In the upcoming Texas Democratic Primary, Harris County voters should support Diane Trautman for Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector.

(Above you see Ms. Trautman holding a baby.)

Texas primary day is March 2. Early voting begins on February 16. Here are facts about early voting.

Here are duties involved with this important position. The Tax Assessor deals with property valuations, vehicle registration and voter registration.

While Ms. Trautman is running unopposed on the March ballot, a strong primary showing will send a clear message that Ms. Trautman is headed to victory in November.

Here is the Trautman campaign web home.

When elected, Ms. Trautman will work hard to make sure that tax assessments will be conducted fairly, and that Harris County voters are registered in an open and legal manner.

What a switch doing the job of Tax Assessor-Collector in a fair and competent fashion will represent  from business as usual in the Tax Assessor’s office.

It is wrong for subordinates in the Tax Assessor’s office to sell voter registration data to a political party. It is wrong even if appointed incumbent Leo Vasquez does not feel it is wrong.

Ms. Trautman has experience in both banking and education. She will bring a renewed sense of ethics and public service to the office.

Ms. Trautman will serve her full term when elected and not pass on the office to someone else just weeks after the election. This cynical move is how Republicans kept control of the office in 2008 as Democrats made Election Day gains in Harris County.

Please consider supporting Diane Trautman for Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector in 2010.

The workplace is a tough place to be in. Throw in an angry co-worker and work becomes all the more stressful and unpleasant.

Angry co-workers can be a nuisance at the workplace. They create a negative atmosphere for themselves and those around them. They demand time and attention and often shift focus from the job at hand to petty issues. They may seem unwilling to compromise or co-operate and make life difficult for those around them. If you have ever been on the receiving end of an angry co-worker you’ll realize how difficult it is to reason with him. Sometimes, you may be the brunt of his anger even when not at fault. Many angry co-workers tend to blame their colleagues for mistakes committed by them. Righteous anger if expressed in a positive manner can be excused. But when a co-worker gets angry frequently for trivial things, it’s possible that he is suffering from anger related behavioral disorders.   

Dealing with an angry co-worker requires tact and sensitivity. Generally, the management is responsible for dealing with angry co-workers. However, if the anger is directed towards you, even you can take charge of the situation.     

Strategies to deal with an Angry Co-worker:
• Keeping your cool: When you come face to face with an angry co-worker, try not to lose your temper. Losing your temper and indulging in a screaming match will only fuel the situation. Maintaining your composure is very important at this point of time. This may not completely dilute the situation but at least will prevent it from blowing out of proportion.
• Active Listening: When a co-worker is on a short fuse, let him speak without interrupting. Listen rather than speak. Listening will help in understanding why he is agitated. It may sound clichéd but you can say “I realize that you’re upset, is there something I can do?”
• Don’t Interfere: If you are not the direct recipient of your co-workers rage, it may be best not to interfere. Keep a safe distance as interfering may turn his wrath on you and the situation may go out-of-control. Only endeavor to mediate if you suspect a potentially violent situation.
• Apologize: If your co-worker is upset because of some mistake committed by you, do not hesitate to apologize immediately. Don’t make excuses and give justifications. Accepting your mistake and promising not to let the same thing happen again could succeed in defusing your co-workers temper.
• Inform Management: If your co-worker exhibits signs of frequent anger issues for no rhyme or reason, it may be time to bring it to the notice of the management. This is not being sneaky but basically just looking after your interests.

Stress Management for Angry Co-workers: Stress at work is simply inevitable. There are deadlines to meet and reports to be completed. If things don’t go according to schedule you could find yourself pulled up for incompetence. All this leads to stress and tension. Most people accept this as part and parcel of the game and take things in their stride. However, loads of people can’t come to terms with stress and become angry and frustrated. Co-workers who get angry for insignificant things may be over-stressed. These co-workers may be burdened with unrealistic deadlines and work pressures. Inability to cope with them leads to over-the-top stress and subsequently anger. Stress Management is a must for angry co-workers. Management should make appropriate arrangements for angry co-workers to attend Stress Management Programs.

For additional information about effective stress management, anger management, and assertive communication skills, along with tools to increase your emotional intelligence call the Anger Management Institute of Texas 281-477-9105 or visit http://www.ami-tx.com.

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.ami-tx.org
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

Domestic Violence can happen to anybody, anytime. As opposed to general perception, it doesn’t affect any particular type of community or family. The rich and the poor have become victims of domestic violence. No matter what your standing in society is you could be a victim of domestic violence.

Though, the perpetrator is most often a man, in a few cases women also are responsible for domestic violence. Domestic violence takes place between married couples, un-married couples and people in homosexual relationships. Domestic violence is not an isolated incident that takes place. It is generally characterized by patterns of boisterous behavior, abuse, intimidation and control.

Domestic violence is a legally punishable offense. Criminal violence includes physical and sexual abuse. Verbal abuse is not punishable under law but can nevertheless have an appalling effect on the victim. Children are the worst sufferers in the entire situation. They end up with severe trauma and psychological scars that may last a lifetime.

The story of domestic violence in most occasions is the saga of control and power. It is about one person wielding power over the other. Many times it is also associated with anger related behavioral disorders. In many cases the victim is kept behind closed doors and not allowed to communicate with anyone outside the home. In extreme cases he/she is not allowed to even venture outside the house or call anyone. Children live in fear and experience difficulties sleeping and become withdrawn. More often than not children are aware of the abuse but can’t fathom what to do about it.

Domestic violence is all around us. When we witness domestic violence we are often under the notion that they are personal issues and we ought not to interfere. This is a wrong stance to take. We are not aware of how many innocent lives we could have saved had we made that call at the right time. The next time you come across domestic violence don’t look the other way. Offer to help or at least contact someone who can. You never know if someday you may need help too.

Sufferers who put up with years of domestic violence usually have nowhere else to go. They are dependent on the abusers for financial support and may have kids to consider. Though, alcohol and substance abuse worsen the problem of domestic violence they are not considered to be the causes for it. Generally the abusers have underlying issues of inferiority complex, insecurity, low self-esteem, pent-up rage and frustration. Little things drive them over the edge to become full time wife-bashers.

If you are a victim of domestic violence don’t hesitate to seek help. Keep phone numbers of the police and local volunteer groups handy. If you have children try moving them to a safe haven like a friend or family’s place. Keep a cell-phone nearby at all times just in case an emergency occurs.

Domestic Violence and Anger Management: Anger Management is frequently used as a tool to curb Domestic Violence. But many victims of abuse claim that this doesn’t help since domestic violence is not an isolated crime of passion that occurs when anger takes over. Rather, it is premeditated and planned over a period of time to control and manipulate the victim. It has more to do with power and less to do with anger. Batters should be referred to a Batters Intervention & Prevention Program (BIPP) vs. Anger Management Classes; however more and more courts are sending them to both programs.

For information about Batters Intervention & Prevention Program (BIPP) visit http://www.dvi-tx.com and for Anger Management Classes visit http://www.ami-tx.com .

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.ami-tx.org
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

Below is a picture I took of the electronic ballot box I used to vote in our Houston city elections earlier this week.

If you look, you see that one can vote in English, Spanish or Vietnamese. These are the options we have here in Harris County.

If English is our so-called official language, how come we can vote in languages other than English? How come we can do so even here in Texas?

It doesn’t hurt anything to let people vote in Spanish or Vietnamese.

All people are our fellows.

The workplace is a melting point of people from different backgrounds, cultures and communities. Conflicts and differences of opinion are bound to occur. Add to that deadlines, work pressures and responsibilities and you get an entire workplace drama.

Newspapers frequently enumerate stories of employees going over the edge and shooting their colleagues or destroying company property. Ex-employees turn out to be spiteful and reveal confidential information to competitors. Some retaliate by wiping out years of company data and wrecking back-up files.

Manpower is a resource that has to be handled with care. Rough handling can be highly detrimental to the morale and productivity of the organization as a whole.

Workplace anger is experienced at all levels beginning from line staff and ending with executives and managers. However, it has been observed that lower levels of the hierarchy react more violently as compared to higher level executives. Perhaps, this is due to lack of proper training and orientation. Top executives on the other hand get more exposure to soft skills and communication programs. Prompting strikes and damaging property is more frequent among factory workers and daily wage earners. Executives retaliate differently. They may resort to back-biting, manipulation, intimidation and spite to release their resentment. It’s difficult to say which is the lesser of the two evils: getting violent or acting malicious.

Both are detrimental to the overall work environment. While violence is dangerous to lives and property, silent sufferance creates a negative atmosphere and dampens morale.

Reasons for Workplace Anger: Listed below are of the common reasons for anger at the workplace:

 Leaves not granted
 Regular overtime at the workplace
 No appreciation for good performance
 Promotions awarded to “yes men” as opposed to good performers
 Salary hikes not approved
 Overly critical supervisors or managers
 Partiality towards certain employees
 Termination of employment
 
Steps to curb Workplace Anger: Managers should be cognizant of the first signs of aggression. Absenteeism, late-coming, tardiness and deterioration in performance are some warning signals.
• Organizations should invest in Anger Management Programs at regular intervals to enable employees to express feelings and release pent-up emotions.
• One-to-one sessions with employees should take place regularly even when no problems are apparent. This helps prevent any lurking anger issues that may blow up later.
• Active listening and conversations in informal settings should be encouraged to make people feel at ease and open up.
• Proper systems for complaints and grievances must be established. Every complaint must be dealt with within a specified time frame.
• If an employee has to be terminated, it has to be done as civilly as possible. They should not be made to feel small and humiliated.

Stress Management to control Workplace Anger: Most of our stress is associated with work. Work pressure is on the rise. We are expected to be faster, brighter and more efficient than we already are. A disappointment with our job leads to depression and anger. Hence, controlling stress helps in controlling workplace anger. Being on cordial terms with our colleagues and superiors helps minimize stress at work. It’s not possible to be on good terms with everybody at the workplace. However, even a couple of supportive co-workers can prevent work from becoming a living hell.

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

This morning I went to the Harris County Administration building in Downtown Houston so that I could register my car.

I know you can do it online and I understand why many people might take advantage of that option.  

But I often go Downtown, and I feel that clerks at the county building need jobs.

The clerk who helped me today was very nice.

She told me I could register my car for two years if I wished.

I told her that I like to come and register the car each year so folks can have jobs.

If we don’t do business with real human beings, where will people find work?

There are many ways to know if you need an anger management class, but only a few examples are listed here.  If you are not sure if you need an anger management class, consult a professional and get an anger management evaluation.

Some indications that you have an anger management problem are that you are controlling, use intimidation or manipulation, feel chronic hostility, have frequent interpersonal conflicts, or are known by others to be an angry employee, an angry boss or angry spouse.  If you are questioning whether your anger is problematic, the following questions may help you better decide:

• Do I use anger in the workplace?
• Do I have trouble expressing feelings other than anger?
• Do I engage in angry behaviors to the point of harassment or abuse?
• Do I confuse assertiveness with anger?
• Have I ever thought that I need help to manage my anger?
• Have I been told that I use intimidation or manipulation in relationships?
• Have I been told that I am controlling?
• Do I find myself blowing up in times of stress?
• Do I have chronic stress?
• Do I do property damage, make threats, get into physical fights, and yell?
• Do I find myself focusing on things, situations and people and becoming angry?
• Do I find myself interrupting others, becoming impatient, not able to listen?
• Do I resist seeking compromise, or coming to an honest compromise, when there is conflict?
• Do I have trouble stating my needs and become resentful when others do not meet them?
• Do I have effective techniques for stress management?

These are some of the questions that can help you decide if you may need anger management classes.  The professional who will conduct an anger management assessment will ask similar questions to help you determine if anger management classes can decrease your stress, lower anger levels, improve your coping skills in everyday life, improve your relationships, and better equip you to meet your own personal goals. If you have problematic anger, anger management classes will help you in all these areas by increasing your emotional intelligence—your awareness of emotional states, and your knowledge of how to manage them appropriately.  As your emotional intelligence increases through anger management classes, you will find that many, many areas of your life improve.  Anger is a natural emotion, but what we do with anger can make our lives unmanageable and problematic or can create a life in which we are more successful and less stressed.

An anger management assessment will identify your current emotional intelligence—what you know about emotions in yourself and others, how to express emotions appropriately and how to manage them successfully.  Anger management classes will increase emotional intelligence giving you the tools you need to be less stressed, in more satisfying relationships, manage your workplace experience more effectively and, overall, improve your daily coping and performance.

It would most helpful if the anger management class curriculum focuses on anger management, stress management, assertive communication skills, and emotional intelligence.

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.ami-tx.org
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

A new study reports that only 58.5 % of Houston-area high school freshmen graduate four years later.

Here is the Houston Chronicle story about the study. 

From the study—

“Children at Risk, a Houston-based advocacy group, commissioned the Texas Education Agency to conduct study of six-year graduation rates for the region’s 130 high schools. They learned that 53 percent of the students who begin as ninth-graders in the Houston Independent School District had not graduated from any Texas high school in six years. The combined graduation rate for the entire region’s high schools is 58.5 percent.”

This report tells me you can do anything to people in and around and Houston and get away with it. Can you imagine people tolerate this? Or take it as normal?

These type numbers exist in cities and rural areas across the country.

You’d might as well put people in camps or brand them with irons. A poor city neighborhood in this society is a camp in any case. One that Republicans ignore all the time and Democrats often only notice at election time.

( And an isolated rural area can often be a kind of more wide-open camp that Democrats ignore and Republicans often only notice at election time.)

You can’t get anywhere in this country without a high school degree. You can’t even be sure of your prospects anymore with a college degree. People should be demanding action. People should have been doing so a long time ago because these bad education numbers are longstanding.

Our Harris County sheriff, Democrat Adrian Garcia, wants Harris County to build a new jail. Yeah–Another jail. That will solve our ills.    

Please click here for my post on the subject of why people believe conspiracy theories.  I assert people often hold such views because nothing is so crazy or brutal that it can’t be true. It seems plausible enough that we as a community in Houston would be content enough with large numbers of our poor just dying off. How would it be so different from how we treat folks currently?

If you are the person who called me earlier this evening from the Harris County, Texas jail asking if I was able to accept the charges on a collect call—I’m sorry that I was not able to accept such charges.

( Above–Video to Kraftwerk’s The Telephone Call.) 

I did give taking the call some thought. The recorded operator said it would cost $3.60 to accept the call. The recording did not say who was calling. All it said was that it was a collect call from the Harris County Jail.

I asked myself who I knew that might be in the county jail. While I can think of people I know that should be in jail, or that I wish were in  jail, I don’t feel I know anyone in jail at the moment.

I was somewhat curious about who was on the other end of the call.  Maybe it was a person who wished to discuss American history with me this evening. Or a person pondering the nature of redemption after the committing of misdeeds.

In the end however, my guess was that I was better off not taking the call. 

Here are rules and procedures regarding inmates in our Harris County Jail.

Here is the link to County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

Sheriff Garcia is a Democrat elected in 2008 to replace a Republican Sheriff.

Republicans are on the run here in Harris County. Harris County is the nation’s third most populous county.  Over 3.5 million people live in Harris County.   

Republicans think they can run minority-bashing anti-urban campaigns in a majority-minority urban county. 

That plan did not work so well for Republicans in 2008. 

Below are the rules for inmates placing a collect call at the Harris County Jail—

Inmates can place collect calls to phone numbers where collect calling is not restricted. This is the most common method of placing calls from the facility. However, there are some situations where collect calls are restricted… e.g.

• The phone number has reached its credit limit for collect calls
• The owner of the phone has requested no collect calls be permitted to their number
• The phone number is assigned to a cellular phone or pager
• The phone company of the called party has restricted collect calls

Rates – Rate quotes are available to the called party at the start of each call

Process–

• Inmate dials phone number
• System determines if called number is able to receive collect calls and places or rejects the call
• Called party must positively accept the call by following the automated instructions

Anger is an emotional state.  It can be triggered by both internal and external cues.  As an emotion, anger is a natural response and serves many purposes. It is based in human biology (as are other emotions) and serves us through the survival drive in its most fundamental form.  Anger is a strong protective force.  It creates physiological responses that signal us and prepare us to take action if needed by the drive to survive. 

 Apart from its basic and instinctual purpose, however, anger is also useful in protecting one’s self psychologically and emotionally.  Feelings of anger can signal, for example, that one feels taken advantage of, dismissed or violated in some way.  It helps us to set boundaries when such conditions have arisen. 

Anger is typically driven by perception and interpretation of events and situations.  Do I perceive danger?  Do I perceive threat?  These are the unspoken, often consciously unthought questions that our anger will answer.  Additionally, anger is a subjective, very personal response.  What angers one may not even be noteworthy to another.  In many important ways, personal history and how we have learned to cope with others and the world will determine whether or not anger is experienced.  Similarly, personal history and coping patterns will determine how angry one will be.

Anger becomes problematic when behaviors follow that are harmful to yourself or others.  Anger is also problematic when behaviors create the risk of harm to self or others.  For many individuals who do not behave in anger to the point of aggression or physical self-harm, anger can be sabotaging enough to create significant problems.  For example, anger is problematic if one’s goals and/or emotional and psychological wellbeing are compromised by anger.  Similarly, the individual who is chronically angry may sabotage his own goals and/or emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Certainly, anger is problematic when aggression and violence are used to express anger.  Harm to others through physical expressions, or threats of such, can have serious social and legal consequences.  Ultimately, the feeling of anger and the use of angry behavior can control one’s life. Consequently, negative consequences occur and accumulate.  While anger itself is a normal, very human emotion, aggressive behaviors are typically not.  Aggressions, and threats of aggression, are emergency responses. 

Disruptive patterns of angry behavior that are ‘out of proportion’ for the seriousness of the triggering event need intervention. 

Managing anger can be learned by attending an Anger Management Program; it would be in your best interest if the program curriculum focuses on anger management, stress management, assertive communication, and emotional intelligence.   

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

Boy accused in baby’s death to remain in custody

By DALE LEZON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

May 5, 2009, 2:38PM

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6409015.html

A 12-year-old boy charged with capital murder will remain in jail for at least nearly two more weeks, a judge ordered earlier today. (Why haven’t the parents in this case been charged?)

The boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, is accused in the death of 10-month-old Deandre Washington at their home in the 3700 block of Lehall on March 12.

Associate Judge Beverly Malazzo said that she wanted Child Protective Services to develop a supervision plan with the boy’s family as a condition of considering his release from the Harris County Juvenile Justice Center, where he has been held since he was charged in April. (so they are CONSIDERING  releasing this child back to the mother who left him and his siblilings at home alone???  CPS had received prior reports on this family!!!)

Also, she wanted CPS officials to review the home of an aunt who has said she would supervise the boy if he was released.

He is scheduled to appear in court for another detention hearing May 18.

Investigators say the children had been left alone at their home by their mothers at the time of the death. At least three other young children were in the home at the time as well.

Deandre, investigators said, suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital, but died two days later.

Investigators say the boy’s sibling told them their brother threw the baby against the floor.

He denies it, according to Johnny Jeremiah, a family spokesman.

In Texas criminal cases, 14 is the youngest age that a child can be certified as an adult. However, a child as young as 10 can be charged with capital murder, officials said.

The intentional killing of a child younger than 6 is one of the provisions that can result in a capital murder charge for a juvenile, officials said. If he is convicted, the boy could face 40 years behind bars.

With Swine Flu cases possible in Houston and Harris County, it should be made clear to our Spanish speaking population that they will be able to visit hospitals or clinics with flu symptoms and not be subject to immigration checks.

This message should be broadcast to all our immigrant communities because it is not just Spanish speaking people who are in the county without documentation.

The Swine Flu may or not become a major health problem in the United States. It should not be made worse because of political concerns that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

Local governments in Harris County should be working with the county, state and federal government to make sure that everybody who needs help gets help, and that public health officials are able to track the spread of any Swine Flu.  

( Please click here for Swine Flu information and handwashing tips.)

12-year-old charged in death of baby

By MIKE GLENN HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 21, 2009, 10:36PM

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6384880.html

Prosecutors have charged a 12-year-old boy with capital murder in the death of a 10-month-old baby who had been left unattended by adults at a home in southeast Houston. (and the parents have been charged with????)

The 12-year-old, who has not been identified, remains in the custody of Harris County juvenile authorities after the Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed the charge on Tuesday.

The baby, Deandre Washington, suffered blunt force trauma to the head on March 12 at the home where he lived with his mother and siblings. Deandre was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital, where he died two days later, officials said.

Houston police and Children’s Protective Services have begun investigations into the circumstances leading to Deandre’s death.

CPS officials said Deandre’s mother and the mother of the accused boy left at least five children alone at the duplex in the 3700 block of Lehall, near Scott.

“It appears they just told them, ‘We’re going to run out and we’re going to be back,’ ” said Gwen Carter, a CPS spokeswoman. “When they came back, the infant was unconscious.”

It wasn’t clear whether the 12-year-old was supposed to be watching out for the children or if another person had been given that responsibility, Carter said.

“We talked to everybody,” Carter said. “We were unsure as to what had occurred.”

CPS investigators asked Deandre’s mother to place her other children with relatives until their investigation has been completed, Carter said.

Carter said that about one year ago, the agency had looked into an issue involving one of Deandre’s siblings.

“We had tried to visit with her (the mother) but we couldn’t locate her,” Carter said. “We weren’t able to complete our investigation.” (So you just gave up???  I have to wonder what the outcome would have been if you hadn’t….because something very wrong was obviously going on in this home, children left alone, a 10 month old dead, and a 12 year old charged with murder.  Great way to investigate a report people…”sarcasm intended”…)

She wasn’t aware of any CPS dealings with the mother of the 12-year-old. Neither parent could be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Tawanna Scott, the mother of the 12-year-old, told KHOU (Channel 11) that police investigators told her that her son confessed to the crime. She said her son has denied responsibility for the death.

Deandre’s mother moved out of the duplex on Lehall days after the incident, said neighbors, including Keisha Brown.

“After it happened, I didn’t see them again,” Brown said.

In Texas criminal cases, 14 is the youngest age that a child can be certified as an adult. However, a child as young as 10 can be charged with capital murder, said JoAnne Musick, a lawyer who specializes in juvenile law.

The intentional killing of a child younger than 6 is one of the provisions that can result in a capital murder charge for a juvenile, Musick said.

If he is convicted, the boy could face 40 years behind bars, prosecutors said.

Staff reporter Brian Rogers contributed to this story.

mike.glenn@chron.com

Even facing attack from Maoist rebels in some places, voters in India went to the polls yesterday to begin the month long process of the Indian national election. 

These attacks killed 17.

Above is a picture of women waiting to vote in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

(Please click here for an overview of the Indian election.)

Turnout in India, despite the violence and all the poverty in India, is expected to be 62% when all the votes are counted. 

Now why is it that Hispanics in Houston and Harris County can’t vote in greater numbers? What are the reasons? 

Turnout in many mostly Hispanic state legislative districts  in Harris County was between 40% and 45%  of people eligible to vote in 2008.

Where are the leaders in this important community? Where are the people?

Here is a great article from the urban planning magazine Next American City that details the history of Hispanic political activism in Houston.

When will Hispanics in Houston find the leadership that their numbers and potential merits?

Anyone who lives with an abusive partner knows how difficult it is to make it through the night. Anyone who works under a sullen boss knows how tough it is to make it through the day. Anger can shatter homes and destroy lives.

Remember the student who picked up his gun and took shots at his classmates. Do you recall the husband who burnt his wife and children and then put a bullet through his head? Well, this is anger speaking loud and clear.

Our streets are not safe to walk on partly on account of people who can’t manage their anger issues. If we find ourselves losing our cool at the drop of a hat, we need to ask questions and we need to ask them now.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about Anger:

Why do we feel angry? Experts suggest that we get angry because we feel threatened. The threat may be real or imagined. Anger is very often a direct result of other emotions that we experience like depression, fear, guilt and embarrassment. Suppressing emotions can also lead to frustration and anger. Something we perceive as being unfair can trigger feelings of rage and fury.

Is it normal to get angry? We’re human. Getting angry at some point of time or the other is inevitable. Denying anger is only going to make matters worse. What counts is not whether we get angry or not but how we respond when angry. However, if you find yourself in a perpetual state of rage, there’s probably a deep rooted issue that needs urgent attention.

Is it okay to vent my anger on someone or something when angry? This is a tricky question. Some experts say that venting your anger releases pent-up emotions and cools you down quicker. However, others argue that venting your anger on something or someone is dangerous and only serves to make you think about it frequently. Besides, breathing fire down somebody else’s neck could be nerve-racking for them. If you experience mild to moderate anger issues this may be a good option. However, if you have a severe anger management issue, avoid venting your temper on anything or anybody around you.

Is it okay to display my anger when I find something to be unjust? Standing up for your rights is not a bad thing. But you should attempt to do it in a positive manner rather than being offensive or stooping too low. Assertive communication helps in expressing feelings positively and stating needs. Being too aggressive only infuriates those around you and blows the situation out of proportion. 

What can I do to minimize the anger I’m experiencing? Deep breathing for a couple of minutes or more is supposed to be the ultimate anger antidote. Try counting to ten, twenty or even hundred if you feel like you’re losing control. Focusing on things other than the predicament you’re in takes your mind off the problem. Yoga and aerobics helps to an extent. Expressing feelings in an assertive manner is a good idea.

Can developing Emotional Intelligence help in curbing anger?

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

 Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

 Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert  

The so-called voter ID bill now before the Texas legislature is nothing but a voter suppression bill. Voters in Texas already present a driver’s license or a voter registration card to be able to vote. (Though I was asked specifically for a driver’s license last November.)  

Under the bill, voters would now, by law, be asked in all cases for a photo ID. If you do not have one, you’ll have to come up with two forms of alternative identification.

The alleged reason behind the bill is stop voter fraud. But there is little evidence of voter fraud in Texas. The fact is that some minority and elderly voters don’t have photo Id’s and it is not always easy for them to acquire such identification.

(There is plenty of evidence that many people in Texas don’t have health insurance, but Republicans don’t see that as such an urgent concern.)

Republicans in Texas know that it is likely Democratic voters the voter suppression bill will impact.  And they know that the demographic clock is ticking in Texas politics. Sooner or later, let’s hope sooner, Republicans are going start losing statewide elections in Texas just as they are now losing elections in Harris County and Dallas County. 

Republicans can hold back the demographic realities of Texas….

Just as easily as one could hold back this wave pictured above.

However, it should not be forgotten that these issues of voter turnout are a two-way street.

In majority-minority cities and legislative districts around Texas, elected officials—most often Democrats—say little or nothing about the poor turnout that goes on year after year. Not only do they say nothing about it, they do nothing about it.

In our majority-minority state of Texas, we would not have so many elected Republicans if many probable Democrats would come out to polls on every Election Day.

It seems that many of these elected officials are content to serve in safe districts and to never have to worry about a primary challenge or an overly attentive electorate. Many elected Democrats thrive in these situations while accusing the other side of voter suppression.

We can fight against the voter suppression bill now up for debate in Austin. However, if we had our own house in order as Democrats and folks on the left side of the ideological aisle, maybe we would not be fighting this battle today.

My wife, the best person ever, has beeen assigned to a jury in our Harris County, Texas courts.

Below is the painting The Jury. This was completed in 1861 by the British artist John Morgan. 

You’ll find this painting at the Buckinghamshire Museum over in England. Below is a picture of the museum.

Here is some history of the American Jury System. 

From that history—

“The jury trial was a significant expression of “the consent of the governed” in American history. Among the reasons given by the signers of the Declaration of Independence to “dissolve the Political Bonds” which connected them to Great Britain was the deprivation “of the Benefits of Trial by Jury.” Trial by jury in criminal cases was incorporated into the Constitution itself, and the grand jury, the criminal petit jury, and the civil petit jury all were enumerated in the Bill of Rights.”

Anger is only an emotion. It is witnessed in the best of us and the worst of us. Experiencing anger certainly does not make us lesser human-beings.

If it’s only a feeling-an emotion, why do we let it take control of our lives?

Good Question. The answer though is not that simple. Anger may be an emotion but it is a complex emotion. This is because everyone does not experience and express anger in the same fashion. Some react immediately while others may go on a slow burn for days before exploding in a fit of temper. 

Displays of anger at work have become quite common place these days. Line workers are more prone to violent outbursts as compared to top level executives. In factories and manufacturing units, it’s not uncommon to stumble on workers sabotaging property and instigating strikes when their demands are not met. Higher level executives also have their fair share of anger related issues. These executives have deadlines to meet and responsibilities towards management. When things fail to go as planned, work pressure takes its toll and they sometimes react with hostility.

Domestic violence is a direct result of mismanaged and misplaced anger. Anger momentarily blinds and causes people to lash out at anything in front of them. “Angerholics” do not think twice before spewing their venom on their partners or even their children for that matter.

There are some people who come across as being angry all the time. Even, when things are apparently normal, they are simmering under the surface. The root cause may be traced to an unhappy childhood, low self-esteem, drug addiction and feelings of guilt and denial.

Anger Assessment: An anger assessment is necessary to gauge how far a person will go when angry. A properly designed assessment program will indicate how bad the anger is and the degree to which anger management is needed. It entails asking the participant to answer a few questions based on which certain conclusions are drawn. The questions are framed in such a way so as to judge whether a person is emotionally mature or faces mild to extreme anger issues.

Some typical anger assessment questions are:

·        How often do you get aggressive?

·        How often do you resort to violence like punching or assaulting someone?

·        Do insignificant things irritate you when angry?

·        Do you get abusive verbally or use expletives?

·        Do you make nasty and hurtful remarks when angry?

·        How long does it take for you to cool down?

·        Do you vent your temper on things other than your object of anger?

·        Have you hit your immediate boss or anyone else in authority?

·        Have you ever punched a cop?

Based on the answers to these questions, people are categorized as having mild, moderate or highly severe anger management concerns.

Anger Assessment and Anger Management: Anger assessment is the first step towards anger management. If the degree to which a person experiences anger and the extent to which he’ll go is measured, anger management can be directed more specifically. Since every individual is unique, customized anger management can be done for individual cases. Anger assessment judges the level of anger experienced and reactions to it. Anger management takes off from here. Judging how bad the situation really is helps focusing on finding a solution.

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com

http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

It is difficult to know how to feel about the proposed extension of light rail in Houston.

(Above–Transportation in Minsk, Belarus.)

Four new lines, all in the inner loop as far I can determine, are on the table for a vote of the Metro Board in March. The cost of this project is said to be $2.6 billion. 

On one hand, I support mass transit. On the other hand, I support mass transit for all the people. Not just inside the loop.

For example, there is no bus on Highway 6 in-between 1960 and Westheimer. Yet many people live and work in this area and Highway 6 gets more busy each day.

How can we commit $ 2.6 billion for transit inside the loop without addressing all of Houston and the suburbs? (And when will all our Harris County suburbs grow up and incorporate and elect mayors and city councils and establish a police force beyond the Harris County Sheriff? Maybe these folks would get better services if they’d incorporate and find a coherent voice. )

A regional transit authority is clearly needed. Please click here to see my previous post of the likelihood of a regional transit authority in the Houston-area.

Then you have the issue of the folks on each side of the debate.

Seemingly against any extension of mass transit are folks who reflexively oppose government, hate taxes more than they value the future, and who think that if only they can stop the bus from coming their neighborhoods will be able to keep out ”undesirables.”  I have supported light rail in Houston so far because it annoys conservatives to such a degree.

On the other side of the rail debate are what are often the most annoying folks of all. Liberals that I share 90%  in common with, but that remaining 10% is a difference in sensibilities that makes me want to send a check to the National Rife Association. An inside-the-loop focus that in the end values pragmatism and order over imagination and justice. These are the kind of folks I see getting most excited over these train cars. 

( And the idea that some have of streetcars for Houston! Oh!  As it says in Ecclesiastes– ”Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities…..”  Must we spend public dollars to remake a small portion of the county in the imagined self-image of a narrow few? )

Here is part of the Phil Ochs song Love Me I’m A Liberal—

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I’d lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I’m a liberal.

It’s like how I can’t stand chimps and monkeys. I despise them for being so like myself, yet being something I very much don’t want to be.  I don’t want to be a nasty chimp. I don’t want to be a process-orientated  liberal who gets excited about boondoggle train cars in my neck of the woods while folks out in county can’t get a ride to work. Mass transit should not be about what seems cool or neat. It should be about getting people where they need to go. 

So where do I come down on the question of light rail for Houston?

When all is said and done, I’m for it as an extension of government in a small government region and state, as a job creation project, and because of the people it frustrates. It’s not like we’ll spend the money on something useful if we don’t build the trains. As for light rail being part of a coherent transit policy for the entire region, that is not part of the debate at this point. 

Light rail, so far, seems more an inner-loop vanity and a conceit to try to turn Houston into something it is not. But since it’s opponents offer nothing more useful than more highway building and endless government bashing, I say build the damn thing and let them stew. I’m with the chimps on this one. (Because, as I  sometimes face up to, I’m one of the chimps more than I’d like to admit. It can take so much effort not to revert to a less developed state. )

Now if we want to be serious and plan for light rail across the county and region, that’s something I could be on board with.

Dedication, commitment, investment…hard work and vision.  These are the givens.  The personality characteristics that help those seeking a career in medicine succeed, however, can also be the very same characteristics that can eventually undermine the practitioner’s workplace effectiveness and personal well-being. 

Most will enter training with an altruistic desire and vision to be of service, to make a meaningful contribution to others and to attain a sense of personal achievement and career satisfaction.  Our culture reinforces that vision.  Physicians are held in high regard, valued for their achievement and their contributions to the well-being of others. 

As in many such service careers, the vision of the young practitioner can drive and sustain the momentum of achievement.   Unfortunately, the rigors and realities of training and clinical practice can steadily obscure that original vision.  Physicians can find themselves so entrenched ‘in the trenches’ that survival, not vision, becomes the driving force in daily practice.  Many feel ‘locked in’ to move forward despite the personal toll and emotional costs.  As the dream subsides into an often harsh awakening, emotions can run high.  The original vision of service can recede behind fatigue, a workplace with limited resources, the constraints of externally imposed regulation and the complications of finding ethical balance in a reality of limited control and legal liability.

It is not easy to accommodate the erosion of one’s vision.  And, it is not easy in the demands of daily practice to maintain a visionary perspective on just what this chosen profession is really all about.  The bigger picture, the personal stake and mission in this work, can be hard to keep in focus.  At times, the physician can grieve the loss of that perspective feeling more that being on call, charting, doing rounds and paying malpractice premiums win out in the daily grind. 

Collegial relationships are valuable in renewing perspective, re-envisioning the bigger picture and rejuvenating the physician who has been in the trenches for long stretches of time.  The realities of daily practice, however, more often require the physician to practice in relative isolation even in a workplace shared with other physicians.  Colleagues who are equally busy with the demands of their own daily practice are not always available to provide quality support in decision-making about patient care, in peer supervision or personal support.  Many physicians will find themselves, in such work conditions, having lost the bigger picture of why they are working so hard.  Such a loss of perspective can cause resentment and emotional depletion.  Emotionally-driven decisions and behaviors that even further complicate the stress of daily practice become more likely.  Unable to gain perspective in the rush and demands of daily work, the overworked and under-supported physician might find that workplace behaviors have begun to deteriorate into emotionality rather than professionalism.

Anger Management Institute of Texas’ Executive Coaching Program is utilized by management of accredited hospital/organizations for physicians displaying disruptive behaviors in the workplace.

Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson ® provider.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

Many physicians work in a demanding professional climate fraught with long hours, rapidly paced schedules and, most often, an overwhelming clinical responsibility.  As a backdrop to these daily rigors, the onus of legal liability along with professional isolation, will, over the long haul, exponentially compound the emotional toll of a medical practice.

While these are powerful dynamics in the work-a-day world of the physician, they can also become corrosive forces in the private lives of physicians.  Opportunities for social support, collegial relationships outside the workplace, participation in family life, recreation and self-care activities can take a costly backburner to the daily practice of medicine.  The physician is consistently challenged to find a balance in daily living that will support and rejuvenate the ability to practice and practice well.

Training does not prepare physicians for the balanced management of a practice.  Medical school does not focus upon the well-being the physician.  Conversely, training more frequently reinforces the denial of personal needs in various ways. Early on the career path, the physician is expected to work to full capacity even when physically and emotionally spent.  Additionally, often victims of the nonprofessional behavior of superiors themselves, younger physicians are soon initiated into the professional world of power and control.

Professional role models often expose the physician-in-training to their own emotional distress in the workplace.  Emotionally-driven behavior and poor, even abusive interpersonal behaviors, are not uncommon ‘lessons’ for the student or resident.  Superiors can model powerful and self-sabotaging workplace behavior that the younger physician internalizes. Students often learn early on that those in charge can behave in marginal or even abusive ways to those with ‘lesser rank’.

The training of a physician is lengthy and arduous.  It takes place, throughout its course, within the rank and file of a rigid hierarchy.  The need to please superiors in order to be successful is always front and center.  Moreover, medical training is a difficult and costly investment.  While the majority of physicians will begin practice in deep financial debt, the emotional investment of training is deep as well.  Consequently, young physicians will endure much to succeed.  Unfortunately, in a profession that demands so much over the long haul, and in the confines of a work day, many will struggle to cope with the emotional costs of practice while their training has often ill-prepared them to do so.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert  

Passivity and passive aggression in medical practice may actually be one and the same.  A passive physician can be disruptive to effective patient care and the performance of the work team.  An ‘absent’ physician can also greatly increase the risk of error and adverse incidents.  Passive behaviors such as not communicating pertinent clinical information through timely or thorough charting, not seeking consultations, not answering pages or calls promptly or at all are some of the ways in which physicians can undermine effective patient care.
 
These types of behavior, while not open displays of verbal abuse or aggression, also fall under concerns raised by JCAHO in their Behaviors That Undermine a Culture of Safety.  Sentinel Event Alert Bulletin:  Issue 40. July 9 2008.  It is significant that JCAHO also considers the passive physician to be disruptive.  The bulletin states:

 “Intimidating and disruptive behaviors include overt actions such as verbal outbursts and physical threats, as well as passive activities such as refusing  to perform assigned tasks or quietly exhibiting uncooperative attitudes during routine activities.”

JCAHO now recommends core competencies for the credentialing of medical staff.  These recommendations cite the need for physicians to demonstrate competencies “including interpersonal skills and professionalism” in the work environment.  Refusal of privileges by credentialing committees, and administrative action against already hired physicians, could apply equally to the passive physician and the more openly aggressive one.

It is likely that the passive physician is responding to the same stressors as the aggressive physician, but that individual coping styles and personality structures account for the dissimilar presentations.  Some individuals, across professions, will act out when chronically stressed while others will express themselves indirectly and in a more internalized way. 

Passive physicians would do well to repair their clinical demeanor by moving from their end of the expressive continuum toward assertiveness as well.  Increased engagement with teammates in person and through call begins to build relationships.  Re-affirming the importance of one’s role in the clinical setting can help increase motivation to communicate one’s knowledge through notes and consultations with team mates.  Increased interaction with team mates will help foster a sense of being needed and having a vital contribution to make in the clinical setting.
 
If the physician’s withdrawal from the clinical setting is reactive to being overwhelmed by the team’s approach then more proactive interaction will help ‘teach’ and ‘train’ the team members to communicate and interact with the physician in supportive ways.  Passive physicians will have to rehearse assertion skills in order to convey what would help diminish workplace stress and facilitate a better, more comfortable alliance with other team members.

Anger Management Institute of Texas’ Executive Coaching Program is utilized by management of accredited hospital/organizations for physicians displaying disruptive behaviors in the workplace.

Anger Management Classes and Anger Management – Executive Coaching available in Houston, Texas.

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://www.dvi-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert

A physician’s communication style can dramatically increase the risk of serious error in patient care.  Simple adjustments in style can conversely reduce risk and liability.  The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson written in 1981 has sold millions of copies. It is still a gold standard of manageable ways to reduce work stress, empower workmates, improve efficiency and manage good communication.
 
One minute is the time it takes, according to Blanchard and Johnson, to do effective completion of many tasks, give praise to workmates and give reprimands when appropriate. In 60 seconds, a busy and harried physician can conceivably clear a piece of paperwork from his path by handling it only once and attending to it when it is first picked up.  This technique works for several reasons.  The paperwork does not pile up into a seemingly insurmountable and tedious task; quickly disposing of that obligation eliminates having that and other similar tasks brewing on the backburner to distract and ‘haunt’ you through the workday and if you have the inclination and time to pick up a piece of paper to inspect it in the first place, chances are you also can spare 60 seconds to process it so you don’t have to touch it again.
This philosophy is easily translated into improving communication, improving work relationships and de-stressing as you go through the typical workday or answer call.
 
Another technique described by Blanchard and Johnson is the one-minute praising.  Ending an exchange with workmates with 60 seconds (or less!) of appreciation for their contribution is a fantastic investment with high return.  Giving the details of why you appreciate them, and/or the current interaction, builds a supportive and cooperative work alliance that will, over time, become a valuable resource in further supporting you.
 
These 60 seconds also become ‘training’ for team members in which you teach how best to communicate with you and what decisions and behaviors of theirs best help you to do your work. Praise boosts morale and empowers others to operate with authority within their scopes of practice so that your own practice is complemented and better empowered.  This small investment will mobilize your available work resources, increase the likelihood that your need-to-know information is readily communicated and reduce risk and liability in patient care.  It is a minute investment for big pay-off’s in professional self-care and a sense of enhanced work related well-being
.
The third technique offered by Blanchard and Johnson is the one-minute reprimand.  There are times when reprimands are necessary.  Limiting this exchange to 60 seconds of a clear, calm explanation of the problem, as well as the corrective action needed, will greatly reduce your own stress, contain any emotionality that might rise in lengthier interactions and take that issue off the mental backburner where resentment and potential emotionality will simmer.  Taking 60 seconds immediately to address an error in a professional tone and to suggest a corrective plan again is a small investment in clearing the air, maintaining good working relationships and ‘teaching’.

Keeping in mind that praise is greatly enhanced in its power when an audience is listening and that reprimands are received much more easily and without resentment when care is taken for discretion will make those 60 seconds of communication even more potent, effective and empowering to your work team.

Anger Management Institute of Texas’ Executive Coaching Program is utilized by management of accredited hospital/organizations for physicians displaying disruptive behaviors in the workplace.

For more information please visit http://www.ami-tx.com

“Anger Management Institute of Texas is a certified Anderson & Anderson provider.”

Gregory A. Kyles, M.A., LPC, CEAP, CAMF
Director, Anger Management Institute of Texas
Diplomate, President of Texas Chapter
American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.ami-tx.com
http://gregorykyles.wordpress.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykyles
http://www.myspace.com/anger_management_expert