SaferWaters.Net

I really like the artifacts of a process…all the chaff created by trying to get to the final result. That means I should have started blogging the first time I had the idea that I should do something formal with this. Well…I didn’t have the idea clearly until someone encouraged me. I knew I wanted to start encouraging people in this area before that — I hoped I had something to offer. That’s been a year or two. Ever since the clouds started to break and sun started shining through….anyway, this is just supposed to be a light first entry. The external encourager came only about 6 months ago.

Affiliated collages in Utter Pradesh - Incredible Institute of Management & Technology (IIMT) is part of Satya Bhajan society of Advance Education. The Society is manages by a team of professionals and experts from.

Over the years I’ve had bosses that have had varying degrees of technical skills. I’ve tried to see how the different skills did or didn’t improve their management ability. Today I’ve been working on compiling a capacity report that included some performance data. I caught on to vagrancy in the data that caused me to reflect on how to fix it and realize the scope of the fix. I decided to attribute it to a larger effort I had planned to add some additional indicators on the system I used to feed me the data to compile the report.And then it hit me: this was why a previous leader had been so insistent that the tools side be updated before they got the data. They didn’t have the time to actually evaluate the vagrancies; they just wanted to make a business declaration on the data. They did see the awesome power of those kind of declarations, and they preferred to have that power to themselves versus sharing it with an analyst. This wasn’t totally true — they did use a certain type of analyst, but one at a soft skill rather than hard skill level. There are many other reasons why tool set updates need to be at a high priority, but I think it filled in a gap for me why this was so important.

Source: Chetan

I enjoyed my peanut butter and jelly sandwich that my loving wife made for me this morning. Both the peanut butter and the jelly were thick. That reminded me how growing up the goal was always to get by with as little as possible: we spread the peanut butter thin and washed plastic bags among other things.

And I’ve learned to see the value of that especially in this materialistic world. But I’ve hopefully come to a better balance. The balancing factor to always minimizing the cost of anything is when that “squeeze” comes at the expense of enjoying something…without much of an impact on the cost. Would anyone argue with me that the cost of 1 tablespoon of jelly is significant?

So, with God’s grace, I live a very strategically minimized life: I’ve tried to find the minimizing things that have a measurable impact, I’ve tried to err on the side of not being wasteful when it makes no difference to me. But on little things I’ve not troubled myself by keeping it enjoyable…and I’ve spread the peanut butter and jelly thick.

Source: Chetan

I got this via my precious wife, but I am just thankful to God for his provision in raising our kids. Our oldest son Alex (who just started reading everything with pages) was perusing the latest Vision Forum catalog and ran across a description of something that included the encouragement that brothers are supposed to defend their sisters. He really liked that and totally latched on to it. I’m thrilled that Michele had encouraged him to do that in the past, and it was neat how even a commercial venue can provide an external validation/encouragement.

Source: Chetan

From [http://www.arkansasonline.com/ShowStoryTemplate.asp?Path=ArDemocrat/2007/01/26&ID=Ar03305&Section=Business] (subscription required):
“Wong said companies in the marketing industry in general are facing problems with earnings, citing Harte-Hanks Inc., another direct marketer that he watches. Net earnings for Harte-Hanks were down 4 percent in its most recent quarter, compared with a 9 percent drop at Acxiom.”
I had concluded that companies that depend on marketing revenue, which Acxiom still does, are the first to be affected in an economic downturn — marketing is the least short-term-impacting way for a general company to cut their costs (a significant cost) in order for a general company to still make their numbers. But the marketing industry feels the pinch. It doesn’t show up in other companies because it’s merely a dip in how much they “renewed” or “initiated” marketing campaigns.
So…I had concluded that the next time this happened (the clearest time was in 2000; pre 9/11) that I would do something…but what to do? I have less than 2 months to decide.

Source: Chetan

It’s a non-scientific measure, but even though the “non-work-days” were in abundance this weekend, the “personal” email wasn’t. The only thing we got (except one “almost” thing I’ll come back to), was a note from missionaries we try and encourage…and they still illustrate my theory. My theory is that everyone was busy with their family. They didn’t need to reach out to cyberspace. The note from the missionary mused on why it didn’t really feel like Christmas to them…and I realized writing this that they were not with their family.
I had thought there was another note — a comment on our blog. But no, it was my brother keeping things ship-shape around here (testing the “addressment” of a vulnerability). So, not personal, so I won’t count it above to let me make my point…even though one could argue that if he was working on something then this would have indicated the potential to reach out…can I abandon that train due to a circular route? However, thanks again bro: it’s really nice to have concierge service for no charge. My last Christmas present of the day, I guess.  

Source: Chetan

Dozens of hours spent trying to replicate a problem…and then it went away…on its own.
Not only is that a cost of >99.0%, but it’s a cost of being proactive.
I wonder if anyone’s computed how much time you chase smoke when you’re trying to get above a certain level…or is it related to what the “float” level is (e.g. the hockey stick of response time).

Source: Chetan

I again last night turned from Sprit 93.3 FM (some Christmas carols are just not good enough to be repeated as often as they are — generally talking more secular ones) and when I hit Radio Disney again I was immediately struck by it not being a Christmas song. There was eventually one or two over the next couple hours of listening (into the next day), but in general they were trite songs, and by far the message I “heard” was that Christmas was nice, but feeling my own feelings was nicer. The contest they had going was for a holiday shopping spree. I visited the web site and they had done a “good” job of avoiding the use of the word Christmas. I caught the word in one of the songs…so at least they weren’t being communist about it.
But the basic thing is that I have observed in the past when I’ve listened to Radio Disney long enough…and I’m humming the tunes…that I don’t like it. It’s empty…sachrin…no core. Is it just because it’s juvinile feelings? I don’t have the same reaction to most secular adult contemporary stuff. Is it because I’m distressed at how my kids would interpret it?
I have definately not been one to jump on the “write your retailer and complain that they aren’t using the word Christmas” enough. We live in a secular world, and I am glad that the state doesn’t try and sponsor religion (don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating an incorrect constitutional interpretation of the “separation of church and state”). And I’ve also looked at the other side and don’t want to have my kids living in a “christianized” bubble that leaves them woefully unprepared to shine in their world and/or handle the influences that get thrown at them.
Probably all this just adds another few paragraphs (pun intended) to my original intention with media influences: help them be “thoughtful” about their experience of them. Engage the mind. Use it as an opportunity to understand what makes the carnal man tick (how to understand how to reach out to unsaved people), and this just takes it one level deeper: what does participating in the whole package mean. At least Radio Disney is being consistent. A completely secular package. A completely kid-centric world package. And what’s good about holidays is what it does for me.

Source: Chetan

My wife has an amazing memory for her younger years. Impressions from getting on the bus when she was 4. How her desk was situated when she was in second grade. Me? Every once in a while I have a blip, but I start to have more when we went to Africa, which was third grade. I do remember participating in basketball before that.
And now I just put air in my daughter’s new basketball. She’s right there at the age where I participated in my first team. Chipped my tooth in a game, I believe. Can’t believe I made it to the point I have a child who’s as old as the youngest I remember.

Source: Chetan

I turned off the warning whistle today…there are a number of them that drop emails in my inbox. But I can’t afford it any longer. At least I’m not supposed to be the one that stops the train or steers around the mountains. It’s still very frustrating though…I’m headed toward another non-elective problem resolution meeting.

Source: Chetan