Everyday Project Management

I am still in Alaska, enjoying the dark, ice skating to town, and risking future mobility everytime I step out the door.    I am happy to report the dog has recovered from DID or could it be that others in the house have adopted my more pleasant view of reality and we are no longer collectively manifesting DID?   As I have had ample time sitting in the dark to contemplate whether the ocean near me is an illusion that we have all agreed is real or really is real, I did observe something rather spectacular -   the full moon rising above the magnificent mountains on two crystal clear nights.   Now two full moons in one month is rare enough to have it’s own name - a blue moon.  What is even more rare, is that there were two cloudless nights in southeast Alaska where I could see the full moon rising over the mountains at sunset.   What is even more amazing, is I was here to observe it and it happened on New Year’s Eve.   In my reality, I am taking this as a sign from the universe that 2010 is going to be one heck of a year.   I am starting the new year by heading to Hawaii for a corporate retreat.   I figure if we’re going to do strategic planning, it may as well be somewhere coool (I mean warm).   But I rented a house near the rainy side of the Island (it was a bargain).   Stay tuned.

I just finished reading Busting Loose from the Business Game - the main premise is that everything in our life is a complete and total illusion and that as we realize this over time, we will find an infinite source of abundance for whatever we are choosing to do in the moment. We are simply players in a very big and grand game and it’s our expanded consciousness that has created patterns in the field that we are observing. Simply stop observing the patterns, choose to observe new ones and voila, your life is instantly changed. Easy enough - BTDT numerous times. Even created several t-shirts.

The premise of the book is that which you are experiencing, is only real, because you are choosing to observe it. And I thought my naivete of the world being the way I thought it was, was simply because I am not all that observant. I never realized living and observing reality the way I wanted it to be would come in so handy in this new type of game. Especially with the rule that if the dog poops in the house, and you notice it, you are required to clean it.

I was sitting at my loom and weaving, one of our Christmas guests came over to talk with me and immediately started wretching as there was a large pile of obvious dog intestinal distress (DID) less than ten feet from the loom. How could I not notice this? The offending pile, I swore did not exist until this other being entered into my playing field. As proof - look at my “warped” view from the loom.   No dog poop - just a beautiful view. Now being the nice hostess that I am - since she noticed it, and I was the hostess, NOT the guest, I decided to live in her reality for just a few moments and clean up her observed creation. She did not seem to think it was as amusing as I did that she manifested DID in the atrium and I did not. Shit happens (for others).

Come to think of it, I manifested another DID right behind my seat in a very small sports car on a recent road trip to California with her. Where again, she feigned disgust, and I had to clean. She needs to read the book and start playing a new game too. DID doesn’t exist in my virtual reality game when I’m in it with just the dog. At least not when I’m there to have to clean it.

Quantum Physics and Dog Poop

Slept.   I would put in a picture of me sleeping, but I was sleeping so it was hard to take a picture.   Well to be totally honest, I did not sleep the entire day.   Being up in Alaska during the shortest day of the year, I have a rule - if the sun is up, so am I.   I am also enforcing this rule on my two college children home on their winter break.   Having once been in college myself, I understand the desire to sleep most of the time when you first show up back at home.   Partly so no one considers you available to do chores, but mostly to recover, from well, college.   Since I know the game, we have competitive napping going on here.   But I figure, we can all sleep for the 19 hours of the day the sun is not up.   I’m not sure if the sun is truly even “up” more than two hours because it only peaks over the mountains to the south for an hour or two - the rest of the time the area is washed in an eerie lightness.

To counter the winter blues, I have taken to making tropical drinks.   My latest “adult” non-alcoholic beverage is a no-hito mo-hito.   Upon my arrival in the land of perpetual o-dark-thirty, I stopped at the Juneau Costco and purchased a twenty pound bag of limes.   And then at the only florist shop in Haines, I found a lovely little lime mint plant.    With these two main ingredients, it was party time at the manor.    After the pucker punch of the first round, I scoured the cabinets and found a stash of agave nectar that makes the no-hito mo-hito a delightful, eye opening beverage.   We are now down to ten pounds of limes.   And no one will suffer from scurvy at the house.

I also purchased a case of pomegranites - besides staining all my clothes in little red splotches that has me even more in the Christmas spirit,  I’m still racking the creative synapses to figure out their mission this holiday season.   Maybe I’ll have to go back and take a nap to let the subconscious work on this task.

My lovely little cheetah like cat - Bob used up the last of his nine lives today.   The fact that he lived this long is rather amazing considering his mother ate all his litter mates and he was rescued in the nick of time.   As Bob grew, he lived an eternal life as a kitten.   We learned over time why the Mama cat probably ate the litter mates - Bob was a few cards shy of a full deck.   He never quite grasped the litter box - thinking the front paws in the pan was good enough.   He used up many of his live’s taunting the resident eagles as he  lolled outside the front door rolling around on the front step appearing to just say - lets see if you can swoop down and get me.

Yes it is a miracle Bob lived three years.   We’re not quite sure what took him to the final resting place - the vet thinks it was anti-freeze.   We aren’t in the habit of leaving anti-freeze out inside the house so I’m not sure how that could have happened.   And as far as we know, Bob had no enemies.

Our deepest condolences are to his playmate Spot (another Ocicat) who was an absolute pest without Bob - the reason we adopted Bob in the first place.   I’ll miss him too - he and I spent hours studying the printer spitting out various drafts of my writings.   I think Bob brought down the IQ of everyone in the house - this was not a bad thing.

Well, it is now the fourth day of cooking school, and I am just getting around to writing in the blog about the first day of school.  They keep us busy here from early morning to late at night.   Mostly in EATING.   Yes I am learning quite a bit about Italian cooking - which I am coming to find out is as much about selecting the correct ingredients and enjoying a fine meal as it is about cooking.   The Italians are very passionate about their food.  More than five hours every day is devoted to meals.   This explains why I am having to play late night catch up on the blog.

Oddly enough with all this attention on eating, my pants are getting looser, while many of my classmates are having the opposite problem.   WOW what does that say about my eating habits at home?   A big part of the Italian cooking class is also learning how to consume wine with every meal and not get too inebriated.   I unfortunately am allergic to alcohol.  So while most of my classmates are getting a good number of calories from the wine, I am just doing the tasting meals.  Which is lots of little portions.   And lots of time in between.  Slow eating, over a couple of hours, small quantities of food and LOTS of walking in between time.  That explains it all.

Overall the experience with Academia Barilla in Parma has been fantastic.  My classmates are primarily woman - most over 40.  Two brought their husbands.  The rest came with friends or solo.   It’s a group of woman who love to cook and have a great time.   The laughter has been non-stop.   What I love even more about it - I am NOT IN CHARGE.   If there is a problem, it is someone else’s to solve.  (I did have to get one of my classmate’s computers to work on the internet - but as a volunteer it didn’t matter if I succeeded at that or not).

We spent the first day in a lecture where we learned about the quality certifications on the foods produced in Parma and how to distinguish the real thing from the fakes produced all over the world.  Very insightful education.   Sounds like the food industry has the same problems the Project Management industry has with people presenting knock offs as just as good as the real thing (non-certified PMs vs. PMPs).   Then we went to their incredible kitchen classroom.   We were in groups of four working on the recipes for a five course meal.  For every two groups, we had a dedicated chef to help us.   One of the woman in our group was trained at Cordon Bleu (what she was doing in this class for untrained folks was beyond me).   I learned “knife” skills the first day. by our in group “expert.”   The Academia Barilla chef, Nicola, seemed fine with my knife skills but taught me some  techniques if I wanted to try something new.   I preferred his approach.   After almost 40 years of cooking,  I wasn’t doing everything wrong with the knife.  I learned more about group interaction styles and what approaches work well in a team and what don’t more than I learned about knife skills from our group’s self proclaimed expert.

One of the other woman taught me how she chops up rosemary - never really had given much thought to how I chopped up rosemary or that it even needed to be chopped.  But then she explained all the different ways she used chopped rosemary with cooking her own beef as well.  We became good friends fast - a fellow cattle woman.   Now we’re exchanging stories on installing windmills.  Maybe we woman who love to cook and are willing to travel to Italy to learn more, have more in common than we realize.   And since I am not the teacher in this group - I am allowed to have favorites.  Mary Jimmy is one of my favorites - she is an emergency room nurse.  If I ever find myself in need of an emergency room nurse near the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee, I will be in good hands at her hospital.  I think we need to write the definitive guide to cooking an entire cow.

I’ve made lots of other friends in class as well.   An elegant woman who on a wing and a prayer made a dramatic life change to follow her heart and start her life over in San Diego - she was as beautiful as she was gutsy.   Another was  a recently widowed full of life woman from LA.  And then there was the truffle loving  veterinarian who took copius notes.  I became fast friends with “Mom and Dad” - a recently liberated couple who sold their chain of hotels.  And by the end of the week was discussing entreprenurial opportunities with this spit fire mom-preneur from Georgia who was on the trip with her Mom.   I also got to know  two wonderful employees from Sur La Table (good move sending those two to this class).  When we reconnect with each other back in the states - at least we know we can all cook.

I’ll write more tomorrow - it’s almost 1 AM and we’re taking a boat to some island to try out various olive oils tomorrow.

by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

In Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book - The Black Swan - he points out that most catastrophic events are completely random - yet we are compelled to find causal relationships. Being an “empiricist” he shows how most of what we consider rational explanations for events are completely random and that our intuition on what should happen in a future state is more often than not completely wrong.

In Jonathon Jarvis’ presentation “Visualizing the Credit Crisis” he shows the dynamics that caused the banks to lose their shirts on sub-prime mortgages which is being implicated as the main reason for the global economic crisis. I would like to propose an alternative theory - the global economic crisis is being caused by the lack of sun spots. I’ll go out on a limb here and blame it for the global climatic crisis as well. Also, it might be what is to blame for the global rash in terrorism. Research shows that sun spot activity has a significant impact on human behavior. Lack of sunspots specifically makes us more susceptible to repressive regimes - EXACTLY what has been being put in place “protecting” us from all these global calamities.

Now the million dollar question - being the self-flagellating ego centric beings that we are - how are we responsible for the lack of sun spots on the sun? And if it’s not us who are responsible for the lack of sun spots, then who is to blame and how can we hang them out to dry for the lack of sun spots causing all of our modern day problems? Is it Tim Geitner’s inability to use Turbotax that has caused the most recent decrease in sunspot activity?

I have noticed that my own creativity has been stymied lately. I am usually a prolific blogger posting my ramblings in two locations. On this blog and for those postings related to my drive to become energy self-sufficient - on www.cheetahpower.net. But for the last month, I just have lost my zest for blog postings. I was trying to establish the cause for this. I had thought that it was due to the fact that I was getting too angry about the global economic crisis and the apparently inept leadership (but who am I to make that assessment about the quality of leadership?). I then remembered this circle of influence vs. circle of concern concept that I describe in my science of success talk. The concept is that when you focus on your circle of influence instead of wasting your time on those things that concern you but that you can’t do anything about, you find much more personal success in life. I was living in my circle of concern instead of my circle of influence. And just why was I doing this? Now I know - lack of sunspots. Well now that I know the source of my ennui, I can go about fixing it. I certainly can do NOTHING about the lack of sun spots, so I’m going back to what it is I can influence and living there. At least I’m much happier and more productive living in my circle of influence.

Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

In younger days, the only way out of a difficult patch was with an “excused” absence. All that was needed was a note from Mum. Congress has shown us over the past six months that they are capable of writing these “notes” as well for their friends having a rough time in the financial markets. Congress’ notes though are printed by their neighbors at the US Mint. Coincidentally, both a note from Mum and notes from Congress have about the same value these days. All either do is provide a temporary reprieve from dealing with the problems of the day.

We’re always being exorted to write to our congressmen or senator (as if that really does any good). All of them were inundated with missives from the masses against these upsurd bailouts. If we received any replies at all, were just told, “you just don’t understand.” (I will share the replies I’ve received from Harry Reid on this if anyone would like to see them). Just last night I tried to send another note to my senators and congressman and their servers were overloaded. So I well suppose there are many of us still participating in this futile exercise in modern civics.

I have a new idea - we need to get an excused absence note from our congressional representatives, similar to what we used to get from Mom, to be excused from paying our taxes. I am willing to bet that every single one of us, has had at least as tough a year as the millionaires getting the tax payer funded bonus’ from AIG. It can be thought of as a “you keep your money, and I’ll keep mine policy.” I am after all a much better manager of my money than the federal government or the banking industry (as I can bet is everyone else who is reading this blog post). I cover college for my children, create jobs for about 200 people with my business, and have helped about 30,000 people so far make at least $10k more per year over the past decade because of the skills they learn from Cheetah Learning. But it’s been a tough year to reconfigure my entire financial landscape as the rules were rewritten by several thousand greedy bastards in the financial world. Even though they rewrote the rules, I still have college to fund, a business to run, and retirement to consider (mine and now quite possibly my parents). I’d like to be excused from taxes this year - this has given me a wee bit of a headache and a year off is just what the doctor ordered.

Better yet, it would be nice to get the money back that went into the ether from the kids low risk college 529 accounts and what was even touted as more of a sure bet - that 401k. I’m not asking for anything extra - just put back in what was originally saved, of course adjusted for inflation. Yes, I am a bit daft, as I have been told by Harry Reid, which is why i don’t understand the bailouts. And yes I was a bit daft for not fully understanding the rules of my kid’s 529 college account and mine, and my employees 401k accounts.

For all this stupidity, enough to go around really on all fronts, please excuse Michelle from taxes for the year. Maybe for good measure, give her a pass on the next decade.

Thanks Harry, John, and Dean - I’ll make sure to put something extra in this year’s Holiday Greeting card if you’ll do me this little favor this year.

By Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

For the past six years, I have been raising Belgian Blue cattle. I got this idea by reading two magazine articles simultaneously - a Time Magazine article on the obesity crises in America and a Scientific American article on gene doping and this breed of cattle that naturally does not produce any fat, however the beef is especially tender. Being a beef eating capitalist, and also getting on in years and being told by the medical profession that red meat was bad for me, I wanted to come up with a better beef product. So I started on a quest to raise a breed of cattle that would produce beef that was actually “heart healthy.”

I got my first five Belgian Blue hefers (these are young cows that have not had babies) in 2004. They were born to surrogate dairy cows near Houston, Texas. The dairy cows were implanted with fertilized Belgian blue embryos. You see, there is a problem with this breed - the cows have a difficult time giving birth naturally. The babies are a bit large, and the cows tend to have pelvis’ that are too small for natural births. NOT A GOOD THING when you’re trying to raise free range cattle. The trick to be successful with this breed, we soon learned was to raise a variation of them that could give birth naturally. This meant literally being very Darwinian. It meant we lost some cows and their babies in child birth.

We had a plan on how to not lose the mother and baby by making sure the first baby created with the cow was with a small bull in another breed. This has worked well - we ended up with some very lovely Belgian Blue/Angus crossbreeds. We also purchased several Belgian Blue bulls that were small in the hopes that they would create smaller babies for the cows’ second pregnancy.

Our experiment worked. This week one of our first cows - named Pixie Dust, gave birth to a 90 pound full blood Belgian Blue bull. Both mother and baby survived and are doing well.

And to top off a great week, a friend sent me the Facetime article in Business Week about Jim Rogers. Mr. Rogers ended the interview with this statement: “So you should find yourself a nice farmer and hook up with him or her, because that’s where the money’s going to be in the next couple of decades.” Well thank you Mr. Rogers for the endorsement of my fantastic business concept that I am pulling off here - woo hoo!!!!!!!!!

I’ve had a number of different experiences over the past week that really got me thinking about this whole “opt in, opt out” thing popularized by the internet. It started a week ago at a dinner hosted by the farm where we rent space for our bulls. I learned more than I ever thought I needed to know about bull genetics and how to create the “super” cow. The woman running the show was a genius and I give her very high marks for creating a highly entertaining and engaging event - especially based on her audience. An audience of family farmers working the land to provide a great quality free range beef product. I still have her interactive handout in my bag where she had us do a series of math exercises based on how many head of cattle we owned vs. what we sold and what that represented with respect to impact on our customers and the environment. I got this lady, I liked her style, but still I felt like an outsider at the event. I’m not a family farmer - I’m an investment farmer and I hire other folks to manage my herd. I play by their same rules with respect to taking care of my animals - maybe even spend a bit more money to insure a humane existence because that is who I am. But I’m not the one who tends my wonderful Belgium Blue herd day to day. I opted in to the event enough to go to one event, but it was not my world and it’s unlikely I’ll go to more.

The next day I flew to the East Coast - I had to meet with my sales and marketing team to discuss - what else, opt in, opt out issues. How do we do a better job having people opt into the company and create an environment of inclusion while maintaining an element of exclusiveness because we tend to create superstars. The folks who opt in to Cheetah Learning either are looking at ensuring they maintain their superstar status or are aspiring to get to the superstar status fast. This is both helping us and it’s hurting us as folks who just don’t feel like they are super stars or aspire to something less than being their best, opt out. People have told me they know right away if they “fit” into Cheetah. The ones that don’t - they opt out pretty fast.

The meeting was great - we all enjoy getting together. But being on the East Coast is a bit of a challenge. I’m much more at home in the wilds of Alaska. And I’m also much safer. Last year, within four hours of showing up at my east coast abode, there was a very large black bear right next to my mini-van. I have never seen a bear in my yard in Alaska. This year, I was rendered house bond with just two inches of snow. In Alaska, I have neighbors galore willing to offer a helping hand when you’re stranded. Here, good luck. My front wheel drive mini-van went into anaphylactic shock over the slick road and the ABS braking system had a seizure. I finally got it into the driveway just to have it skid into a snow bank and render itself done for the day. Everyone coming into for the meeting had to take cabs and walk the quarter mile in from the road. And I got to learn just why I stock up the pantry - when something you count on “opts out” and you aren’t in a culture of “opt in” you have to have back up plans.

My blog buddy, Kristen and I rented a car and drove to Philadelphia for a wedding. We weren’t exactly sure of the details of the wedding - we know the general vicinity and had our iphones. We were able to “opt in” to a fun journey because of new technology.

My cousin was marrying into a very large and extended Filipino family. And even though we knew nothing of their customs of culture, we felt very much included in the event. We were able to “opt in” at a level that was comfortable for us.

And then I have my “internet world” that I still exist in regardless of what is happening in my external world. I have scads of folks opting in to follow me on twitter (no idea why). I think I got on several people’s follow lists who generate tons of followers so their followers are now following me. And I have a growing list of acquaintances on Facebook and linked in. Linked in is purposeful. I am trying to create an opt in network of folks that my publicist can toss publicity opportunities. Facebook is another story - while I find myself happy to “friend” someone on facebook, it just seems that a requirement to actually meet them in person is a big requirement. I’m opting in and opting out simultaneously. When is a friend is a friend is a friend? Is it possible to have “friends” that are only “friends” on the internet? It is far easier to send sentimental missives and lets keep in touch stuff via face book than it is to actually set up a time to catch up with someone you knew years ago.

Opting in or opting out - I’m not even sure most of us our conscious of our opt in and opt out practices. I opt in when the commitment is commensurate with the activity. I tend to opt out if the commitment is far in excess of what I’m willing to make to participate. Keep it light and lively and give me an easy exit strategy, and I’m more than likely to opt in, and want to keep coming back. Make me buy into a lot of stuff that just isn’t me, and I’m heading for the hills fast.