What follow are not necessarily my opinions, just a pulse taking around these parts.
Here are some cryptic comments that I predict will be uttered around various tables and rooms this coming Thanksgiving:
Small business—screw Big Box, screw the banks that have shut off credit, neither the W nor the Obama administrations have offered meaningful help to small businesses
Returning Troops—they are more disciplined than the people who sent them into combat
GOP Presidential Candidates—can't we do better? You can't park your brain when you get to the White House, so don't park your brain before you get there
Adult Children Finding Meaningful Work—even Palo Alto kids who have had great college experiences cannot find jobs. It is sad and it is scary
Adult Parents Finding Meaningful Work—despite the Google and Facebook tidal waves locally, even here people with great backgrounds and much to contribute cannot find work. "Too Old" never is mentioned, but that is why they get dinged
Aging Parents on Holidays—the most stressful part of working with an aging parent is around the holidays. Should we invite them or not?
Steve Jobs—great guy, good neighbor, or asshole? You decide
HP—tragic, nobody can fix it
High Speed Rail—why are we even still discussing it? Pass the fork
Libraries—we only need one of them—in the North! In the South! Umm?
Living in a Town of Smart People, Judgment Another Matter—it makes no difference, Palo Altans can parse things with the best of them, don't look for wisdom from even these masses
The Meaning of Green—we are way ahead of ourselves. Fine to try to set examples. Meanwhile, things like the Gulf Oil leak do untoward damage for decades to millions.
A Worrisome Future—we have been through such cycles before, we are in a fog, it eventually will lift, and there will be "damage" along the way (there already has been damage)
What Is Possible/What is Not Likely—The States still is a beacon and a great country/The States no longer can call all the shots/China already has won, those jobs will never come back
What We Can Do As Individuals—do not be discouraged, do not expect someone else to give you the answers
What We Can Do As a Local Community—we are doing a great deal for those of us who live here, sometimes in isolation from what goes on beyond, and even within, our boundaries
What We Can Do As National Community—there is too much ideology, and Potomac River drinking water. It is bad as it ever has been, how do these people get elected?
Holiday Shopping— I am going on line, no lines!
Stanford Football—what a disaster that Oregon game was. QB Luck will follow in the footsteps of Elway and Plunkett.
Turkey—it is too dry, it is too moist, I am getting sleepy, who won the game?
Care to offer up some other conversation starters and conversation stoppers? Please do so.
I hope YOU have a good Thanksgiving.
