Cause meets Effect

I agree that research methods need to emphasize prevention in new cancer cases in Texas, but at the same time I understand the immediacy mentality of those effected by cancer in this very moment. Having breast cancer in my family, I have always jumped to the mind frame that we need to find this cure and treatment for it fast. While this should of course be done today, we also need to take the extra step in prevention. To fix a problem you not only need to change it but also make sure that it does not occur again. I feel that when environmental issues are brought up about any subject matter, the government has yet to take this issue seriously. It is almost as if the environment is viewed as an uncontrollable factor and that something we cannot fix immediately is a waste of time. People have lost patience in not receiving immediate results for their efforts. While it is nice to see the physical positive results of walking for the cure or wearing the yellow bracelet, many need to realize that prevention can be just as effective even though we cannot physically see it. So let's step up and not pull a Lance and not partner with a contributor of cancer, such as tobacco. Adding to the cause diminishes the present effects and advances made thus far in cancer research.

Glengarry Glen Ross

I missed the Glengarry Glen Ross play but I did have the opportunity to see the movie that featured Kevin Spacey and Ed Harris. The movie really showed that many individuals get lost and conform to the morals of the company in which they are working for. In the business setting of Glengarry Glen Ross, the employees were motivated based on fear due to the message delivered by management. They were ridiculed for their salaries, forced to compete for a prize and threatened with their jobs based on their performance. As each were put into desperate measures, scrambling to meet the unrealistic expectations of management, they began to act on the mentality of survival. Instead of working as a team, they were all forced to compete with one another which resulted in deceit, lying and cheating. Poor ethics began with management and then made its impression on the employees which would ultimately affect the customer. Poor judgment is a continuous cycle that is fueled by unfair scenarios and self gratification. If there was a quote that I would use to describe this movie and company environments with the same mentality is that, "you reap what you sow," in that all will come back to you in the same way that you approached the situation.

"Fake" Steve Jobs Apology

If I were the all powerful Steve Jobs, then maybe I would have said a little something like this in my apology to the public in the iPhone price drop.

" Our sincere apologies go out to our early Apple iPhone buyers that have shown their dedication to the company. While we appreciate our avid supporters, we would also like to welcome more to the Apple community in making the price of the iPhone more reasonable. Even though we must all adjust to the speed of business and technology in making necessary changes, we do realize that the drop was sudden. In maintaining these important relationships with our customers we are doing everything in our power to accommodate the early adopters by offering a $100 rebate. In the future, Apple will have more concern with its customers when having to participate in this competitive technology environment."

An Apple a Day Does Not Keep The Angry Away...

While I would like to say "told you so" as I did not fall victim to the recent $200 slap in the face done by Apple, I will grunt my face with the rest in having disappointment. I guess the hate mails could be expected from a dazed, insomniac, technology-driven population who had recently waited hours on concrete to then have their self glory "are you jealous" attitudes stripped from them by the patient "not so cool" ones. Why not wait a couple of months seems to be the reasonable question in response to Apple dropping prices so quickly because I very seriously doubt they had competition from the latest Samsung model and needed to meet competitors prices. I will say that the response from Apple was better than the silence from our favorite football team, but I do hope a $100 heals broken hearts. I think this move was of course not an act of stewardship...Apple showed us their true feelings by initial actions. Money has a lasting impact on the brain and I have a feeling that this one is not going to go under the rug when the next product comes out, it will only be throwing salt on the wound when the first weeks sales are drastically cut by a more "patient" crowd.

Let Us Not Mistake Fear for Passion

When a gash appears from random "horseplay" during training camp in Wichita Falls on a Dallas Cowboys' neck, it's o.k. for the band-aids to stay in the medicine cabinet. In the voices of Jerry Jones and all that apply, the wound of an internal organizational problem will go away if ignored, but little did they know it can leave a nasty scar. In the "horseplay" incident that took place between Irvin and the other teammate, all humaneness was pushed aside to fuel the fear of powerful vs. powerless. We can question why the bliss of the Landry years are no more, but the answer is very evident. When you have an organization motivated on fear and no longer passion the weak get weaker. And by weak I mean the powerful being less than sufficient in being good stewards. Not only did Irvin and his kind, the MVP's, get reinforcement that they can get away with more, but the ones that are not so lucky in starting every football game see that their heart and soul that they put into the sport every day is nothing short of meaningless. You need to have balance and positive reinforcement within a variety of individuals all fighting for the same cause, because need I say it one more time, yes everyone does matter!

YES! Everyone does matter

Everyone's thoughts, views and beliefs do matter in this world and we as humans do not need to limit ourselves in ignorance to a world of diverse behaviors. We are all raised in different environments and these past experiences shape the ways that we are today. Everyone is capable of the behavior and belief of another if they were in their situation. That is why we must learn the values of others in order to react within the human race with respect, knowing that your behavior is dependent on your environment which is uncontrollable...which makes you better than no one only different. From this philosophy it is EASY to conclude that yes of course America's supply chains are important because they are us. The behavior towards supply chains should be that of ourselves because again as stated before, consider it a difference not a reason that you were born in a certain environment where you are the consumer. The people on the supply chain are the consumer as well and vice versa, we are in one world set in a uniform of human qualities with different variables, thus creating different scenarios of the same importance.

New Jersey School Bus Crash

On Monday, May 7, 2007 two school buses wrecked at a stop sign while transporting children to the Barclay Brook and Brookside schools in the Monroe school district in New Jersey. Some children were taken to the hospital while others were treated at the nurses station in the school. MSN.com covered the story in headline news on their website giving it a lot of attention. In response, the soecefic school's websites show nothing in response as of 3 p.m. the same afternoon. The Monroe school district has a main page and on that page on the top right there is a small link about the incident. It is a letter from the superintendent in regards to what happened. He tells spefics of what happened in the morning's events and how many children were injured etc. He gives no assurance to parents or no apologies. Just the facts and does not put into place a plan of action to prevent furture incidents. I think the response from the schools was executed poorly and should have given more of an emotional outake on parents and a reassurance to other parents that their children would make it home safely on the bus ride home.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18537487/

www.monroe.k12.nj.us/monroenj/site/default.asp

Natarajan Ishwaran Background

Another speaker for the Waterways Conference 2007 in addition to Kennedy is Ishwaran from Sri Lanka.

1.UNESCO since 1986

2. serving as the chief of the Natural Heritage Section at the World Heritage Center, UNESCO Paris.

3.receiving a master's degree in Animal Ecology from the University of Peradeniya
4.Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology and wildlife management from Michigan State University.

5. participated in the editing of two books on the management of natural reserves and protected areas

Background Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Besides being on the cover of Vanity Fair this past year and being in one of the most prominent families in the U.S., Robert is doing his fair share in the enviromental world as well.

1. Founder of Waterkeeper Allliance-international advocacy organization (protects local waterways from pollueters.)

2. enviromental lawyer

3.named "Hero for the Planet" by TIME Magazine

4. serves as Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper

5. credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply

6.attended Pace University School of Law and received Masters Degree in Environmental Law.

Waterways Lead

On March 13-15, the University of North Texas will host the 2007 Waterways Conference to the public for free in the Environmental Education building on campus. Keynote speakers for the conference which will raise awareness to water basin issues includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president of Water Keeper Alliance and Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Former Secretary of Water, Govt. of India. Kennedy will be speaking about river issues and is among many different professions that have come together to focus on this year's emphasis on the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basin located in India. Scientits, philosophers and specialists are just a few that are coming together to attend the conference that is in part hosted by the Philosophy of Water Program at UNT.