My 13-year-old daughter is simply crazy for the uber-popular Netflix series Stranger Things. There's really no other way to describe it.
And when the above trailer hit the Series of Tubes the other day, my wife got a frantic text from her: "STRANGER THINGS 4!"
I'll be honest; I think that the show is... okay. It certainly has it's awesome moments, and the writing is really good. What I find most compelling is the absolute feeling of nostalgia. When we're watching and I see an old-school McDonald's commercial on the TV in the background of a scene, or hear some Olivia Newton John coming out of a transistor radio, I'm instantly transported back to the 1980s and my childhood.
What's cool about this season four trailer is that it's titled, "From Russia With Love". As a big fan of the James Bond franchise of movies (and books!), that grabbed my attention (even if the nod is lost on my daughter's generation).
Along with the trailer, the Duffer Brothers released a statement:
“We’re excited to officially confirm that production on ‘Stranger Things 4’ is now underway — and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper!” the Duffer brothers wrote in a statement. “Although it’s not all good news for our ‘American;’ he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human…and other. Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything. Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime, pray for the American.”
Interesting. And I'm sure that my daughter will be screaming with both terror and delight when the show starts back up on Netflix later this year or early in 2021.
[A] 2016 U.S. Government Accountability Office report on federal telework stated that the agencies it studied "had little data to support the benefits or costs associated with their telework programs. All of the selected agencies could provide some supporting documentation for some of the benefits and only two could provide supporting documentation for some of the costs."
Gallup analytics has the data.
And the data are clear: Remote work not only improves outcomes and employee branding but is a policy that the most talented employees desire.
Remote Work Is Becoming More Common
Remote work is on the rise. The number of hours spent working off-site is increasing, as is the number of workers. In 2012, Gallup data showed 39% of employees worked remotely in some capacity, meaning they spent at least some of their time working away from their coworkers. In 2016, that number had grown four percentage points to 43%. And of those who do work remotely some of the time, the percentage of time spent working remotely increased from 2012 to 2016 as well. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found a threefold increase in the number of companies offering remote work options between 1996 and 2016.
All too often I hear people (read: management) poo-poo the notion of remote work based on the idea that to be effective/productive, one must be present in the workplace. I wholeheartedly disagree, and the data supports me:
Engagement is not an exercise in making employees feel happy -- it's a strategy for better business outcomes. It is true that engaged employees are more enthusiastic, energetic and positive, feel better about their work and workplace, and have better physical health, but engagement isn't a perk for leaders to dole out, it's a way leaders can improve KPIs. As decades of Gallup research shows, when employees are engaged their performance soars: Highly engaged workplaces can claim 41% lower absenteeism, 40% fewer quality defects, and 21% higher profitability.
And job flexibility increases engagement.
Gallup discovered that engagement climbs when employees spend some time working remotely and some time working in a location with their coworkers. Weekly face time with coworkers and managers seems to affect engagement: the optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time working off-site -- or three to four days in a five-day workweek. It's worth noting that five years earlier, in 2012, the optimal engagement boost was experienced by workers who spent less than 20% of their time working remotely.
Gallup finds that this group -- those who work remotely 60% to 80% of the time -- is also the most likely of all employees to strongly agree that their engagement needs related to development and relationships are being met. Perhaps counterintuitively, they're also the most likely of all employees to strongly agree that someone at work cares about them as a person, encourages their development and has talked to them about their progress. This group is also the most likely of all employees to strongly agree they have a best friend at work and opportunities to learn and grow.
My emphasis.
The biggest barrier that I have encountered is administration and/or management that hold onto the "traditional" notion of a work environment. They hold a mis-conception that someone "working at home" is sitting around in their pajamas and not getting any work done. But, in our data-driven age, we are able to monitor the productivity of our staff, whether they are in the office or working remotely.
In our unit, I absolutely support working remotely for staff that are full-time exempt employees.
For example, when we are expecting bad weather (which never happens in central-Pennsylvania winters), I encourage folks to take their laptop home in case they are not able to make it into the office the next day. The same suggestion is made for staff who might be coming down with a cold or the flu. I regularly tell our team that, even if it's only a couple of hours of work that can be accomplished, it's worth it to not fall behind.
This is where that "cares about them as a person" comes into play. I would rather someone stay home when their kid is sick, and still feel like they can get some work done. I'd like to think that staff appreciate the flexibility and understand it comes from a place of caring. I know that I appreciate that.
Also, for me personally and somewhat selfishly, I am incredibly productive when I am working at home. No meetings, distractions, or interruptions.
Except for the occasional dog that requests to go outside.
So, I didn't watch the Big Game on Superbowl Sunday. I'm not a huge sportsball viewer, unless the sportsball is soccer.
Over the years I have become one of those folks who would go to a Superbowl party and hang out with friends, but I was the guy who was tuning-in to the television only when the new/fun/cool/interesting advertisements were on. Remember Bud Bowl? Yeah, I watched them.
But anymore I can watch the best of the ads online. Aside from movie and TV-spots like the one above, my other fave this year was the Hyundai "Smaht Pahk" ad. Simply brilliant.
"Falcon & Winter Soldier" and "Loki" look fantastic. Pretty much what I am expecting; lots of Marvel-ized action and witty interplay between characters.
But "Wandavision"? That is something entirely different (well, at least according to the very short moments from the ad).
That's not to say that it doesn't look interesting. I'm all-in on Disney Plus, so I'm ready to watch anything and everything that they put out there.
The Wife and I (finally) finished season one of The Boys last night. If you're unfamiliar with the Prime Video series or comic, here's a quick summary...
The story of The Boys depicts a bleak world filled with power-imbued superheroes who have become reckless, selfish and hedonistic, leaving citizens in danger. Thus, an angry, ultra-violent Englishman named Billy Butcher puts together his own team of ex-military personnel with black ops experience to watch the proverbial watchmen, calling themselves, you guessed it, the Boys.
So that was the synopsis that I posted prior to watching the series. Now that I've finished the first season, I would add a few things.
This ain't Marvel (or DC). Decapitations, bodies exploding, "heroes" straight-up murdering people. Make no mistake, this is an ultra-violent program. Certainly a far cry from what our superhero genre movies and shows have taught us over the years. The lead hero - a mash-up of Superman and Captain America named "Homelander" - drops F-bombs and downs civilian planes when he's not in the public eye.
BUT, that is what makes the show so compelling. It takes the superhero tropes and flips them upside down. The "supes" (as Billy Butcher calls them) are not all bad - but definitely not all good either. The Boys essentially humanizes superheroes. I mean, let's face it: that's how it would be if these things were real. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely", right?
It's not Good vs. Evil. I think what I find most compelling is that there really are no "good guys" or "bad guys". Sure, the "supes" are doing some bad stuff (sex, power-hungry, manipulation of the public, etc.), but The Boys are definitely not angels in comparison. There is plenty of crime that is committed in the name of revenge.
While the show (and the comic) definitely aims to entertain, I think that there are some underlying philosophical issues with which some of the main characters are grappling.
For instance, Hughie Campbell (ably played by Jack Quaid) is the 'innocent' of The Boys who has been a huge fan of the superheroes (namely A-Train) his whole life. But when his girlfriend is accidentally killed by A-Train, he goes down a very dark path that leads to him murdering another superhero. This conflict between the good side of him that wants nothing to do with The Boys, and the vengeful side of him that wants to dole out justice is a great juxtaposition and Quaid does a excellent job capturing that internal struggle.
I'm not going to give you a detailed synopsis of the first season, as I don't want to spoil anything for would-be watchers. What I will say is that we thoroughly enjoy the show, even though there are some cringe-worthy moments (mostly due to violence).
Onward to season two!
[FYI, the season two trailer is violent too - but not nearly as much as the actual show.]
A colleague shared this video with me on Facebook (via an article at CharlotteStories.com). At first I thought that it was purely entertaining and something of a novelty.
But then I listened more closely to the lyrics that he is spitting. It's essentially a resume presented in hip-hop form.
Mr. Kim, I think that this is an excellent representation of your creativity and stick-to-it-iveness. If Harvard doesn't admit you, hit me up. I know that Penn State isn't necessarily on-par with Harvard, but I'd love to chat with you about options here.
Ten years ago today I awoke and went to work in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Penn State's University Park campus for the first time.
I remember it well: it was a really cold February morning. This is clear to me because, as part of my on-boarding at Penn State I had to walk across campus to the HUB to have my photo taken for my staff ID badge:
Look at that youngster!
Having worked at small liberal arts colleges previously, my first day (nay, year?) could certainly have been overwhelming. But, because the Undergraduate Admissions Office was filled with truly excellent people (and still is!), I made short work of getting to know everyone and finding my place among the team.
Initially I was answering telephones, responding to email messages, giving presentations to students and families, and evaluating applications. Since then my work has changed quite a bit.
Nowadays my working hours are filled with meetings, responding to calls and emails from people that are angry, meetings, checking admission decisions, meetings, and helping to guide the vision and strategy of our operation. Wait, did I mention meetings?
All of that said, I still look forward to my work everyday.
So, here we are ten years later (!). Even though I look a bit less cherubic...
Just finished a presentation to 2,500 of my friends - now more application evaluations!
...I still have a passion for the work and the students that we admit and enroll each year.
I've always been a huge fan of The Muppets. I have vivid memories of sitting on the couch with my parents while we watched the goofy variety show that featured the incredible talents of Jim Henson and company.
Prior to the holidays, I bookmarked this article from CBC Radio that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the seemingly nonsensical tune, as well as the history behind it. Fascinating stuff:
If you grew up watching The Muppet Show, or have kids who did, you almost certainly know Mahna Mahna — also known as Mah Na Mah Na or Mah Nà Mah Nà.
The catchy song features two female singers who perform in an orderly way, but get interrupted by a far less restrained male singer.
An early version of the sketch first appeared on Sesame Street on Nov. 27, 1969, but it was an appearance of Jim Henson and His Muppets on The Ed Sullivan Show on Nov. 30 that cemented the song's fame.
But where did it originate?
The song originally appeared in a racy Italian film called Svezia, inferno e paradiso (Sweden: Heaven and Hell), in a scene where a bunch of Swedish models crowd into a sauna wearing little more than bath towels.
Yowza!
Some supremely interesting info, and well worth your eyeballs if you're a Muppets fan.
I saw this piece as I was perusing the Twitter the other day. The opening struck a chord with me:
Gen X refuses to die with dignity. We will die in the spirit of Grace Jones and Poison, thank you, as we express ourselves in any way we see fit, whether that be in a regular suit and tie, or a full body of tattoos.
Most of us are not, as our parents did, dressing our age. We see those articles — the ones that say we’re supposed to stop wearing strappy sandals and high-tops, combat boots and miniskirts, or skin-tight jeans with holes — and we consider them for a second until we say “fuck that.” We’ve always worn whatever we wanted and we don’t particularly give a crap if you don’t like it. We grew up in the ’80s, the age of flash and color, punk, metal, and hip-hop. We learned to live loud and we aren’t giving it up. Our music is still loud and so are our clothes. So are our opinions, which we’re not afraid to share with you. We might be leading the PTA or playing bass in this cool little band on the side, or maybe we’re just taking our kid fishing, to show them what it’s like to do something outside.
Indeed. I think about this type of stuff more frequently than I care to admit.
So, I love music. I listen to music all day while I'm at work (well, at my desk at least). While I have some more "mature" playlists that help me to focus (think, classical music), it is not uncommon for me to listen to the likes of the Beastie Boys, The Clash, Run-DMC, or The Police. I could definitely go on...
Somewhat recently I was at my desk nodding my head to "Sure Shot" and I had a moment of introspection. I wondered to myself, "Were my parents like this at my age?" When I was young (middle and high school-aged) I never considered my folks to be 'hip'. Did they do things that they still thought were pretty cool and I never noticed?
And I would ask that of anyone in their mid-40s. Do you find yourself doing things that you still think are cool? Music? Fashion? What are you doing right now that you never thought that your parents would have done?
If you don't follow me on the Twitter Machine, then you might not have known that about a week ago I spent the last few days in sunny Orlando at the Happiest Place On Earth with the person who makes me the most happy.
Or, at least, spending many hours at the new Galaxy's Edge land in Disney's Hollywood Studios was certainly my Happiest Place On Earth!
The rest of this post will contain spoilers/images/videos of Galaxy's Edge - so if you haven't been there yet and want a "fresh" experience not knowing what to expect, get out now.
Good? Good. My highlights...
Firstly, the weather in central Florida in January is EXCELLENT for theme-parking. The high temperatures were in the low-to-mid-70s each day, and the lows got down to the mid-40s in the evenings. A bit chilly, but nothing that a sweatshirt and beanie hat couldn't take care of for us.
Lots of great opportunities to celebrate our 18 years of marriage (so far).
...and that's the most important part, right? This beautiful person chose me out of all of the other nerds and fanboys that are out there. And I'm mighty glad that she did.
Okay, the good stuff. Galaxy's Edge is awesome, on so many levels (both figuratively and literally). I'm not even sure where to start...
The land -----
Whether we were in the "docking bay" area (where the Millenium Falcon is located), or elsewhere within Galaxy's Edge, the painstaking detail was obvious. From the spires, to the cast members (Disney employees), everything felt like you were in a remote outpost in the Outer Rim.
Yours Truly with a Kuat Systems RZ-2 A-wing Interceptor.
The Happy Couple in front of an Incom T-70 X-wing starfighter.
Standing in front of a Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems TIE Echelon assault shuttle.
Cool starships aside, the other details are fantastic. The staff that work in the park are not dressed in a uniform way (see what I did there?). Rather, they are all dressed as if they live and work there, and are wearing things are normal for day-to-day life in a remote smuggler's stopover. Seriously, it was like being a Star Wars cosplay convention. The only way to differentiate between employees and costumed theme-park-goers was that the Disney cast members wear nametags.
Other little details were all of the place. Unfortunately, I didn't get any really good pictures of signage throughout Galaxy's Edge, but this shot of my light saber card (more on that later) gives you an idea:
While at the bottom it says, "green" in our alphabet, the top and center of the card have Aruebesh characters. According to Wookiepedia, "Aruebesh was a writing system used to transcribe Galactic Basic, one of the most used languages in the galaxy."
So, if you use the the translator at that link, you'll see that my card says "group" at the top, and "B" in the center. Restrooms (called "refereshers" in Batuu) are marked with Aruebesh instead of our alphabet. Other shops and restaurants are the same.
Very cool.
Food and drink ------
Some of the coolest experiences in Galaxy's Edge were not the rides, but rather the opportunities to eat or drink things that are a part of the Star Wars universe. Case in point: "blue milk".
Cool, right?
And there was so much more to see and do with regard to stuffing things in your face. A sweet/spicy popcorn stand and Ronto Roasters (a quick-service dining option where a droid is cooking the meat) are available for snacks and protein. BUT, if you're looking for something that is truly excellent - and I would argue THE highlight of our trip - look no further than Oga's Cantina.
Oga's replicates the vibe that was made famous in A New Hope at the Mos Eisely Cantina scene. From the music to the decor, you really feel like you're in a pub in the Outer Rim territories.
And I think that my favorite part is when the bar breaks into a song/chant that goes along with the music that DJ Rex is playing... "Kra Mer 5 - Una Duey Dee".
(The song usually goes on for another minute or so, but I accidentally cut it off - sorry!)
A couple of things to keep in mind:
You need a reservation. We got two, one for each day that we had planned on being at Galaxy's Edge. However, we made some last-minute changes to our plan and spent an additional evening in Hollywood Studios, and we were able to procure a third reservation at Oga's. While waiting in the queue outside, we witnessed a very rude couple verbally accosting one of the cast members in charge of reservations outside of the cantina.
It's expensive. Drinks with alcohol range from 16 credits (aka, dollars) to 85 credits (for the beer flight served in a commemorative set of Rancor teeth). But you're not just paying for your drinks - it's the experience that I found the most valuable.
You only have 45 minutes inside. Soak in the vibe and get some pics with DJ Rex. They will kick you out so that others can come in - hence the requirement for a reservation.
You get the idea; a total party atmosphere. But, while folks are swinging their drinks to-and-fro, Oga's is not just a bar that serves alcohol. There is a whole section of the menu where you can get non-alcoholic drinks as well. On our third visit we were sat at a table with a family of five (two adults, and three children aged 2-9). Everyone had a great time.
The rides -----
If Star Tours and Mission Space had a baby, it would be Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. A great ride that requires you to press buttons and activate stuff mid-flight. You can be a pilot, a gunner, or an engineer. But the best part is that you really feel like you're riding in The Falcon. Heck the queue leading up to the ride has a Dejarik Chess table for your pose with:
Let the Wookiee win.
I don't want to go into much detail so that you can experience things for yourself. What I will say is that if you want to see Rise of The Resistance, there are no fast passes and no "regular" queue that you get into. Rather, you have to get a "boarding group".
To get in what Disney calls a "virtual queue" (aka, your boarding group), you have to be in Disney's Hollywood Studios park, through security, as the park opens. When we were there, park opening was 7:00 a.m. You can get in line to enter the park prior to the actual park opening, so we were through security and on Hollywood Boulevard prior to 7:00. At 7:00 on the dot, you can reserve your boarding group through the Disney Parks mobile app. When I tried it for the first time, I got us into boarding group 93 and I was doing it as soon as I was able. You need to move quickly.
For context, they boarded groups up until about number 120 that day. So I felt like we barely made it into the ride. And they didn't call our boarding group to actually experience the ride until late in the afternoon that day. Even when we arrived for our boarding group, we still waited in a queue for a good 35 minutes prior to getting to the experience.
BUT, what an experience it is!
In most theme park rides you wait through a queue, get on the ride, and have anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes of fun. With Rise of The Resistance, the experience is MUCH longer and more involved. It's not just a ride. It is absolutely worth the trouble of getting a boarding group and waiting in line.
Some highlights...
Is your interest piqued yet? I know! All in all it was a great trip, especially for a fanboy like me. However, you don't have to be a life-long Star Wars nerd to enjoy all that there is to be had at Galaxy's Edge. I highly recommend at least one full day in Disney's Hollywood Studios so that you can experience everything!
When we first heard the theme it was only one minute and eight seconds into the premier episode of The Mandalorian - and even that early in the series I knew it was going to be good.
Some really interesting information coming out of Gallup a few weeks ago regarding 
The Wife and I (finally) finished season one of The Boys last night. If you're unfamiliar with the Prime Video series or comic, here's 
If you don't 
