I am not a heavy metal fan. I rank it just above gangsta rap and country music in my mental list of "least favorite music genres." I tend to dismiss the songs as so much noise, much as a connoisseur on the other side of the spectrum would be dismissive of an operatic aria. Perversely,… Continue reading Metallica
Copy editing
"You're gonna come crawling back to the humanities," said Mrs. Thomas, my 12th grade English teacher, as I headed off to get my engineering degree. How did she know that years later, I'd take joy one evening in going through a draft of a marketing datasheet, and... Replacing passive voice with active Making sure bullet… Continue reading Copy editing
Coming back from the hiatus
First there's one distraction. Then another. Maybe an excuse. Perhaps a legitimate reason to deprioritize. Suddenly the personal project that started off as urgent and important, became less urgent but still important, until it slipped into that nice-to-have bucket that means it's on the backlog of activities that will never really get done. Fortunately, we… Continue reading Coming back from the hiatus
New blood
If only every organization could bring in a new member every few weeks. The energy and enthusiasm brought by a new hire, early in his or her career, who's just happy to be there and excited to contribute, could power a small city. "Eat this brick," you could say, and the new hire would go… Continue reading New blood
The Day Back
At some point on vacation, it can hit you. No matter how much fun you're having. No matter how relaxed you are. No matter how far the rest of the world has melted away. At some point you're ready to go back. You want to sleep in your own bed. To have your shower, your… Continue reading The Day Back
The Joys of JJFoley 