Sports Moment: Bodacious the Bull

From Wikipedia, a reason to question the sanity of bull riders:

Bodacious was considered dangerous because of a down, forward, down+forward punch move. It resulted in bringing his rear up with his head to the ground, forcing a rider to shift their weight forward. Bodacious would then lift his head up full force, smashing the rider's face.

In 1995, rider Scott Breding tried wearing a hockey mask. However, this failed to protect him adequately. Bodacious headbutted Breding, breaking his nose and bursting his eyesockets.

Short Story Project

At last report, Cultural Offering needs 74 more nominees for his "read a short story every day of summer" project. Let's help him out.

You can't go wrong with Raymond Chandler. Here's the first paragraph from "Trouble Is My Business":

Anna Halsey was about two hundred and forty pounds of middle-aged putty-faced woman in a black tailor-made suit. Her eyes were shiny black shoe buttons, her cheeks were as soft as suet and about the same color. She was sitting behind a black glass desk that looked like Napoleon's tomb and she was smoking a cigarette in a black holder that was not quite as long as a rolled umbrella. She said: "I need a man."

Leadership Development Carnival

Just in case you missed it, the May Leadership Development Carnival is at Dan McCarthy's blog. Good stuff.

Unduly Complicated

An attorney revised a program for a college. The old program had been rather straightforward and, although it had some flaws - as most programs do - it operated well and was popular with the faculty and the students.

The lawyer's changes were substantive and wise but for the execution. The main problem stemmed from the complexity. Procedures that once could be mastered within a few minutes now required serious review and multiple reminders. Upper management liked it and the lawyer liked it; indeed, it seemed that input had been obtained from everyone but the people who would have to use the program.

Aside from the issue of implementation, the new program was very slick; a thing of beauty.

"Don't Speak"

Dianne Wiest in "Bullets Over Broadway." Marvelous film.

Quote of the Day

Just bought a car from a guy who thought the world was going to end this Saturday. Best deal I've ever gotten.

- Albert Brooks

Sunday Evenings

For many of us, Sunday evenings are a time of worry and reproach: worry about the upcoming work week and reproach because so little was accomplished over the weekend.

There is little, of course, that can be done at that point. We resemble students who have failed to study for the big exam and who long for another 24 hours. It is possible, however, that unlike the student, our exams are self-imposed. By focusing on those concerns, we may be overlooking some very important needs that took our attention elsewhere. It may be that our time was not ill-spent at all and that any trepidation about the coming week may be a reminder that we need to readjust our priorities.

Perhaps our Sunday evening worries are the real waste of time.

"The Birds"

Some Respighi for Sunday: Part One and Part Two.

Bate: SundaySomethingSynergistic

From the Incomparable Nicholas Bate, much to ponder. And much for life: "[T]here's a table in a cafe...."

Music Break: Summertime

By Booker T and the MGs.