simple ingredients

you hear that all the time from the great cooks. keep it simple, use fresh ingredients, and let their flavor speak for the dish. i just re-learned that today. ok, maybe i was reminded by my aunt's thanksgiving dinner.

but today i re-learned that chapter. i was just going through the fridge and cooking up some produce before it went bad. i put a chop on some carrots and just softened them down in some butter and a little salt. fantastic. so simple and so good. i sometimes tend to get to fancy and add all sorts of 'wild' flavors to my food. this is the guy who on the next burner made shredded potato patties, where i included a little horseradish. they were good, but in a way not the simple flavor of the carrots.

so, what the hell am i trying to say? in a long and drawn out metaphor, just keep it simple. this works for all aspects of life. dealing with work... keep it simple. dealing with family...keep it simple. dealing with the opposite sex...keep it simple BUT we know that is always easier said than done. actually, i think we confuse simplicity with how uncomfortable the situation may make us feel. but, if you trust the ingredients and your technique it will work out... in the long run. isn't funny how it is always the long run?

later.

Nothing...

...i just don't have anything. but, i feel like i do need to get something out. not quite i know what it is. well, that may not be exactly true. i likely do know what it is but feel ... uncomfortable, shy, embarrassed, or some combination of those.

well, i can always write it down and never publish it. yeah, or i could just put it out there and know that i am more that some silly feelings of insecurity. ( i have to admit, sometimes just the act of typing these words helps to process the thoughts)

so, what is the big deal? ok. so, i sent a note to a somebody who i was very close with. it was an innocent enough correspondence. it was over 3 weeks ago and no response. and, that is what really has my proverbial panties in a bunch. i can live with the fact that i won't ever be close with this person again. i am just having a difficult time dealing with this what? lack of respect? yeah, maybe that is it. and, then of course, that starts a waterfall. did i ever mean anything to this person? and then it just snowballs.

now, i know or at least have been learning that i can only control ME and my actions, my thoughts, my feelings. but, that still doesn't make it easy to swallow. the mind is a terrible thing when left to its own devices. never mind idle hands. they take their orders from the idle mind.

and, i know somebody is going to read this and maybe put some dots together and draw a conclusion. but, let me say it. i am not in love with her anymore. i will always have a place in heart for her, and i will always have love for her. but, i am not in love with her. actually, i miss her more in the realm that she was an extremely close friend. she knew me really well. i let her in and it felt wonderful. i felt like i grew from my time with her.

but that time is the past. i am SO glad that it is in the past. i have grown and no longer want to be in the place where i was. i am better than how i was.

so, what was the point of all this? maybe, it was just time that i got this off my chest and out in the open. and, i have to remind myself that i can only control my actions not somebody else's. those are under their control, and hey maybe there is a reason for not responding (or whatever). i just need to realize that if i am truly their friend that i will understand and accept the situation. but, that still doesn't make it any less painful.

that is life. so, i just need to remember ' LIFE SUCKS. GET A HELMET' . and, that quote i have to thank mr. denis leary.

not sure it helped you. but it did help me. later.

Thanksgiving

ok, so maybe this is a little late but then again, you don't have to read this either. haha. this feels like an entry that i would make in my gratitude journal, and as the holidays would have it... i let it slide. :)

it just seemed like i had something to say, and i really became aware of what i was truly thankful for. maybe, it is like saying grace after the meal. hell, if i know. so, what am i thankful for?

i am grateful for my family and friends. and, those are not always the same thing. it really is like the say, "you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family". what is really important is, do these people make you better, lift you up, fill a void all the while not asking anything from you. are these the people that you would do the same for? i was allowed a wonderful opportunity to have thanksgiving with my aunt & uncle in burlingame, ca ( san fran for all you AAA map challenged). the food was fantastic. let me say that again, the food was fantastic.

side note, my aunt was a chef in her younger days and still is a bad-ass in the kitchen. she worked her way up the ranks, and had very official training. i would take her food any day over anything made from the food network chefs. the food was just basic home style cuisine and was perfect. simple but so much better than all that eccentric fused food.

ok, sorry. just a little tangent. back to my gratitude list. yes, i was with family but i should note that i haven't spent a lot of time with my aunt & uncle. actually, it seems like we see each other more along friends than family. but, i did realize how much i missed my parents, and just how important i am in their lives. sometimes, i fail to realize how important i am to them, how we all need to stop and sometimes look at things from the other perspective. ( that concept is applicable to several fields; industry, government, etc)

now, this did cause sadness but also joy. and, it allowed for a wonderful conversation the next day as we each told our stories of thanksgiving.

friends. the dinner party my aunt threw was primarily attended by her friends, but they seemed as much as family as anything from a 1950's 'leave it to beaver' episode. ( did that work?) now, it helped that most folks knew each other, but newbies were welcomed to the fold. i really enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and just bask in the wonderful conversations, humor, and overall joy. i added when i felt i could, usually in an appropriate vein. now, would be an excellent time to say, that there were times when the topics were just fantastic and probably not to the chagrin of the moral police.... ah, those folks are full of shit anyways. hey my blog, my opinion. it is important for all of us to find those people in our own lives that we would want to spend hours with at a table with wine and great food AND even great conversations. whoever those people are in your life, NEVER let them go. AND, always look to add to that group.

one last thing on family. actually, it is more that just family, it is about the folks in our society who can't provide for themselves for whatever reason. they are people and need to be treated with the dignity and respect that we would want shown to us. or, you would want shown to your 89 yr old grandmother. yeah, mine is in a 'retirement community', and it saddens me at times BUT i do know that it is for her best. it was great to see and spend a little time with her, and i just love how strong her mind still is.... sometimes the body just doesn't keep up. and, of course it can go the other way. spending the time with her i realized that i should spent more time or done more with her. i guess we all go through that, i think that is like chapter 18 in the book of life or something. so, all i can say is that i will try to do more with my family and friends. and, maybe this will give you a lil kick in the pants to do the same. ( that implies that this does get read)

oh, and another thing that was great was getting those unexpected 'happy thanksgiving' texts from somebody you didn't expect from. now, the kicker is getting one that isn't the vanilla, generic one. it really does mean a lot to get acknowledgment from others that you are an important person in their life. on the flip side, it can be just as painful when you don't get something from a special person in your life. but, don't get upset. if they are important to you, you need to ask yourself 'why didn't i get a hold of them'. ALWAYS start the finger-pointing or the blame with yourself... you will usually be right. ( unless dealing with broken items in combination with little children).

wow. i am always surprised how these turn out. it almost feels like i do a stream of conscious thought and hopefully my typing picks up the majority of the words.

later.

Freedom of choice does carry with it....

The freedom to choose does require a person to be accountable and responsible for that decision. I mention this because it really seems to me that we, as a country/ society/ world/ race have lost sight of this. Maybe, this has comeback to my attention because I read some news. What was I thinking?

I think it is great that we allow people to make choices, but it really seems that we have lost sight of the accountability/ responsibility of those decisions. If a person chooses not to go to school, then that person has to live the consequences of that decision. Hey, if you can live with the decision, then who am I to say any different. I really wish that people who cry about big government & fewer choices for people would let acknowledge the possible consequences of those choices. I don't know, it seems like a pretty basic idea to me.

So, the right to choose something is NOT free. Every decision/choice has a cost associated with it, that is basic business. Right? I just want people to be think about the cost of making that particular decision.

OK, I need to get back to some lounging. I am choosing not to be a productive as I could. :)

Morning Workout .... the Networking Pool

I am up, and I am gonna get a quick workout in. But, I thought I would do that for my mind today. Here, I am doing a bit of writing. This morning's topic is gonna deal with getting back into the 'networking pool'. I think of it in exactly the same way as the dating pool.

This occurred to me earlier in the week. I went to a panel discussion at a local education facility where the topic was health informatics ( think of IT meets healthcare with government sprinkled in). And, as usual there was the customary 1/2 'shoulder' for networking. However, I didn't utilize the opportunity to maximize my meetings and in looking back I wasn't happy with that. While, I am not beating myself up about, I am however, acknowledging it and making plans to address in the future. This entry is my way to help visualize and make the commitment that much REAL.

With that said, the whole idea of the dating pool came to me. And, the similarities are the same, and so is the way to deal with it. JUST GET IN THE WATER. You don't have to jump head-first to the deep end, but you can NOT just put your toe in the water. So, I will NOT give you advice here but I will tell you that I am gonna get back into it.

As it turned out, the one fella I talked with was a journalist graduate and worked for a company that focus on information/software ....they try to make the interface been user and environment as optimized as possible. He was there to get some more background on informatics, as this could be a area of future business. You never know who you will meet.

So, with that said "GET OUT THERE" in that networking pool. And, then to paraphrase a friend/ mentor "Meet People, Learn Something, and Have Fun? (thanks Cleon)

Ok, mind workout done. Now it is time to workout the body.

Later.

-thomas

Congratulations, Mr. President

I just want to take the time to give my congratulations to the President on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I think it is great that he was awarded the prize but I do have to admit that I wonder what was actually accomplished. THIS question is one that should be asked to the committee that awarded the prize.

I mention this because throughout the day I heard several comments that were filled with anger and disgust toward the President. So, I ask you " How is it the President's fault that he was was awarded a prize?' This just struck me as extremely small-minded, petty, and angry to lash out at the President. I do understand people's anger, but I really feel that it needs to be directed at the right people. As a process person, it just seems the process is flawed because you are complaining about a problem/issue to an entity that has no control over the problem. This just seems to be the common way we do things in the world today or America. I am not sure if this is really the best process.

Now, I hope this doesn't ruffle any feathers or lead somebody to suggest that I don't love America. I love America, and I feel that it is my duty to point out something that looks wrong to me. I mean isn't that how this country got started, by calling out a flawed process and starting a new process. I don't know but it seems more important to me that we actually have a real conversation, figure out the 70% - 80% that we agree on, and then work to to COMPROMISE on a solution for that remaining <30%.

It just seemed like something that I needed to get off my chest.

Nite.

What? Another post?

It feels like I have something to scratch just behind the back of my eyeballs. This seems to be the most constructive way to get to that itch. Sometimes you just have to talk some stuff out, but that can be frowned upon by society... especially if you are talking to yourself.

It never ceases to amaze how "fun" the game of life is. Just when you think you have a handle, here comes a '12 to 6' curveball. And, if you were like me, then curveballs made you look like a silly-fool swinging a baseball bat. :)

Of course, it is nothing that is isolated to just my life. With the Facebook/ Twitter phenomenon, I can usually be witness to life events of my friends. Now, this is not meant to say that I want to see bad things happen. But, I am a firm believer that from the pain/ hard times that we grow. Maybe, we learn from others. Maybe, we over advice or a kind thought to ease their pain. Maybe, we remind them of a funny time from our past, as humor is such a powerful tool against gloom and pain. I guess you just never know. But, we all have to keep trying.

This whole social networking is such a new and powerful experience for me. My life has usually always been just that, mine. I never looked to burden myself onto others, but in hindsight that probably kept me closed off from fully developing my potential. These new outlets allow for me to put myself out there and that is probably a good thing.

So, I guess I still have work to do. And, I need to not worry about other's impressions and just express myself...

I recently started thinking about somebody again, and I am not sure what that means.

Laughter....the best medicine

Everyone knows the saying. Laughter is the best medicine. I always took it for granted, but today it really seemed to ring true. See, today I just didn't feel right. Not sure if it was a bug or something, regardless, I just felt off. So, I went home and tried to sleep- medicate it away. Of course, that didn't work but I did watch some shows I had DVR'd up. What would you know, after I started laughing, I felt a whole lot better. I felt more energetic and decided to fold the laundry and iron some shirts. I know very exciting.

But, that started my melon turning on the idea of laughter. Humor is such a great talent or gift. I guess like anything else you can continue to refine that talent. Just take a look at comedians who tour the road.

Not sure where I am going with this. :) This seemed like something witty, topical, and life-changing. I guess, it was just a very mild rant because I can NOT type anywhere as fast as my mind works. Would extra NyQuil slow it down? Not likely, but could make for an interesting train of thought. :)

Back to humor. I guess when I laughed out-loud today it made me realize how important it is for us to really belly-laugh. That brought back a memory of a dear friend telling me how much she loved to hear me laugh out loud. It made her happy to know that I was happy, even with so much crap I was dealing with at the time. And, when I look back when I have made folks laugh it has always made me feel good. And, have you noticed how contagious laughter is? I think laughter might be more contagious than yawning. I am sure we can get a research grant to figure that out.

That is all for now.

I think AMERICA needs Toastmasters

I know that is a pretty bold statement. But, let's really think about it. I started to think about this idea when I read the following commentary by Rudy Ruiz on CNN.

Here is the link to commentary:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/03/ruiz.closed.minds/index.html

But, if you decide not to read here are the main points:

1. It is 'uncool' to have an open mind on the issues

2. We do NOT listen to people we don't agree with and we only focus on information that comes from our particular ideology.

Now, anyone who is a current or past member of Toastmasters knows one thing, it is just as important to listen critically as it is to be able to speak publicly.

I have experienced this first hand. I have been a member for less than a year but I do feel that I have learned to improve that pesky little skill of listening. Ok, and it did help that I got to practice alot while networking and job-searching. :)

So, that is my quick plug for why AMERICA needs Toastmasters. We JUST DON'T WANT TO LISTEN. A clear example of this is the following yahoo-new story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20090903/pl_ynews/ynews_pl888_1

The article is about President Obama wanting to give a speech that is directed toward the youth of America. This should be a great opportunity and experience for everyone. I can think of no better use for the bully pulpit. ( I think Teddy Roosevelt would be thrilled).

Well, apparently this is ruffling the feathers of some folks, who also happen to be of a different ideology or part than President Obama. And, it is also evident that those nah- sayers did not read the official press release.

Now, I am not talking a political side on this request BUT I was peeved when I read about the disgust from 'concerned parties'. Clearly, they are not LISTENING. And, it just seemed like a perfect storm of reading the CNN commentary and then just reading the yahoo-new story. Both of those items just resonated with me. Maybe, it was also that I received some positive feedback on my evaluation skills at my weekly Toastmaster meeting. I know that I have been really working to improve those skills.

So, how do we get to AMERICA to join Toastmasters? I have one friend who would clearly be impressed with the idea.

I really feel that if we could actually start listening to each other, we would find that AMERICA is clearly more aligned than the media, and political parties would have us believe. Those is power love ignorance of the masses. Information is the #1 source of power, but if not it has to be just behind money.

Now, this wasn't meant to be a rant or anything about politics. But, I really feel if we started to listen to each other, we would be so much further along. I mean, listening does NOT mean you agree with somebody. It just means you took the time to hear another point of view. Really? What is the harm? If you don't get all the information you can, how good can your decision be?

Hell, that is what engineers do all the time. Right? Get all the data you can, so you can make the most informed decision.

So, if this has peaked your interest, then check out the Toastmasters site.

www.toastmasters.org/

Well, that is all I have. I hope that you try the "Kool-Aid". It is actually really GOOD.

Healthcare is a '3 LOCK BOX'

OK, now maybe that caught your attention or it didn't. For those of you that know, it is a reference to a Sammy Hagar song/ album of the same title. Now, this is pre-Van Halen Sammy, but still pretty good. Man, I could really start in on tackling the age old debate of Dave vs. Sammy. But, that is for another time. :)

I mention 3 Lock Box because I was thinking about the problem of healthcare and my 30 second elevator speech. I see the problem of healthcare as a process that needs some tweaking done to it. Think of the tagline, " OPTIMIZE THE PROCESS, MAXIMIZE THE PROFITS". This can cause some heartburn with folks, because when you add humans and profits into the mix it gets really personal and icky. ( ok, maybe not the most technical term)

So, now you are asking , What is this 3 lock box? Very simply, it is something that requires 3 keys to unlock it. And, this is how I see a path to optimizing our healthcare system. And, I believe that these items should be done regardless of what our 'leaders' in D.C., will hopefully deliver. ( yes, and I think that to would be another blog)

Also, a really interesting coincidence is I have 3 things that I roll out in my elevator speech. So, hear they are:

1. Improve the Quality of the Process, ie. " Do it right the first time"

2. Increase the Efficiency of the Process

3. Eliminate wasted Resources in the Process

And, then you say, "Thanks, and how do we do that?"

Let me take a stab and we can see how the conversation goes from there.

1. Improve the Quality

We need to make sure that correct tests are ordered, and then performed. Asking what the customer (patient) deems to be the true indicator(s) of success and work toward those goals. We need to insure that everyone get the right procedure, test, medication, whatever the very first time. To NOT do so is UNACCEPTABLE, but if it happens then we resolve it IMMEDIATELY and work to prevent it from occurring again. Mistakes happen but the key is to make sure they do not lead to something catastrophic.

Efforts need to be made to have this mindset applied to everyone involved with healthcare, AND this does include the patients.

The patients need to have a bit of self-responsibility for their own well-being. Are they doing everything they can to promote a healthy lifestyle? Are they following the advice of their physician?

Also, I think there needs to be a shift in the mindset of physicians as well. We seem to have a system that focus on dealing more with the symptom rather than the root-cause. From my manufacturing days, if you don't fix the root cause, then the problem keeps coming back. Root-cause analysis is a key focus on any REAL effort to improve the quality of a process. So, I know we need to change the focus of our healthcare to prevention rather than treatment.

2. Eliminate Wasted Resources

Originally, I had this 3rd but I moved it up because I feel it is important to remove "the excess of the system" and then you optimize what is left over.

So, here we need to remove anything that is NOT adding to the patient's experience or care. This is where a lot of savings can be generated. Redundant tests, extra visits that serve no 'real' purpose, tons of paperwork, non-value added tests or medicines and I should say this also impacts the physcians as well. To often you hear the term 'defensive medicine', where physicians are doing extra to prevent from being sued. This has to stop.

Patients need to be a lot more aware of their own health and what is really something that requires medical attention. The internet is a wonderful thing and can give you all sorts of information BUT the human brain is pretty powerful too. Use the two together and try to apply some common sense. ( Somebody in your family has to have some). If you have a cold, take some OJ, hit the gym, have some soup, and go to bed early. See, no medical help needed.

Another aspect would be to get rid of antiquated ways of doing things if there is something better. Now, I am not saving move everything to the latest technology. Take medical records for example, there is no reason why this country is under 2% for electronic medical records. Hell, most people have email, and a debit card....we can move into the glow of technology for communication and banking. ( Sorry, Postal Service and Check Books)

3. Increase the Efficiency

I see this as, well all the wasted stuff is gone, now we just have to maximize the stuff that is left over. One way, is how do hospitals communicate with each other, with other labs, with other regions. If this can be improved, then we are going to make some headway.

Have we optimized the workflows and layouts of various facilities, labs, waiting rooms, etc? Do we have facilities located that be used by people in more remote areas, so they can get attention when they need it.

Are we making it easier for the doctors, nurses, lab techs to do their jobs? Have we made it our goal to help them perform their jobs easier and with less complications? Have we made the system robust enough to allow them to spend the needed time with a patient, to make sure all of their questions or concerns have been addressed?

When I sat down to put my ideas to paper, I realize just how interwoven these 3 keys were. I don't see how you can do them independently, BUT I definitely see that the must be done.

I guess, this was just an attempt to get some ideas down. I can easily see how my experiences would help to realize the concepts mentioned above in the healthcare industry.

Let me know what you think.