rands

The Worry Police

The Worry Police worry. During their career, the Worry Police were rewarded amply for their worrying, so they believe it’s their move. It makes them feel important. Worrying. The Worry Police have real power; they are the police. This power was granted to them because sometimes, preparing for imminent disaster is the correct strategy. An… more

March 20, 2023 2 Comments

The Cello in Soho Square

This was the second time we’d heard Audrey play her cello in Soho Square. She found a bench and just started playing. We learned about the first session days after it happened and begged her to give us a warning next time, but her small smile silently said no. We mobilized. Her roommate, Bruce, was… more

February 27, 2023 5 Comments

The Seven Dispositions of Task Management

I am DONE with this task. I finished. Good job. Victory. Next. I am STILL THINKING about this task. I might need more time to complete it or be thinking about an appropriate approach. Going to just leave it here for now, but I will make a choice regarding this task (and all tasks) by… more

January 9, 2023 4 Comments

Your Best Work

I’ve received some of the best advice from folks I’m trying to forget. It’s usually past mediocre managers. Average folks doing the job, but in an uninspired fashion, in over their heads, or just coasting for reasons I never understood. Every so often. They land an idea. Maybe I don’t hear it at the time… more

January 6, 2023 4 Comments

The One About Vigilantism

Our 63rd episode isn’t really about vigilantism but more about holding grudges. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0063.mp3

December 26, 2022

The Feige Rules

As a Henry Cavill super fan, I was extra crushed when I read that reports of his return to the role of Superman were no longer true. After much consideration, I am here to tell you why this is good news. But let’s start with the bad news. The DC Movie Universe is Garbage Fire… more

December 19, 2022 1 Comment

The Seven Circles of Meeting Hell

First Circle: THE SLOPPY AND THE UNPREPARED Meetings start late and run over. Attendees have not read the pre-supplied material, so we spend most of the time answering questions we had already answered elsewhere. Second Circle: THE DISTRACTED Meetings where attendees are not paying attention to the meeting. They sit there on their phones and… more

November 28, 2022 3 Comments

10 Things I Love & Why

AirPods Pro. First, I told myself I’d only include one Apple product on this list, and this is it. Here’s how to sell this product to your friends. First, show them how to properly insert them in their ears (many folks do this incorrectly) and then have them turn on noise cancellation. Boom. Rapha Merino… more

November 25, 2022

The Quest for Interesting X

The almost immediate challenge with the introduction of the Internet presented was, “How do I find X?” Now, the actual first challenge was, “I wonder if X exists in this new world,” but that’s still “How do I find X?” This quest made search services the killer app of the Internet. AltaVista was a thing… more

November 22, 2022 2 Comments

The Goldberg

The Rands “R” started many years ago as this: I’ve been toying with branding, design, color, and other marketing elements for the site for years. I remember spending a couple of weekends trying to get a good picture of the weave of my favorite beanie as background for the site. That’d didn’t go well. I… more

November 19, 2022