History

Posts selected fromManagement Blog - Engineering Blog - Investing Blog and other blogs

• Peter Scholtes on Managing People and Motivation

  In the presentation he discussed the 6 leadership competencies from his book, The Leader’s Handbook

  continue reading: Peter Scholtes on Managing People and Motivation
• Looking at the Malaysian Economy

  Since I am living in Malaysia now, I pay attention to Malaysia’s economy. There are many reasons to be positive but the large consumer and government debt in Malaysia is a serious concern.

  continue reading: Looking at the Malaysian Economy
• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Temple of Green Cloud), Melacca

  The Cheng Hoon Teng temple (Temple of Green Cloud) is a Chinese temple practicing the three doctrinal systems of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. It is the oldest functioning temple in Malaysia; built in 1673.

  The image shows a close up of artwork in the temple.

  continue reading: Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Temple of Green Cloud), Melacca
• The Growing Market for International Travel for Medical Care

  Medical “tourism” is a potentially huge market. The size of the market is greatly aided by the extremely expensive and broken USA health care system...

  continue reading: The Growing Market for International Travel for Medical Care
• Mistake Proofing and Mistake Making Less Easy

  Making it harder to make mistakes and making them more visible is good. Preventing them is even better.

  continue reading: Mistake Proofing and Mistake Making Less Easy
• Hyperloop – Fast Transportation Using a Better Engineering Solution Than We Do Now

  Elon Musk (the engineer and entrepreneur behind Tesla electric cars and before that he helped create PayPal) has a very cool idea of how to provide fast long distance transportation (faster than a plane). Essentially it is a big version of pneumatic tubes that used to be used to send small packages around a building, as seen in the movie – Brazil

  continue reading: Hyperloop – Fast Transportation Using a Better Engineering Solution Than We Do Now
• 3d Printers Can Already Save Consumers Money

  I first wrote about 3d printing at home here, on the Curious Cat Engineering blog, in 2007. Revolutionary technology normally takes quite a while to actually gain mainstream viability. I am impressed how quickly 3d printing has moved and am getting more convinced we are underestimating the impact. The quality of the printing is improving amazingly quickly.

  continue reading: 3d Printers Can Already Save Consumers Money
• Living Through Your Society Becoming a Police State

  I don't like the USA government hiding its actions from the citizens of the USA. I don't believe claims that most of what is hidden is for national security reasons. It is hidden for the simple reason that it is politically unacceptable to admit what they are doing and so they seek to hide what they are doing.

  continue reading: Living Through Your Society Becoming a Police State
• Medical Study Findings too Often Fail to Provide Us Useful Knowledge

  A very significant part of the problem is health care research is very hard. There are all sorts of interactions that make conclusive results much more difficult than other areas.

  But failures in our practices also play a big role. Just poor statistical literacy is part of the problem (especially related to things like interactions, variability, correlation that isn’t evidence of causation…). Large incentives that encourage biased research results are a huge problem.

  continue reading: Medical Study Findings too Often Fail to Provide Us Useful Knowledge
• Change has to Start from the Top – Presentation by David Langford

  You are the top of your system. Change your thinking, change your process – you change your system. As soon as you start to modify your system you are going to have an effect on the larger system: the way you organize, the way you manage what you do everyday, how you process the work that you are doing [will impact the larger system].

  David Langford

  continue reading: Change has to Start from the Top – Presentation by David Langford
• Giving and Accepting Advice and Feedback

  If the core issue the person raises with feedback is something you should address, do so. Don't have how your respond determined by how successfully they gave feedback.

  continue reading: Giving and Accepting Advice and Feedback
• Setting Goals Can Easily Backfire

  I achieved my goal by not my aim. That happens a lot, we honestly translate aims to goals. And then we do stupid things in the name of the goal get it the way of the aim. We forget the aim sometimes and put the goal in its place.

  Mike Tveite

  continue reading: Setting Goals Can Easily Backfire
• I Can Spy on You, But You Can't Spy on Me

  My guess is Germany does nothing, other than making a few harmless noises. Pretty much Europe has been limited to voicing a bit of displeasure occasionally but for anything that requires action acting like a vassal state and going along with the USA (which often means big USA campaign contributors). Maybe Germany, or others, will want to step out from the shadow they have been in basically since the end of World War II, but I doubt it.

  continue reading: I Can Spy on You, But You Can't Spy on Me
• Experiment by Cole Porter

  The lyrics were included in the book by George Box, my father and Stu Hunter: Statistics for Experimenters.

  You all have learned reliance on the sacred teachings of science
  So I hope through life you never will decline in spite of philistine defiance
  To do what all good scientists do.
  Experiment.
  Make it your motto day and night.
  Experiment and it will lead you to the light.

  continue reading: Experiment by Cole Porter
• Pine Hill Trail, Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia

  Pine Hill Trail is the longest trail in Fraser’s Hill.  I found it to be a wonderful hike. It is quite a bit of up at down at the beginning.

  continue reading: Pine Hill Trail, Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia