“here is an old bull and a young bull standing on a hill overlooking a field full of young heifers. the young bull says to the old bull “Let’s run down the hill and screw us one of those heifers”. The old bull pauses for a moment and replies ” Let’s walk down the hill and screw them all!” (source: Folk)

I read a great professional book. first in a very very long while. The book is called “Getting Real” by 37Signals and is available as PDF for well worth $19. 37Signals is a privately held, Chicago based company and creator of a variety of web based collaboration apps. If Microsoft is the old bull then 37Signals definitely represent the young and energetic one. Their moto is keep it simple, purify your thoughts, work fast and avoid complications. Their foundation of achieving excellence is constituted on small and harmonious teams, on avoiding all bureaucracy and on not attempting to do the impossible. They construct simple and effective steps to delivering good software quickly in a way that I gladly identify with. Their philosophy is collaborative, their language is simple, their analysis is clear. Most importantly, 37Signals look like a bunch of guys I’d like to be friends with. They don’t take themselves seriously in a very serious and professional way. Even when they over simplify it has a point. (more…)

      

Taking a sick day has a special flare to it. When I was in elementary school I could not wait to catch the flu and stay at home for a few days. It was like a surprise birthday party. You get to stay home, watch TV and you get taken care of throughout. All this for basically doing nothing and watching all the TV you want! Wow! some of my educational cornerstones were carved watching reruns of the Israeli version of PBS. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, reruns dated back to the 50s and 60s and there weren’t too many to choose from so selection was easy. The only daytime TV channel was PBS anyway, so yes, the experience was a little “soviet” but nonetheless very educational. (more…)

      

“We were few…they wanted to kill us…we won…now lets eat” (Jewish Holiday Pathos)
 
24 hours have gone by since the myth has climaxed  (at my family as well as the whole country and Jewish people world wide) and the matzo balls I ate are still weighing heavy on me – literally and mentally. (more…)

      

“”A maven is an expert, and it’s something that every Jew thinks he is on every subject that exists.” (Wikipedia, For the politically correct police – I am Israeli).

I’d like to go through some uncom.ventional once again. Remember the good old days? When doctors had to study for years before getting respect for their expertise in medicine? When lawyers went through ordeals before becoming authorities in their fields? When experience was not just “cool” but mandatory? (more…)

      

Forgive me blog for I have sinned. Its been a week since my last post. I’ve been a bad blogger. I attended the TheMarker “Com.vention”  this week and it has taken me a while to gather my thoughts. I hope that by summarizing my uncom.ventional thoughts you will forgive me and bequeath this post with many comments:
• Internet Access - All the conventions I have been too in the past 2 years had wi-fi. In all of them going on line is a nightmare – no connection, slow connection, bad connection – am I missing something or are the organizers cheap?
• Web 2.0 - to be cool or to be fool? (more…)

      

A friend of mine put her apartment for rent a few weeks ago. She was surprised to find out that real estate brokers have picked up her free ad and have taken credit for her apartment in their displayed inventory. She was then amazed to discover that this stunt has been performed by quite a few who were now competing with each other over the commission they obligated their clients to pay for her freely advertized apartment. This made me think (again) of where web 2.0 fits in cutting harmful middlemen. (more…)