Thursday, March 10, 2005

Nobody's Perfect

First of all let me say that I am far from perfect myself. I have a tendancy to procrastinate and I often underestimate how much work it will take to accomplish some tasks.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way it is time to point the finger elsewhere...

In my capacity as the general manager of the Legend I come into contact with a great many people, groups, businesses and so forth. I have learned that people spend a lot of time in none productive pursuits. As a teacher the day was so clock driven the wasted time was minimalized. (A bad teacher could waste the whole day, but if you were really trying the "lost" time was small.) The pre-planning time is not anywhere near as much in the "real world" There seems to me at least a great deal more winging it going on. It is not necesarily a bad thing, but it can frustrate people who come in from the outside.

I hope the things I do do not cause the same levels of frustration in others that I experience with some of the entities I am dealing regularly.

Here is the latest Globe column... a day late said the procrastinator...
http://dodgeglobe.com/stories/030905/lif_20050309044.shtml

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Reading and Listening to Books

Books on tape are great!

I still love to sit on the couch with an actual paper and ink book and read. However, since I am in the car an awful lot books on tape or CD have been wonderful. Reading allows for re-reading and underlining and referring back a few pages, which is always good. The availability of books in audio has doubled the input my brain can get.

I am reading "The Tipping Point" an interesting book about the dynamics of epidemics, of both the social and illness types. I am listening to "To Sail the Dark Wine Sea - Why the Greeks Still Matter." Usually I just read detective novels and go to sleep. I do not know what kicked off this interest in non-fiction, but I am learning a lot.

The book about the Greeks is cool for a few reasons. One reason I like it is because I got into quite a debate in an education class about what an educated person should know. Too many folks think an education is just something to prepare you for a career. Aarrrggghhh! An educated person is a valuable human being not the employee of the month at Starbucks! Learning about Homer and Aeschylus etc. has benefits even in 2005. I also learned that the word "symposium" means a meeting for drinking large quantities of wine. The next time I am invited to an education symposium I'm going!

The latest column is at this address:
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/022305/lif_20050223041.shtml

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Complaining through the ages

I think I have passed over into the OLD generation. I am seeing more and more things that I think were better when I was a kid. Television was better. There are things I like, but there are fewer things. The hot new music is unintelligable to me much of the time. I grumble and grouse in a much different way. As a kid you whine and do odd body gyrations to show your parents you are bored to death as they shop in the grocery store. As a teenager you loudly complain and have the egocentric idea that no one has the problems you have. As a young adult the complaining is done in small groups as you talk about how tough it is to make a living with something as useless as a liberal arts degree. I am now at the stage where I sigh a lot and grumble under my breath. "Grumble, grumble, darn kids never close the stupid doors, grumble, grumble, grumble, freakin' dog is always barking, grumble grumble, grumble, damn government can't get anything right, grumble, grumble, grumble."

Yep, I am in that generation. I truly do not mind it though. There are many, many things right with my life, but it is still oddly enjoyabe to grumble - somewhat cathartic.

Grumbling is allowed, but don't forget to enjoy the good things...

If you interested the latest column by yours truly appearing in the Dodge City Daily Globe is at the following address:
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/021605/lif_20050216044.shtml

Monday, February 07, 2005

Thinking can be complex

I hate it when people make lame excuses for not getting tasks accomplished. So I will not regale you with all the reasons I have not blogged recently (writing for the Globe, getting things done for Imum Pancy, things for the Legend are beginning to bounce, I am still married with three children...sorry).

I have been reading fascinating stuff recently. Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink has really cool insights into how people think and why they think the things they do. Did you know that a disproportionate number of top CEOs are not only white and male (no surprise) but they are also tall. The things you think without realizing it push you in all sorts of directions that may or may not be good for you. Did you know that just making angry faces without having things that have truly pissed you off can make you feel angry? If you hold a pen in your teeth, thus making it easier for your face to smile, while watching cartoons makes them more enjoyable. If you hold a pen between your lips, thus making it hard to impossible to smile, while watching cartoons makes them less enjoyable. If you put a person in a certain frame of mind they will act in that frame of mind even in situations that would normally cause different reactions.

The human mind is an amazing thing...to bad too few of us use it on a regular basis. Others overuse it and need to let it do more of its stuff on its own. The well-trained gut reaction is often more valuable than the highly dissected, re-thought, re-hashed, and highly researched decision.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir,
I want to express my displeasure about an issue in the Kansas State Legislature. I can't believe these people are spending so much time talking about s-e-x. They should be ashamed of the themselves. I don't think s-e-x should be talked about in public places. However, I am going to have to make an exemption.

The people in Topeka want to outlaw same sex marriage. This is awful! I only know one way to have sex. I have the same sex all the time. If they make this illegal I don't think I can handle it. I can't come up with a new way to do it each time my wife and I want to have relations. Granted it only happens whenever we change the clocks (and the batteries in the smoke detectors) but after we spring forward I will not be able to figure out a new way to fall back.

Those yahoos in Topeka had better come up with some kind of manual if they expect everyone in the state to stop having the same sex. I for one would allow my tax dollars to make some sort of Kansas Sutra to help the less imaginative of us.

Sincerely,
Floyd Christopher Turbo, Jr.

(apologies to my mother who reads this...)

Monday, January 24, 2005

The King is Dead...

I always felt a certain connection to Johnny Carson. He was born in Nebraska. I was born in Nebraska. He started on the Tonight Show in 1962. I started on this planet in 1962. Every anniversary show for Johnny had the same number as the number of candles on my birthday cake. He was funny. I always wanted to be funny. He seemed to have a kind soul. I strive for kindness. Humor for him was never mean-spirited. I find it difficult to make jokes that might be hurtful to anyone. He was a private man. I am naturally shy and value my time on my own, even though much of my work has me in some sort of public spotlight. I have missed him since 1992 and now he has passed.

Why do I feel genuine sadness? I never met him. I only saw him on television with millions of others seeing him at the same time. He wasn't talking to me. That is what made him the best at what he did. His sincerity was visible. For years and years I wanted to be Johnny Carson when I grew up. But no one will ever quite match up to him.

Thank you Mr. Carson for all your time and talent given to so many, and for being a role model I am still proud to publically proclaim.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

New Stuff is Happening

As mentioned earlier, I have made the leap to newspaper columnist!

The old Chris, who always down-played any successful endeavor, would say the local paper just wanted a local writer to add more local flavor to the paper. The new Chris, who proudly takes credit for his accomplishments, would say increased confidence in his writing helped him sell his work to a new outlet. Either way (you choose) I am now officially a weekly humor columnist for an honest to goodness newspaper.

The most recent column (number 2 overall) is posted on the papers website at this address:
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/011205/lif_20050112022.shtml

The "Pod of Geniuses" known as Imum Pancy is working towards many new things. Life can be good.

Monday, January 03, 2005

A new year begins...

The year ahead seems to be rife with possibilities. I get to generally manage the Legend with a year under my belt and put more of my own stamp on the game night entertainment. I am continuing with the radio broadcasting of high school sports which is fun and the added experience makes it possible to be a better broadcaster for the Legend. I get to continue the column in the Legend magazine. These things are great fun and allow me to dabble in a variety of things.

The new endeavors look good. The "Broken Wind" script is finished and the pre-production and the shooting schedule should get accomplished in a while. I also will be branching out with the humor column stuff to the Dodge City Daily Globe. Wednesday's "lifestyle" section will start carrying my stuff. Since Dave Barry is taking a sabbatical why not try to fill the void.

Everything that is going well in my life can be attributed to the people I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by. Claudia makes it all happen. The family I grew up in created my sensibilites. Rob taught me how to be funny and to be a friend. Sarah keeps pushing me to create, and helps set the bar high. Seth has provided confidence and made what was only a weak wish into a reality. Thank you to all.