thoughts, ideas, projects and musings
Archive for news
September 24, 2008 at 9:01 pm · Filed under news
It’s funny how memes spring up. My brother and I were chewing the cud on lightheaded frippery when he sent me a link to a website called graphjam.com. And then, just hours later, I stumbled (or was pushed towards) a facebook called entitled “Pop songs are best represented by graphs”. A picture tells a thousand words but a graph does seem to capture the essence of many a song — some truly brilliant work in here, wonderful creativity and humour.
I’ve added a couple of my own graphs too – sorry internet.
September 13, 2008 at 10:39 pm · Filed under news
We’ve just arrived on the Isle of Mull for a week of Hebridean rest, but given where we are on the project at work, I’ll not be able to wind down completely and avoid the beck and call of conference calls and emails.
It’s very lovely to be back again — I lose count of the number of weeks I’ve spent here and I’m reminded just how beautiful this country really is. I’m sure that beauty is is due to the quality of light here. From where I sit, with the island’s largest town a mile away, there is very little light pollution and the stars are incredibly bright. The moonrise tonight was spectacular.
Two small projecst to complete this week : Become Patrick Bossert and learn how to complete the Rubik’s Cube (I’ve had 23 years to learn and I feel somewhat lazy). The other is to practice some long exposure photos of running water to see if I can’t get that smooth, silky look. Watch out for examples soon!
Impossibly, it’s also 5 years today since my Mum died. She’s greatly missed.
September 9, 2008 at 11:39 am · Filed under news
I used to have a boss who’s voicemail message read “If you’ve got a problem, or indeed an opportunity, please leave your details after the tone”. I guess it goes without saying that he really wasn’t too interested in the problems, but that’s what comes with sales roles.
What I do find though is that there are people who’d rather focus on what the problem is rather than look for the solution. Some seem to revel in it and it just pains me to see valuable time and energy put into exhaustive postmortems. We’d all like to figure out what went wrong — but how’s about we do that once we’ve solved the immediate issue eh?
It comes down to personal responsibility. Some people are happy to point the finger and make accusations of failed communications and broken processes. Take responsibility. Fix it. Life is much less stressful.
September 7, 2008 at 6:01 pm · Filed under news
If you regularly upload photos to Flickr like I do (and you have a pro account), take a look at your photo stats. It’s fascinating!
Predictably, the most popular of my photos are of my daughter as friends and family rushed to take a look at the wee bundle of joy. However, the most popular non-Clara picture is this one of ‘Nipper’, the HMV/RCA dog statue in Bristol, viewed over 100 times this year.
However, in breaking news, I’m delighted to say that one of my photos has been chosen for a calendar of Bristol which means that I’m a professional photographer! And yes, you betcha, ‘course it’s going to be added to my CV!
April 10, 2008 at 7:52 pm · Filed under news
I’m in the middle of leading a project at work that reaches it’s first major delivery point next week. We’ve taken good time with key sponsors to ensure that we’re clear on their vision — and our delivery plan meets that vision.
Salient lessons learnt this week though and if truth be told, it’s a lesson that I’d prefer not to have learnt. My internal customer has placed a new demand on the project which, in my view, jeopardises the rest of the deliverables. Privately, I fume but as a professional, I’ve just got to get on with it.
A great vision overlayed with strong direction helps define the plan. Spend good time to work with that vision and make sure it’s all emcompassing – cover every base. Be flexible if you need to, but ensure that your sponsors understand and own the consequences every much as they will bathe in the glory of the finished article.
Gah. Leaders!
January 21, 2008 at 12:35 pm · Filed under life, news
A good while ago on a leadership course paid for by work, a question was posed: “What is leadership?”. (Rather an important question given the course’s subject matter.
The flippant anwer given by a Vice-President was that a leader was one who led. His view was that we should look around and see if there were people following. In a way, that’s right, but it’s vacuous and doesn’t define how one might become a better leader – how do you get more followers?
In an interview with The Times today, Indra Nooji, Chief Executive of Pepsi, describes leadership as the “5 C’s”:
- Competence (damn good at getting results)
- Confidence to have the courage to make the tough calls;
- Communications skills, to convey your vision and direction
- Compass pointed north to your true values
- Compassion – empathy, not sympathy.
A very fair summary I thought.
January 20, 2008 at 5:51 pm · Filed under news
Hazel and I, camera in hand, took a circuitous route home from lunch with my parents in law, taking in the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Nearly everyone there was armed with a camera, so it’s hard to take the photo that no-one else is taking.
The size of the bolts on the bridge hint at the engineering quality. Wonderful stuff.
Other than that, it’s been a lazy Sunday, quite the best type.
January 19, 2008 at 8:28 pm · Filed under news
A few weeks back, the story of Al Bangura hit the headlines. Born in Sierra Leone, he came to the UK to escape the civil war that had claimed his father’s life. He came to the UK, become a professional footballer for Watford and then was hit with the news that he was to be deported.
His story seemed unfair and so I wrote to my MP to see if she could intervene and today, she finally responded.
Her response is neither here nor there in truth, but I’m delighted that she did respond with a hand signed letter. Restores a tiny bit of faith in the democratic system in a way.
January 18, 2008 at 8:25 pm · Filed under news
Today’s picture is of a good friend’s cat looking at my facebook profile. I know, what chance!
Let me put young Stig’s mind to rest. The reason I was ‘bloomin annoyed’ today is because of an agency that we’re using for work. It’s worth saying from the off that they are good, actually, they are brilliant, but they are just not getting to grips with the brief. Their bill is daft!
As a result, they’re looking to charge me a shade over a million dollars for some IA and content strategy work – for around 50 pages of content. I think that’s $20k a page. The message ends with ‘off’. You can choose the first word.
So that was my day, highs and lows. Good news, bad news. I can’t wait until I have a full day of good news… but I think that’s coming.
January 15, 2008 at 9:14 pm · Filed under digital life, news
At the start of the year, I started a small photo a day project group on Flickr. It’s a simple concept: get your camera out, snap away, be ruthless with your editing and post the remaining, single photo to the group.
This photo, taken when I had to travel to Hammersmith (London), was taken as an afterthought when I realised I didn’t have a photo prepared. I set the timer, span the camera on its strap and allowed it to snap.
I’m told this photo is the very epitome of drunkenness. Hard to argue.
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