Friday, December 23, 2011
for kids from 1 to 92....................
Nat King Cole................................................ Christmas Song
The word for the day....................
This word for the day is brought to you by Mr. Webster and
the third edition of his New College Dictionary:
ochlocracy n. government by the mob; mob rule
as in:
"The good people at OWS wouldn't recognize an ochlocracy
if they saw one."
the third edition of his New College Dictionary:
ochlocracy n. government by the mob; mob rule
as in:
"The good people at OWS wouldn't recognize an ochlocracy
if they saw one."
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Reconciled..........................
Volume up.......................
Charlotte Church.......................Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mormon Tabernacle Choir...........Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Charlotte Church.......................Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mormon Tabernacle Choir...........Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
"Holy Statistics, Batman!".............
Us history majors tended to avoid things remotely associated
with mathematics, including the concepts of "mean", "mode",
and "median". On the average, these concepts confuse us.
So, it was with great delight that I followed the blogosphere's
comments about a recent Charles Blow NYT essay on income
inequality. A good starting point is here. Excerpt here:
"So it seems the crux of the AP article can be accurately
shortened to: Half of all households have an income
below the median average!"
Hate that when that happens.
Thanks Maggie's
with mathematics, including the concepts of "mean", "mode",
and "median". On the average, these concepts confuse us.
So, it was with great delight that I followed the blogosphere's
comments about a recent Charles Blow NYT essay on income
inequality. A good starting point is here. Excerpt here:
"So it seems the crux of the AP article can be accurately
shortened to: Half of all households have an income
below the median average!"
Hate that when that happens.
Thanks Maggie's
Covetousness..................
"The benefits of Consumer Capitalism- the dominant ideology
of our age- are pretty self evident: Lots of people having
stuff, lots of things being invented, lots of livelihoods being
attained, plus the greatest measure of them all- life
expectancy- being increased. But there is a cost, mostly
psychological. Consumer capitalism makes us more covetous.
And covetous makes us more stressed out and less happy.
There's no answer to it really, other than greater self-
awareness..."
-Hugh MacLeod
Hurry down the chimney............
Eartha Kitt............................................................Santa Baby
The word for the day...............
This word for the day is brought to you by Mr. Webster and
the third edition of his New College Dictionary:
pluviose adj. characterized by much rain; rainy
as in:
"We are having such pluviose weather that all I can do is
be thankful that our roof doesn't leak."
the third edition of his New College Dictionary:
pluviose adj. characterized by much rain; rainy
as in:
"We are having such pluviose weather that all I can do is
be thankful that our roof doesn't leak."
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sing in exultation..................
Celtic Women....................................O Come All Ye Faithful
Trans Siberian Orchestra.......................O Come All Ye Faithful
Trans Siberian Orchestra.......................O Come All Ye Faithful
On thinking and writing.............
If you have ever been stumped, panicked, frozen, or otherwise
made helpless by the question, "What are you thinking about?",
you might enjoy this brief essay from Justin Wehr. An excerpt:
"The truth is that it is almost impossible for me to do any kind of profound thinking within the confines of my skull. I can do it just fine in writing, but that almost doesn’t count because I never know what’s going to come out of my writing. Writing is not, as we so often misbelieve, reproducing thoughts on paper. Writing (for me) is starting with a tiny blip of inspiration and then building on it with reactions, and reactions to those reactions, and so forth. And then of course there is the crucial step of polishing, deleting, and re-arranging to get something like coherence. The end result is probably more surprising to me than it is to you."
made helpless by the question, "What are you thinking about?",
you might enjoy this brief essay from Justin Wehr. An excerpt:
"The truth is that it is almost impossible for me to do any kind of profound thinking within the confines of my skull. I can do it just fine in writing, but that almost doesn’t count because I never know what’s going to come out of my writing. Writing is not, as we so often misbelieve, reproducing thoughts on paper. Writing (for me) is starting with a tiny blip of inspiration and then building on it with reactions, and reactions to those reactions, and so forth. And then of course there is the crucial step of polishing, deleting, and re-arranging to get something like coherence. The end result is probably more surprising to me than it is to you."
All along the watchtower......the motley mixture
48. Plato has a fine saying, that he who would discourse of man should survey, as from some high watchtower, the things of earth; its assemblies for peace or war, its husbandry, matings, and partings, births and deaths, noisy law courts, lonely wastes, alien peoples of every kind, feasting, mourning, bargaining - observing all the motley mixture, and the harmonious order that is wrought out of contrariety.
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations, Book Seven
A blue Christmas....................
Freddie King....................................................Christmas Tears
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The hopes and fears................
Elvis Presley.................................O Little Town of Bethlehem
Sarah McLachlan.............................O Little Town of Bethlehem
Sarah McLachlan.............................O Little Town of Bethlehem
Learned something new....................
The USPS delivered a history lesson the other day. Actually
they delivered a 2012 pocket date book, a gift from a long time
business associate. However, on the envelope doing the
delivering was an $.84 Oveta Culp Hobby stamp. Not having
collected stamps since I was about eleven, the fact that there
even was an $.84 stamp eluded me. But, the larger questions -
who is this Oveta Culp Hobby person, why is she a
"stateswoman", and what is with that hat?
Curiosity aroused, Wikipedia was consulted:
"During World War II she headed the War Department's Women's Interest Section for a short time and then became the Director of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (later the Women's Army Corps), which was created to fill gaps left by a shortage of men. The members of the WAC were the first women other than nurses to be in Army uniform. Hobby achieved the rank of colonel and received the Distinguished Service Medal for efforts during the war. She was the first woman in the Army to receive this award."
and
"President Dwight D. Eisenhower named her head of the Federal Security Agency, a non-cabinet post, and she was invited to sit in on cabinet meetings. Soon, on April 11, 1953, she became the first secretary, and first female secretary, of the new Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which later became the Department of Health and Human Services. This was her second time organizing a new government agency. Among other decisions and actions at HEW, she made the decision to approve Jonas Salk's polio vaccine."
I'd say she deserves the stamp, if only for that decision.
The Wiki employed the word "autodidact" in describing Hobby.
I am not embarrassed to report that Webster's was also
consulted: Autodidact {n. a person who is self educated}.
Oh, and about the hat:
"The stamp art, by illustrator and painter Sterling Hundley of Richmond, Virginia, is based on an undated black-and-white photograph of Hobby in her WAC uniform, with its legendary service cap, the 'Hobby hat.'"
Opening paragraphs...................
"Going back to South Chicago has always felt to me like
a return to death. The people I loved most, those fierce first
attachments of childhood, had all died in this abandoned
neighborhood on the City's southeast edge. It's true my
mother's body, my father's ashes, lie elsewhere, but I had
tended both through painful illnesses down here. My cousin
Boom-Boom, close as a brother - closer than a brother - had
been murdered here fifteen years ago. In my nightmares,
yellow smoke from the steel mills still clouds my eyes, but
the giant smokestacks that towered over my childhood
landscape are now only ghosts themselves."
Sara Paretsky, Fire Sale
a return to death. The people I loved most, those fierce first
attachments of childhood, had all died in this abandoned
neighborhood on the City's southeast edge. It's true my
mother's body, my father's ashes, lie elsewhere, but I had
tended both through painful illnesses down here. My cousin
Boom-Boom, close as a brother - closer than a brother - had
been murdered here fifteen years ago. In my nightmares,
yellow smoke from the steel mills still clouds my eyes, but
the giant smokestacks that towered over my childhood
landscape are now only ghosts themselves."
Sara Paretsky, Fire Sale
Story telling time......................
What if..............? What if the Great Recession ate your lunch?
What if you hadn't made any glaringly silly mistakes and it still
ate your lunch? What is one to do? Walt Sutton has an answer:
"This is the “in-between” time. It is between one great adventure and another. It’s when you have a chance to make sense out of all that you learned during the great overheating, the crash, the firefighting, the saving of the enterprise, and the righting of the new normal business. This is a time to identify all of those lessons learned, all of those mistakes you made, all of those really smart things you all did. How do you do this? One way is to tell stories about the crash and what you learned, and to encourage others to do the same."
thanks Steve
What if you hadn't made any glaringly silly mistakes and it still
ate your lunch? What is one to do? Walt Sutton has an answer:
"This is the “in-between” time. It is between one great adventure and another. It’s when you have a chance to make sense out of all that you learned during the great overheating, the crash, the firefighting, the saving of the enterprise, and the righting of the new normal business. This is a time to identify all of those lessons learned, all of those mistakes you made, all of those really smart things you all did. How do you do this? One way is to tell stories about the crash and what you learned, and to encourage others to do the same."
thanks Steve
No more sorrows............................
Charles Brown......................Please Come Home for Christmas
Monday, December 19, 2011
Do you know what I know?
Carrie Underwood...........................Do You Hear What I Hear?
Vanessa Williams...........................Do You Hear What I Hear?
Vanessa Williams...........................Do You Hear What I Hear?
At least we found the bottom..........
Housing starts are mired in the 500,000 per year range, well
below the historical average. All other things being equal (like
that will ever happen), we expect the recovery in housing starts
to begin in 2013. In the meanwhile, if you want to be a trend
setter and get a jump on the rest of the market, we have some
wonderfully nice building lots available. Do call.
as always, these fabulous charts are found at Calculated Risk
below the historical average. All other things being equal (like
that will ever happen), we expect the recovery in housing starts
to begin in 2013. In the meanwhile, if you want to be a trend
setter and get a jump on the rest of the market, we have some
wonderfully nice building lots available. Do call.
as always, these fabulous charts are found at Calculated Risk
Maybe you'll get lucky.......................
The Furniture Guy, who strings words together in a fascinating
and most satisfying way - a way that requires careful attention,
takes on Television, Advertising, Gift Giving (and receiving), and
Gender Roles. All in one blog post. Do go visit.
"Never mind all that. If I took an interest in other people's
lunacy, I'd have precious little time for my own."
On Selling.........More and less.........
As excerpted from Nicholas Bate's Instant MBA:
"What's the problem here? Well, essentially the problem is
that too many people are not willing to get their hands dirty,
to do some real selling.....Everybody loves the intellectual
nature of strategic planning, the glamour of marketing, but
selling? Where's the skill in that?
"That's the thing, actually. When you are selling, you soon
find out whether your strategies are worth the paper they
are written on because you get your results immediately:
sale or no sale. No hiding behind long-term market
penetration plans or behind things like 'awaiting the output
of the product focus group'. This is where the rubber hits
the road."
"Forget the myths about obscure techniques and closing,
here's what you actually need to do.
- More ask, less tell.
-More reasons, fewer bullets.
-More conversation, less PowerPoint.
-More them, less you.
-More decisions, less meetings.
-More concerns, less avoiding realities.
-More lock in, less generic.
-More urgency, less 'any time.'"
"What's the problem here? Well, essentially the problem is
that too many people are not willing to get their hands dirty,
to do some real selling.....Everybody loves the intellectual
nature of strategic planning, the glamour of marketing, but
selling? Where's the skill in that?
"That's the thing, actually. When you are selling, you soon
find out whether your strategies are worth the paper they
are written on because you get your results immediately:
sale or no sale. No hiding behind long-term market
penetration plans or behind things like 'awaiting the output
of the product focus group'. This is where the rubber hits
the road."
"Forget the myths about obscure techniques and closing,
here's what you actually need to do.
- More ask, less tell.
-More reasons, fewer bullets.
-More conversation, less PowerPoint.
-More them, less you.
-More decisions, less meetings.
-More concerns, less avoiding realities.
-More lock in, less generic.
-More urgency, less 'any time.'"
A poem for the Monday before Christmas......
Christmas Trees
The city had withdrawn into itself
And left at last the country to the country;
When between whirls of snow not come to lie
And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove
A stranger to our yard, who looked the city,
Yet did in country fashion in that there
He sat and waited till he drew us out
A-buttoning coats to ask him who he was.
He proved to be the city come again
To look for something it had left behind
And could not do without and keep its Christmas.
He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees;
My woods—the young fir balsams like a place
Where houses all are churches and have spires.
I hadn’t thought of them as Christmas Trees.
I doubt if I was tempted for a moment
To sell them off their feet to go in cars
And leave the slope behind the house all bare,
Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon.
I’d hate to have them know it if I was.
Yet more I’d hate to hold my trees except
As others hold theirs or refuse for them,
Beyond the time of profitable growth,
The trial by market everything must come to.
I dallied so much with the thought of selling.
Then whether from mistaken courtesy
And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether
From hope of hearing good of what was mine, I said,
“There aren’t enough to be worth while.”
“I could soon tell how many they would cut,
You let me look them over.”
“You could look.
But don’t expect I’m going to let you have them.”
Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close
That lop each other of boughs, but not a few
Quite solitary and having equal boughs
All round and round. The latter he nodded “Yes” to,
Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one,
With a buyer’s moderation, “That would do.”
I thought so too, but wasn’t there to say so.
We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over,
And came down on the north. He said, “A thousand.”
“A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?”
He felt some need of softening that to me:
“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.”
Then I was certain I had never meant
To let him have them. Never show surprise!
But thirty dollars seemed so small beside
The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents
(For that was all they figured out apiece),
Three cents so small beside the dollar friends
I should be writing to within the hour
Would pay in cities for good trees like those,
Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools
Could hang enough on to pick off enough.
A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had!
Worth three cents more to give away than sell,
As may be shown by a simple calculation.
Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter.
I can’t help wishing I could send you one,
In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas.
-Robert Frost (1920)
Opening paragraphs............
The cold Alaskan water pulled at the fishing boats that
lined the dock, the boats straining against their moorings to
run free with the tide, The water here in the small harbor at
Angoon, a fishing village on the western shore of Admiralty
Island off southeast Alaska, was steel-black beneath the
clouds and dimpled by the rain, but was clear even with that,
a window beneath the weathered pilings to a world of sun-
burst starfish as wide as garbage cans jellyfish the size of
basketballs, and barnacles as heavy as a longshoreman's
fist. Alaska was like that, so vigorous with life that it could
fill a man and lift him and maybe even bring him back from
the dead."
Robert Crais, The Last Detective
lined the dock, the boats straining against their moorings to
run free with the tide, The water here in the small harbor at
Angoon, a fishing village on the western shore of Admiralty
Island off southeast Alaska, was steel-black beneath the
clouds and dimpled by the rain, but was clear even with that,
a window beneath the weathered pilings to a world of sun-
burst starfish as wide as garbage cans jellyfish the size of
basketballs, and barnacles as heavy as a longshoreman's
fist. Alaska was like that, so vigorous with life that it could
fill a man and lift him and maybe even bring him back from
the dead."
Robert Crais, The Last Detective
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Where the love light gleams................
Frank Sinatra....................................I'll Be Home For Christmas
Johnny Mathis...................................I'll Be Home For Christmas
Johnny Mathis...................................I'll Be Home For Christmas
Meeting the most amazing people.................
.............without actually meeting them. That, for me, has been
the one most unexpected, yet valuable, return on my blogging
investment.
Jeff Kopito publishes the View From the Ledge blog. I have
been a faithful follower since first being led there eighteen months
ago. Jeff is a cancer survivor. That experience, of which he has
shared bits hand pieces in various posts, has colored his world.
Jeff starts his latest post, "It’s time I came clean." He has
been volunteering:
"As part of their support program, they match me up with newly diagnosed cancer patients who have had the same clinical diagnosis and similar treatment plan as I did. These patients or caregivers can then begin contact so we can walk thru the process of treatment and recovery together. There I can provide support and guidance in this frightening landscape in real-time, with a real voice."
The notion of supporting cancer patients has become his vision
and his mission. Naturally, he has created a second blog,
GettingCancer {get (v.) - to acquire, understand, confront}
Cancer is a very personal and intimate disease. And most likely the most devastating diagnosis you will ever receive. I hope to relieve that burden. And provide for you what I can.
I am proud of you Jeff. Thanks for being there.
Worship...............
"A just thinker will allow full swing to his scepticism. I dip
my in the blackest ink, because I am not afraid to fall into
my ink pot."
"Men as naturally make a state, or a church, as caterpillars
a web."
"We are born believing. A man bears belief, as a tree bears
apples."
"God builds his temple in the heart on ruins of churches and
religions."
"In all ages, souls out of time, extraordinary, prophetic, are
born, who are rather related to the system of the world, than
to their particular age and locality. These announce absolute
truths, which, with whatever reverence received, are speedily
dragged down into savage interpretation."
"The fatal trait is the divorce between religion and morality."
"Heaven deals with us on no representative system. Souls
are not saved in bundles. The Spirit saith to the man, 'How
is it with thee? thee personally? is it well? is it ill?"
"The cure for false theology is motherwit. Forget your books
and traditions, and obey your moral perceptions at this hour."
"Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him.
But a day comes when he begins to care that he do not cheat
is neighbor."
"The superiority that has no superior; the redeemer and
instructor of souls, as it is their primal essence, is love."
-all quotes are excerpted from Ralph Waldo Emerson's
essay Worship.
Sunday's Verse.........
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the
angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered
what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you
have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are
to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever;
his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I
am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in
her old age, and she who was said to be unable to
conceive is in her sixth month.
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your
word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
-The Holy Bible, New International Version
Luke 1:26-38
angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered
what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you
have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are
to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever;
his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I
am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in
her old age, and she who was said to be unable to
conceive is in her sixth month.
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your
word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
-The Holy Bible, New International Version
Luke 1:26-38
Our real problems...............
"The day is not far off when the economic problem will take
the back seat where it belongs, and the arena of the heart
and the head will be occupied or reoccupied, by our real
problems — the problems of life and of human relations and
of creation and behavior"
-John Maynard Keynes (1945)
thanks Steve
the back seat where it belongs, and the arena of the heart
and the head will be occupied or reoccupied, by our real
problems — the problems of life and of human relations and
of creation and behavior"
-John Maynard Keynes (1945)
thanks Steve
Man's own natural duty.........
"Now you shall hear how a man may become perfect, if he
devotes himself to the work which is natural to him. A man
will reach perfection if he does his duty as an act of worship
to the Lord, who is the source of the universe, prompting all
action, everywhere present.
"A man's own natural duty, even if it seems imperfectly
done, is better than work not naturally his own even if it is
well performed. When a man acts according to the law of
his nature, he cannot be sinning. Therefore, no one should
give up his natural work, even though he does it imperfectly.
For all action is involved in imperfection, like fire in smoke.
"When a man has achieved non-attachment, self-
mastery and freedom from desire through renunciation, he
reaches union with Brahman, who is beyond all actions."
-from Chapter XVIII
The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita
devotes himself to the work which is natural to him. A man
will reach perfection if he does his duty as an act of worship
to the Lord, who is the source of the universe, prompting all
action, everywhere present.
"A man's own natural duty, even if it seems imperfectly
done, is better than work not naturally his own even if it is
well performed. When a man acts according to the law of
his nature, he cannot be sinning. Therefore, no one should
give up his natural work, even though he does it imperfectly.
For all action is involved in imperfection, like fire in smoke.
"When a man has achieved non-attachment, self-
mastery and freedom from desire through renunciation, he
reaches union with Brahman, who is beyond all actions."
-from Chapter XVIII
The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita
On wretched excess...................
“Wretched excess is an unfortunate human trait that turns a
perfectly good idea such as Christmas into a frenzy of last-
minute shopping - or attaches the name of St. Patrick to the
day of the year that bartenders fear most.”
-Jon Anderson
perfectly good idea such as Christmas into a frenzy of last-
minute shopping - or attaches the name of St. Patrick to the
day of the year that bartenders fear most.”
-Jon Anderson
Having fun with the Fab Four..................
The Beatles............................................Roll Over Beethoven
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sing along.......................
James Taylor..................................................Deck the Halls
Nat King Cole................................................Deck the Halls
Nat King Cole................................................Deck the Halls
Friday, December 16, 2011
As we dream by the fire......................
Jason Mraz.............................Walking In A Winter Wonderland
Dean Martin...........................Walking In A Winter Wonderland
Dean Martin...........................Walking In A Winter Wonderland
Turning big rocks into tiny rocks.........
Rick Platt, perhaps the most persistent and optimistic cheerleader
for manufacturing in Ohio, is using his blog to highlight some of
the great makers-of-things in Licking County. Do check him out.
He posts today about Screen Machine, but neglects to link to their
demonstration videos. That oversight is hereby corrected:
for manufacturing in Ohio, is using his blog to highlight some of
the great makers-of-things in Licking County. Do check him out.
He posts today about Screen Machine, but neglects to link to their
demonstration videos. That oversight is hereby corrected:
OK, Coach.....................
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that
10-1 is not a losing season."
"The odds are always against you no matter what your
previous history is. You have to overcome the tendency to
relax."
"Fans used to think Oklahoma was the enemy. They actually
made us better."
"We didn't do anything fancy.....we did use some mis-direction
......That did help to some degree."
"I celebrate a victory when I start walking off the field. By
the time I get to the locker room, I'm done."
"You can tell by looking at me that I've got more miles
behind me than I've got in front of me. When you reach that
point, if you've got some good years left, you make sure you
use them."
Uh-oh...................
"The Greek historian Thucydides shrewdly wrote that when a
nation makes too great a distinction between its scholars and
its warriors it winds up with having its thinking done by
cowards and its fighting done by fools."
-Terry McDonell, as excerpted from his very interesting essay
"In My Tribe" published in the 11/28/11 Sports Illustrated
nation makes too great a distinction between its scholars and
its warriors it winds up with having its thinking done by
cowards and its fighting done by fools."
-Terry McDonell, as excerpted from his very interesting essay
"In My Tribe" published in the 11/28/11 Sports Illustrated
GIGO..........
"We're capturing some new home data that should have been
filtered out and we also discovered that some properties were
being listed in more than one list."
The National Association of Realtors overstates the number of
houses sold since 2007? Imagine my surprise. Story here
My favorite National Association gets schooled on the art of
presenting accurate statistics. You'd think they were bloggers
or something.
filtered out and we also discovered that some properties were
being listed in more than one list."
The National Association of Realtors overstates the number of
houses sold since 2007? Imagine my surprise. Story here
My favorite National Association gets schooled on the art of
presenting accurate statistics. You'd think they were bloggers
or something.
Opening paragraphs................
"It was the end of an era, one that I suspect historians may look upon as the last decade of American innocence. It was a time we remember in terms of images and sdounds rather than historical events - pink Cadillacs, drive-in movies, stylized street hoods, rock'n'roll, Hank and Lefty on the jukebox, the dirty bop, daylight baseball, chopped-down '32 Fords with Merc engines drag-racing in a roar of thunder past drive-in restaurants, all of it backdropped by palm trees, a curling surf, and a purple sky that had obviously been created as a cinematic tribute to our youth."
-James Lee Burke, Crusader's Cross
-James Lee Burke, Crusader's Cross
About Risk....................
"All significant accomplishments require taking risks: the risk of failure in invention, exploration, or in love. We live in a society that is risk-adverse. Enormous time and energy is devoted to promoting "safety" in all we do. We are taught to buckle our seat belts, lock our doors, refrain from smoking, get an annual physical, and consult our doctors before exercise. We worry about weather, obsess about our children's security, live in houses with alarm systems, and arm ourselves against intruders,
"The risks that previous generations took for granted: childhood mortality, infectious disease, environmental catastrophe, are not things that now preoccupy most people."
-Gordon Livingston, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
"The risks that previous generations took for granted: childhood mortality, infectious disease, environmental catastrophe, are not things that now preoccupy most people."
-Gordon Livingston, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
Any old way you choose........................
The Beatles.............................................Rock and Roll Music
(Editors Note: Video quality high, audio quality not so high.
For higher quality audio version, go here)
(Editors Note: Video quality high, audio quality not so high.
For higher quality audio version, go here)
WRM points to an optimistic............................
..............Howard Dean? Full post here. Excerpt here:
“I think there’s plenty of innovation still going on…The
entrepreneurial spirit in America is very much alive
especially among young people,” said Dean. “I know a ton
of kids who got a couple of jobs, lost them in succession,
then started their own Internet companies. And most of them
failed. And they make a little money for a while, they learn a
lot, and then they turn around and do something else. That’s
a very important process. The failure of this country is in the
political class, the financial class and the media,” said Dean,
“but there’s still enormous dynamism in America, and
I absolutely believe that dynamism is going to overcome
everything else.”
“I think there’s plenty of innovation still going on…The
entrepreneurial spirit in America is very much alive
especially among young people,” said Dean. “I know a ton
of kids who got a couple of jobs, lost them in succession,
then started their own Internet companies. And most of them
failed. And they make a little money for a while, they learn a
lot, and then they turn around and do something else. That’s
a very important process. The failure of this country is in the
political class, the financial class and the media,” said Dean,
“but there’s still enormous dynamism in America, and
I absolutely believe that dynamism is going to overcome
everything else.”
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Looking out the office window.............
One of the things that makes Newark a special place to live......
Thanks John
Thanks John
On every street corner....................
Jim Reeves.........................................................Silver Bells
Bob Hope and "The Lemon Drop Kid".....................Silver Bells
Bob Hope and "The Lemon Drop Kid".....................Silver Bells
OK, Coach.................
“All I know is I have a job here as long as I win.”
"If the day ever comes when I can swallow defeat, I'll quit."
"We went with experience, and experience won ... It was a
decision we had to make. "
"Predictions are for gypsies."
"We see things not as they are, but as we are."
(attributed)
-Toe Blake
On abundance..................
"Abundance will never be a factor of how much money one
has. Rather, it is always a factor of how one feels about
what money one does have."
-Stuart Wilde, The Trick to Money is Having Some
has. Rather, it is always a factor of how one feels about
what money one does have."
-Stuart Wilde, The Trick to Money is Having Some
Any old time you use it....................
Chuck Berry.............................................Rock and Roll Music
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I'm dreaming........................
Bing Crosby..................................................White Christmas
For the 3:08 version of Bing singing, go here
Martina McBride.............................................White Christmas
For the 3:08 version of Bing singing, go here
Martina McBride.............................................White Christmas
OK, Coach.......................
"If you fail the first time that's just a chance to start
over again."
"Show people how to have success and then you can push
their expectations up."
" If you can't go through it, find a way around it. Don't
spend all your time banging your head."
“The most important quality I look for in a player is
accountability. You’ve got to be accountable for who you
are. It’s too easy to blame things on someone else.”
"I worry about the things I can affect, and the things I
have no control over I move by."
"If you want it, you've got to give it."
"The American dream, to me, means having the opportunity
to achieve, because I don't think you should be guaranteed
anything other than opportunity."
-Lenny Wilkens
On being careful about what you wish for.........
P. J. O'Rourke talks about the importance of baking a bigger pie
and issues a caution about "fairness".........
"The good things in life are remarkably expandable, but it's ordinary people who expand them. Look at China, look at India. Yes, it's upsetting that some people have so much while other people have so little. It isn't fair. But I accept this unfairness. Indeed, I treasure it. That's because I have a 13-year-old daughter And that's all I hear, "That's not fair," she says. "That's not fair! That's not fair!" And one day I snapped, and I said, "Honey, you're cute, that's not fair. Your family is pretty well off, that's not fair. You were born in America, that's not fair. Darling, you had better get down on your knees and pray that things don't start getting fair for you."
and issues a caution about "fairness".........
"The good things in life are remarkably expandable, but it's ordinary people who expand them. Look at China, look at India. Yes, it's upsetting that some people have so much while other people have so little. It isn't fair. But I accept this unfairness. Indeed, I treasure it. That's because I have a 13-year-old daughter And that's all I hear, "That's not fair," she says. "That's not fair! That's not fair!" And one day I snapped, and I said, "Honey, you're cute, that's not fair. Your family is pretty well off, that's not fair. You were born in America, that's not fair. Darling, you had better get down on your knees and pray that things don't start getting fair for you."
On getting from "Point A" to "Point B"......
"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is
the journey that matters in the end."
-Ursula Le Guin
the journey that matters in the end."
-Ursula Le Guin
Sing the song, fellows......................
The Beatles............................You've Really Got a Hold On Me
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Echoing their joyous strain...................
Andrea Bocelli.........................Angels We Have Heard on High
Mormon Tabernacle Choir..........Angels We Have Heard on High
Mormon Tabernacle Choir..........Angels We Have Heard on High
OK, Coach....................
“Losing streaks are funny. If you lose at the beginning, you get off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you’re in a slump. If you lose at the end, you’re choking.”
“There should be a new way to record standings in this league; one column for wins, one for losses and one for gifts.”
"I have an amazing ability to forget."
"I'm not the manager because I'm always right, but I'm always right because I'm the manager."
"I want everybody to feel he has a chance to get into a game when he comes to the ballpark. I play guys when I want to so they'll be ready when I have to. I don't consider myself a motivator of players. I think it's an insult to a ballplayer to have to be motivated."
"Most one run games are lost, not won."
"The worst thing is the day you realize you want to win more than the players do."
"You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself."
-Gene Mauch
1964.....................
1964. Baby boomers who grew up in Philadelphia eventually
have to come to grips with 1964. It is late, late, late summer.
The Phillies have a six and a half game lead with twelve games
remaining in the season. Jim Bunning and Chris Short are two
of the best pitchers in the league. Gene Mauch, one of the
great young managers, is pulling the strings. What could
possibly go wrong?
September 24, 1964 and I am listening to the ballgame on my
little GE Quartz Radio. The Reds and the Phils are tied 0-0.
Art Mahaffey is on the mound. It is the 6th inning, with two outs.
Chico Ruiz is on third, the great Frank Robinson is at the plate
with two strikes. And.................Chico Ruiz steals home. WTF?
The Phillies lose the game 1-0. Then proceed to lose the next
nine in a row. In one of the all time collapses, they came in
fourth in their division. Our collective City psyche was scared
and countless hearts were broken the fall, mine included. The
healing would not come until 1980, but that is a story for
another day.
After posting the few quotes by Mauch, memories surged and
this tale just needed to be told - one more time. I feel better
now. Thanks for asking.
have to come to grips with 1964. It is late, late, late summer.
The Phillies have a six and a half game lead with twelve games
remaining in the season. Jim Bunning and Chris Short are two
of the best pitchers in the league. Gene Mauch, one of the
great young managers, is pulling the strings. What could
possibly go wrong?
September 24, 1964 and I am listening to the ballgame on my
little GE Quartz Radio. The Reds and the Phils are tied 0-0.
Art Mahaffey is on the mound. It is the 6th inning, with two outs.
Chico Ruiz is on third, the great Frank Robinson is at the plate
with two strikes. And.................Chico Ruiz steals home. WTF?
The Phillies lose the game 1-0. Then proceed to lose the next
nine in a row. In one of the all time collapses, they came in
fourth in their division. Our collective City psyche was scared
and countless hearts were broken the fall, mine included. The
healing would not come until 1980, but that is a story for
another day.
After posting the few quotes by Mauch, memories surged and
this tale just needed to be told - one more time. I feel better
now. Thanks for asking.
Behavior, Part 2................Manners
"There is always a best way of doing everything, if it be to
boil an egg. Manners are the happy way of doing things;
each once a stroke of genius or of love, - now repeated
and hardened into usage."
"Manners are very communicable: men catch them from
each other."
"Your manners are always under examination, and by
committees little suspected, - a police in citizens' clothes, -
but are awarding or denying you very high prizes when
you least think of it."
"...- I have seen men who neigh like a horse when you
contradict them, or say something they do not understand:"
"When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a
practiced man relies on the language of the first."
"Manners have been somewhat cynically defined to be a
contrivance of wise men to keep fools at a distance."
"Manners require time, as nothing is more vulgar than
haste. Friendship should be surrounded with ceremonies
and respect, and not crushed into corners."
"Manners impress as they indicate real power."
"Nature forever puts a premium on reality. What is done for
effect, is seen to be done for effect; what is done for love is
felt to be done for love."
-all quotes excerpted from Ralph Waldo Emerson's
essay, Behavior.
Nothing happens.........................
..............................until somebody sells something.
Mathew Ferrara takes all of us sales types who don't consider
ourselves, first and foremost, "salespeople" to the woodshed. He
exhorts us to quit pretending that we are "pseudo-attorneys,
proto-financial advisors and neo-consultants.... Advisor.
Consultant. Solution provider. He says its is high time we
step up to the plate and embrace reality: we are salespeople,
and that is OK. Full post is here. Excerpted, Mathew says:
"Great salespeople understand that selling means fulfilling people’s wants and needs. When they sell their product or service, they do so with full, ethical confidence that their offering is the best choice to fill the customer’s needs. Why? It’s totally self centered: All salespeople live and die by referrals. No customer who feels they were tricked will refer them to their friends or family."
and
"Some of our greatest contributors and leaders have been natural salespeople. President Roosevelt or Reagan were salespeople who sold their vision of the future and were elected and re-elected with landslide support."
Mathew Ferrara takes all of us sales types who don't consider
ourselves, first and foremost, "salespeople" to the woodshed. He
exhorts us to quit pretending that we are "pseudo-attorneys,
proto-financial advisors and neo-consultants.... Advisor.
Consultant. Solution provider. He says its is high time we
step up to the plate and embrace reality: we are salespeople,
and that is OK. Full post is here. Excerpted, Mathew says:
"Great salespeople understand that selling means fulfilling people’s wants and needs. When they sell their product or service, they do so with full, ethical confidence that their offering is the best choice to fill the customer’s needs. Why? It’s totally self centered: All salespeople live and die by referrals. No customer who feels they were tricked will refer them to their friends or family."
and
"Some of our greatest contributors and leaders have been natural salespeople. President Roosevelt or Reagan were salespeople who sold their vision of the future and were elected and re-elected with landslide support."
On worry..................
"The worst thing we can do when a problem arises is to worry.
In doing this, we get stuck and trap ourselves, and we end up
attracting more of precisely what we don't want. We are like
magnets: Tell me what you think and I will tell you who you
are. It is of vital importance to live in the NOW. We spend
our existence living in the past with our memories and
experiences or in the future with our worries."
-Mabel Katz, The Easiest Way
How to shop for the man who has everything....
Go visit Cultural Offering. Kurt has it covered nicely.
If you want to surprise him, how about this "Personalizable Beer
Holster", handy while grilling, for $29.95. Can't hardly go wrong.
If you want to surprise him, how about this "Personalizable Beer
Holster", handy while grilling, for $29.95. Can't hardly go wrong.
Monday, December 12, 2011
From now on.................................
The Carpenters................Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra..................Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra..................Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
OK, Coach..........................
"When a team takes ownership, good things happen."
"She taught me that it is ok to let down your guard and
allow your players to get to know you. They don't care how
much you know until they know how much you care."
"You can't win a basketball game in the first half, but
"You can't win a basketball game in the first half, but
you certainly can lose one."
About letting book learning get in the way of your education.......
The Live Your Own Legend blog advocates "The Birth of Self-
Guided Education (the only real option left)."
Full post here. Excerpt here
"The thing is, by the time we launched our fund, I had
remembered precisely zero applicable skills from my
studies."
I suspect his notion is that while a fancy degree may provide
a useful credential, it should not be mistaken for expertise. You
get that the old-fashioned way, you earn it.
I remember back in the early 1980's blessing the creators of
Trivial Pursuit.. Their game provided the first place I could
skillfully apply the book learning that came with my B.A. in
History.
Anyway, Scott gets a coveted "atta boy" from this blog for
this comment:
And you can never, absolutely never, drop out of learning.
Learn everything of interest you can get your hands on.
Become expert enough to reach goals, to help people, to
make a living doing what you love........No one is going to
do this for you. No school system, no book, no teacher –
It’s on you. You have more tools than you’ve ever had and
the potential for putting them to use grows daily.
I research a lot............
"Basic research is what I am doing when I don't
know what I am doing."
-Werner von Braun
I'm wondering why the City of Newark hasn't taken action on this.....
From the Municpal Code of Chicago comes this dandy piece of
legislation.
1-16-010 Definitions.
For the purposes of this ordinance, the following definitions
shall apply:
(a) “Person” means a natural person, as well as a
corporation, institution or other entity, but shall not include
the federal government or any agency thereof.
(b) “Nuclear weapon” means any device, the purpose of
which is use as a weapon, a weapon prototype or a weapon
test device, the intended detonation of which results from the
energy released by fission and/or fusion reactions involving
atomic nuclei. For the purpose of this ordinance, “nuclear
weapon” includes the weapon’s guidance and propulsion
system and triggering mechanism, i.e., the means of
transporting, guiding, propelling, triggering or detonating
the weapon, provided that such means is destroyed or
rendered useless in the normal transporting, guiding,
propelling, triggering or detonation of the weapon.
(c) “Component of a nuclear weapon” means any device,
radioactive or nonradioactive, specifically designed to be
installed in and contribute to the operation of a nuclear
weapon.
(d) “Direct activities of the federal government” means
actions of the federal government or any agency thereof
created by statute, but shall exclude actions of independent
contractors.
(Prior code § 202-1; Added Coun. J. 3-12-86, p. 28521;
Corrected. 2-3-87, p. 39355)
1-16-020 Nuclear weapons work – Unlawful activities –
Exceptions.
(a) Phase-out of present activities. No person shall knowingly,
within the City of Chicago, design, produce, deploy, launch,
maintain, or store nuclear weapons or components of nuclear
weapons. This prohibition shall take effect two years after the
adoption and publication of this ordinance.
(b) Prohibition of commencement of nuclear weapons work.
No person who is not, as of the effective date of this
ordinance, engaged in the design, production, deployment,
launching, maintenance or storage of nuclear weapons or
components of nuclear weapons, shall, within the City of
Chicago, commence any such activities after the effective
date of this ordinance.
I feel safer already. Well, I did until I scrolled down to see
the penalty for violating 1-16-020 a) and b). No, I'm not
telling. Do your own fact checking- go here. Amazing.
Thanks for the pointer Eric
On rereading....................
"Reading books is good, rereading good books is better."
-Lawrence Clark Powell
"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again,
there is no use in reading at all."
-Oscar Wilde
"One cannot read a book: one can only reread it. A good
reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is
a rereader."
-Vladimir Nabokov
-Lawrence Clark Powell
"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again,
there is no use in reading at all."
-Oscar Wilde
"One cannot read a book: one can only reread it. A good
reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is
a rereader."
-Vladimir Nabokov
A Poem for a Monday before Christmas
Today's poem comes from the Jade Page Press blog. Do go visit.
the shopping trip
I genuflect
before the steep December precipice
and pray for calm and joy and discipline,
lest I fall over the edge into the greed and frenzy
of holiday shopping.
I keep to my mission
searching for that single gift -
that birch-bark box from the Indian store
because I have more than just an inkling
that it will be perfection.
and I hustle past the diamond-encrusted watch
and sterling silver trivet
and the candle with its subtle vanilla, amorous fragrance
past the shoppers laden with bags and frowns
and credit card bills
-- into the great beyond of satisfaction
Copyright © 2011 Nan P used by permission
the shopping trip
I genuflect
before the steep December precipice
and pray for calm and joy and discipline,
lest I fall over the edge into the greed and frenzy
of holiday shopping.
I keep to my mission
searching for that single gift -
that birch-bark box from the Indian store
because I have more than just an inkling
that it will be perfection.
and I hustle past the diamond-encrusted watch
and sterling silver trivet
and the candle with its subtle vanilla, amorous fragrance
past the shoppers laden with bags and frowns
and credit card bills
-- into the great beyond of satisfaction
Copyright © 2011 Nan P used by permission
There was music......................
The Beatles..........................................Till There Was You
Lest we forget. For the classic Music Man with Shirley Jones
singing Till There Was You, go here, because some silly person
has disabled the embedding.
Lest we forget. For the classic Music Man with Shirley Jones
singing Till There Was You, go here, because some silly person
has disabled the embedding.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
For goodness's sake.........................
Bruce Springsteen.......................Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Michael Buble.......................Santa Claus is Coming To Town
Michael Buble.......................Santa Claus is Coming To Town
The new scarcity.................
Tom Asacker suggests that scarce resources tend to be the most
valued.....and that in today's economic environment, business
leaders not obsessed with control are scarce, and thus valuable.
Full post here. Excerpt here:
"Let your anxious mind go. Feel and understand with your heart and gut. Don’t be quietly cynical or apathetic. Don’t push or persuade. Be open and optimistic, compassionate and kind. Give up control. Give up trying to be the best in the world and instead focus on what matters most: being the best for the world."
valued.....and that in today's economic environment, business
leaders not obsessed with control are scarce, and thus valuable.
Full post here. Excerpt here:
"Let your anxious mind go. Feel and understand with your heart and gut. Don’t be quietly cynical or apathetic. Don’t push or persuade. Be open and optimistic, compassionate and kind. Give up control. Give up trying to be the best in the world and instead focus on what matters most: being the best for the world."
Sunday's Verse...............
1 Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and
hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant
for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in
the LORD.
6 Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us
prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new
wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone,
LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4
The Holy Bible, New International Version
Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and
hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant
for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in
the LORD.
6 Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us
prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new
wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone,
LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4
The Holy Bible, New International Version
There was love....................
Ray Charles.................................................Till There Was You
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