Where's the Inner Critic?

Has Scarlett Johansson learned nothing from Bruce Willis?

Bruce Willis, fresh off his Moonlighting popularity in the 80s, pressed a pop album. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), it tanked.

To be fair, I've not heard Ms. Johansson sing, but come on. Is she being surrounded by people who are saying, "Oh, Scarlett, you can do ANYTHING!"

Who thinks this is going to be an album of high musical achievement?

Go Big? or Minor New-Dad Existential Dilemma?

So, I am feeling the need to break-out and do something big. Get out of a rut. I want to go Big, as in a big Steve Fossett-type of adventure (perhaps minus the whole crashing-an-experimental-plane-somewhere-in- Nevada-and-not-being-found part).

I've got the wander lust. Since I was in high school, I've been wanting to ride my bike across the country, and I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Taking two or three months to ride from here (Oakland) to some point on the Atlantic coast is high on the list of things to do in life.

Right now, I need to feel somewhat unencumbered, but....

The question occurred to me; Am I thinking about this because I am a new Dad and am feeling like the next 18 years I will be a slave to the desk to ensure my family is financially stable? Or, perhaps it is because we are tied to the house on weekends because the baby needs his naps, and as a result I have not wandered more than a few miles from the house on the weekends?

I tend to get a flight-drive when I feel pressured to remain in place, and I am certainly feeling a lack of permission to fly the coop right now

So, I am left wondering if I should plan so big trip, or if this is perhaps a phase of new-fatherhood that will pass?

The Economy and its Impact to My Job's Fun Factor

A couple a months ago, I got a request to be interviewed for survey by Thomson Financial. They were interviewing IR folks, and the first question was : Do you think we're in a recession and why or why not?

I immediately said "Yes," because my clients were all getting jittery about forecasting the following quarter. To me, it felt like 2001, but not to such an exaggerated degree. It was nearly unanimous, though, that they said the back half of 2008 (2H08) would see a return to growth - implying a near-term slow down.

Well, now I see why. This earnings season, two of my clients (so far), and even more clients of the firm, reporting lower than expected revenue. Since the time of the survey, some clients have had headcount reductions and other cost-cutting moves.

When things are going well for my clients, my job is a lot of fun. The Street is happy to talk with you, as the stock is going up and "you" are making them money.

The opposite is also true. When the economy is tough and financial results suffer, the Street gets mad they are losing money through stock price declines. They call you and demand to know why, but they already know the answer. They often want to vent, and we IR folks have to take it. Sometimes, they're cool about it, other times not so much.

So, I am hoping that "The Economy" turns around soon, if for no other reason, than my incoming calls will be more pleasant.

Wall Street Journal Article on Open Water Swimming

Open water swimming will (re)debut at the 2008 Olympics. The Journal has an article on the event plus a look at the history. Apparently more people have summited Everest than have swum the English Channel.

The open water race in the Olympics is a 10k swim. The longest I have done is 2 miles, and that took some 50 plus minutes. Maybe I should think about longer swims.

Story here at the Wall Street Journal.

Tiny Elvis speaks

Tiny E speaks (after thinking about it for a long, long time).

http://randdommusings.blogspot.com/


**Update
Tiny E apparently got the jitters and repealed his blog.

Maybe I will.

It comes and goes, the desire to write.