Thursday,
March 20, 2003
Good
Afternoon,
Well,
negotiations are not going to prevent
a war in Iraq. My purpose for this message
is to suggest some practical things that
I think we all should bear in mind. I
would also like to know if any of you
have loved ones involved in the conflict.
Please let me know their name and what
they are involved with, some of us would
like to pray for their safety.
The
statistical probability of something happening
to any one of us is very small. If something
does happen, no amount of planning ahead
would have saved us, therefore, do not
stress about the catastrophic. Instead,
plan for dealing with the merely disruptive
- such as breakdowns in: communications,
distribution and supply. The best routine
during times of stress is the old familiar
one. Make your bed, get dressed, go to
work. When life gets weird, do normal
stuff.
This
may be the first electronic war - i.e.
- massive computer virus attacks. Our
computers may die, bank investment, and
insurance records may disappear or go
haywire. Phone service, cell service,
and internet access may be disrupted.
Power grids could fail, you may be without
power for a week or more. There could
be terror attacks, though the biggest
impact would be emotional, not functional.
So,
what do we do. Remember that the likelihood
of direct damage to you or your loved
ones is very, very small. Keep stress
at bay. Safeguard assets/info. Get written
copies of bank balances, investments,
etc. wherever you can. You should be able
to do this via the internet for now. Get
some extra cash and keep it hidden away
at home. Pretend you cannot cash a check
or use your ATM for awhile. Fill up your
vehicles. If you have a gas grill make
sure your propane tanks are full. Keep
plenty of jugs of water around, as well
as non-perishable foods. Buy new batteries
for radios, flashlights, you know, remember
all the flap about midnight 2000? Well,
some of those suggestions might be a good
idea for now.
I
really do not believe that anything major
will happen here in the United States.
Then again, burying our collective heads
in the sand isn't a very good idea either.
So, what would you like to have available
if you had no power, no communications,
no gas, etc. Be prudent and wise. I really
don't see a lot happening over here, but
taking some of these steps isn't going
to hurt you either.
Let's
pray for all in harms way. Differences
aside, now that we are committed, it is
imperative to show our support for our
military. We Americans are known for being
fractious before an event of this kind,
but more important is our reputation for
joining together and presenting a united
front to the threat. Let's make sure we
remember that the very right to disagree
with our leaders was paid for, and will
be paid for, by the blood of our military
forces.
War
is an ugly thing, let's hope and pray
that it will be over quickly. In the meantime,
feel free to talk with each other, call
me or other members of the Senior Staff
if you are having problems dealing with
all of this. Without neglecting your job,
feel free to listen to the radio, watch
a TV set or check what is going on via
the internet. IT will send out an e-mail
if we are over loading the system. Send
me a great joke if you have one and I
will look at sharing it with the rest
of the company. Remember, this too shall
pass. We got through 9/11, and we'll get
through this, we are a resilient bunch
of people.
May
God continue to bless this country.
Rick
Rodell
Chairman/CEO
Cornerstone Systems
Memphis, TN
901.842.1017
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