tnerb.org

01) Fast-paced big-city life or slower-paced small-town life?
Living in Boston you had better be fast paced or get out the way.

02) A location chooser based on your job(s) or a location chooser based on proximity to friends and family?
Based on my job.

03) Fan of the allen key (hexagon-head) or hater of the allen key?
Hater of the allen key.

04) Someone who loves futons or someone who prefers more traditional couches and beds?
I prefer a reclining chair.

05) Grateful that winter is gone or anxious for summer to hurry up and get here?
I like summer.

06) Grilled cheese sandwich with ham and tomato or just a grilled cheese sandwich?
Just a grilled chesse sandwich.

07) Simon Cowell or Paula Abdul?
I don’t watch that show.

08) A tiger or a bear?
Bear.

09) Believing that politicians make the world a better place or believing that the common man makes the world a better place?
Definitely the common man. Politicians are of no use any more.

10) Driven by your loins or driven by your stomach?
Driven by my stomach. No loans.

01) A harsher critic of others or a harsher critic of yourself?
I am a harsher critic of myself all too often.

02) One who thinks stealing is the bigger sin or one who thinks lying is the bigger sin?
I think stealing is a bigger sin.

03) Fond of crayons for colouring or fond of paint for colouring?
Crayons.

04) Someone who thinks they have all the tools they could need or someone who thinks you barely have the minimum number of tools to get by?
Barely the minimum.

05) McDonald’s or Burger King?
Burger King.

06) Obsessive compulsive or whatever happens, happens?
Whatever happens happens.

07) One who enjoys the company of small children (playing with blocks) or one who enjoys the company of senior citizens (playing bridge)?
I love playing with small children. They make your day a little better somehow.

08) Someone who will vacuum-seal food before putting it in the freezer or someone who will just put it in the freezer?
Just toss it in the freezer.

09) More proud of your belches or more proud of your flatulence?
Belches. Flatulence would scare too many people.

10) Possessed of a soothing voice or possessed or an order-barking voice?
Order-barking voice.

Posted by Brent at 10:17 PM | Permalink

Jury duty. One big get there on time and sit around doing nothing. A good way to get out of work and read. That's all you can do before they send you home.

Leader in three different pools at work. Not one will pay off I'm guessing because of Kansas. Over rated much?

As for Would you rather:
be an evil genius OR a super-spy? Super spy. Evil school is not for me.
be addicted to eating raw eggs OR sticks of butter? Sticks of butter. Mmmm....butter.
punch hulk hogan in the face OR throw a rock at george bush? Punch Hulk Hogan in the face. Chances are the Secret Service would shoot on site and ask questions later.
have bionic eyes OR one bionic arm? Bionic eyes. X-Ray vision with the premium version.

Posted by Brent at 03:10 PM | Permalink

Yes, I start out with a stunning 15-1 start to the NCAA office pools. Not bad you would think with the lone loss being the 5 points in the game that Marquette gave to Alabama. So after Northwestern LA took out Iowa on a last second shot some early damage was done. Sure I called the Montana, UWM, Texas A&M, NC State, Witicha State games along with the early 8/9 matchups of GW, Arizona, and Bucknell, but nothing prepares you for the struggles of a young but promising Kansas teams. Consider me done with my final four representative from the Oakland bracket done in the first round.

I give up. It's just a game, but I can't take much more of this near perfection that gets destroyed by one team. Now I just need to root for a Gonzaga over BC final in order to reak havoc on the rest of the office pool entrants.

And a Happy St. Patricks day to you.

Posted by Brent at 12:16 AM | Permalink

Yeah, Seton Hall's exit early was to be expected. Not Marquette's tough loss to Alabama. Sure the SEC went 3-0 and Big East 0-2, with most of the top of the conference to play tomorrow. Not sure what to think of the season until I digest this loss.

Work is a little crazy with people and the brackets busting, but not many shockers. Pacific almost took down BC and Winthrop giving the Vols a scare. Onto the last games of day one of the Madness.

Posted by Brent at 10:42 PM | Permalink

2005 Tax returns are finally done. No less confusing than previous years. What gives with over 500 pages of explanations for a simple form? Crazy politicians make things worse every time, and here I thought I would want to do these things all of the time to make a living.

Posted by Brent at 10:59 PM | Permalink

Would you rather:
wake up and find you can ONLY tell the absolute truth OR only lies? Tell the truth. Jim Carey made a movie about not being able to lie and turned into a more enjoyable person.

gargle with mint listerine mouthwash before every meal OR lick a lime before every bite? Gargle with mouthwash. Licking a lime would distort all of the good tastes from the food.

drink a glass of water taken from a public kiddie pool OR from the shark tank at the aquarium? Shark tank at the aquarium. Not around feeding time with all of the dead fish though.

go out to dinner with a convicted serial killer OR vice president dick cheney? VP Dick Cheney. Something newsworthy might result, but the convicted serial killer would more than likely add you to the victim list.

Posted by Brent at 10:51 AM | Permalink

When a problem exists, whether in personnel or in business operations, the time to act is now.

Getting fired can produce a particularly bountiful payday for a CEO. Indeed, he can “earn” more
in that single day, while cleaning out his desk, than an American worker earns in a lifetime of cleaning
toilets. Forget the old maxim about nothing succeeding like success: Today, in the executive suite, the all too prevalent rule is that nothing succeeds like failure.

Huge severance payments, lavish perks and outsized payments for ho-hum performance often
occur because comp committees have become slaves to comparative data. The drill is simple: Three or so directors – not chosen by chance – are bombarded for a few hours before a board meeting with pay statistics that perpetually ratchet upwards. Additionally, the committee is told about new perks that other managers are receiving. In this manner, outlandish “goodies” are showered upon CEOs simply because of a corporate version of the argument we all used when children: “But, Mom, all the other kids have one.” When comp committees follow this “logic,” yesterday’s most egregious excess becomes today’s baseline.

Comp committees should adopt the attitude of Hank Greenberg, the Detroit slugger and a boyhood
hero of mine. Hank’s son, Steve, at one time was a player’s agent. Representing an outfielder in
negotiations with a major league club, Steve sounded out his dad about the size of the signing bonus he should ask for. Hank, a true pay-for-performance guy, got straight to the point, “What did he hit last year?” When Steve answered “.246,” Hank’s comeback was immediate: “Ask for a uniform.”

Fourth Law of Motion: For investors as a whole, returns decrease as motion increases.

Posted by Brent at 02:55 PM | Permalink

01) Unassuming or naive? Unassuming.
02) Likely to vote based on candidate's overall stance on issues or likely to vote based on political party? Vote based on candidates overall stance on issues.
03) A fan of country pop music or a fan of rock pop music? Rock pop music. I'm not from the South.
04) A good casserole sort or a main dish and two sides sort? A main dish and two sides.
05) Pleased with your country's team's performance at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics or disappointed with their performance? Pleased with the team's performance.
06) Gobsmacked or lolligagged? Gobsmacked.
07) Indiana Jones or James Bond? Bond.
08) A believer that there are strict rules about line-ups (e.g. no cutting in line) or one who will let little things like that slide? There are strict rules about line-ups.
09) One who understands and can chart Boolean logic in speech or one who either can't precisely map it out or doesn't think it's that important? I don't think it's that important.
10) Someone who will eat when you're hungry or someone who will eat because it's time to eat? Eat when you're hungry. Doesn't matter the time unless you are deciding on what to eat.

Posted by Brent at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Set a crystal-clear strategic agenda with three to four priorities, and drive everything from these priorities.

On major strategic initiatives, be very deliberate and analytical in developing and communicating the strategic and economic rationale.

Lead by example, be a great listener, and treat others with care and respect. That's the way to set the tone for the organization and culture.

Posted by Brent at 10:02 AM | Permalink