Picking up my family at John Wayne Airport . . . There’s a guy walking around the baggage claim area with a toy poodle on a leash. I point this out to my son and say, “I didn’t know you could walk your dog around here. I would have brought Lightning.” “Maybe it’s a bomb-sniffing dog,” he says. “A bomb-sniffing poodle?” “Yeah.” Read more →
Author Archive: Paul Epps
Why People Don’t Succeed
In summary, I claim that some of the reasons why so many people who have greatness within their grasp don’t succeed are: they don’t work on important problems, they don’t become emotionally involved, they don’t try and change what is difficult to some other situation which is easily done but is still important, and they keep giving themselves alibis why they don’t. They keep saying that it is a matter of luck. — Richard Hamming Read more →
This Sounds Familiar
Bias is particularly an issue on cross-boundary initiatives, where multiple groups of stakeholders work together on a project. Each stakeholder group has particular goals and is judged against metrics that may be unique to that group. Bias tends to be a substantial driver of project disruption in organizations where goals or metrics across groups are in conflict. — “Behavioral economics: The IT failure domino effect” Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-12
RT @ChelseaVPeretti: When someone's telling you something is it ok to say "who cares" if you do it tenderly and touch their arm? # RT @eddiepepitone: Just drank a coffee the size of a Buick. I think I will write an outline of the history of civilization. # Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-11
Other than it's not in the plan, what's the argument for not doing it? http://goo.gl/Hbu4 # RT @eddiepepitone: tweets of Bob Frankenstein ( the monster's normal brother)- Frank is just big and unfortunate. # Thank god Emma Thompson has come along to save us from G.B. Shaw, Lerner & Loewe, and Audrey Hepburn. # RT @fakerahmemanuel: This just in from Ted Stevens: Hell is actually a series of tubes. # Welcome to Twitter, @Steven_Slater # Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-10
RT @joshcomers: “I’m ready to take this to the next level!” (overly dramatic guy walking into an elevator) # RT @joshcomers: Just saw that a guy following over 28,000 people unfollowed me. I must have really fucked up. # Risk creates value. Except when it destroys value. # RT @Jesus_M_Christ: #ILaughEverytime I send a Fundamentalist to Hell. # RT @Jesus_M_Christ: Whenever someone pleads with me for World Peace then ends their prayer by asking for bigger boobs #ilaugheverytime # Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-09
RT @robdelaney: Just saw a cute little boy eating a HUGE cookie! I taught him a lesson about loss that I know he'll appreciate one day. # Read more →
Yankee Stadium
Good seats! Be alert for bats and/or balls! My wife sent this next one from her phone with a note: “May be last picture for tonight. Can you tell from casey face.” The game hadn’t started yet! Read more →
Hello from Times Square
Regrets of the Dying
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. I wish I didn’t work so hard. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. I wish that I had let myself be happier. — Top Five Regrets of the Dying Read more →
Stat of the Day
Nearly 60% of the teenage readers of an online men’s magazine say they would punch a coworker in the face if they could get away with it, and nearly 40% would do the same to their bosses. The magazine, AskMen.com, says the number of positive responses to those statements declines steadily with respondents’ age, dropping to about 20% for readers 50 and older. — Male Teens Ready to Punch Coworkers – The Daily Stat – August 6, 2010 – Harvard Business Review Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-08
RT @serafinowicz: Jet Li has a Russian cousin, Jet Ski. # RT @Jesus_M_Christ: #liesitoldmyparents Sure, Mom. "Immaculate." I believe you. # Sun over yardarm. Switching from iced tea to Wild Turkey. # Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-07
RT @eddiepepitone: stay away from people who say- 1) I can do 5 years in the big house standing on my head. 2) Let's pray together. # Read more →
My Family Went to NYU
. . . and all I got was this photo of a T-shirt. Read more →
The Man With Two Hats
At the doctor’s office this afternoon, there was a man about 70 years old in the waiting room wearing a Peterbilt cap and holding a similar cap in his hands. Later I asked the nurse why the guy needed two caps. “He left his cap here on his last appointment,” she said. “We gave it back to him today so now he has two.” “Oh that makes sense,” I said. “I was thinking it was maybe a symptom of whatever it is he’s being treated for.” Read more →
More People I’m Sick Unto Death Of
Pregnant women I’ve never heard of General rule: If you’re pregnant and I’m not the father, I don’t need to be informed. Couldn’t care less. Melissa Rycroft? Lily Allen? Who the hell are these people? Read more →
Introductions
Twitter: 2010-08-06
RT @Jesus_M_Christ: When you see my face on a tortilla or a grilled cheese sandwich that means it’s my lunch, leave it alone. # Read more →
Comparing Hands
My son comes home from playing basketball, holds his hand up in front of me and says, “Let me see your fingers.” I don’t know what he’s up to here but I put my palm against his palm and we compare fingers. They’re about the same. Mine are maybe a little longer. “HA!” he says. “It’s your fault I can’t dunk! Bad genetics! I can get over the rim but the ball comes out of my hand because I can’t palm it.” “Hmmm,” I say. “I could palm a basketball easily when I was your age so your theory doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny.” “Could you dunk?” he asks. “I’m still working on that. I hate to admit it but I don’t think it’s going to happen for me.” Read more →