Author: southwerk

I am a 53 year old teacher. I have double major in Speech and Criminal Justice resulting in a Bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and a law degree.

Even if you don’t oppose nuclear power, questions have to be asked and things need to be rectified PDQ (via Eslkevin’s Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I really enjoyed this blog.

I think we can all join in the thoughts enunciated in the letter sent below to nuclear regulators in the United States.

It’s a call to learn from the Japanese disaster and to address the problem of nuclear waste.

James Pilant

Dear Kevin, On the morning of March 11, I watched with horror as the news came in from Japan about the tragic earthquake and tsunami and their many victims. The power outage at a Japanese nuclear power plant was a footnote to these first reports, so it was hard to comprehend that the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was underway. Over the last four weeks, the workers at the Fukushima nuclear power facility have acted heroically to g … Read More

via Eslkevin’s Blog

ALLOWING A SCIENTIST (rather than a politician) TO SPEAK (via Eslkevin’s Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I found this provocative.

I believe our blogging friend wanted that effect.

Why don’t you see if it has that effect on you?

James Pilant

Can We Produce Enough Energy with Green Sources or Must We Rely on Coal, Oil, and Nuclear? Ask a Scientist – April 2011 J. Fishman from Scottsdale, AZ, asks “Can we produce enough energy by using green sources, such as wind and solar power, or must we continue to rely on coal, oil, and/or nuclear energy?” and is answered by Jeff Deyette, Assistant Director of Energy Research and Analysis. In the past year we’ve seen too many examples of just how … Read More

via Eslkevin’s Blog

Strong aftershock rattles disaster-weary Japan (via Mannaismayaadventure’s Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Excellent news story well illustrated.

Look at it if only to observe the beautiful layout of the blog.

James Pilant

Strong aftershock rattles disaster-weary Japan Strong aftershock rattles disaster-weary Japan By JAY ALABASTER and TOMOKO A. HOSAKA, Associated Press – Thu Apr 7, 7:07 pm ET SENDAI, Japan – A big aftershock rocked quake-weary Japan late Thursday, rattling nerves as it knocked out power to the northern part of the country and prompted tsunami warnings that were later canceled. The quake was initially measured at magnitude-7.4, though the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., later downgrade … Read More

via Mannaismayaadventure’s Blog

Ethical Solutions Don’t Come Easy (via Scott’s Thoughts on Marketing)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Here is a fellow business professor. Always a pleasure to find another blogging teacher. He enjoys his students and finds their attention drawn to ethics. That’s wonderful, you’d be surprised how many teachers are less than fond of their students.

I like his thoughts on ethics, and I want you to read them.

James Pilant

Ethical Solutions Don't Come Easy Remember that Willie Nelson song “Always On My Mind? Well, sometimes it feels like ethics is always on the mind of marketers – which of course is a good thing! When I look at the traffic on this blog, the posts on ethics always get the most hits, by a long shot.  And while I can never identify who, specifically, lands on these pages, I can see what search engine terms lead people here.  Phrases like “marketing ethics” and “examples of legal but u … Read More

via Scott’s Thoughts on Marketing

Forgive My Low Number of Posts Today, I’m Installing a New Printer.

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This might seem like a simple process but I installed my wife’s old machine and discovered the cartridges for a Brother MFC-465CN cost $24.95 for the black cartridge and $39.95 for the color cartridges. So, only needing black ink for a school task oriented printer, I paid $24.95 and tax, returned home and after a long difficult struggle through the rules and the FAQ  on the web site discovered you must have all the cartridges without any of them being empty to run the printer. So all I needed to do was go and buy the $39.95 color cartridges.

Thus I went back to the store and bought a new printer from Hewlett Packard after pricing the cartridges in advance. They are 14.95 for black and 19.95 for the colors.

For you guys at the Brother Company, I want you to understand that if you wait for my next purchase of your product, it might be some time, a very long time. My new printer cost less than your cartridges and it’s a wireless model.

For further stories and expressions of deep and abiding discontent, go to this site and enjoy.

What to do with the old Brother printer? I am considering breaking it up with a tree limb or a hammer or something like that and posting the process on the web. We’ll see what happens.

James Pilant

TIL You have to pay for your “right” to a trial by jury (via Intellectual Conversation – a lifelong memetic transfusion)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I was not aware of this particular fee but I am not surprised. As municipalities and states lose revenue, they have to resort more and more to fees. This essentially makes everything from state parks to justice too expensive for many Americans. This trend is getting worse not better.

James Pilant

TIL You have to pay for your "right" to a trial by jury The entire judicial system in the USA is so skewed against the poor it is sickening. Falsely accused and want a trial by jury of twelve of your peers? That will be $250 in my local district court and that sickens me. Imagine asking a subsistence farmer to pay that kind of money vs a billionaire. It isn’t right to ask a poor person to forfeit several months worth of disposable income. Heck in India that is one tenth of your annual income – and I’m … Read More

via Intellectual Conversation – a lifelong memetic transfusion

Formation of a great nation is via education — character formation over the scores of ‘A’s (via Daring to Change)

On By southwerkIn business ethics4 Comments

I was very impressed by this article. It is a call for character formation as a priority for education. And a harsh criticism of a culture too often aimed only at monetary success. I find it eloquent and there is little in it that is not obvious from a moral or ethical view point. I wish the author well and hope he reaches a substantial audience.

James Pilant

    GREAT NATION =  Creative Quality of Skills + Moral Correctness                                         +Humility + Industriousness   I believe that the power of education is formidable. It shapes minds, thoughts and eventually all these will form a character. Devils or angels, I believe nurture does have certain impacts on a person. Hence I believe that education has at least a profound influence on a person upbringing This col … Read More

via Daring to Change

Japan Nuclear Crisis Arnie Gundersen 4/5/11 (via CNN)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Mr. Gunderson is an expert I am increasingly relying on. He seems very knowledgeabe and his predictions have done well. I recommend this video.

James Pilant

Creating shared value – the new sustainability paradigm? (via On sustainability, csr and climate change)

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

One of the things about American business that drives me crazy is the myopic quarterly focus of many companies, particularly Wall Street firms with their bonus oriented goal setting. Short term thinking causew serious problems for long term investors and has in a good number of cases resulted in the destruction of the company. This is good business ethics writing and I hope this paradigm catches on and changes the way businesses think about profits and planning.

James Pilant

To most business-minded folks, the creating shared value (CSV) concept is nothing new. In short, as Michael Porter and Mark Kramer put it in a recent Harvard Business Review article, CSV is all about “value creation for business that simultaneously yields more profit and greater social impact, resulting in powerful transformations and opportunities for growth and innovation in both business and society.” It assumes that  companies create business … Read More

via On sustainability, csr and climate change