Contact Information

So yesterday morning I'm putting my right contact lens in my eye. As usual, I see it resting lightly on the tip of my finger and make the smooth approach toward my eye. I feel the light pressure as the finger reaches its target much like the previous 10,000 times. There's only one difference.

I still can't see.

What the...?

I start doing that thing where you hold one eye open and roll it all around, searching it with your other eye in a fashion that, if I were facing a job interviewer instead of my bathroom mirror, would cause the poor soul to work really hard to keep a straight face.

Those of you who have reached this threat-level-red of contact lens ownership know that the next crucial step is to search around every nearby square inch as much as possible while keeping your feet absolutely still. The resulting dance of swiveling hips, awkward twisting splayed-leg knee bends (since one is usually belly-up to an immovable sink/cabinet at this point) and nose-to-the-countertop squinting is yet another ritual that would have doomed the human race had the first caveman performed it in front of the first cavewoman.

The body is over 80% water, so wet contacts in a steamy bathroom are also known to cling to skin as part of their escape attempt, but as best I could tell peering all about through the shadows this was not part of the plan.

Satisfied enough that the lens is neither stuck to me nor in danger of foot squishing, I dash to the utility room for the nearest flashlight. After re-searching all surfaces back at the scene of the crime, I do another googly-eyed semi-self-blinding inspection at the mirror, a scene that's undoubtedly staged in optometrist training videos for comic relief.

At last I start rationalizing the situation, the way Navy rescue patrollers probably do after the man's been lost at sea for three days. "Probably bounced down the drain" (which isn't a viable option for the Navy, but you get my drift) "No big deal, there are plenty more" (actually, this is a pretty terrible analogy isn't it).

My replacement contact lens ably filled the role of its predecessor without further incident. That is, until the next morning, when placing the contact in my eye managed to make my eyesight worse. For a moment, I pondered whether it were possible for a priest to do an exorcism on an eye. Until I withdrew the contact - or should I say, the contacts - from my right eye. Evidently the rogue contact's plan was to hide out in the recesses of my eye socket until the coast was clear and then make a break for it. It worked... I pitched it into the trash.

Hurriphoonado Cuts Swath Of Destruction Across Eastern, Western Hemispheres

From The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/hurriphoonado_cuts_swath_of

Kurt's Graduation

What makes a better American fairy tale than someone overcoming their demons to succeed?

My youngest (but far from littlest, at 6'2") brother-in-law Kurt graduated from college after starts and stops, eventually grinding his way through night courses to reach the mountaintop just shy of 30. Dona captures it well:

http://recordedchicklit.blogspot.com/2009/04/flip-side-of-mountain-called-education.html

Fruits Of Pressure

Said one college graduate aspiring to be an NFL player: "It's a lot of pressure, which is good, because without pressure you'd have no diamonds."

Lately I've felt more pressure at work than usual, as the line of new projects deepens. And while I feel obliged as a manager to point out our understaffed situation to those who make personnel decisions, at the same time I realize that the jewels of any organization are those who keep a smile on their face with a quiet, determined faith that things will work out all right in the end.

Achieving Your Goals

From Lou Tice:

If you're going to get what you want in life, it is only common sense that first you have to know what you want. Even beyond that, it is absolutely essential that you take your desires seriously enough to goal-set to achieve them.

I am convinced that the reason most people fail to achieve their goals in life is that they never really set them in the first place. Most people spend more time planning a wedding or a vacation than they do planning their lives. And by failing to plan, they are actually planning to fail, by default.

You see, your mind is like the homing system in a torpedo or an automatic pilot. Once you clearly and specifically commit to a target, your mind uses negative and positive feedback from your environment, including your internal environment, to adjust your behavior.

But if you program your mind with vague desires, nonspecific goals, or fuzzy ideas, the feedback will be meaningless. For example, if you goal-set for a better standard of living, how will you know when you have achieved it? Any improvement at all will be something better. But if you have a highly specific target, such as doubling your income, you will always know when you are on track and exactly how far you have left to go at any given moment.

Remember, you have the power to achieve whatever you want in life, and commitment to specific goals is the surest way I know to tap into that power.

What Makes A Person Good?

I came across a series of three self-reflective questions today.

What do you do to keep your skills sharp? What behaviors could others emulate? How did you get to be who you are?

1. I stay in physical shape. Weighing myself every day keeps me in check, the scale is definitely a "life coach" for me. I know how about many calories will keep me at my current weight, and how much fat is in my diet. I drink about 8 glasses of water a day. I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. For the most part I avoid sweets and soda. I've never had coffee. I rarely eat red meat, though I do love a good burger.

2. I minimize negative situations. I'd like to say "avoid" there, but I initiate too many of them myself to qualify, though I'm trying hard to cut back. I change the station if the radio/T.V. gets harshly judgmental - no Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, most political conversations, plenty of religious ones, lots of sports ones. I choose my friends carefully - do they laugh with people instead of at people, strive to improve, see the bright side, act generously, pay compliments, say thank you, ask about the well-being of others? In a team environment, are they inclusive or do they give orders, open-minded or opinionated, communicative or secretive, empowering or controlling, humble or self-congratulating?

3. As someone once said, I'm a learner. I read about respected leaders to see what values and habits they have. I'm fascinated by the psychology of self-help books - not the overly academic kind, mind you, but the kind that tells stories and gives practical tips. I analyze (probably overanalyze) my mistakes to avoid repeating them. I believe that every person is better than me in some way, and try to pick up their best qualities.

4. I set goals. What gets measured, gets done.

5. I keep my options open, rarely make long-term commitments, and don't equate the things I do with who I am. That gives me the flexibility to do things for as long as I love to do them... and when I change or circumstances change, to move on to something else I love to do, without feeling like a part of me has died. When I love what I'm doing, I'm at my best.

6. Rules of thumb: I don't think about work once I leave work. I keep a mental library of pleasant visions and memories, like upcoming vacation, or maybe a massage, to blot out bad moods when they start to grow. If I still find myself brooding, I do something to distract myself like read a magazine. If nothing's working, it usually means I'm tired... so I completely relax or sleep until I'm ready to go. To relax for bed, I read something light, drink a glass of milk, eat a light snack with carbohydrates, and/or watch comedies on TV. I do not send angry e-mails. I do not argue with people, at least not until I've had a chance to think about what they said quietly on my own for a while. With few exceptions, I believe that everyone's political, religious and personal opinions might be right.

Joe McDonald Befriends Joe McDonald On Facebook

My eyes did a double-take when the note popped up on my screen that Joe McDonald had invited me to be his friend on Facebook. Country Joe McDonald, you ask? Not yet anyway. This was Joe McDonald of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a man blessed with a winning name.

Joe's a single guy, a Buddhist, and a Kansas City Royals baseball fan. He's an environmentalist and has 365 Facebook friends. And since we know he has excellent taste in friends (not to mention T.V., as Seinfeld is his #2 favorite show), this is one of the great days in history, the most pleasing merger to mankind since chocolate and peanut butter.

General Oversight

"Having entered Stalingrad, the Germans met such a ferocious resistance that they were forced onto the defensive. The besiegers became the besieged. Ignoring the appeals of his generals at the front, who urged a withdrawal, Hitler instructed his army to retreat not one millimeter. They were instructed 'to fight to the last soldier and the last bullet.'"

As a result, the powerful Sixth Army of Germany, which had been its most successful in World War II, lost 200,000 and another 91,000 were captured, of which 6,000 survived captivity.

Hitler blamed the large number of Romanian, Hungarian and Italian units fighting on the German side. He screamed of the cowardice of the army's commander Paulus when Paulus eventually surrendered.

Lesson: Leaders who scream and blame others are bad enough. Those who push on with blinders to the input of their team are downright disastrous.

Today was a small victory for inclusiveness at work. Thanks to solicited feedback, several people produced ideas that improved the final design. Those who produced ideas were thankful for being part of the team.

No Noise In Illinois, But There Is Sno

From Readers Digest:

This is how Illinois got started. A bunch of people in New York said, "Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough."

Hitler's Responsibility For The War

"It used to be generally thought that Hitler had a mater plan by which he plotted to reverse the results of the Great War and assert German control over the whole of Europe as a step to world domination. Few historians any longer see things as simply as that. The prevailing view now is that Hitler in foreign affairs, as in domestic ones, was an opportunist who responded to events rather than directing them. It is true that he had broad objectives. For example, he wanted Germany to recover its military strength, he longed to destroy Bolshevism, and he dreamed of Lebensraum (literally 'living space', which meant the taking over an settlement of Easter Europe by Germans). But these were aims, not detailed plans. His style was to play upon the weaknesses of others and see how far he could push them. He preferred to get his way by threats and resorted to war only when his threats were not enough." - Michael Lynch

What an interesting view into a successful and diabolical mind! Hitler achieved one of the largest land grabs in history through the sheer force of his will and firmness in his belief. For one thing, it goes to show the power of conviction, enough such that the murderous policies Hitler advocated became rational in so many minds. Another lesson is the extent to which a bully can prevail, if not stood up to. Just this morning I encountered a situation where a superior tried to dictate how a certain plan would go. It wasn't an "evil" plan by any means, but it fell askew of the kind of inclusiveness that makes team members feel valued. In trying to advance this idea I was "attacked" initially, and standing firm, in the end logic prevailed. This was not two adversaries with a winner and loser... this was a common ideal of group buy-in that shone more brightly than the cloud of inconvenience that threatened to blot it out. Sometimes it pays to stick to the greater good.

Concert Held To Wish World's Poor Good Luck

From The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/concerts_held_to_wish?utm_source=a-section

Central Illinois Volunteer Opportunities

I found a pretty cool site today, now that I'm turning my attention away from LMC and to making a difference elsewhere in the community:

http://www.volunteersolutions.org/volunteer/search-2.tcl?us_state=IL

There's no hurry, to be sure... I know the types of environments that fit me and don't, and will be selective. I am kind of intrigued by the "bingo caller" need over at the retirement community!

This week State Farm just revised its volunteerism policy in an attempt to encourage more of it. Employees will get time off work to do some. I plan to take advantage!

Or Maybe That Was The Boy Scouts

"The Optimists Club has it right when they say, 'The future belongs to those who will prepare for it.'" - Les Brown

Preparation is starting to make a difference. My 14% body fat goal is more in sight than ever, as I've held that mark now for a solid week, the longest extended stretch I've enjoyed so far. Preparation has made the difference... for example anticipating an evening out and adjusting my eating habits for the rest of the day accordingly. Or doing the research to find a good balance of protein in the diet versus fat or carbs. Or infusing more fruits and vegetables. And of course, hitting the gym six days a week. As the body slows down, the mind has to pick up the slack to compensate.

Also at work this week I prepared for my supervisor a breakdown of workload our unit is currently experiencing, which was favorably received. I like to think that more teamwork is fostered by laying out the facts somewhat objectively, than by simply declaring that we are over or understaffed.

Bringing The Heat

A sports physiologist once described Lewis Gordon Pugh, the activitist swimmer who has swum miles in Antarctic waters to raise awareness of ecological issues: "There's nothing superior about his physiology. The big difference is that he adapts and copes better - and has an iron will. Once he's in the water, he can suppress any urge to get out."

In fact, Pugh's core body temperature actually warms up by nearly two degrees as he concentrates before a swim.

The mind can control the body. We can overcome our circumstances!

Mistake-Proof Your Life

From Readers Digest:

1. Think small. Each year in the United States, some 7,000 people die from medication errors - and many of them are made because of doctors' sloppy handwriting. Little things do mean a lot.

2. Slow down. Multitasking can cause our error rate to go up, as our attention becomes divided. It makes sense to slow down and do things one at a time. The slower approach may actually be more efficient in the long run.

3. Get more sleep. Sleepy people make more mistakes, and there are staggering numbers of sleep-deprived people out there.

4. Put off decisions until you're in a better mood. Good feelings increase the tendency to combine material in new ways and see relatedness between things. Happy people tend to be more creative and less prone to errors.

Solo Artist

"When you come right down to it, all you have is yourself. The sun is a thousand rays in your belly. All the rest is nothing." - Pablo Picasso

Love Thy Napper

A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service,

"And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

Peace Of Your Mind

"If there is to be any peace, it will come through being, not having." - Henry Miller

True enough that we can't look for any thing - a job, a possession - to reliably provide us with happiness. Happiness can be greater elsewhere, but it must begin where we are.

Unshakable

"Inwardly seeing your own self-nature and being unshakable, indestructible - that is Zen!" - Zen saying

Only if we see ourselves as unshakable can we be so. We become what we see ourselves to be.

9 Ways To Get Happy In 30 Minutes

by Real Simple Magazine:

In the next half hour, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you've achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you're on the phone, stand up and pace. Walk to a coworker's office instead of sending an e-mail. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better...

2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning. Find the best walking workout for your exercise style.

3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven't seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you'll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do. In that time, take a quick look around the house and see how to get organized using everyday items.

6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also...

7. Save someone's life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!

8. Act happy. Fake it 'til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you're smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable. There's no need to walk around in a constant state of worry. After all, what's the worst that can happen if you bounce a check or leave wet clothes in the dryer?

9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need to" learn about.

Virtual 5K

I forgot my workout clothes at home today, so rather than toddle over to the health club after work, I hit the neighborhood pavement for a 3-mile run. Out of interest I compared my 7:45 mile time with those of a recent local 5k race.

I would have come in 33rd out of 129 runners.

I'd have been 3rd out of 13 in my 5-year age group.

I would have crossed the finish line with a 13-year old.

Only 5 women would have finished before me.

Only 1 guy in his 60s came in ahead of me, and one 11-year old. But only by two minutes.

I can't feel my legs.

What Woody Think

"Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem." -Woody Allen

If A Salesman Wrote The Golden Rule

"The best way to sell yourself to others is first to sell the others to yourself." - Napoleon Hill

Okay, Be Like A Monk After All

"In a world of endless meetings, cell-phone calls, BlackBerry messages, and beepers, finding time for solitude requires conscious intention and commitment. Investment in solitude promotes well-being, creativity, and energy. And, as Edison understood, it helps us get more out of our social interactions. Psychologists investigating the benefits of solitude... conclude that time alone strengthens our ability to connect with others.

Take time to meditate or just go for a walk by yourself on a daily basis. Once every few months, however hectic your life may be, get away by yourself for at least one day." - Michael Gelb

No Wonder There Aren't More Monk Millionaires

"Overseriousness is a warning sign of mediocrity and bureaucratic thinking." - Michael Gelb

Honest, Boss, I Was Working On My Memory

"Researchers studying the psychology of memory have discovered that taking regular breaks will improve your recall. If you study something for an hour and then take a ten-minute break, your recall for the material will be higher after the break. Psychologists call this the reminiscence effect. Breaks allow your mind the opportunity to incubate and integrate new learning so that your memory functions most effectively." - Michael Gelb

Striving For Perfection

"In trying to perfect a thing, I sometimes run straight up against a granite wall a hundred feet high. If, after trying and trying, I can't get over it, I turn to something else." - Thomas Edison

I'm thankful that I've run into granite walls often enough to recognize one coming down the road. I turn early. Saves a lot of nail-scraping and keeps the granite company happy. Win-win!

Ideaphoria

"To have a great idea, have a lot of them." - Thomas Edison

I've been thinking of ways to spend my free time recently, hunting for a great idea. Hunting's a good word there because it conjures up images of sitting quietly behind a duck blind with lots of time to think. Lots of things pass, eventually a prime target enters the picture. Somewhere in this town of 100,000 is a group of people whose cause and chemistry matches me well. Or maybe it's time I start writing that book that's been simmering in my mind for a few years.

Once it's discovered, then "ideaphoria" will become "euphoria"!

In Part Because Of The Potholes

"No runner ever won a race by looking over his shoulder and demeaning the competition." - Les Brown

That metaphor is much broader than athletic competition, stretching all the way to our interaction with the "rude" person in line at the restaurant. What good is it to badger the character of another when those seconds could so easily be used to press on to the next productive thing in life?

A Father's Love

"All fathers are intimidating. They're intimidating because they are fathers. Once a man has children, for the rest of his life, his attitude is, 'To hell with the world, I can make my own people. I'll eat whenever I want, I'll wear whatever I want, and I'll create whoever I want.'" - Jerry Seinfeld

Pleased As A Peacock

"Edison's charismatic optimism about the achievement of his big goals was balanced with an almost Zenlike quality of detachment in regard to the results of individual experiments." - Michael Gelb

Edison didn't link his sense of identity or self-worth to the results of any individual trial. Conversely, his successes didn't give him any particular sense of pride.

Pride is built into our makeup. We feel a sense of pride in ourselves, our family, our company, our nation. It's also held that pride is sinful, and why so? Is it boastfulness? It's often not intended to be that way, but still... of late I've tried to replace "I'm proud of you" with "I'm happy for you."

Twist Of Faith

It occurred to me this week, as a cold's been doggedly hanging on to my system, that I've been spending more time worrying than usual. I suppose people who are tired get that way in spells. I've gotten through cloudier times than this by simply keeping faith that one way or another, things will turn out as they should. My role in that fate is to respond with gratefulness for those things that I have - maybe not a sense of taste at the moment, but two healthy legs to get up and restock my own tissues, and enough money to buy more medicine, and a job that affords sick days if I need them. To worry is to disrupt the only thing I do have control over... my own inner harmony.

Then She Washed The Soap

By now I know that women have different sensibilities from men. So it shouldn't have surprised me to wake up one morning to the sound of Dena running the vacuum cleaner before our visitors arrived. That is, if our expected guests weren't the carpet cleaners.

Child Bankrupts Make-A-Wish Foundation With Wish For Unlimited Wishes

From the Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/child_bankrupts_make_a_wish_0?utm_source=a-section

Have You Ever?

My most reflective and poetic relative Dona has done it again:

http://recordedchicklit.blogspot.com/2009/04/have-you-ever-been-to-top-of-hill-where.html

In response to her challenge, I have one:

"Have you ever felt light-headed for two days straight? I have."

I'm glad to say that from the moment I felt that first throat tickle that hints that a cold's on the way, I've been religiously taking Zicam and Sudafed on schedule. Whether it's the medicine (which has almost entirely prevented any mucous build-up so it is doing it's job) or the strain of cold I have, I've been a little loopy and downright exhausted after work the last two days. Fortunately I had a burst of energy here on the heels of a two-hour nap, long enough to advertise my ills to the world!

Panicked, Sweat-Covered Pope Reverses Long-Standing Ban On Abortion

From the Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/panicked_sweat_covered_pope?utm_source=a-section

Hot New Video Game Consists Solely Of Shooting People Point-Blank In The Face

Making fun of "shooter" video games...

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/hot_new_video_game_consists?utm_source=a-section

Mortgage-Free!

Today I paid off our mortgage after just about 15 years as a homeowner.

Here preparation made the difference. I'd stopped in a couple of times at the bank to make deposits and made a point of asking the lady at the loan desk if I could just "phone it in" or would have to come in person. "Phone it in" would be fine.

Today when I called and asked for the "loan" area, the receptionist's response was "Matt's not here, he'll be in later today would you like to leave a message?" I was pretty sure the lady's name wasn't Matt so I physically described the person I was thinking about. That cleared up the confusion, as she thought I was calling to refinance.

When she put me through to Vicky, I was told that it'd be no problem... just drop by and make the payment. To which I replied "If I have enough in my checking account, can I just have you draw it from there?" Sure, no problem.

Preparation saved me what could have been several wasted hours waiting for Matt to tell me that I should be talking to Vicky, and also a needless trip to the bank.

Jordan, Robinson, Stockton Among 5 Elected To Hall Of Fame

Personal note: Of course it's thrilling to see MJ get in, but I've always felt a kinship with John Stockton so am including this article more for the comments on/from him:

DETROIT (AP)—Michael Jordan wanted to put on his shorts and play one final time.

The decorated NBA champion and MVP already had two failed retirements, so what was one more return to the court? Sharing a stage with former Dream Team teammates David Robinson and John Stockton, Jordan was all out of comebacks.

Air Jordan has a new name: Hall of Famer.

Jordan was elected to the class of 2009 on Monday with Robinson and Stockton. Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer are also part of a class announced in Detroit, site of the men’s Final Four.

Induction is Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Mass., home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I don’t like being up here for the Hall of Fame because at that time your basketball career is completely over,” Jordan said. “I was hoping this day would be 20 more years, or actually go in when I’m dead and gone.”

Jordan’s Hall of Fame selection was a slam dunk after he retired as perhaps the greatest player in history. And he gave much of the credit Monday to his college coach.

“There’s no way you guys would have got a chance to see Michael Jordan play without Dean Smith,” he said.

His soaring dunks, Nike commercials and “Air Jordan” nickname helped stamp him as one the most recognizable athletes around the world. He finished a 15-year career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards with 32,292 points — the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain’s 30.07.

The five-time NBA MVP won six championships with the Bulls and another in college with North Carolina. The Tar Heels play Michigan State in the national championship game Monday night.

Jordan will root on the Tar Heels, but had no plans to give them a pep talk.

Tar Heels coach Roy Williams was an assistant with Carolina on that 1982 championship team and was at Monday’s induction, where Ty Lawson won the Bob Cousy award as the nation’s top point guard.

Jordan retired twice during his career. He first came back to the Bulls in 1994 and won three more championships before retiring again in 1998, then had an ill-fated two-year stint with the Washington Wizards before calling it quits for good in 2003. He’s now managing partner of the Charlotte Bobcats.

On Monday, he joked that when he saw Stockton and Robinson he was ready to put his shorts on again.

“I always want to be able to have you thinking I can always go back and play the game of basketball and put your shorts on,” Jordan said. “Hall of Fame to me is like, OK, it’s over and done with.”

Jordan won two of his titles in the 1990s against Sloan, Stockton and the Jazz. Stockton spent his entire career with Utah and finished with 19,711 points, and holds NBA records 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals. He also holds NBA records for most assists in a season (1,164 in 1990-91) and highest assist average in a season (14.5 in 1989-90).

“Growing up I never thought about the Hall of Fame,” Stockton said. “All I wanted was a chance to go to college.”

Utah took Stockton in the first round of the 1984 draft, using the No. 16 pick on a relatively unknown player from Gonzaga who became one of the top point guards.

“I haven’t given this much thought over the course of a lifetime,” he said. “I’m not sure it quite strikes home until you’re standing here.”

Robinson, who earned the nickname “The Admiral” from his college career at Navy, joined Stockton and Jordan as members of the NBA’s 50th anniversary team.

He had a stellar 14-year career with the San Antonio Spurs that included two NBA championships, an MVP season, a rookie of the year award, 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title and two Olympic gold medals. Unlike Jordan’s inability to stay home after his final shot in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Robinson was content to retire after winning a second title with the Spurs in 2003.

“If I had to pick one night in my career, it would probably be walking off the court as a champion and knowing that was going to be my last memory of basketball,” Robinson said.

Sloan, who did not attend the ceremony, is the longest tenured head coach in major league sports with a single franchise. Sloan is the only NBA coach to win more than 1,000 games with a single team and has the Jazz in seventh place in the Western Conference going into Monday night’s games.

He was missed by Stockton.

“He’s not only a coach and a mentor, but a friend,” Stockton said. “I enjoy him very much. The honor to share it with him, terrific.”

Dena Runs Away From Home At Record Speed

Dena set a personal best today by covering 3.7 miles in just 35 1/2 minutes. The 9:40 average mile time came as temperatures dropped below 50 and toward an upcoming three-day stretch of potentially snowy weather.

When she and I trained for the Jingle Bell Run over a year ago, we rejoiced when she cracked the 11-minute mark. Now she's running longer and faster. Plus she's made a few ambitious runs with a new running club in town... and not the kind where half the time it's walking... these regular runners sometimes hit an 8.5 minute pace.

Who knows what's next? The woman who "didn't understand" running now runs more than most Americans.

Opening Day

The 2009 baseball season begins tonight at 7:00 CST.

Superficially the game has little meaning - one of 162 games that will be played by every major league team, featuring a pair of teams I'd prefer not to win the World Series (Braves and Phillies) and further, that has no direct impact on the Cubs' chances of making the playoffs.

But baseball, and Opening Day in particular, is about symbolism. Baseball's the only major American sport whose season is contained entirely within a single calendar year. It sprouts as the nation warms from its chilling winter slumber. It's played in fresh air and fair weather, with a long preseason that gives all fans a chance to dream, and in some cases, to start over. And lately I have been thinking of turning over a new page in some areas of my life, in more ways than Saturday's drafting of a satisfying fantasy baseball team. Such is nature - the portrait of continuous renewal, of fountains and wellsprings of enduring hope.

Slumdog Millionaire

"It is written" is a phrase quoted in Hidden Blog previously, and appears in this movie too. In dramatic fashion it gives a classic rags-to-riches story where the guy gets the girl and the city rejoices its hero. It's also got a subplot of two lives taking different directions based on their choices, one at times literally crawling through excrement in the quest for some of life's simplest joys, the other choosing a path that leads to destruction.

It's the story of "Three Musketeers" who rise as orphans from the slums of India, with photos that never fail to shock our excessively comfortable lifestyle. Along the way they overcome the forces of religious hatred, slave labor, and dishonesty to name a few.

I always have extra appreciation for movies without household names as actors.

You don't have to see it in theaters for the experience, but do see this film!

Hate-Loss Diet

"Our lives... are but a little while, so let them run as sweetly as you can, and give no thought to grief from day to day. For time is not concerned to keep our hopes, but hurries on its business, and is gone." - Euripides

Years ago the high school planted a tree in Dad's honor on the football field. With the dissolution of the school, what will become of the tree? The same as all things, eventually - it will pass on. Precious time could be spent trying to "save" the tree, to rail against things that are destined, or to enjoy the nobility of it all irrespective of the outcome.

Gram Racker

An article I read recently suggested that to maintain my current weight I should eat about 2,200 calories a day. Also:

1 gram fat = 9 calories
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram carb = 4 calories

If the ideal ratio of fat/protein/carb is 1/2/3, then daily I should be eating:

Fat = 2,200 x 1/6 = 367 calories / 9 = 40 grams
Protein = 2,200 x 2/6 = 733 calories / 4 = 183 grams
Carb = 2,200 x 3/6 = 1,100 calories / 4 = 275 grams

I checked out some of my usual foods, and how much of each I'd have to eat to meet these amounts:

Smart Start Toasted Oat cereal: 6 bowls = 15g/36g/288g (1,320 cals)
Chicken breasts: 6 pieces = 21g/150g/0g (840 cals)

A functional, if unexciting diet that would be!

The Language Of Success

"Never give up, never give up, never, ever, give up." - Winston Churchill

"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." - Churchill

"One trait that successful people share is the tendency to study the lives of other successful people. Resilience in the face of adversity is the greatest long-term predictor of success for individuals and organizations." - Michael Gelb

LMC Presentation Day

The Leadership McLean County class of 2009 made the most community impact that I've seen in my three years as facilitator.

One group is committed to starting a program equivalent to LMC for teenagers.

Another raised $31,000 for the PATH crisis center.

Still another arranged for 20 donated laptops for children participating in Project Oz.

Afterward half the class headed out and bowled a few games.

I think that the LMC facilitator experience has peaked for me!

Be Natural

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao-Tsu

Most visions that come to me tend to be realistic only over a series of years.

"When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial and trial until it comes." - Thomas Edison

It takes a team led by a committed leader in order to fire up and maintain this type of persistence from top to bottom, assuming also of course that the right members are on the team to fit the situation. I feel that sense of responsibility as lately, I've been enjoying the view as my team at work moves steadily toward an overhauled reorganization of our filing system without needing much more from me than an extra voice to facilitate ideas. It has the feel of true teamwork in action - input, open-mindedness, planning and ultimately buy-in.

Driscoll Is Closing

Wow. Jack called me yesterday with the news that my high school is $325,000 in debt and closing at the end of the year. The students and faculty will be redistributed to other schools.

Driscoll Catholic High School lived for over 40 years and as I've chronicled here, produced state championships in three sports, including a state-record 7 consecutive in football.

Dad worked there 14 years, had a number retired, a scholarship named after him, and planted the earliest seeds of the girls' basketball program that produced its first state championship this year.

Jack holds the school record for saves by a baseball pitcher, and made the last 3-point basket in the school's most important boys' basketball game.

I participated in a couple of career days since graduating.

Earlier this year I was solicited for $1,000 as part of a fund raiser. I'd also considered planned giving, taking out a life insurance policy with the school as beneficiary. Guess it's a good thing I didn't, or someone from the Catholic mafia might have shown up!

Diagnosis: This greatly reduces the odds of our 20-year reunion, and increases the street value of my Driscoll memorabilia... might be worth dozens of dollars soon.

Performance Review

Words mean more than pay to me these days.

"Strengths:

- Demonstrates leadership courage by providing point of view on products and issues that are not always popular.

- Strong ability to teach his direct reports on complex topics in a very understandable way, as well as others outside the department.

- Has demonstrated creativity in developing his team as he has fit into a new role in the Actuarial department this past year. This also includes creativity for employee recognition within our department."

Oh Dalai

"If one's life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements. And finally, there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation." - Dalai Lama

Twitter Switch For Guardian, After 188 Years Of Ink

Consolidating its position at the cutting edge of new media technology, the Guardian today announces that it will become the first newspaper in the world to be published exclusively via Twitter, the sensationally popular social networking service that has transformed online communication.

The move, described as "epochal" by media commentators, will see all Guardian content tailored to fit the format of Twitter's brief text messages, known as "tweets", which are limited to 140 characters each. Boosted by the involvement of celebrity "twitterers", such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Stephen Fry, Twitter's profile has surged in recent months, attracting more than 5m users who send, read and reply to tweets via the web or their mobile phones.

As a Twitter-only publication, the Guardian will be able to harness the unprecedented newsgathering power of the service, demonstrated recently when a passenger on a plane that crashed outside Denver was able to send real-time updates on the story as it developed, as did those witnessing an emergency landing on New York's Hudson River. It has also radically democratised news publishing, enabling anyone with an internet connection to tell the world when they are feeling sad, or thinking about having a cup of tea.

"[Celebrated Guardian editor] CP Scott would have warmly endorsed this - his well-known observation 'Comment is free but facts are sacred' is only 36 characters long," a spokesman said in a tweet that was itself only 135 characters long.

A mammoth project is also under way to rewrite the whole of the newspaper's archive, stretching back to 1821, in the form of tweets. Major stories already completed include "1832 Reform Act gives voting rights to one in five adult males yay!!!"; "OMG Hitler invades Poland, allies declare war see tinyurl.com/b5x6e for more"; and "JFK assassin8d @ Dallas, def. heard second gunshot from grassy knoll WTF?"

Sceptics have expressed concerns that 140 characters may be insufficient to capture the full breadth of meaningful human activity, but social media experts say the spread of Twitter encourages brevity, and that it ought to be possible to convey the gist of any message in a tweet.

For example, Martin Luther King's legendary 1963 speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial appears in the Guardian's Twitterised archive as "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by", eliminating the waffle and bluster of the original.

At a time of unprecedented challenge for all print media, many publications have rushed to embrace social networking technologies. Most now offer Twitter feeds of major breaking news headlines, while the Daily Mail recently pioneered an iPhone application providing users with a one-click facility for reporting suspicious behaviour by migrants or gays. "In the new media environment, readers want short and punchy coverage, while the interactive possibilities of Twitter promise to transform th," the online media guru Jeff Jarvis said in a tweet yesterday, before reaching his 140-character limit, which includes spaces. According to subsequent reports, he is thinking about going to the theatre tonight, but it is raining :(.

A unique collaboration between The Guardian and Twitter will also see the launch of Gutter, an experimental service designed to filter noteworthy liberal opinion from the cacophony of Twitter updates. Gutter members will be able to use the service to comment on liberal blogs around the web via a new tool, specially developed with the blogging platform WordPress, entitled GutterPress.

Currently, 17.8% of all Twitter traffic in the United Kingdom consists of status updates from Stephen Fry, whose reliably jolly tone, whether trapped in a lift or eating a scrumptious tart, has won him thousands of fans. A further 11% is made up of his 363,000 followers replying "@stephenfry LOL!", "@stephenfry EXACTLY the same thing happened to me", and "@stephenfry Meanwhile, I am making myself an omelette! Delicious!"

According to unconfirmed rumours, Jim Buckmaster, the chief executive of Craigslist, will next month announce plans for a new system of telepathy-based social networking that is expected to render Twitter obsolete within weeks.