Here we go...

As Manager of Information Systems for a mid-sized manufacturing concern* I am charged with maintaining technology as well as keeping up with technology. As I have previously posted (see below - "The IT staff Leaves at 5 PM") my expectation is 24x365^2 where ^2 is the time and effort put into keeping up with technology.

I am always on the lookout for the "better mousetrap" and I think I have found one. How I found it is in-and-of-itself a great Internet viral 6-degrees-of-separation story. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away I encountered a social-networker entrepreneur, Joi Ito. Joi engendered a community forum to explore social networking (#joiito) and the many assembled. Great and small (like me) we gathered and shared, laughter and tears, joys and fears. I listened. One day somebody mentioned Hugh at GapingVoid and how great his business-card-back cartoons were. So I go to check out the no-nonsense-cut-the-crap-speak-your-mind observations and I am hooked. I needed daily fixes. (Thanks Joi.)

Then his "How To Be Creative" weasels its way into my psyche, into my subconscious. I am taken with the thought of hard work, integrity and "Ignore everybody." The first two I can identify with thanks to my father who instilled in me the great dictums of the Protestant Work Ethic. The last, but not least, is the true liberator. Be free to go, look, be, taste, feel the world not as others would but as you would, as I would. True freedom. (Thanks Hugh.)

Amid all of Hugh's acerbic observations and glasses of wine is a mention of a guy and a "Thingamy" ... What ever the hell that is... Says Hugh, "What's interesting is that he's building software that actually allows companies to replace hierarchies with "something better"." So off I go in search of this Thingamy... And I read, and I follow links and I read and I follow links and I finally determine that Thingamy is most aptly named. It defies pigeon-holing, categorizing, labeling or defining.

So all of that happened, figuratively, the day-before-yesterday. Yesterday through the wonders of Skype I got to spend some time with Sigurd Rinde, the principal architect of Thingmay. I can say that I still don't know what Thingamy is...HOWEVER, I can say that I know it has great potential. I know because the man I spoke with is not hampered by the traditional encumberences that force a project into a given mold.

In truth I do know what Thingamy is. Thingamy is a knowledge container system. Not just any old static written-down knowledge but living dynamic open-for-business real-world working knowledge. What is very important about Thingamy is that the container is designed by the knowledge. In most, if not all, existing systems the container defines the contents (knowledge). If what you know doesn't fit into one of their containers/boxes/compartments then it is not valid. If it is not valid then it is not important to your process. If it is not valid then you do not know it.

This is the paradigm shift that I have been searching for. This is the "better-moustrap" that I have been seeking for some time. "What's interesting is not that Sig thinks thinks traditional corporate hierarchies (including the marketing department) are inefficient and should be replaced with something better." says Huge. This is the very essence of "^2" that I demand of IT.

On Tuesday next I will get to spend some more time with Sigurd via Skype and RealVNC. He has offered to show me a demo of Thingamy that he developed for a Bicycle Factory. This is of particular interest as I am, as previously mentioned, the MIS for a mid-sized manufacturing concern. To date one of the major software problems we have encountered it the inability of existing software packages to properly contain the knowledge of our business. It is my great wish that Thingamy will change all of that.

Tuesday will tell...



* Mid-sized manufacturing concern - is a privately held, family business that I do not speak for.

When Kobi Alexander made a 1 minute Skype "call" he made a very big mistake. Not unlike Will Smith's character, Robert Clayton Dean, in "Enemy of the State" the call cost him his freedom. I am not here to speak to the relative legitimacy of Kobi's freedom but rather the nature of the incident.

In all the world the law enforcement/ information analysts (LE/IA) somebody knew either to monitor Kobi's Skype account _or_ they had the ability to monitor the account(s) of possible call recipients.

Because there are no clear international standards for personal privacy on the Internet then LE/IA is not prevented from eavesdropping on any Internet communication. So I am sure it was a simple matter to single out his Skype account and then just sit back and listen. IF on the other hand Kobi established a unique, anonymous account then the matter becomes a bit sticky-er.

Not knowing where a possible call would be coming from or who might be placing such a call then suggests a completely different scenario. Possibly LE/IA was ingaged in listening to Internet traffic directed to individuals known to Mr. Alexander. Instead of targeting a known or suspected/alledged criminal LE/IA quite possibly is listening to the incoming traffic of innocent folks in the remote hopes of catching a possiblel bad guy.

Here in the USA we have well crafted laws that are designed to protect individuals from unlawful searches. These types of laws have been extended to protect individuals from illegal monitoring of telephone communication, wiretapping. It is unclear to me the subtle distinction between voice communication carried by TPC (The Phone Company) and other electronic forms of communication carried by... in my case, my telephone service provider.

Bottom line: DON"T SKYPE! Somebody or everybody is listening to calls made and received. Or, don't be an internationally wanted fugitive and make the Robert Clayton Dean mistake.

I am mad as hell...

I am just pissed!

I logged onto one of my linux systems and my "fortune" was a quote from Hunter S. Thompson...

Todays weirdness is tomorrows reason why.
-- H.S. Thompson


...and to make matters worse I then SSHed to another system and the "fortune" there was by H.S. himself... (Quoted below...) So, why am I mad as hell? Pissed? Because the dumb SOB went and blew his brains out instead of becoming the GonzoBlogger that he should have become.

What could possibly been more natural than Hunter S. Thompson blogging?

Quick, get your lawyer and a quart of EverClear...and BLOG this!

After two or three weeks of this madness, you begin to feel As One with
the man who said, "No news is good news." In twenty-eight papers, only
the rarest kind of luck will turn up more than two or three articles of
any interest... but even then the interest items are usually buried
deep around paragraph 16 on the jump (or "Cont. on ...") page...

The Post will have a story about Muskie making a speech in Iowa. The
Star will say the same thing, and the Journal will say nothing at all.
But the Times might have enough room on the jump page to include a line
or so that says something like: "When he finished his speech, Muskie
burst into tears and seized his campaign manager by the side of the
neck. They grappled briefly, but the struggle was kicked apart by an
oriental woman who seemed to be in control."

Now that's good journalism. Totally objective; very active and
straight to the point.
-- Hunter S. Thompson, "Fear and Loathing '72"

Meta-blog, blah, blah, blah... DO NOT READ THIS!!!

"He generalizes half the time about most of the stuff he says...so that he can be right some of the time regardless how reality comes out..."

I have spent way too much time in the company of intellectual idea mongers. Folks who by virtue of their linguistic abilities can mount a "meaningful" arguement for or against anything. I know because I am one of the folks I need to get away from. Then I met a fellow who had no feet...er, mind, ...had no intellect. Which is not to say that this person could not think but rather that he could not afford to expend any energy fabricating "meaningful" positions about anything. He is too tired. He is too hungry. He is too socially compromised by greed, lust, gluttony and the worst, fear.

The greed of having to get his before the person next to him takes it away. The lust of tele-idols flashing skin flavored treats as rewards for buying the next great widget. Gluttony bourne of a poor diet of fast convenient foods that hold little or no real nuitritional value. Fear as tangible as the smell of two-week old socks showing through worn shoes. Fear that in the Land-o-Plenty there won't be enough for him. Fear that being second class will keep him distant from a loving and caring God.

All too quickly the intellectual construct forms the ideological foundation of self-will and self-rule beneath the dirty feet of this fellow. "It is readily evident that this person has made their own decisions, picked his choices, accepted his lot in life."
His lot is not my concern in real-time but rather a Greater-Good issue that must be addressed by established systems that are designed to provide a Safety-net.



"I generalizes half the time about most of the stuff I says...so
that I can be right some of the time regardless how reality comes
out..."

Happy New Year

A GREAT AND WONDERFUL GIFT...

Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth

Boosting people's sense of self-worth has become a national preoccupation. Yet surprisingly, researchshows that such efforts are of little value in fostering academic progress or preventing undesirable behavior

By Roy F. Baumeister, Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I. Krueger and Kathleen D. Vohs

Yeah, yippee, yahoooooooooo!!!!! It is about flipping time someone said this out loud!

Self-esteem is not something you are born with! Self-esteem is something you earn just like every other perc.

And the thought of protecting an individual's self-esteem is tantamount to keeping them from it! Let people fail and succeed and fail and be hurt and be fulfilled and be _themselves_!!!

Yeah, yippeeeeee, yahooooooo...

Microsofting, to Microsoft - a verb

Originally published 12/17/04

Using Microsoft applications on a computer running a Microsoft Operating System.

While the practice is well known, the name of the practice is still new to many people. I became aware of the need for this verb when I attempted to explain why many people cannot warm up to Linux. They do not use the computer, they are not computing. Rather, they are Microsofting.

Unless or until this realization is made, it is all but impossible to convince people to try anything else.

Common Microsofting examples...

"I don't do spreadsheets, I use Excel."

"I don't have an OS on my computer, I use Windows."

I rest my case.

The IT staff that leaves at 5pm

Originally published 12/17/04

URL: The IT staff that leaves at 5pm I'm sorry, I haven't heard the important word, yet. And the word is? Expectation. As an IT leader I believe there are really only two issues that need to be addressed in this scenario. Is the Mail Server down and who is going to fix it? My expectation? 24x365^2 Ok, the 24x365 is rather self explanitory but for those unfamiliar let me elaborate. IT operations, big ones, small ones and even tiny ones must be operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is not optional. The system that is broken at 3:AM will be the same system that is broken at the start of business at 8:AM. When should it be fixed? When it is broken, not when it is "convenient"! But what about that "^2"? What does that mean? My expectation is that any IT person worth their salt must be responsible for self improvement and personal development. In what other industry is technological evolution happening at the "speed of thought"? (Thanks Bill G.) In what other industry is "hurry-up-and-wait" any more prevalent? During the wait time my expectation is that IT personnel are growing. They are engaged in R&D, Information Gathering, Position Building/Clarification, Experimentation and Innovation. IT personnel are expected to keep systems up 24x365 _AND_ they are resourced to keep up with IT(^2).

• Source Blog

Microsoft redux, again...Casting USofA Americans as the least... smacks of the Favoritism
shown to some XP users. Why is it that Microsoft insists on alienating the very folks that have afforded the Redmond giant the opportunity to flourish?

Reuters reports the XP deal...again! HARUMPH!!!

The difference between fear and respect... Fear is a noun, the name of a feeling... "of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger." Respect is a kind of a verb (tr.), an action, "to feel or show deferential regard for; esteem."

As a society we have lost the finer distinctions between fear and respect. In fact we have favored fear and disregarded respect. Respect has become a sign of weakness. In this day and age, if I respect my enemies, then I am weak. If I am weak, I will be vanquished.

Fear has become the banner of the unknown. We indeed fear the unknown. The extent of our fear is a direct indication of our lack of knowledge. (Side note: we are instructed to "know" our enemies, so as not to fear them.) But our lack of knowledge prevails. Perhaps because we sense how little we really know abuot the world we live in.

Example 1: I know a fellow who insists on carrying a licensed concealed weapon where ever he goes. His stated rationale is that the weapon is for his personal protection. To date I have never heard of him needing to even show the weapon in response to a compormising situation, let alone use it. What sense does he have that prompts such a behavior? I suggest that he is afraid, fearful of his surroundings. More specifically, he is filled with fear. Fear of what? He cannot say, specifically. He does not know. More to the point, the experience of his 38 years has not shown him one instance to substantiate his stated rationale.

Example 2: I have encountered a pervasive fear of snakes in my social travels. No where was that more clearly demonstrated than when I went out on the soccer field to "rescue" a 6" Garter snake. Players, moms and dads were aghast that I would pick it up and carry it off to the tall grass behind the playing field. And then let it go!

"Why didn't you just kill it."

"Oh, I just hate snakes!"

"You are so brave."

I have never been in the presence of a snake that attempted to harm a human being. I have been on the Island of Tortuga (Gulf of Mexico) where you couldn't take a step without hearing another rattle snake buzzzzzzing. A few actually coiled defensively, in preparation, in fear, of being attacked by the giant featherless bi-ped, me. I have cleaned the cage of a hungry and nervous Red Boa who hissed and postured, telling me of her discomfort at being disturbed. Was I afraid? Was I fearful? No!

Was I respectful? You betcha!!! I may look silly but I ain't stooopid!

Here in lies the great and important difference. Correctly identifying a situation where there is an actual and impending threat to one's well being - that is something to be feared. Having the presence of mind to subjugate the adrenaline rush and correctly assess the situation, that is being respecful.

I suggest that we, as a society, put a stop to living in hyperbole and work at respecting our world not fearing it. Respecting ourselves and each other not being so filled with fear that we cannot walk down the street without our licensed concealed weapons.

This was originally posted on Winextra.com as a response to an article about Google and privacy...

OH PLEASE! Where in the entire universe did anyone believe that there was such a thing as privacy? Huh?

Why are we continuing this charade of believing that anything posted anywhere in the Electronic Kingdom is sacred? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PRIVACY! Get over it and get on with your public lives! You INSIST on giving away the most intimate details of your life and then turn around and expect some sort of privacy? Get a grip!

Meet Joe and Jane Average

Walmart can describe Jane almost to the centimeter. Bra size, panty size, hose preference, dress size, shoe size. And then her personal habits. Deoderant, bady wash, perfume, eyeshadow, lip gloss, hair color (Jane is trying to cover that grey.) And she appears to be concerned with her "bikini lines" because she recently bought the latest trimmer.

Joe average is just that, average. Except Walmart knows the size of his penis by the condoms he buys (Magnums - Joe is pretty well hung.) Walmart can guestimate fairly accurately how often Joe is getting some... buys a 12 pack once every 6 weeks.

What Joe doesn't know and Walmart (and Jane) does know is the size of Jane's lover's penis. Seems she's buying a 3 pack every other week. Has been for almost two years.

We GIVE away the most intimate (secret) details of our lives and then have some expectation of privacy? Duh!!!!


By William 'Grumpy Papa' Meloney @ 10/18/2004 12:08 PM

What Price Art? - Is Art worth it? How come we have to pay for Art? Why do we have to have a museum? A community theater? A local dance troup? Ain't watchin' all that stuff on the TeeVee good enuff? An' ain't all that picture stuff available on the internet along with the rest of the porn? Ya'll wan' me to pay good money to see a bunch of folks shimmying and slitherin' around? You call that Art? Ya'll oughta see the detailin' on my pickup truck. It's a rolling mon-u-ment to Dale Earnhart, God rest his soul. Now, that there is ART.

One grain of rice... Why are we so selfish with our faith? Why do we insist that God must adhere to our views and edicts?

When a loved one falls ill and is at risk of losing their life, do we pray for our own comfort? Do we pray for the comfort of the ill person. Or do we pray that God's will be done?

This seems like such a simple, if not rhetorical, question yet I am sure it would ignite fierce flames of discussion and dissent.

{Preacher's voice} Of course we pray that God's will be done! {/Preacher's voice}

Then why are our prayers littered with pleas of healing and restoration? Who's healing? Who's restoration? Who's comfort?

I think the real issue is the one just below the surface... When a loved one dies, who loses?

The beloved Sister or Brother goes to be with God. Can that in any way be a loss? Isn't that the greatest gift of all? So, who loses then a loved one dies? The selfish person who doesn't want to accept by faith the grace of a loving and giving God.

I will tell you that the even the merest thought of losing my wife or any of my children is painful. Yet, what is my pain compared to God's? Did he not sacrifice his only begotten Son that we might be free?

Would I, or should I, keep from my wife or my child the grace of God, his wisdom and his plan for the sake of my pain?

His will be done...

In His service,

- Bill

$100 PC Steve?!? Are you suggesting that we pay $100.00 for hardware and ~$200.00 for the OS???

Or will it be your intent to saddle cheap PCs with XP-Lite?

It is terrible that the most influential driving force in the personal computing industry could further debase themselves by offering an OS that is even more limited that XP-Home. And all for what? A "Lost Leader" product in the market place? An obvious grab at market share.

I will grant you that the American market is fickle. It will be easier to sell them a cheap PC with a cheap OS than it will be to successfully contend with real competition.

There is some irony that a piece of hardware "should" be certified to work with an OS but the OS and associated software need not meet such a standard. Higher engineering standards will be demanded of such a $100 PC than to the software it is destined to run.

Camp Cupcake - The American criminal justice system is hoping for leniency and time off for good behavior. Hoping they will get time off and that their good behavior will not invoke the wrath of Martha "That's-a-good-thing" Stewart.

And who gets the "rights" to Ms Stewart's story? Should a convicted criminal be allowed to profit from his/her experience at the hands of her captors? Hmmmm, what about her "co-stars"? The other "ladies" of cell cottage 55170-054 - Shouldn't they get a cut of the action? Or, will just being in Martha's presence be reward enough for a life of crime?

Deep in the throws of withdrawl...ya'll - 14 days without Internet access would just KILL me flat dead! Now I am not a normal consumer. I am a geek, plain and simple. For better or worse, all of my work and most of my play is done in front of a PC, connected to the Internet. Anything else and I might as well be ... would be... challenged. E-Mail in the morning, blogs first thing at work, Bridge (you remember, the card game) at lunch, steaming media conferences, spreadsheets, applications, progs, HTML, perl, php, ls, w...

And then I would return to a home dim and dark because my geek(ish) wife and three beautiful geek(like) children would be anywhere else, plugged in to the 'net, satisfying their respective IM/www jones.

I have but one life to live for my ... Internet. Give me liberty or give me...a book? I used to have them around here somewhere... You remember, paper with printing...ancient media. I will give up my Internet when they pry it from my carpal-tunneled, arthritic fingers. When the Internet is ourlawed only major corporations and the military industrial complex will have Internet.


Ok, I am done ranting... :)

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. - Oprah Winfrey

My appreciation of Oprah just grew HUGE! Thank you Ms Winfrey.

Thanks Evelyn Rodriguez on Sep 29, 2004 at 10:59 PM in Awareness, Innovators and Creators | Permalink

Mount St. Helen

This is what technology is really for... Watching the sun rise at Mount St. Helen... from an office in western Kentucky. Ain't life grand?

Saving and voting, early and often...

Once more I will try to speak the Blog. Seems in previous attempts my efforts have been foiled by the illusive "Blog-not-posted" bug/feature. I would spill my guts out, divulging my innermost feelings and susceptible secrets...and then push the "Publish Post" button and nada, zip, zero, ziltch.

So, once again I step upon this path of eFaith and pour forth the essential mumblings and mutterings of a recovering mad man.

more to follow...

Lacking political savy...

What I lack in political understanding I more than make up for in my overall lack of understanding of humanity.

Where is the link between the attack on the World Trade Center (a terrorist initiative) and 2nd war in Iraq? Current Republican rhetoric would have us believe there is/was a significant link between the 9/11 attack and our (USA) initiative to remove Saddam Hussain from his place of power in Iraq.

Where is that link?

If my feeble memory serves, the majority of the alleged terrorists were Saudi's. Why weren't retaliatory actions directed toward their country of origin?

Why does this so much smack of a vendetta, a push by the son to vanquish the foe of the father?

I am confused?