Category Archives: Daily Drama

In a world where half-truths and spin are daily fare, there is still a value in maintaining one’s personal honor. Those who try and block truthful communication are literally playing with dynamite. The truth will out, even if it takes … Continue reading →

Whistleblowers are people who tell it like it is, even if they suspect that they will lose their jobs and be attacked by people they consider to be friends. That is a high price to pay in order to live with themselves, but fortunately there are still people who value their integrity over public approval.

When I posted Advice for Whistleblowers in December 1983 2003, I was surprised by the number of blogging buddies who had also been whistleblowers and had been fired for their temerity in exposing wrongdoing. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, because bloggers, being citizen publishers, tend to tell it like it is.

As I mentioned in my original post, there is a strategy for whistleblowers that will allow them to emerge with sanity and reputation intact. Let me expand upon it in light of recent events:

1. Leave the organization under your own steam before you are sucked into participating in or concealing the wrongdoing.
2. Document everything very carefully.
3. Secure or develop a position of safety from which you can publicize the wrongdoing in the fullest detail possible.
4. Do not rely on the government or public opinion to protect you.
5. Publicize the wrongdoing using every channel available to you.
6. Go on with your life while continuing #5 until something is done to stop the wrongdoing. You will be attacked, so expect the worst and continue to flourish and prosper anyway.
7. Do not make the mistake of making your life revolve around #5. Vitriolic discourse is bad for your health. Get the truth out as calmly and determinedly as possible. Let the bad guys froth. You will live longer if you can find something to laugh about in this sorry situation.

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My wife Gretchen is becoming an avid photographer with an eye for beauty in the small details of life. This week she managed to break free for a few moments and get outside with her camera. All of these shots … Continue reading →

When one has a chance to observe wild animals over a period of several years, some interesting things come into view. A lot of the so-called “pecking order” information seems to be quite incomplete.

This photo would seem to indicate the existence of a “boy’s club” which excludes the doe in the background. Actually, the truth of the matter is quite different. The doe is the dominant figure in this group and she has been adding bucks to her group for two years!

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