Open Mike: Can an oil change exceed your expectations?

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Mike Reardon

An oil change seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

Drain the old oil. Put in new oil. Get ‘em in and out on time.

Doesn’t seem complicated. And doesn’t seem to be much chance to exceed expectations.

Or is there?

I got the oil changed in Diana’s car the other day. I was pressed for time. Needed to squeeze the oil change in between errands. 

One of the errands was at the Sprint Store where I needed to check the details on my contract. (Long story, different post) There’s a Jiffy Lube right around the corner. I don’t usually go there, but they were convenient. And oil is oil, right? One place is good as another, right?

I pulled in and was greeted before I could roll down the window. The service writer showed me a menu. A MENU! With graphics. Three choices. Good. Better. Best. Clearly priced. Which one would I like? I chose good. He thanked me and opened the car door for me. Hm. I didn’t expect that.

He escorted me to the waiting room. Showed me where the complimentary coffee is located. And introduced to the very friendly cashier. Hm. I didn’t expect that.

The very friendly cashier struck up a conversation. About my Red Sox hat and shirt. Turns out she’s from Rhode Island. GO SOX! And, while we talked about the Sox, she showed me everything on my car they would check, suggested high mileage oil  (“We’ll help you keep it running till the wheels fall off”), and let me know exactly what it would cost and how long it would take. Hm. I didn’t expect that.

The car was finished exactly when she said it would be, and cost exactly what she said it would. Ok, I kinda expected that, but it was still nice.

And then a technician met me at the door and walked me out to my car. Then he opened the door for me and laid out a red carpet! Seriously. A Red Carpet!

Wow! That Jiffy Lube is great! I’m going back. You should, too.

They exceed your expectations. By doing lots of small, seemingly insignificant things. Maybe they’re on to something.

Just Sayin’

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Open Mike: For 244 years, Britannica ruled the waves

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Well, maybe ruled the bookshelf is more like it.

Did you see this coming?

Encyclopedia Britannica is closing the book on its print edition. The move may be the single most powerful symbol to date of our rapidly changing media world, a world in which hard copies of books could become a quaint thing of the past.

Today, we clutch iPads and Kindles and Nooks, bragging about how they lighten our load and encourage us to read more. When we want to “look something up,” we’re far more likely to reach for our laptops than walk across the room to thumb through a reference book.

And that unquenchable desire for convenience makes for a world in which a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica — the oldest English-language encyclopedia in existence — no longer has a home.

via Encyclopedia Britannica goes 100% digital, ceasing print edition – latimes.com.

Remember when an encyclopedia was an investment in your children’s future. When 32 printed volumes contained an answer to almost any question. You just needed to invest a few minutes to find a dozen or so references which might be relevant.

Of course we saw it coming. From a decade away. What, search dusty old books when we can Google it on our computer and get thousands of relevant responses in less time than it takes to snap our fingers? And then our phones got Google. Or Bing if you’re in the anti-Google crowd.

The only real question is what took the publishers so long to see it coming? How many times did someone say that that ‘Google’ thing is silly? That no one would use that instead of beautifully bound 32-volume repository of knowledge and wisdom.

But they’re catching on. The Britannica is going digital. And it’s free. Free for 10 days. Then you’ll have to pay for it. Unless you want to keep using that silly ‘Google’ thing for free.

Kodak. Encyclopedia Britannica. There’s a theme here.

Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone. For the times, they are a’changing. – Bob Dylan

Just Sayin’

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Open Mike: Are you courageous enough to walk out the door?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Or would you be afraid?

Door Dublin 2

Door Dublin 2 (Photo credit: Atelier Teee)

I recently got a new leader at work. We had a New Leader Transition meeting yesterday. As many of our team as could assembled in a room. We all shared our personal strengths from the Strengthfinders 2.0 survey. Including our new leader.

The he walked out the door. Leaving us alone to decide what questions we most wanted to ask. A scribe was designated so there would be anonymity. We were invited to put him on the spot.

When we were finished, we called him back into the room and he answered each question. Openly. Honestly. Respectfully.

Would you have had the courage to walk out the door?

Just Sayin’

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Open Mike: It’s a timey-wimey thing

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Or: How time travel made me miss my flight.

When my connecting flight in Charlotte took off, I was sitting in the Atrium in a nice, comfy rocking chair. Oblivious.

I carry two smartphones. A blackberry for work (not very smart as phones go). And my personal phone, a Galaxy S II (VERY smart as phones go). I got up to go the gate when both, note BOTH, phones said it was 10:45.
Both phones were wrong. It was 11:45. And my flight took off at 11:35.
I  thought my phones were smart. I trusted them. When I woke up in Nashville they had adjusted for Daylight Saving Time (no, saving is right, not savings).
Surely they would adjust for the time zone change when I arrived on Charlotte.
Alas, it was too much for them. Time zones. DST. GPS. Some guy named google following us around.
And, yes, in case you’re wondering, I do wear a watch.

Fortunately, the next flight to Tampa was now just over an hour away.  Because I had reset my smartphones and jumped an hour ahead in time.

It showed the correct time when I landed. But watches are dumb. I reset it to match the smart phones.

image

That settles it. I’m buying a sonic screwdriver.

Just sayin.

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Open Mike: iPads are weird.

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Mike Reardon

I am still resisting buying a tablet.

But, like the dark side of the force, the pull of the iPad is strong with this one.

Unlike Barnes & Noble or Amazon, Apple hasn’t left any features on the cutting room floor to reach a wallet-friendly price. The Nook Tablet had to shed 512MB of RAM to get down to $199, while the Kindle Fire ditched cameras. Consumers have been willing to live with these concessions, but Apple doesn’t do watered down. For now Tim Cook & Co. seem willing to cede the sub-$200 market.

via Cheaper iPad 2 a ‘death blow’ to Apple tablet rivals? | Fox News.

The pull is strong because the iPad is weird. It does what the user wants it to do. Better than anything else on the market.

I bought a Galaxy S II because the screen is big enough to function like a small tablet. I already carry a laptop, a blackberry(work), an Android phone(personal), and, occasionally, a netbook(personal). The last thing I want is another piece of technology to lug around with me.

But I still can’t do everything an iPad can do. I looked at Android tablets. I talked with those who sell and use them. The conversation always comes around to “like an iPad, but you have to ……”

Here’s what I think the problem is for the iPad wannabes. They are focused on the devices. Thinking in terms of the masses. Apple is focused on the user. The individual user. Thinking in terms of weird. Until someone else figures that out, there’ll be the iPad and everything else.

Now, let me see, maybe I can buy one “for my wife” and hope she’ll let me use it.

[ghost voice of Obi-Wan] *Mike. Use the force.*

Just Sayin’

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Open Mike: Surprise!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Mike Reardon

I’m sitting on a plane heading to Nashville.

At 9:00 am this morning I had no travel plans.
Then the phone rang.
An emergency had arisen. Could I go to Nashville?
I was supposed to be off.
My answer?
I’m sitting on a plane.
I could complain.
What do you think I’ll do?

Just Sayin’

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Video Gaming Is Good for You?

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Mike Reardon

 That can’t be right. Can it?

Depends on who you ask.

A growing body of university research suggests that gaming improves creativity, decision-making and perception. The specific benefits are wide ranging, from improved hand-eye coordination in surgeons to vision changes that boost night driving ability.

People who played action-based video and computer games made decisions 25% faster than others without sacrificing accuracy, according a study. Indeed, the most adept gamers can make choices and act on them up to six times a second—four times faster than most people, other researchers found. Moreover, practiced game players can pay attention to more than six things at once without getting confused, compared with the four that someone can normally keep in mind, said University of Rochester researchers. The studies were conducted independently of the companies that sell video and computer games.

via When Gaming Is Good for You – WSJ.com.

Now, these findings may come as surprise to you. You might even think they’re shocking.

But we all should have seen this coming. And, although we might want to deny it and side with Mom’s insistence that video games rot your brains, we know the studies are right.

Because we know how learning works.

Just Sayin’

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Traditions have to start somewhere

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Baseball is rich with traditions.

The ceremonial first pitch.

The seventh inning stretch.

Waiting at home for high-fives after a homer.

They all had a start somewhere.

And I think we started a new one yesterday. Going to Spring Training opening day.

It makes sense. New park. New tradition.

Just Sayin’

Oh, and if you’re wondering where your daily Open Mike blogger went last week, check this link out: Central Florida Chapter – ASTD Blog

 

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A speech-jamming gun that silences people mid-sentence?

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Who would want one of those?

Kazutaka Kurihara of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and Koji Tsukada of Ochanomizu University, developed a portable “SpeechJammer” gun that can silence people more than 30 meters away.

The device works by recording its target’s speech then firing their words back at them with a 0.2-second delay, which affects the brain’s cognitive processes and causes speakers to stutter before silencing them completely.

via Japan invents speech-jamming gun that silences people mid-sentence | Fox News.

Wrong question. Who wouldn’t want one?

But parents of teenagers should have first dibs.

Just Sayin’

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Where, oh where, did my daily blog go?

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Mike Reardon

Where, oh where, could it be?

Let me explain.

This is all good.

I will continue to post as often as I have something interesting (to me anyway) to say.

Just Sayin’

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