Candid Comment - Disco Duck! - Do You Remember It

  

Back in 1976 I was 13, wow that is long ago hard to believe I am one year from 60!  Anyway during that year a disc jockey named Rick Dees released a song called Disco Duck.  It was quite the song and can still be on the air today.  It did reach number one here in Canada and in the U.S.  The rest of the planet highest 3.  The song's last known rank 175 on the hot 100 by Billboard.  

Disco appeared to have gone the way of the dinosaur in the 80's but, it is still around.  In fact you can hear disco played on radio.  Disco Duck was essentially a parody of disco and was inspired by a song in the 60's called The Duck and yes apparently there was a dance associated with that song.  

Disco actually got it's start back in the 60's boomed in the 70's and kind of took a back seat to other forms of music in the 80's but has come back into the mix since the 90's.  There are radio stations that a formatted to play disco and you can find it on platforms like Digitally Imported.  

I actually enjoy listening to disco and other dance music.  There are a wide variety of genres to dive into.  My ultimate go to in dance is Drum N Bass.  House,  progressive, Ambient and a few others are all in my music podcast list and yes I do listen to DI.FM.  

I grew up with top 40 and dance my brother was into rock, still is and I got a good dose of that genre but, ummm while I like some rock it's really not my thing.  Sure I know the bands Led Zepplin, ZZ Top, AC/DC and Supertramp they are great bands and the music stands the test of time.  However for me dance and top 40, mostly dance today are my choices.  Though I do not mind diving into my classics playlist on Spotify, most of that list is 80s.  

What I am saying here is while Rock has firmly etched it's place in history and is current and relevant so to is dance and disco.  Disco Duck was a silly song that really does not represent the genre, it was funny but the body of work that disco encompasses goes beyond a song with a quacking duck and a goofy DJ.  Songs like the Hustle, Le Freak, Knock on Wood and others are classics that also stand the test of time.  So I say turn on the beat and dance!  Disco still lives.     

The main sources for this article: Wikipedia and Billboard.

Candid Conversation - Ron Hammond - Live Your Humanity - How to Reconnect With Basic Human Values to Live a Life of Meaning and Connection

These days being human seems to be quite a challenge, the pandemic has really shaken up our world to the point where humanity is really being tested and core values are also being pushed to limits. But what if your moral or value compass has gone out of whack or is actually turned off or muted. That does seem to be the case with the kinds of political and other discourse going on right now.

Being human and tapping into your humanity is actually a thing and when you turn it off or mute it things just do not seem to go as you may want to have them go. Ron Hammond has just published a book on the subject, titled Live Your Humanity - How to Reconnect With Basic Human Values to Live a Life of Meaning and Connection. He’s joining in for a Candid Conversations interview to give us a peek between the covers. Ron thank you for taking time out to tell us more about the book.

Ron H.: Hi, Cliff. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me.

Cliff T.: Just looking at the title of the book is interesting, and a bit daunting. The title gives the impression that this book really goes deep into the question of what makes us humane. Was that the idea here to, go into some depth and look if you will for nuggets of truth?

Ron H.: The idea behind the book is to explore and activate the human values that each of us already have. I like to say that we come off of the factory floor with these values, and sometimes everyday life and the stressors that we face can get in the way of our ability to maintain and nurture these values. Values such as integrity, kindness, compassion and love can go dormant, and when we let this happen, it has a negative impact on our connections with one another. There are ten chapters in the book, and each chapter is devoted to a specific human value. I detail how I was able to activate each value for myself drawing on relatable real life experiences that were reminders of each value’s importance.

Cliff T.: What is it meant to have a connected life in terms of humanity and living in a manner that is humane?

Ron H.: I think about this in terms of those everyday interactions that each of us have as we go about our normal days. We have opportunities every day to connect with other people, but it can be easy to sleep walk our way through those opportunities without paying attention. Saying hello to someone when you pass them by on the sidewalk, making some extra effort to chat with the person that is ringing your groceries or striking up a conversation with a stranger as you’re standing in a line are great ways to connect and are the gateway to developing long lasting and meaningful connections in your life. When you pay attention to how good doing these things feels to you, it makes you want to keep going. The same thing applies to our long term relationships and friendships. At the end of the day, each of us really wants to be heard, and when you make that extra effort to listen and to see someone as they are, you create an abundance of connection and meaning in your life.

Cliff T.: I was curious as I read the press release about the fact that we have to nurture human values or they will go dormant. Do you address that in the book and how is it addressed?

Ron H.: I do address this in the book. At the end of each chapter, I share five easy suggestions with the reader on how they can activate and nurture each value for themselves. These are the same suggestions that I used for myself and the results have been fantastic.

Cliff T.: Ron, is Live Your Humanity meant to be a guide to help people begin or reactivate the nurturing skill needed to be connected with ones own humanity?

Ron H.: I believe so. I wrote this book because I took notice of how I had let my own human values go dormant. At the time, life felt unfulfilling and mundane and my connections with others was lacking. So, I set out to proactively change that, and in the book, I’m sharing with the reader how I was able to do that for myself. The book offers a blueprint to follow, and I encourage the reader to adjust as they see fit for their own circumstances.

Cliff T.: I also noticed that you had a career in Corporate Finance. Was there something that led to the change in direction from this career to what you are doing now? And is what you did in that job an influencing factor for the change and the book?

Ron H.: I went through a pretty painful and callous layoff that upended my world and made me question my path going forward. Up to that point, my career had been very successful and rewarding, but I will admit that I had been questioning its continuation and pondered for a long time about writing this book. I believe that there was some kind of divine intervention through that layoff that brought me to where I am now and bringing this book to fruition. I’m eternally grateful for all of it and so happy that I have this opportunity to connect with so many people around the world.

In answer to your question about the job being an influencing factor for the change and book, I would say that my corporate roles, along with some other personal life experiences over the years, were influencing factors for the book. There were times when I was working 60-70 hour workweeks, I was exhausted and irritable, and life felt unfulfilling. I noticed that many of my co-workers were feeling the same way, and I knew in my heart of hearts that things could be better. Unfortunately, it took a stressful layoff to wake me up and make me take action. I credit that event with setting me on the path of adding meaning and connection in my own life and I hope that my ideas will help other people do the same thing for themselves. It also brought me to you and the readers of your blog, which fills me with joy.

Cliff T.: Did writing the book help you reconnect with your humanity?

Ron H.: Absolutely. I mentioned this earlier, but at the end of the day, each of us wants to be recognized for who we are. If we take the time and make the effort to really see one another while shedding any judgment and preconceived ideas that we may have, the door opens for us to experience meaning and connection in our own lives.

Cliff T.: There certainly is a lot of stuff going on in the world the biggest being the pandemic. Would you say that the pandemic is affecting people’s ability to act in a more humane manner?

Ron H.: I do think that the pandemic has added an additional layer of stress that has been tough for everyone to deal with. Our way of life has changed, and since most of us are resistant to change, we see that manifestation in how some people are treating one another today.

Cliff T.: What would you like people to get from the book and what would you say to people who are dealing with pandemic overload?

Ron H.: It’s ironic that we live in a time where we have access to never ending amounts of information at our fingertips through our devices, yet we’re feeling lonelier than ever. The pleasure centers in our brains are activated when we receive an email or text message and also when we are scrolling through our Facebook feeds. I believe that this is one contributing factor to the large amounts of vitriol that separates us, rather than bringing us together. What I hope people get from my book is that those same pleasure centers in our brains can also be activated by actually connecting in real time with other people, and that through those connections with others, we add meaning to our lives.

For those that are dealing with pandemic overload, which is a lot of us, I would suggest to hold on and take a deep breath. We have to be strong. We can’t doubt our resourcefulness as human beings, and now is not the time to submit to our anger and frustration. Instead, let’s turn our energies toward committing to working together to overcome this challenge, just as we have many times before in our history. We’ve witnessed in our past that when we come together, we can overcome almost anything. It takes effort and a willingness to roll up our sleeves and go the extra mile in support of our fellow human beings to make this happen.

Cliff T: The book is being released in a couple of days, you must quite excited to see how it is received. Have you had feedback regarding Live Your Humanity pre release?

Ron H.: I’m very excited about the release of the book and am hopeful that it is well received. I have already received a lot of positive feedback on the book thus far, with comments indicating that the book is timely and offers up useful insights on how we can come together. I’m excited to see what readers think after the full release of the book.

Cliff T.: And where will people be able to get the book?

Ron H.: The print copy will be available in bookstores on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. The electronic and hard copies will be available on Amazon, Kindle, iBooks and Nook, as well.

Cliff T.: Ron thank you so much for speaking with me and my readers about Living Your Humanity. I hope the book flies off the shelves. I do think this is a perfect book for our current time. Once again thanks for doing a Candid Conversation.

Ron H.: Thanks so much, Cliff, for talking with me. It really has been a pleasure!

Ron Hammond a former Corporate Financier has just gotten his book published. Live Your Humanity: Activate Your Innate Human Values for a Meaningful and Connected Life, by Ron Hammond, will be released by Morgan James Publishing on Jan. 11, 2022. Live Your Humanity —9781631955709 —has 178 pages and is being sold as a trade paperback for $16.95.

Ron wrote to us from his home in Denver CO.

Candid Comment - The Top Interview of 2021

 

Well here we are nearing the end of 2021.  Candid Conversations has really done well this year.  A new Feature has been added to the site and for December it is the highlight.  Called Candid Comment it is essentially an addition to the site as I am closing My Point Your Point down.  There are with this article excluded 4 of them on the blog.  Which means we have for 2021 13 interviews that were done.  Which is really nice to see.  The blog nearly saw a record in traffic coming through close to 5000 views according to Google.  Stat Counter shows count of about 3100, this is due to the fact that the log got filled and older data was removed so technically Google is the correct one to look at.  But, I use the stat counter count so not a record like 5600 that was seen in 2017, but not bad at all.  

The number 1 interview for 2021 ranks in at 118 views and yes the links to the person are still active.  It's an article that was posted in 2011.  Robert Barrows spoke with me about his grave marker that features a video screen.  Check the article out and his website which is listed in it. 

Candid Conversations Interview, #1 for 2021 - 118 views

Robert Barrows In a Candid Conversation About Video Enhanced Gravemarkers

I will be looking around in January 2022 for new conversations and am also planning a Patreon for the site and possibly a Youtube or podcast featuring Candid Conversations.

Thank you for reading the blog please come back and if you are interested in doing a Candid Conversation write me at candidconversations@hotmail.com.

Happy New Year!

Candid Comment - The Best Christmas Gift You Can Get - Your Booster Shot

As I look around the web and read the stories about the rise of Omicron and the speed at which this variant has hit country after country I am stunned by it's impact.  To date Canada has been seeing a case count that is nothing short of shocking. There is a bit of an upside though the Omicron variant has less of a punch, but it is good at bypassing antibodies produced by vaccines, which is why there is a clear need for boosters.

Of course this is a matter of choice there are no laws saying you have to get vaccinated though in many work environments there are mandates that state that in order to remain employed you must get vaccinated.  Some feel that mandates like masking and vaccination requirements are an infringement on personal rights.  Yes, they are, the masking and vaccine mandates infringe on the right to choose to or not to mask and vaccinate.  It is deliberate it's intent though is not hostile except in that if one does not they may lose their job.  This said it's smarter to get vaccinated and to follow the measures set in place.  In fact the best Christmas gift you can give yourself and family as well as the community at large is the shot you get.  I could throw facts, showcase stories and provide statistics to support the need to be vaccinated. I could also use fancy language and use analogies to make my point, I will spare you these as there is enough lecturing going on about vaccines and mandates.  

Like many reading this I am fed up and tired of hearing about the pandemic.  So I choose to think this way.  I would rather do my upmost to keep myself healthy and to not be that guy who gets COVID and does not show symptoms but passes it on to someone else who gets really sick or God forbid dies.  This year Christmas was more about being thankful for what I already have and enjoying the gifts I did get.  Not caring about what I did not get and thanking God that I am well, employed and have people around me who love and care for me.  One last point before I close, fun fact or not.  I am terrified of needles. I hate being near them and yet I have had 2 vaccinations and will get a booster.  

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year go get a booster shot and thanks for reading Candid Conversations this year.   Look for the next article hopefully an interview along with the year end review, a look at the top interview of 2021.

Candid Comment - Unsung Heroes - The Call Centre Agent

During the pandemic there has been a lot of shift in the way work is being done.  The move to at home, this is very true in the world I work in which is call centres.  I actually did work from home for about 2 months before having to vacate the apartment do to circumstances that just did not lend themselves to me staying there. While I hopped around looking for a place to live I was granted permission to return to the call centre I work at.  From the time I returned until now I have worked a fixed shift, so in short during four waves I have remained employed I even got to move up the ladder a little, increased my pay and yes I have a nice place to live in.  This Christmas for me at least it's nice to get and give a gift but the greater gift is a job and not being ill.  

Call centre Agents have been working through the pandemic to provide a variety of services.  These range from handling customer billing, technical support, banking etc.  Calls from business owners, hospitals and agencies have also been fielded.  Yes there have been calls made to collect overdue bills, delinquent accounts, and surveys as well as sales calls.  

Some people have questioned why call centres are considered essential.  I have had people laugh at me saying you and essential worker, what a joke. That kind of sentiment is disheartening especially to those like me who can not work form home and go to the centre to work.  All of us who have travelled to the site we work at have taken the risk of catching COVID.  This disease has killed over 10,000 in Ontario where I live.  The city of Hamilton Ontario has seen 26,695 cases with 424 of them being fatal.  Sure that is 1.6% but that is still 424 too many.   Along with other impacts COVID has made a real mess of things and lives.  So having to deal with that plus the usual stuff an Agent deals with does make it pretty challenging.  Hearing that well your just a call center rep what is so essential about that really is a cheap shot.  

Do not get me wrong I love what I do for the most part.  Generally customers I deal with are pleasant nd just want the issue resolved.  But, I do get nasty people on the phone, it's part of the gig.  What is not part of the gig is hearing that role is not important and all I am supposed to do is make it rain goodies for people who feel entitled and that I have no role to play other than to deal with adult toddlers.  That is not the gig.  

The gig / job is to provide world class service.  Help people who want that help, fix the issue and yes where needed apologize and offer a form of compensation for the fail.  That is what we do in call centres, and yes we are an essential service.  We matter because without agents on the phones the food does not get delivered, the apps do not get fixed, the phones and computers do not get repaired, the lights stay off etc. etc. etc.  There are many heroes on the phones who go the distance and make life easier for people and I am proud to serve with them and count myself as a member of a unique club of men and women who do a job that is mentally challenging, always evolving and even with AI and apps will never really go away.  

Here is to us the unsung heroes who man the phones take the calls and have done so in one the most unusual events of out modern time.  Thanks for serving the customer, the community and being a part of an essential group that keeps our world humming along even though there are a few bumps like COVID along the way.  My challenge to you who read this is this.  When and if you call a company that uses a call centre take a moment even if you are really angry and upset to say thanks for taking my call.  Saying thank you, it's not just a phrase in a lot of ways it's a gift you can gift you can give that can and does go a long way at any time but, even more so at this time of the year. 

Cliff T.

  

Candid Comment - Entitled Christians

 

Many within various churches feel that it is their God given right to say no to certain parts of the law and that they do not have to obey these laws take for example public health orders.  Many in churches across Canada and indeed the United States do not endorse or even go as far as to denounce restrictions and masking mandates as anti Christian and choice and in so doing encourage breaking the laws and rules.  Some Christians have gone as far as to harass health care professionals and others who support measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and it's variants.  These entitled so called Christians should take a reality check and actually read what the Bible says about obeying the government and the laws that are in place.

In the Romans Chapter 13, verses 1 through 7 it's clearly stated that the government is empowered by God and the officials are to be respected and obeyed.  There is no ambiguity everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus must also respect the government, pay taxes to support it and treat those who enforce laws, police and judges, with dignity and honor.  

That does not mean being mindless automatons.  Christians are supposed to uphold standards that are morally very high and should point out when leaders and those under them are not doing the correct thing.  There are many legal avenues to show discontent with laws and behaviors that do not fit the model of responsible government.  Expressing concern and challenging authority does have its place but it also has its limits.  Christians are not entitled or special when it comes to the law and rule of government.  In fact they are are expected to be humble servants of God respecting those in authority, praying for them and helping them do the job of governing and that includes paying taxes as well as obeying the laws that are in place.  

A Candid Comment - 1 Films That I Would Watch Again

Who does not like a good movie?  Though I am not a TV kind of guy, I do enjoy watching movies on TV or in a theatre or on my tablet, the more common way I watch.  I have a couple of movies that I will watch over and over.  Below are the three that I will watch again. 

Topping the list Car Wash. Richard Pryor and George Carlin starred in the film, the year 1976. The plot of the film is simple really. It's about a day in the life of a group of men working at a car wash in L.A. and some of the odd things that happen.

What I liked was the music and some of the funny things that happen during the shift.  One scene has a man being chased by an employee after he thinks the man has a bomb, turns out to be a urine sample.  Another is of one of the staff who has affections for a girl in a burger joint, the funny is when he flips cheese up to the ceiling where it sticks and at the end of the day, the cook looks up and all of the cheese begins to fall on his face.

The only drawback, the film does lag, it is a bit too long for my liking, I also did not like the character Daddy Rich, played by Richard Pryor, his was probably one of the stupidest scenes in the film.   The music was pretty good too, Rose Royce recorded the soundtrack.  I have the soundtrack and have to say for the most part it's a great album.  The theme song Car Wash actually charted as did a couple of other songs including I Wanna Get Next To You.

The Longest Day, 1962 tells the story of D-Day.  The cast includes legends like John Wayne and Sean Connery, the list goes on and on.  It was quite the film for it's day and must have required lots of logistical and other support to make it happen.  The tale told from both sides is of the hours leading up to, during and a bit of post D-Day operations, from both the Allied and German perspectives.

It was a well done film, I liked how well it was put together.  Again like Car Wash the movie does lag and kind of folds in the middle.  It could have been shortened and still got the story told.

Revenge of the Nerds.  Ah yes I really liked this film.  The story is about a bunch of geeks and outcasts who go to college in the U.S.  The problem for them is that they have to face off against those who really don't like them, the jocks.  John Goodman starred in this film.  The scene that I like the most is when the nerds throw a party for the leaders of Lamda Lamda Lamda, it just gets funny to see them stoned on weed.  It's pretty good movie and while it does not top my list it's one that I can say I really liked and will watch again.  

There is a scene in the film where one of the nerds has sex with his love interest under false pretense. Lewis the lead nerd steals a mask from his rival and tricks Betty pretending to be the jock. That is a concern as that is a rape and the film makers have addressed this stating that it was not a great choice to have that scene in the film.  Looking back at it I would say ya that was not the best idea.  That does tarnish the movie.  Frankly speaking I don't think a real so called nerd would do that.  Then again what do I know.

Other films that have caught my eye that are ones I can say I would watch are.  Police Academy, Saving Private Ryan, A Bridge Too Far, Black Hawk Down, Tora Tora Tora and yes even Gremlins.  I probably would watch them again as well. As noted with Revenge of the nerds Police Academy and Gremlins do have scenes in them that may be considered in poor taste.  In Gremlins there is a lot of violence including a scene where a woman is launched out a window when the creatures short circuit her chair lift.  And in Police Academy some of the scenes portray women as sex objects.  That said the film is utterly unrealistic in many many ways.  In a modern police academy it's pretty unlikely hookups take place, then again ya just never know.  Not an excuse of course, just a fact.

I am mostly a fan of movies that focus on the theme of war.  Down the road I will list my top lineup for the military films I have watched.  That should be fun to do.  In the meantime, tell me what are some of your all time film faves that you can't get enough of?

Cliff T.

Originally posted on My Point Your Point May 7, 2016