Carmichael's Position

Mom...

On this day dedicated to Mom's all around the US, I wanted to express my thanks to my mom for raising me, feeding me, tolerating me, feeding me protecting me, feeding me and my friends, guiding me, and of course... Feeding me!

Many know Jo Carmichael as "Mom," not just my sister and me.  Because of dad's career as a Naval Aviator that included numerous tours as Commanding Officer of, the Squadron, the Airwing or the Ship, Mom was called upon countless times to serve the roll as nurturer, confidant, disciplinarian, councilor and cheer leader to many Junior Officer wives and yes even their kids as well.  I learn every day just how much of an influence she had on many peoples lives, and how fortunate I am to have her as my Mom too!

Mom instilled a  set of values that even today I depend on to make my way through my cluttered life.  My successes I can attribute to my Mom's teachings of dedication and compassion, and a care for others beyond myself.  And even though I do not always live up to her high example, she sure has set a great goal!  Many of times I find myself asking, would mom be proud of me if... and that answer has served to guide me to this day!

My aggressiveness comes from Dad, but my temperance comes from Mom!  Without her I'm sure my size 12's would have found their way many more times into my all too expressive mouth!  And I cannot thank her enough for those teachings, and probably a few less beatings!

Mom is certainly a renaissance woman, with talents that allow her to feel comfortable in a room full of dignitaries, (She's dined with the Queen of England on the yacht Britannia for crying out loud!) as she is in a room full of baseball playing teenagers!  She has done it all with grace, dignity, and compassion for all around her.  I am in awe at her social dexterity!

But I am fortunate to call her my Mom!  And you can too, she's proven that time and time again!

Here's to you mom, Happy Mother's Day!  

San Diego for the past 4 days... More to Come...

Been in San Diego the past four days... Lots to talk about and write about... compiling now... well,... after getting all caught up on the day job stuff!  See you in a few days probably!

Here's a taste!

My Mind is a Lottery Basket of Thoughts Lately

Have you ever felt just out of mental sorts...  where the jumble of thoughts running through your mind once spilled will be so desultory that Mitchell Feigenbaum himself would say "Dude! Can you get any more random?"

It has been going on for a few weeks now, nailing down a specific thought for me right now is seriously like nailing pudding to the wall.  It probably comes from having 27+ ice cubes in the fire at a time and trying not to let any of them melt. 

My insomniac nature has been in full swing as I continually find myself waking in the wee hours of the morning, when the blessed and civil among us would be better served trying to find light leaks in ones eyelids.  And the causes of these episodes are as random and meaningless as the tangled balls of Cotton doubling as thoughts running though my restless Velcro mind.  I was only slightly comforted, as I lay there counting dolphin safe sheep, of a particularly poetic passage written recently by one of my favorite bloggers describing so elegantly my inconvenient experiences of recent nights.  He quotes:

"Woke early, couldn’t sleep. Restless, head filled with half-formed thoughts and shapeless anxieties. Things which you stuff away in a box in the course of the day, but which peek out and steal away in the early morning hours when the guards doze at their posts. Sometimes I can stuff them back away and return to lethe..."

Oh to be able to wax as poetic as he.

But alas my words, are mine, the feces of my overflowing mind.  I wonder oft if I'm writing too little in an effort to exorcise these slumber stealing thoughts, or maybe too much, constantly trying to string together reasonable and logical syllogistic passages to out maneuver those of opposing ideals.  A jump ball!

So what are some of the random musings spinning aimlessly in my blendtec mind?

• Current politics is annoyingly juvenile, reported by preschool media!
• Barack Obama is Black... so figgn'n what!!! Our nation needs to get off the "Race" horse!  That means everyone!!! White people, Black people, off auburn people, green... just stop!!!! It's Bovine Scatology at its worst!  Diversity training is BS-- how about a little Unity Training!!!
• Think before you vote please.  Is he/she qualified to work in your company?  Then how is he/she qualified to run the free world!
• Is it possible to "Quickly Meander?"
• Big screen LCD TV's tuned to sports or Bikini contests with a bar furnished with comfy leather chairs .. should be mandated by LAW! To be in EVERY department store's Womens' section!  With score cards in a magazine basket next to each seat!  That oughta take the sting out of trying to find a balance between Being a "Man", Being a "Good Husband" and being just plain "Gayishly-"Yes-Dear-Let's-Go-Shopping-while-the-Masters-is-on"-with- your-onions-in-her-hand-Whimpy!"
• Although she does look awesome in that dress!!!!
• Vertical stripes on size 17 women's pants are not "Slimming!" Please don't buy into the marketing!  Buy into a gym membership!
• There's only one kind of Kenmore dryer belt... so when it breaks don't waste the 14 minutes trying to find a model number!  Despite being prompted for one by the lady behind the parts counter at Sears!  seriously!!! THERE IS ONLY ONE!
• Dryer belt stores close at 5!  Liquor Stores close at Midnight, coincidence?.... nope!
• 78 today... Snow tomorrow!... Gotta feel for the tourists in Denver this week.  We?.... Hell we're used to it! 
• The weather matches my brain!
• Mixing peanuts and Exlax is the Lazy Man's way to itch a hemorrhoid! But it sure makes a funny sound in practice, though!

Now, with troubling thoughts like that, how'd you sleep?

Where have I been?

This was the question posed by a friend of mine this morning, as he saw my IM show up on his computer.

In answer... Here... On Business.

 

 

"Give Ken a Big Wet One for Me for His Birthday"

This was the Instant Message I received on my iPhone from a friend of mine who could not join me and a couple of other friends in Seattle to help celebrate my good friend Ken Schoeni's 40th birthday! 

I was not sitting close to Ken at the time, but Tim was... so he obliged!

Mmmmmm... Lucky Ken! Or... then again... maybe not...

Despite the wickedly moist tongue slobbering he just received, Ken, Stu, Tim and I enjoyed a great weekend of fun, stupidity, and juvenile behavior usually reserved for those a third our age! 

Ken recently took a position at Boeing as an Supply Chain Analyst, moving from Colorado to Seattle and there was no way in Hell I was going to let Ken spend his 40th B-day by himself.  Ken knew I was coming out to visit him, I had told him of my plans about 3 weeks ago.  What Ken did not know is that a couple of his other good friends were going to make the hour shortened weekend trip too!  Tim (Ken's "a-bit-too-amorous" friend in the above photo) flew in from Pennsylvania just for this (12 combined hours in the air for 37 hours of fun with friends in Seattle!)  Now that's a buddy! 

Stu, the other unannounced attendee for the weekend's festivities, lives here in Colorado and flew out with me.  Where we surprised Ken at his front stoop following a none-too-subtle knock on his apartment door!  Best to condition Ken's Neighbors early to their expected sleepless weekend!

Ken was floored when he learned of the addition of two of his best fiends.

We had a ball!  Hazing commenced almost immediately... as is the norm when we join forces.  Not for the weak constitution.  Weaknesses WILL be EXPLOITED!  Builds character!

We spent our weekend playing tourist, enjoying an occasional adult beverage or two, catching up on old times.  On Saturday night we took Ken to Daniel's Broiler to enjoy a wonderfully prepared hunk of Cow!  Wow! was that good!  The meat was perfectly prepared and expertly served!  My highest recommendation if you are visiting Seattle and have some money to spend on a quality meal!

After dinner we strolled around the docks to walk off our meal... we all overate, but it was too good not to!  On our jaunt we came across a specific vessel that many of you will be familiar with if you have ever watched the Discovery Channel's acclaimed "Deadliest Catch" program.  There moored before us among the Multi-Million Dollar yachts was the "Time Bandit".  Pretty cool!  One of the crew members saw us for the fans we are and asked if we would like to have or picture taken.  Sure, especially because it would most likely be the only one with all four of us in frame (turned out, it is... L-R Ken Schoeni, Tim Husbands, YHS, and Stu Sweet.)

 

As I mentioned, it was a fast but fulfilling weekend.  We crammed about as much as we could while still trying to relax and unwind in those 38 or so hours! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN!  40 ain't so bad... especially if you're 41 or 42 like most of the rest of us!

Here's some of my customary photos from the trip, mostly of Pike Market... more can be found here [link].

       

Um... There's another kind?

What was I Thinking... Of Course Obama Can Save The World! Besides... "He Makes Manure Taste Good!"

My buddy Tommy defended his political stances the other day after receiving a somewhat unfair and somewhat juvenile (sorry I was impersonating the candidates and talking heads I see and hear on TV and radio) lambasting from me and my bride about the concerns we have about Senator Obama becoming president.  Fair enough... Tommy and I agree to disagree.  I do not think he is an idiot for his beliefs and values, nor do I see him as incompetent or shallow or uninformed, not by a long shot.  He is a thoughtful contemplative rational man.  We simply take the same information and derive different solutions to the problems facing the world.   Tommy is an "Earthling" first who happens to be an American Citizen.  Believe me, I do understand that philosophical premise and have no qualms if your view is that way. Me?... I'm an American first in my mind, I do not apologize for that, and unlike some I have always been proud to be an American!

Have I always been proud of the actions of other Americans?... Nope! Not by a long shot!  But on the whole I think we do ok!  My liberal brothers would probably say I have my head in the sand, and can't I see the catastrophic harm America is bringing to the world in our Imperialistic Arrogance? 

Simple... Nope, I do not! 

In Barak (no mention of his middle name) Obama, I see another Jimmy Carter coming, one who promises "Change" declaring that the sitting administration and Party (In Carter's Time it was the Ford Administration-- the unfortunate follow-on to the Nixon Administration Republicans in a war weary nation) is Evil incarnate and has done NOTHING positive.  NOTHING mind you!  I am one who believes history will illustrate otherwise once the partisans go away much like they have with both the Nixon and the Ford Administrations. 

So along comes the "Change Messiah," who, using hope and inspiration, will save us from those evil Americans Republicans.  Obama lets fly with promises like farts at a 8-bean Chili Cook-off!  And many of them have the same lingering smell.  He is an idealist in a party that covets Utopian Communes, where ALL the world will willingly "Play Nice," where everyone is a "Special Interest Group", just like everyone else!  Where evil ideas like competition, and free enterprise are banned from the lexicon!  Artisans, muses, and narcissistic intellectuals rule the day!  Fair is the LAW!!! Peace is everywhere because obviously caring loving Liberals who understand and accept alternate views lifestyles would not pose a threat to anyone ever again.  Peace would blossom and flourish like those heady days at Haight and Ashbury.

As a Speech Communication Degree holder, I have a great appreciation for Barak's oratory and rhetorical skills.  He is indeed a damn sight better at presenting prepared text than our current sitting president, and I too long for the days when our elected leaders could string a sentence together using real words.

But for the most part his orations lack substance (hmmm imagine that with a politician) and I would really respect the candidate who came forward and said... "Ya know, right wrong or indifferent, we are in Iraq now, we did this and we have an obligation to make that country a stable prosperous land.  We will not abandon you, we will stand side by side with those seeking peaceable solutions.  Improvements have been made and we will work to expand those while striving to eliminate any negative effects of our presence.  Abu-Ghraib was a travesty and does not represent America, American Values, or 99.99% of our Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors or Marines!  It represents idiocy in human beings, and that is all!!!  It was not a product of the Bush administration, it was the product of poor leadership, and stupidity.  Its a good thing no-one will ever do anything stupid while Obama is President!  He Promises!!!

Anyway... I'm not going to tick away at Tom's premises, as Tom states he has his beliefs, and I have mine... they are different, we see through a different lens and different experiences we bring to the table.  We'll continue to discuss our views and try to remain civil in our discourse.  And our discourse always goes better with Guinness!  Here's to you Tom.  For hanging 'em in the breeze for all the world to punch at.

Pudge Update

I was reminded by our good friend Karyn this afternoon, when she asked how our cat Pudge was faring, that I really needed to post an update on the health of our 9 year old cat.  First, I want to thank the number of you who have shared your concern about Pudge and sent your warm wishes for her improved health.

I am happy to report that Pudge appears, by all accounts, to be doing very well.  Ginger took her into the Veterinarian last week for a complete exam and work-ups of blood tests and the likes.  ALL Tests, for pretty much any of the most common feline maladies, came back negative.  This is great news as far as I am concerned.  However it remains a mystery as to what the hell happened on that Saturday morning. 

The Doc said "It could have been as simple as she got into something that she shouldn't have..."  Wow imagine that!  Who would ever suspect something like that happening with a curious cat?

Well, once again I want to thank you all for sharing your warm wishes for Pudge we are glad she is doing better.

William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008) Farewell...

One of my favorite writers, commenter and thinkers has passed, and the world will be a lesser place for it.

Bill Buckley founded one of the stalwarts of conservative thought and commentary with the publication of National Review in 1955.  And from that time has provided our citizenry excellent mentorship in the ways of Conservative Thinking.

Some of my favorite quotes are from this man.  Here are but a few:

• “Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”
• “Back in the thirties we were told we must collectivize the nation because the people were so poor. Now we are told we must collectivize the nation because the people are so rich.”
• “It had all the earmarks of a CIA operation; the bomb killed everybody in the room except the intended target!”
• “Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.”
• “I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.”

All continue to have merit... especially in today's desert of political rhetoric, void of intellect, creativity and substance.

You will be missed Bill -- albeit more so by those of us on the right... those on the left on the other hand are just bummed the news of your passing interrupted the Oprah show!  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Goodnight Bill...

We have a sick cat... We think... Maybe...

One of the problems with cat husbandry (calling it ownership would be one of the more catastrophic misrepresentations in human history) is that there are basic indicators that a cat is possibly sick, or those same indications could mean she's hungry, sleepy, happy, moody, just wants to go outside and catch a snowflake or two on her tongue.

Pudge, our 9 year old Balinese, displayed some very odd behavior on Saturday this past weekend.  Out of nowhere, she walked into our bedroom, turned, staggered a bit, then catching a claw in a sweater I had lying on the ground lost all semblance of balance and fell over, not in a "Crap my claw is stuck!" sort of way.  More like a high school kid after finding the key to his oldman's liquor cabinet for the first time.  I mean it appeared to me that she fainted!  Thud!

Well that got my attention right quick!  I sprang over to her picking her up briskly, she looked very disoriented wide-eyed and all that!  I quickly transported her to the bath tub (void of water!  I'm cruel to people! NOT ANIMALS!) for fear of the usual vomit that follows cat's oddities!  None was forthcoming.  She sat in the bath tub for a few woozy seconds before beginning to re-connect with the real world.  Very Odd!

A little background here, I've had cats in my family for pretty much all my life, I love cats (dogs too for that matter before this turns into some animal kingdom political metaphor!) and I've been around them in good times and in bad.  I'm very observant of their sometimes extremely subtle hints to their health, mood, and desires.  I've also not panicked at the first sign of odd behavior in these "Furry, Eating Pillows!"  Because usually what follows the most disgusting displays from a cat is a sound only a plumber could be proud of and a resulting hairball! (Why they don't refer to this as an "Esophageal Hair Turd" based on what it really resembles is beyond me!)  But Pudge's behavior this Saturday morning was disturbing to me.

As is always the case with sick cats this display of imbalance happened at 11:43am, guess... just guess what time our, 20 minutes across town, vet's office closes on Saturday's.  Yep, Noon!  So if I want to take Pudge to the translator vet, it is going to have to be at the Emergency Care Facility (Read twice as expensive as a weekday)!  I call the vet never the less, to at least identify some possible causes to Pudge's fainting, other than my leaving the downstairs TV on a Barak Obama speech, which is rumored to cause fainting in the clinically stupid!  (Of which all cats are members-- but cats make up for it in "Style Points"!)  Anyway, I digress... Shocker I know!.... by now Pudge was very much returning to sorta-normal, as normal as Pudge ever is.  After consulting with the technician we all agreed that at this point it might just be better to observe her and see if her behavior degenerates again, and look for other signs of distress, of which at that time there were none.

The rest of the weekend went without incident, other than my early rising on Sunday (05:00) to check on the little fuzz butt!  She was fine, sleeping comfortably thank you, wish I could do the same!

You see, I carry stress in my stomach, along with most of my pool team's left-over meals, and it is when I don't know how my cat is really doing that I knot up!  I've had through the weekend and still have this evening as I write this, that knot!

My lovely Bride Ginger and fellow cat husbandress (work with me people you know what it means even though it isn't really a word!  Hell I've only got 11 more months of Bushisms to use... quit celebrating Tommy!) took some time from her busy nursing job, providing care for cancer patients, to take our loved Pudge to the Translator Vet, to find out what was really bothering Pudge.  After the obligatory poking, prodding, pressing, shoving, and blood drawing... oh and evidently an un-requested stool sample production... her offerings were at this time inconclusive.  It can be 1 of literally 100's of things and we won't know even initial discoveries until hopefully tomorrow.

The frustrating part... other than not being able to speak "catonese," is that for the most part Pudge is behaving mostly normal.  I say "mostly" because she is still offering up some peculiarities from her usual script.  Take for example this evening, an uneventful night until about 10:00pm as things were beginning to wind down here at Casa-de-Carmichael, she decides this would be a good time to become vocal!  Now both Pudge and Scrunch will "talk" for no apparent reason (much like I've been accused of before) but this oration usually lasts a minute max.  Well Pudge went on longer than most Clinton Speeches!  Carrying the same relevance as one too! 

Me being the responsive Cat herder, went to see what all the commotion was about, and to perform the obligatory prodding, poking, squeezing etc... to see if a greater problem had indeed manifested... nope... for the most part once I paid attention to her she quieted down!  Did I mention Pudge is a "Chick Cat!"  Go figure!

Now, as both the Big and Little hands point north on the clock, she appears to be resting peacefully, wish I could say the same for me, my knot is still there and is becoming one a Boy Scout or Bosun's Mate would be proud to have tied.  I'm concerned, and feeling powerless, two bad tastes that taste worse together.  I continue to pray for a positive outcome for our little companion, but damn it that air of negativity keeps blowing in.  I hate that!  Not my style!

Well... just thought I'd share.  So if I appear to be a little more distracted than is my usual, please understand, I'm reading up on Catonese.

Photos That Convey a Feeling

I play racquetball twice a week, at Green Mountain Rec. Center here in Denver.  The reason I play there and not closer to my house is that it is almost but not-quite-equidistant between me and my playing partner.  I usually play immediately after work which often is right around sunset.

Anyway, along my route (the ridge of Green Mountain) I am entertained by a magnificent vista of the entire Denver crescent  laid out before me, from Boulder to the north all the way to Pikes Peak to the south and all of the Denver Metro in-between, an impressive view to say the least. 

However even with that distraction as my eastern view, I keep finding my eyes drawn to the simple contrast of a lone Cattle Chute in a meadow to my west.

For me, there has always been something about the simple wood structure at sunset that conveyed "The West."  And I've always wanted to take a crack at capturing that feeling in a photo.  I had the opportunity the other day to make just such an  effort.  Here are the results, and I'm curious to know if you think I managed to capture more than just a "Cattle Chute."

Full sized versions of these images can be found on my SmugMug page here. 

Photos from my latest trip to San Diego

As most of you know, I pretty much consider San Diego my 'Home Town" for as much as a Navy Brat with 37 different addresses to his credit can claim one...

This last trip was to attend a Tailhook reception and then give the Managing Director of Tailhook a Briefing on the first year's performance of The "Tailhook Daily Briefing."  The Association's blog of which I am the editor.

I needed the break, and I got one.  It was a great trip.  The weather was perfect...Severe Clear in the mid 60's!  Hertz once again provided me with a Mustang, this time without the 11 inches of snow to navigate through!  And my "Travelocity" discounted hotel room was not to be believed for below $200.00 price I paid!  Here's the view out my room window!

I took the opportunity to recapture some of my 500 photos (that got lost thanks to a somewhat unsuccessful hard drive recovery... performed by a somewhat accomplished nincompoop!)... as well as take a few other new ones.  The latest collection is posted here if you would like to check out the full batch, but as I like to do here's some to tease you a bit.

Some planes... of course!  with a little Photoshop fun at Lindbergh Field.

The Beach at Coronado, to make all my snow covered friends in Colorado a bit envious.

Some of the downtown touristy stuff... Star of India and the recreation of the famous end of World War II  photo in a 30 foot statue down by the Midway.

 

And finally a panoramic of San Diego, looking a full 360 degrees from the end of the pier in the photo above.

  Like I said... A perfect couple of days in San Diego... Well, almost... If Ginger had been with me, it would have been perfect!

Again, more photos here: http://jcas.smugmug.com/gallery/4305021_nCL3k#252358952

Continuing Education

I'm pretty much a generalist.  I kind of wade knee deep through the kiddie-pool of knowledge that exists on this earth.

Do I consider myself a smart man?  Yeah I guess so... Knowledgeable???  Well, depends on the topic.  Knowing that the times I've considered myself an idiot can fill an encyclopedic volume!  So one of my goals this year is to expand my knowledge in a number of arenas.  Now,  "expand"  means exploring ideas and experiences I have little prior knowledge of, as well as dig a bit deeper into those areas I do.  Hopefully in this pursuit, I will become a better person.  For myself and those whom I interact with.

I am looking this way due to a number of recent changes in my world where I am feeling more and more behind the curve.

Some changes in the last year:

• New House (first time ever purchasing a house for me)
• New Wife (same chick for the past 10 years...formalized it!)
• New Job (Working for a previous boss, in a new industry!)
• Became Editor and continue to write for a Blog for a fairly well known Naval Aviation Association

On top of this I still want to remain proficient in:

• Racquetball (Less whelts more aces!)
• Golf (it can wait until the temperature outside reaches par at least!)
• Pool (Our team is in the running to go to Nationals if we can get through a couple of qualifier rounds)
• Photography (I now have a copy of Photoshop CS3 on my computer!)
• Writing (The three blogs I work with - soon to be four-- ought to suffice)
• Aviation History (add to that getting back model building)
• Now (frigg'n) HALO!  Damn Tommy!

And now adding to those: 

• I need to read more
• History
• Management
• Leadership (NOT synonymous with the previous term)
• Entertainment (heheh not just Clancy!)
• Philosophy (Covered the works of Epictetus)
• Need to DO more around the house! Projects include:
• Finish my basement
• Media room
• Pool Table
• Bedroom
• Bathroom
• Learn more about wood working and other construction stuff (would probably help with the basement stuff!)
• Back to the GYM!  Gett'n flabby!  Well for me anyway!  And I have no plans on cutting back on my eating!

So what's the problem?  Outside of time and money?... NO GOALS SET!

I have strayed too far away from my Goal and task lists!  When I detail what I need to do (by when!-- that makes it a goal!) I usually am much more productive and efficient!  Proved today when I felt a bit overwhelmed by my workload and the number of projects that I am juggling, kind of lost the bubble on the status of each.  I took the time to write down... that's right the old fashion way... with pencil and legal pad!... the tasks I needed to accomplish today.  It was 20+ entries long.   All are complete as of now!  That is not to say more tasks were not created for tomorrow and future dates, there are now more due to today's business operations and unexpected surprises.  But writing them down helps!

Right now, I am beginning to expand my horizons by reading a number of books,

• Entertainment = Act of Treason by Vince Flynn
• Leadership= It's Your Ship by Captain Michael Abrashoff (I Highly Recommend this one!)
• And finally an author requested I review a book of his on the Battle of Midway, which I'll identify in another article, probably over on
The Tailhook Daily Briefing.

So excuse me while I write some more stuff down! 

Christmas at the Carmichael's

Heheh... Sounds a little odd but thanks to October 6th this year, Ginger and I combined (and of course her name change) now makes us the "Carmichaels"...

Cool...

We're here in Colorado this year enjoying this festive occasion with some very close friends.  Unfortunately family is spread all around the nation this day.  But they are certainly with us in spirit.

This Christmas day is just beginning, the promise of a "WHITE CHRISTMAS" has already been delivered... boy has it been delivered!  Here's a taste... What was forecast for 1-2" of light snow is now 7-9" and still snowing!

We're fortunate enough to be the ones hosting the dinner this year in our new house, so I do not have to experience the white knuckle adventures of the roads today.

We certainly wish you all could enjoy the holiday with us too... There is always an open invite!  And as cold as it is outside today... inside is quite warm and toasty.  Here's what Christmas looks like this year at Casa De Carmichael.

 

And of course... Your lovely Hostess... And my Beautiful Bride, Ginger...

      MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May all of your Christmas dreams come true...  And a special thanks to all of the Men and Women in Uniform who cannot be here with us this day, please know you are all in our hearts, and prayers!  We certainly hope you are all finding ways to bring a little Christmas cheer to wherever you are...  Knowing our Military, I'm sure it is being achieved... God Bless!

Well... That was FUN!

Or maybe not so much...

I am finally holed up in a warm comfy hotel room in the lovely town of Waterbury CT after spending almost my entire day on the freeways of Massachusetts and Connecticut... well 8 hours! anyway! (I say almost, because the first 3.5 hours of my morning were spent finalizing plans for my company's next coolest release for our customers...)

You:  "Wow John you must have traveled from one end of one state to the other..."

Me:  "Nope,... went 94 miles..."

You:  "huh?"

Me:  Allow me to illustrate...

Today after completing a software improvement  project with our developer, I needed to traverse some 140 miles from Marlborough MA to Danbury CT.  I didn't make it...

After 8 hours on my butt, no food, and one very impromptu pit stop on the not so side of the freeway, I had had enough...  Ya see, there was this Snow Storm I drove right smack into...  weird actually went from East Coast gray overcast, to... well...  A curtain of SNOW... A lot of SNOW!  In very short order! Some 9 inches in 4 hours! Here's a taste:

At 11:45 I took a photo as I was approaching the toll booth at the end of I-90 transitioning onto I-84, it had literally just begun no more than 2 minutes earlier.

This next shot was 12 minutes later:

26 minutes later...

2 hours and 11.3 miles later... seriously...

Then a few hours after sitting parked, well not really parked... every couple of minutes or so we advanced a car length or two... sometimes only a Mini Cooper length or two, I decided that my back teeth had been floating LONG ENOUGH!  And without a Gatorade bottle to spare, decided to mark some Connecticut territory and melt some ice right there on the freeway.  After all, we weren't going anywhere anytime soon.  No one blamed me!  And through the rest of my winter wonderland odyssey, I observed that I was not the only one who's bladder could be leased out as a Workout Ball!  Seven.... count 'em Seven others applied de-icing to I-84 in the course of the next hour or two.  Nope, don't know how you ladies do it!

This next photo I took looking back behind me... it was quite eerie in that I was actually the LAST person in the traffic line on the freeway... I had just cleared an icy hill that many semi's had jack-knifed on, and where many others' velocity vector was not pointing the same direction as their headlights!Somehow I finagled my way through... never once hitting the brakes or in reality nudging the gas more than the amount it would take to advance yourself in the drive-through window at McDonalds!  Oh... Did I happen to mention my Hertz rental car for this week's festivities was non other than an '07 Mustang!  Gotta just love rear wheel drive... with lotsa torque... in SNOW!  Anyway back to the pic...   after pulling up to the all too familiar eternal line of cars on the I-84 parking lot, it was some 5 minutes before I realized that I was LAST IN LINE!  I mean no one was behind me for over a 1/4 a mile (that was as far as I could see!)  That can't be good!

It was at that time... or in the next 20 minutes that I sat parked there... I made the decision to cut my trip shorter (distance-wise... it was already 6 hours longer) than planned, call the nearest Marriott and see if they had a room for yon weary traveler.

They did!  Now if my 1/4 tank of gas holds out for another 20 miles (and maybe 3 hours!)

Miracle!  About 10 more minutes passed and we the intrepid, began once again our snow laden mosey.  We cleared through another "Charlie Foxtrot" of Semi's and "See Dumbass!!! Four Wheel drive does not make you 'Captain Invincible's!" ("Captain Imbeciles" maybe...) and the plowed road lay presented before us... now mind you 20 miles per hour may not seem like much to you all sitting back reading this in Sunny San Diego... but let me tell you it was good to get the wind blow'n through my hair again... did I mention that my windshield wipers froze up on me?  So my head was out said window a couple of times knocking the frozen crap of the ol' vinyl "flick-fluncks" (can't really call then windshield wipers at that there particular moment) with the extended ice scraper/broom so thoughtfully supplied by Hertz!  Good people those Hertz guys... except for the ol' Mustang thing in the first BIG ASS Winter Storm of the season!  At least it wasn't a convertible!  Small blessings doncha know.

Alas I arrived at my recently altered hotel... and you know... the winter scene out my 6th floor, quite warm, Internet, and TV equipped room takes on a whole new peace about it once spectate'n  instead of participate'n...

Peace on Earth to all of you... I'm just happy having a little peace here in Waterbury Connecticut.

Sleep well... I know I will...

New Gig at NuEnergen

Yesterday was my first day at NuEnergen.  And as with any new beginning it was mostly dedicated to establishing the infrastructure required to do my job; e-mail, IM, phone, "Where's the Head" you know the important things.

This looks like it is going to be a great experience.  Already I am digging into our contractual arrangements with our customers so I can insure we are taking care of them operationally.  We've got some great names in that corral.

Which leads me to answer the question many of you have asked of me.  What does NuEnergen (and you) do?

NuEnergen is an Energy Management Consulting Firm, we specialize in

• Energy Procurement
• Demand Response
• Renewable Energy Certificates

I will be wearing many hats here, primarily I am responsible for taking care of our customers, insuring they receive the service they expect along with the accurate reporting they need.  Oh and of course, the savings we are seeking on energy procurement.  Additionally I will be assisting on everything from Sales & Marketing to our IT and Web needs.  Good thing I won't be too busy!

I'll be writing more about NuEnergen and what we do as the weeks progress, but it is definitely a burgeoning industry and we appear to be in the right markets.  Time will obviously tell.

Many of you who know me are also well aware of my politics, which leads to a few more questions in your minds about "Carbon Footprints" - Green Energy- and Greenhouse Gas reductions and how I fit into that.

More on that to come.  I owe it to a friend of mine to actually dedicate a few more brain cells to addressing the perceived philosophical contradiction. 

Stay tuned...

My Departure from NewsGator

As many of you now know tomorrow (11/9/07) marks my final day at NewsGator.  And it is with mixed emotion I greet this milestone.

My tenure at NewsGator began three and a half years ago when, at my weekly pool league, Greg Reinacker innocently enough asked me if I would be willing to work with him as his new idea for bringing RSS Feeds directly into MS Outlook was beginning to catch on.

"What's RSS?" I asked... and after a Sears Tower sized elevator pitch on the concept of NewsGator I said, uh... "Let me think about it..." 

"And... What the hell is a NewsGator?"

Obviously I agreed at some point to take Greg up on his offer.  I reported to work in April of '04 at the lavish 2nd floor office/loft of Greg's house... 

"Hey John, maybe we ought to look into getting you a desk or something to work at huh?... don't worry I have a desk chair you can use..."  Famous words to numb your butt by!

Anyway, NewsGator had begun.  Initially we envisioned an entirely different path than what has resulted now some 3+ years later... "No plan ever survives first contact" and all...  and NEVER survives VC advice! Right, Wrong or Indifferent!  We initially focused on providing a delivery mechanism for Premium "High Quality" full article content from known (and not so well known) publishers and writers.  Yeah that panned out!  Looked good on paper, but having to explain the dynamics of RSS and Feed Subscribing to, well... EVERYONE!... really took some time and creativity.

But for those with vision, the structural part of NewsGator and concept of information organization and access within Outlook as well as a web-based interface was intriguing.  And it was in June of '04 Greg decided to accept VC funding from Brad Feld and the folks at Mobius VC.  Wow!  Funding!

"Hey Greg, can I get another chair?" 

- "Yeah, go ahead and take one from the dining room table"

We then set our sites on expanding our employee count!  Cuz Greg was now having to hob-knob more and program less... We brought Lane into the office/ dining room suite at Casa de Reinacker... Let me tell you, Lane is awesome!  I have met no one better at rapidly sizing up a situation, formulating his assessment, compiling a cogent sentence to describe it, then deliver with properly cadenced inflection, dripping with sarcasm resulting in all around him on the floor with laughter!  We needed it then (and still do today). 

Lane's view of Greg's kitchen, and the "Old Growth Forest that used to be pizza in the refrigerator" was not one to be envied!  I was glad to have the loft, and Greg was happy I had taken to nailing his various '80's posters to his wall, instead of lying on the floor.  I still bet to this day that loft is the only room in his house to have anything hanging from the walls!

"Hey Lane, by the way, would you like an Office Chair instead of the Dining Room chair your in?"  Lane opted against "Iron Butt."  Smart man that Lane!

Over the years we continued to grow and continued to try to identify what we wanted to be when we grew up!  We eventually focused our efforts on an Enterprise Platform utilizing a centralized database of feeds, content, and community relevance data.  And those efforts continue to this day, albeit in much better digs than Greg's house!  And with many more employees!  3 office spaces later and employees numbering close to 70, NewsGator has indeed grown to become an influential player in the "Web 2.0" sandbox! 

As would be expected as employee #1 at a start-up, I have transitioned in roles at NewsGator from, Premium Content Solicitor, to Marketing Evangelist, to Cold Calling Outlook Sales Ferrengi, to Inside Sales Lacky, to Enterprise Sales Exec (securing our first 4 enterprise sales), to Director Client Services taking care of our 70+ Enterprise Customers and 20+(at the time) Private Label Media companies in their pursuit of Web 2.0 (always hated that moniker- lacks panache) initiatives.

Much fun has been had over these years and I am proud to say I was part of this fine team of people.  There is a phenomenal brain trust here and it will be tough to leave these fine folks.  But alas, I must move on my ADD has once again reared its head. 

I bid farewell to "Uncle NewsGator" and set sail for seas unknown, at a new company with familiar faces, in a new industry with boundless opportunity... and I hope a comfortable office chair!

Thanks Greg... it was one hell of a ride!

By the way... I still feel the Logo should have been something like this...

There is a Fair Wind Blowing at My Back...

For those of you who know... you know... For those who don't...

Read "Metaphor".

"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying...

By John Masefield (1878-1967).

Seriously!... Everyone who is owned by a cat goes through this!

This is an EVERY morning ritual! [LINK TO VIDEO]

The culprits at Casa De Carmichael are Pudge (pictured left) and her 22lb brother Scrunch (right)... AKA the "Cats Darwin Forgot" coined by my buddy Ken!

Oh sure... they look so innocent now!

Denver's First Snow 2007!

Yep it was 76 degrees yesterday!  Woke up this morning and... well... it sure ain't 76 now!  

We're only anticipating a couple or three inches today, and it will probably all be gone by tomorrow... but the mountains are rumored to have received 10-16"!!!  Whooo hooooo!  Wax up those skis baby!