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    The Great Gordino Newsletter - Issue 328 - Mon 15th Aug 2005
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    Archive Issues online at - gordonbryan.com/archive

    Hi There,

    I hope Monday finds you well.

    Last week I was pointing out that as of last Monday I was not yet
    able to write about the space shuttle landing, or the women's
    pole vault.

    Since last Monday, did Eileen Collins land the space shuttle
    safely?
    Yes, she did.

    Did Yelena Isinbayeva win the World Athletics pole vault?
    Yes, with her 18th world record, now standing at 5.01

    Today, before I get onto my main subject, I want to mention
    something that arrived in the post today.
    It came from my credit card company.
    Normally I use my credit card and pay it all off.
    That way I don't pay interest, and it helps build a credit rating.

    This particular credit card has often offered various different
    card designs.
    Now it has gone one step further.
    They are offering an online service where you can upload your
    own photo, and have it as the design for your card.

    What a great idea!
    If you have your fave pic on the card, you are more likely to
    want to get that one out in the shops to show it off.
    It can't cost the card company that much money, but it's a great
    way to get the customer using your product, not based on
    financial criteria at all.

    It's a really good example of combining modern technology and
    thinking 'outside the box.'

    Ok, today I wanted to go back to something I mentioned the
    other week - expectation.
    On that occasion I was talking about the expectation of success,
    and if you missed it, you can of course see it via the archive link
    at the top.

    Let's twist the idea a bit, and talk about the expectation of
    results after negative actions.
    In other words, what are the expectations of the thugs and
    criminals?

    Well, in my view, in this country, the thugs and criminals,
    otherwise known as 'pond life', don't expect much consequence
    for their behaviour.
    Even if they are caught, there is a lengthy legal process, which
    even after that will not lead to that harsh a punishment.
    They certainly don't have an expectation of consequence to
    make them think twice.

    On TV, a new series has returned of Bad Lad's Army.

    In it, a group of young thugs are given a few weeks of British
    Army National Service training, 1950s style.

    In this modern age, we get many accusations of bullying of army
    recruits.
    I can imagine that it does go on, but back in the 50s it would
    definitely have gone on.

    In the army, you have to do as you are told.
    If you don't, you will suffer.
    The more you rebel, the more you'll suffer.
    You will be bullied into submission, being stripped naked and
    having cold water thrown over you, as an example.
    The rest of your section will be punished for your behaviour.
    It's vicious and unrelenting, undoubtedly designed to break the
    spirit.

    The thugs concerned in this series have the typical look -
    baseball cap at a jaunty angle, walking as if you have a bad
    limp, you know what I mean.
    They think that what they do is funny.
    They think they have a right to steal from others, to be violent,
    to be anti-social.

    Once they get in this army training situation, they change.
    Suddenly they are not so big, not so clever.
    They quickly develop 'bad legs', or 'tummy aches'.

    What I find heartening is that some of them change.
    They learn the value of teamwork, they learn the value of
    responsibility.

    They come to think that doing the right thing is not something
    you do when you have no choice, or for reward, it's something
    you do for the general wellbeing, of yourself and others.

    I have fairly right wing views when it comes to criminals.
    I don't hold with the view that criminals are victims, and I'm not
    a big fan of criminals' rights.
    Personally, I think they lose these rights when they commit the
    crime.
    I'd love this type of thug to be sentenced to this boot camp
    experience all the time, and they should bear the cost of it
    themselves.
    This would give them pause to think before they commit the
    crime in the first place, and if they still go ahead, they go
    through this program where they may well learn to change.

    This type of TV show demonstrates that minds can be changed
    with strong action, often against the will of the person concerned.
    Proof if ever there was then, that we can certainly change our
    own mindset if we choose to!

    Ok, that's it for today, have a good week.

    'Til Next Time,
    Health and Happiness,
    Gordon
    email me at gordon@gordonbryan.com - you'll have to copy and paste
    thanks to the idiot online spammers!



    
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