Sighted on the Appalachian Trail

A Two-Headed JonnyZano Monster. Rare indeed.
On a much-less important note than the sighting of mythical creatures: Darden held Session #2 on the State of the Economy. Here is the link and audio. I'm not sure that those who aren't Darden alums or students can access the video (some fancy permission thing. Almost as elusive as a Jackelope or a Two-Headed JonnyZano), but it's worth a try. It's led by our own Dean Bruner (who is headed toward a high-ranking political nomination if he's not careful) and features 5 Darden Trustee alums.
While we hear on a daily basis about "the opportunities this situation presents for business school graduates", it is nevertheless much more scary (and much less exhilirating) for those making day-to-day decisions in business. I acknowledge this with much respect. Call me on it next July when I dive into my responsibilities at Frito Lay...If I retain a pragmatic perspective I'll be thrilled! When your P&L is staring you in the face it's a lot harder to make the tough call. I guess that's why we pay $120,000 to figure out how to do it well and with aplomb (or at least fancy PowerPoints).
Along the lines of perspective, I often read the adventures of this guy. Daniel's blog details "...a wounded combat veteran turned medical student's road trip around the country to see the land he dedicated eleven and half years of his life to and meet his fellow Americans." Especially amusing is his account of visiting my homeland of Southern Oregon in his SUV named "Pinto Bean". I look forward to his posts because he thinks so uniquely and with a refreshing stream of consciousness that contrasts the at-times-unbearable-sophisticated-articulation I have to possess in b-school.
Thanks, Daniel! Keep us posted! Let us know if you see any Two-Headed JonnyZanos in the Blue Ridge.

Explanation unnecessary

The only caption needed is: "Yes, I took these. Today."

Kitties! Everywhere!

jonnycat sent me this photo from his paris hotel room. clearly, high-class hotel art transcends nationality:

mom is trying to figure out the name for the baby kitty. here she is, with her uncle walter. walter doesn't usually look so peeved, but perhaps it's the sunlight in his green eyes.

the metal thing the kitten is embracing is a cast iron bunny. why do i mention it? it's one of those things i recall from my childhood. thankfully, my parents aren't knick-knack people. i guess that comes with being artists and educators; people know better than to give you crappy plastic resin figurines cast in a chinese factory frequented by hallmark. i grew up with yard sculptures larger than me, various stone and ceramic pieces that would send suburban moms into fits of hysteria at the "unsafety" of it all. the jrl ranch is definitely not child-safe; i think i got my first mild electrocution at age 9. touching an electric fence is a rite of passage for every country kid.

but back to the sculptures. i am amazed that they are still around. they were from my grandmother's garden in los gatos. i hear stories from friends who return home after college dismayed that mom & dad have done a full-scale remodel that included throwing out all decorative items not made in the current decade. i feel badly for those folks. my parents don't do that, and thankfully their decor never looks dated. when you enrich your life with beautiful and personal art, it seldom goes out of style. so i am a lucky kid; i am never embarassed by my mom's hideously 80's wallpapered bathroom. instead, it has original artwork, gorgeous paint, and the occasionial vintage jantzen swimsuit.

so thanks for having great taste through the ages, mom & dad!

now, about the kitten.

she needs a name.

it's up to you, dear readers, to nominate and vote. what will it be?

(i'm not sure "norma jean" will fly. even though she was once a jantzen model and is thus tangentially related to this post.)

Le Chat en France

Jonnycat is in France at the Criterium du Levallois. Sure to be scintillating. It's in a Parisian suburb, which is a bit like visiting DC and then getting stuck in Reston. Eww.

But he somehow got a pic of le Tour Eiffel. See, Mom: he did the tourist thing...briefly.

He has been instructed to return with himself in one piece and some lacy things from Paris. We'll see how he does...

Sage words from Peter Senge

I had the good fortune of meeting Peter Senge last week. Just like so many people I meet during my time at Darden, he helped me add texture to and fortify the framework of my life's work. It gave me a more concrete vision of the changes that have already happened, might happen, and must happen for the human race to continue to inhabit this Earth. Each day that goes by, it becomes less and less refutable that we have a climate crisis spurned by a multitude of factors. One of the key influences is the Industrial Age.
This post demands a much more in-depth introduction to the Industrial Age and its phenomena, but suffice it to say it's what we all live in and are influenced by on nearly every level. It could be summarized (by Senge) as "The Choice behind our Choices". These are the assumptions driven by the Age from its beginning (140+ years ago) that are deeply entrenched in the mechanics of our current economic and social systems. Yes, we are becoming more aware of it and want to change it, but most organizational models still stem from the Age's assumptions:

• Energy is infinite and cheap.
• There will always be enough room to dispose of all our waste.
• Humans can't possibly alter the global environment. For instance, weather patterns will remain relatively stable no matter how we act.
• Humans are the primary species on earth; others are less important, and many are irrelevant.
• Basic resources such as water and topsoil are unlimited. If limits or problems are encountered, markets and new technologies will re-allocate financial resources so we can continue with our current ways of living and working.
• Productivity and standardization are keys to economic progress.
• Economic growth and rising GDP are the best way to "lift all boats" and reduce social inequities.

By stark contrast, life beyond the Bubble will be based on choices reflecting very different beliefs, assumptions, and guiding principles, such as:

• Surf the flux. Live within our energy income by relying on forms of energy that come from renewable sources such as solar, wind, tidal, and bio-based inputs.
• Zero to landfill. Everything, from cars to iPods to office buildings and machine tools, is 100 percent recyclable, remanufacturable, or compostable.
• We are borrowing the future from our children; we have to pay it back. Our first responsibility is to leave a healthy global biosphere for our children, their children, their children's children, and so on.
• We are only one of nature's wonders. We are just one of the species that matter, and we all depend on each other in ways we cannot even imagine.
• Value the earth's services; they come free of charge to those who treasure them. Healthy ecosystems are precious and must be treated as such.
• Embrace the variety; build community. Harmony amid diversity is a feature of healthy ecosystems and societies.
• In the global village, there is only one boat, and a hole sinks us all. Our mutual security and well-being depend on respect and concern for all. If any of us is insecure, then we all are.

He ends this chapter by stating: "The way in is also the way out. Just as our way of thinking got us into the situation we are in today, so, too, will our thinking - differently - help us find our way out."

(Needless to say, I skedaddled out, bought Senge's book and had him sign it. Which, in the spirit of the beckoning economy, is worth no more or less with his autograph.)

Hi, Greed. It's Karma. Your number is up.

i'm pretty happy that the consequences of greed are rearing their ugly heads for those who decided to cheat. both in the financial sector and in cycling. too bad it completely screwed the honest ones. but i'm hoping that 1) those cheating bastards can't sleep one peaceful night for the rest of their lives and 2) this creates the turning of the tide that has needed to happen for some time now.

way to go, jerkwad. thanks for ruining it for everybody else.

ps: bernie kohl, i'll take it a bit easier on you because at least you admitted it straight away and didn't drag the world into a spiral of denial like the rest of your guilty lycra-clad colleagues. self-deception is the most addictive drug of all.

Leigh & Jeff Hopkins, October 10th, 2008

cutest of the cute leigh-wah married her aussie sweetie jeff on saturday. el gato presided over the ceremony from the groomsman's row.

leigh was stunning.

hoppy had long ginger hair as usual.

their wedding cake was a family tree

the aussies out-partied nearly everyone but gave the "stage race" victory to el gato, who apparently outlasted and "pulled up" just fine. he passed the final doping control in the form of a negative answer to "did your old lady wake up pissed at you during any of the three days leading up to the nuptials?"

with his party stage race victory in hand, gato proceeded to make enough money at the greenville criteriums to finance gas for layla.

well done.

as for me: i just tried to look cute.