15MB of fame

Welcome to the longest year of my life

Can you believe it has only been a year since we pushed this little baby out onto the interweb? Me neither. I feel like we have figured out a way to stop time (or at least slow it down).

We are getting our party plans figured out for next Tuesday, January 3. It sounds like we’ll be celebrating at the trusty Elysian starting around 7 pm (and maybe we can get Des or DJ to have a virtual party for those who can’t make is to Seattle).

Happy B-Day 43 Things. I’m looking forward to many more years of radical self improvement.

See more progress on: Celebrate the 1 year anniversary of 43 Things

A story about "The Trumpet of the Swan"

The Trumpet of the Swan

by E. B. White

We just finished reading this book to Sophie (4 1/2). She loved it and it was a good read. There was almost always 1 laugh per chapter, which I’m discovering is important to Sophie. She likes funny descriptions, fights, accidents, and screwballisms, so all you budding chapter book authors, keep that in mind. I somehow remembered this book a bit sweeter than it was, and not so silly. I now think I’m remembering a different book about a swan in Central park? Any ideas?

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Why I recommend "Secaucus"

Secaucus

by Wrens

For the first time, I wished All Consuming had a “Fuck yeah” option when asking me “was this worth consuming?”

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Why I want to consume "Munich"

Munich

by Steven Spielberg

I like political thrillers. And I never saw ET.

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Why I want to consume "Designing Visual Interfaces: Communication Oriented Techniques"

Designing Visual Interfaces: Communication Oriented Techniques

by Kevin Mullet

I’m reading this book on the recommendation of Jason Fried of 37 Signals. He claims this is the only book you have to read to learn how to be a great web designer. Surprisingly, based on his recommendation, the type is not really big.

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Why I recommend "Managing the Design Factory"

Managing the Design Factory

by Donald G. Reinertsen

This is the best book on software project management I’ve ever read. And it isn’t even a book on software project management.

I think most project managers don’t really understand they are in the design factory. Few large companies can identify their projects in inventory, understand their opportunity costs, or have any idea which queues are blocking progress. Once you understand the economic underpinnings of project management, decision become easier and often new organizational structures are easier to imagine. If the topic has any relevance to your area of employment, I think it will give you a leg up, as long as you have the means to implement the ideas it gives you.

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A story about the last time I consumed "Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)"

Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)

by Richard Curtis

I watched this, and I made my wife watch it. I’m ashamed. We weren’t even on a plane. And much as I wanted to like it, all I can muster is, better than Notting Hill.

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Holidays, shoulders brushed off

I think I did a good job brushing the shoulders off this xmas. Less good at work the previous month. But whatever. Why are there so many haters?

See more progress on: Brush my shoulders off

Mandated MSN reading

Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box

by The Arbinger Institute

When I briefly worked at Microsoft, our divisional leader had all the management read this book. Which was interesting. Not the book really, but the fact that we all had to read it. The message of the book is that business is full of self-deception. A good example is the guy on the airplane next to an empty seat who unfolds his paper to try and dissuade anyone from disturbing him and taking the empty seat. The deception is that this guy thinks no one notices he’s trying to block the empty seat, when in fact, we can all notice. It’s an interesting thing to think about all the self deceiving things that happen at work (and at Microsoft, there is obviously a lot of self deception going on) but I can’t say this book really did a great job of elucidating an interesting idea.

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Never going to happen

Apparently, their are constraints on the height of the swings based on the distance kids could “jump off” from the swings. You’ll notice cobblestones and a wall on each side. Taller swings would require a pretty substantial redesign of the swing area and probably require pushing out the “swing area” quite a bit into the open grass / swamp area near the tennis courts. I just don’t think it is going to happen, so I give up.

See more progress on: get better, taller swings installed at Mt. Baker Park, Seattle