On the job advice
While reading one of the numerous Stephen Ambrose books I own, I found this quote from Major General Fox Conner who was Dwight Eisenhower’s mentor and supervisor in the Panama Canal Zone in the between-war years.
Always take your job seriously, never yourself.
Major General Fox Conner, from The Supreme Commander by Stephen Ambrose.
No commentsMike Rowe – Eagle Scout
The feature article in the Fall 2009 edition of Eagletter, which I was able to borrow, from the National Eagle Scout Association is an interview of Mike Rowe the host of Dirty Jobs. While the whole interview is well worth your time to read, I found a couple of quotes exceptional.
When asked about the highlights of his time in Scouting, Mike responded with this list of familiar activities.
I remember experiences more than accomplishments. Summer camp at Broad Creek in Maryland. Playing ridiculously dangerous games like “swing the thing” and “British bulldog.” Whitewater rafting. “Capture the flag” in the dark. Going to Philmont. Riding horses in New Mexico. Singing songs. Hundreds of campfires. Really bad freeze-dried food. Spam. Lots of Spam.
Asked to compare “Dirty Jobs” to the merit badge program, Mike said:
Both have required me to work in areas outside of my comfort zone. And both provide endless variety. However, the context is different. The merit badge program is designed to reward accomplishment and instill a sense of consequence. You meet the requirements; you get the badge. Otherwise, no badge. On “Dirty Jobs,” my only obligation is to make an honest effort and do the work at hand. The work itself (aside from my paycheck) is the reward. I am probably the only person working who is paid to try.
Well said, Mike.
No commentsMore Churchill Truisms
Wikipedia says this is unsourced, I find to too good to not use.
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.
Sir Winston Churchill
No commentsYour Government, At Your Service
In a recent news event, it was mentioned that any e-mail sent to the White House must be retained, by act of Congress, forever. It occurred to me that this was a really cool feature which would allow you to send a message into the future for your decedents.
I mentioned this in passing to my son Greg who is, apparently, a bit more devious than I am. He realized that it was a great way to back up your term papers.
Now, the obvious thought one would have, is, sure you can have your data backed up, but how do you get it back?
No problem; it’s called the Freedom of Information Act.
No commentsRandom Digits
Any one who considers arithmetical methods of producing random digits is, of course, in a state of sin.
John von Neumann
No commentsAdventures with Spike Adams
In my grandfather’s, Walter L. Medding, memoir of WWI is an engaging vignette which reminds me so much of the stories he would tell during our frequent visits with him during my childhood.
We had a hard boiled motorcycle driver who rejoiced in the name of “Spike” Adams. One day Spike took me, in his rattletrap motorcycle & side car, on a trip to Ft. St. Mange. In climbing the long grade to the ridge at the far end of which the fort was located, the motor labored considerably and the exhaust pipe became red hot. Finally a tire went flat and we had to walk half a mile to the Gas School. Here we begged transportation to finish our trip. A Dodge sedan was placed at our disposal and we were warned to hurry as the school was about to start a demonstration with chlorine gas. By the time we turned on to the main road the gas cloud had been turned loose and, as we had no gas masks, the driver increased his speed to about 15 miles per hour. Half way through the cloud a sentry tried to stop us, but we dodged around him and raced on. The cloud resembled a fog and visibility was very low. Suddenly, right in front of us there appeared a motorcycle. It had been stopped by the sentry and had hardly gotten under way again. It was impossible to stop the car and when we hit the motorcycle our driver temporarily lost control. We swerved to the right, bumped through the ditch at the side of the road and careened through the trees of a small woods. Although we avoided hitting anything as we entered the woods, it took 2 days to get the car out again.
Of course, we piled out of the car and rushed to see how much damaged we had done to the motorcycle driver. We found it was Roy McCutchen, who was badly scratched by gravel but otherwise unhurt, so we all hurried out of the gas cloud in the direction of Ft. St. Menge. Apparently the concentration of chlorine was not very heavy, for none of us suffered the slightest effects.
Hmm, it could only have happened in 1918.
No commentsWhat’s wrong with those guys?
In a recent conversation with my son, Greg, he was telling me about a processor with 3 cores. We both agreed that there was something wrong about having 3 cores, but couldn’t quite figure it out. Then it came to us – you can’t have a processor with 3 cores because that’s a prime number. And furthermore it’s not a power of two. Geeze, why didn’t they think this through before they brought it to market?
No commentsSometimes you only need to see a movie once
Before there was video tape, DVD’s, and DVR’s, you typically saw a movie once, unless the move was really, really good. Then you would see it every time it was broadcast on TV. Occasionally, a local broadcaster would need to fill air time when the networks didn’t have a feed and nobody was watching anyway. Like late on a Saturday afternoon.
I’m pretty sure that’s when I tuned in to an old BW movie which had caught my attention. I was probably about 8 years old. I think what caught my attention was the fact that plot of the move had the US military, which I had the greatest respect for since they had won the war, was doing battle with an “ice age monster.” NOTHING was working against this hideous beast; the carnage was terrible. I was on the edge of my seat; it was not at all certain that would the US military prevail. Finally, the heroes figured it out and did the beast in. I’ll never forget that final scene; a giant claw slowly sinking into the ocean. I was creeped out.
I never understood why the move wasn’t shown on TV from time to time. Then, recently, I looked the movie up. Oh yea, I was pretty young then. Never mind.
No commentsCredibility takes honesty
If you want to have credibility on race, you have to speak honestly in very situation.
Juan Williams on the 7/24 /2009 edition of Special Report
No commentsFlash from the past
Dashboard of a 1964 Dodge Dart with push button transmission
At a recent car show, I was delighted to find a 1964 Dodge Dart with push-button automatic transmission. To most onlookers, it wasn’t much of a sight, but for me it was special. This was the car that I had learned to drive in. And it has the one particular feature that I’ll always remember that car for: push-button automatic transmission. Ooh, I can still feel, and hear the operation of the parking lever and gear selector buttons. 3 comments