Graeme Booth

Graeme hired me about 14 years ago to work as a consultant in the risk management group at Price Waterhouse, which soon became PwC. I enjoyed my years at PwC and learned a lot. I have not seen Graeme very often since I left but always considered him a friend. Out of the blue, I got a call recently from Graeme and his timing was perfect in that I had been wondering how to grow my business and realized I need help. I always consult my brother Stephen on strategic matters, and arranged a meeting for all of us to meet. I then found out that Graeme’s office is in the same building as Stephen. Fate is knocking and I answer by asking Graeme to join me. Graeme not only brings new services to 180 Systems, but he will also be a huge help in marketing all our services. Please welcome Graeme to 180 Systems.

Happy New Year

You have heard the music countless times by John Lennon in his classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”. There are a number of videos with this song available such as the one at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jw-ifqwkM but be prepared to be saddened by all the horrible images. I don’t think John Lennon would have approved of the video. It’s too negative without enough hope (or love). I think the most important message is in the first line of the song, which is repeated – “what have you done?” Hopefully we can all answer this question positively for our small circle of friends and family. However it’s a challenge outside that small circle, and there is so much that needs to be done. I wish you health, happiness and success in the coming year.

Here are lyrics to Happy Xmas (War Is Over):

And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, and a new one just begun.
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun,
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.

And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong,
For rich and for poor ones, the road is so long.
And so happy Christmas, for black and for white,
For yellow and red ones, let's stop all the fight.

A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.

So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, and a new one just begun.
And so happy Christmas, I hope you have fun,
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.

So you think you’re smart

November 28, 2009 from the Globe and Mail – “Bob is in a bar, looking at Susan, who is looking at Pablo. Bob is married. Pablo is not. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?

a) Yes
b) No
c) Cannot be determined

Most people get the problem wrong because they tend to be “cognitive misers” – they put as little mental effort as possible into solving a problem... they quickly jump to a conclusion… If Susan is married, then a married person is looking at an unmarried person (Pablo). If she is single, then Bob, a married guy, is looking at an unwed woman. Either way, the answer to the question is yes…”

180 View – Let’s not be “cognitive misers” when it comes to things that matter.

I believe in you (A Canadian perspective)

You may need to save this PowerPoint file to your computer and then run it to hear the music.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

180 View – If you want to know why you should stay hungry and foolish, listen to the end of this great speech.

Test

Worst Slide Story

180 View – We have nothing to add to this terrific piece of work.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer

In 2008, I spent about a month at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto fighting Multiple Myeloma. Everyone at PMH provided excellent care including the doctors, nurses, volunteers and cleaners. I now feel great in no small way thanks to PMH. I hope to make a small contribution to winning the war against cancer and supporting the wonderful people at PMH.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer Benefitting the Princess Margaret Hospital is a 2-day, 200 km bike ride to raise money for cancer research and compassionate care at Canada’s leading cancer hospital. The ride will be on June 12/13, and goes from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

Please help me make the ride a success by linking to the web site above and supporting the cause.

Thanks

You can’t tell a book by its cover

Here are 2 examples of why you should not judge a book by its cover, a person by their appearance or a system by its marketing material.

Susan Boyle

Paul Potts

Song Around the World

Bob Marley’s music around the world

Centraal Station Antwerpen gaat uit zijn dak!

The sound of music at Antwerp’s Central Station

RICH VS POOR

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'

'It was great, Dad.' 'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked. 'Oh yeah,' said the son. 'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father.

The son answered:

'I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'

Where the hell is Matt?

180 View – At the very least, this video should make you want to dance.

A Violinist in the Metro

A man sat at a Metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced their kids to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most renowned musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. 'It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Something Personal

I (Michael Burns) do most of the work in sending you our newsletter. We did not send our newsletter last month as I was in the hospital for 4 weeks, and have been recovering since then. I am making good progress and have begun working again. Working for me is great therapy as I enjoy what I do.

I have had lots of time to contemplate the universe while not well, and you would think that I would be able to share great words of wisdom. Alas, I can’t tell you anything that you don’t already know such as being thankful for health, family and friends. Unfortunately, most of us are so caught up in day-to-day living that we don’t show our appreciation or spend much time with those people we care about. Most of us will get angry over small things and miss the big picture. Don’t wait for a serious health problem to show your appreciation, and to spend quality time with family and good friends.