The Fermi Paradox

We're rare, we're first, or we're fucked.

Just read it. It's compelling. And my money is on rare and fucked. Accidents happen, doesn't mean they turn out well.

Ain't it the Truth

Managers spend nearly 17 percent of their working hours dealing with poor performers, according to a report from staffing firm Robert Half International. That's basically a full day a week that could have been spent being productive.

On the positive side, all the eye rolling is good for your vision.

Perils

http://thephotosociety.org/reality-check/

For years and years, being a photographer for National Geographic was a dream. I think a big part of why I went to school for archaeology was a half-brained notion this would pan out. Seeing as how it has happened not once, but twice, that a seat belt has broken while tilted over a volcano, I am beginning to think not following that path was a wise idea.

Semantics

Semantics (from Greek sēmantiká, neuter plural of sēmantikós) is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata.

Linguistic semantics is the study of meaning that is used by humans to express themselves through language. Other forms of semantics include the semantics of programming languages, formal logics, and semiotics.

The word "semantics" itself denotes a range of ideas, from the popular to the highly technical. It is often used in ordinary language to denote a problem of understanding that comes down to word selection or connotation. This problem of understanding has been the subject of many formal inquiries, over a long period of time, most notably in the field of formal semantics. In linguistics, it is the study of interpretation of signs or symbols as used by agents or communities within particular circumstances and contexts. Within this view, sounds, facial expressions, body language, and proxemics have semantic (meaningful) content, and each has several branches of study. In written language, such things as paragraph structure and punctuation have semantic content; in other forms of language, there is other semantic content.

I love words. I love that they have defined meanings, that they can be used in both a literal or figurative manner. I love that they are malleable, and can change over time to incorporate different ideas and meanings. Constantly in my life I am making up new bastardizations of words, or new meanings based on inside jokes; names, verbs, nouns, everything. I hold words very closely to me, as words are mostly thrown around without thought to effect or interpretation. It has been a day of words, a week of trying to standardize the way in which multiple people use and are affected by specific words and their meanings.

I've sat before in a large group and argued my point in what words mean many a time over a large span of years. Which ones are completely useless except to incite, which ones have more meaning for what they mean, and which are ignorant for the sake of the person using them. I have a hard time understanding when people misuse words, seeing the way the can easily control an emotion. Language is already an impossibly difficult thing to master in connotation and emphasis, and it is always going to fail to overcome a preset notion when a specific word is misused.

Every audience requires a different set of words. There are always going to be difficulties in trying to match up the user to the receptive listener, which in some ways, makes it a wonderfully fun challenge. Other times you want to run screaming from a room just to escape the emotion a word can create.

Today was a day of words, as was the week. A horribly difficult week of scraping up an impassible mountain full of words and ideas without a summit. May tomorrow be better.

Fujitsu Flexbook

The Flexbook was created by Taiwan-based designer Hao-Chun Huang for entry into Fujitsu’s 2011 Design Award contest. Seems like it didn't win, but the idea is interesting.

Done!

Reviews are finally written and submitted. Man am I happy to have those done.

Photo via I Like

Back Here Again

That Kind of Day

Seriously........

Need More Coffee

..thank you.

I Tried

Tomorrow (today???) is metaphorical D-Day. This is all I can muster.

Goodbye Old Friend

Time of Death: 01:00 CST. Rest in peace.

Looking at You Misspellings Chain and McGrossness

Yes, I am biased. I live in a soulless state without the benefit of independent, good coffee shops near where live or work. But, perhaps due to past employment and the idea of who the usurpers were, I had a lot more issue with the 'consumer' winner in coffee tasting over the last few years.

Let me clarify. I hate normal coffee. During my employment at Starbucks, I worked my ass off to become certified for 'Coffee Master' (and within a few weeks after my quitting I would have obtained it), because to me, it was a goal to attain. That said, I have strong opinions on African versus Indonesian coffees, even if I am not a regular partaker. My drink of choice is a triple espresso, also known as a 'Tripplo' by correct coffee connoisseurs (versus my 'Trippio' without a lid I'm given by local barista's), which I then tarnish with fake sugar and enough cream to not burn myself.

And then I chug, since I hate the flavor, and this is the best I can create.

However, I still will give credit to Starbucks for their drip coffee over Dunkin Donuts (I have a disgust over the spelling) or McDonalds (I have a disgust by the thin veiling of Frappuccino being called a 'Frappe') and have been disappointed over the last few years. If the goal IS to make coffee that tastes like cardboard, I'd suggest DD or McD, or even Starbucks 'Breakfast' bleand. Ooooh, yummy.

According to the rest of the survey, if I only liked fast food, I'd do well trying Panera Bread and Five-Guys. Since I'm not a fan of fast food (other than coffee), guess this study is meaningless and I'm just writing a lot of BS.

Up and Coming

I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time.

Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000)



Expect the worst, not disappointed, right?

Fujitsu finally makes the list

Major corporations downloading the 100 million Facebook pages off Bittorrent. Including Fujitsu, somewhere in then top largest 60 companies.

Yes, I have been pretty down on my company lately. I'm in the epicenter of a soon to happen quake of implementation of a new system, and it has been hard going trying to bring the impact down as much as possible. But overall, I've had a good time of it at this company compared to some other jobs I've had, and while there is a multitude of things to complain about now, hopefully this will change in the future. That said,I really think there are a ton of people at my job that complain for no reason other than to hear themselves complain, or that they don't understand they are not being asked to do too much work, as they get paid for it. So, in general, this rather makes me laugh, that now all of the wonderful whining and complaining is available publicly, and while it probably is some peon downloading it, I can't help but wish it were the new CEO, and preferably one with a vengeance for anti-company information.

Mostly just for the comedic effect.

Floating down the Fujitsu River

Eeyore only looks confused because he is still trying to determine what lies ahead. He needs to just let go.

Bow to the Hooves

Dear Invisible Pink Unicorn,

Please make tomorrow a better day. I could really use the break.

Thanks, Nicole

This Explains Everything

The case for ignoring people at work

Thanks for the link, I suppose it really does make it better this was received during a rather long meeting when I couldn't watch it. Too much joy would have been found. This really is perfect, although what he fails to remember is that normally there is always another manager above the first one wanting you to call a meeting. Anyone who knows me knows there is never a time I would willingly call a meeting.

Sanity Check

So my company is transitioning to Oracle and while they are developing the system we have been placing bugs we find in an online program so the team can process changes.

Today, evidently, a new status was created. I'm not sure if this is meant for the Oracle team or meant towards me, both seem valid.

Pretty Accurate.....

So this was me all day today, except with red hair. And except by today I mean all weekend. And by all weekend, I mean I am salaried. :(

New week today, today being with only 4.5 hours of work to possibly show for 10.5 hours of doing something. I subtracted the WTF, Means Nothing, and Not my Dept. Did not subtract the GRRRRAJDJSDFJSDJj from multiple Monday meeting schedule that allows neither a bathroom break nor lunch.

And tomorrow is only Monday.

So Much Simpler

Work still sucks, being pulled mostly to the conversion and ignoring my actual job. This demonstration I gave at my desk today would explain things so much easier if it could be used for process flows for my department.