Category: Personal

Mini vMac – Mac Plus Emulator

Mini vMac – Mac Plus Emulator

So I might be the only person at work with a Mac Plus in their office.  And I’m almost certain I’m the only person with both one at the office and at home.  So why do I need an emulator running under OS X?  I find it strange I’m willing to put hours into making it work, yet can’t quite answer that question.

The Best BBQ in Town… a New Mammoth Tradition

If you are in the mood for BBQ after a long day on the mountain, you can’t go wrong with Angel’s Restaurant in Mammoth Lakes.  With how much time I spend up there, I can’t believe I just now discovered this jewel.  First, it’s exceptional BBQ.  When you pick up one of the St Louis style pork ribs, the meats slips right off the bone. You have to use a fork!  The wings are just spicy enough to make your reach for a drink, but not enough to scare people off.  The sides are also fantastic, especially the cheese scone rolls with honey butter, and you can’t go wrong with sweet potato fries.  Top it off with good prices and excellent service and I’d have to say it’s worth a visit on every trip.

The Wind. The rush of unexpected events, and the doubts and criticisms of those around you, are like a fierce wind at sea. It can come from any point of the compass, and there is no place to go to escape from it, no way to predict when and in what direction it will strike. To change direction with each gust of wind will only throw you out to sea. Good pilots do not waste time worrying about what they cannot control. They concentrate on themselves, the skill and steadiness of their hand, the course they have plotted, and their determination to reach port, come what may.

Robert Greene

A Naval Aviator’s Log Book from WWII

My grandfather served as a US Naval Aviator in WWII.  We knew him as the patriarch of a large and vibrant family, a successful entrepreneur and executive, an avid sailor, civilian pilot and world traveller.  My grandmother Joyce was the love of his life, and he adored his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren… but I think he always thought of himself as an aviator.

As a kid who grew up in the 1930’s and hung on the fence at Floyd Bennett Field on Long Island, his dream was to fly for the US Navy.  He worked hard in his youth, as a bartender in Hell’s Kitchen taking care of his parents, and eventually followed his older brother into the US Navy.  He became a cadet and attended civilian flight training then flight school in Pensacola, Florida.  He graduated as an Ensign, then served in the Caribbean with squadron VJ-16 as a Lieutenant, j.g.

I think he was most proud of his service as a Naval Aviator.  He always captivated me with his stories from that era, and someday my cousin and I will finish getting them down on paper to share.  When we lost him last year, I created a slideshow for the funeral with pictures from his life.  In all the old slides and scrapbooks, I came across his Navy records and aviator’s flight log book.  Following the urging from some history buff friends, I’ve decided to scan and post some of the materials.

The first item is the log book you can find here, which I will add to on a regular basis as I have time to scan its contents.  I may also post some interesting letters and official Navy documents, including ones from the Secretary of the Navy and the President of the United States.  I’ll update the blog when new material is posted.

Jim Collins on Success Amid Turbulence & Uncertainty

In the interest of full disclosure, both major books of top selling business writer Jim Collins (Built to Last and Good to Great) remain unread on my bookshelf as I’ve taken a break from popular business books over the last few years.

From how his thinking, his writing, and his methods are discussed however, he’s obviously someone to keep an eye on.  I also happen to like writers who retreat to the cave or the mountain for years, and come back out with the rare but delightfully well-thought-out book.

Reading this interview in Fortune, I was curious about the topic of his research today and what his next book might be about.  We was on the ball a few years ago when he started looking at how businesses succeed in turbulent times (something relevant today, right?).

“The one thing you learn is that those who panic, die on the mountain.”

Spoken like the true rock climber he is.  He talks about how the period of stability that followed WWII is ending, and will likely not return during our lifetimes.  Companies that have core values (interestingly it’s more important having them then what they are) and realize the people you have with you are the most important thing (again, think about getting stuck on a mountain).  People that don’t need management, and consider their work as responsibilities rather than just a job.

It seems like common sense, but having a planning horizon that looks at the next 25+ years rather than the next quarter, is a clear differentiator.  We can only hope that our government remembers this when it rushes solutions with little planning yet huge long-term economic consequences upon the country.  I hope they read his next book.