No great insights to offer, except that the local WalMart superstore is in process of remodel. Confusion seems to reign, and the inventory seems to be reduced by about half.
The aisles are more spread one from the other, and space has been re-alloted towards groceries, with jewelry and electronics dramatically shrunk.
I asked an employee if I were perceiving things correctly, and she simply smiled, and made the gesture of turning the lock on her lips, saying only 'My lips are sealed.'
Most interesting...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Unless That Narrative Changes
Ah, what a difference a day makes!
I enjoy reading the 'Inside Higher Ed' blogs, as they give insight into an often obscure corner of the culture, life inside the university walls. It is a different world, operating by its own rules, and affects us all.
Yesterday, an inspiring article about Dr. John Wilson, whose job is to assist historically black colleges and universities move forward and thrive.
His core message: Change the narrative that always places Black America as the victim in every transaction. Unless that narrative changes, nothing gets done.
So today, we are greeted with the story of Prof. Louis Henry Gates, arrested on his front porch in Cambridge, MA. Too long to recount here, but it seems the esteemed professor was more interested in berating the cops about being racists than offering his ID that established his identity and verified his residence.
He ends up arrested(you can see the arrest report at the article), and once all is sorted out, both sides decide it might be best to drop the matter, issue a joint statement, and move on.
(It's not hard to imagine that an attorney dispatched from Harvard had the quiet conversation with the esteemed professor, saying 'Henry, drop this. You don't want to do this, and we don't want you to do this either. There are donors who don't wish to be embarrassed by this sort of thing. And, a lawyer from the City of Cambridge probably had a similar conversation with the police and prosecutor. Notice how beautifully crafted that joint statement is. Someone spent some real coin on this one!)
But, there is always a silver lining to every cloud...
There are interviews to grant, apologies to demand, book deals to make, lectures to deliver!
HellsBells, Dr. Gates! You ought to send your arresting officer a case of single malt for Christmas!
So much for 'Changing the narrative'...
Here's hoping that:
1. While on lecture tour, his house really is burgled by black gang members, and
2. The neighbors, whose good-hearted concern prompted them to call the police, don't bother the next time.
I enjoy reading the 'Inside Higher Ed' blogs, as they give insight into an often obscure corner of the culture, life inside the university walls. It is a different world, operating by its own rules, and affects us all.
Yesterday, an inspiring article about Dr. John Wilson, whose job is to assist historically black colleges and universities move forward and thrive.
His core message: Change the narrative that always places Black America as the victim in every transaction. Unless that narrative changes, nothing gets done.
So today, we are greeted with the story of Prof. Louis Henry Gates, arrested on his front porch in Cambridge, MA. Too long to recount here, but it seems the esteemed professor was more interested in berating the cops about being racists than offering his ID that established his identity and verified his residence.
He ends up arrested(you can see the arrest report at the article), and once all is sorted out, both sides decide it might be best to drop the matter, issue a joint statement, and move on.
(It's not hard to imagine that an attorney dispatched from Harvard had the quiet conversation with the esteemed professor, saying 'Henry, drop this. You don't want to do this, and we don't want you to do this either. There are donors who don't wish to be embarrassed by this sort of thing. And, a lawyer from the City of Cambridge probably had a similar conversation with the police and prosecutor. Notice how beautifully crafted that joint statement is. Someone spent some real coin on this one!)
But, there is always a silver lining to every cloud...
There are interviews to grant, apologies to demand, book deals to make, lectures to deliver!
HellsBells, Dr. Gates! You ought to send your arresting officer a case of single malt for Christmas!
So much for 'Changing the narrative'...
Here's hoping that:
1. While on lecture tour, his house really is burgled by black gang members, and
2. The neighbors, whose good-hearted concern prompted them to call the police, don't bother the next time.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
What If It All Goes Right?
Driving to the golf course, doing my usual 'surf the radio dial' game. The cultural light-years span between the Urban Rap station and the Southern Gospel station bends the brain a bit...
So I switch over to one of the many country stations here, and pulling into the parking lot, I hear:
'What If It All Goes Right?'
(The link leads to a MySpace page, scroll down a bit, and the song is first on the list. I'm new to this stuff, too.)
It's a compelling question!
I've seen it happen, more than once. I live in a house full of people who work their tails off, and have seen them rewarded for their efforts. The stories are too long to detail, too painful at points, too unlikely-sounding at their happy endings.
I sat in the parking lot, and could not leave the car until I heard the whole song.
Haven't done that for years...
It was a shot in the arm, as I headed off to my hours on the practice tee.
It hummed in my head as I tried to create that little pile of balls 150 yards out.
On to the day's agenda...little tune humming in my head...
So I switch over to one of the many country stations here, and pulling into the parking lot, I hear:
'What If It All Goes Right?'
(The link leads to a MySpace page, scroll down a bit, and the song is first on the list. I'm new to this stuff, too.)
It's a compelling question!
What if you chase your dream,
And it changes your whole life?
And it changes your whole life?
I've seen it happen, more than once. I live in a house full of people who work their tails off, and have seen them rewarded for their efforts. The stories are too long to detail, too painful at points, too unlikely-sounding at their happy endings.
I sat in the parking lot, and could not leave the car until I heard the whole song.
Haven't done that for years...
It was a shot in the arm, as I headed off to my hours on the practice tee.
It hummed in my head as I tried to create that little pile of balls 150 yards out.
On to the day's agenda...little tune humming in my head...
Three Cheers Due Here
In the continuing quest for real 'green shoots'--the cultural kind that will finally lead out of the malaise--this article from Inside Higher Ed is heartening.
John Silvanus Wilson Jr., the Obama administration's director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is very clear in an interview that he's looking for a new approach to talking about black colleges.
The standard "against great odds" narrative, he said, needs to be replaced. It suggests a focus on "survival and maybe victimization," said Wilson. "Black colleges will never be as strong as they can be unless that narrative changes.... We need to shift from how to survive to how to thrive."
The operative phrase that sticks out is 'unless that narrative changes'.
Words are powerful things. Repeat them to yourself long enough, and they take on a life of their own, for good or ill.
It's a good read. Have a bit of hope with the morning java--I just hope the Jacksons and Sharptons of this country don't discover what Dr. Wilson is up to. If he succeeds in 'changing the narrative', they're done for.
John Silvanus Wilson Jr., the Obama administration's director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is very clear in an interview that he's looking for a new approach to talking about black colleges.
The standard "against great odds" narrative, he said, needs to be replaced. It suggests a focus on "survival and maybe victimization," said Wilson. "Black colleges will never be as strong as they can be unless that narrative changes.... We need to shift from how to survive to how to thrive."
The operative phrase that sticks out is 'unless that narrative changes'.
Words are powerful things. Repeat them to yourself long enough, and they take on a life of their own, for good or ill.
It's a good read. Have a bit of hope with the morning java--I just hope the Jacksons and Sharptons of this country don't discover what Dr. Wilson is up to. If he succeeds in 'changing the narrative', they're done for.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Welcome to the Future, Bailout Nation
Watching the Open this morning, and Tom Watson is inspiring! More on all that another time.
While surfing during ads, ran into the story on CBS about United Breaks Guitars.
It's one man's poetical revenge, posted on YouTube, on United Airlines, who negligently destroyed a prized guitar, and offered NO (that means ZERO) compensation.
With over three million views, and growing, this is a public relations disaster for United.
However, since it is one the growing number of zombie firms bailed out (during the Bush Administration), it can be confidently predicted that:
1. No one will be fired as a result of this humiliation.
2. The shareholders will not demand a change in management, even though it is patently incompetent.
3. When United bleeds more red ink(because the customers stay away in droves), Tim Geithner, with his $700 billion credit card, will send more money its way. After all, it's too big to fail, and it has a unionized work-force, whose votes need to be bought, and it's based in Chicago (now, who else do we know in Washington from Chicago?).
What this means, also, is that the 29-year-old lower-middle-management employees, who shake their heads in frustration at the stupidity of their employers at United, will not likely have the chance to create the next (functional!) incarnation of an airline, because Uncle Sam, Cousin Timmy, and Godfather Barack won't let United go under, as it should.
This is our future in Bailout America. The future is now, actually, since Flying Guitars are actually a common occurrence, and there are few victims of airline negligence and stupidity with the resources to push back with such imagination.
The airlines(and banks, and auto companies, and insurers, etc.) know this, and they know they have unlimited access to Federal largesse.
November 2010 is now fifteen months away. It's our first big opportunity to push back.
While surfing during ads, ran into the story on CBS about United Breaks Guitars.
It's one man's poetical revenge, posted on YouTube, on United Airlines, who negligently destroyed a prized guitar, and offered NO (that means ZERO) compensation.
With over three million views, and growing, this is a public relations disaster for United.
However, since it is one the growing number of zombie firms bailed out (during the Bush Administration), it can be confidently predicted that:
1. No one will be fired as a result of this humiliation.
2. The shareholders will not demand a change in management, even though it is patently incompetent.
3. When United bleeds more red ink(because the customers stay away in droves), Tim Geithner, with his $700 billion credit card, will send more money its way. After all, it's too big to fail, and it has a unionized work-force, whose votes need to be bought, and it's based in Chicago (now, who else do we know in Washington from Chicago?).
What this means, also, is that the 29-year-old lower-middle-management employees, who shake their heads in frustration at the stupidity of their employers at United, will not likely have the chance to create the next (functional!) incarnation of an airline, because Uncle Sam, Cousin Timmy, and Godfather Barack won't let United go under, as it should.
This is our future in Bailout America. The future is now, actually, since Flying Guitars are actually a common occurrence, and there are few victims of airline negligence and stupidity with the resources to push back with such imagination.
The airlines(and banks, and auto companies, and insurers, etc.) know this, and they know they have unlimited access to Federal largesse.
November 2010 is now fifteen months away. It's our first big opportunity to push back.
Friday, July 17, 2009
A Green Shoots Week
It's been a good week, spent with 50 young music students, faculty and parent volunteers.
No time to detail it all, as the final rehearsal is underway, but here is a quick Facebook page set up to document the week.
Best moment for me was watching choral conductor Tim Sharp mold 50 non-singing kids into a respectable-sounding choir in less than two days.
Real green shoots here.
No time to detail it all, as the final rehearsal is underway, but here is a quick Facebook page set up to document the week.
Best moment for me was watching choral conductor Tim Sharp mold 50 non-singing kids into a respectable-sounding choir in less than two days.
Real green shoots here.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Hats Off To Mish
Mish Shedlock proves his worth once again.
If my obscure corner of the avalanche of opinion serves to direct a few more people to his page, then I've performed a public service.
He documents unemployment numbers that the 'official' reports don't mention.
The truth is ugly, but we need the truth told in order to make our way out of this mess.
His final paragraph bears quoting here:
Look at the average age of baggers in grocery stores or greeters at Walmart. These people are not working because they want to; they are working because they have to. Demand for jobs is at an all time high while the number of available jobs and the pay scales of those jobs have both collapsed. The employment situation is not only an unmitigated disaster, things are about to get even worse with pending state cutbacks.
What I've noticed here, anecdotally: I make deposits at two banks at least once a week. Often, mine seems to be the only customer car in the parking lot. The employees, who by the way are lovely folks, seem to be looking for things to do.
My little town was hit hard in the wake of 9/11, and began to climb back out. A major fire subsequently hit the downtown business block, and the lot now stands vacant, as the insurer has gone to the wall to avoid paying any claim on the loss. The local radio station ceased broadcasting last fall. The local paper seems to be shrinking in both size and scope of coverage. The district congressman sends in op-eds to tell us that voting for massive spending will cure the massive federal deficit.
So, we're in for a long ride. Let's work on the culture in the meantime.
And, let's listen to Mish.
If my obscure corner of the avalanche of opinion serves to direct a few more people to his page, then I've performed a public service.
He documents unemployment numbers that the 'official' reports don't mention.
The truth is ugly, but we need the truth told in order to make our way out of this mess.
His final paragraph bears quoting here:
Look at the average age of baggers in grocery stores or greeters at Walmart. These people are not working because they want to; they are working because they have to. Demand for jobs is at an all time high while the number of available jobs and the pay scales of those jobs have both collapsed. The employment situation is not only an unmitigated disaster, things are about to get even worse with pending state cutbacks.
What I've noticed here, anecdotally: I make deposits at two banks at least once a week. Often, mine seems to be the only customer car in the parking lot. The employees, who by the way are lovely folks, seem to be looking for things to do.
My little town was hit hard in the wake of 9/11, and began to climb back out. A major fire subsequently hit the downtown business block, and the lot now stands vacant, as the insurer has gone to the wall to avoid paying any claim on the loss. The local radio station ceased broadcasting last fall. The local paper seems to be shrinking in both size and scope of coverage. The district congressman sends in op-eds to tell us that voting for massive spending will cure the massive federal deficit.
So, we're in for a long ride. Let's work on the culture in the meantime.
And, let's listen to Mish.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Where Words Fail, Pictures Illuminate
Calculated Risk, in my humble opinion, is the best of the blogs documenting events in the economy. Accurate, insightful, no axe to grind, no hysteria, and to the point.
Today's notice about the GM bankruptcy is typical of the spare and factual style found at CR.
But, from a more colorful corner, the UK Libertarian Party, comes the perfect image to portray the 'New GM', aka 'Guv'mint Motors'.
Now, all we lack is a name for this creature.
Your suggestions welcomed below.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
It Doesn't Take Billions to Transform Lives--Kenyan Boys Choir
Another green shoot: The Kenyan Boys Choir
Now, if this can be done in backwaters like Kenya, or South Africa (I had the joy of hearing the Drakenburg Boy's Choir perform!), or in the Fens of Ely, England...
What might happen here?
The answers to our cultural and economic quandries do not reside with the politicians and bankers.
They reside with us.
Now, if this can be done in backwaters like Kenya, or South Africa (I had the joy of hearing the Drakenburg Boy's Choir perform!), or in the Fens of Ely, England...
What might happen here?
The answers to our cultural and economic quandries do not reside with the politicians and bankers.
They reside with us.
Another Pair of Obits: Steve McNair and Karl Malden
Sometimes, I think Providence schedules earthly departures in pairs, just to make a point. Remember how the funerals of Mother Teresa and Princess Di occurred back-to-back? I'm to the point that I almost expect these dual departures.
This first one makes no sense.
Dead at 36, with a lifetime of achievement behind him, at least as many years ahead of him, financially secure, and a local hero in two states, just for good measure.
Found dead in a murder/suicide, where he was the party murdered, and the girlfriend appears to be the suicide--usually the roles are reversed between the parties.
The grisly, sordid, Jerry-Springer-stuff will all be published, humiliating his wife and children (yes, he left behind the wife and kids by getting shot by the 20-year-old girlfriend).
And to quote Jerry Springer, as he says at the end of each televised melee:
'So, what have we learned here?'
Not really certain yet...
But, perhaps a comparative obit from the same week might provide food for thought--another kid from hard-scrabble America, who played football, and ended well.
Karl Malden, requiescat in pace.
This first one makes no sense.
Dead at 36, with a lifetime of achievement behind him, at least as many years ahead of him, financially secure, and a local hero in two states, just for good measure.
Found dead in a murder/suicide, where he was the party murdered, and the girlfriend appears to be the suicide--usually the roles are reversed between the parties.
The grisly, sordid, Jerry-Springer-stuff will all be published, humiliating his wife and children (yes, he left behind the wife and kids by getting shot by the 20-year-old girlfriend).
And to quote Jerry Springer, as he says at the end of each televised melee:
'So, what have we learned here?'
Not really certain yet...
But, perhaps a comparative obit from the same week might provide food for thought--another kid from hard-scrabble America, who played football, and ended well.
Karl Malden, requiescat in pace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)