Blogs by Erik Hare on AuthorsDen.com

AuthorsDen.com Join | Login

Where Authors and Readers come together!

SIGNED BOOKS AUTHORS BOOKS SAMPLE CHAPTERS AUDIOBOOKS eBOOKS STORIES ARTICLES POETRY BLOGS NEWS VIDEOS SUCCESS TESTIMONIALS

Featured Authors: Bob Boze, iMyra Darwish, iRochelle Brandon, iMargaret Mullings, iPamela Ackerson, iAntoinette Kopperfield, iDeborah Frontiera, iJohn DeDakis, iEmmanuel Laroche, iFERIAL Haque, i

Home > Blogs

Popular: Books, Stories, Articles, Poetry Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Erik Hare

Follow Me

· Contact Me
· Success story
· Books
· Articles
· Poetry
· News
· Stories
· Blog

· 21 Titles
· 28 Reviews
· Share with Friends!
· Member Since: Mar, 2007

Erik Hare, click here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.

Blogs by Erik Hare

snafu
8/8/2007 7:38:31 AM

The word “snafu” entered our language in the Army during WWII. Apparently, the origin came from an encoder that translated English into five letter blocks of code. Some men at the Army base in San Louis Obispo started to think about what they might mean, and SNAFU became “Situation Normal, All Fucked Up”.

http://www.snafu.com/Snafu/SnafuStory.html

It caught on because the term SNAFU described how the Army worked through the war. Everything was a mess, and everyone was used to it. But it all worked out somehow, through the grit of the people caught up in any one situation. Taken together, it was a “system”. On any given day, it was snafu.

Watching the aftermath of the I-35W Bridge collapse shows how incredibly snafu everything is today. A lot of people have noted how we can spend upwards of a trillion dollars in Iraq and have bridges that fall down at home. I like to joke that it’s part of a plan to bring the whole world together, because once we all live on one smoldering pile of broken concrete all of humanity will have something in common. It’s hard to deny that some parts of Minneapolis bear a striking resemblance to Baghdad.

A good hard look at what’s going on shows that this is more than priorities twisted like bridge girders.

For example, Jeremy Hernandez was given a full scholarship to study to be an auto mechanic by a local trade school because of his heroism in rescuing 61 kids from the schoolbus teetering on the bridge. He was working as a counselor with these kids largely because he had to drop out of the school for lack of money. It’s not a problem for him any more. If only more of today’s youth realized that the path to success comes from rescuing 61 children, we wouldn’t have the problems we have. You talk to a lot of the kids out there, and ask them if they’ve ever rescued 61 children, and most will tell you they haven’t. No wonder they can’t succeed!

As for the kids, it’s wonderful that they all survived without major injuries despite how snafu our highways are. But keep in mind these are poor kids – none of them had health insurance. So there’s a fund going to raise money to pay for their medical care. It’s a good thing their injuries were captured on teevee cameras, isn’t it?

Personally, I have a long term solution to the health care crisis. I think we take everyone involved in the current system, and line them up with their backs to the wall and shoot them. We don’t kill them, we merely hurt them. I just want them to have to walk into an Emergency Room with a gunshot wound to see what that does to their opinion of the current system.

Meanwhile, we’re cleaning up from an utterly preventable disaster and taking care of all the bits and pieces that we can. The “system” that is doing it is being cobbled together even as it works because the people who are doing the work are loving and smart and dedicated. I only hope they get a chance to look around while they do it because this isn’t much of a “system” at all. It’s just snafu.

Post a Comment

More Blogs by Erik Hare
• Let the Real Games Begin - Sunday, August 24, 2008
• Soul Mate - Friday, August 22, 2008
• Breaking the Code - Tuesday, August 19, 2008
• The Investment Express - Sunday, August 17, 2008
• The Verse of a Song - Friday, August 15, 2008
• Generic Politics - Tuesday, August 12, 2008
• Reductio ad Extremis - Sunday, August 10, 2008
• I'll Have it Bronzed - Thursday, August 7, 2008
• Lotsa Vacation - Tuesday, August 5, 2008
• Generations: Re-Invention - Sunday, August 3, 2008
• Happy as a Pig. Just a Pig. - Friday, August 1, 2008
• The D Word - Tuesday, July 29, 2008
• Writing Bubble - Monday, July 28, 2008
• Munchie - Friday, July 25, 2008
• Ode an die Freude - Wednesday, July 23, 2008
• Citizen Journalism - Monday, July 21, 2008
• Truth of the Cottonwoods - Monday, July 21, 2008
• Barking at the 'Net - Saturday, July 19, 2008
• Brasilian Way - Thursday, July 17, 2008
• Leadership - Tuesday, July 15, 2008
• No Safe Harbor - Sunday, July 13, 2008
• Open Yer Mouth - Thursday, July 10, 2008
• 15 Second Politics - Tuesday, July 8, 2008
• Nice Work if You Can Get It - Sunday, July 6, 2008
• Fly the Flag - Thursday, July 3, 2008
• Housing Bubble, Toil and Trouble - Tuesday, July 1, 2008
• Depressing Events - Monday, June 30, 2008
• Ein Kunstlerleben - Friday, June 27, 2008
• IRV - Wednesday, June 25, 2008
• Convention Wisdom - Monday, June 23, 2008
• 500 Year Floodplain - Thursday, June 19, 2008
• Desaparecidos - Tuesday, June 17, 2008
• Write on! - Monday, June 16, 2008
• Techno High School - Friday, June 13, 2008
• Urban Return - Wednesday, June 11, 2008
• Strategic Planning - Monday, June 9, 2008
• The Team - Thursday, June 5, 2008
• The Obvious - Tuesday, June 3, 2008
• Hung T-Bar Ceiling - Monday, June 2, 2008
• Brightest Bulbs - Thursday, May 29, 2008
• Regional - Wednesday, May 28, 2008
• Vaca - Accion - Monday, May 26, 2008
• Narrowing - Thursday, May 22, 2008
• Scale - Tuesday, May 20, 2008
• Invisible Hand on the Pump - Monday, May 19, 2008
• Ancient Music - Friday, May 16, 2008
• Electric Motion - Wednesday, May 14, 2008
• Comments? - Monday, May 12, 2008
• In the Translation - Monday, May 12, 2008
• Still Over - Very Over - Friday, May 9, 2008
• Hear the Quiet - Tuesday, May 6, 2008
• Enlightenment and Excess Sugar - Tuesday, May 6, 2008
• Cola Warriors - Monday, May 5, 2008
• Urban Core: Life - Friday, May 2, 2008
• Fantasy and Perspective - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
• Net-Work'd - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
• Urban Core: New Urbanism - Monday, April 28, 2008
• Urban Core: Lessons - Friday, April 25, 2008
• Urban Core - Wednesday, April 23, 2008
• But Fear Itself - Tuesday, April 22, 2008
• You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania - Monday, April 21, 2008
• Cultural Catholic - Friday, April 18, 2008
• Taxing - Wednesday, April 16, 2008
• Light & Fluffy - Tuesday, April 15, 2008
• Work - Monday, April 14, 2008
• Human Barometer - Thursday, April 10, 2008
• Bad Girls - Tuesday, April 8, 2008
• A Good Meal on a Dreary Day - Tuesday, April 8, 2008
• One Year On - Sunday, April 6, 2008
• Not at Any Price - Friday, April 4, 2008
• Winning Through Acting Crazy - Wednesday, April 2, 2008
• More Press(ure) - Tuesday, April 1, 2008
• Message = Medium - Sunday, March 30, 2008
• Anything is Possible - Thursday, March 27, 2008
• Fit, Print, Whatever - Tuesday, March 25, 2008
• Ars Gratia Fructis - Monday, March 24, 2008
• Yes, Not Again - Sunday, March 23, 2008
• Generations: Empire - Thursday, March 20, 2008
• Generations: Do the Right Thing - Tuesday, March 18, 2008
• Brief Commercial Message - Monday, March 17, 2008
• Generations: Institutionalized - Sunday, March 16, 2008
• Generations - Thursday, March 13, 2008
• St. Patrick's Day - Tuesday, March 11, 2008
• Blinding Daylight - Monday, March 10, 2008
• It's Still Over - Sunday, March 9, 2008
• Pedestrian View - Thursday, March 6, 2008
• Straight Up Racist - Tuesday, March 4, 2008
• Stamp Them When They're Small - Monday, March 3, 2008
• Schooled - Sunday, March 2, 2008
• Free at Last - Friday, February 29, 2008
• Theo-Rhetorical - Tuesday, February 26, 2008
• Moral or Political? - Monday, February 25, 2008
• Flik Lit - Sunday, February 24, 2008
• Fit to Print ... and more! - Thursday, February 21, 2008
• Letter to Sen. Clinton - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
• Leading and Learning - Monday, February 18, 2008
• Dr. Carver - Sunday, February 17, 2008
• Primary Reader - Thursday, February 14, 2008
• Ordem e Progresso - Tuesday, February 12, 2008
• Class and Struggles - Monday, February 11, 2008
• Why Do We Write? - Sunday, February 10, 2008
• Streaming - Thursday, February 7, 2008
• Still About People - Wednesday, February 6, 2008
• A Fun Evening Ahead? - Tuesday, February 5, 2008
• Sick of It? Nah! - Monday, February 4, 2008
• Britney - Sunday, February 3, 2008
• Soooper Tooosday! - Friday, February 1, 2008
• Crazy Train - Tuesday, January 29, 2008
• Sacred and Profane - Monday, January 28, 2008
• Making Stuff - Monday, January 28, 2008
• Bill's World - Thursday, January 24, 2008
• Panic! - Wednesday, January 23, 2008
• Airballs and Airbending - Tuesday, January 22, 2008
• Cold - Sunday, January 20, 2008
• Spencer House - Friday, January 18, 2008
• Avatar - Wednesday, January 16, 2008
• Politics, Hopes, and Dreams - Tuesday, January 15, 2008
• Feast or Famine II: The Wrath of John (Zogby) - Monday, January 14, 2008
• Feast or Famine - Sunday, January 13, 2008
• For Madmen Only - Thursday, January 10, 2008
• Paul - Tuesday, January 8, 2008
• Horseraces and Horse Sense - Monday, January 7, 2008
• A New Start? - Monday, January 7, 2008
• Handicapping - Sunday, January 6, 2008
• Happy Talk - Friday, January 4, 2008
• Cold and Warm - Wednesday, January 2, 2008
• Happy, um, New Year - Monday, December 31, 2007
• Riot - Monday, December 31, 2007
• Bestsellers! - Thursday, December 27, 2007
• Why Do They Read? - Wednesday, December 26, 2007
• Christmas Morning - Tuesday, December 25, 2007
• S. Claus, C-14 - Monday, December 24, 2007
• Darkness and Light - Friday, December 21, 2007
• Memoir - Wednesday, December 19, 2007
• Eyes of a Child - Tuesday, December 18, 2007
• Solstice - Monday, December 17, 2007
• Glory and Promise - Thursday, December 13, 2007
• Desperate Cry for Attention - Wednesday, December 12, 2007
• Compound Interests - Monday, December 10, 2007
• The Game - Monday, December 10, 2007
• Got" Nuthin - Friday, December 7, 2007
• Snow Day - Tuesday, December 4, 2007
• Real Way, Way Real - Tuesday, December 4, 2007
• Snowstorm - Sunday, December 2, 2007
• Progress - Friday, November 30, 2007
• Tao Te Ching - Tuesday, November 27, 2007
• As You Like It - Monday, November 26, 2007
• Saint Paul - Sunday, November 25, 2007
• Travel - Friday, November 23, 2007
• Awareness - Wednesday, November 21, 2007
• Two Places Together - Tuesday, November 20, 2007
• Thanksgiving - Monday, November 19, 2007
• Mechanical PR - Friday, November 16, 2007
• Heavy and Light - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
• Rollin' and Scratchin' - Monday, November 12, 2007
• Lay Yer Dollar Down - Sunday, November 11, 2007
• Smarts - Friday, November 9, 2007
• Local - Wednesday, November 7, 2007
• Elections - Tuesday, November 6, 2007
• Platforms - Sunday, November 4, 2007
• Gutenburgistas - Thursday, November 1, 2007
• Shadows - Wednesday, October 31, 2007
• Saleable - Tuesday, October 30, 2007
• Tea - Monday, October 29, 2007
• Crispin, be Remembered - Thursday, October 25, 2007
• Faking It - Wednesday, October 24, 2007
• Post Dispatch - Tuesday, October 23, 2007
• Job Blob - Sunday, October 21, 2007
• MEA Weekend - Friday, October 19, 2007
• Mousketeer - Friday, October 19, 2007
• A Novel Solution - Wednesday, October 17, 2007
• Sunspots - Monday, October 15, 2007
• Ghosts - Sunday, October 14, 2007
• Voyages - Thursday, October 11, 2007
• Obsolete Houses - Tuesday, October 9, 2007
• Watching - Tuesday, October 9, 2007
• Distributed - Sunday, October 7, 2007
• Bright Light - Friday, October 5, 2007
• Soy Protein - Wednesday, October 3, 2007
• Making a Point - Monday, October 1, 2007
• Grace or Redemption - Sunday, September 30, 2007
• Widgets - Thursday, September 27, 2007
• Expectations - Wednesday, September 26, 2007
• My Point is? - Tuesday, September 25, 2007
• Access - Monday, September 24, 2007
• Housewife - Thursday, September 20, 2007
• Equinox - Wednesday, September 19, 2007
• Writing Back - Tuesday, September 18, 2007
• Street Life - Monday, September 17, 2007
• Cartoon - Friday, September 14, 2007
• The Greenback War - Wednesday, September 12, 2007
• A Fair Cop - Tuesday, September 11, 2007
• Small World - Monday, September 10, 2007
• Fairness - Thursday, September 6, 2007
• School Daze - Tuesday, September 4, 2007
• Publishing, Redux - Monday, September 3, 2007
• Labor Day - Sunday, September 2, 2007
• Ethnicity - Thursday, August 30, 2007
• Who Ya Know - Tuesday, August 28, 2007
• Repo Voting - Monday, August 27, 2007
• Sun - Friday, August 24, 2007
• Starving Artists - Tuesday, August 21, 2007
• Juanita Bartlett - Monday, August 20, 2007
• Stock Marks, not Market - Friday, August 17, 2007
• Novel Writing - Wednesday, August 15, 2007
• Stupid Money - Monday, August 13, 2007
• Crappy Cars - Friday, August 10, 2007
• snafu - Wednesday, August 8, 2007
• J.S. Bach - Monday, August 6, 2007
• I-35W Bridge - Friday, August 3, 2007
• Heat - Wednesday, August 1, 2007
• Illegal - Monday, July 30, 2007
• Prof. Powers - Thursday, July 26, 2007
• Harry Potter - Wednesday, July 25, 2007
• Cat President - Sunday, July 22, 2007
• MCS - Thursday, July 19, 2007
• Politics and People - Wednesday, July 18, 2007
• Authorial Omnipotence - Monday, July 16, 2007
• Conveyance - Thursday, July 12, 2007
• Univision - Wednesday, July 11, 2007
• Tropopause - Monday, July 9, 2007
• Big Ideas - Thursday, July 5, 2007
• Star Spangled Banner - Tuesday, July 3, 2007
• North America - Sunday, July 1, 2007
• ex Machina - Thursday, June 28, 2007
• Catalpa - Tuesday, June 26, 2007
• Blogosphere - Sunday, June 24, 2007
• Queuing - Thursday, June 21, 2007
• Make No Small Plans" - Tuesday, June 19, 2007
• Telling Stories - Monday, June 18, 2007
• Community - Thursday, June 14, 2007
• Minor Leagues - Tuesday, June 12, 2007
• For the Kids - Monday, June 11, 2007
• Wurst Writing - Thursday, June 7, 2007
• Progressive - Tuesday, June 5, 2007
• Credentials - Monday, June 4, 2007
• Band Concert - Thursday, May 31, 2007
• Institution - Wednesday, May 30, 2007
• Publiosity - Tuesday, May 29, 2007
• Honor and Sense - Monday, May 28, 2007
• King O'er the Water - Thursday, May 24, 2007
• Everything Counts - Wednesday, May 23, 2007
• Numbers Game - Monday, May 21, 2007
• Elected Attorney General - Friday, May 18, 2007
• Car Free - Thursday, May 17, 2007
• Cold Front - Tuesday, May 15, 2007
• Fortune Telling - Sunday, May 13, 2007
• Distant Voices - Friday, May 11, 2007
• Value - Wednesday, May 9, 2007
• Disposable Buildings - Monday, May 7, 2007
• Energy Alternatives - Friday, May 4, 2007
• Statuary - Thursday, May 3, 2007
• Voice - Tuesday, May 1, 2007
• McNews - Monday, April 30, 2007
• The Jebediah Effect - Thursday, April 26, 2007
• Public Realm - Wednesday, April 25, 2007
• Four Leaves - Tuesday, April 24, 2007
• Media Outlets - Monday, April 23, 2007
• A New Line of Thought - Saturday, April 21, 2007
• Pattern Taxonomy - Friday, April 20, 2007
• Politics, Interest, and Democracy - Thursday, April 19, 2007
• Making Sense - Tuesday, April 17, 2007
• Naked Emperor - Monday, April 16, 2007
• Barking in the Night - Saturday, April 14, 2007
• Kurt Vonnegut - Thursday, April 12, 2007
• All the News That Fits, Prints - Wednesday, April 11, 2007
• It was a dark and stormy night ... - Tuesday, April 10, 2007