tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57100888756267373602024-03-13T23:21:40.310-07:00I Don't Even Have a Dumb JobUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-76453670695120146652022-06-21T11:30:00.000-07:002022-06-21T11:30:01.276-07:00Snowblower, Facebook & Heat<p> </p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_1bx"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgtFBoKCnuZdr441nerGFCbQbVYiuMrS1R8jH1leZIkSfrJJw8IEXWVqbFQlU6peX41pKqoiNEQZVRCRKa55v-co0j6mruJITjT9XlHlKE6Xt2N5WlpAAn4V2bUEXdiepnkid-OEROXgd079Ywc2DHzoNbE058rYTpa_7wQXn6Oy4NuLzZ3Z4k6gA/s960/snowblower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgtFBoKCnuZdr441nerGFCbQbVYiuMrS1R8jH1leZIkSfrJJw8IEXWVqbFQlU6peX41pKqoiNEQZVRCRKa55v-co0j6mruJITjT9XlHlKE6Xt2N5WlpAAn4V2bUEXdiepnkid-OEROXgd079Ywc2DHzoNbE058rYTpa_7wQXn6Oy4NuLzZ3Z4k6gA/w150-h200/snowblower.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>What's on my mind, Mr. Zuckerberg, is that Facebook Marketplace and the 102 degree heat messed up my day.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">The ad looked interesting. The lightly used 8 HP snowblower was $100 and only a couple miles from home. My thirty year old Simplicity is tired and the eighteen year old Yard King could use a backup. As listed, the owner was moving to a climate that did not have snow. June seems like a good time to buy used snowblowers.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">As I emptied out the pickup to make room for this 'maybe' but 'good deal' purchase I thought it was a bit warm but it was only ninety-six. Throwing the metal ramps into the box was a commitment that it would be coming home with me.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Trading texts with the seller I arrived cautious but enthused. It was an electric start so I brought a thirty foot extension cord, not willing to take 'It ran the last time I used it' answer to "How does it run?" As it turns out it was more or lest identical to our existing Yard King. The seller knew nothing about the machine and said it was her father's and that he was old (older than me?) and then added that he'd not used it in five years.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">After finding an outlet in the garage and verifying gas in the tank...or it used to be gas, the starting process failed to get it running. There was compression and a cough or two but no opportunity to test all six gears, etc. My guess was that a new $25 carb would get it running. OK, $125 is still a pretty good deal. The plan was to get it running and drive it up the ramp into the pickup. Plan B was incomplete: how would I get a 300 pound non-running snowblower up six feet of ramp at forty-five degrees. Perhaps the seller could help push. Given her 4' 8' height and seventy pounds this did not seem likely.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">So, I said "No thanks" and drove away. As I drove home I thought "Renting a trailer would be $40 and would take 2-3 hours of messing around. The carb would be $25 and at least an hour of time. If my time is worth McDonald's wages of about $20 an hour, I'm at $100 for the blower, $25 for the carb, $40 for the trailer and four hours at $25....that's $245 and no guarantee that it will run."</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">At home the names of two other people were added to the conversation. One had a trailer and the other might want to put the new carb in. That would the cost up at least another $100; each of those people like to chew the fat. By that time it was one hundred and two degrees. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It it had not been for Facebook Marketplace and the hundred plus degree day, better decisions would have been made and something, actually anything, might have been accomplished.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">But the weather will be cooler TUE and WED and I really don't need a third snowblower; I'm already thinking more clearly. That, Mr. Zuckerberg, is what's on my mind.</div></div></span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7"><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-57312966856726697662022-02-06T13:42:00.002-08:002022-02-06T13:42:50.428-08:00Air. Fuel. Water.<p> </p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_9s"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Air. Fuel. Spark.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-HAq_6ztInbauDjcH1eS2gwqCelc36ENMy36UljHzhyoCnbIf6fUPg2WCA7ymg__8nNJgG_W8PSrjycVxG59WKz1z6kbwJrZD6uU568eIAN7RpjL7O-KAjVOAqGaWF_Tbldv1pz_KyelI-Cyeb3sSLeUiYMe0i7jfs5uYZ9PeIIFKaHf9hNdhD9T6=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-HAq_6ztInbauDjcH1eS2gwqCelc36ENMy36UljHzhyoCnbIf6fUPg2WCA7ymg__8nNJgG_W8PSrjycVxG59WKz1z6kbwJrZD6uU568eIAN7RpjL7O-KAjVOAqGaWF_Tbldv1pz_KyelI-Cyeb3sSLeUiYMe0i7jfs5uYZ9PeIIFKaHf9hNdhD9T6=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">This past summer my 1951 Ford 8N tractor would not start. Unencumbered by modern electronics which control air, fuel and spark in the internal combustion process, starting has not been an issue for seventy years. The conclusion was a failure of 'spark' in the right place at the right time. The diagnostic process involves tracing the path of current, much simpler with a few pieces of wire with alligator clips, commonly called 'leads.' At some point a handful were purchased and put in a logical location where I could find them.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">The tractor issue has not been addressed, yet. This week the furnace failure can be attributed to gap in the triad of air, fuel and spark. OK. With the tractor you climb up, open the tank and look inside. The propane tank for the furnace has a gauge. At -13F you tap it a few times to ensure its' mobility. The high-efficiency furnace is really sensitive in the balance of fuel intake, exhaust and air pressures likewise. 'Efficiency' can only be achieve by complex electronics beyond my 'lack of skills' level. Believing the problem to be a failed thermostat I knew I could jumper the 'power' and 'heat' wires at the thermostat location (or on the furnace). That would send the message 'send heat' to the furnace and my <55F existence would end. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Where was the 'logical location' that I had put the new leads? Perhaps logically out in the tractor shed, well-blocked with snowdrifts, perhaps in the the every growing box of 'electrical misc' not to be confused with the box of 'plumbing misc' or 'hardware misc' or the uncategorized box of 'misc misc.'</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">After looking I gave up. Owning a tractor allows one to proceed with 'farmer fixes,' rarely of good style or permanence but which allow you to proceed. At the simplest level that meant finding some wire and to avoid excessively long expediency, something to cut the wire and maybe strip the insulation. Of course I could not find my designated wire cutter & stripper but found a cutter that 'would do.' The first wire found lacked insulation but I'm only dealing with 24 volts and 'caution' would do. After further analysis which translated to "it's too thick" I decided to sacrifice the wire from a temporary light fixture. I've had temporary light fixtures in place for fifteen years...another story.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">As I headed to 'the shop' to retrieve a temporary light fixture I glanced at a box at the top of the stairs. The package of leads was sitting in the box known as the 'misc to be put in the correct misc box' box.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It didn't matter. The furnace is shot.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> I'm looking forward to getting the tractor started in the spring.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-34985227495299339412022-01-05T18:25:00.000-08:002022-01-05T18:25:04.150-08:00Today Blows (Oil)<p> </p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_7w"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWqtHgCG5UpX8Vzx343_WMWxICfGQpw88QoAbsQ8qYip4muyMDlAW31UEuy7hFMuPnW0TH77wEVjIFefcG0QA1BXoRzJBVkx3dP9XLGH4HaN4_j5Nf_irv3AWbXjHYNaML_6qe_ecWmjMYxwDNFEnAHKi0tqR8S7mIYlBXLMdm9TKZHcGBmtQGJlRM=s523" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="523" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWqtHgCG5UpX8Vzx343_WMWxICfGQpw88QoAbsQ8qYip4muyMDlAW31UEuy7hFMuPnW0TH77wEVjIFefcG0QA1BXoRzJBVkx3dP9XLGH4HaN4_j5Nf_irv3AWbXjHYNaML_6qe_ecWmjMYxwDNFEnAHKi0tqR8S7mIYlBXLMdm9TKZHcGBmtQGJlRM=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Oil changes are pretty straightforward. Drain the oil. Remove and replace the oil filter. Put the drain plug back in. Remove the oil fill cap and add the appropriate five quarts of oil. If you are having your neighborhood service guy doing the oil change this is the point where he backs the truck out of the garage.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Then you see the service guy put the truck back in the garage and get the assistant manager out in the shop. They open the hood and walk around the shop looking for something while you peer through the window of the "No Customers Beyond This Point" door.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">The service guy disappears and the assistant manager asks you to come look at the engine which is now covered with oil. His explanation is that the seal on the filler cap blew and he's never seen anything like that before.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It's clear that when the service guy started to back the truck out the engine attempted pressurize and the oil light came on after blowing oil all over the engine. The important last step of the oil change is to replace the filler cap.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">So I drove home in a 'loner car.' Tomorrow they will clean up the engine. I'm placing a bets between "Sorry, the mechanic left the oil cap off" or "The seal on the filler cap blew and we had to replace it at $nn.nn." My guess is that the manager will force the assistant manager to speak very creatively with much emphasis on "We've never seen this before." Perhaps the oil filler cap should be tethered to the appropriate location, like the gas tank cap.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Of course I dropped the truck off at 8:15 AM for a 10:00 AM appointment. The "I've never seen this before" explanation was at 6 PM....and now we move into Day #2. Good grief.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-67103041566530277362021-12-07T17:53:00.003-08:002021-12-07T17:53:35.993-08:00Woodlot Management & Pearl Harbor<p> <span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Woodlot Management & Pearl Harbor</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Along with planting trees, proper woodlot management includes selective cutting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifr7z5g8xM6FIpViYNYleYWR2vwlXnNWtqr54ZqE1IsKzFRJ6hP_bYEJpH701u3Fvv0CMdsVJ0A2OCq9DroiHU3JyGCKh5IVV_Voz_kZIfgRYtN3eHbMw48QauBCwXjqW_4cvC9GzT2GTqw5p43L-UlH_Sk45wiZOSs3tlspxm0ZF_pyTmqoPNrOup=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifr7z5g8xM6FIpViYNYleYWR2vwlXnNWtqr54ZqE1IsKzFRJ6hP_bYEJpH701u3Fvv0CMdsVJ0A2OCq9DroiHU3JyGCKh5IVV_Voz_kZIfgRYtN3eHbMw48QauBCwXjqW_4cvC9GzT2GTqw5p43L-UlH_Sk45wiZOSs3tlspxm0ZF_pyTmqoPNrOup=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />and pruning. My neighbor, Dave, knows that I'm adverse to cutting live trees, hence the canopy that blocks sunlight and keeps our driveway wet. This past summer the cabin had a lot of use. Each time I'd walk the driveway my concern increased. There's a small stand of giant poplar on the west side of the driveway; the tend to snap off about 25-30' in the air. Two large dead oaks were dropping limbs all summer. Most of our large white birch fell to the birch borer infestation in the early 1990s; the survivors are near there life maximum and likewise are dropping limbs. It's just time to do some work.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We do burn firewood and joke when we see the bundles of six or seven pieces at the convenience stores for $7.95. A quick check of <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKoVP0ArAoz1KDDEVtIrA1lYKQAPvpmqgWwc5h1BZFT6PneiUPeFEfMhkY2SXYrC89JPBaiwk-p9Z2_oi2Lo-TC8helOUGYQqVoRcbc-nGS8b69PBnEu09Xc3-FC70z2NxwQGq2CKFVtKUoMdF5DTT869YkhteYluM7wu9gdVJFEj7_qmL6ezS4Swn=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKoVP0ArAoz1KDDEVtIrA1lYKQAPvpmqgWwc5h1BZFT6PneiUPeFEfMhkY2SXYrC89JPBaiwk-p9Z2_oi2Lo-TC8helOUGYQqVoRcbc-nGS8b69PBnEu09Xc3-FC70z2NxwQGq2CKFVtKUoMdF5DTT869YkhteYluM7wu9gdVJFEj7_qmL6ezS4Swn=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><br />WalMart indicates that you can buy a 12"x12"x18" box of oak for $49.95 plus shipping; a cord of wood is 148 cubic feet. Typically we go through two or three cords. At Walmart prices that would be approximately $15,000. You want the moisture low so we split, stack and cover and let the firewood dry for two years. You do wear out your chainsaws and your vehicles and your clothes but it is time in the woods. It's an opportunity, a gift, to hear the flock of late migrating swans and the lone bald eagle.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A split trunk oak along the driveway was on the 'cut' list. Good woodlot managers would have culled this years ago but I like the way it looked. Like many trees, they die from the top down and the western trunk was ready to take. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Along with the standard thoughts of safety, where is this going to fall, where should I stack it and how small should I cut and split, taking time to look at the growth rings is part of the process. Eighty years ago this oak emerged from an acorn. This area was part of the Great Hinckley Fire where all the trees were white pine. A few generations of squirrels contributed to this oak in this place.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Eighty years ago today Japan attacked Pearl Harbor with the loss of several <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijLpLyjD98rTaaXqqkprR_PZ195UuLZIWYQw-yF4AsVAfGTCywGmkysL40EutFJ8EHrZnVmzi_I9uIHFcJGJwdkAEtJOrDRZ7fjE7Uitv7YPDqyVbB7Ncy00d2qJyQTnYVFPs-TGqMdUjMkErAEa8PXAgK6ONaObGCCNfymNmbzzNBLZTnZgA-8dHl=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijLpLyjD98rTaaXqqkprR_PZ195UuLZIWYQw-yF4AsVAfGTCywGmkysL40EutFJ8EHrZnVmzi_I9uIHFcJGJwdkAEtJOrDRZ7fjE7Uitv7YPDqyVbB7Ncy00d2qJyQTnYVFPs-TGqMdUjMkErAEa8PXAgK6ONaObGCCNfymNmbzzNBLZTnZgA-8dHl=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><br />thousand lives. It was a failure of international diplomacy. America, fatigued from WWI, was reluctant to enter the war against Germany in Europe. FDR committed us to war with Japan and Germany shortly declared war on the U.S. The politics of the Allies took us first to Europe and more slowly to the Pacific. The industrial might of the the nation, unimaginable in depth, produced the goods for most nations fighting Germany and Japan. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">The five years of America's involvement in WWII is a moment in the life of an oak tree. As I counted rings the other benchmarks stood out...Viet Nam, Presidents strong and weak, our children being born, our purchase of the land shared with this oak. That might have been about the time the swans flew overhead which gave another pause to a pause. So many did not survive. Between the two wars Europe and the U.S. languished with their populations focused on their own indulgences; it was a weakness of character and democracy. We are there again.</div></div></span> </span></span><br /></div></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-24256296493985121482019-11-03T15:40:00.000-08:002019-11-03T15:40:24.855-08:00Tire & Tired<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsxL-DX8U_aeChUA2UAHPGP-oZDJbodEIkjblok4BEoy2ynpO09zGRIIx6LowX7R-2wo9FMkn0sTPIZwXsY8y0LFPDfobEXGf-ogZMq0nxkgy-9bj9uKzAnzUNf8e_kLwVIQ9dlWW9M0/s1600/IMG_1439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsxL-DX8U_aeChUA2UAHPGP-oZDJbodEIkjblok4BEoy2ynpO09zGRIIx6LowX7R-2wo9FMkn0sTPIZwXsY8y0LFPDfobEXGf-ogZMq0nxkgy-9bj9uKzAnzUNf8e_kLwVIQ9dlWW9M0/s320/IMG_1439.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If this was an ad for a political candidate (oddly a tire) stating <i><b>"Candidate Tire Has Never Been Flat And Never Will Be Flat And When I Am
President No American Will Ever Have A Flat"</b></i> we would have a
controversy.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Twitter would not run the ad because they have decided to not run political ads, and that may extend to political commentary.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Facebook would run the ad because they believe viewers need to discern
the accuracy of ads...even though the tire is obviously flat. </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some<span class="text_exposed_show">
people would see the tire as flat and go 'ah.' </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show">Others would say the
tire is not flat, no one ever has a flat and government should never be responsible for flats (it's not in the constitution). </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show">Some would
not know a flat tire even if it was going 'whop whop whop' down the road
and they would vote based on some other groundless opinion.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The real story...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
There was a time when changing a tire was a simple deal. Take the jack
and spare out of the trunk, lift the car, take off the lug nuts and
swap tires. You could do it standing up and did not even get dirty.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
With today's cars there are a lot of issues; try to find the jack, the
spare is like a kids toy, the spare is hidden under the car which
requires you to lay on the ground, there is at least one lug nut that is
'secure' and requires another gizmo, the 'jack points' are unclear and
you have to lay on the ground to find them, the lug wrench is about 10"
long which is a challenge for loosening the lug nuts...honestly I think
the emergency vehicle services companies pay the manufacturers to make
this difficult. I can seen a business meeting where the execs say "Some
people can actually change a tire with this cocked up system. We need
to make it more cocked up."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's unlikely that anyone has read this far so lets talk about candidates changing tires...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Trump:</b> Always changes his own tires.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Warren:</b> If there is a flat the billionaires will pay for it.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Klobucher:</b> I'm a midwestern woman. I've changed my tires and the flat tires of some wimpy men. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sanders:</b> We need mass transit. I'd recycle any car with a flat tire.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Buttigieg:</b> You think I can't change a tire?<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Biden:</b> This is America. Your neighbor will change it.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Booker:</b> In my neighborhood someone will just steal a tire that is not flat.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Beto:</b> I don't know...have a roadie do it.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Yang:</b> With my gift everyone can hire someone to change it.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Harris:</b> Government should take care of it and my campaign would do it up until last week in New Hampshire.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK...enough about tires. I'm going to warm up in anticipation of
laying on the ground again later today when replacing the tire when
repaired. At least it's not January.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-72453963788837707612018-09-13T18:24:00.003-07:002018-09-13T18:24:35.415-07:00Giving bad advice...<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Earlier this year my son called and asked for 'parental advice.' That was concerning. He's a bright talented man in his early 30s. The opportunity presented was for a career shift at a very large software company. His current position was at a pretigious organization. My first comments were lukewarm on taking the new gig. I was wrong.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A review of my long history of Facebook posts gave the advice I should have given.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodmKTxHVAsmmWOV9xO8PZnIESDSPUnojzUot7b974mHOgfjuJUROq45X3bo3xUs_lCbufLbHU-eyVC_0G35cVHSuj99A-1ungx6SNTMuAq0k5jbGq1t40WoWjgNF-_AznwrwH_p4muyE/s1600/keithrichards2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="450" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodmKTxHVAsmmWOV9xO8PZnIESDSPUnojzUot7b974mHOgfjuJUROq45X3bo3xUs_lCbufLbHU-eyVC_0G35cVHSuj99A-1ungx6SNTMuAq0k5jbGq1t40WoWjgNF-_AznwrwH_p4muyE/s320/keithrichards2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"It's rare that I re-post other people's contributions. Honestly, every 'healthy living' guideline has been totally ignored. Of course he says he's only had one job and it's been the best job in the world. How cool would that be if we could look back on our own working career like that. So the advice for our children should be "1. Don't do anything Keith Richards did. 2. Do everything Keith Richards did. 3. Create some music and joy that will last forever.""</i></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-33171582711783541372018-09-13T18:10:00.004-07:002018-09-13T18:10:35.815-07:00Uphill might be the better view<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku7vo62NWFiJ8PXC8g0FFr75l_QDafHQDZu48g9DbRQ6eJ2cL-rt1lfo36HfpgzC7HYJLl4xG4rqMqv02DOzgnn5VIV1TDt7huXvdXb6DCmNFFmhM2O2hL2VNOAhs9GTxauDIhLoU9fE/s1600/stolenscenic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku7vo62NWFiJ8PXC8g0FFr75l_QDafHQDZu48g9DbRQ6eJ2cL-rt1lfo36HfpgzC7HYJLl4xG4rqMqv02DOzgnn5VIV1TDt7huXvdXb6DCmNFFmhM2O2hL2VNOAhs9GTxauDIhLoU9fE/s640/stolenscenic.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We did farmer's markets for twenty years. It all started with a bumper crop of local honey (50+ year beekeeper here). Adding a focus on heirloom vegetables we learned that you need 8' fences to keep the deer out and three feet of wire mesh at the bottom of the fence to keep small animals out.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You collect a lot of stuff...more fencing, weed mat, containers, tools, hoses, all sorts of watering contraptions and a lot of things you might need. We kept all of that in half of a <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">garage and the first floor of a barn (the cows left 30 years ago but there are still remnants of that effort). Never in the last ten years had we locked either of those storage spaces. It was primarily due to convenience, just like leaving the key in the tractor.</span></span></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCICd0ij4TxRiGFrU7JDIluuEIUUf9H-vBtUks1sIEn7AZfvmQ0gPKDiT7_AQYA_QZsoAOSBgJ7vSmYgzh7hx9xapWJ76huGQQewXb2KlCWQknLKNgobkTnlHnz10pLHrhBFPYV8E55gU/s1600/stolenkick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCICd0ij4TxRiGFrU7JDIluuEIUUf9H-vBtUks1sIEn7AZfvmQ0gPKDiT7_AQYA_QZsoAOSBgJ7vSmYgzh7hx9xapWJ76huGQQewXb2KlCWQknLKNgobkTnlHnz10pLHrhBFPYV8E55gU/s320/stolenkick.JPG" width="240" /></a>Earlier this summer I noticed something. Items sitting in the same place for a decade seem to have moved. Once in a while a light was left on. After I found evidence of smoking in the barn I installed locks on all the doors. There are two rules in rural when it comes to locks. The rules are extremes. Make it like Fort Knox or make the locks a nominal inconvenience. The good rural thieves have bolt cutters. The meth heads have a screwdriver, maybe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
A week ago someone had taken a lock bracket off.</div>
These are things I eyeball daily. It was reinstalled and a game camera was hidden inside the buiding. Two days later there was a call from the sheriff in<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk3Ijf4O4jqtUoFb9mxnkMDGW0JuXrENqiIMq-Lzk5iC6etryqcw-7c7y0hJUV8n_tLm-FhIgFgAq1XrAMFeAiOdpDwWqbAQxVweYGEg6RvMO0jSxczOega3B9DNIOvKNOkwwfYBWC20/s1600/stolenstuff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk3Ijf4O4jqtUoFb9mxnkMDGW0JuXrENqiIMq-Lzk5iC6etryqcw-7c7y0hJUV8n_tLm-FhIgFgAq1XrAMFeAiOdpDwWqbAQxVweYGEg6RvMO0jSxczOega3B9DNIOvKNOkwwfYBWC20/s320/stolenstuff.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
response to a burglary. If you don't have a bolt cutter or a screwdriver you just kick the door in.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
To make a long story short the perp stole a pressure washer and the game camera. The next day the perp's friend turned him in and now the guy is in jail.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
So one day you shake hands with the youth of America and a few months later they steal from you. You get your stuff back but you drive all over the planet, repair a door that was previously undamaged since 1946 and lose a couple of days of billable time. Law enforcement and neighbors wonder along with you what will come of the youth of America and especially the youth of rural America.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Growing up on the southern MN prairie I am comfortable with more or less flat vistas and the distant horizon. It's getting to the point where I want to move to a place where everyone else is downhill.</div>
</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-4244469758999284522018-06-25T20:45:00.002-07:002018-06-25T20:45:41.041-07:00WTF Happened to This Commitment?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Child #2, an adult, commented "You will fail" when I committed to writing every day after leaving my last 'career' job. I did. Worse, it's been five months since a contribution to this "I don't even.." effort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Late last week I met with one of the two people who motivated me to re-think my purpose in a corporate job that had gone on far too long. A talented, creative, very bright and lacking convention guy he said "So why did you stop." Certainly I did not want my son to be right. I'm the parent. I know better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A part time job did interfere with not having a job. Working that 15 or 20 hours per week has become someone consuming of some of my creative inclinations and a bit of a stone wall. It has reminded me of the problems of organizations, conflicting goals, and worse than everything else, people. My goal in the PT job is very clear...find my replacement. It's a consulting job. Never will I be an employee again. Perhaps a consultant. The only person I'm 'reporting to' or 'working for' is yours truly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With that, this is a blog re-start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdvOjgLzkYD9zbgsaDKLuGyu3J0s9Obc0vAPczCsU8zila4EOa67ARb2a7aYX-hAKXRpjSq-Rod4r8LEm_JF8BCxSQs5Jl93AiTjfv62HKXpnD8U0AINkmQ36eFy8HfET9WedWmXVC2s/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdvOjgLzkYD9zbgsaDKLuGyu3J0s9Obc0vAPczCsU8zila4EOa67ARb2a7aYX-hAKXRpjSq-Rod4r8LEm_JF8BCxSQs5Jl93AiTjfv62HKXpnD8U0AINkmQ36eFy8HfET9WedWmXVC2s/s320/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-47467927188523615522018-01-24T19:54:00.003-08:002018-01-24T19:55:44.248-08:00Fifty-two years Cloud to CloudI says, Hey! You! Get off of my cloud<br />
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud<br />
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud<br />
Don't hang around 'cause two's a crowd<br />
On my cloud, baby<br />
<br />
In southern MN the local radio station was all local stuff, including things like "Party Line" a radio-hosted classified ad program. "Size 10 gym shoes are $6.00. Call FRE-1234." You get the idea. During the day WDGY a big AM station 100 miles north on the southern edge of Minneapolis would blast out the popular pop music of the day, but it was full of ads. Late at night you could pull Beaker Street from WLS in Chicago, well worth the illogic of staying up that late. WLS worked just fine during the years working nights at Universal Milking Machine, giving good reason to drive around aimlessly in my '66 VW for several hours after getting off work at midnight.<br />
<br />
Well, the Rolling Stones were blasting out memorable tunes about the cloud then and here we are.<br />
<br />
Between my full-time gig which was 60+ hours a week and then the small business which kept me up at night...and day...and weekends my personal focus on computer/digital backups was neglected. The small business has been sold. Great.<br />
<br />
For the past few days I've been reviewing my data repositories, backup plans and where should I be putting files going forward. With critical documents and photos you just don't want to lose those with a drive/PC failure/upgrade. So running through my PCs in most frequent use: 1) Chromebook. This is not a problem. It's the PC of choice about 80% of the time and I use Google Docs & Sheets and a few other products storing all files on the Google Drive. Nothing downloaded lost would be a problem.<br />
<br />
In the desktop space we have a legacy PC running XP. My backup strategy there is to periodically plug in a USB drive, copy the user files and then upload that to Dropbox. Desktop #2 is a Windows 7 running Backblaze as the backup. Backblaze is a wonderful backup product less focused on file sharing. Windows backup is not enabled on this PC due to a faulty registry entry which crashes the task scheduler; this is a frequent reminder that Windows PCs are often more expensive and complex than warranted. Desktop #3 was running out of space. Oddly two years ago this was going to be my primary workstation. Being obsessively concerned about loss I was running a Backblaze backup and a Mozy backup. Getting ready to do my 2017 business and personal taxes I felt this PC to be a big short of free space...and almost bought another box but caution and a frugal nature intervene. After a certain level of analysis it became clear that I'd saved at least two images between the resident drive and an attached USB drive and I'd been running Windows backup to the USB drive. Some of that was saved to Dropbox folders and thus saved repeatedly, you know, like holding up a mirror to a mirror. Three backup solutions was probably two too many.<br />
<br />
There are a number of notebooks lying about none of which are backed up, simply re-imaged when becoming problematic. My professional notebook, the one I use when being...well, professional is backed up to Sugarsync. So now I'm up to four backup strategies, three too many. Oh, I also have been a longtime Dropbox user. Initially this allowed me to stop carrying a PC everywhere but simply leaving a PC where ever I was headed. The challenge in file syncning solutions is to ensure that you are seting your syncning preferences with some logic. It's also really easy to delete needed files and directories and screw yourself everywhere. With most of the synchnng oriented solutions deleted files are kept for 30 days. Personally I've found that I discover the need for deleted files after about six months.<br />
<br />
I did not mention a drawer full of usb drives, numerous USB sticks, SD cards, micro SD cards and Seagate SAN with really old stuff.<br />
<br />
The only reason for retaining the XP PC is because it has a diskette drive and I still find a box here and there of mystery files.<br />
<br />
There are as many sites comparing options for backup and syncing as there are options for backup and syncing. If I wasn't trying to work with the five currently in my 'personal cloud' I'd review some of those sites and make a good decision.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-78659773036759950742017-12-22T22:04:00.000-08:002017-12-22T22:04:46.561-08:00Work life continues...<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Small Business...</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's sold. That's a lot of hours recovered per week.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Job/Employment...</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm back in the work force negotiating a new deal. All that remains is 'What are you going to do' and 'How much do I charge?' </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Daily Life...</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10bUoFFShFqh2OPpNdew_pX5zqEzfzenHPIR7NwA1tMb1vITVYkyNy9GSd_pPxCQ5XxN872Im9agWizLUK2VEDm9UNdsQvoDVY69J629tch4SWut5f7Y7wBN3fINl_7nRzUOJRzmDwu4/s1600/echo+dot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10bUoFFShFqh2OPpNdew_pX5zqEzfzenHPIR7NwA1tMb1vITVYkyNy9GSd_pPxCQ5XxN872Im9agWizLUK2VEDm9UNdsQvoDVY69J629tch4SWut5f7Y7wBN3fINl_7nRzUOJRzmDwu4/s200/echo+dot.jpg" width="200" /></a>Three years ago I purchased an Amazon Echo. It's been in use daily
for music, news and ordering stuff. My recently purchased an Echo Dot
which was going to wake me up instead of my cell phone waking me up.
Remember alarm clocks?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBk502M99JNnRYCSuYzD1sbhHsOvo-UjxjBsEsFFY7Q3lsCqyx3hnI4PO_aDjcwe2SAyqgqA8vBTciKJ2rKXCaNzQMBvOoMbnYFYOrfvJkPfoyO0zZuxOJBReyjBhjG3vX_KkVQ7-Ewhs/s1600/google+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBk502M99JNnRYCSuYzD1sbhHsOvo-UjxjBsEsFFY7Q3lsCqyx3hnI4PO_aDjcwe2SAyqgqA8vBTciKJ2rKXCaNzQMBvOoMbnYFYOrfvJkPfoyO0zZuxOJBReyjBhjG3vX_KkVQ7-Ewhs/s200/google+home.jpg" width="200" /></a> The Echo stopped working, The 24 volt $18
power supply failed. Shortly thereafter the Echo Dot quit working and I
spent about three hours attempting to reconfigure it, updating the
iPhone Alexa app, resetting routers, wireless access points, etc.<span class="text_exposed_show">
With each attempt the Echo Dot provided a new and elusive error
message. Google, with the competing Google Home device, would appear
to intentionally give not good returns to 'Echo Error Message' searches.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
A final hour was spent attempting to start at ground zero and do a
reset of the Echo Dot. Of course I kept reading the '1st Gen'
instructions for my '2nd Gen' Echo Dot. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Winding the Big Ben
alarm clock would have been a more prudent use of time. At a point in
life you need to seriously consider how many three hour blocks of time
you have left. Spend two minutes winding and the rest of the time with
friends and family, talking, sharing, laughing and enjoying a little
rock and roll.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_66Y4yZVcF2-JtH-Ajbm9ioCGd869sVUTRpcLC1hTYWJ5BMpx5oRupEdDoocZ92c33Z9JeEgvuGqCDJeO79h3yYsU_wHlyqyhNovL4h6rRjP8GHQc2fphp1Z-x_r-FScIritIERK0dM/s1600/big+ben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_66Y4yZVcF2-JtH-Ajbm9ioCGd869sVUTRpcLC1hTYWJ5BMpx5oRupEdDoocZ92c33Z9JeEgvuGqCDJeO79h3yYsU_wHlyqyhNovL4h6rRjP8GHQc2fphp1Z-x_r-FScIritIERK0dM/s200/big+ben.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-48664605179331859382017-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:002017-06-20T16:32:17.554-07:00No exuse...<b>When Standard Process Goes Awry...</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruZwraVZqNpU6-WG_CztiIomr6NHodoK1XIBuNybEb_36VmD9IR5qehAJcCXpCIvb9blePcrKxsa1vXzpekVNmPAGjPqbEenUipfEwg8ZqFhkfYNpeHTx4LAAqpiJ4B4f25LCQWnUtDM/s1600/philandro+castile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruZwraVZqNpU6-WG_CztiIomr6NHodoK1XIBuNybEb_36VmD9IR5qehAJcCXpCIvb9blePcrKxsa1vXzpekVNmPAGjPqbEenUipfEwg8ZqFhkfYNpeHTx4LAAqpiJ4B4f25LCQWnUtDM/s320/philandro+castile.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<div>
Philandro Castile was stopped by a police officer. He announced to the policement that he had a carry permit. Individuals with carry permits are not required to make that announcement. Police officers do not have online access to that information.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Asked for his license and insurance information Mr. Castile reached for them. The officer claims to have seen a gun. If someone says they have a carry permit it's likely you've going to see a gun. Mr. Castile's handgun was buried deep in his right pocket. It's unlikely that the police officer saw anything except Mr. Castile's wallet.</div>
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<div>
The officer panicked and fired seven rounds into Mr. Castile who then died.</div>
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I was within a block of that shooting at the same time.</div>
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If I had a carry permit would I have announced it? No. Mr. Castile was a black man. I am white. Would I have been stopped for the same reason? No. Would the police officer have shot me seven times? No.</div>
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Mr. Castile worked in the school cafeteria and knew the names of all the children including members of my family. He was a decent guy who went to work each day. </div>
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The police officer lost it. He did not do a felony stop. He did a traffic stop. He failed at standard procedure and now a good guy is dead.</div>
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This is my neighborhood. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-29302057900901765242017-04-29T21:13:00.001-07:002017-04-29T21:22:06.996-07:00Gizmo Vortex<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLxQPpr9S4zV1O1vsSWLK8GpcAte3WmKvMWrRqfLbHdPAPkZl0md9Gh9nvsEOwD9BbW98mLfFey6jvc0D1ZKP9fnbk_4ui32fbPH2N3Pg7_t-zo6CszmClBIt8hIGIbpeWFkBrEOVEnc/s1600/warbird+corsair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLxQPpr9S4zV1O1vsSWLK8GpcAte3WmKvMWrRqfLbHdPAPkZl0md9Gh9nvsEOwD9BbW98mLfFey6jvc0D1ZKP9fnbk_4ui32fbPH2N3Pg7_t-zo6CszmClBIt8hIGIbpeWFkBrEOVEnc/s320/warbird+corsair.jpg" width="320" /></a>Officially my office, the space with the 1960s green desk, piles of paperwork done and undone, three or four computers, extra drives and cables and connectors for gizmos past and present, may be the location that I do my best creative work. The quality can only be attributed to the office chair from my former gig that complemented my bottom from 1987 to 2001 at which point I simply rolled it into the elevator, through the Skyway and home. The topic of previous blog post, the chair has served for thirty good years. The office contains an iPad rarely used, an Amazon Echo and a small SONOS unit used daily for music. There are three desktops and a couple of notebooks and three printers. My good stuff comes from a single thread of technology through that mess.<br />
<br />
The Samsung Chromebook upon which I'm writing goes everywhere. When I want to look serious I carry a briefcase that also contains a high-end Lenovo notebook which usually has a depleted battery.<br />
<br />
The night before last I had a weird dream in which a guy named George sold me an airplane for $13,999 which I proceeded to hide in my uncle's basement. Currently I am working with a guy named George, airplanes are of a casual interest and my uncles was special but has been gone thirty years. Before going to sleep I'd looked at YouTube content on warbirds. Perhaps that triggered the airplane purchase.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURTm3Xrd2vtoZ_NOj8s40BxQfb7zgOs7b3vg01rrMdShY38mIKG0lcrHiCeKgsoZ1hd5KOGu5CG4qHky77JlLhN9xclO8VtiqoKly-KQBKuM-hUFt7XrBNnzDL8ICeXq8mv5SKQ_9kDw/s1600/vortex.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURTm3Xrd2vtoZ_NOj8s40BxQfb7zgOs7b3vg01rrMdShY38mIKG0lcrHiCeKgsoZ1hd5KOGu5CG4qHky77JlLhN9xclO8VtiqoKly-KQBKuM-hUFt7XrBNnzDL8ICeXq8mv5SKQ_9kDw/s200/vortex.png" width="186" /></a>But really I think my weird dreams of late have occurred because I don't have a job (not even a dumb job) and my brain has been invaded by technological gizmos. When I headed off to sleep the eve of the airplane dream I brought my Chromebook (in case I woke up in the middle of the night and needed watch something with a video need (nothing planned), my iPhone (alarm, weather check, Instagram, Google Tasks, Google Keep), another Lenovo notebook (I keep forgetting it's there), an Amazon Echo Dot with Bluetooth speaker, my original Amazon Kindle (just restored the battery), an early Amazon Fire (previously used for video) and my new Amazon Paperwhite Kindle. This is too much. In the old days you read a book and then fell asleep.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The danger, as tablets, smartphones, ever more powerful (and complex) PCs and cloud options continue to develop is falling into the 'gizmo' trap. </li>
<li>Track how much time you spend on you own personal technology support such as upgrades of software, new phones, data plans, internet resources.</li>
<li>Drive a stake into the ground</li>
<li>Define your business and personal goals...what's important</li>
<li>What are the measurable business and personal outcomes for your goals that you hope to achieve.</li>
<li>Have a business and personal mentor...not another Gizmo person...find a balance.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'm going to cut down on the the extra stuff. Three Kindles are crazy. More than a couple PCs is crazy. Standardize onsite and cloud storage tools (currently I use Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and far too many onsite storage devices. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-52664277399556802132017-04-20T20:49:00.002-07:002017-04-20T20:49:31.407-07:00Following Teaches Leading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtvquWzkFpfiIsSziANdunCOxfUQFGZe3eXyrf9P2daSezlOOjMQ3XQALVA9ZBgjiadvYnU2n_LPc4gPhoaMw_JiTgsiSSP0RyrH_v6KnJbxTHwvOFv7wVuy3QOhoMwI0Ae4KvHIi4kk/s1600/IMG_5654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtvquWzkFpfiIsSziANdunCOxfUQFGZe3eXyrf9P2daSezlOOjMQ3XQALVA9ZBgjiadvYnU2n_LPc4gPhoaMw_JiTgsiSSP0RyrH_v6KnJbxTHwvOFv7wVuy3QOhoMwI0Ae4KvHIi4kk/s320/IMG_5654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike>*Note: At times I leave my editing strikeouts in place, for no reason (Actually there is. I'm attempting to write more directly, leaving out the extra verbiage.) </strike></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">S<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">taying within the lines...</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Convention is practical.<strike>, often the result of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'on the job' learning or directed process im<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">provement initiat<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ives where <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bureaucracy (corporate or government) has stifled change. </span></span></span></span></strike></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Intuition and imp<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ulsive moves can lead to innovation. Some people would have told me to move my <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">vehicle<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">; I am dropping all people who tell me to s<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tay within the lines.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lea<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">rning to lead...</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ft. Lewis dur<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ing the Viet Nam era<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was a training ground for 2nd Lieutenants <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">just o<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ut of OCS (Officer Candidate School). For good reason they were referred to as 'sha<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ke and bakes' and little<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> question existed as to which would be successful.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most had spent little time in the military.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> They were trying to lead without mastering 'following.'</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><strike><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> OCS <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">provided</span> an opp<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ortunity to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">delay the trans-Pacific trip to the Republic of Vie<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t Nam.</span></span></span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </strike></span></span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wall Stree<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t Journal...</span>"When Second is Best"</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My previous<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> posts have addressed the importan<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ce of being a good follower:</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...listen more than you talk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...master your discipline...be good in others</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...network with peers outside your organization...you'll find that what you find unique or peculiar about yours <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">probably is not</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...always be employable elsewhere</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...speak positively</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...be extremely cautious <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">offering </span>criticism of staff you don't supervise</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recognize that even as a leader you are a follower of someone; you're probably a #2 when you think you are a #1.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The April 19, 2017 issue of the Wall Street Journal contained a great article<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-be-the-best-deputy-when-second-best-is-best-1492529374">"When S</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-be-the-best-deputy-when-second-best-is-best-1492529374">econd Is Bes</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-be-the-best-deputy-when-second-best-is-best-1492529374">t"</a> under the "Work and Family" category.</span></span></span> </span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike>The WSJ is well-</strike><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike>written. </strike> Sitting at work and reading the WSJ is a somewhat accepted activity to avoid work if you are an executive or aspiring corporate <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">man/woman. During my C-career I was usu<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ally a bit too busy which was a mistake. I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t's important to invest in your<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">self first.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the pr<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ocess improvement work a good fo<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">cus is 'CEO.' Focus, in order on the <b>C</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ustomer then the <b>E</b>mployee and finally on the <b>O</b>w<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ner<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s. My advice to employees <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was to remember that but also to focus on themselves each and every day...learn something new...one more thing before going home</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <strike>(this would be a great place for an 'easy to remember' acron</strike><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike>ym</strike><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike> if I had one)</strike>.</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These were the WSJ's points for being a good '2nd.':</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A97g2s0eLhfZNjOZaRlSsDQ8fJQs2oDRrgznv0xh88cqO2N5enwr9WcrtnwQHTfW79E-3lSlPi03X4-M73tGO3mB1fJSJ4l2pHhGY6CUlK7VNUSw-HFozYG2TxHPyS5adar9OidecMU/s1600/Screenshot+2017-04-20+at+8.12.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A97g2s0eLhfZNjOZaRlSsDQ8fJQs2oDRrgznv0xh88cqO2N5enwr9WcrtnwQHTfW79E-3lSlPi03X4-M73tGO3mB1fJSJ4l2pHhGY6CUlK7VNUSw-HFozYG2TxHPyS5adar9OidecMU/s320/Screenshot+2017-04-20+at+8.12.05+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL9A-jWlx0PJ57LXq3kAgu0EGSGgvdg5ZDP9T5WOAmt_c5EdMXm9FAPGKf_JfBKjAVYjV3kuVtkQGHHPt5RFDCuyJRFK9-jgGP9EgLUWo3Wk1FJRnLEwAHk3BHRg_XuPFRIwu5jC-lEs/s1600/Screenshot+2017-04-20+at+8.12.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL9A-jWlx0PJ57LXq3kAgu0EGSGgvdg5ZDP9T5WOAmt_c5EdMXm9FAPGKf_JfBKjAVYjV3kuVtkQGHHPt5RFDCuyJRFK9-jgGP9EgLUWo3Wk1FJRnLEwAHk3BHRg_XuPFRIwu5jC-lEs/s320/Screenshot+2017-04-20+at+8.12.19+PM.png" width="288" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Excuses for not blogging...</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6elZHvhynxIn9ySA9XbIc83vj-0vjUea5dfPfkQsnMJOuXfYkqRTgb3Ng6nPMfMCYSwSmaxZCkFld60adsyCAK1Fl9WVztWkG4_EpV98CQCQZKm80MCrAqWBds3r4nf5OVNy_7YFkI8/s1600/IMG_5777%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6elZHvhynxIn9ySA9XbIc83vj-0vjUea5dfPfkQsnMJOuXfYkqRTgb3Ng6nPMfMCYSwSmaxZCkFld60adsyCAK1Fl9WVztWkG4_EpV98CQCQZKm80MCrAqWBds3r4nf5OVNy_7YFkI8/s200/IMG_5777%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...needed to do a year's worth of small business accounting in a month </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...unlike POTUS, had to do personal & business taxes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...going to sleep with no job to wake up to has caused me to have an infinite number of 'projects<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">,' <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">all of wh<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ich I could ignore when employe<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...the break convi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">nced me that I had nothing to say...the standard writer's block. Today certainly does not mean that I have anything to say but it did open the faucet <strike>again</strike></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...our community put in new water treatment facility with the purpose of removing iron and manganese; we overdosed on black particulates<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">; probably manganes<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e (causes nervous disor<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ders)</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lack of Focus...</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This blog post certainly has a lack of focus. I'm ending <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it with a link that caused me to smile whi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ch has not happened much lately. On Facebook I commented that I would 'un<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">friend' anyone who did not enjoy this video. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q8DsivFJb_0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q8DsivFJb_0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<ul>
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<ul></ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-79474673690870298312017-03-23T15:34:00.000-07:002017-03-23T15:34:20.330-07:00Countdown Clock...No Overtime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ49sPkKfxVF6dmUhpnpRQJSdzB61VE68yKnALvwXpDHbxtry_TV3Zegv5-j8yKP7sUuj7wihg17iSo3M1EQR-Y8zpe7B0Aax2I7aNNa4SUKtKzTqMonMVV_r9LXHgAkBkgDoGfuBLsTw/s1600/countdown+clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Countdown Planning" border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ49sPkKfxVF6dmUhpnpRQJSdzB61VE68yKnALvwXpDHbxtry_TV3Zegv5-j8yKP7sUuj7wihg17iSo3M1EQR-Y8zpe7B0Aax2I7aNNa4SUKtKzTqMonMVV_r9LXHgAkBkgDoGfuBLsTw/s320/countdown+clock.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not having a job is time-consuming. Writing about not having a job takes time...sort of like a job, which I don't have.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The goal was to create a log of events leading to the next job, re-education, re-branding, etc. Once you reach the age of "you're almost done" you fight it. <b>"I AM NOT DONE!!!" </b>The reality is that you're now working on a countdown clock. There are no overtimes (Bill Murray's line is something like "This is not a rehearsal.").</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Being remiss in writing has several reasons:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The small business remains small but takes a great deal of time. There's not really any money in it but I spend time explaining "it's not about the money." People don't get that but they don't want us to stop. We are a community thing. On Facebook one of my acquaintances is a guy from Western Minnesota, a farmer and writer who thought the small town cafe should be open, be a community resource for people to meet and to use the commercial kitchen to add value to their small crops, and become an incubator of sorts. He applied for a Bush Foundation grant to do some upgrades. Following his efforts has been comforting, a bit of a parallel path to our small business. He committed to four years which has now expired with a new owner taking over. We've done this for six years. I've been there the last three. We'd like to transition from day-to-day operations to pursue some ideas. There's a book or two of experiences, practical and human interest. I'm working on a draft, sort of a Studs Terkel "Working" format.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The election campaign was exhausting. The Presidency has been <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2s9YlFkAqJ0drvM5aP4WFxX_6bvm067P3WXOVNyBMCeVTOspioZcwZmma2xsRLlNhc9eFU7xSG9SZZrMxc5d2W80ZAJrgq1eQBH-qXpcbntdg6vQlFerNSxxx3i8OJ4TJAcuN9LPqbg/s1600/littlelitton.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2s9YlFkAqJ0drvM5aP4WFxX_6bvm067P3WXOVNyBMCeVTOspioZcwZmma2xsRLlNhc9eFU7xSG9SZZrMxc5d2W80ZAJrgq1eQBH-qXpcbntdg6vQlFerNSxxx3i8OJ4TJAcuN9LPqbg/s200/littlelitton.jpeg" width="163" /></a></div>
exhausting. The Russians have been following my numerous posts. Many Facebook friends have dumped me. I hear voices all the time. Some are worried that their microwaves are spying on them. That is something I've always known, ever since the first Little Litton entered our kitchen. My original one is in the barn, still listening, sending encrypted messages to the KGB.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/161180308X/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JJVGQEYAXXYTSNFCQ0FF">"Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg</a> inspired me years ago to start writing. I remember carrying a copy in my briefcase to my 'real job' and reading it during breaks. Her premise is to just write. Every book on writing that I've read since includes the same theme. The demons in our lives, jobs, relationships, distractions, the internet, music, obligations and hunger cause us to stop writing. The re-start process is complex, like cold-starting a barn-find car left sitting for forty years. There's hope.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My daughter owns a new dog. I've had "let the dog out duty" a few days. It's not really taken any significant time but I wanted to work the dog into this post. Dogs know stuff. It's been good having conversations with him.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Year-end small business accounting and business and personal taxes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've been putting locks (literally & figuratively) on doors that have been unsecured for decades. </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So getting people to read you blog is interesting. My break was broken because another blogger mentioned the tediousness of blogging and the fact that it might be out of vogue and mentioned several people who seemed to have disappeared. Not writing has hence motivated me to write.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Apparently I either have to write more or get a job.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-11471807518767551142017-02-28T07:32:00.000-08:002017-02-28T07:59:28.706-08:00My Son Was Right But I Won $40...Motivation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiN_WsIibywDew85sKpchd-qvnH9KLQM013Z2WVB9iXPFcSprpib8eEV0VCaiUMRarHkj-0lkygGuyPb_2sN95Hnx47XatW08X22xZKPHs31FhT_rhNAuz4Xp-zyHQVzkarYtSWZ3Ey0/s1600/chuckclose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chuck close innovation creativity writing " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiN_WsIibywDew85sKpchd-qvnH9KLQM013Z2WVB9iXPFcSprpib8eEV0VCaiUMRarHkj-0lkygGuyPb_2sN95Hnx47XatW08X22xZKPHs31FhT_rhNAuz4Xp-zyHQVzkarYtSWZ3Ey0/s1600/chuckclose1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two years ago I bet my son $40 on the outcome of the Presidential election. He looks at a great deal of data and understands the political history and process in great depth. My position came from a gut feel. It would be good if I could attribute my betting success to some specialized life experience from having been around the block a few more times, but I cannot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I started this blog I was committed to writing every day about this odd status of not really having a job or certainly not having a 'real' job. He remarked "you'll never do that." His perspective on that topic also likely came from a 'gut feel.' For a period of time I wrote daily to prove him wrong. I lost. Somewhere in my head I was also following some obscure guidance from other writers that encouraged simply sitting down and writing every day. It's now clear that those writers, and those who write books about writing, write about writing every day when they are stonewalled by a blank screen. It's sort of a 'go to' topic. The issue is that you need 'seat time.' Looking for motivation while not in the seat is usually a waste. The screen is the motivation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Writing seems to be the thing to do at this point. Of course I've ground through quite a few texts and online seminars and so for looking for key motivations to get me down that path. A while ago I read about a writing seminar on an island in Lake Superior with 'real authors' with 'successful formulas' for getting your work, your blogs into the mainstream. That was interesting and the lazy part of me said "yes, wait until next summer when the ice is out, go to this seminar and pick up some good motivation and ideas and then you can start this part of your working world..." Distraction. Delay tactic, logical at that. Chuck Close, noted portrait painter, offers the following real advice. <b>"Inspiration is for amateurs--the rest of us just show up and get to work." </b>In hindsight that was the key to my former executive work. I just went there, plugged away with the tools and resources at hand and did good work. I need to simply leverage that path elsewhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The small business has taken most of my time that I would have dedicated to a 'real job.' Real jobs pay real money, you sit in strategic planning sessions, construct budgets, hire and fire 'talent,' mentor, build relationships and other sorts of tasks. Now at 66+ I find that people who want to manage money ask me what I want my 'legacy' to be. I think that means what happens to any residual money after I'm dead. If I contrast that with what 'real' jobs have to offer I don't find either particularly appealing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">AARP, which puts out nice magazines, always have articles and commentary about second careers, "doing what you're always wanted to do" and other consoling sorts of themes that attempt to make one feel all that much better about being unemployed. The writing is well done but I'm resistant to feeling better about not having a real job. This effort, this creative one, with a different set of tools (words, blank screens, intuitive and deductive melding and conflict, etc.) is likely the path.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxq78EONf0mV4Fnfw_wA8GJC4cRKKpXiH0KlJNvQdZdacDAx4jupGKztTWu7PJw4nXNyxZ_GnVrGRvHg0Jrr68zQpaGvKOw3mCBN72pk3XW0Ojx8rMuoGYzgAdZ00-00CTWCp-fn7WSE/s1600/tinkerhatfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxq78EONf0mV4Fnfw_wA8GJC4cRKKpXiH0KlJNvQdZdacDAx4jupGKztTWu7PJw4nXNyxZ_GnVrGRvHg0Jrr68zQpaGvKOw3mCBN72pk3XW0Ojx8rMuoGYzgAdZ00-00CTWCp-fn7WSE/s200/tinkerhatfield.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During a late night browsing of either Amazon Prime or Netflix I came upon a series about creative design. The first episode was about a German graphic designer, the evolution of his work, where and how he worked and the pressure of deadlines thrown into a more or less life of doodling. The second episode showcased Tinker Hatfield, whose quote <b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>If people don't love or hate your work you've not done all that much"</b> I'd come across before I knew who he was. He's designed every Nike Air, a small town guy, architecturally trained who's changed the world of shoes...and design. It's a nice legacy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'd like to leave a bit more that people love or hate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-69679950764842576002017-01-27T07:17:00.002-08:002017-01-27T07:17:21.777-08:00Check your tie (or whatever), Read, Network<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5aBH2ugDffs003pESSJpFxbG65B27qlrkVX7F_yxFs2OZ8Vonu3Aq0DKYj2cyp_5p8VYQtUTq87wlIVrrr6cdiool__gxF6cdKe8Aq8BXNMzah8oB9Ojys89sWO675SE7REBYwD3vN0/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5aBH2ugDffs003pESSJpFxbG65B27qlrkVX7F_yxFs2OZ8Vonu3Aq0DKYj2cyp_5p8VYQtUTq87wlIVrrr6cdiool__gxF6cdKe8Aq8BXNMzah8oB9Ojys89sWO675SE7REBYwD3vN0/s200/IMG_5473.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Every day starts with a checklist. </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Am I wearing the right clothes for the tasks of the day</li>
<li>Do I know what I'm doing (if not, read, do a search)</li>
<li>What are the outcomes (get paid, be stronger, build a wall)</li>
<li>Relax, re-group, re-prioritize</li>
<li>Nourish parts of your body as needed</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Career-Tactful-Self-Promotion/dp/1592987036">Promote yourself</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>It's easy to get off track. Stay on-track to reach outcomes. Go off-track to move beyond convention.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Read</b></div>
<div>
The internet, tablets, big screens, etc. distract us. It's easy to never read, never crack a real book, open two books at the same time, write in the margins, highlight key phrases, tell someone what you learned. Review your own words.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
During my IT career I consumed business journals and IT-focused publications. Knowing that information provided great advantages in management, negotiation, purchasing, visualizing the future, etc. Now that I don't really have a dumb job I've broadened that scope. Instead of reading the tech sections of the Wall Street Journal I read all of it, even the 'Mansions' section promoting homes in the $5M+ range. The Saturday issue is particularly enjoyable. I read the Wall Street Journal in traditional paper format. The New York Times is consumed more selectively in digital format.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even <i>People Magazine</i> offers up a few bits of value, humor and self-reflection.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Don't wear clothes that evoke "that's weird" responses</li>
<li>Read</li>
<li>Network outside your specialty</li>
<li>Don't get locked in an age group (know more than 15 people in <i>People)</i></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
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<div style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<b>Reading People Magazine</b><span data-offset-key="70s13-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="70s13-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Somehow I ended up with a subscription to People magazine. Typically I pick this up only when I’m about </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxUUEHt2g152AZcbAnGYyIf62N4xSQDEuUV4c2FjgPJ9Tos6qi3UFSsndIVc2-A19I7VkKIPA99qISihMYJsW4juLy6KiyeS5POfxWNpaXP70-3xKf0uWYaSAZrmVHrQN7AXcanCVWdc/s1600/IMG_5472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxUUEHt2g152AZcbAnGYyIf62N4xSQDEuUV4c2FjgPJ9Tos6qi3UFSsndIVc2-A19I7VkKIPA99qISihMYJsW4juLy6KiyeS5POfxWNpaXP70-3xKf0uWYaSAZrmVHrQN7AXcanCVWdc/s200/IMG_5472.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
to get my deteriorating teeth cleaned or waiting for my diminishing hair to be cut. It’s actually a bit embarrassing to have it arrive in the mailbox. Given the range of publications arriving at our home address this would add thoughts the postman may have about “What kind of people live here? This is all odd.”<span data-offset-key="8rsfa-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="1jgrg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="1jgrg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Usually I grab a Sharpie (It get 1/10th of a cent for everyone who reads that) and mark all the people I know in People. This is not a publication for sixth decade readers. Fifteen or sixteen people are usually all I can recognize. The current cover mentioned the Menendez brothers. “I remember that! It was a couple of years ago.” It was 20 years ago. The “Exclusive” was someone named Katherine Heigl. No idea.</span><span data-offset-key="1oebv-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="a3fmg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a3fmg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">“Brad’s Moving On.” I know who Brad Pitt is. He’s married to that woman who’s the daughter of not Dustin Hoffman but that other guy in “Midnight Cowboy,” a pretty good movie from a few years ago. The “StarTracks” page showed eight people. None were identifiable. I recognized Justin Timberlake because I learned who was from watching the CMA show. Ellen. Sure. Everyone knows Ellen.</span><span data-offset-key="9on7b-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="57aig-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="57aig-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">There are a lot of ads for drugs in “People.” They all warn you to be on the lookout for heart irregularities, kidney failure, anxiety and diarrhea.</span><span data-offset-key="ae9dd-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="2i79o-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2i79o-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">According to the “Passages” feature Roger Daltrey is 72. That seems unreasonable, perhaps an ‘alternative fact.’</span><span data-offset-key="fhbt9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="82bg6-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="82bg6-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Mel Gibson, 61, has a 26 year old GF. My staff used to tell me there was a guideline for this, something like “half your age plus or minus 7” was OK....61/2+30.5-7=23.5. No, I think the rule must be “half your age plus seven”...61/2=30.5+7=37.5. Gibson has a lot of cash. Trump=70...(70/2)=35...35+7=42. Melania=46. OK, that meets the “old guy (with lots of money) wants a younger GF rule.”</span><span data-offset-key="mfsb-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="6m7e-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tlln2nLjI1q2t0Sbo502ieC4-YCniSprkaLpi7PkT7val0X4WRUdV09DhQg5My0VWOhP56gl0dRLxHrLai3ebI3k-zgF201wkYRVCI8EYvF1XTgsXZrfQ6yi7k_B4EnvlBhjU3XDZ6A/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tlln2nLjI1q2t0Sbo502ieC4-YCniSprkaLpi7PkT7val0X4WRUdV09DhQg5My0VWOhP56gl0dRLxHrLai3ebI3k-zgF201wkYRVCI8EYvF1XTgsXZrfQ6yi7k_B4EnvlBhjU3XDZ6A/s200/IMG_5474.JPG" width="150" /></a><span data-offset-key="6m7e-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">James Corden. I know him from YouTube and the carpool karaoke skits. Of course my favorite is his drive w/ the Red Hot Chili Peppers who are now senior statesmen of the rock world. Apparently Corden has a TV show...never have seen it.</span><span data-offset-key="f0prs-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="5sttk-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5sttk-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">There are two pages on the guy with the awkwardly long red tie and 4-6 pages on people uncomfortable with the awkwardly long red tie guy.</span><span data-offset-key="6avqc-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="2qedd-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2qedd-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The Menendez article was succinct. They are in prison forever.<br /> </span><span data-offset-key="nl11-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span><span data-offset-key="2ul9g-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Crossword puzzles have always bored me. Obviously this one would be pointless. It would be similar to being on “Jeopardy,” knowing absolutely nothing and having Alex Trebek repeatedly ask you “Are you sure you know nothing?”</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-27494206940449192662016-12-18T18:51:00.004-08:002016-12-18T18:51:39.594-08:00The 38th Parallel of Organizations<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQB2CSWy8TWC8ocVwAI5JiLnSzDGu2OaOuZuabg5D7mYFbGdA8SlfEOL8iQgug4FKpovCGiZp581ZU9-F0scScpGhEyUSHB5byQqYDbyBBziOBfPa-rq9VPvLkuOgNvrmoGyxtXc6Rzo/s1600/trump01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Donald Trump" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQB2CSWy8TWC8ocVwAI5JiLnSzDGu2OaOuZuabg5D7mYFbGdA8SlfEOL8iQgug4FKpovCGiZp581ZU9-F0scScpGhEyUSHB5byQqYDbyBBziOBfPa-rq9VPvLkuOgNvrmoGyxtXc6Rzo/s200/trump01.jpg" title="Donald Trump" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donald Trump</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Every organization has an organizational structure. The formal structure, often represented in an 'organization chart' displays names, titles and reporting responsibilities. Paralleling that is the informal structure of how organizations actually work. Often titled staff "make things happen" beyond the representation of the organization chart and it's accompanying catalog of formal job descriptions. The "informal organization chart" lacks documentation other than informal but established and historical knowledge, experience and perspectives. The lack of formal organization charts and documented processes can be a challenge to new incoming staff members. Entry level staff struggle to understand how the processes work. Incoming senior staff often stumble when attempting to formalize or change informal processes that already work fine.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bI24pqzSd75Y0KNOLuQclCwBm7En4_bUDHo4iFKil722bhUnmBZAvRMgWgejh48oPCS1LGx1BfEzGaTwP73jbdtN-XsZDCLc0NmOzYKWwhz5j8VoHzFNE0ti0OSUJ-XlSBB8kL6_Ipc/s1600/General-Douglas-MacArthur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Douglas MacArthur" border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bI24pqzSd75Y0KNOLuQclCwBm7En4_bUDHo4iFKil722bhUnmBZAvRMgWgejh48oPCS1LGx1BfEzGaTwP73jbdtN-XsZDCLc0NmOzYKWwhz5j8VoHzFNE0ti0OSUJ-XlSBB8kL6_Ipc/s320/General-Douglas-MacArthur.jpg" title="Douglas MacArthur" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Douglas MacArthur</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a challenge. The junior person needs to "get up to speed" and "show their worth" in the first year. The new senior person needs to "straighten things up" and "make the changes that need changing." The counterpoint is for all new people to understand an organizations culture. Strangely, the challenge is to create a formal process of education and communication that transfers knowledge of the informal processes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Zappos, the online shoe retailer, does a great job of educating new employees on Zappos culture. A lengthy, mandatory training session on company culture is followed by the offer to leave the company, with a cash offer, if the employee is uncomfortable in any sense with the culture.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Notes to incoming junior staff:</span></b><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<li>listen more than you talk</li>
<li>request a peer mentor</li>
<li>request a mentor at a more senior position</li>
<li>develop a mentor at a comparable organization</li>
<li>network</li>
<li>be good in your discipline and another</li>
<li>plan your future leadership</li>
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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Notes to incoming senior staff:</b><br /><ul>
<li>listen more than you talk</li>
<li>request a peer mentor</li>
<li>request a mentor at a lessor non-reporting position</li>
<li>develop a mentor at a comparable organization</li>
<li>network</li>
<li>be good in your discipline and another</li>
<li>lead based on your experience as a follower</li>
</ul>
</span>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now for the political commentary...</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The President-elect has offered complementary statements about his military hero, Douglas MacArthur:</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Regarding Hillary Clinton's website:</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem;">Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is helping ISIS by putting her plan </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem;">to fight the extremist group on her website, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump argued in Monday night’s presidential debate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>“General Douglas MacArthur wouldn’t like that,”</i> Trump said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My comment: </b>Donald Trump has frequently mentioned and idolized General MacArthur (and General Patton to a lesser degree). He's possibly cherry-picked those references. We all do that to a degree. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The media and the generals:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Trump:</b> "I don't want my generals being interviewed."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My comment: </b>Patton and MacArthur, two egotistic WWII generals are often referenced by Donald Trump. Each was criticized and censured by sitting Presidents for their public commentary. MacArthur was removed as commander of US forces in Korea for his commentary. Historians regard both MacArthur and Patton as leading media whores of their era, successful yet controversial in the field.</span></div>
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<u style="font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fox News:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Trump commentary: </b><i>As Donald Trump, our new president-elect, starts to plan for the future, the man he should turn to for advice may have died more than fifty years ago, but his words and deeds live on. He’s General Douglas MacArthur, who actually has a lot in common with Donald Trump—and should be one of his role models as president. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Like Trump, MacArthur was a maverick, an anti-establishment figure.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Truman:</b> <i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 19px;">"I fired him (MacArthur) because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president," Truman later </span><a href="http://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2011/04/i-didnt-fire-him-because-he-was-dumb.html" style="background-color: white; color: #196d8d; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none;">explained</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 19px;">. "I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the laws for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail."</span></i></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Newsweek</i></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Trump reference: </b><i>Nothing else Trump has said—about Muslims, women, protesters, immigrants and so on—has chilled the political, military and media establishment more than his glib pronouncements on nuclear weapons. If we’re not going to use them, Trump told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in a typical remark last March, “then why are we making them?” He said he might drop one on the Islamic State group, known as ISIS, or Europe. “You want to be unpredictable,” he said.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MacArthur:</b> (from "American Caesar" by William Manchester)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;">On the second anniversar</span><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;">y of Hiroshima, when a bell of peace was rung at the very spot where the bomb had exploded, he asked that "the agonies of that fateful day serve as a warning to all men of all races" that nuclear weapons "challenge the reason and the logic and the purpose of man....This," he said, "is the lesson of Hiroshima. God grant that it not be ignored."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;"><b>My comment: </b>MacArthur was also not in favor of the use of nuclear weapons on Japan. He was a great general, more knowing of his opponent's intentions that they were themselves and believe Japan to be within days of surrender. This is what differentiates leaders (good executives); understand your staff, your peers and your competition as well or better than they understand themselves. It's a big job. Listen. Read. Plan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;"><u>Conclusion</u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;">MacArthur now resides in history as a great strategist particularly in his role in the Pacific in WWII. Unfortunately, ego, his major strength and major flaw undermined his place in history. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;">Donald Trump has surrounded himself with people of extreme partisan positions and experience, some with no experience. His challenge will be to afford the "MacArthurs" of his appointees to succeed yet remember for whom they work, and to ensure his own MacArthur traits include the ego to define, prioritize and strategize but remain a humanitarian.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 19.2px;">Humility has a place in leadership. Good business leaders have followed before they led. </span></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-25604908470478692682016-12-04T19:45:00.003-08:002016-12-06T06:54:17.511-08:00The Wisdom of Youthful Organizational Decision-Making<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_wnxKrR9WcqNona9x-VjD7bRkRzGyQoJYbWWdm9l3GZ_-GtQZnxNAp0lMN5hj6UNF4gobWwyOEqdw6i325ELPhhe9LaMG8kO4kYDViMcCqmfZ1Vhx9f-uG2ndLkhhT811SqQiFlOQgg/s1600/IMG_5191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_wnxKrR9WcqNona9x-VjD7bRkRzGyQoJYbWWdm9l3GZ_-GtQZnxNAp0lMN5hj6UNF4gobWwyOEqdw6i325ELPhhe9LaMG8kO4kYDViMcCqmfZ1Vhx9f-uG2ndLkhhT811SqQiFlOQgg/s200/IMG_5191.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During all of my managerial positions I was older than my staff. My job was to understand them, their needs, the reality of the organization, and do whatever, but leave them alone. They were talented. Rarely did I override their decisions. The exceptions were at times of major strategic changes in direction or the inevitable crisis; those were the times to pull experience from my cerebral cortex.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The talents to lead are honed when you follow. It's not easy working for someone you don't care for or who lacks talent. It preps you for your time at the podium.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course getting to the podium is just the start. My constant advice is continual re-education. There are few professions or crafts that are not continually developing and changing. Listening to younger people, your staff and others offers insight. The challenges of a youthful employee and a more senior employee are much different. One can be comfortable with their achievement (don't get comfortable) and one wants more challenges and growth (that's your job..you are the waiter).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Organizations that fail to change fail (duh). My approach in hiring was to always include a younger staff member. In the IT space I worked really hard to be ahead of the curve in strategy and opportunity but I knew that interviews were about discovering what kind of person wanted to work there. As a senior person did you know all the trends and lifestyles that you should? Did you put a candidate in the reject pile because of their ink? Your youthful counterpart might have explained that half the world wears ink. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDAzbcFkM5axhe5JPGF9h6CqmIwANkLPS1DaGZynoGw8cQUIDHiiJw3GLQxZ-sy8qE5NrJHO4-zEh4qxTLdPC3FwmAzZ4-8f1cZGdJ3v0Fl1ogFDKa7vhOV7fGMlXYwL8T9eknry-uKo/s1600/tattoo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDAzbcFkM5axhe5JPGF9h6CqmIwANkLPS1DaGZynoGw8cQUIDHiiJw3GLQxZ-sy8qE5NrJHO4-zEh4qxTLdPC3FwmAzZ4-8f1cZGdJ3v0Fl1ogFDKa7vhOV7fGMlXYwL8T9eknry-uKo/s200/tattoo2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The secondary and more important reason for bringing a youthful employee to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">meet candidates is because you might have 3-5 years of employment left. The young employee seated next to you might be working with this candidate for 25 years. The young employee and this young candidate are the ones that will shape the future, not you. It's one of those times that you have to poke yourself in the eye and remember that despite your manager status you work for your employees. Listen to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's also possible that anyone achieving a 'C' level position should either have to go sit in the basement, out of sight or automatically be laid off in 24 months. That would improve innovation, creativity, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">P.S. "Office Space," the movie, should be viewed annually.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-11949213001406904732016-12-03T20:12:00.002-08:002016-12-03T20:12:32.382-08:00You need to be afraid...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ6hzWInLnG1KRMqycTN5XbiElQrPSoatK4ALHPDmfgzp5DcknTwLE91rgg_MdLUxPgNjssVAGeldLRbqNx3MTYJnJmjnBGJSMAEwUIDQRLedHbycMY_ZYnYgssFVrUK9-xaouCOIM9w/s1600/channellock-B00004SBCU-440-profile-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="career fear scared" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ6hzWInLnG1KRMqycTN5XbiElQrPSoatK4ALHPDmfgzp5DcknTwLE91rgg_MdLUxPgNjssVAGeldLRbqNx3MTYJnJmjnBGJSMAEwUIDQRLedHbycMY_ZYnYgssFVrUK9-xaouCOIM9w/s640/channellock-B00004SBCU-440-profile-lg.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
Traveling north during a recent early winter storm I was able to keep the truck out of the ditch and generally pointing the direction I was headed. Two winters ago I was following a truck pulling a trailer with four snowmobiles (snow machines) that was traveling too fast. Four wheel drive is a dangerous thing for all the freeway NASCAR drivers. As the vehicle lost control it entered the center ditch the snowmobiles went airborne and landed in the southbound lane. The truck and trailer were deeply buried in half a winter's snow. Never have four snowmobiles flown into my lane. I have thought about deer, small animals., wrong-way vehicles, moose and airplanes but never four airborne snow machines. My guess is that first thing that would happen is I'd quickly wonder if they were SkiDoos or the Minnesota-based Polaris machines. It would be scary.<br />
<br />
Listening to NPR interview a gentleman who had written a column for the San Francisco Gate for thirty-five years. He wrote a column three days a week. Many times he stared at the screen with a two-hour deadline, but he was good. One comment he made was "If you have never been scared in your job you are probably in the wrong job." During the gig I have to admit I was never scared. I was methodical, thorough and competent. There were indicators that it was not as challenging as I wished. <br />
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Facing the unknown is OK. We need to have more of a challenge than just the unknown. If you've worked through every scenario on every big project you're good. We need the unexpected. Since leaving the gig I've challenged myself many times. Today I took on a project I'd never done. Going into it confidently I left feeling damn good. All the right tools accompanied me and there was only one predicted trip to the hardware store. It's four hours later and I am afraid that I might have missed one component. It's sort of like losing one lug nut on a six hole rim...a little bit scary; that's good.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-80455112252445731502016-11-15T16:28:00.003-08:002016-11-15T16:28:51.842-08:00The Polls Were Wrong...The Underbelly of Big Data<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ympLfJ1ehPodmyPgC3_jF5g2XzqBueWfLIFsPPCwoytrFfIIClYamq5vnYAJAVDK5suTqUaJbVRLhNd6lhKCgykJWRJf1RMb77RmmdbIc7uG8bKBk4tepFEkO5vR0odS_j_0LGbgbY/s1600/bigdata1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ympLfJ1ehPodmyPgC3_jF5g2XzqBueWfLIFsPPCwoytrFfIIClYamq5vnYAJAVDK5suTqUaJbVRLhNd6lhKCgykJWRJf1RMb77RmmdbIc7uG8bKBk4tepFEkO5vR0odS_j_0LGbgbY/s320/bigdata1.png" width="243" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Presidential Polls...All Wrong...I Was Right</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two years ago I made a two bets. The first was that Donald Trump would be the Republican Presidential nominee. Winning the Presidency was the second. Each was for $40. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the campaign progressed the margin narrowed and with missteps on the part of the Democratic candidate, possible Hatch Act transgressions by the FBI Director and rising enthusiasm of the disenfranchised right (and Sanders misguiding the youth) and Mr. Trump won, not carrying the popular vote but winning the electoral vote which is what really counts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was about 10:30 PM on NOV 8th that all the talking heads and pollsters must have simultaneously watched the red light go on and thought "everything we've analyzed and said is wrong."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One aspect of Big Data is the marketing and merchandising side. No one reads much any more, including Donald Trump, but we're addicted to smart phones, tablets, 140 character Tweets and a perpetual stream of visual and sound bites (bytes). It's regarded as truth by many despite the fact that the major news carriers are more about advertising dollars than journalistic responsibility.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My forecast was based on no data, simply a gut feel. As Andy Warhol said "I<span style="color: #222222;">n the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes." It appears that I've had my fifteen minutes although it's been in two or three minute segments.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Your Online Smart-Ass Social Media Legacy & Big Data</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the Republican debates Ted Cruz had to defend the allegation that his father was a conspirator of Lee Harvey Oswald based upon a fuzzy photograph taken in Cuba. A photograph, almost sixty years old may have played a part in Mr. Cruz's failure to be the nominee. Minimally it's now become a topic. Some people, having seen it in the debate or the regurgitated media/internet blasts will not certainly regard it as truth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the progression of the Obama Presidency it appears that American's willingness to identify themselves with slanderous, derogatory and offensive commentary seemed to escalate. Often I'm amused when people talk about their Facebook pages and state that they can say whatever they want on 'their Facebook page.' Now if Facebook was a public utility or a government entity, perhaps like the library system that might be the case but it's not. Facebook is a corporation. When you open an account there, or on Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, etc., you are agreeing to the corporations end-user license agreement (EULA) which almost always says that you have given them all rights to use your postings, data, contacts, profile information, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So down the road when your child applies to college or for a job the first research that will be done will be to look up their current social media profile. As big data progresses big data will be re-packaged and sold to other companies that mine this data to provide analytics on what you might buy, where you might live, your political inclinations and your suitability for whatever.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you repeatedly posted that President Obama was born in Kenya or some more disparaging comment your kids or your children's children might lose out because you were a birther or you were a political contributor to the wrong party or you bought a lot of odd things online or from a particular retailer. It's possible that you, too, might have to defend yourself as Ted Cruz did. On the other hand you have the opportunity to leave a good online legacy.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-41896861609227567912016-11-15T15:58:00.000-08:002016-11-15T15:58:03.035-08:00Broken Systems...Broken Truck<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Broken Systems...Loss of Customer Focus/Fees...Wells Fargo...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Wells Fargo CEO is going to forego $41,000,000 in stock options. Under his direction employees opened false accounts for customers to meet their sales goals. They fire 1% of their employees every years. Jack Welsh, the over-rated former CEO of GE, encouraged the replacement of 1/3 of GE's employees every year. Some of the Wells Fargo employees fired for being 'honest' are moving for a class action suit. I wish them well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recently we changed the credit card processing service for our small business. We were working one day a month just for that cost (from Wells Fargo). After changing credit card processors our costs dropped in half. When I called Wells Fargo to terminate that service they asked "why did you change?" When I said 'cost,' they followed with "did you ask for an account review to see if we could lower costs?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In this increasingly software-driven world it would have been simple to index or change our fees to the competition, lower it because we were a good client, or just remain competitive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It seems that large companies get on this income stream of regular customers. I'm sure 90% of us don't shop prices on things we should. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>More Broken Systems...Wells Fargo/Customer Service...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yesterday I logged on to transfer money from Wells Fargo for a 100 year old relative to pay a few of her bills. Wells Fargo recently updated their web sites. They're very mobile friendly now but certainly not a functional improvement. I was unable to access the account. After an hour on the phone with three people I could not understand they said they'd call back. When they did I had my phone on speaker so I could talk and type at the same time. There were some background conversations going on and the Wells Fargo person said they could not continue talking with me if I was on a speaker phone. "You asked me to log in and stay on the phone. How would you suggest I do that?" "I cannot speak if you are on speakerphone." It was at that point that I decided I am closing my relative's Wells Fargo account. I was able to finally see the account and said "This problem only started after the new web site deployment. Was that part of the problem?" "Sir, if you can see the account now you may make your transaction." "You did not answer my question!" "Sir, if you can see the account now you may make your transaction." Long pause. "Sir, can Wells Fargo do anything else for you today." Duh, not likely. Click.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Broken Systems...MetLife/Underwriting/Claims/Customer Portal/Customer Service...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our personal insurance on cars, property, dwellings, etc., was through MetLife for more than two decades. It's possible that our only claim history was for a couple of windshields. A few years ago hail damaged all the roofs in our neighborhood. As the houses around me received nice new roofs I had to take MetLife to a mediation process which cost $500...and they denied the claim even though they acknowledged hail damage on a vehicle parked ten feet from the roof.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I shopped insurance and ended up with Liberty Mutual. The cost is at least 1/3 less, they have a fantastic online presence (MetLife was in the internet dark ages) and the employees are considerate, helpful and a pleasure, focused on what's good for me, the customer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After a couple of decades, probably $100,000+ in premiums with MetLife and the same agent, I switched. There was a small refund from MetLife. No one from MetLife or the agency followed up or asked why I'd left.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A 'Broken Arrow' Opportunity...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There was a time that I was critical of companies that focused on low prices all the time. There is an issue with their employees making a living wage but the reality is that wages are being challenged in all types of organizations. The low-price providers might be primarily focused on profits but they do focus on customer options and services, as well. In my lean process improvement days I used to start each Kaizen with a discussion on waste (the biggest being a loss of a customer) and the 'CEO' focus. 'C' the customer comes first. 'E' the employee comes second. 'O' the owner comes last. In my examples today the 'O' people, like the Wells Fargo CEO, did come in last, but not last enough. We'd also have to consider 'O' to be Wall Street, to which most public companies are beholding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Wells Fargo CEO appears uninformed under review. We seem to be moving in a direction where the C-level people make big bucks and are not customer focused, workers are struggling to stay employed at a living wage and 'systems' are replacing decent customer management. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-64975428919710489272016-09-27T18:57:00.002-07:002016-09-27T18:57:47.908-07:00Who to hire?...and no job, no truck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClxJZoHOJFehdsBsNoKHj4iTjOWVAZ3j5a3hPpW02LPYsXkQE0Eit098eYtSOCgYcXz-yXafOdlv4sPRqmGbfVLHmPqKbU_q-6Ypo3hzY7UYK_Vgl6QziuX6_FrtYgis9DXgFqMxC2hU/s1600/Trump__Clinton-2-701x482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trump Clinton Hiring qualifications" border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClxJZoHOJFehdsBsNoKHj4iTjOWVAZ3j5a3hPpW02LPYsXkQE0Eit098eYtSOCgYcXz-yXafOdlv4sPRqmGbfVLHmPqKbU_q-6Ypo3hzY7UYK_Vgl6QziuX6_FrtYgis9DXgFqMxC2hU/s320/Trump__Clinton-2-701x482.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This weekend I broke a rim on my truck making a tight right turn that resulted in an encounter with a 18" tall 6" concrete post protecting a fire hydrant. It's a long story but it's because someone (not me) was helpful and chose to return a lost item.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Monday the truck was towed to the dealer. The encounter left the vehicle with a tendency to only go in a circle to the right...serious alignment issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">dealer has confirmed the broken w<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">el and recommended a rep<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">lacement tire<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. Alignment issues were confirmed but it w<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">as more. <i>"The right rear ax</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>le housing is bent. The part is about $3000 and the labor will be an additional $1000."</i> The total is now $4500+ from a 2 <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">MPH <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">confrontat<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ion. The redeeming part is that now it's an insurance claim with a compan<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y that is a leader in online policy management and claims reporting. All, now<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, is in process. The downside is not having the F-150 for a week plus. My insurance covers <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a rental vehicle but floods and hail have depleted the nation<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'s fleet of vehicles. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Glo<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bal weather change hits home.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This AM I asked my better half if I could use her vehicle. "You don't even have a real job. You have no where to go." Nice reminder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I did have a job I had the opportunity to hire people. The challenge for the applicant is to get through the screening process, the review of resumes, including the right 'key words' (#keyword #resume #applicant #wantthisjobbad) and get an interview. Reviewing resumes, mountains of them, was tedious but enjoyable. My normal approach was to spend about 30 seconds on each resume. You look for form, style, relevant experience and typos. Typos typically indicate that they can't spell and you don't need them or that they are human and did not use a professional service to make a 'good resume.' So much for logic and deductive reasoning. Hiring needs intuition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My interviews were always for an hour, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the first n<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ever one-on-one. I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">brou<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ght one of my staff. It's good to put a face on the people they might work with; I was in charge but they needed to be part of a team. My role was scorekeeper, linesman, referee, umpire, etc., making and breaking rules and guidelines and convention. My goal was to put the interviewee at ease, to ask a few questions, probe their knowledge<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, find out<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> their indi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">vidual working styles and learn about their interests. Musicians always make good IT people. My staff always wanted conventional candidates. They all started as my unconventional choices. It worked.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t's been a while since I interviewed an<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">yone. Last night's debate was a good opportunity to run through<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the "would this pe<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">rson be a good hire?" routine.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table border="2" bordercolor="#0033FF" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #99ffff; width: 100%px;">
<colgroup>
<col style="background-color: yellow;"></col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Attribute</th>
<th>Donald Trump</th>
<th>Hillary Clinton</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Appearance/Dress/td>
</td><td>Professional</td>
<td>Professional</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Grooming</td>
<td>Polished. Power tie & suit.</td>
<td>Polished. Pants suit.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Facial Tattoo</td>
<td>None.</td>
<td>None</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Visible Tattoo</td>
<td>None</td>
<td>None</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>'Private' Tattoo</td>
<td>'Donald Trump'</td>
<td><strike>'Bill'</strike></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Grammar</td>
<td>Choppy</td>
<td>Polished, planned</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Experience</td>
<td>Only at own business</td>
<td>Progressively more demanding government</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Relevant Experience</td>
<td>Probably not</td>
<td>Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sense of Humor</td>
<td>None apparent</td>
<td>Not sure. Laughs at odd times.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Has a Pet</td>
<td>Yes & No. Unclear.</td>
<td>One cat, two dogs.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Listening Skills</td>
<td>None.</td>
<td>Only to worthy.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Speaking Skills</td>
<td>Not really. Shouts.</td>
<td>Rehearsed. To detailed.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Demeanor</td>
<td>Arrogant. Elitist.</td>
<td>Arrogant. Elitist.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Can take direction</td>
<td>No. Can't.</td>
<td>Could but won't.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Years of Preparation</td>
<td>Not enough.</td>
<td>Too many.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ego</td>
<td>Explosive.</td>
<td>Huge</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Team Player</td>
<td>No. Only wants to be captain.</td>
<td>Would agree to be co-captain.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Would respect me</td>
<td>No.</td>
<td>Would tolerate me for a while.</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Pleasant at happy hour?</td>
<td>Might pick up tab.</td>
<td>Would leverage time.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Plays a musical instrument</td>
<td>Unclear.</td>
<td>Appears not.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
My conclusion: I'm going to run through the stack of submitted resumes a second time. This is tough.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-68763240141195973772016-09-11T09:34:00.000-07:002016-09-11T09:34:06.123-07:00Quaint...really?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNBNDTZfmaCss5W3s5-oLwS0-ihB-aavZ8RAl0LWGwZ_bvuCF-pc-LaMiHZZx0KAGftQkTyUu33biuYDyal0XvHX7i9dzEj3TYr0ZbVG93bCeCwjceLem2OL5FgNKLtA7gizsjBJ-1Zc/s1600/quaint1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="quaint" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNBNDTZfmaCss5W3s5-oLwS0-ihB-aavZ8RAl0LWGwZ_bvuCF-pc-LaMiHZZx0KAGftQkTyUu33biuYDyal0XvHX7i9dzEj3TYr0ZbVG93bCeCwjceLem2OL5FgNKLtA7gizsjBJ-1Zc/s1600/quaint1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
The <i>Wall Street Journal</i> has been direct in it's analysis of the current Presidential campaign candidates. Offering up this election's offerings as a choice of locusts or frogs was good. One candidate talks like AM talk radio and lacks depth and spins. That might be broad brush America today. The other, vastly more knowledgeable, struggles to appear sincere, totally open and honest, and is also good at spinning. I'm not sure either are honest but when was total honesty a attribute in politics?<br />
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<i>Fortune</i> had a short piece contrasting the idealism of the early internet and the brash, money-driven and bad behavior of the internet we face today. The words left by people are a bit shocking. What you say is there forever and not anonymous even if your public name is <i>BigFootForever2.</i><br />
<br />
We have an acquaintance making a lot of money from their food blog. Containing great photography and recipes and all written with an uplifting, fun style it appeals to a certain demographic, probably women, mothers in the 25-40 category. They've leveraged big data and evolving social media and really good marketing companies to leverage and build their following which now results of tens of thousands of hits per day, month, whatever. They continue to put on little seminars for other wanna-be bloggers. The charge a good rate for that but I think it's also an effort to make their blog production appears legitimate, more real, countering the reality of the internet being an incestuous churning of sites and ads. A recent <i>Bloomberg Business Week</i> identified 75% of all web site hits coming from bots, automated search/click/hit servers. All of this plays back into selling into big business advertising dollars.<br />
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<br />
<b>Friends?</b> <br />
Facebook shows me people that I might like to friend. Some of them are former co-workers, some from my home town and others who appear to walked some of the streets. A consulting psychiatrist recently found that Facebook was presenting her patients to each other as potential friends. The psychiatrist was not a 'friend' with any of her patients. It appeared to be connections through geographic data. Normally I use Facebook at my desktop (geek) so I should really only be presented friend options from perhaps the plumber or the guy mowing his yard next door. I have been presented as 'friend' options people who have sent me unsolicited email in my Gmail account. Perhaps Mark Zuckerberg will be at my door if I continue with this thought.<br />
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<b>Dementia...</b> <br />
My iPhone had a pop-up ad promoting 'three things to do to avoid dementia.' That was yesterday. 1. learn a new word in a foreign language. 2. I have no idea. 3. Each certain foods. I did not follow the link for 'certain foods.' <br />
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<b>Mobility and Brevity Versus 'Quaint'</b><br />
Yesterday I saw the PC mode I like best referred to as 'the desktop age' and I read that as 'horse and buggy.' It's not always that I want to work at Starbucks with earbuds and a $6 coffee. New devices (tablets & convertible notebooks) do have keyboard options. It's possible that the 'swipe' generation will look upon this users as horse people, too. In the small business we did a favor for an instructor at a neighboring large college. He was teaching a class in marketing and required student groups to take on a small business as a project. The four kids showed up wearing hats, two backwards. One messed w/ his phone during two meetings. They were inarticulate, could not spell or write complete sentences. All had career goals of working in large advertising firms, hoping to start as account executives.<br />
<b> </b><br />
I guess I'll get a saddle seat for my desktop and continue to improve my typing skills and vocabulary (I am weak in foreign language potential).<br />
<br />
Regarding brevity...it's 140 characters, hashtags and abbreviations, a constant feed of not sound bites but code bites, created, opened, closed and deleted with a thumb swipe. It seems that Elon Musk could do all that for us. Blogging, like this, sharing thoughts, dealing with life in sentences and images and a story line or disjointed connection of thoughts is now considered quaint. Henceforce #idontevenhaveadumbjob #quaint<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-79233832586184581062016-09-08T18:01:00.001-07:002016-09-08T18:01:11.453-07:00Buried In Paper In An Electronic Age<b>Buried in Books...</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLSZ81JVzmlGFEHpIYIThrKKO16-nHBQtx2QLUaKSQDxLDZZdCTMqY8Ux4DVRUONOBq8eBLLASGj2ZuTcS17sGvme-W_DwL8tA3uyGecI3ZpRbZKcfcsc4ALp0OOFEmMo71XqmEzHmLQ/s1600/macarthur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Douglas MacArthur" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLSZ81JVzmlGFEHpIYIThrKKO16-nHBQtx2QLUaKSQDxLDZZdCTMqY8Ux4DVRUONOBq8eBLLASGj2ZuTcS17sGvme-W_DwL8tA3uyGecI3ZpRbZKcfcsc4ALp0OOFEmMo71XqmEzHmLQ/s200/macarthur.jpg" title="" width="158" /></a>One of the blogs I frequent is written by someone self-described as totally cool and really hip with their <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Caesar-Douglas-MacArthur-1880/dp/0316024740">American Caesar</a></i> a wonderful biography of Douglas MacArthur written by William Manchester. Apparently we're all messed up and driven by our parents obsessions, strengths and weaknesses.<br />
reading of books. Lacking coolness but good at copying people who are, I am sharing what I'm reading (which also distracts me from writing).<br />
<br />
<b>Chairs...</b> <br />
Tananarive Due, a writer of some accomplishment has nine books, eight collaborations and articles and <br />
stories in wordsmith credits. The first was written in a wooden, straight-back chair at ten years of age. Forty years later it remains part of the creative process.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXt8jmPws202GV20lze6LTGx6KKvNcHyaUNHjTuGTrC3ACPLt90yYEkEJCiiVJzvv8n7f7v0r_TiKlbGrkAhmYu9s1Aovwce1bouZ0fI4GjQKlHeHFh-5UV9oBgSYrG4CLY10zIJfQNQ/s1600/IMG_4853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXt8jmPws202GV20lze6LTGx6KKvNcHyaUNHjTuGTrC3ACPLt90yYEkEJCiiVJzvv8n7f7v0r_TiKlbGrkAhmYu9s1Aovwce1bouZ0fI4GjQKlHeHFh-5UV9oBgSYrG4CLY10zIJfQNQ/s200/IMG_4853.JPG" width="150" /></a>My chair has been far less productive in its' place before the keyboard. As a new office desk chair in 1990 it served well until a corporate 'office move' in 2001. At that point I simply took it home. With 26 years in front of my keyboard it has produced nothing of publishing quality, perhaps hundreds of letters, thousands of emails, many attempts at work of interest...and sixteen years of tax returns. I have annoyed a lot of people. A few have chuckled.<br />
<br />
A broader posterior or small cleaning effort would make it as good as new...but without that there's still a future and duct tape repair is not imminent.<br />
<br />
<b>Buried in Small Business...</b><br />
After six years we're getting some media coverage on the local CBS station. Like all businesses it's a balance of resources and effort and endless time of being too busy or not busy enough. The media coverage will change the equation. <br />
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<b>Buried in Rental/Tenants/Mediation/Farming...</b><br />
Years ago I removed myself from the landlord business. I'm weak and again a landlord. My labor day was spent mediating a conflict and misunderstanding between the tenant who farms the land and watches his emerging plantings, and the housing tenant who perhaps should have walked across the field to shoot geese rather than drive a pickup. In elementary school they remind you to keep to your own space. Good advice.<br />
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<b>Buried Septic History...</b><br />
The farm has a quaint farmhouse which has been rented out continuously. At the time of purchase a decade ago we were aware of the non-complying septic system. It a perfect septic world the products flushed end up in a solid tank, the solids settle and the overflow runs off to a drain field where it is purified draining back through the sandy soil. This septic tank was farmer-made of silo bricks and leaked. It was a good solution for the day when walking out to the little house was no longer convenient. As we've conducted our septic archaeology survey it appears that there are three farmer-made tanks serving various effluent production devices and two drain fields. It's an October project. Hopefully the next owner will appreciate our investment to relocate what goes downhill.<br />
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<b>Digitally Buried...</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUSpxdjHB-9tPjtlZJrmzaKUyfIzEoSw_2kFzmKs6Yl6z_4Koy8Vp7TQPBUAyp-Sbarx0pDkxHMRry28Tm5xSWHhlUM1migpo6hzSmBqsAuOBFr2NsvS7LbD0afs2LdcuwU0lXkssNe0/s1600/IMG_4854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUSpxdjHB-9tPjtlZJrmzaKUyfIzEoSw_2kFzmKs6Yl6z_4Koy8Vp7TQPBUAyp-Sbarx0pDkxHMRry28Tm5xSWHhlUM1migpo6hzSmBqsAuOBFr2NsvS7LbD0afs2LdcuwU0lXkssNe0/s200/IMG_4854.JPG" width="150" /></a>Certainly we're in a paperless world. Digital. Electronic. People I owe money to don't want my checks or<b> </b> <br />
credit cards but simply want my bank routing number and account number and they suck the money out. That's fine. Writing checks, paper or electronic is tedious and the credit card companies collect fees at unfairly high rates. Despite all this new form of communication and payment the paper continues to accumulate and my recycling barrel becomes full every two weeks and my keyboard is disappearing (yes, that is probably a 15 year old keyboard. Somewhere I have newer that match the black of my current desktops (one keyboard, three PCs) but I don't want to trace the cables under the stacks of important papers and I don't want to go to a wireless keyboard (no good reason). <br />
<br />
Even the companies give me an option to print out receipts for payments, registrations, purchases, etc. I'm certain that "print a copy of this for safekeeping" will ultimately bury me or be good tinder (for all those buried cables).<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5710088875626737360.post-35802866222430190582016-09-04T12:04:00.002-07:002016-09-04T12:04:31.761-07:00"What a Nightmare" "Business Relationships & Treading Water"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGDILBInHQvS7PwyHBELKLetBemqItLK595XPuFEbQlT1vInYOwQSlYv-WsO20gbiegVmca6p6hj8IvZkuvwZA4sznSJW_BTih7hjK62OY5AAH4wUZau6Zz-R4lD5dtHNFV_IrTCJAmo/s1600/lifeguard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGDILBInHQvS7PwyHBELKLetBemqItLK595XPuFEbQlT1vInYOwQSlYv-WsO20gbiegVmca6p6hj8IvZkuvwZA4sznSJW_BTih7hjK62OY5AAH4wUZau6Zz-R4lD5dtHNFV_IrTCJAmo/s200/lifeguard.jpg" width="162" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you can't swim you need to be good a treading water. While employed you're surrounded by organizational resources and people who use you and you them. Once out in the open water, unemployed, that helping hand is gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always told my employees to develop their skills and be immediately employable elsewhere. That's easy. In-service options abound and money can always be found for training and development. <b>The second part of being employable is to 'know people.' Work harder on this part.</b> You're more likely to be employable if you actually have developed your network people. Even with rusty or weak skills good contacts will help you get your work life together.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVPeimxp6n4PfKpsu0xgI912riJUIcBVl66g8Bzcpnh16tKJiM2AVwaUwLBl6uWdsfY46MDFJgIocPlb6opdfi5kBCWDUn0y7xGPDJknIVdhOHqCCiVlZBbbKTx5elt3yk0znwdTdL50/s1600/treadingwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVPeimxp6n4PfKpsu0xgI912riJUIcBVl66g8Bzcpnh16tKJiM2AVwaUwLBl6uWdsfY46MDFJgIocPlb6opdfi5kBCWDUn0y7xGPDJknIVdhOHqCCiVlZBbbKTx5elt3yk0znwdTdL50/s200/treadingwater.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Social media is invaluable but real people, real handshakes and face-ed to-face conversations leave an impression. This is better done while employed. Once unemployed your former co-workers become as weak as a 2nd level LinkedIn contact.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Work at treading. Survive. Others sink. Ships pass.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You brand, the part that gets you a new gig is swimming, not treading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"What A Nightmare"</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've owned rental property for years. It's still not clear if that makes sense but it is what it is. A new tenant is coming September 5th. Fortunately the previous tenant left a couple of days early. You never know what you're going to find when you walk in the door. This time is was not bad and the routine was the standard cleaning and light repair and adding to the list of what really should be done. It's call the "after this tenant list." After this tenant we'll re-do the kitchen and bath, replace the windows and carpet...make it really nice, spend $20,000 and get another $75/month in rent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJscSZYE3nk2cMJHhYPIFG078JzWPlaPdx3acnpPjXXfi0Det37pCE7roemfGNvmHTGA0ZREfaF5mWDXdSatCxcY8wRVjPU52fOOhXSElM6abMtw86xgkioy_LFmDQGM5_UEEGzg-FsM/s1600/IMG_4840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJscSZYE3nk2cMJHhYPIFG078JzWPlaPdx3acnpPjXXfi0Det37pCE7roemfGNvmHTGA0ZREfaF5mWDXdSatCxcY8wRVjPU52fOOhXSElM6abMtw86xgkioy_LFmDQGM5_UEEGzg-FsM/s200/IMG_4840.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You work through the list in your head, the obvious issues, the likely issues and what you might find that you anticipate and the things that might be there that would be bad. If you plan on making three trips it will probably be six. You find that the tenant took all the light bulbs and you did not bring any or a work light. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's all good practice. Scenarios. Paradigm-busting. "I've never had a tenant leave voodoo dolls of me with pins through their head." Actually I have. That was not a scenario that I'd planned for. Now I open each cupboard, closet and drawer and look for the pin-through-the-head doll. Business scenario planning needs to give thought to these outliers, too. Not every hole in the road is a 2008 recession.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6sdLbyX88Vo38jEpa9fELnsFMzzn_ut7bvqcgsQgO6kGO5McBmgN7Ij3r3KRNkjvTL9Ry0zpg-SbNxUY47FGti-VzDTZ2KdlZ7zc7dHU5-onzr08E6O4ilsV6N_DM4VqWbU4F_-W0so/s1600/IMG_4845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6sdLbyX88Vo38jEpa9fELnsFMzzn_ut7bvqcgsQgO6kGO5McBmgN7Ij3r3KRNkjvTL9Ry0zpg-SbNxUY47FGti-VzDTZ2KdlZ7zc7dHU5-onzr08E6O4ilsV6N_DM4VqWbU4F_-W0so/s200/IMG_4845.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Late in the evening Saturday I know there is one more trip on Sunday to finish painting and final cleanup. One more pass at the tub/shower is completed but the water won't go down. The drain open/close mechanism did work but has failed. Thanks for YouTube. It's simple, sort of to take apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the part comes out it's clear that the linkage component is broken. Skipping dinner (it's 8:30 PM) I head to Menard's in search of part(s). The first young man responds that he is not a plumbing expert but will find one. A jovial guy appears. I show him the part. His response "what a nightmare" is about what I expected. Menard's is a 50,000 SQFT store. "We don't have anything like that. You'll have to visit xxx. They are closed until Tuesday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Coming Home Crazy" was one of regional writer Bill Holm's works. Written in the 1980s it inspired me to find words in each days passage and frustration. He wrote of simple things, drawing in part from his Icelandic heritage and a simple life in Minneota, MN. Once I wrote to him offering thanks that his example allowed me to write creatively about snaking a floor drain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now it's fifteen years later and I've not been as diligent about this writing challenge as I should have been. I'm thinking that Bill was talking to me, the new plumbing breakage is a sign as were his words channeled to me "oh, what a nightmare."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0