The Frame and The Wave
Posted on September 30th, 2009 by mlwhall
Ocho Cinqo
Posted on September 5th, 2008 by mlwhall
Football: Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals has just changed is name (legally) to Chad Ocho Cinqo. His jersey number is 85, and fans have called him Ocho Cinqo for a while now. However, I think there is a certain level at which some level of mental illness is involved here. I have heard of him and questionable decision making in the past. But I think this is the case of a lot of money, lot of ego and people around them that will not say ‘No’.
I’m not sure how we could do it, but it seems to me that some level of accountability and responsibility should be involved here. I suppose that we as a society are largely to blame. We give these guys a lot of money to entertain us, and then do not put in place needed elements to make sure that they can understand the context of what they have.
People are telling them that they are great for most of their lives, and then give them money and the keys to the kingdom. So if there is mental illness involved it can get exaggerated and unchecked. I am not sure if Chad “Ocho Cinqo” has any mental illness but the fact remains that this behavior is exaggerated. Mike Tyson is probably one of the biggest examples of this out of control. Also, one of the saddest.
Is there a way to help this situation without denying civil rights?
Technorati Tags:
accountability, decision making, mental illness, responsibility, football, money
More Appstore Apps
Posted on September 1st, 2008 by mlwhall
On the iPod for Twitter I have been mainly using the Twitterific app which is a good iPod app that follows the lead of their Adobe Air-based apps. I have been a little less on Twitter lately. Twittelator is also a little fun for seeing from where people are Twitting.
I have been finding that Pageonce is kind of nice and useful (once you set it up from a computer). Using it as a quick look for certain types of financial information can be a time saver particularly if you are waiting for something to hit your accounts.
I am looking at SugarSync as a way to synchronize across a few different computers (and be able to look at the files from iPod). I have been using Mobile Me with limited success, and I am hoping that SugarSync will be a little better.
Datacase is one that I have downloaded but not yet played with very much. It allows you to transfer files to/from the iPod Touch or iPhone. It uses the device as a little mini file server. Quite a unique solution.
Technorati Tags:
social, appstore, datacase, ipod touch, SugarSync, twitterific, twitter
Bright Kite
Posted on June 20th, 2008 by mlwhall
I have been trying out Bright Kite for a while now. If it were not for the fact that it has some issues with Verizon (Verizon causing the problems apparently), I might be using it more. It is a little bit like a location-based Twitter. You can set it through SMS, e-mail or web-based interface to set your location at various degrees of resolution depending on the level of relationship (Friend, Anyone, etc.)
I think it is really best to be used in a fairly populated area or at a conference-type of environment. By posting location you can see who else might be or was at your location. However, it is useful to see where people you know might be, particularly if you want to get in touch. For example, if a person you are tracking is in London as opposed to San Francisco.
There is a sense by some that this is “stalker-ware” but I think this is only the case in general. You are the one that sets the position, and if you are even going to bother to set your location. Like Twitter, it is essentially a micro-blogging platform with location added in — Bright Kite pushes the idea of setting location without a GPS. While I would not like to “stalk” my friends it is a good way to get a sense of where they are if I want to get in touch.
I have a few invites if anyone would like one.
4-Way Integration
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by mlwhall
This article from Knowledge@Wharton: Leadership and Change talks about the need for 4-way integration of Work, Home, Community and Self. Stewart Friedman talking about his book, Total Change argues for this integration. I really believe that this is crucial — I have tended to argue that one should integrate their personal or home with their institution of greatest influence (work, church, politics, etc.) But the integration of these four areas resonates with me. Given my work in values, the personal is essentially implied here. And I have kind of merged Work and Community.
I think the key issue here is integration. While you may have some different “preferences” many of the common values will be the same just the order may change. The danger that I see people getting themselves is that they believe that the values and the institutions in which they interact are somehow separate. The priorities will can and often change but the core values stat the same.
First, it is very difficult to separate or compartmentalize like this. And if one is able to do it, it will likely create a high level of internal conflict. It creates a kind of institutionally enforced schizophrenia. Moving between these compartments can create tension and conflict. This frustration can, of course, come out in ways that do not create the best environment for those areas.
Accountability and Responsibility
Posted on May 28th, 2008 by mlwhall
Accountability and Responsibility, we hear about it all the time. Like trust it has been dummied down. It often means little more than managing milestones and meeting targets. It comes off as very transactional. I feel like my kids’ Tae Kwon Do instructors look at this with a much higher level. It is about “personal” responsibility and “personal” accountability. That somehow that if you violate this you have let people down at deeper more profound level. In the corporate reality, You might lose your job, but it is not like personally there is a one has deeply violated this, or maybe more importantly that one is rewarded for maintaining this high level of respect.
Corporately it is really achievement and success that is driving people. But for some reason it is under the guise of accountability and responsibility. No one is going to fall on their sword because of a missed target.
Accountability should really feel like you are piercing the soul if you violate it. I am not suggesting that there is no integrity in business and that people do not take their reputation and their relationships seriously, but all too often business is watering the definition to where it becomes meaningless.
New Blog
Posted on May 23rd, 2008 by mlwhall
In an effort to separate some differing interests, I am creating this new blog. This, I hope, will be an outlet for may of my more professional pursuits. This is my other blog.
Cloud Computing
Posted on May 4th, 2008 by mlwhall
Cloud computing is setting up as a major theme here at Startup Camp.
Sun and Amazon
Posted on May 4th, 2008 by mlwhall
Jonathan Schwartz (Sun) has pre-announced that Amazon and Sun are going to make some big announcements at JavaOne.