The ethical lesson of humility

Politicians with the wisdom and moral clarity to keep their decisions free of influence and potential corruption. It's not only the right thing to do, but one shining example of humility. They had to humble themselves (put their own desire, self-worth, self-estimation aside) for the good of the county.

Contrary to popular belief, humility is a sign of strength, not weakness. This is something our national leaders need more of and the candidates for president should strongly embrace.

Last week, President Bush summoned a handful of conservative columnists to the Oval Office for a mostly off-the-record briefing. We discussed a range of topics, including gas prices, FISA and Iraq.

On this day, Mr. Bush (who at many times has shown acts of humility) seemed particularly feisty and had a lot to say.

The champion that time forgot: Why do we find it so hard to love

The athlete's irreverent attitude to his intimate life changes once Scotty's left, and we sit down to talk, at around 10.30 at night, in the Leogrand's empty restaurant. He orders a hot chocolate. "Do you miss it?" I ask.

Thompson, who now works as a motivational trainer for individuals and corporations, but still speaks about his athletic career in the present tense, doesn't need reminding what "it" might be. "Every day. Not a day goes by when I don't wish I was still doing it. Being selfish, training, no responsibilities. To be honest" – this last phrase is one that Thompson uses frequently – "all I ever wanted to be was the best. I don't enjoy fame."

"Didn't you once talk enviously about 'those 100-metre guys; they're so glamorous...'?"

"That was before I knew what fame was like.

The spin doctor, Monty Panesar, will see you now

It is this can-do attitude and boundless enthusiasm that have helped Panesar to become the only Sikh to play for any national cricket team apart from India. At times it has looked an uphill struggle and he’s the first to admit he is not always a natural athlete.

"I’m aware of it and I realise it’s important to work on that aspect of my game, but I enjoy working hard and I have no problem putting the hours in. It takes an elephant time to turn round, too."

For every detractor, there are dozens of fans, many wearing a homemade patka (the proper name for the small turban Panesar wears) and cheering on "the Montster", another of his many nicknames. On YouTube, the video-sharing website, fans have posted a song about "the man with enormous hands".

Air France criticized for attitude towards disabled passengers

The editors at Emerging Horizons have a great deal of personal experience with the challenges of travelling with a disability. One of the editors is a paraplegic, thus necessitating much research in advance of any trip.

Air France received the rather unenviable distinction from the editors of Emerging Horizons, for the unwillingness of one of its senior captains to allow a prominent, disabled passenger to board a flight. Michelle Daly, an advisor working for the French government, had a ticket to fly from Paris to London-Heathrow in order to serve as a participant at a conference on disabilities. Daly's plans, however, were nixed, when the captain came out of the cockpit and cast doubt on whether the government advisor had the ability to walk. Daly pointed out that she could not, in fact, walk on her own, and shortly after hearing this, the captain asked her to leave the plane, noting that the advisor posed a "safety and health risk to everyone on the plane."

Air France publicly stood by its captain and argued that it was not safe for Daly to fly, because the aircraft in question was not equipped to handle passengers with disabilities.

Victory or defeat?

Conventional wisdom about American voters is a powerful currency in the pundit economy. Reporters and consultants trade generalizations like legal tender in their political commentary. Unfortunately, some of their factual coinage turns out to be counterfeit.

As this election year unfolds, it's helpful to separate myth from fact. Much of what we think we know — and that which gets repeated as gospel in explaining election results — turns out to be apocryphal.

Those are the main conclusions from an insightful new book titled, "Unconventional Wisdom — Facts and Myths About AmericanVoters," by political scientists Karen M. Kaufman, John R. Petrocik and Daron R. Shaw. Reading this book will help anyone interested in understanding the 2008 election, avoid common pitfalls in political interpretation that are perpetuated by the absence of rigorous analysis.

The Incredibles

The most glaring difference one sees when comparing the two companies is the attitude and execution of their labor practices.

The average hourly wage of a Wal-Mart employee is $9.68, while the average hourly pay of a Costco employee is $16. The average Costco employee makes over $40,000 after working there for three years, at which point Costco is also paying for over 90 percent of the employee's health insurance.

One almost wonders how such a generous company stays in business. The management of the company has stated again and again, however, that treating their workers well is not altruistic, but simply good business, and it would appear that they're right: Relative to the amount of revenue pulled in by each company, just under 10 percent of Costco's money goes toward paying its workers, while Wal-Mart ends up spending about 17 percent.

Improving

Mangrove snapper fishing is improving - Bradenton Herald
Bait fish in the bays of the Manatee/Sarasota area are about as thick as I have ever seen in recent memory. The bulk of the action continues to be mangrove snapper, trout and redfish, but there are also some Spanish mackerel, flounder, bluefish

The candidates' positions on energy policy - Detroit Free Press
• Expand offshore oil and natural gas production. • Offer tax credits for zero- and low-emission cars and a $300-million prize for breakthrough battery development; enforce CAFE standards; support flex-fuel vehicles and alcohol-based fuels

Credit card debt rates high on list of taboo subjects - Chicago Tribune
T alk about taboo subjects. It seems most Americans would rather discuss their love lives with somebody they just met than how much they owe on their credit cards. They would also rather talk about their salaries, mortgage or rent payments, health

Very little concern for Business or Citizens

The take or leave it attitude of the government will continue to prevail and will not change until civil society and the business community can translate their call into action plans and assert themselves which can then impact the government and the opposition in some form which would then force them to view their demands constructively. The great Aristotle once observed that no state would be well administered unless and until civil society holds sway. This is very true in Sri Lanka and in many developing countries. People elect leaders for five to six years, watch in silence while they do what they desire for that period, and then attempt to throw them out in disgust and hope for better options at election times. This attitude of electing a dictatorship for six years is not the essence of democracy.

BODYBUILDING: Falls' Primareno flexes at states

For that, he thanks girlfriend Jill Fiocco, who prepared his meals, kept him company during cardio sessions and helped him keep a positive attitude."I also can't thank my brother enough," he said.About 18 months ago, Primerano left his job as a customs broker at FedEx to join his brother in the fitness industry. He now has more than 50 clients, and begins his 10-hour days at Summit Fitness at 5:30 a.m."It doesn't feel like work," Primerano said, adding that competing helps him do his job."In this business, it's very important to practice what you preach. If they see you could diet down, that gives them the inspiration to work harder at their diet and training regimen."Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.

- Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.

Spiritual mothering

Out of "tough love" she decided to send Nicole to a camp for attitude adjustment.

"There is a fine line between equanimity and coldness," she noted. "But out of love, you need to do what we have to do to instil strong discipline with loving support.

"Back then, I lit a candle each night when not having control to remind myself that I'm here for now, and to hold on to love as a mother, knowing that nothing can change that love."

While a spiritual practice can help a mother calmly cope with the child's teenage angst, sports, music, any forms of passions will provide some discipline, which will help them through to adulthood against negative peer pressure and media influences, she advised.

"Remember, the child learns from who you are.

No piece of her soul lost: Survivor of breast cancer shares story

When she shares her story, as she did Saturday, her main message is to keep a positive attitude and live in the moment because that's what kept her fighting, she said. Also, she said to “know your body" and communicate with doctors. Covington had to convince nurses and doctors to pay attention to her concerns following a breast self-exam, she said.

The tea is a celebration of survivors and a good opportunity to educate people about early detection, said Judy Hollingshead, chair of the tea party, LMH nurse and a breast cancer survivor.

“I don't think a diagnosis of breast cancer is a death sentence, and not too many years ago, that was how it was viewed," she said.

The tea party also turned into a hat party of sorts this year. Women were invited to wear outrageous hats, which included a jungle-themed hat and Covington's black top hat with a pink “Cancer Sucks" button.

Change

CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH THE PROFESSOR OF FOOD - Daily Express
MARK Peters says: “My wife calls me the Combination King.” He’s the manager of a radio station in Ely, Cambridgeshire (as well as the presenter of its breakfast show) and enthusiastically open about the varied failures of his adventures in the

July 2007 - Weekly Standard
Milblogger Matt Sanchez is currently at FOB Falcon and has been asking questions at the base about Scotty Beauchamp, whose stories for the New Republic are being investigated by both the Army and the editors at TNR. Sanchez reports : Despite a full

Obama's Abstract Patriotism - American Thinker
When Barack Obama gave a speech on patriotism, he equated patriotism with the abstract concepts of "sacrifice" and "service to a larger cause." Senator Obama does not understand what patriotism is -- or how it works. A couple of political flubs

Husband should not get pushy with ex

A: You're losing hope, which is affecting your attitude and bound also to affect your approach.

And on your attitude: please stop trying to pigeonhole women to explain why you haven't clicked with some.

Few women are foolish enough to be waiting for the mythical Mr. Big of Sex and the City to come along. Far more know there's more immediate value in finding a good guy with a big heart; they just have to recognize him. That's where your approach matters.

Get outside your parents' home and your circle of mocking acquaintances to places where you can meet new, caring friends – male and female – who share your interests.

Start with your faith community, your community centre, and any activity group that draws you. Be open, friendly and don't push for dates too soon.

Author gets inside look at Broncos

Tackle P.J. Alexander tries to overcome injuries with sheer will and attitude. Kicker Jason Elam is the consummate professional: proficient in his work, amiable and squeaky-clean decent. Tight end Nate Jackson, safety Nick Ferguson and fullback Kyle Johnson are thoughtful, intelligent, philosophical realists.

The media rarely, if ever, get the kind of access the Broncos gave Fatsis, and Fatsis gives depth to players who are usually known only superficially by even the most devoted fans. And he answers the book's biggest question: If playing football is willfully subjecting oneself to the militaristic, joyless, dangerous life that is the NFL, why would anyone do it - other than the fact that the average player makes $2 million a year? Part of the answer is the same reason Fatsis tried out: They are irrationally hopeful.

Teachers connecting with students key to success

This contributes to poor motivation and low self-esteem. Consequently, many students don't care because nobody else cares.

During my early years of teaching, this was very evident. I decided to attend a conference in an effort to learn how to connect with poor-performing students. This was the most interesting, informative, exciting conference I could have ever attended. A brilliant social scientist by the name of Constance Dembrosky opened my eyes to how and why we must connect with students as teachers/mentors.

Upon returning to Hueneme High the next Monday, I stood at my classroom door shaking hands and greeting my students as they entered. From that day on, I slowly incorporated the techniques I had learned. The relationship between my students and me became clear and the performance of the class improved.

A positive attitude to risk is vital

In each of these examples innovation in new technologies, products and processes is combined with radical change to a business model and novel market positioning. Not easy, but transformational if you can pull it off.

A recent report by the CBI and QinetiQ found that company culture and market forces are the two main drivers of innovation in the services sector. Having a positive attitude to creativity, risk and failure is vital, and firms that are always willing to learn are also the ones most likely to succeed.

Culture is a real challenge facing many organisations, and service innovators place a strong emphasis on creating the right environment for innovation and risk. But the approaches to this are diverse, from focusing on innovation and service improvement targets, to being more relaxed about these while making the company one of the best places to work.

Del Valle grad signs with Wylie College

It was that kind of unselfish attitude that Del Valle baseball coach O'Neill Sanchez said helped Melendez become one of the team's leaders -- something he also did by example.

"Basically, because of his work ethic and his leadership abilities," Sanchez said of why his player earned a scholarship. "We don't have a team captain per se, but he was a guy who stirred the drink for us."

Melendez, a first baseman and pitcher, hit .389 as a senior with five home runs, 20 runs and 21 RBIs. He also had a 5-3 record as a right-handed pitcher with 42 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA.

Asked if a scholarship was a goal, Melendez said yes.

"Probably since my junior year, when I started playing more and got more confidence," he said. "But I just played my game and had fun my senior year.

"I worked hard, and it did pay off.



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