Generation M

I stumble upon something most every day that makes me stop and think. This next link was today's lightning bolt. It is called the "Generation M Manifesto," by Mr. Umair Haque. It is a very quick read, and I highly recommend it. It succinctly captures a great deal of how I have been feeling since before the slide into our current recession.

I hope you have been enjoying your summer. I have seen a great deal in the papers lately about each party picking their slate for November, the Manchester Redevelopment Agency's plan for Broad street, the proposed $8 Million bond referendum, and pots calling kettles black. I haven't been snoozing, just enjoying as much of our short New England summer as possible. "Doing meaningful stuff that matters the most."

A New Game

My household has a new game: "Can we fill it to the lid in two weeks?"

In the words of Bob The Builder (and now Barack Obama)
"YES WE CAN!"

I love... LOVE our new recycling receptacle. My family is going around the house looking for things to put in it every day. It has gone way beyond the standard milk jugs, food cans, paper and cardboard. We are super recyclers now! Toilet paper and paper towel tubes, aluminum foil (no major food sticking to it of course), shaving cream cans, junk mail, all loose paper, and checking every bit of plastic for a #1 or #2. I even noticed that the plastic on the Q-Tip container was #2. Ripped the plastic away from the cardboard... dumped 'em both in. Score!

Taking the garbage down to the street tonight... how easy is it to wheel two carts down the driveway in one trip? A lot easier than making the two trips for the recycle containers (we had one for papers and cardboard, and one for bottles & cans), and then wheeling the garbage container to the street. Oh... and I noticed that our garbage can was the lightest it has ever been.

So once again... a big THANK YOU to Mark Carlino and the Manchester Sanitation Department for bringing this idea to fruition. We love our new blue bin! I think the garbage bins are green with envy.

"In Search of Dignity"

"The old dignity code has not survived modern life. The costs of its demise are there for all to see. Every week there are new scandals featuring people who simply do not know how to act."

In Search of Dignity - David Brooks, NY Times

If more people in the public eye had a sense of dignity, what would our scandal-mongering press have to cover? There are so many things going on in the world today... but what is going to get the coverage? Michael Jackson's funeral.

I'm Very Thankful...

...To live in a country where I can post my thoughts on this blog, and not fear retribution from our government. I am thankful that the worst of my problems with local, state or federal government mainly deals with taxes or partisan bickering.

Please read this article from the NY Times: Stark Images, Uploaded to the World

"Responsible Capitalism" Gaining Traction

I'm seeing the glimmer of a positive shift in business news. It is nice to see that people are realizing once again that we are all in this together.

A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality - NYTimes.com

Summer "Break"

I have come to enjoy the cycle that the seasons in New England bring. It allows for different activities during the different seasons, while forcing me to take breaks from other activities. With the days getting longer and warmer, I do not want to be spending them in my home office opining about town politics while there are outdoor projects to be done, a lawn to be mowed, Connecticut "Staycations" to be had, a boat to re-finish, fishing to be done, golf to be played, super-soaker wars to fight, Bar-B-Q's with friends to be enjoyed, among many other things.

I will be taking a "break" from the Silk City Independent for the summer, insofar as my posts will be even more infrequent than usual. I will be back in plenty of time for this year's election season. I wouldn't miss the 2009 Manchester elections for all the cheese burgers at Shady Glen. I am sure the partisans in town are already gearing up to make a wonderful spectacle of our local democratic process. In the meantime, I will be keeping an eye on the blogs, boards and headlines, paying attention for the final BOE budget, and checking in from time to time. If you don't want to miss a single post, be sure to add the Silk City Independent to you favorite RSS reader by clicking the link on the top left.

For the meantime, I hope to see you at the Dutch Fogarty fireworks or Cruisin' On Main. Life is too short. Don't take it too seriously and have fun as much as you can get away with.

DIY stimulus: CEO gives workers $1000 each from his own pocket

DIY stimulus: CEO gives workers $1000 each from his own pocket

Now, if more businesses in the insurance, real estate and banking sector CEOs were like this, maybe we wouldn't be in this huge mess.