rules the world. The softest sensations intensify in the darkness and fingers find feather touches that roam wherever the will takes them. This is the time where we live in the moment, for the moment. All other concerns fade with the first brush of lips against skin.

The moon hears the promises made and those broken. It bears first witness to conception of future plans and future beings. And, it patiently waits night after night to observe the fruits of such promises.

The Unknown

As I wander the unknown, I am excited about my adventure but fearful at the same time. There is so much I don’t know. I am unaware whether red and green still mean stop and go. Such simple things as that are up in the air. There is much to fear. Would I do a “normal” act only to find myself faced with an entirely different meaning? I pray not. I pray in the only way I know even if this place was not created by a greater being.

There are no people anywhere. I have never minded being alone; but, this was eerie. There is no one to turn to when questions arise. There is no instruction book on life. Does anything I knew have meaning? My sight might as well be that of a blind person since I cannot trust what I see. I am reminded of the mazes we used to trace when we were kids and magic tricks where things changed while we paid such close attention. I hug myself in as much of an effort to warm my body as to physically check that my body still exists.

I didn’t actually walk but changed my position by appearing where I was looking. I need to stop looking around so much since I find myself dizzy from movement. I close my eyes and calm myself. This is not real. We take for granted that things mark our surroundings. We have floors, ceilings and walls. We have earth, sky, and trees. All of those things were gone now. I was just me and the swirling mist with occasional shadows that caught my eye. Since there was no sunshine, I wondered about the shadows.

There was only darkness that got darker and darker the further I went until there was nothing. It was impossible to tell how far I moved or how long I had been moving. Time seemed to have slowed or I moved in slow motion; I couldn’t decide. At one point, I though I saw light. I moved toward it. There is something comfortable about light as we see every time a moth gravitates to a light bulb or open flame. The moth has not learned to fear the heat associated with light. He is simply drawn to it as I am now.

The light grows as I approach. I can feel gentle warmth spread through me the closer I get. Soon, perspiration beads my brow. The light grows until it encompasses my being and I awake covered in sweat, tangled in bedclothes, in the safety of my own bed.

Selfish Rantings

Good things come to those who wait. My only question is...how long do I have to wait? My cup is almost empty and I have little left to give; when will the tables turn? Sounds pretty selfish, huh?

In the short run, people are pretty selfish. Everything is all about them. I have people I talk to on an almost daily basis that I enjoy trading stories with. They tell one, I tell one, and the world is in balance. I noticed, though, that they very rarely want to know about anything beyond what's going on that day. Most won't go out of their way to see if you're feeling better or having a better day.

I, personally, like to check up on people if I know things aren't going well for them. I might not be able to do much, but I can sure as hell listen. I can try to make them laugh, too. It isn't much, but it is me. But, damn it, every so often, I would like to have the table turned. I want to be acknowledged. I'm not just someone in the background that is always there. I'm important too, you know.

If I didn't show up one day, would anyone notice? Would any one care? There's a group of us that hang out for a half hour or so every day. If one of us is taking a day off, we usually let the others know. Sometimes we forget. I asked S on Friday if she had seen MB. She remembered hearing that MB was taking the day off. Someone usually knows. I haven't seen C in a few days, maybe I should send her an email tomorrow to make sure everything is okay. Why not? That's me.

Who are you?

Sunny Sunday

We just got back from a walk to the corner. This is good because my Sunday steps are always sorely lacking. Plus, I didn't ride yesterday, so the exercise was needed. It is a wonderful day outside. For awhile, I waited to see if it was clouding up or clearing up. The sun finally won and peeked some rays while we began our descent down the street. Of course I forgot my sunglasses, but it wasn't so bad. The trip was actually around the block with a stop at the grocery store.

I'm looking for a little less troublesome day today. I promised him pizza for dinner, so I will be going out later to pick that up. I happen to love pizza but I really don't need the overeating it entails. I'm so bad about that. On the upside, we have finished all of the cookies in the house. This means the only time we have desert is when I make brownies. And, I couldn't pass up the sale on that this week!

Ah, an observation from him, 'tis the season...for the acorns to fall. We heard several hit their marks as they fell today. Fortunately, the targets were cars and such and not human heads. I think that would hurt if a falling torpedo would hit the skull.

Other news...I've been rejected by two more publications. I still have a few more places that I'm waiting to hear from. I just wrote a crap poem for the pic of the week too. I would reject that one as well. They can't all be winners, I guess.

Worry

We find inspiration in so many things. However, when you're worried about something or someone, the words can dry up faster than an ice cube in the desert. Worry is so counterproductive. Yet, we spend a lot of time doing it.

The temperatures are much cooler outside today. We had some rain which the ground probably needed even if we, as humans, would rather do without. Humidity, however, is up inside the apartment. And humidity within myself isn't helping much either. It is almost one of those days where you're hot and cold at the same time.

Just because nature
can't make up its mind
which season it is, don't
succumb to the confusion.
Clear your head and see;
there's a crispness
to the air tonight.

Write the Season

The weekend is upon us. We can forget responsibility, sleep in, and enjoy some of the finer things in life. Well, I can dream, right?

Weekends don't have to be all about grocery shopping and laundry. They can be about having the time to do the grocery shopping and the laundry in a more leisurely fashion. It isn't much, but it sure beats trying to break a leg during the week to get it all done. Weekends are about spending a little extra time preparing that special meal just because you can. Weekends are about watching movies and eating popcorn because you don't have to be in bed by a certain time to make it to work the next day. Weekends are about vegging in front of the TV and just enjoying the company of the one you're with.

Summer is almost over. Today, fall was in the air. Soon we'll see unbelievable colors in the trees that inspire writers to do their best work. Let's not be so busy that we miss this miracle of masterpieces. Only too soon those colors drift to the ground to decay as mud and snow claim their places on the canvas. Open your eyes and not only see Autumn, but experience it. Jump into a pile of leaves after you've had someone rake them (no, we're not going to work too hard at this.). Smell the first fireplace smoke rise from the chimneys. Feel the freshness of the air. It is so much crisper than the humidity we've had for so long now. Breathe.

Have a great weekend, all.

What's Next?

I just found out that these pictures are not even Katrina. They are still cool.


Now we have Ophelia (not pictured) doing damage to the east coast. Are we living in an aquarium or something? Sure seems like some of the country is. This is like a traveling pain; you know the ones, they move depending on their mood. The minute you think you know where your pain is, it shifts to another location.

I got some pictures of Katrina in email today. What a sight! If I can get them downloaded, maybe I'll post one. And, if I get inspired later, I'll make a real post. Or, maybe I'll post them all. I only wish I knew who credit was to go to. This one looks like it has a lot of anger in it.
This one looks like an alien space craft is beaming up everything in its path.
Lord help anyone in the path of this thing.
The sky is on fire. Amazing.
It does look like some monster of a being came out of the sky and decided to gobble everything it its path. Too bad there was so much backwash associated with it.

Blah

I've run out of time. It is too late to do a good job with this post. Most of the day was like that though. When I'm at work, I want to work! I don't want to stare at a screen and wait for what comes next. I want things to move. It will do that one day.

I did write while I stared. I just can't quit the pic of the week. One thing got done. Oh, boy. And, yes, I'm on the small words kick since SHE did it. I've been asked to write more on a piece I did. I played with that some, too. It may not get off the ground. But I spoke of them as old friends, these made up parts to my tale. Weird how you get to know them.

The trip is still up in the air. This tax thing is the pits. It seems I have a year to take it, so that's fine. I have four or so months to look good. Wish me luck.

Afterthought

Sometimes, we are the victims of circumstance. Even if the circumstances are of our own creation, we are sometimes still victims. For that reason, the system I wrote about in my last story wouldn't work so well. If the world were always black and white, if there were never any extenuating circumstances, and if there were never any moments of insanity, it might work.

The problem is that there is always another side to the coin. The problems is that sometimes good people do bad things. I have no problem subscribing to such a system when bad people do bad things, but that's not always the case.

Everyone has problems. Some problems require special care but can be managed easily with medication. This is all well and good, but what happens when a dose is missed here or a prescription cannot be refilled because the patient cannot afford it? What happens when we add drugs and alcohol to the mix? Even the easily managed medical problem can get out of whack.

Thanks to another blogger, I have been reading about a third blogger who will be incarcerated for crimes he cannot remember. He has an amazing attitude about life and himself given what he is facing. The story I posted yesterday would be totally inappropriate in his case. Lack of medication, drinking, and depression caused him to behave badly. He is paying that price.

We cannot force people to take their medications. We cannot make sure that the people who need medication have enough money to acquire them. Why can't we? I mean, no, we cannot force you to take meds. But, why can't we make sure that if you need the meds and you'll take them, why can't we make sure that you can get them?

Why aren't there more support groups and such available? On television, you always see people walking into churches at all hours of the day. I don't recall one instance where there wasn't someone already in the church to greet the newcomer. There was always a father or priest on hand. These days, you'd be lucky to find the church door unlocked except on Sunday. Why is that?

The Verdict is In

"The jury has found you guilty," declared the judge. "It is my duty to find you guilty of murder as well. Take him away!"

The prisoner was led away. For any casual observer, the prisoner only walked halfway through the next room under his own steam. A verdict of guilty for murder required the prisoner to be murdered as well. There has never been a question of sentencing the wrong person. There is never anyone around to question a verdict. However, new technology provides excellent resources to make sure the right person goes to trial.

The next case was for robbery. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in the rehabilitation facility. Here's how it works. Each resident of the rehab facility is given a limited number of possessions for their use during the stay. The cells are color coded as are the uniforms. If you reside in a red cell it means that you've stolen from people and you wear a red uniform as well. This identifies the resident of the cell. It is standard practice for other residents to steal from the red cells.

The general idea is that thieves get to experience what their victims went through. We think it will make them less inclined to steal once they are released. So far, the program has had much success. Of course, by the time these prisoners are released, they've lost everything they ever had. They've been robbed at least once a week until they had nothing left. Sometimes, even the food off their meal trays became targets.

Rapists have the worst time. They reside in green cells. Now, everyone knows that rape is common in prisons. By having rapists experience the same treatments as their victims, those that engage in raping of prisoners are provided with an acceptable outlet for their behavior. The only problem at this time is that there are relatively few rapists residing in the facility. The success in this program is measured in how many non-rapists rapes occur. To our knowledge, there are very few. Any prisoners found to be violating privilege in a non-green cell soon becomes a resident of a green cell themselves. This practice discourages transgressions. It also encourages a code of secrecy which we are working to circumvent.

Child molesters occupy purple cells. Unfortunately, purple cells invite the most inventive of punishment for the occupants. They tend to be the subject of all deviant behaviors of the residents. In most cases, it isn't just a simple rape, but is accompanied by beatings and other torture. Residents do not tolerate child molesters. These cells are located near the infirmary for obvious reasons. Purple cell residents make up the most of our visitors to the infirmary. Some, don't make it out alive.

The good news is that we've done away with much of the overcrowding that used to occur in the older prison systems. People are less likely to commit their crimes in the first place when they know these systems are working so well to deter them. With the new "eyes and ears system," there is a greater likelihood that criminals will be caught. There are eyes and ears everywhere. And, you don't want to be the next resident of the rehabilitation center.

Four Years Later

Here we are at the fourth anniversary of that horrible day. For the last four years, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it already has. It just didn't make as much noise as the first shoe falling.

I was going to repost September Mourn today. Instead, I'll just refer you to the link under short stories. I recommend the read. It gives a view of what I think happened in the towers that day. If you don't do anything else today, read the story and put yourself in their places for just a moment.

Ohio Contamination (repost)

2/23/03

The Center for Disease Control declared Ohio to be contaminated. While the contamination is unexplained, a thousand “unremarkable” deaths over the last two weeks cause concern for CDC. These deaths, equally distributed in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Toledo, are under investigation. The state is under quarantine. No one may leave or enter Ohio. If visiting, make yourself comfortable; it may be awhile. If residents are away at this time, consider taking the wife and kids next time, given the chance.

So far, the state is functioning to full capacity except airports and bus terminals. It seems Ohio does more inter- than intrastate business. The quarantine is working well. Some individuals in Cincinnati and Erie, though, thought to “beat the system” by crossing over into Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, all they accomplished is to put those states at risk in their thoughtlessness. At the very least, these incidents shed light on the issue of defining state lines more clearly.

Physical activity in Ohio is up. By physical activity, I mean sex. Close, personal contact, comforting in the aftermath of 9/11, is on the rise. Pregnancy is no longer an issue is the minds of Ohioans since death may be one week or one month away.

Many residents find it difficult to maintain their daily schedules. Some businesses report feeling the impact of a significantly-reduced work force.

The entertainment industries are booming. If the quarantine holds, this trend should continue. Of course, once the pocket or purse is empty, other means will be sought.

False Alarm

CDC issued a statement today lifting the quarantine on Ohio. The thousand deaths were weather-related and not a cause for concern.

Years Later
Ohio is facing a new baby boom not seen since 1960. The quarantine of 2003 helped to ensure a 25% increase in the number of residents.

Also, unemployment is still high in Ohio. Those people who varied their daily schedules during the quarantine are still unemployed.

Catch Up

I hope everyone read the story about the six-year old boy in New Orleans that took charge of six kids. This kid just took charge after getting separated from his parents. One of the kids he was in charge of was only in diapers! For the moment, you can read the story here Yahoo News. It warms the heart.

I should have the details of my four-day, five-night trip on Monday. The radio station is still putting together the values so that the 1099 I am required to sign is correct. In the meantime, it is a couples exclusive stay at the Whitehouse European Villa of Sandals Resort in Jamaica. There are 360 rooms in this villa. Supposedly access to this villa comes with access to the other six villas as well. (I found the cache on the web.) In the meantime, I'm still waiting for the DVDs as well.

Persistence can sometimes win the day. Other times it can really piss a person off. I just used this word in an email to a friend and thought it was appropriate to throw in here. If you're having a not so great day, even persistent little cute things can become a major irritant. Persistence in getting someone's attention can be construed as stalking. Persistence in email could be considered spam. Persistence in sales tactics is just plain irritating.

Have a good weekend all.

A Crash Course in Marketing

Erin got me thinking last night about Marketing. I remember very little from my marketing courses, but the four P's come to mind. Those P's are as follows: Product, Placement, Pricing, and Promotion. I really do hope I have them right because these are the ones I'm going to use. We'll start at the logical choice, Product. What is a product? A product is a good or service that satisfies a perceived need. I hope Erin doesn't mind, but I'm going to use her story as an example.

Erin wants to put out a chapbook. A publisher got wind of this and offered her their product. The product she was most interested in was beyond her price range. This was an excellent ploy by the publisher for a number of reasons. We'll come back to this in a minute. Placement is our next item. The internet allows us to place our product on the customer's doorstep. Under normal circumstances, we can charge a different price, our third item, depending on the outlet used. For example, a convenience store is probably going to charge you more than the grocery store for the same product. The price is based on convenience of attainment. Price is also a function of supply and demand (just look at gas prices).

Promotion comes in all shapes and sizes. We have coupons, rebates, sales notices, direct mail, and a whole world of others. Now, let's go back to the publisher. The publisher used email (similar to direct mail) to contact a potential customer. He found out about a possible need for his services. By placing himself in the customer's inbox, he even has an opportunity to mold the customer's need. It may well be that Erin didn't know she needed high-gloss paper until she was told it was part of the more expensive package. So, we have a potential need that we can subtly change. As we change this need, our price might become more attractive. This would especially be true if we offer something different from the next guy.

This is not to say that any of these factors are mutually exclusive. They actually play very heavily on each other. Email is such a brilliant way to accomplish this: placement and promotion rolled into one. We don't even have to list a price for our product in the email. We simply need to grab the attention of our potential customer and send them to our site or our phone number. Direct mail has a very low success rate, but for the cost involved, a very low success rate can be quite successful indeed. I wonder what the rate is for email.

There's a storm coming, but I hope we think about some of this...

Noah's Arc

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning. I have an attraction to this radio station for the moment. They, like everyone else, are doing what they can to raise money to help the victims of Katrina. One caller asked to have the destruction put into perspective. Would it span from E 150th to W 150th or what? In actuality, the area of the destruction is twice the size of Ohio. Now, that is hard to imagine. We have to remember that New Orleans was only one part of the problem. Mississippi and Alabama suffered great losses as well. It is difficult to think of my whole state being in trouble.

Not terribly long ago, I likened our current weather patterns to the 40 days and 40 nights of Noah's arc. Maybe I wasn't too far off. If you weren't on the arc, you suffered in one way or another. In Noah's day, he had a system. He saved two of every species. Mind you, this is not the best system, but it was organized and, according to the story, successful. Basically, in this system everything else be damned.

Somewhere in between what happened then and what happened now is what should have happened. If there ever is a next time, I hope we've found that happy medium.

Refugees

It seems to me there should be better things to spend our time on that how to label the victims of Katrina. It boggles my mind that people can spend valuable energy lamenting the use of the word "refugee."

Dictionary.com says a refugee is "One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution." (www.dictionary.com) Okay, so it doesn't say flees from natural disasters or weather-related events. So what. Then, on the other extreme, evacuees or displaced represent terms that are "too clinical and not sufficiently dramatic to convey the dire situation that confronts many of Katrina's survivors." yahoo news. Give me a break!

I suppose one problem is that Americans seem to like to catalogue everything. We attach labels to everything. We compartmentalize everything. If we can't call them refugees, what do we call them? Well, why not call them "people" or "victims" or "citizens of New Orleans." Call them what they are!

Will somebody wake me up again when the world makes a little more sense? Thanks.

Katrina

Katrina is a beautiful name for a woman who spouts her venomous pleasures at the weak and defenseless. She drags down walls and power lines and attracts debris and people like a magnet. She destroys everything in her wake.

Unfortunately, Katrina has caused havoc far and wide. People not in her direct path worry about those who were less fortunate. We search the pictures and footage for the familiar in fear of finding it. Relief is short-lived and temporary when survivors are identified because the heartbreak has only begun. And, the price of gas uses Katrina as an excuse to climb once more.

Some will rebuild. Others don't have the energy or the resources to do so and will live at the hands of fate to find new lives and new homes. Things will be different even when they stay the same. They have to be different. Katrina has shown us that we are not equipped to fight nature and government. Things have to change. Destruction of this magnitude cannot go unnoticed.

Catastrophic events have a way of making people stand up and take notice. We were shaken to the roots four years ago with the events of 9/11. We have been shaken again. With each shake of the tree, we lose fruit. Eventually, all of the fruit will have fallen. Do we have time to wait for another season when the fruit might not be as plentiful? Can we afford to?

And the Real Task Begins

It could be months before the full impact of the New Orleans fiasco is known. Survivors are dispersed everywhere. It is going to be hard enough to reunite broken families. The real problem will be in identifying the deceased. With so many bodies to identify, this will be a daunting task. I can't imagine that every single corpse will have proper identification on them. Who is to say that the wallets of the deceased haven't been looted with the rest of the city?

Three things are required, I think. First, a roster of all known residents of the city is needed. As people are identified, living or deceased, the remaining roster becomes priority. As people are identified, mark where they are and who they are with. Notations should be made for any parties not accounted for from these interviews. The second and third things required are listings of the deceased and listings of those living and displaced. We may need a fourth database of those unidentified victims with full descriptions and notes on the locations where they were found.

All three databases would need to be cross-referenced. If this family is missing a 90-year old grandmother and we find a body that matches her description, we have a contact that might be able to help in identification.

I can almost guarantee you that there are still more people hiding out in their homes. They may be barely living without electricity and such, but we need to find all of these people as well. Without telephone, internet, and radio, some people don't know what the next step is. Even if they do know, they may not be able to react.

I don't relish the idea of anyone working in these heart-breaking conditions. Reuniting a family or relocating one is a wonderful thing, but the rest is just too much for the average mind to grasp.

The World

The world is far from being a perfect place. Some people spend years dreaming of coming to America and living the American Dream. I have to wonder where that dream is today. Desperate people are apt to take desperate measures. It is so easy for the mob mentality to take over. All we need to do is look at New Orleans to see this. Taken one at a time, each person has merit and good qualities abound. Apply a dose of mother nature and circumstance, and latent hostility and resentment rise to the surface. Our animal instincts come alive.

It is hard to imagine the desperation faced and the lives lost in the aftermath of Katrina. We can only cycle through our own emotions that are tempered by better conditions than those faced elsewhere. The news isn't good, either. This mess is no where near being cleaned up and the next hurricane is out there, somewhere, gaining strength.

People are starving while waiting in line to get the food and water just brought in. Some won't make it to the front of the line. Let's take a moment to remember, though, that there are people starving in our own cities and our own neighborhoods. We're quick to send our money elsewhere, but are our own houses in order as well?

The world is no where near perfect. Take a look around and see for yourself.

Weird

It is weird. Yesterday was unreal and today I'm finding it difficult to believe. I KNOW I got the phone call and I KNOW I heard my name on the radio no less than seven times yesterday. And, NO, I haven't heard anything yet. I went to the web site of the radio station and got answers for a couple of my questions. The grand prize winner for each month is drawn from the daily winners for that month. So, four winners a day times the number of working days in a month. There aren't that many entries actually.

I also learned that most prize certificates or vouchers are mailed. So, I'll probably get something in the mail. Even so, I will call the radio station on Tuesday morning to see what I can find out. I swear Trapper said they would call me later...

Anyways, it is the holiday weekend which started with leaving work two hours early. Now, that's a tradition that I really like. That's also one of the reason that I always take off the day after the holiday rather than the day before. I'm looking forward to this weekend. I decided I better conserve my time off until I find out what's going on with this trip. So, I'm working on Tuesday.

Happy Friday, all.

Unreal

Today was nothing short of unreal. When my phone rang at 7:04 this morning, all I could do was say "no!" Bill got out of bed and answered the phone in the living room. He brought the phone to me. I won the trip! And, thanks to Erin for posting it on her blog before I had a chance. So, I went to work a few minutes later knowing there was no way I could top what just happened.

The radio station is supposed to call me with details of the trip, but I haven't heard from them so far. I admit that I was very antsy this morning and it is possible they called and I didn't answer. I didn't get any voice mails either, though. So, we're still in the dark about a few things. The plan is that I will be going to Jamaica!

I was at the bank this morning when they played the tape. To tell you the truth, I usually hate my voice on tape, but I think I sounded great this morning! They did an excellent job in editing. I just got tired after the sixth or seventh time of hearing my name as the August grand prize winner. I threatened to turn the radio off. That wouldn't be very nice.

So, as soon as I know more, I will fill you in. I have some undying gratitude for Marie who left me the voice mail two days ago to call the radio station. I owe her big time!