Smooth release, great snap and a perfect X step...

Equals a long, long drive. Here is Will Schusterick in super slow motion demonstrating the form that has made him one of the top professionals in our sport. It is a thing of beauty to watch.

Contrary to popular belief...

There are still honest people in this world. This brief story helps restore some faith in humanity.

C. Everett Koop dead at 96

The country's most recognizable Surgeon General is dead at age 96. The cause of death has not been disclosed. He was a good man and an even better steward of the nation's health. It is only fitting that the man who cared for our health during seven years of the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations should have lived such a long, prosperous and productive life.He will be missed.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. What is that saying? "Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you." Someone should tell this next manager that. It might be reassuring for him/her.

MOTW: Paranoid Manager

Afraid of his/her own shadow, this manager rarely leaves his/her office and only does so when summoned by Senior Management. When the summons comes Paranoid Manager assumes the worst and already has half of his/her desk cleaned out by the time he/she hangs up the phone. Upon a chance encounter with Conspiracy Manager, Paranoid Manager usually implodes because of all the negative implications upon his/her corporate survivability a conversation with Conspiracy Manager will typically reveal.

Weekend Haiku

We human-
squirming around
among the blossoming flowers.

Issa (1763 - 1827)

Forever Lost

Forever Lost from Conjure One. Great tune, I don't know why more people don't know about Conjure One. Enjoy and happy Friday.

That's hot!

Here (in this linked list, not in the picture) for your consumption (or not) are the world's spiciest hot sauces. Me, I just like to drench my eats in that old reliable, Crystal Hot Sauce which you can see in the picture to the left. It is just thick enough and has enough of a kick to add a little spice to the blandest of offerings, but it isn't really that hot. When I can't get a hold of some Crystal, my backup is Cholula which I find mimics Crystal's viscous pour and spiciness pretty well. I am not really into Tabasco, which I find kind of watery. When I want something really hot I use the "Smack My Ass and call me Sally" sauce sold by the restaurant chain Tijuana Flats, but that didn't even make the list. Check them out. Hot, hot, hot!

Postal Service to launch clothing line

WTF? The struggling United States Postal Service will launch a clothing line supposedly to try and boost revenue. Call me crazy, but when you can't even execute your core competency (delivering mail within budget) I don't think you should be branching out into other pursuits such as trying to compete with  top flight fashion designers. Who came up with this one? The USPS uniforms aren't exactly cutting edge. Perhaps they should focus on delivering the mail and not cutting out the Saturday delivery. The apparel will  be sold under the brand name “Rain Heat & Snow,” an homage to the service’s unofficial motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Good luck with that one. Yikes!

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. This next manager could use a regular supply of energy drinks, but rarely indulges in them.

MOTW: Dozing Off Manager

Typically a specimen that is getting on in years, one can set one’s watch by this next manager’s nap schedule. Dozing Off manager regularly saws wood during the work day at specific times in the morning and after lunch. This manager’s demise typically comes when a meeting is scheduled with an important senior manager at the time of one of Dozing Off Manager’s precisely scheduled power naps. Since he/she cannot keep his/her eyes open at this critical time, the only recourse is to claim that he/she suffers from narcolepsy and hope for the best. This defense strategy rarely works.

Weekend Haiku

That gorgeous kite
rising
from the beggar's shack.

Issa (1763 - 1827)

Bring on the Terror

Bring on the Terror from Robbers on High Street. Enjoy and happy Friday.

Swedes are tough

At least this Swedish female golfer is. Check out this story. Wow!

Monopoly tips

Now that the token has been changed the Hasbro board game is in the news. Here are some tips to ensure that winning Monopoly strategy.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. Everyone has heard of this next manager. Finally, his/her role is explained. Or is it?

MOTW: Matrix Manager

Most people who work in a large multinational company have had one of these at some point in their careers, but what is a Matrix Manager and what does a Matrix Manager do? The answer is no one really knows. Typically this manager appears above you in a remote part of the organizational chart. You are depicted several layers below him/her connected by a dotted line path with many twists and turns resembling some child’s random twirling of the knobs on an Etch-a-Sketch . This manager rarely interacts with you, doesn’t really know what you do, but at review time opines on your performance and gets some indeterminate say on your raise and bonus. Eventually your matrix manager moves on and is replaced by another, even less connected and more remote Matrix Manager whom you hope to eventually speak with at some point within the next performance management cycle.

Ouch!

This is all you need to see about South Florida baseball, specifically the Marlins. Yikes!

Weekend Haiku

In the falling of petals
they see no Buddha,
no Law.

Issa (1763 - 1827)

Say it isn't so...

NPR is reporting that Hasbro is retiring one of its iconic Monopoly tokens and replacing it with a cat. The token that is going the way of the dodo (drum roll please) is the iron. Oh no, how are we going to look the part of real estate moguls dominating the rent controlled Monopoly universe if we can't iron our clothes? And a cat of all things; cats are loners who don't care about anyone or anything. I would not like to be one of their tenants when something goes wrong on one of its properties. Oh dear. 

Also, proving that our universe is rapidly inverting itself the United States Postal Service, which is hemorrhaging cash left and right, is stopping Saturday delivery to reduce costs. The move is estimated to save about 2 billion dollars. Considering that the USPS lost about 16 billion dollars last year, I guess I can do without my junk mail during the weekend, but the move is certainly sure to cause a lot of controversy.

I've often wondered about this...

What happens to all your online accounts after you die? Who has control of these pages and feeds, such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Gmail, etc? There is a person I used to know who died last year and they still occasionally pop up in Linkedin with the software asking me to endorse their skill sets. It is kind of creepy. This article relates the story of a teen who committed suicide because of bullying and the family could do nothing to stop the malicious taunts that continued on the teen's Facebook page post mortem. Call it whatever you want, but there should be some legislation which would allow for forensic cleanup of digital assets when a user passes.

It's Monday

And we all know what that means. Time for another MOTW, Manager of the Week. You probably feel sorry for this next manager. It is normal to feel that way. It is probably not the best idea to hang out with him/her though. It may not be good for your career prospects. 

MOTW: Lonely Manager

A melancholy figure, this manager has no friends, no acquaintances, not even people who claim Lonely Manager owes them money. This manager eats lunch alone and at meetings the seats around him/her are always empty. How he/she survived the interview process and was promoted is a mystery to all. Lonely Manager is thinking of taking up smoking just to see if by chance he/she can rub elbows with others in the communal smoking area.

Weekend Haiku

The spring sea rising
and falling, rising
and falling all day.

Buson (1716 - 1783)

How am I doing?

Ed Koch, three term flamboyant and effective mayor of New York city from 1978 through 1989 has died of heart failure at age 88. He was his own man and is widely credited with bringing about a resurgence of the Big Apple. R.I.P.

Row of Dominos

Here is Joe Ely performing Row of Dominoes live. Great tune, classic Joe Ely. Enjoy and happy Friday.