Labor day camp
one liner..
not sure where this is originally from, here is a one liner that spell some truth:
progress is made by (lazy) people who find easiest way on doing things.
and:
KISS (keep it simple and stupid)
there are many examples where being simple ultimately win. Google is a good example, before google, websites have a trend of being more fancy and complex, but google’s search page is very simple, it is even rediculous, a textbox and a search button. but it attracts more people than other search engines. it provides an interface that allow users to do what they want, that is to search for information. it provides that function, and nothing else.
in software, the best codes are written to achieve the same functionality with the minimum codes necessary, a good developer would say, if i have more time, i will write less codes.
open mind
the world is filled with many different things, different flavors for something similar. many people only adapt to one thing or one way of doing things, over the life span. it might be more convenient for them or easy for them to keep doing it the same familiar way. that does not necessarily mean anything wrong, but many times we should open our mind and at least check out other things out there that might work better, or might open up more options for you. keep an open mind, do not get buy-in on anything that might seem promising..
music by kevin and chris
piano:
采磨姑的小姑娘：
begin with an end in mind
putting the energy in the right place, otherwise you may have a temp satisfaction and kept busy, but in the end you notice that the end will not make you happy, it is not what you should be starting in the first place.
begin with an end in mind. work on something that would really make you happy and be proud.
– 7 habits
zt: a list of questions on innovation abililty
Finds new ideas by relating out-of-industry trends and patterns to the business.
Creatively solves challenging problems by drawing on diverse ideas or knowledge.
Often finds solutions to problems by drawing on solutions or ideas developed in other industries, fields, or disciplines.
Frequently connects ideas from industries or situations unrelated to our business (often through analogy).
Frequently thinks ‘outside the box’ and others comment on this ability.
Frequently has ideas or perspectives that diverge radically from others’ perspectives.
Does careful analysis to make well-thought-out decisions at work.
Strongly prefers to make data-driven decisions rather than rely on gut instinct or intuition.
Insists on realism and facts when making decisions.
Does not jump into new projects and ventures or act quickly without careful thinking and analysis.
Constantly asks thought-provoking questions to get at the root of the problem.
Frequently asks questions to understand why products and projects under perform.
Asks insightful ‘what if’ questions that provoke exploration of new possibilities and frontiers.
Often asks questions that challenge the status quo.
Regularly asks questions that challenge others’ fundamental assumptions.
Excels at breaking down a goal or plan into the micro tasks required to achieve it.
Consistently creates detailed plans to get work done.
Regularly makes and follows plans to accomplish work.
Does work according to an organized plan.
Is incredibly well-organized in work life.
Gets innovative ideas by directly observing how people interact with products and services.
Has a continuous flow of new business ideas that comes through observing the world.
Regularly observes the activities of customers, suppliers, or other companies to get new business ideas.
Often pays attention to everyday experiences to get new ideas.
Is very observant of the world.
Must have everything finished ‘just right’ when completing a work assignment.
Pays attention to details at work.
Is careful to avoid making mistakes.
Focuses on the details to make sure work is done precisely.
Consistently follows through on all commitments and finishes what is started.
Has a history of taking things apart to see how they work.
Actively searches for new ideas through experimenting.
Frequently experiments to create new ways of doing things.
Is adventurous, always looking for new experiences.
Always follows through to complete a task, no matter what the obstacles are.
Holds self and others strictly accountable for getting results.
Doesn’t need a push to get started on new tasks and assignments.
Doesn’t procrastinate on things that should get done.
Regularly meets with people outside of the immediate industry to find best practices and spark new ideas.
Regularly talks with a diverse set of people (e.g., from different business functions, companies, industries, geographies, etc.) to find and refine new business ideas.
Actively seeks out individuals from very different backgrounds who can help find and evaluate new ideas.
Frequently interacts with a large network of contacts to get ideas for new products, services, and customers.
Attends many diverse professional and/or academic conferences outside of the immediate industry/profession.
Is not afraid of making big mistakes.
Frequently takes risks.
Has a strong desire to change the world.
Thrives on changing the status quo.
Creates an environment where others share diverse types of knowledge to discover unexpected connections among ideas.
Encourages others to draw on diverse ideas or knowledge to creatively solve challenging problems.
Engages others often in brainstorming to generate wild or very different ideas.
Cultivates an environment that supports the open sharing of different, innovative ideas.
Promotes asking “why” questions to get at the root of a problem.
Encourages others to ask questions that challenge the status quo or conventional ways of doing things.
Encourages others to ask “what if” questions to explore new frontiers and possibilities.
Cultivates new ideas by giving people frequent opportunities to observe the activities of customers, competitors, or suppliers.
Provides adequate time for others to directly observe how people interact with our products and/or services.
Encourages others to pay careful attention to everyday experiences in search of surprising, new ways of doing things.
Encourages others to be adventurous and seek out new experiences.
Praises others for experimenting with new ways of doing things.
Actively supports experimenting by others to discover and develop new ideas.
Provides opportunities for others to network with individuals from very different backgrounds or perspectives.
Encourages others to engage in frequent conversations with a diverse set of people (e.g., from different professions, business functions, companies, industries, geographies, etc.) to find and refine new ideas.
Supports others’ attendance at professional or academic conferences or events to meet people outside of their profession, function, industry, or geography.
Encourages others to challenge the status quo.
Supports others’ efforts to initiate significant changes in how we do things.
Encourages people to take risks.
Advocates taking risks to pursue interesting new ideas or paths of action. 68.
Stays more informed about industry and technology trends than colleagues.
Does not make rash decisions.
chris dance @mariners game
nice music – superbowl halftime
this is a good show, tonight gonna be a good night…
electric switches and beyond
the 3-way switches have been out of order for a few weeks, although it does not really bother me as other switches at home are working fine. I attempted to change the switches myself but after taking the switches out, i did not see anything wrong with it. Before the switches went out, the switch in the garage was loose, it does not always stay on when you flip it up. i did not pay attention to it. but when the electrician comes, she started working on the garage switch first. I was wondering why she did not tackle the most important switch inside the home first, just before i had the time to ask, she already get the switch out and point out it was broken, and replaced it with a new one, and after that, the 3-way switch at home just started working! she explained to me that the broken switch is actually causing the 3- way switch to not working as they are on the same wiring unit. that is really simple, i should have replaced the switch in the garage in the first place.
Mao once said, one needs to focus on the primary issue first and this is what i was paying attention to. but sometimes you need to be flexible and find out any possible side issues related to the primary and try to fix them. you can think of this as spend time to fix things that might be related and that is easy to fix. this relates to daily life, that the decision to do or not to do, is dependent on at least two factors, if not more – the first is the priority, the second is the cost. if it is priority with low cost of fixing it, it is no brainer that it is to be handled first, if it is low or medium priority but it is pretty easy to fix, it may be considered to work on first as well. if it is low priority and high cost of fixing it, it will probably end up being taken care of last.
the lesson learnt: dont ignore things that are small, they could end up causing issues you feel important.
baseball and run the base
went to the mariners game on 7/31/11, vs Tempa bay Rays. it is the first pro ball game for kevin and chris and they are excited. they even brought the baseball glove hoping to catch a few home run ball. unfortunately the home team did not do a good job and before long it is 5-0. chris decided to root for the Tempa bay right away. they both know Ichiro pretty well and he is right in the left field not far from from where we sitting.
the fun continues after the game, kids got a chance to run the base. there are tons of people there and it took almost 30 minutes just to get into the field. but it definitely worth it. you are right in the baseball field which would otherwise not be accessible to anyone except the players. kids also gets a pin and certificated signed by Ichiro – i run the base on 7/31/11.
