WilsonGoneWild.com

Phillip Wins Again...This Time It Isn't Chess

(The shirt I had on for some reason stretched in the midsection.  That's not fat.  Really.  It isn't.  Stop judging me!!!)

Phillip invited me to his awards ceremony that took place at the Chicago Public Schools headquarters downtown.  His team from Ray Elementary won 1st place in his division in a Latin competition.  These awards were a result of a city wide competition with several schools, both elementary and high school, with several Latin based projects, from performing, to art, and to writing.

I took a lot of pictures, but only a handful came out the way I wanted them too (even after editing in RAW).  You can view them on my Flickr account.

It was great to see him again, as well as to touch bases with his parents, whom I consider to be good friends. From chess, to art, to Latin, and even Yu-Gi-Oh, this kid is extremely talented, but then, he comes from talented parents (both being artists).

Congratulations Phillip, and I look forward to your upcoming blog (yeah, your father and I talked about it, you're getting one!).

Keep In Touch! Invest in "Personal" Cards

We all have seen business cards (some scarier looking in design than others).  However, have you ever seen a "Personal" card?

I was at an event today (I'll write about it tomorrow), and the webmaster for the event handed me a card and asked me to email him my pictures for his site.  His card was so effective, yet simple:

Title in Large Print: Keep In Touch!
Name
Address
Phone
Fax
Email

That's it.  No slogans, no cute pictures, just a simple card to give out to have someone, well, keep in touch.  I had personal cards a long time ago, and I think I will go back to them.  Sometimes they are better to give out than my business card, especially when the person I'm meeting has nothing to do with my business, and just wants my contact info.

So, run to Office Depot, get yourself some card stock, and print yourself up a batch; I will!

Janitor Turned Teacher: He wasn't "Just a..."

I did a post a while ago about people, when asked about their job, say that "I'm just a..."

This great story below about a janitor turned teacher confirms my theory that if you think highly of yourself and your job and where you want to be, you'll be successful:

Daniel Silva calls "amazing" his first year as an elementary school teacher on the Near West Side.

Not too long ago, he was far from the front of the classroom, mopping up floors and cleaning toilets as a Chicago Public Schools janitor.

Read the entire article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

What an inspirational story.  I wish him well on his journey.

You Know You're Fat and Out of Shape When...Part 1

...You play Wii Tennis for 10 minutes and your arm feels like it's gonna fall off.

I mean come on.  A game that makes you stand up and move around?  Preposterous!

Now excuse me as I go soak in some Epsom Salts.  Owww.......

Why I Understand Why Yahoo Rejected Microsoft's Offer

I created a chess site a few years ago that was hugely popular in the Chicagoland area, and even had national recognition.  It provided stories on various chess kids, special chess links, and it appealed to the community.  Then, a buyer came along and made an offer.  Being naive and wanting the extra cash, I took the offer, but came to regret it later.  The buyer, although retaining me as the web manager, allowed the site to die; he stopped sending updates, changed a bunch of stuff, and made it specifically for his company.  I can't really blame him for it; after all, it was his. 

However, I felt so bad that I had sold out.  This website was my idea, my creation, my baby. I nursed it, spend countless hours managing it, improving it, and it was special to me.  Then all of a sudden it died.  I later tried to revive it under a different name, but it wasn't the same and I gave up on it.

How does this relate to Yahoo?

Yahoo is dealing with a very similar situation.  One of the main founders, Jerry Yang, is still at the helm.  This is his idea, his creation, his baby (although there were others, you get my point).  Although everyone has their price, he thinks so highly of his creation that even what Microsoft offered wasn't enough, and I respect that.

It's hard to let go of something that you've worked so hard on, especially when you know what may happen to it, as I learned with my site.  It will inevitably get changed, perhaps even shut down, just to keep you out of their way. 

So I understand why he thinks Yahoo has such a high premium; he isn't simply an investor who came later to turn a profit.  He was there from the start, and he thinks very highly of Yahoo.

I respect his resolve, and I will learn from it when business dealing in the future. 

What do you think?

Shocker: The Customer is NOT Always Right

As a consultant (and by the way, anyone who works in retail, I consider consultants, because they, well, consult), you're in a unique position when dealing with your customer.  They may approach you with the firm notion that they know what they want, but we know better, and must act accordingly.

What the customer wants and what the customer needs are usually very different.

It's up to us to show them what they need and redirect their thinking from their wants, which are usually wrong.  Since they are not always right, we as consultants must show them the right direction and guide them to what they need.  We can only do this by being patient and asking the right questions, and being patient again.  Otherwise, they'll come back to you and complain they you've sold them something that they don't need, or worse yet...

...they just won't come back.

Phillip Goes Wild For Chess Over the Weekend

Remember Phillip, who sent me the humorous email?  He played in a Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago chess tourney this past weekend, becoming the tourney's overall top winner. 

The tournament was held at Fulton Elementary, a CPS school, and ironically a school that I am in the process of building a website for.  My old bosses will be the Principal/Assistant Principal at this school next year as part of the CPS turnaround school initiative (Ok, it may not be that exact title, but they are basically taking over the school, hiring all new staff, etc, while keeping the same kids).

Knowing my former boss as I do, I have no doubt that he will continue the chess program there at the school, which is exciting.  Urban areas are sorely in need of chess programs that are consistent and productive.

But I digress; congrats to Phillip!

Hat tip to the Ray School Chess blog.

Playing With my Wii

Yes, I finally, finally, found one!  I chanced upon one at WalMart on Saturday while there looking for some hangers and some air freshener (Who says "chanced upon" anymore?  I'm getting old.).  It actually was a Wii bundle: the Wii console an extra nunchuk, and an extra wiimote along with a game called WiiPlay.  I was so happy to get one; and thanks to the magic of credit cards I was able to get it (I don't like to play with credit so this will be paid within 30 days).

I have Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  To test the funness (is that a word?) of the new system and games, I had some kids over from my congregation over on a last minute thing today and let them at it.  My worst fear was that a Wiimote would slip from someone's hands and crack my large HDTV.  Thanks to the sturdy wrist strap, along with the jacket you put on the remote, it makes this virtually impossible to happen, and these wild energetic kids help ease my fears.

So I will enjoy playing with my Wii in the weeks to come and report later if I'm still interested in it (another one of my fears; will this be a fad that will get old quick, or will it stay fresh?).  I plan on getting one for my grandma soon (yep, in her 70's and she still plays video games; she's had every incarnation of the Nintendo, so why stop now?).

Does anyone have a Wii?  What are your experiences with it?

The Death of "Real" Conversation

I wanted to find out how my former student (whom I mentor) faired at his prom last night, so I texted him, and he texted back, and this went on for about 10 minutes (for all those interested--none--he had a good time). 

To communicate back and forth, I email my grandmother, my aunt (both in the same city as me), and my mom, and we do this regularly.

When I want my friends to come over for a video game party, or to watch the Sunday game, I send a broadcast text out to everyone and that's how they confirm back to me that they can come.

So this morning, it hit me---"real" conversation is dead.  In every one of these scenarios, I could have called and spoken on the phone, but I chose a text/email, as did the other people.  A friend of mine commented on this, saying that he realized it was bad when he found himself texting his children back and forth...while they were all in the same house at the same time!

It's ironic, because I just switched my Sprint plan to the Everything Plan so that I wouldn't have to count phone minutes (since I do consulting work).  Now I find myself texting back and forth with my clients, not even using the phone minutes as much!

I'm all for the digital age, but sometimes I feel that we just have to talk to people...with voices.  If we keep going at this pace, the world will be extremely silent, except for the sound of clicking keyboards and phone pads.

Why Mother's Day is Silly

I've never understood the concept of some holidays, especially Mother's Day, regardless of my religious background.  So let me get this right...I wait until one day out of the year, I send my mom some flowers, a card, take her to Red Lobster, etc., all in an effort to honor her.  What happens to the other 364 days?  Do you realize that there are a number of people who only acknowledge their mom on Mother's Day?  Yeah, they're out there, and it's sad.

I don't need a date on a calendar to tell me to honor my mom; I'm perfectly capable of doing that on a regular basis.  I would feel like a drone otherwise; going where everyone else is going; doing it because I'm told to. 

Also, aren't the best gifts the ones that are unexpected?  What mom is REALLY all that surprised on Mother's Day?  Aren't they expecting something, thus leading to a letdown if it isn't what they anticipated?  My mom always taught me that you give gifts when they aren't expected; it's appreciated more, and shows your genuine love for the person, not because a calendar told you to do so.  She not only said it, she set the example.

So honor your mother everyday, and forget the calendar!