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Monday, February 17. 2014

Two great Americans

I am not referring to Washington and Lincoln, two very fine and important fellows and the latter was a politician (who brought about America's most horrible and probably pointless war, but that's another subject). It's about two other shapers of American life and I admire both of them.


Is today a holiday? Not for me. My team will be in the office until midnight at least, preparing a big presentation to a client for tomorrow morning. No excuses. We are ordinary Americans, not great ones. We must keep making things happen or we will end up on food stamps instead of on ski trips. That is motivation. You can relax when you're dead.


Dale Carnegie’s influential life


Frank Bunker Gilbreth


Posted by The News Junkie at 11:46 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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Gilbreth named the most elemental step in a process, a "Therblig," the reverse of his name. His influence on surgery is, or was, huge. We studied his work in my surgery residency.
#1 Mike_K (Link) on 2014-02-17 13:03 (Reply)
Gilbreth and Carnegie are admirable leaders and innovators in their era. Lincoln and Washington were both great men, and both were associated with wars that had their share of horrors, but especially the Civil War. It was hardly pointless however, and nobody who truly knows and loves America can believe otherwise. Shame on the revisionists who argue otherwise.

Why is it necessary to pull an all-nighter to prepare for a client presentation? Sounds like an inefficient team that lacks confidence and focus.
#2 Ed on 2014-02-17 13:24 (Reply)
1. Things would have worked out fine in the end without all of that American bloodshed. Slavery was already obsolete.

2. Because we learned about this excellent opportunity on Sunday afternoon.
#2.1 The NJ on 2014-02-17 13:48 (Reply)
the knock on Lincoln is stupid and your analysis that "slavery was already obsolete" is no less so -- the economics of the cotton gin made slavery profitable. for the record, absent the war, how long did you want slavery to continue?

working late? did you want a pat on the back for doing what's expected of you in any professional environment?

this country's doomed.
#3 wirraway on 2014-02-17 15:03 (Reply)
That comment is uncalled for. I have never supported slavery for heaven's sake, black, white, or otherwise. Gee whiz.

Pat on the back? Always welcome. Just frustrated getting everybody in to work on a holiday today.
#3.1 The NJ on 2014-02-17 16:05 (Reply)
your Lincoln remark was equally ill considered then. if the war didn't start, and then end in '65 slavery might have lasted another generation. utterly and totally unacceptable.
#3.1.1 wirraway on 2014-02-17 16:34 (Reply)
on second thought, I apologize, the comment was out of line. offending remarks should be removed.
#3.1.2 wirraway on 2014-02-17 16:37 (Reply)
Ouch! I came to comments to say "Let's discuss the Civil War" since much of what happened in the congress/senate leading up to it is left out of the history taught in our schools. But...maybe it is too sensitive an issue?
Gilbreath and Carnegie are great representatives of American Ingenuity.
#4 ama on 2014-02-17 17:36 (Reply)
Frank Gilbeth has been a hero of mine since childhood based on his portrayal in Cheaper by the Dozen where he's described as an efficiency expert. It was the first place I'd seen that idea of economy described and I loved it. It's the shower description that I remember! Really, I still think of it occasionally, because I love the ideal
of efficiency.
#5 LP on 2014-02-17 20:52 (Reply)

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