Archive for October, 2007
October 31st
Knowing my interest in Germany, Karen recently bought me a tiny little German-English dictionary that she found at an estate sale: a self-described “midget dictionary” published by Burgess & Bowes in London. It’s got to be at least 60 years old (unfortunately, there’s no publication date), and it’s a mere 2 x 3 inches in size. But what makes it really special is the inscription I found in the back. “Dies gehört zu Franz,” it reads—this belongs to Franz, though I can’t make out the last name. After which someone else added, in a different hand, “der ein moron ist” (who’s a moron). There’s a little cartoon drawing on the other side of the page that depicts a bald man in a tie with a red nose and a really thick moustache.
Thanks, Karen!
October 30th
One of our Canadian readers wrote in with an intriguing suggestion for our weekly planners:
How about having a month at a glance calendar at the beginning of each month, so the user has the full calendar for Feb. for example, and then can go into the detailed weeks at a glance.
The idea, she continues, is to create a space for monthly appointments and other items that the annual planning pages at the front of the date book can’t contain.
Would anyone else be interested in seeing this new feature? Please let us know in the comments!
October 29th
Many years ago, I went with some members of my Irish language class to an apartment in Manhattan for a party on October 31st. The host opened the door and said something in Gaelic, and then repeated a welcome in English - “Happy New Year!” Samhain, (pronouned sow-en) is the Celtic New Year.
The Celtic year cycle begins with Samhain, the “Summer’s End.” The Celts reckoned their days and years from the onset of darkness at dusk and autumn. On the eve of Samhain, a veil between the worlds parts, allowing communication with ancestors and the spirit world.
This was the one night when the dead could, if they wished, return to the land of the living to celebrate with their family, tribe or clan. In ancient times in Ireland, the great burial mounds were opened up, with lighted torches lining the walls, so the dead could find their way. Extra places were set at the table and food set up for any who died that year.
Spirits are free to walk abroad this night, too. People lit bonfires on hilltops on this night of supernatural power; danced and leaped over the blaze making wishes for the coming year, and tossed hazelnuts into the embers to divine future events.
To all - Happy New Year.
October 26th
In spite of its explanatory power, I’ve always thought that the right brain/left brain dichotomy was a little overblown—sort of like a scientific version of the astrological sun signs, where people instinctually round out a very general character description with elements of their own personality (but who am I to argue that Leos aren’t “dignified and strong“?).
So I don’t know how accurate this supposed “right brain vs. left brain test” is. But it’s still a cool visual exercise. Take a look at the dancer. Is she spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise?
To compare your answers to others who’ve taken the test, check out the comments to this blog post (which would seem, at least from a professional standpoint, to undermine the test-makers’ claim that those who see her spinning clockwise are more creative right brain types, while those who see her counterclockwise are logical lefties).
October 26th
Managers spend most of their day managing people and resolving problems. A good chunk of the rest of their time is spent at meetings. In the tiny bit remaining they try to get their own work done.
Every manager tries to figure out ways to spend less time pushing and prodding and more time thinking and planning. One way to facilitate this is through building a company or departmental culture where people enjoy coming to work. Less direct supervision saves time.
I learned over the years to make sure I praise a lot, and recognize exceptional efforts and innovative ideas by my staff to the higher-ups. I ensure part of everyone’s job is fun, and regularly ask my employees what they would like to learn. Happy employees work harder, complain less, and take more initiative on finding solutions to problems. They care about the company because they feel cared about.
A new book by Yum! Brands, Inc. CEO David Novak shares his lessons learned on how to be a successful business leader. Much of his worth as a CEO, he notes, is doing “whatever it takes to get people fired up.”
Yum! Brands, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company with over 34,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. Four of their brands–KFC, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell–are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. In 2006 Yum! Brands generated over $9.5 billion in total revenues.
How Yum! Brands got to be so big and so successful–its stock has quintupled since going public–is laid out in “The Education of an Accidental CEO.” Novak’s book focuses on the proper way to treat people and the rewards that can come for doing so intelligently, and when possible, with a smile. “Thank you” is “probably the most important thing a leader can say,” Novak writes.
Leaders shouldn’t have too much spare time, he muses. “Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen to our company is me getting a free day at the office. I’m a creative guy and I can start dreaming up stuff to do when we haven’t finished what we started.”
October 24th
This morning, productivity blogger Gina Trapani posed a timely question over at Lifehacker: what would you take with you during an evacuation? Here on the East Coast, during a mild October drizzle, it’s an entirely theoretical matter—and of course I don’t mean to be flip about the devastation in California. But even in my rather minuscule New York City studio, I think about it and wonder… grabbing my laptop is easy, but which books would I take off the shelf? What photos, what family heirlooms? And in the rush to preserve all these items that are far more meaningful and important to me than, for example, my passport, would I still have the presence of mind to think about practical things like medication and government documents?
If you had 30 minutes to evacuate your home, what would you take with you?
October 22nd
These days, it seems like almost everyone receives way too much email to deal with in the course of an ordinary day—and that’s before you count all the spam. The trick to solving the problem, according to productivity gurus, requires some self-control: cut back on the number of times you check your email, rather than leaving your Inbox open at all times. Some experts even recommend checking email no more than twice a day! If that’s not a viable solution, time management consultant (and friend of mine) Karin Vibe-Rheymer Stewart has some more pragmatic advice. “Turn off the email sound alarm and pop-up window that show up every time you receive a new email. Put your blackberry on vibrate rather than ringer, or even turn it off altogether. This way, you won’t be tempted to check your email so often,” she says. It’s a simple idea, of course. But since we’re hard-wired to react to unexpected sounds and sights, eliminating those minor intrusions can make a big difference in your day.
October 18th
I missed writing about the Oktoberfest during the two-week annual festival. But, according to the official web site, I only have 338 days to wait until it comes around again. The historic home of the Oktoberfest is Munich, located in Germany’s southernmost state, Bavaria. (Actually “Munchen” - I remember a little German from my childhood. A saying or two, Christmas songs, and from time to time, hearing my mother say, “dummkopf.”
Oktoberfest means lots of good beer, of course, but it also provides a good excuse for some hearty eating, too. Germans love good bread, especially rye and dark bread. Stews, wursts, sauerkraut, wiener schnitzel, potato pancakes, and plenty of horseradish and hot mustard. Keep room for dessert! Try palatschinken, a crepe-like pancake rolled up with jam or ice cream in the middle, topped with chocolate sauce and almonds.
One German restaurant I’m planning to try soon is the Oak Chalet in Bellmore, NY. Gisela Wedel and Dieter Reinking have run the restaurant since 1981. Gisela, born in Bavaria, remembers the foods of her childhood. Weisswurst, the “white sausage” made from veal, pork and parsley was invented in Bavaria, she said. “They say that the weisswurst is not supposed to hear the 12 o’clock bell - that is, it should be eaten before lunch.” Dieter added, “In Bavaria, after church you go to the brew-house and have beer and weisswurst.”
Sounds like a plan to me!
October 17th
I saw my first floral taxi about a month ago, barrelling down Clinton Street in Brooklyn, where I live. “That’s pretty,” I thought to myself. “Maybe one of the medallion owners was looking for a creative way to set his (or her) taxi apart”—the way a couple of old-fashioned Checker cabs still used to cruise the streets years ago when I was in college (the last one was retired in 1999). Those were the taxis everyone wanted to ride in.
But then I saw another cab with the same bright floral pattern. Soon, it seemed, they were everywhere, and I decided to investigate. As it turns out, the flowers are part of a public art project called Garden In Transit, created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of New York’s first metered taxicab. Coordinated by Portraits of Hope, a non-profit arts and education organization, it’s brought tens of thousands of volunteers together to help paint and apply the designs.
The flowered cabs will be around all fall to brighten up the city. You can check out some more photographs on this blog, or even sponsor your own taxi at the Portraits of Hope website.
October 16th
I read somewhere that procrastinators are really perfectionists in disguise. This may be true for some people, but it can also be simply not doing what we don’t want to do. Since we’re so overloaded with work and commitments it’s easy to keep postponing, hoping the issue will eventually go or fade away.
I procrastinate when I want to avoid some task–usually a phone call–when I’m afraid it will be unpleasant, lengthy or awkward. Though I had noted it in my date book, I’d erase and put it down to do the following week. For several weeks in a row I’d erase and rewrite the avoided call, email or meeting.
The solution to procrastination was to self-manage and make myself do the least liked tasks first thing Monday morning. That way, I get them done, and don’t spend the rest of the week avoiding them or getting distracted by other work or problems.
