It’s been 4 solid weeks of writing text and running tests. Always a scramble at the end, and there’s always more that you can think of writing.
New book underway – MQ V8
This week a group of us got together in Hursley and started on the next IBM Redbook for MQ. This time it’s about the newly announced MQ V8.
Read more about the new book
A medical emergency
On a recent flight from ATL to SNA there were several small delays in getting started. First the incoming plane was late, then there was the “cleaning”, finally they started the boarding process wile announcing that the plane was going to be catered, but the catering would be loaded as we got on (“to save time”). The first people on included three people in wheelchairs, two with oxygen, and several people with crutches and canes. As this plane was headed to a Disney location there were many small children in the next phase of loading. Those of us with many miles trooped on. Trying to cooperate with the flight attendants, this was a full bird that might – with a lot of good luck and cooperation – take off close to on time.
Overheard flight attendants #1
Overheard flight attendants #1: “All she needs to do is lose a few pounds and have some botox, then she’ll be an asset to jetblue.”
Beating Hobbits, and “an expected journey”
I know it’s been a long time since I put anything new up here. Partly because things have been busy, partly because there’s not been much to say.
But now we’re getting back into conference and travel season. SHARE is going on right now in Anaheim, planning is well underway for Impact, several other public events and customer-specific briefings are also going on.
But here’s a couple of travel stories to be going on with.
Read some short stories
Social Media
So on a recent business trip to Brazil, where I was fortunate enough to be at the Hilton Morumbi where I do not have to shove furniture to hold back wandering shouting people in the halls. What is of note is the use of social media, in particular facebook (or farcebook as Mark is fond of calling it). While making it thru the maze of passport control at the Sao Paulo airport (GRU), the young lady checking my credentials was getting into facebook as I approached her desk. Checking her posts and friends, before checking my passport and visa. Counting the months left on the visa on her hand before allowing me to pass.
Social media, interfering with everyone’s life….
Is there any value in product certification
I was prompted to write this by some recent conversations and news items about product certifications. Microsoft recently announced that they were ending their top level certification scheme. A more interesting certification process was the story about beer!
We have MQ product certifications. You can become a certified designer or administrator. But what’s the value of that? Is there any value?
My personal view is that there is close to zero practical benefit to getting these accreditations.
When just in time inventory fails
So on my MQ travels this week, I elected to drive to visit a customer. Typically driving to a customer who is less than 200 miles away is faster and with less hassle then flying (Take off your shoes! Put your laptop in a bin! Bend over!). Or so I believed.
Beliefs are meant to be tested, and mine were.
“Open” is not a good instruction at 35000′
Returning from SHARE over the weekend, I was sitting in the exit row of a 777. There are emergency doors just in front of these seats which gives plenty of legroom.
About half-way across the Atlantic I was woken by a woman who was trying to follow the instruction written on this door. I had to point out rather loudly that this was NOT the door to the lavs…
Everyone should know that these doors cannot actually open when in flight because of the pressure differential. But I still didn’t like the idea of testing the theory.
Is that a gun in your bag? Or …
Back home now, after a few fun days doing a couple of the European Hursley Comes To You events in Paris and Madrid.
One thing that made these sessions stand out from the US variety was the catering at lunch time. A cheese board in Paris, along with some really evil sticky desserts; beer and wine served with the nibbles in Madrid … So much more civilised.
Read about the “gun”