Fly Time

Art Contrarian takes us back to the 1960s and looks at Douglas DC-8 interiors. 

Compare the photo above with today's flying experience.

"The Old Cow Man"

I saw this at The Hammock Papers and promptly sent it to a friend who is an old cow man.

Webcam

Live stream from the beach at Costa Blanca in Spain.

The 13th

Anderson Layman's Blog has a fine collection of items related to the superstition of Friday the 13th.

Boo.

Helpful Sentences

• "How can we make that work?"
• "Go see."
• "What was meant by that?"
• "That is not a good idea."
• "We don't treat people like that."
• "If this option were to turn out poorly, what would be the likely reason?"
• "We don't do that here."
• "What are our priorities?"
• 'That is not going to happen."
• "Tell me what I'm missing."
• "What really really really needs to change?"
• "And then what?"

Quote of the Day

What is the purpose of work? 

Purpose. 

- Nicholas Bate

Music Break

Anton Karas on the zither with the theme from "The Third Man."

If a better film has been made, I've yet to see it.

Patton's Instructions

Yesterday, The Hammock Papers acknowledged General George Patton's birthday with a reprint of his letter of instruction to the Third Army.

It should be read by all managers and supervisors. An excerpt:

Plans must be simple and flexible. Actually they only form a datum plane from which you build as necessity directs or opportunity offers. They should be made by the people who are going to execute them.

First Paragraph

Assistant-Commissioner Mercer did not often attend inquests. It was not part of his duty to do so. The fact that on that foggy December morning he should be sitting in a coroner's court in a London suburb instead of in his room at New Scotland Yard argued wholly exceptional circumstances. 

- From The Case of the Overheated Service Flat by Eric Ambler

Connecting

Last night I had dinner with Kurt Harden and Wendell Crain in Scottsdale. They are in town for a conference and it was a true pleasure getting to meet them even though I feel as if I'd already met Kurt due to his prolific blogging.

Aside from his exec work at MedBen, Kurt is the brains and creator of Cultural Offering, an excellent blog that covers a wide range of subjects but which is really about how to live a good life. [Aristotle would have loved it.]

Wendell is a security/infrastructure/web guru and he was at the conference as the resident expert on one of MedBen's new products.

Both are great dinner companions and it was an honor getting to meet them. Each has a gift for conversation and the subjects covered medical issues, politics, home-brewed beer, pistols, history, family members, dogs, art, and zombie attacks, although not in that order. In fact, some of the problems of the world were solved last night.

We'll do it again.