We've just had a long discussion on what leadership isn't over at Cass' place. Nick at Ranger Up has some ideas on what it is. They're military focused, but we can probably break out the principles for other sorts of leadership roles -- parenthood, church, community leadership, or perhaps even leadership lessons that apply in different sorts of corporate organization in spite of differences in corporate culture.
One thing I don't see in Nick's list is any presumption that position = authority = respect. You can come to find yourself in a position for which you are unqualified (especially in the case of parenthood!). Your authority to hold that position has to be earned through hard work. The respect that comes from doing your job well does not belong by right to just anyone holding the position. The position is an opportunity, not an entitlement.
An Experiment
For those of you who are parents, try this experiment. See what you get.
The right answer should be obvious to the child if you've done your job.
The right answer should be obvious to the child if you've done your job.
Not Keeping The Money
Several Georgia congressmen decided that they shouldn't keep their public salaries during the recent shutdown. They differed on what to do with the money, however.
What do you think is the right course?
Rep. Jack Kingston (R) said he donated his salary to his church, per a spokesperson.That reads like only Re. Gingrey was reasoning that it was wrong to accept money from the taxpayers for duties not performed. The others didn't accept personal enrichment, but chose to pursue other (all quite worthy) goals.
Rep. Doug Collins (R) donated his salary to three different groups in Gainesville.
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) wrote a check to the U.S. Treasury.
Rep. John Barrow (D) donated $5,936 to the Wounded Warrior project, according to the Washington Post.
What do you think is the right course?
Maps and time
This kind of animated map has been making the rounds lately, as people struggle to understand Islam, or the Crimea. What's more engrossing for me is the splintered condition of Germany between the late 15th and late 18th centuries. Once they got it together, look out!
I wonder if Germany really was exceptional in its disunity during that time, or if it's more an artifact of the map-drawer's decisions about graphics. Someone here who's less ignorant of post-14th-century European may be able to help me.
I wonder if Germany really was exceptional in its disunity during that time, or if it's more an artifact of the map-drawer's decisions about graphics. Someone here who's less ignorant of post-14th-century European may be able to help me.
"If I had Bill Gates's resources . . . ."
Via Assistant Village Idiot, a hilarious article about Bill Gates's failure to measure up to rarified standards of philanthropy. Apparently he saves millions of lives with his own money, but his progressive principles are lacking. Even more hilarious comments. "Well, if someone gave me his money, I'd be even more idealistically generous!"
Éirinn go Brách
"Ireland forever." Should I be wearing orange today? I fear my ancestors were confirmed Ulstermen, nothing like romantic Irish revolutionaries. I turned to the internet this morning to find out what and how I should be celebrating. It informs me that "Éirinn go Brách," or rather the Anglicized "Erin go bragh," showed up on the flag of some deserting Americans, including Irishmen, who went over the Mexican side in the Mexican-American War, calling themselves Los San Patricios, or St. Patrick's Batallion. Always on the losing side of history, poor fellows, which explains the humorous translation of "It's Irish for you're f**cked."
The Wiki entry also clears up a long-term mystery about crossword puzzle clues, which may be asking for either "Erin" or "Eire" in referring to the Ould Sod. It seems that Eire is nominative, but the dative form "Erin" is used colloquially even as the subject of a sentence. Back to the proper method of celebrating today. I can remember singing "The Wearing of the Green" in elementary school, back when there was music in elementary school and traditional songs of this sort could be sung without spurring a federal investigation. I understand Lenten restrictions are lifted for the day, which encourages alcohol consumption. An Irish Member of Parliament introduced legislation to close the bars on March 17 to prevent drinking from getting out of hand, a measure that must have been inspired by some truly legendary drinking in order to have excited comment in Ireland.
All in all, I don't find any trace of North-vs.-South tension in the traditional acknowledgements of the day, so I feel free to pull out my tin whistles, wear green, and listen to this:
The way models make us feel is the important thing
From Maggie's Farm, a memoir of World War II:
“Some of my colleagues had the responsibility of preparing long-range weather forecasts, i.e., for the following month,” Arrow wrote. “The statisticians among us subjected these forecasts to verification and found they differed in no way from chance.”
Alarmed, Arrow and his colleagues tried to bring this important discovery to the attention of the commanding officer. At last the word came down from a high-ranking aide.
“The Commanding General is well aware that the forecasts are no good,” the aide said haughtily. “However, he needs them for planning purposes.”
Suckers
Looking past the secular piety in this NYT article on Ukraine and game theory, a lesson:
[A]fter the Soviet Union split into many pieces in the 1990s, a newly independent Ukraine gave up its portion of the old Soviet nuclear arsenal. In part, it did so in exchange for a memorandum supporting its territorial integrity, signed by both Russia and the United States.Those who beat their swords into plowshares will eventually be enslaved by those who kept their swords.
Eliminating its nuclear weapons may have seemed a good deal for Ukraine at the time, and it can be argued that the world became a safer place. Yet if Ukraine were a nuclear power today, it would surely have a far greater ability to deter Russian military action.
Coal Country Just Says "No"
You can push people only so far, and then they may start examining deeply held assumptions about who's on the side of the angels after all. The 7th most senior member of the House is polling badly against a Republican challenger in West Virginia.
There's the usual attempt to blame shadowy billionaires from New York. Those Koch brothers are behind everything. My own sister sends me emails complaining about them. She thinks they're behind an initiative to destroy the union she works for--by eliminating the union's right to collect dues from people who'd rather not join. It's a subject I've learned not to discuss with her, beyond reassuring her that the Pennsylvania initiative she's worried about doesn't appear to be getting any traction. Let people make a free decision whether to join a union? That's crazy talk.
There's the usual attempt to blame shadowy billionaires from New York. Those Koch brothers are behind everything. My own sister sends me emails complaining about them. She thinks they're behind an initiative to destroy the union she works for--by eliminating the union's right to collect dues from people who'd rather not join. It's a subject I've learned not to discuss with her, beyond reassuring her that the Pennsylvania initiative she's worried about doesn't appear to be getting any traction. Let people make a free decision whether to join a union? That's crazy talk.
"Four."
A little girl explains why her mother is the best of mothers.
Via my father, for reasons best known to him.
Via my father, for reasons best known to him.
ST II-II Q 158 S.C., CO.
Phil at Brandywine Books links to a piece on the decline of religious liberty, which warns Christians to ponder the beam in their eye.
I suspect that within my lifetime American Christians, at least those who hold traditional theological and more views, will be faced with a number of situations in which they will have to choose between compromising their consciences and civil disobedience. In such a situation there are multiple temptations. The most obvious is to silence the voice of conscience in order to get along. But there are also the temptations of responding in anger, in resentment, in bitterness, in vengeance. It might be a good exercise in self-examination for each of us to figure out which temptation is most likely for us.I think the temptation for me is to anger. But I consult the wise, and find that anger is not always a sin.
On the contrary, Chrysostom [Hom. xi in the Opus Imperfectum, falsely ascribed to St. John Chrysostom] says: "He that is angry without cause, shall be in danger; but he that is angry with cause, shall not be in danger: for without anger, teaching will be useless, judgments unstable, crimes unchecked." Therefore to be angry is not always an evil....
[E]vil may be found in anger, when, to wit, one is angry, more or less than right reason demands. But if one is angry in accordance with right reason, one's anger is deserving of praise.
Hobbit doors
"Never make anything simple and efficient if a way can be found to make it complex and wonderful."
One man
Hal Douglas, who narrated a big chunk of all the movie trailers you've ever watched, died recently at the age of 89. Here he is in a trailer for a Jerry Seinfeld movie, playing a guy who narrates movie trailers. I understand the movie didn't do that well, but the trailer has been watched on YouTube over 700,000 times.
Win with Obamacare
The New Republic has the real scoop on the effect of Obamacare on the Democrats' recent loss of a special election in Florida. It was not, as the conventional wisdom suggests, a question of popular revulsion against Obamacare taking down a well-known and well-funded Democrat. The real problem is that Chief Justice Roberts struck a more deadly blow than we knew when he prevented the feds from bullying the states into taking on an expensive expansion of Medicaid. Many voters below 138% of the poverty line now find themselves ineligible both for Medicaid and for subsidized Obamacare exchange policies, which is--you guessed it--the Republicans' fault. So all Democrats have to do is explain this, and reap a zillion grateful votes in November.
You may not have noticed that the President waffled on another promise this week (who can keep track?), concerning your ability to keep your doctor. What he meant to say, and what we were too dumb to understand, is that you would have to give up your doctor in order to save money on your new, much higher premiums.
You may not have noticed that the President waffled on another promise this week (who can keep track?), concerning your ability to keep your doctor. What he meant to say, and what we were too dumb to understand, is that you would have to give up your doctor in order to save money on your new, much higher premiums.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)