Part XIII – Constructive Plagiarism

Short advertisement before the main feature: Valour-IT Project details are here. Help fund computers and software for wounded service members, so they can use vioce activated technology to send emails and write. A worthy cause if I every heard of one….Thanks for your interest.

Index to the Series:
Part I: Initiative, marketing, sales, project planning and program management skills
Part II: Auditing Skills
Part III: Operations 24/7/365
Part IV: “Point Papers”
Part V: Collateral Duties
Part VI: The “Git ‘er done!” Factor
Part VII: “Total Care”
Part VIII: Communications in the Workplace
Part IX: “Give a smart person with potential a chance”
Part X: Process Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Total Quality Management, Total Quality Leadership, or what ever you call it. The bottom line title: Making “it” better
Part XI: The Military’s Supply System
Part XII: “Red Blood or Red Ink”
Part XIII: Constructive Plagiarism

Yep, that’s right…plagiarism. In any sort of management position, from the non-commissioned officer level to the top, we learn to scope out what the other person did/does in order to make our unit more effective. Is that bad? Well, certainly it’s not a bad idea in an environment where there is no copyrighted material or trademark issue to worry about.

In the “outside world,” this translates into a set of eyes and ears that can be constantly tuned into articles, news clips, conferences, or conversations that have something of interest. Toss into that mix that we generally have no shame about asking “can I get a copy of that?” because we see two positive fallouts of the condition at a personal level, beyond the larger implications of the benefit to our employer: 1) We look like a more valuable asset when we come back and either present it, or implement it and 2)it certainly shortnees the time it will take us to “re-invent the wheel.” You might call that being lazy. I see it as making more time available for other pursuits…:)

What dis this look like in my career (and emulated by just about anyone else): It was November, and we had a big inspection coming in mid-February. I had been in the billet for about 5 weeks and the CO asked for the Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA and M) for the upcoming major, shipwide inspection, INSURV. I paled, when I realized I hadn’t had one turned over by the outgoing XO, but I said “I’ll find out and get back to you, sir.” The first call I made was to the Squadron Material Officer, and he told me of the ship in the squadron who had had one recently and had done well. Next item was to see where this ship was. Luckily, it was not at sea, but right there a few piers away. I hiked over, introduced myself to the XO, and over a cup of coffee, asked for a copy of his POA and M. He had one copied and I was on my way back to the ship. The net result, we did very well, many thanks to the success of the other crew. We regularly spent time asking leading questions of our counterparts, looking for the “gouge” for all types of things, then we shared and things went well.

How does this play out in real life? Two very astute Naval Aviators retired and used their working knowledge of the Navy’s Tag Out system. In the OSHA/civilian terms, this is called “Lock out/Tag Out” and is a system by which you prevent people and equipment hazards while preforming maintenance by making sure everyone who needs to know knows not to turn things back on. The Navy system was developed after some hard lessons, but is very effective. By the way, it exceeds OSHA standards in it’s implementation. These two smart men are not for hire, as they created their own successful company. You can see their product line, TagLink, here.

In another case, as I worked with the PQS Development Group, they told me the story of a retired Navy Captain that came back to them and asked for some materials, so he could implement a personal qualification program for the company he worked for.

Bottom line: “We” look for ways to make business easier by borrowing ideas. The ex-military person can not only bring to you a wealth of ideas from the time in, but then they are acclimated to keeping their sensors out for more of the same in your industry. It’s a valuable resource for your company.

See Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread…

Another “THANKS!” to The Political Teen for an Open Post…

How about a nice panoramic view from the top of Mt Everest?

Maybe a scene from a small canyon during a white water rafting trip suits you better?

Anyhow, while scanning the ‘net to see if I had an orignal idea, I found someone else is using the term “blogvel” for online novels, and I tripped across Panoramas on the way.

So, take a virtual vacation for a few minutes and see some pretty cool scenery….like a climb up The Matterhorn or save the 24 hour Quantas flight and the jet lag for another time and see a sunset from the plaza in front of the Sydney Opera House.

BTW, don’t foget to look up and down, too.

Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

I spent last evening ravaging the magazine shelfs, reading several November issues.

I enjoy CPU Magazine and look for that one first during my forays into Borders around the 20 something of the month.

In the November issue of CPU, they had a short article on the Bionic Dolphin. No, it’s not Flipper and Col. Austin merged, but a you can buy it (for $60K) real thing that will do about 55 mph on the surface and also do about 10 mph submerged. Two people sitting in tandem and it can boach the surface and slam back down and keep going.

Update 11/1/2005: Bionic Dolphin on a trailer

I’ll have to start looking for a source of disposalbe income in that range. I feel the same as Capt Hiller (Will Smith) in “Independence Day.”

How about Subsunk and Chapomatic? Thing we can even talk Neptunus Lex into getting one? I think Skippy San could use one as the ultimate babe magnet in the far east, too. Of course, Cdr Salamander would need one…

After a while, we’d have enough for a squadron, then we’d have to put someone in charge of operations. Hmmm…maybe not as much fun as I first figured.

Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

Found on Little Green Footballs Open Thread…

A link to an NRO article on Unconventional Marines

Thanks to MUdville Gazette for the Open Post!

What will those scientists think up next?

How about remote control for humans?

I heard someone on one of the radio talk shows discussing this yesterday and it sounded interesting enough to look up. Later in the evening, it was on another talk show, and the editor of Christian Computing Magazine was talking about the technology. Beyond being able to have your spouse make you get up and take the garbage out, it’s also being looked at as the method by which more realism could be added to simulators, in particular, PC gaming. By making you feel off balance, the sim program could provide the sensation of the movement of the vehicle, complete with the g force acceleration.

I vote for use restricted to simulators, just to curb any impluse by spouses to control their partner….

When this comes around, then Neptunus Lex will know we really get what he’s writing about in this serial web novel “Rhythms.” Part XXXV, the most recent entry is here (in case you haven’t been enjoying this fine work of digital literature).

This AP article is ludicrious.

Let me get this straight, a 60 some year old person is held accountable for the places her parents chose to send her to public school as a teenager?

“Harriet Miers spent her teens in an all-white high school far removed from the racial and social upheaval of the early 1960s, consumed instead with academics, tennis and even a stint as the school newspaper’s assistant sports editor.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m not even 60 yet and I recall I never figured out where I would be at 60 when I was a teenager. I think daily life was a more important issue.

I can just see it. The libs/Democrats figure a conversation something like this SHOULD have happened around a dining room table after dinner one night about 45-46 years ago:

Harriet: “Dad, Mom, I’m concerned. One day, when George Bush nominates me for the Supreme Court bench, that where we are now living, in this way whitebread neighborhood, will significantly limit my understanding of the Constitution of the United States of America, because I haven’t had to live in poverty, and amongst those people who are minorities. Can we move to a low income neighborhood, so I won’t be denied my ultimate purpose as a lawyer?”

Mr Miers: “Sure, we will get right on that. Tonight go up to your room and record this conversation in your diary and remember which one it’s in, so you can save it for when you’ll need to produce it for the Congressional Hearings in 2005. Also, put all your clothes and shoes on bags to donate to the Salvation Army. I’ll take them there tomorrow instead of going to work, then I’ll start looking for a house.”

Mrs Miers: (Says nothing, just beams with delight)

Then consider Bill Clinton, who signed up for ROTC in order to avoid the Draft, but then withdrew, explaining in a letter that it might hurt his future political viability. Then don’t forget, after a number of people vouched for the letter, it disappeared, just like the Rose Law Firm files in the 90’s. So, there you have it: Bill Clinton was working “thoughtfully” towards a long term political life back as far as his college years.

My analysis: Some people just live life, and some work their hardest to manipulate it (evidence: Bill and Hillary Clinton).

My question on relevance of this this all: When does where you have lived make a difference in your ability to read the Constitution and determine how it applies?

Unless the expectation is you will warp the interpretation based on your own life experiences, then it is an irrelevant issue. Judges are placed to read an interpret the law, not to create it, but then…just one more bit of firm evidence on the death of knowledge in this country, and I’m sure the NEA and every liberal is cheering for more ignorance…..

Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

From today’s Open Thread at Little Green Footballs comes a Lego device, that when coupled with a computer can put your Rubik’s Cube back to like when you ripped it out of it’s box…

I’ve been following the whole “bucky” thing since “buckyballs.”

Now, something with very intriguing applications:

A new kind of paper….

I wonder how well it folds and if “paper” airplanes will be banned as potentially really, really dangerous weapons in the classroom…

Wow…who would have every envisioned this happening?

Note to kids still trying to decide what to major in in college: Make a note that easy to make it through majors like Engilsh and History sure won’t help you land a job like the one discussed in the linked article…

Isn’t that interesting??????

The Information Age certainly has it’s advantages for the private business sector, but, as I blogged before, the Government seems to find ways to shall we say “leverage” advances in technology before there is law to regulate some things…call it a fallout of unintended consequences.

I admit, it’s an exceptionally fine balance between safety of the people and the ability to experience freedom, as intended, by our Founding Fathers…..

Anyhow, I just found Space Daily yesterday, and then when scanning the infosphere this morning, I found this article…..

Just stash it in your memeory banks for another time.