Clarke Ching - Split Infinitives and Beyond.

Am I still ...

Our 3 year old turned 4 last monday.

The first thing she said when she woke up on Tuesday was, "Dad. Am I still 4?"

My wife thinks that kinda thing is cute.

Clarke Ching - www.clarkeching.com +44(0)7920114893
- Author of Rocks Into Gold - www.RocksIntoGold.com - and, coming soon, Rolling Rocks Downhill, a business novel.

Google Movies bug - or feature?

I like to go the movies every-so-often and before I do I check Google movies to see what's on.  For years I've been confused by something: it lists the cinema in Livingston first, then the cineam in Falkirk, even though I've always been 90% sure that the Falkirk cinema is closer.  [I've set the default viewing order to the distance from my postcode.]

I just checked it out using Google maps and I'm right.  Falkirk is about 20 minutes away (8 miles) and Livingston is about 30 mintes away (12 miles).  I'm guessing that they only use the first digits of my postcode - i.e. eh49 rather than eh49 7pl. 

It's not important.

Plural of Nemisis?

What's the plural of nemisis?  Nemisises?  Nemini?  Nemi?

This just came up in discussion and someone said they thought that, by definition, you could only have one nemisis, the question was rediculous.

But what if you had a nemisis at work AND a nemisis at home (let's assume it's your neighbour, not your husband or wife or child) and those two met on a social occassion ... how do you refer to them both in plural form?

This is important.

Typepad editor sucks

A few months ago Typepad (my paid-for blog host) changed the editor you use to compose a blog post like this.

It really sucks. It's hard to use. It's slow.  It's awkward.  It's buggy.  And it's irritating the bejasus out of me.

It makes me feel like dumping typepad.

zombies

According to the Telegraph, Canadian scientists have used mathmatical models to show that, if they existed, zombies would probably wipe-out humanity.

The article is (honestly) worth reading and although most of the comments are worthless and irritating, I did like this one: "'Im counting on an unforeseen alliance of ninjas and pirates to save the world"

Interview with Jim Highsmith

InformIT has just published Israel Gat's [very interesting] interview with AgileThinker Jim Highsmith.

Well worth 5 minutes of your time.  I'm off to order Jim's new book.

Ice cream

I had some icecream last night for dessert.  It was nice.

It was the first time I've eaten icecream in 10 years.

Mark Woeppel's latest white paper

I've just downloaded Mark Woeppel's latest white paper.  It covers the synergy gained when combining TOC, Lean and Six-Sigma.  I haven't read it yet and I don't have time to just right now so I can't comment beyond saying that Mark is a brilliant thinker and writer and he hasn't failed me yet.

Finish More Projects!

Johanna Rothman's latest book Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects is out.  It's a good book; both thoughtful and practical.  Go take a look.

How We Test Software at Microsoft

Have you read this book?

http://www.amazon.com/How-We-Test-Software-Microsoft/dp/0735624259

Can you recommend it or an alternative?