Steven Shaviro

I took a few classes from Steven during his University of Washington days. He wrote a better analysis of No Country for Old Men than I did.

Now a South African

FROM: ATTORNEY FRED THABO
TEL: +27-73-666-8850
SUITE 3 # 19 CARLTON TOWER
CARLTON CITY. JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA.


ATTN: Blanchard
                                            INHERITANCE.


It is my privilege to capture your names from theinternet. My name is 
ATTORNEY. FRED THABO  a legal practitioner and the personal Attorney to
late
Mr Adams Blanchard,a  national of your country who died along with his
wife
and his Two sons in a ghastly motor accident along Port  louis-Reduit
express in August 13, 2001.All the occupants in the vehicle lost their
lives.

I am convinced that it was the grace of God that made me to locate you.
My client was a successful and am accomplished family  man, who made
enough
fortune before his untimely death. Since then I had  made several
inquiries
through your Embassy to locate any of my clients  extended relative but
this
exercise has proved unsuccessful.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided totrace his relatives 
through the Internet, to locate any member of hisfamily not much
progress 
was recorded. My late client was an influentialwealthy businessman, an 
Gold
magnet here in South Africa and he left behind a  deposit of Twenty 
Five 
Million, Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars($25,200,000.00usd)
in
his domiciliary bank account in a commercial bank here in  South
Africa.

After the death of my client his bankers contacted me,  as his Attorney
to
provide his next of kin who should inherit his  fortune. The board of
directors of his bank adopted a resolution and I was
mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money
within 28 
working days or forfeit the money to the bank as an abandoned property.

The bankers had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996
to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me.

Despairing at the point of exhaustiveness,fortunately, I came across
your
name  , to my utmost amazement , you are nationals of  the same
country.
Convinced that you may be linked with my late client or that you might 
provide clue to my search, I therefore,decided to contact you with
these facts before me because of the situation now . By  virtue of my
closeness to the deceased and his immediate family, I am very much 
aware of
my client financial standing and the bank account he operates.

I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it willbe legally 
proper to
present you as the next of kin of my deceased client,so that you can be
paid
the funds left in his bank account, hence I contacted  you. I seek your
consent to present you as the Next of Kin to the  Deceased since you
are at
an advantage as nationals from the same country, so  that the proceeds
of
this Bank Account valued at $25.2 Million Dollars can  be paid to you.

We shall both share the funds. 60% to me and 35% toyou, while 5% 
should be
for Expenses or Tax as your Government may require, I  shall assemble
all
the necessary Legal Documents that will be used to back up  our claim
.All I
require is your honest cooperation to enable us see  this deal through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under alegitimate arrangement 
that
will protect you from any breach of law.

Please get in touch with me by telephone or email to  enable us discuss
further.

Best Regards
Attorney. Fred Thabo
Hop

Ultimate Mega Robots

I'm pleased with my draft. Holmes, Westbrook and Portis were on the top 15 of my big board. As usual, my WR position is sketchy, so I went for depth and am hoping for sleepers. Michael Vick and Jake Plummer are always good fantasy choices. Shockey is one of the best TE's, and the Pittsburgh defense is legendary.

On paper, things are looking good. Injuries are my vulnerability. Vick, Holmes, Shockey and Rogers all have histories filled with injury.

QB M. Vick
WR N. Burleson
WR S. Smith
RB P. Holmes
RB B. Westbrook
TE J. Shockey
W/R C. Portis
K J. Carney
DEF Pittsburgh

Bench:
W. Dunn
(Atl - RB)
J. Plummer
(Den - QB)
C. Rogers
(Det - WR)
D. Givens
(NE - WR)

Another scam from a "Nigerian"

I know damn well it's a scam, but part of my wants to contact this guy and try to get those three million dollars. That's why it works, I'm sure. Somebody out there doesn't know better and that impulse will overwhelm any suspicions.

I put the message in italics to distinguish it from text I wrote.

Dear Blanchard,

I am Barrister micheal morgan, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to late Mr. Pitt Blanchard, a national of your country, who used to work with one of the oil servicing Company in Nigeria. Here in after shall be referred to as my client.

On the 21st of April 2001, my client, his wife and their only daughter were involved in a car accident along sagbama express road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at US$3.5million left behind by my client before it gets confisicated or declared unserviceable by the AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK OF NIGERIA (ADB), where this huge amount were deposited. The said BANK has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the next fourteen official working days.

For the fact that I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased,since you have the same last name with my client, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.

I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in touch with me through this email address:michealmorganchamber@excite.com

Best regards,

Barrister Micheal Morgan.

7 Habits

I'm working to incorporate the "7 habits of Highly Effective People" into my daily life. My main focus is on "Doing first things first" or however Covey phrases it, and on "Seeking first to understand, then to be understood." That one is particularly challenging and useful. No one listens as well as they should. Well, no one that I know anyway. I'm starting to notice who is a good listener and who isn't.

This has also got me thinking about real world habits of effective people. I had expected the book would be more practical and ground level. While I'm not criticizing the scope of Covey's work, I, at least, could benefit from actual physical postive habits.

For example, "Never lose your composure." That's a good one. I'm much better at that one at this point in my life than in the past.

Another is "walk with your head up, eyes raised, and be aware of your surroundings." This is especially important in the city, and when crossing the street. It also applies to the work environment. It's good to notice acquaintances and friends, and it's important to take responsibility for your own safety when dealing with traffic.

"Really try to remember people's names when you meet them. If possible, shake hands and say their name at the moment of introduction." That gives you a fighting chance of name recognition.

"At least glance at everything you sign or otherwise agree to."

"When searching for something, look where it's supposed to be. Even if someone else just looked there, look there again. Then look where other people might think it's supposed to be. Then where it was supposed to be at a different time. Really expect to find the thing you're looking for." This is wordy. I am a good finder, and this is the forumula for my success.

"Pick your battles." This is cliche by now, I'm sure. It's an important habit though.

"Take care of yourself." There that's seven. This is also essentially Covey's 7th habit. He calls it "sharpen the saw."

No Country for Old Men

I've been pretty busy over the last few weeks, and all of my best ideas come when I'm running or riding the bus.

I finished Cormac McCarthy's new novel, No Country for Old Men, while in California with my girlfriend for a memorial service. The craftsmanship of his language is as masterful as ever, and the story was a little simpler than his other works.

I miss the long philosophical speeches found in his other novels, specifically The Crossing, and All the Pretty Horses. Even Blood Meridian gave the bald preacher some fantastic lines that helped explain his diabolical nature. This time around, the evil seems willing to talk, but no one wants to listen. Maybe that's why the good guys either die or run away. They won't learn from the evolving evil. They resist using old patterns, old ways, old morality. In the new era, the old ways aren't good enough, and the old time good guys are dying off.

At least whent he Border Trilogy wrapped up, Billy made it to the end, and we had a sense that he could survive in the new world, because he understood it and because he wanted to live. He also had the power to avenge John Grady's murder. We find no such solace here.

This surprises me some because the protagonist has some moral ambiguity about him. His acquisition of a suitcase full of drug money sets the novel's plot in motion, and his refusal to align with the law keeps it going. Make no mistake, he is a good man, however. Of that there is no doubt. He is steadfastly loyal to his wife, he is generous when appropriate, he goes to much trouble to take a dying man water, and he refrains from shooting a deadly adversary in the back.

When the accounts are settled, Moss's shining (but imperfect) morality leads almost directly to his demise. A more moral man would have left the money. A less moral man would not have returned with water (which led to the discovery of his identity), and would have killed the terminator sociopath when he had the chance a few hundred pages later. Perhaps that is McCarthy's lesson.

S. Korean man dies after 50 hours of computer games

It should go without saying that 50 hours is way too long to spend in a row. Still, I didn't expect it to be possible to die from exhaustion from gaming.

Go figure.

Ravens running back's return to camp delayed

I have nothing against Jamal Lewis. He made a mistake, got into trouble, and is doing his time. However, I can't manage to have any sympathy either.

I understand Billick's frustration: it's hard to get your team ready when a key piece is missing. He's smart to bite his tongue. It's too late to criticize Lewis over this issue, and it's pointless and non-productive to blame the system since Lewis has had a relatively easy time of it.

Home Improvement

I'm gearing up for a significant home improvement project. Our upstairs bathroom will be the first target. I plan to repaint and put in a new tile floor.

I don't know how to lay tile. The quest begins. Lucky for me, Lowes is holding a ceramic tile clinic every Saturday in August. I've already signed up for the August session. I would have gone this week, but, alas, I have a massage scheduled.

The Tragedy of the Commons

This article is an in depth analysis of the human societal condition of sharing resources, and ruining said resources through mismanagement.

Tragedy of the Airport

Interesting essay about traffic at the airport and why some delays are caused.

Astronomers detect '10th planet'

Jared Lorenzen Update

This isn't hot off the press, but at least on July 11th, Mr. Lorenzen was still hanging around and working toward a roster spot with the Giants.

Trying to Make a Giant Impact

Alexander, Pt II

The local media got it right: Alexander signs deal

Alexander, Seahawks agree on deal

This story got one important piece wrong: Alexander did not sign the franchise tender. He signed a 1 year contract for the same amount of money. The deal he signed came with the two big stipulations. The first is that the 'Hawks won't put the tag on him again next year, the second is that he must approve any trades.

I'm often impressed with how many details the national media miss or get wrong.

I'm also impressed by how some of the nuances of the deal are missed by the local sports guys. Specifically, how this deal really gets both parties out of corners they'd painted themselves in. The Hawks couldn't offer a longer contract during these negotiations because the franchise tag would be unusable by the organization for the duration of that contract. By signing a one year deal, they merely lose the ability to franchise tag someone else this year, which is impossible anyway becasue the window has long since closed.

This does not indicate a lack of desire for a long term deal on either party. They simply had to sign a one year deal first, to avoid losing future franchise tag ability. I'm optimistic that both sides will sign a longer term deal either during next season, or shortly thereafter, as was done with Hasselbeck and Jones this year.

St Chad

St. Ceadda

(Commonly known as ST. CHAD.)

Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop successively of York and Lichfield, England; date of birth uncertain, died 672.

He is often confounded with his brother, St. Cedd, also Abbot of Lastingham and the Bishop of the East Saxons. He had two other brothers, Cynibill and Caelin, who also became priests. Probably Northumbrian by birth, he was educated at Lindisfarne under St. Aidan, but afterwards went to Ireland, where he studied with St. Ecgberht in the monastery of Rathmelsige (Melfont). There he returned to help his brother St. Cedd to establish the monastery of Laestingaeu, now Lastingham in Yorkshire. On his brother's death in 664, he succeeded him as abbot.

Shortly afterwards St. Wilfrid, who had been chosen to succeed Tudi, Bishop of Lindisfarne, went to Gaul for consecration and remained so long absent that King Oswiu determined to wait no longer, and procured the election of Chad as Bishop of York, to which place the Bishopric of Lindisfarne had been transferred. As Canterbury was vacant, he was consecrated by Wini of Worcester, assisted by two British bishops. As bishop he visited his diocese on foot, and laboured in an apostolic spirit until the arrival of St. Theodore, the newly elected Archbishop of Canterbury who was making a general visitation. St. Theodore decided that St. Chad must give up the diocese to St. Wilfrid, who had now returned. When he further intimated that St. Chad's episcopal consecration had not been rightly performed, the Saint replied, "If you decide that I have not rightly received the episcopal character, I willingly lay down the office; for I have never thought myself worthy of it, but under obedience, I, though unworthy, consented to undertake it". St. Theodore, however, desired him not to relinquish the episcopate and himself supplied what was lacking ("ipse ordinationem ejus denuo catholica ratione consummavit" -- Bede, Hist. Eccl. IV, 2). Ceadda then returned to Lastingham, where he remained till St. Theodore called him in 669 to become Bishop of the Mercians. He built a church and monastery at Lichfield, where he dwelt with seven or eight monks, devoting to prayer and study time he could spare from his work as bishop. He received warning of his death in a vision.

His shrine, which was honoured by miracles, was removed in the twelfth century to the cathedral at Lichfield, dedicated to Our Lady and the Saint himself. At the Reformation his relics were rescued from profanation by Catholics, and they now lie in the Catholic cathedral at Birmingham, which is dedicated to him. His festival is kept on the 2nd of March. All accounts of his life are based on that given by Venerable Bede, who had been instructed in Holy Scripture by Trumberct, one of St. Chad's monks and disciples.

Behind the Name

Behind the Name

CHAD

Gender: Masculine Usage: English Pronounced: CHAD [key] Extra Info: Popularity, Related Names, Namesakes Options: Contribute Information, Add to List

From the Old English name Ceadda which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Welsh cad "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint. Also, a country in Africa bears this name, though it originates from a different source.

And my internet name:

CHADWICK

Gender: Masculine Usage: English Pronounced: CHAD-wik [key] Extra Info: Popularity, Related Names Options: Contribute Information, Add to List

From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "dairy farm belonging to CHAD" in Old English.

GTA creators choke on their "hot coffee". Industry feels the burn.

Short version: There was adult and sexual content on the new GTA game, that could only be found by altering the game via a downloadable modification. This download was not authorized by the company who created or released the game.

I imagine the game designers put the sexually explicit mini-game in, then in later stages of development they decided not to pick this battle. Violence and lower grade sexual themes are enough this time around. In order to keep the development on track, they left the code on the disk, but made it impossible to access.

Then someone else (outside of the company) devised a modification which allowed access to the code.

Why are people so afraid of sex?

I expect it from moral right wingers, but specifically, why is Hillary Clinton so afraid of sex?

Why are people afraid of sex, but not violence? Gaming has grown up, and it's time to expect content found in film, comics and media to appear in gaming. That includes nudity and explicit sex.

I am profoundly against the policing of morality, and the legislation of morality; this is one more step down this road.

7 Habits of Effective People

I'm reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Covey, and I'm impressed. I'm at a point in my life where I've picked up most of this wisdom naturally, but it helps to see it written down and organized.

His examples are irritating, and the tone can be a bit much, but otherwise, it's good stuff, if a person is looking for self improvement.

Habit 1 : Be Proactive
Habit 2: Imagine the ending at the beginning. - I butchered that one. It reads differently, but I think I captured the message.
Habit 3: First things first - the part about four quadrants is wonderful.

More to follow another day.

Jail for Nigerian bank fraudster

A court in Nigeria has sentenced a woman to two and a half years in prison for her part in the country's biggest ever international fraud case.

Amaka Anajemba admitted helping her late husband to persuade an employee of a Brazilian bank to transfer millions of dollars into overseas accounts.

....

The BBC's Anna Borzello in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos says that the country is notorious for its advance fee frauds.

Known as four-one-nines after the Nigerian criminal code prohibiting such practices, greedy or gullible investors are invited to hand over money or bank account details on the promise of large future payments, which never arrive.

In its most common form unsolicited e-mails offer the recipient a share of the wealth of dead African dictators.

Even the title is difficult

Dai Senryaku VII
Acronyms--------
AAG - Anti Aircraft Gun
AEW - Airborne Early Warning
AH - Attack Helicopter
APC - Armored Personnel Carrier
ASM - Air to Surface missile
ASW - Anti Sumbarine Warfare, Anti Surface Warfare
ATACMS - Army Tactical Missile System
ATGW - Anti Tank Guided Weapon
CFV - Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
CG - Cruiser (Naval)DD - Destroyer (Naval)
DDG - Guided Missile Destroyer
IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle
LAV - Light Armored Vehicle
MBT - Main Battle Tank
RCV - Recon Vehicle
SAM - Surface to Air Missle
SP - Self Propelled
SPAAG - Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Gun
SPH - Self Propelled Howitzer
SPSAM - Self Propelled Surface to Air Missile

This Works:

I use a move like this when someone is trying to make me do something that I think is stupid. It works especially well via email. You can stretch the encounter out 4 days or more without trying.

I'm not lazy, but I hate doing stupid things.

Dilemma of the day

I received this message a few minutes ago:

Hi Chad,
We have a non-functioning computer, which is a problem as we have
more providers than computers. Also, can you please see that clocks in the
rooms are fixed. It is not a big deal, but yet another annoyance that
should be easily removed.
Thanks
(sender's name removed)

These are simple matters for me to take care of, and it's very much my job to do so. What got me was that last sentence. I replied quickly with my plan of action, and nearly, oh so very nearly commented on the vague snarkiness. I even had something written and ready to send. Caution isn't the issue. This person has no authority to hire, fire or write my performance evaluation. My boss does not particularly like or respect the sender of this message. However, the message sender has a history of passive aggression and getting annoyed about things she hasn't told anyone about. This message, even with it's quiet rudeness, is an improvement. If I push back, even subtlely, it may send her back into angry quiet mode. Angry quiet mode soon leads to explosive frustration mode and then blustering to administrators mode. We've been down those roads before.

So, I let it go. If I can fix these easy things for her, maybe her attitude will improve, and she'll lighten up some. It's worth a try.

Today's run

Went for a run; just got back. This time I carried two 2 lb weights, one in each hand. I only weigh about 130lbs myself, so that's the same as gaining 3% of my body weight overnight. That may not sound like much, and maybe it isn't, but it sure felt different. Not to mention those two doughnuts I had for breakfast, and the complete absence of water in my morning's diet (unless you count my two cups of java).

Those 4 miles were TOUGH today. It felt pretty good, but it was tough to keep my body moving. I expected to feel it in my arms, but I didn't expect the overall difference of carrying extra weight.

Franchise tag / Alexander

Here's an exerpt from an article from seahawks.com:

Looming over everything else is the Alexander situation. If he doesn't sign the franchise tag, they can't negotiate a new deal. If he doesn't sign it, they lose the tag for a year. If they were to sign him to a five-year deal in lieu of the tag, they would lose the franchise tag for five years.

"That's what people don't understand," Reinfeldt said. "He has to sign the tender before we can do anything, before he can do anything. The franchise tag is too important for the (financial health of the) team to lose. And even if he signs the tag, there has to be a cooling off period before we can do a long-term deal, otherwise the union will file a grievance and that can get ugly."

So in Alexander's case, Reinfeldt's hands are tied until he signs the tender.

Reinfelt is the executive vice president of administration for the Seahawks.

In other words, they could negotiate a long term deal with Alexander, but it would be foolish. To sign a deal with him under these conditions would cause the team to lose their ability to place the franchise tag on other players for five years. The franchise tag is a huge financial tool, and the front office would be foolish to throw it away.

Match this with Alexander's absolute comments from earlier this week, and we see a huge disconnect. Mo Maurice's chances of starting are looking better and better.

Match this with the uncertainty at the second receiver position and the new cast of characters at linebacker, and this season could easily go either way. It could be a disaster. It could also be their best year yet.

From a Fantasy perspective, I won't touch Alexander on draft day, and I'll keep an eye out for Mo in the later rounds.

Mayor proposes stricter rules for strip clubs

Mayor Greg Nickels proposed new rules for strip clubs yesterday, including a virtual ban on lap dances, that could hurt existing clubs and keep new ones from opening in Seattle.

The mayor's proposal would bar strippers from getting within four feet of customers, in effect eliminating the closer contact that often occurs with lap dances and table dances. It also would require brighter lighting, prohibit customers from directly tipping dancers, and hold owners and managers responsible for violations by dancers.

Some of the proposed strict rules have been upheld by state and federal courts and should withstand legal challenges, said Regina LaBelle, the mayor's legal adviser. LaBelle said the mayor wants to keep new clubs from opening.

One club manager was disappointed with the proposal. "The morality police are out," said Keith Jackson, a manager at the Déjà Vu club downtown. "My take is that rules and regulations are already in place. Enforcement of those should be enough instead of adding new laws or rules."

The mayor's proposed restrictions are prompted, in part, by a federal lawsuit challenging the city's 1988 moratorium on new clubs.

Isn't it bad enough that we can't have alcohol in strip clubs? I used to support and respect Mayor Greg Nickels, but we are on opposite sides of the fence on this one. This proposal shows a fundamental policy of legislating personal behavior based on a bias toward 'morality.' This sort of legislation is what I expect from the Chrisitan Coalition, the Taliban or other Fundamentalist Groups. I don't expect this in the liberal oasis of Seattle Washington.

There is definitely an element of the mayor raining on my parade. I enjoy strip clubs. I enjoy going in to relax, getting the attention from the girls, and I enjoy having a beer while I do it. Already my beer is forbidden in the puritanical throwback state. Now, the mayor wants to abstract the experience further.

I don't care about the lap dances. I enjoy them, but I could go either way. The four foot rule is silly, not being allowed to tip the dancers directly is absurd, and the lighting requirements are completely stupid.

Frankly, I'd rather switch to the model found in Portland, Oregon: strippers are found in bars. Lap dances don't exist, but patrons can sit up close to the stage, usually by tipping the dancer a dollar per song. That way you can have your drink, and get up close and flirt with the dancer.

This is not about protecting the population from some threat, this is another case of the government legislating morality. Please contact Mayor Nickels and tell him what you think: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/contact.htm

The Guy Game banned, goes straight to video

Short version: this crappy game that sold crap turned out to have a 17 year old girl in one of its 'Girls Gone Wild' esque shots. Game is banned, not sold and quickly becoming a collectors item.

It's still a crappy game! Don't get suckered into buying this thing!

Don't get me wrong, I love lowbrow entertainment. I love video games, I love seeing girls topless and all that fun stuff. I hate bad art, and just because it's lowbrow doesn't make it bad.

Something similar happened to the fighting game "Kakuto Chojin." It wasn't very good, it was pulled from shelves for its use of a Muslim prayer chant (might have been Hindu, my apologies for lack of detail) in its musical score; the game sold amazingly on the collectors market. And yet, it's still a crappy game.

Nigerian in trouble?!!

I received an interesting variation on the Nigerian Prince spam and fraud seeking email:

Dear blanchard,:
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:23:52 +0100
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Barrister Greg Obi
16 Williams Street, SW,
Ikoyi, Lagos- Nigeria.
TEL: + 234 803 561 9649
TEL: + 234-1-720-4473
FAX: + 234 1 7590694

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Blanchard,

I am Barrister Greg obi an advocate and Solicitor. I am the PersonalAttorney to Mr. Fredrick Blanchard, a foreigner, who used to work withEuropeanDevelopment Company in Nigeria.On The 21st of April 2002, my client,his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident alongSagbama Express Road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately losttheir lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to his embassy to see if i canlocate any of my clients extended relatives, this has all the whileproved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, Idecidedto trace his relatives (i.e. same surname) over the Internet, to locateany member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I havecontacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by myclient before it is confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bankwhere this huge deposit were lodged.

Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued atabout 7.3 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next ofkinto the deceased or have the account confiscated within the next tenofficial working days. Since i have been unsuccessful in locating therelatives for over 2 years now I seek your consent to present you asthenext of kin of the deceased since you are still a foreigner, so thattheproceeds of this account valued at $7.3 million USD can be paid to youand then you and me can share the money, 60% to me and 35% to you,while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require.I have all necessary legal information that can be used to back up anyclaim we may make.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this dealthrough. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimatearrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Pleaseget intouch with me by my fax or call my cell no: + 234 803 561 9649 /tell:+234-1-720-4473 / fax: +234 1 7590694 to enable us discuss further.

Best regards,

Mr. Greg Obi ( Esq)

Seahawks: Alexander won't sign $6.32M tender

One key point: clubs can't re-open negotiations until July 15th because of NFL rules.

Alexander's adamance against signing a one year deal is concerning both as a Hawks fan and as a potential fantasy owner.

It's also notable that he insists there are no hard feelings, that he wants to stay in Seattle, and that he expects there to be a deal before the season starts. I wonder what the front office thinks about that.

Dai Senryaku VII

The Game arrived today from half.com. I couldn't find it locally, so I had to order it online.

It's awfully intimidating. There aren't many games for the Xbox that require you to read the manual before actually playing one of the levels. The tutorial levels are also extensive, but not especially game-play-esque.

I think this is going to be fun.

I also bought Jade Empire today. Yes, yes, we all know it's brilliant. Designed by Bioware (the company who gave us Baldur's Gate II and Knights of the Old Republic), no license, only RPG/Action goodness. I'm still getting used to the fighting, but it's fun stuff so far.

AbsolutAnalysis: "Gameday Playsheets"

Four Days

On Saturday I played poker and came out ahead.

On Sunday I beat three others at a game of ZOMBIES!!!.

On Monday morning I won a race up a mountain.

On Monday afternoon I held a shareholders meeting and was elected President of the Board of Directors for a new Corporation.

On Monday evening I made it home safely.

It was a good long weekend.

Vick undergoes MRI on shoulder

Financial Planning as Football

How you handle your money resembles how a manager handles his football team.

Having a good job is the same as being able to generate predictable yards, mostly on the ground. Variable work, like that done by entrepeneurs, real estate agents, that sort of thing, is the passing game. When it works, it's amazing. It does, unfortunately, have a potential for disaster. Big risk can lead to big disaster.

What you do with your money once you earn it compares to a team's defense. After all, you want to keep as much as you can. A good defense balances risky attempts at sacks and interceptions with solid fundamental football. A smart offense, and smart financial planning can maximize the benefits of your money generation (and scoring). On the other hand, it in itself probably won't make you rich. If your offense is disastrous, it can completely undermine the work of the defense.

I realize now that I need to bolster my defense a little. I have a decent ground game; my job pays well enough. My passing game is a little shaky: I do have a few extra income streams, and I believe that's the way to really win. Unfortunately, I'm still paying for the mistakes of past passing games. Analagous to interceptions run back for touchdowns, my last failed business really socked me, and I'm still paying off the credit debt.

Recent story about my neighborhood

Yesterday morning, at around 5:15am I awoke to yelling: "OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"My first thought was domestic violence.

I listened further, but the shouting ended. My girlfriend was already up, coincidentally. A few minutes later, after my alarm had gone off (this happens at 5:25am) she came down and said "there's police activity going on. A bus, and guys with guns and stuff"

Yep, our neighbors got raided. When I left for work at 6:05, they were still searching the house, and two of the male members of the family were in custody.We weren't terribly surprised by this whole event. It was the "Bad House" of the neighborhood. I saw one of the guys, "Rob" doing a walk-by money exchange, presumably for drugs, right off a main arterial, about 10 blocks from the house. Dummy. It was really a matter of time.I can hear the value of my house rising as I type this.

Somewhere along the way I'd left a message on the Narcotics division voice mail about my general concerns. They never called me back, so I'd assumed I'd been blown off. Maybe they did listen to my message!

fantasy football

Gotta keep an eye out for Kyle Boller in later rounds. He's at a make or break point in his career, and is set up for success. If he steps up, he could have a great year.

Halliburton's Iraq deals described as contract abuse

To be fair, this is still one person's allegations and an audit's concerns. The facts aren't out yet. We need to see the facts though. At the very least, this proves why the appearance of a conflict of interest is detrimental to one's credibility.

Gay Pride; Seattle 2005

My girlfriend and I went to the Gay Pride parade today. I've never been. Every year, it rolls around, every year I watch the highlights on the news, every year I feel like I've missed something.

It was an amazing blend of personal and political, what should be public, properly celebrated as public, what probably should be private, also celebrated in public.

The parade traditionally begins with Dykes on Bikes: around 100 lesbians ride motorcycles of all kinds up and down Broadway; all kinds of lesbians were present: sporty lesbians, dykish lesbians, transgender lesbians, aging hippi lesbians. One women rode her bicycle, and did a damn fine job of keeping up. Considering the distance that piled up the third or fourth time the rotation passed by, I was impressed.

One older woman dropped her bike near the end of that part. She probably shouldn't have been on a motorcycle at all, and the bike she rode was definitely too big for her. Someone from the crowd wound up driving her bike off somewhere safe, with the older woman riding along.

At the end, a probably drunk gay man asked my girlfriend (who was wearing a cowboy hat and looked completely alterna-ravishing) 'who's that skinny boy you got there...' referring to me. Yep, I was checked out too.

There were lots of support groups represented, a few major sponsors whose shouldn't be trusted, but it's nice that they made an appearance (Budweiser specifically). All the usual political organizations and candidates walked, including our mayor, Greg Nickels, County Executive Ron Sims, the Socialist Party, the Progressive Party, and others I'm forgetting.

I saw two pair of bare breasts. At least two pair of tassled breasts. I saw a bare chest where breasts once had been. The Rad Dyke Plummer was there. Several boys wearing only their underwear. One group of Filipino performers were amazing, but looked miserable. Every one looked like they'd rather be anywhere than there.

Apparently next year the parade is not scheduled to run down Broadway. There is a vocal group against this change, but I can't help but think it's a good thing. Get the Pride Parade out of the magical liberal island of Capital Hill (or is it the gay ghetto?), and run it down 1st Avenue.

I haven't been to a parade in years: do they usually last for 3 hours? Do they often have pacing issues, with starts and stops and large gaps instead of even smooth flow?

Doctors 'find dead foetus in boy'

Morrison at play in the fields of the nerd

DC may get fun again! I enjoy Grant Morrison's work quite a bit; I think he's a little overrated in some circles, but he brings an enjoyable creativity that I'm looking forward to.

Grandfather kills leopard with his hands

If God tells you to drop your machete and grab the tongue, I guess that's what you should do.

I'd like to point out that this is a good example of indirect tactics succeeding. The obvious response would have been for him to use his machete by swinging it at the beast's neck or face. However, he chose to go for the weakest point and essentially won by attacking from the inside out.

Opponent Preview: The Atlanta Falcons

Home opener is against the Falcons.

Room supplies

Room supplies are my next challenge. When I started my job, getting the rooms routinely stocked with necessary supplies was a big deal and a recurrent problem. The problem with a shared space with high turnover is that it's tough to get people trained and performing to meet expectations.

In its simplest form, the system is that PCC's are responsible for making sure rooms are ready to go prior to putting a patient in the room. Generally, it's a good rule, however with the flex room system, no one knows what flex rooms they'll be using until they use it. Since rooms are generally prepped at the beginning of the day, this leaves a gap. Or rather, the lack of the gap is the problem.

Having PCC's stock and prepare their core rooms is simple enough. The flex rooms are the trick.

A Guide to Men's Health

Alright fellas, you know you need to take care of yourself. No one's going to do it for you, nor should they be expected to.

*********
After posting this message I started reading the pamphlet; it's still good info, but I'm a little annoyed. Every nutrition article I read, including the one in this pamphlet begins with the assumption that the reader wants to lose weight, or at least that weight maintenance is an issue.

I've been at the same weight since I left the Army over ten years ago, which is actually less than I weighed while I was in the Army. I wear the same pants size now as I did in 1991.

I'm not complaining about these facts; I'm a little tired of having to dig through resources to find something relevant to my health needs.

Yes, I'm an egoist, so I consider myself to be the normal one, even when I'm not in the majority.

Romanian prosecutors wait for autopsy on nun who died in apparent exorcism

BUCHAREST, Romania — A Romanian Orthodox monk has been indicted in the death of a 23-year-old nun in an apparent exorcism in which she was allegedly bound to a cross, had a towel stuffed into her mouth and left without food for three days.
Four nuns also were indicted yesterday in connection with the death of Maricica Irina Cornici of the Holy Trinity convent in northeast Romania. The prosecutor said today authorities were awaiting the results of a second autopsy before deciding how to proceed.
Police said Cornici died Wednesday, three days after she was left in a cold room, without any food. She was bound to the cross, with the towel stuffed in her mouth to stop her from uttering any sounds, authorities said.
A medical examiner's report based on an autopsy concluded the nun died due to dehydration, exhaustion and lack of oxygen, state news agency Rompres reported.
A second autopsy is carried out when there is suspicion of foul play to minimize possible error.
Monk Daniel Petru Corogeanu and the four indicted nuns were charged with depriving a person of liberty resulting in death, but they have not been taken into custody pending results of the second autopsy, prosecutor Ovidiu Berindei told The Associated Press. If convicted, they could face 25 years in prison, said Berindei, prosecutor of Vaslui, a region in northeast Romania.
The monk said yesterday he was trying to "take the devil out of her," N24 news television reported.
When asked whether the nun was mentally ill and in need of medical help instead of exorcism, he told the television station, "you can't take the devil out of people with pills."
The Romanian Orthodox Church has called the death "abominable" and has suspended Corogeanu pending an investigation. However, he refused to recognize the suspension and carried out a funeral service for the nun on yesterday. Cornici will be buried in a separate service in her home village.
Nuns yelled at a vicar who had come to suspend Corogeanu yesterday, and scuffles broke out, N24 reported. Riot police intervened and order was restored, the television station reported. There were no injuries.
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

Colville data / elevation

Nick's parent's house looks to be at 1700 ft; I'm not sure why the site says that Colville's elevation is 620. The topo map doesn't agree.

The end of the road to the top of Colville Mt looks to be around 3175 ft; I had a little trouble finding the exact location. That's a change of about 1400 ft.

About a mile and a half as the crow flies.

My house looks to be at about 15 ft, I think the nearby hill rises to 50 or 60. The Seattle map is muddy and hard to read, so I'm less sure of this information.

Real Zombies

New Building

The hospital will be completing construction of a new wing next Spring, and I'll be involved in the move. This will be a huge project to be accomplished in a very short amount of time. When we moved from the old wing to this one, we had 2 1/2 work days to move everything out of one, into the other. Operations started promptly on Tuesday morning. I imagine this will be the same.

Last time, the feeling was of general discoordination. I very much hope to reduce the sticky points, to make this as smooth as possible. Not only will this be a way for me to shine, it will be an authentic way for me to help the organization and my peers.

Here is what the director in Facilities advised so far:

"We are just now in the process of looking at the timeline for moving into the new building and should have a better understanding in a couple of months. We will certainly have more conversations with the ambulatory team as soon as we have a little better picture of the issues. What we are currently thinking we will do is more in to the new building floor by floor...moving offices at the beginning of the week and then clinics on the Thursday/Friday of the week over a 2-3 week period of time.
What would be helpful now is to really look at your space....5S whatever you can....take a look at the utility rooms and dispose of items that is are not needed....inventory the exam table. and hi/lo tables...how many of each color. It also would be helpful to inventory the wall hung view boxes (newer style...and whether they are single or double)...as well as how many new otoscopes/ophthalmoscopes, stadiometer, scales, etc we have....we will need to move all the equipment that is in good shape. "

I realized that I already did an inventory when I filled out the Hazardous Surveillance Survey, since most of that equipment needs to be inspected. Some only once, some annually. So far, so good. The real planning begins over the next couple months.

Wallace opening eyes with run at No. 2 QB

The national media repeatedly reports that the Seahawks need a backup QB now that Dilfer has moved on. I've also heard the job given to the new rookie. They seem to have forgotten Seneca. Sure, if a Testaverde or Flutie drop into our laps, we should take him. Experience at the #2 slot would be good, at least for another year. However, the 'Hawks are loaded at QB right now. Seneca is a solid player; while he's never played in a regular season game, he has been impressive during pre-season play. I'm pulling for him.

Reservations

It has occurred to me recently that our use of exam rooms resembles restaurant table useage. Every patient essentially has a reservation for an exam room. Their stay has great varience, we have an almost predictable no-show rate (around 5%). If they stay in that room because of inefficiency, it's a problem. If they stay to receive services, that's a good and useful thing.

Lessons Learned and Challenges Identified at the Hospital

The mindset is still primarily service based. It's very tough to get people thinking in terms of Whale 7, or Ambulatory in general. It reminds me of the U.S. goverment before it became the U.S. government. Under the Articles of Confederation, and during the early years under our current system, the autonomy of states, and states' rights were very hot topics. I'm no expert in this field, but I do know that it took lots of blood, sweat and tears for the Federal government to assert and maintain its sovereignty.

My main angle is to state the obvious: it's not right that a patient for one clinic should wait in the waiting room, when a room sits empty, because it's reserved for a patient who hasn't arrived, and may never arrive.

There's more room for team building work. People who know and like one another are more likely to share.

On a related but separate note: PCC's very often hear the instructions, understand the instructions, then do what they want. Yes, communication is a problem, comprehension is a challenge, but a lot of the time, it's a discipline issue.

I'm working on the balance between indirect and direct strategy and tactics. I've tended to be a direct sort of person. I've worried about doing the right thing more than how to accomplish that right thing. A lot of times, that simply isn't good enough. People are not often persuaded by large demands, or what they perceive as large demands, issued all at once. On the other hand, if you start small and build gradually, you can accomplish the same thing.

A great example of this is how much better items in an auction do when the starting price is low. People will work the price up as they get caught up in the action. Items with a high starting bid, on the other hand, are likely to be ignored.

On the other hand, sometimes you simply have to get a shovel and kill the rat in the basement.

Running

Last night I ran from my home to the Madrona Bathhouse and back. Yahoo says it's 2.7 miles. I was cruising along comfortably until I saw another runner, doing about my same pace, in the medium distance. Because runners are crazy this way, I upped my pace, passed him, and added to my lead. This was not particularly wise, because up until last week, I've been running 4 miles at a go, rather than nearly 5 1/2.

I was dying by the end. Completely used up. Had a cramp, no energy, I'm still sore from it, in a way I'm not often sore.

It was awesome. No running today. Tomorrow morning I'll probably do a nice and smooth 4 miler. Then probably two days off, since I'll be out of town. I'll worry about Tuesday when it comes. I will be due for a hill run...

Running

I've been running lots lately. I've been sticking to the 4 mileish range, and it feels good. Running is a wonderful way to get to know the neighborhood, and the city.

Smart Couples Finish Rich

My girlfriend and I are working through this book. We want to get a financial plan, so we're headed in the right direction. We both have more debt than we oughta, that's the bad news. We both have good jobs, and we own our own home (well, we're paying a mortgage). That's the good news.

This book told us to write our values, then write goals based on those values. Here's what we have so far (my goals correspond directly with my values):

My Values

1. Power – the ability to do what I want, when I want to do it.
2. Freedom – the absence of restrictions on or claims to my time. This is also the absence of financial responsibility and/or debt.
3. Family and Close Friends
4. Health – time to exercise, and the ability to seek medical care when I need it. This includes preventative medical care and regular dental visits.
5. My Long Term Relationship with Nora

Girlfriend's Values

1. Bedrock Relationships
2. Security
3. Health
4. Making a difference – volunteer work, lifestyle choices
5. Indulgence – A life in color, rather than black and white.
6. Freedom

My Goals

1. 20% reduction in credit card and student loan debt within 12 months
2. Debt free in 5 years (credit cards and student loans)
3. Ultimate Adventurers Inc. self-sustaining in 1 year, and profitable in 5 years
4. Keep positive control of my health:
1. Eat 5 servings of fruits or vegetables each day
2. Compete in a Seattle Half Marathon: Nov 27^th, 2005
5. Organize our wedding for July 29^th, 2006
   

PostSecret

PostSecret

Homeowners find records still hold blot of racism

I don't have much time for comment, so this will be brief:

Clearly we as a society and a region are still dealing with segregation. As positive as our gains have been, the work is not finished.

Robinson Charged With DUI

Are you kidding?! I'm all about second chances, but seriously: how much are they going to endure? Mr Robinson needs to grow up and take care of himself. He can't help anyone with recurrent behavior like this.

What D&D Character Are You?

I Am A: Lawful Neutral Elf Ranger Druid


Alignment:
Lawful Neutral characters believe in the triumph of law and order above all else. It does not matter whether the leader is for good or evil; the leader will be followed, because the order they provide is the most important thing.


Race:
Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance.


Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Secondary Class:
Druids are a special variety of Cleric who serves the Earth, and can call upon the power in the earth to accomplish their goals. They tend to be somewhat fanatical about defending natural settings.


Deity:
Silvanus is the True Neutral god of nature. He is also known as the Patron of Druids. His followers believe in the perfect balance of nature, and believe that nature's bounty is preferable to any other 'civilizing' method. They wear leather or metallic scale mail, constructed of leaf-shaped scales. Silvanus's symbol is an oak leaf.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

Speaking of the Hawks...

This article raises the question of a WR cut, either of Engram or Robinson, to free up cap space for another experienced linebacker. Peter Bouleware would certainly be a great addition, and the personal ties are there. We need real linebacker help, immediately.

The drawback of losing Robinson is his potential, which has so far been wasted. He still has the speed, he's still young, and he's been physically healthy. If he can get beyond his personal problems, start catching passes and show up on time to team meetings, he could be amazing. He has a contract year coming up; maybe that will motivate him into the next level. After all the time and energy Holmgren has invested, one hopes the payoff is coming this year. In my heart of hearts I think it's time to stop throwing good money after bad and let him loose. Maybe he'll take the dropped passes with him.

Bobby Engram, in contrast, is what he is. He's a stable slot receiver. He'll never be great, but he's good, dependable, and a great guy for a team's third slot on the chart.

All this instability at linebacker and wide receiver is making me nervous. Again I'm a little annoyed that they drafted a center (Chris Spenser) with their first round pick.

My Birthday

I had a birthday today, and it's been a good one. I tricked people into coming to brunch by telling them it was a Memorial Day Brunch. Heh. Actually I did mention it to most of them. It was really just an excuse to invite people over. We have a good house for entertaining, and we were due.

The coolest girlfriend in the world got me season tickets to the Seahawks. Whoopee!

Somalia warlords clash in Baidoa

Rival Somali warlords have clashed in Baidoa, killing at least 15 people over plans to relocate the government - now based in Kenya - to the city.

Game maker Ubisoft fights back

I hope Ubisoft can hang on. I think the competition between these game designers is a good thing, and Ubisoft makes good stuff.

Live Journal

Live Journal irritates me because I have to log in every time I want to read entries from my friends list. As a result, I read those less often. I've never felt comfortable with the LJ interface. I always feel like I'm fumbling through menus, trying to find what I want.

I'm very fickle that way. A little annoyance keeps me away unless some other force compels me to trudge on.

blog as second memory

Just this week I used my blog to track and confirm a correction in a sports article about Trent Dilfer. The article mentioned that he'd been acquired by the Browns 'via free agency,' when in fact he'd been traded for a 4th round pick.

While I would love to have a deeper, more regular readership, writing this blog for others won't keep me going. What keeps it going is writing and documenting what interests me. Happily, I'm finding this useful in the real world, in real time.

I've also looked back to remind me of Xbox game titles. I only wish the contents system and search engine was more useful and accurate.

Cormac McCarthy!

Has a new novel coming out on July 19th!

Star Wars Quiz

Dolphins: Williams contacts NFL about reinstatement

I don't care about the Dolphins, and I don't really care about Ricky Williams, but this story is too good to miss. I'm sure he needs the cash. If he's smart he'll come back for a year or two, stay clean, save his money, then retire forever. In the mean time, he needs to avoid knocking up any more girlfriends, otherwise he'll never have the cash to retire.

Unlike Garcia, Dilfer bonds with Browns

Jamal Lewis coping well during prison term

Lewis is doing exactly the right thing. He's making the most of having nothing but time; he's preparing for his time back in the world.

I'm sure it's easier to keep your head on straight when you have an NFL career waiting for you upon release. His situation is very different from other men in his situation. Men doing time for drug charges who have nothing to return to except for poverty.

Strategies for Better Patient Flow and Cycle Time

SUGGESTED READING
Mastering Patient Flow to Increase Efficiency and Earnings. Woodcock EW. Englewood, Colo: Medical Group Management Association; 2000.
Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. Womack JP, Jones DT. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster; 1996.
The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production. Womack JP, Jones DT, Roos D. New York, NY: Harper Perennial; 1991.
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. Goldratt EM, Cox J. Great Barrington, Mass: North River Press; 1985.

Narcotics Activity

I've been witnessing probably narcotics activity in my neighborhood. I left a message on the Narcotics department line today.

I plan on keeping an eye on license numbers and descriptions of individuals.

I've already witnessed my neighbor handing cash to someone out in front of a nearby minimart.

I've had enough, and I'm getting involved. Don't worry, I plan on being discreet. I don't mind making my presence known, but only if there's some gain (testifying at a trial, for example). Until then, I'd rather they didn't know I existed, or at least not that I see what they're up to.

Summary of work projects

Since our JCAHO inspection, I've been trying to build a team to help me sort out our closet of medical supplies. Over a year ago, two clinic areas were merged, and all of their supply carts were jammed together. As a result, there have been large redundancies, askew par levels, and other inefficiences.

Since I have no formal medical training, and don't personally use any of the supplies, I wanted direct nursing input on the ideal layout of the supply carts. I spent a good deal time and effort managing schedules, soliciting help, and generally trying to put this together. In the end, one nurse pledged two hours and a second said she'd stop by and at least help with her insight.

On the day when it was finally to come together (Wednesday), something came up at home, so I had to do some scurrying around and had to leave the plumber (I had reason to believe she was trustworthy, but still, it's discomforting to leave a stranger alone in one's home) alone in our house in order to get to work for kick-off. I didn't want to leave the nurses waiting, and after all this time, I couldn't just reschedule.

I was then stood up and wound up 'pulling a Kendra' and doing it all essentially by myself. If I'd known it was going to work out that way, I could have done it six weeks ago. Times like these, I have great sympathy for George W's approach to the Iraqi invasion. Consensus building does not work (I joke! Mostly.)

There are a few things I need to remember to do soon. I'll need the updated list to do it right.

More table paper
move those top shelf syringes over with the other syringes
adjust otoscope specula pars - no way do we need that many of all those sizes
follow up on the derm biopsy kits
follow up on the blue cover thing for derm
add small masks
write an alphabetical catalog

I also want to get rid of another cart. We have a few empty drawers, and a few high pars; I believe we can merge the smaller cart into the others. Alternately, I could switch out a large cart for a smaller one.

Belief in sex-mad demon tests nerves

The story behind new Xbox design

Mogadishu warlords merge militias

Feedback

I gotta read that Managing Change book. Here's some feedback from yesterday's trial. I don't accept that shifting one room would have been a huge problem. In this case it would have increased the walking some, but not much. In fact, the other available rooms were closer to the waiting and patient arrival area.

Everybody thinks they're special.

While I think it could work for most clinics it will not work for general surgery when we have 4-5 surgeons in clinic.
It is to difficult for us to have to track down the rooms when we are trying to get between 25-30 pts seen in the first hour. While the attending is seeing one pt the resident will be seeing the other pt in the other room so that the flow runs smoothly and we get pts seen. Yesterday someone did use one of the rooms and it was okay because we had another room to use seen as how Surgeon X was out, but had he
been in clinic this would have been a huge problem.
PCC
X

Core and flex rooms

Assign # of rooms per zone instead of specific rooms, especially for afternoon.

Allow clinics to opt out?

What does success look like?

Separate bins for each zone

Color-coded cards (flags are coming)

Supply Survey

A few days ago I used surveymonkey.com to create and distribute a survey among nurses about what supplies they use on a regular basis.

Since I used the free version I couldn't use the web site to do much crunching. I invited 30 people to take the survey, 9 responded. I suppose that from a market research perspective, that's a good percentage, but I was hoping for more. We have a total of 15 different clinics who use this space, so I got less than one response per service.

Any item used 'frequently' by any respondent will continue to be stocked in exam rooms.

'Sometimes' is defined as 1-3 times per week. That's pretty often, so I'm inclined to stock those items in exam rooms as well. At a minimum they need to be readily available. I also need to factor in how many (or what percentage) use them that often.

The surveymonkey report generates a number per item. As I set it up, the lower the number, the more frequently the item is used.

I should probably send the survey to physicians as well.

Ghost Recon: Island whatever

Good game. Only 8 missions (as advertised), the difficulty between missions varies wildly, and I found the final mission a bit anticlimactic. Maybe it seemed easy because I'm that damned good. Probably not considering how much trouble the first mission and a couple of the others gave me.

Now I need to decide what to play next: Full Spectrum Warrior (which sells for cheap nowdays), the Lord of the Rings RPG I've already purchased, that strategy game I listed before that I'd probably have to order, or something else entirely.

Exerpts from XBox 360 article

Xbox 360 looks nothing like its bulky, black predecessor. It's sleek and white, and it can stand on one end like a book or lie flat like a DVD player. Its 20-gigabyte hard drive and three powerful processors will enable high-definition graphics and surround sound, making games seem more like movies.

Microsoft says Xbox 360 will arrive in North American stores around Thanksgiving and in Europe and Japan by year's end. Analysts said several months of lead time could help the new Xbox close in on the market-leading PlayStation, but they're waiting to see what Sony rolls out before making any bold predictions.

Microsoft has said gamers can expect 200 new Xbox titles by the end of the year, but hasn't said how many will be designed for Xbox 360 and whether the new machine will play games designed for the old model.

Many Xbox 360 features are designed for non-gamers: watching movies, playing music, viewing slide shows or holding video chats. It has three USB ports to connect digital cameras, music players and other devices.

While current Xbox owners need to buy an attachment to play DVDs, Xbox 360 supports DVD playback out of the box.

And the specs directly from Microsoft: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox360/factsheet.htm and http://www.xbox.com/en-us/xbox360/peripheralsfactsheet.htm

106Miles Blog

106Miles Blog

Flex Rooms, 1.1

I ordered color flags so the room cards can be actually color coded. This will make it easier to find a room close to one's conference room. I have a zone system in place, but I only have a black and white printer. Writing the word 'red' on a card isn't really that helpful.

I'm up to my 11th rule. I'm afraid it's getting a little wordy. They'll need to be revised soon anyway. They were written quickly with little or no organization.

We'll take tomorrow off, and probably Monday. We'll likely try again next Tuesday and maybe Friday. I want to try all the days once before trying any one day a second time.

I've received more positive feedback from floats. They love it. The good vets are dealing with it, mostly with mixed reviews. The stingy ones don't like it at all, but they hate all change, so I'm not too worried about their opinions.

Post Experiment Debrief

The day is winding down, no one quit, no one was fired, there were no tears (that I saw), and no one took a swing, so all things considered I feel good about our experiment.

A lot of people like the system quite a bit; the positive feedback came primarily from the floats, who are accustomed to a little chaos, don't feel at home and are happy to have a system to help them.

Some problems: One clinic wound up with the same number of rooms, but spread out. Physicians and PCC's had to walk twice as far as they normally do. In this space, PCC's already walk too much, so this is significant.

There was no plan for the transition between morning clinics and afternoon. It worked because it had to, and because I was there to nudge things along. I need to come up with something better.

There were gaps in education. Some folks didn't quite get the cards, others didn't know where some of the rooms were. I'm not too concerned about this, but it does illustrate how I need to adjust my instructions.

I don't know if it's an actual problem, or just perceived: there was lots of chaos during peak hours. That is to be expected, but I was hoping to reduce peak hour chaos. I don't know if that happened.

One person is thinking like a hobbit. She has a good situation and she wants to keep it that way. She doesn't realize that people are dying (not literally) around the corner. Or if she does realize it, she feels bad, but doesn't feel compelled to get involved. She doesn't understand that their problem is our problem.

We're trying at least one more day. After tomorrow I'll take a break and see what we can improve.

I don't know if we reduced the low level muda, which is the whole goal. It probably would have been a good idea to come up with some metrics for this experiment. I wonder if there's a way to get the results of the family experience survey from today's appointments. After all, that is the whole point.

Transition

We're trying my experiment today.

I forgot to plan for a transition between morning and afternoon clinics.

The transition should happen pretty much right now.

It's not a problem with cards that stay in the same places. When a clinic keeps a room, or a flex room that stays flex, that's all okay.

The handoffs are imperfect.

Somali warlords 'to merge forces'

The most powerful warlords in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have agreed to set up a united force, which they say will restore security to the lawless city.

However, our correspondent says that, for the moment, the gunmen are likely to remain loyal to the warlords, rather than President Abdullahi Yusuf, who has little support in Mogadishu.

It's ON

We're trying my idea tomorrow. I spoke with all the affected PCC's and they're all willing to give it a try. Naturally some are more excited than others. It's a medium to light day over all, so it's perfect to try a new system.

I laminated cards, I wrote up rules, it's a little like what I imagine game design to be like.

Luckily, my boss is away and has given us carte blanc to fix the room availability situation. Otherwise it might take weeks to trial something.

Another idea

I had another idea to help solve my exam room challenge.

I could assign every service with a group of core rooms on a daily basis, and make another group of rooms 'flex' exam rooms. When a service has used all of their normal rooms, they can use a flex room if they have a patient. Flex rooms can only be used when all of the non flex rooms are already in use.

This would take little or no maintenance, unlike my two other plans. A self sustaining system could be set up easily enough. This could also be combined with my daily assignment system. In a sense, it's a hybrid of my other two ideas.

I could start by assigning every service with one room per scheduled provider. That includes social workers, nutritionists and nurses. All other rooms are flex. Tickets for flex rooms can be kept at the front desk and need to be returned when those rooms are no longer in use.

There is some vulnerability to gamesmanship since the power to claim rooms is decentralized during the day. PCC's might 'forget' to return flex room tickets, PCC's may room families immediately rather than letting them linger in the waiting area (this is not necessarily bad, considering our waiting room situation.)

This system reminds me of the JLA and Avengers structures through the years: a small core who access reservists depending on the situation. Heck, it's similar to the military's structure, not to mention police and fire departments across the country. The biggest difference, of course is that in my case, it's a resource and in the others it's personnel.

The best thing about this, is that we could start immediately. I don't need a Pathways report or electronic white board to make it work. It also doesn't require adding a substantial responsibility to any one job, and isn't dependant on any one person to make it work (once it gets rolling).

Most doctors can't track information on patient care

Vicious gangs spark bitter debate

Gang members who claim affiliation with MS-13 have been connected to crimes in the Seattle and King County area, said Gabriel Morales, a consultant on gangs to several local law enforcement agencies.

The group first began appearing in some South Seattle neighborhoods about five years ago, with graffiti appearing everywhere from South Park to neighborhoods in North Seattle.

But gang crimes in general are not the problem in Seattle and King County that they are in other metropolitan areas, police officials said.

The King County Sheriff's Office reported 194 gang-related incidents last year, down from 392 incidents the year before. Sgt. John Urquhart said the category is broad and includes crimes as minor as tagging to more serious crimes, including murders. The department eliminated its gang unit several years ago, he said.

Exam Room Assignments Back Up Plan

If the Patient Traffic Control scheme doesn't fly, I'm also preparing a system wherein rooms are assigned daily. I've learned a lot about what reports are available and I can manipulate them quickly to get pretty good data without much effort. I can export a report from the scheduling system, then delete the fluff, crunch the numbers in a simple way, and work out ratios of allocation.

To really make it work though, I need reports that tell me how many visits are schedule in the am and in the pm. I haven't heard back from the report writing folks.

The Pinochio Theory

Steven Shaviro has a great, smart blog. Most recently he's started his Buffy the Vampire Slayer analysis. It's good reading for fans of post modernism and/or Buffy.

I took two classes with him at the University of Washington several years ago. One was a intro to film studies course, the other was on Critical Theory. I've also seen him in my comics shop. He has since moved to another city.

I wanna be the Human Torch

Last month I took and posted a "Which Marvel Hero are You" quiz. Apparently I'm the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. I didn't think twice about it, until a few days ago.

The question to myself was, which comic book character's life would I really like to live? Spider-Man works too hard. He holds a day job, has family commitments, and spends all night fighting evil. Captain America has no fun and has no real powers. Tony Stark is a business tycoon and an alcoholic.

Reed Richards has a pretty good deal. He has plenty of time to pursue his interests, he is financially secure (quite wealthy in fact), his powers are fun he is popular and doesn't worry about a secret identity. He does, however, have a wicked arch nemesis in Dr. Doom. This is a legitimate concern, because Doom is formidable and dangerous. Reed always has to look over his shoulder, always has to improve, always has to beat Doom.

That's when I remembered the Human Torch. Johnny Storm has all the benefits of Reed Richards (wealth, no day job and no identity) without the drawbacks (no arch nemesis or guilt over turning Ben into the Thing), and with better powers.

I wanna be the Human Torch.

Army to Get Energy-Converting Sheeting

Everything I needed to learn I learned in the Army.

I often with that the hospital culture resembled military culture. In the Army, leaders listened to input when appropriate, stopped discusion when appropriate, made plans, gave orders, inspected the results, gave feedback and that was that.

Leaders can inspect soldiers, make sure standareds are being met, reprimand them when standards weren't met. In the military, you are expected to show up on time. Everyone is expected to be on time, from Generals to privates, for the most part, everyone is on time.

Soldiers are expected to suck it up when the going gets rough. Leaders are expected to take care of their soldiers.

Task, conditions, standards

Team members are expected to watch out for one another. Mandatory means mandatory.

Process improvement thoughts

This probably won't make sense to anyone but me:

Medium goal: Identify an ideal number of total Whale 7 Visits. Instead of comparing room assignments to actual visits, compare room assignments to ideal number of visits, especially while visits are below the ideal number.

Short goal: Get a Pathways report that shows total Visits, by service, for specific time ranges. Specifically 7am – 12:30pm & 12:30 pm - 4:30pm. Data outside these sets are irrelevant and skew the results.

Blast strikes Somali PM's rally

A blast has killed at least eight people and injured 30 at a rally in a football stadium in Somalia's capital being addressed by the prime minister.

The explosion went off as Ali Mohammed Ghedi began his speech. He later told the BBC that a security guard had accidentally set off a grenade.

Mr Ghedi, on his first Mogadishu visit since being appointed, is negotiating his government's return from exile.

Somalia has had no functioning central authority since 1991.

Mogadishu is considered to be an especially dangerous location for the government to be based in.

'Not deterred'

The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says that several thousand Somalis, who had gone to welcome the prime minister, waving flags and chanting pro-government slogans, fled from the stadium in panic.

Revelation! 666 is not the number of the beast (it's a devilish 616)

Exile leader reappears with strange tale

Me vs Evangelists

Today I found Ordering your Private World in one of my exam rooms. On the surface it looks like a normal everyday self help book. However, the promo material on the back leads off with "The Scriptures, the experiences of the great saints..." That's a worrisome beginning. Then I noticed it is categorized as "Christian Living." Yep, the evangelists have struck again and slipped propaganda into the hospital.

I wonder how long this book has been in there? I need to do more frequent exam room walk throughs.

Ebay virginity

I've listed an item for auction on ebay for the first time. I've made plenty of purchases, but never sold anything.

I hope I make money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=8189386443&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW