Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Facebook Friends...?
Is it just me or has everyone got inundated with facebook friend request. I have noticed that they are almost always of scantily clad women. I click their profile to see who they are...and the profile is as empty as one of Obama's foreign policy directives. I look at their past and I see things like "Manager of Manager" and other equally vapid occupations.....
I told my son whom is on facebook to be very careful who he "friends" on facebook for you let them have access to your life and if they are bad people they can rip your identity or cause you real problems. I also told him that some people have contest to see how many people they can "friend". He needs to be very careful.
I have to go camping this weekend, I will be back tomorrow and post one of my pithy rants:)
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Facebook Humor....
This will be me one day....
FOR THOSE OF MY GENERATION WHO DO NOT COMPREHEND OR EVEN CARE WHY FACEBOOK EXISTS:
I AM TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF FACEBOOK WHILE APPLYING THE SAME PRINCIPLES.
THEREFORE, EVERY DAY I WALK DOWN THE STREET AND TELL PASSERBY WHAT I HAVE EATEN, HOW I FEEL AT THAT MOMENT, WHAT I HAVE DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHAT I WILL DO LATER AND WITH WHOM.
I GIVE THEM PICTURES OF MY FAMILY, MY DOG, MY CAT, AND ME GARDENING, TAKING THINGS APART IN THE GARAGE, WATERING THE LAWN, STANDING IN FRONT OF LANDMARKS, DRIVING AROUND TOWN, HAVE LUNCH (SHARE OF PICTURE OF IT), AND DOING WHAT ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY DOES EVERY DAY.
I LISTEN TO THEIR CONVERSATIONS, GIVE THEM THE "THUMBS UP" AND TELL THEM I "LIKE" THEM.
IT WORKS JUST LIKE FACEBOOK.
I ALREADY HAVE FOUR PEOPLE FOLLOWING ME.....TWO POLICE OFFICERS A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, AND A PSYCHIATRIST.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
I made one of my infrequent forays into the land of Facebook and ran across this comment from Mike Rowe. My response was in "blue" it was a very good article
Kyle Smith writes...
Howard Dean recently criticized Gov Scott Walker for never finishing college, stating that he was "unknowledgeable." What would your response be on college as a requirement for elected office?
College
education don't equate to intelligence and desire to work. I have met
people with college degrees that are as stupid as a bag of hammers and
very smart people that never finished high school. You use what God
gave you.
Off The Wall 
Kyle Smith writes...
Howard Dean recently criticized Gov Scott Walker for never finishing college, stating that he was "unknowledgeable." What would your response be on college as a requirement for elected office?
Hi Kyle
Back in 1990, The QVC Cable Shopping Channel was conducting a national talent search. I had no qualifications to speak of, but I needed a job, and thought TV might be a fun way to pay the bills. So I showed up at The Marriott in downtown Baltimore with a few hundred other hopefuls, and waited for a chance to audition. When it was my turn, the elevator took me to the top floor, where a man no expression led me into a suite and asked me to take a seat behind a large desk. Across from the desk, there was a camera on a tripod. On the desk was a digital timer with an LED display. I took a seat as the man clipped a microphone on my shirt and explained the situation.
“The purpose of this audition is to see if you can talk for eight minutes without stuttering, blathering, passing out, or throwing up. Any questions?”
“What would you like me to talk about,” I asked.
The man pulled a pencil from behind his ear and rolled it across the desk. “Talk to me about that pencil. Sell it. Make me want it. But be yourself. If you can do that for eight minutes, the job is yours. Ok?”
I looked at the pencil. It was yellow. It had a point on one end, and an eraser on the other. On the side were the words, Dixon Ticonderoga Number 2 SOFT.
“Ok,” I said.
The man set the timer to 8:00, and walked behind the tripod. He pressed a button and a red light appeared on the camera. He pressed another button and the timer began to count backwards. “Action,” he said. I picked up the pencil and started talking.
“Hi there. My name’s Mike Rowe, and I only have eight minutes to tell you why this is finest pencil on Planet Earth. So let’s get right to it.”
I opened the desk drawer and found a piece of hotel stationary, right where I hoped it would be. I picked up the pencil and wrote the word, QUALITY in capital letters. I held the paper toward the camera.
“As you can plainly see, The #2 Dixon Ticonderoga leaves a bold, unmistakable line, far superior to the thin and wispy wake left by the #3, or the fat, sloppy skid mark of the unwieldy #1. Best of all, the Ticonderoga is not filled with actual lead, but “madagascar graphite,” a far safer alternative for anyone who likes to chew on their writing implements.”
To underscore the claim, I licked the point. I then discussed the many advantages of the Ticonderoga’s color.
“A vibrant yellow, perfectly suited for an object that needs to stand out from the clutter of a desk drawer.”
I commented on the comfort of it’s design.
“Unlike those completely round pencils that press hard into the web of your hand, the Ticonderoga’s circumference is comprised of eight, gently plained surfaces, which dramatically reduce fatigue, and make writing for extended periods an absolute delight.”
I pointed out the “enhanced eraser,” which was “guaranteed to still be there - even when the pencil was sharpened down to an unusable nub.”
I opined about handmade craftsmanship and American made quality. I talked about the feel of real wood.
“In a world overrun with plastic and high tech gadgets, isn’t it comforting to know that some things haven’t evolved into something shiny and gleaming and completely unrecognizable?’”
After all that, there was still five minutes on the timer. So I shifted gears and considered the pencil’s impact on Western Civilization. I spoke of Picasso and Van Gogh, and their hundreds of priceless drawings - all done in pencil. I talked about Einstein and Hawking, and their many complicated theories and theorems - all done in pencil.
“Pen and ink are fine for memorializing contracts,” I said, “but real progress relies on the ability to erase and start anew. Archimedes said he could move the world with a lever long enough, but when it came to proving it, he needed a pencil to make the point.”
With three minutes remaining, I moved on to some personal recollections about the role of pencils in my own life. My first legible signature, my first book report, my first crossword puzzle, and of course, my first love letter. I may have even worked up a tear as I recalled the innocence of my youth, scribbled out on a piece of looseleaf with all the hope and passion a desperate 6th grader could muster...courtesy of a #2 pencil.
With :30 seconds left on the timer, I looked fondly at the Dixon Ticonderoga, and sat silently for five seconds. Then I wrapped it up.
“We call it a pencil, because all things need a name. But today, let’s call it what it really is. A time machine. A match maker. A magic wand. And let’s say it can all be yours...for just .99 cents.”
The timer read 0:00. The man walked back to the desk. He took the pencil and wrote “YOU’RE HIRED” on the stationary, and few days later, I moved to West Chester, PA. And a few days after that, I was on live television, face to face with the never-ending parade of trinkets and chotchkies that comprise QVC’s overnight inventory.
I spent three months on the graveyard shift, five nights a week. Technically, this was my training period, which was curious, given the conspicuous absence of supervision, or anything that could be confused with actual instruction. Every few minutes a stagehand would bring me another mysterious “must have item,” which I’d blather about nonsensically until it was whisked away and replaced with something no less baffling. In this way, I slowly uncovered the mysteries of my job, and forged a tenuous relationship with an audience of chronic insomniacs and narcoleptic lonely-hearts. It was a crucible of confusion and ambiguity, and in hindsight, the best training I ever had.
Which brings me to the point of your question, Kyle.
I don’t agree with Howard Dean - not at all.
Here’s what I didn’t understand 25 years ago. QVC had a serious recruiting problem. Qualified candidates were applying in droves, but failing miserably on the air. Polished salespeople with proven track records were awkward on TV. Professional actors with extensive credits couldn’t be themselves on camera. And seasoned hosts who understood live television had no experience hawking products. So eventually, QVC hit the reset button. They stopped looking for “qualified” people, and started looking for anyone who could talk about a pencil for eight minutes.
QVC had confused qualifications with competency.
Perhaps America has done something similar?
Look at how we hire help - it’s no so different than how we elect leaders. We search for work ethic on resumes. We look for intelligence in test scores. We search for character in references. And of course, we look at a four-year diploma as though it might actually tell us something about common-sense and leadership.
Obviously, we need a bit more from our elected officials than the instincts of a home shopping host, but the business of determining what those “qualifications” are is completely up to us. We get to decide what matters most. We get to decide if a college degree or military service is somehow determinative. We get to decide if Howard Dean is correct.
Anyone familiar with my foundation knows my position. I think a trillion dollars of student loans and a massive skills gap are precisely what happens to a society that actively promotes one form of education as the best course for the most people. I think the stigmas and stereotypes that keep so many people from pursuing a truly useful skill, begin with the mistaken belief that a four-year degree is somehow superior to all other forms of learning. And I think that making elected office contingent on a college degree is maybe the worst idea I’ve ever heard.
But of course, Howard Dean is not the real problem. He’s just one guy. And he’s absolutely right when he says that many others will judge Scott Walker for not finishing college. That's the real problem.
However - when Howard Dean called the Governor “unknowledgeable,” he rolled out more than a stereotype. He rolled a pencil across the desk, and gave Scott Walker eight minutes to knock it out of the park.
It’ll be fun to see if he does.
Mike
Back in 1990, The QVC Cable Shopping Channel was conducting a national talent search. I had no qualifications to speak of, but I needed a job, and thought TV might be a fun way to pay the bills. So I showed up at The Marriott in downtown Baltimore with a few hundred other hopefuls, and waited for a chance to audition. When it was my turn, the elevator took me to the top floor, where a man no expression led me into a suite and asked me to take a seat behind a large desk. Across from the desk, there was a camera on a tripod. On the desk was a digital timer with an LED display. I took a seat as the man clipped a microphone on my shirt and explained the situation.
“The purpose of this audition is to see if you can talk for eight minutes without stuttering, blathering, passing out, or throwing up. Any questions?”
“What would you like me to talk about,” I asked.
The man pulled a pencil from behind his ear and rolled it across the desk. “Talk to me about that pencil. Sell it. Make me want it. But be yourself. If you can do that for eight minutes, the job is yours. Ok?”
I looked at the pencil. It was yellow. It had a point on one end, and an eraser on the other. On the side were the words, Dixon Ticonderoga Number 2 SOFT.
“Ok,” I said.
The man set the timer to 8:00, and walked behind the tripod. He pressed a button and a red light appeared on the camera. He pressed another button and the timer began to count backwards. “Action,” he said. I picked up the pencil and started talking.
“Hi there. My name’s Mike Rowe, and I only have eight minutes to tell you why this is finest pencil on Planet Earth. So let’s get right to it.”
I opened the desk drawer and found a piece of hotel stationary, right where I hoped it would be. I picked up the pencil and wrote the word, QUALITY in capital letters. I held the paper toward the camera.
“As you can plainly see, The #2 Dixon Ticonderoga leaves a bold, unmistakable line, far superior to the thin and wispy wake left by the #3, or the fat, sloppy skid mark of the unwieldy #1. Best of all, the Ticonderoga is not filled with actual lead, but “madagascar graphite,” a far safer alternative for anyone who likes to chew on their writing implements.”
To underscore the claim, I licked the point. I then discussed the many advantages of the Ticonderoga’s color.
“A vibrant yellow, perfectly suited for an object that needs to stand out from the clutter of a desk drawer.”
I commented on the comfort of it’s design.
“Unlike those completely round pencils that press hard into the web of your hand, the Ticonderoga’s circumference is comprised of eight, gently plained surfaces, which dramatically reduce fatigue, and make writing for extended periods an absolute delight.”
I pointed out the “enhanced eraser,” which was “guaranteed to still be there - even when the pencil was sharpened down to an unusable nub.”
I opined about handmade craftsmanship and American made quality. I talked about the feel of real wood.
“In a world overrun with plastic and high tech gadgets, isn’t it comforting to know that some things haven’t evolved into something shiny and gleaming and completely unrecognizable?’”
After all that, there was still five minutes on the timer. So I shifted gears and considered the pencil’s impact on Western Civilization. I spoke of Picasso and Van Gogh, and their hundreds of priceless drawings - all done in pencil. I talked about Einstein and Hawking, and their many complicated theories and theorems - all done in pencil.
“Pen and ink are fine for memorializing contracts,” I said, “but real progress relies on the ability to erase and start anew. Archimedes said he could move the world with a lever long enough, but when it came to proving it, he needed a pencil to make the point.”
With three minutes remaining, I moved on to some personal recollections about the role of pencils in my own life. My first legible signature, my first book report, my first crossword puzzle, and of course, my first love letter. I may have even worked up a tear as I recalled the innocence of my youth, scribbled out on a piece of looseleaf with all the hope and passion a desperate 6th grader could muster...courtesy of a #2 pencil.
With :30 seconds left on the timer, I looked fondly at the Dixon Ticonderoga, and sat silently for five seconds. Then I wrapped it up.
“We call it a pencil, because all things need a name. But today, let’s call it what it really is. A time machine. A match maker. A magic wand. And let’s say it can all be yours...for just .99 cents.”
The timer read 0:00. The man walked back to the desk. He took the pencil and wrote “YOU’RE HIRED” on the stationary, and few days later, I moved to West Chester, PA. And a few days after that, I was on live television, face to face with the never-ending parade of trinkets and chotchkies that comprise QVC’s overnight inventory.
I spent three months on the graveyard shift, five nights a week. Technically, this was my training period, which was curious, given the conspicuous absence of supervision, or anything that could be confused with actual instruction. Every few minutes a stagehand would bring me another mysterious “must have item,” which I’d blather about nonsensically until it was whisked away and replaced with something no less baffling. In this way, I slowly uncovered the mysteries of my job, and forged a tenuous relationship with an audience of chronic insomniacs and narcoleptic lonely-hearts. It was a crucible of confusion and ambiguity, and in hindsight, the best training I ever had.
Which brings me to the point of your question, Kyle.
I don’t agree with Howard Dean - not at all.
Here’s what I didn’t understand 25 years ago. QVC had a serious recruiting problem. Qualified candidates were applying in droves, but failing miserably on the air. Polished salespeople with proven track records were awkward on TV. Professional actors with extensive credits couldn’t be themselves on camera. And seasoned hosts who understood live television had no experience hawking products. So eventually, QVC hit the reset button. They stopped looking for “qualified” people, and started looking for anyone who could talk about a pencil for eight minutes.
QVC had confused qualifications with competency.
Perhaps America has done something similar?
Look at how we hire help - it’s no so different than how we elect leaders. We search for work ethic on resumes. We look for intelligence in test scores. We search for character in references. And of course, we look at a four-year diploma as though it might actually tell us something about common-sense and leadership.
Obviously, we need a bit more from our elected officials than the instincts of a home shopping host, but the business of determining what those “qualifications” are is completely up to us. We get to decide what matters most. We get to decide if a college degree or military service is somehow determinative. We get to decide if Howard Dean is correct.
Anyone familiar with my foundation knows my position. I think a trillion dollars of student loans and a massive skills gap are precisely what happens to a society that actively promotes one form of education as the best course for the most people. I think the stigmas and stereotypes that keep so many people from pursuing a truly useful skill, begin with the mistaken belief that a four-year degree is somehow superior to all other forms of learning. And I think that making elected office contingent on a college degree is maybe the worst idea I’ve ever heard.
But of course, Howard Dean is not the real problem. He’s just one guy. And he’s absolutely right when he says that many others will judge Scott Walker for not finishing college. That's the real problem.
However - when Howard Dean called the Governor “unknowledgeable,” he rolled out more than a stereotype. He rolled a pencil across the desk, and gave Scott Walker eight minutes to knock it out of the park.
It’ll be fun to see if he does.
Mike
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Why I don't FACEBOOK or other social media...
This question was mentioned on a reply to one of Old NFO's post while he was down under and the subject of blogging and Facebook came up. Well I relayed that I used to Facebook, partly because others were doing it and it was a chance to keep up with my friends and also network. My Army unit that I went to the gulf is on Facebook as is my last employer Ford Motor Co Atlanta Assembly plant. The plant is gone, making way for Porsche to build a headquarters for their North American operations. Well the people that used to work there formed a Facebook page and that is how we keep tabs on each other and also tell others if there are any jobs at and where to go.
My problems happened when I was taken to task by one of the liberal friends of a good friend that I have known for many years. Well I got thought about it for a while then proceeded to rebut all the half assed assertions and distortions that this person made. My response was quite lengthy and my friend *Shelldude* as I refer to him was quite impressed and since he has known me for a long time and he knows that I am quite the polite person and it takes a lot to get me riled up knew that I was pissed by my response. This was the rant that got me suspended from FB for 3 weeks. I removed the name of my friend that is involved.
" .Hit the enter button again..*dangit* I would have responded yesterday but I was off the internet due to SOPASTRIKE..Well I read your rant or diatribe, and since I am the only person on the other side of the fence from the rest of y'all I guess it is directed at me. That is fine, so I will go down your screed and make my counterpoints. I do not look the other way on things, When I debate somebody I make sure that I have facts to back up my statements. Verify with XXXXXX on that. Yes I have stood in the shoes of the poor, the crap I went through after I got out in 1991, Ask XXXXXX, I dropped off the face of the planet for several years. Being soo poor and afraid to face my friends that knew me from before to see how far I have fallen. Having just enough change in the ashtray of my truck to buy a burger so I could eat. I remember those days and swore that I would never be there again. I work many jobs that I despised but I needed the money and worked them until I got a better job. That is how I climbed out of poverty. Like I have stated, there is a difference from people actually being down and out and the moochers. When I work the food pantry, the people that are down and out appreciate whatever we do for them. they are grateful. The moochers bitch about the food they get and make specific demands. The entitlement mentality is on display. They expect others to provide for them because they exist and put forth no effort to better themselves and break the cycle. The government is supposed to be "we the people" but the special interest have taken root. That is what happens when we have career politicians. They on both sides are more concerned about getting reelected and maintaining their power and perks. I like the idea of a citizen legislator, they spend part of their time in D.C stirring up trouble. I never came out of a trailer park and that is as bigoted as the comments you deplore. I am not stupid, but I am angry when I have seen what has happened to this country, we used to be the beacon of the world, the envy of the world, We as a society believed in American exceptional-ism, Now we are told we are just like everybody else and that infuriates and saddens me. President Obama and the Democrats have screwed it up. They picked up where the establishment Republicans left off. Then you threw the race card on me..."closet racist" any criticism of the president is considered "racist" Is this where I am supposed to apologize for all the sins of my ancestors and grovel on the alters of Political correctness and diversity?......Naaa don't feel it. How can there be any political discourse debated when the race card is thrown down. When all else fails, the opponents are "racist so I don't have to debate them since I have the moral high ground". When will it end? I also have been discriminated against, Discrimination isn't just a Black or a Female thing. I lost jobs and job opportunities because I wasn't a minority or a female. If you want I will tell you specific examples. We all have been discriminated against at one time or another. I remember it and don't like the feeling, so I go out of my way not to do it to others. you saluted Mr Thompson for being a wise person and basically told me to screw off since I do not breath the rarified air that you leftist inhale...or drink the koolaid for that matter. You are correct on the assertion that the politicians give us little to keep us pliable. that is how they maintain control. That is all it is, the ability to maintain control, our freedom is surrendered on the promise of security and we became slaves to the government and the political masters that control the government. If you or XXXXXX want to defriend me on account of this reply, that is your decision to make. We will have to agree to disagree. I thank you for your time
Well I was reported to Facebook for "Hate speech". Although there was nothing that I had said that violated FB's terms of use. It took 3 weeks for FB to release my access again and by this time I was so angry I started blogging instead. I have since learned that this is a favorite tactic of the left is to "flag" what they consider inappropriate content and FB and twitter is very quick on the banning of conservative thought, but slow to release the access. Whereas the left can say things quite incendiary and nothing is done. They control the narrative. This presents a problem where speech is censored for " thought control" or "hate crimes". This is a slippery slope to tyranny.
I have since then blogged a lot, met a lot of good people on the blogosphere and have an outlet for my writing. having a blog allows me to say things that I want, put up stuff that I find interesting, and it helps me be a better writer and helps organize my thoughts. I stay on FB because of my Army unit and my Ford buddies. I use a "nom-de Guerre" on this site, I don't want people finding out where I work at and try to get me fired because they didn't like what I have to say. My employer is very risk adverse and would can me in a new-york minute to avoid bad publicity. Liberals like free speech if it is what they agree with it. If they don't like it they try to silence it. ........... The tolerant left.
the cartoon that is shown with this article is what I believe would happen if I continued posting on FB. The left in the past few years had several phone numbers and websites that were organized by the government if they wanted to "fink" on their neighbors if they believed them to be "extremist" or a "danger to society" They tried this with "attackwatch" and also the white house had its own "narc" line to squeal on your neighbors. Goebbels would be so proud of the modern left.
The Germans are very sensitive to a police state since a large portion remember living under the East German Government until reunification. They are not happy with Obama and the NSA spying on everybody else.
He has tried to deflect this stating that this was a holdover from the Bush administration......Really? You still gotta blame your predecessor? When you gonna grow a pair and actually take responsibility for something that happened on your watch. Oh yeah...You have dodged the IRS scandal, Fast and Furious, Bengazi?, Solendra, Fiskers, and many other scandals and your compliant media still covers for you.
I will continue to blog since I find it therapeutic and when I see something that either pisses me off or something that I think is "Neat!" I will post it here. If I did it on Facebook, anything would be lost among the noise that is Facebook. Also blogging has made me a better writer and better able to organize my thoughts. So I will keep on blogging.
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