Tech Talk Thursday

So Google has finally given us the option to unthread our email in Gmail. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I hate conversation view. Outlook added conversation view, probably to look more like Gmail and now Gmail has added traditional view, probably to look more like Outlook. Choice is good and I’m glad that Google has finally given us the choice to view our email the way we want to not the way they think we should.

Saturday Spirituality

Over the summer I had the opportunity to attend a UU leadership retreat, which I hope to write more about later. At the end of the retreat I got a copy of the book Serving with Grace. I just started and finished reading it this week, it’s a very quick read. It is a very good book, I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a different perspective on serving and being a leader within one’s congregation. It is also somewhat applicable to the more secular leadership one might encounter everyday.

A Case of the Mondays

It has been said that managers do things right and leaders do the right thing. Unfortunately, the administration of SUNY has failed to do either by giving three top administrators lavish raises and bonuses in a time when the rank and file are being asked to take cuts. This would have been a great example of leadership and would have inspired many had these administrators turned down these payments or took a more modest raise. Remember how angry people were that the rank and file were getting a 4% raise? These raises are between 10.5%-13.6% not to mention the additional housing bonus of up to $60,000. This sad example is made even more disheartening since we are dealing with a public institution of higher education, not some for profit corporation.

Friday Free For All

Here’s something interesting to read/watch:

The Enthusiasm Gap or He’s Just a President

I am not surprised by the attacks on Obama by the right, but what the hell democrats ease up on the guy. The fact that those on the left tend to have unrealistic expectations and demand instantaneous rather than incremental change is only going to hurt us at election time this year. While the teabaggers are overtaking the right and getting out the vote, the left seems to be giving a collective “meh” and writing off all of the accomplishments that have been made because the world didn’t instantly turn into a land of unicorns and rainbows.