Clarke Ching's Rocks and Snowballs

I've used typepad to host my blog since 2003 or 2004. It used to be great. Now it's mediocre. And the user interface is extremely annoying. They keep trying to turn it into twitter and making it worse for blogging.

Made to Stick ... Popcorn ... hit's UK

If you've read Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick then you'll no doubt recall the story about how cinema popcorn contains huge great globs of saturated fat.  The clever bit was how the story's hero let everyone know just how bad it was in a sticky, unexpected (and rather horrifying) way.  You'll have to read the book to get the details.

I suspect someone in the UK food standards agency has been reading the same story.  Take a look here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article7043136.ece.  This article was on the front page of today's times accompanied, on the inside pages, by the following picture:

 [click for full size - it's a photo of the actual paper]

Now here's the thing: I knew about American popcorn ... but for some reason I was convinced that UK cinema popcorn was much healthier - especially the salty variety which I (as a diabetic) buy.  But, but, but I was wrong. And I had no idea.  

I turns out, btw, that each big popcorn box has about the same calories to 2.5 full bags of these delicious crisps. 

  

Poppendiecks, in Glasgow, May 2010 - 2 day course

Great news!  Adrian Mowat, a long-term AgileScotlander, has been in contact with Mary and Tom Poppendieck, co-authors of the Lean Software Development books.  Between them they've arranged a two day course "Leading Lean Software Development", to be held in Glasgow, this May.

This is a great opportunity.  Mary and Tom are two of the best AgileThinkers and trainers in the world.  They presented one of their first courses here in Scotland way back in 2004 or 2005.  I cannot recommend them highly enough.

See details here:  Download 20may_leading_lean_course

I bought an iPhone

Eighteen months ago I bought an iPhone. Two weeks later I took it back and got a refund coz i found it too tricky to write and edit long emails. Today I bought a new iPhone and it's still not great with long emails but it is consideably better.

I miss my blackberry bold but I do like my new toy.

Mock on fanboys.