The Colonel's Forum

Here is a brief list of things I've observed lately. 1) There are still way to many people who wear socks with sandals, especially among the vacationing public. Get a clue people - they're sandals for a reason. 2) People in San Francisco do not seem as happy as you might expect them to be. Any given weekday, walking from PG&E's offices back to my hotel, I pass scores of unhappy people. Maybe they're just tired from a long work day. Maybe they're tired of the "rat race" in general. 3) The percentage of the California labor force that belongs to a union is 50% above the national average. This week the security guards were on strike for "justice" and "civil rights" according to their picket line signs. After reading their website I learned that they're pursuing justice and civil rights in the form of "paid vacation, paid bereavement leave, retirement pensions, and higher wages." 4) You could not pay me enough t...

The NY Times has a great site that lists all the Presidential candidates' web sites. Barack Obama is certainly fighting hard (and effectively) for my vote. Everyone should go play the energy game that Chevron has developed. It's not perfect, but it is free, amusing, and based on facts. Also, the hardest working guy in the bourbon business is NOT the master distiller, as many might think. It's the barrel house worker. Watching the "barrel rolling competition" at this year's bourbon festival, I was amazed at the strength and skill of these individuals. A full barrel of bourbon weighs just over 500 pounds, and once it gets rolling, it's hard to stop (or turn, for that matter). Jason and Kim got to take Leo home this week, which is really cool. They're easily two of the best people I know, and certainly deserving of all the happiness that I'm sure Leo will bring into their lives. I know Katy and Andre are also getting along well with litt...

No, I promise this is not another rant about the airlines. I did find this old Delta ad though, and got a kick out of it. I never knew Delta even flew the 747 - boy was I wrong. Not only did they fly it, they got a special configuration of the plane from Boeing. The Delta 747s had 362 seats instead of 490 (so passengers could have extra room to spread out - what a concept!), custom designed seats, and a "penthouse" for 6 - see floor plan in diagram. They even had a special dining menu for their 747s - which only flew domestic routes, by the way. This weekend, Ella, Tobi and I will be tailgating for the UK v. Louisville football game. Today, we got our second golf lesson. Tomorrow morning we're heading to Bardstown for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival . So it's shaping up to be quite a weekend.

That is the title of the documentary I watched on PBS tonight about families in St. Bernard Parish . It's been two years since Katrina now, and there is no possible excuse at any level of government for why St. Bernard Parish is (effectively) still a wasteland. I'm not going to get into the details of the documentary except to say that it was very good, and that it really got me to thinking. I have a tendency to distance myself from the lack of recovery in New Orleans for several reasons: 1) I didn't lose anything in the storm. 2) I didn't grow up there, I don't have family there, and the friends I do have there are all doing very well for themselves. 3) The place had HUGE problems when I moved there 3 years before the storm, so the fact that it still has problems (though they are exacerbated by poor government) is no surprise. 4) I am a cynical person, so I feel that any town that effectively prides itself on corruption, a welfare state, and doing things bac...

An interesting excerpt from the copious rules and regulations surrounding the allocation of " priority points " - the point system that determines what kind of tickets you can buy for LSU football games. May Priority Points be Sold, Pooled or Assigned? Priority points are not property, they are part of a system endorsed by the University and its Affiliated Organizations to determine the order in which donors may be offered certain rights and benefits; therefore, priority points may not be sold under any circumstances, and subject to the following exceptions, priority points may not be pooled or assigned in any way. Exception Number One : In the case of a husband and wife while married, where spouses have established accounts in their personal capacities under different names, priority points resulting from donations made by either spouse may be pooled if the spouses combine their individual accounts into a single joint account. Where spouses combine their individual a...

Here comes Fred Thompson . I like the guy, but I'm not sold on him yet, personally. I am certain however that his campaign will be the one to watch.

My loving wife bought me a piano for my 30th birthday. Our local piano store was having a good sale, so I got this present early - it was delivered last week. I understand that other family members have also contributed to this gift, making it that much more special. I've wanted my own piano ever since I left home, where I had one available to me at all times. That was just over 10 years ago. Playing piano is something I've always enjoyed, so to have it back in my life after so long is really a shock to the system. I walk by my new piano every day now, and it still hasn't quite settled in that it's mine, and it's here to stay. I have no idea how to say thank you for a gift like this. I did make my way to the music store last week as well, and picked up 3 books: 1) 19 popular works by Chopin 2) Norah Jones' "Come Away with Me" words and music 3) A book on jazz theory, specifically chord structures Let's just say that cracking open some she...

It's Tuesday, I got to enjoy a week at home, and now it's off to fly the friendly skies once again. At Delta, they love to fly, and it shows. Delta is one of a number of US air carriers who recently emerged from bankruptcy, and they're a little too quick to point out that "you're now flying on 'the new' Delta." It bears striking resemblance to the old Delta. Then again, when you have to get up at 4AM to fly anywhere, it can be a rough start to the day. The plan was to fly on Delta's 5079 from LEX to ATL this morning. One of the simple pleasures that I've come to enjoy is watching the sunrise on this particular flight. I always pick a window seat on the port side just so I can enjoy the show. You have to find simple things to enjoy when you travel this much, otherwise you'd go bonkers. This was the plan today, but the Delta agent at LEX told me that routing me through Cincinnati would provide a better opportunity for an upgrade, so ...