Data Data Data

President Eisenhower was asked by his press secretary, Jim Hagerty, how he was going to answer, if asked by the media, about a delicate issue in the Formosa Strait.  He smiled and said--Don't worry, Jim, if that question comes up, I'll  just confuse them. What many Americans feel toward politicians can be summed up by an old saying comparing us to mushrooms; They feed us bull and keep us in the dark!  Such is life.

We are just bombarded with data in the digital world we live in (i.e. it is sooooo easy to accumulate and hard to analyse).  But what do we do with it makes a huge massive difference. 

Here are some examples of what folks do with data

• Start the fireplace with the data (i.e. just ignore it)
• Over analyse it and let it make us sick (i.e. get over consumed)
• Analyse it and learn from it and change our direction (e.g. improve our life or business)
• Face reality (e.g. look at what the scale says)
• Use it as an opportunity to do better (i.e. be open minded and look to a better future)

Actual Real Numbers never lie!  Warren Buffet seems to be very good at analyzing numbers.  Actually many accountants end up running companies.  Why, because money runs companies and accountants can analyze numbers. Yabut here is some free data that I read in the paper, soooo it must be right.  A trick of distraction:  A farrier said that when a horse gets fidgety put a piece of duck tape on it's nose; it gets their mind off the shoeing a little bit (i.e. a trick of distraction).  I suggest you try it on your dog or horse before trying in on your kids or spouse!  Yabut a "duck tape distraction" might distract ya from the facts for a little time but numbers don't lie folks.  Such is life.

Business won’t share data but churches usually do (i.e. if they practice what they preach) but some are competitive tooooo and won’t share.  It happens.  If you live in western MI where there is a a church on every corner like in WI where there is a bar on every corner, there seems to be competition for church goers (i.e. there are just soooo many of them and numbers seem to be down).  Ya gotta be pretty good or some other church will get your folks.  My mentor said to me once when we were having an issue with a pastor—You can’t get a pastor bad enough for me to leave. 

The paper says, soooo it must be right, that ‘Big data’ analysts in demand.  Business want someone who can turn data into profit.  Not everyone can I guess.  Now universities have majors in just that.  Huh, interesting.  It seems that everyone is collecting tons and tons of date and they don’t know what to do with.  They want to turn it into money.  Big datasets don’t like to give up their secrets really easily (i.e. competition—it’s all about the money) so most business need to do their own search and discovery.  Getting at those secrets might create more sales, happier customers and a better bottom line.  Huh, interesting.

The data is in and...I met my friend Sandy at Casey's getting gas.  How are you doing Sandy--great, I was to my doctor and the data shows I'm cancer free.  Hallelujah, praise the Lord. She was a happy camper folks.  She went through series of radiation and chemo. She continued to work but was very tired.  Her employer let her go home and sleep for a couple of hours and then come back. That I thought was pretty nice. She now gets to grow some new hair.  

ItchieBitchie says--I could interpret that data just as well as an educated person with a title and I would do it free.  Yes you probably could ItchieBitchie but they won't listen to you.  They won't listen to a local person or part of the organization.  You need to be at least 50 miles away and charge a lot of money for folks to accept the interpretation of the data.  And they will listen to them. That's just the way it is.  Crazy!

But! Projections by expert experts based on data don't always hold up to be true. Many projects don't perform as projected.  There has been many of them.  If a guy would investigate, I think we would find out that many don't. If the data isn't correct, if the data changes, if the data is slanted, if the expert wants a certain result, if the expert is emotional in their evaluation, well then the result might not work out.  It happens folks.  There is some room for error. There are some variables. Things can change fast. Things happen that can't be foreseen.  It's not a slam dunk as we have seen many many times.  

Customer feedback--Feedback data can show weak spots in organizations such as weak employees, week departments, weak management etc that folks don't want to know about or deal with (i.e. it is challenging).  That is maybe particularly true with non profit organizations and government and schools and churches. Maybe they don’t like that form of data (i.e. just let the old dog sleep). BigMeAdministrator says--The critics are simply ignorant and don't know all the facts!  Da!  Data might make us transparent and we don’t want to be transparent.  But transparency does guard against waste and fraud and ineffectiveness.

Makes me woozy! GooseyLucy says--I wonder if a lot of the little stuff that I think I know a.k.a data in my head is distorted or wrong.  Could be GosseyLucy.  Data shows that we might not want to tackle our own weaknesses!  Ouchy ouchy! Just maybe that's why you are soooo goosey, Lucy!

Arlene and I were having breakfast at a restaurant the other day.  Arlene pointed out to me that my coffee cup had lipstick on it.  I mentioned it to our waiter (i.e. maybe 22).  He asked if I wanted a different cup--no no I will just wipe it off; the germs might actually help me by exposing myself to different germs that will make my immune system stronger.  He said--My mom let me get exposed to different sick kids for the same reason; I now never get sick.  Soooo there you go folks. Such is life.

Digest these apples!  I read this (i.e. data) while eating my oatmeal with a half banana on it--About 31.5 percent of the earth’s population is categorized as “Christian” based on culture or family tradition, church attendance, or self-identification. But there is no way to know exactly how many of those people believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came to earth with the authority to remove man’s sins. Many people in the world today believe Jesus was a good man, a wise teacher sent from God—but not that He was God. Huh, interesting.  And the pendulum swings!!!!

Geezo-peezo! My kid sister recommended the book To Build Character by David Brooks.  I enjoyed it and recommend you give it a read.  Remember folks, we all don't have the same taste in books.  Soooo if you don't like it, just bring it back to the library. It won't cost you anything.  Now that is a deal! 

Crazy endorsement for the book came from a onesmartguywithagoodheart!  erv, Woke up at my regular 3 am to take meds, when I heard that noise on the cellphone which announces "incoming"! Since I was already half awake, kept going and opened the email acct to see it must be Saturday already 'cause there's It's Sat! Get my glasses on, trying to be quiet and not wake up (his wife), and I start reading....Suddenly,  I'm wide awake! I discovered that I know who "LuckyEddie" is! Yeah! While LuckyEddie changes identity quite often, I knew who he was today.....aka David Brooks, described by some as a cultural Jew who is a journalist for the NYTimes. Is he a liberal or conservative? Depends who you ask. You, my friend, are an Adam II guy. Congratulations! (i.e. that is his opinion folks--remember that by his own admission he was only half awake and on drugs). The Road to Character, a great one to travel. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially those cerebrally impoverished Adam I's,who are mostly interested in keeping their resumes polished. :)

Data isn't any good it you can't read it!  I usually go through the ads of the grocery stores and try to save a few bucks.  I make a list with the prices and then Arlene and I go shopping.  I was standing in the aisle of Hy-Vee looking at my list.  An employee (i.e. a simile in every aisle) noticed I looked confused and asked if I needed help--ya, can you read what this one thing is on my list that is for $1.87; I can't read it. He takes my list and looks at it and says--I can't read it either; let me get the ad; maybe we can figure it out what's on sale for $1.87.  Bingo!  Jiff peanut butter for $1.87.  We both had a good laugh.  Such is life.

The moral of the story!  A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.  The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.  When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.  Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'  After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.  The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.  When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'  'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.  'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?' Moral of the story:  If you share critical data pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean says--Setbacks pave the way for comebacks.