The typeface was smaller than I expected.
But then it would have to be.
Getting Older
Today’s my birthday.
No big deal, really. Life’s actually too busy to pay much attention to it. It’s not
one of the “milestone” birthdays or anything – that’s next year. And for the most part, most of the time
“on the inside” I feel about half my age.
Selling Dolls
I’ve tried to explain this enough times that I decided just to write it up
once and (literally) for all.
We opened my wife’s doll shop in 1994. This month marks the completion of
our 12th year.
This month also marks the end of our current lease. That’s a decision point
– knowing this, last year we started asking ourselves: stay, move, go
internet-only or close down completely? The internet has changed the landscape
of doll selling fairly dramatically in recent years, and the expenses
associated with running an actual retail store don’t quite make sense in
comparison to the revenue generated by in-store sales. Internet sales were
“carrying” the business.
If we were going to be profitable , we needed to reduce expenses. Next to
inventory, which is kinda necessary, rent and payroll were tops on the list.
The status quo wasn’t going to cut it.
Another year of odd ones
Today marks the third anniversary of Ask Leo! – more on that in tomorrow’s
newsletter.
But as I’ve done twice before, here’s this year’s sampling of some of the
funny, odd or not-so-technical questions I’ve received in the last year on
Ask Leo!.
Note: As always, all questions are absolutely real,
exactly as they come in – complete and unedited.
The “answers” here are what I wish I could reply with. (I typically do not
respond to these types of questions at all.)
Too many hats
I wear too many hats and carry too many business cards. One possible solution: http://LeoNotenboom.com I guess you could call it my “disambiguation page”.
Powerpus
When your conference room has only 6 power outlets for over 35 laptops, the power octopus or “powerpus” is born: That’s only the most obvious part of the electrical mayhem. Among other things, we had a squid hanging from the wall too. Why two of the power outlets were 8′ off the ground is beyond … Read more
Finished: The World is Flat
I have mixed feelings after reading TWiF. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s
an excellent book, and as you’ll see in a moment, I believe it’s an important
read.
The problem, if that’s what you want to call it, is that it didn’t really
challenge me. I pretty much agree with everything that the author is saying. I
found myself thinking, “yep, yer right” over and over again.
The premise of the book is simply that due to our advancements in technology
– most notably the internet – the world is getting effectively “flatter”. More
people in more diverse regions of the planet are being empowered to
collaborate, and compete, in the global market.
Expedia just lost me as a customer.
And it really hurts me to walk away. Unlike most customers, who’d probably have walked away long ago, I have an emotional attachment.
I worked on Expedia. When it first went live, I was the guy who installed the “final bits” in the MSN datacenter where it was housed at the time. My account is one of the first on Expedia. Somewhere within the bowels of Expedia, it’s quite possible that some of my code remains.
And yet, no matter how hard I try, Expedia refuses to take my money.
My Father Turned 90 Today
February 16, 1916. That’s 90 years ago, and the day my dad arrived on planet
earth. Actually, to be more specific, a small farmhouse in The Netherlands.
90 years and many miles later, he’s living comfortably in a nursing home
about 20 miles and 30 minutes from my home. He’s a long time victim of
Alzheimer’s disease. We joke that he has the “good kind” of dementia, because
he’s content, even happy at times, and still has a positive outlook. “We keep
on trying” is something he’s said for many years, and told me once again
today.
Hopelink
I’m on the board of a local non-profit agency, Hopelink. There’s a surprising amount of poverty and families in crisis in what most assume is a very affluent community. Just because you don’t always see it doesn’t mean it isn’t here.
So, what is Hopelink? The one-sentence version:
Hopelink helps homeless and low-income families get out of crisis and become self-sufficient.
Finished: Language in Thought and Action
In recent months I’ve come to believe, strongly, that it is communication, or rather the lack there of, that is the real cause of 80% if the world’s conflict. Time and time again it seems like the inability to communicate an idea clearly, or the inability to truly hear and understand what’s being said, leads to problems. Be it between family members or nations, in my opinion it’s failed communication of ideas, more than ideological differences, that lead to conflict.
Communication is difficult.
Finished: Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion
I originally picked this up on the strong recommendation of several entrepreneurs that I work with. The original goal was to learn more about marketing techniques. I ended up walking away with a lot more.
What’s interesting about reading this book is how often I found myself saying “oh, that’s why!” – it explains a lot about human behavior and why we do the things we do. It explains a lot about not only how we are influenced, but why … and why it makes sense that it might be so. And of course, what you might do once you recognize it.
Finished: Callahan’s Con
Light, fun. I never go into Spider Robinson’s “Callahan’s” series with high plot expectations. Rather, much like the folks in the story itself, it’s good enough simply to rejoin characters that I’ve enjoyed in previous books. The story’s light and enjoyable, and a fine summer read.
Finished: Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, Book 10)
The Amazon reviews are scathing. I can understand. I started the series when I expected only 10 installments. There’s going to be more? Yikes. But I do think I need to see how the story ends. Sigh. Finishing 10 implies that I finished this one earlier: (Aside: rather than try to keep this previous post … Read more
The Questions You Didn’t See
A sampling of some of the funny, odd or not-so-technical questions I’ve received in the last year on Ask Leo!. All questions are complete and unedited – this is exactly the way I get ’em, folks.
The “answers” here are what I wish I could reply with. (I typically do not respond to these types of questions at all.)
I have a 14′ v shape boat. It has a crack in the front, along the seam in the middle. Would HTS 2000 brazing work or is there something else that i should be using?
Two words: Duct Tape (Hey, you ask a computer guy about boat repair, you get what you get, ok?)
A Bio, of Sorts
Updated in April, 2020.
It comes up from time to time, so in addition to Ask Leo!’s Who is Leo?, and my very out-of-date resume, here are a few words covering what I’m about.
I’ve been in the personal computer and software industry for over 25 years, as a software engineer and a manager of software engineers since 1979.
Gnomedex 5.0 Thoughts
Spent the last two days at Chris Pirillo’s Gnomedex. Yes, even though my comments last year might have indicated otherwise, I did attend. Chris was nice enough to move it to Seattle for me, so how could I not go? Some of the speakers, in my very subjective order of value/quality/excitement included: Julie Leung on … Read more
What I’ve Been Reading
On my home page you’ll see what I’m reading (or listening to via audio books) right now. All well and good, as far as a snapshot goes, but I figured it would make some small sense to record here what I’ve read. Dates underneath, if present, are the dates I finished the book, mostly for … Read more