New Years 2009Well, the holidays are now over. 2009 has begun. The holiday returns have generally been accomplished and now we’re on to more grandiose things: Politics and the NFL Playoffs… Let's just take a look at what Old Mo has going on, shall we? Read all of New Years 2009 My Grievance Against Santa ClausThe following is the letter of Grievance delivered to Santa Claus, Inc. today as per the social contract between he and "good boys and girls." Specifically, Mo Morrissey is grieving his placement on Santa's naughty list this year. When reached for comment, Mo declined, stating only that the grievance should follow proper channels and that he does expect a timely response from Santa's representatives. Read all of My Grievance Against Santa Claus Top 5 Rock Christmas SongsI just realized I hadn’t posted in a while. And I know it’s a little late for the Christmas music thing – in the Boston area, there were at least 3 stations dedicating their entire broadcast to music of the season since Thanksgiving – but I was thinking about my top 5 favorite rock-era Christmas songs of all time. Read all of Top 5 Rock Christmas Songs Making Misery for YourselfI’ve now been without electricity since Thursday evening – save for a brief 50 minute period between the time the power first went out, the electric company repaired the line, and when the lines started going down everywhere. I have to say, it bites. It bites big time.
But, in the end analysis, I knew on Friday morning that we would likely be some of the last people to be getting our power lines back. And thus, our drive around last night demonstrated this to be fact – at least in our town.
So, my attention turns to that which happens in the world around me – to see what misery other people have in their lives. I have to tell you, there are plenty of people making their own misery. Bernie Madoff and his clients, celebs pawning goods for plastic surgery, Governor Hair, and of course the woman who's accused of biting a teacher. Good times to be had by all. Check out the rest of the entry for the details!
Read all of Making Misery for Yourself POWEROver the weekend, I’ve learned a few lessons about how to survive without power. Power, it would seem, has multiple meanings – one of which is electricity to be sure, there is also the meaning indicative of authority or control. When you’ve got no electricity – and without an alternative “off the grid” power source, no heat – you’ve got no power; the only power that which remains is how you use your, albeit diminishing, authority. And that’s tough. Read all of POWER Santa Claus, Inc. to Lay Off Up to 15% of StaffAmid struggles with decreasing revenue and with the Elf union, Santa Claus © inc has announced today that 15% of its workforce will be handed pink slips over the next month. The union complains of inadequate working conditions, poor compensation, and mis-management at the corporate ranks, up to and including the board of directors and the "big man" himself. Read all of Santa Claus, Inc. to Lay Off Up to 15% of Staff NFL Lays Off StaffThe NFL announced staff cuts beginning now up through the Super Bowl in February and even announced a reduction in the cost of playoff tickets this year. What you should be looking at is when the sports leagues started planning for this: months, if not a year ago. Where was congress during this time? Just as important, where were the Detroit automakers? Would be have even heard about their troubles if congress hadn't started handing out money? Read all of NFL Lays Off Staff Christmas Christmas time is here......time for laughter, time for cheer. Christmas is absolutely, positively one of my most favorite things. It's nothing to do with the snow - I've really come to abhor snow...particularly hazardous as a New Englander, to be sure; it's nothing to do with religion - or with the ceaseless gamesmanship around whether or not a municipality can display religious articles; it's about the traditions. Read all of Christmas Christmas time is here... Random Thoughts 7 DecemberRandom thoughts connected only by the thread that they occurred to me while writing this one entry. We have Pearl Harbor, memorial parks, neckties, football, automakers and gasoline today, as well as a call for whatever random thoughts you, dear reader, may have as well. Read all of Random Thoughts 7 December Oh! So that's what the problem is! We're in a recession.So we are now in the know that our economy is in a recession….dating back to the last quarter of last year. I understand the technical definition of recession: "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP growth, real personal income, employment (non-farm payrolls), industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales.” By definition then, we can only really tell we’re in one after the fact. This kind of misses the point, though. We all knew we were in recession. Read all of Oh! So that's what the problem is! We're in a recession. Thanksgiving 2008Thanksgiving 2008 has come to an end. It was a fine day, surrounded by extended family – loved ones all – with whom my whole immediate family and I were able to share the Thanks of the season.
I am Thankful for so much in my life, and I truly believe myself to be exceedingly fortunate indeed. However, this was a particularly difficult day for me in a season sure to be difficult – a fact I steadfastly have tried to deny in the previous few weeks, but one that has become so obvious to my loved ones as my comportment has become increasingly more strained and my disposition has become more volatile. Several times throughout the day more than one person asked me if I was okay, because I seemed in a foul mood.
I guess I learned a little bit about myself this Thanksgiving, about how I handle things like loss and grief.
Read all of Thanksgiving 2008 Self Reflection: Baseball as LifeI have always been one of the youngest people in whatever work group I’ve been with. Do I run a major company and drive the BMW I’ve wanted since the Commonwealth of Massachusetts minted me a drivers’ license AND gave me a set of license plates? Nope. I don’t have the law degree I have long coveted, but I’ve done more than a little schooling with some degree of success.
Meanwhile, Hal Steinbrenner, a guy MY age, has become the new owner of the New York Freaking Yankees.
Hal, best of luck with your new job. I could probably kick your butt doing it, but as that middle-aged guy doing a little soul searching and reflecting, I’m actually okay with what I’ve accomplished. I just hate to see other guys my age accomplishing more. Read all of Self Reflection: Baseball as Life Auto Industry Bailout ThoughtsChrysler was bailed out in 1979. For the immediate term thereafter, jobs were saved. There was some vision as the company took a risk that young families would buy converted cargo vans to replace station wagons. They shrunk their midsize sedans, and created the K cars. The government forced concessions by the UAW and by Chrysler. Over the last 30 years, Chrysler has lurched around – buying up American Motors, mostly for the JEEP brand – merging with Daimler-Benz in a marriage of unequals, divorcing from Daimler when the marriage “didn’t work out.”
GM and Ford sell a great deal of automobiles to fleets – governments, rental car agencies, etc. Resale values on these cars are hurt by the knowledge there will be thousands of these things two years old on the resale market. Toyota, Honda, etc. do not sell cars this way. Any bailout will not set things right. 1979 did not see Chrysler peeling back dealer networks, did not see it ultimately keep labor costs in check, did not ultimately create a leaner, better company. A bailout will likely buy some time for these jobs. Here are some other thoughts I have on this...now if I only knew a little more about "Saved By the Bell" I could have been on a winning trivia team too. Read all of Auto Industry Bailout Thoughts Patriots-Jets Observations from a Pats Fan Well, last night’s Patriots/Jets game was entertaining, if not instructive. On 4 th down and mere seconds left Matt Cassel – MATT CASSEL! – led the Patriots to a touchdown. Fail, and the ball turns over, clock runs out. Score, have a chance for overtime. An improbable strike to Moss with a defender draped all over him, makes the catch, stays in bounds and the Patriots live for another series.
Now, as a Patriots fan, I do enjoy watching them win. I even enjoy watching them kick the snot of out opponents. The record shows a middling sort of team, 5-4. Last season, I can think of 1-interesting non-playoff game. Thankfully, thusfar we’ve been treated to interesting. Read all of Patriots-Jets Observations from a Pats Fan Week 11 PicksI'm still having a hard time with the idea that it's not quite Thanksgiving and we're playing Thursday Football. To the point that my man Lanz called me Sunday and asked me if I wanted to go to the Patriots game that afternoon - uh, hello, yes! On our way to the stadium he said he couldn't believe he was going to drive out here again on Thursday... I actually asked him why he would be out at the Stadium. Duh.
Some cylinders are just not firing at full tilt.
Read all of Week 11 Picks HR Perspective: Employee Free Choice Act All the campaign rhetoric has been put away; one of the longest Presidential campaigns in history has come to a conclusion and history has been made. President Elect Obama's speech the night of the election took on the look and feel of those addresses made by the winning Super Bowl team leaders. As a nation, there was and is much to feel good about.
But now, the election night celebrating has given way to reflecting on what the implications of a Democratically led Congress and a Democratic President are for business, with focus specifically on the Employee Free Choice Act.
Read all of HR Perspective: Employee Free Choice Act The Proper Role of Government?I believe that people should be allowed to make their own choices. I believe the government should be minimalist and that it should not in day-to-day life it should be invisible. I also believe it’s not the role of the Federal government to become owners in private industry.
For sure, government has it’s role. Its role is the protection of its people and its borders. The federal government has control over interstate commerce and has the responsibility to educate its population. But is it's role to bail out industry or it is role to set the rules for industry and let the game be played on the field?
Read all of The Proper Role of Government? Can't Get It Out of My BrainWow, you’d think that with a Presidential election I would have had something – ANYTHING – to talk about last week. The only thing I could muster? A discussion of my football picks. Fortunately, I whaled this week on my picks…fortunately because everyone else in the pick’em pool did too. Truth of the matter is that I’ve just not been in the writing space. I open up a new document, put my fingers on the keys….and nothing. I look at the keyboard for about 5 minutes and can’t figure out what should escape my brain. Read all of Can't Get It Out of My Brain Football Pick 'EmThis has been an historic week.
It was the start of Thursday night football and Cleveland Quarterback Brady Quinn – the man the Browns traded up to get last year – finally made a start last night, leading them to put 30 points on the board.
What did you think I was talking about? Read all of Football Pick 'Em 3:15: Picks for RedemptionUgh. “3:15”. We’ve all seen the signs at football games. Now, I’m not much the bible scholar, but I reckon it refers to a message of eternal life and of redemption.
I could have used that last week when I lost to Ken Zearly in Survival football. And why did I lose? I forgot to pick. Hardly eternal life on Yahoo! Survival Football.
Now, when the dog woke me up this morning, barking to go outside, “redemption” wasn’t the first thing on my mind when I looked over and saw that glowing red “3:15 AM” on the clock, but rather something along the lines of “Final Destination” and the only religious message I took from the experience was, “Oh, god, why is this happening to me?”
It is certainly on my mind as I review my picks for last week, a 6-8 mediocre performance, particularly on the heels of my Quarter saving performance the week before going 10-4. I’m running an even .500 for the quarter at 21-21, but woefully behind in the season scoring at 46-54. Read all of 3:15: Picks for Redemption |
