Pensacola Beach Ball

We visited Pensacola Beach over the weekend.  Got a list of things I liked and didn't like, but first I just have to talk about the "Pensacola Beach Ball." 

It's actually a water tower, and is located right in the middle of the parking lot for the public beach.  I just found it to be a really cool way to promote the beach, with the familiar "slices" painted in red, white and blue.  You can see it from everywhere in town (it's not a really big town.)  If anyone asks, "Which way to the beach?" you just point to the beach ball.

  The tower belongs to the Emerald Coast Utilites Authority, which supplies water and sewer services in the area.  According to their web site, the ECUA is a "Three-time award winner as the best-tasting water in Northwest Florida."  And I concur -- I found the water tasted pretty good, right out of the tap in our hotel.  No need for bottled water -- we just filled up our containers at the water cooler before heading out for the day. And this comment is from someone who lives in Tallahassee, where we are spoiled by the fantastic-tasting water.  
  So here's what else I liked, and didn't like:

Like:

- the sign for Pensacola Beach.  You see it on Rt. 98 in Gulf Breeze, at the junction with Rt. 399 which takes you to the bridge across the intracoastal. 

- sugar-white sand

- weather not-to-hot (yet), not-to-cool

- "lazy river" at the Holiday Inn

- Naval Aviation Museum

- Second dozen oysters FREE at PegLeg Pete's!
- McGuires Pub - awesome reuben

Dislike:

- $3.75 toll - each way! - for the bridge from Gulf Breeze to the "mainland"

- 12.5% sales tax at Alvin's Tropical Island beach store !!!  Ouch!

- Smokers.  Lots.

- Rude people (but that's everywhere).

Guns or Butter?

I've been wondering about this concept as, domestically, we have such a difficult situation with unemployment, failing infrastructure, housing foreclosures, etc...

What if we called an end to the overseas wars, brought the soldiers back home, and created a new Civilian Conservation Corps -- with Military personnel! (Soldiers are not discharged - their duties are changed.) It could be the best stimulus available! We end the war and put them to work domestically -- rebuilding infrastructure, defending the borders, supplementing local law enforcement. We spend the military budget on home projects. Our great military-industrial complex gets new innovative projects: engineering the next era of transportation systems, clean energy and smart grids, communications, medical systems, etc. Take the gun out of the soldier's hand and give him a shovel (or computer, or put him in a classroom) House the soldiers in foreclosures to prop up the housing market. Watch the economy improve. Serves the people who need it the most. To top it off -- if we need to re-deploy military forces, they are still in the service, ready for recall.

Education - public school extended hours

I've been wrestling with the pros and cons of the idea of funding public schools so that proper staff/student can be achieved, and extend school day to 8-5, so parents can work, with the comfort that their children are supervised and safe, and not have to pay for private care.

Some of the obvious benefits:
- increased workforce productivity - both working parents and school staff
- added educational opportunities
- schools as "community centers"

I welcome your thoughts on this.

Time Utilization

Better utilization of time for managers REQUIRES the following:

Individual tasks like emailing, memos, reports, etc, must be handled after-hours. There are so many opportunities to have valuable discussions with all the experts in your organization, or with other external contacts, during the regular work hours, that we can't spend it in isolation. Managers simply cannot afford to forego the opportunity for interpersonal communications. Only the briefest amount of the work day should be utilized for making personal notes, or a quick dictation to staff.

This idea takes the concept of delegation of work to staff to another level. Of course good managers assign work to the lowest-cost resource capable of the task. But they must also have a strategic plan for the use of time during work hours that maximizes contact time with other peer-level and higher management. It's simply better utilization of time.

Education reform

I've been thinking about school reform and keeping an eye on stories coming out of some of America's big cities, Washington DC in particular. I'm going to start taking a look at Detroit's tragic situation shortly, and I'll be looking to the readers to help with additional opinion and ideas.

Education’s Ground Zero (New York Times, March 21, 2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/opinion/22kristof.html

Regarding Washington DC's school voucher program: "'What works' for some kids, but not for others." (Wall Streeet Journal, May 5, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124148314511885437.html

D.C. Council Wants Vouchers (Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124743971109829635.html

Dick Durbin and D.C. School Vouchers (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 30, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574443360508781356.html

Who's Got Michelle Rhee's Back?
The D.C. schools chancellor is getting results, but not much support from the Obama Administration. (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 14, 2009)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590063944927916.html

Family - celebrating children's birthdays

A really good friend passed this on to me years ago when my wife and I were about to have our first child... (Thank you David C.)

Make a video of all your childrens' first 18 birthdays (parties, family and friends joining the celebration, singing "Happy Birthday"), pack all 18 up on a single tape, disc, or whatever the current format may be, and give to the children at some appropriate time (maybe after college, or as a surprise for an upcoming birthday). You can be sure this will be a gift they will cherish, and they will be thankful.

Education Ideas - keeping ahead of the pack

I believe it is necessary to only read a few extra books (esp liberal studies) in your field, and you will be significantly ahead of almost everyone else when it comes to good ideas in management, administration, community, science, politics, finance, etc - all the thing necessary to run a government or business. It's amazing how little most people know, and how little effort they put into their own educations. -- and bright people who make the effort shouldn't underestimate the value they offer.

DB

Original idea: Tue Jan 13 07:38:07 2009