On a summer's day here in Florida the heat and humidity can be stifling. I wonder how our parents and forefathers dealt with it in an age before universal air-conditioning? The simplest act, like mowing the yard, is one that much be planned and accomplished before the heat saps all your motivation away.

Alas, with the oil industries contamination of our Gulf, going for a swim in the ocean doesn't offer the relief it used to. But for me that really hasn't been an option I've been interested in for some time. I think the last time I was there the "save the whales" gang kept tying to push me back into the ocean... I finally had to swim off and come ashore down the beach a ways and sneak back to the car.

I've been wondering what I should really do with my life and I'll be damned if I can think of anything different. Granted, I would really enjoy a house with fewer things piled floor to falling over point, but of all the problems that is really a minor one. At work I find challenge, camaraderie and satisfaction. There are even days I think I make a difference.

For the past several months I've been following the adventures of a 16 year old sailor, attempting to single handedly sailaround the world. She has shown focus, confidence and resourcefulness I think every parent would like in their child. Unfortunately she had some problems in the Indian Ocean and became the focus of the nightly news. She is safe now, but I am sure the second guessing of the press has only just begun. I hope, no I am confident, she will handle the talking heads with the same poise, and courage she demonstrated on the ocean. It is unfortunate her 15 minutes of fame was the rescue.

Stress

I am curious about how different people react to stress. There are those who find the least little reason to blame stress on all that is wrong and why they can't accomplish whatever they set out to do. I really wonder why that is.

I believe stress is a natural part of life and if we can't find ways to deal with it, work through it, and then let it wash away we will fail, or collapse under the weight of our own expectations. Some days at the office are full of tension as we work to meet some unrealistic challenge or goal. Those are the times you've got to concentrate on the task at hand but be prepared to leave it at the office when you walk out the door.

I think, for me, the most important realization is no matter what is happening at work, there are people with far bigger problems, far bigger fears or far bigger challenges they must face each day. I think the ability to put things into perspective is critical if we are to maintain a healthy outlook on life.

and Journalists do What?

We here in Lower Alabama are not normally in the mainstream of critical journalism. We are kind of the place where new journalist come until they can find real work. So this oil leak in the Gulf is causing a lot of interesting reporting, both on TV and in print.

I watched as the Commandant of the Coast Guard noted in a press briefing that even if BP stopped the leak today, the hundreds of thousands of barrels already in the Gulf would be around for months to come.

Headline in the Northwest Florida Daily News -- "Oil may be around until Fall!" One of my favorite web sites is despair.com. They sell de-motivational stuff, like a poster on meetings. It says "None of use are as dumb as all of us." I think it kind of sums up the press.

Golf

Lately I've been playing about half a round a week at the base here. I find it wonderfully relaxing because the course has been very wet and most golfers are going elsewhere. That means I am playing alone, and can enjoy the frustrations of the game without having to worry about anyone else.

Today I got out to the course about 9:30am and went right out. My first shot was terrible but I gave myself a mulligan and nailed it. I have a friend, who's normal comment is "that guy who hits after you is alright."

Another nice thing about Hurlburt there is so much casual water and ground under repair I get to place my ball a lot. Nice for the follow-on shot.

I have to hand it to the Scots... amazing game, I wonder how drunk they must have been to lay out the rules. If you haven't seen Robin Williams video on Golf you really should google it.

So Let's Recap

I see the President is talking with Larry King this evening and he is "furious" that we have a situation where no one thought through the consequences... Wow that is an insight. Clearly a large controlling federal bureaucracy would not have let that happen. Wait a minute, we had a federal bureaucracy in charge of approving BP's plans.

If new reports are to be believed, and I think that a real stretch, than the EXECUTIVE branch of the federal government has known for some time BP isn't really that keen on complying with US requirements for safety and manufacturing. I am wondering exactly what provisions the Department of the Interior or Homeland Security have put in place to deal with these kind of disasters? Apparently they missed this as they worked through the potential for disasters.

Kind of makes me wonder how much thought the Executive branch gave to second or third order effects from Universal Federalized Health Care.

By the way, is Larry King a hunch back? From what I could tell the only thing keeping him in his seat was his suspenders.