Virginia Beach "Black Leadership" Offends Me Greatly

Today is designated National Black History Super Bowl Snow Day and you are all welcome to share this holiday with me. I plan on reading, watching movies and going to the gym.

But that is not the important issue today. That issue is as confusing as the opinions of the Virginia Black “leadership” concerns regarding their city council members. The important issue appears to be racial disparity on Virginia Beach Council. Specifically, this blog is about an apparent lack of Black leadership in Virginia Beach politics. There was an amazing quote by someone who for some reason was considered a community activist in Virginia Beach, Ralph Parham II. Perhaps they should have stopped with the original?   Anywho . . . . . Parham, the Second, made the following statement: “It didn't matter who it was, the City Council should have appointed a black candidate . . .”

It didn’t matter who it was! There are few more clueless concepts in politics than that concept implied by Parham, the Second. Perhaps one of Virginia Beach’s numerous Black high school drop-outs? Or, we could go to the jail and choose an inmate for council, so long as it is a black inmate? There are, I understand, a few Black “ladies of the evening” haunting a few Virginia Beach streets. Perhaps one of them would be willing to do to us what they do for their clientele? No, wait, the current Virginia Beach Council already has that covered.

Virginia Beach Mayor, Will Sessoms said it well, so far as I am concerned, "The issue is to get the very best person.... I stand by that." What a concept, choosing the best qualified person without regard to race, religion, gender or, dare I print this, sexual proclivity. That, people, voters, is the crux of this issue, choosing the best possible person to lead. Not, as Parham, the Second, states, choose someone, anyone, merely because they are Black.

Amazingly, Carl Wright, another pseudo-leader, is threatening legal action because of their choice. Mr. Wright, I would strongly suggest that you spend your time more wisely by ensuring your constituency strong educational opportunities, ensuring that absent fathers take responsibilities in raising their families, that the gang-bangers in your constituency are eradicated, perhaps even educated. I would demand that he show some real leadership by actually improving the overall living conditions of those he claims to lead. Perhaps working with council rather than taking pot-shots at them would be more productive.

Further, and I believe Blacks have as much leadership potential as Whites, grooming citizens, regardless of color, to run for and win council seats would be more productive than throwing out unfounded accusations of racism.

I am offended by the implications voiced by self-appointed Black leaders such as Wright and others who were disturbed by the choice made recently in Virginia Beach to seat a white woman on council, the implication that a white person cannot represent “the Black community.”   I am offended by those racist Black leaders who see conspiracy in every political decision, in every statement made by non-Black politicians. I would further recommend the racially-dissatisfied Black leadership seek professional assistance to curb their self-fueled feelings of insufficiency.

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Christian Chutzpah

In a blog written and posted today by Julie Cabral Lucas, No Shoes or Shirt Required, she asks a question, "Did you ever think you’d see the day when a Christian cross would 'prompt' an investigation?"  The question was in response to a story about the Air Force Academy's area set aside for Pagan Worship, a circle of stones.  Someone had placed a large Christian cross on the stones at the worship center for Pagans.  (See Story Here:  Cross Placed at Air Force Pagan Circle Prompts Probe)

The question posed by Blogger Julie is a bit misleading.  What If I had asked the question, "Did you ever think you'd see the day when a brick would 'prompt' an investigation?"  Oh!  The brick was thrown through someone's window!  Now that makes a bit of difference.  I'd like Julie to answer this question:  Would it be worthy of investigating a swastika placed on the property of a synagogue?   Or a pentagram placed in the vestibule of a Christian church?

Granted, no damage was done to the circle of stone, and the cross could be removed, although with a bit of effort; it was quite large and constructed of railroad ties.  It is not the damage so much as the irresponsibility, the total disrespect of one religious sect toward another.  The message that the Christian sect is superior to the Pagan sect is disrespectful and does need to be addressed by authoritative means, particularly at a military academy where young men and women are in training to be protective of the rights of all citizens. 

Now, were I the Pagan who found the cross, I would have gathered a sufficient number of pagans to drag the cross into the center of the circle, cut it into four or five pieces, pile on some other wood, then had a grand bonfire with Pagans dancing and singing and drumming around the bonfire.  That would probably have stoked the ire of the local Christians more so than an inviestigation, yet, the cross was no more than a gift of wood to the Pagans to assist in their worship.  Anyway, that's how I would have interpreted and publically promulgated the news of the fire, and I would have proffered sincere thanks for the gift to those responsible.

It is critical that one view of divinity respect other views, differeing views.  To not do so leads to dissention, hate and, all too often, violence.  And for what?  I would ask the Christians who do such things, "Is your god so weak that he needs you to insult another, much as a three-year old would insult a playmate who is getting mom's attention at the moment?  That is what religion is, by the way, a socially infantile way of looking at our universe, our existance.

So let each religion play in its own sandbox of beliefs, allowing others to do the same.  Why cause trouble?  Wouldn't your god be ashamed to be connected to such bad behavior?  A decent and loving god would.

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Gay Apparel to Include Camouflage

It is about time that the performance of a significant number of citizens in the armed forces is recognied for the honor and the courage attached to such service.

In reading the comments to the Pilotonline story, Gates, Mullen Support Lifting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy, the same tired, old, and downright silly remarks are made by those who would discriminate against other human beings.  Think about the silliness, the pettiness, of the following excuses to trample the rights of gays serving their country:

►  The shower argument!  Not a problem: has been going on for ages.

►  Disturbing good order and discipline: hasn't yet

►  Sexual harrassment and rape of heterosexuals by gays:  more likely to happen among heterosexuals

►  Contaminated blood:  just as likely without gays

►  Homosexuality is against the Bible:  like the other "reasons" to discriminate against gays, this one is totally baseless

► "Flamers" will cause disturbances:  just as likely that heteros will be loud and obnoxious

 

There is no problem brought up by homophobes that would not happen in a totally hetero environment, which, in the military, has probably never existed anyhow.  The way to handle such disturbances is by developing a professional attitude among our armed forces members, and to ensure that all sexual harrassment is nipped in the bud immediately, whether it is perpetrated by gays or straights. 

During my military service, I served with a number of gay officers and enlisted, and I found them to be, to a person, high performers, dedicated to duty, and capable of serving with the highest levels of honor and courage that could be imagined.  They served at least as well as any straight service member.  There is no rational reason for the armed forces to continue the discriminatory policies against gays.

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Are you "Non-Essential"?

They might have picked a different term to avoid making people feel badly.  Are you essential to your job?

"Johnny, how did your dad do on his drive to work yesterday?"

"Oh, my dad got to stay home!  He is non-essential . . . ."

Just how non-essential are those people who get to stay home during weather emergencies?  Could they be made into part-timers to save money, or are those who are "essential" just that much more important that the entire system would go down the tubes if they stayed home.  Which brings to mind another question, just how can we afford to allow essential workers vacation time, weekends off or even sick days?

If you are non-essential but get to work anyhow, will that in itself elevate you to essential status?

How does one become essential?  Is it training, seniority, knowing the supervisor's uncle?  on the other hand, if one gets tired of going to work on such weather-impaired days, what steps could one take to be non-essential, or at least less essential?

And the question to which I am dying to know the answer:  Will Essential Personnel survive the end of the world in December of 2012?

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Snow Day

Snow in Colonial Place, Norfolk, VA

We got the snow we were promised, so I got our around 7 AM and took a few photos to share with those who want to stay inside and warm.  That inside and warm option will be my option for the rest of the day.

Note it is still snowing and fairly steadily as I took this photo of our home. 

There were a few people out to clean off their walks, and one man on a bike going somewhere, perhaps to work.

Biking in the Snow

  He seemed to be doing okay, with no slipping or sliding, and maintaining a steady pace toward his goal, wherever it was.

The temperature was cool, but not as cold as I thought it would be.  Weather reports are putting temperatures in the mid-twenties, but it seemed warmer when I was out this morning.

Another photo taken this morning was of a wrecker driving up Colley Avenue.  The driver seemed cheerful and waved at me as he passed me.  Wonder how many people he will be able to help today.  Wonder how many of those he helps really needed to be out on the roads today.   How will you enjoy the day?  Snow is picturesque, granted, but getting out into the snow is entirely different.  If you must go out, be safe, be warm, and don't over-do it.

Wrecker on Colley Avenue

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President Obama: In Extremis

Well, I'll add my 2-cents worth of comments on the State of the Union, which I read rather than watched:

President Obama appears to be desperate, disorganized and confused, in extremis with respect to his authority to lead us, and that set of feelings will probably transfer easily to his party of Democrats who are not sure which way to go.  We may be witnessing a political party that, with its President, is foundering.

We shall see.  We shall hope.

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Racist Buffoonery

Michael Townes

Michael Townes leadership undoubtedly did much to foster the growth of public transportation in Hampton Roads.  Working with Norfolk City Council, he was instrumental in garnering funding and impetus for our light rail starter route.  For this he will be fondly remembered.

Much has been printed about cost overruns and contractor mismanagement, and Townes has taken the fall for that.  He was in charge and the buck stopped there, as it should have.  That is not necessarily a reflection on Townes overall success.  However, that glow is tarnished, cheapened by allegations of racism.  Cries of racism are the dying cries of a professional who is figuratively drowning,  a last attempt to find an excuse outside oneself that points to failure, an excuse that points away from one's shortcomings.  And shortcomings have we all, yes? 

Additionally he speaks of dishonorable politicians.  I'll take a cheap shot here:  Isn't the term dishonorable politician a redundancy?  It is not clear, but the implication is that the dishonor comes not from issues related to political leadership with respect to dealings with Townes, but in the manner in which they all seemed to jump on the bandwagon to distance themselves from him.  There is an important distinction.  One does not hang on to the rail of a sinking ship; one swims clear and distances oneself from the site of disaster.  Such distancing is the natural, self-protective behavior of an astute politician, and is to be expected. 

Let's talk a bit about hororable behavior as it relates to a public figure.  As he announced his resignation, Townes is reported to have stated, "My support is not based on race."  Kind of a tricky way of saying something, I think.  Does that mean that those who did not support him was based on race?  One could make that argument.  But that may be a stretch.  The bottom line is that the charges of racism were never raised by Townes, at least not for public record, during his entire tenure.  Now that that tenure is coming to an end, racism becomes a factor.  How convenient.

Further, chargesof racism should interest the public, and the public certainly needs to know about racism within public agencies and within governing bodies.  A responsible leader would have outed those who were racist and would have provided substantiated proof of racism as it happened.  Charging racism as one is gently pushed into the dark currents of unemployment is a bit disingenuous and leaves one with a tinge of doubt as to the veracity of the charges.  And why were those charges made on a private Facebook account?  Was it a clumsy attempt to ensure leakage to the press, or was it foolishly intended to remain private?

And why the dichotomy?   In public, Townes states there was no racist basis to his ouster, and he takes full responsiblity for the perceived faults, as he should have.  Then, in private, or at least semi-private, he claims racism and dishonor among public officials.  Which is it?  I'll stick with my theory of the racism attacks being the final cries of a drowning professional.  However, that cheapens all his accomplishments, though.

Racism is still a problem in our society, and wherever it rears its influences, it should be decried and eradicated.  But do not wait until you are in need of an excuse for your substandard performance.  It leaves so much doubt regarding the veracity of the charges when that is done.  Point racism out as it occurs, as the racism is foisted upon us, at a time when we can place the shame on the racist behavior where it belongs, at its source, rather than looking at the charges of racism as the pathetic, final cries of a drowning official.

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Would You Eat Here?

As a disclaimer, let me state that the following restuarant names are fictional; any resemblance to actual restaurants is coincidental, accidental and unintentional on my part.  That out of the way, let me state that one should pay attention to restaurant names, and doubt the authenticity of certain specialty restaurants.  You may want to avoid the following:

• Johann Schmidt's Chinese Buffet Joy Ling's Irish Pub O'Leary's Sushi Bar Stan Razinski's Korean Restaurant Ingrid Newkirk's Steak Emporium New Orleans Borscht Bistro Nevada Oyster Bar Canadian-Mexican Cuisine Thai Pancake Parlour Guido's French Pastries Cafe Jose's Oriental Friterie Uncle Jake's Possum Brasserie Lester Maddox Soul Food Arizona Raw Bar

There you go.  If you have eaten at an interestingly named restaurant, or, if you'd like to add to my list of fictional restaurants, let me know by leaving a comment.  Again, the above restaurant names are fictitious, but, who knows, eh?

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Can't Find Work? Pshaw!

Generally generalizations are not good, but today, in this blog, I will make another exception.

When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I assist ex-offenders get jobs.  They typical response from them is a surprised look on their face, followed by a comment similar to, "Wow.  That must be hard.  The job market is trerrible."

Well, you can't blame people for thinking that; after all, we hear it on the news and read it in the paper almost every day.  yet, there are a lot of people working.  Look at the roads, and the buses, and think:  those people are going somewhere.  I'd guess they were going to work if it were between 6 AM and 9 AM, and then again between 3 PM and 6 PM.

Take another look at all the shops, restaurants and places of entertainment throughout Hampton Roads.  They are open and conducting business.  people work in those places, and their customers must work somewhere to pay for the food, items, enjoyment, whatever. 

Back to my job, assisting ex-offenders find jobs.  specifically, the offenders I work with are of the serious and violent felon kind of ex-offenders.  A good number of them are sex offenders.   Guess what.  They get hired.  No, not all, but those who are serious about going to work get hired and they do well.  The ones who say "the economy is bad, why bother," or, "who will hire me with my criminal record," or, "I can't find a job that matches my skills and experience"  generally do not find jobs easily.  They are, to use a cliche, their own worst enemy. 

Jobs are out there.  Look at the classifieds; check out the Virginia Employment Commission; check out your local workforce Inveswtment Act (WIA) 1-Stop and you will find out that there are jobs a-plenty and employers a-plenty.  Good gosh, if a rapist, sex-offender or murderer can find jobs, you certainly should be able to.

The trick is in accepting employment that may not be directly related to your station in life.  A small salary is better than no salary, in terms of both money and self-pride.  Most are smart enough to learn new skills to make them more marketable.  There are so many jobs programs at local, state and federal levals that one would have to be devoid of brains, or devoid of the willingness to go to work not to find employment.

College graduates, get over your degree.  If there are no openings in the degreed area of your studies, then find something else.  It is a source of some pride that I never have worked in a job that uses my degree, the Bachjelor of Electrical Engineering degree i earned at U of L in 1972, when there were still tubes and transisters, mind you.  I never waqnted to become an engineer, and thus far, I have accomplished not becoming an engineer.  If i am lucky, never will become one.  But I have enjoyed each of the various, differing jobs I have held since 1972.

Do not fence yourself into any particular career. Instead, think of the skills you have, the aptitudes you have, that may be used in a variety of disparate career fields.  Do not be shy about taking an entry-level job that could lead to a dream career.  Do not be shy about performing volunteer work in a field you really want to enter.  Opportunities are all around you; you need only open your eyes and your mind.

Always work with a positive attitude and do more than the boss expects, and you will climb, and you will be in demand.  Above all, do not label yourself in a negative manner, even to yourself, and do not trap yourself into the false feeling of grandeur, the feeling that it is beneath you to work in another field.  It is not.

Of course, sometimes you have trapped yourself into a certain level of work because of bad financial habits, but, then again, some salary is better than none.

I know that comments will be made, either on this blog or in readers' minds, that I live in a dream world and that it really is a bad economy for finding jobs.  Think that if you must, and, as a result, find yourself not find a job.

Yes, it is that simple.  Now get out there and find a job.

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Amateur Waffler

My wife took off with friends to go on a shopping safari in Northern Virginia today, Potomac Mills, I believe.  I opted not to go. 

Hunger hit me about 10 minutes after they left, so I thought I would fake a few waffles.  Did not feel like looking up a recipe, so I just winged it (wong it?).

First I got a big bowl out of the cupboard and put a bit of flour into it, just plain old flour.  It looked like enough.  About that time, I plugged in the waffle iron so that it wold get hot, and put a half pat of butter into each side so that the waffles would not stick when they were done.

Next I got a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, almost empty -- hoped there was enough.  Poured all the milk into the flour, then cracked open an egg to add to the mixture.  I could not remember, of the two, which goes into the mix, baking soda or baking powder.  My solution, I put a bit of both, just a pinch or pinch in a half of each.  For flavor, I added a dribble or two of vanilla extract. That smelled good. 

I briefly wondered about adding sugar to the mixture, but decided against it since I would be putting syrup on the waffle before eating it. 

Now it was time, I groked, to mix it all up, so with a wooden spoon, mix I did. Mix and mash, I worked it over with that wooden spoon.  The mixture bubbled a bit and I stirred until most of the big lumps were small lumps, then sirred a bit more vigorously to get rid of the small lumps.  It all seemed to be the right consistency, not too dry and not too runny, which made me happy.  I had no more milk to add if it were too stiff, and adding more flour would possibly have made it too dry. 

Then with a small ladle, I ladled the mixture into the two halves of the waffle iron and closed it.  The mixture steamed; the smell was good.  Not sure how long it would take for batter to turn to waffle, I peeked every few seconds.  It did not take long and the waffles did not stick.  There was enough batter to do the same for two more waffles and then a bit more for one waffle, half the waffle iron, for a total of five waffle panes.

Now to the eating.  I topped the waffles with sour cream and with strawberry syrup; poured a cup of coffee, black, and enjoyed a decent waffle breakfast.

When does an amateur waffler become a pro waffler?

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