"VALERIS: You knew? ...I tried to tell you but you would not listen. SPOCK: Neither of us was hearing very well that night, Lieutenant. There were things I tried to tell you, about having faith." Movie Transcipt, Star Trek VI

I either hear bells ringing or I'm still a little disoriented from the weekend. The good news is that I am here and I bid you a seasonal happy hello on this Monday, December 9, 2013. Do you know how much it pays to be able to say you were right about something? Nada. Zilch. Zero. But, the truth is the truth, and I did send a letter 10 years ago to the Houston Chronicle before I cancelled my more than 20 year subscription telling them why I was quitting. That letter said if I wanted a left leaning liberal reporting of the news then I was well aware of how to subscribe to the New York Times. This change in perspective all happened when the paper changed hands. Back at that time the Chronicle was in the top 5 newspapers in the country. Today it's distribution count puts it at 22. The 4th largest city in America with a circulation tally of being 22nd. Why? There were then and are now still a large number of conservatives in the Houston metro-plex and surrounding areas, and obviously many of them did what I did, they cancelled. Sure. I know that most printed newspapers are in deep free fall. But, from top 5 to 22? I tried to tell them. I really did.

When I left the big company in 1993 I had given up trying to figure out a way to salute a flag that compromised everything I believed in as it relates to technology and its use in our enterprise. I tried to tell them. They adopted a throw out the baby with the bathwater approach and while it wasn't immediate, the end result saw the end of the careers of those who led that effort. Sadly, it was symptomatic of even larger issues that came to fruition, and, today the once proud company I poured my life into remains as only a brand instead of the multi-billion dollar corporation it was before. Sure. I'm glad that a super mega company bought out what was left including my pension. And, I feel blessed indeed when they send my check every month. But, I did try to tell them. I really did.

When I worked as a consultant for a wonderful company in the Chicago area I saw some really serious challenges developing for them. The founder of this huge enterprise died after only a few months of being diagnosed with liver cancer. His young son took over the company. I was essentially a nobody but because of my great respect for his dad I sent his son a letter describing some of the potential pitfalls associated with the directions he was taking. I'm no business guru. But, I was right. After only a few years, another proud company bit the dust. Literally. So much so, it has become a subject of required study in most business school's curriculum. You might think I wrote to them so that I could later be able to say I told you so. How about this? I really cared and I still do. I hurt for those in my old company that ended up losing much of the value of the stock set aside for retirement. I hurt for those in the company I consulted with for 18 months because many of them lost everything including their jobs at a time when finding another one was a grim prospect. And, some there that I worked with who were in key leadership positions are still being sued by various factions for their decisions, nearly 15 years later. I tried to tell them. I really did.

Now I'm going to try and tell you something: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) Take care and may God bless each one is my prayer. Amen.    ....More later.