Steel Kaleidoscopes

The Butterfly Place

So we went to this little atrium yesterday called The Butterfly Place.

For $8.50 apiece, you got to walk around a fabricated wilted jungle and observe all kinds of butterflies, with names like Giant Swallowtail, Ghost Brimstone and Isabella Tiger Longwing.

It was kind of neat, especially for a 1-year-old. Definitely good photo ops.

You weren't allowed to touch the butterflies, but if you were lucky, they would land on you.

Up close, butterflies aren't always beautiful. With bodies like worms and dis-proportioned larvae, they are lucky they have wings to offset their homeliness.

The environment was warm and muggy, and if you wore glasses, they would steam up upon entrance. Kind of like stepping out into a June New Orleans morning from an air-conditioned hotel.

It was a quiet place, this Butterfly Place, and despite the crowded walkways packed with strollers, parents and cameras, there was a sense of peace.

Butterflies, after all, are free.

Sort of.

30 Biggest Songs of the '80s

Came across this the other day.

WNBC has a slideshow of the 30 biggest songs from the '80s.

The Boss, Madonna, Madness and Simple Minds. Good stuff.

Milli Vanilli? C'mon.

Somewhere in '83

It's poetry in motion.

And when she turned her eyes to me.

As deep as any ocean.

As sweet as any harmony.

She blinded me with science.

And failed me in geometry.

Whirlwind

Ever have a day like this?

American Idol: Love Songs

Did Paula Abdul want to make you throw up or what? What was with the tears one minute and the cheer-leading antics the next? She's shameful. It's tough to say goodbye to anyone at this point, but Kleenex sells tissues. Here's the order of how the six finalists performed last night, with the odds of winning it all next month:

1.  Katharine McPhee (bottom 3)
Best of the night but the judges killed her, which will clearly affect the vote. Set the bar early with a flawless performance, cleavage and all. Powerful, subtle, passionate. She nailed Whitney, not easy to do. Here's hoping America can think for itself.
Odds of winning: 5-1

2. Elliott Yamin
Well, now. One of his best performances. It was obvious he put a lot of preparation into this. Difficult song choice with lots of chord changes, but he stayed on top of them and hit most of his notes. Deserves to stick around for another week, and he will.
Odds of winning: 15-1

3.  Paris Bennett (bye, bye)
If the judges can tell Katharine she's not good enough to sing Whitney, they should have come down on Paris for singing Barbra. Nice job, no question, but she's no Streisand. Her recent history in the bottom 3 puts her at risk.
Odds of winning: 15-1

4. Chris Daughtry
Hated the arrangement. Spanish guitars? Thought he took forever to get into it but, as always, he managed to make an impact. Song didn't showcase his voice, but thought he worked his way through it. Judges were way too nice. Still the one to beat.
Odds of winning: 3-1

5. Kellie Pickler (bottom 3)
Anytime someone sings "Unchained Melody," you wait to see if they can hit "the note." Well, Ms. Pickler nailed that high note, but the rest of the performance was just average, like she was saving everything for the end. Kind of somber and safe.
Odds of winning: 8-1

6. Taylor Hicks
Worst performance of the night, but he has a huge fan base. Thought this was a very average vocal, and didn't match the talent of the others. Showed his usual passion toward the end, but it was too late. Is his luster fading?
Odds of winning: 10-1

Marcus Buckingham

Marcus Buckingham, author of "First, Break All the Rules," "Now, Discover Your Strengths" and, most recently, "The One Thing You Need to Know," recently spoke at Monster's Executive Customer Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.

Buckingham has superior insight to management principles that work, without delving into cliches. His soft-spoken, engaging manner captivates an audience, but it is the content that resonates with those who lead people.

Here are some Buckingham nuggets of wisdom:

"The strength of a company is in the manager's hands. ... The chief responsibility of a manager is to turn one person's talent into performance."

The manager's goal should not be "getting work done through people." Instead, it should be "getting people done through work."

"Find out what is unique about each person and capitalize on it."

"Focus on strengths, not fixing weaknesses."

And, in Buckingham's closing remarks, he spoke about the "three truths."

"As you grow, you become more of who you already are."

"You will grow most in your areas of greatest strength."

"You will contribute most to the team when you offer up your strengths."

Buckingham clearly believes in soaring with your strengths and, equally important, being who you are. He challenges managers to find what's good in each employee and to build on it.

It's good advice.

The Continuing Saga of Dave

In the absence of logical interpretation, Dave Tomlinson took it upon himself to indulge in the sugary-molasses substance.

He pointed to the history of the North End, the sub-plots of "Galaxy Quest" and the nuances of Green Line transportation in his decision to mimic Tom Menino.

It wasn't until the second Tuesday after the spaghetti incident that he decided to skip the bocci social.

April Blah Sunday

It's a good day for chicken noodle soup.

Drinks

In no particular order, these are the drinks that lift the spirit and refresh the soul:

Black coffee at 5 a.m., preferably Starbucks.

Chilled Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio on a sweaty summer evening with steamers on the porch.

Tall glass of fresh-squeezed chilled orange juice in the morning after a night of Pinot Grigio on the porch.

Chewy Rosenblum Zinfandel on a frigid winter night.

Endless glasses of lemon water during a stressful work day.

Michelob Light during a heated summer volleyball game.

Glass of cold milk with a freshly baked brownie watching TV at night.

Quote of the Day

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

- Jim Elliot, missionary