New fish on the block

Unfortunately, it's being chased around the tank by the resident Wasabi. Wasabi keeps raising his flag and pushing the newbie around. It's okay though, he was like that with the old roomate but after a few days, they made up and were best buds.

Hmmm... a new name dilemma...

------> Anchovy!!!

Good to Great

I rarely read actual books. Papers and reports, protocols and synopses count for the majority of my reading. What a bizarre hobby. I can never name "reading" as a hobby or passtime. There's nothing enticing to me in the act of reading text writ on paper. But I enjoy learning, and if a lesson isn't in a convenient format such as infomercials, online flash animations or campfire song, I'll settle for reading it.


This one in particular was lent to me by my boss. Good to Great, by Jim Collins. The much hailed follow-up to his even more hailed Built to Last. Built to Last was an analysis on how companies build enduring success, while Good to Great details a research project into how companies can transform from average okay and profitable to industry leaders and iconic models. To be honest, I wasn't so enthused to read this hardcover book weighing down my courier bag, and delayed cracking the binding for a few weeks until this week. I'm a scientist at heart, and as much as my boss loves to ponder the concepts of great leadership, I've never salivated at the thought of reading a book about business.

I went in expecting a dry, by-the-numbers analysis of various brand names I cared nothing about like Fannie Mae and Kroger; something I'd skim just to fake having read the book, to coming away really having learned a new perspective. It was a mercifully short read and made no great expectation of the reader that they'd have a Harvard business degree or anything. Reading the previous work, Built to Last was also not necessary. The book was five years in the making, a team effort to systematically look at real life companies that went from good to great, and how they differed from companies that remained mediocre. Selfless leaders, focus, hardwork, and discipline consistently prevailed over egos and quick-fixes. The key to success was often simple and humane, in contrast to what one might expect from the cutthroat world of suits and ties.

But I still would not have been all that interested in a how-to recipe to make a company great. A lowly intern is a few steps removed from any steering of the ship. But I found the ideas presented to be common to these great transitions are applicable to other endeavours, business and non-business organizations. But I read it as how it can apply to the business I run now, called life. I was glad to have my own driving principles validated, but more importantly, it helped me think about them and add to them, to give them descriptions. Discipline and determination has always been important to me, but I have no easy case to make for the behavior other than that I'm a bit of a square. ;o)

So I recommend it to anyone, not just those looking to shift a company into high gear, but those interested in constant improvement and success in the time we have.

Spicy Wasabi

Depite the lack of photographic evidence, he does completely exit the water frequently. Usually in and out of his 'den' if he didn't feel like using the secret under water entrance. And sometimes to bask on his black stone, on which he regurgitated some half-chewed shrimp today.

I wonder if he'll eat a Cheerio..., or more precisely, a Cheerio of the honey-nut variety...

Zamboni ballet

First game I've gone to for the season and I'm caught completely unawares of the new rules! Well, I knew there were some, but it didn't seem to make the game much different. The Oilers still know how to frustrate the crowd with their reluctance to pull the trigger. Mostly, it was a pretty boring game. None of the cheek clenching excitment I'm used to going to games. That's the whole point of going! That and watching the crowd. I never understand the fans that get so red-faced angry at their team that they just walk out and pout. I also like the smooch cam. Tonight, the highlight was a man who turned his face away just as his wife was about to land a peck. Boy, somebody's not getting any the rest of this century.

Edmonton Oilers 2, Minnesota Wild 3

Grey cup, part deux

Wowee!!! I got to touch the Grey Cup! The REAL Grey Cup! Isn't that exciting? I could hardly contain myself! Not that I'm a huge football fan, but it was so cool to see these adults swarm around it like children, and then to have my picture taken with it. It's very scuffed and worn, probably because they let idiots like me slobber all over it.

Movie review: Syriana and 'blah blah Narnia blah blah blah'

Man-o-man, this was one big headache. I did like it but is it ever hard to follow! It's like they expect everyone in the audience to be experts in the oil industry! But it was very interesting, telling the story through people involved. Like learning about the oil industry and it's connections to corrupt governments and economies as told from the stakeholders, people like you and me. Well, not really me. I'm a sheltered scientist. But definitely requires a few viewings to *get* everything I think.

Syriana 2/3



I had only the vaguest recollections about this story going in. I think I had it in school. And certain events seem familiar. All in all, it was okay. Kinda kiddie-ish like Harry Potter and religious like... y'know, Christianity. Many parallels. Like the lion dying for the little kid's sins?! And resurrected?! And I had a real problem when the one kid killed the big bad wolf. He was knighted! What kind of message does that send to kids in the audience? Congratulations on your first enemy kill, now you are a man?! And it's not difficult to kill a wolf when it jumps into your ready sword! The most disturbing thing was the end when the brothers and sisters were installed as monarchs for Narnia. Isn't that how royal inbreeding starts?! And how come these little bastards forgot all about going home to their loving parents fighting for their freedom in the war back in the real world?!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 3/7

Pots ofs lucks

I played ice hockey for the first time ever!!! I've played floor hockey of course, like any other elementary kid. And skated, although poorly. Now I've combined the two! I feel like a white kid! Seriously though, it was fun. I was even pitied upon by letting me contact the puck breifly before some eight year old kid took it away from me. It was a pretty cool company Christmas party.

There were also two company potlucks, for which I brought:

Semi-flat meats lasagna, with pepperoni on top, but ground beef throughout. The sauce used was a mix of tomato and alfredo derivatives, layered between green spinach noodles. I also added corn. That saved it. It was well received. I thought it was okay. I didn't want to deal with the controversy of a fully flat meats lasagna.

Chicken and stuffing sandwiches. A favorite of mine from the trip to Ireland many years ago. What a combo! And someone even noticed it was Irish. It was very well received and was all gone by the end!

Salmon, bacon and walnut sandwiches. This one suffered at the hands of my poor planning. I had a sign in the tray, one side saying chicken and stuffing and the other saying salmon, bacon and walnut. But it looked like it was all chicken and stuffing. That and the fact that it's kinda weird meant it didn't move as quickly as I had hoped. It was all gone by a couple days later and those that had it were enlightened to the combination. It's inspiration was from salmon log recipes, with salmon and walnuts. Add bacon to anything makes it better.

Movie review: Kung Fu Hustle and Capote

Can two movies be more different? I think not.


I've heard so much about Kung Fu Hustle. So much critical acclaim! It was pretty weird but I really liked it. I think it's important to realize the style it was going for. That of chinese comic books, which is probably not as well known on these shores as even Japanese anime, which is quite different. The storyline itself is actually very much like The Matrix. Forgivable since the storyline of The Matrix was a cross between Japanese anime and the Bible anyway.

Kung Fu Hustle 7/9



Wow, this sucked wookie. Well, not that bad, but ten minutes in I couldn't wait to get the hell outta there. Very few movies makes me consider sacrificing my money for my sanity. I like the lead actor, but he used this unintelligible "accent", if you can even call it that, throughout the movie. It was like if Jar Jar Binks had a lead in a movie about whatever time period this was set in. That's another thing, I'm so not interested in period pieces. For those interested, its about a journalist writing about two murderers, all the time befriending them as well as manipulating them. Ah, who cares.

Capote 2/11

Double happiness

A friend invited me to have Christmas dinner with her family. I haven't had turkey in ages! And it was neat cause it was turkey, but then with chinese food. And I wish I had smaller, more prehensile teeth to pick at the delicate neck muscles of the turkey. Hmmm... does that mean I was necking a turkey? Does it count when it's dead and cooked? Do I have turkey necrophilia?! I'm sure that's going too far. I just like chewey muscle.

My lips are burning

mystery girl...

I actually had a date! Can y'all believe it? It's been a while. A long while. An embarrassingly long while. But it was grrr...reat! I tried to make it as nerdy and geeky as possible, cause y'know, chicks dig that.

She has a really really big cheshire cat grin. It has to be confirmed but I'm pretty sure I can see her molars when she smiles. (that'a good thing by the way; a very open and uninhibited smile)

She gave me a bee sting and I gave her mono. I think we're even.

She is pretty darned NEAT-O!

Movie review: Madagascar & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I actually saw these two movies a month ago but haven't had time to add my smart alecky comments. So here are some abbreviated words and pictures for your ADHDs.


Cute, simple, but I'm offended by their obvious categorization of fish as non-animals. What, fish don't have feelings? Don't they feel pain?! Have they not the same hopes and dreams as we all do?!

Madagascar 5/8



Too weird! It's not particularly heart warming. Doesn't seem too appropriate for kids. Too weird! Even for me!!!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 3/7

Curtains for a mudskipper

No! It's not dead! It's just sleeping... or molting, yeah, these fish molt!

G'dang it! I get a different answer from that f**king pet store every time I ask!

Maybe if I get them more toys, it'll come back!

I'm so depressed. I failed.

Oh well, fish die.

-----

but now his buddy is looking for him... so lonely in that big tank

I guess I didn't need a name pair after all.

This one will be called Wasabi.

Strike a Pose

Grey cup

Now I never watch football. I think it's a stupid game. So many rules, so much padding, complex scoring system. I also sucked at it in school.

But I watched the game at a friend's house, and it was good! Maybe it was because it was in a group. But everyone does say it was a really good game by football standards. I followed most of it.

I'm by no means a convert. I still won't watch it regularly, but maybe I'll catch the occasional one next season...

Movie review: Ice Harvest

I don't know why this movie is getting such a beating with critics. I think it's certain presumptions with Harold Ramis. But I loved it! Well, not love, perhaps adequate like, but I thought it was pretty good. Definitely worth seeing! It's mostly a standard crime caper comedy thing. And it kept me guessing throughout. Maybe I'm just naive enough to like it. Maybe I just like John Cusack movies. Maybe I just like blood presented in a comical way.

2/3

Ice Harvest