| Tuesday, January 31, 2006 |
| "The Man" Wears a Dunce Cap |
So, today, "The Man" -- and by "The Man" I mean the president of the company -- sent an email to the plant manager and his staff regarding a process error that came up this week. In the email he said that the person that made the error needs to be fired and anyone involved in it should be reprimanded.
The error went like this: We had lots of a particular part in inventory. We intended to discontinue using them when we ran out back in November, but our other supplier did not have the capacity to supply our needs. So, at the last minute the purchasing group directed me to order more -- 120,000 more. Because we waited until the last minute (and by "we" I mean "they"), I had to arrange the parts to be flown by commercial airlines to arrive in time to avoid production interruptions.
This one part is coupled with another part. If the two parts are not coupled together and this part is coupled with a third part, the finished automotive safety device is dangerous -- very dangerous. Yesterday, a production supervisor called and asked me if we were still using component two of the two-part assembly. I said, "Of course! You should have been using them all along!" You can imagine the stir this caused.
Since early January, production has not been marrying the two parts together, but have used the third component instead. We discovered that they have built and shipped about 35,000 of these parts. We have another 10,000 components in quarantine.
I know that sounds shocking and someone should be in trouble. But the problem is a system --or process -- error. Documentation was old; and there was nothing in the system to generate a warning. The initial change was done during the middle of the night back in January. People that should have been informed weren't. And, finally, there are two database systems used to track the bills of material. One was changed; the other wasn't.
Firing someone solves nothing. Reprimanding someone may help temporarily. But what keeps it from happening again? Old documentation written months ago and shoved into a folder does not trigger a mechanism that keeps this from happening again. It could happen again and that's the real issue. Fix the system. Don't "put a Band-Aid on it."
Now we'll have people walking around on edge that they'll lose their jobs if they mess up. That doesn't create a proactive, innovative environment.
Uh, oh. Here comes the galley slave driver. I have to go row... |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 4:53 PM   |
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| Friday, January 27, 2006 |
| Free Prose Friday |
1. This weekend I'm taking a break from news and politics. I can't take any more talk of filibusters, domestic spying, Hamas or the wussification of the Democratic Party. I can't take it anymore -- I just can't.
2. Tomorrow will be my first foray into Geocaching. The boys and I plan to spend some time together in the outdoors, where "[we] are the search engine." Check out http://www.geocaching.com and search for caches (pronounced CASH-ez for you uncultured swine) found by joe_napalm.
3. Visit http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates and draw a map that shows where you've been (and where you haven't). Here's my map:
 There is a "Visited Countries" site, too, linked from the website mentioned above.
4. This week I was given a $300 gift certificate for laser hair removal. For three hundred Benjamins, surely they can get that hair that grows out of the middle of my forehead.
Or maybe I'll loan it to this guy:
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| posted by Joe Napalm @ 3:25 PM |
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| Thursday, January 26, 2006 |
| "Democratically Elected Terrorists" |
I was listening to the Neil Boortz Show on the radio when I pulled into the driveway at home yesterday evening. Mr. Boortz stated at the end of one segment that the Fatah party was leading in the exit polls during the Palestinian election. So, I was surprised this morning when I found out that Hamas had captured a parlaimentary win.
It has been on my mind all day. I've checked news.google.com and drudgereport.com off and on all day to watch the developments unfold. Right now, I'm not sure of the full implications of the outcome.
I found this at OpinionJournal.com today: "Emanuele Ottolenghi, an Israel scholar, writes in National Review Online that Hamas actually wasn't hoping for outright victory:
What victory does to Hamas is to put the movement into an impossible position. As preliminary reports emerge, Hamas has already asked Fatah to form a coalition and got a negative response. Prime Minister Abu Ala has resigned with his cabinet, and president Abu Mazen will now appoint Hamas to form the next government. From the shadows of ambiguity, where Hamas could afford--thanks to the moral and intellectual hypocrisy of those in the Western world who dismissed its incendiary rhetoric as tactics--to have the cake and eat it too. Now, no more. Had they won 30-35 percent of the seats, they could have stayed out of power but put enormous limits on the Palestinian Authority's room to maneuver. By winning, they have to govern, which means they have to tell the world, very soon, a number of things.
They will have to show their true face now: No more masks, no more veils, no more double-speak. If the cooptation theory--favored by the International Crisis Group and by the former British MI-6 turned talking head, Alistair Crooke--were true, this is the time for Hamas to show what hides behind its veil.
As the government of the Palestinian Authority, now they will have to say whether they accept the roadmap.
They will have to take control over security and decide whether they use it to uphold the roadmap or to wage war. There will be no excuses or ambiguities when Hamas fires rockets on Israel and launches suicide attacks against civilian targets. Until Tuesday, the PA could hide behind the excuse that they were not directly responsible and they could not rein in the "militants." Now the "militants" are the militia of the ruling party.
I guess one thing is evident: It will get worse before it gets better. |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 4:26 PM |
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| Wednesday, January 25, 2006 |
| Joe Not Censored By Communism |
 Today, international news agencies Breitbart and Associated Press are reporting that Google Inc. has launched a search engine in China that censors material about human rights, Tibet and "other topics sensitive to Beijing." Apparently, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 where thousands of civilians were killed by the Chinese Government is a sensitive topic. So, you won't find any search results for it at Google's new site. Where is Nixon when you need him?
Anyway, if you're looking for a search engine that is sensitive to Communism and consistently restricts access to thousands of terms, Web sites and services then http://www.google.cn is for you. But, as of this writing, http://joenapalm.blogspot.com is not censored. Either I've gone soft in my old age or officials of the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry have not surfed over to read the ramblings of "the son of Liberty."
13 hours and 49 minutes and still not censored by the Chinese Government. Maybe I'll make a web button with that on it and place it in the margin of this blog. Hmm?
This post has been brought to you by the color red and the word "kowtow." |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 12:05 PM |
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| Tuesday, January 24, 2006 |
| Why Roe Will Not Be Overturned |
I have a theory (or hypothesis) and it goes like this: If, when choosing sides, you side with the right choice but do not profess the True Reason, you are doomed to failure. Maybe that doesn't make sense, so let me elaborate.
The case for intelligent design (ID) failed in Dover, Pennsylvania. One argument that I heard throughout the whole ordeal was, "We're not necessarily saying that God created the Universe. We're just saying that there's evidence of an intelligent creator." In fact, if you visit the Intelligent Design Network's website at www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org you will find no reference to the God of Christianity or any other god. In my opinion, those at the forefront of the ID cause are not heeding Jesus' warning of Luke 12:9. Luke tells us that Jesus said, "He who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God" (RSV). Tie that statement in with John's writing that "[Jesus] was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:2-3, RSV). If we do not give Jesus -- or even God -- the recognition of Creation, we are denying Him. And if we are "leaning on our own understanding", the ID argument could possibly be doomed to failure.
In similar form, here, at the 33rd anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, pro-lifers are not explicitly saying that murdering an unborn child is wrong because we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God but are using other arguments to appeal to the opposition. One argument used is that the US Supreme Court wrongfully found the right to abort an unborn child through an implied right to privacy in the Constitution. And on the fringes, I've heard other reasons against abortion such as the Social Security shortfall due to the fact that there are 46 million fewer taxpayers. And then there is the watered down argument that it is "against my religion."
The ID evidence of a creator and the pro-life reasons mentioned above are all valid defenses in the scope of US law and common sense reasoning; but doesn't it seem like they're all missing the "elephant in the room"?
If my theory stands, then I expect the overturning of Roe to fail. Hopefully, my theory is wrong; but it could only help to acknowledge that The Only Sovereign God considers abortion wrong and, therefore, we should repent and reverse immediately.
[Afterthought: Consider church growth...] |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 10:51 AM |
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| Monday, January 23, 2006 |
| Identify the Need and Own It |
| [Warning: The Conviction Light is on...] How many times have you identified a need and become upset because nobody did anything about it? |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 1:13 PM |
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| Saturday, January 21, 2006 |
| Lessons Learned |
Friday night, H, the boys and I spent time with Cub Scout Pack 584 at Wesley Woods in Townsend. We arrived at 6 PM -- just in time for the weenie roast. We spent the night in the lodge and spent all day today hiking, playing and learning. I know all of the boys enjoyed the time because none ever lost a smile all day. They also learned valuable lessons that will give them a good foundations on which to build as they grow older. But I learned something, too.
Specifically, I learned three things:
1. Remember how Paul of the Bible sometimes exhorted new believers to do as he did? "And you should follow my example..." (1 Cor. 11:1, TLB). "Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing..." (Phil. 4:9, TLB). Nothing seems to ruffle my feathers more than someone telling me how to do something. It stings my ego fiercely because I wrongfully assume that they are doing so because they think I'm ignorant of the subject matter. But I spent last night and all day today instructing boys on map reading, etiquette, inclement weather safety and teamwork. Seems ironic, doesn't it? Or would "sardonic" be better?
That was an important lesson for me. I'm amazed that I'm approaching thirty-something and have just now come to that point of learning. I have to keep in mind that there are people who know more than me on certain subjects -- just like I know more about orienteering than a cub scout.
2. The second thing that I learned was that the Bible is like a map. I know it sounds like jargon, but it's true.
We spent this morning instructing the Cub Scouts in map reading, terrain identification and very basic orienteering. The "final exam" included an outdoor orienteering course with maps, scorecards and checkpoints. We were given eight checkpoints and told to go find 'em. But we were warned that there were decoy checkpoints on the course and we were not to be deceived by them.
What a wonderful object lesson! The first three checkpoints were easy to locate. But the third one threw off our small group of three boys and two adults. After passing the lagoon, we found a trailhead and started down the path as the map indicated. Immediately crossing a creek, the boys screamed, "There it is! There it is!" Yep, there was a checkpoint. I stopped the boys as they were reaching for the marker and asked them to check the map to see if it made sense. The boys were convinced that this checkpoint was the correct one and wouldn't listen. After a minute or two of salesmanship on my part, they oriented the map to North, traced our route and ... gasp! ... discovered that this checkpoint couldn't be right. We needed to cross the creek again. Sure enough, after the next creek crossing, we found the right one.
This went on and on for the rest of the exercise. By the time we were down to only needing two more checkpoints, other groups decided that they would try to deceive us. I was so proud of my boys! They'd shrug off the attempts, check the map and turn and explain to me that the deceptions and decoys couldn't be right because the map showed otherwise.
On our way back from the farthest checkpoint I told them that I'd heard that the Bible was like a map. They caught on immediately and completed the thought. "Satan," one of them said, "will try to deceive you and put decoys in your way. But if you read the Bible, God will tell you what is right."
I needed that lesson today, too.
3. Boys learn through fun and play.
By the end of the day, I was beat. I slept very light last night and, therefore, woke up about every hour or so. Also a group of 6- to 10-year olds tugging me around all day with "Look at me," and "Watch this" drove me weary. Sometimes when I get tired, I see upcoming events as boxes that I have to check. Do this ... check. Do that ... check. Get it done and get home. By doing that today, I ruined Jacob and Ethan's learning time for about a 30-minute time period.
They were tired just as I was and were complaining a bit. I went into check-the-box mode and turned off the fun and instruction switch. I recognize my wrong now. I wish I had done so early.
Now, I'm on my way back home to apologize. I owe it to them.... |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 4:19 PM |
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| Wednesday, January 18, 2006 |
| Joe Offers a Service |
I have so much to blog about since my PC-imposed sabbatical that I don't know where to begin. I'm currently researching a couple of the topics in more detail so as to write with authority. You don't think that I simply throw something down on this virtual paper and expect you to just stop by and read it, do you? I offer a service, people!
Today, I offer a laugh. Sorry it's not a Joe Original. The other day, Daniel introduced me to Mr. Brian's blog. I'm horrible with introductions, so I don't remember how Daniel and Mr. Brian are related; but Mr. Brian's blog, "The Life of Mr. Brian" has me coming back every day for more. It's entertaining.
Allow me to walk you through a good laugh. Click on the link at the end of this paragraph, read the post and then click on the "back" button in your browser to come back here to continue. [Click here]
Great Photoshop work, huh? Now, check out this post from the 12th. Make sure you click on the "little dity [sic]" link inside the post. [Click here]
Nice work, Mr. Brian.
Now, if you didn't come back here to read this last paragraph and have found yourself browsing Mr. Brian's blog, I understand. But make sure you come back here tomorrow. Why wouldn't you? It's a free service, people! |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 9:35 PM |
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| Monday, January 16, 2006 |
| Risk or Irresponsibility |
My niece on H's side was riding a battery-powered scooter this weekend and fell and hit her head. She was not wearing a helmet and, therefore, hurt herself pretty bad. She was rushed to the emergency room with a concussion and was in the hospital for several hours.
Now, take a second to recover from the shock. Don't misunderstand me here; I'm not being heartless. I have a point to make.
When I was a kid, your "coolness" was determined by how far you could jump your BMX bike. I remember my first jump on a big wheel was while I was in Kindergarten or 1st Grade. My first bicycle jump was on a homemade ramp of bricks and a sheet of plywood. I jumped every little hump of dirt in the yard. I jumped curbs. I would measure the height and distance of nearly every jump. I even remember asking my little sister to lie down so I could jump her. I also remember that she chickened out. But one thing I certainly didn't do on my BMX was wear a helmet. You were just plain sissy to wear a helmet. I'd rather have ridden half-naked in my Spiderman Underoos than ride with a wussy frown crown. You know? Brain bucket? Crash cup? Skid lid?
Now, in hindsight, some of the things I did as a child I wouldn't for anything in the world allow my own kids to do. I remember when seatbelts in the back seat of the car were optional. I remember standing on "the hump" in the back and leaning over the front benchseat to be a part of the conversation with the adults up front. I remember going on long trips to the beach while riding in the floor of the van. Oh, no, my kids won't be doing that.
That brings my to my point. As a parent, where do I draw the line between risk and irresponsibility? Sometimes it's obvious: "No, you're not going to chase your little brother through the house with an aerosol can and a Bic lighter." But sometimes it's not so easy. Was it so bad that my niece wasn't wearing a helmet while riding her scooter? Is it so bad to let the kids climb to the top of the tree?
OK, maybe I don't have a point. Maybe all I have is questions. But one thing that is certain is that raising kids inside a traditional family -- one dad and one mom -- is necessary for a properly developed, well-rounded child. You see, if it were up to me, the boys would play on tightropes over vicious, wild animals. If it were up to my wife, they'd sit still in a padded room all day. We tug and pull and, hopefully, the boys will grow up with wisdom and mature independence. But they certainly won't wear a cranium catcher while riding their scooters....
[1/17/06 Edit: They won't wear helmets unless Momma says so. Wasn't that implied?] |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 8:39 PM |
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| Saturday, January 14, 2006 |
| While I Prepare My Thoughts |
| Riddle me this: A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays three nights and rides out on Friday. How? |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 1:29 PM |
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| I'm Back |
| Now, with 2.8 gigahertz of processing power, Joe's opinions will come at you faster and in fuller color. Where to begin? |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 8:48 AM |
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| Monday, January 09, 2006 |
| Hold Music |
OK, my computer -- or the Napalminator 3000 -- will be back in working order either Wednesday or Thursday with a suped-up motherboard and processor. Until then, please hold...
Manamana |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 6:45 PM |
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| Thursday, January 05, 2006 |
| Thursday's Notes |
- Joe's personal computer took a dive this week. I've narrowed it down to the motherboard or processor. So, it appears that I'll be shopping for some components this weekend. The good news is that I've found the retailer: ZipZoomFly.com. They offer free 2nd day shipping and no sales tax!
 The company where I work is opening a manufacturing plant in X'ian China. I tell you that because many of our employees have been spending a lot of time in China helping to "get it off the ground." One of the benefits is having access to products in China that are cheaper than the US. Today, I purchased a North Face Mountain Light Gore-Tex jacket with a fleece liner that retails in the US for about $350. I gave $50 for it! Remember when you used to visit foreign countries and bought Chiclets and a fake Rolex? Those days are over. Bring on the golf clubs and flat-panel TVs!- Whole bean Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is touted as the best coffee in the world. Has anyone sampled it? I understand it's about $28 for 16 ounces. Though, it'll be tough to beat Starbuck's Breakfast Blend.
- Is Sudoku crack for logicians?
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| posted by Joe Napalm @ 1:01 PM |
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| Wednesday, January 04, 2006 |
| Even So |
"...Let this blessed assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And He shed His own blood for my soul"
(Horatio G. Spafford, 1873) |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 9:25 AM |
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| Tuesday, January 03, 2006 |
| Complaints Department |
 "People that pay for things," said Will Rogers, "never complain. It's the guy you give something to that you can't please."
Before the Christmas shutdown, "the powers that be" at work decided to remodel the upstairs office space. Originally it was going to include just a little paint along the ceiling mouldings and some carpet tiles in the traffic areas. The walls were not going to be painted and the cubicle and office areas would not get new flooring.
A few days before the break, a carpet salesman brought in some carpet tile samples for review. They were atrocious and didn't really match the current carpet. I jokeingly said, why don't we lay Pergo laminate and really add some class to the space. The plant manager was within earshot and came out of his office and asked about it. I explained what I knew about laminate flooring and another guy that had installed it in a mud room added his knowledge. It ended there, or so I thought.
I was the first person to get to work this morning and was shocked -- I mean completely amazed! The first thing anyone sees when entering the building is the receptionist's area. She had a new dark-wood desk, two exquisite leather chairs, a large potted plant and two maps including a raised-relief map of Tennessee. The walls were trimmed in a plum color.
The plum trim continued up the steps to the upstairs office area where I was really floored (I know, bad pun). The plant manager had decided on Pergo, but that wasn't all. The first wall as you walk in was painted in the same plum color and in the center of the wall is a map of North America. The flourescent lights had silver fixtures added that give a recessed lighting effect and the floorboards were made wider and more elegant. The old trashcans have been removed and replaced with larger stainless steel trash cans that open with step levers.
Not only were the receptionist's and upstairs office areas redecorated, but a conference room received a face-lift, the two downstairs bathrooms were refitted and repainted, and the employees' breakroom was repainted. I found out today that the plant manager took the laminate suggestion and went wild. In fact, he was at the office late last night helping the contractor reposition all of the furniture and cleaning up the dust and scrap. I was impressed and so were others.
But some people weren't as interested. I listened to a few people grumble all day. I heard things like, "It's dark up here," and "You can't sneak up on someone on this new flooring, can you?" They complained about the plum color. They complained about the maps. They complained about the sinks in the bathrooms. They complained, complained and complained. Arrrgggghhh!
So I made a joke of it and shared with a few people. I emailed the Will Rogers quote to about four or five people and they replied with more quotes and added people to the distribution. It even reached a point that when the boss's assistant complained to a visitor we all laughed aloud.
Do you have a complaint? Go see Ms. Waite... |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 2:16 PM |
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| Monday, January 02, 2006 |
| Adventure |
To kill the boredom today, H, the boys and I trekked to the top of Bluff Mountain in Sevier County. The views were wonderful as you can see in the picture. We could easily see Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Seymour.
 Our first stop was at the fire tower on the 3,069 ft. peak along the ridgeline. I estimated the fire tower height to be about seventy feet tall. The boys loved it! They climbed to the first level -- about 10 feet -- and stopped. Not to be out-done, I climbed to the third tier -- or about 30 feet -- and declared that I wouldn't go any farther. But Jacob climbed down and looked up from the ground and announced that I could easily get to the top because I was almost halfway there. Though, what he didn't see was his dad's sweaty palms and weak knees. I waved him off and came up with some lame excuse to cover my newfound fear of high places (What's happened to me?).
We dawdled around the base of the fire tower for a while and explored the surrounding area, but Jacob kept glancing at the top of the tower. With confidence, he suddenly announced that he was going to go to the top -- with or without me. Oh, no: a tough decision! I couldn't admit weakness and let my 9-year-old climb to the top alone. His mother wouldn't stand for it and I definitely couldn't crush his Wild-at-Heart spirit. So, I gulped and nodded (Again, what's happened to me?).
On the way up, Jacob was practically flying. I slowed him down with a voice as fatherly as I could muster amidst the shallow breathing: "Slow down. Take your time. Wait for me. There's no need to hurry and make a mistake." It was evident that his heart was pounding, too, because within about five feet from the lookout at the top, he turned around and started back saying that it didn't look sturdy enough to carry our weight. Nonsense! I prodded him on and we reached the top!
 The wind was wicked up there, but the view was awesome. I tried to point out Seymour to him from up there, but he looked without seeing. He was bubbling with accomplishment. He was antsy to rush down and explain it to Mom. But what did that little stinker do when we reached the bottom? He said, "Let's do it again!" And, of course, we did. |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 7:20 PM |
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| Sunday, January 01, 2006 |
| Contemporary Language |
On a whim, this past week I picked up a copy of The Message //Remix by Eugene H. Peterson. It is advertised to be "the Bible in contemporary language." By buying it on impulse, I broke a personal rule. You see, I do not take lightly the purchase of Bible versions, commentaries and other theological works. I've definitely picked up some crummy history books or fictional international thrillers, but I don't mess around with things that will -- well, you know? -- echo in eternity.
At church today almost everyone commented on it: "A new Bible? Oh, I see. You got the ghetto translation" or "You didn't get that did you?" However, after the purchase I researched and found that many well-known people and organizations have endorsed The Message including Billy Graham, Charles Stanley and Focus on the Family. Even BK has one! But, what about Joe Napalm? What does Joe think about it? (Shouldn't you ask yourself that every morning when you roll out of bed?)
I do have some initial reservations. During my evaluation of The Message, not only did I find praise, but I also found problems. One of the best reviews of Eugene Peterson's paraphrase that I was able to find is at Bible-Researcher.com*. Click on the hyperlink and you will find a fair and in-depth review, and examples of "unlikely renderings, lengthy insertions and omissions, and other problems" that afflict The Message. There are definite translation problems (hence the term "paraphrase?"); and it's obvious that we shouldn't use it in place of a proper translation. However, I do agree with the website's remarks that The Message is "a piece of stimulating devotional literature." Mark Lee, of the music group Third Day, said "The Message Bible has had an enormous impact on my Bible studies. Since I've been using [it], I have spent more time reading the Bible than ever before." And you can read reviews and posts on websites like Amazon.com that testify to the same affect. But The Message //Remix is not the Word of God and should not replace a more literal translation of the original Hebrew and Greek.
I will put the book on the shelf with my other commentaries and reference it occasionally to help keep the youth's attention in Sunday school. But it will definitely not be my sole Bible source. For a more literal translation, I'll continue to use the ESV, NIV and NASB (and in that order for now).
* Bookmark www.bible-researcher.com and research the history of -- and compare -- different versions of the Bible. Especially check out "Was the Bible Written in 'Street Language'?" It may be a point of discussion later. |
| posted by Joe Napalm @ 4:23 PM |
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