New: Say No to the Nanny State

• Avoiding Tragedy of the Commons for Software Development - "If people can just treat a resource as though it was suppose to just serve them and the resource is overwhelmed I see that as tragedy of the commons."
• The aim of leadership is not merely to find and record failures of men - "Far too many leaders think their role is to hold people accountable. Such thinking shows much that is wrong with those that seek simple answers instead of improvement."
• Respect People by Creating a Climate for Joy in Work - Creating a climate where people can take pride in what they do everyday is the key. It isn't being "nice" to everyone. What matters is providing a workplace where intrinsic motivation flourishes.
• Government Debt as Percent of GDP 1998-2010 for OECD - There has been a dramatic increase from 2008-2010. The USA is up from 41% of GDP to 61%. Spain is up from 34% to 52% (but given all the concern with Spain this doesn’t seem to indicate the real debt problems they have. (As I say in the post these percentages are lower than other sources show...).
• Understanding Technology and Programing is Vital - The world has changed from 50 years ago. It is hard to imagine making serious decisions about priorities for most any organization without a basic appreciation of programing (understanding the basics of how we can use computers effectively).
• Gravity and the Scientific Method - Science is not about current beliefs. Science is about seeking knowledge. If the search for knowledge leads to evidence that old ideas were wrong those ideas are overturned. Since people are involved that process isn’t as clean as it sounds above.
• Problems with Management and Business Books - The effectiveness in marketing a book, or consultant, has very limited correlation to their ability to improve management, in my experience.
• Personal Finance Basics: Long Term Disability Insurance - Most people know living without health insurance is very risky (and shouldn't be done). But people are much less aware of the importance of long term disability insurance. The census bureau estimates that you have a 20% chance you will be disabled in your lifetime...
• Engage in Improving the Management System - This requires doing the hard work of challenging complacency... Instead it seems to me, most of the time, the focus is on spinning what is being done to convince others that what is being done is good. This is not helpful and not useful.
• Finding, and Keeping, Good IT People - the same need for respect for people is the core issue - with some others though they will put up with bad management practices for far longer than good IT people.
• Executives Again Treating Corporate Treasuries as Their Money - The lack of honor of these men is amazing. And the lack of honor of those who continue to treat these people as anything but pariahs is amazing. That we continue to pursue policies that enable and enrich too big to fail financial companies, on the backs of those that save - and in so doing provide billions in profits for the executives to treat as their personal bank accounts is sad.
• Google Art Project - View Art from the Hermitage, the Met... - Google Art Project lets you view art from the Hermitage, Van Gogh Museum, the Met, Tate Britain, National Gallery and more museums around the world.