Man=Handled Without Gloves; Ure=Not Mine

We took the wee bairns (los Colombianos) to the cultural triumph that is the Ohio State Fair a couple of weeks ago.  I could have made a fortune peddling "Wide Load" signs to the mob of substantial human beings in attendance.

Our lads' impressions were difficult to guage.  They clearly preferred funnel cakes to the fabulous butter cow, but were otherwise somewhat subdued.  Later we discovered that they couldn't stop talking about the fair once they got home, and we were stunned to learn that the favorite animals of both were the cows.

It seemed that an animal's popularity was in direct correlation with the amount of manure the beast produced.  What we had interpreted as a lack of enthusiasm was actually a stunned state of awe.  The cows were clear winners, even without factoring in bnonus points for methane gas.  Horses were an interesting, but distant, second, and the sheep were very feeble entrants in the excreta sweepstakes.

We should not have been surprised; this fascination with natural purification is a human attribute that transcends fairs and animals.  Think, for a moment, about logistics and supply chain management.

Each new concept, tool, technique, or information  application seems to enjoy popularity - even fervor - in direct proportion to the amount of manure that accompanies its introduction.  To be fair, sometimes the excess being applied is benign, and merely premature.  In other cases, it gives "icing on the cake" a whole new meaning.

Part of our challenge, and responsibility, as supply chain professionals is to not be mindless cheerleaders, and to thoroughly work through the effluvium before declaring that there is, in fact, a pony inside there.

Happy scraping, fellow seekers!