Boardroom Animals

After having done a workshop with the client this week, I realized just how much I hate the metaphors consultants like to constantly stick in unnecessarily. Like, they'll explain they need to break down a big problem into several smaller parts...just like that, in a literal way. And then they follow it up with a metaphor like..."Like cutting the elephant into ten pieces." First of all, this is totally unnecessary, and I, being slightly slow, take longer to visualize this image and apply it to what was already literally explained. Second, I do not need the image of an animal chopped up. And I noticed that a lot of the metaphors consultants use relate to animals. Don't know why...and don't know why we feel the need to use them.

Some examples:
- the elephant one
- the 800 pound gorilla in the room (common one)
- we need to skin the cat (common one)
- it's like the tail wagging the dog (creative and weird visual)

I just really hate consultant-speak.

responsibility

do you guys ever get shocked when people take you seriously? like about serious business. like when you're dealing with huge amounts of money. or when you're talking about 'important' ideas.

half the time i'm thinking. dude don't listen to me. i play videogames in my free time.

dude.

8 So-Called “Chivalrous” Moves That Creep Us Out

Do you agree these things are awkward? Any strange chivalrous things that confuse you?

1. Ordering my meal for me. This has always struck me as bizarro, because chances are you don’t know what I want. The only time this is cool is if I have no idea how to pronounce something and you do.
2. Letting me win at a game of Scrabble/pool/bowling when you are clearly better. No fun! Please give it your best shot. I want the satisfaction of really beating you.
3. Using a code term for going to the bathroom. Especially retro words like “tinkle.” You can just say, “I’ll be back in a minute.” I’ll get it.
4. Pulling out my chair. Someone told me this tradition started when women wore loads of crinolines and, thus, scooting in your chair was difficult. That’s no longer the case. It just makes me nervous that you won’t push it in at the right moment and I’ll land on the ground with a thud.
5. Carrying my purse. Yeah, it’s heavy, but I’m pretty used to it at this point. You carrying it just looks funny. I have enough of a hard time with murses.
6. Asking my dad for my hand in marriage. So outdated. Pops just shouldn’t be involved in our relationship. No one should know you want to marry them before they do.
7. If you’re paying for dinner, not letting me put in for tip. Or get a round of drinks after. If I offer, it’s because I want to. I swear.
8. Helping me put me coat on. This is sweet, but it’s always awkward because my hand misses the sleeve or gets stuck somewhere in there. It’s easier to just do it on my own.

Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-8-so-called-chivalrous-moves-that-creep-us-out/?cnn=yes

Interesting?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/25/victorias.secret.model/index.html

I'll let you decide.

what is a good friend

so this guy i know told his best friend to give up on his dream job because he sucks at it. they both do the same kind of work. is it his duty as 'best friend' to encourage and help his buddy be better or is he right to tell him to stop?

are good friends the ones that encourage you or the ones that tell you when you fail?

On Being a Woman and Marriage

Its hard to find that balance, eh?

On Being a Woman
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/opinion/24lipman.html

On Money and Marriage
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/your-money/24money.html

I just wanted to say that being a woman is definitely not boring, even if it isn't great sometimes. You cyclically get bigger and smaller in all sorts of ways; it's like having a different body at different parts of the month. Sometimes you can be more of a boy looking thing, sometimes more voluptuous. You get to eat more of all sorts of fun things without feeling guilty when you have your period. Like chocolate and fat stuff. And feel like you do when it rains but you're not like depressed and just happy that it's wet and you get to stay inside. Anyway, yay for the ever exciting days of womanhood. It's really quite adventurous.

I'm going to post the heck out of this blog.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/fashion/18Love.html

But isn’t that the risk of love? To be willing to stand on the stern on a beautiful summer day and, not knowing the outcome, to leap?

This is an excerpt from an article I was reading today. Miyamoto is a video game designer for Nintendo.

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Wired.com: Why isn’t Princess Peach a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. Wii?

Miyamoto: Well, originally I thought it would be nice to have Princess Peach in there as a playable character, but in fact, the Toad characters have a physique that’s a little bit closer to Mario and Luigi. And in particular if we had one character out of the four that wore a dress, we would have to have a special programming to handle how the skirt is handled in the gameplay (laughs).

And that’s the only reason that Princess Peach is not there. Of course, if we had Wario in there, we’d have to program him to fart.

---

Reference: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/10/shigeru-miyamoto/ Miyamoto: New Mario Tests Your Hard-Core Gaming Chops

happiness

i think someone's talked about this before but whatever it's interesting.

when we choose our occupations we are supposed to choose what we love. right?

my mentor thinks so. but that sort of idealism drives people away from jobs where they are "good enough." do we really expect to both love every moment of our jobs and be eternally happy with them?

maybe our society sets us up for disappointment. it says that if you follow your dreams you'll love your job. if you love your job you will be successful. essentially, love predicates success. but that's not true is it?

what do you think?