Friday, December 30, 2005

The Internet Generation

Walked into Meg's room just now to find her on three different MSN video chats with friends from our Hamburg days: Peter Leven (GER and MEX) whose family were for a time our next door neighbors in Hamburg but live now in Mexico City; Saori Masuda (JPN) now living in London after a brief stint back in Japan; and Chatrick Sodhi (IND) whose family remains in Hamburg.



Dad, puhleeeeze! Can't you see I'm busy?



Global video chat -- Mexico City (Peter) in the top frame,
Valencia (Meg and the photog) in the bottom. Not exactly
how we were communicating with our friends at age 13,
but then in those days I don't recall having any friends
outside of Washtenaw County let alone outside the USA.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM VLC

Valencia, 0130 Sunday

'Twas the night before Christmas (actually, the morning of) and not a creature was stirring, not even our two cats. Was about to settle down for a short winter's nap, when out in the street there arose such a clatter...

...more bloody fireworks!

Since midnight there have been sporadic fireworks and firecrackers all over the neighborhood. Just now a ferocious set of bangers went off in the yard behind us. The neighbors are outside cheering and applauding.

Hey, amigos nuevos, it's Christmas not New Year's, and for sure not las Fallas. Please, as much as we like Valencia and all the fireworks, we've had enough for one year. ¡Por favor, he tenido bastantes!! Besides, you might scare off Santa....

To those celebrating it, Feliz Navidad, and Season's Greetings to all.


Wednesday, December 21, 2005

SANTA INSANITY?

First there was Sailing Anarchy, now Santa Anarchy? Courtesy of this morning's Valencia Life newsletter:


GOING ON THE RAMPAGE
According to the police in Auckland, some forty drunken people, all dressed in Santa Claus outfits, went on the rampage, throwing beer bottles at cars and urinated on them from an overpass bridge. According to Noreen Hegarty, the group then ran through the central park of the city, overturning garbage bins, throwing bottles at passing cars and spraying graffiti on office buildings. One Santa climbed the mooring line of a cruise ship but was ordered down by the captain, and when the man was arrested, other Santas attacked the security guards some of whom required attention from Paramedics. Meanwhile, other Santas entered a nearby store. Said “Merry Christmas” to the owner and then helped themselves to beer from the shelves, leaving without paying. It is believed that the rampaging Santas belong to a group calling itself Santarchy, which describes itself as a worldwide group that protests the commercialisation of Christmas.

Sounds more like a group that protests sobriety? But then we did a little research and it turns out there is, no surprise, a Santarchy website. While the media may have blown the Auckland spree a bit out of proportion, it still sounds like they were more "full drunken" (as the Germans would say) than full of Christmas Cheer.



Santarchy in downtown Auckland?


As the Santarchy site itself says, "Santa should spread good cheer. If he doesn’t, spank him! Or send him to jail." Amen.



"Santarchy" even has a logo.

Monday, December 19, 2005

POLITICALLY CORRECT III

Our old friend and new father, Mat Bird, weighs in with a clever contribution to this thread that he has gleaned from various articles over the years:

+ Democrats buy most of the books that have been banned somewhere. Republicans form censorship committees and read them as a group.
+ Republicans employ exterminators. Democrats step on the bugs.
+ Republicans tend to keep their shades drawn, although there is seldom any reason why they should. Democrats ought to, but don’t.
+ Democrats eat the fish they catch. Republicans mounth them on the wall.
+ Republican boys date Democratic girls. They plan to marry Republicans, but feel they’re entitled to a little fun first.
+ Democrats have chapped hands and headaches. Republicans have tennis elbow and gout.
+ Republicans think L.L. Bean is a preppy mail order house in Maine. Democrats think it’s a rare form of environmentally correct coffee.
+ Democrats drive Chevrolets but yearn secretly for BMWs. Republicans drive BMWs and yearn publicly for Chevrolet-sized car payments.
+ Republicans ask, “Is it Miss or Mrs.?: Democrats don’t ask.
+ Republicans tell you which college their children attend. Democrats tell you which courses their children are taking and how well they’re doing.
+ Republicans kiss the air beside the cheek. Democrats plant wet sloppy ones.

Thursday, December 8, 2005

POLITICALLY CORRECT II

Further to Meg's Ethics Class spreadsheet about the differences between the Republicans and Democrats, here is a contribution from Grandpa "D.O.M" Tom.



At least elephants have big trunks?

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

SKATE NEWPORT

Check this out -- looks like a nice new addition to Newport's winter waterfront.



The "Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center" at the Newport Yachting Center.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

BMWOR SAILING CUP 2005

Sunday dawned cool and grey here in Valencia, but that didn't stop our Cup team's marketing department from going sailing -- ostensibly racing -- using three Beneteau First 7.5's that belong to a corporate training outfit called Sailing Team.

Aside from myself, two other members of the department have some sailing experience. The rest are beginners. So it was a nice for them to get out in a boat and experience sailing and a bit of racing. No doubt we will do it again, and try to involve more non-sailing members of our team. And nice to get our partners out with us as well. Good times.



Helmsman of one boat was Benedict "Pope" Horber (GER, second from right), a fellow Gstaad YC member who is a new member of our marketing department. Forward of him is his girlfriend Susanne, then Alejandra Mato (ESP, another marketing department colleague) and her husband Alfredo. The gentleman aft in the red foulies is a Sailing Team coach/instructor.



Helmsman of the second boat was Thomas Fikentscher (GER, second from left), a sailor and boyhood friend of our marketing director Mirko Groeschner (GER, right foreground). Forward of Thomas is Mirko's partner, Stephanie. Behind Mirko is Thomas's parnter, Diane.



I helmed the third boat. Forward of me is Max "Hello" Hoellerl (AUT) who was a quick learner on main trim. Leslie was the headsail trimmer, and the lady sitting forward of Leslie is another member of our marketing team, Kerstin "Handstand" Schulz (GER) who was our grinder. "Handstand" is, pound-for-pound, probably the strongest person on our BMW ORACLE team. The nickname comes from her ability, especially after a little wine, to walk on her hands the length of a good-sized hotel bar -- especially when there are sailors present. Meg handled the mast and foredeck.



We started the first race in about 15 kts, and it breezed up to over 20 before the end of the short, two lap course. We got our kite up on the first run and had a blast.



Max is already looking like a pro on the mainsheet. Leslie has not forgotten how to trim a jib or kite, even though this was her first time handling a gennaker.



With a relatively experienced crew it was no surprise that we won the race by a fair margin. With increasing winds gusting into the high 20's, it seemed like the prudent thing to call it a day after one race. Meg pronounced the experience "very cool but also a bit cold."

Saturday, December 3, 2005

HOLIDAY SEASON IN VLC

The holiday season has arrived in Valencia. Check out the post on the BMW ORACLE Racing Blog.



Here in Valencia the bougainvillia are alive and well in our backyard this morning. Gorgeous December day -- warm and dry and barely a cloud in the sky.

Thursday, December 1, 2005

POLITICALLY CORRECT?

[Updated Fri 2 Dec 05]

At Caxton College the kids have a choice of taking "religion" (i.e., Catholicism) or ethics. As part of a term project for her ethics class, Meg had to prepare an analysis of the major political parties in her home country. So she produced her first-ever spread sheet, below, with a little parental guidance. For family and friends in the USA, is this reasonably accurate?



Click to enlarge.

Peter Huston kindly forwarded this witty little ditty: "If the opposite of pro is con, the opposite of progress must be Congress?"

KITTY LITTER CAKE


Click here for details and a complete, no joke, recipe. With two cats in the
house, could be fun to serve at a party?