John Morris

State of Iowa in Crisis, Nebraska to Join Big 10

The state of Iowa enters into crisis as ESPN reports the Nebraska Cornhuskers will move to the Big 10 Conference.

In the state’s capitol, Des Moines, Hawkeye fans can be seen wandering the streets in flocks, scratching their head, continuously mumbling, “Why”… as they stagger about in disarray.

Meanwhile, in Ames, IA… a city-wide celebration is ensuing with the mayor claiming this Friday a city holiday.

Ok, not really… but Nebraska is moving to the Big 10 and you Squawkeye fans better watch out. You should have won the National Championship this year… because you just lost any legitimate hope of ever winning a Conference title… let alone a National Championship.

GBR!

Which Are You? A Hard-Nosed Prick or a Wish-Washy Hippy?

I just read this interesting article on judging vs perceiving. It’s about each individual’s approach to structure and decision-making. Do you need more structure… or can you deal effectively with ambiguity? Do you need yourself and others to make hard, fast decisions… or can you leave decisions open-ended and unanswered?

It’s random, yes… but, I found it very interesting, because I think most people fall into one extreme or the other. Anyway, definitely check out the article as it is very insightful… you just might learn something about yourself.

As an aside, here’s my response when an ally of mine asked which type I saw myself relating to more:

Thanks for this. Interesting question!

It’s funny… as a younger adult, I definitely fell more into the “judger” category. I was very into planningand timetables. I thrived on structure and floundered without it.

But, as time passed, I found myself in situations with ever-increasing ambiguity. Particularly, the Army. Which may sound strange, because most people think of the military as highly structured… and, it is in terms of rank and position. However, there’s a lot of ambiguity when it comes to missions and getting them done. So, I found myself dealing more and more effectively with that ambiguity and becoming more and more of a perceiver.

Today, I feel like I have a strong sense of both. For example, I think my relationship to structure, in general, is fairly healthy. I see it as something that can be highly empowering in some instances; however, highly limiting in others. I don’t find myself “needing” structure; yet, am able to deal with it effectively when it is present.

I also see my relationship with decision-making in much the same way. Decisions need to be made and actions taken in a given context; yet, I believe it’s always important to keep those decisions a bit open-ended and open to change.

For me, I think it comes down to an understanding that life is dynamic. It changes constantly… and some areas change more rapidly than others. So, being too much of a “judger”, one can tend to ignore that change and create rigid plans that become outdated and less effective. On the flip side, one can tend to be too much of a perceiver and completely avoid structure and decision-making… and never get anything done.

I think you need a healthy mix of both. And, it’s an art to find what that healthy mix is for you.

I think it also relates somewhat to my idea of personal power… being capable of anything. I’ve always seen myself as a kind of chameleon… able to adapt to any situation… and, being capable of being more of a judger when that’s the more effective path… or, being more of a perceiver when that’s the more effective path.

That said, I think most people tend to fall into the extreme of one or the other.

Anyway, that’s what comes up for me after reading that article.

Which type do you see yourself as? Or, are you like me and kind of a “chameleon”? What did you learn about yourself after reading this article? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Des Moines Motorist Freezes to Death on University Ave

That could have been Saturday’s headline in the Des Moines Register. Thankfully, it wasn’t… but, my experience on Friday afternoon really opened my eyes to how indifferent our country is becoming.

Let me explain…

On Friday afternoon, I took a normal trip with my wife out to Target. Things went along as usual… until we were headed back. We were driving along University Ave in Pleasant Hill (a fairly major road) when the battery in our car died. We were able to pull off onto a side street and get out of the way. But, as we sat their waiting for a friend to come help… at least 10 cars drove by… and not a single one even rolled down their window to ask if we were okay.

Okay… whatever.

But, that’s not the half of it.

Once our friend arrived, we got the car jumped and thought we were headed to get a new battery. But, as it turns out, our situation was worse than we thought. Our battery was dead dead. The kind of dead that won’t get you down the block, let alone across town. Unfortunately, we found this out smack dab in the middle of University Ave. Anybody who lives in Des Moines knows what that means. It’s like having your car die on ‘O’ Street in Lincoln… or on 72nd in Omaha. It’s not good.

And, not only did none of the 100s of cars that passed ask if we were okay… most honked and yelled and a few even damn near hit us as we were trying to get off of University… all busy, busy people in too much of a hurry to even slow down so as not to kill us… let alone ask if we were okay or try to help us.

Now, let me say right here… I don’t expect anybody to have helped us. I’m not the type of person who expects things from other people. I’m not mad at any of the people who drove by, honked, yelled, etc. And, I don’t think they’re wrong. It’s their choice and I respect it.

But, I’m just in awe of how indifferent we’ve all really become. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen someone in trouble on the side of the road and I drove by not giving a shit – just like all those people who drove by us.

I believe it has to do with technology. Technology is making us indifferent. We don’t see people as people anymore… we see them as usernames and contacts in our contacts list. It seems like we’re all engulfed in our digital world of big screen TVs, web interfaces, and text messages that we’ve created distance between us and the human beings around us. We just don’t care anymore.

I lived in my house for almost a year now… and I’ve talked to my neighbors less than 10 times in that year. These are my next door neighbors! Yet, I’ve talked to friends I met once in Texas at least 100 times in that same time span. I’d rather text somebody than call them – or chat via Skype instead of person to person. Hell, as I’m sitting here writing this right now… my wife is try to have a conversation with me and I’m ignoring her!

It’s kind of pathetic really.

I’m not sure what all of this means, but I do think technology is changing the way we interact with one another in more ways than we realize. And, I believe we really have to consciously choose to give a shit about the people around us… something, I think past generations never dealt with on the level we are. And, I also think I’m glad as hell we had a cell phone; otherwise, that headline may have just been a reality.

Landing the Job of Your Dreams – My Advice

“Get a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Owning a web design company has never been my dream in life. Not because I think it’s nerdy or lame in some way. I actually think web entrepreneurs are some of the coolest, most open-minded, and fun people I know. It’s just my dreams are different.

But, those who know me know that for the last several years, that’s exactly what I’ve done… own a web design company. And, I was never really that good at it. I’d rather stay up all night tweaking a single line of PHP code than working on implementing a marketing strategy… which makes me a great web designer, but a horrible web design business owner.

A lot of people might think it’s a cop out to ditch my business and take a job with another online company. For me, it’s quite the opposite.

I never wanted a web design company and allowing someone else to handle all the business stuff, so I can focus on what I love to do… coding and designing (yes, I’m a nerd, I know!)… really simplifies things for. I can’t tell you how much it simplifies things for me.

So, in my usual M.O. of giving unsolicited advice, my advice to you is this…

1. Figure out what you love to do
2. Do it on a daily basis
3. Find the right situation for you that allows you to do what you love and not much else… all while making a living

Don’t be afraid to cop out (like I did)… and, don’t be afraid to go big, either. But, please… more than anything… don’t work a job you hate for the rest of your life just to make ends meet. One day, you’ll look back and realize it just wasn’t worth it.

Texas Breaks Instant Replay Rules In Win Over Nebraska

For what it’s worth, it appears that Texas broke the Big12’s replay rules in their win over Nebraska. Section 3, Articles 1-3 of those rules stipulate specifically what plays are reviewable stating “Clock adjustments when a ruling on the field is reversed“. And, Section 3, Article 4 states “No other plays or officiating decisions are reviewable”. This means conducting an official review solely to adjust the clock (as happened last night) is apparently against the Big 12’s instant replay rules.

Take it for what it’s worth. Should the Big 12 reverse the decision? Can it? What do you think?

View all 9 comments

Dottie

It honestly sounds like it was a viable call. (I was in the office and could hear the husband shouting ...

7 December 09 at 09:51

John Morris

Thanks for the thoughtful post, Dottie. I completely agree. I think a playoff system is coming soon. There's been such ...

7 December 09 at 15:00

Enough With the Tiger Woods Drama Already

Honestly, who cares?

It wasn’t the first time he cheated, I’m sure. It won’t be the last. His wife will stay with him cause he’s loaded. We’ll all forget about what happened after he wins his next tournament. And, life will go on.

He plays golf for Pete’s sake. It’s sad when something as stupid as this dominates people’s minds instead of things like curing cancer or aids… or the fact that Obama is sending more troops to Afghanistan. Hell, Tiger will probably get a Medal of Honor for running cover for Obama.

Get over it and focus on what’s important.

Ah, but the drama makes our boring lives so much more interesting, doesn’t it?