Just having a little bit-o-fun on St. Patty’s Day!
Read More...Bob Parsons credits 16 rules for propelling him from humble youth to his role today as CEO and Founder of GoDaddy.com. Here they are!
1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”
2. Never give up.
Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted. Just because what you’re doing does not seem to be working, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means that it might not work the way you’re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn’t have an opportunity.
3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.
There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of “undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”
5. Focus on what you want to have happen.
Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”
6. Take things a day at a time.
No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward.
Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide.
Remember what General George S. Patton said: “A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”
9. Measure everything of significance.
I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.
If you want to uncover problems you don’t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven’t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing.
When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around.
In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you’re doing as anyone else, provided that what you’re doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair.
Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems.
You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There’s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: “A wise man keeps his own counsel.”
15. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There’s always a reason to smile.
Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!”
Source: http://bp.bobparsons.com
Read More...I love this holiday!
What other time can dress up like a monster or a fairy and get by with it? I pulled some info from Wikipedia on the history of Halloween and it’s name. Enjoy!
History
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the “Celtic New Year”. Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.
History of name
The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows’ Even as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day”, which is now also known as All Saints’ Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints’ Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to 1st November. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints’ Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
Read More...I was in Kentucky over the weekend and missed the winds 80+MPH that blew into the Ohio valley. When I got back to Miami University the roads were clear and there was power in some places but still no traffic lights or internet. All the milk at the local Kroger’s was also gone. 
Here is a recent excerpt from the news:
Read More...Ohio utilities reported nearly 900,000 homes and businesses still without power, down from 2.6 million after the storm Sunday. More than 300,000 customers still lacked power Wednesday in Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Utilities hope to restore power for most people by Thursday, but some could be in the dark until the weekend.
Power restoration has been delayed because damage from the hurricane-force winds was unprecedented for much of the region and required help from crews in other states, utilities said. In some cases, Ohio-based crews were recalled from Southern states after being sent to help with Ike’s aftermath along the Gulf Coast. Source
Amateur Radio Operator is the formal name for a Ham Radio Operator but legitimately calling your Mom a Ham is so much more fun!
My Mom took her Technician Class license on Saturday and got her Callsign, from the FCC, today. Her Callsign is KJ4GQH. I gave her my old Alinco HT to help her get on the air. Congrats Mom!
Read More...Found this on TIME.com. Note the difference in price depending on location.
Read More...It’s been hard for me to feel patriotism and pride for the United States over the last several years. However, Hometown Tales, one of my favorite podcasts recently decided to recite, in a Podcast, the Declaration of Independence in honor of that day.
Gene, one of the hosts, recited the entire text in such conviction and fervor that I was inspired and proud to be free. Hopefully the next president will be a source of inspiration for us all.
Read More...“People should not fear their government. The government should fear its people.”