Monday, July 3, 2006

You learn something every day . . . at least if you're paying any attention. Nugget for the day: Midsummer refers not to the mid-point of the season we know as summer (which runs from June 21, the solstice, to September 21, the autumnal equinox), but to the time around the summer solstice itself. Being of a literal mind, I long assumed that midsummer must fall some time in early August, half-way through the season of summer. Nope, wrong. The key to being midsummer in this context is that the solstice is the time when the days (daylight anyway) start getting shorter; hence, the midpoint between days-getting-longer and days-getting shorter. Never would have occurred to me if I hadn't looked it up. Which is conceptually much like the fact that time zones are centered on their defining meridians: the time zone associated with Greenwich and the prime meridian extends 7.5 degrees either side of 0 degrees longitude, not from 0 to 15. Most of you would never have to pay attention to trivia like that, but if you've ever been an ocean sailing navigator, especially pre-GPS, knowing exactly what time it is by knowing how far you are from Greenwich, measured in degrees or time zones, is crucial. Why the musing about summer and time zones and such? Today has been one of those fine and not-so-rare days on the central coast of California, when the sun shone brightly and burned away the fog, and the sea breeze blew in to temper the heat, when I puttered about in shorts and flip-flops, feeling much as I did those many summers ago when I sailed to Hawaii or Tahiti. I can smell the ocean breeze, I can feel the dampness that I associate with being wet in the sun, a most pleasant sensation. It brings back pleasant memories: I can hear the splash of the water against the hull, the creak of the spinnaker gear hauling us towards the finish line off Diamond Head, the heat and glare of the sun, and the cooling tradewind breeze. And I found myself thinking that, if I have any choice, this is the kind of day I would choose to die on, slipping away with a smile on my face; not in the cold, dark, depressing winter, but close to midsummer. 7:18:43 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

It's the network, stupid! Penelope has some sound advice on networking: Networking for a new generation: Be authentic. . . When Ferrazzi talks about networking, he talks about being liked. If people like you, they will help you, so instead of concentrating on getting favors, focus on being likeable. . . [Brazen Careerist] And that's just a sample. I don't pretend to be an expert networker, although a few people would dispute that. What I tell newcomers to STC meetings when the chat turns to networking (for which coming to STC meetings is an excellent practice), networking is not about handing someone your card and asking "What can you do for me?" It's about asking about the other person, doing something for them, demonstrating that you're a competent, skilled, reliable person—someone they might feel good about recommending. Look for opportunities to help others, it will come back to you. Of course, your mileage may vary. . . 4:41:18 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

QOTD Stumbled upon a new (to me) source of useful quotations; the "inspirational" tag makes me gag, but much of the content is good. For instance: The most essential prerequisite to understanding is to be able to admit when you don't understand something. Richard Saul Wurman Designer and Founder of the TED Conference [Corporate Learning Institute's Inspirational Daily Quote] 4:33:57 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

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