Comments on: How to have difficult conversations http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/ The Dream Café Weblog Thu, 17 May 2012 05:12:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Gailmom http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1320 Gailmom Mon, 05 May 2008 12:28:05 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1320 GWW: why is the general a woman? I didn't read it that way. Shame on you, so sexist! :) I saw it as an hysterical poke in the ribs at the latest craze for sensitivity training and "communication" courses. Actually I find it really funny to picture this particular style of discourse between Dubya and some of his staff.... GWW: why is the general a woman? I didn’t read it that way. Shame on you, so sexist! :) I saw it as an hysterical poke in the ribs at the latest craze for sensitivity training and “communication” courses. Actually I find it really funny to picture this particular style of discourse between Dubya and some of his staff….

]]> By: Lewis Himelhoch http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Lewis Himelhoch Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:10:54 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1064 I get the humor but as someone who works in the defense industry I must point out that considering what types of weapons are most likely to be used in the situation you are describing, you don't need to pinpoint the exact location of your target. Not only that but you are more likely to use an unmanned Predator or have the Navy send in a Tactical Tomahawk missile anyway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-1_Predator Tactical Tomahawk By far the biggest improvement is making the Tomahawk network-centric warfare-capable, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms. It will be a part of the networked force envisioned by the Pentagon. ”Tactical Tomahawk” equips the TLAM with a TV-camera for battlefield observation loitering that allows warfighting commanders to assess damage to the target and to redirect the missile to an alternative target. Additionally the Tactical Tomahawk is able to be reprogrammed in-flight to attack one of 16 predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the Navy in late 2004. I get the humor but as someone who works in the defense industry I must point out that considering what types of weapons are most likely to be used in the situation you are describing, you don’t need to pinpoint the exact location of your target. Not only that but you are more likely to use an unmanned Predator or have the Navy send in a Tactical Tomahawk missile anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-1_Predator

Tactical Tomahawk
By far the biggest improvement is making the Tomahawk network-centric warfare-capable, using data from multiple sensors (aircraft, UAVs, satellites, foot soldiers, tanks, ships) to find its target. It will also be able to send data from its sensors to these platforms. It will be a part of the networked force envisioned by the Pentagon.

”Tactical Tomahawk” equips the TLAM with a TV-camera for battlefield observation loitering that allows warfighting commanders to assess damage to the target and to redirect the missile to an alternative target. Additionally the Tactical Tomahawk is able to be reprogrammed in-flight to attack one of 16 predesignated targets with GPS coordinates stored in its memory or to any other GPS coordinates. Also, the missile can send data about its status back to the commander. It entered service with the Navy in late 2004.

]]> By: GWW http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1006 GWW Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:03:43 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1006 Ooooh... I get it now. The general's a woman right? Ooooh… I get it now.

The general’s a woman right?

]]> By: Ker_thwap http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1005 Ker_thwap Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:34:17 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1005 Working for the IRS, we had a woman who's sole job duty was to conduct training classes on all this type of touchy feely bullshit. I explained to her that I felt her agenda dragged interpersonal communications down to a preschool level instead of teaching people how to communicate like adults with logic, shared goals, deadlines and the clear consequences for failing to meet said deadlines. I made her cry. It didn't make me sad. I should become a de-sensitivity trainer. Working for the IRS, we had a woman who’s sole job duty was to conduct training classes on all this type of touchy feely bullshit. I explained to her that I felt her agenda dragged interpersonal communications down to a preschool level instead of teaching people how to communicate like adults with logic, shared goals, deadlines and the clear consequences for failing to meet said deadlines.

I made her cry. It didn’t make me sad. I should become a de-sensitivity trainer.

]]> By: SpeakerToManagers http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1003 SpeakerToManagers Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:25:45 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1003 Somehow I think Vlad's conversations with his generals would be not so ... discursive. And I'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear them. Somehow I think Vlad’s conversations with his generals would be not so … discursive. And I’d love to be a fly on the wall to hear them.

]]> By: BigUglyManDoll http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 BigUglyManDoll Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:18:40 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-1000 Having had to sit through 2- and 3-hour staff meetings, with Army colonels and generals, that could be boiled down to those 15 lines - I just wish they could be so succinct! On the other hand, I wish Steve ran the Army. Or maybe Vlad. That'd be a hoot, wouldn't it? ;-) Having had to sit through 2- and 3-hour staff meetings, with Army colonels and generals, that could be boiled down to those 15 lines – I just wish they could be so succinct!

On the other hand, I wish Steve ran the Army. Or maybe Vlad. That’d be a hoot, wouldn’t it? ;-)

]]> By: jeff http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-997 jeff Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:47:14 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-997 I guess all that love that the Marines experienced in Berkly finally soaked in. I guess all that love that the Marines experienced in Berkly finally soaked in.

]]> By: B Timothy Keith http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-996 B Timothy Keith Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:33:13 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-996 Ummm, my co-workers/employees keep trying to get me to act more sensitively... now I understand why: it's humor therapy! Ummm, my co-workers/employees keep trying to get me to act more sensitively… now I understand why: it’s humor therapy!

]]> By: Shawn http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-995 Shawn Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:26:18 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-995 soaba: So is sitting here, staring at the screen with a wide-eyed grin and blinking slowly, while not breathing to keep from breaking into laughter and sending the co-workers into therapy. Again. soaba: So is sitting here, staring at the screen with a wide-eyed grin and blinking slowly, while not breathing to keep from breaking into laughter and sending the co-workers into therapy. Again.

]]> By: Anthony http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Anthony Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:10:15 +0000 http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/27/how-to-have-difficult-conversations/#comment-993 Good stuff.. Good stuff..

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