Is Patrick Dempsey a Hero?

We have been treated to plenty of news this week about how "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick  Dempsey pulled a teenager from a wrecked car in front of his house in Malibu.

The 17 year old driver was airlifted to a hospital  where he is recovering from a concussion and a bruised optic nerve.

Was this action heroic or was it poor judgment?

An important rule of first aid is not to move the victim unless absolutely necessary.

I was not at the scene but from photos I have some good ideas about the situation. The car was not on fire. There did not seem to be leaking gasoline. With the vehicle upside down the engine may well have been off. The victim was not in the middle of the highway in the fog. From anywhere in Malibu it does not take long for an ambulance to arrive. THe best action may have been to make certain that 911 had been called and to support the victim's head and neck until help arrived.

It is ironic that Dempsey plays the part of a doctor yet did not know this simple principle.

Fortunately the driver did not sustain further injury by being moved.

David Sneed

Government and Safety Have the Same Problem

The context of this quote is the statement from Kim Kardashian that she might run for Mayor of Glendale CA. Don't laugh. Look at who we have as Mayors eveywhere. 

Gary Woodward, professor of communication studies at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

“What seems to be happening at every level of government, from the Senate on down to the office of mayor in Glendale, is that people are seeking public office more as a way to establish identity than to actually do the difficult work of governance,” he says. “They are forgetting that public service is about governing and governing is a talent in and of itself. It requires skills in compromise and working with others to come up with something that benefits the public good."

“It is not a place to simply stake out who you are,” he says.

The same is true in the safety world. More to come on this subject. 

David Sneed

Salvation Army Thrift Store Cheyenne Wyoming

The Salvation Army Thrift Store in Cheyenne Wyoming closed about two years ago. I don't have the details but I believe that the labor cost was greater than the revenue. Most o=if not all of th staff was paid. There may also have been some other reasons but a net loss is a good enough reason.

The store is back in business with a different operations model.

The two buildings are owned free and clear of debt. Possibly the only fixed cost is insurance on the buildings.

The items sold are all donated. The staff is all volunteer. The only variable cost might be the utilities.

For all practical purposes the net profit is equal to the revenue.

Because of limited inventory the store is now open one day a month. As donations pick up, rather than have "percent off sales" the store can add days that it is open. This part is only my speculation. It is true that the operation is more sustainable.

That store now is similar to an internet experience or information business. Once the website is set up the incremental cost of a sale is zero.

The lesson to be learned is that if the economy has a no growth recovery, competitive advantage will come from new operations models like the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

In the late 60s when supermarkets went to Sunday opening and then 24/7 the others had to do the same for competitive reasons. What if for competitive reasons shortening of hours was necessary for survival?

Sustainability may stem from reduced revenues rather than from growth. Minimization of fixed costs will be necessary. There will be reduced risk of all kinds and related reduction of expenses.

Shortening hours is only one way to reduce revenue and costs. There are some other options. We are dealing with them on a case by case basis. The American way of work is unfortunately being forced to change.

David Sneed

Romans 3:25

Romans 3:25 is an interesting verse. Here it is in King James:

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."

The whole sentence runs from verse 22 through 26.

"...through faith in his blood..."

On Easter Sunday, the shedding of blood for the remission of sins often seems to come across as a celebration party for our team that has won. We honor our coach in the pulpit with increased money in the offering plate. Many are there who will not be seen again until Christmas and many will forget about Jesus and move on to the next win.

"...through faith in his blood..."

Blood does not go well with a $2,000 suit and Gucci shoes. Blood did go well in Egypt.

All that mattered when the Angel passed over was whether or not there was blood on the doorpost.

Look at Exodus 12:13. "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt."

When you sit in church on Easter Sunday will you be looking at the smiling man in the pulpit with the car salesman voice? Will you rejoice in your fine clothes and new shoes? Will the money you put in the plate be the propitiation of your sins?

Hear the prophecy. Exodus 11:6. "And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it any more."

Is there blood on your doorpost? Is there blood on your neighbor's doorpost?

Exodus 11:7. "....that ye may know how the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel."

"...through faith in his blood..."

David Sneed

A Simple Solution from a Lawyer

Much of safety prevention and cure could be eliminated by eliminating or minimizing activities. This may sound facetious but there is a good basis for it.

Cutting out unnecessary driving lowers chances of a crash.

Outsourcing infrequent specialty work avoids having inexperienced and unskilled workers on a task.

There is a good current example that is easy to understand.

In today's issue of Go Lackawanna, from Scranton PA, there is an Associated Press article about problems that occur for lottery winners. There are law suits from people who claim to have a piece of the ticket in a lottery pool. The lottery pool ticket buyer may claim that the winning ticket was not bought as part of the pool. There can be false claims. There can be claims that are not clear. In one case a nine year pool member, Jeanette French, was not at work the day the money was collected for what became the winning ticket. That case is still being litigated.

There are many controls that can be implemented. French's lawyer, Eric Shane of Miami, said "My true advice, honestly, would be don't do a pool."

Keep that in mind when writing a safety plan.

David Sneed

What is the Real Reason Christians Pray?

According to T.M. Luhrmann's book "When God Talks Back" Christians pray as "a psychological defense against the culture's prevailing disbelief."

The real reason Christians pray is because we are commanded to do so in God's Word. There are many scriptures to back that up. Just a few.

I Th 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"

I Th 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Lk 21:36 "Watch ye and pray always"

David Sneed