"The King Is Gone Now ...

but his memory lives on in this two-record set."

I remember that from a TV commercial in my youth. I think it was anyway. For an Elvis record maybe?

Then there is this.

Thanks Pre-Surfer

That To Which E. Arises

St. Mary Lake reflects the Rocky Mountains in scenic Glacier National Park.

Faces of the Earth from The Sounds of The Rocky Mountains, Orange Tree Publications, 1995.

MP3 File

Sex With Rubik Cubes...

Will only lead to very complex children. We recommend avoiding it.

HT: Reality Carnival

Dead Heat?

I was told I was "tied" with another candidate for a great job opportunity. They were going to invite us for a lunch interview with the organization's senior leadership group. Separate from each other to avoid the appearance of a game show I suppose. They each had a copy of my regular CV. My wife and I both agreed that I had to provide something more personal to them so they could learn a little bit about the "person" hiding in the resume.

I called it "If Resumes Had A Flip Side..." and they all got a copy today. It started the conversation. Don't know if I will be selected, but I felt I had to go beyond business as usual to get their attention and set me apart from the other idiot. (I'm sure they are a fine person.)

So here's what the Personal Resume contained, copied and pasted for your edification and deeper knowledge of this fella known as E.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Place of Birth: San Jose, California

Family of Origin: Fourth of eight children to Spencer (80) and Suzanne Fine (died of cancer 2000)

Family: Married to Trish, a Registered Dietitian who works part-time with the WIC Program. Children: Burt (14), Brennan (11), Riley (9), assorted pets

Accomplishments of Youth: Salutatorian of high school graduation class, Awarded “most improved” on high school varsity football team, Elected student-body “Spirit Chairman” in high school, Began paid employment at age 13.

Places I’ve lived: San Jose, California, San Francisco, California, Newport, Rhode Island, San Diego, California, Brooklyn, New York, New Orleans, Louisiana, Augusta, Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina.

Interesting Places I’ve Traveled (Including a Navy Tour): Hawaii, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, London, Italy.

Civic / Church Activities: Sunday devotion leader at an assisted living community, Co-leader of “Joy Club,” a small group of mentally challenged adults, Baseball coach, and Member of core leadership team for church support ministries, Selected member of Leadership Augusta class of 2010.

Personal Time: Following my sons in their sports and academic pursuits, reading, photography, travel, endless home improvement projects at the request of my wife, a few “guilty pleasures” on TV, e.g. “24”, “Mad Men”, “C-Span Book TV”

ADDITIONAL WORK-RELATED INFORMATION

Other Jobs and Duties I’ve Had: Stock Boy and Retail Cashier, Hospital Orderly and Nursing Assistant, Dormitory Resident Advisor (“RA”), Shipboard Cruise Book Editor, “Tiger Cruise” Coordinator, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Department Head at Naval Station New York (included retail liquor store operations, child care center, theater, and fitness centers), International Logistics Flight Scheduler, United Way Campaign Chairperson.

Formal Professional Training:

• LMET - Leadership and Management Education and Training (Navy)
• Louisiana Hospital Association - CQI for Hospitals
• Development Dimensions International (DDI) – Facilitator Training
• Workitect, Ft. Lauderdale, FL –Building Competency Models Workshop
• DecisionWise, Provo UT - Management Performance Coaching Workshop
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD – TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer Certification

Favorite Business and Leadership Authors: Peter Block, Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Marcus Buckingham, Peter Drucker, Margaret J. Wheatley, Nicholas Bate

Favorite Business and Leadership Books:

The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker

Stewardship – Peter Block

The Empowered Manager – Peter Block

Instant MBA – Nicholas Bate

Leadership Is An Art – Max Depree

The Fifth Discipline Field Book – Peter Senge

The Dance of Change – Peter Senge

Favorite Business and Leadership Blogs and Websites:

Execupundit, Michael Wade, www.execupunidit.com

Fortify Your Oasis, Rowan Manahan, http://fortifyservices.blogspot.com

Work Matters, Bob Sutton, http://bobsutton.typepad.com/

Managing Leadership, Jim Stroup, http://managingleadership.com/blog/

Great Leadership By Dan, Dan McCarthy, http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/

Nicholas Bate, http://nicholasbate.typepad.com/

Favorite Quote:

"It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized."

Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Sorely tempted to put favorite adult beverage, but resisted the impulse. My editor would never have let that slip through.

Now if these senior leaders had any sense about them, they would go immediately to the recommended blogs and be amazed at the talent and brilliance of these people as I am regularly.

Welcome Visitor Non-Readers

East Weymouth, MA

Washington D.C.

Evans, Georgia

Auburn, Maine

Upper Darby, PA

And International E.: Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

ELO Twofer

Blue Whales: Moonlight and Stars by Barbara Howard

Got acquainted on the road via B's iPod with ELO's Out Of The Blue from 1977. So much so much talent. Jeff Lynne et.al. were way ahead of their time.

Starlight
MP3 File

The Whale
MP3 File

Bonus: Jeff Lynne and the Beatles

Bruce Springsteen - The Big Muddy

That's where E. is.

MP3 File

From the great Lucky Town, 1992.

Off The Grid

New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia

Unless I can get on it.

Well be crossing this bridge today on our way to Nangie's farm for the 4th of July holiday. Hoping to take some side trips from WV to the Football Hall of Fame and Pittsburgh.

You can make some side trips on this blog. Lots of archives back there that you non-readers can peruse and that will bear witness that there is a unbroken line of eclectic off-kilterness that is mine all mine. And like the post below will attest, all my posts have not been "right" all the time either.

Miss you.

Aerosmith - Dream On (And 36 Years of Delusion)

The Guess Who

From their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith.

MP3 File

Until yesterday, yes yesterday, I was under the delusion that the Dream On was a super hit of the super great band, The Guess Who. My son and my wife attempted to disavow me of this a couple of time recently and I insisted if Aerosmith did this song they were covering it from The Guess Who. Don't remind him, but I think I even bet B. some money that he was wrong about this. Well Guess Who was the wrong one?

I was never an Aerosmith fan although I enjoyed some of their songs. Never had an album of theirs.

Can anyone throw me a bone, and tell me that, at least, they can understand how I got this mixed up? Doesn't Dream On sound like something TGW would do?

Yeah sure E. Right E. Whatever you say E.

Go Somewhere, Do Something, Stay Where You Are

Virtual Learning Experiences.

"Blackberry Prayer"

It’s routine for all kinds of employees to bow their heads silently during all kinds of meetings. Is the person speaking at the meeting leading a prayer? Are the employees praying silently? No. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act isn’t implicated at all. These folks are intently using their BlackBerrys.

Wonderful description by John Phillips. Check out his post and the formerly great NYT article he cites.

LogMeIn

I installed the free version of Logmein today and now have access to two computers from one computer. I think I could add more if I wanted too. Similar to GoToMyPC but free, I guess. Set up was sailor proof and it works wonderfully. No more, I hope, "I left those files at the other house."

Try it if you have the need.

Did I tell you it was free?

Update: From the to-good-to-be-true department: Duh, did I tell you it was free for only 30 days with 120 minutes of access between computers? $20 per month after that. It will be worth it to E. though.

The Boys

The Boys.

HT: Grow A Brain

Poignant

Why is it that the people most likely to say the Holocaust didn't happen are the people who wish it had?

Desmond Merget

Via: Grow A Brain

These Hits May Be From True "Non-Readers"

I recently installed the free FeedJit widget that will show in real-time, not who, but where this blog is being visited from. That's sort of fun and that's why I'll welcome some places from time to time.

I can also see what prior posts are being hit on.

Not sure why, but this one has taken the cake by a long shot. And not one comment. Come on ladies!

Friday Fun

From Rowan Manahan. Rowan is more than likely attempting to help this guy find a permanent gig.

Brilliant.

Two Bluebirds

From Band on the Run, Paul McCartney and Wings, 1973.

MP3 File

From Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967.
MP3 File

When it comes to music that I know and like, and sometimes love, it might help explain a thing or two that I had a brother that was five years older than me. He taught me music appreciation through osmosis and my parent's console stereo.

I still have that brother, but I had that brother. He loathed my intrusion into his musical world when I played his albums when he was away from the house. He would be pissed, shout, and pound on me about it, but it never deterred me. Large family, relatively small house, hard to keep things to yourself. Hard for others to respect your stuff. At least in my family. He finally took to building a good-size LP storage trunk equipped with its own key lock. Again, undeterred, it wouldn't take much to just open up the back hinges to get at the hits. Not much at all. Just a screwdriver.

Mark, you were long suffering with an asshole of a younger brother like me, and other stuff too. I completely deserved most poundings you applied to me. And I hope you've forgiven me along the way. But if you didn't have such great music, it might have been different.

Welcome Visitor Non-Readers

Honolulu, HI

San Jose, CA

Phoenix, AZ

Berwyn, PA

Patchogue, NY

And international E.: Istanbul, Turkey

You Just Can't Make This Kinda Stuff Up

Sandford likens himself to King David as his talks about the need for humility.

Got to go Mr. Governor, got to go.

Dead man talking.

"We Are At The End Of The Beginning Of Bad Times"

Foreign Policy surveyed the latest thinking and contacted top economic experts to get a better picture of the shape of things to come. We asked them to take out their crystal balls, assess whether the recession is lifting, and discuss what's too often left out in the sometimes Pollyannaish press stories on "green shoots."

Their consensus? The end of the recession looks much like the recession itself. We are at the end of the beginning of bad times.

On this page, you'll find condensed versions of their assessments and warnings. Read on to find the interviews, which were lightly edited for clarity and slightly condensed.

Comfort thyself?

You can make your own Twitter logo too.

HT: The Generator Blog

"Tricky Noir"

View the whole "Tricky" series, if you can stomach him for 80 or so pix. I couldn't.

Farah Fawcett - R.I.P

First time this pix of her has ever been publicized. Taken in 1976. An E. exclusive.

Pop culture history took two major hits today.

Michael Jackson - Ain't No Sunshine

Say what you want about Mr. Jackson's seemingly perpetual weirdness (and so much will be said for the next week or so), he was a tremendous, indisputable talent.

By my calculation this was recorded when he was only 13 years old. From 1971's Got To Be There.

May he rest in peace.


MP3 File

Hoo-Ahh!!!

I did a little free-lance work with about 100 U.S. Army Equal Opportunity Leaders today. Helped them come up with ideas about how to be more effective in their role at their units and as a group on the Fort together. It was gratifying for me and they worked well and got some stuff done that they can work on.

I spent some extra time with them prior to my work to get to know the group a bit and learn a little more about what they do and their issues. That was helpful too.

One Army tradition is for them to shout out Hoo-Ahh at almost any (in seems) occasion for any and many reasons. Sometimes it means "Yes!" Sometimes it means, "Yes, I agree." (The Army version of the some church's "Amen!"

I had some fun at the beginning of my time and asked five of the soldiers, (insisted it be a diverse five), to come up front and teach me how to Hoo-Ahh!!! It was funny, broke the ice and I think they appreciated a former Navy guy attempting to understand their culture.

Was told later that "Hoo-Ahh" was the Army's official spelling of the shout. Formalized some time in the not so recent past. It started out as "HUA" though, which also had another meaning as an acronym for "Head Up Ass." The Army of course could not have that.

Then again, this soldier could have been blowing up this sailor's khaki's. I would never know.

Can anybody confirm this etymology for E.?

Another Man-Gene Carrier

John Phillips has a regular feature, almost, covering the antics of what he calls the man gene. His very recent post covers Senator Ensign. My half-time governor, Mark Sanford, went missing, let his get the better of him, and it lured him down to Argentina to his Latina paramour. Another one bites the dust.

Update: Tweets re: Sanford

@walterolson Gov. Sanford: "marriage should only be between a man, a woman, and another woman from Argentina." (h/t Tunku V.)

@walterolson You know, "hiking the Appalachian Trail" may be the best euphemism ever

(h/t: Stephanie V.)

HT: The Advice Godless

If You Need Numbers, Find Hundreds Here

365 Budapest

Thanks Gerrard

Welcome Visitor Non-Readers

New York, New York

Fort Myers, FL

Chattanooga, TN

Coco Beach, FL

Marion, MA

and

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!

New label today: For The Love of Non-Readers

The 10 Most Frustrating Things

for a true man's man. His blog is nothing short of wonderful. Great writer of experiences. But wait, there's more!