Happy New Year — Don't count the days, make the days count. (Mohammed Ali)

The Boxee Box: Not ready to replace a cable box (yet) - LA Times: http://ping.fm/2UYP9

Don't control, be in control. (Kung Fu)

H1N1 Flu Kills 56 in Egypt Since October http://ping.fm/dXCpq

Antioxidants Tied to Lower Stroke Risk (CME/CE) http://ping.fm/fH6Qn

3 Things Every Programmer Should Know About RMA - by Michael Barr: http://ping.fm/eLlPX

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Will 2011 See App Makers Thinking Android-First? from TechCrunch: http://ping.fm/3Lvns

Embedded Software Risk Areas by Phil Koopman: http://ping.fm/oJT4q

Don't borrow sorrow from tommorow!

Instigator: What you add water to when you want an alligator. (thanks to PTA)

Don't be so humble, you're not that great. (Golda Meir)

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Don't be so Heavenly minded that you do no earthly good.

Inflation: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

Human Immune System Has Emergency Backup Plan http://ping.fm/nWDHA

Don't be irreplaceable -- if you can't be replaced, you won't be promoted.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words. (thanks to Zachary Robinson)

Don't be concerned others not appreciating you. Be concerned about you not appreciating others. (Confucius)

Heroes: What a guy in a boat does.

Ariz. Hospital May Lose Catholic Status Over 2009 Abortion Case http://ping.fm/fYVvg

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Handkerchief: Cold Storage.

Don't be afraid of the dark, be afraid of what it hides...

Diplomacy: The art of letting someone else have your way. (thanks to Bob Z)

Why New Year's Day Is The Deadliest For Pedestrians http://ping.fm/UHDe4

UCLA's Heart Transplant Program Ranked Best In The U.S. http://ping.fm/v2Ezo

Don't be afraid of opposition; Remember a kite rises against, not with the wind.

Depart: De white line down de middle of de hair. (thanks to Catherine Debo)

Don't attempt to run from the past, it is always behind you.

Decafalon: The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

Don't ask God to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet.

Craughed: To laugh and cry simultaneously.

Dogs have masters.Cats have staff.

'Monday Night Football' Announcer -- Dead at 72 http://ping.fm/tCzWp

Los Angeles Trasplant Patient Receives "Beating Heart" http://ping.fm/brRkR

Counterfeiters: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.

Do all you should, not all you could.

Cobra: A brasseire for conjoined twins.

Discipline without freedom is tyranny. Freedom without discipline is chaos. (Cullen Hightower)

Committee: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

Claustrophobia: The fear of Santa Claus.

CDC Releases New Interim Guidance for the 2010-2011 Influenza Season http://ping.fm/92CNF

Kids at Risk from Poor OTC Drug Directions (CME/CE, with audio) http://ping.fm/XKe7Y

Discretion is being able to raise your eyebrow instead of your voice.

Sony cuts Google TV price $100; trouble in paradise for smart TV play? http://ping.fm/ohoPE

Walking Slows the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease http://ping.fm/9aJBN

Caterpallor: The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Diplomacy -- the art of letting someone have your own way.

Digital Wisdom: Affirm brain on-line before opening mouth.com.

Bristol Palin Could Do Women A 'Favor' By Supporting No-Cost Birth Control, Columnist Says http://ping.fm/qMGUf

Cashtration: The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

Dieting is wishful shrinking.

Carpetuation: The act of (when vacuuming) running over a piece of string at least a dozen times, bending over, picking it up, examining it and then dropping it again to let the vacuum have another chance. (thanks to Victor)

Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.

Democracy is three wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper.

Burglarize: What a crook sees with.

Bungee Jumping: Suicide, with strings attached. (thanks to Mike McGuire)

Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Did you hear about the man who lost his whole left side? He's all right now.

1st blood donation in AZ… process is almost a carbon copy of donating in OR

'Magic Number' 695 Opens Up New Areas For Alzheimer's Research http://ping.fm/8vJVZ

Boycott: Somewhere to keep male babies.

Cisco to drop IPTV middleware in favour of Mediaroom? http://ping.fm/ZteJF

ESPN study finds viewers like 3-D more than HDTV http://ping.fm/Yu0aw

Analysis: Facebook messaging throws a blow at Google http://ping.fm/1pgFg

How Do Neural Stem Cells Decide What To Be -- And When? http://ping.fm/kFHAq

Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives. (Sue Murphy)

Blamestorming: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

Deja moo: The feeling that you've heard this Bull before!

Beauty Parlor: A place where women curl up and dye.

Dedication is not what others expect of you; it is what you can give to others.

Dear God, help me to guard my tongue and learn to say the right thing at the right time for the right reason in the right way. Help me, too, to know when to keep my mouth shut.

ACR: Lupus Patients Need Lipid Screening (CME/CE) http://ping.fm/Ss79M

Cigna CEO: Don't Repeal U.S. Health Law http://ping.fm/jeSAE

Lupus Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer http://ping.fm/B51yT

Most homes have high-definition TVs, but few are watching HD programming http://ping.fm/PknZ7

Three ways to take photos at twilight http://ping.fm/Wv02a

To Retire Or Not To Retire http://ping.fm/ZoMOM

CDC: Number of Uninsured Continues to Rise http://ping.fm/3RnGN

Exquisite Workings Of The Brain Revealed By Zebrafish http://ping.fm/9U9Bz

Avoidable: What a bullfighter tries to do.

Drinking 100 Percent Fruit Juice Is Linked To Higher Intake Of Essential Nutrients http://ping.fm/FBwaE

An interview with Nate Costa http://ping.fm/bN85V

Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only life can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. (Martin Luther King Jr)

Dad: Someone who hopes his sons will turn out to be just like him, and who is afraid his daughters will meet someone who did.

Aquadextrous: Possessing the ability to turn the bathtub tap on and off with your toes.

Be who you are and say what you feel: because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. (Dr. Suess)

The first step to good web development: Listen to the customer drupal http://tiny.cc/la452

Adult: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.

Better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness.

Frederick L Collins: "There are two types of people. Those we who come into a room and say, Well, here I am! and those who come in and say, Ah, there you are."

After using it without problem for 13 years, my Hotmail account won't accept my password. MSFT won't reset my password because I can't remember my secret phrase. After 13 years, remember a phrase? At my age I'm lucky to remember my name. MSFT, boo!!

Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.

The more knowledge you gain, the less certain you are of it.

Be tender to the young, compassionate to the aged, tolerant with the weak. For in your life you will be all of these.

Groucho Marx: "I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER."

Exciting project coming to fruition

For several years I've been working with health care providers to utilize social media to better connect with their communities.  I am very excited that a project is coming to fruition, the launching of the Social Media Health Network.   


The Social Media Health Network, a service of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, will provide access to tools, resources and guidance for organizations and individuals that want to apply social media in health and health care. The Network will offer different membership options, including free and paid memberships. 

The online network uses open source content management tools and hosting infrastructure to facilitate future contributions and knowledge crowdsourcing from the Network member community. 


The charter members of the Social Media Health Network are:

• Inova Health System, Reston, Virginia, USA
• Mission Health Care, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
• Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
• Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Technical Notes

I developed the site in Drupal, using off the shelf modules for functionality, when available.  Modifications to default functionality and 'look and feel' were made to better suit the health care community.  On the back end, the site is served from Amazon EC2, utilizing Pressflow, Memcahce and Apache SOLR to provide quick response and fast data searches.  PHPMyAdmin, ISPConfig and Traq are used for customer and server support.

No matter how clever and complete your research is, there is always someone who knows more.

Best friends don't ask you: "Is something wrong?" Best friends ask you: "Whats wrong?"

An expert will always state the obvious.

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing. (Benjamin Franklin)

It is simple to make something complex, and complex to make something simple.

In today's technical environment, it is a requirement that we forget more than we learn.

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. (Chinese proverb)

Be more concerned about your character than about your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think of you.

3-D TV failing to catch on with consumers this year http://ping.fm/FET69

Believe in miracles, but don't depend on them.

The new version always manages to change the one feature you need most.

Ellen DeGeneres: "Just go up to somebody on the street and say You’re it! and just run away." Famous People

If you are not thoroughly confused, you have not been thoroughly informed.

Being right is highly overrated. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart. (Richard Carlson)

Don't fix something that ain't broke, 'cause you'll break it and you still can't fix it.

Vince Lombardi: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score? …. Go Ducks!!

Walt Disney: "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

Dolly Parton: "I look just like the girl next door… if you happen to live next door to an amusement park."

Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image. (Goethe)

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. - Elbert Hubbard

It is never wise to let any piece of electronic equipment know that you are in a hurry.

Before you point your fingers be sure your hands are clean.

Drupal for Health Care -- You Bet!

Health care providers are using the web to better connect to their communities.  They have many choices for web development tools.  Drupal should be on their list.

Drupal is an open source, content management system that provides a framework for developing complex sites.  That's right... open source, no charge.  It's easy to fear a no cost option, but Drupal has thousands of developers creating and maintaining the framework.

Drupal is extensible.  Through the use of plug-in modules, developers can add hundreds of functions to the core framework.  There is some great functionality that can be added to Drupal for health care -- groups, micro blogging, shopping carts, slideshows, project management, and social media widgets, just to name a few.  And if you are concerned about SEO, there are Drupal modules that will help your site move up the search engine index.

Because Drupal is open source, developers have access to all the source code.  That means they can tailor functionality to meet the needs of the provider.  The web layout code is included as well, so the 'look and feel' of the site can be modified as the provider wishes.

Drupal also contains utility tools to monitor the health of the site and to let you know when updates to the core and your modules are available.

Drupal makes it easy to put together functional websites quickly.  It makes it easy to create content of different types, including blogs, stories, videos and images.  If you are a provider looking to develop a new web presence, look at Drupal, and maybe even save a few dollars in the process.

Physician's Personal Habits Matter In Diet, Exercise Counseling http://ping.fm/xx7x8

The growing need for diabetes management globally http://ping.fm/GhrU1

Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are who already possess it. (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)

DTV SoC Delivers Best-in-Class 3D TV http://ping.fm/Givqh

Drupal 7: let's get it done http://ping.fm/i9CIX

Americans Head South To Mexico For Cheaper Health Care http://ping.fm/iDtem

There is never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.

JEWEL-OSCO Pharmacies Bulk Up Prevention Program http://ping.fm/fXv1r

Before I got married, I had six theories about bringing up children. Now I have six children and no theories. (John Wilmot)

Any simple theory will be worded in the most complicated way.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Harold R. McAlindon

Be careful of your thoughts, they may become words at any moment.

Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum. - Justice O. W. Holme

Be careful of the words you say. And keep them soft and sweet. For you never know from day to day. Which ones you'll have to eat.

Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. - James Dean

Be bold in what you stand for; and careful what you fall for.

If it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist.

Be beautiful if you can, wise if you want to... but be respected, that is essential. (Anna Gould)

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is. - Vince Lombardi

Any system which depends on human reliability is unreliable.

After all is said and done, more is said than done.

Beautiful young people are acts of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

Quote: Beautiful hands are those that do..... deeds that are noble, good, and true

The only time you mustn't fail is the last time you try. - Charles F. Kettering

Beautiful faces are those that wear whole-souled honesty printed there. (Ellen Palmer Allerton)

The primary function of the design engineer is to make things difficult for the manufacturer and impossible for the serviceman.

Be at peace with yourself first and then you will be able to bring peace to others. (Thomas A. Kempis)

Beat me with the truth, don't torture me with lies.

Lupus Researchers Will Examine Ways To Best Apply Findings From Lupus Mouse Model To Human Lupus http://ping.fm/1PTmt

Childhood Sports Related Concussion Visits To Emergency Rooms Tripled In Ten Years http://ping.fm/JyRw6

Kids' Sports-Related Concussions Soar (CME/CE) http://ping.fm/A0oob

Eyegenixâ„¢ Artificial Cornea Achieves Major Advancement Towards Curing Corneal Blindness http://ping.fm/clKCV

Bacteria: the only culture some people have.

Baby: A loud noise at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Are you fuel for your job or is your job fuel for you. (Prof. Preston Bottger)

Some people manage by the book - even though they don't know who wrote the book or even what book.

A computer makes as many mistakes in two seconds as 20 men working 20 years make.

Archeologist: someone whose career lies in ruins.

To err is human, to blame somebody else shows good management skills.

A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience. (Miguel de Cervantes)

A person who can speak many languages is not necessarily more valuable than a person who can listen in one.

The attention span of a computer is only as long as its power cord.

A person is only as big as the things that make them angry. (Confucius)

Technology is dominated by those who manage what they do not understand. (ouch)

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.

Blount Punches Again

My Way - Sports News

Blount Caps Night Practice by Punching Teammate


Aug 18, 11:34 PM (ET)

By TERESA M. WALKER

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -This punch won't be so costly for LeGarrette Blount.

The rookie running back capped off a feisty night practice for the Tennessee Titans with a short punch to the helmet of defensive end Eric Bakhtiari a few moments after having his own helmet ripped off for the second time in as many plays.

Blount had just returned to the Titans on Wednesday night after being excused since Sunday for personal reasons. He was carrying the ball in a drill near the goal line when his helmet came off, and he kept his feet moving toward the end zone.

The play ended with some pushing and shoving, then Blount threw a right into Bakhtiari's facemask. Blount quickly talked to coach Jeff Fisher before leaving the field.

"He apologized, and I said he didn't have to apologize," Fisher said. "It's football. It's training camp."

Blount was suspended by the University of Oregon for eight games of last season for punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout after a game on Sept. 3. Without much of a senior season, Blount went undrafted.

The Titans, having traded away LenDale White, brought in Blount as a free agent.

On the play that sparked Wednesday's scuffle, Blount said his helmet had been intentionally pulled off the play before. A new NFL rule going into effect this season stops the play when a player's helmet comes off. Then his helmet came off again. Blount said he apologized to Fisher because he had promised the coach his fighting days were behind him.

"That was my past. It just came up again. I got into one of those situations where the defense pushed me too far. With training camp and everything going the way it is and being as intense as it is and me being a rookie, it was just something I shouldn't have done. But I did it," Blount said.

Fisher downplayed the punch.

"His past is his past. Is that the first punch you've seen in camp this year? No. I'm not disappointed whatsoever. I have great confidence in the young man that he learned from his mistake, and he's very competitive. That's why we brought him in here is to watch him run the football like that," Fisher said.

Bakhtiari, with a towel draped over his head, declined to comment to reporters in the locker room.

The Titans originally had been scheduled to practice outdoors under the lights at LP Field in a closed session. Heavy rains predicted to drop at least 4 inches of rain onto the field prompted Fisher to move the practice back to the team's headquarters, and they worked inside under the lights.

It was an intense physical practice with Vince Young yelling at receivers not getting to balls, and he even got popped himself once by safety Michael Griffin. Fisher said it was the kind of session his team needed during essentially the last long week of training camp.

The Titans' preseason opener is Monday against Arizona, then the teams hold a joint practice two days later before Tennessee wraps up training camp.

Fullback Ahmard Hall called Blount's reaction just the intensity of training camp.

"If anybody else was to get mad, there wouldn't be a question. It would just be a guy getting mad. LeGarrette Blount gets mad, everybody wants to bring up his past. Guys pushed him. He reacted. It has nothing to do with what happened to him in the past," Hall said.

Anything is possible if you don't know what you're talking about.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)

The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and hours are lost.

A Race To Develop Better-Performing Biopharmaceuticals http://ping.fm/CSJsr

New Defibrillator May Offer 24/7 Surveillance Without Touching The Heart http://ping.fm/NC2jc

We ought not to desire the impossible. - Leonardo Da Vinci

The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere, is to be nowhere.- Michel de Montaigne

Am I ambivalent? Well, yes and no.

Science is the captain, and practice the soldiers - Leonardo DaVinci

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else. - Leonardo da Vinci

Anyone can become angry.That is easy.But to be angry with the right person,to the right degree,at the right time,for the right purposeand in the right way.That is not easy. (Aristotles)

If you're cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you see perfectly?

I buy when other people are selling. - J. Paul Getty

Anybody who thinks talk is cheap never argued with a traffic cop.

Quote: In an argument, a woman always has the last word. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

Antiques are things one generation buys, the next generation gets rid off, and the following generation buys at auction at amazing prices.

Quote: If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. - Will Rogers

Anyone who can only think of only one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination. - Mark Twain

Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun.

Amazon's new low-price Kindle raises stakes in e-reader wars http://ping.fm/0MVcH

A note left for a pianist from his wife: "Gone Chopin, have Liszt, Bach in a Minuet."

Quote: Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. - Mark Twain

An optimist believes we live in the best of all worlds. A pessimist fears this is true.

An open mind does not always require an open mouth.

Is Marx's tomb a communist plot?

Only presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial "we". - Mark Twain

Judge not a man by his clothes, but by his wife's clothes. - Thomas R. Dewar

Six Key Tips For Caregivers Navigating The System On Behalf Of Their Parents, Grandparents And Others http://ping.fm/Stc9v

An old-timer is someone who remembers every detail of their life story, but cannot remember how many times they have told the same person.

Two can live as cheaply as one… for half as long.

Skype update adds multitasking support for iPhone http://ping.fm/zy9i9

Teach a child to be polite and courteous, and when he grows up, he'll never be able to edge his car onto a freeway.

An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off the goal.

Quote: I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. - Jennifer Unlimited

How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

Quote: Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips

Quote: Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it. - Mark Twain

Quote: An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life.

Proverb: Love is like war, easy to begin, hard to end.

Asia Pacific TV market achieves twin milestones http://ping.fm/fyGLg

Sigma Designs Delivers the World Cup in 3D http://ping.fm/GR9Jk

I had amnesia once - maybe twice.

Quote: An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have: The older she gets, the more interested he is in her. (Agatha Christie)

Which one of these is the non-smoking lifeboat?

Follow your dreams, except for that one where you're naked at work.

DWP financing plan would spur solar power and jobs in Southern California, business group says http://ping.fm/TKMJ6

Former employees shed light on Apple's internal corporate culture http://ping.fm/KEGnx

An angry person is seldom reasonable; a reasonable person is seldom angry.

After the government takes enough to balance the budget, the taxpayer has the job of budgeting the balance.

Treat each day as your last… one day you will be right.

VC Open Letters: Cathartic Rant http://ping.fm/3mPyZ

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.

Lowly Golden State Warriors A Draw For Venture Capitalist http://ping.fm/P1JPl

Quote: A drop of ink may make a million think.

Quote: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain

One goldfish says to the other, "If there's no God, who changes our water every week?"

Quote: Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something, having something and being nothing. - Ethiopia

Quote: If you don't have something good to say about someone, just say the bad stuff really fast.

Savi Technology Offers Development Tools to Build Successful RFID Solutions http://ping.fm/LO7SY

Quote: A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline. (Harvey Mackay)

Why Tesla Succeeded With Its IPO And Solyndra Failed http://ping.fm/80To4

TV Tuner Transition from ‘Cans’ to Silicon Enables $500 Million Opportunity http://ping.fm/7mOrZ

Exit Strategies and the American Dream http://ping.fm/v8HhA

A Better Way To Battle Mosquitoes http://ping.fm/IWxf3

Quote: There is no "I" in "Team", but there are four in "Platitude-Quoting Idiot".

- It's not who you know, it's whom you know.

Proverb: Take the world as it is, not as it ought to be.

Quote: Adolescence and snow are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough.

Federal Aviation Administration awards $125 million in green technology contract http://ping.fm/Nv72v

Medvedev’s Silicon Valley Dreams Won’t Happen Overnight http://ping.fm/SIX7j

True? A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... They must be Gods!A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... I must be a God!

Observation: I don't want buns of steel. I want buns of cinnamon.

Name Of Game In Health Care: Cheaper, Better, Faster http://ping.fm/KiS4v

The Daily Start-Up: Lowe’s Building Start-Ups Together With VCs http://ping.fm/tHWAc

People Who Purchase Insurance On Their Own Faced Premium Hikes Of Around 20 Percent, Survey Finds http://ping.fm/GGrIv

Humana Introduces Mobile Games For Health http://ping.fm/Qh6Kt

New blog post on EAGR: Venture Capital - An Entrepreneur's View - http://ping.fm/Z4fMV

Proverb: If you live in the river you should make friends with the crocodile.

Kindle drops to $189, Nook to $199 as Amazon, Barnes & Noble slash prices http://ping.fm/XzWbt

Quote: Laziness is the mother of all vice... but, it's a mother and you should respect her.

The Daily Start-Up: Partners Aren’t Just Investors Anymore http://ping.fm/S9Guf

New blog post on EAGR: Angel Investors from TeenAnalyst - http://ping.fm/r5vdj

Quote: People are made to be loved and things are made to be used. There is much chaos in this world because things are being loved and people are being used.

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. Thanks Dad.

Quote: To request help from others does not signify loss of direction, rather another brick that mends a broken path.

Does Money Motivate Employees? http://ping.fm/QWixU

The Daily Start-Up: Solyndra Pulls IPO, And VC Dreams With It http://ping.fm/rhDXl

Quote: The measure of greatness is not found in your accomplishments. Its in how much discouragement it takes to stop you.

Investors bring $70 million to S.J. solar firm*{font-family:verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;}This article link was mailed to you by: sapelzin@gmail.com *I thought you might find this article of interest. Investors bring $70 million to S.J. solar firm - By Scott Duke Harrissdharris@mercurynews.com Stion aims to expand with help from Taiwanese partner View Full StoryMost E-Mailed(From the last 12 hours)Silicon Valley home sales, median price surge in MayChief of laundry? Sheriff wins back control over jails, leaving...Summit Prep makes Newsweek's top 100 list of best high schools in U.S.Schwarzenegger claims early pension victory: Four unions agree to...A pop up general store brings Chez Panisse cuisine to the masseshttp://ping.fm/Hhd5l e-mail was delivered by machines from the following IP addresses [71.193.184.240],[96.17.70.69].* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

IPO Blues Due To Fundamentals, Not Fickle Market http://ping.fm/3FqKS

Woman Builds Home From 747 Airplane http://ping.fm/n4CGc

The Great Escape: SEC Registration To Exclude Venture Capital http://ping.fm/0Nb9S

WellPoint To Begin Offering 'Electronic' House Calls http://ping.fm/w2Jje

Quote: Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.

Venture Capital Firms Active in Healthcare Investment http://ping.fm/YzUxv

Twitter's 'You Both Follow' being tested in the wild http://ping.fm/0gW4D

The Daily Start-Up: Casting Light On Health-Care Costs http://ping.fm/JIWE1

IPO Exit Ramp Closed, Biotech Investors Look To Big Pharma http://ping.fm/ApqIg

Quote: If at first you don't succeed, try left field.

The Top 10 Richest Venture-Backed Companies Of All Time http://ping.fm/RilpQ

VC Jeff Bussgang Forecasts “A Golden Age For Innovation” http://ping.fm/HPCpQ

After A Half Century Of Work, Medicine For Lupus May Be Near http://ping.fm/EVIfC

The Daily Start-Up: Showing A Founder The Door http://ping.fm/YjXos

U.S. retail sales tumble http://ping.fm/4d7b3

Internet Media Manager http://ping.fm/F01Mh

Quote: Never go to bed angry, stay awake and plot your revenge.

Pragmatic Software Development Tips

Extracted From The Pragmatic Programmer
by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. Copyright 2000, Addison Wesley.

Care About Your Craft

Why spend your life developing software unless you care about doing it well?

Provide Options, Don’t Make Lame Excuses
Instead of excuses, provide options. Don’t say it can’t be done; explain what can be done.

Be a Catalyst for Change
You can’t force change on people. Instead, show them how the future might be and help them participate in creating it.

Make Quality a Requirements Issue
Involve your users in determining the project’s real quality requirements.

Critically Analyze What You Read and Hear
Don’t be swayed by vendors, media hype, or dogma. Analyze information in terms of you and your project.

DRY—Don’t Repeat Yourself
Every piece of knowledge must have a single, unambiguous, authoritative representation within a system.

Eliminate Effects Between Unrelated Things
Design components that are self-contained, independent, and have a single, well-defined purpose.

Use Tracer Bullets to Find the Target
Tracer bullets let you home in on your target by trying things and seeing how close they land.

Program Close to the Problem Domain
Design and code in your user’s language.

Iterate the Schedule with the Code
Use experience you gain as you implement to refine the project time scales.

Use the Power of Command Shells
Use the shell when graphical user interfaces don’t cut it.

Always Use Source Code Control
Source code control is a time machine for your work—you can go back.

Don’t Panic When Debugging
Take a deep breath and THINK! about what could be causing the bug.

Don’t Assume It—Prove It
Prove your assumptions in the actual environment—with real data and boundary conditions.

Write Code That Writes Code
Code generators increase your productivity and help avoid duplication.

Design with Contracts
Use contracts to document and verify that code does no more and no less than it claims to do.

Use Assertions to Prevent the Impossible
Assertions validate your assumptions. Use them to protect your code from an uncertain world.

Finish What You Start
Where possible, the routine or object that allocates a resource should be responsible for deallocating it.

Configure, Don’t Integrate
Implement technology choices for an application as configuration options, not through integration or engineering.

Analyze Workflow to Improve Concurrency
Exploit concurrency in your user’s workflow.

Always Design for Concurrency
Allow for concurrency, and you’ll design cleaner interfaces with fewer assumptions.

Use Blackboards to Coordinate Workflow
Use blackboards to coordinate disparate facts and agents, while maintaining independence and isolation among participants.

Estimate the Order of Your Algorithms
Get a feel for how long things are likely to take before you write code.

Refactor Early, Refactor Often
Just as you might weed and rearrange a garden, rewrite, rework, and re-architect code when it needs it. Fix the root of the problem.

Test Your Software, or Your Users Will
Test ruthlessly. Don’t make your users find bugs for you.

Don’t Gather Requirements—Dig for Them
Requirements rarely lie on the surface. They’re buried deep beneath layers of assumptions, misconceptions, and politics.

Abstractions Live Longer than Details
Invest in the abstraction, not the implementation. Abstractions can survive the barrage of changes from different implementations and new technologies.

Don’t Think Outside the Box—Find the Box
When faced with an impossible problem, identify the real constraints. Ask yourself: ``Does it have to be done this way? Does it have to be done at all?’‘

Some Things Are Better Done than Described
Don’t fall into the specification spiral—at some point you need to start coding.

Costly Tools Don’t Produce Better Designs
Beware of vendor hype, industry dogma, and the aura of the price tag. Judge tools on their merits.

Don’t Use Manual Procedures
A shell script or batch file will execute the same instructions, in the same order, time after time.

Coding Ain’t Done ‘Til All the Tests Run
‘Nuff said.

Test State Coverage, Not Code Coverage
Identify and test significant program states. Just testing lines of code isn’t enough.

English is Just a Programming Language
Write documents as you would write code: honor the DRY principle, use metadata, MVC, automatic generation, and so on.

Gently Exceed Your Users’ Expectations
Come to understand your users’ expectations, then deliver just that little bit more.

Think! About Your Work
Turn off the autopilot and take control. Constantly critique and appraise your work.

Don’t Live with Broken Windows
Fix bad designs, wrong decisions, and poor code when you see them.

Remember the Big Picture
Don’t get so engrossed in the details that you forget to check what’s happening around you.

Invest Regularly in Your Knowledge Portfolio
Make learning a habit.

It’s Both What You Say and the Way You Say It
There’s no point in having great ideas if you don’t communicate them effectively.

Make It Easy to Reuse
If it’s easy to reuse, people will. Create an environment that supports reuse.

There Are No Final Decisions
No decision is cast in stone. Instead, consider each as being written in the sand at the beach, and plan for change.

Prototype to Learn
Prototyping is a learning experience. Its value lies not in the code you produce, but in the lessons you learn.

Estimate to Avoid Surprises
Estimate before you start. You’ll spot potential problems up front.

Keep Knowledge in Plain Text
Plain text won’t become obsolete. It helps leverage your work and simplifies debugging and testing.

Use a Single Editor Well
The editor should be an extension of your hand; make sure your editor is configurable, extensible, and programmable.

Fix the Problem, Not the Blame
It doesn’t really matter whether the bug is your fault or someone else’s—it is still your problem, and it still needs to be fixed.

``select’’ Isn’t Broken
It is rare to find a bug in the OS or the compiler, or even a third-party product or library. The bug is most likely in the application.

Learn a Text Manipulation Language
You spend a large part of each day working with text. Why not have the computer do some of it for you?

You Can’t Write Perfect Software
Software can’t be perfect. Protect your code and users from the inevitable errors.

Crash Early
A dead program normally does a lot less damage than a crippled one.

Use Exceptions for Exceptional Problems
Exceptions can suffer from all the readability and maintainability problems of classic spaghetti code. Reserve exceptions for exceptional things.

Minimize Coupling Between Modules
Avoid coupling by writing ``shy’’ code and applying the Law of Demeter.

Put Abstractions in Code, Details in Metadata
Program for the general case, and put the specifics outside the compiled code base.

Design Using Services
Design in terms of services—independent, concurrent objects behind well-defined, consistent interfaces.

Separate Views from Models
Gain flexibility at low cost by designing your application in terms of models and views.

Don’t Program by Coincidence
Rely only on reliable things. Beware of accidental complexity, and don’t confuse a happy coincidence with a purposeful plan.

Test Your Estimates
Mathematical analysis of algorithms doesn’t tell you everything. Try timing your code in its target environment.

Design to Test
Start thinking about testing before you write a line of code.

Don’t Use Wizard Code You Don’t Understand
Wizards can generate reams of code. Make sure you understand all of it before you incorporate it into your project.

Work with a User to Think Like a User
It’s the best way to gain insight into how the system will really be used.

Use a Project Glossary
Create and maintain a single source of all the specific terms and vocabulary for a project.

Start When You’re Ready
You’ve been building experience all your life. Don’t ignore niggling doubts.

Don’t Be a Slave to Formal Methods
Don’t blindly adopt any technique without putting it into the context of your development practices and capabilities.

Organize Teams Around Functionality
Don’t separate designers from coders, testers from data modelers. Build teams the way you build code.

Test Early. Test Often. Test Automatically.
Tests that run with every build are much more effective than test plans that sit on a shelf.

Use Saboteurs to Test Your Testing
Introduce bugs on purpose in a separate copy of the source to verify that testing will catch them.

Find Bugs Once
Once a human tester finds a bug, it should be the last time a human tester finds that bug. Automatic tests should check for it from then on.

Build Documentation In, Don’t Bolt It On
Documentation created separately from code is less likely to be correct and up to date.

Sign Your Work
Craftsmen of an earlier age were proud to sign their work. You should be, too.

Danger! Danger! The Warning Signs of a Failing Project by Ty Kiisel

As a kid I loved the Lost in Space TV series.  The story, an adaptation of the Swiss Family Robinson, features a 1997 version of the Robinson family on a mission to colonize a planet near the star, Alpha Centauri.  Selected from among two million volunteers for the mission, the Robinsons, their pilot, and their B-9 environmental robot crash land on an unnamed planet after sabotage disables their spacecraft, the Jupiter 2.

The youngest member of the crew, 9-year old Will Robinson, and the robot become companions and playmates on the planet.  Warning Will and the Robinsons of impending danger, the robot's cry of "Danger! Danger!" usually meant something exciting was about to happen.

Although most projects don't have a B-9 robot, there are warning signs that identify a troubled project early enough to do something about it.

The earliest signs that a project is in trouble are hard to measure objectively, but are relatively easy to spot, if you're watching:

1. Lack of interest: Whether it's a lack of interest within the project team or among project stake holders, it's often demonstrated by people not showing up for meetings, a lack of active participation and feedback, or a poorly energized user base.  This is an early-warning sign of a project in trouble.
2. Poor communication: If nobody is communicating, including stakeholders, team members, and end users, there could be a problem.
3. Lack of velocity: Projects should always be moving forward.  The best way to keep a good velocity is to divide your project into small deliverables at frequent intervals.  If the project isn't moving forward, it's likely in trouble.
4. A "no-bad-news" environment: Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes organizations need to face the reality of negative news.  This includes project team members who don't want to be the messenger and business leaders who tend to shoot the messenger. If there is not an environment where the communication is honest about "reality," projects tend to fail.

Intangible signals aren't the only indicators that a project is in trouble, there are a number of measurable signs as well:

1. Lots of overtime: A project running on schedule should have little or no overtime.  Overtime is often a quick fix, but leads to poor employee health resulting from too much caffeine, too many late nights, and too much junk food.  (It also leads to mistakes.)
2. Diversion of resources: When people are pulled from one project to work on something else it could be a sign of trouble.  If you've budgeted your human resources properly, a few hours here and there on a troubled project can quickly add up and cascade down, endangering healthy projects.
3. Ratios trouble: Cost ratios and schedule ratios are financial metrics that allow business leaders to measure budgeted time and money verses money and time actually spent.  Without metrics, all you have to rely on is the accuracy of the communication you receive from project teams.
4. Milestones aren't met: This is pretty obvious, but it is surprising how many times this warning sign is ignored.  Small, discrete, and often, are the guidelines for the milestones of a successful project.
5. Scope changes: A common approach to shoring up a lagging project is to change the scope.  Eliminating features or relaxing requirements is not uncommon, but if project teams are doing it because the project is in trouble, it's a huge warning sign of danger ahead.

Of course, warning signs are not the work management harbinger of doom, they are just warning signs that a project might be in trouble.  Depending on how your organization handles project based work, the right project management tools can help identify potential issues early, when there's still time to do something about them.

How do you spot struggling projects early—when there's still time to take action?

Four Early Warning Signs of a Project in Trouble, by Ty Kiisel

Underground mining is a dangerous occupation.  What's more, before the advent of sophisticated breathing apparatus, methane and carbon monoxide made it even more dangerous for the men working in the mines.  In the early days of underground mining, because their metabolism was susceptible to methane and carbon monoxide poisoning, canaries played an important role in keeping miners safe.

1. They provided an audible warning: Canaries typically sing most of the time—when they stopped singing, it was a warning sign that they were being overcome by the toxic gas
2. They provided a visual warning: When they started to sway and fall from their perch, it was a signal that they were succumbing to the poison gas.

Miners who paid attention to the early warning signs owed their lives to the canaries—they were able to recognize the danger and get out of the mine before it was too late.

I think everyone would agree that missing deadlines or exceeding budgets is evidence that a project is probably in trouble.  However, those symptoms are often recognized after it's too late to do anything about it.  Anyone doing project based work knows how important it is to recognize a project in trouble before it's too late.  Not too long ago, I came across this list of early warning signs that every project manager should be aware of:

1. Direction from management is either missing or inconsistent: The only thing worse than project leadership that is missing in action, is direction that contradicts itself and changes frequently.
2. Business management and project management aren't on the same page:  If the project gets consistent direction, but it's at odds with company business objectives, there is more than likely a problem.
3. Project goals are not clearly articulated and understood by the project team:  Although every project usually has a business goal or two—projects without a business objective should probably be reconsidered, right?—often those goals aren't clearly articulated or understood by the project team.  Occasionally, the business objective is thought to be so obvious it's never clearly stated.  Unfortunately this could lead to misunderstanding and inconsistent presumptions about priorities.
4. Team members don't communicate with each other:  Sometimes, even teams that get along well don't communicate well. Communication and collaboration are essential to any successful project.

Recognizing problems before it's too late to do anything about them is critical to work management success.  Addressing issues early is the best way to save a lagging project, as well as a project manager's career.  What early warning signs to do you watch for?

Tips to Increase Software Development Efficiency - by TLoop

If you are a software developer then you know that your job can be both frustrating and rewarding. Even though it can take many hours and various processes to complete, in the end you know that the software will be just right and work seamlessly. All the hard hours of work will pay off. Remember to follow some simple guidelines to help make your job easier and assist you with the development of your software.

It's important to care about what you do. If you don't then the end product will not showcase your best skills and/or abilities. The software will probably not perform as seamlessly as your would expect. If you feel like you are in a slump as a software developer then step back and re-assess your profession. Maybe you need to change focuses or try to learn something knew so you don't feel like you are performing the same tasks day-in and day-out.

Remember to provide options to your clients. If you are not sure how something can be done try to see if you can learn how to perform certain functions. Over time you will add a new skill set to your tool belt and help grow your knowledge base. Software development is always changing and staying on-top of these changes will only continue to help you.

Create contracts that help protect yourself. You want to make sure that you provide clients with software that meets the outlined expectations, no more and no less. Having a contract that is highly specialized and specific will help you keep your development within the scope of the project. If you don't have a project scope, you may be spending too much time of the project and limiting your revenue growth.

It's increasingly paramount to think about your work. Over time you will develop certain business practices, do these practices hinder your performance or make you more efficient? Outlining and reviewing how you conduct business and develop software is a great way to access factors that can help you with your job.

Take the time to access your performance and review ways that can help your increase your efficiency during the software development process. Overtime you will develop effective and efficient software development practices that help generate fully functioning and powerful software.

The Future of Project Management - Stacy A. Goff

Today's information technology organizations are responding to the most treacherous recession in memory. Their actions range from classic belt-tightening to innovating and improving value-added services in their organizations. A primary value-adding strategy for the most effective organizations is to further improve project management.

In view of this strategy, the project management software industry's future looks especially promising. During the global recession, industrial countries around the world devoted billions in economic stimulus funds for infrastructure and other projects. This has created considerable demand for project management software.

[ Why Project and Portfolio Management Matter More at Recession Time ]

In fact, the market for project management software and services totals about $1.2 billion annually, according to Forrester Research. The market for project portfolio management (PPM) software stood at $2.9 billion in 2008, according to IDC, which expects the PPM software and services market to reach $4.2 billion by 2013.

Companies and government agencies that are serious about project management have recognized for years that they can't manage larger projects and programs effectively without appropriate software support.

Indeed, project management software helps analyze, optimize and manage projects, and this lets organizations determine the right mix of projects and resources to accomplish their strategic goals. Without project management software, organizations find it difficult to track individual projects, the resources allocated to them and the costs associated with them. Similarly, without project portfolio management software, it is nearly impossible to manage portfolios of projects and the dependencies among them.

So what's the outlook for project management software over the next 10 to 15 years? For the answer, we must look at several trends that are helping to buoy the market for project management software and playing critical roles in its future.

Technology and Management Trends

On the technical side, software as a service, or SaaS, delivery models are making project management software more accessible to more organizations, particularly smaller ones. What's more, the growth of Web-based social media--from Facebook to Twitter--has put a focus on making project management software more collaborative, flexible and user-friendly. Today's project management software accelerates communication--across the hall or across great distances--and improves business results.

Another development that benefits project management software is the open-source movement. In the project management software market, this includes open-source versions of Project Workbench, one of the most popular project management software tools from the 1980s, and work-alike clones of today's most popular project management software (OpenProj).

[5 Free Apps that Make Project Management Easier]

The open-source movement provides an alternative that markedly reduces the total cost of ownership for project management software. It also gives commercial software an incentive to keep innovating and to improve its value proposition to customers. Longer term, the open source movement grows the market significantly because those who use the free versions eventually outgrow them and trade up to commercial tools.

On the management side, organizations are slowly but surely turning to a project-oriented approach to trim costs and add value. Due to cost containment and regulatory pressures, the cycle of centralized management systems is expected to come into vogue again. This will spark stronger project management offices (PMOs), which in turn may reduce the number of projects as organizations recognize the problems associated with running too many projects concurrently (especially if they don't have enough team members for each project). PMOs will look to project and portfolio management software to help them make these decisions.

The Potential

From our experience, every organization has the potential to improve its project management performance by an order of magnitude--or 10 times for each five to 10 year period, provided it commits to that goal. Given this potential benefit, along with economic and technological trends, demand for project management and project portfolio management software will almost certainly rise in the next 10 to 15 years.

This article builds upon information presented in the author's chapter in a new book, Project Management Circa 2025, published October 2009 by Project Management Institute.

Stacy A. Goff is president of ProjectExperts, a project management consulting, tools and training company. A PM practitioner since 1970 and PM consultant since 1982, he focuses on improving project management performance in industry, government and consulting firms.

The Case for Project Management - C. Wayne Peal

As all of those who have worked in the trenches well know, successful project management is the tie that binds services to results." So saidGovernment Executive in introducing a series of articles on successful federal projects in the July issue. But is the statement true? Do all in the trenches really know about project management? Do their leaders support and understand sound project management approaches? Are those approaches part of the culture of federal organizations? Is project management used appropriately - especially in guiding information technology projects?

I believe that the answer to all of these questions is no. Project management principles are used extensively in some federal organizations, notably NASA and the Defense Department. But project management is far less common in other federal agencies. Furthermore, shortcomings exist across the board when it comes to using modern project management approaches in information technology. What's more, the enormity of many federal projects would challenge even the most experienced project managers.

Just last April, Government Executive featured a special report, "Taming the Technology Beast," which drew some important lessons about project management from five large federal IT projects - successes and failures. It found, for example, that skilled proj- ect managers were in short supply in the federal government and that the massive scale of many federal projects was itself a major factor in failure.A survey conducted by Gopal Kapur, president of the Center for Project Management, at the December 1998 Government Technology Leadership Institute suggests that project management in the federal sector still has a long way to go - at least in the information technology world. Institute participants were polled on key aspects of project management in their organizations - including project selection criteria, schedule estimation, project manager skill levels, progress monitoring, portfolio management, and shutdown criteria. For each of the key questions, two-thirds to three-quarters of the federal IT managers attending said there were shortcomings.

The seven project management stories featured in the July issue ofGovernment Executive were selected from 70 presented in Alexander Laufer and Edward J. Hoffman's excellent new book, Project Management Success Stories: Lessons of Project Leaders (John Wiley & Sons, 2000). Based on the stories, Laufer and Hoffman identify a number of behaviors that they believe lead to success. They conclude that successful proj- ects are vitally dependent on good leadership balanced with effective management.

No single approach will guarantee complete project success. But Laufer and Hoffman have got it right - the appropriate balance of leadership and management processes can minimize the risk of schedule delays, cost increases, and failure of the final product to meet mission needs. Heroic leadership in a bad process may save a proj- ect, but it can take a heavy human toll. A rigid management process with no leadership will lead to stagnation. But it's becoming clearer every day that no project management at all is a recipe for disaster.

Take note of what the private sector is saying about project management. Five years ago, Fortune magazine quoted senior business sources who said that "project management is going to be huge in the next decade," and that it is "the wave of the future." Their prediction was correct. Proj- ects, large and small, are the key method in modern organizations for transforming ideas into products and services. Project teams are a vital component of today's more agile and responsive organizations, where change is the rule and cross-functional activities have become the norm. According to "The Y2K Dividend," a February article in Computerworld magazine, project management was a key element in successfully surmounting the challenge of Year 2000 technology transformation.

A project is a one-shot activity that has specified objectives and deliverables as well as time, cost, and quality targets. It is distinct from the other day-to-day activities that a federal agency or department must perform.

A sound project management approach can help you sort good ideas from bad, understand the complexity and risk of the undertaking, craft an overall approach, and provide initial estimates of cost and schedule. Project management methods will help you seek and understand the views of all those likely to be affected and identify likely obstacles. The project management approach also will provide an up-front outline of the conditions under which a project should be terminated. Knowing when to pull the plug at the outset can prevent the kind of runaway projects that have plagued both the public and private sectors.

Project management provides a broad framework, specific approaches, and tools to effectively plan and manage your approved projects. It can play a pivotal role in identifying human resource needs, getting the right person assigned to the right spot on the team and building effective communications. It provides a framework for gathering information, monitoring key indicators, and taking action to keep the work on track. And it documents key information for later use by the team and by teams that follow.

If project management is not being applied in your organization, you must become its champion. You must work toward its introduction, dealing with the resistance you may encounter along the way. I recom- mend that you start by holding a project management meeting with your own leadership team. Bring in someone who can speak from experience about the value of a sound project management approach.

Where can you learn more? Practitioners in other government agencies and departments and in the business world are more than willing to share their project management experiences. An armada of private consulting organizations awaits your call to action. A wealth of information is also available through professional organizations, such as the Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org).

Counter the Critics

Some disbelievers argue that project management entails too many rules and processes and that it can slow things down and stifle innovation. Their criticism is misdirected. The project management process need not be burdensome. By focusing attention on potential problems early and providing a well-understood process, it can actually ease pressures and facilitate innovation.

You may encounter "hard drivers" who prefer to proceed directly from an idea to the building of the product or service - skipping the initial scrub of the project idea and planning. Skipping those steps is a sure-fire formula for delays, cost growth and failure. Take, for example, the step of identifying project risks. Once risks are identified, you can work toward preventing or mitigating them. You won't identify everything that will go wrong, but you will ultimately save time and reserve your energies for the few risks you didn't anticipate.

Some critics argue that project management is inappropriate for IT projects. Heed their warnings. Although much of the traditional methodology applies to IT projects, significant differences exist between building systems and software and constructing bridges and buildings. If your concern is IT, make sure you find the right approach.

Finally, you will encounter those who argue that project management simply does not apply to the huge, complicated projects so often found in the federal government. The reverse is actually true. A large-scale, complex activity demands a systematic approach. The secret of project management is to divide the project into manageable pieces and knit them together using a larger blueprint or architecture.

When you've succeeded in developing a project management culture in your organization, is your work complete? Definitely not. Continuing support from the top is vital to project success. All project sponsors must understand their roles and actively commit time to their projects. Sponsors manage the project scope, ensuring that it remains focused on key mission needs. Vague direction and little involvement by a sponsor are a sure-fire formula for project failure.

How do these pieces come together for successful projects? Shaquille O'Neal may have the answer. In a recent television interview, the star offered a quote he attributed to Aristotle: "Excellence is not a single act, but a habit you do repeatedly."

5 Warning Signs That A Project Is In Danger

From Georgina Laidlaw...

Here are the five warning signs that should have alerted me to the danger.

Warning Sign 1: Moving Away from the Agreed Plan

When I emailed my contact the copy his client had commissioned — a 30-second radio ad — and he had no amendments, I thought it was very odd. I’d included time for client amendments in my project estimate, which he’d approved. We’d also discussed the turnaround time for amendments, so we were both expecting that my ad copy wouldn’t be spot-on the first time.

When his only response to my submission of the draft ad was to ask me to send the invoice, I thought it was weird. Weirder still was that he emailed me this instruction: most of my clients will call to discuss draft copy. In an office, body language and behavior indicates clearly if a colleague is uncomfortable. But even email and phone conversations provide limited feedback.

What I should have done was called my contact immediately after I received his email to confirm that he and his client really had no amendments, and that both were happy to wrap the project up. But at the time I dismissed my unease, telling myself he was probably just busy.

Warning Sign 2: Unprecedented Behavior

No one I’ve ever worked with has accepted copy straight up, without amendments. Ever. So this should have been a huge red flag for me. If a person you’re working with does something you’ve never seen before — and their behavior affects you — check it out with them.

Before you do anything else, give them a call to get clarification about what’s going on. If their behavior has made you at all nervous or uneasy, let them know. By raising the topic, you give them the opportunity to talk about any issues they have — issues that, as in my contact’s case, they may otherwise be uncomfortable raising with you.

Warning Sign 3: Silence

A sudden silence can mean that your colleague has been called out of the office unexpectedly. Or it can mean that they have a problem that they don’t know how to discuss with you.

After I sent my 14-day invoice, I heard nothing from my client — not even an acknowledgment that he’d received it. Again, slightly uneasy, I reassured myself that he was probably busy. What I should have been doing was calling to follow up my invoice and make sure he’d received it.

As it turned out, when I called after the invoice due date and left a message, he didn’t respond. I emailed; no reply. When I called the following week, I was told he’d gone on leave for two weeks. When I was put through to Accounts, they told me there was a problem with the invoice and they’d been instructed not to pay it.

Warning Sign 4: Fast Talking

When I finally spoke to my contact, it was over the phone, and he told me that his client hadn’t liked the copy and they’d had to rewrite it. But he was going into a meeting and couldn’t talk now. He’d see that I “got paid at least part of the invoice,” and then he was gone.

By this time, I knew he wasn’t going to pay. I also knew he didn’t have a meeting. But there was still time to salvage things, had I wanted to. If this happened to me now, I’d ask to stop by the client’s office for ten minutes and discuss the problems with my work. Don’t let a client try to bamboozle you with fast talk or excuses — no matter how much they sugar-coat their story. Discussing the problems can also give you a chance to rectify the situation.

Warning Sign 5: General Unease

It won’t surprise you that all through this process I felt a general sense of unease — one that grew as matters progressed.

Now, whenever I get that feeling, I know I need to try to work out the cause of the discomfort. As my experience showed, it’s tempting to ignore your instincts and hope that things will go the way you’d like. No one likes to be uncomfortable, after all. But if you’re feeling it, you’re feeling it for a reason. Don’t ever ignore it!