>Punxsutawney Phil

>I think I’ve finally figured out how this works (link here). Every February 2nd, he leaves his office to look at the AUGI Wish List. But what happens if he see his shadow? Six more years of no site tools:

“It’s not just a question of making a list of everything everybody’s asking for and the prioritizing it and sticking it in the software.”

Well, obviously. But there’s a catch. If you’re not careful you end up creating answers to questions no one’s asking, or likely to ask, or need answered, or specifically don’t want answered, or will even go as far as spend significant amounts of personal, free time trying to undo an untimely, ill-considered answer.

I’m still not sure if he’s going for irony or just stating the obvious or being obviously ironic. I’ll guess just obvious, no irony yeah yeah I get it nudge nudge wink wink intended.

Plenty-o-space in the Comments section for additional favorite quotes and well considered responses (limited to one favorite quote per person while supplies last other conditions may apply see store for details).

2011 Alphas out? Planning beyond 2012 underway? Can’t help but wonder what next February 2nd will bring…

>I’m alergic to cats

>Apple’s new OS, 10.6 comes out tomorrow. While I love apple (run Revit on my Powerbook), I have to ask if anyone buys into the marketing. Let’s review:

Revit release names:
2009, 2010, 2011 – ok, they’re a year off, but before the ribbon, I could argue it was forward thinking.

Windows names:
95, 98, 98Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Window 7 – for a while anyway, clear. you understand which was better (let’s say more recent) than the others. For all the options to buy all the flavors of windows 7, so far I’ve been using it on the Mac, it’s been quick and responsive and a good upgrade to XP.

Apple:
Cheetah, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard. uh, what gives? Is a tiger somehow better, faster, more productive than a cheetah? what’s next? Meerkat?

oh, PS.
Apple’s new OS didn’t change the UI, they just made it faster.

I’m alergic to cats

Apple’s new OS, 10.6 comes out tomorrow. While I love apple (run Revit on my Powerbook), I have to ask if anyone buys into the marketing. Let’s review:

Revit release names:
2009, 2010, 2011 – ok, they’re a year off, but before the ribbon, I could argue it was forward thinking.

Windows names:
95, 98, 98Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Window 7 – for a while anyway, clear. you understand which was better (let’s say more recent) than the others. For all the options to buy all the flavors of windows 7, so far I’ve been using it on the Mac, it’s been quick and responsive and a good upgrade to XP.

Apple:
Cheetah, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard. uh, what gives? Is a tiger somehow better, faster, more productive than a cheetah? what’s next? Meerkat?

oh, PS.
Apple’s new OS didn’t change the UI, they just made it faster.

>Job Opening

>OMG | SOM SOL | CTO 2 HOK | FTW

Let the $harpening of the elbow$ begin!

Job Opening

SOM SOL | CTO 2 HOK | FTW

Let the $harpening of the elbow$ begin!

>Decide first, think second

>My rant lately (besides the water department) has been what I perceive as a shortfall in process. With the economic downturn, it seems like a lot of places cut costs – somewhat blindly – and ended up cutting process that was important, imperative, necessary, and possibly around for so long that you don’t remember why you had it so you just threw it away. I’m sure every office / shop / factory has a reason for cutting. Wanting to retain key staff, not enough work / sales, new management who don’t understand the justifications of process.
Have you ever read the Toyota Way? It’s a great book about process. How a great company goes vets, validates, and refines their workflow. They have an awesome tool called the A3 Report. What it does is distill a process down to key steps:
– Identify the problem
– Understand the current situation
– Root cause analysis
– Countermeasures
– Develop the Target State
– Implementation plan
and all this has to fit on one A3 sheet of paper. It’s like a haiku for the business class. It’s also one reason why they are the top selling car manufacturer.
Create Process > Analyze > Make more efficient without compromise to product integrity or key product goals.

That last item is key. the product must continue to improve while the process becomes more efficient.
There is no water department. There are no leprechauns.

What would Revit’s A3 look like I wonder? Or LEED?
but more on that later.

Free T-shirt to the person who can give the best example of either.

Decide first, think second

My rant lately (besides the water department) has been what I perceive as a shortfall in process. With the economic downturn, it seems like a lot of places cut costs – somewhat blindly – and ended up cutting process that was important, imperative, necessary, and possibly around for so long that you don’t remember why you had it so you just threw it away. I’m sure every office / shop / factory has a reason for cutting. Wanting to retain key staff, not enough work / sales, new management who don’t understand the justifications of process.
Have you ever read the Toyota Way? It’s a great book about process. How a great company goes vets, validates, and refines their workflow. They have an awesome tool called the A3 Report. What it does is distill a process down to key steps:
– Identify the problem
– Understand the current situation
– Root cause analysis
– Countermeasures
– Develop the Target State
– Implementation plan
and all this has to fit on one A3 sheet of paper. It’s like a haiku for the business class. It’s also one reason why they are the top selling car manufacturer.
Create Process > Analyze > Make more efficient without compromise to product integrity or key product goals.

That last item is key. the product must continue to improve while the process becomes more efficient.
There is no water department. There are no leprechauns.

What would Revit’s A3 look like I wonder? Or LEED?
but more on that later?

Free T-shirt to the person who can give the best example of either.

>Dear Customer……You’re wrong

>In January I purchased a house that was in foreclosure and needed a ton of work. So much work that it wasn’t safe to live in it while the work was being done. Complete gut and remodel. When the former owners left, the water valve at the street was never shut off properly causing (remember, it’s January) the meter to leak several hundred gallons of water into my and my downhill neighbor’s basement. I called the Water Company to refute the large bill stating that there were no pipes in my house to leak and the meter (which was leaking) was technically not my responsibility. They replaced the meter and had their Research Unit investigate a credit. This is now August. I finally received a letter from them that reads:

“We have reviewed your account for adjustments due to a burst pipe, and we find basis for adjustment at this time. Your water loss at the time of the leak did not did not exceed 1 1/2 times your normal usage.”

3 things:
1. What does that letter even mean?? Those two sentences are contradictory.
2. Whatever happened to listening to your customers?
3. If I have had no pipes in my house at that time then 1 1/2 x zero should equal zero for water usage.

Synopsis: Drunken leprechauns have moved beyond the toolshed and into Water Utilities.

Dear Customer……You’re wrong

In January I purchased a house that was in foreclosure and needed a ton of work. So much work that it wasn’t safe to live in it while the work was being done. Complete gut and remodel. When the former owners left, the water valve at the street was never shut off properly causing (remember, it’s January) the meter to leak several hundred gallons of water into my and my downhill neighbor’s basement. I called the Water Company to refute the large bill stating that there were no pipes in my house to leak and the meter (which was leaking) was technically not my responsibility. They replaced the meter and had their Research Unit investigate a credit. This is now August. I finally received a letter from them that reads:

“We have reviewed your account for adjustments due to a burst pipe, and we find basis for adjustment at this time. Your water loss at the time of the leak did not did not exceed 1 1/2 times your normal usage.”

3 things:
1. What does that letter even mean?? Those two sentences are contradictory.
2. Whatever happened to listening to your customers?
3. If I have had no pipes in my house at that time then 1 1/2 x zero should equal zero for water usage.

Synopsis: Drunken leprechauns have moved beyond the toolshed and into Water Utilities.

White to Black

For the record, I’m a Mac guy too. that said, I’m also a thinker. Here are some thoughts based on recent posts:

History of Windows:
95
98
98Me
2000
XP
Vista
Windows 7
For the most part, simple, straightforward, linear. Progressive.

Mac:
7.x
8.x
9.x
10.x
Cheetah
Puma
Jaguar
Panther
Tiger
Leopard
Snow Leopard

What the heck is that? Is a Snow Leopard superior in wit and skill and prowess and computing ability to a Tiger or Puma? What’s next? Meerkat? (that’s 10.7 if you’re not counting) Come on, Apple rocks, but uh….
ps. if you doubt the rocking, who else but maybe google is doing this? way cool.