Archive for the ‘IT Strategy & Management’ Category
We Ought to be in Pictures!
Monday, December 17th, 2012
By Colleen Schuler, e-Management
Argo, starring Ben Affleck (who also directs the film) has received five Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture. The movie also finds its way on our Best of 2012 list.
Aah, movies…gotta luv ‘em. They can be so entertaining and delightful. Somewhat painful too, if you pay full price and get popcorn! But I digress. 
Here are some of the movies, I’ve seen this year (starting with the most recent)…plus some sneak peeks for upcoming flicks.
Argo – Awesome, awesome flick! Based on the true story of six Americans who escaped during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979. Great script, pacing, and tension but humorous too. Suspenseful, even if you know the outcome. I can see why there’s Oscar buzz about this film. Stay through the first part of the credits to see real photos and hear a voiceover by President Carter. 
Marvel’s The Avengers – Oooh, what fun! If you like superhero movies, you’ll love this. Action-packed and full of crowd-pleasing humor. A long movie but it doesn’t drag. Tip: Stay through the credits.
Moonrise Kingdom – A quirky, funny film; thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in 1965 on an island off New England, two 12-year-olds fall in love and decide to run away. And everyone is trying to find them before the big storm hits. Great ensemble cast, with Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Ed Norton.
The Artist – Well, I had doubts about this going in…but I liked it! It’s a silent (well, 99.99% silent!) movie about an aging silent screen actor whose luster is fading at the same time a star is rising for the ingénue that he helped. Really liked the movie’s score, too. The two main actors are delightful but I think the dog steals the show!! 
The Hunger Games –The nation of Panem (once North America) has 12 districts and the Capitol. The districts once rebelled (and lost) against the Capitol; as punishment and a reminder not to rebel again, the Capitol has created the Hunger Games, where 24 “Tributes” (one boy and one girl from each district) are forced to compete against each other—to the death. Action and romance abound! Definitely not for young kids.
Skyfall – If you’re a fan of—Bond, James Bond—movies, you’ll love this. Great action, great villains! Liked the opening number by Adele, too. And Daniel Craig always provides some great eye candy! 
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – Remake of the 1979 espionage thriller based on the novel by John le Carré. Very engaging; you need to pay attention but it’s not as hard as I thought it was to keep track.
The Dark Knight Rises – Not bad for the conclusion of the Batman trilogy, I enjoyed it. Long movie, though, make sure you have plenty of popcorn! Anne Hathaway steals the show as Catwoman.  ½
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – For various reasons, a group of British citizens decide to spend their retirement at an “exotic” hotel and it’s not at all like the brochure! Great ensemble cast – Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy to name a few; also stars Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire. ½
Prometheus – A prequel to the Alien movies, so to speak. Special effects enhanced by a good story that’s more suspenseful than scary.
One for the Money – Oh, I want to cry. If you are not familiar with the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich, let me acquaint you. The novels are laugh-out-loud funny but unfortunately, the movie was anything but. Totally miscast. Save it for when you can see it for free. Or better yet, read the books! 
Current and Future Films
You’ll have to carve out sometime this month to watch all these movies: Life of Pi, Wreck-it Ralph, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Jack Reacher (love the books by Lee Child), Les Miserables, This is 40, and don’t hate me for this – A Good Day to Die Hard (opening in February).
What’s on your ‘Best of 2012’ Movie List?
Do you agree with my ratings above? What other films were hits with you in 2012? What movies are you looking forward to seeing this month and next year?
Tags: 2012, A Good Day to Die Hard, Argo, best of, blog, Colleen Schuler, , Jack Reacher, Les Miserables, Marvel’s The Avengers, Moonrise Kingdom, movies, Ola Sage, One for the Money, Prometheus, Skyfall, Soldier, Spy, Tailor, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, This is 40, Tinker
Posted in Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Gadgets, Information Security, IT Strategy & Management, Lifestyle, Social Media, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »
Maybe It’s Time We Do an “Energetic” Reality Check
Monday, January 9th, 2012
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
The Department of Energy through research and development at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working to improve renewable energy technologies such as wind power that could lead to energy independence for the USA and job creation.
Pretty much everyone knows what the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) do. But how many of us really understand the role of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)? Recently, one prominent political figure talked about abolishing the Department. What’s interesting is the lack of protest from voters regarding the prospect of a country without DOE. Why am I so emphatic about the Department? Well, because the agency is here “to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” In other words, DOE is responsible for energy policy including clean energy innovation, energy conservation, nuclear weapons program management, radioactive waste disposal, and so much more. Did you know that DOE developed the nuclear space power systems which powered NASA’s mission? But wait, there’s more…
Are you sick of the increasingly higher cost of fuel?
Well, I am and guess what? DOE is actually helping to make high energy cost a thing of the past. Did you know that DOE oversees the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—the only national lab for the advancement of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Renewable energy is clean and unlike other forms of conventional power, it never runs out. Renewable energy is great for the economy because it creates jobs and reduces our national dependencies on international sources of energy such as oil. Simply put, the work at NREL leads to commercial applications that may mean more sustainable, green energy that could save all of us money
Are you comfortable with radioactive waste being dumped in your backyard?
Probably not. It’s a good thing we have DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) to keep us safe by cleaning up “the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project and the Cold War.” Since the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Stimulus Bill or ARRA) by Congress, there has been a rigorous debate on whether the Stimulus worked. Well not only is EM’s disposal of radioactive materials vital to our safety, the program office has been highly successful in the implementation of Stimulus projects. According to EM, the program office advanced its “mission to clean up the waste generated during the Cold War, by reducing that footprint by 613 square miles.” Plus, EM ARRA-funded projects put thousands of Americans back to work while giving them new skills that may be leveraged in the future. Did I mention EM completed its ARRA-funded projects ahead of schedule and way under budget!?
Extending a helping hand to low income families.
Last week, DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program announced how the Department is helping families save energy and money. Through this program, DOE has supported the weatherization of more than 750,000 homes of low-income families across the country. According to an article by April Saylor, online content producer, DOE Office of Public Affairs, the program reduced energy consumption up to 35% resulting in an average savings of $400 during the first year.
High-Powered Awareness Check.
DOE’s mission may be murky to some. But from where I stand, the Department’s activities are commendable and relevant. But this blog posting isn’t all about me; what do you think? Should DOE stay or go? How important is energy independence to the future of the USA’s economy? What are you doing to conserve energy?
Tags: clean energy, Dennis Powell, Department of Energy, DOE, , energy efficiency, EPA, IRS, NASA, NREL, Office of Environmental Management, Ola Sage, renewable, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Posted in Corporate, Dining, Economy, Energy, Entertainment, Events, Family, Gadgets, Government, Green Computing, Healthcare, Information Security, Internet/Intranet, IT Infrastructure, IT Strategy & Management, Leadership, Lifestyle, Risk Management, Social Media, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Uncategorized | 18 Comments »
More than a few good…
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
Every year, the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center provides top-notch care to more than 50,000 veterans, plus another 500,000 outpatients. The facility services veterans who live in the greater DC metro area. (Photo credit: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
I grew up a little more than two miles from the Veterans Affairs hospital located on Irving Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. The facility—which falls under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—was responsible for treating many neighborhood veterans who were often full of war stories and who frequented the medical center. I admit that I was kind of jealous of these veterans; not because of their great adventures, but for their access to that “big hospital down the street.” As a kid, I had an obsession with hospitals. (Today, I try to stay as far away from them as possible! Go figure.)
My How Times Have Changed.
Over the past decade, the VA, which runs the VA hospital and serves our veterans, has come under fire. Remember the missing laptops and subsequent security breaches? Allegations of nepotism? The HIV and hepatitis issues linked to contaminated colonoscopy equipment? Or maybe you may recall alleged inappropriate behavior among married executives?
Scandals come and go in the government that’s for sure. But in my opinion, what remains consistent is that most federal workers take their roles as civil servants seriously—especially at the VA. So, I decided to shine the spotlight on the VA and how it makes veterans and their families a little better.
Four Things that Make Veterans Affairs Great!
-
Government Support for Our Veterans. Contrary to some of the bad press the VA has received, the U.S. government financially supports its veterans. The department has the 2nd largest federal budget. (In case you are wondering, the Department of Defense [DoD] has the most funding). The department serves our veterans through three administrations: the National Cemetery Administration (NCA); the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).
-
Taking Care of Our Veterans’ Healthcare Needs. The VHA is responsible for administering healthcare to our veterans. This agency runs medical centers across the country and conducts medical research among other medical activities. The VHA is the largest healthcare system in the country! According to agency statistics, more than 53,000 healthcare professionals serve more than 8.3 million veterans annually.
-
Benefits for the Entire Family. Through VBA, veterans are eligible for a list of benefits such as G.I. Bill for educational and special training assistance, housing loans, and insurance. For instance, veterans who qualify for G.I. Bill benefits can actually get assistance for apprenticeships, on the job training, and college/university education. Better education and training may lead to better jobs and financial security. Check out the G.I. Bill website for inspiring stories regarding how the agency helps veterans and their families meet educational goals and securing financial success.
-
Laying Our Veterans to Rest. The VA also honors veterans through burials and memorials. Did you know the NCA maintains “131 national cemeteries in 39 states (and Puerto Rico) as well as 33 soldier’s lots and monument sites?” Last year alone, more than 8.1 million people visited VA cemeteries. The government has “obligated more than $438 million” for cemetery expansion since 1980. But before you bark at that sum, keep in mind that volunteers gave 366,000 hours to support our VA cemeteries during fiscal year 2010 according to the NCA!
Is the VA perfect?
Absolutely not, given a few missteps of the department and its agencies. However, no agency is flawless. I shared my thoughts regarding the services and benefits the department offers our veterans. Now, I want to hear from you. What are your impressions of how well the VA serves our veterans? What are veterans saying about the VA? In addition to services outlined in this blog posting, what has the VA done to support our veterans?
Tags: affairs, agency, benefits, cemetery, center, Dennis Powell, department, , Family, federal, G.I. Bill, Government, hospital, medical, NCA, Ola Sage, support, troops, VA, VBA, veterans, VHA
Posted in Economy, Family, Gadgets, Government, Healthcare, Information Security, IT Infrastructure, IT Strategy & Management, Leadership, Risk Management, Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
We Have a COOP Plan – Really!
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
By Ola Sage, President & CEO, e-Management
It’s about 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, August 23rd. I’m sitting at my desk eating my delicious homemade lunch of Moroccan style salmon with veggies while I’m squeezing in a quick meeting with my executive assistant before my 2:00 p.m. meeting starts. She steps out of my office for a moment to pick something up from her desk. She returns, takes a seat and is about to begin speaking when in walks the CFO. As he’s walking in, I feel my chair vibrating. I look up and he’s vibrating too! “What is that?” I ask out loud. My brain is trying to catch up with what is happening. I look out the window and see the building moving. The fog begins to clear. As my mind clicks, the CFO yells “Earthquake, everybody out!”
The National Cathedral staff took this picture showing proof of the power of the quake the shook most of the East Coast earlier this week. e-Management’s Silver Spring headquarters were undamaged; but the event taught us ways to improve our COOP plan. What did you learn from the earthquake?
I jump up from my desk, plate in hand and run down the hall (honestly, I don’t remember what happened to my executive assistant… I vaguely remember seeing someone that looked like her whoosh by). As I reach the door to the hallway, I remember I’ve left my purse and cell phone in my office. I run back (really, I did) grab my purse, phone and a bottle of water (who knows, I might need it) and rush back down the hall.
As we make our way down 11 flights of stairs, some people are talking, but generally it is quiet. No one appears to be panicking. As I approach the 8th floor, I realize I’m still carrying my plate with Moroccan salmon. “What was I thinking?” But it’s too late; there are no garbage cans in the stairwells.
Communications down…
About 7 minutes later I’m outside the building. I finish my lunch (yes, I really did) while I start to look for our employees. And yeah, what about that COOP (Continuity of Operations) plan? I try calling our CIO to see if he’s had a chance to send out an SMS message to the whole company about what happened (we’ve actually had two successful test runs using our SMS solution for emergency communications). No luck, all the mobile phone lines are out. When I finally locate him on the other side of the building, he informs me that he is unable to access the SMS server from his Blackberry. Really! So what good is a service if you can’t get to it when you need to?
Ten minutes later…
Building management informs us that we have to move a way from the building as no one is certain what has just happened. Great, I think. We know what to do. It’s in our COOP plan. We have an agreement with a local restaurant that if we are forced to leave our building due to an emergency for an extended period of time, we can use their site as our short term gathering place. Oh, one little problem though, we put the agreement in place several months ago and updated our COOP plan, but just hadn’t gotten around to formally letting everyone know.
Plan B…
So now, we resort to the “find a person, tell a person” technique, asking employees to tell their colleagues to meet us at the local restaurant. It works and we all end up in the same place. Amazing! For the next hour we’re on our cell phones texting our families, colleagues, and friends. Thankfully everyone is okay, including my quite shaken executive assistant.
The building management informs us that they do not recommend returning to the building until they are sure there is no structural damage. No problem! We’re going home.
Reflections…
As I drive home, I think to myself, after all the work we did planning and documenting our COOP plan, why didn’t everything work out the way it should have?
We hope there won’t be a next time, but we’re not waiting. We’re grateful we had the opportunity to learn the lessons we did and we’re making the changes we need NOW.
So…
How did your COOP plan work for you during the unprecedented earthquake that rattled the eastern part of the US this week? What did you learn and what will you do differently? What will you tell generations to come about the earthquake of Summer 2011?
Tags: Blackberry, communications, continuity of operations, COOP, DC, earthquake, emergency, Mineral, mobile, Ola Sage, plan b, Silver Spring, sms, Virginia, Washington
Posted in Corporate, Government, IT Strategy & Management, Leadership, Risk Management | 6 Comments »
Human Evolution vs. Technology Advancement…And the Winner Is?
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
By Rick Gordon, e-Management
Touch-screen tablets are the latest in the swift evolution of computer technology for consumers. But what does the future hold? Will computers someday rule over humans?
What is evolution? Well, Darwin’s theory of the origin of species acknowledges that species have changed over time to adapt to their environment. To take this information and form a conclusion about the existence or activity of God is natural, and in my opinion a worthy discussion, however, the problem is that so few are able to distinguish between what is science and what is religion/philosophy. Personally, I feel that science and religion are compatible when people understand that each occupies different domains. Science attempts to describe what is, and religions gives meaning and understanding to what is. Science is based on observation. Whereas religion/philosophy is grounded in inspiration. They should not exclude each other, but rather keep each other in check, as Einstein once said: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” The reason this is germane to the conversation is that it is impossible to examine the direction of human evolution without questioning the meaning behind it.
Now on to Technology…
Evidence of human technology goes back some 2.5- 2.4 million years. But aside from simple stone tools, the evolution of technology remained fairly slow, until about a hundred or so years ago with the birth of the industrial revolution. Within that time, we have gone from riding horses to flying in jet aircraft, from exchanging ideas via messenger to a world wide web of electronic communication. I believe the sudden growth of human technology is linked to changes in our culture and societies that allow for free time to come up with new ideas, and also a culture that better exploits innovation.
Living Technology
Now some would argue that technology is not alive and that you cannot look at it in the same way as human evolution, but I beg to differ. Technology has all the aspects of early life. It moves, it interacts, and it changes over time to adapt to its environment. Yes, I am saying that the evolution of the phone for instance, from the early wired box in the center of town to the modern cell phone carried by all , is comparable to the evolution of human beings. For instance, from early primates to modern Homo sapiens. I am saying that the diversity of iPhone apps is comparable to diversity of finch species in the Galapagos.
Technology Evolution Has One Advantage
Technology does not have to wait for the birth of a new generation to try out new ideas. In biological evolution a species reproduces, and with that reproduction comes some change, either an emergent characteristic as a result of a new combination of genes, or through mutation. Those changes are tested by surviving in nature and those that survive become the latest model. With technology new ideas can be tested in the laboratory and new innovation can be added directly to existing models. The biological equivalent would be if we were able to get new genes as new ideas came about for making us better.
Biology is Technology
Think of biology as advanced chemical machines. Currently we are going through a convergence of these two technologies, biology and human technology. We have done simple things like upgrade a hip to titanium implant, and we have done extraordinary things like the Cochlear implant that gives hearing to the deaf, or the retinal implant that offers sight to the blind. We have even done profound things like using stem cells to grow human heart valves.
Technology has taken only a hundred years to reach the level where it can make a human eye and clone a sheep, compare this to the millions of years biological evolution took to do the same. Biology is currently superior to the technological alternative. But given the pace of technological evolution, it won’t be long before the human made eye is superior to the biological one, and it won’t be long until technological evolution replaces biological evolution, and we become indistinguishable from our technology.
Technology to Overthrow Humanity
The idea of technology taking over is not new, we seen the idea explored in movies like the Terminator, and the Matrix. However, the reality is that unless we make an effort to control technology the take-over will be more subversive. Humanity will simply wake one day to find that it has become more machine than biology, and more slave than master. In the wake of technology, all other biological life maybe lost. We are currently living in a period of mass extinction, the fastest one in the history of the planet, a mass extinction that is driven by human technology. Now this is where religion/philosophy may need to give meaning and value to world and humanity as we now know it; so that we may preserve the best of it; so that those immortal techno-creatures of the future, as portrayed in the 2001 Steven Spielberg movie A.I. may have human souls, to go along with their transistor driven hearts.
So Am I on the Right Path?
What do you think about the idea of human technological evolution? Can it be stopped? Should it be stopped?
Tags: artificial intelligence, computer, Darwin, , evolution, humanity, philosophy, Rick Gordon, Steven Spielberg, technology, The Matrix, The Terminator
Posted in Entertainment, Internet/Intranet, IT Strategy & Management, Lifestyle, Social Media, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
|
|
