Posted via email from tvorse’s posterous

So this week Extreme Makeover Home Edition descended on my hometown to help out a family. Now before I get too far let me just say that I like Extreme Makeover Home Edition and I have always enjoyed following Ty Pennington. I think what they do for families in need is a much needed role model for the rest of us. They show us what some friendly help can do for a family in need. Of course they take to an extreme level but still they do a lot of good. What’s really cool about having this happening in our area is that our great local companies like Lexington Homes and Faith Technologies get some much deserved credit for the resources they put into the community and we’re not just talking about this particular home. Being community members we know that local companies do a great job supporting local efforts. My hope is that people that watch the show will strongly consider these companies for future work. As a fair disclaimer I do have a really good friend and his wife that work for Faith Technologies.

Though as I think about this having Extreme Makeover Home Edition in my hometown I can’t help but feel embarrassed that someone in my town needed this type of boost.

You see Neenah Wisconsin is a great town along the shore of Lake Winnebago only 45 minutes south of Green Bay and two hours north of Milwaukee. I grew up here and while I never expected to move back here after graduation, here i am raising a family in the same place I was raised. It’s has always been a supportive community with good schools, great community feel and people willing to help others. My mother growing up did programs like Meals-on-Wheels delivering food to the elderly and homebound. She was a part of the Emergency Society a group who sponsored Meals-on-Wheels and helps people in need in the area. My sister now currently works with them and it is truly admirable for them to dedicate their time in this way. After hurricane Katrina the local Presbyterian church sent waves of groups to Mississippi to help with the clean up and building efforts. The first group went down within 24 hours of the hurricane’s passing. They also sent people to the Dakotas after their flooding. We take up collections, hold benefits and use our sweat to help others.

You see my community helps, cares and does stuff so why on earth does Extreme Makeover Home Edition need to be here for one of our families? Well maybe it is because our town is not as perfect as we think it is.

I found out more about the family that was selected for the makeover. The father does music education in local Catholic schools. My nephew was part of school music concert in which he helped put on. Wait back-up, he works with some of the most well-off children in the area that attend private schools? He works in the Catholic school system that prides itself on higher moral standing yet here was someone among them in need of assistance? Wow, that is surprising to me. Now to be honest I do not know for certain if this family had any other type of help from the Catholic church. I assume not, considering they were selected for this makeover. Of course the Catholic churches in the area do take up collections to support mission work in foreign countries. Maybe they could have done a collection for one of their own struggling. Maybe they tried but it wasn’t enough. Maybe they could have organized a crew to help fix up the house(if that was possible). I have a friend less than two blocks away that is more than capable of helping out. The Presbyterians put up several homes after Katrina, they are more then capable of helping out. However in the end it took Extreme Makeover Home Edition to recognize this family in need and they choose to lend a helping hand. Embarrassing that our community dropped the ball for this particular family.

My friend, @tommytrc commented to me about some of the negative comments being made to the online forums for the area newspaper the Post Crescent. The Post Crescent only hosts the forums and the opinions are not those of the paper. The comments I read were pathetic and cruel. Some there criticized the family for being uneducated, too large and non-americans. Boy last I checked it wasn’t against the law to not have a formal education or have children and unless your name was on the Mayflower manifest aren’t we all immigrants to this country at some point. Others criticized Extreme Makeover Home Edition for giving to an undeserving family or giving them something they can’t afford. Sounded to me like jealousy. Sounded a lot like sour grapes. Some of it sounded outright hateful and racist but mostly it was disappointing to see. Disappointing to know that our community harbors hatred of that kind so close to the surface of a “nice” community.

So what are we left with?

Are we maybe not as caring as we all thought we were?

Are there just too many people in need of help falling though the cracks unnoticed?

Do we just not care about our neighbors anymore?

Are we so wrapped in whatever to notice outside our blinder view of our world?

I’m not sure.

It seems to me is that as a society we have become militant about beliefs and somehow that has affected our ability to rationalize right and wrong. We’ve become militant about our political views, militant about our world view and militant about our human views to the point where our point of view is the only accepted one. This leads me to think that most of us can rationalize a family in need as someone else’s problem or the fault of someone else.

What we have lost is understanding what it means to be human. What it means to feel empathy and what it means to offer a hand to those who need it. I’m not saying that we all should pick up a hammer and start busting down doors but how about we start noticing the community around us that needs help. We can start by supporting those trying to make difference in our community. It’s not just supporting with money we know that we can’t all give but we can offer our time in volunteering to help these groups fulfill their missions or offer donations of clothing and supplies. People such as: Habitat for humanity, Neenah Menasha Emergency Society, United Way Fox Cities Inc, St Vincent de Paul Council of Neenah Menasha Inc, St Joseph Food Program Inc, Neenah Menasha Emergency Society Inc, Community Clothes Closet Inc, Arc Fox Cities Inc

Listen none of these programs can do it all on their own. In fact by believing that, we are only putting the blinders back on and pretending the rest doesn’t matter. It does matter and we need to understand that. The next time I watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition I want to see them helping a family in part of the country where there maybe there isn’t as great of a community as I know we could have here.

Update: Knew people would offer up more groups in our community.

Rebuilding Together of the Fox Valley –Thanks to Nikki Voelzke

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So it’s spring and time to do my favorite science project of the year that is remove my boat from its winter storage also known as the garage. After doing this for the last couple of years I pretty have the system down. The first time it took nearly half a day but now it only takes a couple of hours. When we bought this house I thought the boat would fit in the garage by a couple of feet it really ends up being about six inches. So let me take you on the journey of removing my boat from the third garage stall.

The trick was applying the science of air pressure, levers, compression and gravity.

To Start, do you remember the word problem in high school about the semi trailer that is stuck under an overpass and how can they get the semi unstuck? Right, they let air out of the tires. So before anything can happen with the boat the air pressure in the tires need to be reduced from 35psi to 15psi. Since this happens in fall when I put the boat away the tires are already reduced so to begin, science trick one is done.

OK so let’s get a lay of the land first is how close the boat sits in the garage. Check out the photos below. The boat has 4 inch clearance with the front of the garage and notice how the bow railing is sitting just below the shelf on top. The shelf actually had to be moved the first time the boat was put in, but that’s another story. The stern railing, installed last year, really causes issues with the garage door. So I have to nudge the garage door up a little higher and pull the boat back roughly 2 inches so that the bow(front) railing clears the shelf. Now it’s lever time!! So to get the back of the boat out of the garage it needs to be lowered several inches. Since I can’t let more air out I need to raise the front of the boat which causes a lever style action using the tires as the fulcrum to lower the back of the boat. The front eventually gets raised up as high as it can go almost 18 inch difference.

Recap. Tires deflated, Boat nudged back 2 inches, then bow raised.

Next push boat back. Did I mention my boat weighs approx 3000 pounds with the trailer so moving the boat alone happens slowly carefully while moving tire block as not to the boat move too far at a time. So once we get the stern railing out of the garage the next big hurdle comes and that is main cabin.

The cabin is interesting because it is a bit higher then the railing and uses one more minor piece of science to get it through the opening. The sliding hatch on the cabin needs to be pushed all the way open. The cabin slants forward so this effectively lowers the height of the hatch. I use to have to take the handle off the hatch but instead I changed the angle of the handle so that it wasn’t in the way. Looking again at the photos below you can see how tight the cabin fits. For the this trick I use the third piece of science, my weight compressing the trailer springs to get the cabin through the threshold of the garage door opening. I just need to move it the first 6 inches under compression then it’s OK to release.

The biggest issue to deal with at this point is the that slight slope of the driveway now makes the boat want to keep rolling. So now I’m fighting a little gravity but no worries I have my tire blocks helping me out. By the way that was science lesson number four if you’re counting.

OK so two thirds recap. Stern railing out, Compressed trailer springs, cabin out of threshold, gravity in play.

Almost done now and the hard part is really done. As the boat slides backwards the jacked up bow now is too high to clear the garage door so once again we lower the bow to make room for the bow railing to exit the garage.

However once the boat is out all is not complete. I need to add the adequate air back into the tires and then raise the bow a bit. The reason for raising the bow a bit is that the boat will naturally flow water off the deck but it must be level or slightly raised in the front so water drains to the rear. Once finished then the boat is officially out of the garage. Of course it is facing the wrong direction to attach to a tow vehicle but that my friends is another Project.

SO here is the science recap for the boat removal project.

1. We use air pressure or lack there of to lower the boat and trailer by a couple of inches. (think semi stuck under the overpass)

2. We use the front trailer dolly wheel to make the trailer act as a lever to raise and lower the front and back of the boat.

3. We use spring compression as we apply weight to trailer spring lowering it the extra inch or to that is needed.

4. We combat gravity as the boat wants to roll downhill and we use blocks of wood to block the tires from rolling.

Let me make this clear if my garage was 9 inches taller in the door none of this science project would be needed. Then again what would be the fun in that?

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My wife is in a true book club where once a month a group gets together and talks about the latest book they read. The books are chosen by the hostess and my wife has probably not enjoyed every selection though she still reads through them.

On the other hand I am part of a book club on Twitter. There are four of us currently and the rules are we can read anything we want and report it back the group. I happen to drive two hours a day so audiobooks are fair game for me. I’m a month late on this review and in that time I’ve got another book down so it’s time to get one report out.

Seth Godin, marketing philosopher, is the author of several books including Tribes, Meatball Sundae, The Dip and his blog. He recently released a new book called Linchpin. I’ve read several of Seth’s books and find them very interesting. I like the ideas and the delivery of those ideas in his printed words. I am yet to see Seth live at one of his speaking engagements but you can bet I’ll be excited when I do.

Seth’s Book Linchpin: Are you indispensable is about learning to become the indispensable person is whatever you do. Seth starts by pointing out that companies, schools and society teach people to be a cog in the wheel of life. Don’t think, don’t stand out and don’t strive for something more. Being a cog makes you replaceable and for companies racing to be the lowest common denominator they replace the replaceable everyday. Linchpins however are different. They stand out and are indispensable to their employers.

Seth lays out through the book the six premises of becoming a LinchPin. These six things include being an artist, give gifts, have bad ideas, fight the resistance, fail and ship solutions. Now it would be too much of a spoiler for me to go into all the details but I will give my thoughts on the subject.

First some of the things that I love that Seth says. The first is that anyone can do this. We just don’t say that enough for people to understand. So many people around us are don’t understand this and need to hear it. Next in one of six things he says have bad ideas. I know this doesn’t sound right but as Seth says you can’t have good ideas without bad ones so why be afraid of bad ideas. Lastly give gifts but don’t expect anything in return. I’m not sure our society truly can understand this since we always seem to be looking for something in return. So try it, give without the expectation of receiving.

Next I want to touch on the motivating ideas that I took from this book and those are fight the resistance, fail and ship solutions. First Seth takes his time talking about the reactive and primative reptilian brain or as he calls it the lizard brain. The idea is that brain is always trying to keep you out of danger by the use of fear. It also is what keeps us from doing what we want to be doing. It is the part of the brain that tells you shut-up and go with the flow. It is the part of the brain you must fight and overcome to do great things. The next motivating idea stems from this when Seth tells us to fail but don’t let the lizard brain control the reaction. So fail, it’s OK just don’t let it stop you from trying again. Last piece of motivation is “ship solutions”. This is the one that I will be working on the hardest is seeing my ideas through no matter if they fail or not. I constantly write in my notebook ideas and thoughts but rarely do they go somewhere. My goal is start making them go somewhere though I may not always know where that place will be.

The rest of the book does a great job talking about the how and what Linchpins do to succeed. Basically linchpins spend emotional labor and make maps to their future. Linchpins find the honest signals that humans give and learn to react to those signals using a complete set of skills.They create unique interfaces to communicate, delivery unique creativity based on domain knowledge, manage complexity, lead customers, inspire staff and provide domain knowledge to others. They obtain skills and are not born with unique talents and practice humility but not compliance.

The disagreement that I would have with Seth is his bashing of MBAs. OK for the most part I agree with him and for someone that is graduating in two semesters that does make me a bit concerned. So here’s my thought. A degree is what you make of it, sure some of my classes make me feel like I’m learning how to be a stuffy conservative business executive that would kill a kitten if it profited my shareholders. However there is another side of my program that strives to teach us to care for our dreams, our employee dreams and do what is right not just what is profitable. Yes some MBA course teach us create cogs in the wheel but a lot more course are teach us to build beautiful new machines of business. Businesses not based around cogs but around people doing awesome things. I’ve never had a professor use the term “awesome things” but I thought it fit.

Seth Godin will probably make money off of me buying his books for quite sometime so I admit I am a fan. Though if you are looking for a book that is a good read with interesting ideas then pick this book up. At worst it will give you something to think about but at best it could change the way you live and work. My recommendation is pick it up, read it, absorb it and then ship solutions from some of your best ideas.

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Being a resident from one of the great lake states the news from the EPA is really important to me. Some of you from outside the area may not have gotten to witness the beauty and awesomeness of the great lakes. The enormous naturally formed lakes were carved from the upper midwestern bedrock during the last ice age and as the glaciers retreated the melting ice created the largest freshwater lakes in the land, the impressive Niagara Falls and natural road for commerce that helped settle these lands from fur traders to iron ore miners. I’ve witnessed sunsets on the Pacific and sunrise in the Atlantic but those memories pale in comparison to watching the sunset from the dune beaches in lower Michigan or the awesome force of a storm on Lake Superior. While I know no east or west coaster may agree with me and that’s alright but I believe some of the best water in the nation is unsalted and located in the midwest, the north coast of the US. I am pleased to hear the EPA takes value in this natural resource and look forward to hearing some of what is planned to help these magnificent lakes.

From LA Times

Reporting from Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency on Sunday unveiled a five-year, $475-million plan to revitalize the Great Lakes, including cleaning up polluted water and beaches, restoring wetlands and fighting invasive species such as Asian carp.

Federal and state officials call the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan “historically unprecedented” in size, funding and coordination between branches of government.

The plan calls itself light on study and heavy on action, seeking to heal the Great Lakes ecosystem from “150 years of abuse” and to ensure that “fish are safe to eat; the water is safe to drink; the beaches and waters are safe for swimming, surfing, boating and recreating; native species and habitats are protected and thriving; no community suffers disproportionately from the impacts of pollution; and the Great Lakes are a healthy place for people and wildlife to live.”

Further reading from LA Times

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I love tall ships and couldn’t believe the story that unfolded with the Concordia when suddenly met with heavy seas the crew, high schoolers had to abandon ship and await rescue from life rafts afloat in ocean. I agree with the sea-fever.org blog in that everyone may not be a fan of the Class Afloat program but I believe it is an incredible program that gives opportunities to kids to learn and experience something new. I wish I would have gotten my hands on a program like this when I was kid because I can now only dream of having this type of experience. While there is a some level of danger I would be willing to let my son enter a program like this because it maybe a life changing event. The sea-fever.org blog has a good description of how a Microburst potentially toppled the Concordia. This sounds like the best possibility. We’re glad to hear everyone is safe and we look forward to students and staff returning to their studies and families.

Below is an excerpt from the Canadian press about the sinking:

McArthur, who was a staff member aboard the SV Concordia, said she was teaching a biology class Wednesday when it became apparent that the ship was in serious trouble.

She said her students quickly dressed in immersion suits and all were able to get into life-rafts as the vessel quickly rolled onto its side.

“It was pretty intense, but the students and the whole crew were very focused and they all did an excellent job by helping and supporting each other,” said McArthur.

She said everyone remained calm and knew “what they had to do and where they needed to be.”

“Instinctively the students and the crew knew what to do . . . and I think that’s one of the reasons we were all able to get out of there safely.”

McArthur said it wasn’t very long before the life-rafts moved away from the ship and “we were able to watch it go down.”

Read the entire article.

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With the 33rd America’s Cup finally in the books and the Cup safe and secured in hands of people that will hopefully honor the tradition of the Cup here are some of the numbers from the event. To see some of the marketing info please see the link below but I wanted to point out the internet numbers. Typical American media carried very little of the event so most of us stateside were left with the internet. Due to a prior engagement and a 4 hour delay in the race, I followed the final race on Twitter. Which was interesting in it’s own way.

I’ll have some more thoughts on the America’s Cup as start a new videolog for my site this weekend. Stay tuned for more in the future.

From Sailkarma.com

The 33rd America’s Cup in Numbers

The second successive victory for BMW ORACLE Racing against Alinghi on Sunday 14th February 2010 marked the end of the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia. As an international sporting event it was without precedent in terms of the organization.

TV
39 TV channels acquired the broadcasting rights : Sky (Great Britain), Canal + (France), Teledeporte and Canal 9 (Spain), Eurosport (Europe), Show Time (the Middle East), ESPN (the USA) FOX Live (Australia), TVNZ and Sky (New Zealand).
15 hours of live broadcasting to 216 territories
27 hours of special programs
2,160 million potential viewing audience.

INTERNET (www.americascup.com)
2,800,000 visits
1,200,000 unique visitors
656,000 unique visitors watched the live racing direct through the official web site
(this audience does not include the streaming broadcasting by 350 other Internet sites worldwide)
346,000 was the record number of unique visitors, occurring on the 12 of February 16,000 Facebook fans and 13,000 followers on Twitter in the three official languages of all the communication of the Web (Spanish, English and French)
More than 300 articles published more in three languages on www.americascup.com

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So I’m preparing for my spring happiness tour. OK, it’s really a day trip to the Chicago “Strictly Sail” expo on Navy Pier. It helps me through the winter doldrums. I was looking at seminars to take and found myself looking at a website for Captain Jack Klang who does these incredibly informative easy to follow seminars on different sailing topics. While checking out his website I came across some articles he has on various topics. So I checked out the article on “What and How of Cruising” basically what do you need to know before cruising around the ocean sailing and we’re not talking an ocean crossing passage but spending a couple months in Caribbean or something. What strikes me about this list is the length and remember it’s more of a technical list not a list for cooking, living aboard or visiting foreign countries. As a weekend sailor I can find the need to know well over 80% of this list which is a ton.

So why am I writing about this list? While I’d love to get more people interested in sailing the real reason is that had this list not existed for me to point out how many of you would understand what knowledge/equipment that was needed for this activity? Answer is very few. In fact every year people are hurt because of boat owners that don’t understand most or all of these items. So my question is how many of us understand all the different things we need to be able to do our jobs? Have you ever sat down and wrote out all the things you need to understand or have to do your job. How about what you need to know for your next job or to start a new business. Being in the position of potentially look outside of my current career I would want to know the “list” of where I should start to make sure I’m ready for my next career. I have friends that have varying positions in life . I know digital managers that control large work-flow systems, virtual assistants, CFOs, marketing people, PR people, call center employees and even those working in the life of fast food. I bet if they wrote down a list of everything they need to understand even at a basic level we’d all be surprised by the length of those list. Remember the list isn’t just knowledge but the tools needed to do these activities.

A surprising spin-off from these lists is an understanding of one’s own strengths and weaknesses. One I see is poor weather handling. I may never go sailing during a storm but it doesn’t mean that something may not happen to me one while on the water. Why not use your list to focus some effort on improving those areas you’re weaker in or making sure your resume accurately depicts what it is you exactly do. One simple exercise can bring to light a lot of information you may know but never quantified. Happy Listing!

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