A Poem to my faculty

This is what I often tell my faculty:

We are all monks
In the temple of academe
Worship the god of knowledge
Save the students from the sin of ignorance
So please take bring up governance

We are all nuns
Practice the love of wisdom
Dispel the devil of dogma
So when I ask you to work on weekends
So please say no more about unions

We are all priests
Spread the gospel of research
======
So please no mention of salary

....

Enjoy sunday down time. Or not

After commence excitment yesterday,  the qientness of this merning felt like discomfort.  Sitting in the corner of the living room that I seldom venture to, the house is quiet and inappropriately huge and empty.
Reflecting tthe years past, just realize the struggling time is the sweetest and most savoring memory.  And in hindsight,  no matter the battles were won or lost, there is always something gained.  Maybe I am lucky enough that the godness of fortune usually on my side. 

Interviewing for an executive position

Participated an interview presentation of a new dean of College of Business. 

Although the candidate's background is just OK, his structure of his presentation is exemplary.

Ask for all people to introduce themselves

1 minutes small talk, make people like you

10 minutes of introduction of your background, experience, and achievement 

15 minutes on description the organization's history, current status SWOT.  Let people know your goals and vision is aligned with the organization.

nd you have done your homework

10 on what you can bring to the organization, what is your set of priorities

Quote some current trends so get the halo effective

e.g. the most important skills for graduates is communication, analytical and quantitative skills, information technology.

Introduce your leadership philosophy. 

Likely question:  what are your top priority during the 12 months 

- answer;  reach out the current leadership

learn from current stakeholder

establish a strategic plan from faculty - requirement of AASCB

these days, accreditation is more bottom up.  University's vision and mission should be aligned with College of Business's plan.

Choices and Fates

We all make choices every day.  Should we eat the extra large French fries or go the gym?  Should we watch the TVs show or study?  Should we take a lesson or a vacation?

Each one seems trivial.  But the accumulative became our fate,  our life and who we are.

Are our parents there to guide us, support us, punish us at each of the teachable moments?  The lucky ones have.  The unlucky ones either don't have parents around or their parents make the decision not to guide, support or punish. 

The luckiest ones do all these for themselves.  Bit it is rare.   Am I the lucky one?  Am I making the right choice for my self?  For the kids?  These questions bother me often.

Bike to work and thoughts

Have been biking to work twice a week since Sep 2012.  28 weeks, 56 trips, over 1500 miles. Today, just before the 14 miles up hills trip home, I felt tired.  Maybe because I talked to dad too late last night; maybe the years of wear and tear is catching up with me; maybe there is not much to look forward at home; maybe something else.

Well, well, take a good deep breath and enjoy the ride. Sun is setting... Time is running out....

Spring break reflection - life is like a dream

Spring break is over. It is not well planned so it is chaotic yet eventful. The 100 km ride from Monterey to Big Sur was a major event for me. Watching the old movie "identity" make me re-realize how fleeing and unreal is our life. Most of things in life is so superficial. On Friday there is a music recital at the study of Camel home. The music was just OK, but the event was really enjoyable. More than 20 people, including 10 young performers. Went to a Computer Using Educators conference in Harker school.

Passionate words but cold deeds

Got frustrated lately.  Not because the unrelenting amount of emails or the work during the bitter midnight, it is because people talk passionately but behave otherwise.  I don't know how should I react.  Should I pretend I appreciate the words even I know they are hollow?   Should I mock their passion and enrage them? Sigh.  I only nod slightly and see them going down their shallow pretense.

Powerful Quotes that Speak to Me

Went to quite a few parties these days. It seems to be a season of philanthropy activities. Got a few quotes and jokes. Some of them are actually from Fang's video games. 

"Come back with your shield, or on it." - Spartan mothers to their waring sons

"I expect it will be hard; I expect it will be done." - Japanese Shogun games 

"And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way." Reagan, 1992 

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt Speech at the Sorbonne April 23, 1910

"Go big or go home." - yours truly.

Obsessed with finishing emails

The emails are just piling up.  Whenever there is an opening in the schedule, I spent in on answering emails.  Often at the expense of doing something important but not urgent.  Need to develop the discipline of only spending limited, efficient time on emails.  Maybe just one hour in the morning for CSU and one hour at night, after completing other scheduled tasks.

Learn not to worry about things I can't control

I've worried last few weeks.  About so many things.  At first was running the innovation workshop in China, the invitation came too late so I had to decline.  Then is the ski trip and the weather; my right knee; the keynote speech at Defense Language Institute; the refinancing; the BPPE; the tires on the Lexus; the international recruitment plan; the online master degrees; hiring faculty, Brian leaving the country; the StartupWeekend, ..... too many to-dos, inspirations, wants, greeds, ambitions, and too little time, resource and talent.  Sigh.

Have to plan, execute, review.  But the more challenging one is how not to be worried and depressed about things that is out of my control.  Since there is not much I can do about them, worrying does not produce any results.

Hopefully the weather will turn nicer so I can ride my bike more, that is a proven method to reduce stress.

All we need

According to Cicero,  if you have a garden and a library,  you have everything you need.

When there is no human left to hear, is music still beautiful?