Comcast.net: Warning sought for burger the size of your head

Okay…so I am getting into this new Window’s live thing and it lets me blog instantly.  This may give me new motivation and the ability to blog more frequently. 

So…here is my first, what I am terming a “blogette.”  It’s not quite as long as a blog post…and its certainly not a “tweet” from twitter.

I cam across this article this morning on Comcast.net.  It was absolutely hilarious on a few points. 

1.  the "vegan” society—or something like that, wants some warning put on here.

2.  the dietician wants a warning on here that says extremely unhealthy.

3.  I want a warning on here that says, WILL cause gas, bad breath, impacted colon and diarrhea—all at once.

And in the end it is a marketing gimmick.  Who really cares if something eats this 8 pound, $20 burger.  The only one suffering is the person that eats and eventually re-tastes this treat.  It’s not like its a 3x a week adventure.  I would think those people who go to McDonalds or Burger King 3-4 times a week will actually consumer quite a bit more than this knuckle head wolfing the delectable delight down at a some minor league sporting event.

So…in the end I say…”Why now enjoy it with a 48 ounce beer?”

Comcast.net: Warning sought for burger the size of your head

SparkNotes: The Communist Manifesto: Summary

Read this summary and look up the full manifesto. I'd hate to think we are heading back here. I can certainly draw my own connections. Can you?

SparkNotes: The Communist Manifesto: Summary

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March 2nd snow storm...

So, it is March 2nd and we just got almost a foot of snow dumped on us here in northern MA. Not too unusual for us, but you know what, I just don't want any more snow. As I get older, I get more frustrated with the weather. I used to love the snow. Skiing was all we used to talk about growing up. I remember getting up at 5AM and driving 3 hours to Killington to ski and then drive home. Now, if its below 35 degrees, I just don't want to do it!



Meanwhile...back in reality...



I think I just posted some notes on the Communist Manifesto. I find it eerily ironic that our society is encroaching on something that was so revered for so long. I also find it eerily ironic that both sides of the aisle have a place in line to help make it happen.



I don't like government spending, especially at this level we are embarking on: $1.7 TRILLION. And we are going to cut our deficit in half in the next 4 years by taxing the rich. Great. Oh, I almost forgot, that doesn't include $600 BILLION for healthcare. I think we are about to endanger more of our future than anyone can fathom. Tax and spend is back. I can't wait to see the inflation numbers in 12 months. Artificial economic growth. My prediction is that the Poor/Rich line lowers from $250,000 in the next year.

I don't think that we should bail out any of the automanufacturers. If it is such an important peice of our economy, why do we buy more cars from foreign manufacturers? Why are their cars so much better than our Made In America cars? They may look good, but they run poorly. I love that President O was quoted as saying "we still make the best cars in the world..." and then then next day Consumer Reports ranks GM and Chrystler as the bottom 2 out of the 15 auto manufacturers. Nice understanding of the marketplace Mr. President.

If in fact we do own something like 45% of the banking industry as citizens...when do I get to see my returns? Do I now get employee benefits suchs as no fee ATM's or low rate mortgages? Bush started the socialization process of the banking industry...I was hoping that the Big O would stop, oh wait, let's just dump another 1/2 Billion into it.

The first thing I learned in business is that you can't just throw money at a problem. I thought that this was common knowledge. It would have been nice to go about this in a systematic way of thinking through the problem and making LOTS of changes. Einstein said (and I paraphrase), you can't solve a problem using the same mindset that created it. It is just impossible. You can't think harder, you have to think differently. You can't go back to things you have done in the past and expect them to change what is happening know.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Haven't posted since December...

Okay, so I have started to write again for those who may have read my posts last year. Some running commentary that has been on my mind since my last post. In no particular order...

1. This years American Idol (I am a huge fan)...Stinks
2. I think the stimulus package is a load of bull-puckey...nothing will stimulate my personal income. President Obama will NOT make it rain Skittles and create a place where dogs and cats get along.
   
3. Alex Rodriguez is the biggest detriment to ALL professional sports. Greed is NOT good...and cheating should cause a lifetime ban.
4. Pete Rose should be allowed to get into the Hall of Fame...MLB is a hypocrisy.
5. Manny Ramirez is the quintessential definition of self-centered...my kids used to want to be like him...now not so much (and they are 6 and 9)
6. The marketplace is tough right now and I think there is a lot of available money out there and many companies are climbing on the "help us" bandwagon.
7. I think the media is the biggest propaganda machine that dictates how the general public thinks and acts...and we have no control over it.
8. We need to get back to family first...I don't really know what that means, but I like the notion.
9. Business travel is still getting worse and more expensive.
10. Gas prices went down and the airlines are still charging the premiums for checked bags and soda costs $5 now.

I hope to be posting more. I have a lot on my mind and I need to organize it and let it flow...

Corruptilidicious...

Wow. Governor Blagojevich from Illinois is my hero...only due to the fact that he must have the biggest set of stones EVER. Who the hell does this guy really think he is? Isn't organized crime--racketeering, bribery and payoffs-something out of days of old? I always thought the old-boy, money in the envelope thing was a Republican party trick...military contracts, oil payoffs, etc. But this is great. Thievery is bi-partisan!

Below, find the unofficial timeline of this fiasco that the Governor has created. No names have been changed to protect the innocent....

Here I am...Nice and happy. I am governor of Illinois. Running a fairly populous state (thanks to Chicago). Doing what I do and doing a good job at it....

"So that (expletive/derogatory statement) Obama is going to be president...and you want his Senate seat...well you have to pay to play. You, know what my favorite movie is? Let me give you a line..."

"Isn't that that a great clip from the movie? I probably shouldn't be talking to you over the phone. Do you hear that faint clicking/beeping sound? It must be a bad connection...oh well...you know what you have to do...If you want the Senate seat...You have to SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!"

A few weeks later, the good Governor had a knock at his door at 4:15 a.m. Could the dog be out? What could it be?

The good Governor had a not-so-happy-to-see-me face on...Busted! Taken away by federal agents who had been monitoring his business dealings. This puts a whole new side on the face of Illinois politics. Is this the same state who had thousands of dead people vote for one of the Daly's? What a state! What a country.

Now...the implications of this situation are causing a lot of questoning to the state of Illinois politics.

To feel good about this if you live in Illinois: http://wbztv.com/slideshows/Dianne.Wilkerson.Bribery.20.850439.html

The power of yesterday...

Okay...so I haven't published in a few weeks.  A hectic work schedule and then a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday kept me away from ranting and more in "do" mode...

The title of this post is significant.  This past weekend I attended my 20th highschool reunion.  It was absolutely amazing.  Yeah, the butt-heads were still butt-heads, the drunks got drunk and groupings of people didn't change from what it was in 1988.

We all got a little grayer, a little wider and some even a little taller (not me).  What amazed me was the collectives ability to resume, literally where we all left off 20 years ago.  Some people hadn't seen each other since graduation and some people actually married each other (which to me was some of the biggest surprises) and actually procreated and probably shouldn't have.

Our ability to recall history in a fleeting moment really astonished me.  There were pictures that you don't even remember being taken and at the same time you knew exactly what you were doing at the moment the flash went off.  The reunion forced us to relive moments in time that presumably had little historical significance, yet to someone else it was of great impact.  I don't know how many times on Saturday night I heard..."remember when...that was so cool you did that and thanks..."  Truly amazing.  

I would have to say time was generally good to us as a whole.  The women of the class of 1988 far outpaced the men in the looking good department.  Which to me is a huge phenomenon as I didn't recongnize many of them without their turtlenecks, champion sweatshirts, pegged acid-washed jeans and braces...now I wish I had paid more attention back then...

In the end, the cool kids weren't really that cool anymore...the geeks weren't really the geeks anymore...and the jocks, well lets just say weren't in that jock-ish shape anymore.  Either way, it was a great night and brought back some youthful moments that have seem to have gotten lost over the years and let us all for a few hours be 18 again.

The Power of Connecton Making

My life these days revolves around working with organizations and teams that are stuck; and what they are stuck with is the inability to move forward and in some cases generate ideas that will create growth for them, the team and the company or organization they work for.  I love what I do, therefore I don't feel that it is work which is a good thing.

The key to my clients being successful is that they need to see the work evolve for themselves.  There is nothing I can do make this happen except ask them to look for connections where none seem relevant, apparent or even possible.  

This whole idea of CONNECTION MAKING is what helps in driving innovation.  Sharpening our ability to tap into this power that has long been beaten out of us through schooling and our need to be right (and certainly NOT wrong) will help us begin to see problems, opportunities and solutions in a new light.

So how do we make connections?  The answer is easy--JUST DO IT! (Stealing a term from Nike).  But the practicality of the situation is that it isn't easy to do due to the fact that our environment at work (and even at home) doesn't allow us to do it.  We tend to censor our thoughts and feelings at our most creative moments so that we don't look stupid (in most cases we just feel stupid).  We force our thoughts through a focal point of always saying "that won't work here" and "why the heck should I say that?  The

y will jus laught at me!"  And, "that wont work in our business."  When in reality, most of our problems have been solved by somebody else in some other fashion--and I would argue the point that almost 100% of our problems have already been solved in some way in nature.

Take for example the story of how Velcro was invented and I will paraphrase here:  The swiss engineer was tired of having to help his wife zip up the back of her dress because it was always coming undone.  He went for a walk in the woods and upon his return he noticed that the sticky-burrs stuck on his wool pants.  He was intrigued with the "locking mechanism" of the burr to the wool and that eventually because the guiding force behind Velcro!  The point to take away is that his solution was already out there for his problem.  He just had to allow himself to see the connection.  (Another big aspect of why this happened is that he stepped away from his problem...on this walk with his dog we can assume that he didn't embark to find a solution.)

There are some other famous connections from nature...Pringles was born out of a connection with leaves...if you want to know the story...drop me a line.

Connection making is also "connected" with new learning.  Theorists say that it all happens in the right side of the brain...our creative side.  When we learn something new it is new synapses firing and it becomes imbedded in our mind.  Think about how a baby learns.  As parents we don't teach them alot until we can really communicate verbally.  Watch a baby pick up a new object--they will taste it, bang it, feel it, throw it, etc.  It is this childlike exploration that we need to get back to in order to learn more about our challenges and look for connections in other worlds.  Check this website out:  PBS:  Secret Life of the Brain.  It is a fascinating look into how the brain works...especially with connection making.

Our founder, George Prince always asked what the connection between a tree and a tractor was...And, now the piece-de-la-resistance: