Surviving 12.12.12

"Survive, stay alive, through the thick and the thin.  Survive, stay alive, until is all ends."  Jimmy Buffett

Wow.  That was close.  After surviving from 01.01.01 to 12.12.12 we can now relax since the next alignment of repeating calendar numbers won't happen until the year 2112.  A date I can predict with absolute certainty that I won't be around to witness.

But good news everyone.  If the Mayan calendar prediction is true none of us will be around then either since the world is once again coming to an end in a few more days.  Ah, if only we could be so lucky.  No remorse for losing a loved one as we expire one-by-one.  No wandering around in a zombie-filled post-Apocalyptic world once the Middle East FINALLY decides to kill each other (and everyone else).  No fiscal cliff....

Side note:  I will admit to not paying close attention to the daily reports on the Presidential election but after spending a reported TWO BILLION DOLLARS collectively on the campaign did the term "fiscal cliff" ever come up?

Anyway, it appears if we survive 12/21/12 there's really nothing else on the Armageddon calendar to worry about.  Except inside the beltway.

So, guess we have to think about working for a living.

So, what are your business plans for 2013 and beyond?  The economy is not going to magically transform itself to the wild and wacky 80's or the delusional dot.bomb days of the late 90's.

It's going to be a time for sense and sensibility.  Fiscal responsibility combined with riverboat gambler nerves.  Loyalist vs. Survivalist.

It's going to be fun.

See you next week........maybe.

Information vs. Conversation

A friend of mine was complaining about how she hates texting.  Actually it’s receiving text messages she seems to have a problem with.  Her issue is she often cannot grasp the emotional context of text messages.  “They always seem angry”, she said.

So I took to paying more attention to my received messages and, yes, most are abbreviated to the max.  They are stark, pointed and terse.  I love them.

You see, I see texting purely as passing along information.  No composition, no spell checking just “here it is let’s get back to work”.  I like texting for the exact reason I can’t stand IM’ing.  Where Instant Messaging is the worst of email with the worst of texting, pure texting was designed to pass along quick hits of information.

“at rest in corner by palm”

“in traf b thr in 10”

“r u home?”

 “go 2 espn quick”

Also, I don’t really use emoticons, I’m much too old to learn a completely new language.

I also agree with the old Lance Armstrong (sorry, guilty but still relevant) Radio Shack commercial where as the “Chief Mobility Officer” he dictates that no one over the age of 30 is allowed to use emoticons.  You know, the smiley faces

J

Texting was not designed for long, thoughtful, emotional conversations.  Frankly, neither is email.  If you want a conversation then pick up the phone or get face-to-face.

What I’m seeing is texting is becoming prevalent in the business world, which is fine as long as it’s used for information.

“part shipped today”

“confirming mtg 9AM Wed”

“flight delayed”

It shouldn’t be used for introductions, goodbyes, anything HR related, sarcasm or any emotion.  Although it could be a cool way to break up with someone.

;-)

 

I’m Baaaack….

"All of us learn to write in the second grade.  Most of us go on to greater things."  Bob Knight

Almost two years exactly since I signed off.  I’ve thought multiple times about jumping back in but each time would re-read my last post and realize that the words I wrote in December 2010 were still true.  This time, however, they rang hollow.

 It’s been an eventful two years with plenty of events to restock the cabinet with lots of new material.

Probably the most significant event is I remarried.  Those who followed “Tales” know of the loss of Bonnie and the path afterwards.  I have been fortunate to have found someone in my new wife Sandy who I love sharing life with.  It was not a quick process as we dated for quite a while but she was inordinately patient with me and allowed me to mentally mend.

So, as I was originally advised by Bob Corrigan and as I have since advised many times to others, don’t go into blogging if you’re not committed.  One per week, that’s my commitment.

So, here we go.  Watch this space.