Craig Wilson Wednesday.
Craig voiced his problems with tattoos in today's column. Not all that inspiring. Borderline obvious. Not many 60 year-old's have envious things to say about body art on the younger generation. Body piercing has similar ratings, eh, 1?
The more pertinent topic for today is vegetable plagiarism. The papers and the media have picked up on the, dare I say, controversy?, between Jerry Seinfeld's wife's new book and that of another woman who has a similar book in print on the same subject. Letterman was, of course, after my bedtime last night, but Jerry Seinfeld was a guest, ostensibly to plug his new movie. I guess the discussion got side-tracked, or never got to the movie, and it became your classic made for the media, tempest-in-a-teapot. On mushed peas and spinach. Wow.
The non-Seinfeld book is at an obvious disadvantage. The Seinfeld name is going to sell books. That's a fact of Real World 101. From a marketer's perspective, the idea is to push books out the door. Jerry's name, and by association, Jerry's wife's name, sells. Jane Doe has an up hill battle to compete.
I compare this a little to my comments on 4000 Days about others stealing my material. Few thoughts are all that original. Creative people observe things in daily life, and those with a media portal can disseminate their thoughts to their readers. Those with no such outlets get to grouse of their plight to their limited audience.
Personally, how a Mom gets her kids to eat carrots is not all that interesting to me, regardless of the author, or the genesis of the idea to put her technique to print.
I'm probably never going to buy Cindy Crawford's furniture line, but it sells, and I'm pretty sure that her success in furniture has nothing to do with the fact that her face (and figure) graced a thousand fashion magazines over the years. Right.
Okay. That may not have exactly had a logical sequence, but the concepts do have some connectivity.
The Cabernet that we served at 1 and 1.1's wedding last Summer continues to find endorsers. We had it as one of the options at our business event at the Figge last week, and it was a big hit. I actually had a couple of attendees call me this week to get the brand (J. Lohr), and the wine store where we had purchased it. Although I am a Tuscan red aficionado, this cab goes down easily.
I have also been trying to buy an Italian wine that I found last Summer in KC, but no one has it locally. I've sent emails to other wine shops that I've found on the Internet that say that they stock this particular wine, but they must not be reading their email. It's a vintage made from Runche grapes, an obscure variety indigenous to an area in the Piedmont region. I'll keep looking. I am not a wine snob, Roy.
Got to go meet 2 to run. We'll need to avoid the goblins.
BCOT
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday
Thanks to AM on her comment regarding Andre Agassi's charitable work in LV. Coming from a baseball family, I would have thought that she would have said that Greg Maddux was the most popular athlete from Vegas.
Tuesday at the Workplace.
There was a short article on Yahoo, I think earlier today, about the 5 Most Annoying Things at Work. I didn't read the whole column, but I think it mentioned things like loud talking on cell phones and messing up the kitchenette areas as popular irritations. Those things are certainly noticeable, but for me, as a boss, people arriving late and leaving early are probably at the top of my list. And, without regard to one's position in an office's chain of command, the inability of any office building, of almost any size, to regulate heating and cooling on a consistent basis is a real downer.
I'm wondering how long any organization, in any field of endeavor, can make their environment "a wonderful place to work." WPTW. Chad Knauss, crew chief of Jimmy Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, was on the radio last night and was explaining that the success of their team and that of the #24 car was the result of the 550+ people working at Hendrick Motor Sports (HMS). The interviewer then commented that HMS was maybe not for just everyone because HMS had some conduct and uniform-type rules that not every mechanic would necessarily buy into. Knauss agreed, but said that those who stayed thought that HMS was a WPTW.
An organization that has publicly recognized success in their mission has a much better chance at being a WPTW than one who's results are less than stellar. HMS has won several championships. They are well-funded by large corporate sponsors. They know that, at this point in time, their equipment should run at the front of any race. You can't hardly see a media story that doesn't fondle over the the success and stature of HMS in their industry.
I would posit that HMS, like most success stories, is a product of the vision of a single person or a small group of key people. When that management has had the insight to make a better widget and get ahead of whatever curve might apply to their industry, there should be good times all over their horizon. How long can it last? Maybe the owner(s) make their money and decide that enough is enough. Can the "next man in" pick up the baton and not lose cadence?
Does the organization that is slightly ahead of it's creditors have the feel of a WPTW? If the owner/visionary redirects core competencies to odd-ball projects not on the regular glide-path, what happens to the WPTW? What happens when John Q. Smith the Second takes over for Dad and supplants three non-family execs in the boardroom?
What place does advancing technology play in determining how long a WPTW can stay on plane? If your business proposition is toasted by a new process, will the visionary have the ability to adjust and stay ahead of the crowd, or a least participate in the new order?
And don't underestimate the importance of a good HR Department. Knauss was right on the point of good people being the most important part of any organization. If you don't hire capable people, you don't win whatever is your race, and every battle is uphill.
My bet is that there are lots of books out there that have sliced and diced this point to fine powder. My bottom line is that if your organization is profitable, is duly recognized by peers and competitors, and has hungry visionaries who share the wealth within the enterprise, then you can maintain the WPTW title.
Thanks for reading. Have a great evening.
BCOT
Tuesday at the Workplace.
There was a short article on Yahoo, I think earlier today, about the 5 Most Annoying Things at Work. I didn't read the whole column, but I think it mentioned things like loud talking on cell phones and messing up the kitchenette areas as popular irritations. Those things are certainly noticeable, but for me, as a boss, people arriving late and leaving early are probably at the top of my list. And, without regard to one's position in an office's chain of command, the inability of any office building, of almost any size, to regulate heating and cooling on a consistent basis is a real downer.
I'm wondering how long any organization, in any field of endeavor, can make their environment "a wonderful place to work." WPTW. Chad Knauss, crew chief of Jimmy Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, was on the radio last night and was explaining that the success of their team and that of the #24 car was the result of the 550+ people working at Hendrick Motor Sports (HMS). The interviewer then commented that HMS was maybe not for just everyone because HMS had some conduct and uniform-type rules that not every mechanic would necessarily buy into. Knauss agreed, but said that those who stayed thought that HMS was a WPTW.
An organization that has publicly recognized success in their mission has a much better chance at being a WPTW than one who's results are less than stellar. HMS has won several championships. They are well-funded by large corporate sponsors. They know that, at this point in time, their equipment should run at the front of any race. You can't hardly see a media story that doesn't fondle over the the success and stature of HMS in their industry.
I would posit that HMS, like most success stories, is a product of the vision of a single person or a small group of key people. When that management has had the insight to make a better widget and get ahead of whatever curve might apply to their industry, there should be good times all over their horizon. How long can it last? Maybe the owner(s) make their money and decide that enough is enough. Can the "next man in" pick up the baton and not lose cadence?
Does the organization that is slightly ahead of it's creditors have the feel of a WPTW? If the owner/visionary redirects core competencies to odd-ball projects not on the regular glide-path, what happens to the WPTW? What happens when John Q. Smith the Second takes over for Dad and supplants three non-family execs in the boardroom?
What place does advancing technology play in determining how long a WPTW can stay on plane? If your business proposition is toasted by a new process, will the visionary have the ability to adjust and stay ahead of the crowd, or a least participate in the new order?
And don't underestimate the importance of a good HR Department. Knauss was right on the point of good people being the most important part of any organization. If you don't hire capable people, you don't win whatever is your race, and every battle is uphill.
My bet is that there are lots of books out there that have sliced and diced this point to fine powder. My bottom line is that if your organization is profitable, is duly recognized by peers and competitors, and has hungry visionaries who share the wealth within the enterprise, then you can maintain the WPTW title.
Thanks for reading. Have a great evening.
BCOT
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday
Thanks to 1 for a little addition to the account yesterday afternoon. Sounds like DM was a success. The only casualty for the weekend could have been 4 who seems to have lost her voice.
Sports Monday.
There are not many years when I have been able to say that I did not see a single inning of the World Series, but that is/was the case for this year. From what I have read, Colorado had no answer for the Bosox, and the series was over before any drama developed.
An interesting observation relative to both last year's series and this year's: the team who swept their way through their League Championship Series (essentially, the semi-finals), and had to wait while the other semi-final series went to seven games, got swept in the World Series. This would validate the argument that an abnormally long lay-off hurts a team that is used to playing everyday. I think that this is an argument that is more valid in baseball than, say, basketball, but the rhythm of play in any sport is certainly a key to performance.
A NASCAR item of note: Jimmy Johnson won the race over the weekend in Atlanta, and announced afterwards that the winner's pot of about $350,000 was being donated to The American Red Cross, earmarked for relief efforts in the fire-ravaged areas of California, his home state. Team owner Rick Hendrick and Atlanta Motor Speedway owner Burton Smith were each to match the contribution, meaning that over a million dollars would be contributed.
The businessman (and tax man) in me always wonders what really happens when these sports stars take some or all of their winnings from an event and "contribute" it to charity. Does it ever hit their personal books? Or does the event sponsor pay the charity directly? Who in the organization, where there is a team involved, makes the decision to donate? And how, if at all, is "Bubba", the rear-tire changer affected?
Most of the more successful NASCAR drivers have established their own charitable foundations and go about efforts to make some kind of positive impact. The Petty's have built the Victory Junction Gang Camp for disabled kids, and numerous teams have made substantial contributions to the Camp's ambitious capital improvements plan. The tail-end teams probably can't do much because they are just trying to get in The Show each week, but NASCAR has done a decent job of picking up causes without the primary intent being the hiring of somebody's cousin or "pay- girlfriend".
I think Tiger has done a decent job at sharing his time and wealth for his foundation. As has Lance. Those yellow plastic "LiveStrong" bracelets have to be the greatest single charitable marketing ploy ever. $50 million? Wikipedia says that more than 70 million have been sold. They originally thought they would have hit a home run if they did $5 million. That was all timing. Was there ever an athlete in our time who was hotter than Lance was in that two years' time between the winning of his fifth TdF and the winning of his seventh race?
Well, the answer to that question is, "yes", with Tiger, Michael, and Ali all with probably more world-wide appeal than Lance. Pele. Others?
Did anyone know that they played an NFL game in London yesterday? Does anyone care? It's all about the globalization of business. And don't kid yourself: the NFL, the NBA, MLB, and even NASCAR are businesses at their cores, and the strategists in all of these organized North American pro sports leagues are looking at the rest of the world as additional audiences. If the Internet can allow Aunt Millie to sell her receipes on eBay, the pro games ought to be able to make a buck as well.
My pal Roy leaves on his honeymoon this Thursday. Two weeks, I think. South America. Chile. Rio. A couple of other places. No golf clubs. I'm not sure if the laptop is going along or not. His IPhone should work, but I doubt if his new bride wants him to get daily reports from the bad influences in the QC.
Gotta go. 2 and I are running tonight.
BCOT
Sports Monday.
There are not many years when I have been able to say that I did not see a single inning of the World Series, but that is/was the case for this year. From what I have read, Colorado had no answer for the Bosox, and the series was over before any drama developed.
An interesting observation relative to both last year's series and this year's: the team who swept their way through their League Championship Series (essentially, the semi-finals), and had to wait while the other semi-final series went to seven games, got swept in the World Series. This would validate the argument that an abnormally long lay-off hurts a team that is used to playing everyday. I think that this is an argument that is more valid in baseball than, say, basketball, but the rhythm of play in any sport is certainly a key to performance.
A NASCAR item of note: Jimmy Johnson won the race over the weekend in Atlanta, and announced afterwards that the winner's pot of about $350,000 was being donated to The American Red Cross, earmarked for relief efforts in the fire-ravaged areas of California, his home state. Team owner Rick Hendrick and Atlanta Motor Speedway owner Burton Smith were each to match the contribution, meaning that over a million dollars would be contributed.
The businessman (and tax man) in me always wonders what really happens when these sports stars take some or all of their winnings from an event and "contribute" it to charity. Does it ever hit their personal books? Or does the event sponsor pay the charity directly? Who in the organization, where there is a team involved, makes the decision to donate? And how, if at all, is "Bubba", the rear-tire changer affected?
Most of the more successful NASCAR drivers have established their own charitable foundations and go about efforts to make some kind of positive impact. The Petty's have built the Victory Junction Gang Camp for disabled kids, and numerous teams have made substantial contributions to the Camp's ambitious capital improvements plan. The tail-end teams probably can't do much because they are just trying to get in The Show each week, but NASCAR has done a decent job of picking up causes without the primary intent being the hiring of somebody's cousin or "pay- girlfriend".
I think Tiger has done a decent job at sharing his time and wealth for his foundation. As has Lance. Those yellow plastic "LiveStrong" bracelets have to be the greatest single charitable marketing ploy ever. $50 million? Wikipedia says that more than 70 million have been sold. They originally thought they would have hit a home run if they did $5 million. That was all timing. Was there ever an athlete in our time who was hotter than Lance was in that two years' time between the winning of his fifth TdF and the winning of his seventh race?
Well, the answer to that question is, "yes", with Tiger, Michael, and Ali all with probably more world-wide appeal than Lance. Pele. Others?
Did anyone know that they played an NFL game in London yesterday? Does anyone care? It's all about the globalization of business. And don't kid yourself: the NFL, the NBA, MLB, and even NASCAR are businesses at their cores, and the strategists in all of these organized North American pro sports leagues are looking at the rest of the world as additional audiences. If the Internet can allow Aunt Millie to sell her receipes on eBay, the pro games ought to be able to make a buck as well.
My pal Roy leaves on his honeymoon this Thursday. Two weeks, I think. South America. Chile. Rio. A couple of other places. No golf clubs. I'm not sure if the laptop is going along or not. His IPhone should work, but I doubt if his new bride wants him to get daily reports from the bad influences in the QC.
Gotta go. 2 and I are running tonight.
BCOT
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday
I think that 1 was going to be a "guest" contributor today, but I suspect that her day may get away from her with road time from DM.
FFF in IC yesterday went pretty well as scheduled. Without the preferred parking pass, Mom and I found ourselves clear down at Hancher, which was fine, but certainly not convenient. My pal Roy called to keep me up to date on the score of the game. From his location in Bettendorf. Thanks, Bud. I set up the BBQ and the post-game event was fine.
2, 3, and 4 all went to the game on student tickets. And it was a great game. In my boredom, I actually did a pass-through of the Iowa Art Museum. Let's see, that's two art museums in a three day period. That may be a personal record.
Let it be known that I did turn on the heat in my house this morning for the first time since probably early April. It may have been cool enough inside to impact some of my plants. A hard frost here overnight. Then again, it will be November this week.
I'm wondering where Halloween falls in the pecking order of retail sales for "holiday" events in America. When I finally settled down on my couch last night to catch a little TV before falling asleep, I think two out of three stations, cable or network, had some Halloween theme going with their programming. And the stores have been stuffed with costumes and candy for the last month. I don't get it.
Christmas is the obvious Number One commercial hit of any year. What's next? Here's a Top Five list off the top of my head:
1. Christmas.
2. Valentines Day.
3. Mother's Day.
4. Halloween.
5. Thanksgiving?
6. July 4th?
Maybe the reason that Halloween is so popular is that it falls in a slight "dead zone" on the calendar. There really hasn't been any National holiday or cross-population-segments event for retailers to focus on since Labor Day in early September. School has been going on for a couple of months, and the "holidays" don't start for another three weeks. Shelf space is available at Walmart. Horror movies sell well. Lots of people have a sweet tooth. Everybody from kids to middle-age adults see an opportunity for a party. (We old f**ts are just too old to get excited.) So we have a Perfect Storm and the result is Halloween.
Hallmark Cards have tried to create a greeting card event for each month. In addition to the obvious ones, they have Grandparents Day, Clergy Month, Letter Carrier Day, and Teacher's Month. You may think that these separate organizations have taken it upon themselves to create their own day, week or month, but it is a well-known fact that all of these curious celebratory times can be traced back to Hallmark.
The new marketing opportunities are on the Internet. USA Today had a story on Friday about individuals making significant money through ads/clicks on their websites. I doubt if 4000 Days has that potential. But creative types can do it. Legitimate sites can have appeal to different market segments, whether it be for the Moms of the world, or maybe different sports things for the men. Hallmark and Walmart need to employ geeks just to protect their own turf.
So I'm off for the day of stuff around the house. Have a great one.
BCOT
FFF in IC yesterday went pretty well as scheduled. Without the preferred parking pass, Mom and I found ourselves clear down at Hancher, which was fine, but certainly not convenient. My pal Roy called to keep me up to date on the score of the game. From his location in Bettendorf. Thanks, Bud. I set up the BBQ and the post-game event was fine.
2, 3, and 4 all went to the game on student tickets. And it was a great game. In my boredom, I actually did a pass-through of the Iowa Art Museum. Let's see, that's two art museums in a three day period. That may be a personal record.
Let it be known that I did turn on the heat in my house this morning for the first time since probably early April. It may have been cool enough inside to impact some of my plants. A hard frost here overnight. Then again, it will be November this week.
I'm wondering where Halloween falls in the pecking order of retail sales for "holiday" events in America. When I finally settled down on my couch last night to catch a little TV before falling asleep, I think two out of three stations, cable or network, had some Halloween theme going with their programming. And the stores have been stuffed with costumes and candy for the last month. I don't get it.
Christmas is the obvious Number One commercial hit of any year. What's next? Here's a Top Five list off the top of my head:
1. Christmas.
2. Valentines Day.
3. Mother's Day.
4. Halloween.
5. Thanksgiving?
6. July 4th?
Maybe the reason that Halloween is so popular is that it falls in a slight "dead zone" on the calendar. There really hasn't been any National holiday or cross-population-segments event for retailers to focus on since Labor Day in early September. School has been going on for a couple of months, and the "holidays" don't start for another three weeks. Shelf space is available at Walmart. Horror movies sell well. Lots of people have a sweet tooth. Everybody from kids to middle-age adults see an opportunity for a party. (We old f**ts are just too old to get excited.) So we have a Perfect Storm and the result is Halloween.
Hallmark Cards have tried to create a greeting card event for each month. In addition to the obvious ones, they have Grandparents Day, Clergy Month, Letter Carrier Day, and Teacher's Month. You may think that these separate organizations have taken it upon themselves to create their own day, week or month, but it is a well-known fact that all of these curious celebratory times can be traced back to Hallmark.
The new marketing opportunities are on the Internet. USA Today had a story on Friday about individuals making significant money through ads/clicks on their websites. I doubt if 4000 Days has that potential. But creative types can do it. Legitimate sites can have appeal to different market segments, whether it be for the Moms of the world, or maybe different sports things for the men. Hallmark and Walmart need to employ geeks just to protect their own turf.
So I'm off for the day of stuff around the house. Have a great one.
BCOT
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday
A little potpourri Friday.
Our event at the Figge Museum last night was a success. Including our staff, we had around 30 people participate. It was at least as much work as I anticipated, and when we do other similar programs in the Spring, we'll know that we can't just go through the motions and expect positive outcomes. 2 did a great job as the Figge representative to our group.
I have scheduled my second colonoscopy for mid-November. Ugh! But Uncle Phil does point out the Daddy did die of colon cancer, so I shouldn't shy away from the test. But still, ugh!
Here's another fact of technology. Those Self-Checkout stations at Walmart have a scale beneath the bag platform. If you don't put the item in the bag after you have scanned it, the screen prompts you to, "Skip Bagging and Go To Next Item". I had some big items that I was just scanning and then putting into a cart at the end of the checkout station, so I was getting this message after every item. I was a little frustrated, and then the machine called for help. The clerk then explained to me the thing about the scale. I was surprised to learn of yet another system of Big Brother watching you.
When I then put four cases of Coke on the platform to avoid the message, it went into full "Tilt" mode and the clerks had no clue. After a few minutes of trying to get the machine to re-set, they gave up and directed me elsewhere. In a perfect storm of meeting the worst result, they placed me in the next checkout station that had the long line that I had originally tried to avoid by doing it myself!
Lots of road time for us over the weekend. Keep safe.
BCOT
Our event at the Figge Museum last night was a success. Including our staff, we had around 30 people participate. It was at least as much work as I anticipated, and when we do other similar programs in the Spring, we'll know that we can't just go through the motions and expect positive outcomes. 2 did a great job as the Figge representative to our group.
I have scheduled my second colonoscopy for mid-November. Ugh! But Uncle Phil does point out the Daddy did die of colon cancer, so I shouldn't shy away from the test. But still, ugh!
Here's another fact of technology. Those Self-Checkout stations at Walmart have a scale beneath the bag platform. If you don't put the item in the bag after you have scanned it, the screen prompts you to, "Skip Bagging and Go To Next Item". I had some big items that I was just scanning and then putting into a cart at the end of the checkout station, so I was getting this message after every item. I was a little frustrated, and then the machine called for help. The clerk then explained to me the thing about the scale. I was surprised to learn of yet another system of Big Brother watching you.
When I then put four cases of Coke on the platform to avoid the message, it went into full "Tilt" mode and the clerks had no clue. After a few minutes of trying to get the machine to re-set, they gave up and directed me elsewhere. In a perfect storm of meeting the worst result, they placed me in the next checkout station that had the long line that I had originally tried to avoid by doing it myself!
Lots of road time for us over the weekend. Keep safe.
BCOT
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thursday
This will have to be a "No Blog" day today. I'm hosting a client event down at the Figge tonight and I just don't have time to be the wordsmith today. I'll have a report tomorrow.
BCOT
BCOT
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday
I could do Sports today, and with the start of the World Series, Sports would be appropriate. But it is also Wednesday, and Craig Wilson's nonsense provides better inspiration for the moment.
The topics and biases that make it to the columns are rarely works of art. Some scribes, or more aptly, pundits, like a Dave Berry, are more often clever than others. And a guy like Rick Reilly can resonate with fan groups with some consistency. Wilson's observations about daily life cater to a less demanding reader who is basically willing to accept the premise of a column as worthy or not. Other more serious writers on politics or religion appeal to different audiences as well. And loose standards are generally recognized among readers as in a writer's work being consistently well-presented. Or not.
The Internet has a feature that often asks a reader to rate the article that was just read. Kind of like the "star" system used to rate movies, hotels, or restaurants. A truly bored geek could possibly design a Nielsen-like rating system on columnists that could be updated on a weekly basis for the masses. Imagine the chagrin of a Christine Brennan when she learns that she has negatives in her approval ratings rivalling only those of Hillary. Ditto for Rush.
Athletes in virtually every sport have historical statistics on their performances kept in countless data banks. What did Cal Ripken hit for the month of July in 1988? There's a definitive answer to that question. How many assists did Magic have against the Pistons in his career? There's an answer to that one too. In the games that we play, we keep score. I think that we ought to do the same for the writers.
I was going to extend the point to Leno and Letterman, but those guys do get rated by the TV system. Obviously, some nights the monologues are better than other nights, but over time, viewership will be determine advertising rates, and the show's employees will then reap the appropriate rewards.
Some of this surely already exists on the Internet. Bloggers and nutcases may be out there right now crying for subscribers to critique Cooper Anderson's crusade on global warming. I hope that they can find some venture capital to take this to a national level. I want to pick up the Monday USA Today and go to the Life Section where they report the weekend take on the movies, and last week's TV ratings, and find the statistical analysis on the columnists. Who had it together, and who just mailed it in?
So maybe I should just stick to Sports on Wednesday, eh?
BCOT
The topics and biases that make it to the columns are rarely works of art. Some scribes, or more aptly, pundits, like a Dave Berry, are more often clever than others. And a guy like Rick Reilly can resonate with fan groups with some consistency. Wilson's observations about daily life cater to a less demanding reader who is basically willing to accept the premise of a column as worthy or not. Other more serious writers on politics or religion appeal to different audiences as well. And loose standards are generally recognized among readers as in a writer's work being consistently well-presented. Or not.
The Internet has a feature that often asks a reader to rate the article that was just read. Kind of like the "star" system used to rate movies, hotels, or restaurants. A truly bored geek could possibly design a Nielsen-like rating system on columnists that could be updated on a weekly basis for the masses. Imagine the chagrin of a Christine Brennan when she learns that she has negatives in her approval ratings rivalling only those of Hillary. Ditto for Rush.
Athletes in virtually every sport have historical statistics on their performances kept in countless data banks. What did Cal Ripken hit for the month of July in 1988? There's a definitive answer to that question. How many assists did Magic have against the Pistons in his career? There's an answer to that one too. In the games that we play, we keep score. I think that we ought to do the same for the writers.
I was going to extend the point to Leno and Letterman, but those guys do get rated by the TV system. Obviously, some nights the monologues are better than other nights, but over time, viewership will be determine advertising rates, and the show's employees will then reap the appropriate rewards.
Some of this surely already exists on the Internet. Bloggers and nutcases may be out there right now crying for subscribers to critique Cooper Anderson's crusade on global warming. I hope that they can find some venture capital to take this to a national level. I want to pick up the Monday USA Today and go to the Life Section where they report the weekend take on the movies, and last week's TV ratings, and find the statistical analysis on the columnists. Who had it together, and who just mailed it in?
So maybe I should just stick to Sports on Wednesday, eh?
BCOT
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tuesday
Tuesday may be a day for The Workplace.
1 did a little whining yesterday about lack of recognition for her comment last Thursday on vacations. Hey, I write almost everyday to feed curious minds, and on the many days when there's no comments, I feel like one of Sartre's trees crashing in the vacuum.
My Top Ten List of worst jobs or job-related events:
1. Shovelling s**t on the farm. There was a lot of it.
2. Working the graveyard shift in the USAF at Dover in the early 70's.
3. Commuting 90+ minutes one-way in C-town for four years in the late 70's.
4. Getting sued by a client in the early 90's. Solidified my view of attorneys.
5. Fighting the IRS on a preparer penalty with an agent on a mission.
6. Working for dueling partners on an account at AA&Co. They weren't talking to one another and I was the go-between.
7. Starting a business in 1982 with no clients.
8. Milking, feeding, and herding cows in January or August. Cold or hot was was never a lot of fun on the farm.
9. Almost any IRS audit with my clients.
10. Remote Korea, December 1974. Learning the meaning of 12 on/12 off.
11. Treasurer on the Parish Council at St. Paul's, Davenport. And I volunteered for the position.! (I forgot about this one and had to add it later.)
And for equal coverage, my Top Ten List of best jobs or job-related events:
1. The April 15th parties in C-town. We were never asked back to the same place for the next year's event.
2. My Motor Pool job in Dover in 1972-73. Sgt. Bilko was my model.
3. Being the tax guy for my pals Roy and Pete. It's never dull.
4. There are few things I would change about my job today. It would be nice to make a little more money, but lots of things are good.
5. Driver of the chase car on RAGBRAI. You get to party, but don't have to ride a bike the 100 miles to get there.
6. Fan at my daughters' marathons (and half marathons).
7. Dad. The best job I've ever had. (It's not a job. It's an adventure!)
8. Clerk of the Course at high school track meets. Huh?
9. Tuscan red at Biaggi's. It may be a stretch to call it work-related, but I'll call it so.
10. Author of 4000 Days.
This is a little hokey, but there is more truth than fiction with most of the listings. I would be hard-pressed to find worse or better items for either respective list.
Have a great evening.
BCOT
1 did a little whining yesterday about lack of recognition for her comment last Thursday on vacations. Hey, I write almost everyday to feed curious minds, and on the many days when there's no comments, I feel like one of Sartre's trees crashing in the vacuum.
My Top Ten List of worst jobs or job-related events:
1. Shovelling s**t on the farm. There was a lot of it.
2. Working the graveyard shift in the USAF at Dover in the early 70's.
3. Commuting 90+ minutes one-way in C-town for four years in the late 70's.
4. Getting sued by a client in the early 90's. Solidified my view of attorneys.
5. Fighting the IRS on a preparer penalty with an agent on a mission.
6. Working for dueling partners on an account at AA&Co. They weren't talking to one another and I was the go-between.
7. Starting a business in 1982 with no clients.
8. Milking, feeding, and herding cows in January or August. Cold or hot was was never a lot of fun on the farm.
9. Almost any IRS audit with my clients.
10. Remote Korea, December 1974. Learning the meaning of 12 on/12 off.
11. Treasurer on the Parish Council at St. Paul's, Davenport. And I volunteered for the position.! (I forgot about this one and had to add it later.)
And for equal coverage, my Top Ten List of best jobs or job-related events:
1. The April 15th parties in C-town. We were never asked back to the same place for the next year's event.
2. My Motor Pool job in Dover in 1972-73. Sgt. Bilko was my model.
3. Being the tax guy for my pals Roy and Pete. It's never dull.
4. There are few things I would change about my job today. It would be nice to make a little more money, but lots of things are good.
5. Driver of the chase car on RAGBRAI. You get to party, but don't have to ride a bike the 100 miles to get there.
6. Fan at my daughters' marathons (and half marathons).
7. Dad. The best job I've ever had. (It's not a job. It's an adventure!)
8. Clerk of the Course at high school track meets. Huh?
9. Tuscan red at Biaggi's. It may be a stretch to call it work-related, but I'll call it so.
10. Author of 4000 Days.
This is a little hokey, but there is more truth than fiction with most of the listings. I would be hard-pressed to find worse or better items for either respective list.
Have a great evening.
BCOT
Monday, October 22, 2007
Monday
Thanks to 3 for a belated guest entry under the Sunday heading. 1 is officially on notice for next Sunday.
3 also added a comment to the most recent entry on 4's site. Of particular note was her reference to Sartre and existentialism. (Exactly what sound does the falling tree make in the woods when no one is there to witness the event?) She hit another winner with the reference to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon as that game theory might relate to Chicago Marathon stories. Very clever.
Monday is a good day for Current Events, as we have not only the most recent weekend to consider, but also those things from the previous week that the Sunday editorials may have put into the spotlight. Unfortunately, most of the editorials were about Hillary or The Other Suits Who Would Be President. There will be plenty of room for politics later. I mean we only have a little over 12 months until the National elections!
The local paper today carried a story on the front page of the recent life and times of a former Davenport mayor who passed away this weekend of cancer at age 64. He was a local high school football star who went on to law school and then to work with the biggest law firm here in town. He never lacked for confidence, and his flippant side got under the skin of some people. But I think that he was genuinely committed to doing good for his hometown, and he was unafraid to try things that might help in that regard.
Among the things that give you cause to ponder at this death are: 1) His age. I mean like, he wasn't that old. 2) His education. This was a bright guy with graduate degrees. He invested in himself. 3) His youthful successes. Those headlines and accolades are transitory. 4) Professional proximity. I worked on a couple of tax engagements with the guy. 5) He was a biker. He and his wife road a tandem on some of the event-rides that I participated in over the years. 6) He had some dirty laundry. I mean, don't we all?
Without getting too morose, that's a death that gets pretty close to home.
Speaking of loss, I have a very close friend/client who lost his house today in the fires in San Diego. He is one of three brothers whose collective business interests constitute one of my top three client groups. They attempted to get some of their personal things out in front of the conflagration, but the local brother didn't think those boxes got out of the garage.
And speaking of drought, the Governor of Georgia has predictably pointed to Washington D.C. as a co-conspirator on the water shortage in the state. There are issues with the Corps of Engineers, recognizing that the Corps is a bureaucracy, but geeze, are natural disasters always Washington's fault?
The World Series is news, but I don't have a lot of excitement about it. I don't like the American League, generally, and the Bosox are even way down on that list. And it's hard to digest that the National League's representative is Colorado. Mix in the fact that FOX will probably start the games at 7:30 Eastern, there's no way that I'll see the end of the games regardless of the participants. Could we extend here a theory that the grapes were probably sour anyway?
And in entertainment news, I see where Kid Rock and some of his boys got thrown in the slammer someplace near Atlanta at 5AM for involvement in a fight outside a Waffle House restaurant. Do these celebrities just try to do this stuff? They surely can't think that they can act this way and stay below radar. This is a guy who got Cheryl Crow to do a duet with him...before Lance. (Ok, the fact that he was married multiple times to Pam Anderson may explain his dark side, but she did look good 15 years ago on Baywatch.)
Hope everyone has a good week.
BCOT
3 also added a comment to the most recent entry on 4's site. Of particular note was her reference to Sartre and existentialism. (Exactly what sound does the falling tree make in the woods when no one is there to witness the event?) She hit another winner with the reference to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon as that game theory might relate to Chicago Marathon stories. Very clever.
Monday is a good day for Current Events, as we have not only the most recent weekend to consider, but also those things from the previous week that the Sunday editorials may have put into the spotlight. Unfortunately, most of the editorials were about Hillary or The Other Suits Who Would Be President. There will be plenty of room for politics later. I mean we only have a little over 12 months until the National elections!
The local paper today carried a story on the front page of the recent life and times of a former Davenport mayor who passed away this weekend of cancer at age 64. He was a local high school football star who went on to law school and then to work with the biggest law firm here in town. He never lacked for confidence, and his flippant side got under the skin of some people. But I think that he was genuinely committed to doing good for his hometown, and he was unafraid to try things that might help in that regard.
Among the things that give you cause to ponder at this death are: 1) His age. I mean like, he wasn't that old. 2) His education. This was a bright guy with graduate degrees. He invested in himself. 3) His youthful successes. Those headlines and accolades are transitory. 4) Professional proximity. I worked on a couple of tax engagements with the guy. 5) He was a biker. He and his wife road a tandem on some of the event-rides that I participated in over the years. 6) He had some dirty laundry. I mean, don't we all?
Without getting too morose, that's a death that gets pretty close to home.
Speaking of loss, I have a very close friend/client who lost his house today in the fires in San Diego. He is one of three brothers whose collective business interests constitute one of my top three client groups. They attempted to get some of their personal things out in front of the conflagration, but the local brother didn't think those boxes got out of the garage.
And speaking of drought, the Governor of Georgia has predictably pointed to Washington D.C. as a co-conspirator on the water shortage in the state. There are issues with the Corps of Engineers, recognizing that the Corps is a bureaucracy, but geeze, are natural disasters always Washington's fault?
The World Series is news, but I don't have a lot of excitement about it. I don't like the American League, generally, and the Bosox are even way down on that list. And it's hard to digest that the National League's representative is Colorado. Mix in the fact that FOX will probably start the games at 7:30 Eastern, there's no way that I'll see the end of the games regardless of the participants. Could we extend here a theory that the grapes were probably sour anyway?
And in entertainment news, I see where Kid Rock and some of his boys got thrown in the slammer someplace near Atlanta at 5AM for involvement in a fight outside a Waffle House restaurant. Do these celebrities just try to do this stuff? They surely can't think that they can act this way and stay below radar. This is a guy who got Cheryl Crow to do a duet with him...before Lance. (Ok, the fact that he was married multiple times to Pam Anderson may explain his dark side, but she did look good 15 years ago on Baywatch.)
Hope everyone has a good week.
BCOT
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday
This is a "guest" day.
An enjoyable evening last night at the movies. 2, 4 and Mom invited me to join them at the Novas for The Bourne Ultimatum, which was decent flick. We could do worse come 12/24.
2 was quoted in the QC Times today for her work in an event at the museum yesterday. Way to go!
Long days for all of our teams on the gridiron.
Have a great day.
BCOT
An enjoyable evening last night at the movies. 2, 4 and Mom invited me to join them at the Novas for The Bourne Ultimatum, which was decent flick. We could do worse come 12/24.
2 was quoted in the QC Times today for her work in an event at the museum yesterday. Way to go!
Long days for all of our teams on the gridiron.
Have a great day.
BCOT
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Saturday
This looks like a great Fall day. I need to get outside once I'm done with a couple of things here at the office. My pal Roy and I may hit some balls.
The annual intra-city football clash between PV and Bettendorf was last night. It wasn't much of a clash. Bettendorf wins 49-0. Ouch! Amazing how the culture, at least for football, can be so different in schools two miles apart who are drawing from essentially the same gene pool. In most years, this is the kind of lop-sided result in this game. The net outcomes in all other sports between the schools are not nearly that disparate. Does one coaching staff make that big of a difference?
The annual Pumpkin Run is tomorrow on Credit Island in Davenport. I think that they have added a 10K for the more serious runners. Since 4 is in town for the weekend, maybe she and I can stop down and re-create that famous photo of our participation in the event years ago.
The next medico that I see is the colonoscopy guy. My first one was 6+ years ago, and I started getting reminder cards from the doc last Winter to schedule a re-check. Of course, I ignored those cards. As a third reminder, they sent me a certified letter advising me of their recommendation to schedule the procedure. I ignored that letter as well, although I was curious if their rationale for sending it by certified mail was legal liability motivated. A surgeon friend thought it was more profit-motivated than anything.
Since I have met all my insurance deductibles from the bike accident surgery, my own economics now push me down the road to do the colonoscopy before the end of the year to minimize my out-of-pocket costs. So I called the doctor's office yesterday to initiate the process. In my repartee with the appointment clerk, she fessed-up that the certified letter was a legal-liability protection action on advice from counsel. The lawyers must be working overtime to come up with not only the possible cases that they could file, but the corresponding defenses as well.
When you think about it, it's almost Seinfeld-esque in the sense that we're almost doing a game-theory thing. If you were a good doctor, you would have had a procedure to get the recently departed Mr. Doe back to your office for a re-check of his colon to catch the colon cancer that developed some time after that colonoscopy that you did seven years ago (that showed no signs of disease). So even though Mr. Doe ignored those suggestion cards that you sent him three years ago to come back for a routine follow-up, you didn't do enough, so his death is your fault, and we think that you now owe Mrs. Doe $2 million for malpractice. (Keeping in mind, of course, that the litigator keeps at least one-third of the award.)
As convoluted as that logic may seem, if plaintiff attorneys don't think like this, why would defense attorneys come up with the certified letter concept?
So do we have a guest author tomorrow? Perhaps some wisdom from C-town?
Have a great day.
BCOT
The annual intra-city football clash between PV and Bettendorf was last night. It wasn't much of a clash. Bettendorf wins 49-0. Ouch! Amazing how the culture, at least for football, can be so different in schools two miles apart who are drawing from essentially the same gene pool. In most years, this is the kind of lop-sided result in this game. The net outcomes in all other sports between the schools are not nearly that disparate. Does one coaching staff make that big of a difference?
The annual Pumpkin Run is tomorrow on Credit Island in Davenport. I think that they have added a 10K for the more serious runners. Since 4 is in town for the weekend, maybe she and I can stop down and re-create that famous photo of our participation in the event years ago.
The next medico that I see is the colonoscopy guy. My first one was 6+ years ago, and I started getting reminder cards from the doc last Winter to schedule a re-check. Of course, I ignored those cards. As a third reminder, they sent me a certified letter advising me of their recommendation to schedule the procedure. I ignored that letter as well, although I was curious if their rationale for sending it by certified mail was legal liability motivated. A surgeon friend thought it was more profit-motivated than anything.
Since I have met all my insurance deductibles from the bike accident surgery, my own economics now push me down the road to do the colonoscopy before the end of the year to minimize my out-of-pocket costs. So I called the doctor's office yesterday to initiate the process. In my repartee with the appointment clerk, she fessed-up that the certified letter was a legal-liability protection action on advice from counsel. The lawyers must be working overtime to come up with not only the possible cases that they could file, but the corresponding defenses as well.
When you think about it, it's almost Seinfeld-esque in the sense that we're almost doing a game-theory thing. If you were a good doctor, you would have had a procedure to get the recently departed Mr. Doe back to your office for a re-check of his colon to catch the colon cancer that developed some time after that colonoscopy that you did seven years ago (that showed no signs of disease). So even though Mr. Doe ignored those suggestion cards that you sent him three years ago to come back for a routine follow-up, you didn't do enough, so his death is your fault, and we think that you now owe Mrs. Doe $2 million for malpractice. (Keeping in mind, of course, that the litigator keeps at least one-third of the award.)
As convoluted as that logic may seem, if plaintiff attorneys don't think like this, why would defense attorneys come up with the certified letter concept?
So do we have a guest author tomorrow? Perhaps some wisdom from C-town?
Have a great day.
BCOT
Friday, October 19, 2007
Friday
Friday might work as a Free day. That is, a day where the topic is open for the choosing.
I did have the additional thought overnight that another usage for the word "travel" is as an adjective (?) to describe fan support on the road for an athletic team. For instance, among college football bowl sponsors, it is generally acknowledge that Iowa "travels" well.
I made another concession to convention this week by acquiring a Kohl's credit card. My shopping habits are fairly predictable, and Kohl's tends to be the first place I stop for golf shirts, sweaters and shoes. It bugs the heck out of me to have another electronic trail out there documenting my activities, but the siren of recurring discounts finally won me over. With a Gap card and now a Kohl's card, in addition to my other Amex and VISA cards, I am now among the crowd in credit card excess.
The MasterCard and VISA card issuers are the big villains in our nation of credit enablers, but these individual store chains that push customers into their own cards should share the ignominy. Their pushing their own cards is not really an effort to benefit the holders, but rather a more insidious choice to further ensnare the user and to gather more specific data on their customer base.
Another major participant in the credit card boom is the generic affinity card concept. Sports teams, colleges, business associations, and fraternal organizations, among others, often have their "own" MasterCard or VISA card. I'm guilty. I have an ND card issued by a VISA bank. And an AICPA MasterCard. The affinity organization does nothing except collect a little fee from each transaction or balance. Again, the cards are not offered because the prospective user needs that specific card. It's a way for the issuer to get another fish on the line, and it's free money to the affinity organization.
I think my first credit card was a Gulf Oil Company card that I acquired my first year out of ND. Gulf Oil stations were commonplace along the Indiana Toll Road and all the way out East, where I was stationed in the USAF, and I think that they had a deal with Holiday Inn. I remember a couple of trips back to South Bend that first year in Dover, and I could use the one card for both gas and hotel. The high life. (Wikipedia states that Gulf Oil was merged into what is now Chevron in 1984.)
Free advice to all readers: ALWAYS pay off your credit card balance each month. On time. The interest and fees that you can otherwise pay makes SB's coffee appear cheap in comparison. The credit card companies are unconscionable when it comes to these charges. That $29 (0r maybe even higher) late fee is just pure profit to them. Don't get caught. And don't be seduced by the "0" interest transfer fee. There's no free lunch.
OK. My pal Roy and I are headed out for dinner. Maybe some Tuscan red.
Have a great weekend.
BCOT
I did have the additional thought overnight that another usage for the word "travel" is as an adjective (?) to describe fan support on the road for an athletic team. For instance, among college football bowl sponsors, it is generally acknowledge that Iowa "travels" well.
I made another concession to convention this week by acquiring a Kohl's credit card. My shopping habits are fairly predictable, and Kohl's tends to be the first place I stop for golf shirts, sweaters and shoes. It bugs the heck out of me to have another electronic trail out there documenting my activities, but the siren of recurring discounts finally won me over. With a Gap card and now a Kohl's card, in addition to my other Amex and VISA cards, I am now among the crowd in credit card excess.
The MasterCard and VISA card issuers are the big villains in our nation of credit enablers, but these individual store chains that push customers into their own cards should share the ignominy. Their pushing their own cards is not really an effort to benefit the holders, but rather a more insidious choice to further ensnare the user and to gather more specific data on their customer base.
Another major participant in the credit card boom is the generic affinity card concept. Sports teams, colleges, business associations, and fraternal organizations, among others, often have their "own" MasterCard or VISA card. I'm guilty. I have an ND card issued by a VISA bank. And an AICPA MasterCard. The affinity organization does nothing except collect a little fee from each transaction or balance. Again, the cards are not offered because the prospective user needs that specific card. It's a way for the issuer to get another fish on the line, and it's free money to the affinity organization.
I think my first credit card was a Gulf Oil Company card that I acquired my first year out of ND. Gulf Oil stations were commonplace along the Indiana Toll Road and all the way out East, where I was stationed in the USAF, and I think that they had a deal with Holiday Inn. I remember a couple of trips back to South Bend that first year in Dover, and I could use the one card for both gas and hotel. The high life. (Wikipedia states that Gulf Oil was merged into what is now Chevron in 1984.)
Free advice to all readers: ALWAYS pay off your credit card balance each month. On time. The interest and fees that you can otherwise pay makes SB's coffee appear cheap in comparison. The credit card companies are unconscionable when it comes to these charges. That $29 (0r maybe even higher) late fee is just pure profit to them. Don't get caught. And don't be seduced by the "0" interest transfer fee. There's no free lunch.
OK. My pal Roy and I are headed out for dinner. Maybe some Tuscan red.
Have a great weekend.
BCOT
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Thursday
Let's make Thursday a day for Travel.
In the Big Leagues, Thursday is often considered a travel day for teams. It is a frequent "off" day, with no game scheduled, and the team either on the road, or going on the road, will use that day as a leisurely day to get to the next city where they will be playing on the weekend. Later in the season when "make up" games are required, those games often take place on these unscheduled travel days. In that situation, the game will often be a "day" game, and the team that's on the road will leave right after the game to get to the next city. The Friday game will then usually be a night game to give the traveling team a chance to sleep in after a late-night arrival.
In basketball, "a little traveling music", is a phrase announcers use to described a traveling violation committed by the player in possession of the ball.
In business, Travel and Entertainment, is a historically abused expense deduction.
Also in business, travel is a characteristic of a job that may be considered a bit of a disadvantage in comparison to a job that has no travel involved. I know that in today's world, what with the issues of security, airplane delays, and the like, travel is not a perk. If you like to get home to the fam and your own bed each night, overnight travel is a negative for the job seeker.
As a sidebar, I would distinguish "travel" from it's subset, "commuting". Unless you work out of your home, everyone has a commute to work. It may be a five minute jaunt in a small town, or it might be that ugly hour and a half death march in the major city. Been there. Done that.
On the positive side of the ledger, travel is listed by many people, particularly retirees, as a favorite pastime.
Travel in our immediate family is most often associated with Lake Tahoe. (For those who might want to parse meanings, Lake Tahoe and Travel could be reversed in that sentence.) Next would be Chicago. Then KC. After that, we each might have our own destination of choice.
Today's young adults have been exposed to more travel than I would ever have dreamed of as a boy. Fifty years ago, there was not the facility of travel that exists today. Our family had no money. The Wapello County Fair in Eldon was a big deal! It was only when we each went to college that the world started to open.
I have had the most fun (when not with the fam) when I have been on the road with my pals Pete and Big Jake. Whether it be at a game in Ames, a small-town bar on RAGBRAI, or on the Plaza in KC, we have had some great times. DM. Phoenix. Lots of stories that get repeated forever, and the exploits become even more outrageous with each rendering. There were those Vegas days with Wally. And in recent years, the Cabo golf trips with my pal Roy have been memorable as well.
There is a saying on the Cabo trip that, "it's not about the golf". Rather, the trip is about the friendships and enjoyment that is shared by the participants. I agree. Tahoe would just be another lake (a beautiful one to be sure, but just a lake) for me without Uncle Phil and the fam. And the same goes for all the other places that I have been. Without the friends, what is there to remember?
So my first effort at Travel ends up talking about relationships. What does that mean?
Have a great evening/day.
BCOT
In the Big Leagues, Thursday is often considered a travel day for teams. It is a frequent "off" day, with no game scheduled, and the team either on the road, or going on the road, will use that day as a leisurely day to get to the next city where they will be playing on the weekend. Later in the season when "make up" games are required, those games often take place on these unscheduled travel days. In that situation, the game will often be a "day" game, and the team that's on the road will leave right after the game to get to the next city. The Friday game will then usually be a night game to give the traveling team a chance to sleep in after a late-night arrival.
In basketball, "a little traveling music", is a phrase announcers use to described a traveling violation committed by the player in possession of the ball.
In business, Travel and Entertainment, is a historically abused expense deduction.
Also in business, travel is a characteristic of a job that may be considered a bit of a disadvantage in comparison to a job that has no travel involved. I know that in today's world, what with the issues of security, airplane delays, and the like, travel is not a perk. If you like to get home to the fam and your own bed each night, overnight travel is a negative for the job seeker.
As a sidebar, I would distinguish "travel" from it's subset, "commuting". Unless you work out of your home, everyone has a commute to work. It may be a five minute jaunt in a small town, or it might be that ugly hour and a half death march in the major city. Been there. Done that.
On the positive side of the ledger, travel is listed by many people, particularly retirees, as a favorite pastime.
Travel in our immediate family is most often associated with Lake Tahoe. (For those who might want to parse meanings, Lake Tahoe and Travel could be reversed in that sentence.) Next would be Chicago. Then KC. After that, we each might have our own destination of choice.
Today's young adults have been exposed to more travel than I would ever have dreamed of as a boy. Fifty years ago, there was not the facility of travel that exists today. Our family had no money. The Wapello County Fair in Eldon was a big deal! It was only when we each went to college that the world started to open.
I have had the most fun (when not with the fam) when I have been on the road with my pals Pete and Big Jake. Whether it be at a game in Ames, a small-town bar on RAGBRAI, or on the Plaza in KC, we have had some great times. DM. Phoenix. Lots of stories that get repeated forever, and the exploits become even more outrageous with each rendering. There were those Vegas days with Wally. And in recent years, the Cabo golf trips with my pal Roy have been memorable as well.
There is a saying on the Cabo trip that, "it's not about the golf". Rather, the trip is about the friendships and enjoyment that is shared by the participants. I agree. Tahoe would just be another lake (a beautiful one to be sure, but just a lake) for me without Uncle Phil and the fam. And the same goes for all the other places that I have been. Without the friends, what is there to remember?
So my first effort at Travel ends up talking about relationships. What does that mean?
Have a great evening/day.
BCOT
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wednesday
If it's Wednesday, it must be Sports Day.
The stat of the day is that the Little League World Series title game this past Summer outdrew (in TV ratings) Game Four of the National League Championship Series Sunday evening. Colorado and Arizona are not exactly megalopolises for any TV event, but does anybody remember who was in the LL World Series? Let's see. Every Little League player wants to grow up to be a Major Leaguer. And play before a smaller audience? How does that compute?
I had commented to an acquaintance earlier this week about how Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was a Sports Illustrated cover boy in the late 70's or early 80's as a "can't miss" phenom. Of course, he never made it very big. USA Today's hack columnist Jon Saraceno had a full column today on Hurdle's odyssey to championship manager. More people out there stealing my material.
The human interest side of Hurdle's story included a disabled child in his third (current) marriage. While the facts of this young child are worthy of a sympathetic ear, does our protagonist's Three-Time Loser designation reinforce the pathetically low morality bar of our athletes and entertainers? (Actually, is he really just a Two-Time Loser with a third act in process?) I do think that our society has become numb to the antics of many of these public figures. What's another kid by another woman in another town?
Uncle Phil and I have talked about how golfers display the most honor in competition. And I agree. (I actually like the Wild West, self-policing justice system that rules in NASCAR, but that's a different kettle of fish.) But the golf crowd has it's equitable share, if not more so, of lousy husbands and fathers. Maybe it's the travel. Certainly the money comes into play. And the idle time. And the Goldiggers looking for a little sugar.
Speaking of losers, anyone care to give Kelvin Sampson a primer on the rules for telephone contact with recruits? Talk about a low bar. How can Indiana not fire him?
My training for the TT is going along at a snail's pace. I've been doing the 2.2 miles along Devils Glen and it is just work.! If I break an hour on Thanksgiving, it will be a minor miracle.
One of the things that I do like about training is that it gives me "thinking time". Whether it is running or biking, the process allows the brain to work without distraction (except for the pain). I've never had the IPod or headphones. On the bike, while on the roads or streets, it's a safety thing. I know a lot of people are addicted to their music while moving along, but the "thinking time" is just as gratifying to me.
A final thought for the day: the hardest part of training is getting started.
Thanks for reading. Have a great evening/day.
BCOT
The stat of the day is that the Little League World Series title game this past Summer outdrew (in TV ratings) Game Four of the National League Championship Series Sunday evening. Colorado and Arizona are not exactly megalopolises for any TV event, but does anybody remember who was in the LL World Series? Let's see. Every Little League player wants to grow up to be a Major Leaguer. And play before a smaller audience? How does that compute?
I had commented to an acquaintance earlier this week about how Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was a Sports Illustrated cover boy in the late 70's or early 80's as a "can't miss" phenom. Of course, he never made it very big. USA Today's hack columnist Jon Saraceno had a full column today on Hurdle's odyssey to championship manager. More people out there stealing my material.
The human interest side of Hurdle's story included a disabled child in his third (current) marriage. While the facts of this young child are worthy of a sympathetic ear, does our protagonist's Three-Time Loser designation reinforce the pathetically low morality bar of our athletes and entertainers? (Actually, is he really just a Two-Time Loser with a third act in process?) I do think that our society has become numb to the antics of many of these public figures. What's another kid by another woman in another town?
Uncle Phil and I have talked about how golfers display the most honor in competition. And I agree. (I actually like the Wild West, self-policing justice system that rules in NASCAR, but that's a different kettle of fish.) But the golf crowd has it's equitable share, if not more so, of lousy husbands and fathers. Maybe it's the travel. Certainly the money comes into play. And the idle time. And the Goldiggers looking for a little sugar.
Speaking of losers, anyone care to give Kelvin Sampson a primer on the rules for telephone contact with recruits? Talk about a low bar. How can Indiana not fire him?
My training for the TT is going along at a snail's pace. I've been doing the 2.2 miles along Devils Glen and it is just work.! If I break an hour on Thanksgiving, it will be a minor miracle.
One of the things that I do like about training is that it gives me "thinking time". Whether it is running or biking, the process allows the brain to work without distraction (except for the pain). I've never had the IPod or headphones. On the bike, while on the roads or streets, it's a safety thing. I know a lot of people are addicted to their music while moving along, but the "thinking time" is just as gratifying to me.
A final thought for the day: the hardest part of training is getting started.
Thanks for reading. Have a great evening/day.
BCOT
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tuesday
I had hoped to get a better handle on my re-entry into the blog, but the day after a due date tends to be hectic for all the things that were put off in the crush before the due date. Today was no exception. And the two bottles of Tuscan red last night sapped a little energy as well.
I can share that I have decided to construct the blog under a category theory with the focus of each daily entry determined by a general assignment. More or less like the sections of a newspaper or website. My categories will be:
1. Sports
2. Travel
3. Family History
4. Craig Wilson-like topics.
5. Current Events
6. The Work Place
7. Other
This is a preliminary list, and there may be additions as I get more comfortable with the format. I've left off Politics and Religion from the standard list, but I suspect that there will be entries on each as time goes by, particularly with the 2008 elections. I would like there to be a Weekly Guest's entry as well. My goal is to use these categories as a means to gather and store entry ideas on an on-going basis so that I don't find myself sitting at the computer with nothing to say.
The goal of the blog remains threefold:
1. To maintain an interactive touchstone for our family,
2. To give some insight to The Girls about who I am today, and
3. To provide an outlet for the writer inside me.
The blog's Daughter of the Day is 3. Happy Birthday. Hope you can make it to IC on the 27th. Power tailgating for sure.
So tomorrow is the real deal. Stay tuned.
BCOT
I can share that I have decided to construct the blog under a category theory with the focus of each daily entry determined by a general assignment. More or less like the sections of a newspaper or website. My categories will be:
1. Sports
2. Travel
3. Family History
4. Craig Wilson-like topics.
5. Current Events
6. The Work Place
7. Other
This is a preliminary list, and there may be additions as I get more comfortable with the format. I've left off Politics and Religion from the standard list, but I suspect that there will be entries on each as time goes by, particularly with the 2008 elections. I would like there to be a Weekly Guest's entry as well. My goal is to use these categories as a means to gather and store entry ideas on an on-going basis so that I don't find myself sitting at the computer with nothing to say.
The goal of the blog remains threefold:
1. To maintain an interactive touchstone for our family,
2. To give some insight to The Girls about who I am today, and
3. To provide an outlet for the writer inside me.
The blog's Daughter of the Day is 3. Happy Birthday. Hope you can make it to IC on the 27th. Power tailgating for sure.
So tomorrow is the real deal. Stay tuned.
BCOT
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday
Another due date has taken it's place in the rear view mirror. What a pain to go through, but a big relief to be done.
Good to hear from AM. Her book recommendation sounds interesting. Miss Dee gave me a similar one last Spring that actually recounts some things from Ottumwa. A Prairie Lights special that she discovered while just wandering through the store.
Happy Tax Birthday to 3!
Tomorrow kicks off the born-again 4000 Days. (With all the hype I've been giving it, I'd better bring my "A" game.
Good to hear from AM. Her book recommendation sounds interesting. Miss Dee gave me a similar one last Spring that actually recounts some things from Ottumwa. A Prairie Lights special that she discovered while just wandering through the store.
Happy Tax Birthday to 3!
Tomorrow kicks off the born-again 4000 Days. (With all the hype I've been giving it, I'd better bring my "A" game.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Sunday
Fun evening in IC. We booked before the senior speeches.
The laggards to get done tomorrow. The first day of the rest of my life is Tuesday.
BTW...I've registered online for the Turkey Trot. I've sent the link to your email accounts.
The laggards to get done tomorrow. The first day of the rest of my life is Tuesday.
BTW...I've registered online for the Turkey Trot. I've sent the link to your email accounts.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Friday
That which needed to get out yesterday did so.
3 has been on the road and used me for a back-up, pre-dawn wake-up call this AM. I'd be up. She knew it. Does that make me more reliable than Abdul or Petrachina at the front desk?
More returns today.
Looking forward to the weekend.
3 has been on the road and used me for a back-up, pre-dawn wake-up call this AM. I'd be up. She knew it. Does that make me more reliable than Abdul or Petrachina at the front desk?
More returns today.
Looking forward to the weekend.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Thursday
This is really the last day to get my out-of-town clients returns sent to them. It had better be a busy afternoon.
Enjoying the cool weather. Uncle Phil commented that they had some snow at Tahoe this week. And the paper today had a photo of open ski slopes at Arapaho Basin in Colorado. My bones are still able to adapt better to the cold than the heat.
For the record, less than a week now to the return of the real 4000 Days.
Enjoying the cool weather. Uncle Phil commented that they had some snow at Tahoe this week. And the paper today had a photo of open ski slopes at Arapaho Basin in Colorado. My bones are still able to adapt better to the cold than the heat.
For the record, less than a week now to the return of the real 4000 Days.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday
Another day in paradise.
While yesterday's comments were welcome, they remind me, when taken as a whole, of the "Woe is me" contest for the last brownie in that family dinner scene in the film, Notting Hill.
We are a sorry lot.
While yesterday's comments were welcome, they remind me, when taken as a whole, of the "Woe is me" contest for the last brownie in that family dinner scene in the film, Notting Hill.
We are a sorry lot.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Tuesday
The heat wave has pretty well passed us by. Very comfortable sleeping last night.
A week until 3's b-day.
44 days to the Turkey Trot.
75 days to FFF at Chunky Cheese's.
About 3250 days to the end of 4000.
But who's counting?
A week until 3's b-day.
44 days to the Turkey Trot.
75 days to FFF at Chunky Cheese's.
About 3250 days to the end of 4000.
But who's counting?
Monday, October 08, 2007
Monday
Many stories today about the TC and Chicago marathons. Cousin Skip was in C-town's. He has comments in an email today.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Hope everyone has a good week.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Sunday
Long day in the Twin Cities for 1.1 in his marathon. Worse heat and humidity there today than 1 had for her race here last month. 1 can give us the details later.
I know that everyone is busy. But sharing is good.
I know that everyone is busy. But sharing is good.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Saturday
Hot day again.
4 came home for the weekend. I'll let her tell her story at a future date.
My pal Roy has a wingding tonight. Details at some time in a week or two.
Good luck to 1.1 tomorrow.
4 came home for the weekend. I'll let her tell her story at a future date.
My pal Roy has a wingding tonight. Details at some time in a week or two.
Good luck to 1.1 tomorrow.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Friday
End of a long week here. Although I do have a full schedule tomorrow as well.
2 is on her way to the TC to serve on 1.1's support team for the marathon on Sunday. She was my navigator when we trailed 1 last year. Pasta for them tonight.
Still lots to do for my tax clients. Still looking for Powerball.
2 is on her way to the TC to serve on 1.1's support team for the marathon on Sunday. She was my navigator when we trailed 1 last year. Pasta for them tonight.
Still lots to do for my tax clients. Still looking for Powerball.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Thursday
Back home. Long day yesterday, but as scheduled. 2 earns credits for a midnight run to the airport for my ride home.
Close to 90 here today. Less comfortable than Phoenix.
I'm still not going to be able to add much here until after the 15th.
Close to 90 here today. Less comfortable than Phoenix.
I'm still not going to be able to add much here until after the 15th.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Wednesday
Travel day for me. Final conference sessions this AM. Client meeting at lunch. And then the long trek against the clock to the QC. At least tonight I get to sleep in my own bed.
Thanks to 2 for her entry.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Thanks to 2 for her entry.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Tuesday
Not much new here in the desert.
I did encounter another example of "it's a small world". While speaking with a salesman at a random vendor booth, another guy comes up with and I notice his unusual surname on his badge. I comment on it, that I knew a family back in the Midwest with that name. Turns out he is the son of a high school classmate from Ottumwa.
Hope 4 can find the time to give us a little glimpse of her world.
I did encounter another example of "it's a small world". While speaking with a salesman at a random vendor booth, another guy comes up with and I notice his unusual surname on his badge. I comment on it, that I knew a family back in the Midwest with that name. Turns out he is the son of a high school classmate from Ottumwa.
Hope 4 can find the time to give us a little glimpse of her world.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Monday
Kudos to 1 for her entry.
I'm on the blog a little early today. They have several machines here at the conference, but there's like a thousand attendees, so availability later in the day will be iffy. Plus, when I travel to things like this, I tend to stay on Central time, which makes me two hours early in Phoenix.
2 and 4 need to add entries this week. Don't be shy.
I'm on the blog a little early today. They have several machines here at the conference, but there's like a thousand attendees, so availability later in the day will be iffy. Plus, when I travel to things like this, I tend to stay on Central time, which makes me two hours early in Phoenix.
2 and 4 need to add entries this week. Don't be shy.
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