Ice Trays & Work Ethic

Increasingly the humble ice tray is becoming an anachronism. Most home refrigerators have an automatic ice cube maker, robotically churning out ice so the human always has a chilled beverage. However, in the interest of cost savings there are still some bastions of ice trays, where one has to actually fill the tray with water, let it freeze, and then break the cube free from its form. Most often we encounter this at work where we are glad just to have a refrigerator.

But this simple happenstance actually presents an interesting social experiment in terms of the work ethic of one's co-workers. I respectfully submit:

The full ice bin and full trays: The optimum state - here we have proactive worker bees who take it upon themselves to assess the level of ice in the holder, taking on the job of cracking & refilling the trays. You can bet these are the sort of folks who will also be proactive at their real job for the company.

The empty bin but full trays: The glass is half full. Here we have "just in time" staff who'll rise to the occasion but only when it bubbles to the top. Could be that the company has promoted this by chronic shortage of human resources so that people become accustomed to dealing with something only when it's immediately confronting them.

The empty bin and empty trays: Now we're straying into tunnel vision, not willing to think down the line in order to help others. You see a problem but because it's not your problem it is ignored. Not a great sign for your corporate culture.

The empty bin and partially full trays: This is terminal - you're surrounded by coworkers who are dedicated to doing the absolute least amount of effort to accomplish the job. Better get that resume in order.

The Gift of a Troubled Soul

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” 
― Aristotle

Decades ago when email was unheard of and books reigned I joined an astronomy book club. One enticement was the 3 volume set of Burnham's Celestial Handbook. I had heard others speak highly of it as a reference and so it seemed like a sound choice.

What I got was an amazing piece of work, an encyclopedia of astronomy presented by way of in depth information about each constellation. It was like having this remarkable guide to the homes of the Hollywood stars, detailing every juicy detail of their abode. While it had a couple of chapters at the start to introduce the newcomer to some of the terms and concepts of astronomy the beauty of this work was you could jump in anywhere - just pick a constellation to begin your journey. Constellations are a marvelous creation - they are ancient and derived from the lore of our ancestors. Just as people today are still drawn to a good story about mythological beings, amateur star gazers often take a fancy to a particular constellation for an observing session. "Cassiopeia is returning to the sky again, maybe I'll go check it out tonight!". With Burnham's book you could open up to Cassiopeia and get lost among the wealth of information about that corner of the universe. It was so...complete!

It was both interesting and painful to come across an account of the author, one Robert Burnham, Jr. of Arizona. Here was a man who clearly was afflicted with painful shyness, tenacity, inability to interpret the true nature of his situation. Beloved and yet unrecognized, wanting recognition yet refusing to grasp it. As the article puts it, "He led an extraordinary, but ultimately tragic, life. He also was a bundle of  contradictions". His quixotic nature probably explains why it has never been updated or duplicated because you'd have to be a bit crazy to rise to that challenge. It truly was his life's work.

The article is long but well worth reading to understand the perfect storm that gave us Burnham's Celestial Handbook. 

Social Media Values Clarification

There's little doubt that the Internet and social media in particular has changed our culture. And while there are some up sides I am pretty sure that it has helped to replace reasoned discussion for ranting and demagoguery. It did not do it single-handedly of course - it has had a big assist from our politicians and conventional media. We talk at each other rather than with each other. Media tries to tell us what to think rather than provide us information and a variety of viewpoints.

My wife has recounted times in her career where a patient requested to enter the "quiet room" when they felt they were edging out of control. Following the 2016 election I felt compelled to take a break from Facebook because of the rancor and just crazy talk that folks whom I had otherwise judged as rational people were engaging in. I needed some time apart lest I start to respond in kind and then later feel embarrassed by my words. It gave me time to reflect on social media in general and how to keep it as a more positive than negative force in my life.

So before logging back on, some notes to myself:

Time box it. This stuff gets addicting - seriously. You mindlessly scroll and refresh to see the latest affirmation of your life, of you as a person. And it's not like there aren't better things to do with your time. Read a book, balance the checkbook, write an email to a friend, figure out a new recipe to try, maybe write a blog entry. To help achieve this I'll continue to avoid any "alerts" to my phone and keep my aggregate daily time on social media to under 30 minutes.

Understand the value proposition. To me the value of social media is facilitating catching up on what is happening with my friends and family. Seeing pictures of my adorable grandson, catching Phil's early morning shot of the crescent moon and Venus, knowing I need to add a friend struggling with an issue to my prayer list - that is where it excels.

Drop the rope. No social media promotes debate, only ranting. People do not wish to read more than 140 characters (if that). Most folks do not want an exchange of ideas, they want you to validate their opinions. Recognize trolls and pass on by. Recognize ideologues and pass on by. If on occasion you wish to add to a thread do it politely, honestly, and singularly (no running posts trying to have the last word).

Owners are not without agendas. FB and others are certainly willing to manipulate us, from filtering what hits the news feed to promoting the idea that to mute or unfriend someone makes you a shallow person. And let's certainly not forget that the breadcrumbs of our likes and dislikes here are vacuumed up for big data's consumption. Be skeptical of the medium and its desire to influence you.

So I guess it's time to emerge from my self imposed exile to see if things have calmed down (although I doubt it). And I guess if it is still triggering even with trying to adhere to my observations I can decide to give it up for 40 more days over Lent.