Farewell Song

A video with the lyrics to Farewell Song by Vaya Con Dios. Dani Klein's voice is so very seductive and plaintive. Farewell to 2010! Enjoy, happy Friday and happy New Year's Eve.

The faces of socialism in Latin America

A succinct roundup of the usual neighborly suspects residing to the south of us from the Miami Herald opinion pages. How long, given our current direction, before we join them?

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. We have all had one of these next managers at some point in our careers. They appear on our horizon to test our patience.

MOTW: Obtuse Manager

Takes forever to understand your ideas. Needs everything explained umpteen times in order to discuss it or consider it for implementation.

Happy holidays

Merry Christmas. May you all enjoy a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous holiday season.

Weekend Haiku

The pheasant cries
as if it just noticed
the mountain.

Issa (1763-1827)

Desert Rose

Sting performs Desert Rose in concert with Cheb Mami. Enjoy and happy Friday.

Sofia Vergara - Hilarious!

I am not a fan of the Ellen show but this is really funny. Ellen sends Sofia Vergara from Modern Family into a small store with an IFB in her ear and extemporizes a script for her to follow on hidden camera. Hilarity ensues.

Irony defined

Julian Assange's lawyers cry foul over leaked incriminating police files which accuse Mr. Assange in graphic detail of sexually assaulting two Swedish women. These files were published in a British newspaper. Interesting, when the Wikileak is on the other foot then it is not so acceptable. Transparency is a good thing, is it not Mr. Assange?

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. This next manager has a very glib delivery, but lacks in follow up. Eventually the hot air he/she constantly releases catches up with him/her and it usually isn't very pretty when it happens.

MOTW: Smooth Talking Manager

Smooth Talking Manager has the ability to expound effortlessly on any topic in what appears to be the latest, most informed corporate vocabulary. This manager relies on his/her verbal skills to carry the day and mostly succeeds. However, when the rare failure happens, due to going to the well once too often, it is usually a spectacular flameout that is talked about for many years. As a general rule Smooth Talking Managers have little or no execution skills.

Weekend Haiku

Seeing people off,
being seen off-
autumn in Kiso.

Basho (1644-1694)

Travelin' Light

Something we all wish we could do. Here is the legend himself, J.J. Cale, in the studio performing his tune Travelin' Light. This man has influenced too many rock/blues/country legends to count. Probably the most known example is Eric Clapton who made two of Cale's tunes, After Midnight and Cocaine known to millions.

Have you ever called customer service and waited seemingly forever for a real human to come to your aid?

Being lost amidst the netherworld of muzak and multiple options on an automated voice response helpline can be extremely frustrating, especially since the the reason you called to begin with is your product isn't working the way it should be. Here are a few tips to try and get that human on the phone that much quicker and avoid some of that frustration.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. This next specimen tends to have reptilian ancestry. Being saddled with one of these at any point in one's career is a real tragedy.

MOTW: Slimy Manager

Oozes viscous liquid from every pore. Leers a lot and makes inappropriate comments. After any type of meeting with this manager a decontaminating shower is required.

Weekend Haiku

Last time, I think,
I'll brush the flies
from my father's face.

Issa (1763-1827)

Nueva York

A recording of Santana's Nueva York from his album Shango. Great tune with a nice Latin rock sound. Carlos on the guitar is always a great thing. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Atlas Shrugged - The Movie

Here is the official Facebook page of the making of the movie. Apparently it is coming along...albeit slowly.

Julian Assange strikes on SNL

Saturday Night Live had a pretty good skit on the whole WikiLeaks ruckus. Check it out.

Another sign the economy is in trouble

Perhaps it is a message to the Treasury department not to print money after all. Everyone knows it is inflationary to print bills and pump them into the economy right? Well, when your government can't even get that right then you know that your economy is in trouble, or... perhaps is being saved from itself. Get a load of this.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means.Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. This next manager is becoming more and more prevalent as younger workers join the workforce and get promoted to management ranks.

MOTW: Connectivity Manager

Must be linked at all times through on-line capability with the office. Failure to do so results in cold sweats and nightmares. Constantly knows what his/her staff is doing/thinking via remote on-line real-time access. Backup systems include Blackberries, cellular phones, dedicated landlines, instant messaging and as a last resort smoke signals.

Weekend Haiku

By moonlight
the blossoming plum
is a tree in winter.

Buson (1716-1783)

Untouchable

A recording of Garbage's Untouchable. Enjoy and happy Friday.