MooPig Zazzle Department :: "They don't show the flip side"

T-shirts ...
Re-hashed by Pat Darnell  |  Mar 22, 2013  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK] Reuters/Reuters - A Viking-era woollen mitten found by a shrinking glacier in the mountains of south Norway in 2011 is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Oppland county council March 21, 2013. REUTERS/Oppland county council/Handout

Pre-Viking Tunic Found In Thawing Glacier Shows How Climate Change Aids Archaeology (PHOTO): "Reuters reports that the woolen garment was uncovered in 2011 in south Norway, 6,560 feet above sea level on what is believed to have been a Roman-era trade route. Carbon dating revealed that the greenish-brown tunic was made around the year 300."

'via Blog this'

While Kim and Kanye are naming their baby "NorthWest," while Amanda Bynes is proving her mental state-- unaware of her new reputation, and as Britney S picks up some KFC, archaeologists find a "tunic" in glacier ice.

[Picture LINK] Marianne Vedeler of Norway's Museum of Cultural History shows off a 1,700-year-old tunic used as warm outer clothing, found in the mountains of southern Norway in 2011, in Oslo March 21, 2013. The pre-Viking woollen tunic found beside a thawing glacier in south Norway shows how global warming is proving something of a boon for archaeology, scientists said on Thursday. (Alister Doyle/Reuters)

They don't show the flip-side of the oldest Tunic shirt because ...

... of copy-right issues!!!

__________________________Reference
http://news.yahoo.com/pre-viking-tunic-found-glacier-warming-aids-archaeology-211622382.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/pre-viking-tunic-found-glacier-climate-change_n_2932431.html?ncid=webmail1

Sign of LIFE on MARS !!

MARS Rising
by Pat Darnell

[LINK]
Ancient tablet bears writing, to scientists' surprise
A 2-inch-by-3-inch clay tablet is older than expected — dating to 3,350 years ago — and is found at a site in Greece where researchers did not expect to find writing.

Project X Hurdles forward, Like the Texas Two Step

Unlocking Potential at Project X By Patrick Darnell
Risk Management Integration -- Managing Project Risk and Opportunities

Introduction
This paper introduces the work Project Risk Management Team is doing to analyze and mitigate risks on Project X. Comments are directed to stakeholders of the prototype early completion goal, thereafter continuing production of AMD. Please note unlocking risk is ongoing and determinant, and is supported by Performing Management Organization, PMO, who uses bodies of knowledge to identify, and qualify risks in each of the sub-processes.

Monitoring with tools of comparison, Risk Management will have determined risks most impacting life-cycle and put some heavier tools of quantitative analysis to work. This will have unlocked potential for increased probability and impact of events positive to the project’s realization.

Description: Task Detail
How will you address varied interests of stakeholders when you present your plan? Develop an idea or two for each stakeholder to "sell" them on your plan” (CTUOnline; 2006).

In concert effort scientists in PMO dedicate their efforts to principle that “projects have to meet all stakeholder expectations... [And] Identifying stakeholders is a primary task because all the important decisions during the initiation, planning and execution stages of the project are made by these stakeholders” (E-Coach; 2006).

Because “Projects and project management are carried out in environments broader than that of the project itself” (PMBOK Guide; 2004, p 19) at all times the PMO will:

· Apply basic competencies of project management in understanding and planning for risk
· Use effective, understandable communication techniques.
· Communicate risk effectively to all project stakeholders throughout life of Project X (CTUOnline; 2006)

Mitigating Materiel Substitutions Risk factor discussion relates to:
· Procurement and Resource Stakeholders
· Stakeholders in DOD, US Government Quality, and Expectations of Project X
· Design / build personnel
· Final documentation and Printing

In mitigated response to stakeholders we have looked at scope, budget and time for procurement of certain materiel. We made a Risk Log to identify, qualify and quantify risk of substitutions in metallurgy of the project. This scope risk involves either protecting specifications for the deliverables or reducing scope requirements.

In first two weeks of the Risk Management Plan, PMO gathered much information from supplier stakeholders who had been specified and identified in project design documents. The initial trend in shop drawing checking, PMO was to find, was numerous submittals of substitutions for those resources specified. Articles reviewed specified materials armor steel, stainless steel, and sheet metal manufacturing standards, and testing values.

PMO determined this risk to be immediate, and invited input from those suppliers. Resource stakeholders wanted to know what savings would be realized if substitutions were approved. Also, they wanted all test data on alternate materials in question. Using qualitative technique PMO qualified several non-issue risks. Yet with careful analysis of the inputs, PMO found there to be no significant savings by using substituted materiel in metals.

The PMO mitigated the risk by finding the tests and certifications of almost half of the alternate materials are non-existent, or pending. In interest of stakeholders, PMO suggested to DOD that there be no substitutions in metal resource scope materials. Also, “metrics drive behaviors ...provide information needed to improve processes and to detect when it is time to modify or replace existing” (Kendrick, Tom; 2003). Therefore, all substitutions are subject to metrics discovered in building the prototype.

To our stakeholders of resources and procurement in scope, PMO submits no changes in engineered design drawings in order to preserve anticipated performance, reliability, and effective deployment of AMD. PMO restriction on substitutions reduces time needed to check shop drawings. All risk mitigation will have been included in “as-built” documents.

Controllable and Uncontrollable Communications
This proactive risk discussion is for:
· All stakeholders Note: One special risk generating dynamic affects all stakeholders in Project X Prototype. Because, materials and components of Project X are technologies that were not available just five years ago, communications plays pivotal role in entire project. The systems used to move project communications as pooled interdependencies between manufacturers’ are also interdependent systems in other branches of the DOD, and designed for optimum security available today.

It may be possible to avoid damage to overall planning and budgeting, “if communication knowledge base is consolidated on collaborative level” (Kendrick, Tom; 2003). PMO has put communications on its list of highest priority. Two categories are at stake:

· Communications used in interdependence of workers and supervisors
o New technology requires unanticipated skills
· Communications being tested and installed in the AMD itself
o Learning curve is too high

To compensate for unfavorable communication situations, such as security leaks, PMO is exploring assigning additional staff to avoid later critical path failure. Fortunately those personnel will come from lower priority tasks and will make little impact on budget and human capital.

Also, vendors are providing services to identify those risk areas that could jeopardize due date, assembly and security of Project X. Additionally, a proactive budget reserve has been requisitioned, in effect to add consulting partners introduced for training on the advanced communications testing and installations for Project X communication systems. Those vendors will be found in the listings of companies suitable for “working on these DOD projects” (US DOD; 2006).

At this stage PMO has not determined the risk trigger event, or when residual risk exposure could cause the use of contingency planning or fallback strategy. Most feel stakeholders throughout the project should first become very comfortable with the pipeline of communications in use, and security avoidance enhancements of the IT.

Qualitative survey will follow employee usage to determine further risk avenues. But note security leaks are out of the hands of PMO. Those uncontrollable risks are part of the stakeholders’ responsibilities to mitigate or resolve; “provide prevention or recovery” (Kendrick, Tom; 2003).

Because the far reaching nature of unlikely-to-happen, worst case risk in communications security, all stakeholders must be on high alert throughout manufacturing and assembly all the way to closure. Stakeholders could introduce effective opportunistic incentives for its workers as each increase skill set to include the communications objective.

Customer Relations Management
The stakeholder addressed in this section is the US citizen. The root basis for customer relations in this project is fourfold:
· Avoidance
· Transfer
· Contingency planning
· Passive acceptance

As any process, “any brainstorming process will be effective so long as it is successful in determining conditions or events that may lead to risk” (Kendrick, Tom; 2003) It became more evident in qualitative study that the US clientele is very interested in a passive defense system, land based or otherwise. Since the Star-Wars initiative in the Reagan presidency, the major cause for this type defense has not been fully understood by the larger external stakeholder, the taxpaying US citizens.

Moreover, in initial brainstorming where the risk steering team applied scope, budget, schedule, resource and other root cause descriptors, the ubiquitous stakeholder US citizenry kept coming up. Then in the recent elections of 2004, the legislature was swept with a majority of chair changes. In use of its opinion to act with balance of power, voting public is watching the scale of measured consequences of war more closely than could be predicted. Also, if public opinion sways future defense developments with budget cuts, interruptions, Key contributors will be unable to complete critical activities. The project could be abandoned because technology supplanted the designed systems.

This risk can be mitigated with stakeholders’ providing public access to limited and less secure aspects of the project. Public Tours or internet news releases could help spread out the risk of uncontrollable risks popping up. When elections are held, contributing parties could add urgent support work in CRM. Tom Kendrick begins discussion of Project risk Management: “Far too many technical projects retrace the shortcomings and errors of earlier work.” Macro-risk management of the US citizenry is effective technique to avoid those errors of the past (Kendrick, Tom; 2003).

Loss of Key Personnel
This section addresses the employees who as stakeholders identify skill sets on the project.
Loss of personnel can affect internal workings dramatically:

• Reciprocal interdependence


• Pooled interdependence

According to PMBOK Guide: Quality risk management also is paramount to end-users’ enduring stability. Cross-functioning influences of multiple categorical stakeholders will play heavily in the “acquisition and final use of the war machine developed” (2004).

PMBOK Guide claims the “key stakeholders on every project include:"
· Project Manager
· Customer/ End-users
· Performing management organization
· Project team members
· Project Management team
· Sponsors
· Influencers

Also, as described in section 2.2 PMBOK Guide, the interdependence of the project management and the stakeholders is prevailing, and immediate (2004, p 25-26).

Kendrick has generalized in his book that “Mitigation strategies that reduce probability and impact of potential problems are best described:”
· Good communication
· Using specialists and generalists
· Strong sponsorship
· Continuing user involvement
· Clear decision priorities (Kendrick, Tom; 2003)


The best of class shown here is obviously a list of the risks that have been fully identified in risk management registers. Qualitative and quantitative analysis proves the mitigation strategy. Why mitigate? Most employee involvement is already well entrenched in the internal aspects of projects. Mitigation is a proactive technique that could delay employee attritions, when used by skilled functional managers.

Stakeholders can release through clear communication “unambiguous project documentation that is easily accessible by the whole team. Communication can significantly reduce risk probabilities,” concludes Kendrick (2003).

References

E-Coach (n/d) Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution (2006) by E-Coach, retrieved from the World Wide Web 11-27-06 from 1000ventures com business guide crosscutting project stakeholders

Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, A 3rd Edition (2004) Project Management Institute, Newtown Square, PA

Kendrick, T; (2003) Identifying and managing project risk New York, NY: American Management Association

US DOD; US Department of Defense (2006) Contracts, Retrieved Dec 15, 2006 from defense link mil Contracts Contract 3386

Team Pinpointing Applications: Mission to Vision -- Organizational Change

PISD Queens Middle School
By Patrick Darnell

Many of my classmates have had similar experiences to the following account:

“It was said through out the management ranks that I had a knack for getting my staff to perform well and even a better knack for dealing with guests, especially disgruntled or irate guests. I think my success was due to the fact that I tried very hard to listen to people and tried even harder to understand them in every way possible. This allowed me to get to the root of the problem and solve that problem effectively. Motivating my team depended on me understanding each one of them and how each one communicated and being able to communicate back to them on the same level (Stockwell, Daniel, September 8, 2006).”

The most successful teams I have had the joy of being a part of have, never had anything to do with monetary rewards. When I was between jobs I had the opportunity to cover middle school classes for a brilliant teacher, Mrs. Carte at Queens MS at Pasadena Independent School District, PISD, in Texas. She and husband were having their first baby. She wanted to leave her classes in good hands. What, who; me? At first I was unsure, but as Resource team leader at Queens, she picked me to cover the eight weeks.

Substitute pay is minimal. It turns out the experience with non-mainstream resource middle school students at their level is one of my milestones; major point of reference. Like my classmate Daniel Stockwell, above “I tried very hard in listening to students and teachers, and tried even harder to understand them in every way possible.” I suppose Mrs. Carte in her leadership role realized this upfront. I was able to combine a sense of trust and accomplishment in my communications with my new found peers and fledgling scholars. This was due as we soon learned that I was genuinely interested in knowing about each student, because I wanted my evaluations to be just what the doctor ordered.

I emphasize composed chaos that became our days together in school. Mrs. Carte had pre-determined that I would be successful in maintaining the delicate balance she had worked hard to develop. My intervention skills, that were not even part of my vocabulary at the time, supported the continued academics of the resource students. However, I often say to those who listen that I learned more from my variant youths than could I ever have taught them.

After eight weeks, I became a regular feature at Queens because the other teachers in the resource Department sought me to fill in when they had to be away. Big worries follow resource teachers day to day, because many of the students have very little between them and jail. A teacher being out is a concern; I had become part of the team by offering in some small way support, counseling, representation, personal touch, and sometimes bending of the rules.

The two year long experience led to many different spin-off activities. I want to mention a couple of them. One spin-off was that I found night work, just so I could continue subbing at PISD Queens MS, as part of the resource team. One semester another teacher Mr. Castro and the music teacher Mrs. Wester, and I got together a “Guitar Preservation” group of students. Mrs. Wester had twelve guitars sitting in a closet collecting dust to lend for practice. One hour after school on Thursday, we met to teach some guitar. Someone once said: Build it and they will come. Soon we had many resource students attending our lessons, keeping them off the streets at least that one hour on Thursday.

We faced a harsh ruling when we tried to organize a recital. Though the students were advancing in guitar, they were not advancing in the grades enough to be in a school-sponsored after school program. What a bummer.

After two years I moved to a new job and locale, and the students have been left to others. I sincerely think some of the kids became proficient in music, at least I hope so. If left to our interventions, we would have cut an album, in spite of the academic rules. There was some genuine talent potential in our students.

Was that Organization Development, OD?
Process Interventions are Organization Development, OD, skills that help groups or teams become more effective. Have you found others who have the underlying talents, but lack the skills to synthesize? Do you find in your journeys associates who generalize, but lack the ability to ask probing questions? Probing with query is similar to the “Socratic” method of teaching... that can be very useful in group/ team intervention. The following discussion helps to frame the concept of OD Interventions that can be experienced at any stage in life.

“Support,” through set-a-side surefire blocks of time for workers to participate, and be paid, with their daily specific duties covered, is paramount in sponsoring team intervention activities. Once a company sponsored continuum precedent is in place, workers will bend to the task of dueling in team intervention. Consider: “If the worker never feels confident that his job is not at stake, or being covered by others because he is being punished,” there can be no fruit borne from any interventions.
“Coaching and counseling” is keying personnel in the startup of the process of team intercessions. Without accessible coaches, shyness or white coat syndrome of most team members will impede the proceedings.

“Modeling” is an enormous mission to give the attendees. How in fact is the model to be made; what skills are needed; and to what degree of completion is the model to aspire? Yet, it is the most exciting part of team interventions. The modeling takes away the jitters of sitting around -- perceived as not doing anything. The shift is toward the adult passion of “hands on” learning. Many adults learn fast through experiences. “Knowledge of observations acquired through the senses rather than through abstract reasoning” in adult education most verifies the intervention vision. Targets, ideas, and deadlines in the future will become simpler hands-on modeling for the OD team intervention graduates (Brown, 2006).
Also, modeling can be the project that makes all the team members equal. Managers as involved team members no longer can order, or dictate and ride others. Like everyone in line at the Drivers Licensing DPS counter, each is equal. The Mayor, the Dog Catcher and the Tailor all have to stand in long queuing lines together getting their pictures taken. So it is when the model takes shape in team involvement time; each to each is equally important. At model inception spin-offs are birthed rapidly.

After the top three most important set ups are complete: Support, Coaching, and Modeling, then will the intervention begin to payoff? Team members might experience different sensations when certain issues come up, or when “satisfactory results are highlighted.” Constituents will learn about the sum total of experiences even when unsatisfactory items are suffered and abandoned. “Feedback” starts to spew forth, and individuals find harmony in performances. “Proportionate” solutions begin to emerge out of chaos, and the truer meanings of rules are illuminated, giving finality and later resolve when rules are re-visited (Brown, 2006).

“Agendas are prepared” to allow members of the team to confer, and concur on the mission. With the vision firmly in the minds, agendas depict the learners’ time to work through intervention missions in the lab. Similar to the experiences of my classmates, and my own journey into the unknown regions of me, reporting and discussing progress promotes a long term growth potential for the brave workers (Brown, 2006).
How, you may ask, can a series of tasks completed outside the regular work space be an experience that changes lives? I answer: Benefits for those who are exposed to intervention activities are nothing like “book learning.”

The ruling is in the affirmation, confirmations, and encouragement celebrated after completed tasks. To be exposed to, involved in, or affected by something could be the “most thrilling ride I have ever experienced.” For the less animated, or the less demonstrative: “You might experience a slight tingling sensation in your face; whichever, don't ignore the tingle.”

Summary
Involvement in something over time such as active participation and contribution in an activity, exposure to events, or attention of people over a period of time, leads to an increase in knowledge and skill. “Knowledge of” then leads to “skill” of something gained from being “involved in and exposed to” interventions over a period of time.

References
Stockwell, Daniel: Organizational Change HRM450-0603B-03, September 8, 2006, Phase 3 Discussion Board

Brown, D and Harvey, D (2006) an experiential approach to organizational development, 7th edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ; Pearson/ Prentice Hall

Darnell, Patrick (2006) personal experiences at school, 1990-2006

Opportunity or RisK? Data Mining: Privacy, Compliance and Data Flow

By Patrick Darnell
Managing Project X Opportunities and Risks

Introduction

Use of this Framework for the discovery of Innovation, Opportunity and Risks scan will help in deciding if the supply chain is full, or not, of opportunity and risk for improvements in risk management of Project X:

• Uncover and prepare for opportunities/ risks
• Understand opportunity/ risk
• Identify opportunities/ risks
• Evaluate new products and services
• Assess internal capacities to excel in schedule, assembly and delivery (paraphrased, Power Decisions Group, Inc. Dec 2006)
  Use tools such as:
• Online, wireless local area networking
• Phone, Mail, Surveys
• Hybrid Methods, Focus Groups
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods

"Services for the public are designed so there is one route to perform multiple tasks with different agencies.” Gary Robinson, Washington CIO

Discussion: Opportunities

Several opportunities stand out. The following list is made in hopes that savings can be multiplied throughout the whole Project X.
1. Assembly Revisions
Major Innovations discovered by work teams while assembling the prototypes may qualify as unmistakable revisions in the final builds. Savings from on job discoveries will be touted as major events of opportune and lead to earlier delivery of products, and greater ROI.
2. Internet Technology Advantages
Ripping out the wires and using wireless solutions to fulfill the gamut is today a security and networking management solution industry ideally situated for key providers.
According to a recent survey by Aberdeen Group, '88% of best-in-class service organizations view the connection between the field and back office as a top strategic priority. If your company doesn’t already have some type of communication solution in place — such as calling techs via cell phones or a scheduling and optimization field service data solution — it will soon. But your solution can be more than just connectivity between the field and the office. You can leverage complementary technologies to make the most of your investment" (Chapin, Khristen; October 2006).
3. Supply Chain
Unified just-in-time based delivery of piece parts and hardware can be the biggest opportunity to capture the imaginations of the work teams. In-the-field operations have opportunity to make a wish come true with the mobile voice over internet protocol, VOIP. More efficient onsite comm can boost the delivery of dwindling supplies, and ensure teams' efficiency when at the site of larger re-tools, or do-over’s, with VOIP.
4. Post PERT weighted averages analysis
After meetings to discuss worst case situations of major headings of the WBS, opportunity is abundantly portrayed in scarcity of resources. For instance if the total project is using up next years' entire supply of armored steel, what is available in the next two quarters of the next year. Then the major opportunity is to advise production of this condition. Opportunity does not always have to be dramatic. Many opportunities are simple good turn attitudes.

Discussion: Risks -- Let’s Call this Data Mining

Data mining -- finding gems of insight from sophisticated or basic analysis of your internal databases and WBS, and margin trend data -- is a key part in ...Development & Naming assignments, as well as New Project [Risk Management] Development.
(Power Decisions Group, Inc. Dec 2006)
The search for hidden risk elements is no less a savings when found. A dollar saved is a dollar return on investment. “Simply put, an analysis data mining effort searches for meaning and insight among the stacks of data and related data already within a project management organization. ...Thus, data mining is the search and the use of techniques that squeeze out meaning. Tools include advanced statistical tests and modeling, and the use of neural networks” (Power Decisions Group, Inc; Dec 4, 2006).
Consolidate the risks on a collaborative level and the “business as usual” in government contracts may be sarcasm of the past. Success breeds success in every knowledge base for Project X. Project management juggles expectations of states' and Uncle Sam and finally finds relief from more diverse companies' vying for a slice of government pie. Risk Management no longer means being locked in to particular vendors with only a self interest in pushing their own products, services or securities.
1. No Substitutions if untested, or not certified
In the search for austere methods for procurement of resources, there is a great risk in substituting materials. Testing may not be finished on some materials, or the testing is pending. Sometimes austerity may lead to incomparable solutions. The risk is in compromised performance, reliability and injury.
2. Security is at stake
With information being generated through the pipeline to executives outside the office, the underpinning of earlier wireless LAN was “vulnerable to security breaches and caused enterprises to be leery of the technology” (McAdams, Jennifer; November 7, 2006). McAdams reports: “’We’ve always believed management and security aren’t separate and distinct issues,’ Greg Murphy, AirWave Wireless.”
“’Balancing the needs of security and business-integration requirements is our biggest challenge,’ says Tom Jarrett, Delaware CIO" (Aitoro, Jill R; November 13, 2006). Jarrett says: “As more agencies want to collaborate, the data owners need a higher assurance of data [integrity] and its proper uses” reports Aitoro.
3. State of Distribution
While the state of distribution of products is “fairly status quo,” say the resellers and distributors, there may be hidden under radar, price creep due to fuel prices and other concerns that could bust smaller distributors, and Project X. For instance the often ignored distributors of the cutting-edge technology needed for Project X are not all-that-established. In fact the “up and comers” who provide innovative access to emerging technologies are small specialty distributors. These are the distributors to watch in the early deliverables of the high tech Project X defense systems.
4. Political Winds
“Regardless of what changes come with November elections, states are most likely to adopt proven success models” says Aitoro ...Such as “statewide data-center-consolidation initiatives” (Aitoro, Jill R; November 13, 2006). As government may struggle to appease the many stakeholders “influencing decisions, the change in political favor" is a major risk that could and will change the scope and funding of any federal or state projects. The best way to deal with political wind-shifts is to force the privates sectors to “do their homework, and take more time on risk issues, making for better partnerships” (Aitoro, Jill R; November 13, 2006, p15).
Collaboration by the companies that currently hold contracts, such as “McLean, Virginia based Northrop Grumman, San Diego based Technology Integration Group and Marketware Technologies in Sacramento” can move a project into completion by showing and proving cost savings of 30% in $100 million in contracts by these leading companies. That is a lot of risk management.
The idea is to circumnavigate the “bureaucratic process,” says Clark Kelso, CS CIO. “These were not just some general services that led to some leveraged procurements; we gave all agencies a chance to be involved in designing specifications and programs.” Surely, this will take the large out of the hands of the few.
References
Aitoro, Jill R; (November 13, 2006): By the time... government VAR, Feature, State of the states, P 9-12, GovernmentVAR com

Chapin, Khristen; (October 2006) Integrated Solutions, Three Steps to Field Service Success, retrieved date: 15 November 2006 WesP CorryPub %20PDFs ISM06

Kelso, Clark (November 13, 2006): By the time... government VAR, Feature, State of the states, P 9-12, GovernmentVAR com

McAdams, Jennifer; (November 7, 2006) Ripping out the wires, VARBusiness Tech Advantage Series, VARBusiness, article p 45-50, varbusiness com

Power Decisions Group, Inc. (Dec 4, 2006) San Francisco, Tools & Techniques