Todd Taylor's Blog - Misc

Intolerance and Bigotry

Todd M. Taylor — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:46:03 GMT

These two terms seem to be getting a lot of use these days, especially in the battle for "gay rights" and "gay marriage". If you believe that marriage is between a man and a women, just as it's always been, you might have already found yourself being called one of these terms by someone who is apparently not a bigot and is completely tolerant of your views, right? After all, what sense would it make for someone to call you a bigot or intolerant if that person was every bit as bigoted and intolerant as you? (Assuming that you actually are either of these things.)

For my own understanding, I looked-up these two terms on Dictionary.com:

big⋅ot⋅ry [big-uh-tree] –noun, plural -ries.
1. stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
2. the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.

in⋅tol⋅er⋅ance [in-tol-er-uhns] –noun
1. lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.
2. incapacity or indisposition to bear or endure: intolerance to heat.
3. abnormal sensitivity or allergy to a food, drug, etc.
4. an intolerant act.

Let's say that I chose to call another person "intolerant" or a "bigot". It's logical to conclude that my justification for doing so is that while I am tolerant of and respect the other person's opinion or beliefs, the other person is not tolerant of or does not respect mine. My goal of drawing attention to the other person's unacceptable behavior only holds water if I am tolerant and not bigot, otherwise, I'm merely stating that the other person is just as guilty as I am.

For those who are calling people who support traditional marriage "bigots" and "intolerant", I would like to introduce a new word to their vocabulary:

hyp⋅o⋅crite [hip-uh-krit] –noun
1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

Word 2003 Page x of x Issue

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:00:49 GMT

While trying to print some Microsoft Solutions Framework documents, the page numbers get messed-up when printing the Word document. Instead of getting ‘Page 2 of 21’ for example, the printer would print ‘Page 2 of 2’, ‘Page 3 of 3’, etc., all the way to page 21. The solution (or so it appears) is simple: Disable the ‘Background colors and images’ option in Word’s Options menu:

If that doesn’t work, try checking the ‘Reverse print order’ option. However, this option is highly annoying as all your pages will print in the wrong order.

I found these solutions in an MSDN article for Word 2000. You’d think this would’ve been fixed in Word 2003. :-(

Toyota's 5s Process

Todd M. Taylor — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 03:35:27 GMT

Most people associate the brand Toyota with quality and reliability. How did Toyota manage to get that reputation? One way is their '5S' process:

"The concept of 5S originated in Japan. They form the backbone of the workplace organization in the Toyota Production System. 5S is a series of steps for individuals and teams to arrange their work areas for optimum safety, comfort and productivity.

The exact translation of 5S is difficult because the words are coined terms. Imagine translating some of the phrases that we use every day - benchmarking, flea market and stand down illustrate the problem. So, not all organizations use the same English words for 5S. Hiroyuki Hirano's book, entitled ‘5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace,’ calls them Sort, Set in Place, Shine, Standardize and Sustain." - How to Make 5S Stick by Fletcher Birmingham

In summary, the 5S's mean:

Sort is a process for clearing out rarely used items by using a Red Tagging System.
Straighten (Set in Place) is a process for creating a visual workplace where everything is labeled and organized.
Shine is a cleaning process that includes maintenance.
Standardize is the creation of procedures and policies for sustaining the first three Ss.
Sustain is the use of regular management audits to maintain the discipline of the 5S process.

I would like to be able to keep my workplace and home sorted, straightened and shining all the time :-)

LIVESTRONG Laptop

Todd M. Taylor — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:10:05 GMT

I didn’t realize Lance Armstrong was a cyclist and a geek like me? Well, I doubt he is a geek, but Hewlett Packard has introduced a new HP Special Edition L2000 laptop that has a LIVESTRONG™ theme where $50 from each laptop purchase goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation :

I’m not sure how ‘strong’ an $899 laptop will be, but I suppose HP needed to make it remotely affordable so that people will actually buy it and hence contribute the most money to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. By the time I got done configuring the laptop into something I’d want, it was $1,600. :-)

Secrets of Super-Happy Couples

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 19:28:16 GMT

Okay, so I stole the following article from MSN’s Women site, but I wanted to keep the information handy in case I need it in the future!

Secrets of Super-Happy Couples

Twelve ways to keep your relationship thriving.

Smart Strategies

Why do some couples seem so head-over-heels? It's not that their lives are any easier or more perfect than yours-- but they do know how to keep the daily grind from eroding their relationship. Get some of what they have by incorporating these happy-couple strategies into your love life.

1. Fall in love all over again. Make a conscious decision to be in love. The more you act as if you are in love, the more you will feel like you are.

2. Remember the good times. Treat your partner like you did at the beginning of your relationship. Make a list of all the things you used to enjoy doing together and add any new fantasies to the list. Plan for them and make them happen.

3. Help your partner feel more loved and secure in your love so that he or she can open up to you and express feelings and ideas without fear of being attacked or judged. Compliment, praise, give a hug. Small gestures make the grandest statements.

4. Don't make unilateral decisions. You're a team in many ways, so act like one. Check in and make decisions together about things large and small. Be willing to compromise.

5. Be present. Train your mind to stay in the moment -- not at work, thinking about the new color you want to paint your kitchen, or how it's time to take the dog to the vet.

6. Pay attention to your physical appearance. Take the time to stay in shape and look good for each other. It does matter.

7. Boost your compatibility. Couples in crisis focus on all the ways they are different, whereas those who are in love zero in on their similarities and think their differences are cute. Build compatibility by taking turns planning activities to do together. If you don't like your partner's choice, don't complain; it's your turn next.

8. Do not place blame. Replace blame and criticism with solutions and tenderness. Problem-solve together -- sit close, hold hands, touch each other's face or hair. Be playful. When was the last time you laughed together? Rent a comedy movie to tickle your funny bone.

9. Plan for sex. Spontaneity is great but smart couples know that good sex doesn't just happen. Like everything else, it takes time and planning.

10. Fact-find -- don't mind-read. You may think you know but you can't assume. You may believe he should know, but that's not fair, either. Always clear up misinterpretations and misunderstandings to make sure they don't throw you both off course.

11. Fight fair -- and by appointment only. Schedule a limited time to discuss a problem and confine your comments to that issue only. It's easier to relax and feel free to enjoy each other when you know you won't be ambushed by a litany of complaints and criticisms.

12. Prepare for checkouts. Even in the closest marriage, everyone needs time alone. Don't take it personally and don't make each other feel guilty if you need to spiritually and emotionally regroup. Just be sure to tell each other when you are checking out (max, one day) -- and when you're checking back in.