Our National Scavenger?

The vote(s) are in. The cloud / hive mind thinks it's an eagle. I understand considerable time was spent. Perhaps later in the spring additional empirical data can be gathered.

Where everybody knows your name.

It's starting to sink in a bit that we are actually leaving Eugene. Put more accurately: last week I had an experience that bummed me out about the move. I ran to the Red Barn for some Shanghai pork supplies (and yes, you can substitute anise seed for star anise), and because Facebook told me that the Dylan tribute band was playing, I stopped in Sam Bonds for a quick beer and listen. I got a head nod from the doorman (and no ID check); a New Year smooch from the bartender; and a hug from the guitar player's girlfriend; and a heyyyyyyy... from a couple neighbors (or maybe it was a smooch from the guitar player and a hug from the owner?). And the band was great! And I thought all the instruments in Brian's man-den were just for show.

It wasn't until I got back home that I realized that I had had an awesome neighborhood experience. And this sense of belonging has been steadily growing as we have set down roots here in Eugene. But now we're throwing them into a pot again and hauling them south. Does Santa Barbara have a Chicken Town?

Moving on.

Another New Year internal debate has been how frank to be with this blog and with social networking sites. As President Obama says, I'm someone who wants organizations to err on the side of openness. Does that mean that I also have a personal obligation to be as open as I want my institutions to be?

This morning I tested the waters by announcing, somewhat cryptically, that I am leaving my job at Duck University, although I failed to mention exactly where I'm heading. Indeed, I simply updated my status to say "Jon Jablonski just quit his job." Along with the expected congratulatory notes and comments, this generated quite a bit of confusion. Some folks were obviously in the know, others are still catching up.

It also prompted my mother to ask 'Isn't quit a strong statement'? In response I ask: can I not call a spade a spade?* I'd love to start my new job off by being the strongly opinionated, plainly stated person that I am. After all, if one's head is firmly planted up one's ass, should I not be able to tell him or her to remove it? (This assumes that my own head is in the fresh air. Perhaps that is not a fair assumption?)

The crux, of course, is that there is a big difference between being honest and being a jerk. If I'm aiming for breezy self-confidence, how do I avoid being labeled a cocky (and crude!) bastard. First impressions are hard to overcome, and I definitely don't want to go in tossing verbal hand grenades. That said, most future coworkers probably know about the Google, therefore they can easily see what I've been up to over the past few years.

So what approach should I take? As Jordan Jesse Go and a future colleague pointed out recently, new beginnings are also opportunities for reinvention of the self. On the other hand, this isn't the summer between 8th grade and freshman year of high school (see above comment about the Google). It's not like I can suddenly adopt a Manchester accent. Should I go with the Mork and Mindy suspenders or the utilikilt for my first day as the head of the University of California, Santa Barbara's Map and Imagery Laboratory?

*etymological note: the phrase comes Greek and has no racial connotation. Indeed, it refers to shovels.

New Year new blog?

I suppose the New Year always comes with a resolution to post more often (or more deeply), but this year it will take on special meaning as new opportunities are poised to be seized.

Tonight though, is cribbage at a local bar with friends. Part of the new regimen of early-morning exercise, not going in too early, and evening recreational activities. The goal, is to not take work too seriously. In other words: to have a personal life.

The possibilities are endless I suppose, and will perhaps be detailed on the blog. Or maybe not.