E-Catalogue Search

New Assignment at work – I’m looking into electronic catalogues. I have started my research and found that most of the products out there do a good to great job of making your content dynamic, but no one seems capable of managing the process of taking orders with much sophistication. Everyone is building tools for consumer access… maybe we are unique, but I doubt it. We need a robust tool that will allow our sales forces to work a catalogue and process a substantial order from it. Not onesy-twosee stuff, a real order.

Anyone out there have some suggestions?

The Crisis of Credit – Worth checking out

Someone passed this on to me at work. Its a brilliantly simple film by Jonathon Jarvis to explain the credit crisis. Whether you understand the back story or not… this is very interesting to review.

The Crisis of Credit

Facebook Friend… real friend?

So I have joined Facebook. I resisted this for some time, but was finally coax into doing so because my high school alumni association set up a Facebook Group as the resource for planning our 25th reunion. I went to our 15th and actually had a good evening… aside from realizing how many people in my graduating class had died already (truly a strange moment as we collectively started adding up the names). I am somewhat anxious to attend this event. Ignoring how cliche it is to say… but whoa! time flies! Anyway, I am now a member of the Facebook community. So far it has been interesting as each day someone from my past or a friend of a friend asks to be by facebook-friend – all in all good for you ego as long as you don’t think about it too much.

If you think about it too much, you can’t help but wonder if any of these people actually care at all about you… and truth be told whether you care about them at all. I can see some value in this though. I have watched my wife rebuild connections to old friends who were, for all intents and purposes, almost lost to her. I have been exposed to daily updates as friends of ours toured Japan. It was a very interesting way of experiencing their travels. It helped that he was a great photographer and posted dozens of photos daily.

Certainly some good can come of this I think. It is a bit of a time-suck however. This little blog can be time consuming as well but it gives me a chance to write and feel ever so slightly more creative. Good night!

7 Things you don’t need to know about me

So it appears that the blog-gauntlet has been thrown down by my neighbor and friend Richard. Richard recently posted “7 things you don’t need to know about me” and has tagged a few friends/co-workers to do the same. I am not certain what the origin of this challenge is, but always being game to participate… here goes nothing.

(1) I love to Fish. As long as I can remember fishing has been part of my summers (and occasionally my winters). Some of my fondest memories are of heading up north in Quebec or down to New York State for fishing weekends with my two brothers and my dad. These were always tame gentile affairs, rarely real “outdoorsman” excursions, but there were always fish and BBQ’s and late evenings talking about the ones that got away or where we should go in the morning. More recently I am focusing on fly fishing, but the thrill is still the same. I love the quiet. I love the challenge. And I love the feeling of a tight line… be it in a river on a delicate fly rod or in a big lake on a stiff pike/musky rod. (2) I like footwear. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but its true. Unlike many men I have no problem understanding why women love shoes (stereotype admittedly, but they usually have an origin in reality). I love “equipment” shoes for running, cycling but I also really like dress shoes and casual shoes. I am certain I will own a pair of Fluevog’s one day. I already own a few pairs a Vans and if I can muster the courage I will get a pair of Creepers (like the old days). (3) I am building a kayak… check out my pogress on my Kayak Page. Its something I have always wanted to do and am finally getting started (let’s hope I finish it). (4) I am reading a great book currently called Ideas (from fire to freud) by Peter Watson. Every page is thrilling to go through. It is a long complicated book, but it is incredibly interesting to see how events piece together and effect future generations and societies. (5) I have just finished listening to Gywnne Dyer’s Climate Wars series on CBC’s Ideas and it scares me. You should listen to it. (6) I consider myself incredibly lucky. I have two awesome children and one awesome wife. I am working at a job that I love for I company that I am proud of and though I don’t fish, snowboard, ski or paddle as much as I would like, I do get to do these things occasionally. What’s even better is my kids are starting to enjoy them too. (7) I have the metabolism of a small rodent. I am blessed with a lean physique (some say skinny, I say jaguar-esque). The great thing is I love eating and, to date, I seem to be able to do so as often as I like. Home cooking, restaurants, pic-nics or just snacks. There are few things as enjoyable as having a great meal and better-still lingering for absurdly long times afterwards just talking (until I get hungry again).

I guess I am supposed to challenge others to do the same and tell the world 7 things about themselves. Not being all that well connected in the “blog-o-sphere” I don’t really have others to challenge with this. If you want to, feel free to comment and throw in your own list of things I don’t need to know about you. Ciao.