Verrrry Interesting

From a more detailed discussion at Group News Blog:

Executive = Declarations: bring forth, generate something new, lead.
Manager = Requests: please do x by time y with condition of satisfaction z.
Worker = Promises: deliver competent performance in a domain, over and over.

And never the twain shall meet.

Let’s walk it back to our Presidential candidates.

One speaks in declarations, inspires, leads.
The second requests you elect him to fix problems, lobbies for a change so he can fix the system.
The third talks of her competence and experience, promises she will do what she’s always done, and has the policy plans and papers to prove it.

Leader. Manager. Worker.

Link via Discourse.net (Michael Froomkin)

Best line of the day, so far

“We’re here in a gym in Derry, watching Barack Obama, who is for Change. I was for Change when I got here, but then I had to wait like two hours for Obama to arrive, so now I’m not so sure I’m for Change. Now I am more for Punctuality.”

Dave Barry writing at Achenblog

Sled Town U.S.A.

SILVERTON — Snow-covered vehicles sit neglected on a minus-2-degree morning as Becky Joyce glides past gazebo-size downtown snowbanks and parks her sled outside the Avalanche coffee shop. Five more just like it sit nearby.

“This is such a kick, and it’s so efficient. We rarely drive our cars,” the part-time nurse says as she hops off and joins other sled commuters already inside sipping steamy drinks.

While Coloradans elsewhere might curse the inconvenience of snow-slicked roads, here in what could be called Sled Town U.S.A., hardy residents look forward to the Thanksgiving-to-mid-March snowpacked streets.

Folks glide to work, to the grocery store, to school, to the taverns and to the ice rink, turning this remote San Juan Mountains community into a throwback to a simpler era and a counterpoint to the chic, SUV-clogged resort towns.

The Denver Post

Annual Silverton snowfall: 12½ feet.

He Can’t Vote

Jill, official oldest daughter of NewMexiKen, reports that somehow, Guiliani has gotten to the four year olds.

I was watching the video of Obama’s victory speech [Thursday] night and I got a little misty. Aidan came in and wanted to know what was up. I explained that pretty soon Georgie Bush wouldn’t be president anymore, and other people were trying to be president, including this guy, Obama. I said that I like him because he believes we need to help people and change things in the USA.

Aidan cocked his head and asked, “Will he keep us safe?”

Best line of the day, so far

“Political analyst ponders if America is finally ‘colorblind’ after Obama’s Iowa win. Possible… or it could be that we are still misogynistic, your pick.”

FARK.com

El día de Reyes

La celebración en la cual los niños reciben los juguetes no es sino hasta el 6 de enero, “el día de Reyes” o Los Reyes Magos. Fueron los Reyes Magos quienes le llevaron los regalos al Niño Jesús, por consiguiente, son ellos quienes traen los regalos a los niños y a las niñas que se han portado bien. Los niños ponen sus zapatos cerca de la ventana para que los Reyes Magos le pongan el regalo en su zapato. Si el regalo es más grande que el zapato, entonces lo ponen al lado. Varios niños reciben un par de zapatos (calzado) nuevo como regalo.

El día Reyes se celebra con una merienda que consiste de chocolate caliente y la Rosca de Reyes La merienda se lleva a cabo entre las 5 y las 7 de la tarde y no es una comida pesada, sino algo así como lo equivalente al “High Tea”.

La Rosca de Reyes es un pan en forma de guirnalda que está hecha con muchos huevos y es muy grande, está cubierta con frutas cristalizadas y azúcar encima, pero adentro hay una figurita de cerámica que representa al Niño Jesús. La persona a la que le toque la pieza del pan con la figurita, tiene que ser el Padrino o la Madrina del Niño Jesus en el Día de la Candelaria, el dos de Febrero.

Mexican Traditions for Christmas

More info here.

Today is the wedding anniversary

… of George and Martha Washington, married on this date in 1759.

… of George and Barbara Bush, married on this date in 1945.

George and Martha had no children (she had two surviving children from her previous marriage).

Alas, George and Barbara did have children.

New Mexico

… was admitted to the Union as the 47th state on this date in 1912.

Epiphany

Today is the Epiphany, one of the three major Christian celebrations along with Christmas and Easter. The Epiphany is celebrated by most Christians on January 6 to commemorate the presentation of the infant Jesus to the Magi or three wise men.

The celebration of the Epiphany began in the Eastern Church and included Christ’s birth. However, by the 4th century, the various calendar reforms had moved the birth of Christ to December 25, and the church in Rome began celebrating January 6 as Epiphany.

Epiphany is derived from the Greek epiphaneia and means manifestation or to appear. In a religious context, the term describes the appearance of a divine being in a visible or revelatory manifestation.

In Latin America, today is Día de los Santos Reyes, the day to exchange Christmas presents to coincide with the arrival of the three gift-bearing kings or wisemen.

Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi
The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1445
Samuel H. Kress Collection
National Gallery of Art

Best political observation line of the day, so far

“If her campaign disintegrates she will no doubt feel unfairly trashed. But she can’t blame a vast right wing conspiracy this time. Her problem right now is that a lot of the people who really, really don’t like her are Democrats.”

Joel Achenbach

Best line of the day, so far

“Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on his sleek, white surprise of a Christmas present that goes from zero to 190 unbelievably fast: ‘Thanks again for the new bathroom scale, honey!’”

Sideline Chatter

Most fascinating line of the day, so far

“LOS OJOS— Felipe Piña has the same doublewide, the same girlfriend and the same job, even though he now has millions of dollars in the bank after winning the $29.5 million Powerball jackpot in May.”

The Albuquerque Journal ($)