MIDDLE MANAGERS

Too many times, the person who says, "Yes, Sir," gets promoted to manager. Too few times, the person who says, "This may not work," gets promoted to manager.

We are not promoting the people who are willing to give bad news to the upper management.

Therefore, the upper management is not getting the bad new until there is a huge crises.

The Gulf oil spill is an example of this. The companies knew at the lower levels that something, including the concrete formula, was wrong. They did not communicate that knowledge to the people who were actually making the decisions. Almost always this problem stems from a corporate culture of "we can do this".

"We can do this" is a way to get great things done. It is also a way to cause great harm by ignoring the voices that say "there might be a problem".

Middle managers almost certainly knew that mortgage paperwork was being done wrong. Middle managers almost certainly knew that some mortgages being sold were going to people who could not pay the mortgages.

However, the companies they worked for rewarded cost savings and profits. There was no reward for pointing out possible future problems.

Companies that run "full speed ahead" are risking a fatal crash.

Organizations MUST reward those people who bring possible problems to the attention of upper management. Until this happens, we will have more and more crises caused by the need to keep the profits flowing, no matter the future cost.

WINTER HOLIDAY SHARING

Many people around the world are going to have a tough holiday season. Most cultures celebrate something around the time of the winter solstice when the nights stop getting longer.

What can we do to make the holidays better for people? Of course, giving to charities that feed people is a good idea. Giving new toys and books to people who give them to poor kids is a good idea.

But maybe your own holiday is going to be too tough to allow for charitable giving. What can you do?

You can go though your decorations, books, and toys. Give the ones that no one wants and that are NOT BROKEN to a thrift shop. People LIKE to buy things they can afford. Then it does not feel like accepting charity, but instead feels like getting a good deal.

Some of my favorite Christmas decorations came from thrift shops. I have Salvation Army and Goodwill close to me. I also like St. Vincent de Paul.

For years, I collected Star Wars toys for my children at thrift shops. Before eBay, the toys were sold at garage store prices. I find you can get great deals especially at thrift stores in the more wealthy neighborhoods.

If you are giving away stuffed toys, or buying used stuffed toys, you can clean them by soaking a washcloth in alcohol and rubbing the fur until it is clean. Be careful with the eyes and nose, the color can run or come off. A new ribbon will perk up the toy.

I do not understand the need to have all NEW things.

FASHION AND GLOBAL WARMING

If a person dresses in warm clothes in cold weather and in cool clothes in hot weather, the person is more comfortable and buildings do not have to be heated and cooled as much.

The most obvious example of this is the suit for men. In the summer, and in warm countries, the suit can be unbearably uncomfortable. But men INSIST that the suit be worn if the person wants any respect. In the summer, office buildings must be cooled to a temperature that is comfortable for a man in a suit.

Hawaii seems to have overcome this problem. Of course, they are an island, with a strong and vibrant culture which laughs at people who try to wear mainland fashion.

Comfortable clothes mean comfortable workers. Comfortable workers can THINK better.

Yet, we persist in insisting that people wear the "uniforms" of suit and uncomfortable shoes.

It is important that there be a form of dress which demonstrates respect for the event, especially if it is a formal business or social event.

It is also important to recognize that every degree of heating and cooling costs money, and usually costs fossil fuel.

Fashion designers could help with the effort to "go green".

Movie stars can help by wearing the "green" fashion, and explaining WHY the fashion is a green fashion.

I have NO IDEA what can replace the suit.

So, fashion people, please solve this problem.

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

California is going to have a new playing field. Now we can see if our ideas make for a better economy than the old ideas of tax cuts for the rich.

California is sticking to its energy policies. California is going to have a commission to do the redistricting to stop gerrymandering. California will be run by the Democrats, with a Democratic legislature that can pass a budget with a majority vote.

Unfortunately, the suppliers of marijuana will still face prison terms. Sorry guys. Somehow we have to convince the soccer moms that marijuana is WAY less dangerous than alcohol.

For the rest of the US, expect that NOTHING will get done. Oh, the Republicans will investigate President Obama for any petty little thing that they can smear him with. Republicans really, really want a Democratic President to be worse than President Nixon. I wish they would just get over it.

Of course, MAYBE the new Republican congresspersons who say they are libertarians will work with the Democrats to allow medical marijuana. Hey, look, a girl can dream can't she?

SECURITY IN MANUFACTURING CRITICAL CHIPS

Manufacture of the critical chips that we use in our military, transportation, and communications systems MUST be done under conditions where each person working on the chips can pass a US security clearance.

OTHERWISE, we are putting chips into our critical systems that could have a "backdoor", which means that the system is vulnerable to a virus which could possibly take over the system.

Currently, our chips are manufactured by the lowest international bidder. This means that a bad guy could put backdoors into our chips and sell the backdoor information to the highest bidder. The international chip manufacturers do not owe any loyalty to the US. Many of the international chip makers do not owe any loyalty to capitalism.

WE COULD USE THE STIMULUS MONIES TO BUILD CHIP MANUFACTURING PLANTS IN THE US.

CHANGE THE FUTURE TOMORROW -- VOTE

Those of us who believe in equal rights and in rescuing the rest of us now that we have rescued the rich, can change the future of the United States of America.

It does not matter whether your state is a red fish or a blue fish, your vote can keep the fearmongers out of congress. The fearmongers are counting on your staying home, hiding under the covers, and refusing to vote. It is the only way they can win.

Prove them wrong and VOTE.

If you need a reason, here is good reason to vote.

It took 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP, sort of like the income of the US) to rescue the rich when the economy collapsed. Yes, we did have to rescue the rich, depressions are no fun at all.

For another 2% ($200 for every $10,000) of GDP, we can rescue the rest of us and end this recession early. Economists all agree with me. We can even use some of this money to fix aging infrastructure so that bridges and levies do not collapse, killing people. We could use some of the stimulus monies to manufacture chips in the US so we do not have to worry about viruses taking over our critical military, transportation, and communication systems.

Why hasn't this been done already? Because the Republicans voted against it. THEY WANT YOU POOR AND DEPRESSED, so that you will not vote against them.

If you need another reason, many of you have a chance to vote to begin the end of the prohibition on drugs. Vote to legalize marijuana in any way that you can.

BUT VOTE. We can all make the world a better place. Start this process by voting.

(As you know, this year I am asking everybody to vote for the Democrats. I am tired of this recession and the Democrats are willing to listen to the economists and do their best to end the recession.)

MY FAVORITE HALLOWEEN COSTUME

I did not get to see very many Halloween costumes this year. But I see a lot of costumes at SciFi cons and RenFaire.

This year my favorite is the Arabian princess I saw at WalMart on Friday. She had a headdress and necklace like the coin headdresses and necklace worn by some of the Arabian nomad women. It is a style that goes back to Helen of Troy. You have seen them in National Geographic, headdresses of chains and coins, necklaces to match. It was a child's fake copy, but the copy was very well done.

I think we are too ethnocentric in our Halloween costumes. We need to import from other cultures. In case you do not know it, the unusual costume is often the most admired.