Summer 2014 August 15 Friday (Shorts, Tee Shirts and Scandals-Summer of 14)

Summer 2014 August 15 (Friday)

63 degrees this morning. 

Thinking yesterday that it is probably the first time since I can remember that I spent most of my summer days wearing shorts, a tee shirt and scandals, with some exceptions when I wore a suit or “business causal “ for a specific meeting.  Probably the last summer I will do so for years also.  I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed it!  

Completed the next to last appointment on my “tooth implant” procedure.  It was more uncomfortable than I expected and about twice as expensive as I anticipated.  Ouch!  The final procedure is scheduled in two weeks, which means it will be just a few days short of a year long process.

Read this morning about private investment firms again “betting” on the misfortune of the “common person”, this time “betting” on electoral outages and “winning’ millions of dollars in a day.  Sounds familiar to the banks that “bet” on people losing their houses and then generally taking actions to make sure it happened.  When is this going to stop?  The money is coming from customers who can’t afford to keep supporting these rackets!

The story in the New York Times was the first time I had ever read of the “betting” on electrical outages.  What a racket!  I am sure, that just like the “special tax preference” that “private equity” firms receive, it is a result of “political contributions” and “connections”.

A recent story by he New York Times on a Starbucks employee and the irregular hours apparently is resulting in Starbucks starting new policies on employee scheduling. Again, computers are used for scheduling resulting in employees working on extremely short notice, being sent home after only a few hours of work and then called back etc.  Again “financial profit targets” are used to justify this.  (I’m not sure what to think of this yet, except I can see the frustration and inconvenience it creates for probably the lowest paid personnel, especially persons with families.  On the other hand, I can see the point of businesses that they can’t pay personnel just to sit around.  Seems like there is a good answer someplace that is fair to both parties.  Maybe businesses aren’t planning very well and need to plan better and utilize personnel better.

On another subject, I often (will, occasionally anyway) wonder about the little certificates attached to gas station pumps and elevators.  Who really inspects these?  What does the certificate really mean?  I don’t think I have ever seen a gas pump shut down, so I wonder who really inspects the pumps for correctness?  While I expect gas stations owners are generally honest, when I see the number of gallons sent through the gas pump, only “cheating” by a small fraction could raise a substantial amount of money.  

I’m sure it has happened, but I have never seen a gas station owner charged with having mis-measuring gas pumps!  I will run an internet search on it and see what I find.

Same with building elevators.  I wonder who actually inspects them?  Are they like airplanes, they have to do a certain amount of preventive maintenance each year?  I don’t obsess on this, but I wonder about it enough that I occasionally have a queasy feeling when I get on an elevator that creaks and moans.  Again, I need to do an internet search on this!

I think it is easy for me to say, concerning the above, especially the electrify racket, and how to schedule personnel that ‘“I can’t do anything about it, so I won’t worry about it”, but if I don’t worry about it, who will?  Nothing would ever get corrected with that attitude!

Looking forward to visiting with some friends this weekend.  Good food, good friends, good coffee and warm weather.  Hard to beat that combination! 

That’s it for now, Friday, August 15, 2014.

Summer 2014 August 5 Tuesday (Happy Birthday, Exercise)

Happy Birthday to Mary Anne and John

72 degrees this morning.  Walk 57:09 minutes (faster this morning for some reason, same route as yesterday), 40 sit ups and 20 lb barbells.  I am planning on buying a b

Full program of exercise yesterday.   Walked, then rode my bike for over 50 minutes and then swam.  I actually didn’t intend to ride the bike that long, I was enjoying riding through my addition and got lost.  Actually, I wan’t lost, I knew where I was.  However the lack of connectivity I mentioned yesterday was a major factor in the length of the bike ride

Somehow I got on the other side of the addition an found there  is only one “direct’ way to the other side (other than two major streets).  I got caught on the “other” side and realized I had to go back almost a mile to get to the street which connects the other side.  To make matters worse, I got my directions mixed up ( a common occurrence with me) and went the opposite way for about another mile. 

Still I had a lot of fun, which was the overall objective.  I probably will cut back the bicycle ride a little and try to increase it a little each day.

I haven’t had to endure the wind yet, perhaps the houses keep it down some.  

The terrain in my neighborhood is very flat.  I didn’t even notice  a slight elevation change until I was riding my bicycle when I noticed it.  My “walk route” includes some slight elevation changes, but nothing major.

Oklahoma City was on the front page of the New York Times (Monday, August 4, 2014).  It was interesting because it involves some of the goals of Memphis, plus of course I am familiar with Oklahoma City.  Basically the article says that Oklahoma City is gaining population partly due to lower housing costs, but also because of some innovative programs Oklahoma City started in the mid 1990’s.  They are also attracting a large number of the prized 25-34 year olds, the same population that Memphis is trying to attract.  

It was interesting because it documents my strong beliefs that the overall goal of a city is to make life better for it’s residents while continuing to provide essential services provided by cities.

I’ve included an excerpt from the story at the end of this post, so readers can read it if they want to.  The article is worth a quick trip to the New York Times website (www.nyt.com) to read if you have any interest in it.

The daily newspapers I receive arriver at erratic times.  Monday the paper was here at 3:30 a.m., today, by 6 a.m., it is still not here.  I really almost wish it would just arrive at the same time each day.  I guess I like my routine too much in the morning!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, August 5, 2014.  

(From the August 4, 2014 edition of the New York Times)

Oklahoma City, for example, has outpaced most other cities in growth since 2011, becoming the 12th-fastest-growing city last year. It has also won over a coveted demographic, young adults age 25 to 34, going from a net loss of millennials to a net gain. Other affordable cities that have jumped in the growth rankings include several in Texas, including El Paso and San Antonio, as well as Columbus, Ohio, and Little Rock, Ark.

Newcomers in Oklahoma City have traded traffic jams and preschool waiting lists for master suites the size of their old apartments. The sons of Lorin Olson, a stem cell biologist who moved here from New York’s Upper East Side, now ride bikes in their suburban neighborhood and go home to a four-bedroom house. Hector Lopez, a caricature artist, lives in a loft apartment here for less than he paid to stay in a garage near Los Angeles. Tony Trammell, one of a group of about a dozen friends to make the move from San Diego, paid $260,000 for his 3,300-square-foot home in a nearby suburb.

“This is the opposite of the gold rush,” Mr. Trammell said.

Since the start of the recession, the number of Americans who have moved each year has fallen sharply for a host of reasons, including the sluggish economy and the increasing similarity of job options from city to city. When people do move, they have all kinds of reasons, including family, climate and, especially for those who move long distances, employment.

But of those who moved more than 500 miles, the share who said they were chiefly motivated by housing has risen to 18 percent in 2014, from 8 percent in 2007, the earliest year such data is available, according to the Census Bureau. The desire for a new, better or cheaper home and the opportunity to buy instead of rent were among the housing-related reasons people cited.

The story was different from 2000 to 2006, when cities with high-cost housing grew more quickly than those with affordable housing, according to an analysis of metro areas by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage firm. From 2006 to 2012 — years that encompass the housing bust, recession and recovery — that pattern reversed itself, with most low-cost cities growing 2.5 percentage points more than high-cost cities. The analysis excluded cities with poor job growth.

Before the real estate market crashed, housing in four of the five fastest-growing metropolitan areas, including Cape Coral, Fla., and Riverside, Calif., was less affordable than in the average American city, judging by the relationship between the median home price and income for each metropolitan area. But from 2008 to 2012, all five of the cities with the most growth were more affordable than average, including Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and the cities of El Paso, San Antonio, Austin and McAllen in Texas.

“A large percentage of Americans had to read ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ ” said Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City, referring to the John Steinbeck novel that chronicled the flight of Oklahomans to California in search of a better life during the Depression. Now the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those migrants are returning for the same reason. “It’s ‘The Wrath of Grapes,’ ” he said.

The mayor cited clean air, a lack of traffic gridlock and, of course, affordable housing as factors in the city’s growth. But like other midsize cities, this one has labored to give people additional reasons to move here, notably acquiring a professional basketball team, the Thunder. Along the river, a series of modern glass boathouses has risen like wind-filled sails, transforming the city into a national center for rowing sports. All 73 inner-city schools are being rebuilt or refurbished.

Downtown, there is enough streetscaping going on to render a GPS unit useless. And near the city’s historic neighborhoods, chockablock with houses in Arts and Crafts or storybook style, rejuvenated commercial areas like the Plaza District offer residents locally made goods and trendy “beer cocktails.”

“Everything is here; everything is coming here,” said Aasim Saleh, 30, who moved from Seattle to coach kayaking in the Boathouse District, where construction of a new white-water center is planned for this fall. “If Oklahoma City doesn’t have it, they’ll build it.”

Mr. Saleh moved because he had a rare opportunity to make about $60,000 a year while avoiding a desk job. The low cost of living was a major sweetener, he said, enabling him to become something he thought would not be possible: a homeowner. “I would say that, 100 percent, I had given up on the idea of homeownership in Seattle,” he said. “Which is a really big deal.”

Summer 2014 July 29 Tuesday (Now, It's Part of You)

68 degrees this morning, cool weather predicted, high of 86 degrees!

“Now it’s part of you” my Oral Surgeon said as he viewed the x-rays showing the “roots” of my two new teeth.  Actually, I still have one more stage, I need to return to my Dentist and have the actual “teeth” (actually a form of a crown) “installed” on the roots.  Interesting.  Supposedly they are “guaranteed for life” and the procedure is 90% effective.  

This process actually started September 5, 2013, so, depending on when I actually complete the process, it will have taken almost a year or more than a year.  Right now, I plan on completing it around Labor Day.  Maybe I can start chewing on that  side of my mouth now!

My “mouth” has quite an investment in it, considering the implants, and the various crowns, bridges (although the implants replaced the bridges) and fillings etc.  

On the digital newspaper front, I have found my local paper has a reasonably good format on the iPad, much better than the format for the computer.  The Wall Street Journal format is better for the iPad, while the New York Times format is better for the computer at least one of the formats is better, anyway.  This could change after I get used to using the various formats, although I would still prefer to have the actual paper.

I have also subscribed to an app called “Next Issue”, where, for a fix amount per month, I can get all the magazines I basically subscribed to in various formats.  Overall I like it, and it resolves the issue of have to subscribe to the magazines and deal with the renewals.  Some magazines have started this deal about “automatic renewal”, which I really resent, unless they clearly send you notice on how to unsubscribe. Anyway, it also gives me a chance to read some magazines I wouldn’t normally subscribe to or probably even read and it is a reasonable “one flat rate” price.

We canceled our Netflex subscription.  We just never seemed to watch it much and when we wanted to search for a specific movie or documentary, it didn’t have it.  As much as we say we would like to watch movies, we rarely do, although that could change in the future.  However, the cable company we use provides us with a bunch of movie channels.  In fact, when we subscribed, we told them we didn’t want HBO or Cinemax.  I noticed we HBO and Cimemax and I tried to cancel them but was told they were “part of the package” and it would raise our bill $50 per month if they canceled it!  The strange ways of cable marketing.  I really wonder who thinks up all of there programing offers, they must really be strange.  For the most part, they are designed for maximum revenue of the cable company, not for customer service. 

We went with the electric companies “smart meter” program and wonder if this is the correct decision when we received an e-mail that our electric rate during a peak period was going to be .43 per kilowatt!  Hardly much of a way to save money, no matter what the low “off peak” rate is. I am starting to review the program, and plan on downloading the “app” that tells you “real time” what your electric bill is and consumption etc.  

It reminds me of the first time I got my own phone.  I was advised by the representative that they were “out of” the regular phones and only the “princess” phone (or something like that) was available at several dollars a month more.  I couldn’t care less about getting “princess” phone, but I had to have a phone.

The installer came out and while talking, I mentioned it to him.  He laughed and said that wasn’t true, he had a bunch of “regular” phones on his truck and the representatives were trained to lie to people and tell them they were out of the regular phones.  He said they didn’t even make an extra commission for it, they were just trained to sell the highest price product!  He installed a regular phone and I haven’t trusted the phone company much ever since.  I always carefully check my bill and it is amazing the charges that appear that they take off as a “mistake”, of course, always for some gimmick or program that they probably make a 90% profit on.

That’s it for today, Tuesday, July 29, 2014.

Spring 2014 March 25 Tuesday

37 degrees this morning.  We are in that S L O W period of warming up, where it seems to take forever for summer to get here, even in Memphis.  Some years it is mid-May before it has really warmed up.  I mentioned liking baseball yesterday, but we frequently avoid going to any games until early May, unless we are sure it is going to be warm, because it gets so cool at nights yet, too cool to just sit there and watch a game.  

One of the more fun parts of last weeks visit by Kali and Katherine (among many) was riding the bike with them.  Yesterday, at my afternoon ride, I missed having one of them riding with me.  I always ride my morning ride by myself.  (May have something to do with the time!)

The New York Times had an article about age discrimination this morning (even the old discriminate!)  Until 4 months ago, I wouldn't have agreed with it, now I definitely agree it is pervasive and there is little you can do about it, even when employers literally come out and say it is your age.  In a way it is strange since it is the discrimination that everyone (who lives that long anyway) will face.  It will definitely impact your life if you start looking for a job.  I guess it is a matter of that I wouldn't want to work at a place that views age in that way and go on with life.

Scheduled to work on the "MacBook Air" basics again (along with my iMac desktop) at the Apple Store.  The "one to One" program at Apple is certainly a huge benefit if you own any Apple products (although it is available at it's fullest benefit only for computers and laptops).   I always come away rejuvenated from the sessions and I always learn something.  (By the way, I am always pleased to see that, at least at the Apple Store, there is a wide diversity of "creatives" and "geniuses", with ages of all generations well represented, as well as all segments of society.  That is actually one area where someone could argue that age could be  a criteria, but I see no difference between the very young and the very old employees, they almost are all encouraging and informative, with only a few clinkers here and there.  There was one instance several years ago (when Facebook and Twitter came out) that one of the younger creatives couldn't hide his shock that I had a Facebook page.  This was well before it was commonplace, at least the general feeling was that it was for younger persons, but actually an older person helped me set it up, after I blundered around trying to set it up.

Spent a lot of time yesterday filling out the "Visa" applications for our China trip.  The highlight of the trip is the International City Manager Association (ICMA) International Summit, and a pre-tour Study Tour in Beijing.  We are going to spend a day or two on personal tours also.  I have the air flight,  the hotel reservations etc., but haven't finalized the personal tours.  We decided after a "private" tour in Washington D.C., it was well worth the money to take a short "private" tour of the highlights we want to see. I would never have seen Lincoln's Country Retreat on a regular tour and this gave me time to look at it in detail.

One of the more interesting tours we took in Washington D.C. was the "pedicab" tour, which was relatively inexpensive.  It also scared us at times, being the back end of a bicycle in Washington D.C. traffic.  However, it was fun and we saw things in a different light.  

The upcoming Tennessee City Managers Association conference is having a session on "Leadership lessons from Lincoln".  I am looking forward to the seasons since this has been a special interest of mine.

That's it for now.

Winter 2014 January 8 Thursday

34 degrees this morning, light misting rain.

Sobering thought:  "In 1970, less than 1% of taxi drivers had college degrees.  Four decades later, more than 15% do".  (Wall Street Journal, Thursday, February 9, 2014, page A13)

Not that taxi drivers have an easy job.  I tried to do it in graduate school (in Wichita) as a part time job and, believe me, it is a tough job.  I admire taxi drivers and always try to add an extra dollar or two to the tip, especially the good ones.  It it not an easy way to make a living.  All the more that the figure is scary for college students find it as the only way they can make a living.  If they enjoy it, great, but I doubt if that is the case.

I am backing off a little about the Logictech "ultra thin" keyboard.  I still don't like it, but I don't like the standard cases even less.  At least I can separate this.  I'm looking for one like I had before, if I can't find one, I may need to make do with this.  I can't understand why, when they can make something wonderful like the iPad, they can't make a decent case or keyboard.  Apple does make some great products (and some real duds).  Two of my iPod shuffles (at least 6 years old) are still going strong, as is my original 6 year old iPod.  My "3" iPhone is still be used as a iPod touch and it has to be at least 5 years old.  And, my "original iPad", although woefully obsolete works so well I can't bring myself to give it away.  I don't use it for much, but is still is great as a somewhat giant iPod Touch I can use for music and audiobooks.  (It is a little slow for e-books).

I used to make 8 cups of coffee in the morning, I am now making 10 cups due to the extended morning.  Coffee is may last vice, and a good one I enjoy!  

Speaking of e-books, as much as I hate to admit it, e-newspapers e-magazines and e-books are getting better, or at least I am getting used to them.  The Commercial Appeal actually has the best e-newspaper, and the New York Times has made some major improvements.  I prefer the printed edition, but it makes it nice when I am traveling for need to check on something to have the New York Times and Commerical Appeal have such nice e-newspapers.  Strangely enough, the Wall Street Journal e-addition is very hard to read and I usually simply avoid it if i can't buy or snag a copy.

Discussed "Catcher in the Rye" at our book club yesterday.  It is so nice to be around other people who love to read and want to discuss what they have read!

I see signs that the light of day is lasting longer!  Spring will be here shortly!  (Maybe in more ways than one!)

Fall 2013 October 27

54 degrees, very pleasant outside.

The World Series this year has special interest and emotional impact for us this year because of the tie of so many of the St. Louis Cardinals as former Memphis Redbirds, many whom we watched as late as last Summer, some (such as Wong and Chambers) who were called up in the last part of the Redbirds season.  I have never had more of an interest in the World Series as I have had before.

Speaking of sports, I was surprised (and pleased) to read the New York Times article saying the Memphis Grizzles had the talent etc. to go all the way to the NBA finals and even win this year.  While I don't watch pro basketball much, I think Memphis deserves it and I do like the Grizzle players and respect them for their community service and ties to the Memphis community and the enjoyment they give many people.  While in general I think sports are overemphasized, I recognize the psyche connection and uplift from the "Memphis Grizzles" basketball team doing well.  

Volunteered (a litte bit, at the first and last, Aliene worked the entire time) at the Lakeland Halloween Fest last night.  It was fun to watch the children enjoy the occasion.  

It seems like Daylight Saving Time should be starting (or maybe ending is the right word) this weekend, but it must be next weekend.  After I learned "Spring Forward, Fall Back" I finally got it straight on how to adjust the time!  I really enjoy the "extra" hour I get each Fall, kind of like flying to the west time zones when you "gain" an hour or two hours. Of course, it really hurts when I have to "give" the time back and "lose" on hour or two!

I like the idea of having a day (today, Sunday) with nothing to do, other than the Sunday morning routine.  Although I have plenty to do, at least I can arrange how and when I do it.

Leaves are really turning, Fall is here.   

Summer 2013 September 19

73 degrees today, very nice, neither too cool nor warm.

My experiment with trying to "have it all" and read the Commercial Appeal, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times is actually going well.  I thought I would be overwhelmed by the amount of time it takes to read them, but it hasn't.  I have had to set priorities. 

 I actually have a lot of respect for each paper in it's respective world it attempts to inhabit.  (I also read the on-line version of the USA Today.  I like it, but I also never look at the videos.) It is worth the time, and, if I am out of town, I can look at them on the Internet.  (The Commercial Appeal has the best replica edition by far.)

I have learned to skip the "junk" news about "celebrities" (except for local ones that Michael Donahue writes about), crime, puff pieces etc. Each paper seems to have it's own brand of news that is unique and I actually find little overlap.  Like several t-shirts I have read "So many Newspapers, so little time"  (Well, they actually read "books", but same thought.

My early mornings, from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. are so packed, I have no flex time built in.  So anytime I have an early morning meeting I have to cut something.  I tell people (if I"m late) I didn't get up late, I just ran out of time!  I always leave time for my 27 minutes nap in the morning after I walk, ride and shower.  

Today is election day here.  I will be glad to see all of the signs gone and not trashing up the city.  

 Still listening to the Willpower Instinct.  I plan on deep-reading chapter 2 of the book this weekend and making notes on it.  Probably becoming better organized will be my "willpower" project.

Either tomorrow or Saturday will officially end the Summer of 2013 and Autumn will start.  Overall, it's been a good Summer, a little cool, but a good Summer.  

September 2013 September 4

71/72 degrees this morning, almost cold!

Recently started a "full time" New York Times subscription, so I am time pressed to read all my newspapers.  However, each brings such a different perspective, it is hard to eliminate any of them!

Thought I would have some extra time this morning, but somehow it got consumed!

Fall is already in the air a little, although usually it is good weather (i.e. non winter) until about Thanksgiving or even Christmas.  

Still listening to the "Willpower Instinct".  This morning was about reaching goals etc., with the story about Cortez (I think) burning the ships so the troops couldn't retreat.  

My poem today is "She".  I actually wrote it in response to a certain time of poem requested by the instructor because I liked the flow of the words after I got started.  I didn't write it with anyone in mind, but I actually viewed it as that moment of release when you realize a decision was made that actually you wanted, but you didn't realize it until it was made. In my mind it was a positive rejection, if that makes any sense.  I didn't realize I interpreted it in that manner until several years after I wrote it.  

SHE

She kindly broke his wings with an honest

       answer

 And with rejection broke his winds of hope

 Her sudden laughter broke the wings of his dreams

As memories broke the wings of the moment

 Than the clouds broke the mood of the day

Summer 2013 August 28

72/74 degrees.  Coolish tinge to the weather.  I was surprised when I was at the Courter Reunion in Kansas in July how much more hot and muggy it is at night and in the morning.  It is almost always relatively pleasant here at night and early morning no mater how hot it gets during the day.

Listening to "The Willpower Instinct" still.  Today involved the power of  the "white bear" (trying not to think about a White Bear, and of course that is all you can think about) and how it relates to willpower as far as behavioral changes regarding smoking, dieting, spending etc.  It is a great book and I am going to buy a physical copy so I can study it.  

August is almost over.  I really noticed this morning how it gets light in the morning so much later than it used to.  The passage of time, something you can't control.

I am about to "upgrade" my New York Times subscription to 7 days per week, (now I have only Friday, Saturday, Sunday), a decision I may regret, due to the lack of time.  I am just amazed I can get the latest edition delivered to my door step at 3:30 a.m. each morning!  That is just amazing.

Actually have no evening meetings until next Tuesday and that is the only one next week.  And Monday is a holiday!  

Summer 2013 August 23

74/76 degrees this morning, relatively clear.  

Listening to book on "Willpower".  After a slow start it has become a very intriguing book and I am going to buy or borrow a copy.  At the point I stopped today, the authors were making the point that "Technology" was a worse addition than any drug due to the power of anticipating (not receiving, note) continuous pleasure.

Kind of like me and my "planning" travel.  I love to plan trips, frequently more than I actually enjoy the trip.  There is nothing I like better than to plan a trip.  In another life and time, I may have been a travel agent.  In any event, I understand my pleasure at planning.  I used to "plan" which tv shows I would watch each week until I realized I really didn't like tv that much.  Ditto with movies and planning to watch sports events on tv.  I realized I enjoyed the planning, but not the actual event. (I do enjoy travel however!)

Friday is "news day" when I get the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Commercial Appeal (I read a brief edition of the New York Times on M-Thursday).  

It makes me realize that my concerns and cares are relatively minor when compared to many other persons, both in the U.S. and especially many other countries.  

Summer 2013 August 22

74/76 degrees this morning, still somewhat cloudy.

I realized this morning how much shorter the days are getting.  Like the frog in "gradually boiling" water, I didn't realize how much later the sun was rising.  I used to note the sunrise and sunset in my daily journal and maybe I need to start again to realize the passage of the seasons.  

Listening the the book "Willpower"  (I'm sure there are many books with that title, I'll check on the author), and learning some very interesting ideas, especially about the pursuit of "pleasure" and "happiness". 

I get my audiobooks from Audible and, as an Amazon.com company, they have the famous horrible customer service if you have a question or need help, so it is difficult to do anything other than "listen" to the book.  I can't really go back and listen to certain parts as I can with a CD due to limitations imposed by Audible which don't make any sense.

Anyway, the book has some interesting comments about why we always think "tomorrow" we we will have more time and why people get addicted to video games, eating etc.  (it's not that it brings you pleasure, it's that you always think the NEXT time will be pleasure and fulfillment).   I'm sure those are relatively common ideas, but I like the way the book presented it.  This will probably be one of those times when I get the physical book so I can review some of the specific ideas.

The book had one example of what had to be a highly unethical (if it had been done now) study that tied in electrodes to subjects brains and than allow them to "pleasure" themselves as much as they wanted.  People pushed the button so often they frequently even wouldn't eat and had to be forced to quit.  (This is a rough idea of it, I need to research this some more).  

Otherwise, life continues. It is so busy, I find myself multitasking too much.  For example yesterday I realized I was (at the same time):

-Eating breakfast

-Watching "Mad Money"

-Reading the "USA Today" web site

No matter how good I am at multitasking there is no way I could really maximize any of them.  Actually that is ok, as long as I realize I'm not really doing all three tasks well.  Obviously eating breakfast doesn't really matter whether I am effective or efficient.  All I want to do from watching "Mad Money" or reading USA Today (website) is get the highlights.

USA Today has the best website newspaper of any newspaper I have seen.  I never watch the videos (due to time limitations), but I like the way the stories are arranged, I can skip all the junk stories about sports, "celebrities" etc. and just read what I want.

Actually the Memphis Commerical Appeal has the best "e-newspaper" of them all, it is an exact replica of the actual newspaper and, unlike the New York times and Wall Street Journal, it is actually easy to navigate and read.  Really as good or better than the physical newspaper, although I prefer the physical newspaper.

When I am out of town, I always ready the Commerical Appeal on-line, but really don't have the patience to read the New York Times or Wall Street Journal on-line.  They are poorly organized and awkward.  

I was reading some City Manager comments on the City Manager section on "Linked in" and I was stunned at some of the comments in answer to a question about "a good City Manager is always in trouble".  Hopefully I misunderstood some of the comments or they were half-way joking.

Summer 2013 July 28

Relatively cool this morning (73 degrees).  

Saturday and Sunday I am frequently the only person at ATC, although there are other "regulars" at that time, they are primarily weight lifters.  (This is in the 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. time frame.  During the week (primarily Monday through Thursday), I expect our little community is about 30 people, and can vary from 10 to 50.  There are about 20 "regulars" that I recognize as regulars.  I don't talk with any of them (unless I drive and shower there), except for an occasional "hi".  It is a part of my life where I don't really interact with anyone else, kind of like driving.  I do wave to the Walgreens truck driver as I ride through the Walgreens parking lot.  Apparently this is the time they trade drivers.  Other than the truck driver, I always wonder who leaves their car in the Walgreens parking lot all night.  (This isn't every day.)

Enjoying the weekend, as normal, not enough time.  I usually add a book or two to my list of "books to read" from the Wall Street Journal or New York Times and look in dismay at what I haven't read.  I am also far behind on magazines. But it is nice to be busy.