Dreams

So YESTERDAY I mentioned that I was going to go a bit more in depth about this 'Total Safety Culture' workshop that I present/teach. The credit for the process itself goes to Dr. E. Scott Gellar from Virginia Tech and Safety Performance Solutions.

In a world that thrives on litigation it's no surprise that we've simply stopped looking out for eachother. If you help a neighbor or a friend or even a stranger on the street, you're libel to get sued for your time and trouble. The wonderful thing about TSC is that it is a process that breaks down these fears through open communication and actively caring behaviors.

Each one of us goes through our days with various worries and concerns. Alot of those things contribute to what attitude we may carry along with us that day. For example, people have financial concerns, worries about their children, their elderly parents, their ailing pet, drug issues, alcohol issues. All of these things come together to form certain at risk attitudes. You might be distracted with a financial worry, not paying attention if you're cutting slices of tomatoes and severly cut your hand or finger. Small thing right? For the most part ... yeah it is. However, what if you were driving the carpool? Or your boss around while you were distracted with all those concerns and got into a serious accident? Imagine the guilt and the fury you would pile onto yourself then.

Those are the attitudes that create at-risk behaviors. What the TSC process allows for is for family members and/or co-workers to 'keep an eye out for you' to do some friendly observations and point out some at-risk attitudes or behaviors that THEY perceive and discuss them with you. (or you with them) To help alleviate those at-risk attitudes during the times your literally can do nothing about them.

The verbage used;
-May I ...
-Would it be possible for us to ...
-I think you are doing a really great job and I want you to keep it up because I don't want anything bad to happen to you.

This verbage allows people to open a discussion without the fear of defensiveness. It allows for a proactive approach to maintain a healthy work or home atmosphere. It's not always foolproof, there are days when people will just be unresponsive or disagreeable, those are the days you would take it upon yourself keep a closer eye on your family member or colleague, as OBVIOUSLY you've perceived them to be distracted by something.

The process itself is an observation process:

Me: Hey Joe? Is it all right if I sit down and watch you work for 10 minutes?

Joe: Sure ... no problem

I utilize a checklist of things that I'm looking for while I observe Joe (a checklist that the employees have discussed and agreed upon)

I check things off that I 'PERCEIVE' as being Safe or At-Risk, then Joe and I take a few minutes to talk about those things.

Everyone has their own perceptions, so multiple people would in fact do multiple observations, to employ all of those perceptions.

The actual process is really no more complicated than that.

I know ... it sounds like a bunch of psychological cheesiness. For the most part it technically is ... but it WORKS.

It's been working for companies like 3M, Bayer, BF Goodrich, Caterpillar, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Nucor Steel, Phizer Pharmaceuticals, General Dynamics, Hewlett-Packard and host of others.

The company I work for in one of their divisions, who have been using this process for nearly 11 years, went from being the WORST for safety in the industry to the BEST.

Primarily this is used in a business, manufacturing type setting, the lovely thing about the process though, is that it can be tweeked for use in the office or home setting. This is why I'm so drawn to it, it really becomes more of a paradigm shift in one's thinking than a 'new fangled approach to safety'.

That is the nuts and bolts of it. For more information on the company that created Total Safety Culture you can visit the Safety Performance Solutions Website here

Now that I've rambled on for far to long, let's see what kind of humor we can find today:

Diary on a Cruise Ship:

DEAR DIARY: DAY 1
All packed for the cruise ship - all my sexiest dresses
and make-up. Really excited.

DEAR DIARY: DAY 2
Entire day at sea, beautiful and saw whales and dolphins.
Met the Captain today - seems a very nice man.

DEAR DIARY: DAY 3
At the pool today. Also some shuffle boarding and hit
golf balls off the deck. Captain invited me to join him
at his table for dinner. Felt honored and had a wonderful
time. He is very attractive and attentive.

DEAR DIARY:DAY 4
Won $800.00 in the ship's casino. Captain asked me to
have dinner with him in his own cabin. Had a luxurious
meal complete with caviar and champagne. He asked me
to stay the night but I declined. Told him I could not
be unfaithful to my husband.

DEAR DIARY: DAY 5
Pool again today, got sun burnt, and went inside to drink
at piano bar for rest of day. Captain saw me, bought me
several large drinks. Really is charming. Again asked me
to visit his cabin for the night. Again I declined. He told
me if I did not let him have his way with me he would sink
the ship. I was shocked.

DEAR DIARY: DAY 6
Today I saved 1600 lives.
Twice.

he he he ... that one was pretty good ... let's roll ...

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.
Benjamin Disraeli

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

Scenario: For exactly 1 minute, you get access to all the databases of all the intelligence agencies in the world (CIA, FBI, KGB, MI-5, etc). What do you want to find out before time is up and you're caught and jailed forever?

Ohhh this is a GOOD one. I would want to know Who killed JFK and if Marilyn Monroe's death was an accident or a murder. I'd also look up everything there was to see about Area 51 and potential Alien sightings.

I'm an HUGE conspiracy theory nut!

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Pellucid

PRONUNCIATION:
(puh-LOO-sid)

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Admitting the maximum passage of light.
2. Clear; easy to understand.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin pellucidus, from perlucere (to shine through), from per- (through) + lucere (to shine). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leuk- (light) that is also the source of other words such as lunar, lunatic, light, lucubrate, lightning, lucid, illuminate, illustrate, translucent, lux, and lynx.

USAGE:
"Their [Dorothy Wordsworth's journals'] style, at times pellucid, at times opaque, lies somewhere between the rapture of a love letter and the portentousness of a thriller."

ஜ~§What I'm Reading§~ஜ

Tribute by Nora Roberts in anticipation of the Lifetime movie.

ஜ~§What I'm Watching§~ஜ

Tonight is: Heroes, which I won't be watching REAL time, as I'm headed back to my favored 3pm-11pm shift, YAY!!!

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Dreams

Oh! that my young life were a lasting dream!
My spirit not awakening, till the beam
Of an Eternity should bring the morrow.
Yes! tho' that long dream were of hopeless sorrow,
'Twere better than the cold reality
Of waking life, to him whose heart must be,
And hath been still, upon the lovely earth,
A chaos of deep passion, from his birth.
But should it be- that dream eternally
Continuing- as dreams have been to me
In my young boyhood- should it thus be given,
'Twere folly still to hope for higher Heaven.
For I have revell'd, when the sun was bright
I' the summer sky, in dreams of living light
And loveliness,- have left my very heart
In climes of my imagining, apart
From mine own home, with beings that have been
Of mine own thought- what more could I have seen?
'Twas once- and only once- and the wild hour
From my remembrance shall not pass- some power
Or spell had bound me- 'twas the chilly wind
Came o'er me in the night, and left behind
Its image on my spirit- or the moon
Shone on my slumbers in her lofty noon
Too coldly- or the stars- howe'er it was
That dream was as that night-wind- let it pass.

I have been happy, tho' in a dream.
I have been happy- and I love the theme:
Dreams! in their vivid coloring of life,
As in that fleeting, shadowy, misty strife
Of semblance with reality, which brings
To the delirious eye, more lovely things
Of Paradise and Love- and all our own!
Than young Hope in his sunniest hour hath known.

Edgar Allan Poe

ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ

Bombay Chicken

This recipe is for Lacey over at Don't Make Drugs as she's back on the Gluten Free Wagon. If you all have any GF recipes ... kindly send them along. :)

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter or oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup onion ( I use red onion)
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (this ingredient is optional for curry haters/curry lovers may want to kick it up)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes or fresh peaches, diced (I have used peaches and it was fabulous)
1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth
1/4 cup gluten free beer or dry white wine
1/3 cup milk
2-3 teaspoons cornstarch
cooked rice or use coconut rice

Garnish
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cashews or almonds (optional)
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preparation:
Prepare your chicken- cut into two inch pieces OR pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap until flattened just a little. In a heavy, deep frying pan, melt the butter or heat the oil over med. heat. Brown the chicken on both sides. If using the 2 inch pieces, it will take about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan, but reserve the butter. Cook the onion for about 3 minutes; add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan and add chicken broth, salt, ginger, chili powder, cayenne, curry, chopped peaches, and beer/wine. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low (if not there already) and cook until chicken is tender when pierced with a fork.

In a small measuring cup, mix milk and cornstarch. Slowly stir into chicken mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and thicken the sauce. Serve with rice and garnish.

3-5 servings

I'll try to find some easier ones for ya next time, Lacey!

Brightest Blessings,
~Surry~