I’m very dependent on automation in my at-the-computer work. I’m a firm believer in having the machine do as much of the work as possible, leaving my resources for other, presumably more creative tasks. To that end, I use macros to smooth my activities. Some of the macros are software, often called up by specific keystrokes, that do sequential tasks …
Why the Other Line Is Likely to Move Faster (video)
This youtube-hosted video is a very engaging and entertaining quick view of queuing theory that provides an eminently practical everyday application. Questions: Are you aware of what criteria you use when making decisions? If so, what are those criteria? Are your criteria based on emotions or logic? Do you always use the same approach to making decisions? Is …
Is Failure an Option?
Failure seems to be much in the news lately. Over the space of just a few days, I came across several interesting items in the New York Times (What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?), the Harvard Business Review (Three Ways to Turn Setbacks into Progress), and a blog post from The 99 Percent (Why Success Always Starts with …
Perceived Uselessness vs. Productivity
Over the years, I’ve noticed (or have had it pointed out to me) that, when faced with an impending deadline or having to deal with a major project that I’d really rather not address on a given day, I find it necessary to diddle with my computer systems. I’ll update drivers, install new software, or just rearrange things on the …
Perceived Powerlessness
As I write this, the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. is feeling more than a bit of what Earth’s dynamic systems can evince: Hurricane Irene—while weakening from its higher-powered status—is causing major disruptions to various ecological systems and those wrought by humanity, as well. Whole areas of Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware are being evacuated, and the mayor of New …
Selling the Sizzle?
I’ve always been fascinated by spaceships–first, the science-fiction variety, with the then-requisite pointy nosecones, swept-back wings, and cockpit canopies, all of which made them look like super, super-fast fighter jets. As I got older (I’m not sure I can say “matured”) and began to work as a contractor in and around the NASA environment, I learned that such constructs were …