Turned 30

Turned 30 over the weekend.

Didn't feel a thing of difference. Didn't feel older or younger, healthier or sicker.

Felt happier when my wife and sister threw a surprise party, inviting all of my and their friends. They made me feel special by turning up and overwhelmed by their expensive gifts. Food was brilliant and company was exceptional. But I didn't feel old or realize that a new chapter was beginning.

That I felt and realized a few weeks before when I heard our baby's heart beat. That changed life forever. A realization quickly sunk in that a new generation was on its way, that I was the second-latest generation and the clock had ticked away.

Can't wait for our baby and spend the rest of life with him or her.

My First Ebay Sale

Yes, I did it - managed to sale an item on Ebay.

I will admit that when Ebay first when live, I was very skeptical about it. How can I trust the other person, that I know nothing about, will send me the item once I have paid for it? My landlord back then, an 85 year old American World War II veteran, Douglas Anderson, was fanatical about it. He was buying and selling, what sounded like, every week. I enjoyed the conversations as he basked in the glory of his sale, but never did I attempt it.

I have aged now. I have a minimalist approach to things. I don't need the CD/DVD cases, I don't need the books that I have read and I don't need the Netgear Router that I just sold. The buyer was a lady called Martina Lapunikova. It was sold for £7. I don't know if this was a 'good' sell. All I know is that I got it free, I am £7 richer and my garage is one item emptier. Ms. Lapunikova will hopefully find better use of this router. Everyone wins.

My love affair with Ebay has begun.

The Big Bang Effect

This theory came up while I was reading the Corporate Finance section of CFA Level 1. What it basically says is that companies report large losses when a new management team takes over and report large profits once the management has been in place for one or two reporting periods.

I experienced this same effect recently. There was a software project where a new project manager took over. She came and started criticizing everything. She spent a lot more time proving that the system is bad than coming up with solutions or improvements. The effect is not complete as her team is yet to produce anything tangible where she can claim a win or a large profit.

Which makes me realize that true leaders are the ones that come in, see the problems, look for solutions and motivate the staff to implement those solutions. It's really easy to criticize when there are issues but much harder to motivate and solve those issues.

Surprise on London Undeground

I was pleasantly surprised the other day at my local underground station when the lady came on the intercom and said that "Apparently all trains are running smoothly". The 'apparently' caught my attention. There was a hint of office politics and being pushed by the boss to do something she didn't really want to do. It also gave a glimpse into how disconnected the station staff are from the running of the trains - the main business of a station. From a regular commuter's point of view, it does not inspire confidence, and highlights the inefficiences. I further cast doubt on the 'investment in the undergound' posters that I see plotted around the stations. A depressing truth of monopolies.

Talking to people

One thing I've observed is that people will listen to you and digest what you are saying when they REALLY want to. Sounds like an obvious thing to say but is a powerful thing to know when conversing. If I am talking to this person and if I judget that he or she is REALLY not interested in understanding what I am saying then it's best to curtail the conversation and move on, it saves a lot of time and more importantly energy.

Humans are emotional beings, and emotion is irrational. It is the source of people not wanting to REALLY listen and understand what others are saying. Dysfunctional and inefficient. Best to keep clear of these situations, to save both energy and time.

It's tough being an Arsenal fan

The penalties at Wednesday's Roma vs. Arsenal game made my nerves reach the limit. I have NEVER been so stressed watching a football game. I had to consciously calm myself down. After the game I was planning on studying, but I couldn't, as I lay in shock of the close victory that Arsenal had earned.

I watch Arsenal play week in, week out. Sometimes they play amazing football - football that makes viewers realize that this is probably the most amazing sport in the world. And that this team are probably the most amazing team in the world. Then there are the performances that embarrass my neighbourhood teams. Such volatility is not good for the hearts of us Arsenal fans.

I close with the hope that Wednesday's game gives us the belief that the "growing up" has completed, that it's time to play this beautiful game, and bring trophies to the Emirates.

Sony Ebook Reader

I stumbled upon this device while roaming around at the new Westfield shopping mall in Shepherds Bush. My initial impressions in the fives minutes I spent with it are:

• Sony have done a brilliant job in removing the glare that infests moden personal devices including the iPhone (which I believe is a generation ahead of its rivals and the its human users). It felt like reading a book. Initially I thought this was a display gimmick but as I scrolled through the pages it became apparent that this was a small revolution in the device. I expect other competitors will try to replicate this technology.
• It's got an awful lot of buttons. It's frankly a mess. If I am reading a book then why do I need all these buttons. And the buttons for scrolling the pages are unintuitively located.
• In typical Sony fashion they have tried to tie this down to proprietary formats. This means that I cannot get an any pdf off the web and view it in the reader. This could very well boil down to my ignorance on how the reader works but surely inter-operating with other formats is a powerful factor in the success of this device.
• My colleague also added that Sony Ebooks are more expensive than its paper counterparts. This HAS to change otherwise it will not go beyond the tech enthusiasts.
  

Christmas

What is it about Christmas that gets everybody buzzing with energy?

There was a marked increase in joy levels at my work - people were joking, laughing and generally enjoying life. Compare attitudes, conversations and approaches to generally everything in life, and you could lay witness to something subtle but extraordinary.

It could be to do with the four-day break that fell upon us in 2008, or the lack of traffic on the roads and trains, or the gifts that we were about to exchange or simply some magical Christmas spirit that engulfs us at this time of the year.

With Christmas gone, and having entered the New Year, a depression, in stark contrast to the joy of Christmas, sets in as we prepare for the cold February winter. No public holiday until Easter, no excuses for parties or celebrations, time to work hard.