Star Struck

I've attended a couple of conferences this year with famous keynote speakers, Colin Powell and Dan Rather to be specific. Neither had anything insightful to say but the crowds loved them. Powell focused on how he took orders from his wife. Yawn, I can go home and experience that. I like to ask people how they are enjoying the conference and am amazed how many respond, "oh that Colin Powell (or Dan Rather) was really special." Even from people I knew disagreed with their politics on everything. What are they thinking? Where is the justice? I spoke at the same conference as Rather. I made a bunch of insightful points ... and the audience rated Rather above me. Go figure. I need smarter audiences. ... or maybe I'll work on some impressions. Audiences always love good impressions.

Multitasking - Fact or Myth

Shirley and Jill for years have been preaching to me that females (them) can multitask and males (me) cannot. I would estimate that this is reinforced at least once a week with questionable observations usually involving my listening capabilities. You are probably wondering where I’m going with this … well yesterday, Shirley was using self check-out at the grocery store when I called. She ran into a problem. She scanned her loyalty card into the machine and it didn’t like it. She rescanned it and this time it really didn’t like it. She summoned the clerk over to show her the problem only to get this rude response, “that is a Kroger card, this is Albertson’s and we don’t require a loyalty card to get our discounts.” Shirley then complimented the clerk on her store not having a stupid loyalty card. She is obviously getting soft. I remember the day when she would have insisted on speaking with the manger and demanding that they match the Kroger discounts at a minimum. I wonder what card she uses at Super Wal-Mart. Does she use a card at Kroger? The only thing I know is that from now on, self check-out is dead to her.

That said, she now claims it was entirely my fault for calling at an inappropriate time. What happened to this multitasking skill? Did I mention she didn’t even answer the phone? So she wasn’t trying to do two thought requiring tasks like talk and self check-out but merely checking-out with the background noise of her phone ringing. Is this multitasking talent just a myth? I’ll be looking for chinks in Jill’s armor.

Lunch with Hayden

... and Jill came along as well. Isn't it funny that at such a young age that the most expensive toy is not the child's favorite. Hayden's favorites are the free give aways from the doctor's office. ... but then they get older. For example, Jill's favorite is any high end jewelry from Bailey, Banks and Biddle. With Shirley, it is the masterpieces from the art fairs. For me, it's a deal, any deal even if I don't need or want the object. Actually, Shirley scored some great lizards the last visit to the McKinney flea market. My kind of place.

Hayden was as wonderful as usual, especially now that Jill is really feeding her verses pretend feeding her. Jill claims that she didn't know that bottle nipples came in different sizes. It took little Hayden an hour to suck, and I mean suck, 6 ounces of milk from a bottle. Now she does 10 in 10 minutes and has a much better disposition. Her smile does attract a crowd wherever we go.

Another Ice Day

Twenty four degrees and everything is covered with ice. I love the fact that Jack Henry & Associates has the technology and willingness to let me work from home on such days. I'm as productive at home and I hate driving on ice. My only problem is that I use a lot of cell phone minutes ... I don't want to go to that next level.

It's morning walk time for the dogs. They seem to love it and don't notice that it is freezing cold. The grass crunches when you walk on it ... but better walking than on the ice rink that used to be a driveway. We go the usual distance with a lap around the barn. The dogs are excited about heading back because they can sense breakfast. No wind, sun coming up, feels good, it's actually pretty nice out.

Climate Change Largely Irreversible

A NOAA senior scientist said changes in surface temperature, rainfall and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1,000 years after carbon dioxide emissions are completely stopped. If carbon dioxide is allowed to peak between 450 and 600 parts per million (385 today), conditions in some parts of the world could compare with the 1930s "North American Dustbowl." Areas that could experience these conditions include southern Europe, northern Africa, southwestern North America, southern Africa and western Australia.

A 1000 years?? Ouch for the grand kids. Science had made greater advances in the last 10 years than all of history before. ... and discovery continues to accelerate. There is such promise, especially in health care and alternative energy. Hopefully all this progress will develop a solution to CO2 before it wins.

I knew it was my mother's fault

While doing my morning read of Google news, I ran across "Just how popular and social someone may be is likely rooted in that person's genes, according to researchers from the University of California San Diego and Harvard Medical School." Clearly it was the fault of my genes, aka mother, that all those girls in high school and college would not go out with me. Finally those sleepless nights wondering why can now stop. Phew. Eric and Jill, I haven't heard a big THANK YOU.

Slumdog Feel Good

Eric and family are off to Lake Palestine for the weekend; Jill and family visiting friends. Oh what to do? Slumdog Millionaire was just nominated for best picture. The critics were promising a feel-good movie of hope. It’s off to the movies for Shirley and me. Basically it was a formula movie where a kid from the slums goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire to find his lost love, knowing she, like everyone else in India, would be watching. After living in a miserable slum, having his mother killed in a Hindu riot against Moslems, watching a fellow orphan’s eyes burned out so he would be a more effective singing beggar, betrayed by his brother (twice), his brother murdered … he finally wins a million and is reunited with his scar-faced, orphan-next-door girlfriend. I’m not sure I feel so good. Thanks Eric and Jill. This is a picture of Blazer. She was our best dog and had a much better life than a slumdog.

Marley and Me

I figure if a journalist can make a career, a book and an awful movie about life with his dog, I ought to be able to get a good blog about my life with two dogs. Probably not, but hear goes. Becket is the Australian Blue Healer which is a dalmation/dingo mix. Ours has way too much dingo in her. Her actions are usually the source of a good laugh (unlike Marley who chewed up everything, was ultra-hyper and more likely to make you cry). Actions like when Becket takes orders from Bailey, a Jack Russell less than half her size. Now that I think of it, Shirley and I take orders from Bailey too. Bailey can wag her tail, growl and bite all at the same time. You tend to clear a path when she is coming through.

1 Broken Chair = 2 New Chairs & a Remodel

Weekend cards are played in the game room which is carpeted except for the mini-kitchen area. We have a great table for cards but chairs, that’s another matter. Three plus years ago Shirley found a great deal on 4 chairs for $50 each (not counting the time and gas to scour every furniture store and warehouse in the North Dallas area). The chairs look great, but the construction is another thing. They are on casters which don’t agree with the carpet. The screws that hold the legs need to be tightened about every 3 months. I was only about 2 years behind when Eric decided to move his chair closer to the table. We all heard a loud crack … Eric and the chair were on the floor.

Shirley wanted 4 new chairs, I wanted 1. She found a great looking replacement for only $360 each. I got my way (only 2 chairs) when the furniture salesman agreed with me. Shirley will never go back there.

Not wanting a repeat episode, it was obviously necessary to fix the source of the problem (per Shirley). Another hardwood floor section that matched the mini-kitchen island on was clearly in order. Ouch, a $1,000 for an 8’x7’ island but I knew I wouldn’t win two in a row.

I was going to work from home last Thursday but that was when the contractor was scheduled to lay the new floor … so I rescheduled my homework for Friday. Of course that was when the contractor showed up. I should have remembered from the days of building the house that the only time you can be assured of avoiding a contractor is when they are scheduled to be there. I still don’t know how they knew to start the belt sander just after I picked up the phone and finished dialing. Did I mention that Shirley thinks the new floor is redder than the wet bar floor.

Burn Ban

Sunday was a nice day in the mid-sixties. Eric decided it would be a good day to burn the brush pile up by the road. I agreed. Once going, a nice neighbor stopped by to tell Eric about the burning ban that was in force and the $500 fine for violations. Oops! Maybe I should cough up the 50 cents a week to get the Van Alstyne Times to know what's going on in the neighborhood. Doesn't seem overpriced now. ... or maybe the patch of charred grass from my burning the week before should have been a hint that it is too dry to burn. This life in the country is so complex.

World traveler Eric got back from London Friday. He's scheduled for Paris next month. Both cities I have really enjoyed in the past, especially Paris. ... but I sure don't miss the long flights and jet lag. The week long trips just give you time to get acclimated before you return home and have to adjust back. The two hour change going to the west coast is about as much acclimating that I'm willing to do anymore.

The Dump

Last weekend was phase 1 of clean out the barn. We managed to fill the horse trailer with nearly a ton of treasures like tires, paint, tar, deflated lake toys and much, much more. Actually, we put the really good stuff out at the road. It's amazing that a broken paint sprayer, power washer, multiple coolers, wheelbarrow, propane light, etc. were all gone within a few hours. It's great to help the neighbors. ... But I can't believe I live next to people that want that stuff. I feel better that they are at least 1/4 mile away.

This weekend we hitched up the trailer and headed for the dump about 15 miles away. It was huge. Thousands of seagulls feeding off the trash. I have no idea where the sea is from whence they came. I learned that a teenager, as in grandson Jeffrey, will work harder and faster in direct proportion to how bad it smells. He moved with real purpose like I have never seen. You can teach an old dog ... stay tuned for phase 2, moving barn walls and another trip to the dump.

Free

Chris Anderson (Long Tail) is writing another book, "Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business." Basically, anything that can delivered via bits will be free. The record companies have no chance with a "pay for digital content" business model. The NY Times and WSJ gave up trying to charge, as will the record companies. In the atoms business, merchants give away 1% of their product (a spray of perfume) hoping to sell 99% (perfume bottle). In the bits world, you give away 99% hoping to sell 1% (Adobe, flickr, games where you buy better weapons or new characters). The music will be free because it doesn't cost anything to distribute. Give it away then charge an arm and a leg for concert tickets. IBM invests in the free operating system, Linux, so they can sell peripheral, atoms based, hardware and services. For banks it's free checking, free mobile, free PFM, free bill pay, etc. I think it's interesting stuff.

Reply All

One of the top email etiquette suggestions is that the 'Reply All' button be grayed or removed for most people. I'd vote all people. For the daughter Jill, I'd take away the forward button as well. For example, today she forwarded to all her friends and family a warning from the FBI sent to her by a friend in the secret service. The subject warned of the urgent nature for everyone to heed this email. The body consisted of 2 hyperlinks to pages that no longer existed. They had expired and went nowhere. Buried in the 4th footnote down was a note to be careful of people who call and claim that you missed jury duty ... and you need to give them your SSN to verify. I deleted it long before the 4th footnote. I only found out the gist of the message when I called to complain about being spammed. She muttered something about taking the iPhones away from seniors.

The Runner

Meet Landry ... and yes, he is every bit as much trouble as the pic implies. And does he love to run. That helps as he is currently playing basketball on the heels of a football stint. ... but I think he likes to spray me with a hose or squirt gun most of all. What I like best about him is that he always wants to help ... hauling stones, planting trees, washing windows, you name it. ... maybe not always pick up his toys. He is a great kid and we all love him hanging around.

Check off one symphony

aaaah, the symphony is behind me and no permanent scars. We were headed home for a late, late afternoon nap, before getting ready for bed (I really like my sleep). We called Jill on the way out of downtown … and got talked into dropping by their place for a visit and some cards. She used the “don’t you want to see Hayden?” ploy to make sure we had no real option. It was going so well … Hayden was all smiles, Shirley and I pulled off a stunning upset in cards through masterful playing … but then we got hungry. Jill and Tylir have wanted to take us to their new, favorite Mexican restaurant, Chuy’s. (But what about my low carb diet you say??) 6:30 on a Sunday and a one hour wait. There is room in the bar … margaritas … all the carb-filled tortillas and salsa you can eat for free. I love chips and salsa. It’s been months. Every notice how your willpower diminishes with alcohol?? Our table is finally ready a pound of chips later. Wow, rice and a deep fat fried Chuychonga burrito. … It is over now. It all tasted sooo good … so why do I feel sooo bad? It seems alcohol and over eating don’t help you sleep either. And I need to weigh myself in the morning. … but I did make it through the symphony.

I don't envy Obama

It's hard to miss all the hope and optimism surrounding the upcoming historic presidency of Senator Obama. ... but then I reflect on what he has on his plate:

• 2 wars in countries where its is hard to imagine either being a long term ally
• The economy is a disaster. Commercial lending about to collapse, home values continue to decline. Who is going to keep lending us trillions as the outlook continues to be bleak?
• Israel and the Palestinian prospects have never been this bad
• Global warming ... and as the impacts become more obvious
• Congress owned by lobbyists ... drug, energy, Israel, defense, NRA, financial, etc. etc.
• Civil war brewing in Mexico
• Nuclear Iran
• North Korea
• Genocide all over Africa
• Pakistan
• Health care, education, energy independence, social security, medicare, etc.
• 7 years without a terrorist attack

I hope he is up to it but I don't know how one man can do it .... and me?? I have to go to the symphony this afternoon. ... ouch.

Big Day

It's Shirley's birthday! Her friend Debbie took her to lunch and a movie at the arts theater. It's great to have a surrogate to take care of the birthday stuff. ... but I don't understand why I still need to go to the symphony on Sunday. We watched Numb3rs together and I helped unload the groceries.

Eric came over with Landry and Audrey to hone Landry's basketball skills. Audrey wanted to play catch with me while they worked. She came up with a new game where she throws the ball where I'm not and giggles while I chase it. If Eric threw the ball that I had to chase while he laughed, I'd be really pissed. In fact I remember it happening when he was about 10 and I was really pissed. ... but the Princess is so cute. ... not that Eric wasn't.

Walden Ice Storm

We had our first ice storm of the year .... 5 days into 2009. I had to work from home, darn. More darn from Shirley as I take over the study, probably her favorite room. (I know it's not the kitchen.)

Jill and Tylir lost power for 12 hours. They had to spend the night with friends. Ellie stayed with the house.

Odds and Ends

Shirley and I have started watching the TV detective series Numb3rs. Eric lent us the first year about a year ago and we never watched it. Then last week he asked for it back so we said no and started watching it. Two episodes a night for the past 4 nights. It's really good.

My boss officially resigned this week. She told me in complete confidence several weeks ago. I didn't tell a sole (except Shirley). Turns out everybody inside and outside the company have known probably for longer than me. People should not tell me not to tell anyone if they are going to tell everyone. It's discouraging to those of us that can keep a secret.

Princess Audrey

This is our princess Audrey. She rules over Walden with great compassion as long as she gets her way. We find it very difficult not to respond to all of her demands. Ice cream, cheese tortillas and grapes are all high on her list. She generally requires the company of a bevy of stuffed animals, coloring agents, puzzles, books and everybody's attention. btw, that is not her royal futon that she is sitting on but rather our Jack Russel's (Bailey's) bed. She even dares the terrier to defy her. ... one correction, our bed is really Bailey's main crash site.

A little California in Texas

It's a beautiful January day that is suppose to hit 80 degrees. It must be time to work on Shirley's favorite project. Shirley had a shaded jungle view from her study desk in the bay area. Today, she looks out over a brown Texas field here (it's January after all) and she wants her California view back. Did I mention that I hate digging holes in the ground? She gets around it by buying some Rosemary and Cypress bushes on sale for 70% off. (They are shaped like Christmas trees.) She already had me plant Rosemary and Pampas grass last month and was not anxious to add to it. .. but she knew my love for a deal (they were 70% off) and the fact I wouldn't ruin the good deal by letting them die, I was hooked. Hence, they are in the ground and I have that refreshing hot, sweaty feeling to write something. ... I'm off to the shower to contemplate making Texas look like California.

Happy New Year!!!!

We can finally say goodbye to 2008 and hello to a new year. Obama's theme was change but I think hope better describes the mood of most Americans. My hopes for 2009:

• Good health to all, especially my family
• We all take some time to reflect during these tough economic times and what really is important, family and friends ... and let that be our compass for many years to come
• The stimulus package works so that hard working people can find jobs and make positive contributions to the future
• We address the country's future ... alternative energy, health care for all and a departure from a military led foreign policy. Do we really need to spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined?

Happy new year and good health to all!!!!

Terrorism is highly over rated

Drug companies kill intentionally many times more people than terrorists ever have. 60 Minutes aired a show about Trasylol. Bayer knew of problems, kept them secret and over 500,000 people are dead. The FDC was a co-conspirator. Bayer and the FDC sat on it for 2 years after the problem was published in the New England Journal of Medicine while over 1,000 people a month continue to die needlessly. Concerns were known as far back as the early 1980s. Safe drugs that were equally effective and 1/20th the cost were available.

We spend $100s of billions, probably trillion$, fighting terrorism (Iraq, Afghanistan, homeland security, +++) when the money would be better spent (or saved) if only our government would represent the people over the drug companies. ... and quit hyping terrorism.