Being Prepared

This week a Facebook friend reported on her her trip and to the International Conference of Police Chaplains. I can appreciate the role that the Chaplains play and how important they are to the police and firefighters.

Many years ago I received an early (before sunrise) morning call that I needed to respond to an emergency in the factory. One of our employees died of natural causes two thirds of the way through the midnight shift. In these situations the police and medical examiners have to be called and an investigation performed. In addition the next of kin has to be notified. Unfortunately the next of kin was a wife with several young children. The our lead safety coordinator/first responder had a good relationship with the local public first responders and with the department chaplain. The situation had to be and was handled in a sympathetic and judicious manner due to the timing of events and other factors.

This once in a life time event well because we had spent time developing and practicing emergency response plans for various scenarios. Being prepared is very important.

Creativity and Time

I am often struck at how creative ideas or concepts evolve over time and how long it takes.

I find that I can take a design and product to a point I am happy with. Set it aside for awhile and then come up with an iteration that reduces cost to the customer. When looking back I always say to myself it seems intuitively obvious, why did I not see that sooner?

So what to do when faced with such a quandary? Obviously Google the problem.

I found two interesting sources.

The first is a PBS Note to Parents about creativity in kids.  Actually does a good job of explaining creativity and how to identify it in children.

The second is an on line course in critical thinking at The University of Hong Kong. More in depth and up to date.

I have started to delve into the second link. It takes a little time for me to absorb and process this type of material.

Okay, now that I have started.

I was having a discussion with an individual earlier this week concerning a project that I have been contemplating. It was pointed out by this individual that our generation (baby boomers) were probably the last generation that did not require a college degree to attain success  or a comfortable living. Join the middle class. That is sad.

There are supervisors and leaders who emphasize credentials over ability. I am afraid they assume that credentials equate with superior performance and success. I disagree. There were numerous examples of people who are creative and successful without the academic credentials.

This is a big subject. I will explore more in the future.

No Instructions

I have spent the last several day learning how to use an app on my phone and tablet. Being the traditionalist I am, I started looking for the help and instruction files. I must be in real bad shape because I could not find anything that explains the steps required to operate the software.

The only way I could  learn to use it was by actually doing something and then seeing what happens. One of the difficulties is that when learning to see the results  is a trial and error process in itself.

Another issue is learning the nomenclature utilized in the app. Like what is a sample (data point). What is a collection? What is tracker?

Then I got to the point where I came to the realization that we are now seeing the future. All learning is going to be experiential. By doing. In the future we will being seeing fewer and fewer instruction manuals and books. If they are really needed they will probably be provided by second parties, i.e. ????? for Dummies.

This may not be a bad thing. The thing is how do we train the younger ones to be inquisitive and intuitive explorers?

Is it just me or is it everyone?

The Metaphysical Aspects of Powerwashin

Just spent the last four days power washing the house prior to painting.

Subjects that come to mind:

• Factors to maximize total machine time.
• Full gas tank?
• Operator Positioning
• Wand movement patterns
• Personal protective equipment and productivity
• Tip axis relative to wand trigger and grip.
• Comfort

• Factors that maximize spray tip effectiveness.
• Distance from surface.
• Speed
• Tip design
• Wand angle relative to surface plane
• Multitasking and how it affects productivity.
• Mental Distraction