The Last Dance

For the last six years, I’ve been a very lucky Dad (well ever since my little girl was born I’ve been lucky, to tell you the truth). I have had the pleasure of a unique experience, one only a few Fathers that I know, are fortunate to be a part of. See, she is a dancer and at the yearly recital, I get to go on stage as a member of the Dancin’ Dads and perform with her. But this year has a special meaning as it’s our last dance together.

To me, the Dad’s Dance is a very special event that I took very seriously. All year long, the girls dedicated themselves to learning new moves, becoming more graceful and confident in dance. We Dads have about six weeks to learn a dance and look like we know what we’re doing. The better we look, the more we understood the patience, care, and dedication of the Dance Teachers, (Miss Aimee, Miss Vicki, Miss Jean, and Miss Angela). As “afraid” as we were about screwing up, letting our daughters down was not an option. Sometimes we had to fake it, but we tried our best and gave it all we could.
Of course, being typical Dads, we had a good time. We made smart comments about the songs (country, ugh), hated some of the costumes (like the year we wore disco clothes or danced in boxer shorts), busted each others chops, but we learned the dance, even knowing that as much as the audience loved us, some people didn’t. They felt we took away the girls’ thunder; after all the blood, sweat and tears they put in all year. Or that we didn’t take it seriously. But those people missed the big picture. The members of Dancin’ Dad’s didn’t care if people laughed. We were doing it for our daughters, because they wanted to dance with us.
My daughter loves the performing arts. She has danced for 11 years, sung in two choirs, had roles in three plays and is a member of JITS (Junior International Thespian Society). In the fall, she is going to be a freshman in high school and is planning on joining the Drama Club. With the challenges of going to a new school, the increase in studying, and with drama a 10 month commitment, there isn’t enough time to devote to dance.
I’ll miss Dance. I’ll miss the camaraderie. I’ll miss the practices. I’ll miss the rehearsals (but not the costumes). But most of all, I’ll miss the hours I spent with my little girl, dancing the night away.

Commonly Misused Resume Words

At one point in the interview, you’re going to be asked what your strengths are or for three words that describe you (it’s basically the same question). You blurt out reliable or dependable, hardworking and flexible. Why, because these are the most popular words that people use, they are safe and somewhat descriptive. The interviewer nods their head and you feel like you’ve finally gotten a question right. You gave an honest answer about yourself. But was it the best answer?

Let’s look at the words chosen. Reliable\dependable were the first ones out of your mouth. A car is reliable, a washing machine is dependable. These words are great choices for describing a machine, not a person. A person is responsible. This is a word with meaning and depth. Not only does it imply the reliable\dependable traits you wish to convey, it says you just doesn’t follow instructions, but will take and show initiative. It says you can be trusted, that you care about doing things right, and will take responsibility for what you do. Do you want someone who is dependable or responsible?

Hardworking is another popular phrase that pays. It pops up on resumes and in interview answers all the time. But that is an expectation of job performance. A better term would be diligent. A diligent employee is a hard worker who pays attention to the details of the situation or task. A diligent person uses their mind to solve problems and focuses on the big picture.

Flexible is defined as the ability to change. A better, more accurate term is versatile. Versatility is all about the talent or usefulness of a person, of being able to use all of your skills and abilities to figure out the whys to do more how’s. Simply put, a flexible person is one who is willing to change shifts while a versatile person is able to take on new challenges and opportunities. Versatility has more usefulness to an employer. By choosing words with value, you can stand out in a positive way.

One last example of the importance of choosing the right word is the choice between teacher and trainer. The difference, in a nutshell is you train animals, you teach people. Training is the ability to repeat an action, over and over and over again. Teaching is the building of skills or knowledge and the proper implementation of what was presented. There is a greater wisdom in being taught as opposed to being trained. A teacher is an educator. When taught a new skill, if something happens, you can roll with the changes and develop a proper plan of action. Someone who was trained can only repeat the actions they learned.

By choosing the right words, you can better illustrate why you are the best candidate. It shows you’re not just a doer but a thinker, someone who can make more of a contribution to the growth of an organization. It shows you are responsible, diligent, versatile rather than reliable, hardworking and flexible. So, which words best describe you?

The State Of The Jets

As many of you know, I am a Jets fan. I go back to Super Bowl III when I saw Joe Willie & the Jets beat the Colts for their first and as I’m constantly reminded, only championship. I have followed them for years, with the exception of the Joe Walton & Rich Kotite years (I still shudder at the memory of those pathetically coached teams).

Today, I have heard a HUGE amount of disturbing news about our team. Since trying to make an intelligent point on any Talk Radio in this area is next to impossible, I am left with the best way to have my voice heard, which is my here. So in no particular order, here is my State of The Jets.

Payton Manning as quarterback. NO, as in NFW!!! He had a chance to join the Jets when we had Bill Parcells as coach. He could have come out early and been the #1 pick in the draft. Instead, he said he wanted to return to college and go for the National Championship (we all know how that turned out). So Bill traded the pick to the Rams, who chose Orlando Pace, we picked James Farrier, who was traded to the Steelers. A loss-loss for the Jets as we got nothing in return (2 rings for Farrier, 1 for Pace). So now the cry goes out, get Manning as a Free Agent. #1, he isn’t a Free Agent yet. #2, he’s had 2 neck surgeries in the past year. #3, a quarterback coming off two operations, going behind a suspect line, with a poor excuse for a running game, that’s a sure recipe for success. Personally, Sanchez was anointed too early. He needed to sit behind a good veteran and learn, like Aaron Rogers did. But now that he had 3 seasons of experience behind him, is NOT the time to replace him.

Blame the offense; no let us lay the lost season at the feet of the true culprit, the Defense. Yes, the offense stunk. Most of us sitting on the couch were calling the plays before they were executed. But if the defense makes 1 stop per game, Denver (we got Te-bowed at the end), Giants (Victor Cruz on a 3rd & 10 play), or the Miami 21-play drive (where they were 6 for 6 in 3rd down conversions on that drive), we wouldn’t be having this conversation. It was our vaunted D that let us down. That falls directly in Rex’s lap.

The rest of our offensives woes were because of the flaws in the design of the team and that falls in the lap of Mike Tannenbaum. Left Guard, Right Tackle, Running Backs, the bench, back-up Tight End, these positions needed to be addressed, either in the draft (the best case scenario, or by smart, free agent signings. And TJ Conley, what were you thinking. Yes, Schotty has to go, I agree completely. But to even think of replacing him with Tony Sparano, are you insane! Look at his body of work, Tony Romo (an over-rated, mistake prone, choke-artist, turnover waiting to happen), Chad Pennington (2 surgeries later), Chad Henne 9injury-prone), Matt Moore, none of those offensives run by that group of quarterbacks strike fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators. And Todd Haley as receivers coach, another joke. This is a guy most of his players can’t stand playing for. When he was on Arizona, Antwain Bolden & he had to be separated. The Chief players had a party when he left and they certainly played a lot harder for Romeo.

So what to do? Draft better, which means scout the players properly. For Offensive Coordinator, look at who is sitting behind the Coordinators for the Saints, Packers, 49ers. Or go the college route and hire those coordinators who led their respective teams to blow-out victories by scoring more than 40 points in the Bowl games. Or if you really want to think outside of the box, hire a great former defensive coordinator, one who had to scheme against a high powered offense. Hey, he had to study offense to learn how to beat it, which means he learned a variety of offensives and how they attack a defense successfully.

Marketing 101 : Playing Your Business Card

In the age that we are in, nothing is more valuable than information. This is what drives the generator of knowledge, growth and development. Asking the right question, having the appropriate data, enables companies to utilize a variety of resources more effectively. The more that one knows about a product, service, the competition or a person, the better the decision which is based upon it.

Relating this to job search is vital. If there is a lack of information about what skills and abilities you bring to the table in your network, the less help they are capable of giving. Unless you walk around with your resume on a sandwich board, the question is, how can you create a “buzz” about what you are marketing?

THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT
In a local election for town council, one candidate came up with a distinctive, creative, powerful way for the voters to get to know who he was and what he stood for. It was small, lightweight, ideal to distribute, and saved paper. Because instead of a campaign flyer or brochure, he gave out a business card!

Yes, just a simple, well crafted business card with the key facts that he wanted people to know about him. On the front, there was the typical contact information with something extra, his slogan. The back was where the impact lies. It listed his community service, previous offices held, and a very brief synopsis of his employment history.

For a job seeker, this lesson can translate to you. Your slogan is the one, best reason why an employer would want to hire you. Make sure that what you write s a statement of fact and has value to the career you want. It should be short and sweet, no more than 10 words, but just like a commercial, this will be the message that you want to get across about you. The back of the card will list 2 or 3 job titles and one accomplishment you had, which relates to your slogan. This is a snapshot, with talking points that you chose to highlight.

DIRECTING THE LIGHT
The advantages of this approach are many. When running around, you might not always have a clean copy of your resume handy. A business card fits easily in a pocket, purse or wallet. People save cards because they hold information in a small space. Plus, people might not take a resume, but they will always take a card. This idea shows creativity, a “think outside of the box” attitude that exhibits a pro-active problem solver in action. It helps you focus your message. And it saves paper.

Getting information into people’s hands is vital. Having a quick, easy, imaginative way to do so helps you stand out from the crowd in an uniquely positive way. This will increase the number of people you can contact and who can help you find the opportunity that you’re looking for. So the next time you say, “here’s my card”, make it an ace from your deck.

"Pieces Of The Puzzle" Published

Today, there are millions of people Americans who are either unemployed, underemployed or who have simply given up looking for a job. The problem is that there has been a paradigm shift in how to look for a position that one is qualified for. No longer can one go down to a company and apply. With want ads shrinking by the day and constantly changing job titles, many people don’t realize that a successful career search is actually an exercise in effective self-marketing.

“Pieces Of The Puzzle” is a guide for the 21st century job hunter who is actively looking for employment. The book is about change and how to deal with it in a positive, proactive way from the moment that one is told that their services are no longer required to creating the marketing message and carrying it out through the entire job search process. Along the way, the reader will find out how to present their skills in a way that has meaning and value to a perspective employer. These are skills that most people have never learned how to do.

“Pieces Of The Puzzle” is different from the other works out there as it blends the tried and true methods with new ideas for today’s marketplace. It is written in a straightforward, common sense manner, giving the reader options on how to utilize the information. Plus, there is flexibility so the ideas presented can be utilized in a variety of fields. If you’re interested, you can order a copy of my book by clicking in the following link, https://www.createspace.com/3710544.

Forgotten History: A Survivor of Two Atomic Bombs

What follows is a synopsis of a lecture presented at the Brookdale Community College by the Center for World War II Studies & Conflict Resolution.

“Burned by the Hiroshima bomb
then to Nagasaki was chased down
A double-survivor I have become
A Nagasaki native never undone.”

On the morning of August 6, 1945, Mr. Yamaguchi Tsutomu, a Nautical Design Engineer for the Nagasaki Mitsubishi Ship Building Corporation was heading to work. He was finishing up a three month assignment and was looking forward to going home to see his wife and 5 month old son. As he walked across a potato field, he heard the sound of airplanes overhead. They were sounds the residents of Hiroshima had been hearing for weeks, the American B-29. He watched as several parachutes descended to the ground (they were carrying a variety of scientific equipment to measure the effects of what was going to occur). A few moments later, his life changed forever.

“Standing with my entire body,
Scorched by pika-don, (flash-boom)
I looked up to the sky to see,
a giant mushroom cloud,
staring back at me.”

One of the planes was the “Enola Gay”, which carried a new type of bomb. The bomb was known as “Little Boy”. It was the first uranium bomb and was making its first appearance on the battlefield.

Mr. Yamaguchi was knocked unconscious from the force of the blast. When he awoke, he felt a burning sensation on his left side and was now deaf in his left ear. As he staggered to his feet, he watched the giant mushroom cloud grow. He began to walk toward work, to look for his colleagues. Everywhere he looked, he saw the devastation the atomic bomb has wrought. Buildings half standing, fires running wild and unchecked, bodies, in parts and whole, were littered among the wreckage. He saw firsthand the people who had died and those who survived the attack. He found a few colleagues and began to plan for tomorrow.

The next day, he and his fellow survivors began the long walk to the refugee train at the station, which was headed to Nagasaki. They walked through the irradiated city, still burning, filled with the cries of the living and dying and many corpses, whole and in parts, lying in the ruins of this once vibrant city. The smell of burning flesh lingering in the air.

Hiroshima is a delta city; build along the coast, with many tributaries emptying out into the Inland Sea. The men had to cross over streams and rivers to make it to the station. And here, in his own words, is what Mr. Yamaguchi saw and felt.

“The “black rain” that falls in my dreams.
The “human raft” that blocks the streams.
The after effects of the pika-don that consume my being.”

Corpses clogged the waters, floating together like “human rafts”. The men tried to walk over the bodies, but began to sink. Mr. Yamaguchi did not want to expose his injuries to the water. They looked for shallow areas so they could cross safely. It was a long, slow walk, surrounded by death, despair, and destruction. Eventually, they made it to the station and boarded the train to Nagasaki.

When they got to Nagasaki on August 8th, it found a mostly empty city. Because before the train arrived at the station, an air raid siren had sounded and the citizens of the city were hiding in shelters. Mr. Yamaguchi made his way to the Mitsubishi company hospital for medical attention. There he found a doctor who drained his arm of pus and cleaned and dressed his wounds.

On August 9th, Mr. Yamaguchi decided he had to go into work, to tell his bosses about what he had seen. His boss dismissed the story; basically telling him that as an engineer how could it be possible to build a bomb that causes so much damage?

At 11:02am, flying overhead was “Bockcar”, which dropped “Fat-Man”, plutonium based nuclear weapon. Once again, Mr. Yamaguchi witnessed firsthand the giant mushroom cloud overhead. But this time it was different, as the death and destruction had come to the city he called home.

This is just a small part of the story of Yamaguchi Tsutomu, survivor of two atomic blasts, husband, father, teacher, poet, and peace activist. His story and poems were presented by Chad Diehl, doctorial candidate from Columbia University, who translated and published the poems of his friend. His book, “And the River Flowed as a Raft of Corpses” is a series of poems which were written in tanka style and now are available. Tanka poems contain 31 syllables which carry a great deal of expression. They consist of five lines and are tightly composed. Mr. Diehl went on to tell us why, after years of silence, Mr. Yamaguchi spoke up about his experiences and shared his poetic voice with the world.

“My life is a dewdrop.
Living for fifty years after the atomic bombing.
I am still wishing for a nuclear free world.”

This was the first lecture presented as part of the 10th Anniversary Series at the Center for World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution. The center’s mission is to educate and inform students, teachers, and life-long learners of the historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and military aspects of the World War II era. The center presents a variety of topics and speakers each year who explore different aspects of the great conflict. The directors of the center are Dr. Paul Zigo and Dr. Laura Neitzel. For further information about the 10th Anniversary Series, go to www.brookdale.cc.nj.us and click on the World War II Center link on the left hand side.

History is always best when shared.

*Original poems written by Yamaguchi Tsutomu, translated by Chad Diehl. Published by Excogitating Over Coffee Publishing, 2010.

A Day at Camp Evans: First Annual InfoAge World War II Symposium

Driving down Marconi Road in Wall Township you see a small, weathered sign, “Welcome to Camp Evans.” Visible from the road is a large brick building and a cyclone fence. There is the customary sign asking that all visitors check in at the guard house. And from there, the amazingly excellent volunteers of InfoAge lead you on a voyage of discovery & knowledge.

Judy greeted me at the guard house with a smile and welcomed me to the Science History Learning Center. Even though I’m a bit early, like by two hours, she is at her post, ready for business. Once she found out that this was my first time on the base, she got Steve to take me on a tour of the facility, starting at the Marconi Hotel.

This magnificent building, currently being restored, houses several exhibits. We walk down the hallways, where newly discovered pictures of the bases illustrious past are on display. These pictures show the base in its infancy and how it grew and developed over the years. Originally, this was the Marconi Receiving Station and was taken over by the US Navy during World War I. Its purpose was to receive messages from Europe and make sure they got to the proper authorities. As a matter of fact, this is where word of the armistice ending World War I was received and driven down to President Wilson in Washington DC.

As Steve & I walk down the halls, he opens doors to show me the various displays of early RADAR components and radios. Among the items on display are an old Hot Wheels Radar Gun and the GI Joe Normandy Pathfinder edition soldier. He explains how troops went ashore several hours ahead of the main forces with special radios to help guide the gliders and paratroopers make a safe landing behind enemy lines. The radio they carried, to emit a homing signal, had a self-destruct switch, just in case, so it wouldn’t land in the hands of the Germans.

We walked into the Shipwreck Museum and looked at the various pieces recovered off the coast of New Jersey. Steve explained that this museum was being moved to another larger building on the base in the near future. The new space would allow for larger, interactive displays. The cannons, ancient diving equipment, china, and other artifacts on exhibit currently tell a fascinating story of times gone by.

Then, modern technology took over as Steve’s cell phone rang and he had to set-up for an Eagle Scout presentation. But before he left, he introduced me to Nels Warren, the person who rebuilds and restores the military vehicles on display.

As Nels led the way, the first vehicle I was an amphibious assault vehicle, large enough to carry a Jeep. He told me the “duck” frame is still in use today by cities that have land-sea tours. Also on display were Willy’s Jeeps, Ford Jeeps, Deuce & ½’s, ambulances that saw action in m World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Also on display was an officer’s car. These vehicles were discontinued because after awhile even the enemy knew that these vehicles carried officers and were targeted by them.

In another room were the German military vehicles. As Nels explained, it is disrespectful to display those vehicles in the same room as the American vehicles. One of the restored vehicles was a Kubel, the Nazi equivalent of the Willy’s Jeep. It looks like the old Volkswagen Thing and does run, as do most of the vehicles.

I also learned that several of the vehicles restored at Camp Evans are on display at the Smithsonian Museum. These vehicles still have the original paint. The faded look is necessary for the authenticy of the vehicle. Many of these vehicles were donated by veterans from their private collections who didn’t want the vehicles sold on e-bay.

Another gentleman walked in and began to look at the vehicles. Nels excused himself to talk to him. I thanked him for his time and began to walk around the base, eager to see what else I could discover.

I met Dan and his son Daniel by the front gate and we began to talk. Somehow, the conversation got around to our favorite holiday, Halloween and I found out about the Haunted Hotel & Hayride. InfoAge runs this event on Fridays and Saturdays in October and it is one of the most successful fundraisers for the base restorations. And off we went, on a tour.

It was while we were walking that I learned that Judy is the main coordinator of the Haunted Hotel. Also, the students from Shore Regional, Neptune, and Wall Township volunteer their time and are actively involved in creating the displays, making short films, and acting as various Halloween ghosts, ghouls, monsters and creatures. I don’t want to spoil any surprises that are coming this year, but from talking with Dan, Halloween at Camp Evans is going to be a spook-tacular spectacle (go to www.infoage.org to see pictures from the previous Haunted Hotel and Hayride).

Since I was there for the symposium, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about it. Three of the presentations dealt with the importance of radar; its development, deployment, usage, and countermeasures. I learned what happened at Pearl Harbor, how it wasn’t a technology failure, but a series of human circumstances and breakdown in communications that caught us unaware. Ray Chase, a Radar Historian, informed us about the details of December 7, 1941 and more importantly, the people involved.

We learned how radar was used to devastating effectiveness during the Battle of Britain. It was in this lecture that we also learned how applications of existing and new technology eventually minimized the effectiveness of the German radar. John Cervini and Fred Carl of InfoAge gave us an in-depth look at how radar worked and what was done to counter it.

Captain Dan Cromwell presented a documentary he made about the USS Murphy. This destroyer was vital to our war efforts and served with distinction as a convoy transport, during the invasion of Sicily, at the landing of Normandy, as transport for the King of Saudi Arabia where he met with FDR after the Yalta Conference. His film told us the story of how, on a return trip from Europe, the ship collided with a tanker and that the bow was sheared off. We learned the bow rested for over 60 years off the coast of New Jersey. The interviews with the crewman who served aboard the warship put a face to the efforts of the brave men of the “greatest” generation who served with courage and distinction.

Another aspect of how advanced in technology made an impact was in tactical communications. Al Klase of the NJ Antique Radio Club taught us about how frequency modulation, quartz-crystal frequency control, and the use of the very high frequency spectrum improved communications. This presentation, while very detailed and at times technical, was fascination.

The last speaker of the day was Evan Koblentz, the President of the Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists. The brief presentation told us about the scientists who played a role in the development of digital computing at Camp Evans. It’s too bad that the symposium ran tight on time for it was the development of computers that greatly aided the development of post World War II industry and space exploration.

The InfoAge Science History Learning Center at Camp Evans is open on Sundays from 1:00pm till 5:00pm and is located off Route 18, Exit 7, on Marconi Road in Wall, NJ. For more information about the center and future events, such as the Haunted Hotel and Hayride, go to www.infoage.org.