More Violent Images in the Media

The January 2011 issue of the American Society for Quality journal, Quality Progress shows their usual character, Mr. Pareto head, during the annual performance planning cycle. In the cartoon, managers have targets on their backs.

So next time some nut assaults his manager, we can blame it on the violent imagery in the Deming, Baldrige, six sigma, and total quality media. You know what scoundrels those industrial engineer and metrics types are.

Media Ignorance in Tucson

A CBS News report headlined "Erica Hill talks to 61-year-old Patricia Maisch, who grabbed the ammunition cartridge from the alleged gunman in the Tucson, Ariz. shooting rampage."


Erica Hill, does the intro to the interview, "...about how she stepped in on Saturday, and grabbed the ammunition cartridge the alledged gunman could have reloaded. And it all happened of course in the middle of the chaos.


The 61-year-old Patricia Maisch describes not running, dropping to the ground, the woman next to her being shot, then the gunman on the ground, next to her and people saying "get the gun!"

She continues "...he also pulled out another magazine out of his left pocket, which he dropped on the pavement and I was able to get before he did. At the same time another gentleman had picked up the gun, so he (Loughner) was secured."

Hill, "So you got that ammunition? and We've heard accounts that he had up to 90 rounds of ammunition with him."

Maisch, "I don't know..."

Later in the interview Maisch remarks being on his (the gunman's legs), "...after I got the clip, he was struggling an kicking his legs, so I knelt on his leg..."

So this elderly civilian knows it was a magazine, (or a clip - which is a common term ), but the person's who issupposed to informed us creates something called "an ammunition cartridge?"

Ammunition cartridge means nothing. That's bad enough, couple it with her description of it as something the "gunman could have reloaded," reveals a lack of basic familiarity with firearms.

Hill doesn't know how to properly describe what has happened, and for some reason, chooses not to use the (correct) words her interview subject has given her.

With such a gap in knowledge, can she effectively report this story? I doubt it.

The video is here.

Humorless Prigs

That's my reaction to the story that Captain Honors is in trouble for his XO Movie Night videos.

The Virginian-Pilot has an edited version.

The videos were made by Sailors at war. Sailors far from home doing dangerous work for long hours.

The videos are funny and directed towards men and women who could use a laugh. (Yeah, the rectal probe was probably over the top, but I see it as the equivalent of when a comic gets an "oooh" for crossing the line in the middle of an otherwise hilarious routine.)

Anyway, Lighten the fuck up.

UPDATE: I posted that on Sunday morning. Little did I know that the humorless prigs would turn join forces with the spineless leadership of today's Navy. By Tuesday morning, Captain Honor had been relieved. Disgusting.

More over at Phib's, Lex, USNI, and Ace of Spades.

UPDATE II: Admiral Harvey made the call. Tough decision. I don't agree with it. I think the second and third order effects will be bad for the Navy. But it was his decision to make, if I were I CMC still I would support it. It's done. Aye, aye.

One comment in the discussion stood out. I agree with it and it captures one of the reasons that so many folks came out to support the Captain.
"My experience is that teams are built through emotional events; two of the strongest being pain and laughter. People coalesce around those with whom they bleed and those with whom they laugh. ... As Sailors, it is the laughter in pubs, engine rooms, berthing compartments, and even on the bridge, that make us feel part of something special. I care most about those with whom I've shared laughs and tears. Take that away and you've created a climate of cold professionalism which discourages the very relationships that build high performing teams.
...Humor has often been the subject of attack and yet humor is the vehicle which often drives the greatest change. Parody highlights the ridiculousness of situations that could not be addressed as readily or as effectively in normal conversation. ..." These are true statements. There can be legitimate discussion about whether the senior leader should have a role in the parody, That commenter had it right.