Wight Ink

Working within constraints means you have to find a way to produce the best possible outcome, but that also means you have to make sacrifices in one or more areas. There's no such thing as a perfect project, but I didn't understand why until I picked up photography. On projects we work within constraints, including time, budget, and scope. If you want to adjust one constraint, you impact another. Increasing scope may increase time to deliver or the needed budget. Decreasing budget might mean less time or the need to cut scope. Pushing for an earlier launch day may require the budget to add resources or again, a drastic cut in scope. In the end, it's unlikely you'll deliver a project in just the right amount of time, with everything the stakeholders want, within a budget they're happy to pay for. You need to make concessions in one of those areas, and arrive at a happy ending that balances all three for the best possible outcome. Photography puts you in a similar pos

Critter wanted to write a post but he's too slow I win he loses

The advice monster is everywhere. My last encounter had me thinking through an endless chain of examples where I've been both guilty as and victim to the advice monster. Check out this cool fish tale example I made up. Dude : Hey bro, can you help me filet this... hold on I'll show you... Bro: Ah dude, cleaning a fish is easy. You grab your filet knife... Dude: Yeah but... Bro: Then you start at the gills and slice down to the bone... Dude: Right but... Bro: Then you follow the bone all the way down to the tail... Dude: But I can't... Bro: Just wait, I'm still explaining! It'll all make sense.  So, then you... Dude: But look at this thing bro! (holds up the fish) How am I supposed to get through the skin?! Bro: Oh, that's a gar dude, you should have said so. None of that's gonna work. Their scales are like kevlar. You can't even use that knife. Do you have a hacksaw? My most recent experience with the advice monster went a bit like this. I desperately tr

     Look at the whiner whining. They don't like whining, oh no they don't. But they moan and they groan, they want to stop but they won't! It's the injustice they tell you, the ridiculous things! "I hate to complain but come on!" Oh the sorrow it brings. But don't fret for our poor friend, nor friends of theirs. For each tear fuels a spark, a flash of light in the dark. On and on, the whiner keeps on whining, even whining about the whining, a little whine lantern shining.

     Job hunting sucks! It sucks a lot less when you have a job though.  But isn't that disloyal?       No, it's a way to keep pushing yourself and reaffirming your career decisions. Whether you love your job or you're looking for a way out, make sure your resume is up to date. Submit some applications to interesting jobs and take some interviews occasionally if you can. You're already employed, so no pressure. You'll have opportunities to test your knowledge, learn what gaps you'll need to bridge in your career growth, and improve your sense of self worth.  But what if I get an offer? I like my job and I can't imagine leaving.       That's great! Knowing there's an opportunity to leave for a competitive offer means you've got options, and you're not trapped. It means you're doing what you're doing because you want  to, not because you have  to. That's a powerful thing to have in the back of your mind on a bad day. Loyalty isn'

     In an aquaponic system, ammonia, ammonium, and nitrite are all chemicals produced by the fish. In excess, these chemicals are highly toxic. By cultivating bacteria to metabolize these chemicals, we're able to generate a plant-life supporting nutrient that is also far less toxic to fish in moderate concentrations; nitrate. This process requires the cycling of water through a cohesive system made up of smaller isolated units for fish, plants, and bacteria. Circulation and continuous metabolic processes result in a harmonious exchange, fueling key functions and keeping toxicity at manageable levels for the entire system. The farmer must work to initiate and maintain these functional processes.

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