June 7, 2019
Panorama: Ocean and Beach
Panorama of Ocean and Beach.
Made it look the the ocean is in between the beach.
Love the "special effect."
Feels a little like Moshes who led the Israelites through the (Red) Sea.
Anyway, nice to get away a little and see life through a different lens. ;-)
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 6, 2019
Amazing Cuban Art
They treated us like royalty and gave us a personal guided tour of two buildings filled with works by Cuban artists still at home in Cuba and here in exile.
This was better than many museums that I've been too.
I just want to thank the gallery owners and our guide for a wonderful showing and tell them how impressed we were with the art there.
Even while the Cuban people are repressed by their dictatorial leaders, there is so much of interest in Cuba: from their colorful colonial architecture to their cool "oldie cars", renown cigar smokes, some pretty talented artists, and I'm sure much more.
Cuba is only 485 miles from the USA!
I pray for the freedom of the Cuban people. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Amazing Cuban Art
June 5, 2019
Swimming In Florida
Hit the swimming pool.
About to do my laps.
I got my gear and ready to rock and roll.
Please G-d, we'll spend the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (commemorating when we got the Torah) together here as a family.
What more can I ask.
Happy and grateful. ;-)
(Source Photo: Dossy Blumenthal)
Swimming In Florida
June 4, 2019
Wig and Taped Mouth
Aside from the disheveled hair covering her head and half her face.
You can see that her mouth and nose is taped over with clear masking tape!
Clearly she looks like she has been abused or worse, and the image is that she can't even scream for help.
Why anyone would advertise women's fashion in this misogynist way should be beyond all of us.
There are a lot of crazy nuts out there.
This photo is a small reminder of what we face in terms of ugliness in this world.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Wig and Taped Mouth
June 3, 2019
Finding Our Innerspace
Innerspace
There is outer space.
And there is innerspace.
Outer space is the universe, the cosmos, the galaxies, the solar systems, the stars, and the planets--it's the big picture of what is all around us.
Innerspace is the our soul, conscience, thoughts, feelings, who we are, and what we're all about--it's the infinity of what makes us up and what's inside each of us.
The perspective is infinitely big as we look upward and outward to the heavens, and infinitely small as we zoom inside ourselves to the subatomic levels.
The innerspace makes me think of mindfulness, meditation, and finding purpose, meaning, truth, and inner peace.
Our search for self is really the intersection of outer- and innerspace.
We are but a speck of dust and yet we have the power to do such immense good.
It's a contradiction that is so powerful--for who are we that G-d is mindful of us and cares for us and gives us the power to choose good from evil.
Yet that is exactly our world and our place in it--and this is where we find innerspace in all of outer space. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Finding Our Innerspace
June 2, 2019
Kosher Cheeseburger, Finally
I keep kosher.
And we don't mix milk and meat together.
Tough watching all the fast food commercials from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, and more.
So lo' and behold, my surprise when they introduced the kosher cheeseburger.
It uses the Impossible Burger made from plants--and it's advertised as having more protein, less fat, no cholesterol, and fewer calories than meat.
So we got two bags of food from Goldberg's bagels.
One bag had breakfast with bagels and egg salad.
The other bag had the kosher cheeseburgers for lunch (after the morning's activity)
We ate the egg salad bagels and they were good.
But we were really looking forward to the cheeseburgers.
Finally, after all these years of waiting...
But what happens, Dossy threw out the garbage from breakfast and...
She accidentally threw out the Impossible Burgers with it.
So when we got back to the car, salivating for the cheeseburgers...
We look in the front, in the back, in the compartments--and nothing!
It's gone! It's all gone!
No freakin cheeseburger for me.
Not then, not now, and I'm afraid not ever. :-(
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Kosher Cheeseburger, Finally
June 1, 2019
Harassholes Y'all
It says:
Stop Harassholes Y'all
Not bad.
Harassment plus as*holes = Harassholes.
Thank G-d, there are some very good people and managers out there.
But unfortunately not everyone is, and so there are also some real stinkin' abusers too.
These types of people should never be in power, since they misuse it!
They do not use the power they have been entrusted with to advance progress, and do good for the organization and its people, but rather they clumsily wield power for their own selfish, personal pleasures and vendettas--bullying and harassing others--and simply because they can.
Belittling others, making them feel stupid and worthless, and then going after them for whatever they want.
Through intimidation, they keep others from talking...shhh! hush!
Emotional, verbal, and even physical abuse can be common.
I remember one colleague telling me how their boss would literally throw things at them in their office while they had to sit there "taking it."
Another has a boss that makes them do the stupidest, most trivial tasks--completely worthless stuff--just to prove a point...that they're in charge.
Marginalization, threats, bullying, abuse, harassment...it goes on and it shouldn't!
In some cases, the harassholes are even protected from someone above.
Money, power, honor...more, more, more!
But G-d sees these people too and eventually cuts the bad ones down to size.
My father used to say:
G-d does not let any tree grow into the heavens!
Eventually, I am pretty sure that harassholes end up getting some very BIG hemorrhoids or something from above that teaches them to use G-d's gifts for the good, and to properly love, care, and empathize for other human beings--G-d's children!
I never knew why hemorrhoids existed in this world, but there is a purpose to everything under the heavens. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Harassholes Y'all
May 31, 2019
Tie Dye Hammock
It's called "DoubleNest," so I guess that means it fits 2 people.
So open, colorful, and inviting to rest and relax in.
Sillily, the store only carries the hammock and not the stand...so good luck with that.
Also REI clumsily filled this gorgeous hammock with Nalgene bottles--on sale 30% off!
Uh, if you make even the nicest stuff look like junk for storage, you're not gonna get the brand image you want.
Anyway, the hammock was awesome! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Tie Dye Hammock
May 30, 2019
Hungry Pac-Man
Pac-Man eating the dots/pellets and going for the ghost.
The classic arcade video game from 1980s still speaks volumes.
Pac-Man is goal-oriented and hungrily eat the pellet pieces, but if the ghosts touch him first then he's toast (or at least one of his 3 lives are).
Not so different from real life...
We try to reach our goals, by taking one bite at a time until we "eat the elephant."
But if those people who are naysayers, haters, Debbie Downers, and obstructionists, get to us first, then we can not only lose momentum, and but also eventually be forced to divert or miss out on achieving our goals.
Ghosts aren't hollow friendly creatures, but those who want to stop progress, stop you, and maybe even end your pellet-eating life.
You need to eat the super "power pellets" to overcome and eat the ghosts.
Eating all the pellets can be a herculean task requirement strength, resourcefulness, and determination, but that's what takes you to the next level in the game of life. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Hungry Pac-Man
May 29, 2019
Beautiful People
Obviously, she has a disability, but I was so impressed with her.
She had this cute dog sitting on her lap while in her wheelchair.
And the wheelchair had this awesome colorful mosaic in the wheels.
She seemed to be with family that loved her.
They stopped to stay hello and permitted me to take a photo.
I was so inspired by them.
There are truly beautiful people in the world and they make the world a wonderful place for all of us. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Beautiful People
May 28, 2019
Robots In Rockville
Had some fun driving around this cool little Robot in Rockville Town Center.
I like to try out the latest gadgets.
It's funny people's reactions when they see these.
They're still not quite sure what to make of these.
Robots on the street.
Drones overhead.
Submersibles in the water.
Soon they will all be autonomous, ubiquitous, and essential.
And people will be the side attraction. ;-)
(Source Video: Dossy Blumenthal)
Robots In Rockville
May 27, 2019
May 26, 2019
May 25, 2019
Sizing Fashion And More
There is an obesity problem in the U.S.
But the statistics in terms of the typical sizes of fashion (for women) has been "largely" overlooked.
The biggest size most fashion brands even bother to sell is: 12
"Only 7% of womenswear stocked at multi-brand retailers is a size 14 or above."
But the average American dress size is between between 16 and 18!
The typical runway model is size 2.
BTW, I think men have the same problem with sizing.
There was another thing about measurement in the WSJ today having to do with measuring time.
Day is measured by the earth rotation (on its axis).
Year by the rotation around the sun.
Month by rotation of the moon.
Earth, Sun, and Moon...give us time.
Now we need to take all the wonderful time we have measured and not spend it all eating. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal @Ripley's Believe It or Not)
Sizing Fashion And More
May 24, 2019
The Cave Tree
The Cave Tree
May 23, 2019
MERKAVA IV TANK
I l-o-v-e this incredible tank.
The Merkava IV!
It blows all the others away. ;-)
MERKAVA IV TANK
Alligator Govie
In the courtyard (next to the cafeteria) at work, there is a nice seating area open during the Spring/Summer seasons.
Pretty trees, flowers, and a pond.
In the pond, next to the water lilies, there was a what?
Alligator.
Not a full alligator.
But someone put an alligator's head in to make things interesting.
It's nice at work when people are normal and have a sense of humor.
An Alligator Govie that's what it is. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Alligator Govie
May 22, 2019
Take Responsibility
Responsibility: At the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start to be successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren't where you want to be, you will always be a failure. - Erin Cummins
While I agree that we have to take responsibility for our lives and do the work hard to achieve success, at the same time, we obviously aren't in control of everything.
We have to play the hand we're dealt in life and make the very best of it. Whatever challenges that we have, they are there for us to learn from, grow from, and become better human beings from.
Also, success means different things to different people--for some it's money, power and honer; for others it's physical fitness and dashing good looks; still some care more about travel, experiences, partying, and having a good time; and yet for others it's about G-d, family, country, and good deeds.
Whatever we want to achieve requires dedication and hard work from our end, but also a generous dose of prayer and good fortune for "the stars to align." ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Take Responsibility
May 21, 2019
Nightmares All Night
HBO has done an excellent job with showing what happened.
Maybe too good...I was up with nightmares all night.
Last night's episode 3 showed in gory detail the initial causalities from the facility and first responders suffering with acute radiation syndrome, and was completely horrifying.
In the end, the people were in unimaginable pain and were left as mounds of decomposing flesh from the cellular degradation rather than recognizable human beings.
(The photo here was just a precursor to that end state.)
The ultimate death toll has been estimated at between 10,000 and more than 100,000.
The effects of the the radiation was described in the show as like trillions of bullets penetrating everything it comes in contact with for the next 50,000 years.
So far we've had Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2012)...OMG, let's hope and pray that we don't have any others, because this was truly looking at hell on earth. ;-)
(Source Photo: Official Trailer here)
Nightmares All Night
May 20, 2019
May 19, 2019
@IsraelFest By Andy Blumenthal
Singing competition @IsraelFest.
A little of Yom Ha'atzmuet and Eurovision combined.
(Source Videos: Andy Blumenthal)
@IsraelFest By Andy Blumenthal
The Goliath Arab Propaganda Machine
It has been 71 years since the founding of the modern State of Israel, and while Israel is thank G-d strong militarily, it continues to be seriously threatened by a relentless Arab propaganda war, which they are winning. This War of Words manifests itself on college campuses, protests and rallies against Israel, “progressive politics,” BDS, and the endless stream of anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations.
Please G-d, He will help us not only militarily to defeat the enemies of Israel, but also to prevail in the battle for truth and justice, identity and history, and ultimately for the Promised Land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ;-)
(Source Photo: here with attribution to Ruediger)
The Goliath Arab Propaganda Machine
May 17, 2019
A Good Father
In my dream, I was looking at this ledger.
And at the top of the ledger, it said:
"A Good Father"
I understand that good didn't mean like good vs. great, but rather like good vs. evil in this universe.
Beneath it, there were lists and lists of signatures of people who knew my dad.
Their signatures were an attestation that he was not only a good dad, but a good and righteous person.
I remember in the dream his presence was there with me as I looked at the ledger.
Then there was an astoundingly bright light that I was basking in.
Now I could feel I was in the presence of the Master of the Universe.
I looked up to the center and most intense part of the light, and lifted my arms upward in complete supplication to it...towards G-d.
And I felt myself crying out to G-d, and as I cried out louder and more intensely, I was transported back--whooshed through a tunnel at light speed...to awaken from this incredible dream.
Unlike most dreams, this one I remembered and it stuck with me even days later now.
My dad was truly a great father and a great man!
I am grateful to Hashem for letting me see him this week, and I miss him greatly. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
A Good Father
May 16, 2019
Longest Hair
No, not to the shoulders, not to the mid-back, not even to the tush.
This went almost all the way to the floor.
It reminded me more of a maim on a horse than of the typical hairdo of a person.
Anyway, this must be nasty to take care and keep clean.
Also, can't imagine having that much hair pulling on my head all the time.
In Judaism, we say that hair is the crown of a person and it is something that especially women keep modestly when married.
So while hair is nice and beautiful, you can definitely have too much of even a good thing. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Longest Hair
May 15, 2019
Success Anchored in Function AND Beauty
"It has always been a principal of our company that function and beauty are inseparable."
If you can make something useful and attractive--you have a real winner!
Companies like Porsche and Apple get it (many, many others are clueless).
Product development is both art and science and therein lay the foundations of their success or failure. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Success Anchored in Function AND Beauty
May 14, 2019
Wow Stylish Shoes
The gems and colors are really standout.
It's relaxed and happy.
Ladies, this one is for you. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Wow Stylish Shoes
May 13, 2019
Dragon Power
Dragon Power
May 12, 2019
Pu Pu Platter @David Chu's
In addition to my favorite, Sesame Chicken, Dossy ordered the Pu Pu Platter.
2 BBQ Ribs
2 Teriyaki Beef
2 Spring Rolls
2 Frieds Won Tons
2 Chicken Toast
(Thankfully, there was no poo in the pu pu!)
All this Kosher Chinese food, had me craving a Coca Cola afterwards like it always does.
Then we stopped at Market Maven, which replaced Seasons that went bankrupted last year.
Overall, a nice family day that I am so grateful for to Hashem! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Pu Pu Platter @David Chu's
May 11, 2019
Mother's Day Trump Mug
I knew she would love it.
- She's a great mom, terrific, beautiful, fantastic.
- Other moms, total disasters, everyone agrees.
Trump says it best.
Happy Mother's Day! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Mother's Day Trump Mug
May 10, 2019
Who Is Occupying Whom?
- Palestine was never a state, nor one ever administered by Palestinians.
- Israel is not occupying any foreign sovereign’s land, so it cannot legally be considered an occupier.
- There was never any partition plan accepted by the Arabs or implemented, so Israel is not occupying anything.
- It is Israel that has continuously opened itself to the Arabs as citizens and settlers, while the Arab countries have rejected their own Arab brethren and exiled their Jews.
Who Is Occupying Whom?
May 9, 2019
@National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
So good today to visit the NIST Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE).
The cybersecurity solutions developed are aligned to the well-known Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).
Got to see some of the laboratories, including demonstrations for securing the Healthcare and Energy Sectors.
Interesting to hear about examples for securing hospitals records and even things like infusion pumps.
The medical devices are tricky to secure, because they are built to potentially last decades and are expensive to replace, but the underlying technology changes every couple of years.
Also, learned more about securing the energy sector and their industrial control systems.
One scary notable item mentioned was about the "big red button" for shutdown in many of these facilities, but apparently there is malware that can even interfere in this critical function.
It is imperative that as a nation we focus on critical infrastructure protection (CIP) and continuously enhancing our security.
Time is of the essence as our adversaries improve their game, we need to be urgently upping ours. ;-)
(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
@National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
May 8, 2019
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) @JCC Rockville
Brave, strong, and dedicated to the survival of Israel.
May their memory be a blessing!
Also a beautiful video my daughter, Minna sent to me.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) @JCC Rockville
May 7, 2019
Really Highest Quality
Vendor is selling jewelry on the corner (outside the Metro).
They're advertising:
Products Of The Highest Quality
But would you even expect to get the highest quality jewelry off the street.
As nice as these products may be (and he may be), I don't think anyone would really believe this.
So while the ad grabs your attention and makes you look, it doesn't make you believe.
Advertising and branding has to be credible to reach their intended audience or else it'll just come off as fool's gold. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Really Highest Quality
May 6, 2019
America, Who Are Our Real Friends?
This is what Israel, a longtime and proven true friend and ally of the United States does:
Iranian Plot on U.S. Possibly Thwarted Due To Israeli Intelligence.
These are perhaps the types of things that non-friends of the United States do:
- Attacks pro-Israel congressional representatives as having "dual loyalty."
- Blame the U.S. for the crisis in Venezuela and back Socialist dictator Maduro.
- Falsely blame the U.S. for killing thousands in Somalia.
- Crassly describe the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S. as "someone did something."
- Mock the U.S. for fearing terrorists, Al Qaeda.
- Defend hundreds of indiscriminate terror missile attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas.
- Urge the release of jailed terrorist leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- Condemned by the House of Representatives for anti-Semitism.
- Attacks credibility of U.S. for criticizing Iranian human rights abuses.
(Source Photo 1: Jerusalem Post / Photo 2: Facebook)
America, Who Are Our Real Friends?
Wrong Direction--Who Stands For The Truth?
A wife is listening to the radio and she hears that a car is dangerously going in the wrong direction on the highway.
Immediately, she calls her husband to tell him about the car going in the wrong direction, and to be careful.
He husband replies: One car going in the wrong direction...there are hundreds of cars going in the wrong direction!
How true this little story is about life and what direction we choose for ourselves--in the face of the groupthink and the tidal wave of public opinion that will sweep you away if you aren't strong of mind and especially of character.
Whenever we choose the road less traveled, others see us as dangerous and going the wrong way.
Yet to us, others may just be following blindly, and we may truly see something that everyone else is missing...could it possibly be that they are really the ones going the wrong way!
But there is always some doubt in our minds...we are fallible, we can wrong, we can be crazy.
Whose truth is it anyway--Mine? Yours? Or could it really be "The (objective) Truth"?
Alternatively, maybe we just lack confidence or courage?
It is very hard to be the nail that stands up (and doesn't get hammered down) and say that something is wrong and everyone should pay attention and change direction or their ways.
Perhaps, they are all heading off a moral cliff or just heading towards disaster.
In some cases...
We know the agendas of the people who want to steer you wrong.
We hear the propaganda and lies they are feeding you.
We can see down the road or just around the bend where the danger lies in wait.
- Can we stand up to the crowd?
- Can we demonstrate the moral truth?
- Can we get others to see what we see?
It is certainly not easy to be the contrarian in the crowd.
Not only may you not be recognized for what you are doing, but you may even be persecuted for it.
It doesn't matter...
Because you need to do it anyway just because you know deep inside that it's the right thing to do. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Wrong Direction--Who Stands For The Truth?
May 5, 2019
I Watch With Terror The Rockets Fly
I watch with terror the rockets fly.Please pray for the peace and security for Israel. ;-)
The plumes of white smoke in the sky.
Randomly, randomly where will they fall.
A car, a home, a factory, a kindergarten.
The shrapnel penetrating the flesh of its victims.
The rockets do not know the difference,
Between military and civilian, men and women, children and old.
(Source Photo: Reposted here in video by Israel Foreign Affairs Ministry)
I Watch With Terror The Rockets Fly
May 4, 2019
Getting The Biggest Bang For The Buck
One tool that I really liked from the class was the Impact-Effort Matrix.
To determine project worth doing, the matrix has the:
Impacts (Vertical) - Improved customer satisfaction, quality, delivery time, etc.
Effort (Horizontal) - Money, Time, etc.
The best bang for the buck are the projects in upper left ("Quick Wins") that have a high impact or return for not a lot of effort.
In contract, the projects that are the least desirable are in the lower right ("Thankless Tasks") that have a low impact or return but come at a high cost or lot of effort.
This is simple to do and understand and yet really helps to prioritize projects and find the best choices among them. ;-)
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Getting The Biggest Bang For The Buck
May 3, 2019
What Are The Chances for IT Project Success?
In one of the class exercises, one of the students presented something like this bell-shaped distribution curve in explaining a business case for an IT Project.
The student took a nice business approach and utilized a bell-shaped curve distribution to explain to his executives the pros and cons of a project.
Basically, depending on the projects success, the middle (1-2 standard deviations, between 68-95% chance), the project will yield a moderate level of efficiencies and cost-savings or not.
Beyond that:
- To the left are the downside risks for significant losses--project failure, creating dysfunction, increased costs, and operational risks to the mission/business.
- To the right is the upside potential for big gains--innovations, major process reengineering, automation gains, and competitive advantages.
This curve is probably a fairly accurate representation based on the high IT project failure rate in most organizations (whether they want to admit it or not).
I believe that with:
- More user-centric enterprise architecture planning on the front-end
- Better IT governance throughout
- Agile development and scrum management in execution
that we can achieve ever higher project success rates along the big upside potential that comes with it!
We still have a way to go to improve, but the bell-curve helps explains what organizations are most of the time getting from their investments. ;-)
(Source Graphic: Adapted by Andy Blumenthal from here)
What Are The Chances for IT Project Success?