My False Irish Genes.

I grew up believing I was of German-Irish heritage. So St. Patrick’s Day and the history of Irish immigration to the United States was always fun for me to follow. I took pride in genetically and historically belonging to a people with such a proud history and such a tradition of closeness. In the United States few ethnic backgrounds for a Caucasian person clasp such togetherness, such ethnic pride.

Problem is…none of it’s true.

My German background is undeniable because of my name. The first Schuett coming to the United States in my lineage was my Great-Grandfather Carl H. Schuett.

Tombstone of my Great-Grandfather Carl Schuett in the Lynden Cemetery,Lynden, WA.

As best I can determine he entered the U.S. in Michigan via Canada in 1871 at age 15.

I believed I had Irish blood because my father told me so. He too always enjoyed playing the Irish heritage card on St. Patty’s Day. He believed in his Irish heritage because of his mother’s maiden name, Mathis. The pride in that name and it’s background evident by the fact that my Nana (Grandma) and her husband

My Grandpa Shelby Schuett in 1939.

Shelby Schuett named their first-born, my Dad, Jerome Mathis Schuett. My Dad’s brother’s, my Uncle’s, middle name  also came from the Mathis side of the family. He was named for my Great-Grandfather. Lee was his middle name. His Confederate father showing his Southern roots by giving his son a middle name in honor of Robert E. Lee. Outside of our family Mathis is a traditional Irish name, so I can understand my family’s belief in an Irish heritage that didn’t really exist.

About 4-5 years ago I began a life long interest of assembling my family tree through ancestry.com. The website is fantastic. I spent night after night staying up late…really late in the early going…scouring the birth, marriage, death and census records assemble on ancestry.com. When I started concentrating my efforts on finding the parentage of my Nana and all that came before her I was left both delighted and disappointed at the same time.

My journey began by trying to find that long rumored Confederate soldier I’d heard about in my youth. To find him I needed to find the birth place and parents of my Great-Grandfather William Lee Mathis.

My Great-Grandfather William Lee Mathis on his wedding day in 1908 in Bellingham, WA.

Fortunately I got a break when searching the 1880 Census. No other William Lee Mathis existed in census data at that time with anything close to the correct age other than my William Lee Mathis. The records listed him as a 2-year-old born in and living in Lee County, Texaswith his father Augustus C. Mathis and mother Elizabeth.

My Great-great Grandfather A.C. Mathis, far right, with his family in or about Lee County, Texas 1888ish.

The 1880 census data provided other important information that helped in my efforts to get back to Ireland. It showed the birthdate and location from where A.C. Mathis came; 1842 in Mississippi.

Confederate Army Veteran, Augustus C. Mathis, approx. 1875

After considerable time and research and travelling down dead-end roads I was finally able to locate my Great-great-great-Grandfather, A.C.’s dad, in the 1850 census. A.C. was in Pontoloc, Mississippi living with his farmer father John Louis Mathis, mother Luranah and seven siblings. The records also showed that John was born in Georgia and Luranah was born in South Carolina. So I was no closer to the land of Green.

Over a two-year period of nearly daily research I was able to trace the Mathis family tree from Bellingham, WAto Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, then pre-Revolutionary North Carolina, Virginia, and finally I found an ancestor who came from the Motherland…England. John Mathis died in Virginia in 1622 but was born in England, and his parents and Grandparents came from Wales. And as a side note his name wasn’t Mathis at birth. It was Mathews. NO IRELAND!? My Dad died in 2001 and never knew this information.

My Dad, Jerry Schuett

My research back on the various branches of the Mathis family tree never took me back to Ireland. Almost all the non-American lineage on that side of my family dates back to pre-1800s and comes from England, Scotland, Prussia, and France. The Schuett side was purely German. On both my Great-grandfather and Great-Grandmothers side of the family I was only able to research it back to Germany in the mid-1800’s. While not as dramatic or emotional my sense was like that of a child learning that they’d been adopted and all that they thought was true about their history, wasn’t.

I was delighted to learn that my family history in the United States on both my Dad and my Mother’s side of the family pre-dated the existence of the United States. Though I admit being disappointed in not finding Irish heritage.

So for Saint Patty’s Day now and forever more I’ll just have to adopt a temporary and fictitious name, like everyone else not Irish, Michael O’ Schuett…or should it be McSchuett?

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

March 17, 2012
Categories: Uncategorized, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on My False Irish Genes.

Another Kid is Shot and our 2nd Amendment Cringes

handgun

In the Seattle area three kids have been shot by handguns in the past three weeks. According to The Seattle Times the third happened at a gas station near the Tacoma Mall. A man with a license for carrying a concealed weapon placed the gun underneath the driver’s seat as he exited the car to fill the gas tank. A three-year old in the car got the gun and fatally shot himself in the head.

This kind of tragedy is avoidable if only people exercise a little more common sense when it comes to the ownership of handguns. Don’t. Don’t own them. Far more people are shot with guns they or their family members own than by the strangers with guns. If you want to dramatically increase the likelihood that you or a member of your family is shot, own a handgun.

Where I put my foot down is on government getting involved and telling us we may not own guns. The government is not needed in this discussion. Just common sense. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” 

The Founding Fathers thought so much of this Right that they placed it second on their list of the first ten amendments, commonly known as The Bill of Rights. But a key aspect of the amendment is frequently ignored by 2nd Amendment advocates, “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state…”.  Remove that phrase and the amendment takes on more meaning. It does not say “We shall have the right to keep and bear arms in order to kill our fellow man”

World Peace

. So some regulation of firearms can and should be exercised. To say there should be none is to argue that anybody can own, build, and possess a nuclear weapon; for what is that if not a more extreme form of “arms”.

Still I oppose government banning or severely restricting handguns. But there are lots of things we as people have a right to do that common sense dictates we avoid. I always tell my kids to look both ways  and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street, even at a cross walk. Entering an unregulated cross walk in heavy traffic may be your right. But you’ll be dead.

I’m a gun owner. Rifles and shotguns, for hunting. I have been since I was twelve years old and my Grandpa gave me a .22 rifle as a Christmas present. He had made an annual gesture of giving guns to the boys in my family for a couple of years. So in a very real sense guns are a tradition in my family.

The author with his shotgun

But for reasons I’ve already explained I have never and would never own a handgun. The only time I would ever own a handgun is if I lived on my own. Then I can be sure to never angrily use it or accidentally use it against a person in my family; and I would be sure to not have it used against me either angrily or accidentally. It’s all well and good to claim I would never use my gun in anger. But I’m sure there are many, many murders behind bars who said or thought the same thing.

Three children shot and severely injured, or killed in only three weeks in the Seattle area is too much. It’s too painful. How much do you really need your gun. Does it really protect you? Or does it just excite you? Perhaps the more important question should be, does having it increase your chance of being shot or of someone you care about being shot, or does it increase your chance of you or someone else you love ending up dead? I’ll answer the obvious question: own a handgun and dramatically increase your chances of a quick, tragic death.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

If you like this blog or find it interesting please do the author the honor of sharing it. TY.

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March 15, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Uncategorized, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 1 Comment

The Swings of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. Why aren’t there More of Them?

“Imitation is the best form of flattery” –Charles Caleb Colton

Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb

Babe Ruth with Ty Cobb

In the annals of sports the names Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth carry weight. Their accomplishments and fame extending far beyond the baseball diamond. Cobb was considered the best who ever played the game. And then came Ruth. Ruth is generally recognized as the greatest athlete of the 20th Century (or at least Top 3). Both Cobb and Ruth were well-rounded in their baseball skills. Cobb could run the bases like no one before, or since. Ruth was a record-setting pitcher before being moved to the outfield in order to better take advantage of his hitting. Ruth and Cobb made their names as hitters.

What has always fascinated and bewildered me is that in spite of their prolific accomplishments at the plate Ruth and Cobb had no imitators. Since their time as icons of baseball in the early 20th Century no one else has come along emulating some of Ruth and Cobb’s unique styles. I see this a lot in life. People come along in various fields and do something different from what everyone else is doing and they accomplish great things. And…then…nothing. No one follows the Master. No one imitates that which well accomplished people perform and subsequently continue with similar success. I’ve often wondered why that is.

Ruth’s batting stance featured him standing in the batters box with his spindly little legs and feet together, holding the bat very low, his hands at about waist level. He then stepped into the pitch, raised his bat and unleashed a powerful swing using his entire body for greater force. His follow through left his body twisted in such contortion that he resembled a human barber’s pole.

Babe Ruth

Several aspects of this stance and swing have never been duplicated. And yet when he finished playing Ruth’s 714 career home runs were so overwhelming that 2nd place on the career home run list was Lou Gehrig with less than half Ruth’s total.

Because of the age in which Cobb played video and photo’s of his “style” are much more rare. But what is certain is that Cobb swung the bat with a split grip. He says it gave him better control of the bat, as you would expect by simple analysis and the laws of leverage. Instead of holding the bat during his swing with his hands near the bat’s base, side-by-side with each other or slightly overlapped like all other hitters, Cobb gripped the bat with one hand NEAR the base and the other 3-5 inches higher on the handle.

Ty Cobb with a split grip

He retired with 4189 hits in 24 seasons. In 500 more career games Pete Rose finally surpassed Cobb’s total, finishing with 4256. Rose and Cobb are the only ball players to ever exceed 3800 hits. Still, do you ever see a hitter swinging the bat with Cobb’s split grip? I watch a lot of baseball. I don’t see it.

For thirteen years I worked in sales for a 30-year-old company in Bellevue, WA before starting my company Total Broadcasting Service. I’m proud to say I led all the company’s 40+ person sales staff in annual sales for the last seven years of my employ. With all humility I set every sales record the company recorded and outsold whomever was in second place usually by 15-20%. My success wasn’t based on longevity as most of the company’s top sellers were with the company before I began in 1992. It wasn’t based on any kind of favoritism. Nobody would EVER have accused my Sales Manager or General Manager of grantingme any favors. My success came from a presentation style and from a manner in which I managed my accounts that was unlike anyone else. I always tried to share my methods with others. But few were interested, and none adopted them. It perplexes me to this day.

Many if not most of my sales accomplishments with my company and the one I worked for previously are done over the phone, inside-sales. The less knowledgeable would call it telemarketing. The profession is held by some in similar esteem as that of lawyers, politicians, and professional thieves. That might be an exaggeration. But the point is, recruiting people to the industry has been a constant challenge in the 20 years in which I’ve been employed in it. This in spite of a life and lifestyle which is the envy of many. But do as I do? Seemingly the answer is “not me”.

Are there a lot of Pablo Picasso imitators out there?

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Oil on Canvas (244 ...

His Cubist style of painting was radical and became beloved; and he is renowned as THE painter of the 20th Century. Yes, some have attempted Cubist stylings. But they’re rare compared to other forms of abstract paintings. What about Steve Jobs? His over-emphasis on style contributed to Apple computer pricing far exceeding that of a computer with the more popular Window’s operating system. But that specific emphasis on style and appearance spreading to Apple’s other hardware products is a major reason Apple is now the richest company in the world. Any yet…do any other computer manufacturers place ANY emphasis on their hardware’s style and appearance? Not really.

And before I hear from detractors, I don’t equate me or my accomplishments with those of Ruth, Cobb, Picasso or Jobs. I’m merely relating personal experiences and observations that are first hand.

I could go on and on. It’s true that a “Master’s” uniqueness is part of what makes them special. But in measured accomplishments where a success approach is capable of being emulated it should be. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery. But all things considered, we should be flattering our most successful people more often. Is there someone in your field who far exceeds the accomplishments of the masses? My advice is to find out what they do and how they do it and copy or imitate as much as you possibly can.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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March 12, 2012
Categories: Business, Uncategorized . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

What Disqualifies One From Public Honor?

John T. Williams

When dedicating public moneys and public land in honor of a single individual I thought I knew what would qualify someone for such recognition. Erecting a statue, or naming a bridge or school or merely placing a lasting plaque for public display would typically require that the so-honored individual be someone who benefited the general populace in some worthwhile or at least memorable way. The honoree should be someone of whom many if not most would want to emulate. While not perfect, the person being honored should have led a life of mostly positive virtue.

With the City of Seattle‘s actions this past week I no longer know what qualifies a person for such high public honor. In fact, I am now stupefied as to what would disqualify someone from public adoration and affection. For the Northwest’s largest and increasingly most backward city has determined a prominent place in its most visited public place is suitable location to erect a memorial to a homeless, alcoholic drunk who’s only notable contribution to society was keeping police occupied.

Sunday a collection of people carried a 33-foot tall, 5000-thousand pound totem pole from Seattle’s Pier 57 to Seattle Center where the traditional native carving was erected at the base of the Space Needle, only Seattle’s most recognized symbol.

Deutsch: Die Space Needle (Himmelsnadel) in Se...

Mayor Mike McGinn was on hand presiding over the dedication. The totem pole was carved and erected in memory of “wood-carver” John T. Williams.

Williams was shot and killed by Seattle Police officer Ian Birk in 2010. Birk shot Williams after having three times yelled at the man to drop a knife Williams was carrying. The shooting was determined to be “unjustified” by a Police Review Commission. However, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterburg in February 2011 chose not to file criminal charges against Birk, saying “a jury would find him not-guilty”. Birk later resigned from the Seattle Police Department.

The 50-year old Williams was unknown to Birk. He was not unknown to Seattle Police. Williams had been convicted of criminal wrong doing more than 30-times.  Many of those convictions were for indecent exposure. Shortly after his death the Seattle Times newspaper wrote of Williams: “Williams had been a chronic alcoholic drifting in and out of homelessness, detox centers, hospitals and jails for decades. From Des Moines to Sedro-Woolley, police officers dealt with Williams time and again. He was arrested and charged more than 100 times in the city of Seattle alone since 1985, for a slew of misdemeanor offenses: disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, drinking in public.”

I get that his shooting was probably unjustified. I also appreciate that the police officer was not criminally charged in the case. I absolutely don’t get creating a publicly recognized honor for a man so weak as a human being and completely dependent on the public dole for his mere survival. If a man like this can qualify for memorial on public lands who do we disqualify?

English: Ted Bundy in custody, Florida, July 1...

Ted Bundy

One of the Northwest most famous natives was Ted Bundy. Among his many accomplishments was that he was a Husky, having studied at the University of Washington. Perhaps that’s the place we should dedicate a statue to the serial killer. We could erect it on Greek Row where he found some of his victims. It could feature Bundy wearing the sling he was known to use as a fake ploy to lure his victims. Or does killing multiple people disqualify one from public adoration? Seemingly, that’s the only disqualifier.

I suppose if Whitney Houston is worthy of a 5-hour televised public funeral and of flags being flown at half-staff in her home state of New Jersey a totem pole being erected for Williams isn’t off the charts. In fact on the scale of justification it sounds just about right. Williams should have recorded some music during his life, perhaps then his picture could be hung in public schools. I suppose on the scale of honoring victimhood it’s perfectly in line, and I should fall in line and be accepting of it. In doing so I’m only left with the question of how to properly pay homage to Williams next time I’m at the Seattle Center with my family and come across his memorial. It seems in keeping with Williams life and his memory the only appropriate thing to do would be to urinate on it. It’s probably what he would have done.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.


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February 28, 2012
Categories: Uncategorized, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 4 Comments

Why did we Honor Whitney so Much?

Whitney Houston - Concert in Central Park /...

Whitney Houston - Concert in Central Park / Good Morning America 2009 - Manhattan NYC (Photo credit: asterix611)

The reporting and the reaction on social media to Whitney Houston’s death and funeral was so completely overblown and undeserved I was actually offended. You would think her to be canonized and raised to sainthood; when in fact she was a drug addict who left her 19 year troubled daughter to fend for herself because it was more important for Mommy to be high. Remember when our nation honored heroes?

Quick, what do Whitney Houston,

Michael Jackson performing The Way You Make Me...

Michael Jackson, and James Brown have in common? The answer is lots. They were all merely entertainers. That’s it. Just entertainers. They were each all drug abusers and individuals who faced other, sometimes serious, criminal charges. And…they were all honored with nationally televised funerals and non-stop media coverage of their deaths.

How is it that we as a country can be so completely overwhelmed and emotionally committed to those who sing or entertain us? The adoration for these individuals and the ignoring of their selfish destructive lifestyles sets a bad example for our country’s youth and our future. If we hold people of such low moral character in such high esteem our personal aspirations must be equally troubling.

Whitney Houston was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with, AT ONE TIME, a voice of an angel. But whether by age, time, or more likely drug abuse and smoking that incredible voice left her at least a decade ago. When given a gift of such rare quality by God isn’t it a sin to treat it with such disrespect? And when enriched financially to such a degree by the adulation of people world-wide we clearly have no excuse for not finding all the help we may need to cope with whatever demons turn away the better angels in our nature.  Whitney had no excuse.

Nationally televised funerals have occurred in my memory in the past 10-20 years with the three singers mentioned, Rosa Parks the great civil rights icon, and former President’s Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. I’m not claiming there weren’t others. I’m claiming I don’t remember any. Obviously bestowing such remembrance and honor on our former Presidents is not only appropriate it’s mandatory. And its appropriate honoring Mrs. Parks who lived an exemplary life and stood up to racism at a time and place when others refused. But Brown, Jackson, and Houston? Come on! Where are our priorities.

In the past decade other entertainment luminaries who have passed include Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Farrah Fawcett,

Farrah Fawcett Poster (Charlie's Angels)

Farrah Fawcett Poster

Paul Newman, and Elizabeth Taylor. Who could be taken seriously who would say any of the five weren’t iconic figures? And each lived long lives (though Fawcett died at 62 from cancer) with extensive and extended careers. It’s hard to imagine a more truly American entertainment hero of the 20th Century than the English-born Hope. Carson dominated late night TV for 30 years, from 1962-1992. Newman’s movie career began in 1954 and didn’t end until shortly before his death in 2008. His philanthropy was so huge and generous that it goes on to this day, and will for years to come. Taylor was a movie actress since she was a child. She grew into one of the world’s most beautiful women and accomplished actresses. Fawcett’s death came within a week of Jackson so her death became almost unnoticed in the wave of shock and emotion accompanying the demise of the King of Pop. So with Fawcett, Hope, Carson, Taylor, and Newman I ask, “Where are their nationally televised, hours-long funerals?”. The decisions of the executives of CNN, FOX, and MSNBC to devote so much of their broadcasts to the deaths and funerals of Whitney Houston and the other black icons had only to do with one thing, ratings. Viewership for both now and the future will be aided by their promoting the hype.

English: Bob Hope and Elizabeth Taylor perform...

Bob Hope w/ Liz Taylor

Clearly African-Americans hold tighter, hold up higher, and are more forgiving of their standard-bearers than people of other ethnic backgrounds, at least in this country. Barrack Obama got 96% of the black vote in 2008. Obama lost the white vote. Blacks couldn’t and can’t see why he is so flawed. The adoring, forgiving fans of Obama, Houston, and the other black examples cited in this blog extend into all races and ethnicities. No doubt. But the percentage’s among blacks who esteem these people so highly is overwhelming.

Blacks in this country on a percentage basis suffer disproportionately economically, educationally; more are incarcerated disproportionately. Racism was to blame for keeping blacks down for 300 hundred years. While racism still exists and IS intolerable; racism and bigotry are not responsible for the plight of African-Americans as a whole in the United States in 2012. Perhaps blindly following and adoring people of such low character has something to do with it.

I honestly don’t know. I’m not critical of those who fawn so overwhelmingly for the exciting and luminary movie actors, or singers. But I don’t. I never have. Perhaps it comes from having met and interviewed so many prominent people as a reporter. I just honestly don’t feel the adulation for such flawed people. I wept when Walter Payton died. I shed tears when

Pat Summitt

Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt  announced she had Alzheimer’s. So I do have the capacity within me. But Payton and Summit lead and have led exemplary lives.

I waited two weeks to write this because I wanted to make certain of my perspective and emotions. I also knew some would be offended that I should even write something so inflammatory (in their minds). That’s OK. I know my heart. R.I.P. Whitney.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

If you agree or find this blog interesting please Share it. TY.

February 24, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Sports, Uncategorized . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 5 Comments

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