After three months of preparation, SharePoint Saturday in Phoenix came and went.  It was a HUGE success.  We had 250 registered and about 185 attend the more than 20 sessions.  I wish I had taken more time to interview the speakers and “players”, but I was running around like a madman trying to make people happy.

I will post pics and movies here this week. 

Amazing what some tweet about on Twitter.

I was having a somewhat esoteric discussion with @LLiu that started with a tweet he sent out.  @DavidPae said he wanted to see whose theory is right by proof and to share our hypotheses.  I took the challenge.

First, context.  Here is a transcript of our tweets.

@LLiu: "The simple willingness to improvise is more vital, in the long run, than research." - Rolf Potts [Don't stop asking if u don't understand!]

@SlkRck: Nice adage, but reality is different.

@LLiu: “How so?” Research w/o implementation & continuous improvement is just ideas. So much value trapped in MSR!

@SlkRck: Potts favored improvisation over research. Think of how that would scale....can you say CHAOS?

@LLiu: Discoveries/innovations/revolutions result from chaos, not order. Only those in power would prefer order. Progress = managed chaos.

@SlkRck: The Law of Entropy disagrees with you ;) What you describe (e.g. discoveries, innovations) is serendipity, not chaos

@LLiu:  Chaos is essential 2serendipity -ppl need 2meet randomly, stumble upon new thoughts & ideas, & be stimulated by others around them. no, my pt is that true progress arises from empowering/leveraging chaos vs enforcing order.

@SlkRck: Progress is methodical, not random. Random != Chaos.

@LLiu: "Progress is methodical, not random." - Edison-style brute force can only go so far. Discoveries like penicillin cannot be planned.

@SlkRck: “YES, but pencillin discovery wasnt CHAOS, it *was* random. Again-- Random != Chaos.

@LLiu: agreed, but I'd say Randomness:Determinacy == Chaos:Order. Hence, chaos is essential to randomness.

Next, let the proof begin.

First, definitions: 

Chaos:  1)any confused or disorderly collection or state of things;2) Mathematics A dynamical system that has a sensitive dependence on its initial conditions

Random: 1)Of or relating to an event in which all outcomes are equally likely;2)Mathematics & Statistics Of or relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.

Determinacy: 1) The quality or condition of being determinate; 2) The condition of being determined or characterized.

Order: 1)A condition of logical or comprehensible arrangement among the separate elements of a group; 2)A condition of methodical or prescribed arrangement among component parts such that proper functioning or appearance is achieved

Each time one rolls a pair of dice, the outcome is random.  All outcomes are equally likely.  I could say that the condition has been determined; it is already assured that you will get a 1/12 change of getting snake-eyes—or any other combination.  Therefore, Randomness can be the same as Determinacy in some situations.  By definition, chaos is the complete opposite of order.  So, what does that have to do with our discussion?

Improvising suggests that one makes do from whatever is available, without previous planning.  Research suggests that one studies thoroughly so as to present in a detailed, accurate manner.  Improvising takes no thought or care as to accuracy or order, the opposite of research.  The willingness to improvise, as the saying goes, is more valuable in the long run, than research.

A discovery that is revealed during research is not random.  Discoveries happen randomly but the act of doing research will result in a discovery of some sort.  The discovery of penicillin happened because Fleming noticed something during RESEARCH.  And then RESEARCHED it some more.

Research is methodical.  It is a process by which truth can be found.  It is not random, but planned; hence—orderly. 

Randomness is simply a distribution of things have happened.   It matters not what its initial conditions are, and thus is characterized by that fact.  Randomness and Determinacy go hand in hand, unlike Chaos and Order which are the antithesis of each other. 

That is enough to get the debate going.  This is my proof.

One would think that airlines would be more helpful these days seeing how badly they have fared over the last several years.  It has been my experience (even recently) that airline are becoming more and more callous to their patrons.  They charge now for things for which they used to not charge, for example.  This past trip to Houston accentuated this and is now embellished forever in my mind.

I purchased a ticket for Houston for which I would return in two weeks.  The project was shortened and I only needed to stay one week.  I figured that I would simply fly standby and hopefully get home earlier.  Upon calling the airline to get on the standby list, the customer service agent told me that I would have to go to the airport to be put on the list.  Furthermore, there would be a $50 fee for being put on the list!  WHAT?!!  Oh wait, she says…your ticket isn’t qualified for standby, she says.

Why? 

Because your flight doesn’t leave until August 7.  You can only fly standby on the day of your original departure.  You will have to *change* your ticket.

How much is that?

$150 plus any change in airfare.

How much would it be for me to change my ticket?  She starts typing madly on her keyboard and says,

$423

But, say I—I only paid $328 for this ticket.  How can a change cost me more than the price I paid?

It’s $150 for the change, plus the difference.

So you are telling me that the difference is $273 between the new fare and what I paid?

yes.

But..a new ticket is cheaper than that.

That is correct.  I would recommend you purchase a new ticket, rather than change your existing ticket.

sigh…ok…so.  Can I redeem the unflown portion for a flight credit?

Yes, sure.  You have $128….oh…it wouldn’t be worth it.

What? Why not?

Because I will charge you $150 to apply your unflown portion.

WHAT?

yes, because it is bascially a “change”.

At this point I stop asking questions, bend over, and let her have my credit card number.  All I want to know is:  when do *I* get a bail out?

Want to see the new SharePoint 2010?  Go to :  http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/default.aspx

I’m excited!

Today was a particularly difficult day for me.  The events of today will be long remembered and I am trying hard to “de-stress” and let them fade into the past.  As I was trying to let it go I put my headphones on and turn on my Zune.  The first song:  Santana – Winning (from Zebop!)

It’s a cool song, but at this time in my life, the words spoke to me.  The lyrics were PERFECT.  If you aren’t familiar with the song, here are the lyrics to the first part:

One day I was on the ground

and when I needed a hand and it couldn’t be found

I was so far down that I couldn’t get up

you know, one day I was one of Life’s losers

even my friends, were my accusers

and in my head I’d lost before I’d begun

No, today was not a good day—but as Smokey said, “Momma said there’d be days like this….”

FOREWORD:

Imagine logging into an old laptop and finding a draft of a blog post that was never published.  Here is a post that is 6 months old….

As has been my custom for the past three years, I was selected and accepted to speak at the Microsoft Certified Trainer Summit.  This year the even was held in Prague.  I had never been to Prague before and was quite excited.  The thing that bothered me, though, was that it was Eastern Europe in the Winter ( it was the same thing the previous year the summit having been held in Berlin, but...) and there were a ton of other personal matters going on at the time.  As I write this, I am on the train trying to figure out which station I am supposed to exit.

I am now in the airport.  It was an adventure to attempt to get to my hotel.  I scantly believe it myself:

While on the train I look at the map to make sure I'm going in the right direction and that I haven't missed my stop.  I call the hotel to verify the stop as Courcelles.  The front desk/concierge says, "Yes, that is correct."  I look at the map and I see a "Courcelles de Remy", and ask if this is the right one.  He pauses and responds, it's the one by the university.  Great, is there only one?  "no , monsieur--there are many."  OK, then which one?  "err...my English is not so good."  Fantastic...my french is worse than your english.  "Do you speak German?"  Nope.  I ask if he speaks Spanish or Portuguese.  Nope...then I have deja vu of when I landed in Switzerland.  We go on for about 10 min and finally I have him walk me through which stations I need to go to.  The "walk" isn't very pleasant.

I get to the first station and look for my connection.  Don't see it anywhere.  I ask a few people, but alas, they don't speak any English.  I start wondering to myself why the US gets such a bad wrap for only speaking one language...just on my street in my neighborhood there are at least 5 people that speak more than one language fluently.  I'm in an international airport and can't find ONE.  NOT ONE.  And I'm asking a lot of people.  Finally, a  man comes to my rescue.  His name is Victor, and he's from Spain.  I approach him and ask, in English, how do I get to the X train?  He says in spanish "No hablo ingles, ni frances."  HEY!  I know that language!  I ask him if spanish is his native language and his eyes light up.  He almost gives me a hug.  He starts telling me his experience which sounds a lot like mine.  He complained that no one spoke anything but french, even though he was in France and didn't speak anything but Spanish, but hey--this is the International Airport!  We help each other out as far as we know and then we part ways.

At the train station this drunk guy (I should have known better) gives me directions on how to get to where I want to go.  I follow his instructions (ID-TEN-T) and find myself on the wrong train going the wrong way and stranding me in the boondocks of a run-down Paris suburb.  How run down you ask?  Just hold on...

As I go down the steps to the tracks to take me back to where I started so i can just sleep in the airport, this guy walks up to me and says, what sounds like (Potty?) I give him a look that says, "Excuse me?"  He repeats it, but this time it sounds more like (Party?)  And he repeats this with Rainman-like rhythm.  I repeat what I think I hear him asking me, "Potty?"  He says, "Potty?".  I say "Do you mean Paris?"  He repeats, "Pear Is?"  OK, this conversation was going no where yesterday.  I ask him "Where are you from?"  It was if I had asked him if he was from another planet.  I ask him "English"?  He shakes his head.  "Español?"  Again he shakes his head.  "Frances?"  Nope.  "Deutch?"  Nope.  What in the world, then, do you speak?   He then intones "EE-ROK".  OHH...Farsee?  Nope.  Really?  What?  He says, "Ara-beek".  Dang, can't even fake Arabic.  I can't say hello, goodbye, thank you, go away...nothing.  He repeats the "potty" thing and its starting to drive me crazy.  I look at the train map to try to figure out when the next train will come and get me back.  It says "1:50am"; I look at my watch and it's 1:10am.  HOLY CRAP....it's 10 degrees below zero, I'm carrying about 50lbs of stuff and I'm with Rainman who keeps repeating "Potty". At 1:30am, the lights at the station go out.  Nice.  1:50am comes and goes...Rainman says, "Potty?"  I figure I need to call a cab.  I call the hotel and ask for the number to a cab.  They give me a number and say, "Oh, but they won't come."  REALLY?  Why not?  "Because you are in St. Denis"  And?  "oohhh, monsieur..bad.  Please be careful".  hmmm...I look up at Rainman, sigh and start walking toward town.  He follows me and says...you know...and I get fed up and say, "Is that all you know how to say?  What is your name?"  He looks at me with a confused look.  I point to myself and say "Rick".  I then point at him and say "you?"  And he says "You?"  Now come on, everyone, EVERYONE gets the Tarzan thing with pointing at yourself saying your name.  That he didn't understand that meant that there was no way we would be able to communicate.  I keep walking.  He says, "Go?"  Holy crap, a new word!  I say, "yes, I am going to a hotel".  He says , "Money?"  WHAT?  I've been trying to elicit more than just "potty" from this man for 2 hours and in 30 seconds he busts out with two new words.

I say "Money?  Do you have any?" and I point to him.  He understands that and says "No money" pointing to himself.  I am now suspicious.  We are communicating pretty good now.  Why the sudden change?  then he points from me to himself saying "Money?"  signifying that I would either give him money or pay for his transfer to the potty.  OMG, you must be kidding…hit the road, Jack.  And he does.

I walk down the street looking for a hotel to crash in and hope that perhaps they will be able to find me a taxi in the morning to take me to the airport.  On the way there, I pass a McDonald’s that says it’s open until 4am.  Cool, it’s only 2:30am.  I attempt to open the door, but it’s locked.  I look inside and I see about 6 or 7 Police officers standing there.  I knock on the glass to see if they will open it up and they all go for their weapons.  One of the police officers approach the door and I figure I will have more luck if I show him my passport and itinerary.  Yup, they immediately relax and go back to conversing with one another as if I were never there.  The officer opens the door and asks me all the usual questions…to make a long story short—they end up taking me to the police station where they call a cab for me.  I find out that I was in the worst area of Paris and that police are regularly assaulted in the area where I was stranded.  Let me repeat that: POLICE are REGULARLY ASSAULTED.  I’m speechless.

I was *SO* glad to get out of that country.

Since 1941, fireworks have been illegal in the State of Arizona.  This year on July 1, the Legislature passed bills that legalized it once again.  So…I feel OK with posting pics of me, the kids, and the neighbors having some fun.

I used to think it was just fine.  Really.  You got either what you deserved quickly, or in time.  It was just a matter of time, thought I – before Yin and Yan would compensate for all inequities.

Today I received a phone call that damn near put me on the edge.

Phone caller:  Hello, may I speak to Richard Taylor?

Me: This is he.

Phone caller:  <Indian accent> Mr. Taylor, this is the Bank of America, and I am calling you to tell you that you owe $4562.34 and we would like to know if you will be paying this via Visa or Mastercard today.</Indian accent>

Me: Excuse me??  Who is this?

Phone caller: The Bank of America. 

Me: And you say I owe you $4000??

Phone caller: No, $4562.34

Me:  Why?

Phone caller: we have not received a payment from you since March 2009.

Me:  Payment for what?

Phone caller:  Home mortgage.  We used to be Countrywide Home Loans and we are now Bank of America

Me: I am on automatic payments.  I know you have been paid

It is at this time I go to my account online and give the caller all the pertinent info and proof that I made payments (or rather, that they TOOK them). 

Phone caller:  Thank you, Mr. Taylor for your patronage.  Is there anything else I can do for you this afternoon?

The only thing stopping me for cussing her out was the fact that I couldn’t believe I was hearing what I was hearing. 

OK, so you know I'm already *drooling* over the Zune HD...imagine what I did when I *SAW* this video.....OMG!!!!!

As soon as it comes out...I'm all over this like white on rice....

Like green on grass....

Like fur on a bear....

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