The miracle of modern science...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jg2okfrmR4
WARNING: Content may be unsuitable for those allergic to corny movies.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Christ Getting In Shape For Second Coming
From the Onion:
HEAVEN—Emerging from a grueling 90 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and light lifting for tone, Son of God Jesus Christ said Monday that He is "definitely on track" to achieve peak fitness condition for the Second Coming.
The Son of God spends each morning trying to attain perfect abdominal definition.
"If every eye is going to see Me, and all the tribes of earth are going to wail on account of Me, I think I owe it to them and to Myself to be in the best shape of My life," Christ said. "Right now I'm up to 35 minutes at seven [miles per hour] on the treadmill and benching about 165 [pounds]."
"I'm really starting to feel like I'll have the strength and endurance to move every mountain and island from its place," Christ added.
Since His birthday last Dec. 25, Christ has committed Himself to a demanding daily regimen of exercise and prophecy fulfillment. Each of His workouts, Christ said, starts with an hour of cardio, after which He focuses on two muscle groups, replacing conventional free weights with the Rod of Iron with which He intends to rule all nations.
On Mondays, Christ works His chest and biceps and completes three sets of 10 transfigurations. On Tuesdays, He switches to triceps and abdominals, and passes as many sets of Last Judgments as He can in a minute. Wednesdays are devoted to the back and legs, and Thursdays and Fridays are for core and flexibility.
Even Sabbaths are spent doing yoga, swimming, and basic strength-training isometrics such as push-ups, leg lifts, and chin-ups.
"There can be no day of rest," said Christ, His eyes filled with flaming fire. "Rest is for mortals."
The determined Savior has also forsworn His favorite high-calorie, high-carb foods such as fatted calf, loaves, and even His own body and blood, instead embracing muscle-building high-protein shakes and electrolyte-replacing sports drinks. And when temptation calls, Christ need only look at two pictures taped to His refrigerator: an icon of Himself prior to starting His regimen and a reproduction of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" fresco torn from a magazine.
Enlarge Image
"The thought of being unable to seize the seven-headed serpent and hurl it into the abyss really keeps Me motivated," Christ said.
The Lamb of God said He made the decision to get in shape late last year when, after two millennia of relative inactivity, He realized that at His age there was "no way" He could return to Earth, judge the souls of the innocent and wicked alike, and reign over the Kingdom of God for 1,000 years without prior conditioning.
"The Second Coming isn't just Me sitting on a great white throne and judging away," Christ said. "I also have to make all of the stars fall and shake all the powers in Heaven. That's why I've been working a lot with the medicine ball."
Christ, however, admitted that centuries of heavenly grace had enabled Him to "really let [Himself] go."
"I can't lead the armies of Heaven looking like some flabby slob," said Christ, who declined to disclose His "before" weight. "That guy can't be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The faithful want a Messiah they can truly fear, not someone who's afraid to take off His shirt in public."
At first, Christ said He thought such a physical transformation would "take a miracle." During the first couple weeks of His exercise program, He couldn't work out on the treadmill for more than 10 minutes without gasping for breath and aggravating the old spear-point injury in His side. Now that He can deftly complete 20 ab-bench push-ups on the highest incline and almost as many chin-ups, Christ said, He feels more energetic than He has since His early 30s.
And not only has frequent exercise made Christ feel more healthy and confident, it's "cleared [His] head, which will really help [Him] deal with the massive amount of smiting and condemning."
Encouraged by His progress, particularly the increased definition in His pectoral and abdominal muscles, Christ is focusing all of His attention on visualizing the success of His Second Coming.
"Right now, it's all about Aug. 2," the goal-oriented Savior said. "And no matter how I look, there's no going back on this one like I did seven years ago."
HEAVEN—Emerging from a grueling 90 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and light lifting for tone, Son of God Jesus Christ said Monday that He is "definitely on track" to achieve peak fitness condition for the Second Coming.
The Son of God spends each morning trying to attain perfect abdominal definition.
"If every eye is going to see Me, and all the tribes of earth are going to wail on account of Me, I think I owe it to them and to Myself to be in the best shape of My life," Christ said. "Right now I'm up to 35 minutes at seven [miles per hour] on the treadmill and benching about 165 [pounds]."
"I'm really starting to feel like I'll have the strength and endurance to move every mountain and island from its place," Christ added.
Since His birthday last Dec. 25, Christ has committed Himself to a demanding daily regimen of exercise and prophecy fulfillment. Each of His workouts, Christ said, starts with an hour of cardio, after which He focuses on two muscle groups, replacing conventional free weights with the Rod of Iron with which He intends to rule all nations.
On Mondays, Christ works His chest and biceps and completes three sets of 10 transfigurations. On Tuesdays, He switches to triceps and abdominals, and passes as many sets of Last Judgments as He can in a minute. Wednesdays are devoted to the back and legs, and Thursdays and Fridays are for core and flexibility.
Even Sabbaths are spent doing yoga, swimming, and basic strength-training isometrics such as push-ups, leg lifts, and chin-ups.
"There can be no day of rest," said Christ, His eyes filled with flaming fire. "Rest is for mortals."
The determined Savior has also forsworn His favorite high-calorie, high-carb foods such as fatted calf, loaves, and even His own body and blood, instead embracing muscle-building high-protein shakes and electrolyte-replacing sports drinks. And when temptation calls, Christ need only look at two pictures taped to His refrigerator: an icon of Himself prior to starting His regimen and a reproduction of Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" fresco torn from a magazine.
Enlarge Image
"The thought of being unable to seize the seven-headed serpent and hurl it into the abyss really keeps Me motivated," Christ said.
The Lamb of God said He made the decision to get in shape late last year when, after two millennia of relative inactivity, He realized that at His age there was "no way" He could return to Earth, judge the souls of the innocent and wicked alike, and reign over the Kingdom of God for 1,000 years without prior conditioning.
"The Second Coming isn't just Me sitting on a great white throne and judging away," Christ said. "I also have to make all of the stars fall and shake all the powers in Heaven. That's why I've been working a lot with the medicine ball."
Christ, however, admitted that centuries of heavenly grace had enabled Him to "really let [Himself] go."
"I can't lead the armies of Heaven looking like some flabby slob," said Christ, who declined to disclose His "before" weight. "That guy can't be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The faithful want a Messiah they can truly fear, not someone who's afraid to take off His shirt in public."
At first, Christ said He thought such a physical transformation would "take a miracle." During the first couple weeks of His exercise program, He couldn't work out on the treadmill for more than 10 minutes without gasping for breath and aggravating the old spear-point injury in His side. Now that He can deftly complete 20 ab-bench push-ups on the highest incline and almost as many chin-ups, Christ said, He feels more energetic than He has since His early 30s.
And not only has frequent exercise made Christ feel more healthy and confident, it's "cleared [His] head, which will really help [Him] deal with the massive amount of smiting and condemning."
Encouraged by His progress, particularly the increased definition in His pectoral and abdominal muscles, Christ is focusing all of His attention on visualizing the success of His Second Coming.
"Right now, it's all about Aug. 2," the goal-oriented Savior said. "And no matter how I look, there's no going back on this one like I did seven years ago."
Inspiring Without Speaking
"It's amazing how this seemingly small thing - simply paying attention to another, really asking, really listening, even during a brief conversation - can evoke such a wholehearted response... When someone really asks, we really answer." - Susan Scott
This week was the LMC retreat, and each year there's a session on the communication differences between men and women. Men tend to listen side-by-side, women tend to listen face-to-face. Research shows that both genders listen equally well. Still, there's room for improvement. Focusing throughout an entire conversation, with the pure intent to do good for the other, inspires people to engage them.
One of the best at doing this is my friend Brandi Peterson. She has the empathy of Mother Teresa (and endures hardship just as well), and it shows in the way she absorbs every detail of conversation. The old saying is "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." A person who asks about the well-being of my family, more often than some of my own family, is the type of person I like to be around.
This week was the LMC retreat, and each year there's a session on the communication differences between men and women. Men tend to listen side-by-side, women tend to listen face-to-face. Research shows that both genders listen equally well. Still, there's room for improvement. Focusing throughout an entire conversation, with the pure intent to do good for the other, inspires people to engage them.
One of the best at doing this is my friend Brandi Peterson. She has the empathy of Mother Teresa (and endures hardship just as well), and it shows in the way she absorbs every detail of conversation. The old saying is "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." A person who asks about the well-being of my family, more often than some of my own family, is the type of person I like to be around.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Real 911 Calls From Nashville, TN
Dispatcher : 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.
Dispatcher: Do you have an address?
Caller: No, I have on a blouse and slacks, why?
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller : Someone broke into my house and took a bite out of my ham and cheese sandwich .
Dispatcher : Excuse me?
Caller : I made a ham and cheese sandwich and left it on the kitchen table and when I came back from the bathroom, someone had taken a bite out of it.
Dispatcher : Was anything else taken?
Caller : No, but this has happened to me before and I'm sick and tired of it!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.
Dispatcher: This is nine eleven.
Caller: I thought you just said it was nine-one-one
Dispatcher: Yes, ma'am nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.
Caller: Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid.
My Personal Favorite!!!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart
Dispatcher: Is this her first child?
Caller: No, you idiot! This is her husband!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1
Caller: Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath.
Darn....I think I'm going to pass out.
Dispatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?
Caller: I'm at a pay phone. North and Foster.
Dispatcher: ! Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?
Caller: No
Dispatcher: What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?
Caller: Running from the Police.
Caller: I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.
Dispatcher: Do you have an address?
Caller: No, I have on a blouse and slacks, why?
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller : Someone broke into my house and took a bite out of my ham and cheese sandwich .
Dispatcher : Excuse me?
Caller : I made a ham and cheese sandwich and left it on the kitchen table and when I came back from the bathroom, someone had taken a bite out of it.
Dispatcher : Was anything else taken?
Caller : No, but this has happened to me before and I'm sick and tired of it!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.
Dispatcher: This is nine eleven.
Caller: I thought you just said it was nine-one-one
Dispatcher: Yes, ma'am nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.
Caller: Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid.
My Personal Favorite!!!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart
Dispatcher: Is this her first child?
Caller: No, you idiot! This is her husband!
Dispatcher: 9-1-1
Caller: Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath.
Darn....I think I'm going to pass out.
Dispatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?
Caller: I'm at a pay phone. North and Foster.
Dispatcher: ! Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?
Caller: No
Dispatcher: What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?
Caller: Running from the Police.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Education Of Brandon Jennings
From Yahoo! Sports. As I read this, I think "This dude better play hard no matter what." And that thought applies to myself too, while struggling through the transition to a new job and a 5:00 wake-up time. I may not have $1 million a year, but I still have too much to complain.
"Having celebrated his 19th birthday with his mother and younger brother at a restaurant in Rome, basketball’s most important young player climbed inside a Volvo wagon for the drive home and started talking about the biggest rookie burden since Kevin Garnett. Life isn’t so different in Italy, Brandon Jennings said with a laugh on his cell phone. They speak English. There’s Burger King and McDonald’s. The Hard Rock Café has good burgers and good music.
“The only difference is that we don’t have a dryer,” Jennings said late Tuesday night. “We hang our clothes on a line.”
Back in the States, Jennings understands what they’re waiting to hear: Oh, I made such a mistake with a leap out of Compton, Calif., to Virtus Roma of the Italian League. They won’t let me play my game. I’m all alone. The Euro League is no place for an American teenager trying to do his purgatory year before entering the NBA draft.
Back home, the college basketball propaganda machine is waiting to issue it’s typical “I told you so’s” about how life in its warped system is somehow still beneficial. Jennings heard it all on his way out, and still hears it across the Atlantic Ocean. Just understand something: He’s a point guard learning to see the floor, to open his mind, and the education of Brandon Jennings is well underway.
“I know what they have all been saying, because I even heard it from my friends, that I’m going to be a bust. And a whole different culture is going to mess up my game,” Jennings said. “I would’ve loved to have gone to college, and I’m sure I would’ve learned a lot there, but I’m learning a lot more over here.
“I know this is a real big thing. I’m the first high school kid to jump straight to Europe instead of college and I know a lot of people, a lot of kids, are keeping up with me to see how I’m doing. If I do what I’m supposed to do here, and come back (to the U.S.) better for it, I have a chance to change basketball.”
He is thinking globally, but acting locally. For Jennings, a slicing, explosive 6-foot-2 lefty, has to be a grown-up in Rome. He has to survive the physical and mental toll of a long Euro season. He doesn’t have to always play great, but he has to never back down. He has to leave behind the AAU culture, the one-on-one mentality of grassroots American ball and immerse himself in a Euro game that rejects those false basketball gods.
Jennings is an experiment that has repercussions at every level of basketball. If this goes right, European franchises will be inspired to invest in the next year’s high school class. Kids who don’t want college – and maybe don’t belong – won’t have to play that foolish one-and-done game. Sonny Vaccaro made this deal happen, and promises there’s a line down the street and around the corner wanting to follow a Jennings success story.
Jennings played for the West team in the McDonald’s All-American High School game.
(Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
As much as anything, that makes Jennings pro basketball’s most important rookie since Garnett re-started high school stars going straight to the NBA in 1995. Thus began more than a decade of decay in college basketball that was eventually addressed when NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a one-year wait on high school seniors wanting to make the leap to the pros. Jennings has a three-year contract for a guaranteed $1 million, but he also has an out to enter the NBA draft after Year 1 and 2 of the deal. Under Armour just gave Jennings a four-year endorsement deal, banking that he could do it all, and more.
“To me, this is the best path to get ready for the NBA,” one Western Conference general manager said. “But the thing is: You better be a mentally tough kid to pull this off. This isn’t going to be college, where they’re going to hold your hand and never make you figure out anything for yourself.”
Virtus coach Jasmin Repesa introduced his young millionaire to pro ball in the first week of training camp, insisting that he had to play hard all the time. Alone in that locker room, it hit Jennings again: This is the best thing that ever happened to him. As money goes, the NBA Developmental League can’t come close. As coaching and competition go, the Euro League is mostly superior. There are no NCAA limits on practice time. There are no AAU bagmen pretending to be assistant coaches. Jennings will get coached and get benched and get the best-paying professional apprenticeship in history.
“We just got back from a three-day road trip to Serbia, and it was three days on the road with older guys, where I had to work to fit in,” Jennings said. “This is the pro life. Nobody is babysitting me. The biggest thing for me is this: I have to prove myself. I want to let these guys know that I’m here to help them win. I don’t want them to think that I’m just some hotshot American kid trying to take all the shine here so I can set myself up for the NBA draft.
“Here, it isn’t like what basketball was in the U.S., where everyone just sits back and watches the individual player. It’s team first here. People come to watch the team play, and the team win. What I want to do is build relationships with my teammates, with my coaches. That’s what people are wondering if I can do …”
As it turned out, Jennings’ four-year contract with Under Armour will pay him comparably to the top three picks in the 2008 NBA draft. Between sneakers and salary, sources say, Jennings is making over $1 million a year. Under Armour hired Kris Stone, a magazine publisher and architect of the Elite 24 High School event in New York, to start a basketball branding division and he immediately made a shrewd investment: Let’s compete with Nike and adidas to sign the teenager who could become his generation’s trail blazer. New basketball company, new basketball frontier. Stone had a history with Jennings, a relationship born out of his All-Star game, and always believed this was the right talent, the right kid, to make this happen.
Vaccaro sold Virtus and Jennings on the Under Armour partnership, negotiating the contracts and shoe deals. To Vaccaro, the godfather of the basketball shoe deal, this feels like it did when he put Nike and Michael Jordan together in 1984. “This is almost like what Michael did, because he could’ve gone to adidas, which was still part of Converse,” Vaccaro said. “Nike was practically nothing. I told Brandon and his mother: ‘If you hit with Under Armour, you’re the man there.’ ”
Now, the telephone calls of intrigued parents are flooding into Vaccaro, who always has been able to see where it was all going before everyone else. “In essence, the age limit has been broken,” he said. “If Brandon can come back in one piece, the others are going to go. For the right kids, we won’t have to play ‘pretend’ anymore with college basketball.”
Outside the NBA, the most intriguing games in the world this season will be the two meetings of Jennings and Virtus Roma with Ricky Rubio and Spain’s DVK Jovenut. Those are the nights everyone in the Euro League will want to see, the best two young point guards on the planet playing far, far away from the college game.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear all about that,” Jennings said. “I’ve got a lot more to worry about than that, because there are so many great players over here. I better get used to playing with grown men, and I better learn to adjust to the Euro system. I can’t just be ‘that guy,’ worried about the hype of those games with Ricky Rubio. I know everyone is watching to see what happens with me all the time, not just then …”
He just turned 19, his basketball burden is immense, and Brandon Jennings swears that he understands the truth. Like his laundry, the kid hangs out on a line in Italy."
"Having celebrated his 19th birthday with his mother and younger brother at a restaurant in Rome, basketball’s most important young player climbed inside a Volvo wagon for the drive home and started talking about the biggest rookie burden since Kevin Garnett. Life isn’t so different in Italy, Brandon Jennings said with a laugh on his cell phone. They speak English. There’s Burger King and McDonald’s. The Hard Rock Café has good burgers and good music.
“The only difference is that we don’t have a dryer,” Jennings said late Tuesday night. “We hang our clothes on a line.”
Back in the States, Jennings understands what they’re waiting to hear: Oh, I made such a mistake with a leap out of Compton, Calif., to Virtus Roma of the Italian League. They won’t let me play my game. I’m all alone. The Euro League is no place for an American teenager trying to do his purgatory year before entering the NBA draft.
Back home, the college basketball propaganda machine is waiting to issue it’s typical “I told you so’s” about how life in its warped system is somehow still beneficial. Jennings heard it all on his way out, and still hears it across the Atlantic Ocean. Just understand something: He’s a point guard learning to see the floor, to open his mind, and the education of Brandon Jennings is well underway.
“I know what they have all been saying, because I even heard it from my friends, that I’m going to be a bust. And a whole different culture is going to mess up my game,” Jennings said. “I would’ve loved to have gone to college, and I’m sure I would’ve learned a lot there, but I’m learning a lot more over here.
“I know this is a real big thing. I’m the first high school kid to jump straight to Europe instead of college and I know a lot of people, a lot of kids, are keeping up with me to see how I’m doing. If I do what I’m supposed to do here, and come back (to the U.S.) better for it, I have a chance to change basketball.”
He is thinking globally, but acting locally. For Jennings, a slicing, explosive 6-foot-2 lefty, has to be a grown-up in Rome. He has to survive the physical and mental toll of a long Euro season. He doesn’t have to always play great, but he has to never back down. He has to leave behind the AAU culture, the one-on-one mentality of grassroots American ball and immerse himself in a Euro game that rejects those false basketball gods.
Jennings is an experiment that has repercussions at every level of basketball. If this goes right, European franchises will be inspired to invest in the next year’s high school class. Kids who don’t want college – and maybe don’t belong – won’t have to play that foolish one-and-done game. Sonny Vaccaro made this deal happen, and promises there’s a line down the street and around the corner wanting to follow a Jennings success story.
Jennings played for the West team in the McDonald’s All-American High School game.
(Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
As much as anything, that makes Jennings pro basketball’s most important rookie since Garnett re-started high school stars going straight to the NBA in 1995. Thus began more than a decade of decay in college basketball that was eventually addressed when NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a one-year wait on high school seniors wanting to make the leap to the pros. Jennings has a three-year contract for a guaranteed $1 million, but he also has an out to enter the NBA draft after Year 1 and 2 of the deal. Under Armour just gave Jennings a four-year endorsement deal, banking that he could do it all, and more.
“To me, this is the best path to get ready for the NBA,” one Western Conference general manager said. “But the thing is: You better be a mentally tough kid to pull this off. This isn’t going to be college, where they’re going to hold your hand and never make you figure out anything for yourself.”
Virtus coach Jasmin Repesa introduced his young millionaire to pro ball in the first week of training camp, insisting that he had to play hard all the time. Alone in that locker room, it hit Jennings again: This is the best thing that ever happened to him. As money goes, the NBA Developmental League can’t come close. As coaching and competition go, the Euro League is mostly superior. There are no NCAA limits on practice time. There are no AAU bagmen pretending to be assistant coaches. Jennings will get coached and get benched and get the best-paying professional apprenticeship in history.
“We just got back from a three-day road trip to Serbia, and it was three days on the road with older guys, where I had to work to fit in,” Jennings said. “This is the pro life. Nobody is babysitting me. The biggest thing for me is this: I have to prove myself. I want to let these guys know that I’m here to help them win. I don’t want them to think that I’m just some hotshot American kid trying to take all the shine here so I can set myself up for the NBA draft.
“Here, it isn’t like what basketball was in the U.S., where everyone just sits back and watches the individual player. It’s team first here. People come to watch the team play, and the team win. What I want to do is build relationships with my teammates, with my coaches. That’s what people are wondering if I can do …”
As it turned out, Jennings’ four-year contract with Under Armour will pay him comparably to the top three picks in the 2008 NBA draft. Between sneakers and salary, sources say, Jennings is making over $1 million a year. Under Armour hired Kris Stone, a magazine publisher and architect of the Elite 24 High School event in New York, to start a basketball branding division and he immediately made a shrewd investment: Let’s compete with Nike and adidas to sign the teenager who could become his generation’s trail blazer. New basketball company, new basketball frontier. Stone had a history with Jennings, a relationship born out of his All-Star game, and always believed this was the right talent, the right kid, to make this happen.
Vaccaro sold Virtus and Jennings on the Under Armour partnership, negotiating the contracts and shoe deals. To Vaccaro, the godfather of the basketball shoe deal, this feels like it did when he put Nike and Michael Jordan together in 1984. “This is almost like what Michael did, because he could’ve gone to adidas, which was still part of Converse,” Vaccaro said. “Nike was practically nothing. I told Brandon and his mother: ‘If you hit with Under Armour, you’re the man there.’ ”
Now, the telephone calls of intrigued parents are flooding into Vaccaro, who always has been able to see where it was all going before everyone else. “In essence, the age limit has been broken,” he said. “If Brandon can come back in one piece, the others are going to go. For the right kids, we won’t have to play ‘pretend’ anymore with college basketball.”
Outside the NBA, the most intriguing games in the world this season will be the two meetings of Jennings and Virtus Roma with Ricky Rubio and Spain’s DVK Jovenut. Those are the nights everyone in the Euro League will want to see, the best two young point guards on the planet playing far, far away from the college game.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear all about that,” Jennings said. “I’ve got a lot more to worry about than that, because there are so many great players over here. I better get used to playing with grown men, and I better learn to adjust to the Euro system. I can’t just be ‘that guy,’ worried about the hype of those games with Ricky Rubio. I know everyone is watching to see what happens with me all the time, not just then …”
He just turned 19, his basketball burden is immense, and Brandon Jennings swears that he understands the truth. Like his laundry, the kid hangs out on a line in Italy."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Incurable Condition
Is cancer incurable? In the last year I've had two friends undergo extensive, gut-wrenching chemotherapy and find blessing in the magic words "Your test results came back perfect. You are cancer-free."
On the other hand...
"I don't know about you, but I have not yet witnessed a spontaneous recovery from incompetence." -- Susan Scott
On the other hand...
"I don't know about you, but I have not yet witnessed a spontaneous recovery from incompetence." -- Susan Scott
Anger
From Lou Tice. This is timely! Today, day 3 of my quest to start getting up early, ended with a humiliating meeting at work, followed by a discouraging meeting with Leadership McLean County. Thankfully, by now I've learned that when I feel like this, the most important thing is not the temporary result, but my reaction to it. These moods are hyperamplified when I'm not getting enough rest. Because I'm "too blessed to be stressed"! Off to bed until I rebound! I don't "meditate" in the popular sense of the word, but by chilling out mellow, waiting for my next surge in energy. Could it be more than mere coincidence that these inspiriational messages find me when I most need them?
Do you find yourself feeling out of sorts or angry a lot? What do you do when you get angry? Let's talk about this powerful feeling.
Anger is a powerful emotion that reveals itself in many different ways. Some folks seem to go through life with a chip on their shoulder. They are quick to find things to be angry about, always fix the cause of their anger as
somewhere outside themselves, and occasionally erupt into rage. Other people
seem to run on a pretty even keel most of the time, but when they get angry
they explode and feel completely out of control.
One of my seminar participants once described anger like jumping into a
powerful sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed, and then
discovering that the brakes don't work. But you know, it is possible to do
some work on those brakes, and while you may want to get professional help,
you can learn to be your own mechanic too.
You can learn to accept yourself and others as they are at the same time you
focus on and move toward a new way of dealing with anger. You can learn to
think constructively about what you'd like to have happen, rather than
destructively about what you don't want. And you can learn to channel the
energy that now goes to fuel your anger into building an exciting future
instead.
If you decide to use your enormous potential, you can put the brakes on
anger, shift gears, and take charge of your life.
Do you find yourself feeling out of sorts or angry a lot? What do you do when you get angry? Let's talk about this powerful feeling.
Anger is a powerful emotion that reveals itself in many different ways. Some folks seem to go through life with a chip on their shoulder. They are quick to find things to be angry about, always fix the cause of their anger as
somewhere outside themselves, and occasionally erupt into rage. Other people
seem to run on a pretty even keel most of the time, but when they get angry
they explode and feel completely out of control.
One of my seminar participants once described anger like jumping into a
powerful sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed, and then
discovering that the brakes don't work. But you know, it is possible to do
some work on those brakes, and while you may want to get professional help,
you can learn to be your own mechanic too.
You can learn to accept yourself and others as they are at the same time you
focus on and move toward a new way of dealing with anger. You can learn to
think constructively about what you'd like to have happen, rather than
destructively about what you don't want. And you can learn to channel the
energy that now goes to fuel your anger into building an exciting future
instead.
If you decide to use your enormous potential, you can put the brakes on
anger, shift gears, and take charge of your life.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Realistic Optimist
"Be a realistic optimist and remind yourself that things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden
As I sit here on day 2 of the "before the rooster crows" morning wake-up experiment, I can look back at yesterday's season-ending 5-1 soccer playoff loss with a good deal of happiness. Our team was expected to lose by at least that much, as the #8 seed against the #1 seed, and we were tied until late in the first half. I survived the usual flurry of running, after a month of inactivity, including enough wooziness at the end of the first half that had me staggering toward the car to get my reserve bottle of sports drink that I usually don't need until the ride home (meaning that I'd already downed an entire bottle). That memory of exhaustion is one that I hope will drive me back onto an exercise routine that will have me back near my explosive best by the time next April rolls around!
As I sit here on day 2 of the "before the rooster crows" morning wake-up experiment, I can look back at yesterday's season-ending 5-1 soccer playoff loss with a good deal of happiness. Our team was expected to lose by at least that much, as the #8 seed against the #1 seed, and we were tied until late in the first half. I survived the usual flurry of running, after a month of inactivity, including enough wooziness at the end of the first half that had me staggering toward the car to get my reserve bottle of sports drink that I usually don't need until the ride home (meaning that I'd already downed an entire bottle). That memory of exhaustion is one that I hope will drive me back onto an exercise routine that will have me back near my explosive best by the time next April rolls around!
Monday, September 22, 2008
So Far, So Good
From: (Joe's Boss)
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 12:33 PM
To: (Joe's Boss's Boss; Joe's Boss's Boss's Boss)
Subject: Implementing new team to oversee exception requests
Fyi... Joe is doing an outstanding job helping the new team understand the issues. Recently, there was pushback on a decision to NOT grant an exception for a business rule. Following a conference call with all parties involved... the decision stood.
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 12:33 PM
To: (Joe's Boss's Boss; Joe's Boss's Boss's Boss)
Subject: Implementing new team to oversee exception requests
Fyi... Joe is doing an outstanding job helping the new team understand the issues. Recently, there was pushback on a decision to NOT grant an exception for a business rule. Following a conference call with all parties involved... the decision stood.
Great Leaders
From Lou Tice. A couple of things do stand out to me as being personally affirming here... I do take development seriously and intentionally and would consider it exciting if my employees were someday my boss... what better evidence of successful teaching? I meet with each of my supervisors for an hour each week. During those meetings we talk specifically about the strengths, weaknesses, and desires of each employee in order to brainstorm for possible projects in the upcoming year. I'm finding during my early days in the new jobs that it often takes two such meetings per employee in order to come up with something that feels truly solid. Succession plans, training, organization... it all energizes me to be helping people in that way...
What makes great leaders great? Is it attitude? Is it the number of people
following them? Or could it be something else? What do you think a good
leader does? Run the show? Tell others what to do? My friend Lee Baca,
Sheriff of Los Angeles County in California, has some interesting ideas
about leadership.
He believes, and I agree, that great leaders love problems. Great leaders
will always run to the solution of a problem, not away from it. And with
this attitude, this skill of not being afraid to face a challenge head-on,
they bring along those they lead in the quest to find these solutions.
Something I've noticed as I've studied leadership over the years is that
great leaders naturally develop those around them and teach them to be
leaders too. They do it all the time, because competition or the new
generation coming up behind them does not threaten them.
Great leaders earn the trust of those who follow them. It wouldn't occur to
a great leader to think of the people he or she leads as subordinates or in
any way inferior. They respect the unique talents and worth of every
individual, and can step aside and allow someone more qualified to lead when
the situation calls for it.
Great leaders are not in a quest for personal power. They are, though,
passionate about their purpose and can inspire others to feel strongly as
well. What do you think? Who qualifies as a great leader in your book?
What makes great leaders great? Is it attitude? Is it the number of people
following them? Or could it be something else? What do you think a good
leader does? Run the show? Tell others what to do? My friend Lee Baca,
Sheriff of Los Angeles County in California, has some interesting ideas
about leadership.
He believes, and I agree, that great leaders love problems. Great leaders
will always run to the solution of a problem, not away from it. And with
this attitude, this skill of not being afraid to face a challenge head-on,
they bring along those they lead in the quest to find these solutions.
Something I've noticed as I've studied leadership over the years is that
great leaders naturally develop those around them and teach them to be
leaders too. They do it all the time, because competition or the new
generation coming up behind them does not threaten them.
Great leaders earn the trust of those who follow them. It wouldn't occur to
a great leader to think of the people he or she leads as subordinates or in
any way inferior. They respect the unique talents and worth of every
individual, and can step aside and allow someone more qualified to lead when
the situation calls for it.
Great leaders are not in a quest for personal power. They are, though,
passionate about their purpose and can inspire others to feel strongly as
well. What do you think? Who qualifies as a great leader in your book?
Why Did The Chicken And The Joker Cross The Road?
I'm serious. I was driving along Veterans Parkway and saw two guys in costume.
So This Is What A.M. Means
I decided that as part of the plan to start playing basketball on Monday mornings, and even though I'm not actually going to start playing this week, I'd get up at 5 a.m. to start getting my body ready for that time of day.
"That time of day" means inky blackness outside, with no sound of birds twittering, or the bustle of cars in the street, or even the hum of next door condo neighbor's plumbing as part of their showers. It's the dewy, cool feel of the air that has yet to be penetrated by sunlight, the chirping of crickets, the stars...
The STARS?
Today, to me, a.m. stands for "almost morning."
"That time of day" means inky blackness outside, with no sound of birds twittering, or the bustle of cars in the street, or even the hum of next door condo neighbor's plumbing as part of their showers. It's the dewy, cool feel of the air that has yet to be penetrated by sunlight, the chirping of crickets, the stars...
The STARS?
Today, to me, a.m. stands for "almost morning."
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Everything On TV Reminds David Wright Of Monumental Collapses
From The Onion:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/everything_on_tv_reminds
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/everything_on_tv_reminds
A Remedy For What Ails Ya
"It seems that you and I have the ability to strengthen or weaken our own immune systems. The surprising news is that it has less to do with a healthy diet or an exercise regimen, and more to do with the degree of integrity with which we live our lives." - Susan Scott
This notion of "psycho-immunology" as it's sometimes does seem to have some truth. How many of us feeling otherwise tired have had our spirits lifted and energy renewed thanks to something as simple as a compliment, a good joke, or the sudden opportunity to do a really fun thing? We can help heal ourselves from the inside out.
This notion of "psycho-immunology" as it's sometimes does seem to have some truth. How many of us feeling otherwise tired have had our spirits lifted and energy renewed thanks to something as simple as a compliment, a good joke, or the sudden opportunity to do a really fun thing? We can help heal ourselves from the inside out.
Cubs Repeat As Playoff Team For First Time In A Century
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs stormed up the dugout steps, spraying champagne bottles the whole way. Then came a victory lap around Wrigley Field to douse their loyal fans and soak up a second straight NL Central title.
It was a joyous scene, one they hope to top in October.
Fast Facts
• The Cubs earned back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since they played in three straight World Series from 1906-08.
• Ted Lilly earned a career-high 16th win, becoming the first Cubs southpaw to win 16 games since Ken Holtzman did so in 1970.
• Chicago won for the seventh time in its last nine games while St. Louis lost for the eighth time in its last 10.
-- ESPN research and The Associated Press
"It's a relief and you have to let it out and enjoy it," first baseman Derrek Lee said after Saturday's 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up the division championship. "We're still trying to get to our ultimate goal. We still have a lot of work to do."
The 41,597 fans jammed into the old neighborhood ballpark were ready to party as they watched the Cubs earn back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since they participated in three straight World Series from 1906-08.
And no one can forget 1908. That's the last time the Cubs won the World Series, a 100-year championship drought they've been hearing about since they were swept out of the playoffs in the first round a year ago by Arizona.
"This team has got to stand on its own merit," a wet but happy manager Lou Piniella said.
"We'll give everything we can in the postseason. That's all we can do."
As usual, nothing comes easy for the Cubs. And it didn't Saturday, either.
Ted Lilly (16-9) was sailing along with a 5-0 lead when the Cardinals scored four runs with two out in the sixth, including a three-run homer by Troy Glaus.
St. Louis fell six games back in the wild-card race and has eight games remaining on its schedule.
Lilly regrouped in the seventh and relievers Carlos Marmol and Wood held off the Cardinals. Wood gave up a leadoff walk to Glaus in the ninth before finishing for his 32nd save in 39 chances.
Aaron Miles' game-ending flyout set off a celebration on the mound as Wood's teammates stormed from the dugout and bullpen.
"We're looking at the big picture and it's nice to get in," said Wood, who's been with the Cubs longer than any other current player -- he was Rookie of the Year in 1998. It will be his fourth trip to the playoffs.
"We expected to get in and be in this spot and we're going to enjoy it tonight and probably a little bit in the morning," Wood said.
Piniella went to the grass between the third-base line and mound and hugged his players as they came of the field. Some players waved to the fans as they headed into the dugout -- Chicago clinched on the road last season.
"We're celebrating this, kinda of giving back to the fans," Lilly said. "No question they are a big reason why we are here."
And so is the attitude of the team, he said.
"We all want the same thing. You don't have guys who are looking to do anything other than win a championship," Lilly added. "So it's a pretty special thing to be a part of."
The fans didn't want to leave. Several thousand hung out behind the home dugout nearly an hour after the game, shouting "We want Lou." And finally, Piniella emerged from the dugout onto the field, as did general manager Jim Hendry, who built the team and then saluted his players.
"They pretty much felt all year they were going to end up right here today and get the first step done and you can see how they are handling it," Hendry said.
"They should be enjoying it, but you can tell they got some other business on their mind to take care of this year."
The Cubs got a couple of breaks from the Cardinals' shaky fielding to build the five-run cushion, and Lilly added a squeeze bunt for an RBI.
"They're a good club, you can't give them those opportunities," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.
Chicago loaded the bases in the second on two walks and former Cardinals star Jim Edmonds' double. Alfonso Soriano singled in a pair with two outs and a third run scored when the ball got by left fielder Brian Barton.
Chicago added two in the fourth off Joel Pineiro (6-7), taking advantage of third baseman Glaus' error.
Now, Piniella can give his team some rest while prepping for the playoffs.
After losing three straight to the Diamondbacks a year ago, the Cubs were active in the offseason and stayed busy during the year. They signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who has slumped in the second half, to a $48 million, four-year contract. They picked up castoffs Edmonds and Reed Johnson, and they've formed a solid platoon in center field. And they brought in hard-throwing Rich Harden in a July trade with Oakland to bolster an already strong rotation.
There was also a pivotal change in the pitching staff.
Ryan Dempster, now a 16-game winner, went from closer to starter. And one-time ace Wood, whose career has been sidetracked by injuries, made the transition to closer with a fastball still registering in the mid 90s.
Catcher Geovany Soto emerged as a handler of pitchers and one of the team's most potent bats.
Add in the 65-year-old Piniella's wisdom, his humor, occasional angry outburst and his ability to use all his players and the Cubs have another division winner. Last year they overcame a slow start to overtake Milwaukee. This year they've been in first or tied for it since May 11.
It was a joyous scene, one they hope to top in October.
Fast Facts
• The Cubs earned back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since they played in three straight World Series from 1906-08.
• Ted Lilly earned a career-high 16th win, becoming the first Cubs southpaw to win 16 games since Ken Holtzman did so in 1970.
• Chicago won for the seventh time in its last nine games while St. Louis lost for the eighth time in its last 10.
-- ESPN research and The Associated Press
"It's a relief and you have to let it out and enjoy it," first baseman Derrek Lee said after Saturday's 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up the division championship. "We're still trying to get to our ultimate goal. We still have a lot of work to do."
The 41,597 fans jammed into the old neighborhood ballpark were ready to party as they watched the Cubs earn back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since they participated in three straight World Series from 1906-08.
And no one can forget 1908. That's the last time the Cubs won the World Series, a 100-year championship drought they've been hearing about since they were swept out of the playoffs in the first round a year ago by Arizona.
"This team has got to stand on its own merit," a wet but happy manager Lou Piniella said.
"We'll give everything we can in the postseason. That's all we can do."
As usual, nothing comes easy for the Cubs. And it didn't Saturday, either.
Ted Lilly (16-9) was sailing along with a 5-0 lead when the Cardinals scored four runs with two out in the sixth, including a three-run homer by Troy Glaus.
St. Louis fell six games back in the wild-card race and has eight games remaining on its schedule.
Lilly regrouped in the seventh and relievers Carlos Marmol and Wood held off the Cardinals. Wood gave up a leadoff walk to Glaus in the ninth before finishing for his 32nd save in 39 chances.
Aaron Miles' game-ending flyout set off a celebration on the mound as Wood's teammates stormed from the dugout and bullpen.
"We're looking at the big picture and it's nice to get in," said Wood, who's been with the Cubs longer than any other current player -- he was Rookie of the Year in 1998. It will be his fourth trip to the playoffs.
"We expected to get in and be in this spot and we're going to enjoy it tonight and probably a little bit in the morning," Wood said.
Piniella went to the grass between the third-base line and mound and hugged his players as they came of the field. Some players waved to the fans as they headed into the dugout -- Chicago clinched on the road last season.
"We're celebrating this, kinda of giving back to the fans," Lilly said. "No question they are a big reason why we are here."
And so is the attitude of the team, he said.
"We all want the same thing. You don't have guys who are looking to do anything other than win a championship," Lilly added. "So it's a pretty special thing to be a part of."
The fans didn't want to leave. Several thousand hung out behind the home dugout nearly an hour after the game, shouting "We want Lou." And finally, Piniella emerged from the dugout onto the field, as did general manager Jim Hendry, who built the team and then saluted his players.
"They pretty much felt all year they were going to end up right here today and get the first step done and you can see how they are handling it," Hendry said.
"They should be enjoying it, but you can tell they got some other business on their mind to take care of this year."
The Cubs got a couple of breaks from the Cardinals' shaky fielding to build the five-run cushion, and Lilly added a squeeze bunt for an RBI.
"They're a good club, you can't give them those opportunities," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.
Chicago loaded the bases in the second on two walks and former Cardinals star Jim Edmonds' double. Alfonso Soriano singled in a pair with two outs and a third run scored when the ball got by left fielder Brian Barton.
Chicago added two in the fourth off Joel Pineiro (6-7), taking advantage of third baseman Glaus' error.
Now, Piniella can give his team some rest while prepping for the playoffs.
After losing three straight to the Diamondbacks a year ago, the Cubs were active in the offseason and stayed busy during the year. They signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who has slumped in the second half, to a $48 million, four-year contract. They picked up castoffs Edmonds and Reed Johnson, and they've formed a solid platoon in center field. And they brought in hard-throwing Rich Harden in a July trade with Oakland to bolster an already strong rotation.
There was also a pivotal change in the pitching staff.
Ryan Dempster, now a 16-game winner, went from closer to starter. And one-time ace Wood, whose career has been sidetracked by injuries, made the transition to closer with a fastball still registering in the mid 90s.
Catcher Geovany Soto emerged as a handler of pitchers and one of the team's most potent bats.
Add in the 65-year-old Piniella's wisdom, his humor, occasional angry outburst and his ability to use all his players and the Cubs have another division winner. Last year they overcame a slow start to overtake Milwaukee. This year they've been in first or tied for it since May 11.
No. 9 Alabama Romps To 4-0
From ESPN.com
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Twice Casey Dick was where no quarterback wants to be -- the last man back after throwing an interception.
Twice he lunged at the Alabama player with the ball, and twice he missed completely.
Javier Arenas and Justin Woodall scored on those long returns, and the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide opened Southeastern Conference play with a 49-14 rout of Arkansas on Saturday.
Fast Facts
• Alabama cruised to its 17th straight victory in an SEC opener.
• Alabama's John Parker Wilson threw his 42nd career touchdown pass, a new school record.
• The 35-point margin was the most for Alabama over Arkansas since 1993.
-- ESPN research
"All week coach was talking about coming out firing and hitting them in the mouth quick," Arenas said. "I think we did that. It seemed like they knew we were here to play a little football from the get-go."
Alabama (4-0) led 35-7 at halftime, and six of the Crimson Tide's seven touchdowns covered at least 25 yards. After Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard run, Glen Coffee made it 14-0 for Alabama on what appeared to be a basic run up the middle from deep in Crimson Tide territory. Coffee found a hole and suddenly was in the clear, outrunning the Razorbacks for an 87-yard touchdown.
"We made a lot of big plays which led to relatively short drives, but we'll take those whenever we can," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
Arkansas (2-1) had to rally for wins over Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe and couldn't avoid big mistakes in its first SEC game. Dick's pass late in the first quarter was intercepted by Arenas and returned 63 yards to the end zone. Dick tried to stop him around the 20, but went sprawling as Arenas easily sidestepped him.
The Razorbacks scored on a fourth-down pass from Dick to Andrew Davie, but the Crimson Tide answered with John Parker Wilson's 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman Julio Jones. Wilson moved into sole possession of first place on Alabama's career list with 42 touchdown passes.
Woodall scored just over 2 minutes later on a 74-yard interception return. Dick threw toward the right sideline, but his receiver had already turned upfield. Woodall was the only man in the area, and although Dick hustled back, he didn't come close to tackling the Alabama defensive back.
It was the first time in school history the Crimson Tide scored on two interception returns in the same game. Alabama scored its most points in an SEC game since a 59-28 win over Vanderbilt in 1990.
"We can't give up 14 points on two stupid throws," Dick said. "It's my fault. I have to look at the film and get better. When you make bad throws like that, you just feel horrible."
At the end of the first half, Arkansas had first-and-goal from the 1 and didn't score. The Razorbacks went to intermission down four touchdowns despite outgaining Alabama for the half.
"I felt like we were moving the ball well. The stop on the 1 and the interceptions really hurt our momentum," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "We have got to get where we don't beat ourselves. The first part of winning games is not beating yourselves -- taking care of the ball, being where you're supposed to be, not having assignment errors, getting more big plays than your opponent gets."
Dick's first pass of the second half was also intercepted, and Alabama made it 42-7 on Coffee's 31-yard touchdown run.
Coffee ran for 162 yards for Alabama, off to a good start in its second season under Saban. The Crimson Tide rushed for 328 yards a week before a big matchup at Georgia.
"My message to my team was, you really don't have to be sick to get better," Saban said. "There's a lot of things we can improve on from this game."
Arkansas started a brutal four-game stretch that also includes games against Texas, Florida and Auburn. The Razorbacks are beginning a new era after running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones went to the NFL. Petrino was hired as coach in December.
"Even in the two wins that we had, we had places where we were beating ourselves," Petrino said. "We've got a lot to learn, a long way to go."
This was Petrino's most lopsided loss as a college coach. He went 41-9 in four seasons at Louisville before last year's unpleasant stint with the Atlanta Falcons.
Michael Smith ran for 91 yards for Arkansas and caught six passes for 67 yards.
Arkansas freshman Tyler Wilson took over at quarterback late in the game and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Smith, but Roy Upchurch answered for Alabama with a 62-yard scoring run.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Twice Casey Dick was where no quarterback wants to be -- the last man back after throwing an interception.
Twice he lunged at the Alabama player with the ball, and twice he missed completely.
Javier Arenas and Justin Woodall scored on those long returns, and the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide opened Southeastern Conference play with a 49-14 rout of Arkansas on Saturday.
Fast Facts
• Alabama cruised to its 17th straight victory in an SEC opener.
• Alabama's John Parker Wilson threw his 42nd career touchdown pass, a new school record.
• The 35-point margin was the most for Alabama over Arkansas since 1993.
-- ESPN research
"All week coach was talking about coming out firing and hitting them in the mouth quick," Arenas said. "I think we did that. It seemed like they knew we were here to play a little football from the get-go."
Alabama (4-0) led 35-7 at halftime, and six of the Crimson Tide's seven touchdowns covered at least 25 yards. After Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard run, Glen Coffee made it 14-0 for Alabama on what appeared to be a basic run up the middle from deep in Crimson Tide territory. Coffee found a hole and suddenly was in the clear, outrunning the Razorbacks for an 87-yard touchdown.
"We made a lot of big plays which led to relatively short drives, but we'll take those whenever we can," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
Arkansas (2-1) had to rally for wins over Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe and couldn't avoid big mistakes in its first SEC game. Dick's pass late in the first quarter was intercepted by Arenas and returned 63 yards to the end zone. Dick tried to stop him around the 20, but went sprawling as Arenas easily sidestepped him.
The Razorbacks scored on a fourth-down pass from Dick to Andrew Davie, but the Crimson Tide answered with John Parker Wilson's 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman Julio Jones. Wilson moved into sole possession of first place on Alabama's career list with 42 touchdown passes.
Woodall scored just over 2 minutes later on a 74-yard interception return. Dick threw toward the right sideline, but his receiver had already turned upfield. Woodall was the only man in the area, and although Dick hustled back, he didn't come close to tackling the Alabama defensive back.
It was the first time in school history the Crimson Tide scored on two interception returns in the same game. Alabama scored its most points in an SEC game since a 59-28 win over Vanderbilt in 1990.
"We can't give up 14 points on two stupid throws," Dick said. "It's my fault. I have to look at the film and get better. When you make bad throws like that, you just feel horrible."
At the end of the first half, Arkansas had first-and-goal from the 1 and didn't score. The Razorbacks went to intermission down four touchdowns despite outgaining Alabama for the half.
"I felt like we were moving the ball well. The stop on the 1 and the interceptions really hurt our momentum," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "We have got to get where we don't beat ourselves. The first part of winning games is not beating yourselves -- taking care of the ball, being where you're supposed to be, not having assignment errors, getting more big plays than your opponent gets."
Dick's first pass of the second half was also intercepted, and Alabama made it 42-7 on Coffee's 31-yard touchdown run.
Coffee ran for 162 yards for Alabama, off to a good start in its second season under Saban. The Crimson Tide rushed for 328 yards a week before a big matchup at Georgia.
"My message to my team was, you really don't have to be sick to get better," Saban said. "There's a lot of things we can improve on from this game."
Arkansas started a brutal four-game stretch that also includes games against Texas, Florida and Auburn. The Razorbacks are beginning a new era after running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones went to the NFL. Petrino was hired as coach in December.
"Even in the two wins that we had, we had places where we were beating ourselves," Petrino said. "We've got a lot to learn, a long way to go."
This was Petrino's most lopsided loss as a college coach. He went 41-9 in four seasons at Louisville before last year's unpleasant stint with the Atlanta Falcons.
Michael Smith ran for 91 yards for Arkansas and caught six passes for 67 yards.
Arkansas freshman Tyler Wilson took over at quarterback late in the game and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Smith, but Roy Upchurch answered for Alabama with a 62-yard scoring run.
A Remedy For Cubs Heartache & Car Trouble
"Early on I had come to believe that events in life usually work out as they should, for a reason, even it that reason is not readily apparent." - John Wooden
What explains the Cubs' loss of a division lead in 1969 and 2004, their dropping of three straight games in 1984 and 2003 when they were one win away from the World Series, their utter non-competitiveness in the playoffs of 1989, 1998 and 2007? Could it be to magnify the glory of winning it all on the 100 year anniversary of their last world championship?
On another front, as soon as I got my car appointment scheduled with the mechanic, the "service engine soon" light has stopped shining. Could it be that this service stop will reveal something more serious that would otherwise have escaped my eye until it was too late? Tune in Monday to find out!
What explains the Cubs' loss of a division lead in 1969 and 2004, their dropping of three straight games in 1984 and 2003 when they were one win away from the World Series, their utter non-competitiveness in the playoffs of 1989, 1998 and 2007? Could it be to magnify the glory of winning it all on the 100 year anniversary of their last world championship?
On another front, as soon as I got my car appointment scheduled with the mechanic, the "service engine soon" light has stopped shining. Could it be that this service stop will reveal something more serious that would otherwise have escaped my eye until it was too late? Tune in Monday to find out!
No Grief, No Gain
"Most worthwhile things in the competitive world come wrapped in adversity. Good leaders understand this and are inclined to see the truth in this verse:
Looking back it seems to me,
All the grief that had to be.
Left me when the pain was o'er,
Stronger than I was before."
I've spent some time this weekend pondering how to get back into shape. It occurred to me that it didn't use to require a lot of thought on my part, exercise was something that I did for fun. Everyday after school, Jack and I would slip into play clothes and head to the basement, the backyard or the street to play some kind of ball. Nowadays things are a little easier in one sense (no homework) but busier in others (LMC, condo board, Hidden Blog, reading).
Still, even it there's 'pain' in carving out the extra time to play some ball, wouldn't it be worth it? Some days will just be long... for example, this week with the LMC retreat it means that I'll be switching to a 10-hour work schedule. If I were to get up at 5am to play some basketball, then put in ten hours, and still get a decent night's sleep, say by 9pm, then I'd have fairly little time to truly relax. However, there are some things working in favor of it:
Fantasy baseball season is winding down. If I could essentially replace that computer time with the exercise time, there'd be not much loss. During non-LMC weeks, if I shifted my work start time to 7:00, then I'd be out at 3:15 which would not only give a little extra time in the evenings, but would let me leave with a little daylight once winter sets in. And since the hoopsters play M,W,F, then I really wouldn't have to go to bed early every night of the week... and if I couldn't fall asleep one night, there's always the Saturday morning option to fall back on.
This week there's a soccer playoff and a flag football game, so I wouldn't need to jump into this right away. But the thought is growing more strongly...
Looking back it seems to me,
All the grief that had to be.
Left me when the pain was o'er,
Stronger than I was before."
I've spent some time this weekend pondering how to get back into shape. It occurred to me that it didn't use to require a lot of thought on my part, exercise was something that I did for fun. Everyday after school, Jack and I would slip into play clothes and head to the basement, the backyard or the street to play some kind of ball. Nowadays things are a little easier in one sense (no homework) but busier in others (LMC, condo board, Hidden Blog, reading).
Still, even it there's 'pain' in carving out the extra time to play some ball, wouldn't it be worth it? Some days will just be long... for example, this week with the LMC retreat it means that I'll be switching to a 10-hour work schedule. If I were to get up at 5am to play some basketball, then put in ten hours, and still get a decent night's sleep, say by 9pm, then I'd have fairly little time to truly relax. However, there are some things working in favor of it:
Fantasy baseball season is winding down. If I could essentially replace that computer time with the exercise time, there'd be not much loss. During non-LMC weeks, if I shifted my work start time to 7:00, then I'd be out at 3:15 which would not only give a little extra time in the evenings, but would let me leave with a little daylight once winter sets in. And since the hoopsters play M,W,F, then I really wouldn't have to go to bed early every night of the week... and if I couldn't fall asleep one night, there's always the Saturday morning option to fall back on.
This week there's a soccer playoff and a flag football game, so I wouldn't need to jump into this right away. But the thought is growing more strongly...
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fate Vs. Control
"And while we can't control fate, we must do all things possible to control our response to it." - John Wooden
Yesterday I was about ten miles away from Mom's house, and 100 from home, when the "Service Engine Soon" light came on in my 9-year old car. As I eased into faster traffic on the expressway, I found the car straining to reach 55 MPH. At that point, the mind starts becomes increasingly sensitive to every little thing. Doesn't it feel unusually warm in here? Did I just smell something burning? Is the temperature gauge starting to drift toward the red zone? How can I get closer to the shoulder? Should I turn off the fan to reduce engine power, or keep the fan on to vent any heat that might be building up? These radio buttons feel unusually hot, don't they? My God, what if the ENGINE EXPLODES? Maybe I should put my sunglasses on here at 7:00 at night so that engine pieces don't get lodged in my eyes... surely these $7 pieces of plastic can defend me from shards of metal that blast through a foot of dashboard.
Peace came with the thought that everything happens for a reason, and things are seldom as bad as they seem. I managed what I could... moving into the right hand lane, coasting at 55 m.p.h., calling Dena and asking her to keep the phone within earshot in case I needed her. Maybe, had the engine been fine and I sped along, I'd have gotten a speeding ticket, or been in the wrong place for an auto accident, or worse. And the slower drive was actually relaxing without all the hurriedness of constant lane changes and rearview mirror checking.
Gladly, the Saturn made it home safe and sound, and my sunglasses are still intact!
Yesterday I was about ten miles away from Mom's house, and 100 from home, when the "Service Engine Soon" light came on in my 9-year old car. As I eased into faster traffic on the expressway, I found the car straining to reach 55 MPH. At that point, the mind starts becomes increasingly sensitive to every little thing. Doesn't it feel unusually warm in here? Did I just smell something burning? Is the temperature gauge starting to drift toward the red zone? How can I get closer to the shoulder? Should I turn off the fan to reduce engine power, or keep the fan on to vent any heat that might be building up? These radio buttons feel unusually hot, don't they? My God, what if the ENGINE EXPLODES? Maybe I should put my sunglasses on here at 7:00 at night so that engine pieces don't get lodged in my eyes... surely these $7 pieces of plastic can defend me from shards of metal that blast through a foot of dashboard.
Peace came with the thought that everything happens for a reason, and things are seldom as bad as they seem. I managed what I could... moving into the right hand lane, coasting at 55 m.p.h., calling Dena and asking her to keep the phone within earshot in case I needed her. Maybe, had the engine been fine and I sped along, I'd have gotten a speeding ticket, or been in the wrong place for an auto accident, or worse. And the slower drive was actually relaxing without all the hurriedness of constant lane changes and rearview mirror checking.
Gladly, the Saturn made it home safe and sound, and my sunglasses are still intact!
Talk Like A Pirate Day
Here are a couple of links to enjoy this official day:
Who's Line Is It Anyway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGMPhicC7Bk
Weird Al Yankovic's spoof of a children's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAFdP9Xt1nk
Who's Line Is It Anyway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGMPhicC7Bk
Weird Al Yankovic's spoof of a children's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAFdP9Xt1nk
Quite A Racquet?
I've been a member of the Four Seasons health club for several years. Those membership dues - around $400 a year - enable me to play basketball in their gyms on an unlimited basis. Dena and I like to play tennis together, so as winter approaches I came across the Evergreen Racquet Club here in town with indoor tennis. Here is a comparison of the costs:
Four Seasons: 4 days a week of basketball, 6 hours/week, $400 per year.
Racuqet Club: 4 days a week of tennis, 4 hours/week, $6,000 per year.
Yes, $6,000 per year.
I had to call them to believe it myself.
For those rates I'd expect a personal line judge, ball boys, trainer, fans and all the tiny orange wedges I could eat.
Four Seasons: 4 days a week of basketball, 6 hours/week, $400 per year.
Racuqet Club: 4 days a week of tennis, 4 hours/week, $6,000 per year.
Yes, $6,000 per year.
I had to call them to believe it myself.
For those rates I'd expect a personal line judge, ball boys, trainer, fans and all the tiny orange wedges I could eat.
Emp-Tea The Mind
"I'm reminded of the story of the man who visits a Zen master. The man asks, 'What truths can you teach me?' The master replies 'Do you like tea?' The man nods his head, and the master pours him a cup of tea. The cup fills and the tea spills. Still the master pours. The man, of course, protests, and the master responds, 'Return to me when you are empty.' The lesson here is that we need to empty ourselves of our preconceived beliefs in order to be open to a broader, more complex reality." -- Susan Scott
I recently read about a common characteristic of great companies... a magnetic devotion to their cause and their culture. That culture was often ingrained from the first employee orientation, and woven into all daily decisions. In non-work cultures we're also conditioned by our surroundings from birth. As we grow older we have the choice to listen to new ideas with an open mind.
I recently read about a common characteristic of great companies... a magnetic devotion to their cause and their culture. That culture was often ingrained from the first employee orientation, and woven into all daily decisions. In non-work cultures we're also conditioned by our surroundings from birth. As we grow older we have the choice to listen to new ideas with an open mind.
"Perform"ance
"...our attention had to be focused on producing the best stage play possible by focusing like a laser on each day's rehearsal... That's what we were striving for - to put on the best stage play of which we were capable.
As their leader, my job was to help them accomplish the goal of blocking out their future, the standings, and what they hoped the scoreboard might show at the end of the game." -- John Wooden
Sometimes thinking of ourselves in a play can be helpful. On those mornings when, for whatever reason, my energy is down, I've found a good medicine in pretending that today is my retirement day. There is plenty of negative ammunition around to trick us into thinking that life is worse than it really is - "crises" on the news and so forth - why not even the score with a little positive imagination?
As their leader, my job was to help them accomplish the goal of blocking out their future, the standings, and what they hoped the scoreboard might show at the end of the game." -- John Wooden
Sometimes thinking of ourselves in a play can be helpful. On those mornings when, for whatever reason, my energy is down, I've found a good medicine in pretending that today is my retirement day. There is plenty of negative ammunition around to trick us into thinking that life is worse than it really is - "crises" on the news and so forth - why not even the score with a little positive imagination?
Shove It Up Your Ass
I imagine that's what the doctor told Mom if she asked "What are you going to do with that thing?" before her colonoscopy.
Results: All clear, good health!
Results: All clear, good health!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Knifes Job, There
"Every mall has a cutlery store in it. I'm sorry, but this has got to be kind of a scary place to work. They put like a 16-year old girl behind the counter, and all day people are coming in saying things like, 'I need knives. I need more knives. Do you have any bigger knives? I need a big, long, sharp knife. That's what I'm in the market for. I like them really sharp. Do you have one with hooks and ridges on the blade? That's the kind of knife I'm looking for. I need one I can throw, and I need another one I can just hack away with. Do you have anything like that?'" - Seinfeld
Ground Truth
"Several years ago I was introduced to the military term ground truth, which refers to what's actually happening on the ground versus the official tactics. One of the challenges worth going after in any organization - be it a company or a marriage - is getting to ground truth." - Susan Scott
One of my fellow employees commented during the employee opinion survey about how much she appreciated "executive coffees" that a vice president had once done. I guessed that "executive coffees" might be a talking head at the front of a table, rattling off things that they were working on and might (or might not) be applicable to those in the room.
Instead of guessing for long, I just asked. In fact, once she e-mailed me her description, I forwarded it unedited to the newest VP, who gleefully agreed to visit our group. In fact, he showed interest in trying something broader still.
Ground truth can be so easy to gain, as long as we act on it.
One of my fellow employees commented during the employee opinion survey about how much she appreciated "executive coffees" that a vice president had once done. I guessed that "executive coffees" might be a talking head at the front of a table, rattling off things that they were working on and might (or might not) be applicable to those in the room.
Instead of guessing for long, I just asked. In fact, once she e-mailed me her description, I forwarded it unedited to the newest VP, who gleefully agreed to visit our group. In fact, he showed interest in trying something broader still.
Ground truth can be so easy to gain, as long as we act on it.
Deign Dreaming
"As goals, predictions, hopes, or dreams to be sealed up and filed away, fine. But as a day-to-day preoccupation they're a waste of time, stealing attention and effort from the present and squandering it on the future. You control the former, not the latter." -- John Wooden
Actually, I think that the key here is "preoccupation" to the extent that it distracts you from doing the necessary work. Goals are useful, and powerful motivating tools whether we're talking about exercise or sales or Christmas gifts. Vision and goals lead to reality, as long as we're smart enough to think long and hard about how to get there.
Actually, I think that the key here is "preoccupation" to the extent that it distracts you from doing the necessary work. Goals are useful, and powerful motivating tools whether we're talking about exercise or sales or Christmas gifts. Vision and goals lead to reality, as long as we're smart enough to think long and hard about how to get there.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hidden Blog Ranked 6th Worldwide
Hidden Blog reached its highest Google ranking in history, climbing to sixth place out of 708,000 found in a search of "Joe McDonald."
The blog, which debuted just 13 months ago with a mission of surpassing all references to Country Joe McDonald in Google rankings, has been spirited by over 750 posts. At least as important, though, are the comments and links to the blog made by all three of the site's fans.
The blog's popularity comes as no surprise to its creator.
"It's the classic upper-middle-class Midwestern insurance company middle-aged middle manager versus a 66-year-old Californian Woodstock alum. A man with no real problems, locked in a desperate struggle with a man who doesn't know he exists. How can you look away, unless you have something better to do?"
Other Joe McDonald sites still trumping Hidden Blog include McDonald Wildlife Photography, a campy site about safaris residing at hoothollow.com, and the IMDB entry for Joseph MacDonald, the actor/director most recently known for dying in 1968.
Sites now looking up at Hidden Blog include an article about the PawSox baseball team's latest win over the IronPigs; and Mobile, Alabama realtor Joe McDonald's site which broadcasts his full-time travels with international prison ministry H.O.P.E.
The blog, which debuted just 13 months ago with a mission of surpassing all references to Country Joe McDonald in Google rankings, has been spirited by over 750 posts. At least as important, though, are the comments and links to the blog made by all three of the site's fans.
The blog's popularity comes as no surprise to its creator.
"It's the classic upper-middle-class Midwestern insurance company middle-aged middle manager versus a 66-year-old Californian Woodstock alum. A man with no real problems, locked in a desperate struggle with a man who doesn't know he exists. How can you look away, unless you have something better to do?"
Other Joe McDonald sites still trumping Hidden Blog include McDonald Wildlife Photography, a campy site about safaris residing at hoothollow.com, and the IMDB entry for Joseph MacDonald, the actor/director most recently known for dying in 1968.
Sites now looking up at Hidden Blog include an article about the PawSox baseball team's latest win over the IronPigs; and Mobile, Alabama realtor Joe McDonald's site which broadcasts his full-time travels with international prison ministry H.O.P.E.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Zambrano Masters Astros En Route To First No-hitter For Cubs In 36 Years
MILWAUKEE -- All the elements were in Carlos Zambrano's favor.
Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 36 years, returning from a sore rotator cuff to shut down the Houston Astros 5-0 Sunday night in a game relocated because of Hurricane Ike.
No-Hitter Fast Facts
• There had never been a no-hitter thrown on Sept. 14, and Carlos Zambrano became the first pitcher whose last name starts with the letter Z to throw a no-no.
• Before Zambrano, the last no-hitter thrown in Milwaukee was by Steve Busby of the Royals against the Brewers in County Stadium on June 19, 1974. There has never been a no-hitter at Miller Park.
• Zambrano's previous longest hitless game was 7 2/3 innings against the D-backs on Aug. 22, 2003.
• Zambrano is the third pitcher from Venezuela to throw a no-hitter. Wilson Alvarez and Anibal Sanchez are the others.
-- ESPN Research
"I guess I'm back!" Zambrano woofed.
Pitching for the first time since Sept. 2, and cheered on by thousands of Cubs fans, Zambrano stopped a Houston team that had not played since Thursday. The storm forced baseball to move two games from Texas to Miller Park and the weary Astros arrived only hours before the first pitch.
The Cubs, meanwhile, faced a short bus ride. Plenty of their faithful followed them up I-94, once again turning the Brewers' ballpark into "Wrigley North."
This was baseball's first neutral-site no-hitter, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
"It was a long travel day and Hurricane Ike," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "That's what I put it on. That and having two days off. I'm not saying he wasn't good."
Zambrano, known for his emotional displays on the mound, kept himself in control until striking Darin Erstad to finish off the gem.
Zambrano (14-5) dropped to his knees and pointed to the sky with both hands after getting Erstad to swing and miss for his season-high 10th strikeout. The big right-hander was immediately mobbed on the mound by his teammates.
"I'm a little confused right now," the three-time All-Star said. "I still can't believe it. It's a great feeling, a feeling that you can't describe."
The crowd of 23,441 erupted in a wild ovation after chanting "Let's go Z!" throughout the final inning.
Cubs No-Nos
The Mets have never had a no-hitter in their 46 seasons, and the Padres haven't had one in their 39. The Cubs had the longest drought since their last one, 36 years, followed by the Giants at 32. Here are the Cubs' no-hitters since 1900:
Year Pitcher Opp.
2008 Carlos Zambrano Astros
1972 Milt Pappas Padres
1972 Burt Hooten Phillies
1971 Ken Holtzman Reds
1969 Ken Holtzman Braves
1960 Don Cardwell Cardinals
1955 Sam Jones Pirates
1915 Jimmy Lavender Giants
Zambrano walked one and hit a batter in the Cubs' first no-hitter since Milt Pappas against San Diego in 1972. This was the 13th no-hitter in team history, including five in the late 1800s.
"Pretty exciting stuff," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
This was the second no-hitter in the majors this season -- Boston's Jon Lester did it against Kansas City at Fenway Park on May 19.
It also was the first no-hitter at Miller Park, and the Brewers were nowhere to be found.
The Astros only once came close to a hit. David Newhan lined a drive that first baseman Derrek Lee jumped to catch to end the fifth inning.
While the Astros batted last, Cooper wasn't happy with the arrangement.
"This is not a home game. This is definitely an advantage for the Cubs and that's saying it as mildly as possible," the former Brewers star said.
"It's hard to put into words. You think first about your safety and your family's and the people's safety. Now you have to worry about where and when do you play and all that. It's just been a long four days."
Zambrano helped himself with his glove, too, charging off the mound and across the first-base line to catch Hunter Pence's foul pop for the second out in the eighth.
Zambrano's only real display of emotion came after he struck out swinging in the seventh, then motioned as if he was going to break the bat over his knee.
Fiercely proud of his hitting ability, he saw the look on his manager's face and got the message: "Some other game, but not today," Zambrano said.
Zambrano began the ninth by getting Humberto Quintero to ground out on one pitch, his 100th of the game. After pinch-hitter Jose Castillo also grounded out, Erstad chased a full-count pitch low-and-away for Zambrano's first shutout since 2004.
With his jersey untucked, Zambrano paraded triumphantly through a series of interviews in front of the Cubs dugout, then waved to the still-cheering crowd as he walked down the steps.
Piniella planned to limit the 27-year-old Venezuelan ace to 100 pitches in his return to the rotation. Having recently had an anti-inflammatory shot, Zambrano managed to come close -- he threw 110 pitches, 73 for strikes.
"What can I do?" Piniella said. "I was even hesitant to warm someone up."
Because the Brewers were on the road, MLB decided Saturday night to switch these games to Milwaukee. There were only a few fans in the upper deck, which originally was supposed to be closed, but the two lower decks were filled.
Zambrano also gave local fans a chance to see something they really wanted two weeks ago -- a no-hitter.
Brewers newcomer CC Sabathia pitched a one-hitter on Aug. 31 at Pittsburgh, and team officials asked a scoring review committee to take a further look at the little trickler that was ruled a hit. The call stood.
The win could be yet another sign of good things to come for the NL Central-leading Cubs, whose fans have gotten used to doing more crying than cheering in September during 100 years' worth of World Series frustration.
The Cubs took a 7½-game lead in the NL Central over the fading Brewers, who were swept in a day-night doubleheader at Philadelphia.
The Astros fell two games behind the Brewers and Phillies, who are tied in the wild-card race. Houston had won six in a row and 14 of 15.
Zambrano didn't allow a baserunner until he walked Michael Bourn in the fourth. He allowed only one more baserunner, hitting Pence in the back with two outs in the fifth.
Zambrano also made an offensive contribution in the Cubs' four-run third inning, singling and then chugging home from first on Lee's double. The Cubs chased Randy Wolf (10-12) in the third, his shortest outing of the season.
It was the first complete game for Zambrano since June 16, 2007, at home against the Padres. He hadn't thrown a shutout since April 7, 2004, a two-hitter at home against the Rockies.
Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a home run, his 28th of the year. With Zambrano in control, the game took just 2 hours, 17 minutes.
Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 36 years, returning from a sore rotator cuff to shut down the Houston Astros 5-0 Sunday night in a game relocated because of Hurricane Ike.
No-Hitter Fast Facts
• There had never been a no-hitter thrown on Sept. 14, and Carlos Zambrano became the first pitcher whose last name starts with the letter Z to throw a no-no.
• Before Zambrano, the last no-hitter thrown in Milwaukee was by Steve Busby of the Royals against the Brewers in County Stadium on June 19, 1974. There has never been a no-hitter at Miller Park.
• Zambrano's previous longest hitless game was 7 2/3 innings against the D-backs on Aug. 22, 2003.
• Zambrano is the third pitcher from Venezuela to throw a no-hitter. Wilson Alvarez and Anibal Sanchez are the others.
-- ESPN Research
"I guess I'm back!" Zambrano woofed.
Pitching for the first time since Sept. 2, and cheered on by thousands of Cubs fans, Zambrano stopped a Houston team that had not played since Thursday. The storm forced baseball to move two games from Texas to Miller Park and the weary Astros arrived only hours before the first pitch.
The Cubs, meanwhile, faced a short bus ride. Plenty of their faithful followed them up I-94, once again turning the Brewers' ballpark into "Wrigley North."
This was baseball's first neutral-site no-hitter, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
"It was a long travel day and Hurricane Ike," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "That's what I put it on. That and having two days off. I'm not saying he wasn't good."
Zambrano, known for his emotional displays on the mound, kept himself in control until striking Darin Erstad to finish off the gem.
Zambrano (14-5) dropped to his knees and pointed to the sky with both hands after getting Erstad to swing and miss for his season-high 10th strikeout. The big right-hander was immediately mobbed on the mound by his teammates.
"I'm a little confused right now," the three-time All-Star said. "I still can't believe it. It's a great feeling, a feeling that you can't describe."
The crowd of 23,441 erupted in a wild ovation after chanting "Let's go Z!" throughout the final inning.
Cubs No-Nos
The Mets have never had a no-hitter in their 46 seasons, and the Padres haven't had one in their 39. The Cubs had the longest drought since their last one, 36 years, followed by the Giants at 32. Here are the Cubs' no-hitters since 1900:
Year Pitcher Opp.
2008 Carlos Zambrano Astros
1972 Milt Pappas Padres
1972 Burt Hooten Phillies
1971 Ken Holtzman Reds
1969 Ken Holtzman Braves
1960 Don Cardwell Cardinals
1955 Sam Jones Pirates
1915 Jimmy Lavender Giants
Zambrano walked one and hit a batter in the Cubs' first no-hitter since Milt Pappas against San Diego in 1972. This was the 13th no-hitter in team history, including five in the late 1800s.
"Pretty exciting stuff," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
This was the second no-hitter in the majors this season -- Boston's Jon Lester did it against Kansas City at Fenway Park on May 19.
It also was the first no-hitter at Miller Park, and the Brewers were nowhere to be found.
The Astros only once came close to a hit. David Newhan lined a drive that first baseman Derrek Lee jumped to catch to end the fifth inning.
While the Astros batted last, Cooper wasn't happy with the arrangement.
"This is not a home game. This is definitely an advantage for the Cubs and that's saying it as mildly as possible," the former Brewers star said.
"It's hard to put into words. You think first about your safety and your family's and the people's safety. Now you have to worry about where and when do you play and all that. It's just been a long four days."
Zambrano helped himself with his glove, too, charging off the mound and across the first-base line to catch Hunter Pence's foul pop for the second out in the eighth.
Zambrano's only real display of emotion came after he struck out swinging in the seventh, then motioned as if he was going to break the bat over his knee.
Fiercely proud of his hitting ability, he saw the look on his manager's face and got the message: "Some other game, but not today," Zambrano said.
Zambrano began the ninth by getting Humberto Quintero to ground out on one pitch, his 100th of the game. After pinch-hitter Jose Castillo also grounded out, Erstad chased a full-count pitch low-and-away for Zambrano's first shutout since 2004.
With his jersey untucked, Zambrano paraded triumphantly through a series of interviews in front of the Cubs dugout, then waved to the still-cheering crowd as he walked down the steps.
Piniella planned to limit the 27-year-old Venezuelan ace to 100 pitches in his return to the rotation. Having recently had an anti-inflammatory shot, Zambrano managed to come close -- he threw 110 pitches, 73 for strikes.
"What can I do?" Piniella said. "I was even hesitant to warm someone up."
Because the Brewers were on the road, MLB decided Saturday night to switch these games to Milwaukee. There were only a few fans in the upper deck, which originally was supposed to be closed, but the two lower decks were filled.
Zambrano also gave local fans a chance to see something they really wanted two weeks ago -- a no-hitter.
Brewers newcomer CC Sabathia pitched a one-hitter on Aug. 31 at Pittsburgh, and team officials asked a scoring review committee to take a further look at the little trickler that was ruled a hit. The call stood.
The win could be yet another sign of good things to come for the NL Central-leading Cubs, whose fans have gotten used to doing more crying than cheering in September during 100 years' worth of World Series frustration.
The Cubs took a 7½-game lead in the NL Central over the fading Brewers, who were swept in a day-night doubleheader at Philadelphia.
The Astros fell two games behind the Brewers and Phillies, who are tied in the wild-card race. Houston had won six in a row and 14 of 15.
Zambrano didn't allow a baserunner until he walked Michael Bourn in the fourth. He allowed only one more baserunner, hitting Pence in the back with two outs in the fifth.
Zambrano also made an offensive contribution in the Cubs' four-run third inning, singling and then chugging home from first on Lee's double. The Cubs chased Randy Wolf (10-12) in the third, his shortest outing of the season.
It was the first complete game for Zambrano since June 16, 2007, at home against the Padres. He hadn't thrown a shutout since April 7, 2004, a two-hitter at home against the Rockies.
Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a home run, his 28th of the year. With Zambrano in control, the game took just 2 hours, 17 minutes.
Prepare Simply By Being Prepared
"I never scouted other teams. We were better off, I believed, letting them adjust to us. My belief was that we'd be stronger executing our system at the highest possible level than trying to change each week depending on who the opponent was." -- John Wooden
On one hand, it's surprising to think of that philosophy when looking around at businesses today which are constantly scouting the marketplace. For that matter, the sports industry has scouting as its heartbeat whether for player development or game strategy design. Still, it's not only comforting to know that he found extreme success by focusing simply on being the best that he could be -- and we know from earlier passages that he never stopped tinkering with his own system to keep it constantly improving -- but it applies to other arenas of life too. When we stay true to our core values, we persevere through all conditions.
On one hand, it's surprising to think of that philosophy when looking around at businesses today which are constantly scouting the marketplace. For that matter, the sports industry has scouting as its heartbeat whether for player development or game strategy design. Still, it's not only comforting to know that he found extreme success by focusing simply on being the best that he could be -- and we know from earlier passages that he never stopped tinkering with his own system to keep it constantly improving -- but it applies to other arenas of life too. When we stay true to our core values, we persevere through all conditions.
Bird's Eye View
In an old comic strip, Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy is all alone in his doghouse on Thanksgiving Day. He wasn't a happy camper until a sunny thought popped into his head. "It could have been worse... I could have been the turkey."
As the doldrums of work or home set in, it's a good time to remember the families in hurricane-ravaged areas who are literally trying to put a roof over their head.
Jack just got deployed with the catastrophe team to Houston to help clean up the remains of Hurricane Ike. America can be proud of the people who support those in need.
As the doldrums of work or home set in, it's a good time to remember the families in hurricane-ravaged areas who are literally trying to put a roof over their head.
Jack just got deployed with the catastrophe team to Houston to help clean up the remains of Hurricane Ike. America can be proud of the people who support those in need.
"Do Not Call" Registry
This is my personal highlight of the Bush presidency! What a great idea.
REMINDER....all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.
You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number... HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. It takes about 20 seconds.
Please pass around the information. OR go to: http://www.donotcall.gov/
REMINDER....all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.
You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number... HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. It takes about 20 seconds.
Please pass around the information. OR go to: http://www.donotcall.gov/
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Revolving Stores
"You know there's always one store location in your neighborhood that's constantly changing hands. Everybody has one of these in their neighborhood. It's a leather store, it's a yogurt shop, it's a pet supply. It's constantly changing. Nobody can do business there. It's like some sort of Bermude Triangle of retail. Stores open up and then they just disappear without a trace. Nobody knows what happened to them. I guess eventually when aliens land from the mother ship like in Close Encounters, the bottom will slowly open and all these store owners will come wandering out in a daze going, 'I thought there was going to be more walk-in traffic, didn't you? Nobody even looked in the windows.'" -- Seinfeld
Laws Of Learning
"He was very efficient in his teaching and kept it simple - broke it down into parts, taught each part, then built the whole back up. Always he used the laws of learning: explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. Lots of repetition. You can't believe the repetition." - Gary Cunningham, on John Wooden
I read sentences like this and feel more convinced that my calling is to teach. The exercise of breaking things down into simpler parts, of explaining, and of seeing others grow through repetition are all things I enjoy and believe in. And I'm fortunate to have a job that pays more than a normal teacher's wages, yet still involves lots of teaching. Life's good!
I read sentences like this and feel more convinced that my calling is to teach. The exercise of breaking things down into simpler parts, of explaining, and of seeing others grow through repetition are all things I enjoy and believe in. And I'm fortunate to have a job that pays more than a normal teacher's wages, yet still involves lots of teaching. Life's good!
Making Change
John Wooden once allowed his staff to talk him into using a 3-2 zone defense, which collapsed in a loss shortly thereafter.
"That was the last time we brought up the 3-2 zone defense. But Coach Wooden had listened and given it - and us - a chance. He wasn't afraid to make a change. And when it didn't work, there were no recriminations. He moved on without making us feel we had led him down he wrong path." -- Gary Cunningham
This week was the completion of the Employee Opinion Survey process at work. One immediate change is that I've been assigned to run the "support staff" meetings on a full-time basis. Whether I'll do a good or bad job is yet to be seen, but the response to the concerns about inclusiveness will be met head-on, through a survey of the attendees as to what they want to get out of the meetings... if they want them at all. I'm excited about this chance to get to know more members of the department, and delighted for the trust to handle this. Whatever the group decides, we'll try. It's a nearly cost-free way of enabling employees to meet two fundamental human needs: to experience change, and to make a meaningful contribution through input that makes a difference.
"That was the last time we brought up the 3-2 zone defense. But Coach Wooden had listened and given it - and us - a chance. He wasn't afraid to make a change. And when it didn't work, there were no recriminations. He moved on without making us feel we had led him down he wrong path." -- Gary Cunningham
This week was the completion of the Employee Opinion Survey process at work. One immediate change is that I've been assigned to run the "support staff" meetings on a full-time basis. Whether I'll do a good or bad job is yet to be seen, but the response to the concerns about inclusiveness will be met head-on, through a survey of the attendees as to what they want to get out of the meetings... if they want them at all. I'm excited about this chance to get to know more members of the department, and delighted for the trust to handle this. Whatever the group decides, we'll try. It's a nearly cost-free way of enabling employees to meet two fundamental human needs: to experience change, and to make a meaningful contribution through input that makes a difference.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
LMC Orientation
The third time's still a charm!
Tonight was the debut of the annual program that I still credit for my personal revival, as 35 adults of all ages gathered at Heartland Community College for a tour of the facilities and a chance to start meeting each other. The Chamber of Commerce who sponsors the program has undergone some major transition, losing its Executive Director and the LMC staff member in the last few months. And the replacements did a superb job tonight!
Time to get on e-mail and start spreading thanks around to all the key players. It seems more natural to think of heaping blame than praise. Good health follows those who take every advantage to point out the sunshine!
Tonight was the debut of the annual program that I still credit for my personal revival, as 35 adults of all ages gathered at Heartland Community College for a tour of the facilities and a chance to start meeting each other. The Chamber of Commerce who sponsors the program has undergone some major transition, losing its Executive Director and the LMC staff member in the last few months. And the replacements did a superb job tonight!
Time to get on e-mail and start spreading thanks around to all the key players. It seems more natural to think of heaping blame than praise. Good health follows those who take every advantage to point out the sunshine!
How, Kimosabi?
"Success is more often attained by asking 'how?' than by saying 'no.'" -- John Wooden
Recently I was asked to evaluate a proposal which suggested trying to accomplish something in what seemed to me to be an overly aggressive timeline. In a past life, I might have weighed in with all the authority I could muster, thick with phrases like "doubt" and "shouldn't." But these phrases rarely carry long-run value for me, so I've mostly stopped using them. First and foremost, my view is never the only right one (and often is not the right one!). I offered a counter proposal, but with openness to other ideas. And now other ideas are being considered. Ideas flow better from others when I don't clog the lines with self-righteousness.
Recently I was asked to evaluate a proposal which suggested trying to accomplish something in what seemed to me to be an overly aggressive timeline. In a past life, I might have weighed in with all the authority I could muster, thick with phrases like "doubt" and "shouldn't." But these phrases rarely carry long-run value for me, so I've mostly stopped using them. First and foremost, my view is never the only right one (and often is not the right one!). I offered a counter proposal, but with openness to other ideas. And now other ideas are being considered. Ideas flow better from others when I don't clog the lines with self-righteousness.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Thanks For The Thanks
Our company's chairman recently sent a letter of thanks to the whole enterprise, noting how our national ranking in customer satisfaction had climbed from fourth to second in the industry. Since life insurance isn't as central as auto insurance for the company, it can be tempting to lose some of the pride in what we do. And as Hidden Blog has testified, encouragement is just plain contagious, so I jotted down a note early one Friday morning. It had surprising results! Start from the bottom and read up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's boss's boss)
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 12:08 PM
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss's peers)
Subject: RE: Chairman's Letter
Totally agree Joe. Sounds like you are right on target.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's boss)
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 9:38 AM
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss's boss; Joe's boss's peers)
Subject: Re: Chairman's Letter
Great job Joe!!! I say... "Wow!!!!!".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's team member)
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss)
Sent: Mon Sep 08 06:26:26 2008
Subject: RE: Chairman's Letter
Joe - thanks for the additional comments to the Chairman's Letter. In all my years working, no one has ever taken the time to do what you have done.
It does seem like most of the communications are centered around CAT handling and more high profile customer inter-actions, so it is nice that you took
the time to re-direct this message. This is a good example of passing on recognition to employees. Thanks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joe McDonald
To: (team that Joe leads at work)
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 7:13 AM
Subject: Chairman's Letter
It may be indirect sometimes, but I like to think that the work we do every day helps inspire the improvement in customer satisfaction rankings that Ed outlines here. Thankfully, the storms we face may be more subtle than Gustav -- like the conflicting objectives that we sometimes face with our internal customers. Those conflicts like limited system resources, tight deadlines, fluctuating workloads, miscommunication, or just different opinions about the way we would do things, all threaten the joy we bring to work. From what I've seen so far, when those pressures come from outside, you absorb them in stride. Thanks for all the support you give to each other and to our customers through your "service with a smile"!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's boss's boss)
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 12:08 PM
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss's peers)
Subject: RE: Chairman's Letter
Totally agree Joe. Sounds like you are right on target.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's boss)
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 9:38 AM
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss's boss; Joe's boss's peers)
Subject: Re: Chairman's Letter
Great job Joe!!! I say... "Wow!!!!!".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Joe's team member)
To: Joe McDonald
Cc: (Joe's boss)
Sent: Mon Sep 08 06:26:26 2008
Subject: RE: Chairman's Letter
Joe - thanks for the additional comments to the Chairman's Letter. In all my years working, no one has ever taken the time to do what you have done.
It does seem like most of the communications are centered around CAT handling and more high profile customer inter-actions, so it is nice that you took
the time to re-direct this message. This is a good example of passing on recognition to employees. Thanks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joe McDonald
To: (team that Joe leads at work)
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 7:13 AM
Subject: Chairman's Letter
It may be indirect sometimes, but I like to think that the work we do every day helps inspire the improvement in customer satisfaction rankings that Ed outlines here. Thankfully, the storms we face may be more subtle than Gustav -- like the conflicting objectives that we sometimes face with our internal customers. Those conflicts like limited system resources, tight deadlines, fluctuating workloads, miscommunication, or just different opinions about the way we would do things, all threaten the joy we bring to work. From what I've seen so far, when those pressures come from outside, you absorb them in stride. Thanks for all the support you give to each other and to our customers through your "service with a smile"!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Cloning Owners
"When employees feel safe, free to experiment, and apprised of all the information management has, they develop the same feelings as owners." -- Ken Blanchard
Inclusiveness was a popular topic on the latest employee opinion survey. Regarding communication, everyone wants something a little different -- some want to see everything, some want to receive only filtered information that's relevant to them. Traditionally I've forwarded all e-mails unless they're only directed at supervisors. Maybe I'll even go beyond that for an experiment. And helping employees feel safe is rewarding. Last week an employee approached me with sensitive information, the kind she said that she wouldn't normally tell others. For someone to share that means, in my mind, that the culture is alive and well. People can tell when they're being judged, instead of supported, for the unique things they do or for the failures they might encounter while trying something new. Compassion and faith aren't just church words... they're elements of successful living in all walks of life.
Inclusiveness was a popular topic on the latest employee opinion survey. Regarding communication, everyone wants something a little different -- some want to see everything, some want to receive only filtered information that's relevant to them. Traditionally I've forwarded all e-mails unless they're only directed at supervisors. Maybe I'll even go beyond that for an experiment. And helping employees feel safe is rewarding. Last week an employee approached me with sensitive information, the kind she said that she wouldn't normally tell others. For someone to share that means, in my mind, that the culture is alive and well. People can tell when they're being judged, instead of supported, for the unique things they do or for the failures they might encounter while trying something new. Compassion and faith aren't just church words... they're elements of successful living in all walks of life.
Staying Salty
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men." - Bible
Not every phrase attributed to Jesus Christ speaks of God, heaven or hell -- and these are just as interesting on their own.
Salt has a consistent taste that adds pleasure and nourishment to food. We have elements that add the same to life -- our smile, our laugh, our ability to help. Would we buy salt if it were merely possible that it would have flavor? Would we spend much time with people who regularly provide dullness, or worse? Only the dead are incapable of adding that spice to life. We can choose not to be like those under foot too soon!
Not every phrase attributed to Jesus Christ speaks of God, heaven or hell -- and these are just as interesting on their own.
Salt has a consistent taste that adds pleasure and nourishment to food. We have elements that add the same to life -- our smile, our laugh, our ability to help. Would we buy salt if it were merely possible that it would have flavor? Would we spend much time with people who regularly provide dullness, or worse? Only the dead are incapable of adding that spice to life. We can choose not to be like those under foot too soon!
Absent Messaging
Dona's taught me how to instant message through Yahoo! I can be managing my e-mail account and then pop - there she is with a howdyado. The only problem is that I have this tendency to walk away from the computer without signing off. Therefore the little indicator swears that I'm there, but friendly greetings are met with silence. This would be pretty awkward in person, with me just standing there smiling, staring straight ahead with no reaction. So we'll see if I can drop the Buckingham Palace guard impersonation and develop a good habit.
Role Over
"At UCLA we had five guys on the court playing basketball and seven guys on the sidelines forming a cheerleading squad. When I was on the bench, I was a cheerleader, and I felt that it mattered; I needed to be a great cheerleader, because it could help our team." -- Doug McIntosh, UCLA Varsity, 1964-1966
As a creative person, it can be a real challenge to keep my thoughts to myself. I've seen a pattern where I'll first get active in a cause and be just happy to be there; later I'll think of ways that things could be better; then I push those ideas onto others. "Pushing" ideas is a skill that some have, but when unsolicited it tears at the fabric of the team, dishonoring the role that others own. Some of my prouder moments in recent years have been resisting the temptation to suggest to people how things should be done, and letting things roll with the faith that everything's going to be all right. Besides, there are plenty of things I can do to improve myself in my own role!
As a creative person, it can be a real challenge to keep my thoughts to myself. I've seen a pattern where I'll first get active in a cause and be just happy to be there; later I'll think of ways that things could be better; then I push those ideas onto others. "Pushing" ideas is a skill that some have, but when unsolicited it tears at the fabric of the team, dishonoring the role that others own. Some of my prouder moments in recent years have been resisting the temptation to suggest to people how things should be done, and letting things roll with the faith that everything's going to be all right. Besides, there are plenty of things I can do to improve myself in my own role!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Getting In Touch
Today when I got on Facebook I noticed a couple of messages to me. One said that a friend of mine has sent me a hug. Another friend has "poked" me. I'm asked whether I would like to hug and poke them back.
My God, have hugging and poking become social norms? The people at work must think I'm so stuffy. They can't even bring themselves to do it in front of me. First person I see is getting a hug and a poke. "Bet you've been wanting me to do that for a while," I'll say with a warm smile. It'll probably make his day.
My God, have hugging and poking become social norms? The people at work must think I'm so stuffy. They can't even bring themselves to do it in front of me. First person I see is getting a hug and a poke. "Bet you've been wanting me to do that for a while," I'll say with a warm smile. It'll probably make his day.
Southern Astrology
From Dona. My possum horoscope isn't too far off!
OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20)
Although you appear crude, you are actually very slick on the
inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back
over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. Stay
away from Moon Pies.
CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19)
Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A chitlin, however, can make
something of himself if he's motivated and has lots of seasoning. In
dealing with Chitlins, be careful. They can erupt like Vesuvius.
Chitlins are best with Catfish and Okra.
BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - Mar 20)
You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the
surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the
interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and
driven as if you had some inner hunger. Nobody in their right mind is
going to marry you, so don't worry about it.
MOON PIE (Mar 21 - April 20)
You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. It's
a cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and
round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can
get remotely interested in the idea. It's not going to be easy. This
might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.
POSSUM (APR 21 - May 21)
When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked
tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about-it attitude.
Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead.
This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy, but seems to
work for you. One day, however, it won't work and you may find your
problems actually running you over.
CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21)
Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're always
hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the
mountains, the pool to the golf course, the bathtub to the living
room. You tend to be not particularly attractive physically, but you
have very, very good heads.
COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23)
Collards have a genius for communication. They love to get in the
"melting pot" of life and share their essence with the essence of
those around them. Collards make good social workers, psychologists,
and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you are
Collards, stay away from Moon Pies. It just won't work. Save yourself
a lot of heartache.
CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23)
Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one
whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You catfish are never
easy people to understand. You prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear
surface of life. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon
Pies.
GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23)
Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to
huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel
though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you
like to go? Anywhere they have cheese or gravy or bacon or butter or
eggs. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that
serves you well.
BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23)
You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man.
Unfortunately, those who know you best - your friends and loved ones
- may find that your personality is much too salty, and their
criticism will probably affect you deeply because you are really much
softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody
you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the
road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and
stop for you.
BUTTER BEAN (October 24 - Nov 22)
Always invite a Butter Bean because Butter Beans get along well
with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean, should be proud. You've grown
on the vine of life and you feel at home no matter what the setting.
You can sit next to anybody. However, you, too, shouldn't have
anything to do with Moon Pies.
ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21)
You have a tendency to develop a tough exterior, but you are actually
quite gentle. A good evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some
roots, fruit, worms and insects. You are a throwback. You're not
concerned with today's fashions and trends. You're not concerned with
anything about today. You're really almost prehistoric in your
interests and behavior patterns. You probably want to marry another
Armadillo, but Possum is another somewhat kinky, mating possibility.
OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20)
Although you appear crude, you are actually very slick on the
inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back
over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. Stay
away from Moon Pies.
CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19)
Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A chitlin, however, can make
something of himself if he's motivated and has lots of seasoning. In
dealing with Chitlins, be careful. They can erupt like Vesuvius.
Chitlins are best with Catfish and Okra.
BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - Mar 20)
You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the
surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the
interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and
driven as if you had some inner hunger. Nobody in their right mind is
going to marry you, so don't worry about it.
MOON PIE (Mar 21 - April 20)
You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. It's
a cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and
round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can
get remotely interested in the idea. It's not going to be easy. This
might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.
POSSUM (APR 21 - May 21)
When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked
tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about-it attitude.
Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead.
This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy, but seems to
work for you. One day, however, it won't work and you may find your
problems actually running you over.
CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21)
Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're always
hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the
mountains, the pool to the golf course, the bathtub to the living
room. You tend to be not particularly attractive physically, but you
have very, very good heads.
COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23)
Collards have a genius for communication. They love to get in the
"melting pot" of life and share their essence with the essence of
those around them. Collards make good social workers, psychologists,
and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you are
Collards, stay away from Moon Pies. It just won't work. Save yourself
a lot of heartache.
CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23)
Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one
whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You catfish are never
easy people to understand. You prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear
surface of life. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon
Pies.
GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23)
Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to
huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel
though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you
like to go? Anywhere they have cheese or gravy or bacon or butter or
eggs. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that
serves you well.
BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23)
You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man.
Unfortunately, those who know you best - your friends and loved ones
- may find that your personality is much too salty, and their
criticism will probably affect you deeply because you are really much
softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody
you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the
road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and
stop for you.
BUTTER BEAN (October 24 - Nov 22)
Always invite a Butter Bean because Butter Beans get along well
with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean, should be proud. You've grown
on the vine of life and you feel at home no matter what the setting.
You can sit next to anybody. However, you, too, shouldn't have
anything to do with Moon Pies.
ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21)
You have a tendency to develop a tough exterior, but you are actually
quite gentle. A good evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some
roots, fruit, worms and insects. You are a throwback. You're not
concerned with today's fashions and trends. You're not concerned with
anything about today. You're really almost prehistoric in your
interests and behavior patterns. You probably want to marry another
Armadillo, but Possum is another somewhat kinky, mating possibility.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
What Is Truth?
"What is truth?" -- quote of Pontius Pilate, toward Jesus Christ, John 18:38
"No one, not even the CEO, owns the entire truth, because no one can be in all places at all times." -- Susan Scott
For us non-deities, we do well when we shrug off the temptation to be right and sincerely ask the question "What else may be true?" Going back to the beach ball analogy, if we fail to use the fact that everyone's stood on a different-colored stripe, then we rob ourselves of the best decision we can make.
"No one, not even the CEO, owns the entire truth, because no one can be in all places at all times." -- Susan Scott
For us non-deities, we do well when we shrug off the temptation to be right and sincerely ask the question "What else may be true?" Going back to the beach ball analogy, if we fail to use the fact that everyone's stood on a different-colored stripe, then we rob ourselves of the best decision we can make.
Top Yourself
"You can always do more than you think you can." -- Doug McIntosh, on a lesson learned from John Wooden
The sublesson is that there's always more inside if a person's willing to work hard enough to bring it out.
Today was one of those challenging days, where I failed to cross-check my source of information and ended up making some false statements and irritating customers as a result. In those situations it's tempting and easy to blame the source and save face. But it's more useful I think to avoid the blame game, take responsibility and learn from the mistake. Still, that kind of strength doesn't come naturally to me. It takes a focused effort, a desire to be a good role model for others, that brings out more than would otherwise come.
The sublesson is that there's always more inside if a person's willing to work hard enough to bring it out.
Today was one of those challenging days, where I failed to cross-check my source of information and ended up making some false statements and irritating customers as a result. In those situations it's tempting and easy to blame the source and save face. But it's more useful I think to avoid the blame game, take responsibility and learn from the mistake. Still, that kind of strength doesn't come naturally to me. It takes a focused effort, a desire to be a good role model for others, that brings out more than would otherwise come.
Tropic Thunder
Dena and I went to see this movie at the theater. She fell asleep. Do not see this movie. I've already written too much.
Y, Oh Y
I ended up deciding to go with the YMCA again this fall, rather than the tempting offer to coach the team at Game Time Gym. The main drivers:
- Shorter season. Last year I was ready for it to end after four months. This year I'll have an assistant, and maybe that will prove enough to keep it exciting for the 6-month GTG league in a future year.
- Life changes, and the impact on free time. I'm still getting the hang of my new job, and rather than starting a season in October, the extra two months before the start of the Y season will be helpful. Plus, with the Chamber of Commerce undergoing turnover, I may have to work harder than usual for Leadership McLean County.
- Trust. John Anderson from the Y impressed me as an excellent communicator who responds to e-mail timely. That kind of fit has been rare for me, and one that means a lot.
- Competitiveness. At the Y, everyone's governed by the same rules. At GTG, there may be uneven expectations of parents as far as playing time, so some teams who play their stars longer may have a natural advantage.
There's a chance that the Y won't need a head coach if it has enough parent volunteers. If that happens, then I can always put my hat in the ring for the GTG team, their coach might even be ready to give me the reins. Whatever happens, it's all good.
- Shorter season. Last year I was ready for it to end after four months. This year I'll have an assistant, and maybe that will prove enough to keep it exciting for the 6-month GTG league in a future year.
- Life changes, and the impact on free time. I'm still getting the hang of my new job, and rather than starting a season in October, the extra two months before the start of the Y season will be helpful. Plus, with the Chamber of Commerce undergoing turnover, I may have to work harder than usual for Leadership McLean County.
- Trust. John Anderson from the Y impressed me as an excellent communicator who responds to e-mail timely. That kind of fit has been rare for me, and one that means a lot.
- Competitiveness. At the Y, everyone's governed by the same rules. At GTG, there may be uneven expectations of parents as far as playing time, so some teams who play their stars longer may have a natural advantage.
There's a chance that the Y won't need a head coach if it has enough parent volunteers. If that happens, then I can always put my hat in the ring for the GTG team, their coach might even be ready to give me the reins. Whatever happens, it's all good.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Right Question
"When a mistake is made in your organization, what's the first question asked: 'What can we learn?' or 'Who is to blame'?" -- Ken Blanchard
Most Valuable Team Player Awards
"The postseason awards I encouraged alumni and university groups to bestow on individual players never acknowledged the top scorer. Instead, qualities such as 'mental attitude,' 'most unselfish team player,' and 'improvement' were recognized and saluted." -- John Wooden
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