The final three days of the BLP were much like the first two.
We stayed inside as it rained outside, we studied case studies, we played roleplays, and we stopped semi-regularly to watch the Aussies win gold.
Like most of these sorts of things, there was a certain amount of useful and practical information, tempered with lots of touchy-feely bullshit.
Whether it makes me a better manager is yet to be seen. I'll let you know if my minions see any difference.
All in all it was a good week, but it was truly lovely when I managed to escape on Friday afternoon, and come home to my lovely wife and furkids.
Monday, 18 August 2008
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Merely a BLP
Two days into the Business Leadership Programme, and the part of my brain that deals with acronyms and buzzwords is full.
My personality has been analysed, my coaching style matched with its corresponding learning style, and we've had a rousing game of Simon Says.
In the midst of all that I've probably learnt something, but I've no idea what. Ask me at the end of the week.
On the upside, the food's not bad and I can honestly say I haven't been bored yet.
But there's still three days to go.
My personality has been analysed, my coaching style matched with its corresponding learning style, and we've had a rousing game of Simon Says.
In the midst of all that I've probably learnt something, but I've no idea what. Ask me at the end of the week.
On the upside, the food's not bad and I can honestly say I haven't been bored yet.
But there's still three days to go.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Gone Leadin'
Next week as previously reported, I'm off on a Business Leadership course.
It's a multi-day extravaganza, so it involves being away from work (and home) for a whole week . . . and I'm not sure what else.
It's all a bit Secret Squirrel with previous participants being irritatingly tight-lipped (so as not to spoil it . . . oh please) and the pre-reading is, it seems, deliberately vague.
Preparation has been minimal but interesting. Last week I got the results of a personality assessment, based on a survey of my workmates (boss, peers, and minions). This was followed up by a deconstruction of same with a psychologist, who pretty much managed to figure me out in one 55-minute session.
And apparently the personality flaws highlighted from all this are what I'll be working on next week. Can't wait.
So it sounds like I'm in for a week of delving into my own head, with the occasional excursion into someone else's to break the monotony.
The one thing that might keep me sane is if I'm able to blog from within the compound (yes, I'm choosing to think of this as an embedded-in-a-war-zone thing).
If not, I'll have to gather up all my thoughts and post them in a single diatribe when I get back.
I don't think anyone wants that. Here's hoping they have WiFi.
It's a multi-day extravaganza, so it involves being away from work (and home) for a whole week . . . and I'm not sure what else.
It's all a bit Secret Squirrel with previous participants being irritatingly tight-lipped (so as not to spoil it . . . oh please) and the pre-reading is, it seems, deliberately vague.
Preparation has been minimal but interesting. Last week I got the results of a personality assessment, based on a survey of my workmates (boss, peers, and minions). This was followed up by a deconstruction of same with a psychologist, who pretty much managed to figure me out in one 55-minute session.
And apparently the personality flaws highlighted from all this are what I'll be working on next week. Can't wait.
So it sounds like I'm in for a week of delving into my own head, with the occasional excursion into someone else's to break the monotony.
The one thing that might keep me sane is if I'm able to blog from within the compound (yes, I'm choosing to think of this as an embedded-in-a-war-zone thing).
If not, I'll have to gather up all my thoughts and post them in a single diatribe when I get back.
I don't think anyone wants that. Here's hoping they have WiFi.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
A Very Probable Controversy
Brisbane schoolteacher Jim Dooley has taken a group of kids to the races as part of a maths lesson on risk and probability.
What a truly brilliant idea.
Horse-racing odds are a fascinating application of probability theory. And where better to learn about how it works, and how much it's a mug's game, than there in the midst of sweaty panic and soul-crushing dismay that is the pointy end of the gambling world?
He should follow it up with a trip to the casino.
They can talk about the probabilities of the roulette wheel, the fact that in the long run the house will always win, and point out the desperation in the eyes of the pensioner feeding the last of her housekeeping money into a poker machine.
If it's done right the kids will learn a bit of maths, and learn a lot about the risks, personal and financial, of gambling.
But like so many brilliant ideas, it's been roundly criticised by self-appointed moral crusaders.
In easily one of the most inane comments I've ever heard on this topic, Australian Family Association state secretary Michael Ord said "one may question why you would need to involve gambling to teach maths".
Has this guy ever studied maths? If he has, he clearly wasn't paying attention.
Probability theory is all about flipping coins, choosing lottery numbers and the chances of getting a Royal Flush.
You can't study probability without studying gambling. Gambling is why probability theory was invented in the first place.
And when you get down to it, it's just about the only practical application it actually has.
What a truly brilliant idea.
Horse-racing odds are a fascinating application of probability theory. And where better to learn about how it works, and how much it's a mug's game, than there in the midst of sweaty panic and soul-crushing dismay that is the pointy end of the gambling world?
He should follow it up with a trip to the casino.
They can talk about the probabilities of the roulette wheel, the fact that in the long run the house will always win, and point out the desperation in the eyes of the pensioner feeding the last of her housekeeping money into a poker machine.
If it's done right the kids will learn a bit of maths, and learn a lot about the risks, personal and financial, of gambling.
But like so many brilliant ideas, it's been roundly criticised by self-appointed moral crusaders.
In easily one of the most inane comments I've ever heard on this topic, Australian Family Association state secretary Michael Ord said "one may question why you would need to involve gambling to teach maths".
Has this guy ever studied maths? If he has, he clearly wasn't paying attention.
Probability theory is all about flipping coins, choosing lottery numbers and the chances of getting a Royal Flush.
You can't study probability without studying gambling. Gambling is why probability theory was invented in the first place.
And when you get down to it, it's just about the only practical application it actually has.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Bootleg Teaser for TR2N
Twenty-six years after Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner donned their unitards and mounted their light cycles in TRON, we're finally getting a sequel.
It really says something about the anticipation surrounding a movie when shaky footage of the teaser, handycammed at a convention screening, is being bootlegged.
Looks like Jeff's back (note the cheer from the crowd) but sadly there's no sign of Bruce.
What the hell's up with that? It's not like he's got heaps of other stuff on.
It really says something about the anticipation surrounding a movie when shaky footage of the teaser, handycammed at a convention screening, is being bootlegged.
Looks like Jeff's back (note the cheer from the crowd) but sadly there's no sign of Bruce.
What the hell's up with that? It's not like he's got heaps of other stuff on.
Atheism and Me - Part 1
It's hard to define atheism.
The simple statement "atheists don't believe in God" is problematic. For a start, it's loaded with the assumption that there is a God for atheists not to believe in.
And so what is atheism? Is atheism the belief that there are no Gods?
Or is atheism just disbelief in all the Gods currently worshipped in our culture?
Or is atheism, as the name implies, simply the rejection of theism as a worthwhile practice?
The short answer is that atheism means different things to different people. Atheism, unlike a religion, is not a single set of ideas shared by a group of people.
Every atheist is different.
So when I say I am an atheist, what do I mean?
Well, it's pretty simple. I believe there are no Gods.
This is a simple statement, but it carries with it a few corollaries:
I believe the Universe came into being through completely natural processes; processes that can be understood if we study them for long enough.
I believe that every religion is just a conflation of the politics, personality and culture from which it grew, and should be understood in those terms.
But most importantly, I believe that we're on our own out here.
There's no supernatural deity calling the shots. The deferral to a God who refuses to show Himself is just a waste of our time.
We're in charge, and it's up to us to make our own way in the Universe.
The simple statement "atheists don't believe in God" is problematic. For a start, it's loaded with the assumption that there is a God for atheists not to believe in.
And so what is atheism? Is atheism the belief that there are no Gods?
Or is atheism just disbelief in all the Gods currently worshipped in our culture?
Or is atheism, as the name implies, simply the rejection of theism as a worthwhile practice?
The short answer is that atheism means different things to different people. Atheism, unlike a religion, is not a single set of ideas shared by a group of people.
Every atheist is different.
So when I say I am an atheist, what do I mean?
Well, it's pretty simple. I believe there are no Gods.
This is a simple statement, but it carries with it a few corollaries:
I believe the Universe came into being through completely natural processes; processes that can be understood if we study them for long enough.
I believe that every religion is just a conflation of the politics, personality and culture from which it grew, and should be understood in those terms.
But most importantly, I believe that we're on our own out here.
There's no supernatural deity calling the shots. The deferral to a God who refuses to show Himself is just a waste of our time.
We're in charge, and it's up to us to make our own way in the Universe.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Parlay Voo Too
Saturday morning French lessons are great.
It's the highlight of my week at the moment, which either says something wonderful about the place I'm learning it, or it says something a little sad about my life.
No, screw that. Learning another language is terrific.
The amazing thing is how much it's teaching me about English. I've learnt more about English grammar by studying French than I ever learnt by studying English at school.
But it's even more than that.
Going from one language to another is not a simple word-substitution exercise. The meanings subtly change. Statements become loaded. The culture that underpins the language, and the assumptions that go along with it, come out.
Learning another language teaches you that the way you express yourself, and ultimately the way you think and feel, can be controlled by the words you have available.
Orwell knew this, and wove the fact into 1984 with devastating effect.
In learning a language, you learn so much more than words. You learn about a people, you learn about a culture, and you learn about yourself.
It's the highlight of my week at the moment, which either says something wonderful about the place I'm learning it, or it says something a little sad about my life.
No, screw that. Learning another language is terrific.
The amazing thing is how much it's teaching me about English. I've learnt more about English grammar by studying French than I ever learnt by studying English at school.
But it's even more than that.
Going from one language to another is not a simple word-substitution exercise. The meanings subtly change. Statements become loaded. The culture that underpins the language, and the assumptions that go along with it, come out.
Learning another language teaches you that the way you express yourself, and ultimately the way you think and feel, can be controlled by the words you have available.
Orwell knew this, and wove the fact into 1984 with devastating effect.
In learning a language, you learn so much more than words. You learn about a people, you learn about a culture, and you learn about yourself.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Dead Pool July Update
It's been a relatively quiet month in the celebrity mortality stakes, but we have nevertheless seen our first score for the year.
On the 3rd Larry Harmon, otherwise known as Bozo the Clown (the original one), passed away at the age of 83.
The 4th saw the death of controversial conservative US politician Jesse Helms. Apparently quite a few liberal-minded Americans saw his death as an excellent reason to set off some celebratory fireworks.
On the 7th Democratic congressman Clem McSpadden passed away at the age of 82. No particular reason to mention him, except that he wins for having the funniest name this month.
He was closely followed by Canadian ice hockey player Peanuts O'Flaherty, who passed away on the 16th at the ripe old age of 90.
On the 12th the world farewelled Olive Riley of Broken Hill. At 108, Olive was the world's oldest blogger.
And finally, Kate is now the proud owner of sixteen points having successfully tipped the legendary Estelle Getty, who sadly passed away on the 22nd at the age of 84.
On the 3rd Larry Harmon, otherwise known as Bozo the Clown (the original one), passed away at the age of 83.
The 4th saw the death of controversial conservative US politician Jesse Helms. Apparently quite a few liberal-minded Americans saw his death as an excellent reason to set off some celebratory fireworks.
On the 7th Democratic congressman Clem McSpadden passed away at the age of 82. No particular reason to mention him, except that he wins for having the funniest name this month.
He was closely followed by Canadian ice hockey player Peanuts O'Flaherty, who passed away on the 16th at the ripe old age of 90.
On the 12th the world farewelled Olive Riley of Broken Hill. At 108, Olive was the world's oldest blogger.
And finally, Kate is now the proud owner of sixteen points having successfully tipped the legendary Estelle Getty, who sadly passed away on the 22nd at the age of 84.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Ooh Shiny
I'm writing this on my shiny new laptop, which is now working after a bit of a worrisome start.
When I got it home last night, quite giddy with anticipation I was, so it was a little disappointing when it failed to boot up.
It turns out the extra memory stick I'd requested was faulty, and once I'd removed it we were good to go.
So here we are.
The first thing I noticed was the ridulous amount of pre-installed software clogging up the works. That's gonna have to go.
In fact, maybe I'll just wipe the hard drive and and reinstall Windows from scratch. Nice and tidy.
After all, if I wanted a machine crammed with a bunch of shit I'm never going to use, I would have bought a Mac.
When I got it home last night, quite giddy with anticipation I was, so it was a little disappointing when it failed to boot up.
It turns out the extra memory stick I'd requested was faulty, and once I'd removed it we were good to go.
So here we are.
The first thing I noticed was the ridulous amount of pre-installed software clogging up the works. That's gonna have to go.
In fact, maybe I'll just wipe the hard drive and and reinstall Windows from scratch. Nice and tidy.
After all, if I wanted a machine crammed with a bunch of shit I'm never going to use, I would have bought a Mac.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Starbucks
It's just been announced that 61 of the 84 Starbucks outlets in Australia will be closing at the end of this week.
While it's tragic for the employees etc I just can't help feeling a little proud.
The quote from Starbucks boss Howard Schultz was that "no other international markets need to be addressed in this manner".
What I'm hearing is that Australians appreciate good coffee, have good coffee readily available, and really don't need some corporate behemoth doling out overpriced imitation coffee-like product.
But really, we could have told them that before they opened the first one here eight years ago.
While it's tragic for the employees etc I just can't help feeling a little proud.
The quote from Starbucks boss Howard Schultz was that "no other international markets need to be addressed in this manner".
What I'm hearing is that Australians appreciate good coffee, have good coffee readily available, and really don't need some corporate behemoth doling out overpriced imitation coffee-like product.
But really, we could have told them that before they opened the first one here eight years ago.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Two weeks to Doomsday
In two weeks the Large Hadron Collider, a massive particle accelerator under the border of France and Switzerland, will go online.
Particle accelerators are nothing new, and the idea is simple . . . you smash particles together at insanely high speeds and see what happens.
But the LHC is so massive, and the collisions will be so violent, that apparently we risk generating a black hole, tearing the space-time continuum and destroying reality. Oooh.
Well, it just makes it that little bit more exciting, doesn't it? And hey, discovery is discovery. (I can see the debrief: "So that's how you destroy the universe. Huh.")
And anyway, so what if we tear a hole to another dimension? We've all seen Star Trek. We know how this works.
Sure it might be a dimension full of badass alien invaders intent on destroying our world and stealing our water.
But it's just as likely to be full of hot alien babes in silver jumpsuits desperate to understand this human emotion called "love".
And I for one am willing to take that chance.
Particle accelerators are nothing new, and the idea is simple . . . you smash particles together at insanely high speeds and see what happens.
But the LHC is so massive, and the collisions will be so violent, that apparently we risk generating a black hole, tearing the space-time continuum and destroying reality. Oooh.
Well, it just makes it that little bit more exciting, doesn't it? And hey, discovery is discovery. (I can see the debrief: "So that's how you destroy the universe. Huh.")
And anyway, so what if we tear a hole to another dimension? We've all seen Star Trek. We know how this works.
Sure it might be a dimension full of badass alien invaders intent on destroying our world and stealing our water.
But it's just as likely to be full of hot alien babes in silver jumpsuits desperate to understand this human emotion called "love".
And I for one am willing to take that chance.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Estelle Getty
Actress Estelle Getty has passed away at the age of 84.
Condolences to her family.
And 16 points for Kate.
Condolences to her family.
And 16 points for Kate.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Audited
Awww . . . pwned.
My friendly local Professional Association has informed me that they'll be auditing my hours spent on Continuing Professional Development.
Like a lot of professions, it's no longer enough just to turn up to work every day and do your thing. Drones like myself must also spend forty hours per calendar year on officially sanctioned CPD activities.
These range from speaking at international conferences to helping underlings with their homework, so the definition is pretty broad. And as such, it's not a hugely difficult standard to meet.
Still, I must now submit a comprehensive list of all the wonderful self-improving activities I've undertaken in the last two years.
Oh, what larks.
I think a tax audit would be more fun. At least I've kept receipts for that stuff.
My friendly local Professional Association has informed me that they'll be auditing my hours spent on Continuing Professional Development.
Like a lot of professions, it's no longer enough just to turn up to work every day and do your thing. Drones like myself must also spend forty hours per calendar year on officially sanctioned CPD activities.
These range from speaking at international conferences to helping underlings with their homework, so the definition is pretty broad. And as such, it's not a hugely difficult standard to meet.
Still, I must now submit a comprehensive list of all the wonderful self-improving activities I've undertaken in the last two years.
Oh, what larks.
I think a tax audit would be more fun. At least I've kept receipts for that stuff.
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