Discovery

I listen to several podcasts a week, most of these are technology or news related, however, on the recommendation of a friend, I started listening to TEDTalks and Pop!Tech also. These podcasts are recorded at their respective conferences and cover many different subjects from leaders in nearly every discipline, from Billy Graham to Robert Ballard.

They often have short musical pieces from cutting edge performers, some like Benjamin Zander, musical director for the Boston Philharmonic, will speak on achievement or theory based on their musical experience and some are like Rodrigo y Gabriela, the Mexican Flamenco duo who are gaining popularity around the world.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Flamenco music and when I initially applied to college it was to be a major in classical guitar, so it is likely that I am biased towards this type of music. However, after you see them perform, I am certain you will agree that this is one of the most exciting acts to appear in several years. I can't wait until I can see them live in concert!.

Reformatting?

Several of the blogs I read have recently announced that they are going to change focus, direction or content. That sounds like fun! I am going to do that too. Fortunately for me, since it has been over 7 months since I posted here last, changing direction will not really be difficult.

In all seriousness, earlier this year I had multiple blogs about different subjects. I had started a business blog, a fictional travelog hosted by a character I created, and a self-improvement blog. I felt that none of them got the attention they deserved and additionally, I spent so much time deciding which Blog was the most appropriate that I never did the writing. Productivity management gurus recommend having one notebook to keep everything in, because multiple notebooks and locations for notes only lead to lost notes and wasted time looking for then. This is good advice and I applying it to my blogging. I chose to continue this blog in favor of my other ones because this was the first and by its very nature the subject matter, as hinted in the title, does not have to be topically specific.

In addition to multiple blogs, I also have been participating in forum discussions on Linkedin and the Greenlight Community and minimally on Twitter.

I am going to use this one blog as the cornerstone of my writing efforts, linking back to my forum posts and to other bloggers and offering more of my own commentary.

Looking forward to sharing more random thoughts from the dusty corners of my brain!

V.

Out of the Mouths of Babes III

This morning I was up early with my two young daughters (4 & 1.5). After slicing up a pear for the older one I sat down on the couch with the younger. As she tucked up against me I hear from the kitchen: "Why are you sitting down with the baby? Do you think it is better to be playing with the baby than working on something?"

I fear for her future husband.

Experimenting

I know I am probably the very last person to put this video into their blog, however, this is the first time I am embedding video. I could not imagine anything cuter than this, other than my own darn cute kids, to use for my first attempt.

Olympic Torch

Today the Olympic Torch began its journey towards Beijing. For 130 days the torch will travel through the world and then through China. The Olympics in Beijing will be a tremendous opportunity for China to open up and show off the richness of its culture. Hopefully a peaceful solution to the situation in Tibet can be achieved before then so that this richness is not marred.

Below is a CNN link to a story about the Torch's journey:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/24/oly.torchrelay/index.html?eref=edition

Out of the Mouths of Babes II

My 4 year old daughter is the master of the unintentional one liner. We were in a Levi's / Dockers outlet in Lancaster this weekend. I was admiring an Australian cowboy style hat. I put it on, looked in the mirror, and thought it looked really good on me. Seeking confirmation, I asked my daughter, "How does it look?".

She stared at me with big honest eyes and said: "I think it looks better on the shelf."

I didn't buy the hat.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Yesterday, I had two remarkable conversations with my children. The first conversation was with my four year old daughter. We were shopping in Trader Joe's and she was looking at the beach scenes painted on the walls and loudly asked if someday we could go waterboarding. I quickly asked if she meant surf boarding as some people in line were giving me funny looks. I think that most of the people in line quickly understood what she meant and stopped suspecting that I work for the government in foreign countries and that I take bring your kid to work day to seriously.

My second remarkable conversation was with my seven year old son. We were in the car waiting for his mother and sister to return from a quick run into another store. He suddenly asks me if when he grew up if he started a car insurance company and named it Eico ("Geico without the G in front" is how he put it) would he get sued by Geico.

I am constantly amazed at what my little ones come out with.

PS: The four year old daughter comes and tells me that she bumped her arm. She is pointing to a spot on her arm that has no signs of bruising, swelling or any other indication of injury. So I perform the universal parental cure. I kiss the boo boo to make it better. I asked her if that made her all better. She replied: "No daddy, I need an ice pack to make it better"

Kids!

Venture Capitalists Needed

Who can resist a pair of little kittens. With their tiny ears and tails and how they play together and chase string and do all kinds of stupid kitten tricks.

Unfortunately, kittens grow up to be cats. Before you start posting hate mail, I have cats, I like my cats, they have lots of personality when they aren't sleeping in the middle of the floor or trying to steal food from dinner plates.

My grown up cats are not nearly as much fun as they were when they were kittens. I think many people feel the same way.

Here is my solution:

What is needed is a kitten subscription service. Every three months you recieve a new pair of playful kittens. You return the older cats and then they can be rented out for mousing services, etc.

I haven't worked out the details yet, but I am willing to license the idea to anyone who can make it work.

Caoimhe Siobhan

We found out yesterday, that Kerrie is expecting a girl. Her name will be Caoimhe Siobhan. For you Gaelically challenged it is pronounced Keeva - Chevonne. This picture is from her first ultrasound 3 months ago, but you get the idea!

Conspiracy of Fools

Enron was one of the greatest corporate scandals of our time. It was the first of several major corporate meltodowns at the beginning of the 21st century. If you are not an expert on business, finance and the stock market you probably don't have the background to understand what the company did. Fortunately, you do not have to be, because Kurt Eichenwald, an investigative reporter for the New York Times, has done all the research for you. In this thouroughly investigated book, he details the history of the company, its myriad of legitimately legal and questionably legal partnerships and side deals. He shows how the auditing company, Arthur Anderson, justified approving deals that, at the very least, appear improper. He champions the heros of Enron, such as, Sharon Watkins who tried in vain to warn Ken Lay about the impending doom that was about to overtake the company. I would recommend this book to anyone who really wants to know what happened at Enron, as well as, anyone in business. There were so many "little" things that if they had been acted upon properly would have saved the company, the shareholders and the employees their livelihoods. It is a warning to us all that the ends do not justify the means.

Missives, Musings and Memoranda

Hi All,

It has been a while since I updated this blog. Many, many things have been going on since I last wrote. A quick update on what has been on my mind and a commitment (maybe) to update this blog more often. These are in no specific order.

1. New job - after several months of searching in five states, I finally found what I expect will be the perfect job. I will be starting mid-June - While I will miss my current staff and associates, I cannot wait to move on.

2. Recruiters - My resume has been posted on the national job boards for months and I have had more form emails saying I "match the criteria" for a wonderful opportunity, only to find out that it is a job way below what I am searching for or totally unrelated to what I do. I wish these firms would read the resume before sending out an email. It is just as bad as junk mail, but unfortunately you can't filter it out.

3. Queen with Paul Rogers - I had a lot of doubts about this pairing. I am a big fan of both but I did not envision how this would work out. I saw their concert on PBS from last year. I was really blown away. Paul Rogers has a much greater range than he ever showed in Bad Company or The Firm.

4. Toastmasters - I joined a Toastmasters chapter in March. What an experience! I am a good speaker already, in my element, but in just a few months I have become even better about speaking out in different forums. I highly recommend joining a local chapter, even if public speaking is not something you are required to do. Not only do you learn to give better speeches but also to write them.

5. Kerrie and I are expecting number 7!!!!!!!! In early October right near her birthday!

6. Alastair has not been detained by border patrol agents somewhere. He is preparing a new tour bus and will be on the road soon!

7. Check out Kerrie's new blog about what is going on in our life from her point of view Rose Colored Life

8. New hobbies, cooking and golf. Look for updates from these areas as I get more into them.

9. I have been listening to many good books over the past two years. Once I month I plan to review one or more of them in this space. Stay tuned!

10. Windows Vista - I have to admit, I hate the name. Not as much now as when it was first announced. Personally, I think Windows Longhorn would have been just fine. It has that big Texas feel to it. I have been using a Beta for about a week. While it has its quirks, my iTunes don't work and I can't yet sync my iPaq, I think it will be a keeper. I am not using a "Vista Ready" machine so I cannot use the hyper visual effects that have been so touted for so long, but it seems a logical sequel to XP. More reviews to come!

11. Thanks to all my friends and family who supported me with prayers, leads and encouragement during my job search. Thanks to everyone who has made the last three years a fascinating and (mostly) enjoyable experience.

I.T. Employment Satisfaction

According to a survey by Careerbuilder.com, 1 in 5 U.S. technology workers are dissastisfied about their jobs and 1/3 of them intend to find a new job in 2006.

While this seems a staggering number, I am curious to see if there is comparative data from other fields. When you turn the numbers around it says that 4 in 5 U.S. technology workers are satisfied with their jobs and 2/3 of them plan to stay right where they are in 2006. That actually sounds pretty good to me.

The survey goes on to report unmanageable workloads, low pay, and a lack of effective leadership as the primary causes of employees' displeasure with their current situation.

There is not much that can be done about ineffective leadership, except to always do your personal best, others, who may be in a position to help you in the future, will notice your struggles against the tide.

I won't even touch the low pay. Most companies have HR policies designed to prevent rewarding employees who go above and beyond. I feel that the thinking behind this is that if everyone worked hard and received a good bonus or an excellent raise, they would start telling others. The others would then work hard, making good bonuses and receiving excellent raises. The company would do more work, make more sales, grow exponentially, and HR would have more people it had to deal with, therefore they limit the company. (Please, HR People, don't email me about this, it is a silent conspiracy concocted far above your level many, many years ago. You can't see it, it isn't written anywhere, but if you start looking at the compensation plans in many large and long-established companies, you can't help but draw this conclusion).

As for workload management, I would recommend getting a copy of David Allen's "Getting Things Done - The Art of Stressfree Productivity" and "Ready for Anything". I have just started reading and already also recommend "Take Back Your Life!: Using Microsoft Outlook to Get Organized and Stay Organized" by Sally McGhee. These books will help you to reign in your inbox, declutter your world, manage your projects and make sure all your open loops get closed. I have had a significant increase in my productivity since adapting their suggestions.

If you are a part of 33% determined to leave this year, please investigate carefully the opportunity you are leaving for before you leave. The grass is not always greener. A former employee of mine left my company for a job that paid him only $1.50 more an hour. The company he went to is notorious for never extending contracts past the sixth month anniversary date. Even though several people told him this, he went for the short term goal of $60.00 more per week before taxes instead of steady regular employment. He recently contacted me for a reference because the company didn't extend him, even though he was certain he would be the exception to their rule.

If you are leaving good luck! I am always hiring good people and maybe I will run into you!

Winter Olympics 2010

In case you are wondering, the next Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from February 12th-February 28th 2010. The website for the games is http://www.vancouver2010.com/en.

Control Freak

One of the greatest challenges I have ever faced is learning to overcome being a control freak. I am writing this while on vacation and I have been fighting the urge to check my work email for the last two days. My staff, my management and most of my clients know that I am on vacation and I do not expect many emails, however, I always have the compulsion to check. I am working very hard to overcome this, because I am trying to learn that the work will continue without me.

I experience similar struggles when letting my children attempt new things. Our thermostat broke and needed to be replaced. My 16 year old son offered to install the new unit. It is an easy thing to do, the kind of repair, I would normally do myself, just to get it done quickly. This time, I let him do it. As he struggled to connect the wires, I wanted to take over, after all, I could do it faster. I decided to walk away, he completed the wiring, the thermost has worked flawlessly, and he has learned another skill.

We often do not realize how much we have grown because someone else let us try, I know I need to do this more often. If you are working with your children, with your staff or just the new person in the department, let them try, let them fail, even. They will get better, sooner and develop more confidence in their abilities.

Winter Olympics

Congratulations to all of the Winter Olympians! Especially TEAM USA! I have had many enjoyable nights watching these, the world's best athletes perform. I give such credit to the Winter Olympians, especially, because while I enjoy watching winter sports, I have little desire to participate in them. I much prefer to participate in sports that only occur in weather warmer than 65 degrees. I never cease to be amazed by athletes who not only perform well but perform well in the cold. Only 4 more years until the next Olympic games, I can't wait!

Tag I am it

My good friend Eric, The Blogging Boss, has tagged me.

So without further ado:

Four Jobs You Have Had in Your Life:

1. Paper Boy

2. Grocery Store Clerk

3. Dun & Bradstreet Business Analyst (One of the youngest ever starting at age 19)

4. Manager of Desktop Support Services

Four Movies You Would Watch Over and Over:

1. Patton

2. Any of the Lord of the Rings Movies

3. The Empire Strikes Back

4. Any James Bond movie starring Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan.

Four Places You Have Lived:

1. In an over 100 year old house built by my great-great grandfather.

2. On a farm.

3. In an apartment next door to a Michael Bolton addict. [If you think Michael Bolton is bad, you should here him cranked up through a wall. If you think Michael Bolton is good, email me, I will send you an address where you might want to move ;-) ]

4. In the suburbs of beautiful, Philadelphia, PA.


Four TV Shows You Love to Watch:

1. Stargate SG-1 / Stargate Atlantis (Does this count as two?)

2. Battlestar Galactica (New)

3. The Prisoner

There are other things I like to watch, but nothing that if I miss, the world comes to an end.

Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:

1. Boston / Cape Cod, MA

2. Virgina Beach, VA

3. Shenandoah Mountains, VA

4. Knoebel's Amusement Resort (The best little amusement park in America)

Four Websites I Visit Daily:

1. www.foxnews.com

2. www.google.com (I use this so often, it is now my home page)

3. http://dilbertblog.typepad.com - The Dilbert Blog

4. http://www.davidco.com - The David Allen Co. (Check out the forums for excellent advice on "Getting Things Done"

Four of My Favorite Foods:

1. Pizza

2. Buger King's Bacon Double Cheeseburger (Plain)

3. Philly Cheese Steak

4. Spinach Salad (I had to put something healthy in here)

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:

1. On vacation anywhere with my wife and kids!

2. Tuscany

3. The International Space Station

4. Knoebel's (Assuming it was sunny and 85 degree there rignt now)

Four Bloggers I am Tagging:

Since most of the bloggers that I read and communicate with have already been tagged, I will have to come back to this one after I find some new victims :)

Am I, or Not?

I came upon the following question while taking a survey the other day.

Am I Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino or Not?

With the choices being yes or no, I really did not know how to answer.

I could have answered yes because I fall into the not category. But if I answered no, just what was I saying?

Gramatically speaking, if I said no to the answer, I am saying I am not Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino and I am also saying that I am not, not Spanish Hispanic or Latino. Therefore I am Spanish, Hispanic or Latino (Double negatives = positive).

Usually I do not care about mispellings or poor grammar on blogs and personal webpages. It really irks me however when commercial sites have errors of this nature. I feel maybe that they save costs by not having someone do QA on their site.

Am I being too critical? Please let me know what you think.

Fun With Conference Calls

My company uses a conference call system for our meetings. Everyone dials in from their desks to an 800 number. Then they enter a "conference code" for the meeting, usually the telephone # of the meeting organizer. The robot voice then asks you for your name and to press the # sign. The robot dosen't care who you are, and it does not announce you to the group. As soon as everyone is in the meeting, we all have to identify ourselves again. In one of my "rage against technology" moments, I started making up names to identify myself with. It is extra fun because two of my staff share my office and there is an unending stream of people who drop by to talk to me each day, usually during meetings. If I can be a small source of amusement in an otherwise dreary and mundane work existence, then I have fulfilled a small part of my purpose here on the planet.

Here are some of the names I have used:

President George W. Bush (in Bush accent)
President William Jefferson (Bubba) Clinton (in Clinton Accent)
Zaphod Beeblebrox
Gandalf the Grey
Zippy the Pinhead
Arrr, Blackbeard the Pirate (in Pirate accent)
Bond, James Bond
My boss
My boss's boss

It is my unending hope, that someday there will be a reason and a way to go back and review the tapes of everyone logging into the call. I just wonder how long it will take for them to realize it was me.

So this week when you are back to the daily grind, impersonate someone famous in you conference calls and smile to your self in satisfaction that you can have some fun (albeit, very little) at work.

Fun Quiz

We all secretly desire to be someone heroic. Even the heroic amongst us (firefighters, police officers and soldiers) would like to be more like the TV and Movie heros. Here is a little quiz to help you find out which fictional hero you would be most like.

http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=92013

And my results - which I whole heartedly agree with:

You scored as William
Wallace. The great Scottish warrior William Wallace led his people against their English
oppressors in a campaign that won independence for Scotland and immortalized him in the
hearts of his countrymen. With his warrior's heart, tactician's mind, and poet's soul,
Wallace was a brilliant leader. He just wanted to live a simple life on his farm, but he
gave it up to help his country in its time of need.

Here is the list of the other heros I am most like based on my personality. I good bunch I might say!

William Wallace		92%
James Bond, Agent 007		67%
Indiana Jones		63%
Maximus		54%
The Amazing Spider-Man		50%
The Terminator		50%
Lara Croft		50%
Captain Jack Sparrow		42%
Batman, the Dark Knight		42%
El Zorro		38%
Neo, the"One"		38%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v.2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

Cheese Loving Cat

There is nothing, our dairy-obsessed cat, Emily, will not do for cheese. When our 2 year old dropped cheese into the rabbit's cage, Emily put aside her fear of the bunny (who is really a piranha with soft fur and big ears) to climb into the cage and eat the cheese. As you can see, Cinnamon Bun (yes, that is his name) was too stunned to do anything but watch.