Is Hue in Your Future?

This week, I am going to change direction and write about something a bit lighter. With all of the problems our country’s leadership is having, I don’t want to add any more frustration and anxiety onto you.

So this week I am going to write about a new technology that I find it very interesting.

Since Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent light bulb in 1879, not much has changed until recent years. Sure, there have been better and longer lasting incandescent light bulbs in all sizes and shapes but nothing major has happened until recently.

These days, we have halogen, CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), and LED (Light Emitting Diodes) bulbs. The latter is more efficient and longer lasting than any other type of light source, although still expensive, it is being developed for more and more applications within the home.

Some of the new LED lights have wireless capability that can be controlled with a smartphone. Philips came out with a 3-bulb set and its own communicator (bridge) called Hue that can set you back about $200. The bridge can control up to 50 bulbs and each bulb has a unique Web address for communication on the Internet.

Of course that’s a lot of money for three light bulbs but check out the things you can do with them. These LED bulbs can create 16 million colors which you can easily set with your smartphone or computer.

Once you install the app on your iOS or Android device, you can remotely control your home lighting for added security, personalize your lighting experience with custom settings, or program timers to help manage daily schedules. For example, you can turn on the lights just before you arrive home from work. If you're working late or maybe are out for the night, you can simply turn your lights on or off remotely. You can also set your lights to come on at a set time. Perfect if you're away on vacation but you want people to think you're still home!

Here are some more features. The app has several light recipes for different moods. The Relax setting will change the selected bulbs to a soft, soothing glow. The Energize setting will turn the lights to a bright and vibrant color to give you energy boost. The Concentrate setting tested in schools to a tone and brightness that’ll keep you focused and alert.

You can also set your lights to gradually brighten or dim over time. Kids like their lights on at night and you can dim the lights gradually and automatically as they fall sleep.

These bulbs can be turned into any colors with just a click on your smartphone. Imagine changing the colors for various events such as that deep red color for your romantic Valentine dinner or the multicolored perfect for Disco party you always wanted to throw. :)

In my opinion, the coolest thing you can do is to take a picture of anything or anywhere and have the bulbs match that color. If you want the lights match the color of pumpkin for your Halloween, just take a picture of it and have the bulb match it. You can create the lighting to match that beautiful sunset dinner you had on a vacation. Just upload the picture of it and you will have the same sunset in your house.

Is there a Hue under your Christmas tree this year?

To learn more about it see Philips web site at https://www.meethue.com/en-US.

You can also watch this short video about it.

Dealing with Bad News

Yesterday, I heard some news about the new Health Care website which made me disappointed and infuriated. Apparently the government has hired six companies including a lead Canadian Company to build the Affordable Care Act web site for a total cost of $45,000,000! That’s a lot money but unfortunately they have spent over $300,000,000 of our tax money so far and it still has many issues. Ouch!

I think they should have asked an American company like Amazon to set it up as a store on their website which could have been a lot cheaper and faster. :)

But kidding aside, we get a lot of news every day that is upsetting and can diminish our positive outlook in life. I also got some terrible news today about the health of a close relative that is saddening since I can’t help him very much.

In today’s environment, it’s very easy to find discouraging news which will cause negativity and anxiety in our reactions. Just look at the disagreements and disputes in countries around the world, our own government, the media, markets, corporations, unions, and even in our personal lives. I actually have stopped watching our 10:00 o’clock news (which I liked) as it’s mostly about various murders around the Bay Area.

This is plenty to raise our pessimism and want us to give up hope. So how are we supposed to deal with all of this bad news? Maybe these ideas would help.

Understand what is going on. When you hear bad news, ensure you don't jump to conclusions. Get all of the information surrounding the problem and then you will know how to feel and cope with the news.

Try to stay composed. Don't overreact to bad news, and know that simply worrying about it won’t help either. Understand that one cannot change what has already happened, but only how one responds to it.

Work on solutions. Finding answers and solutions not only will help to correct the problem, but it will also calms you down, which will lower the anxiety level in the long run.

Look for the positives. This may be difficult to do, but with every terrible situation, there may be some positives. When you focus on understanding what’s going on, you will be able to see the positives and the negatives, and know how to deal with the situation.

Don't feel guilty. If the bad news is something that happens to a person, you may feel guilty about it. You want to help but you can't. You should try not to feel like this. Sometimes life is unfair and very surprising. So don't start feeling guilty; instead support the other person, know that it is not your fault, and try to find solutions.

Talk it through. Talking about it with people close to you is one of the best ways to cope with bad news. Share your thoughts with your spouse, friends and co-workers. When you talk about your fears, your hopes, your feelings and your worries with someone, you will feel a lot better. Just make sure you are not complaining and just dumping bad news onto them.

Remember, no matter how terrible you feel about the bad news, there is nothing you can do to change the past. There is no “undo” button on the remote or the people that created the bad news or the people that told you about it. However, by feeling inspired, grateful, positive, supportive, and creating solutions we have the opportunity to convert these low energies into higher ones. That is the best service we can provide for ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities.

As Zig Ziglar said: “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.”

What's your DISC?

Let’s switch from political issues, where there will never be an agreement between the two sides and can make some people irritated, to something more useful.

Since my retirement, I have been reading more books and articles as well as listening to podcasts. All of my readings and podcasts are generally business and management related but I always find something interesting that can be applied to everyday life as well.

I keep coming across the D.I.S.C. profile.

It’s mentioned in a lot of management books and articles and how it can be effectively used. Many companies use it as a way to screen potential employees, with the thought that a certain personality type would be better or worse in certain jobs or positions. The DISC assessment can also be used is leadership. There are different leadership methods and styles that coincide with each personality type, which could help leaders be more effective.

This is not a new concept and some of you may have seen it in a business environment but DISC can also be useful and effective in your personal life. If you have a clue about the profile of your spouse, your kids, your friend and others in your life, it can be very helpful in dealing with them.

This blog is not where I can explain everything about DISC but I will give you a quick overview. You can learn more about it at www.discprofile.com and many other sites on the Internet.

The DISC assessment is a behavior assessment tool based on the DISC theory of psychologist William Marston. Marston's theory centers around four different personality traits abbreviated into D.I.S.C. DISC is non-judgmental and helps people discuss their behavioral differences.

The four personality traits are:

• Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness. People who score high in the intensity of the "D" styles factor are very active in dealing with problems and challenges, while low "D" scores are people who want to do more research before committing to a decision. High "D" people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest, and peaceful. 

• Influence – relating to social situations and communication. People with high "I" scores influence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I" scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical. 

• Steadiness – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. People with high "S" styles scores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High "S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low "S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive. 

• Compliance – relating to structure and organization. People with high "C" styles adhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. High "C" people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low "C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and unconcerned with details. 

These four dimensions can be grouped in a grid with "D" and "I" sharing the top row and representing extroverted aspects of the personality, and "C" and "S" below representing introverted aspects. "D" and "C" then share the left column and represent task-focused aspects, and "I" and "S" share the right column and represent social aspects. The graph below shows a visual summary of this concept.

By knowing your DISC profile, you can increase your self-knowledge which helps to understand what motivates you, how you respond to problems, how to get along with others at work and at home, how to lead or mange better, and what you need to be most successful.

There are many DISC tests available online that you can purchase and take. I also found a free version at http://www.tonyrobbins.com/ue/disc-profile.php that takes about 20 minutes to take and will give you a comprehensive report on your profile.

I had taken this test years ago and took it again yesterday. I learned that I am a high “D” and a high “C”. It summarizes me as someone that deals with the problems and the challenges head-on and likes to do quality work and do it right the first time. I tends to agree with that :)

So what’s your DISC profile?

Now What?

Well, it’s been a week since my last blog about the Government Shutdown and nothing has changed. There are some people who starting to feel the pain but unfortunately can’t do anything about it. On top of it, the death ceiling problem is nearing on the horizon which has added another significant dimension to this shutdown.

Today, the President said that “he is not budging.” The Republican replied by implying “we don’t budge either.” I guess we are in for a long shutdown and a government default if neither side is going to budge.

I remember some of the courses I took earlier in my career and I think the Democrats and the Republicans need to take the same courses in conflict resolution, negotiation and win-win methodology!

Why is it that we always have to wait until the last minute and many times after the deadline to come up with a solution?

Those of you living in the Bay Area have seen the same scenario over the BART negotiations. They started talking in this past spring which followed by a 4.5 days strike in July and finally followed by a sixty days cooling off period which will end this Thursday at midnight. And there is still no agreement.

As I look back, I can think of many ways to have a meaningful and productive negotiations and conflict resolutions. There are some basic fundamentals that can be used in any negotiations to get the two sides closer.

I think what holds people back in business or society is the same thing that holds them back in personal relationships: We don’t want to talk about the problem. This results in unresolved issues, misperceptions about another person's intentions, escalated negativity, and an overall lack of progress.

Sheri and I came up with a simple principal for our marriage many years ago which to this day has proved to work. When we have disagreements and as the result we stop talking to each other, we have mutually agreed that “the not talking part” will always end at midnight. So when we get up the next morning, we say hello with a kiss and start talking to each other again and try to solve our differences. Many times, the issue is not as big as we made it the night before and it’s easily resolved. Unfortunately, I see many couples go for days without talking because they are mad at each other.

I guess our President and Congress are mad at each other. So why aren’t our representatives talking to each other?

I am not suggesting they get up tomorrow and hug and kiss each other but they can certainly start a dialogue with respect for each other’s point of view. Regardless of the issue and how they deal with it, I believe that most people are coming from a position of sincerity and true belief. Neither side is trying to cause trouble. They simply believe in their position.

So I say to our President to start talking with the Republicans and stop drawing lines in the sand. I say to the Republicans to start talking to the President and stop making unrealistic demands. America and Russia came to an agreement on Syria by talking to each other and negotiating with each other in just a few short days. If that can happen, our government must be capable of reaching an agreement amongst themselves.

What Shutdown?

Well, how was your first day of the Government Shutdown?

Mine was very normal and actually productive. I left the house in the morning and bought my $4/gal gas without any problem and headed to a client’s office listening to the radio that was broadcasting and enjoying the drive on our highways. Later, I had lunch at a famous burger joint where they gladly accepted my hard earned money and offered me service in exchange. In the afternoon, I met with a friend and discussed a potential business deal. And later in the evening, I went out with a large group of car enthusiast, where we had a great dinner and enjoyed our mutual interest.

I did all of this without any problems and didn't notice the government shutdown at all. I guess if you are not relying on the government to support you, you may not see a lot of changes. Oh and on top of that, the stock market went up and so did my investments. I say the first day of the shutdown wasn't bad at all!

Please realize that this shutdown is partial and most of the government is still working. We all received our mail yesterday, went through airports with the help of TSA, Social Security and Medicare continued and the military got paid.

I watched the 10:00 o’clock news last night to hear more about the shutdown and was surprised that their headline news was about how a few highs school students couldn't visit Alcatraz Island due to the shutdown! Really?

All kidding aside, I tried to write my blog about another topic but this government shutdown overwhelmed all other subjects so I had to say something about it.

As I was reading the various news channels on the Internet, I came across an article on Yahoo News which caught my interest. Actually it wasn't the article itself but it was the number of comments made by the people, which was over 18,000 and were very interesting.

I decided to share some of these comments with you as I was surprised to see how people felt about this situation. I will add my commentary at the end.

There were so many good comments and I added a lot of them here. So you may have to skim through them to get the gist of it.

“Over and over we post comments of dissatisfaction and anger every time something like this happens. Yet, posting comments on the internet will not bring the types of real change needed to bring our government accountable to its people again. Until that happens don't expect our state of affairs to improve. We will simply meet here again and post our rhetoric as usual.”

“They can shut the government down permanently for all I care. People that actually take care of their own business won't notice the difference.”

“American people are going to have to do something they haven't done for a long time! Unite & work together to fix this broken government! We have to vote ALL incumbents out! Regardless what party you support, incumbents have to go! This is only way to show politicians that Americans are sick of their incompetent performance and we want our country back! Voting is only power we have and it only works with huge number of participants! Voting does not cost you anything, but it costs if you don’t! How much more proof do we need?”

“I woke up with the biggest smile on my face this morning, knowing that the government had shut down. I think it's just wonderful. Of course we have the press that makes it as if "the sky is falling" (just like it was with the Sequester). Sorry, no sky on the ground here.”

“We have had 18 shutdowns since 1976. Most people didn't even notice.”

“This is happening because we let it happen. We elect these people to run the country that serves the American people the best, not themselves and each other. We don't elect them to fight, we elect them to work together for our benefit, not theirs. We need to take a long hard look at who we are electing.”

“This needs to be repeated as often as is possible. The government has become so cancerously rotten and criminal to its core, that only a large scalpel cutting out the entire insides and replacing with clean replacement material will save it. Vote them out. Vote them ALL OUT.”

“Ironically Government officials are immune from this shut down.... No matter what happens, they will all continue to get paid... It's easy for a group of people with nothing to lose, to play Russian roulette with the lives of other individuals... We need a Government that has to live by the same standards it forces on its people.”

“The problem is with the American people. We keep electing these politicians who care more about their party lines than they do about the people. They are supposed to be public servants. What a joke. We hard working Americans are their servants. They're not working for us. We are working for them. We need to start voting on independent people who care about our country and the people. To hell with republicans and democrats. All they care about is their party and supporting one another.”

“First order of business needs to be regulating the number of terms by any single elected government official.”

“The men and women who were elected to run this country are tearing us apart - as a private citizen, I feel violated and angry about their seeming indifference to the damage they are doing - I have been active in campaigns since I was old enough to vote but it appears to have been a waste of time and effort, so here's one American who is through - there are tears in my eyes as I say this.”

“Term limits, term limits on the Congress. How do these people in Congress keep getting re-elected? There must be a lot of people who just don't care about our future and just vote one party or the other or these Congressman would be gone.”

“Luckily, shut down is one thing. Come Oct 15^th, when the government literally has no money, the government will default on their bills. Oct 15^th is the big one. If we don't get bills paid it might not matter if they want to raise the debt ceiling because nobody will give us a loan. That is when their fits hit the fan. Can't borrow and they have no money. The only good I can possibly see out of this is it would force them to live within their means.”

“They will still be reelected, People vote party over priority. Nothing will change until voters stop allowing big money to run the country.”

“Go ahead and stay shut-down for a bit and give us a chance to recover financially from all of your frivolous spending and stupidity. I do not see a downside to this shut-down and if there is I think the benefits far outweigh the cost!”

“You all point fingers at one party or the other, just like congress points its finger. Away with parties all together. They are at the root of the problem. No one cares for the people, only for their party and what it represents. America does not matter to them. Pay them minimum wage to serve and the ones who really want to do the job will apply for principle not a fat paycheck.”

These were certainly interesting comments. It appears most of them were not directed at either party and were aimed at how the Government and the Congress should operate.

People seem to be angry with the entire system. They seem to understand the issues and want major changes but feel helpless as how to make them.

Unfortunately, the media is not helping with providing the facts. Every media outlet, whether it’s on TV, in the newspaper or on the Internet, has a tendency to lean to the Right or to the Left. A lot of people pick one side and only get their information from their trusted media source and mostly get one side of the issues. For example, if someone routinely watches MSNBC they probably will never watch FOX News. This further puts us in separate silos and keep this division among us which ultimately shows its results in the people we elect to the Congress.

I don’t know when this shutdown will end and how it will end. But I think we can all conclude that at the end we the people will suffer and not our congress people.

What do you think?