Shawshank's 岁月点滴

时光荏苒。今天电话给人事部/IT注销了两人的帐号，标志着两个月带两个direct reprot 的老板生涯暂告结束。尽管这不是第一次带实习生，而这次心态却不同。以前把自己当team lead，这次我是老板。不同的心态就有不同的期望，不同的要求，不同的视角。
两个月中，第一次需要为手下人的人事变动奔忙，而且第一次给人做了performance review。同时还体会到要做一个好老板的不易，不但要确保项目的完成，还好照顾人的培养，设定明确的目标，进行积极反馈，还要给予各种支持，批评和鼓励。
另一个有趣的是，视角变了，从一个老板的角度看下属也让我更清楚地了解怎么做下属。同时作为老板，说话也开始注意不要乱开BMW。就是在这种媳妇变成婆，而婆同时又是媳妇的过程中学到了怎么更好地做媳妇做婆。很有意思。
周五，看着我的两个90后的孩子在公司的高管们前秀了她们两个月工作的成果，并且得到好评时，我自己也在告慰自己：小子，干得不错，你自己也能成为好老板的！

Today I received an email from a stranger, but the title says “From OCEF VIP Donor Services”. Yes! I am in the league of VIPs! You know what? I have many this VIP cards and that in the wallet, and this is the only one that I care!

Here is the email and my reply:

====================================================================

Dezheng,
You are the true heroes behind the scene. I have been different event organizers and I know how hard it is to run an organization like OCEF, especially a non-profit one. Compared with the effort you have poured in, making momentary is is the easiest and laziest deed I can do to help. My deep appreciations always goes with you and the other volunteers.

As a Chinese living overseas, for so many times it was sad and even painful seeing the mishaps inflicting upon our people, and it was also to my disappointment that our government has failed before its own people. To me empowering the people whom would otherwise living in ignorance with knowledge and judgement is the best approach to build a stronger and more equal nation. We need organizations like OCEF to help, and OCEF has established its positive reputation through years of selfless hard works. So, I trust OCEF in determining where my donation goes to.

Here I do have one small request. When I made this year’s donation, I also attached a form with which you are entitled to claim another $500 from my employer. How did that go? If you still haven’t received the fund, I can help to follow up with our corporate HR.

Again, thanks for your selfless devotion to a great cause,

Xiaowei

On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 6:24 PM, Dezheng Tang <*****@****.com> wrote:
> Dear Xiaowei:
>
> Thank you very much for your recent donation (recorded on 04/29) to
> OCEF,. From our database, I have noticed that you have been the
> supporters of OCEF for many years. Thank you very much for your trust in us.
>
> I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to get back to you soon as I didn’t see your
> donation recorded until recently and I was on a month-long vacation in June
> and July. If you have any questions how your donation should be designated to,
> please feel free to contact me at any time.
>
> Best wishes,
> Tom Tang

====================================================================

Today I received an email from a stranger, but the title says “From OCEF VIP Donor Services”. Yes! I am in the league of VIPs! You know what? I have many this VIP cards and that in the wallet, and this is the only one that I care!

Here is the email and my reply:

====================================================================

Dezheng,
You are the true heroes behind the scene. I have been different event organizers and I know how hard it is to run an organization like OCEF, especially a non-profit one. Compared with the effort you have poured in, making momentary is is the easiest and laziest deed I can do to help. My deep appreciations always goes with you and the other volunteers.

As a Chinese living overseas, for so many times it was sad and even painful seeing the mishaps inflicting upon our people, and it was also to my disappointment that our government has failed before its own people. To me empowering the people whom would otherwise living in ignorance with knowledge and judgement is the best approach to build a stronger and more equal nation. We need organizations like OCEF to help, and OCEF has established its positive reputation through years of selfless hard works. So, I trust OCEF in determining where my donation goes to.

Here I do have one small request. When I made this year’s donation, I also attached a form with which you are entitled to claim another $500 from my employer. How did that go? If you still haven’t received the fund, I can help to follow up with our corporate HR.

Again, thanks for your selfless devotion to a great cause,

Xiaowei

On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 6:24 PM, Dezheng Tang <*****@****.com> wrote:
> Dear Xiaowei:
>
> Thank you very much for your recent donation (recorded on 04/29) to
> OCEF,. From our database, I have noticed that you have been the
> supporters of OCEF for many years. Thank you very much for your trust in us.
>
> I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to get back to you soon as I didn’t see your
> donation recorded until recently and I was on a month-long vacation in June
> and July. If you have any questions how your donation should be designated to,
> please feel free to contact me at any time.
>
> Best wishes,
> Tom Tang

====================================================================

昨晚给老爸发微信，本想告知去年带回来的一套餐具里的汤勺摔了，不知道为什么“爸”这个字一说出口眼睛竟然湿了。

在公司大多数同事眼里我是management，在身边的人中我是老大，“总”，而在他面前我还是个孩子，而且永远将是。

几天前grocery shopping，看到满架的瓜果，突然感触到自然界里都是把自己全部的精华留给了后代。老爸为我做出的牺牲更是历历在目，而回想一下我却并不太在意。容易得到的都不会去珍惜。而现在自己只身一人和他远隔万里，每次视频看到他老去的脸庞，同时话语中又给我无数的期望，心中隐隐不是滋味。

周五带手下的两个实习生去吃饭，聊到各自的家庭听着她们 “mom”,”dad”不停的才觉得自己的时间真的已经不多了，我还能有几次对一个人用“爸”这个称呼呢？自己竟然是如此的自私，总觉得自己追求的是如此重要。

Do something, before it’s too late.

The world itself didn’t have meaning.

In searching for meaning, people gave meanings to the world.

From the sun, the moon, to trees, flowers, stones,

To the seeming even most inconspicuous: a road sign, a light pole, or even a paper stub.

It’s the meanings that bring the whole world to life:

As the world have been filled with people’s love, hate, fear, courage, sadness, ….

It is also people who put an end to the meanings,

Voluntary or unwilled.

Bought a pair of cross bar for my VW wagon yesterday. Finally I will be throwing a kayak, a bike, or even a travel bag on top and drive it with me! To be able to do it was the primary reason for Little White’s purchase, and just can’t believe I waited for almost three years!

A wagon is a “Travel Car” in Chinese translation, and it’s a much better translation to me. Let’s do it, my VW!

周前家里的一台计算机的硬盘挂了。那着实好好把我折腾了一把。因为它没有光驱，我的Win7的安装盘又是升级版，我废了教教怪怪力气做了USB的Win XP 和 Win7 的启动盘，重装系统不算，还要下载安装无数的service pack，驱动程序，等等。邪气麻烦。历经三夜的搏斗，那台小机器总算起死回生。

今天和黄硕，候佳音吃饭，佳音提到她的硬盘前不久也不辞而别，呜呼而栽。它去了还一同带去过去5年的照片。

这里我顿时意识到了数据备份的重要性。回到家后茶不思饭不想，备份数据。经历几小时奋斗，终于完成，并且连自动备份也设定好了。这里把经验向大家分享一下：

苹果有一个叫 Time Capsule 的东西。它可以自动通过wifi备份你的数据，苹果的东西的好处就是 foolproof，用起来方便，但价钱忒贵了，2T版的要300刀，而且如果你用的是PC，还需要额外z-turn。

好在这里有便宜的解决方案。我这里用的是Buffalo Technology LS 系列的Network Attached Storage (NAS)。1TB的容量，还能外接USB硬盘，另外它有备份，ftp，变态下载客户端等多种功能。这一切只要79刀。另外Windows7提供了非常强大方便的备份功能（具体设定在Control Panel里面）。打开界面，点了几下鼠标，三分钟后它便开始向我的里开始写东西了:

如果你没有Win7，这里强烈推荐 DriveImage XML。这是个免费软件，可以在这里下载：http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm 设定非常方便易懂，而且你可以通过windows scheduler进行自动备份。

好了，先说到这里，希望你们能因此免受z-turn和失忆之痛 LOL

疯传中的iPad3在今天终于发布了。这次的等待显得是如此漫长，可能是因为自己第一次成了局中人：一年前买iPhone是因为当时用的手机已经快烂了，外加我的大众车被加了个iPod dock；而这次我感到苹果终于把一个梦中情人般的产品送到眼前。

当年乔教主在回应iPad屏幕尺寸过大时说，10寸是一个tablet的最小尺寸。当时我也不解，而在我需要正襟坐在台式电脑前读pdf文档的期刊画报时我才看到乔老爷的心。乔老爷不但要上网查电邮，他还要让它取代画报啊！现在的画报都是8×11的大小，10寸的iPad已经把它缩小了33%，不能再小了。而且我又吃定当时乔老爷早就有把retina display用到iPad上的准备，因为只有那样才能让我们在不用放大的情况下阅读画报啊。我现在用的 Dell 2410 是Dell的高端产品，有1900×1200的分辨率，但用它显示pdf的画报还是觉得有缺陷，retina可以很好的解决这个问题，提供更好的用户体验。我不是果粉，但看到鹌猪阵营里的同类产品最早也要到下半年才出，而且价格上一点优势都没有，苹果就成了不二选。

值得注意的是，这次苹果并没有把它命名为iPad3，而是”New iPad”。嗅觉灵敏的鼻子可以感觉到，iPad2不会停产了，因为苹果没有给它换代的压力–毕竟，除了更高分辨率的显示器外，新iPad并没有offer什么更多的东西。除此之外，又传出苹果将在第三季度推出7寸的iPad显得”谣言“。鉴于谣言的一贯准确性，我们还是相信它吧。届时，我们将会有$499的新iPad，$399的iPad2，和$299(我的准确猜测)的7寸iPad,这样，高中低搭档，就足以应对三星（高端），华硕（中端）和亚马逊（低端）市场的三重挑战了。

7寸的iPad又同时映出乔老爷过世后苹果内部在公司运营哲学上的变化。乔老爷一项特立独行，做的很多事都与流行背道而驰。他为了营造神秘+排他的气氛不惜以尺长占有率和利润最大化为代价，这样做的正面结果是营造了一批超级忠实的用户群，把苹果打造成了一个宗教（所有的宗教不都是神秘+排他吗？）。现在乔老爷不在了，Tim大厨就开始了他的变革。这次发布会就可以看出他对市场营销学中的 market segmentation的运用：三种iPad，同时把从父母到工作的单身贵族到穷学生的钱包统统榨光；7寸的平板又向另一个市场上的虾兵蟹将们发了战书。
这次发布会预示着苹果将开始全面出击，疯狂扩大它的产品阵营。这从share holder value来说，无疑是一件好事。（至今还后悔08年把苹果在90刀的时候卖了）从长远来说，也预示着苹果教将解散，苹果将沦为另一个大众品牌；而苹果公司本身也将变成下一个微软，google。而我们呢？我们可以开始等待下一个乔布斯下一个苹果的出现啦！

到这里我才想到我的MSN Profile 到今天还是这样写的：
不买索尼不用Apple 不看快女不开东方不败
开来这个早就该改了。既然早就不是处女了，这贞洁牌坊也该拆了。况且，在不用日货和不用苹果间，对一个中国人来说，选择应该是再简单不过的了 😉

曾经为口袋机的尺寸，DSLR 的像素素质而激动过。而在用过它一个月后我却开始越发怀念单反的日子。
要拍出真正好的照片，非但是镜头素质，像素的还原，D300的零迟滞的开机速度和连拍能力，51点蜂窝煤的飞速精准对焦，外加真正所见即所得的取景都是NEX死也做不到的。
一张真正好的照片时机转瞬即逝，零点几秒的延误，和几厘米的取景上的差别就足以化神奇为腐朽。

NEX只能胜任到此一游机之责任。

Jeremy Lin, a no-name three weeks ago suddenly has taken front page everywhere. But why?
US is a funny country, under the name of equality, one cannot ostensibly treat someone differently because of the person’s race, but this 潜规则 is everywhere. I am Chinese, and I have a doctoral degree and I am automatically a tech geek, a math genius, not a manager, nor leader. The discrimination, or stereotype, a substitute when some people are reluctant to use the first one, is everywhere. If Lin were a NCAA ping-pong player, probably no one would give a damn. Or, if he were another white boy defying the “white man can’t jump” myth, few would care either.
Now Lin is a household celebrity, most Americans see him a the “Asian man can drive”, and Taiwanese are crazy coz his parents were from Taiwan, other Chinese are happy as he is ethnic Chinese. For most of us who still struggle to find our own identity in this country, it’s wonder the rise of Lin-sanity has stirred up a lot of fanfare.
Here, can we take it one step further? Instead of idolize him we can also be him. Let’s look at it this way: Lin is just another Chinese cracking the old spell: Yao Ming was the first dominant center in NBA, Lin secure a spot for Chinese as a point guard, Ma Youyou proved Chinese can also be musician; more and more companies are having Chinese managers, directors, and presidents. Beyond Ming-dynasty, Lin-sanity, we can create buzz words for ourselves, such as: fan-Tan-stic , yin-pressive, wang-derful, and on! If all of us can do that, the stereotype will soon be crumbling. The path won’t be easy, just like Lin’s (reference: Lin’s Wiki), but the destiny is inevitable.

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.