The crazy year-end blog

Hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Busy-ness just sucks the life out of people. I don't know what has happened to the American mind in that we've been programmed into thinking that we have to be doing something productive every minute of every day. My totally un-scientific conjecture is that half of all psychiatric counseling problems could be solved by more rest and relaxation for the patient. There's nothing wrong with sitting around for a three, four, or five hour stretch doing - well - not a damn thing. Naps are a lifesaver for me. I am so much more amenable when I've had a nap. The Spanish got that right! I don't have kids, so I can't really say, but my opinion is that kids are going to suffer as adults if they don't know how to rest as kids. They need down time. Then again, many would consider me a lazy ass!

I could write a 10-page blog on Navy performance evaluation. Wow, it would make your head spin. As a tiny taste, let me just say that the member input (that's what we call it) from an E-6 is normally due to his/her supervisor around June 1st, when his/her actual performance evaluation is dated November 15th. That's how long and ridiculously painful is the Navy evaluation process. We also do what is called a midterm counseling (six months into the annual performance evaluation period) so that same E-6 will have had their midterm counseling only one month before they have to turn in their "this is what I did" input in preparation for their evaluation. At any rate, I don't like doing performance evaluation anymore than the next guy. The Navy forces us to rank people within the same paygrade and job field. The system is full of unwritten rules and tricks that have developed as people learn to manipulate the system over the years. I've always been a proponent of changing the evaluation system completely about every five years, because that's about how long it takes for people to learn how to manipulate a new system. But I digress. Here's the problem: in the Navy, we don't write a performance evaluation for the individual - we write it specifically for the people who will make promotion determinations. In other words, it's not really about the employee, but about the people who will decide who gets promoted. In my opinion, your starting premise is a bad one.

The evaluation training that I provide can be summarized with this statement: If you blow smoke up their ass during the midterm counseling, you are setting yourself up for an extremely painful performance evaluation with that employee. I use midterm counseling as a brutally honest assessment of where the individual is failing or needs to improve. Yes, I touch on the positives, but to be honest, I want them to walk out of the midterm counseling saying, "Wow, I need to get my ass in gear." In the Navy the midterm counseling is not part of your permanent record. it's a local document, so there is not negative long-term effect based on its content. When performance evaluation time comes around and they've done nothing in the previous six months to improve any deficiencies, all I have to do is pull out the mid-term counseling and say, "We talked about your need to improve in this area and some specific ways you could do it, and you didn't do any of it." If they made the necessary improvements, I'm happy as the supervisor and they will probably be pleasantly surprised with their performance evaluation.

Brad, unfortunately in the Navy performance evaluation is a documentation of PAST performance. We do talk about the way ahead, but the document itself is an evaluation of past performance. If you care to peruse the 213-page Navy "Performance Evaluation" instruction, you can see it here.

If you're really really really super bored, I made a post on Facebook that, at current count, has 92 comments. The post is about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which is currently being debated in congress. Most of the free world is opposed to it because it will give the government authority to shut down websites that are facilitating internet piracy. In my limited knowledge it seems that people are getting nervous because the internet would no longer be the "Wild Wild West" with absolutely no regulation and no consequences. Anyway, it led to a long and winding discussion about stealing music, movies, and books (intellectual property). There are many arguments to support the pirating of music and movies. None of them seem to make any sense to me. The usual argument is that, "They're rich anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Classic Adrock performance in the fantasy football league this year: best regular season record in the league and then I got blown out in the semifinals. I won the consolation game so managed to come away with the third place trophy, but for the love! Two years ago the exact same thing happened. My NFL guys never seem to fire during the fantasy playoffs!

I haven't weighed myself in a long time, but I think I can say with complete confidence that I've been packing on the pounds over the past few weeks. My appetite knows no end! I'm getting in a little bit of exercise, but am already looking forward to warmer weather on the other end of this move. I'm very curious about where we'll end up living and whether or not I'll be able to ride easily from wherever that is. I'm also curious about the condition of my bikes when they make it to the other end. Brad mentioned a sprint triathlon in Cedar Falls in August. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

I'm watching my first NBA game of the season tonight, Dallas and OKC. Seems like some sloppy basketball from the defending champs and Western Conference finalists, but I have to remember that we are only five days into the season and barely 30 days post lockout. I missed NBA basketball. As much as I like Charles Barkley, I think the addition of Shaq pushed the TNT studio team off the edge. It's too forced. I don't think Shaq is going to be around too long.

When I did a search on it, it was clear that I'm not the first person to have this thought, but Rick Carlisle looks an awful lot like Jim Carrey! And why do I have Jason Terry on my fantasy team? I can't stand him. Too much of a show boat.

You guys have any experience installing car stereos? I'm going to make an attempt at it in the next few days. I'm replacing the radio in the Escape (that's the truck, Ed) with one that has a built-in bluetooth so it's easier for Jennifer to talk on the phone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Just watched Kevin Durant hit a game-winning 3-pointer... life is good!

The Health Risks of Being Left-Handed

With 2 prominent members of the Baldwin family being left handed, I think it is appropriate to educate our loyal fan base about the uniquness of left-handedness. Please read this article and let the sniping begin!

Performance Management, as easy as 1-2 ... this?

When I googled performance management this is the image that appeared ... YIKES! Tell me it isn't this hard.

Tis' the season ... for performance reviews. Not the ending you were thinking of? Well as an HR guy the end of the year is filled with lots of effort to document a year's worth of accomplishments and results. Oh, and a performance rating. Can I get a collective "yuck" from the audience please?

Yep, supervisors dread it and employees dread it more. Time to sift the seed from the chafe and confirm for 20% of the people who think they are high performing that actually, they are. The rest of you are solid performers, meets expectations or average. Here's the typical response, "Me, are you kidding? I'm high performing; just ask the three people who I've asked to give you performance feedback on me for the 360 you wanted. They'll tell you how good I am."

It's a terrible thing telling someone something they can't see for themselves. Things like, "there are people in this company who have performed better than you, this year.
And last year too." But we try to find ways to make this message easy. It isn't. Best to take it like a bad tasting pill. Quickly, and with water.

Two suggestions for supervisors and employees alike as they approach this dreadful event:

(1) Be honest - If you're a supervisor tell your employee what they are doing well, and tell them what you want them to do better. Provide them with resources and tools to get better, and hold them accountable for improving. If they're not among your highest performers then tell them that too. At least not this year. If you're an employee be candid about those accomplishments you had this year, and equally candid about those areas where you came up short. Being honest on both sides makes you credible. And unless you are perfect, your supervisor already knows about your mistakes and has highlighted them as a basis for justifying your rating. If your year wasn't perfect, you can't expect your rating to be either.

(2) Invest most of the review time on the future, not the past - Reviews are often too much about what happened, and not what needs to happen. Hopefully there has been enough 1-2-1 dialogue between you and your supervisor that neither of you have been stockpiling performance indicators for the review. Performance reviews need to be done in real time. If you are excelling as a supervisor then more than likely your employee already knows what their rating is going to be, before you have the meeting. Dwelling on past accomplishments or past failures is old news. It's a "what have you done for me lately" world out there so focus on what must be done to improve, to get better, and to excel ... next year.

Two simple tips that are sure to make the holidays a bit easier to get through, for supervisors and employees who both just want to get "it" over with so they can focus on time with family and friends, turkey, and some football.

The Busy Lifestyle

As I enter the holiday season this year I'm feel like we (Holly and I) are busier than we've ever been. Now part of this could be that I have a terrible memory but I'm also sure there is some validity to just how busy we really are. With 15, 12 and 10 year old kids (lots of activities, no drivers, yet) Holly and I spend most of our "free" time either attending kids activities, dropping them off at their activities, picking them up at their activities, or some combination of all of the above. Now that's not a gripe since we both love being a big part of our kids lives, but it is a huge ask. Thankfully, my wife carries most of the load and I get to be the pleasant surprise when I am able to show up.

But I've been thinking, "is this busy lifestyle has emerged in our life really good for our kids, and us?" Scary thought actually just to think about that. It's a reality of today, you have to make a big commitment to something (anything really) to get ahead, to succeed. School, job, sports, music ... it really doesn't matter. To think that R&R is now a planned part of our schedules. It has to be otherwise it doesn't happen right? Is this viscious spiral ever going to end, and how?

Technology has enabled us to multi-task, stay connected, and be more productive regardless of location. Has it been a help or hindrence to the pace of life these days?

My view? I'm really not sure but I'm committed to enjoying every minute I can with my fast growing and soon to be independent kids. And I'm going to enjoy as much time as possible with my family and friends over the holidays - crunch it all into the schedule. And sustain my work/life balance with my smart phone by my side!

Just purchased a book called The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. I'm hoping it will address some of my questions about whether Holly and I are on the right path. Guess to some extent it's a personal choice. And you'll be making it whether you consciously think so or not.

The eye of the beholder

Kira, our one year old child art prodigy brought home some very thought-provoking art today. The big bad wolf, a pretzel stick: that's one way to do it!

Race option? Jingle Cross Rock

Above are some pictures I took at the 2011 Jingle Cross Rock in Iowa City yesterday. JCR is a 3 day cyclocross race, one of the biggest in the country. It is a combination of road and mountain racing, complete with obstacles. Instead of being a distance event, it is a timed event and the winner is the person who has done the most laps on the 1.5 - 2.0 mile track. As you can see, with the rain yesterday it was a pretty sloppy event. This is actually a hallmark of cyclocross racing.

As usual, this made me want to do this event at some point. The biggest issue I have is gear, meaning I'm not interested in "sacrificing" my road bike and putting it though this, but am not going to buy a cyclocross bike just for one race.

Any interest in doing this race? It is always Thanksgiving weekend in Iowa City.

A tattoo just for Papa!

It's Bullseye from Toy Story. Does that make it okay Dad?

Halloween

I'm not a big fan of Halloween. It is an integral part of Hallmark's conspiracy to completely squeeze the best holiday ever...Thanksgiving...into oblivion by highlighting Halloween and Christmas. Those are much more profitable holidays so Thanksgiving gets the shaft. But I digress...

I finally found a redeeming quality of Halloween. Sasha and I carved pumpkins this weekend and it was awesome! She lasted about 20 minutes and I went on for 3 hours carving, then lighting, then cleaning and baking pumpkin seeds. As you can see it was quite a successful event, and Sasha absolutely loves pumpkin seeds!

Ripped from the headlines

Can you believe this is news? An actual headline from foxnews.com.

J.Crew Exec Who Featured Son in Toenail Ad Reportedly Divorcing Husband for Woman

Link is http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/26/crew-executive-in-controversial-toenail-ad-reportedly-divorcing-husband-for/?test=latestnews

Hilarious!

The GPS is never wrong!

Mom and Dad are the exact opposite of Michael from "The Office" when it comes to the GPS. I think you'll enjoy this video!

Tom Tom vs. Al Jean

This weekend Mom and Dad came down to watch our kids while Holly and I attended a wedding, enjoyed the company of Joe and Angel, and had a long weekend to ourselves in Seattle. But this post is not about our weekend. Instead, it is on a much more colorful topic ... the exploits of our parents Al and Jean!

Now having parents like us creates a target rich environment for posts. And while we aren't quite at "Sh*t My Dad Says" levels, we are blessed by numerous antics and actions of our parents that can become the content of stories that can create belly laughs from all who hear them. Well, here's another edition ...

Our kids are very busy. And it doesn't matter whether it's a week day or a weekend, they need to be picked up, dropped off, and shuttled to and fro' at varying points across the Kansas City metro area. Well, this weekend was no exception. So Holly and I armed Mom and Dad with a schedule of events, addresses, numbers, and a cadre of lists to ensure that all went smoothly as our kids progressed through their daily routine of school and activities.

One such stop on the schedule was for Mom and Dad to pick Haley up on Friday afternoon at St. Teresa's Academy in South KC, the high school she began attending this Fall. 3:05pm pick up, easy enough right? Mom and Dad were well equipped - GPS (Tom Tom), school address, expected time and distance of travel, and even the phone to the school in case things went awry. They set off for their destination early at approximately 2pm, with an expected arrival time that would be nearly 30 minutes early. You know the saying "the early bird gets the worm?" Well ...

Mom and Dad decided NOT to listen to the Tom Tom. After all, it did not select the route they preferred (and Mom knew would get them half way there) and as Dad exclaimed in telling me the story, "either we listen to the damn thing or we turn it off!" So they turned it off. Forget modern technology, multiple orbiting satellites and a global positioning system accurate within 15 feet of anywhere in the Unites States. Forget that they had a device capable of telling them the street they were on, how far their destination was away, and a capability to "recalculate" their route on any road or interstate of their choosing. Nope, none of that works if you shut that device off and put it in the glove box!

So ... Mom and Dad were late. And not just a little. According to them they "saw most of South Kansas City". They also shared that they did ask a nice man for directions who pointed them in the general direction of the school. And they called the school only to learn that in order to be helpful the school actually had to know where they were. Their response to the person on the other end of the line was "we see a sign that says Virginia". Well, that's helpful. Thank goodness they didn't tell the person at the school that there was a very powerful GPS device tucked safely in the glove box that they chose not to turn on, or listen to! WOW!

The next day as Mom and Dad headed for our kid's swim meet they decided to use the Tom Tom and "listen to it". Remarkably, they arrived at their destination at the prescribed time predetermined and stated on the Tom Tom. WOW!

So in prophetic fashion Mom conceded "you know the Tom Tom really works if you just listen to it!" So the Tom Tom proved formidable to Mom since it is easier than Dad to turn off and delivers much more reliable results as well when you listen to it!

Bike accident?

I'll bet this guy never thought this would happen.

I believe in suffering

So I took some grief for my middle-of-the-night poem about fog. Well I had another strikingly clear stream of thought, but this time I was in the shower at our friends house in Rochester this weekend. It was so vivid I rushed out of the shower, ripped a piece of paper out of notebook in their office, and quickly scribbled down my thoughts. It is along lines of the once NPR radio show and now book This I Believe. Check the books out, they are fantastic reads. So here you go...

I believe in suffering. Suffering is often seen as negative but I believe suffering is a powerful teacher and confidence builder. You body and soul don't know their limits until stretched to their endpoint; along the way is suffering.

Our country has a soft underbelly, I believe largely because my generation hasn't suffered. I want for material things, my grandmother knows better. When you live through the Great Depression, fois gras and steak seem like luxuries. Only simple foods in butter and lard are needed so long as there is food on the table for the entire family.

I haven't suffered nearly enough. My story book childhood was smattered with few setbacks, but overwhelmed by relative luxury and privilege. I lost my grandfather in my early 20s, that is the high water mark of my emotional suffering.

I have trained for endurance, marathons and triathlons. Voluntary physical suffering that has taught me how incredibly much my body is capable of handling. I want for more suffering; cold, physically stressed, mentally forced to adjust to a natural environment full of challenges.

I believe in suffering because it gives me the lens to how much more we can do. I begin to understand my responsibility to fulfill a great debt to God for giving me such a beautiful and capable mind and body as well as a physical and emotional world in which that mind and body can flourish.

The NBA Money Grab

I've been away from the blog way too long. It hasn't been because of lack of opinions about stuff. You both know me too well to allow that excuse! I have an opinion on EVERYTHING. The fact is that we're trying to get our house on the market, so there's hardly a free moment if we're at home. The good news is that we're down in Virginia this weekend… and that means free time! On to the subject at hand…

I found this article by Adrian Wojnarowski to be an interesting one. I understand his main point, that the big stars drive the revenue for the NBA and therefore they are worth more than they are paid. But I also happen to disagree.

Let me start by saying that in the world of capitalism, there will forever be tension between owners and workers, or non-owners if you will. It's a timeless storyline of the "haves" vs. the "have nots". There is no Staples Easy button that will solve the conflict. It will always exist. But in this case, I admit that I lean toward the "haves".

The bulk of Wojnarowski's argument is that the income for NBA teams comes from the players, and therefore the players deserve whatever money that they demand. But if you applied that thinking to other businesses in America, then the guy working the cash register at 7-Eleven should be making $10 million a year. After all, if he wasn't running the store, selling the merchandise, and taking people's money, 7-Eleven wouldn't have any revenue, right? How about McDonald's? Does the fry guy deserve $5 million a year? And universities? We should be paying the professors millions, right? I mean, without them there would be no students, and no revenue.

On a more personnel level, this line of reasoning would mean that the generals and admirals would make far less than the privates, corporals, and sergeants on the front lines of the field of battle. In the military we call them "boots on ground". They are the ones that are doing the dirty work on the front lines. All the diplomacy in the world can't replace what they do. An E-1 makes less than $1500 a month. A congressman makes about $14,500 a month. Does that make sense? Should I demand from President Obama that I should make more money because he wouldn't be able to carry out his foreign policy without me? I could make that demand, but that's not reality.

So, do owners make a lot of money? Heck ya they do. They make buckets of money. But the fact is, they are OWNERS. If they don't own teams to make up a league known as the NBA that provides a place for basketball players to earn money playing, then the players wouldn't make a dime. In this system known as capitalism, we have wealthy people that own things like NBA teams and make a bunch of money. Having said that, I don't have a problem with labor negotiations, because it provides a balance to ensure that the workers are not abused. I have a hard time with people who make $20 million a year making an argument that owners are taking advantage of them.

In end I think it's a case of envy. NBA players see the NBA owners and see the money that they make, and in this nation of entitlement that we live in, they think that they should have all of that money instead of the owners. They are the "have nots" (although that's a stretch) and the owners are the "haves". But it's not like they don't have options. If they want to go play in Europe, then let them go play in Europe. They can make a lot of money there. The fact is that they know that they make the money that they do HERE because the NBA is the place where you play basketball if you are one of the best in the world. If there were five other leagues just like it, then they wouldn't make anywhere near what they make now. I think the players have to accept that to a certain degree.

And if we're so concerned about players being fairly compensated, why can't colleges pay their players? Whoops, that's a rabbit trail.

Looking over what I've written so far before I post it, I do realize that there is a flaw in my thinking, which is to say that the 7-Eleven clerk and the fry guy can be easily replaced. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, not so much. But that opens up another point of discussion, one that I won't get into now: are the players bigger than the game of basketball? I personally think that fans of basketball would still watch it whether or not Kobe or LeBron took to the floor. They are not bigger than the game. I love McDonald's fries, not the guy who makes them.

Should James, Wade, and Bryant make $50 million a year? Nope. I don't think so.

Grand Canyon here we come!

The Baldwin boys including our elder leader, aka Big Al, will be heading to the Grand Canyon in the Spring 2012 to complete a bucket list item for a couple of us and hike into the canyon. It should be a grand time, and hopefully not reminiscent of the the trip to the Black Canyon Gorge in Colorado with Ed and I. Dad still fondly refers to that trip as the trip his sons tried to kill him.

It should be a great time. We've to a lot of collective work to do planning and training to make the trip a success. Can't wait!

Here is another race option...

Quarter Horse to Purgatory
25 miles, 2,300 vertical feet of climb.
Durango, Colorado.
Goal is to beat the train (3.5 hours)

Two of those little things...

There are two insignificant things that happen to me with great frequency, that make me believe that someone upstairs likes to "poke the badger".

Exhibit A:
Why, nearly every time I fill up my soda in a fountain soda machine, does the drink adjacent to the Diet Coke (Coca Cola machine) or Mug Root Beer (Pepsi machine) drip an extra sugary, sticky mix of concentrate and water all over my hand?

Exhibit B:
Why, nearly every time I order something different on a food or drink menu, does the server come back 5 minutes later to tell me they are currently out of said product?

What little things always happen to you?

10 Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today our world as Americans changed forever. That day is for now, the most memorable day of my life. Some fundamental parts of our existence were challenged, like freedom and security; while other fundamental parts were strengthened like patriotism, indivisibility and resilience.

September 11, 2001 brought all of us together as Americans in a way no other series of events could. We were unified and decisions that would have normally taken some time to be reached were suddenly made easy. Refreshingly, the leaders of our country acted promptly and without hesitation. There were no political sides and no endless debates. And I believe like some that it made us stronger as a country.

My sincere hope is that our country and those who lead it learn one more valuable lesson from September 11, 2001. That being unified with the same purpose and the same desire to act can help us overcome unprecedented times, and act on events that have never in the history of the world ever been encountered before.

Lets encourage our government to stop their political positioning, stop identifying differences and start finding common ground and agreement. I believe we all want the United States to return to being the most enviable country and economy of the world. We all want to protect the American dream, reduce unemployment, provide access to reasonable health care, reduce our national deficit and take care of our elders.

The rest is just details. As Americans we all love our country. And as an American who has had the opportunity to see first hand other countries of the world I realize perhaps more than most how favorable our government is to other systems of the world. But lets band together to tackle these issues of our country, and our world ... address them together with unshakable resolve and determination ... just as we did we other issues 10 years ago today.

God bless America!

I think I found our next race. Check it out here.

The Pessimist

I agree with both of you and would confirm that we ALL have great lives - comparisons or not. No argument from this camp. But I want to shift the discussion slightly. What does the future hold? For us, for our kids and for future generations?

I'm naturally a pessimist (big shock, I know) but the recent events in the world are giving me a lot of material to support my pessimism. Natural disasters, never ending wars, arguably the most economically unstable world economy ever known, gutless leaders, increasing gap between "have's" and "have nots", water scarcity, deterioration of human morality ... the list goes on and on.

AND, I think the United States is in for a real wake up call. What makes us different than any other world power who at one time thought of themselves as untouchable by the rest of the world. #1 in everything! Well that's changing quickly. Let me cover the gamut, quickly:

Politics - Our system sucks. It's the best system in the world but it still sucks. Where are the bold leaders who are willing to make tough decisions on tough issues? Where is leadership based on a core set of values and principles to do what is in the best interest of your constituency? Oh, that's right they are home trying to figure out how to get re-elected. Those in power aren't capable of the leadership required in order to address the real issues facing our country. We are 14 trillion dollars in debt with no plan to do anything other than increase this figure. Huh? Enough said.

Financial Markets - I know what it means for a person or company in the US to file for bankruptcy protection, but I don't know what it means for a country to do so. What forms do they complete and is the process the same? Who do they file the paperwork with? Several countries are on the verge. When the currency of these countries become worthless what is the likely outcome and reaction of the citizens of that country? Chaos I suspect.

Human Ethics and Values - This is a really big topic but I'll open this can of worms by saying that human decency to one another appears to be a thing of the past. Contempt breeds chaos. Regard for another human being, on a human level, must be preserved for civil society to exist. Of any kind. Imposing your values on others doesn't work. Displaying your values in the face of opposition does, but only with patience and time. I'm opting for door #2.

The Environment - I'm not a tree hugger but I'm educated enough to believe that humans are destroying the only planet proven to support life. We have to become more responsible with this finite resource. Global warming? Maybe. But an increased record of natural disasters of all shapes and kinds occurring globally at unprecedented levels? Fact. Do you think we have anything to do with that? I do.

I'm worried about the world that my kids will inherit from us. It's increasingly complex and filled with endless numbers of monumental, potentially disastrous issues. Our generation doesn't appear equipped to address them. Hopefully the next generation will be able to correct our errors - recognize the problems we turn a blind eye to, and with solid judgment and willingness to change will correct course and improve the path of the human race. A big ask!

Life is Good

Brad, I totally agree. Even when life is tough, even when I have bad days, it always seems to improve rather quickly.

I've never thought it a good idea (personally) to find my satisfaction with life by comparing it to others. Not to say that there aren't many people who have it FAR worse than me. There are many. However, I would like to think that despite my lot in life that I would find the joy in it. It's cliche I suppose, but when I think about the things that bring me the most joy in life, very little of it has to do with money or stuff.

I live a charmed life. No doubt about it. And much of that comes via the people that I know and love, and who love me back. That includes you guys, so thanks for that!

Good fortune, part 2

Mostly I go about my life, busier than I want to be, trying to maintain balance and proportion between all of life's priorities albeit with varying success. On the whole my life is awesome: beautiful wife, fantastic kids, wonderful friends, a fulfilling job. But I don't always realize how good I've got it. Sometimes work is stressful, the kids don't always behave the way I want, and sometimes I can't find time for a bike ride or to exercise with Scout.

Then, I hear about another's misfortune and provides perspective on how darn good I've got it. Someone who has lost a loved one to illness or tragedy. A family broken, careers ended, and homes lost to natural disaster. Unfortunately our community has witnessed a few such examples of late.

It sure makes me appreciate that the worst I've got to worry about is a viral infection that prevented Sheila and I from going to Vegas for a weekend. And it is too bad that sometimes it takes another person's misfortune to appreciate my own blessings.

I got lucky again this weekend

Mom and Dad were coming down to watch the girls on Saturday because Sheila had a work event Saturday night and I had a volunteer event that afternoon/evening. On Thursday I threw out my back and for the next few days knew simple things like sneezing and deep breaths would be pretty painful. I'm not sure if "threw my back out" is actually a correct description. What I do know is that it is muscular, it has happened before, and it sucks.

Well not only did Mom and Dad chase our girls around for the day, Dad also mowed my lawn which was sorely needed and Mom got up with the girls so Sheila and I could sleep in a bit Sunday morning.

If I'm not lucky, then I don't know who is. Thank you Mom and Dad!

RAGBRAI follow up

A quick review of RAGBRAI 2011, courtesy the top 10 list approach started by Ed. I came up with a total of 12 concepts in summary of the RAG:

12. My biggest RAGBRAI investment, a single person tent, was as fantastic as I thought it would be. I think even Ed the gear guy was jealous!

11. RAGBRAI - the only event that combines the love of food/drink and endurance exercise.

10. Dad's intense herding instincts are at an all-time high during events such as RAGBRAI. Anyone outside a 12 foot radius must be accounted for. "Relax Dad, he just went to the bathroom!"

9. Pork loin sandwiches at 8:30 am...you bet!

8. Generators make lots of noise and contrary to what Marc says RAGBRAI has no protocol governing their use. Not awesome for us tent dwellers.

7. When properly motivated, Ed can get himself in great shape. He was more than game for the rigors of 454 miles across Iowa.

6. It takes all kinds...like the tooth-depleted sixty-something guy we met in a bar in Carroll. He was wearing a pink golf shirt with the logo of his team and driving the support vehicle for team rowdy beavers. The rowdy beavers happened to be his two recently divorced daughters. W-O-W.

5. No matter what Mom says, this rider doesn't "always want pasta". By Tuesday I had enough church basement pasta to make me puke. Give me a steak, gyro, or some chicken wings please!

4. When you are on RAGBRAI and they tell you that there are only 4 miles and 2 hills to the next town they are lying. When they tell you that you have arrived at the overnight town they are lying. When they tell you the campground is just around the corner they are lying.

3. I'm glad I'm not uber-wealthy. Even getting waited on endlessly gets a bit old.

2. I've never had whisky at 9:30am before, but its actually quite refreshing after a couple hours of ride time. Love that Templeton Rye...

1. RAGBRAI is still awesome, but isn't quite as awesome when the trio gets downgraded to a duo. We missed you Marc!

RAGBRAI Food Pics!

Filling the pie holes!

RAGBRAI Afterword

Some pics from RAGBRAI. The short story is that we had a great ride ... BUT we were noticeably missing one of the Brothers 3 Are We ... MARC.

Here's my Top 10 Learnings From My First RAGBRAI:

#10: Your pre-training regimen should be in three main areas - your ass, your stomach, and your legs!

#9: Iowa is not nearly as flat as you think when you are on a bicycle.

#8: July is hot and humid in Iowa. Don't let anyone talk you out of an air conditioner!

#7: There's nothing like family - brothers, mom/dad, aunt/uncle, cousins ... doesn't really matter, it's all FAMILY!

#6: Generators create lots of cool air. They create even more noise!

#5: Pasta is good for five dinners in a row - but mixing in some steak, cinnamon rolls, pork sandwiches, sweet corn and watermelon is just good gastrointestinal variety.

#4: Bicycles come in all shapes and sizes, but the variety of cyclists is even greater than the variety in bikes.

#3: 46 mph is fast on a bicycle!

#2: I now now what a "dick kick" road is.

#1: There's nothing quite like riding 460 miles on a bicycle across Iowa with 15,000 of your closest friends.

This is what Roger Goddell is worried about...

See today's article about 75 former NFL players suing the NFL over concussions.

Ed on Harrison, the Steelers, and the NFL

Harrison is an idiot. Ward is a disappointment, a real disappointment. Goodell is a CEO. I'll let you decide which of those characterizations are the harshest.

I agree that Goodell is concerned about a billion dollar industry losing its luster because of rules changes or unappealing, non-eye catching headlines. That's what is strange about this topic. Hits on defenseless players, with the press it receives, probably helps the NFL revenue stream short term. But the long term implications of player lawsuits and rules changes are a serious threat to its continued viability.

Violence sells, look no further than MMA for that validation.

But so do points and I think that's the answer to this for Goodell. Find a way to moderately protect the players (invoke some trivial "rule" that curb's head hunting just enough) and still maintains the excitement of a big hit. And continue to challenge defenses with rules changes that promote high scoring games. Why?

Nobody likes a low scoring game, or a tie - look no further than MLS soccer for that validation.

Now, for the "hating your boss" comments, your two views are interesting. If my boss is Uncle Sam, can I trash him in the papers? America's military sucks! What impact would that have on a sailor if he began criticizing the boot camp approach, the war in Afghanistan, or the anti-terrorist tactics that are being taken. Would that be ok in the same public eye that Harrison is utilizing?

In private business such a non-conformist, whistle blower, or squeaky wheel would probably get fired, or run out of the company under duress assuming they weren't raising something illegal or unethical. Those who fit in these categories just don't last in private business. The most current validation for this is people posting stuff on Facebook and other social media sites about their boss or their company, and being fired over it. There are places where employees can bitch about such matters (glassdoor.com and other similar websites), but most posts are done so anonymously. But because trouble makers, standouts and misfits in professional sports grab headlines, and in doing so build fan interest and revenues for the leagues they represent, they tend to be tolerated to a much greater degree. Examples abound but the one I want to point to specifically is ... you guessed it, Dennis Rodman!

You have to be kidding

In the case of Harrison's hits, Roger Goddell doesn't care about James Harrison, the Steelers, or ratings. He cares about the single biggest threat to his business...the litigation and congressional hearings from concussed players that could force changes to the game that make it unappealing to fans. To think the NFL cares about any individual or franchise enough to discriminate against them is silly. Both you and Harrison are delusional to think that a multibillion dollar industry cares about a bumbling idiot that will be forgotten by everyone the moment he steps out of a uniform and starts picking fights with body guards in strip clubs because he is too dumb to find a better place for his aggression.

And just because you hate your boss and have good reason to doesn't give you license to hit the press with such hateful language.

Sorry to ruin your fun but...

… this hoopla about Harrison doesn't really get me riled up.

Let me delve into the the NFL hitting controversy for a moment. First of all, the Steelers, and particularly Harrison, ARE targeted by the NFL, and specifically the commissioner, for their style of football. The Steelers don't win championships by 500-yard dazzling offensive barrages that score 45 points with a defense that can only hold a team to 42 points. The Steelers have always won by pounding the crap out of opposing offenses when they step on the field. If the Steelers can manage it, they'll sit on a 3-0 lead for a victory. They win with defense. Not very good for ratings.

Those kinds of games are NOT what the commish wants. He wants Drew Brees and Peyton Manning lighting up the scoreboard against afterthought defenses. He doesn't want Pittsburgh Steelers-style football. A Steelers/Ravens AFC championship is a nightmare for the commish. Let's be honest here. Roger Goodell hates the Steelers. He IS targeting James Harrison and the Steelers.

So, having said that, Roger Goodell is trying to make James Harrison change the very thing that has made him a very good living. $100K fines in one year? Have you seen how fast NFL games happen? Which do you think Harrison cares about more, paying out some money to the NFL or making receivers nervous when they come across the middle? We are talking about football, right? Harrison was the 2008 Defensive player of the year because he "smacks people in the mouth", not because he makes a bunch of jersey tackles every game. So James Harrison hates Roger Goodell, his boss. I know a lot of people who hate their boss. If I was getting fined by my boss for being the best at my job, I'd be probably hate him too.

As far as the Rooneys are concerned, I don't think Harrison is going anywhere anytime soon. If they stuck with Big Ben through all of his crap (which by the way, sexual assault is illegal, hating your boss and calling him names is not) then they'll stick with Harrison. It all comes back to his loyalty to the Steelers and his performance on the field. None of that has changed.

I don't know what to say about Hines Ward except that I'm so disappointed. Just disappointed. He blew it, and it pains me to see his agent saying stupid stuff like, "We are confident that the facts will show that he was not under the influence of alcohol." Stupid. Yeah, that's why he was weaving and hitting the curb, and why he refused a breathalyzer test and failed a field sobriety test. Right. I am so disappointed because I REALLY like Hines Ward and he let me down. Why do rich people drive drunk? Can anyone give me a reasonable explanation?

Why does a slim chance and a fat chance mean the same thing but a wise man and a wise guy mean the opposite?

Steeler image being tarnished

Even though I’m not a Steeler fan, I do appreciate the lore of the team and especially the image they’ve worked hard to cultivate of winning the right way. Loyalty to coaches (2 or 25 years or so) and players so long as they behave and compete within the ideals of the organization. The Rooney family has historically made moves or not made moves that set this tone and players gladly followed to be able to be part of such a great organization.

The last few years have seen some changes. Perhaps it is just getting harder for the Rooneys because so many people are doing the wrong thing. I was surprised as were many that they stuck with Ben Roethlisberger after his numerous bad decisions (motorcycle accident, 2 alleged sexual assaults). Recently Hines Ward was charged with DUI. Reminder that police action is still in process so remember charged and guilty are different. Finally this morning, reading this article about James Harrison made my blood boil. There is NEVER (and superlatives don’t apply very often as we all know) an appropriate time or place to comment with the hateful language James Harrison did, in business or otherwise.

I’ll be eager to see if the Rooneys respond in any way, either by trying to reign him in seeking to trade him to another team. While we are still in a lockout, he’s still referenced and known as “Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker” James Harrison.

So Mr. Rooney, if you are reading our blog, I challenge you to step up as the Rooney family has for decades and make the right decision to exit this guy from your organization. In my mind he is further tarnishing the image of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ed on RAGBRAI Gut Check

My gut check is also in full bloom as I prepare for my first attempted trek across Iowa with all things mechanical. With Mom and Dad here this weekend Dad has said repeatedly that "I have trained more than he ever did". He's furthered such comments with "and you have better equipment" and "you're much younger than I was". I'm sure all three comments are true ... which makes it even more incredible that Dad successfully rode RAGBRAI at age 62, and Uncle Frank at age 72. And on Huffy's!? Impressive!

I rode for three straight days this weekend (hopefully another mental block broken) and must say that riding with your legs tired has an entirely different flare. First, you just don't have the juice to motor over hills so gears come much more into play. I "discovered" the ability to shift my front sprocket this weekend and used it for the very first time. Up to this point I had only shifted the back sprocket and stayed in one of the middle 6 or 7 gears. This weekend I used them all. I still rode a relatively flat track ... but it didn't feel like it. The slightest hill becomes a mountain when the legs are noodles. I'm averaging somewhere between 16 and 17 mph, on a relatively flat course.

And I've been working my liver too. 7 beers in three days, along with a lot of melon salad, and neither bothered me too much. So on the gastrointestinal front I'm feeling much more confident.

It's the muscular physical front that I need to keep the pressure on ... and will between now and the event. It will be great chasing you both across Iowa!

RAGBRAI Gut Check

I've been trying to remember my training process for the 2006 RAGBRAI because I'm not entirely happy with the way my body is responding over the past week. I suppose you could make a good argument that it actually IS a good idea to document training, because I wish I remembered it better.

If I recall correctly, I wasn't riding as much as I am now (every day) and I wasn't doing rides as long as the ones I'm doing now. The difference may be that I remember starting training in 2006 in earnest in April and rode faithfully about four times per week all the way up to RAGBRAI. I haven't been nearly as faithful for that long.

I've done two 50+ rides during the past week or so and I'm not feeling very confident about how my body has handled it. When I did 56 miles the first time, I really didn't think I was going to make it the last three miles. I rode 16 miles the next day and that was enough. Yesterday I rode 56 miles again and felt a little better in the end. However, I went upstairs, got in the shower, and was suddenly overcome with nausea. I shut off the shower quick and laid down on the tile floor near the toilet. I never did throw up, but I thought for sure I was going to do it. I rode 21 miles today, mostly hills, and it was tough. I didn't want to ride today.

Soooo, I'm actually a little concerned about how my body is going to handle 500 miles in a week. I realize we won't be doing 65 miles at 18+mph straight through (at least I hope not), but I hope that my recovery goes quicker.

I'm sure I'll be fine since we intend to enjoy the ride a bit more this year, more breaks along the way, etc. Pork sandwiches and watermelon will help. I know I still need to be prepared to do a 1/4 mile sprint at 25+mph if Ed spots Lance. It would be cool if we could get a picture of the three of us with him, since he is obviously a long lost Baldwin brother!

Marc's rating: One finger (you guess which one)

I may be a function over form guy, but those are perhaps the ugliest shoes that I've ever seen. So you want my opinion?

First, they look like fancy tennis shoes to me, with the notable exception that the toes each have their own little nifty compartment. I'm not sure how separating your toes helps you run, but hey, I did lose a toenail because of running. Maybe the toe next to it got mad about all the rubbing and caused the neighbor toe's nail to fall off. Maybe they would have all been happier having their own space. But what are they going to do when you go barefoot?? I don't doubt that some people do very well (health-wise) running barefoot, but I also know millions of people in the world that seem to be doing okay with those regular shoes where your toes have to live together.

Second, I think this toe-shoe/sock thing is just ANOTHER fitness trend. Add it to the list with Jazzercise, Tae-Bo, vibrating belts, thigh-master, Nordic track, drinking raw eggs, Pilates, etc. In 5-10 years, there will only be a handful of people wearing those ridiculous looking things.

When you buy shoes like that I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you though!

Vibram Five Fingers

Since I got into running about 10 years ago, I've always enjoyed it. Training for endurance races in particular is my cup of tea. The problem I've had is that running consistently long distances just wrecks my lower body. You've no doubt seen the people who have run their whole lives and look like they should be in a wheelchair.

We'll ever since reading Born To Run by by Christopher McDougal, I've been intrigued by the biomechanics of barefoot running. I researched a number of different options for minimalist running footwear, and have had a pair of Nike Frees for several years. I landed on the Vibram Five Fingers, but of course haven't pulled the trigger and purchased them.

Well thanks to wonderful wife and little girls, I got a pair for Father's Day. So far they are awesome. A big caveat to that is I haven't run in them yet. The guy at Scheels suggested I wear them as street shoes for a while to get used to having my toes splayed apart. Although it took some getting used to, they are extremely comfortable.

I know Marc thinks they are ugly, a rare departure from his "I don't care what people think/function over form" mentality. But I encourage you to do some research, read the book, and if you have ever had leg pain associated with running, then give them a try!

Marc's not-so-rapid-fire Father's Day list

Not in any particular order…

1. If you make a commitment, then keep it. I wanted to work at the strawberry patch, and very quickly wanted to quit, but since I had agreed to do the job, I had to finish it out.

2. There is nothing more vile in all of God's creation than rap music.

3. It doesn't really matter whether or not you're the best, but it's important that you put in the best effort in doing it.

4. "Did I ever tell you the story about this gym bag?"

5. Dad was as enthusiastic about my music endeavors as sport endeavors. It probably wasn't his forte, but you would never know it by his enthusiasm for my participation in music. He always made faces at me during the concerts.

6. Summers were the best because Dad cooked a lot. I just remember coming home from family hour starving and anxiously awaiting the burgers to come off the grill.

7. My memory of mowing was how quickly I was relieved of duty when Dad came home from work. Mom would ask us to start the mowing so Dad wouldn't have to do it all. I can still see it in my mind: Dad coming across the alley from work, walking over and setting his lunch box on the deck, and then taking over behind one of the mowers. He couldn't bear watching us mow the lawn as a bystander.

8. Considering how many times that Dad got in the old pickup to find it with only fumes in the gas tank, I'm amazed that he ever let us drive it. But oddly enough, I don't have much recollection of him getting on us about it.

9. Dad is incredibly loyal. Loyal to his family, loyal to his friends, loyal to his employer, etc. I'm not sure I've ever met a more loyal or reliable person than he is.

10. Dad was never mad for very long. When something upsets him, he thinks on it, works it out in his head, and then he's okay. He never held a grudge against us. If we needed to be punished, it happened and then it was done and over with. I don't know if I've ever even told him this, but when we called Mom and Dad from Spain to tell them that we were engaged, Dad basically said that he wouldn't come to the wedding and hung up the phone because he wasn't happy. Jennifer was devastated. But when the phone call was over, I said to Jennifer, "Don't worry about it. He'll think it over for a few days at work and then he'll be fine." Sure enough, about a week later they were making plans to come to the wedding.

Ultimately, Dad only ever had our best interest in mind. Whether it was the way we spent our money, the way we dressed, the people we hung out with… he only ever cared about it because he wanted us to be the best human beings that we could be. In his mind, he probably pushed us in school because he didn't want us to be like him, but for me, every day I hope that I can be even half the man that our Dad is! Love you Dad… Happy Father's Day!

Marc on the First Pitch

The Dad list is coming, but this will be a quick comment. Okay, I'm going to throw all those atrocious "first pitchers" a bone.

I think the problem is the mound. Even if you do your practicing making that first pitch, I don't think most people realize how steep the incline is on a professional pitchers mound, and that throws everything off.

Having said all that, there is NO excuse for a professional athlete like John Wall throwing such a pathetic first pitch. I'll give Mariah Carey a pass, but not John.

Ed on Iron Heart

At the risk of turning this blog into an inventory of book reports, this books sounds similar to the book I'm reading right now, "It's not about the bike". It's one of the early books on Lance Armstrong and relates mostly to his fighting cancer, not his Tour triumphs. It's incredible how much of his body was engulfed in cancer and how important attitude and optimism is to physical healing. I agree with you Marc in saying that the physiological importance of mental state cannot be explained rationally but truly it is "mind over matter".

First Pitch Follies

Oh, Josh Wall did as poorly as any professional athlete, excepting perhaps Carl Lewis. For any women who doesn't know what "throwing like a girl looks like", check out those two yahoos. I'm confident I could sling it. Even if I didn't I could promise you I wouldn't have made the top ten worst list. They hadn't just not thrown in years, they probably hadn't thrown in a lifetime! Hilarious.

P.S. Hey, is that Dad's shorts Mariah is wearing? Oh no, they're not - not holy enough, not short enough and not old enough!!!

Brad’s Father’s Day Rapid Fire

Ed, love the idea and what a better way to thank Dad / roast him by providing our top 10. We should all be fearful, these descriptors are quickly becoming reflections of ourselves! Most by way of anecdote or story include:

10. Our Dad was a very competitive person…like way competitive. I can still see him unable to sit still in the stands and cheering us on like a wild man when we were kids. No wonder we are all competitive!

9. Depending on the vintage of his mowing shorts, they are either mildly revealing or look like they are straight out of a Christina Aguilera concert. I’ll never forget the first time Sheila saw my Dad with half his junk hanging out of his shorts. He doesn’t get why it’s a big deal. And it isn’t like its helping his tan on those stark white legs of his!

8. “A farting horse will never tire; a farting man is a man to hire.” One of Dad’s favorite phrases, in part to justify his flatulence and partly to comment on work ethic.

7. Extreme Behaviors: Worrier Edition. If you look under the dictionary under worrier, there may be a picture of Dad. I think he got that from his Mom. Thank goodness she’s 96 and probably not surfing the world wide web, otherwise I would get a scolding in the next note I get from her!

6. Loyalty and commitment to family. Probably my fondest memory of my childhood is that I don’t think Dad ever turned down an invite to play catch. He would always come walking down the alley after a long hard day in a hot factory and there I would be waiting for someone to throw the baseball with. He may have said not until after dinner, and maybe only for 5 or 10 minutes, but I can never remember him saying no. Now that’s a lesson every father can take from ours.

5. Dad has an irrational need to mow the lawn way more than necessary. If there is a threat of rain within 3 days, or if someone may stop by the house, or if he may need to do something else on Sunday he’s out there mowing. OK right? I mean it is his lawn. But what about Grandma’s lawn. We are talking about a 96 year old woman who complains every time he is out there mowing and she could care less what it looks like. But he is out there every 4-6 days mowing the creeping charlie field. And what’s worse, he trims around the 150 things in that yard every single time. Uugghh!!

4. We used to be able to say that Dad was in a rut that he wasn’t interested in getting out of. His retirement and easing into his older years has surprisingly lessened this behavior. He eats more foods and is more open to ideas and places than I have ever seen or remember from the past. There are of course exceptions, like his statement that “I’m going to die in this house” at the casual mention of them living somewhere else down the road. And of course Dennis Rodman…

3. Dad has great disdain for many things a younger generation accepts as normal. Such as tattoes. And the source of all that is wrong with “kids these days” is of course Dennis Rodman. Because you know that half of his friends in the Navy didn’t get a tattoo right?!?!

2. Dad will help anyone at anytime for any reason. I think if you walked around Oelwein and asked people about him, this is the number one thing people would say about him. We all could be known for a lot worse than being overly generous in helping others.

1. Dad is proud of his kids and grandkids. Everything to his walls of fame around the house to him hopping around like a 4 year old who has to go to the bathroom, Dad gets pretty amped up when the opportunity presents itself to brag on or show off his kids and grandkids to others. While we joke and it is annoying at times, if the worst thing my father does is embarrass me because he’s so proud of me than I’ll be just fine.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Rate yourself – throwing from a mound

I heard an absolutely hysterical snippet on the Jim Rome show talking today about Jon Wall's failed first pitch at the Nationals game yesterday. This comes from an illustrious line of first pitch failures, some of my favorites include – Carl Lewis, Mariah Carey, & the Mayor of Cincinnati.

So my question is how would you do? 35,000 people in the stands, standing on the mound, haven’t thrown a ball in years, and only one chance to get it right. Rate your first pitch, what would go right, and what would go wrong.

Fathers Day Rapid Fire

In the spirit of Fathers Day and in the interest of remaining topical, I thought it would be fun to rapid fire list 10 things that we would share with someone who doesn't know our father at all. They can be memories, things he's said, beliefs he holds, stuff he does, or whatever ... pretty much free form. Will be fun to capture and see our 30 descriptors of our father. No particular order but here are mine.

He's not quite "Sh*t My Dad Says" material, but he's close. Happy Fathers Day Dad, from all of us!

10. Mow, mow, mow ... it's off to work I go.
9. Hard work is good livin', and if you're lazy and unahappy there's probably a correlation there you need to consider.
8. Read the directions only when you get stuck. Heck, you can't ever find the English version even if you did want to read them first.
7. Family first, always.
6. Take care of what you have and maintain it diligently and most things will last at least twice as long as they are expected to. That goes for cars, shoes, blue jeans/shorts, mowers, grills and sweatshirts.
5. There's nothing like a good shine on a pair of shoes. The only thing shinier than your shoes should be your car.
4. Home is the most comfortable place on earth, and while visiting others is nice there truly is "no place like home".
3. Go Navy, Beat Army.
2. There's a proper way to do things and a proper way to wear things - failure to know and follow these rules means you are probably related to or friends with Dennis Rodman. "Turn your hat around you dirthead"
1. "I'm really getting to like chicken"

After making my list, I want to see yours and we may end up with way more than 30! The kidding aside (which I'm sure will follow), he's a great man that really did a lot to set up his boys for success. He knew the fundamentals of good parenting, and Mom and Dad made sure we learned them.

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Iron Heart

This is the book that I read over the week on vacation.

It is an amazing story about the power of the human will. This kid should have been dead, but it was his will to live that kept him alive. Considering how close he was to death, it's a remarkable story of his amazing recovery, not just to healthy life, but to doing things way beyond what normal people can do (like the Ironman Triathlon).

It caused me to rethink the issue of "pulling the plug" when someone is on life support. It also made me reconsider how much of our ability to accomplish physical things with our bodies is limited simply by our minds and our will to push more.

It was an easy read, and I found the beginning to be the most interesting. I've never read anyone who was in that situation, writing from the perspective of being stuck in the hospital bed, drifting in and out of consciousness while at the same time having their full mental capacity.

Worth the time... a very encouraging story.

Marc on Generations in the Workforce

I have found myself, way too often it seems, telling the Sailors who I lead about the "old days". I am one of those guys that I thought I would never be. The other day I was talking with a group at work that was discussing the repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. They were talking about how big of a change it was going to be and I said, "Yeah, we all were having the same conversation in 1992 when they started putting women on combat ships, and now nobody thinks twice about it." I've seen a lot of changes since I've been in, and the things that seemed like a big deal didn't turn out that way.

All that to say that when I look at the generations in the Navy, I'm close to being in the "oldest" group. There are still some very senior enlisted and officers that are "late boomers", but give it another 5-6 years and I'll be THE old guy.

I'm not sure that I can break out four distinct generations, but I can see a lot of differences between the generation that is joining the military now and my generation. The trick in this discussion is in figuring out whether or not it's appropriate to make value judgments on the differences.

When I jointed the Navy, we all wanted to go overseas. Most all of us joined to "see the world". Not today. The Sailors that are joining the Navy now fight tooth and nail to NOT go overseas, to NOT deploy at all. They want to be stationed somewhere, buy a house, and do an entire 20-year career in one place.

Is that good, bad, or just different? I don't know. Just recently I needed two people to do a ONE month deployment on a ship that was going to a very desirable part of the world with some great port visits. I have SIXTY people in my division… FOUR people volunteered to go. Only four. In the early 90's, we would have been clobbering each other for the chance to do a deployment like that. Everyone says that we are a global society now, but the new generation of Sailors just want to be homebodies. I don't understand it.

So from a leadership perspective, the challenge is finding ways to optimize and motivate the different generations. If we truly value diversity (the Navy is big on that) then we should welcome the differences and find ways to benefit from the broad spectrum of people that we have, including generations. One of my favorite leadership theories is Vroom's Expectancy theory of motivation. Simply put, a person has to feel that they will be rewarded for their work, and the reward has to be something that they want. That part is what I find the most challenging but most beneficial as a leader: figuring out what people WANT. Referring to my previous example, in "my day" people wanted to be rewarded with good deployments, but these days most Sailors want to be rewarded by avoiding deployments. Some people like time off from work, some people want more work because they love it, and some people want some kind of certificate that they can hang on their wall. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to motivating people.

So from an HR perspective, how do you get the generations to respect each other, understand each other, rather than disdain each other? How do you keep the different generations motivated, while at the same time helping them understand that the other generations aren't "wrong"? Would you make a value judgment on which generation is "better" than another?

Generations in the Workforce, not just talk anymore

It's finally happening to me. For the past 10 years I've been hearing and learning about the impact of having four generations in the workplace at the same time. Recognizing the generational differences, and being told what can be done to accommodate each and help them all work in harmony. Good stuff, but all book work, talk and little application - well, up to now.

For the first time in my professional career I'm actually experiencing the following things in the workplace. (1) many of the most senior leaders in the company I work for are contemplating retirement (most are boomers, some traditionalists), or at least a significant change in work status. But for many reasons (next generation not ready, economic downturn, professional withdrawal) many are re-thinking their traditional views of what retirement actually means. (2) Many of the up-and-coming leaders (most are generation X) are eager to step into top leadership posts. Some have "arrived" but most are still searching and waiting in the wings for the right opportunity to present itself - in effect, for the old person to retire. And for some of the most reflective and insightful of these Xers there is a real and true appreciation for how overwhelming top leadership can be - and lonely and unforgiving. It's a big ask and there are people, thousands of them in some cases, that are impacted positively or negatively by your decisions. Daunting. (3) I'm seeing the new generations (mostly Y) entering the workforce en mass. They have completely different expectations of "work" and are now forging changes to the workplace that before was only being talked about or implemented in the most innovative companies, like Google, Facebook, or others in silicon valley. But now, based on their sheer numbers the impact they are having is being seen wide spread across global companies large and small. It's becoming a virtual world.

So my viewpoint is as a middle manager, HR Director, and member of Generation X with some boomer tendencies - and being amidst this change, chaos, and conflict has sure been interesting. I have spoken to senior colleagues whose sentiment is "the younger generation is in for a rude awakening" and I have also spoken with junior colleagues who suggest "ah, the world will be a better place when the old guys get out of the way". And finally the newest generation to enter the workforce doesn't even seem to care who's running the place - they are re-writing the place without any formal authority at all.

Well, I can't predict the future but I don't believe the world will come to a crashing end, but the journey of change will be a rocky road as the Xers become the top leaders in companies and the newest generations collect (not earn) their stripes. The traditionalists are all but gone, reminiscing about "the good ole days". The boomers will soon be there with them. And the Xers will learn through mistakes, failure and misjudgment, just as the previous generations did. What works and what doesn't.

I hope to have the chance to succeed (and fail) in a top leadership role sometime soon. And daily I'm gaining a larger and larger appreciation for the leadership challenge that our four generation working world will bring. It will be humbling I'm sure ...

Media blah blah A.D.D.

My apologies for slacking.

The media is totally ADD. What's more interesting to me is whether or not there is a way, ANY kind of outlet, that you could avoid the ADD of the press. It seems that it affects all of them, whether it's FOX news or the Wall Street Journal.

Sometimes I've wondered how much stress in the average person's life is based on a simple overabundance of information. In WWII, for example, people's knowledge of world events was limited to radio news broadcasts and newspapers. And when I say newspapers and radio stations, I mean probably one or two that a person had access to. I think we're just overloaded with information. Maybe my argument is that ignorance is bliss. But the way the world communicates today, we know the intimate details of every tragedy, every disaster, every crisis… people can get overwhelmed by the knowledge of that kind of suffering. For me personally, I pick the limited number of things that I can make positive impact on and focus my efforts there. It may sound a bit cold, but for my own stress level I have to kind of block out much of the other stuff.

Weiner is a putz. I'm constantly amazed that there are people at that level of society that don't understand electronic media, its lasting effects, and its traceability. Why, o why, would you text a picture of your junk? Even if you delete it off your own phone, the person who you sent it to has all that is required to make your life miserable in the press!

My question for you guys is this: how do you think the media could portray you if they were privy to ALL of your emails, texts, Facebook messages, etc? It's kind of a scary thought. When the ADD media latches onto something that appears juicy, any explanation of context just looks like you're trying to cover your tracks. So the context is useless. I've often joked that I can never run for political office because I was arrested for trespassing in high school and was charged with underage drinking (twice) my first year in the Navy. That may sound silly, but with the way the media is these days, just think of how they could make it look in a juicy (insert news channel of choice here) news spot. They could interview John McCarty, and he could make it sound like I was a complete alcoholic. They could start digging for the records of my underage drinking arrest in Texas and find that I only completed six hours of my assigned 12 hours of community service. Think about some of the events in your own lives and how the media could reconstruct them if they decided to make it a sensational story.

I think that the press is the most powerful organization in America, and I'm not even kidding. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that they've played the biggest role in deciding who is our president for the last 20-30 years. What worries the major media outlet moguls is that independent media and "personal" media (like blogs) are taking some of that power as well. Did you see the article about how someone posted a bogus McDonald's sign saying that African-American customers would be charged a $1.50 fee because of higher crime rates? Totally bogus, but it caused a shit storm, and who knows how much money McDonald's has already had to spend to quell a totally bogus event. But hey, the media got a ahold of it.

Now for my usual random thoughts…

Tracy Morgan: Whether or not he's an idiot, he's a comedian. How in the HELL do you figure out what you can or cannot joke about in America?? From what I can tell, as a comedian, you can go on a rant about absolutely anything EXCEPT for these few items, which have designated, super vigilant police ready to write tickets at a moment's notice: (Let me start by saying that even as I'm getting ready to list these items, I have to think about how to "properly" say them) African-Americans, homosexuals, and Jews. Joke about any of those, and you're toast. Mexicans are getting close to the untouchable list, but they aren't quite there yet.

There was a guy walking up and down the street where I work wearing a billboard thing with something about how Asians were stealing all of America's tech jobs. I thought it was funny. Almost every building on the road, with the exception of a hotel, is either 1) an NSA building, or 2) a contractor building for companies that do work for NSA. So the funny thing about it is that almost without exception, everyone who works in those buildings has a Special Intelligence clearance, and in order to get one of those, you have to be an American BORN citizen. So even if they happen to be Asian by ethnicity, they are Americans!! What an idiot.

I watched game six of the Stanley Cup finals and I've been watching game seven tonight. Not sure why I don't watch hockey more… I'm having a blast! Unless Vancouver makes something happen really quickly, the Cup is going to be in Boston.

Ocean City, Maryland, has been okay, but not the best. It's huge, and it's a party town. Not really my speed anymore. We've spent as much time this week at other places like Bethany, Delaware, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (just 15 minutes up the road). They have the same beautiful beaches, but they are a lot smaller and feel a lot more family oriented. Also, as big as Ocean City is, you would think there would be a million options for places to eat or things to do, but all of the 130+ blocks look the same. Same restaurants, same stores, etc. The entire city is monopolized. Kind of sad.

My mountain bike looks funny with $10 platform pedals on it, but they are a lot more comfortable when you're riding in flip flops! Have been watching some Tour de Suisse this week and I can't wait to get back on my road bike.

Okay, take a break. I'm sure your eyes hurt.