Posts
By Bobjohnson
Does your spouse, boy/girlfriend constantly become frustrated with you for the same thing over and over? Does it seem like at any moment the relationship can become a thing of the past? How many of you feel like she is NEVER satisfied or he is too PARANOID? Do you hear comments like, “Right now I don’t care what happens,” or “If you would have just paid attention to me…?”
This is all too common and can happen when a person enters into a relationship with issues and too much baggage. These problems are caused by failing to properly heal and will weigh the relationship down. Some people need to get PROFESSIONAL help before they enter into a new relationship. If not, they end up wasting the other persons time by forcing them to deal with unhealed pain and hurt from the previous relationship, and this is a selfish act.
ALL hurt should be dealt with on a professional level. Many people don’t seek therapy because they are ashamed or they can’t afford it, but traditionalism (if that’s a word) is slowly taking a back seat to the new ways of doing things. There are plenty of ways to get help. For instance, books are a great self help tool. If you are a reader you can find comfort and help in a book. Psychiatrists and other professional advisors are also authors. If you plan to take this route, make sure the book is one that is not biased. You want to read a book that present FACTS and explains the pros and cons of every solution.
Another thing you can do is TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for the part YOU played in the failing of the last relations and CHANGE. Do some reflecting. Look for what seemed to be the biggest complaint/problem and change it. Don’t change for your ex, change for yourself. Change the things that may affect or threaten your future relationship.
Eating healthier and exercising regularly can be therapy within itself. After a break up many people become emotionally stressed out. Their eating and sleeping habits change as well as their socializing habits. This, if not addressed, can compound the problems brought into the new relationship.
Lastly, DATE! Do you buy the first car you see? NO! Take time to date and have fun. You don’t have to commit to the first person that says kind words to you and getting involved with someone that has a “controlling” issue is trouble. No one owns you and you are free to date whoever you want. Never get involved with someone that wants you to get rid of your other friends.
When entering into a new relationship, take time to get to know the other person. Don’t simply rush into it because you have these warm fuzzy feelings. Warm fuzzy feelings come with anything new and soon WEAR OFF! When these feelings wear off you find that you are in a relationship with a person who you are not as compatible with as you thought.
If you just got out of another relationship, you may feel that you have to settle for the one you are in now until you find something better or simply because you are afraid to be by yourself. This is a selfish act. You are not only wasting someone else’s valuable time, you are cheating yourself.
If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Listen up writers, publishers and future authors. Today I will share with you information that will help you along your way to becoming published authors.
The first thing need to do is COPYRIGHT YOUR MATERIAL. If you have ever seen the movie "Secret Window" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363988/plotsummary starring Johnny Depp, you would know why this is important. Also NEVER send an original copy to ANYONE!
One of the most important things you have to do in order to be published with a major publishing house is to FIND an AGENT. Most major publishing houses will not even read your material if it is not delivered through an agent. A quick Google search should point you in the right direction. A legitimate agent will not charge you any money upfront. Nine out of ten manuscripts will be rejected, don't get discouraged! Instead, make sure your manuscript is sent to different publishing houses. Publishers have an overload of manuscripts, posibly into the thousands, sent to them daily.
If you wish to do your own publishing, Desktop publishing is especially for you. There are many websites that can help you do this. One thing to consider is you may need $3,000-$4,000 seed money. These site let you send in your manuscript and they put it together in book format and print it for you. Some will do minor editing and/or cover design for an additional fee.
After publishing your work you will need to promote it. Barnes and Nobles is a pretty good place for this. Call them and set up a book signing. Also join book clubs. Contact book clubs and libraries to set-up book signings. If your book is geared towards a paticular subject like religion or fitness you may want to have a book signing at a church or a fitness center. If your self published book starts gaining attention, the big companies will come to you, or you could just send your book to Oprah. (Don't even think about it because she has an agent that screens everything that is sent so there is a good chance that she will never see it)
Here are a few other helpful tips:
• Ask college students and professors for help
• It helps if you are already published in magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.
• Never let family and friends read your work if you want real feedback
• If approached by a major publishing company, negotiate value and price (try to get royalties, majors usually offer one flat price and offer no royalties)
• Look into foreign markets (if it is a cultural book it may stimulate others to read)
• Children’s literature is in high demand (remember you will need a good artist)
The last thing to take into consideration, especially if you are self publishing, TITLES SELL! Try to capture the reader’s attention with a great title. Many readers have a short attention span, so if your title is too long or boring, they will not give it a chance. What title catches your eye: "The incarceration of the late great honorable Reverend Smith" or "Preaching from Prison?"
The first thing need to do is COPYRIGHT YOUR MATERIAL. If you have ever seen the movie "Secret Window" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363988/plotsummary starring Johnny Depp, you would know why this is important. Also NEVER send an original copy to ANYONE!
One of the most important things you have to do in order to be published with a major publishing house is to FIND an AGENT. Most major publishing houses will not even read your material if it is not delivered through an agent. A quick Google search should point you in the right direction. A legitimate agent will not charge you any money upfront. Nine out of ten manuscripts will be rejected, don't get discouraged! Instead, make sure your manuscript is sent to different publishing houses. Publishers have an overload of manuscripts, posibly into the thousands, sent to them daily.
If you wish to do your own publishing, Desktop publishing is especially for you. There are many websites that can help you do this. One thing to consider is you may need $3,000-$4,000 seed money. These site let you send in your manuscript and they put it together in book format and print it for you. Some will do minor editing and/or cover design for an additional fee.
After publishing your work you will need to promote it. Barnes and Nobles is a pretty good place for this. Call them and set up a book signing. Also join book clubs. Contact book clubs and libraries to set-up book signings. If your book is geared towards a paticular subject like religion or fitness you may want to have a book signing at a church or a fitness center. If your self published book starts gaining attention, the big companies will come to you, or you could just send your book to Oprah. (Don't even think about it because she has an agent that screens everything that is sent so there is a good chance that she will never see it)
Here are a few other helpful tips:
• Ask college students and professors for help
• It helps if you are already published in magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.
• Never let family and friends read your work if you want real feedback
• If approached by a major publishing company, negotiate value and price (try to get royalties, majors usually offer one flat price and offer no royalties)
• Look into foreign markets (if it is a cultural book it may stimulate others to read)
• Children’s literature is in high demand (remember you will need a good artist)
The last thing to take into consideration, especially if you are self publishing, TITLES SELL! Try to capture the reader’s attention with a great title. Many readers have a short attention span, so if your title is too long or boring, they will not give it a chance. What title catches your eye: "The incarceration of the late great honorable Reverend Smith" or "Preaching from Prison?"
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Weight Loss Formula
By Bobjohnson
I have been on a diet for about the past month. I ate weight watchers and lean cusines for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The reason I picked these entree's is because they were cheap, microwavable, and they displayed the calories in BIG BRIGHT LETTERS on the front of the packages. When I started this diet I weighed in at 200lbs. Today I weighed myself and I was surprised to find that I still weigh 200lbs. I did some research. My research found that my diet was completely wrong.
I did not know that every adult had a different caloric intake depending on weight, size, age, and activity level. I had no idea that I may need a different amount of calories than someone that is older, taller, and weighs less than me.
I found a simple formula, basal metabolic rate, (also known as your BMR) that could help out anyone trying to lose weight. To lose weight you would have to cut or burn extra calories than the results you get from this formula.
66+(6.3x your weight)+(12.9x your height)-(6.8x your age)= your BMR
I will use myself as an example.
I weigh 200lbs, 5'4" tall, and 33 years old. The formula would work like this:
66+(6.3x200)=1260+(12.9x64inches)=825.6-(6.8x33)=224.4
So my BMR is 1927.4.
But there is one more step left. The BMR has to be multiplied by your activity level:
If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent
Add this number to your BMR for a total.
I am lightly active so I will take 1927.4 and times it by 30%. 1927.4x0.3=2505.1
2505.1 is the number of calories I can eat each day and maintian the weight I am now.
Now remember that evry 3,500 calories is equal to one pound. So if I cut back 500 calories per day I could lose 1lbs per week. If I exercised enough to burn 500 calories per day I could lose 1lbs per week. Now if I did both I could lose 2lbs per week.
It is recommended to shoot for .5-2lbs per week goal. Anything beyond that is less likely to stay off permanently. Also, do not cut back more than 1,200 calories without seeking medical supervision first.
Most experts agree it is easier to exercise the calories off than to cut them out of your diet. I'm not that fond of exercising so I will be doing a combination of both. Just by cutting one soft drink, serving of butter, or unhealthy snack out of your diet will meet the 500 calories quota. Next month I hope to see better results. I hope the same for you as well.
I have been on a diet for about the past month. I ate weight watchers and lean cusines for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The reason I picked these entree's is because they were cheap, microwavable, and they displayed the calories in BIG BRIGHT LETTERS on the front of the packages. When I started this diet I weighed in at 200lbs. Today I weighed myself and I was surprised to find that I still weigh 200lbs. I did some research. My research found that my diet was completely wrong.
I did not know that every adult had a different caloric intake depending on weight, size, age, and activity level. I had no idea that I may need a different amount of calories than someone that is older, taller, and weighs less than me.
I found a simple formula, basal metabolic rate, (also known as your BMR) that could help out anyone trying to lose weight. To lose weight you would have to cut or burn extra calories than the results you get from this formula.
66+(6.3x your weight)+(12.9x your height)-(6.8x your age)= your BMR
I will use myself as an example.
I weigh 200lbs, 5'4" tall, and 33 years old. The formula would work like this:
66+(6.3x200)=1260+(12.9x64inches)=825.6-(6.8x33)=224.4
So my BMR is 1927.4.
But there is one more step left. The BMR has to be multiplied by your activity level:
If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent
Add this number to your BMR for a total.
I am lightly active so I will take 1927.4 and times it by 30%. 1927.4x0.3=2505.1
2505.1 is the number of calories I can eat each day and maintian the weight I am now.
Now remember that evry 3,500 calories is equal to one pound. So if I cut back 500 calories per day I could lose 1lbs per week. If I exercised enough to burn 500 calories per day I could lose 1lbs per week. Now if I did both I could lose 2lbs per week.
It is recommended to shoot for .5-2lbs per week goal. Anything beyond that is less likely to stay off permanently. Also, do not cut back more than 1,200 calories without seeking medical supervision first.
Most experts agree it is easier to exercise the calories off than to cut them out of your diet. I'm not that fond of exercising so I will be doing a combination of both. Just by cutting one soft drink, serving of butter, or unhealthy snack out of your diet will meet the 500 calories quota. Next month I hope to see better results. I hope the same for you as well.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Blogging
By Bobjohnson (1word).
Once upon a time a long, long time ago, actually less than 10 years ago, journalists had to get big fancy degrees just to be able to publish their works in a magazine or newspaper. Today however, it is much easier. With newspapers being placed on life support and many publications going online, the future of print media is uncertain. And although this may be a bad thing for the print media industry, it is a great thing for aspiring journalists. Blogs are a great tool for an ametuer journalist to build a professional portfolio. The purpose of blogs vary from personal diaries, journals, collection of links, to breaking news and political soapboxes.
Most blogs are free. To start use sites like: Livejournal, Blogger, Wordpress, and Blogspot. These site are user friendly and will have your blog up and running in about 3 minutes. Once started, you can blog about anything you like. As a blogger you can blog about anything from your pets and hobbies to politics and sports. If the blog is being used to build a proffesional portfolio you should remember to not mix business with pleasure. For example, if your blog main focus is on sports, a random blog about you pets should not be posted unless your pets play sports.
After starting your blog it is time to promote it. Social sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are perfect for this. Some bloggers even "take it to the streets" literally by printing flyers and attaching their blogs to events. Another good way is to use your blog's address as a signature link in you emails or texts.
After doing all of the above things it is time to protect your investment. After gaining a nice readership you have to keep your content fresh. Readers have short attention spans and will quickly forget about your blog if you don't update often. Once per day is recommended but do not go longer than a week without an update. Updating your blog is very easy with the technology that is available today. If you don't own a computer, don't worry, you can update your blog from your phone (trust me, I created this entire post from my phone).
Use this information to see if blogging is for you.
There is no need to use a paid blogsite when you can do it for free. If your blog is successful and you want to turn it into a website then you can use a paid site. Until then, enjoy the free sites and remember to send me a link to your blog so I can follow you.
Once upon a time a long, long time ago, actually less than 10 years ago, journalists had to get big fancy degrees just to be able to publish their works in a magazine or newspaper. Today however, it is much easier. With newspapers being placed on life support and many publications going online, the future of print media is uncertain. And although this may be a bad thing for the print media industry, it is a great thing for aspiring journalists. Blogs are a great tool for an ametuer journalist to build a professional portfolio. The purpose of blogs vary from personal diaries, journals, collection of links, to breaking news and political soapboxes.
Most blogs are free. To start use sites like: Livejournal, Blogger, Wordpress, and Blogspot. These site are user friendly and will have your blog up and running in about 3 minutes. Once started, you can blog about anything you like. As a blogger you can blog about anything from your pets and hobbies to politics and sports. If the blog is being used to build a proffesional portfolio you should remember to not mix business with pleasure. For example, if your blog main focus is on sports, a random blog about you pets should not be posted unless your pets play sports.
After starting your blog it is time to promote it. Social sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are perfect for this. Some bloggers even "take it to the streets" literally by printing flyers and attaching their blogs to events. Another good way is to use your blog's address as a signature link in you emails or texts.
After doing all of the above things it is time to protect your investment. After gaining a nice readership you have to keep your content fresh. Readers have short attention spans and will quickly forget about your blog if you don't update often. Once per day is recommended but do not go longer than a week without an update. Updating your blog is very easy with the technology that is available today. If you don't own a computer, don't worry, you can update your blog from your phone (trust me, I created this entire post from my phone).
Use this information to see if blogging is for you.
There is no need to use a paid blogsite when you can do it for free. If your blog is successful and you want to turn it into a website then you can use a paid site. Until then, enjoy the free sites and remember to send me a link to your blog so I can follow you.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
BREAKFAST WARS
By Bobjohnson
Is it me or are the fast food restaurants stuck in a breakfast war? Not only the fast food restaurants, but places like Denny’s and IHop. I noticed this last month while out to eat at Denny’s. They are now offering unlimited pancakes with any item costing $2.50 or more. SO I can now go into Denny’s and buy a side of sausage and eat all of the pancakes I want.
Then there’s Subway. They started opening at 5am just to jump into the breakfast game. They now serve an english muffin breakfast sandwich that can also be ordered on flatbread. For a limited time, Subway is offering their breakfast for only $2.50.
Not to be outdone, The King has a commercial where he breaks into McDonalds and steals their breakfast sandwich and sells it at Burger King for only $1. I am very interested in seeing how McDonalds, the marketing KINGS, will respond.
The only thing I’m waiting on now is for Taco Bell to unveil a breakfast burrito. Wait a minute, McDonalds beat them to it already, but I don’t think Taco Bell is cares about jackin’ someone else’s technique (remember the drive thru diet)?
I think this new breakfast war is an attempt to reach a new generation of morning consumers. With the collapse of the auto industry, many third shift workers are adjusting to just waking up during breakfast time as opposed to just going to sleep. Others are out on the job hunt everyday and although the likely hood of an unemployed person stopping into a restaurant for breakfast is low, I do feel these restaurants have a great advantage with the affordable deals they are offering.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Make sure you check those cellphones parents!
COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK TO SEE THE VIDEO!
http://www.wnem.com/video/22772581/
http://www.wnem.com/video/22772581/
Friday, April 2, 2010
Man Suspected Of Stealing Panties Faces Judge
Hearing Held In Case Against Saginaw Township's Jayson Berden
POSTED: 4:21 pm EDT April 1,2010
UPDATED: 4:49 pm EDT April 1,2010
facebookdel.icio.usbuzzdiggreddit›› Email›› PrintSAGINAW, Mich. -- A man suspected of breaking into a home in Saginaw County and stealing a woman’s pair of pink panties faced a judge Thursday.
When the Lawndale Estates homeowner arrived at her residence, she called police after hearing someone rustling around in her daughter’s bedroom.
After authorities arrived, they said they found Jayson Berden, 34, of Saginaw Township, hiding in a neighbor’s bushes without pants on and holding a pair of woman’s underwear.
Investigators said the 24-year-old owner of the undergarments apparently knew the suspect through an ex-boyfriend.
Berden is charged with first-degree home invasion, resisting arrest and causing injury to an officer. E-mail news tips to WNEM TV5, or dial 989-758-2044
Copyright 2010 by WNEM.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
If you care about the kids, DON'T READ THIS!!!
This is a venting session! Pay no attention to the typo’s and/or grammatical errors. Please pay attention to the message.
Today I was saddened to find out that I will no longer be a mentor through the M.O.S.T.S. (Mentoring One Student To Succeed) program that is in place at a couple of elementary schools in the Saginaw school district. After running a background check (everyone who knows me knows I have nothing to hide) they determined that since I have a felony, I can’t mentor in the schools. I do have some serious charges (drugs and guns from March 2008) but nothing that I feel will have an effect on me mentoring a child. Our children, especially the young males, are in need of some very positive role models in their lives. In a time where CHILDREN, GIRLS, and INOCCENT bystanders are being gunned down, where youth are being sent to prisons in alarming numbers, there is no time better than now to start taking an interest in our younger generation’s lives.
The funny part is that I was one of only a few MEN mentors. The school that I mentored at asked me to find more MALE mentors because they were lacking positive MALE role models.
The sad part about it is is, I have been mentoring this one little guy for about a month and I am going to really miss him and his tales about the Ferrari he drives to school everyday. The Ferrari that seemed to be a different color every week. The same Ferrari that was mysteriously stolen last week when he was supposed to let me drive it.
Tuesday was my last day and since my little friend was sick, he did not come to my session that day. Next week he will be bright eyed and smiling as usual as he comes in looking for me and to his dissapointment I will not be there. Wow! I did not even get a chance to say “good-bye!” I remember him telling me how his Dad moved away and never told him “good-bye” either. I remember telling him that I will be there every Tuesday and one day I will even be able to come to some of his basketball games. Now I am just another broken promise to this liitle guy.
Sometimes I wonder who the directors of these so called “mentor” programs are? Are they doing it to look good. Can they even relate to these kids themselves? “Mentor” and “mentor programs” seem to be VERY popular lately. I would hate to think that there are people out here that are establishing these programs, that look good on paper, for the MONEY.
I understand that the we need to protect our children at all costs and be careful of the company we allow around them, but damn, is it necessary to cut off the arm for something the finger did?
Just my opinion,
Bobjohnson.
Today I was saddened to find out that I will no longer be a mentor through the M.O.S.T.S. (Mentoring One Student To Succeed) program that is in place at a couple of elementary schools in the Saginaw school district. After running a background check (everyone who knows me knows I have nothing to hide) they determined that since I have a felony, I can’t mentor in the schools. I do have some serious charges (drugs and guns from March 2008) but nothing that I feel will have an effect on me mentoring a child. Our children, especially the young males, are in need of some very positive role models in their lives. In a time where CHILDREN, GIRLS, and INOCCENT bystanders are being gunned down, where youth are being sent to prisons in alarming numbers, there is no time better than now to start taking an interest in our younger generation’s lives.
The funny part is that I was one of only a few MEN mentors. The school that I mentored at asked me to find more MALE mentors because they were lacking positive MALE role models.
The sad part about it is is, I have been mentoring this one little guy for about a month and I am going to really miss him and his tales about the Ferrari he drives to school everyday. The Ferrari that seemed to be a different color every week. The same Ferrari that was mysteriously stolen last week when he was supposed to let me drive it.
Tuesday was my last day and since my little friend was sick, he did not come to my session that day. Next week he will be bright eyed and smiling as usual as he comes in looking for me and to his dissapointment I will not be there. Wow! I did not even get a chance to say “good-bye!” I remember him telling me how his Dad moved away and never told him “good-bye” either. I remember telling him that I will be there every Tuesday and one day I will even be able to come to some of his basketball games. Now I am just another broken promise to this liitle guy.
Sometimes I wonder who the directors of these so called “mentor” programs are? Are they doing it to look good. Can they even relate to these kids themselves? “Mentor” and “mentor programs” seem to be VERY popular lately. I would hate to think that there are people out here that are establishing these programs, that look good on paper, for the MONEY.
I understand that the we need to protect our children at all costs and be careful of the company we allow around them, but damn, is it necessary to cut off the arm for something the finger did?
Just my opinion,
Bobjohnson.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Saginaw is on Fire!
By Bobjohnson
February 1, marked a day of diologue that will begin to change Saginaw. I had the honor of serving on a panel with distinguished leaders including former Saginaw Mayor Joyce Seals, Saginaw Mayor Pro-tem Amos O’Neal, 70th District Judge M.T. Thompson, Saginaw Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas, B.V. police Chief Brian Booker, Buena Vista Police Chief Gerald Cliff, and Pastor Larry Camel.
This panel discussion was sparked from the now-infamous Jan. 15 comic strip in the Delta Collegiate which painted Saginaw in a negative light. The strip was part of a news package about the fact that for the sixth time, Saginaw ranks as the most violent city per capita according to the FBI.
While the comic was the impetus for the discussion, the mail focus was this: Violence that plagues our city. How can we fix our image?
Now Saginaw is not by far as violent as cities like Chicago, Miami, or Compton, but for a city of its size, it is pretty violent. But part of the problem with the FBI ranking is numbers. Despite a decline in population, crime stats have stayed the same. Say, for example, twenty-five violent crimes are committed in a neighborhood of one hundred people. Then fifty people move away. The chance of becoming a victim has gone from 25 percent to 50 percent pretty fast.
And there’s a trickle down. As a result of the 50 people moving away, houses are abandoned. Property is not maintained. These houses become hubs for crime. Then, when images of these unkept properties are on the news at the scene of the latest shooting, outsiders develop a negative perception of all of Saginaw.
Run a Google search on Saginaw images and one of the first things you will see is a smoking pistol and bullet holes on a sign that reads: Come back to Saginaw, we missed you the first time. The new name for Saginaw that I hear often on campus is “Sag-dad” referring to Bagdhad- the violently large city in Iraq. So not only do we have a violence problem, we also have an image problem.
While we have law enforcement officials and community leaders working on the violence problem, who do we have working on Saginaw’s image? How can we attract and retain people in a city with fewer employment opportunities than ten years ago? How do we attract employers to a town where factory owners on the local news threaten to relocate their business because of stray bullets striking employee vehicles?
I don’t have a solution to the image problem, but I can offer some suggestions. First, we have way too many meetings. Townhall discussions, panel discussions, protests, and marches, but no action or real solutions. We rush to throw together things that look good on camera or makes for a nice write up in the local paper, but there’s no follow up to see what progress was made.
I suggest that before we hold these big meetings and discussions, we find ways to fix the problem and then introduce solutions. This is the part where we hold everyone accountable. We make everyone a part of the problem-solving process.
I suggest that we educate our community on the importance of helping out and giving back to our city. I’m not talking about requiring high school seniors to do X amount of community service hours in order to graduate. I’m talking about starting a campaign as strong as the “Going Green” or the anti-tobacco “Truth” campaign. We want our residents to be proud of Saginaw. The only way to do that is to educate them on the benefits and consequences of a healthy community.
The last thing that I suggest is ownership. We are more likely to take a better care of things that we have a vested interest in. Think about it, who is more likely to take care of their home, a renter or an owner? Saginaw is our home and if we don’t feel ownership, we won’t care about the present or future state of our city – and our region.
Surrounding counties should also be taking notes. I am reminded of an analogy given by Judge M.T. Thompson. Thompson told of a house burning and the neighbor decided not to call 911. He assumed the house was burning because someone was inside smoking crack. What the neighbor did not realize is that while the house was burning the wind was also blowing- towards his house.
The moral of the story is: if Bay City, Midland, and other counties don’t get involved in the solution side of Saginaw’s problem, it won’t be long before it spreads to them. Same as Detroit’s problems have spread to Flint and Saginaw.
A follow up panel discussion is tentatively planned for April 23. The theme of this panel discussion will be “Future or Next Generation.” I feel this will be an exciting panel as well and I am eager to see what some of our “future/next generation leaders” are proposing to do about our problems in Saginaw. All of the former panelists are invited to attend. We also hope to add a younger more diverse set of panelists on stage. Watch for more information on this event. In advance, start thinking: What can I do?
(This column will run in the Delta College Collegiate Friday Feb. 26)
February 1, marked a day of diologue that will begin to change Saginaw. I had the honor of serving on a panel with distinguished leaders including former Saginaw Mayor Joyce Seals, Saginaw Mayor Pro-tem Amos O’Neal, 70th District Judge M.T. Thompson, Saginaw Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas, B.V. police Chief Brian Booker, Buena Vista Police Chief Gerald Cliff, and Pastor Larry Camel.
This panel discussion was sparked from the now-infamous Jan. 15 comic strip in the Delta Collegiate which painted Saginaw in a negative light. The strip was part of a news package about the fact that for the sixth time, Saginaw ranks as the most violent city per capita according to the FBI.
While the comic was the impetus for the discussion, the mail focus was this: Violence that plagues our city. How can we fix our image?
Now Saginaw is not by far as violent as cities like Chicago, Miami, or Compton, but for a city of its size, it is pretty violent. But part of the problem with the FBI ranking is numbers. Despite a decline in population, crime stats have stayed the same. Say, for example, twenty-five violent crimes are committed in a neighborhood of one hundred people. Then fifty people move away. The chance of becoming a victim has gone from 25 percent to 50 percent pretty fast.
And there’s a trickle down. As a result of the 50 people moving away, houses are abandoned. Property is not maintained. These houses become hubs for crime. Then, when images of these unkept properties are on the news at the scene of the latest shooting, outsiders develop a negative perception of all of Saginaw.
Run a Google search on Saginaw images and one of the first things you will see is a smoking pistol and bullet holes on a sign that reads: Come back to Saginaw, we missed you the first time. The new name for Saginaw that I hear often on campus is “Sag-dad” referring to Bagdhad- the violently large city in Iraq. So not only do we have a violence problem, we also have an image problem.
While we have law enforcement officials and community leaders working on the violence problem, who do we have working on Saginaw’s image? How can we attract and retain people in a city with fewer employment opportunities than ten years ago? How do we attract employers to a town where factory owners on the local news threaten to relocate their business because of stray bullets striking employee vehicles?
I don’t have a solution to the image problem, but I can offer some suggestions. First, we have way too many meetings. Townhall discussions, panel discussions, protests, and marches, but no action or real solutions. We rush to throw together things that look good on camera or makes for a nice write up in the local paper, but there’s no follow up to see what progress was made.
I suggest that before we hold these big meetings and discussions, we find ways to fix the problem and then introduce solutions. This is the part where we hold everyone accountable. We make everyone a part of the problem-solving process.
I suggest that we educate our community on the importance of helping out and giving back to our city. I’m not talking about requiring high school seniors to do X amount of community service hours in order to graduate. I’m talking about starting a campaign as strong as the “Going Green” or the anti-tobacco “Truth” campaign. We want our residents to be proud of Saginaw. The only way to do that is to educate them on the benefits and consequences of a healthy community.
The last thing that I suggest is ownership. We are more likely to take a better care of things that we have a vested interest in. Think about it, who is more likely to take care of their home, a renter or an owner? Saginaw is our home and if we don’t feel ownership, we won’t care about the present or future state of our city – and our region.
Surrounding counties should also be taking notes. I am reminded of an analogy given by Judge M.T. Thompson. Thompson told of a house burning and the neighbor decided not to call 911. He assumed the house was burning because someone was inside smoking crack. What the neighbor did not realize is that while the house was burning the wind was also blowing- towards his house.
The moral of the story is: if Bay City, Midland, and other counties don’t get involved in the solution side of Saginaw’s problem, it won’t be long before it spreads to them. Same as Detroit’s problems have spread to Flint and Saginaw.
A follow up panel discussion is tentatively planned for April 23. The theme of this panel discussion will be “Future or Next Generation.” I feel this will be an exciting panel as well and I am eager to see what some of our “future/next generation leaders” are proposing to do about our problems in Saginaw. All of the former panelists are invited to attend. We also hope to add a younger more diverse set of panelists on stage. Watch for more information on this event. In advance, start thinking: What can I do?
(This column will run in the Delta College Collegiate Friday Feb. 26)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What is the REAL Problem?
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW
http://www.wnem.com/video/index.html
In My Opinion
By Bobjohnson
In response to the reactions from the comic strip as well as the Violence in Saginaw article, I would like to clear up some things. Before I do I would like to say that I am saddened at the lack of responses I received about the positive things in and around Saginaw. Before I wrote this issue’s article, I went around and asked one simple question: What are some of the positive things about Saginaw? I asked different people but most of them were from Saginaw. Almost no one had anything positive to say. Even the ones that told me to come to them for my next article and they would have all kinds of positive things to say about our city. Well when that day came most of them changed their mind and others did not want to be quoted in the Collegiate. This really upset me because everyone had some really amazing things to say OFF record. SPEAK UP! Don’t talk to deaf ears! This issue of the Collegiate would have been the PERFECT time to express yourself because now we have gained national attention.
Now in response to the comic strip:
First, if a person just reads the comic strip alone it may seem a little raw and distasteful. But the comic strip was meant to be read AFTER the front page article. They were a package. Most of those I talked to that took offense said they didn’t read the article first. Then after reading the article they understood the comic – or so they told me.
Secondly, there was a little confusion over whether or not I knew the comic would be published. I knew that the comic strip would run. I was unsure exactly how, but I knew that something very similar to the original comic would be published. I was not offended by the cartoon although; I can see why some would be. As a result of me being on campus four days out of the week from morning till night I have become used to the way surrounding counties view Saginaw. I take classes with people from small towns that I have never heard. They have never been to Saginaw. Most of them are scared to death of Saginaw. They hear the stories and watch the news. I have been desensitized to the violence because I live here so what is normal to me is not to them. I used to feel offended when they would ask me certain things or assumed certain things. I soon realized that they were asking about the things they see and hear about.
Finally, I have some questions I would like for us (Saginaw residents) to think about. What are we going to do about it? Are we going to stand by and cry about it or will we begin to address the violence problem? Will we spend unnecessary time discussing issues that do not matter or will we actually work on the problem? Do we care about our image in Saginaw? Will we fix our image? Do we want to draw in outsiders? Do we want to continue losing people to other cities and states?
For all of you that live in Saginaw and really love it here, I applaud you. To everyone that has not given up, everyone that tries to make Saginaw a better city, you are my heroes. It hurts me to see the Facebook statuses that read: “I hate it here. I can’t wait until I finish school so I can leave this town!” or “I’m glad I got out, I’m never coming back!” That is a very selfish act to me. This is the city that birthed and educated you. To you I say, “If you are not part of the solution here in Saginaw, you are part of the problem. There is no in between. So if you are part of the problem, we don’t need you anyway!”
http://www.wnem.com/video/index.html
http://www.wnem.com/video/index.html
In My Opinion
By Bobjohnson
In response to the reactions from the comic strip as well as the Violence in Saginaw article, I would like to clear up some things. Before I do I would like to say that I am saddened at the lack of responses I received about the positive things in and around Saginaw. Before I wrote this issue’s article, I went around and asked one simple question: What are some of the positive things about Saginaw? I asked different people but most of them were from Saginaw. Almost no one had anything positive to say. Even the ones that told me to come to them for my next article and they would have all kinds of positive things to say about our city. Well when that day came most of them changed their mind and others did not want to be quoted in the Collegiate. This really upset me because everyone had some really amazing things to say OFF record. SPEAK UP! Don’t talk to deaf ears! This issue of the Collegiate would have been the PERFECT time to express yourself because now we have gained national attention.
Now in response to the comic strip:
First, if a person just reads the comic strip alone it may seem a little raw and distasteful. But the comic strip was meant to be read AFTER the front page article. They were a package. Most of those I talked to that took offense said they didn’t read the article first. Then after reading the article they understood the comic – or so they told me.
Secondly, there was a little confusion over whether or not I knew the comic would be published. I knew that the comic strip would run. I was unsure exactly how, but I knew that something very similar to the original comic would be published. I was not offended by the cartoon although; I can see why some would be. As a result of me being on campus four days out of the week from morning till night I have become used to the way surrounding counties view Saginaw. I take classes with people from small towns that I have never heard. They have never been to Saginaw. Most of them are scared to death of Saginaw. They hear the stories and watch the news. I have been desensitized to the violence because I live here so what is normal to me is not to them. I used to feel offended when they would ask me certain things or assumed certain things. I soon realized that they were asking about the things they see and hear about.
Finally, I have some questions I would like for us (Saginaw residents) to think about. What are we going to do about it? Are we going to stand by and cry about it or will we begin to address the violence problem? Will we spend unnecessary time discussing issues that do not matter or will we actually work on the problem? Do we care about our image in Saginaw? Will we fix our image? Do we want to draw in outsiders? Do we want to continue losing people to other cities and states?
For all of you that live in Saginaw and really love it here, I applaud you. To everyone that has not given up, everyone that tries to make Saginaw a better city, you are my heroes. It hurts me to see the Facebook statuses that read: “I hate it here. I can’t wait until I finish school so I can leave this town!” or “I’m glad I got out, I’m never coming back!” That is a very selfish act to me. This is the city that birthed and educated you. To you I say, “If you are not part of the solution here in Saginaw, you are part of the problem. There is no in between. So if you are part of the problem, we don’t need you anyway!”
http://www.wnem.com/video/index.html
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