Subtle Nudge

Finally... A hint of latte art

2009-05-04T08:27:00.012+08:00

After I don't know how many attempts I finally got the hint of some latte art. It's unreal how many attempts it took, but to be fair I was sometimes too eager to drink the coffee which compromised the art.

This photo was taken by Elli. Thanks for letting me use it.

Revenge of the Underdog

2009-04-24T05:07:00.004+08:00

I'm not much for supporting something going viral but this even I cannot withstand. Don't worry it's not gross, violent, depressing or annoying. It's just wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg

Enjoy!

Relaxation Music Freaking Out

2009-03-31T16:28:00.011+08:00

I've played a few instruments when I was young and I believe I have a reasonable sense for harmony and rhythm. I enjoy music for the most part regardless if it is classical, jazz, pop or rock. But when it comes to so called relaxation music I occasionally cringe and experience nothing remotely related to relaxation.

My most vidid experience was a few month ago while attending a course when this apparently very talented woman's compositions were supposed to create a relaxed environment. To me it sounded more like a six year old getting to know the keys of a piano, painfully spreading her fingers while desperately trying to keep up with her vision of a beautiful tune, hence, not relaxing at all.

Today, I was reminded of this experience while getting some Bowen therapy work done on me. Apparently, therapists are paying $40 and more per CD for this questionable smooth. Now, I'm sure there are some great talents out there that actually have some sense of harmony and are able to tune into emotional depths and serenity but some just don't cut it. I'm not able to give an exact figure of how many self-proclaimed relaxation experts are amongst the genuine but I wouldn't be surprise if there are many.

Now, I might be a bit critical when listening to music since I have some minor musical background but I believe that musical sense is innate to everyone and although we find different music attractive there are certain rules of harmony and rhythm that are observed while trying to achieve a specific emotion or physical sense. Hence, everyone should get a feeling of relaxation while listening to those harmonies, regardless of their background. However, even if the harmonies match the universal pattern of relaxation, it is the rhythm that seems to play an important role as well. Just imagine the beautiful piece Bolero while the drummer changes the paces all the time.

It is the wonder of the forces of availability and demand that allows minor work, that does defeat the purpose, to be fed into the multi billion dollar business of what we call spirituality. On one hand I want to so "Good on ya" and congratulate those who knew how to play the business but then I sympathize with those who "suffer" from their products just a little bit more.

Can't You Read?

2009-03-30T14:38:00.002+08:00

I got a phone call today that made me doubt human intelligence yet again. I applied for a casual job doing what I was doing for the past ten years and the friendly person on the other end of the phone line told that I don't have the right skill set.

"Oh, really? What skills were you after if you don't mind me asking?" I was seriously confused... The following explanation was basically a recitation of the skills I mentioned in my resume.

"Well, that is exactly what I was doing the past ten years", I replied with naive wonder. The friendly person answered: "It just doesn't read like that in your resume, I'm sorry. Thank you, good bye."

It's these kind of experiences that leave me dumbstruck with no conceivable way of grasping even the basic concepts of what just happened and provoke a feeling of lost in the modern times of GPS and turn-to-turn applications.

Anyway, Elli suggested to get a professional look at my resume. I think I rather need a translator that understands the Australian code enough to sieve through the valuable information and extract the bits and pieces that are readily understood, which, of course, can be the same person.

No matter what, I'm on the short end of the stick and yes it is annoying that people don't seem to even take their time to read a two page resume, which has already been shortened to fit the attention span of managers and HR personnel but there's just no way around biting the bullet and find out what they actually want to understand from reading the shortlist of my past professional life.

Computer License

2009-03-24T06:51:00.003+09:00

For years I've been praying for the fact that people should be forced to take a computer test before they are allowed to use one.

Yes, I'm serious. The amount of inefficiency I see everyday when supposedly knowledgeable employees struggle with even the simplest of simple tasks on their computer I want to shout out, take that thing away from him/her!!! Now, it might be that Australia seems to take on the role of a very inefficient place to work in, kind of a 3rd world inside the 1st world, but I believe that the picture I am drawing is familiar to everyone regardless where they live.

You might think that in computing you are not capable enough yourself in order to make this judgment, but I ask you to look at anyone you meet today and see how comfortable he is with his working tool. Make no mistake, cash registers are also computers these days and therefore count as such as well. However, most likely you'll find struggles inside an office when people have to process administrative tasks.

Who is at fault here? I always resented a question like this. It doesn't help at all to know whose fault it is but who causes such behavior and how do we fix it. Obviously, no solution will be practical without knowing what is wrong, although there are certain basic computing skills that can be taught that would benefit every work place.

Lately I've been studying the Australian educational system and although I am not a big fan of focussing on certificates while ignoring the experience, which is exactly what is happening these days, I do believe that a structured system around computing would be beneficial for everyone. For example, I would propose a minimum requirement of a Certificate I in Computing before anyone is even allowed to sit at a computer. I would go even so far as to make this an overall requirement for everyone including private people before they are allowed to buy a computer.

In the early days of driving a car I believe the only requirement to be allowed to take a car on the road was to have the funds to buy one. I remember the days when a personal computer cost around $20,000 and not many people could afford that. Nowadays, everyone can afford a car and everyone needs to know how to drive before he is allowed on the street. I feel the same way about computers. Even in a private environment the computing tasks can get quite complicated and demanding. Most uneducated people (in computing) usually gather a support system around them, including family, friends, neighbors, etc. I used to be one of those hobby supporters until I spent almost all my spare time helping people with their computer problems, free of charge, of course.

Those days are over. I started telling people that I would charge for my services and once I switched from Windows to Macintosh I had the perfect excuse. That solved the problem. Honestly, it doesn't really matter which computer you use: Windows, Mac, Linux, it's all the same. And that's why I believe it is essential for everyone to learn the basic skills so they too can confidently solve their own little problems and then get to the nitty/gritty stuff.

Going back to businesses. I believe once business owners and mangers see how much more efficient their business could run if their employees have just the basic computing knowledge, the investment of any vocational training to get their staff up to speed with their computing skills would pay for itself within a very short amount of time. The problem is that owners and manager are sometimes computer illiterate themselves which makes it hard for them to recognize this need.

I've been doing business process analyses for a long time now and my findings are usually very similar. Regardless of what business one is in or the staff's skill level (unless they actually have decent computing skills) I believe that efficiency can be increased by at least 20% without doing much more than introducing basic computing skills across the board.

Another problem that I saw over the years and still see in the every day business (and private) environment is the need for creativity which usually is expressed by writing a standard form letter different every time. I've seen three and more fonts used inside the same letter, five different font sizes, and colors. If I see letters going out like this I know that management is not in touch with the employment base. Creativity is important but it should be directed to be productive. For example, by eliminating creativity in standard business processes mixed with some educational improvements along the line, the efficiency is increased greatly and therefore the amount of time used overall is sometimes dramatically reduced. This time that is freed can now be used for a friendly and relaxed phone call with an unsatisfied customer, rather than brushing him off and lose him for good. Or it could go into some pleasant interactions with the colleagues, which again improves the office morale and overall efficiency. There are many examples how increasing efficiency is beneficial to the office environment and essential for the survival of the business especially in this economical climate. All it takes is one step to realize that computers have to be used effectively to serve us, whereas otherwise it will hinder us.

Coming back to the computer license. Obviously, there are many obstacles standing in the way of this idea. The government would have to create, regulate and enforce the law, and we already have enough laws that we have to deal with. Companies selling computers are the last ones to agree to such a system because they make a lot of money with support services and agreements. There is a whole multi-billion dollar industry that relies on the fact that people are incapable of doing the simplest tasks on their computer and crash it on a regular basis, if they survived the regular virus and phishing attacks that are constantly threatening the integrity of their system.

Well, we have two big forces, the government and the IT industry that would sour the sweet cake. Fortunately, there is an even bigger force, that would bring the two big players down to their knees. Us!!! The individual! The little guy. Once we realize that we would spend less money running around, finding people that could help us, buying more software to solve a problem just to introduce another one, that we would have more fun at work if we actually knew what we were doing and get the majority of the work out of the way with a gentle, comfortable and efficient touch, we ourselves would invest in a bit of education and learn what needs to be learned. Better even, we should make our bosses realize that our education is to their benefit. After all, it is their responsibility to provide a safe and efficient work environment.

So, get up and take a good look at your computing skills. Evaluate your level and ask yourself how much would I need to pass a computer license, a Certificate I in Computing, to finally know a little bit more about what is going on when I try to do things with this big clump of machine in front of me. Determine how much it is worth to you to be more independent, more knowledgeable, more efficient, more capable... Then go and spend what it is worth to you on the learning opportunity of your choice. Believe me, whatever you do to improve your skills it'll be paid back many, many times over.

++++++++++++++

The Australian educational system provides the following learning path from Certificate I to Ph. D.: environment.

Certificate I
Certificate II
Certificate III
Certificate IV
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Ph. D

The certificates and some of the diplomas can be learned in either TAFEs or going through one of many accredited training companies. From Diploma level on the universities usually provide the appropriate learning environment.

Garlic-Poodle

2009-03-24T00:34:00.003+09:00

Today I heard somebody saying that poodles have hair but not fur, so they would be perfect for somebody with allergies. First thing that came out of my mouth: "What if it was a Garlic-Poodle? People are allergic to garlic, aren't they?"

Suffice to say that this is a rather silly thought, but funny none the less.

Oh, and BTW, unlike most dogs that have a double layer coat, poodles have a single layer coat with dense curly fur, that sheds minimally. They are considered hypoallergenic but not completely allergen free.

M.O.O.N - That Spells Breakfast

2009-03-22T20:23:00.003+09:00

For the uninitiated: The title is a reference to a challenged character in the movie "The Stand" by Stephen King, a six hour epoch that might bore most but uniquely excite a few.

There is no real reason for writing this post except reminding myself to pick up the movie and watch it again in the near future. I especially like the character build-up that Stephen King superbly orchestrates and the accompanying blue grass music that is catchy and supports my emotional attachment to the story.

Oh, and since this movie, I always put Boulder, Colorado on top of my most favorite cities to live in. If not for its undoubtably refreshing beauty at least for the fact that when the world goes to bits it will strongly sustain and harbor the good people.

It Never Pays to be Lazy

2009-03-22T20:11:00.003+09:00

For the past two weeks I was too busy to roast my own coffee and therefore had to resort to some supposedly great commercially available bean. Well, call it ill fated or just plain bad luck but I just couldn't make this purchased coffee work with whatever grind or pressure or length of saturation.

Anyway, I finally took some time to roast coffee yesterday and although I'm supposed to wait for at least five days, I couldn't put up with rubbish coffee any longer and just used the first batch of my own roast I had available. Although the first coffee was not purged through the perfect grind it still was heaps better that anything I had to consume the past couple of weeks. It is plainly and sadly unbelievable how different home roast is to even highly praised excellence.

Hence, it never pays to be lazy. If you get the chance to do something that you know is good and serves you, never ever procrastinate for the benefit of your well being.

Thank god I realized it just in time before I lost interest in coffee. Let the caffeine addiction prevail.

Emma Lou R.I.P.

2009-03-20T17:09:00.004+09:00

Today has been a very sad day. Emma Lou, Elli's beloved baby dog, has passed away. I feel very sad about this. Elli's pain rushes right through me and adds to my own sadness in a very real way.

Emma Lou, I miss you. I miss walking with you around the block in the early mornings. I miss your demanding snorts when I wasn't paying enough attention to you. I miss your affection even for me that has only been in your life for a very short time. Your comfort, your warmth, your loving little eyes. I wish I could have made it possible to stay with us over the past few years, so you and Elaine could have spent your retiring age with each other.

Be well and rest and be in peace.

New Cups In The House

2009-03-14T14:46:00.001+09:00

Today Elli and I bought two new standard sized cappuccino cup in the colors orange and blue. It was quite a challenge to find a standard sized cup since most kitchen suppliers seem to only stock the economically interesting small cups in order to save cost of milk etc.

Anyway, I'm still trying to learn to get the milk correctly textured so that I would be able to start experimenting with latte art. But for some reason, despite of all my passion for the perfect flat white, I don't seem to grasp the concept. I need a lot more practice but unfortunately there is a lot limit to how much coffee I can drink every day.

Maybe I should drink decaf for the time being until I master the art of latte.

Why Businesses Need To Be More Humble

2009-03-13T10:48:00.001+09:00

In an economic climate like these days a lot of business owners ask themselves how to survive the difficult times. Usually, the answer is to cut down costs and surely the red pen will point towards cost of labor.

People are laid off all around us. The lucky ones that can keep their professional occupation aren't really that lucky because they need to clean up after those who were made redundant and most likely take on their work load without complaining. Those who do complain risk joining their unemployed friends without a doubt.

Observing the Australian small business owner mentality made it obvious that they, as much as their companions anywhere else in the world, suffer from an out of balance equilibrium and struggle with a successful solution. The obvious choice on focussing on cost reduction make them unaware of what else is going on with their business. Even worse, they stop to care about the actual quality of service and product which in the first place got them into the business and made them successful enough to sustain so far.

Two simple words describe this newly adapted and misguided approach: arrogance and ignorance. If one is arrogant he or she is unwilling to allow the possibility that their product/service lacks in quality and fair value. If one is ignorant he or she is incapable of seeing beyond the demands of the everyday business tasks.

Customer satisfaction is more important than most business owners like to admit to themselves. It is in fact not just about making the sale but to make sure that the client is satisfied with the sale and the product, even long after the actual sale has taken place. Neither an ignorant nor arrogant attitude will allow anyone to receive the necessary feedback to improve customer satisfaction but will guarantee a business doomed to fail in the long run, if not much sooner.

It's obvious that the time has arrived for businesses to settle for a more humble approach. Ask your customers how they like your product! Ask them how they felt they were treated throughout the entire sales process! Ask if they would come back again or if they would recommend your services to anyone else! Don't be afraid of the answer. Most of the time it'll give you at least hints in what direction you should invest to improve your business, and sometimes you'll get a clear response package inside constructive criticism that might hurt but eventually will be more than helpful.

Yes, it is important to manage your costs and structure your business to sustain without risking the job opportunities you are currently able to give. But also realize that your employees are probably one of the most important aspects that allow good customer satisfaction. By putting them under a lot of pressure you're not doing yourself a favor and you will lose in the long run.

Don't be indifferent to your value to your customers but be challenged by their feedback and strive for their satisfaction.

Coffee! A Programmer's Dream and Curse

2009-03-12T06:55:00.001+09:00

I love coffee! And I'm not just talking about the daily caffeine intake but everything about it. Making the perfect espresso, decorating it with beautiful latte art, and finally taste it can be very ecstatic.

I get a decent espresso out of my machine. However, my latte art skills are very poor if not non-existent. So far I've not bothered with research latte art, hoping I'd be getting it by trial and error, but unfortunately I don't seem to have a natural talent for it.

The next few days I'll be googling latte art and hopefully get some easy design patterns going.

Wish me luck!

Picking it up again

2009-03-08T04:48:00.002+09:00

After a few busy weeks, an exam and a few days of a lot of sleep, I'm ready to pick up the blog again. I chose a new template that reflects my passion for coffee and got rid of my previous posts as they have served their purpose past their time. I'll try to refrain from any big plans and ideas for this blog but rather keep it simple this time.

Probably programming, cooking, personal development and other less creative subjects are going to be my main focus.

We'll see. Stay tuned...