http://timothygrayson.com/blog/ Thoughts about identity, complexity, context and circumstance, business, politics, stupidity, and other errata. en-us 2006-09-04T16:18:10-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000803.html Does everything stupid that comes out of Tom Peters' mouth become a standard business buzzword? The "B-HAG," or so-called "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" is a particularly fascinating one to me right now because it has gained currency among a relatively small, but definitely significant group that I am close to. A couple years after Tom made it part of the corporate zeitgeist, these folks have discovered it, and are putting it to work. They've undertaken to identify some B-HAGS, and... Business - comment Grayson 2006-09-04T16:18:10-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000802.html I wrote this little story about eight months ago and then set it aside when I got busy. Enjoy. In suburban homes and in rural communities, clusters of ‘seekers’ have resurrected the religion of the Ancient Maya. I stumbled upon them by accident and -- perhaps because of my ambivalence -- have been given access to their story. They have chosen me to raise their pleas to stop the persecution by the people they work with and by the government... Errata Grayson 2006-05-18T08:07:38-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000801.html Strange request to receive, I'm sure. And a hell of a way to come back into the two RSS subscribers' in-boxes. Be that as it may, I really need to speak with anyone who has managed to severely break one or both of the Tibia (shin bone) and Fibula (calf bone) so severely that the broken bone(s) came through the skin. I don't really care how or why. What I'm interested in is the experience of it. Please, if you... Errata Grayson 2006-05-14T15:05:40-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000800.html Interesting if not a little underwhelming article in the Guardian Unlimited: Humans not to blame for ice age mass extinction. To quote:. . . the mysterious mass extinction of large mammals at the end of the last ice age was not the fault of our marauding species as previously thought. New research concludes that the disappearance of mammoths and wild horses in the Americas more than 10,000 years ago is likely to have been the result of natural shifts in... Complexity Grayson 2006-05-12T17:51:20-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000799.html Actually, I can't disagree with the recommendation made in the underlying Science article referred to in this Toronto Star article entitledTreat elderly last in pandemic: Study. It's all about choices and survival. Of course those things are not always consistent with social mores or particular moralities. Off the top of my head, I can think of about seven vectors (note how I got the virology reference in?) for an argument to substantiate the position that those with the highest probability... Social - comment Grayson 2006-05-12T16:46:39-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000798.html Eventually it was going to happen. The new Conservative government would weigh in on the on-again off-again national identity discussion. This past week the public safety minister, Stockwell Day, did just that as reported on CTV.ca here. A couple things to think about here: First, his assessment comes in the wake of a meeting with the US Homeland Security Secretary. The context of that meeting, it should be understood, is wound licking. Don't mean to be off-putting, but the newly... Identity Grayson 2006-02-20T07:11:12-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000797.html Put this one under the category of "give me a break." Ranking right up there with suits brought against knife manufacturers for not labelling their product with a notation that grabbing the blade can cut you, or against Macdonald's for not labelling coffee as being hot, is this beauty.SAN JOSE, CA, United States (UPI) -- A Louisiana man is suing computer giant Apple, charging the popular iPod music player can cause hearing loss from prolonged use. The suit, brought by... Grayson 2006-02-03T07:31:31-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000796.html Many people have been musing for a long time about who will provide the essential digital credential to keep our business and consumer way of life humming into the online future (present?). Here's a hint: "plus ca change, plus c'est parail." The Toronto Star is carrying a story today about what's going on at Ontario Drivers Licensing (Stricter ID for licences on way). Short piece; primary pull-out:Stricter requirements will help "ensure the identity of individuals applying for a driver's licence,"... Identity Grayson 2006-01-16T07:49:59-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000795.html Interesting little piece about how the US courts are dealing with spam (when suit is brought) here, at Techworld. Ruling by a US district court is an $11.2-billion (yes, that's with a "b") award. The most relevant parts of the article:"This ruling sets a new standard, CIS owner Robert W. Kramer was reported by press agencies as saying. "Gross abusers of e-mail risk exposure to public ridicule as well as the economic death penalty." "It's a victory for every e-mail... Internet Grayson 2006-01-06T07:19:16-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000793.html Updating Movable Type from 2.X to 3.X. There have been some formatting issues developing over the course of the day. Major posting to come soon. Technical difficulties are ours. Please do not adjust your browser.... Errata Grayson 2006-01-04T20:53:22-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000792.html This will probably be the last post of the year. To all (four) of you who read this meandering revue, thanks for your interest all year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Eide Ramadan, or whatever celebration you make around the winter solstice. I wish you a happy year end and best of the New Year. If there were one thing I would ask for as a Christmas present, it would be this: If you like what... Errata Grayson 2005-12-22T15:07:54-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000791.html When I was a kid, I read (yes, as bizarre as it sounds, I read) the Oxford English Dictionary. I took books from my father's library and bought books with titles like "Power Talk" and "Seven Days to a Bigger Vocabulary." I grilled myself using the "Word Power" vocabularly builder game in Reader's Digest each month. All with the intent of at least appearing erudite with the right word if not a bon mot at the appropriate moment. When I... Errata Grayson 2005-12-22T07:51:04-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000790.html Evo Morales, (former) coca farmer wins Bolivian presidential election. Story from BBC: All eyes on Evo Morales' next step. Am I the only one who sees the Canadian election issues and leader badgering in an entirely new light today?With the full official results not due for some days, it became apparent early on that Evo Morales had won a convincing victory and will next month become Bolivia's first indigenous president.... Politics - 2006 Federal Election Grayson 2005-12-19T07:57:32-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000789.html More on what's going on in Israel and the Middle East. Not surprisingly, Israel is concerned about Iran (Israel raises alarm over Iran).JERUSALEM -- Israel called yesterday for the international community to wake up to the threat posed by Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust was a "myth" and suggested the Jewish state be relocated outside the Middle East. The outlandish statements come amidst growing debate in Israel over the need to prepare for a pre-emptive strike to... Errata Grayson 2005-12-15T07:40:30-05:00 http://timothygrayson.com/blog/archives/000788.html I am a Liberal and a liberal. I am also fairly right wing, and my views tend to be not readily categorized -- on any consistent basis, anyway. Moreover, I -- like many other Canadians -- have no broad description of the party agendas and plans to review and try to make sense of some complicated, or simply complex, plans. So, at the risk of having my own (party's) glass house crumble around me as I begin pitching granite, I... Politics - 2006 Federal Election Grayson 2005-12-14T07:54:25-05:00