by Peter H Frank | Jan 6, 2014 | Literature |
A short excerpt from a story that takes place more than 100 years ago. Written for a book (East of Eden) published in 1952. No matter. These words will remain true – with as much relevance today as ever before.
* * *
“…And I guess a man’s importance in the world can be measured by the quality and number of his glories. It is a lonely thing but it relates us to the world. It is the mother of all creativeness, and it sets each man separate from all other men.
“I don’t know how it will be in the years to come. There are monstrous changes taking place in the world, forces shaping a future whose face we do not know. (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Dec 26, 2013 | Cooking |
So what do you do with all those pounds of butter you received under the Christmas tree? What? You didn’t? Well, let’s pretend you did.
I’m here to help. Yes, in that warm and generous holiday spirit of “Oh well, why not?” here’s a recipe for some classic, delicious, and best of all, incredibly easy cookies. (You’ll really thank me if you have kids to help you or you just like getting your hands messy.) Regardless, take my word for it – you will like these.
And don’t tell me you can’t because you don’t know how to cook. If you ever played with clay in second grade or mixed cement with your hands (which I don’t recommend), then you can do this. Just turn on the oven, get out a scale or any kind of cup, and let’s get started.
–280 grams flour (2 cups) – [Gluten Free, in grams = 100 millet, 80 bean, 50 rice, 50 soy]
–225 grams butter (1 cup)
–60 grams powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
Yes, it’s a classic shortbread ratio. Now for the flavoring:
–1 teaspoon vanilla extract (vanilla essence is awful, but you can use it if you must. Vanilla extract does exist (the health food store in Amzei has it, for example – or give me a call and you can borrow some – or you can leave it out if you have to. A small spoonful of any flavor will work.)
And the nuts:
–240 grams broken walnuts (2 cups)
Dump all this in a big bowl and squoosh it together with your hands very, very, very well. Yes. Very well. Refrigerate a bit and then form into small balls (about 2 cm in diameter), place on a cookie sheet, and bake at 180 degree C for 12-15 minutes, until bottom is golden brown and top is very slightly beginning to brown. Leave on cookie sheet 10 minutes before removing. When finally cool (the cookies, that is – not you), place in a bag of powdered sugar and shake well. There you go. Send me a couple when you’re done.
(By the way, if the cookies fall apart when they’re cooled and you try to pick them up – as happened to one person who tried these – you need to be baking the cookies a bit longer.)
by Peter H Frank | Dec 18, 2013 | Business, Media |
I was told I should put more photos in my posts. So here you go. It’s got nothing to do with what I wrote, but I hope you like it.
Ooops. It seems I was mistaken yesterday when I wrote that short item on Facebook about the brains behind F64’s successful PR stunt a few days ago – the one that involved lying to the press when the photo retailer announced it was being sold to a foreign investor. (It was to Santa Claus, it later yucked.)
I apologize. So for all my faithful readers, let me write a correction. And while I’m at it, let me ask you all a rhetorical question: Just how perverse can things get here? (Wait, I’ll show you.)
Now, I was under the impression that F64 acted without a professional PR agency when it pulled that mindless stunt. It must have, I thought. Apparently, I was wrong – as I’m told the press release was issued by some firm called 2activePR here in Bucharest.
Of course, I would never want to suggest that these specialists must be a bunch of juvenile nincompoops to think that tricking reporters, embarrassing them, and wasting their time was a good idea. No. (You think any press is good press? Ask Tylenol or Wendy’s about that one.) In fact, the PR agency’s stated “vision” on its website reads in part that it specializes in “maintaining and enhancing corporate reputation in the eyes of clients, employees, analysts and the media.” At least with the media, I do believe in this case the agency fully succeeded in “enhancing” F64’s reputation – if, in fact, this result was the reputation the company was seeking.
But wait, that’s not the only reputation that has been enhanced here. I’m also told that while reporters were suckered into coming to the fake news conference, the members of the press were all given stuffed animals and cameras – as a gift you understand, as a token of appreciation, as an expression of heartfelt thanks, as an adorable little lagniappe, as – well, I don’t know, what would you call it? I know what I call it. And, I’m told, when they found out they had all gathered there as part of a joke, no one in the press stood up, objected, and told them where to put their cameras. (I suppose if I got a free teddy bear, making a fool of me would be quickly forgiven also.)
And then, just in case you still have your lunch, the retailer announced that all this had been for a good cause (oh my goodness, this is the Sensiblu Foundation all over again) because the store has a place for customers to bring toys and clothes for poor children.
Hey, I’d like to enhance an idea also. Why don’t the reporters put their pencils away, fill the poor kids’ boxes with the stuffed animals and cameras they were just given (maybe some did), thank the retailer and agency for wasting their time and insulting their professional ethics (even if you don’t have any, doesn’t it insult you that people look at you and assume that you don’t?), and then everybody can go home, celebrate Christmas and pretend they’re professionals.
Happy Holidays.
by Peter H Frank | Dec 10, 2013 | Culture, How I Know I'm Not in New York, Life in Romania |
“Black Friday-and-a-half”
I apologize for the delay, but I’ve been out shopping and didn’t have time until now to jot down the recent conversation with my Romanian friend Remus.
“Remus. Hey, Remus! Over here!!”
“Hi there. Hello, my friend. I didn’t see you. How are you?”
“I’m very well, thanks. But this place is crowded. Wow. I didn’t expect this on a Tuesday night.”
“No? Tonight’s busy everywhere.”
“Really?”
“And I don’t have much time. I’ll just have a quick coffee and then I have to go.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
“Are you joking? I’m going shopping. Tonight’s Black Friday.” (more…)
by Peter H Frank | Sep 25, 2013 | Business |
From my very first experience inside an office in Romania, it was clear to me that one of the most debilitating realities in the workplace here was a lack of managers who provided competent, inspirational leadership.
I don’t mean those one-of-a-kind managers for whom employees would forsake all self-interest and give everything to the company. I don’t even mean managers of pristine character and judgment who spend hours teaching and mentoring. There are very few of those in any country. No. Just a couple good bosses (or editors) for younger and lower-level employees to emulate would be sufficient.
My subsequent experiences in various offices here mostly served to confirm this impression. I again witnessed around me a sad lack of exemplary managers. Well, that’s not wholly true. There were many managers who provided examples. I did see a number of young employees emulate their bosses and (rather than learn from the shortcomings) begin to act with petulance, impetuousness, and in other ways that evidenced the insecurity and immaturity they were subject to.
Unfortunately, after this limited personal experience, scores of second-hand anecdotes, never-ending complaints from friends, generalizations from acquaintances, and various pieces of published journalistic evidence, I am left with the undeniable impression that there are woefully few examples here of senior managers who demonstrate, by example, how to conduct oneself well in the office and how to guide others with confidence and encouragement.
And, fairly or not, I have concluded the problem is indeed worse here than in the other countries I’ve worked where there were always at least some admirable managers in evidence to everyone.
I’m not sure of the reasons behind this, whether it is the outcome of some cultural differences or merely the continuing cycle of bad managers begetting new bad managers begetting new bad-to-be managers.
It’s especially sad because, in my experience, while it might be difficult to be a great manager, it is not difficult to be a good manager. And it’s certainly no mystery. Like learning to be a good parent, there is no shortage of books and experts on the topic. The guidance is all around.
So for all you managers out there – to anyone who has someone reporting to them or just sitting near them – I offer this short excerpt. Because every once in a while you read the thoughts of successful businesspeople who can give advice that is so basic and so obvious that you are struck by how simple a great workplace can be.
(From an interview in The New York Times of Ramon Nunez, chief executive of LiveHive, a software maker. It appeared September 6.)
On managing:
“I was about 27 when I started managing others. I made a lot of mistakes. One common characteristic of inexperienced managers is a lack of confidence, and that often translates into wanting to control. So you set rules that really don’t make people more effective or productive. What I’ve learned is that you have to figure out what needs to get done. What is the team’s mission? How do we accomplish that? You have to have some boundaries and some rules about how you operate as a team, but you let people excel the best way they can.”
On a company’s culture:
“To me, there are four significant principles for setting a culture. No. 1 is trust. You have to trust people to do what they need to do. If you can’t trust your team members, there’s something wrong. Either the team has to change or how you work needs to change.
“The second thing that’s very important is interdependence. That’s a euphemism for teamwork, but interdependence describes what teamwork really is – I rely on you and you rely on me.
“The third thing is integrity. That’s a set of values that keep people from going astray, and when they do you hold them accountable. The fourth thing is customer focus. If you’re not delivering value to your customer, you’re not going to survive over the long haul.”
So, articulating a well-defined mission, treating employees with respect, building an atmosphere of trust, encouraging teamwork, demanding and acting with integrity, and being in business to serve customers – why are these things still a mystery to too many managers?
