Category: Random

The early part of my career was spent in the non-profit sector. First I was involved with state and local advocacy with AARP (this parlayed into regional advocacy on federal issues towards the end of my time there). Then I was the office manager for a small church. An Episcopal congregation with a solidly progressive bent, I was quite at home. Generally, I considered business to be destructive and “the problem”. With that, I delighted in the notion of trying to save the world. Then, through a series of accidents, I moved to the corporate world, working at Starbucks in Corporate Social Responsibility. During this time, I focused mostly on environmental affairs, but worked in a number of side projects. Thus, even in a Fortune 500 company, I was saving the world.

Now, though, I find myself in the belly of the beast, at Microsoft. I am in Operations, and supporting finance within that. MSFT does have a Corporate Citizenship team, and does good philanthropical work. But I am far removed from all that. I miss that work, yet I find my work fulfilling, which (frankly) surprises me. For ages, I thought that social mission and service were the only ways I would feel value. I see that I can add value across a wide variety of endeavors. Also, I’ve learned so very much about the challenges business faces, and how that impacts their citizenship. And that so very many business leaders are trying their very best to be good neighbors. Now, what will I do with that knowledge? Hmm…

An impressive graphic from Fixr. I like the design: clear, clean, quick and focuses on one point like a laser.

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A little swag for the launch of Office 2010. Perks of wandering around
on campus.

My parents might need to be brought up on child-neglect charges: I had not heard of Leo Lionni until my son insisted we buy some of his books. Laughably, I assumed that Leo Lionni was a character, much like Junie B. Jones (consider the alliterative). I’ve learned otherwise. The recent purchase, “Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse” has been a delight to read. Exploring the art, I expect Eric Carle’s art was inspired by Lionni’s. As I delight in literature, I wonder why I’ve never encountered his name. Then I wonder if I haven’t. My journey as a father is laden with discovery. Discovering so much that I would expect to have known.

Perhaps my mother read to me from Lionni and Carle every night. I do not remember. I do remember such seminal works as “Harry: The Dirty Dog”, though. Strange thing, memory. I delighted in Dr. Suess, too. I wonder, at times, whether too much has been lost from my childhood memory. The loss of my mother took with it so much memory. Those moments that wouldn’t be possible for a young child to remember, no one else does, either. My father was off serving in the Navy; other relatives thousands of miles absent. So much of my sister and my early childhood had only one witness, who is silent. I’m left rattling cerebral cobwebs, and creating new memories with my son.

Random side note: I came across this video of Harry The Dirty Dog and just had to share. It’s only a trailer, but still

This is, by far, the best rendition of Blue Danube I’ve ever heard. Of course, I don’t like waltzes. I’m afraid, though, Strauss would’ve cried fowl.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be proud…however, I love The Oatmeal.

Created by Oatmeal

This was forwarded to me some time ago. Slowly, ever so slowly, I’m digging through the depths of my inbox. Anyway, this proves to me that women should be allowed into pro-baseball.

Suddenly, at this insane hour, I remember being in Asia as a boy. I'm
not exactly sure where we where; probably Singapore. I remember a
series of figurines depicting some battle. What stuck me most
powerfully was the graphicness. Blood everywhere, heads missing;
grotesque. I was disturbed and frightened. Enough so that I remember
it clearly more than thirty years later.

Why now? Such an odd moment for such a memory to burst from the murk
of personal history. Randomness from the human brain, especially THIS
collection of personal synapses, is hardly unusual. I've learned that
these memories have triggers. Answers will come with time, with
consideration.

My "now" has been filled with self-analysis, diving deeper into who I
am and what I do. Career had been at the forefront. The rest of me has
been, somewhat, neglected in this. Perhaps a piece of this is a hint
to expand past one narrow piece of my life, regardless of how much of
my time is taken up by career. Perhaps…

Yet, there's more. A few weeks back, the house across from my parents
burned. 30 years ago, this month, my best friend's family lived there.
Well, 30 years ago was when that came to an abrupt end. Coming home
from school, a coroner's car in the driveway, the picture on the front
page of the local paper: "Murder/Suicide" screamed. Memories of a
husband and wife who maybe bickered at times, broken against horror. A
friend's psyche fragmented.

All these years later, I still struggle with this. This clearly holds
a defining place in my personality. Yet my memories are weak, vague.
Perhaps, pulling this other horror from my past, more innocuous,
safer, I'm trying to frame this other moment. Perhaps….

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I can not remember the plant this flower is part of. Off the beach at
Brackett’s landing in Edmonds.

As cool as another web design class sounds, I’m thinking of getting a copy of CS5 and exploring “manually”. In particular, I haven’t had a chance to mess with InDesign for several iterations. I believe that the last version I explored was prior to the CS Suite bundling. I’ve never used InDesign in a professional setting. The last product I used with Quark, and I’m not sure the version. So I’m really interested in bringing my desktop publishing skills current. Well, at least production environment software-wise. I am up-to-date with MS Publisher. Anyway, I could try and get CS4, as with CS5’s release, I should be able to get CS4 at a huge discount. And, from what I’ve been reading, getting my skills up-to-date with CS4 might work well.