In the Break Room

Real World Negotiating

2009-07-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

YOU BETCHA, it happens every day!

fun for a 'Staycation' sightseeing tour

2009-06-29T13:59:00.001-06:00

I could spend an hour on this Sistine Chapel

Process Control with a Sense of Humor

2009-06-26T13:59:00.003-06:00

so my friend and colleague sent this to me with the note "saw this and thought of you"

The text reads:
In Amsterdam, the tile under Schiphols urinals would pass inspection in an operating room. But nobody notices the tiles. What everybody does notice is that each urinal has a fly in it.
Look harder and the fly turns into a black outline of a fly, etched into the porcelain. It improves the aim. if a man sees a fly, he aims at it. Research found that the etchings reduce the spillage by 80%. It gives a guy something to think about.

That's the perfect example of Process Control.

What do shepherds DO with their time on the hills?

2009-03-21T11:15:00.000-06:00

New year

2009-01-12T08:03:00.004-06:00

... and I still can't bring myself to write anything.

However, I found this, and it's making me feel a BIT better:

Birthdays in the Office

2008-08-30T10:00:00.004-06:00

So Birthday Season is coming up, (at least for me) and now that most of us work from home, those office birthday parties are a thing of the past.

SO... mostly that's a good thing, but at least there was cake:

Why we like conference calls instead of inperson meetings....

2008-07-27T14:32:00.000-06:00

Just FYI....

2008-05-02T16:32:00.006-06:00

For those who don't know, I live with someone who is BiPolar, possibly borderline personality, ADD, an addict, and OCD. This is strange and difficult. Brain disorders are.

A Diagnosis helps a bit, but it's still HIM, and he's very weird.

For help understanding see:
This post: A Wife's Story on BiPolar blog

Housekeeping - the strange Aunt is - for sure - bipolar. That movie is not on DVD , too bad.

The character played by Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton. THAT'S what he's like. Watch the whole movie, not just the clips, and pay attention to the scene where he's carrying the bread loaves, the slipping from sane to crazy and back and forth. It's well done, and great depiction.

Or this Small movie by Steven Fry:

My VPN connection is down

2008-04-24T09:41:00.004-06:00

...which means my blood pressure is up.

Raj, and Kamir a t the help desk have assured me: "we are working very diligently to resolve this problem. I am sure it will be resolved soon."

Soon.

Which could mean anything, really.

Serving size: Five Worms

2008-04-06T06:31:00.005-06:00

mmm, Yum!

Do we have like, nothing to say?

2008-03-30T14:09:00.004-06:00

Love it, some of the people I work with talk like this!
EVERY sentence is spoken like a question,"as if they want us to join them on their bandwagon of uncertainty"

Excuses, Excuses,

2008-02-25T17:34:00.007-06:00

I collected a bunch! from the person exiting my 'new' position.
Here are some of my faves:

"I've been really busy."- When she didn't respond to my several emails, and several instant messages over a period of two days.
"I'm not going to train you on that tool. You'll have to get someone else to do it." - When I asked her to not only TELL me what the tool was but to walk me through it once.
"I can give you a 'high-level' view." - after I asked THREE times to be taken Step - by - Step through the process she was using. THEN I realized she never HAD a process.

Now I know why they are replacing her.

AH! I forgot the best one! She had her phone forwarded to another new person on the account! So.. no answering her email, no answer to instant message, and when you try to call her, you don't GET her!

Working Remotely and starting a New Job

2008-02-22T17:30:00.000-06:00

...are Very Hard to do at the same time.

Never have I relied more heavily on my Charming Phone Voice, and fabulous ability to Instant Message Cleverly.

ohh, and my Mad Investigative Reporter Skillz, too.

Brown Sugar Garlic Salmon

2008-02-01T16:37:00.000-06:00

Sheesh, no posts since Christmas? wow.
Guess I've been so busy with the job search (got one!) and then transferring my old projects, that I really didn't even think about it.....

one of my favorite recipes (healthy, too) is Brown Sugar Garlic Salmon
1/2 c Orange Juice
1/3 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Soy Sauce
3 tsp Pressed Garlic (I buy the already pressed in the jar)
2 lb Salmon filet (I usually cut into smaller pieces)

Mix together the first four ingredients, and put in a glass dish big enough to hold the salmon. Let them marinate together for at least an hour.
Now you can preheat the broiler or go light the grill. Even though I'm in the Midwest, we still consider grilling out a year round sport. Especially with a gas grill.
when the broiler is hot, put the fish in a broiler pan, and keep the marinade. This is about 5 minutes a side, but it depends on the thickness of the fish, so watch it! pour some marinade on it when you flip it. If my fish is pretty thin and I'm using the grill, I might not even have to flip it.
And as you know, the fish is done when you can flake it with a fork.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

As they say, enjoy the Lights!

Suggestions

2007-12-20T15:08:00.000-06:00

So, I've been asked to put this in writing,and it's a little late, sorry.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Moose Munch (I know. Again. BUT I'll never buy it for myself!)
Pushing Daisies. The show. I love the Dr. Suessy-ness of it! (Husband thinks it's bizarre and creepy)
Warm up suits. That I can wear while working at home ;-)
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood.

This last one WAS on the list but today I got a package and after polling all the members of the house, and since it was address to Moi. I opened it.

It's an original advance reading copy of the book, with the original letter from the publisher. Cool!
No note inside though! I'm not sure who sent it!
Thank you Thank you :-)

Becoming a Positive Deviant

2007-10-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

At the end of the book Better by Atul Gawande, he has some suggestions for how one might make a "Worthy Difference" or as he calls it, a Positive Deviant:

1. Ask the unscripted question. Find out a little bit about all those you meet. Lots of times our job is about talking to strangers. Why note find out more about them? Listen. This is a way to make the machine feel less like a machine.

2. Don't complain. We all have plenty to complain about. Voicing it only makes it more real. "It's boring, it doesn't solve anything, and it will get you down."

3. Count something. (For those of us working a lot with metrics, this is a no brainer) "If you count something you find interesting, you will learn something interesting."
4. Write something. "It makes no difference whether you write five paragraphs for a blog, a paper for a professional journal,or a poem for a reading group. Just write. What you write need not achieve perfection. It need only add some small observation about your world. Writing lets you step back and think through a problem. Even the angriest rant forces the writer to achieve a degree of thoughtfulness.
Most of all, by offering your reflections to an audience, even a small one, you make yourself part of a larger world. The published word is a declaration of membership in a community and a willingness to contribute something meaningful to it."

that one, number 4. THAT's the reason we do this.

The last is
5. Change. Do something different. "It often seems safest to do what everyone else is doing - to be just another cog in the machine. But a doctor must not let that happen - nor should anyone who takes on risk and responsibility in society."

Just in time for NaNoWriMo!

Annoyed by a Loud Cell phone user? The Rest of Us fight back!

2007-10-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

Annoyed by a loud Cell phone yakker?
See this post on how to let the indiscreet know they are mannerless.

Are you near the EJ&E? Rail Traffic set to Soar!

2007-10-11T12:04:00.000-06:00

If you are anywhere near an EJ&E rail crossing get ready for some hefty waiting!

EJ & E Traffic to Soar
The four trains that run daily on this ONE track line, often blow their train horns, even in the wee hours in the morning. The plan is to increase traffic to 30 freight trains (and HOW LONG WILL THEY BE?) and add 15 commuter trains, that is a TEN FOLD increase, and will impact State Roads Route 14, Route 59, Lake Cook Road, Ela Road, with in a 1mile radius, and there is a Level Crossing with the Union Pacific in the same space! The Trains will run more than every half hour, and the gates will be down for how many minutes at a time?

Traffic Nightmares are coming our way!

The Surface Transportation Board needs to approve this purchase of the EJ&E (owned in part by USSteel) by the Canadian National Railway, operating in the US as Grand Trunk Corporation.
From what I've heard that is merely a rubber stamp.
Of course, I'd like to think one of our government agencies - designed to protect us - would be helpful. And the STB does have a Consumer Assistance page.

(Grand Trunk is a holding company that also owns Illinois Central, Wisconsin Central and Great Lakes Transportation.)

Visit this page to see what you can do!

It's Fall...

2007-10-10T12:05:00.000-06:00

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
- Elizabeth Lawrence

Princess Bride the Game

2007-10-04T10:33:00.001-06:00

We were JUST talking about this at dinner last night...
How funny this was, and the fact that we need the DVD version since we've had the VHS version For - Ev - Er.

"...the RoUSes? oh, Rodents of Unusual Size?"

"The first being: Never get involved in a Land War in Asia, and the second: Never go against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!"

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"

anyhoo, Princess Bride the Game is due out next spring. Inconceivable!

Don't you LOVE the Ambigram title?

¡s1ooɟ ɹǝqoʇɔo

2007-10-01T13:51:00.000-06:00

¿¿unɟ ʇı ʇ,usı ʇnq .buıʇsɐʍ ǝɯıʇ oʇ sʇunoɯɐ ʎ11ɐǝɹ puɐ 'ʎɟoob ʎ11ɐʇoʇ sı sıɥʇ 'ʞo

.sǝɔɐ1d ʇɥbıɹ ǝɥʇ uı ǝɹɐ sɹǝʇʇǝ1 ʇsɐ1 puɐ ʇsɹıɟ ǝɥʇ ɟı spɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ʇno ǝɹnbıɟ 11ıʍ noʎ ʇɐɥʇ ʎɹǝʌoɔsıp ʇɐɥʇ ǝʞı1 ɟo puıʞ .uǝʇʇıɹʍ sı ʇɐɥʍ pɐǝɹ oʇ ǝ1qıssod 11ıʇs sı ʇı ʍoɥ ǝʞı1 ı

¿upoʍsǝıpn soɹʞʍ ʇɥɐʇ ɟı ɹǝoupʍ ı

What All Moms Say....

2007-09-28T06:28:00.000-06:00

BGBC: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

2007-09-26T06:23:00.000-06:00

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I really liked this book. Bitterly funny and touching, the author writes from the point of view of an autistic 15 year year old, who sets out to solve a crime even though he is the one accused.

Although the narrator doesn't have the emotional response to his parents or others, you as the reader supply it. There are two views: yours and his, simultaneously. Fascinating.

Life Lesson in Swahili

2007-09-21T15:25:00.001-06:00

I found this Swahili bit of Tribal Wisdom:
Mgini siku mbili; siku ya tatu mpe jembe.

translation: “Treat your guest as a guest for two days; on the third day give him a hoe.”

I like this better than the Ben Franklin one that said "Guests, like fish, begin to stink after three days". Maybe he needed to give his guests a hoe.

Although this phrase is directed at the host/guest situation, it's also applicable anyone in business - inevitably, we all have to pull our own weight. AND we need to expect others to pull their weight too. The relationship suffers if we don't.

This is quite relevant for those we work with, we need to have enough respect for them to do the work expected, and up to our standards. (Redoing any of their work/documents is counterproductive.)

I might print this phrase out and put it up.

Mgini siku mbili; siku ya tatu mpe jembe.

File this under Jobs I Wish I Had

2007-09-13T10:52:00.000-06:00

Matt Harding as Video ist for Stride Gum

Fed up with his job designing increasingly violent video games directed and young men and teens, he quit his job and took his savings to go travel. Along the way Stride picked up his tab.
By the end I'm laughing, it's so goofy and joyous, how much fun would that be?

Power Paper?

2007-09-05T11:03:00.000-06:00

This seems so cool.
A paper like device that can act as a battery (when coated with lithium oxide) or even (when folded) a super-capacitor with the same energy storage capacity as commercial devices.
Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY were experimenting with cellulose membranes for kidney dialysis, and mixed cellulose with carbon nanotubes. They dissolved the cellulose in an ionic liquid salt a poured the solution over vertically aligned nano tubes on silicon wafer. then washed away the salt and dried the remainder. When it was removed from the silicon, it looked like a regular piece of paper, but black on one side (nanotubes) and white on the other (cellulose).

Their preliminary tests showed that blood or sweat work equally well as the electrolyte instead of the ionic liquid, indicating the possibility of powering pacemakers and other inside-the-body devices.

Read more about it in the next Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Great White Egrets like the flooded pond

2007-08-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

So, there's some good in all the rain we've had. The flooding is going down now, and the power is back (after three days out!).

The Egrets and others, have heard there's good eatin' here I guess, 'cause there are about 20 of them in back....

It started with the Blue Screen

2007-08-23T07:09:00.000-06:00

...of Death, and an ominous clicking noise on restart.
Yep. I needed a new Hard drive, and all the stuff/garbage on the one in my machine was unaccessible.

Three days later I was still trying to get Comcast connectivity, and realizing that although I backed up things like documents, and notes email databases. I didn't have the Notes application Connection documents to actually access the other team databases I needed. And my address book. (So, friends: If you haven't heard from me send me another note!)

This kinda added to the stress of school starting for all the students in my house, since Mom was wound pretty tight.
Why couldn't that happen THIS week, when everyone was safely tucked into class?

Seven women who changed the world

2007-08-07T13:39:00.000-06:00

one baby at a time...

Suggestions

2007-08-06T09:37:00.001-06:00

Mad Men on AMC (Thursday night 9pm central US)- oh, Women, you have to see this! If ever there was doubt about what the Feminists did for us, this will allay them!

Amy Winehouse Back to Black--Modern and retro at the same time
Cappuccino chocolate bars (dark!) from Long Grove Confectionery-Like Truffles in a bar
Ode Magazine - devoted to positive outlook and change (but, hey guys! the latest issue: Where's the cover story on Omega-3!?)

Sunset on Lake

2007-07-09T11:24:00.000-06:00

The Internet is like Medusa Jellyfish?

2007-07-03T08:18:00.000-06:00

Reading one of my favorite magazines (Science News), I found this: Using thousands of volunteers to help track how data travels the 'Information Superhighway' Researchers have come up with a new Simile:

"The Internet is like a Medusa Jellyfish. It has a dense body core surrounded by a highly connected body, from which tentacles dangle."
"A new map of the Internet shows a core containing the most tightly connected subnetworks (red), while the least-connected subnetworks lie at the edge (purple)."

Other maps have been biased in that there were such small numbers of sites that sent the information probes. These probes would report back on the subnets they traveled through on their way to the target location. This time they used 12,000 worldwide computers (not just in the States).

"The researchers describe the Internet like a jellyfish because it has three layers. Forming the core are the 100 or so most tightly connected subnetworks, including groups such as Google and AT&T Worldnet. The rest of the jellyfish's body consists of a much larger group of subnetworks that are highly connected to one another and to the core. The remaining subnetworks, about 20 percent of the total, can communicate with the outside world only by passing information through the core. They form the jellyfish's tentacles. The findings appear online and in an upcoming Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"

I like the visual of the Internet Space (included above). Now see how a lot of the lines connect with out going through the core?

The new effort instead ranked each subnetwork by counting the number of routes connecting it to the core of the Internet. The resulting map has a larger number of subnetworks, especially non-U.S. sites, in its core. It also shows that 80 percent of subnetworks can communicate with each other through links that don't pass through the core, suggesting that the Internet is less vulnerable to outages or attacks than researchers had previously thought.

Cool! And, this seems to suggest similarities of many different kinds of networks, like interacting proteins and air traffic which have similar structures.

Paul Potts sings Puccini

2007-06-29T11:03:00.000-06:00

A fun, inspiring appearance at BGT

A talented amateur voice and a good composer. Giacomo Puccini is known as the one with the most accessible music, "undeniably heart-rending".
Well done Paul! and you chose a fantastic piece the get started with!

Domain name mistakes

2007-06-23T12:54:00.000-06:00

Wendy Piersall writes:

Have you made any domain name mistakes like the following companies?
Experts Exchange (at www.expertsexchange.com)
Who Represents (at www.whorepresents.com)
Graphic Arts Exchange (at www.graphicartsexchange.com)
Speed of Art (at www.speedofart.com)
IP Anywhere (at www.ipanywhere.com)
Morrison and Foerster (at www.mofo.com)<- apparently they did this on purpose!
Apetit (at www.apetit.com )
And probably the worst offender of all is Cumming First Methodist Church in Cumming, GA (at www.cummingfirst.com)
Plus two now retired:
Mole Station Native Nursery (at www.molestationnursery.com)
Italian Power Generator (at www.powergenitalia.com)

Well, hopefully you won’t be haunted with a domain name like one of these for the rest of your life. :O"
Too funny!

Paradigm Shifts and Everything 2.0

2007-06-21T12:34:00.000-06:00

Andrew McAfee had this to say about his recent appearance at Enterprise 2.0.

I like that he offered his changed attitudes about the whole web2.0 scene. He is advocating "making it personal" which if you take the tongue in cheek quote about web2.0 being "made of people" (throw out the soylent green references) is really the same thing.

It's no longer
this complicated thing.
Remember when computers were only for the very nerdy?

I think Paradigm Shifts have to take time to happen and finally this one is.

My Generation

2007-06-18T05:50:00.001-06:00

You knew it would get done - eventually. Ever since Roger Daltry said he 'couldn't perform it anymore'
:-)

Professional Footabll a Privilege to Play

2007-06-14T16:20:00.001-06:00

Thank you, Mike Downey!
for saying what I've been thinking for the past days as these stories have been published.
As someone whose sons did - and still do - play football, I've said repeatedly: this is something you do for the fun of it, because you CHOOSE to, and if you are great enough to get paid, it's still a choice!

Cedar Waxwing

2007-06-06T17:38:00.000-06:00

I saw this bird today, had never seen one before. So, I started to draw it and another one flew up! They're incredibly skinny looking birds, the bird book says 'sleek', and reddish, like the female cardinal.

Getting to Better

2007-06-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

One of the missions of my team is help projects identify and steer clear of risks.
So, recently I picked up the book Better by Atul Gawande. An extraordinary book, he details the risks inherent in hospitals in a way that is very relatable to any profession. In his introduction he lays out the "three core requirements for success in any endeavor that involves risk and responsibility."
"The first is Diligence, the necessity of giving sufficient attention to detail to avoid error and prevail against obstacles. Diligence seems an easy and minor virtue, you just pay attention right? But it is neither. Diligence is both central to performance and fiendishly hard."
This statement is so true and so unacknowledged, I bolded it. Good project management demands diligence, even though sometimes it's boring. So what? Do it anyway.

"The second challenge is to Do Right. In a basically human profession we are always troubled by avarice, arrogance, insecurity, misunderstanding"
Check your ego at the door.

And the last requirement for success is Ingenuity or I would call it Innovation. Gawande says it's often misunderstood:
"It demands more than anything to recognize failure, not paper over the cracks, and to change. It arises from deliberate even obsessive reflection on failure and a constant searching for new solutions. These are difficult traits to foster -- but not impossible ones."

I haven't finished this excellent book, but I know I'll write at least one more entry on what Gawande has to say.

What the lawn looks like

2007-05-25T13:48:00.001-06:00

When someone with ADD has a new tractor.

Quote, and a sketch

2007-05-21T15:40:00.000-06:00

I was just reading about Matthieu Ricard here
and this quote struck me, so I thought Id' share:

"When you don’t take the time for introspection and reflection, your life has no depth. As a result, you’re not able to give as much meaning and value to each moment of your existence, which is a pity.” -- Matthieu Ricard

Diablo Rojo (Rodrigo y Gabriela)

2007-05-19T08:06:00.001-06:00

For those of you who said you hadn't heard of them. If I played guitar, I'd like to play like Gabriela!

BGBC: Start with No

2007-05-15T16:37:00.000-06:00

Start with No by Jim Camp

Fascinating and informative, he grabs you from the first by telling you that 'Win-win' does not work.

Of course, the whole book is about 'Win-win or No Deal' which is how it really should be called. The fact that if you are prepared for the possibility of 'No Deal,' you are open to not closing, and using that in your negotiations.
'Blank Slating' he says is a verb, which is more like having No expectations. This is hard to do, but is very worthwhile.
I enjoyed his style, it's a quick read. highly recommend for anyone who is involved with negotiations in any way (and aren't we all?).

Great Blue Heron

2007-05-14T13:50:00.000-06:00

These fly overhead to land in the pond out back. I have heard that there are carp in that pond, which is bad for the herons, because the carp eat the same food, and leave none for the herons and cranes.

My Cordelia

2007-05-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

In the recommended book Cat's Eye, there's a character named Cordelia, who is controlling and mean to the young girl. This kind of friend you don't need.
I recently had a satori moment of my very own, after that I felt free, and
Relieved.

Thank goodness. This post was also helpful.

A few Quotes:

2007-05-13T12:28:00.000-06:00

...for this Mother's day.

"Because you take the time to give others some of life's most precious gifts: love, understanding and hope, how very much you are loved" -- Flavia

"Mothering has forced me outward, rounded me and pushed me to my limits. Motherhood is an expansive flight that has turned me inside out; the intoxicating scent of it in it's purest form has left me breathless more than once." -- Rosemary Conroy Hughes

Happy Mother's Day!

Crush Cover Cut!

2007-05-12T08:21:00.001-06:00

(Smash, wrap, and snip?)
The tournament is on!

Apparently the World RPS Society has existed since 1918. (you gotta figure a bunch of goof balls were behind that!) Don'tcha love the description of the interviewee as RPS professional?

I know it sounds like an April fools joke...

Suggestions

2007-05-10T16:16:00.000-06:00

What I'm into right now:

Rodrigo y Gabriela - a Mexican thrash metal band that moved to Ireland and went acoustic
Robbie Williams Rudebox
Carmel Corn - or Moose munch
French Press - do they make these out of unbreakable materials?
Chocolate - anytime really
Watercolor pencils, and a new cigar box

Apples to apples

2007-05-09T18:48:00.000-06:00

After mentioning Zen of Seeing to Xavier via Kellypuffs, I had to dust off the watercolor pencils..

oh, hey, that should be the new recommendation...

Repackaging 'Stats' to be sexy

2007-05-09T07:29:00.000-06:00

Mark Cuban has been on the Chicago news recently because of the possibility he might be the next owner of the Cubs (the Tribune is selling them next year)
So here's an article on how he recruited his former math prof Wayne Winston, from Indiana University to help choose the lineup of his Dallas Mavericks.
The article mentions that Winston is still Professor of Decision Sciences. Love the distinction of 'Decision Sciences', instead of Stats.
Statistics just sounds and smells boring zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Where as Decision Sciences has cache, and sounds Useful. I don't know when this name change came about but many Universities now have departments of 'Decision Sciences'

The Sun in 3D?

2007-04-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

Fun for the whole family!
Create you own 3D images using adobe photo shop. And then create your 3D red and cyan glasses to view them! (or purchase them)
hmm, would that work for the Virtual worlds, like Second life?

The stereo images of the sun are pretty cool, though.

Tips on how to keep up with posts

2007-04-24T17:00:00.000-06:00

I've emailed this a few times, so I thought I might as well post it!

Use Firefox as your browser (free!)

Now when you open the desired blog(of course it's mine!) You can see in the location window:

click on this little orange square:

A new web page opens asking, "Subscribe to this feed using." Live Bookmarks is the choice by default.

Click the 'Subscribe Now' button.

this box will pop up:

Click OK
and the 'feed' for this blog will appear in your gray toolbar

under the location window. Now it's like a button for you whenever the Firefox browser is open.
(If your toolbar is already has a lot of bookmarks, go to the far right and click the two arrows, ">>", a drop down menu will display the other bookmarks.)

hope that helps! :-)

Old School way to get the word out

2007-04-24T13:55:00.000-06:00

Blogger noted it's 1000th blog today, and more are coming. With all that content how do you keep track?
Now here's a low tech way of collecting the best of the blogosphere:
New Pamphleteer
it may seem like backsliding, but after twice having gone through the day with no power (not being able to use the internet!) pamphlets in a coffee shop were very welcome!
Alright, it IS very 18th century, however nothing has been happening with Hyperpaper...

BGBC : Cluetrain

2007-04-22T09:13:00.000-06:00

Cluetrain Manifesto
So this 'online book' Cluetrain Manifesto already can seem dated. It's written SO recently, but then most things on e-anything can flash and be gone. Also, some of the authors pieces (it was written by committee) can read like rants, feel free to skip over the adolescent tantrums. Mostly skip the long Ch 1 Internet Apocalypso - not enough real substance. Or maybe the substance was obscured by all the "Stay gold, Ponyboy" and "Lissen to ME!!" type language. I thought Ch 4 was more relevant, all about 'the conversation'.

Now, the implicit permission given by books and attitudes of this type create more room for the flaming and personal attacks that have become common. This is irresponsible. The immature thinking that is behind the "I can say anything I want, and BE anyone I want on the internet" makes it less useful and fun for the rest of us.

This video by Adam is an interesting corollary. His assertion that ipv6 will allow everything to have an ip addr really drives home the point that you are always on stage in this space. Be Aware of It. We all have Rights and Responsibilities.

What was your reaction to this online book?
Has this book changed your opinion of the internet and its affect on us?
Did the authors present the information in a way that is insightful?
Did the authors give proper consideration to all sides the issue?

Which Potter Character are You?

2007-04-20T06:01:00.000-06:00

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. You are very wise, observant, and analyctical. You have a very "well-organized" mind, which makes you function in a calm and fair manner. Though you get angered easily, its rare of you to ever act our of temper. You are constantly seeing the good in people and are naturally forgiving because of it. You're easy to please and a great person to learn from.

Albus Dumbledore

81%

Sirius Black

69%

Hermione Granger

63%

Luna Lovegood

56%

Ron Weasley

56%

Remus Lupin

56%

Oliver Wood

50%

Neville Longbottom

50%

Severus Snape

34%

Harry Potter

31%

Lord Voldemort

31%

Percy Weasley

25%

Bellatrix Lestrange

22%

Draco Malfoy

19%

Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test
created with QuizFarm.com

Data Control, and Codes of Conduct

2007-04-14T10:15:00.000-06:00

Tim O'Reilly has proposed - as the voice of reason - a simple code of conduct for sites. He proposes badges, like this one, to post on your site if you subscribe to the code. While it's possible the code itself is unnecessary, the fact that others have been indicating a need for Manners and Civility is refreshing.
Many have criticized him for it, which is just such an illustration of the juvenality of the web.
I'm with James Governor on this: What's wrong with you people? It's almost laughable how there's this outpouring of vitriol over a code of conduct. it's not a law! it's opt in! you can CHOOSE! Geez, the complaining and whining that someone suggested civility!

Tim also has some thoughtful comments in this WIRED interview before the Web 2.0 Expo, on what web2.0 is really about. Data control. The data being created in the 'conversation' of Web2.0 is enormous, how to manage it? See Jeff Han's demo of the mutli-touch screen.

Jeff Han's Multi-Touch Sensing UI

2007-04-14T10:10:00.001-06:00

Jeff's demonstration of the MultiTouch User Interface that allows effortless intuitive manipulation of data. How much fun would this be?

April showers. Of snow.

2007-04-11T14:19:00.000-06:00

Today, April 11th, see how "lovely" the snow can be? Although at 33 degrees it made for simply awful getting around. As the morning drive DJ said, "weather report? two words: Simply Ridiculous."
This looks blurry because it's STILL snowing.
And of course, the power was out for most of the day.

Feckless? you tell me!

2007-04-04T15:18:00.000-06:00

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

*Feckless = worthless

Adam at LIFT on Everyware

2007-04-03T08:29:00.000-06:00

Adam Greenfield is Principal at Studies and Observations NYC. He presents about "Everyware: Further down the rabbit hole" at the LIFT07 conference on Thursday, February 8, 2007.
This is about 30 min, but is fitting to view after struggling through the Cluetrain. Of course because it's so much more relevant. But KEY is the idea that we need to conduct ourselves as if we're being watched, ipso facto Manners Matter.

Satin patches for dd

2007-04-02T15:23:00.000-06:00

A present in the making (along with the hockey and fencing equipment)...
Shhhh.

Bad Girls Book Club

2007-03-28T12:25:00.000-06:00

Thank you Mary Ann!

I think I'm changing the name from BCWOB to BGBC (which is CBGB - remember David Byrne? backwards!)

After Sunday night, It was too perfect!

Hans Rosling: No more boring data: TEDTalks

2007-03-27T12:15:00.001-06:00

Since the suggestion was Guns, Germs and Steel, which deals with societies and cultures and their respective 'advancement' this on the advancement of the world is fascinating:
talk by Hans Rosling at TED on using data (I know it SOUNDS boring, but its not!) in understandable ways, w/ graphical display (about 20 min)

BGBC : Guns Germs and Steel

2007-03-25T17:14:00.000-06:00

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
This is a fascinating dissection of what enabled different societies to 'advance' as compared with others. The abundance of natural resources, as well as incubation of germs is thoughtfully detailed.

Post a comment on what you thought. Here're some questions to help get you started:

What did you find surprising about the facts in this book?
Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful?
Did the author seem to have a bias?
Has the book or the posts increased your interest in the subject matter?

Good use of old Cubicle Bulletin Board

2007-03-23T06:02:00.000-06:00

Single Socks Seeking Same:

This singles scene happens in the Laundry room.

How's that Coffee?

2007-03-19T09:16:00.000-06:00

Here's a fitting 'Break room' story I got this morning (which I'm going to post with quotes, but I don't have an attribution):

"A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite--telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds NO quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups..... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee."

Enjoy your coffee.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves

2007-03-15T09:02:00.000-06:00

Last night at dinner, I learned that Pineapples have no sleeves. How did I learn this?

Apparently, the story "The Pineapple and the Hare" by Daniel Pinkwater, was on the ISAT (Illinois Standard Achievement Test), also used as a NoChildLeftBehind measurement tool. (It measures the school, not the child.)

It's some sort of retelling of the Tortise and the Hare, here are my DearDaughter's words:

"Way back when, animals could talk. And so could fruit. Just like us! So the Pineapple challenges the Hare to a race. Everyone expects the Hare to win, but then someone figures that the Pineapple has a trick up it's sleeve, and that the trick is some great and glorious plan that will allow it to beat the Hare. Since the other animals don't want to look like idiots by rooting for a loser, so they all root for the Pineapple.The race starts, Hare dashes off, blah blah blah. And Pineapple doesn't move an inch. (he doesn't have legs! see?)
Hare wins the race, comes back, and then everyone eats the Pineapple."

At this point I almost choke on dinner, what kind of story IS this? So the author has anthropomorphized the Pineapple, but then allows the rest of the characters to eat him?? Eww.

"Now if that wasn't weird enough, it actually says, right there in bold letters at the end of the story,
Moral of the Story: Pineapples don't have sleeves."

Then, the children are asked reading comprehension questions on the story. Here are two:
Why did the animals eat the pineapple? (again,what kind of story IS this?)
Who had the wisest thing to say? (DD says at this point, there was much whispering that "NO ONE had anything wise to say in this story!" and the teacher had to shush everyone many times. Later some of the teachers, upon reading the story, were so mystified they couldn't maintain straight faces.)

Who picks the stories for the ISAT? was someone all alone in a dark room, petulantly muttering "I'll show 'em!"
Are these questions designed to have all right answers, so the school looks good?

Which superhero are you?

2007-03-15T08:18:00.000-06:00

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		75%
Spider-Man		55%
Green Lantern		55%
The Flash		50%
Robin		48%
Supergirl		48%
Hulk		45%
Wonder Woman		38%
Iron Man		35%
Batman		20%
Catwoman		15%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Damage Control

2007-03-14T13:40:00.000-06:00

Kudos to DePauw University President Robert Bottoms. In this letter he 'severed ties' with the sorority Delta Zeta (Wiki page used since DZ National has blocked access to content on their page) The Sorority's national organization made a conscienceless decision to 'rebuild' by ousting two thirds of the women who had joined. Yes, the nationals told the 23 of the 35 members to move out mid year (on a campus where 75-80% of the students are in Greek houses which comprise the majority of campus housing).

This is an example of extremely misguided thinking, and should have been reversed before it got this far. The lack of oversight from the national org, and the obdurate and thoughtless methods of the two women sent by the national organization indicate the presence of fundamental flaws. This is an opportunity for an unbiased Root Cause Investigation, but I doubt we'll ever get one.

However, this drama is instructive for the rest of us. The ripples of effect brought on by the actions of the two national women, leave us with Lessons Learned:
The Folly of Arrogance "We're from National, we know better than you" and the refusal to acknowledge this decision could be revisited, or even overturned.
The Ignorance of Consequence Our actions affect others, these nationals either ignored this or didn't care. Both a problem.
The Juggernaut of the Press The women who didn't like the decision to send active members to ‘early alumna status‘ contacted the press. And look out! Once out in the world of media, you really can‘t control a story. Damage control is extremely difficult if not impossible, and recovery from this will take a long time. If at all.

An End to Chaos through Routines

2007-02-24T12:39:00.000-06:00

I posted this on my work blog:

I was reading the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell the other day. In one of the later chapters Gladwell writes about James Fyfe, head of training for the NYPD, who once ran a project in Dade County Florida where there were an unusually high number of violent interactions between officers and civilians. The tension was high. Community groups accused the police of being racist and insensitive, the police responded with anger and defensiveness. An all too familiar dialogue. Fyfe stepped around the controversy and conducted a study of the officers behavior. Using observers in the squad cars, he kept a running score of how the officers behavior complied with the proper Police Procedure.
It was things like
did the officer take advantage of available cover? or did he just walk in the front door?
did he keep his gun away from the individual at all times?
did he keep his flashlight in his weak hand?
did they take a look around the neighbor hood, did they position a car at the back of the building?
on a traffic stop, did they look at the back of the car before approaching the driver? the typical training things.
They found that the officers were very good when face to face with a suspect and when they had him in custody. In those situations they did the correct thing 92 percent of the time. But in their approach to the scene they were awful, scoring just 15 percent.
There it was. They didn't take the necessary steps to steer clear of the risky behavior. And when Dade County "zeroed in on improving the procedural adherence" (sound familiar?), the volume of complaints against officers and the amount of injuries to officers and civilians decreased immensely.
Now, the Dade County Sheriffs Department deals with much greater stakes than the things we deal with on a daily basis. However, I think this example illustrates the point effectively. When things seem to be calm and 'Normal,' it's common to think that procedure is not necessary. But when it gets troublesome, if procedures weren't followed up to that point, things get a whole lot worse. And if they were followed, we're awfully glad they were.
The message was clear: Good procedure exists to help and protect us. If I take advantage of proper procedure before things get unstable, I will be in a good position to deal with them once they do.

Now, if I substitute the word 'Routine' for Procedure, it works for me in a home situation, too.

Sesame Street - still teaching us after 28 years!

2007-02-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

Sesame Street wouldn't strike you as a champion for globalization, would it? But in the documentary The World According to Sesame Street, that's what they are! With 20 versions of the show co-produced around the world, their productions are aired in 120 countries.

The primary mission of Sesame Street is "to help each child reach their highest potential." Sensitive to the inevitable preconception of cultural imperialism, Sesame Workshop realizes they need to prove themselves each time. Close-knit collaboration with indigenous producers pay off in shows that are tailored to the cultural, social, and political nature of each country.

These shows reflect the reality of the local children, and that, as we all know, is the most effective way to reach those children. The program already aired on PBS stations, but is available to purchase on dvd.
Sesame Street - still teaching us after 28 years!

Misdirection, Mangling and Words That End in -gry

2007-02-21T06:35:00.000-06:00

Remember that riddle that blew around the internet via email?

It is a very old riddle, which had become corrupted over the years, as it had been retold from person to person. The mangled version is unsolvable.

Here is the correct riddle:
Angry and hungry are two words that end in "gry".
There are three words in the English language.
What is the third word?

Here's the solution:
The clue is in the way the puzzle is worded. The first sentence is irrelevant and just to confuse you.The second sentence is: "There are three words in the English language."
Notice it's not: "There are three words which end in "gry" in the English language," which is the mangled version.
The question "what is the third word?" does not refer to words ending in "gry," it refers to the three words in "the English language". So the third word in "the English language" is "language".

Find more riddles on Brain Candy.

The Humble Square, or It's a Patchwork Life

2007-02-20T11:21:00.000-06:00

I was graciously invited to contribute to a Supermoms blog. I can't say I'm a real live super mom, I'd call myself a Muddlemom. In reviewing some of the child-care arrangements, it's always been a patch work quilt of sorts, which reminded me of a quilt I made years ago.
My boys, rambunctious and noisy, were in love with making truck sounds, while riding
on those Little Tikes trains. We had remodeled to make a cathedral stairway, and the sound bounced off two stories of empty flat walls to a deafening crescendo. I needed padded walls for sure, so I was looking for 'soft sculptures,' but the prices! Then I thought of quilts and visited a bonafide quilt store boasting 'Amish Quilts.'
One of the things I noticed was that the large quilts hanging on the walls often had a square turned sideways, so I asked about it. The answer was that the Amish "always put a deliberate mistake in there so as not to be prideful."
Well, that's the Amish for you, I thought. And forgot about it.
I figured how hard can a quilt be? (ha!) So, I looked for designs and figured out how to piece the fabric together. So many pieces, so many opportunities for error! At the point of being overwhelmed, I was at the machine giving it one last try. My toddler on my lap was tugging on the quilt so my seams looked like cow-paths, when it hit me.
It's not supposed to be perfect! THAT's why they put the deliberate mistake in there! There's so much that goes into making a quilt that putting in a deliberate mistake frees you to keep going. I know I wouldn't have finished the quilt if I didn't choose to put in one purple triangle instead of all green ones. With a perfectionistic streak, I would've stopped working on it, thinking if it can't look just right, no one's gonna want to see it! I often felt that if my family wasn't looking like they were ready to be photographed for Family Fun magazine I had failed. I'd obsess over doing it better next time.
That quilt hung in my kitchen for years, serving to remind me that everyday was NOT going to be perfect, in fact it could be far from it! It became almost a mantra, "purple triangle, purple triangle..."
A little too much Whine with dinner? Yell too much or too quickly? Not winning any Mommy awards this week?

The purple triangle was a daily reminder that said, "You are human, you make mistakes. Forgive yourself, and get on with it!"

BGBC : Traveling Mercies

2007-02-18T09:03:00.000-06:00

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Reading was this like taking a long walk with an old friend. Her honesty about all her past mistakes, and missteps was refreshing. Ultimately makes you feel better about yourself.

Leave a comment, here are some questions to help get you started:
What did you find surprising about this book?
How did you like the essay format?
Would you read more of her stuff?

A Foolish Consistency...

2007-02-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

Denilson wrote last month about the Fog of War and there was an interesting corollary I came across in Robert Cialdini's Influence.

In a chapter on Commitment and Consistency, he quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the Hobgoblin of little minds." Usually we think consistency is a good thing, but the foolish rigid variety is not. Now, automatic consistency is really useful most of the time, since we often need to be able to behave in appropriate ways without thinking. A dilemma. And the only way out is to know when such consistency is likely to lead to poor choice. Cialdini says there are two separate signals to help tip us off.

The first occurs in the pit of our stomach when we realize we are trapped in to complying with something we know we didn't want to do. It's probably happened to you a hundred times. Cialdini recounts his experience with a young woman carrying a clipboard who knocked on his front door. She tells him she's conducting a survey. So he, wanting to make a favorable impression on the young woman, stretched the truth in his answers to her 'survey' questions.
Then using his answers against him, she tells him that she "can save him up to 1200 dollars" if he joins the club membership she is selling. "Surely someone as socially vigorous as yourself would want to take advantage of the tremendous savings our company can offer on all the things you've already told me you do!" she says. And he, feeling trapped, feels his stomach tighten. He actually complied with her request although he defends himself saying that it was before he started his study of influence.

The second is not so clear. It's in your 'heart of hearts' and can be heard in answering the tricky question: "Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time, would I have made the same choice?" Sometimes circumstances change, and with those changes, is your original decision still valid? Changing your mind or acting inconsistently with your previous actions is not indecisiveness. If the answer to the knowing-what-I-know-now question is "No" then reversing or changing your position is the responsible thing to do.
So, I try not to tie my ego to my original position, and remember that it's okay to change my mind.
This strategy can help tremendously when re-evaluating those sunk cost decisions. Especially for revisiting decisions to continue with projects that may no longer be viable. Has this ever happened to you?

The Dark Side of Technology

2007-02-17T09:10:00.000-06:00

I read an interview with Richard Powers yesterday. He doesn't own a cell phone or answering machine because he feels that technology should be chosen carefully, that innovation can have a dark side, and that an ethical awareness of it's capacity for good and evil is the only sensible approach.
Given the recent internet attack, this quote kept coming back to me:

"If I said I can give you a tool that will hugely increase your ability or retrieve and to convey complex ideas over space and time, and that would completely change your relationship to exchanging information with others at any distance both forward and backward in time, and if I said, you can have this but the consequences are in going to be incredible political instability, the destruction of the self as you know and understand it, the robbing of your memory, not to mention all sorts of other costs, would it now make you think twice about whether or not you would want to embrace this?
"The technology, of course, is writing, and no other subsequent technology we've come up with has been as world shattering and world transforming as that."

We think of writing as low tech now, but it was a powerful innovation. However, the effects that came with it, I never thought about before. We sometimes call them emergent behaviors but they're just the things we didn't forsee when rushing to adopt the new.

The Best is Yet to Come!

2007-02-15T12:23:00.000-06:00

Recently a coworker lamented a birthday. But here's evidence that says the best is on it's way!
Your personality improves over time, like a fine wine. In huge meta analysis of longitudinal studies (92 studies) of personality changes (involving 45,000 people, aged 10 - 101, over 45 years) conducted by Brent Roberts and a team at UIUC, indications are your personality keeps evolving, and becomes more stable.
Five traits were studied: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. The first four "demonstrated significant changes in middle and old age" said the psychology professor.
They found that people get much more confident in their 20s and 30s. Agreeableness improves in our 50s (we get nicer as we age). Conscientiousness improves from the 20s to the 50s, as does emotional stability. Although creativity and caring about intellectual activities increases in adolescence and college years, it remains static and then decreases in old age. Ah well, we might have to work on that one. Four out of five isn't bad, though.

As we live longer, we have more experiences on which to make decisions, and the more we learn about ourselves which contributes to that stability.
So, look forward to it!

BGBC : Cat's Eye

2007-01-07T16:54:00.000-06:00

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
Reviewer quote: "the best book in a long time on female friendships"
I thought the settings, between Yukon territories and Toronto, illustrated the separateness the young girl feels. The characters were incredibly believable. I thought of others like them I have known.
I felt uncomfortable after enough mistreatment by Cordelia and the others, and was so glad when she finally walks away!

Post your own comments, here are some questions to help you get started:
What was unique about the setting and did it enhance or take away from the story?
Did the characters seem real? Could you relate? Did they remind you of yourself or anyone you know?
Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why?
Did this lead to a new understanding/awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?

BGBC : Kitchen Confidential

2007-01-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
This was a fun testosterone filled romp through the back alleys of Haute Cuisine. Like having a smoke out back with one of the guys you work with (if you work in a kitchen). Having been a manager (a pizza place) of a kitchen, this was very true to my experience.
It was very much in contrast with the Atwood book.

Tell me, did you like the yin/yang of the suggestions?

Would you eat at his place? :-)