Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Jordan Hassay broke a 22 year old National sophomore class record in the 1600m. It is clear that Jordan has a bright future… and her future seems to be well managed and protected.
It was fun to an excellent performance from a local athlete.
Roger Freberg
What is it about going on a diet that makes you believe that you have always been slimmer? Yes, Laura and I have looked like this most of our married life (35 years this year)… but recently, well… let’s just say that Laura doesn’t want any ‘before’ pictures up… at least on my blog. Karla took this picture when we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Wednesday.Today is ‘weigh-in’ day at Jenny Craig and this is a nice discipline… a fun routine where the proverbial ‘rubber meets the road.’ Will I be slimmer and by how much? Some folks and competitors say the ‘weigh-ins’ are just wrong… but those are folks who think of an entire pie as a single serving. You can’t lie to yourself when someone is looking over your shoulder…. besides it is fun.Karen’s weigh-in was yesterday in South Pasadena. She’s closing in on 60 lbs lost. Our weigh-in was this morning. Laura dropped a pound today and I slimmed down 3 more… As a family we have lost over 160 lbs and I have dropped about 55 lbs. (61 lbs counting my pre-Jenny drop).I’ve got 30 more to go.
This past weekend we had a great time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
Karla thoroughly enjoyed herself and took quite a few pictures… here are a few ( click here).
Unfortunately, the aquarium puts it’s politics front and center… an unfortunate development in recent years. However, it is an interesting and fun place to visit.
Roger Freberg
Ask almost anyone and they can tell you what they felt was an important fashion statement over the years. Some of my male relatives say it was the miniskirt or the bikini… hunting buddies say it was the foam beer can holder or velcro… everyone has an opinion…. which makes it fun.
Edith Head of Hollywood fame must have been the person in mind for the person of “Edna’ in the “Incredibles”… and our family has laughed and quoted this scene far too much:
Bob: Weren’t you in the news? Some show in, Prayge… Prague?
Edna: Milan, darling. Milan. Supermodels. Heh! Nothing super about them… spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves. Feh! I used to design for *gods*!
Edna You need a new suit, that much is certain.
Bob:: A new suit? Well, where the heck am I gonna get a new suit?
Edna: You can’t! It’s impossible! I’m far too busy, so ask me now before I again become sane.
Bob:: Wait? you want to make me a suit?
Edna You push too hard, darling! But I accept!
Edna: It will be bold! Dramatic!
Bob:: Yeah!
Edna: Heroic!
Bob: Yeah. Something classic – like Dynaguy. Oh, he had a great look! Oh, the cape and the boots…
Edna: [throws a wadded ball of paper at Bob’s head] No capes!
Bob: Isn’t that my decision?
Edna: Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers? Nice man, good with kids.
Bob: Listen, E…
Edna: November 15th of ’58! All was well, another day saved, when? his cape snagged on a missile fin!
Bob: Thunderhead was not the brightest bulb…
Edna Stratogale! April 23rd, ’57! Cape caught in a jet turbine!
Bob: E, you can’t generalize about these things…
Edna: Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snag on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex!
[shouts]
Edna No capes!
Remember: “No Capes!”
Roger Freberg
If you have ever studied the art of negotiation or have read Herb Cohen, you’ll know exactly what it means to be ‘sovieted.’
However, allow me to fill you in, should this cold war term leave you wondering.
The Soviets employed a tactic in their negotiations that I’ll simplify by stating some of the more memorable strategies: 1) the object is to make the other guy move no matter how long it takes… and never move even after he ‘gives a little’, 2) Introduce competition into the negotiation ( increase the number of part-time employees not covered by the existing agreement) ,3) stall… then stall some more… he has a ‘deadline’ but you never do, 4) make an agreement that looks good on the surface , announce to the world how wonderful it is with terms like ‘merit pay’… but in reality it is nothing of the sort, 5) ignore outside recommendations unless they agree with you ( as they probably will with the latest impartial analysis).
Well, an impartial analysis has been undertaken and it seems to agree with the faculty’s position… let’s see what happens.
Roger Freberg
Ps. By the way, this is no way like negotiations in the private sector… where the market place has a profound influence on salaries and performance… this is the public sector arena and a battle between bureaucrats and faculty.