I want Matt's job!!!!

So, a friend from work sent this to me today and I thought it was worth mentioning it on the rant. Make sure you check out this site to get a little history on Matt. How do you get a job like this, huh! He is sponsored by Stride Gum and has done two or three tours around the world. Enjoy the video - if nothing else it will make you feel good!

Hacking your Coffee Maker

OK - been away for a bit, but I am back now and loaded with lots of topics to rant about. You should see the rants pick up in the near future. Here is the first. I have developed a real interest in data visualization and for that matter visualization in general. It all started when I went to an Edward Tufte seminar and then started working on data visualization for a project at work. It has since passed into most areas of my life. I tend to look at things a little more critically now and am always asking the question 'what is this visual trying to get across' followed by 'how successful is it at doing that'. Maybe it is the long repressed creative side coming out - or maybe just a passing fancy...

I have ranted about data visualization in the past and this one was too good to not pass along. Not only does it apply to data vis., but is also has to do with coffee. Something that is near and dear to my heart as well as the hearts of my readers. Actually, according to Wikipedia's definition of addiction - 'a state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence', I am 'slightly' addicted to coffee and the caffeine that flows through its (coffee) veins. To the point where I get headaches when I don't get my 'fix' for the day. Tried to quit a few times, but that would only last for a few weeks. What, I ask you, is the point of drinking decaffeinated anything? Anyway - back to the rant...



Some folks figured out how to hack their coffee pot to measure their coffee (caffeine) consumption. Check out the article, it is worth the read. Maybe a few certain people at a certain church that I know of should install these on their coffee machines? The article also brought up a good point, would I actually curb my consumption if I knew how much I drank? That's all for this one ~ Enjoy!

Cool Web App For Finding a House

Once again, my friend Larry sent me a link to a website that is worthy of the rant. A company called 'Trulia' (which helps you in searching for homes) introduced a new tool today called 'Snapshot' which has a very cool UI design (UI = user interface). It allows you to select a price range and shows all the houses that are for sale within that range. Pretty common I know, but it also shows you where they are on the map and includes a little picture of the house (if available). In the words of Larry, 'simple, elegant and it works'. The perfect tri-fecta! Until later, Enjoy!

Career limiting moves...

I ran across this article from Baseline and thought it was interesting enough to rant about. The jist of the article is that you need to be careful about what you put on your 'myspace' or 'facebook' site due to the fact that recruiters and HR folks are using these as a way to screen potential employees.

Imagine, a future employer visiting your social networking site and finding out something about you that is very different from the way they think about it. For example, you like to 'Party like a Rock Star' every night and you are applying for a job working for a high school as a guidance counselor. Although it may not be right (and maybe it is right) that they use that in their decision process, the fact of the matter is that it will influence their position on whether or not they hire you. Kind of like tattoos that creep up your neck and stick out when you are in your 'interview' suit. Like it or not - the interviewer is going to form an opinion about you. (I call these types of things - career limiting moves...)

Another thought is that you can use these sites in a purposeful way to promote yourself. It also talks about the site 'LinkedIn', which could be equated to a 'professional' version of myspace/facebook. Using sites like these, might be a good backup to a resume. On 'LinkedIn' you can create a lot of content about yourself and the potential employer could learn a lot more about you with out having to create (and read) a 5 page resume.

So, I am not sayaying to hide who you are, just be aware of the ramifications..... Until next time - Enjoy!

New Graphic!!

OK - let me know what you think of the new header! My friend Dan Powell whipped this up for me and I think it looks pretty cool. Who is that goofy dude shouting anyways???

Thanks Dan!

Enjoy!

Linux for the Desktop?

Ran across this today and thought I would use it to re-enter the blog-o-sphere.

A while back I ranted about Linux on the desktop and how that related to Windows domination. Here is a survey that shows some stats on the topic. Looks like almost 80% (of top IT leaders) still aren't using a Linux desktop in some form or fashion. For bigger shops it all probably gets back to TCO (total cost of ownership), if it takes twice as many people to support it, the cost of the OS (free for Linux) seems to lose it's value propostition. We have a few (Linux Boxes) where I spend my days, but mostly they are just acting as terminals to run a remote session of Winodws, not sure if that counts....

Anyway, for more information on where I got graphic, click here.

Enjoy!!

Doom and Gloom for Windows?

Ran across this article today about the future of Microsoft. Gartner (a pretty respected company that analyses and reports on trends in IT) is claiming that Microsoft "faces serious competition that will make Windows moot unless the software developer acts". Interesting thing though. Linux doesn't seem to be picking up steam at the desktop level and, for a business, the Mac (although a beautiful work of art) is generally more expensive and incompatible with most client/server business software. So, who is the competition? The article brings up a good point in that there is not any competition in the enterprise space except for themselves (Microsoft). I would say that the SaaS space is where the competition is ultimately going to come from. When everything (or almost everything) becomes browser based, it won't matter what desktop OS you have, it just has to be compatible with the applications you are trying to run from wherever they may be on whatever you may have in your hand at the time (pc, phone, etc..).

Until later - Enjoy!