#77 September/October 2005
The Washington Free Press Washington's Independent Journal of News, Ideas & Culture
Home  |  Subscribe |  Back Issues |  The Organization |  Volunteer 

TOP STORIES

Dentist Gone Native: The prophetic nutritional research of Dr. Weston Price, DDS
by Dr. Stephen Byrnes

TOWARD A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE from Washington Toxics Coalition
Diazinon ban sends homeowners looking for other insecticides;Washington Lakes Get a Break from Pesticides
articles by Philip Dickey and Erika Schreder

What About the Rank and File? Labor leaders are still ignoring Labor's biggest asset: volunteer members
opinion by Brian King, part 1

MEDIA

MEDIA BEAT by Norman Solomon
Bush's Option to Escalate the War in Iraq: Mainstream media and Democratic leaders are complicit

The Value of a Non-Commercial Newspaper: Do you see it, too?
from the editor

Contributing writer David Bacon again wins national 'Censored' honors; Articles in the Washington Free Press which have won Project Censored 'top 25' rankings
by Doug Collins

FREE THOUGHTS

READER MAIL
Seeking WWI history; Democratic Pary Co-opted; American Christianity: the Jihad Within

WORKPLACE
Breast Perspective: A breastfeeding mom bares feelings about bare breasts
by Tera Schreiber

IMMIGRATION

Virtual Americans: Guilty parents, innocent children
by Domenico Maceri

Undocumented migrants face bigger obstacles, but still come: Arizona Borderlands Report
by Marie & Phil Heft

HEALTH

EPA Unions Call for Nationwide Moratorium on Fluoridation
from US Environmental Protection Agency's National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Chapter 280

Is Your Water Fluoridated?
by Doug Collins

CULTURE

The Canoe Race
anonymous progressive joke

Stock Market Seppuku; Carrizo Plain; White Male Adult, 2001
Three Poems by Robert Pavlik

Unfortunately/Fortunately
humor by Styx Mundstock

The Wanderings and Thoughts of Kip Kellogg, #2
by Vincent Spada

POLITICS

Who's Behind the State Initiatives?
by John Merriam

Reforming Supreme Court Appointments: It's helpful to look at appointment processes in other countries
by Steven Hill

ENVIRONMENT

TRASH TALK by Dave and Lillian Brummet
Water Conservation in the Kitchen; Lawn Mowing
also
"Trash Talk" Authors Win BC Recycling Award

CONTEST
Send us a conservation tip and enter to win a copy of the book "Trash Talk"

NW FORESTS

Trees win in court, but still lose ground
Judge Upholds Protections for Old-Growth Forests;Logging Plan Halted in Old-Growth Reserve
from Cascadia Rising! and Conservation Northwest

State of Cascadia: Dire Straits in Paradise
by Alicia Balassa Clark

How I Spent My Bank of America Officially Sponsored Summer Vacation
by John Doe, Jr., and Glenn Reed

CONTACTS/ACTIVISM

NORTHWEST NEIGHBORS
contact list of subscribers who like to talk with you

DO SOMETHING! CALENDAR
Northwest activist events

WAR & PEACE

Phony terror charges threaten free speech in international anti-war movement
by Guerry Hoddersen, Freedom Socialist Party

Are Americans Immune from Empathy?
opinion by Don Torrence

MISCELLANEOUS

BOB'S RANDOM LEGAL WISDOM by Bob Anderton
Rental Car Insurance: Rip-Off or Necessity?

BOOK NOTICES
"Sprawl Kills: How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health and Money" by Joel S. Hirschhorn; "Rational Simplicity" by Tim Covell
from the publishers

New Orleans and the Rubber Ducky Dilemma
by Doug Collins

The Canoe Race

A Japanese Company and a California Company decided to have a canoe race on the Columbia River. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. Afterwards, the California team became very discouraged and depressed. The management of the California company decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found. A "Measurement Team" made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was that the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the Californians had 1 person rowing and 8 people steering. The Management of the California company hired a consulting company and paid them incredible amounts of money. They advised that too many people were steering the boat and not enough people were rowing. To prevent losing to the Japanese again next year, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the "Rowing Team Quality First Program", with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower. "We must give the rower empowerment and enrichment through this quality program."

The next year the Japanese won by 2 miles. Humiliated, the management of the California company laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles and canceled all capital investments for new equipment.

Then they used the money saved by giving a High Performance Award to the steering managers and distributed the rest of the money as bonuses to the senior executives.

anonymous, from internet


The Washington Free Press
PMB #178, 1463 E Republican ST, Seattle WA 98112
WAfreepress@gmail.com

Donate free food
Google
Search the Free Press archive:

WWW
Washington Free Press
Home |  Subscribe |  Back Issues |  The Organization |  Volunteer |  Do Something Directory