Vocation in the Valley

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I don’t know which format will win, but Microsoft and Intel are backing HD-DVD. Kinda interesting since Intel’s new best buddy, Apple, backs Blu-Ray. My guess is that it will be much like DVD-R vs DVD+R in that eventually drives will do both. At this point, I don’t think anyone cares about formats. People care about price and availability. If the price is too high, or the content is not available in their format of choice, people will get it themselves off some P2P network.

After reading this post about intellectual honesty during job interviews, I think I need to make sure my resume is scrubbed of things I use to know, but wouldn’t dare to claim anymore. I used to do C, C++, and Mac development. I’d have a hard time answering any specific question on those topics anymore.

One thing that does bother me about this is that, depending on the interviewer and/or company, skill set can be the deciding factor in hiring. I may not be proficient in objective-C, but if someone hired my to do that work, I’m sure I would be a very productive member of the team. Where do I come up with the nerve to say this? Well, I have a track record of learning new technologies on the fly and ramping up quickly on new projects. My strength is not a deep understanding of a particular technology, but the ability to quickly understand a technology and apply it to the development of a product.

I had never heard of Sturgeon’s Law until I heard it used in presentation by Cory Ondrejka about virtual worlds. Sturgeon’s Law is that “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” I’ve been following The Long Tail idea for awhile. The basic idea behind it, is that when you get rid of physical limitations, the crap (the 90%) becomes very important. I wouldn’t say that these “Laws” contradict one another, I think it just says that you can make money selling crap. Nothing Earth shattering, just my way of understanding what every MBA and sales-dude knows.

Our garbage disposal stopped working over the weekend. I was dreading doing the work to replace the thing. I went online last night to see what it would take to do the install and to check prices. The install wouldn’t be too tough if the pipe sizes and placements were relatively close in the new unit. I’m thinking that isn’t going to happen. While I’m cruising around, I see someone asking about their broken disposal and that it would cost $90 bucks to just have a plumber look at it! In the response it mentioned to check the electrical connection and look for a cutoff switch. I jumped right out of bed. I checked the electrical switch and it was working fine. I then started digging around the disposal unit. I found a red button at the bottom. I pushed it in and “yessss” it worked! Thanks, Internet, you saved me at least $100 and a bunch of hard work.

I like personal development. I like to find new insights and learn. I started subscribing to The Lazy Way to Success blog for just this reason. The author’s philosophy is that it is not hard work that leads to success it’s working smart. I agree with this, but like anything else, this notion can be taken too far, and this guy has gone way over the edge.

In one post, he opines that Andy Roddick was defeated in the first round of the U.S. Open because hard work failed. He says Roddick was more successful last year because he didn’t work hard. He even bastardizes a quote from Andy Roddick: “Last year I didn’t work hard. I didn’t even step up. I wasn’t training hardly and somehow sneaking out big points.”

He then starts analyzing various comments from successful athletes who were asked how they were successful and replied that they had “no idea.” He then attributes the concept of “no idea” to a “play ethic” vs. a “work ethic.” This guy doesn’t understand athletics in the least. Why do these great athletes have “no idea?” Because they’ve done it thousands, if not millions of times. Every athlete knows you can’t perform if you’re thinking about what you have to do.

I posted a comment where I expressed that Jordan and Rice ran hills, lifted weights, etc. to become as great as they were. His response, “Athletes are driven to get stronger and faster so they can derive even greater joy from their ‘play.’” Yeah, but that doesn’t entail hard work? Even if you love something or know something will make you better at what you love doesn’t make it doing it “play.” I love this little bit of condescension, “Athletes call it hard work because they feel the need to justify their success by calling it work.” Yeah, guys who are running hills and lifting weights while other guys are hanging out with buddies call what they are doing work to justify their success. What crap. What kind of arrogant ass presumes that these guys are justifying anything?

His final flurry is:

I fully realize that I am introducing a new paradigm here and that there will be squawks from those indoctrinated by society’s deluded infatuation with the work ethic…

This is the classic debating style of those arguing without substance. I don’t understand his “new paradigm” and I’m deluded by society. His argument centers around successful athletes having “no idea” and not thinking. He seems to propose that having “no idea” and not thinking is how you become successful. The fact is that you can’t get to “no idea” and not thinking without practice and preparation. If you don’t want to call it “hard work”, fine. But don’t give me some BS about a new paradigm.

Paul Allen the Lesser, has an post about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the recovery that followed. Congress pledge less than 1% of the damage total toward the recovery. Private citizens came up with about 2%. About 45% was insured. Compare that with the Katrina disaster where many expect the Federal Government to foot the entire bill.

Here’s the meet of what Mr. Allen has to say:

We are Americans. This is a land of liberty and self-government. It’s all about “we the people.” We have never hired our central government to take care of all of our needs. We are a free people and a generous people. Our history is filled with examples of private individuals caring for one another through private charity, churches, and organizations. We can solve problems and create solutions. We the people can do more than we have done to prepare for the next tragedy that strikes our people.

Amen!

DHH, the guru of Ruby on Rails, has a post about the lack of European web startups. He opines that the European social safety net creates a disincentive to strive for something better than a stable job at a stable company. There are really two things going on. One is that if the safety net is the right height, some will use it as a hammock. The second is that to have a safety net, someone has to pay for it, and the more you have to pay for the safety net, the more likely you’re going to want to use it.

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Acting like fools at the Senior Luau.

Some of my graduation day pictures.

One from grad. night