I hardly remember or find time to blog this month. Every three to four (maybe 5 sometimes) years, I tend to upend myself, so I won't get too complacent.
I've been getting comfortable and becoming complacent in my current situation/jobs. I've been wanting to start out something for a while now, but never found the sudden urge to just go do it. So, relocating or changing jobs are my major life-changing milestones.
I'm glad my husband had been asking probing questions, and presenting different views and alternatives. Sometimes, having to justify things out loud is a good thing. It helps you organize and rationalize your thoughts. And that's what happens to me. While I'm explaining to him why I might do that or not doing that, I wonder out loud,
"why am I still working for this a*hole boss that I see big problems in the execution of the company and that it has very little chance to make it big?"
"why don't I go check out this startup (or that) for interesting things to do, on top of the bigger potential to making it big and impact?"
"why don't I chase after one challenging job after another, when the most demanding one is my kids, who are vying for my attention at the same time?
"why don't we start our own thing, and have more say in our own destiny?"
"why not?"
One of the lines of a vintage Apple ad campaign stuck with me. "Think different." I always ask myself, can I do that? Am I doing that? I still ask myself that question often...
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
Addendum to D5...
And...
...Is this any wonder why guys like Marc Andreseen from netscape back then, who was the face for browser when the credit for creating the browser should have gone to someone else, disappeared these days? For someone who takes but contributes little to the process, I would not expect any "innovations" and I do not expect to them to have staying power, like Jobs and Gates.
...Is this any wonder why guys like Marc Andreseen from netscape back then, who was the face for browser when the credit for creating the browser should have gone to someone else, disappeared these days? For someone who takes but contributes little to the process, I would not expect any "innovations" and I do not expect to them to have staying power, like Jobs and Gates.
On the All Things Digital Conference (D5) appearance by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates...
I'm pleasantly surprised, looking at the videos and reading through the transcripts at http://d5.allthingsd.com/20070531/d5-gates-jobs-transcript/ of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at the All Things Digital Conference (D5).
A few things struck me:
(1) The recurring notion of risk taking.
(2) The need to have such passion in what you are pursuing, which can be the only thing that sustains you when the going gets tough.
(3) How differently Jobs and Gates presented their views as a visionary.
It sets me wondering out loud:
(a) Of all those me-too sites, or even the popular sites on the web today, how many of them are actually driven by people who truly love it, or simply to weasel a way in for sudden riches? Do we really have the pure hearts in Silicon Valley, among other places, to truly pursue breakthroughs, and not just for the money??
(b) It's a noble notion that neither Jobs nor Gates fully cared for the money when they started out, and that they simply charged ahead. How else would you have expected otherwise, for anyone to stay at the forefront (or closer to it in Jobs' case, or not too close in Gates' case) of innovation, and be able to sustained on a prolonged period? How else would one have expected a bounce-back, and 2nd act, if not 3rd act by Jobs?
(c) Be it benign or truly genuine, the mutual respect that the two showed to each other, shows us all what competition and sportsmenship truly mean.
(d) How many of us can truly "let things go", or seeing the things "that doesn't matter," in the case of Jobs, when what one should do is to look ahead, and not in the rear mirror?
(e) I was particularly struck by how Jobs can see things in very abstract terms, when he sees and "groups" things, and when he talks about the future. This is in contrast to Gates' notion of things that he envisions as how he sees things could evolve around the PC (or Windows). To me, a visionary vanguard is one who thinks abstract. To me, Jobs really showed us what a truly visionary is like.
(f) It's amazing to see how alike the two of them are, yet they're so different. They can both build on their wisdom and intelligence and knowledge over all these years, yet are still able to see into the future. Of how they value the importance of great people.
(g) I don't personally think much of Microsoft, although no one could argue of its many accomplishments, of having been able to standardized the PC, and allow slew of hanger-on industries to mushroom. And it's noble for the philanthropy work by Gates' great 2nd act. I sure hope he will succeed in this.
(h) Looking at the industry's newer guys, perhaps the more noticeable ones that got in the game, not entirely for the love of money, but for what they see as a paradigm shift (or see how far their work can go), are the two founders of Google. I certainly hope that they keep their heart and soul pure to what they had originally set out to do, according to their Do No Evil mantra.
A few things struck me:
(1) The recurring notion of risk taking.
(2) The need to have such passion in what you are pursuing, which can be the only thing that sustains you when the going gets tough.
(3) How differently Jobs and Gates presented their views as a visionary.
It sets me wondering out loud:
(a) Of all those me-too sites, or even the popular sites on the web today, how many of them are actually driven by people who truly love it, or simply to weasel a way in for sudden riches? Do we really have the pure hearts in Silicon Valley, among other places, to truly pursue breakthroughs, and not just for the money??
(b) It's a noble notion that neither Jobs nor Gates fully cared for the money when they started out, and that they simply charged ahead. How else would you have expected otherwise, for anyone to stay at the forefront (or closer to it in Jobs' case, or not too close in Gates' case) of innovation, and be able to sustained on a prolonged period? How else would one have expected a bounce-back, and 2nd act, if not 3rd act by Jobs?
(c) Be it benign or truly genuine, the mutual respect that the two showed to each other, shows us all what competition and sportsmenship truly mean.
(d) How many of us can truly "let things go", or seeing the things "that doesn't matter," in the case of Jobs, when what one should do is to look ahead, and not in the rear mirror?
(e) I was particularly struck by how Jobs can see things in very abstract terms, when he sees and "groups" things, and when he talks about the future. This is in contrast to Gates' notion of things that he envisions as how he sees things could evolve around the PC (or Windows). To me, a visionary vanguard is one who thinks abstract. To me, Jobs really showed us what a truly visionary is like.
(f) It's amazing to see how alike the two of them are, yet they're so different. They can both build on their wisdom and intelligence and knowledge over all these years, yet are still able to see into the future. Of how they value the importance of great people.
(g) I don't personally think much of Microsoft, although no one could argue of its many accomplishments, of having been able to standardized the PC, and allow slew of hanger-on industries to mushroom. And it's noble for the philanthropy work by Gates' great 2nd act. I sure hope he will succeed in this.
(h) Looking at the industry's newer guys, perhaps the more noticeable ones that got in the game, not entirely for the love of money, but for what they see as a paradigm shift (or see how far their work can go), are the two founders of Google. I certainly hope that they keep their heart and soul pure to what they had originally set out to do, according to their Do No Evil mantra.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
On Romney's pledge to donate his salary to charity, should he become president...
It's almost funny, reading story like http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/US/Politics/President_Race_2008/Mitt_Romney_Would_Quit_Presidential_Salary__3852.asp where Mitt Romney pledges to donate his salary to charity, should he become president.
It's almost laughable, for a Bain Capital founder to make such "generous" offer, serving nothing much other than grandstanding. Should I really care of his true character on where he stands, in terms of charitable donations, I would rather see how much he has donated, as a percentage of his personal net wealth, to any existing charities (not the ones he might have created himself for tax purposes or in any way related to him or his establishments), over the course of the past 10 years.
He really would serve himself better by keeping his mouth shut on a topic like this, than to think it's a big deal, which would be exactly how anyone in their right mind would think of it, which is "yeah, big deal, Romney."
It's almost laughable, for a Bain Capital founder to make such "generous" offer, serving nothing much other than grandstanding. Should I really care of his true character on where he stands, in terms of charitable donations, I would rather see how much he has donated, as a percentage of his personal net wealth, to any existing charities (not the ones he might have created himself for tax purposes or in any way related to him or his establishments), over the course of the past 10 years.
He really would serve himself better by keeping his mouth shut on a topic like this, than to think it's a big deal, which would be exactly how anyone in their right mind would think of it, which is "yeah, big deal, Romney."
Friday, May 25, 2007
On Rosie departing The View early, and the fight with Hasselbeck...
The commentary at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18871660/ captures most of what I feel about Rosie and The View and this Hasselbeck personality quite accurately. I really can't stand the stupidity of Hasselbeck, thinking that she's smart in regurgitating the official lines of "defense" of the Bush administration, the Iraq war, etc.
Bravo to Rosie for speaking out, however bluntly, of what the Bush administration rightly deserves. If I need civility and political correctness, I would not be watching a group of women talking. This might sound sexist, but that's the way it is, in 80% of the time. If I am to watch a talk show, I want sharp angles and straight-talks that I would not have otherwise got from elsewhere. And, indeed, I find the Rosie quite funny too - like her impersonation of The Donald.
So, yes, I would not be watching The View after Rosie's departure. Hasselbeck can go on, as no doubt the network would keep a pretty face on the show, as if it means anything to audience like me.
I hope Rosie will come back in another incarnation.
Bravo to Rosie for speaking out, however bluntly, of what the Bush administration rightly deserves. If I need civility and political correctness, I would not be watching a group of women talking. This might sound sexist, but that's the way it is, in 80% of the time. If I am to watch a talk show, I want sharp angles and straight-talks that I would not have otherwise got from elsewhere. And, indeed, I find the Rosie quite funny too - like her impersonation of The Donald.
So, yes, I would not be watching The View after Rosie's departure. Hasselbeck can go on, as no doubt the network would keep a pretty face on the show, as if it means anything to audience like me.
I hope Rosie will come back in another incarnation.
Monday, May 21, 2007
On Bush attempt to mend the bridge with old Europe...
Now that most of the neocons (save Cheney, the last man standing) are gone, Bush is finally doing his first attempt to mend the bridges with old Europe and NATO. For a world leader to wake up, 6 years too late, who has burnt through all credibility of US in the eyes of the world, and with the remaining 2 years as a lame duck, does Bush really believe he can change the history book as the administration with the worst foreign policy? I very much doubt it.
While Jimmy Carter might be blunt in his assessment of the Bush administration, it is largely true. It would certainly sound harsh, for a past president to criticize a current president, but Carter is speaking out on what has been on most everyone's mind, in crisp terms.
The system in this country protects incompetency of a government. If we have had a parliamentary system, he would have been voted out with a no-confidence vote long time ago, going the same way Blair goes. Basically, American people have to sit it out for the next 2 years. At least Bush has no hope of an re-election, thank God.
I just wish that Bush Jr. would have heed some advice from his father who is a much wiser man.
While Jimmy Carter might be blunt in his assessment of the Bush administration, it is largely true. It would certainly sound harsh, for a past president to criticize a current president, but Carter is speaking out on what has been on most everyone's mind, in crisp terms.
The system in this country protects incompetency of a government. If we have had a parliamentary system, he would have been voted out with a no-confidence vote long time ago, going the same way Blair goes. Basically, American people have to sit it out for the next 2 years. At least Bush has no hope of an re-election, thank God.
I just wish that Bush Jr. would have heed some advice from his father who is a much wiser man.
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