Road Dog's Bites - 1

THERE IS NO "RIGHT ANSWER".

Write this down... "There is no right answer."
We have been taught since the day we entered kindergarten, or before, that there are right and wrong answers to almost everything - and someone knows them - and if we don't we will fail and get an "F" or a "Poor" or some such deterrent to innovative thought.
Right and wrong works for math, some science, and dates in history. Other than that, the majority of decisions involving "human" have no right answer. There may be one in your mind, but as long as another human, or culture, is involved there's probably another opinion, and another answer, to most everything.
Sorry. That's just the Road Dog way..

FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE MONTH
For all of you "evidence-based management" gurus, who opine the need to practice "data-driven decision making"... Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. First coined by two doctors (MD's) in 1896. When did we forget that one?

PEOPLE ROAD DOGS DON'T LIKE:
Policy makers, survey takers, award chasers. (More to follow on each...)
The person who feels it is his or her duty to "constructively critique", to play "devil's advocate", or to otherwise continually remind everyone how smart s/he is by finding something wrong with every idea or statement someone else makes. I've met a million devil's advocates in my life, and one thing rings true with all of them: ANYONE can be a devil's advocate. The hard part is finding ways to get things done, not finding ways that they can't.

SERIOUSLY??

Did I really hear on the news that the Government is again seriously considering imposing a tax on "sugared soft drinks" as a way to offset some of the cost of the "healthcare reform plan" AND reduce childhood obesity and cut down diabetes? What? I'm somewhere between laughing out loud and crying. I don't even know where to begin on that one. This idea is not new, it's origins go back a few years anyway. New York gave it a run .. and got a belch from more than carbonation.

If the government wants to reduce diabetes, I do have a plan. Free diabetes meds to anyone with the disease. BUT given with the covenant that anyone using them must maintain a responsible diet and exercise program and maintain medical care. Nah, that won't work - it reeks of personal accountability and would suck a lot of the "victims of the system" out of their "poor me" existences.

Don't get me wrong...diabetes is a seriously tragic illness and needs to be addressed. BUT, the great unspoken is that a lot of the reasons for the increase in its occurrence is directly tied to expanding obesity and decreasing diets and exercise.

I'm sorry, but there is no "PC" way to tell someone, "put down the beer, nachos and double-wide cheese burgers, and tell your kids to put down the 54 ounce slurpee and taco chips, drop the playstation hand-held and both of you ... oh forget it It's not worthy of Road Dog consideration.

But stay tuned for an upcoming epistle about the healthcare crisis.

READER SURVEY

There's a rumor going around that driving a Buick will reduce your overall mental capacity and the ability to observe the world around you. My Dad drove a Buick (briefly), so I have always wondered this theory. Do me a favor and keep your eyes out for people who drive 55 in the left lane of the freeway - or change lanes without noticing you're right next to them - or come to complete stops at "yield" signs - or pull out in front of you - or any number of other things that might cause you to lay on your horn and blow a capilliary in your head yelling at them. My guess is the rankings will be Buicks #1, followed closely by Yuppiettes in SUV's talking on their cell phones, sipping their latte's while adjusting the DVD player for their 2.3 kids. In third place will be Subarus, and I can't understand that either.

And, in recent news...does anyone besides me actually see the humor in a Prius going 91 mph? Yes, yes, yes... tragic consequence could have occured, and Toyota should be pummeled silly for not practicing what they preach on the "quality bus" ... but a Prius going 91?

HUMOR?

While we're at it... what ever happened to humor? What does it mean when you go back to watching Desi & Lucy, Andy Griffith, and some of those and start laughing at pure humor? All of the brain death on TV today is geared to sexual innuendo and political smear. Seriously, it's all recycled trash put out as part of the conspiracy to overthrow America. (Go with that one...;-)

And, I miss George Carlin.