Random and occasional thoughts on

Ever see a business leader that seemed too young to know what they were doing? They take charge of meetings and projects and lead the charge on new initiatives. Sometimes they don't seem to know what they are doing and sometimes their bold initiatives do not make any sense. I went for another run today with the dogs. Well, run, walk & sniff would be a better description of the activity. While I like the enthusiasm of Young Pup (YP), I really appreciate the more relaxed approach that Old Dog (OD) takes. OD usually stays right next to me with only an occasional foray into the bushes after some exciting new smell. YP likes to charge to the full length of his leash and tug the whole time. He usually doesn't stop to sniff things and instead prefers to charge ahead as fast as his leash will let him. YP like to lead, but keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure we are still following him, like the strain of the leash isn't enough of a clue. Some leaders (in busines...

You may know by now that I enjoy photography. Always have, ever since I was given a little 126 camera when I was in 6th grade. I still have photo albums from those pictures. Not too long after that, my dad started teaching me how to use a 35mm SLR camera and I started learning about ISO and F/stops and shutter speed. It was not a cheap hobby and we didn't have a lot of spare money laying around, so I took very few risks and stuck to trying to make good exposures. The right amount of light and a good focus point were my goals and my main subjects were friends and family. By the time I graduated from high school, I decided to continue my photography and I used graduation gift money to buy a new Minolta SLR. Over time, I added lenses and accessories and spent a fair amount of money and time taking snapshots. I also started trying to take photographs. A snapshot is simply a nice picture, usually appreciated most by people who know the subjects. A photograph usually will have a ...

It seems like customer service is a lost art for most businesses these days. If you order your meal to-go and they give it to you on a tray, it can seem like they are ticked off at you when you remind them that you ordered it to go. Some businesses excel at taking care of their customers, most of them seem to not care if you ever come back. A few weeks ago, my son broke his glasses and I took them in to get fixed. This company was referred to our eye Dr. It was a reasonable price (cheaper than buying a new pair) and they had a guarantee (see the red box below). The repair was good and my son was able to wear his glasses again. I thought the only time I would mention this again would be when I heard about someone who needed their glasses fixed and I would be able to recommend this place. Unfortunately, my son had an accident and the repair broke. "No problem" I figured, since it was under warranty and I could just get it fixed again. I dropped by after work, but the guy...