Colin Powell's Principles Applied to Daily Life

This was posted as a link on my Facebook page by a friend of a friend.  It was someone I had worked with to someone I had worked with.  The poster was a supervisor like myself and she posted it to her supervisor.  They were manufacturing and I was maintenance, however, you can get something out of this no matter which ever side of the tracks you work. 

I had a discussion with someone I truly admire a few years back.  The discussion was by phone and we were taking about Colin Powell's speach to the U.N.  The Twin Towers had been hit and we (the US) were trying to show justice in needing sanctions against Irag and or purpose to go into Iraq.  General Powell had shown some slides of what appeared to be trucks which were covered.  He told the U.N. what was in the trucks.  WMD's.  My conversation was that I didn't have X-ray vision so I didn't know what was in these trucks.  I was against going into Iraq.  Since then we have learned that there was nothing in these trucks.

General Powell lives by his rules and I am glad but this is one time that he should have reconsidered.  Rules 3, 4 and 5 are possibly the most important rules one can follow today.  I believe any presidential leader today or in the near future would or will have a harder time in selling going to war with the logic that was presented back then.  People are questioning things more, but are they questioning things enough? 

If you read these rules or principles that General Powell expresses and apply them to the business you are in, or work for, you can see how they would or could apply.  I worked for the bankrupt company Delphi, well they have come out now with the help of the taxpayer and the federal governments strong arm men of the Treasury Dept.  I heard Obama's speaches about how "everyone" was going to have to suffer some in this economical climate.  And how he was going to protect the retiree.  What I didn't do was to follow rules 3,4 and 5.  I heard what I wanted to hear, the same way those that stood up in favor of invading Iraq because of WMD's did.  I forgot to question how few the number is in the word some.  The way I see it, out of a number close to maybe 200,000 GM/Delphi salaried and UAW/IUE-CWA retirees only about 20,000 or less have been put under the buss.  GM salaried and UAW retirees have lost nothing.  IUE-CWA members are now equal to the first two groups.  The Delphi salaried retirees lost promised health care, the lack of funding to their pensions and the pursuit of a comfortable life in retirement.

I'm not sure what I could have done to have changed the outcome of the situation.  Afterall, in both cases, both men made statements that they told untruths about.  Maybe they believed it in their hearts.  I know, circumstances beyond their control, that's always a good one.  Or better yet, they are products of their environments.  Yep, that's it.  They are politicians or are controlled by politicians thus they know not what they speak. 

Gold and Maze vs Scarlet and Gray (Go Buckeyes)

Something interesting at the Taj Ma Garaj museum was the mural which can be seen in the previous post.  There are many characters depicted in the windows and on the streets.  Two that caught my attention are posted here.  I will have to admit that one has been doctored by removing a sign he was holding.  It is Mr. Magoo.  By taking the sign out the rest tells the story of the what the Wolverines need at Michigan, the team from the north.

The other picture needs no comment.  He is legend and there aren't many in his ranks in college football.

The Taj Ma Garaj Visit

I took over 116 photos at the museum.  Nice thing about digital, I lowered the number kept significantly.  These are some of the ones that I either really like or show what Porsche means to me.

It can be the design of the wheel hub on the Carrrera GT which is the same as the ring around the exhaust port except for color to the fact that Porsche has kept the style and shape since the 356.

My added feature, take a listen.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdePhx9HVjo

The thing about this place is its casualness.  John Dixon, the owner, uses the Porsche colors as themes and yet does whimsical things like the murals or the dropping of a VW through the roof.  By the way, blow the pictures of the murals up and look at who is in them.

A trip to a museum

This will be short.  Only two more days and I will be going to the Taj Ma Garaj Banquet and Museum.  I have wanted to go here for quite sometime.  Every year around the end of May John Dixon, the owner of this and a foreign car garage on So. Dixie, holds a Taj Kruze Fest.  There are Porsche (and other cars) car exibits held at the Fraze, autocrosses held in conjunction with the local SCCA, a 100 mile driving tour, the new mini grand prix as well as dinner dances.  All for local charity, The Childrens Hospital.

The Porsche is on my top One list of cars.  The Corvette is on my top Two list.  Do I own either, no, can't afford to.  On a side bar in this blog is a picture of my Porsche Wannabe, my '02 Miata SE.  I also have a Vibe.  Not sure but it may become a collector car one day.  :):):):):):);{)  Not in my life time.

I did own a Porche at one time.  It was a 1956 356A coupe that I bought from some kid in Centerville, OH.  In order to get it home I had to put a 2x4 under the drivers seat and balance on this board as I drove home, there was no floorboard, rusted out....gone.  Breaking and clutching weren't great while doing the rocking balancing act.  This didn't last long, looking down between my legs and seeing the asphalt go by so closely, because I couldn't keep the car running that well.  It died about 2 miles homeward bound.  Fortunately I took a friend along that was driving my truck and we towed it another 13 miles or so, right through Dayton.  No license on it, passing the local police in Kettering, Oakwood, Dayton and Englewood.  There's pictures of it in the blog too.  Not too good, taken with an Instamatic 126 or something like that.  Did get the car running absolutely flawlessly but not all the electric.  Sold it.

Now, retired and fending off the Delphi bankruptcy, a Porsche or Vette for that matter or pretty much out of the question.  But, I have my camera and I will travel to events where Porsches can be seen.  I'm hoping to do the P2O (Porsches 2 Oxford) in Oxford Ohio next summer.  You can google P2O and see some great shots of cars lining the streets of this little college town, home of the Miami University.

Not to be ignored, along with getting in with a donation to the Epilesy foundation, I will get a ticket to the local Packard Museum.  Another place few people know about.  Dayton has a very strong history in the auto industry.  This part of the mid-west has a tremendous history in the manufacturing of the automobile.