All posts by johncohn

Thursday night – the elephant in the room

The situation during the day's getting increasingly intense. I find that I'm on the phone every moment talking to friends about their work situation. I've heard from so many friends. I love it and it the same time it's kind of stressful.
At the same time I'm really jazzed about the stuff I'm working on. I'm incredibly busy right now which feels good but I was starting to think about my calendar… and it really started freaking me out. some people stress out over money, I stress out over time. I knew I had some major work deliverables and hobby deliverables coming up, some talks I had to right then give, some work travel, and it all swirls together in my head.
I really need to see you all laid out. I came downstairs to find Diane to talk aboit it.. Shs always my best advisor. Imtold her about my schedule,woes,and she asked me if I had put all my stuffmOn my big calendar. She bought me a great dry erase calendar that allows me to see what I need to do by when. When I see things laid out all becomes clear.
Well… The answer,was no.. I hadnt put it on mymcalendar because id,had this,grwta,idea,in decmebr to,put my cal..which,is,as,uglymas,it,is,useful… Behind a really cool fabric wall hanging that we got in India
width=500

width=500
.. I figured it spruced up my work space to have a wise elephant behind my head rather than my messy calendar.. I kept it current for several weeks.. But then..i stoppped remembering that it was there.. The wise elephant stood guard
width=500

Once reminded today I decided to take down the elephant and put it somewhere else I stuck my stuff on the calendar and then realized it wasn't all that bad. And sat down and started working again.

They say An elephant never forgets… I wish I didn't.

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Wednesday night – connected

Last night I did a short blog post about all the folks calling/writing to ask  for advice during these turbulent times at work. today i heard from a bunch of folks who read that here. It reminded me  just how connected we are.  So many of my close friends are folks i work with from all over the world. Even though things are uncertain.. it reminds me  why i love the company .. its like a huge family.. eg. , loving and dysfunctional at times.

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Tuesday night – melt up

Things at work are SO crazy now.. i’m getting 6-10 calls/emails a day about folks wanting to talk about the future .. I’m finding it tough, because I don’t have any answers..   I’m used to having answers..  I was meditating in yoga tonight when I had sort of a melt up (as opposed to a melt down).. I figure can’t advise people  about stuff that we can’t control or predict.. so all i can do is listen with love and supprt. Same for my own future.. i can’t predict it.. so  can just take care of myself.. and move forward…

it was great letting go of that burden.. if even just for a few minutes..

lets see how this goes..

nite all. nite sam

-me

 

Monday night – How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk ?

Some friends turned me on to an amazing example of data analytic. It’s called How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk ? and it was featured in a New York Times article a few weeks back. It uses a 25 question survey to determine where in the US you came from.

Questions include

How would you address a group of two or more people?

  • you all
  • yous / youse
  • you lot
  • you guys
  • you ‘uns
  • yinz
  • you
  • other
  • y’all

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

  • sunshower
  • the wolf is giving birth
  • the devil is beating his wife
  • monkey’s wedding
  • fox’s wedding
  • pineapple rain
  • liquid sun
  • I have no term or expression for this
  • other

What do you call the insect that flies around in the summer and glows in the dark?

  • lightning bug
  • firefly
  • I use lightning bug and firefly interchangeably
  • peenie wallie
  • I have no word for this
  • other

Pineapple rain ? Peenie wallie.. What ?!?!?!?!

Anyway..it’s AMAZINGLY accurate.   It managed to name the exact town where I’m from even though I haven’t lived there in almost 33 years .

. and that town ?

 

Yep.. Houston Texas.. the place I grew up.(to the extent that I did 🙂 . though no one EVER tells me i sound like I’m from there. I’m so curious what I say that identifies me from being from Houston.. or what it might have in common with Grand Rapids.. but there you are..

I’ve been asking all my friends to take it.. and see how they fair.. give it a try.. again.. here’s the link.

Ya’ll give it a try.. ok ?

 

nite all, nite sam

-me