Deception of the Number Game

I'm going to speak my mind a bit on worldly things, and how I percolated out my own answers. There is a belief that "numbers don't lie," and usually a 2 is a 2. But one can manipulate numbers to support whatever one chooses - make the picture rosier or gloomier. This is a form of deception that is touted as gospel to manipulate the people.

I took accounting, and didn't get my degree only because my advisor failed to notice I had missed 3 credits. The manipulation of numbers showed up in analysis and ratios, the parts 'humans' had a hand in (of course). I would have been good at playing this game, but it left a bad taste in my mouth - I could professionally manipulate numbers and tweak them to reflect positive or negative outcomes on businesses and people's lives... Wasn't sure I'd be proud of the person in the mirror every morning if I pursued a career in it, because it'd be Enron on small-scale.

Ratios - one pulled what numbers would best shine their position and ignored ones that were less so. Easy enough. If a business had a good cash flow but not much inventory and you wanted to make them squirm (say, higher interest loan on new construction), you pulled inventory ratios. If they were pals with the bosses, you polished up the cash flow into a golden picture. -- Is this why there's a clique of 'good old boys' running most towns?

Favorite example: An annual game of baseball was played between two teams, and the winners were delighted. But the losing side came back with a message congratulating their team for losing only one game this season, and condolences for the other team on having only won 'one'.

So in the world today... Cheers are going up because Unemployment Numbers dipped! Unless one looks behind "where these numbers come from." Unemployment itself has a cut-off time, and folks that 'no longer qualify' aren't counted anymore. Unemployment requires job search to qualify - if someone grows discouraged locally and heads to Nevada (foreclosures, anyone?) to seek work and ends up in a tent city... not counted. Folks that are self-employed and struggling are 'not counted' - many in the construction trade locally have worked six weeks in the last year, desperate for work that no longer exists, and are scraping by in a panic.

So - is Unemployment really down? The hard-heads will say, "Go get a job!" Yet in a previous recession, one part-time fry-cook opening at KFC had over 35 applicants. An older construction worker who's never cooked probably won't get the job or be able to support his / her family well if he does. If he doesn't qualify for unemployment and fought to keep his business afloat... He's not even a number?

Other numbers irk me. Today a lawsuit about cigarette smoking killing someone - sue tobacco. What the hell is going to happen if we apply this premise to alcohol, much less donuts or fast food or pop? Logical extension, I can personally have lawsuits against alcohol within the family, pop for dental repair (dentists call it 'coke teeth' when pop eats up enamel), and schools for calling 'ketchup' a vegetable, thereby misleading me into thinking my children were getting healthy lunches.

I don't believe we should be advertising any of these, but bashing one over the other... Yes. I smoke. But I'm not overweight, the new "issue" in America. "Statistically..." whenever there's a statistic, there's highs and lows on each end. Each person is unique - some durned old fools live to be 104, smoking cigars and knocking back a fifth of whiskey daily. One farm couple died before the age of 40 from thyroid cancer 'living a clean life' - didn't smoke or drink and ate their own produce... which was toxic from the corporate farm runoff next door.

Mom died from breast cancer before the age of fifty, and her smoking sister is still with us; I can list a dozen people destroyed by alcohol, and the suffering their families endured. I'm not saying any of these are good or bad or better or worse.

Before we happily bash anyone's choices, we'd do well to examine our own lives. An excellent example of manipulation and deception exists with Aspartame (NutraSweet, etc.). Check out the video "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World" and the political connections that develop halfway through the film. (available online at: www.netflix.com/Movie/Sweet_Misery_A_Poisoned_World/70041888)

This has not only been sold to the public, but continues to deceive; one new aspartame product is being touted as healthy 'with added fiber!' Friggin' nuts. Fluoride was an expensive toxin to get rid of, and was previously used as rat poison. So they chose to make a profit off it by mandatorily dumping it in our water as 'healthy', despite most of it going down the drain, anyway. (Eats pipes, too.) Dozens more of these examples surround us, including gas-guzzling engines and toxic fish in our rivers.

So - what is killing us?

We are...

The Universe Delivers...

Multitasking of late, working into the wee hours on final projects and pondering how to best use the two weeks before more classes start. In my world, 'two weeks' is a pretty good chunk of time. With the blogs from Jim on ceilings, and knowing my desire for finished walls, and fully admitting these ceilings are shot...

So what could I do on a nickel and prayer that'd be worthy for a two-week opening? I was contemplating these things when I took a break from the computer. I was on it until 3 a.m., and back on it at 8 a.m., but satisfied with what I'd gotten done by noon. 'Napping' is a kid's word, so I 'meditate' - by letting my mind roam where it will while my body takes a break.

It wandered to ceilings and walls, took an inventory of what is on hand, pushed the envelope of wacky ideas that may be feasible, and contemplated costs. Then it kicked me back out of bed.

I needed to multitask on some survey work and run through Towne, which had been nibbling in my brain all morning. Stopped by son Matt's to drop off some bread and visited a short time; one question from the 'meditation' was if I could borrow his truck when he takes a vacation. Then I wandered over to my other favorite used shop - recycled construction items and furniture.

The Universe timed it -- as I pulled up, there was a truck and trailer unloading a huge batch of 4-inch thick, 4 foot by 4 foot Styrofoam blocks. I was too dazzled to do Math well, so I asked them to hold 50 of them for me. :)

Then I called Sera for funds to cover it...

My room is 'the addition', which doesn't get full furnace heat or hold it well. I can beef up these walls and do the ceiling! Things are just coming together for it, so -. It'll be interesting? Seriously needs it, and I accept this Window of Opportunity!

- Current class projects will done done tomorrow.
- I can use Matt's truck without inconveniencing him.
- Styrofoam is LIGHT. I can appreciate that!
- Sera and Val will be staying at Matt's, so not home in the chaos for a week.
- Styrofoam is insulating, and I can appreciate that!
- I have some awesome curtains to put up when it's done...

It'll take a bit to get the finish on the inside, I'll have to play with electric outlets and move a lot of stuff around (read: tear the house up), but - it'll end good. One outlet is 'kind of loose' and tends to crackle when I use it, so I'll replace that and run the extra outside light from my room...

Before I start, I'll try to mail out my Christmas letters.

I suspected the shoveling was simply a way of getting me in shape for things to come, and it looks like they're coming! And I'm fully aware this type of product doesn't stay long at the recycling store and doesn't come in often.

This is 'my world'. Sometimes things just happen this way, and today was one of those gifted ones. "Windows" where you least expect them...