Sunday, July 29, 2012

Surf Dreams

We visited the beach this weekend, a departure from our normal weekends of work and college course studies. It was welcome relief, and the kids were thrilled to get into some surf and sand. I was able to revisit something I hadn't for over 20 years.

Surfing was something I tried when I was about 17. I did it once or twice, maybe three times - something like that. I can only remember that I did get up, and rode out pathetic little waves about the size of my pinkie finger, bent in half, maybe. Couple of those and I remembered thinking I had surfed. I do remember having a ton of fun with it, but never really going back to explore it further. As my sons and I banged into waist high waves this weekend I remembered how much fun it could be, and I realized I wanted to try again. So, anyone got a 9'+ board they could let me borrow for a few? Just want to get back out and try it again, and this time let my kids give it a go as well. Oregon coast, look out!


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Politics Will Be Driving This Home!

http://www.bcg.com/media/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?id=tcm%3A12-104216&goback=%2Egde_2521594_member_127064303

If the momentum can hold, would be good for us all. Now all we have to do is retrain the average consumer to be a bit more judicious at Walmart, if that's possible!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

UFO's, and other Cryptids

The UK decided to offer us minions a few documents that may suggest alien life exists. Now, I haven't read any of them, but my bet is that there's nothing to admit there are, or aren't, such life forms abducting us humanoids, slaughtering our cows, or artistically transmitting secret encoded messages to us through a corn field crop circle. I sincerely love to watch those conspiracy shows. I like the guy with the shadowed profile and the computer altered voice. He, himself, sounds like just such an alien. Isn't that ironic?! Nothing says secret government cover up like the blurry guy with a tracheotomy.

While we're at it, where the heck is Bigfoot? He's got his own crew of fruitcakes walking around looking for him. He's got a TV show, beef jerky, fan clubs, laws protecting him, and even bumper stickers. I can't wait to read his x-files when they get released. Hopefully we'll get another far-away, granular, softened image of him walking through the woods. As Mitch Hedburg said, 'maybe Bigfoot really is blurry.'

I guess I'll be a skeptic until I see one in the flesh. Of course, if I do, I'll run like a Chupacabra after breakfast, so I won't be much good at retelling the story. Unless, of course, my alien abduction is captured on my GoPro.




Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Sequestration

Well, Congress has some soul searching to do. Cut the defense budget and face a sizable layoff, or move to bypass the legislation and keep defense dollars where they reside. So the balancing act plays out Jan 2, but the calling card is delivered on Nov 2 when private companies in the contracting world must announce potential layoffs. If that occurs, will it sway the election? I think we all know that the move will be politically motivated more than principled in a desire to reduce spending. Neither the incumbent can afford to face a major layoff 4 days prior to election, nor can the challenger face his constituents should pink slips be distributed. Once again, compromising the tax payer will be the result for political gain. Hence, the frustration among many in this country with our elected leaders.

Politics is like a river. The people stand on the bank, watching the flow pass by. The politically ambitious get close to the water, toe in, checking the temp, then a push from the crowd and they are swimming. What is apparent however, is that they are more a product of the current of the stream, and less about their ability to change its direction. Dig deep Congress, maybe you will prove me wrong this time...