Neil McDonnell's Comments

Situation: a Virtuozzo VPS stopped responding to all access requests, except from Virtuozzo'z management tool. We were able to see the services, accounts, files, etc. and make changes. We were not able to access the VPS via RDC / RDP or ping the server; the VPS also stopped all communications with the domain controller. Hopefully, my notes will be useful to you if you are put in this situation.

Applications: This issue affected a SharePoint (MOSS 2007) Farm, most specifically, the SQL server which was hosted on the faulty VPS.

Cause: Who knows!! The only thing we can think of that happened on this box was Windows Updating. It turns out it was enabled on this VPS, a big no/no. Perhaps MS updated the VPS and forced a restart which forced all of this. That's the trouble with IT; sometimes you can fix things without ever learning the cause.

Solution: We tried a thousand solutions before the final one, such as: stop/start the VPS; soft restart the host server box; hard restart the host server box; bang our heads against the wall until we lost consciousnous; etc.

Final Solution: This is what worked for us in the end. We "cloned" the VPS giving the new VPS a temporary IP address. Once the clone was complete, we changed the old VPS IP address to something random, and the new VPS we set to use the old VPS' IP address. Then we logged on to the new VPS locally, removed it from the domain by adding it to it's own workgroup, restarted the VPS and then added it back into the domain. This took care of the problem with the computers talking to each other, pinging and our ability to use RDC. But, we were having an issue getting the SQL databases back online and talking with SharePoint. Turns out we just needed to add our SQL service account to local admins and life was back to normal.

Neil McDonnell, PMP
www.bravocg.com
SharePoint solutions

Labels: Neil McDonnell, RDC, RDP, SharePoint, SQL, VE, Virtuozzo, VPS

They say the quickest way to begin healing an argument is to forgive yourself for your part. So, I forgive myself for not writing in a very long time; doesn't mean I haven't been thinking as much as I always did, just means I wasn't writing.

I'm getting ready to move into DC (hopefully in 2008) and plan on opening an office for my company Bravo Consulting Group. As I did a little basic research, I was stunned at the difference in the unemployment rate between DC and its neighboring "states" of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. DC's unemployment rate is effectively double that of its neighbors. How is that possible?

Some quick stats: DC's unemployment rates compared to MD, VA and DE...

• 2007 - DC: 6.1; MD: 3.8; VA: 3.5; DE: 3.8 (ranked 49/51)
• 2006 - DC: 6.0; MD: 3.9; VA: 3.0; DE: 3.6 (ranked 47/51)
• 2005 - DC: 6.5; MD: 4.2; VA: 3.5; DE: 4.0 (ranked 46/51)
• 2004 - DC: 7.5; MD: 4.3; VA: 3.7; DE: 4.0 (ranked 51/51)
• 2003 - DC: 7.0; MD: 4.5; VA: 4.1; DE: 4.2 (ranked 47/51)
• 2002 - DC: 6.7; MD: 4.5; VA: 4.2; DE: 4.0 (ranked 46/51)
• 2001 - DC: 6.3; MD: 4.1; VA: 3.2; DE: 3.5 (ranked 50/51)
• 2000 - DC: 5.7; MD: 3.6; VA: 2.3; DE: 3.3 (ranked 49/51)

These statistics came from the US Department of Labor. Check them out yourself. I know I'm just doing a quick numbers comparison, but I'd welcome your input.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: DC, Neil McDonnell, PMP; Washington, Unemployment

Tuesday, October 16th is the annual day to celebrate your Boss. What's that mean?

Let's start with Hallmark's stats and fun facts. In a country with about 300 million folks, there are more than 14 million bosses. National Boss Day started in 1958 by Patricia Bays...think she was the boss or the employee? :) Turns out she was just honoring her father...like he needed a second Father's Day.

Then my ever-favorite site, Wikipedia. They consider it an "important secular holiday" for some reason. Not sure what secular holidays they consider unimportant. Fortunately, Wiki... allows us to ignore this holiday on the basis of high commercialism and/or our boss just being undeserving of extra love. Hey, they get our efforts for eight hours a day...that's their thank you. :)

Me, I'm celebrating the day by being extra kind to my wife. When she's not around, I'm the boss of me...but when she's around, I know what up.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: National Boss Day, Neil McDonnell

I was first introduced to LinkedIn many years ago by a vendor-friend of mine. While I knew I wanted to stay in touch with him, I just didn't like the idea of LinkedIn having the benefit of my Rolodex. Long story short, I only hurt myself over those years with my ignorance on this great tool for both professional and personal networking.

When I reviewed LinkedIn again this past week, I began to realize my fear was unfounded. They don't grab my contact list and dump it into their system. They don't send out spam to all my contacts. It actually was very easy to join and get rolling. I added what personal contact information I wanted the world to see and then began looking for friends and colleagues already using LinkedIn. Rather than dumping my contact list into this site for their use, it's really came down to me telling others that I was using the same tool and we could stay connected.

LinkedIn is a great tool for staying in touch with colleagues in our professional life. I think we can all see that. For me though, it is a chance to reconnect with old school friends or Army buddies. I lost touch with several of my closest friends in the Rangers; we just drifted apart as we were reassigned for the good of the Army. I can't tell you how great it would be to hook up with old buddies like Case, Kenard, or Gail. These are the only guys I can tell "back when I was in...." stories. :)

I highly recommend you take a moment and read the "about us" page for LinkedIn. It's a great way to keep in contact with your friends and colleagues. It is especially useful for keeping you up to date with folks you don't talk to for extended periods of time because life pulls you.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Contacts, LinkedIn, Neil McDonnell, Networking

I took some time off from writing in my blog, but now plan on coming back. Actually, I wouldn't so much call it taking time off since that would mean I made a conscious choice to do so. I just didn't write one day, and then the next and that turned into a week then several months. But now I have a writing space available that allows me the freedom to write my thoughts down for your enjoyment. As always, any suggestions on topic are welcome.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

I've always wanted to visit Europe and enjoy the magical experiences that can only be found there. While I've been to Ireland, I don't really count that as Europe. Europe to me is Italy, France, Germany...the mainland countries with centuries of history. Since I love romance, Paris seems like one of the first places I should visit.

A friend of mine used to fly to Paris for an extended weekend and stay at the Hilton next to the Eiffel Tower. She'd sing the praises of Paris, both the world famous parts like the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, and the more romantic parts such as local cafes. I'd love to take my bride there and experience all that Paris has to offer two lovers.

There are several Hiltons in Paris. Take a look at http://www.hilton-paris.com/ to see what they offer and then navigate around to view Paris as they want you to see it.

If money was no object, I'd be jetting off to Europe at least once a year just for a romantic package. To enjoy old world history with a friend is to explore that relationship from exciting angles. What romantic trip would you take to reinvigorate your heart and soul; to spice up your life?

Neil McDonnell

I'm always interested in what readers like you would find interesting in my blog. It's a tough battle to keep from writing the same thing over and over again when I find my passion is on fire for the topic of the day. So I'm thankful a friend recommended I write about why I wake early. Not knowing whether I should follow a narrative or top ten list style, I'll probably end up doing both.

You can not even begin to imagine what gets done before 9:00 AM. I get up at five each morning and have time to read, exercise, play with the cats, casually leave my house for work. On the ride to work I am not rushed, enjoy the music bouncing along in low level commute. Most enjoyable though, I get to watch the sun rise.

Have you ever experienced a sunrise? It's like starting your life over...renewed. If you come outside after the sun's up, you're just entering another day. But if you're outside greeting the sun as it pushes it's way above the horizon, you're owning the day. Together, you and the sun are joining forces to create a beautiful, renewed day full of possibilities.

Top Ten Reasons for Waking Up Early

1. You aren't rushed to get to work
2. Romance in the morning is as fun as it is in the evenings
3. Running in the cool air beats running in the oppressive evening heat
4. You get to play with the cats when they're full of energy and happy to see you
5. There's no such thing as stop and go traffic
6. The sun is there to greet you and gain more energy as you do
7. You'll be very tired at the end of the day and get deeper sleep
8. There's still dew on the cob webs
9. Nothing is cooler than seeing a red and orange moon in the morning
10. There are far fewer people on the path

What ever my reasons are for waking early, I'd suggest you give it a try for thirty days. You'll find your own reasons to rationalizing waking early each morning. Hopefully I'll see you out there one morning. :)

Neil McDonnell

If you think you've experienced music as the message that it is, but haven't heard all Patsy Cline had to say, then you're missing out.

Patsy Cline was born near me in Winchester, Virginia. She never really sung about or connected with the physical love, but man did she wear her heart on her sleeve. She's everything that country is to me. She died at age 30. Can you imagine that? She died at age thirty and had already accomplished enough that her memory and accomplishments would continue to be recognized through 2007.

Two things stand out to me regarding Patsy Cline. First, she chased her dreams her entire life. She often said "I don't want to get rich...just live good." If her dreams paid, that's great, but it was about the music, about the messages. And Second, she sung the deepest songs I've ever listened to. Songs that reached down in my heart and yanked with a love gone wrong. Each one of her songs makes me either commiserate, or more often, pray I never experience what she went through...in her songs.

Go to the library and check out a few Patsy Cline CD's, pop open bottle of wine if you drink and listen to her sing. Use headphones so you have no distractions. Shut out the entire world and drink the wine and Patsy's songs. Let yourself live in the moment of this woman's voice. It's magical and piercing...it's something we all should experience.

Neil McDonnell

What do you dream about? If money were no object...if time were no object...what would you do? What are your dreams? Do you dream of traveling or of starting your own company or of running a marathon? All of us dream...what are yours?

I was talking with a friend the other day and mentioned how I think the prime of a person's life is when they're in their 40's, 50's and 60's. I can go into why I believe that later, but I think that's the time to be trying things and I look forward to that period in my life. He mentioned that he had always wanted to be a lawyer, specializing in constitutional law. He said this in such a way to also communicate that he believes he missed that boat. It shocked me...my friend is at most in his fifties. I shared with him my belief that anyone can become anything within five years, and be recognized as an expert with just one hour a day dedicated towards that goal.

This friend of mine had a dream that I could see ran passionately through his blood, but one he figured would never be realized. I asked him what was stopping him and he really didn't have an answer. As I pushed him further, I began to suggest that he just go for it. Law school might take five or six years at a slow pace his schedule will allow, but six years from now he'd realize his dream. I'll let you know when he takes the first step, when he goes from Dreaming to Doing.

I told my friend that he could begin with something as simple as visiting the Supreme Court. We're thirty miles from the seat of constitutional law and he's never been there. If he's this fired up today, imagine if he began taking baby steps towards his dream. Imagine how he'll feel when he walks through those hallowed halls and perhaps meets a Supreme Court Justice. It's in the Doing that he'll realize his Dreams. Don't you agree that he should do something?

What do you dream about? Take your dreams and write them down...do it today. That one step will take you from Dreaming to Doing. Put each dream on a separate piece of paper, in the middle and inside a circle. Now you've turned your dream into a goal. What's one step you could do tomorrow that will move your dream closer to reality? Draw a line from the first circle towards one corner of the page and put another circle. In that circle, put the one step you just identified. Repeat this step for as many things you could do that would help your dream become a reality. You'd be amazed how fast this Doing will take you from Dreaming to Done. :)

What do you dream about? I dream about helping others take some chances and realize their potential. I dream about helping you go from Dreaming to Doing to Done, and I think this blog entry has moved me forward in that dream.

Neil McDonnell

Some people say that chocolate is sinful and that we should resist its temptations. Why? I say we should embrace that temptation and enjoy being bad for a moment if it means we can taste something that delicious.

I remember going hiking with a very close friend of mine one summer day. She and I walked all through the back part of Leesburg battlefields, and then headed to Tuskies, a great local restaurant to satisfy our hunger. The meal was good, but heaven didn't come until I began to eat the chocolate creme brulee (crem broo lay) that tempted me from the moment it got on my spoon. To reach the creamy center, I had to break the shell protecting this sweet tasting dish. It was like someone was trying to keep me away from this sinful dessert that I must taste. Once past the initial resistance, the cream scooped nicely onto my spoon and accepted its part in my walk down the wild side. Just as the creme brulee was coming to my mouth, my nose picked up on all the excitement that my eyes had been communicating. My nose began to smell a sweet, chocolate scent that over powered it; almost controlling my nose to force a steady, slow inhale as it attempted to never let that experience end. But then this forbidden fruit, this sinful chocolate creme brulee, this most tempting of all desserts, reached my mouth and all senses were dulled as the senses of taste and touch (feeling) competed for attention by sending signals of nothing but pure pleasure to my brain and then on for a full body enjoyment. As the creme brulee slid off the spoon in response to my lips pulling softly, it fell onto my tongue and exploded with a renewed vigor. The awesome feeling of the dessert was spread throughout my entire mouth as the spoon was withdrawn and my entire mouth closed down on this experience. Every taste bud and nerve in my mouth fired off at the same time, forcing me to slam my hand on the table and tightly close my eyes. I wanted to swallow this chocolate delight, but wanted to do it in such a way as to maximize the flavor and feelings I was experiencing. Imagine lingering under a hot shower stream on a cold winter day, you just want to enjoy how the warmth feels and embraces your body. This dessert did the same thing. How hard would it be to resist this dessert if you knew you'd be able to close your eyes the following day and experience the same pleasure? If you knew your lack of resistance wouldn't be the end of the world.

Now I don't advocate eating chocolate every day; too much of the "sinful" treats are a bad thing. It will also dull the experience. We all must eat good meals, making sure we're getting enough vegetables and other food groups. That gives us the very life that we live. We could never give up that which makes us live. Dessert makes life really fun, but won't keep us alive.

But to resist chocolate because it's temptation and call is "sinful" is silly. Life's only worth while when we're truly living it to the fullest. If that means occasionally getting your hands on something tempting, don't beat yourself up about it...enjoy it and then go eat your vegetables. :)

Perhaps once you learn to really embrace and enjoy something as simple as a guilty pleasure without any regret, you'll be ready to chase some big dream you've been thinking about. I'll tell you soon how you can go from Dreaming to Doing to being Done.

Neil McDonnell

Too many people say children should be seen but not heard. That's a sure way to miss out on the joys and lessons they might share from a far different perspective. Why shut off a whole part of society and not embrace what they can give us? Far too many other people think sensory neurons should be felt but not appreciated and embraced for their message.

Sensory neurons are the nerve cells responsible for converting external stimuli from it's environment into motor reflexes or other forms of involuntary behavior. For example, if you run your fingers through a lover's hair, that "feeling" that your fingers experience is converted into heightened breathing or an increase in how rapidly your heart is beating. Think about silk sheets or a cool pool on a hot day; imagine how your wonderful your body feels, every part of your skin as you slide between the sheets or into the pool. Your body, your skin, your sensory neurons are converting that experience...do you enjoy it, or do you just treat it like some functional task?

I encourage you to begin to embrace your sensory neurons. Just as crying while watching a sad movie opens up parts of your heart that feel the most love, embracing your sensory nerves will open up feelings of great pleasure. Admittedly, the same is basically true for pain; but everyone is in tune with their sensory neurons when pain visits. The truly fabulous part of sensory neurons are the feelings we get to experience.

Imagine watching comedy but not letting yourself laugh. Life would be way too boring right? Now imagine how you feel when you watch comedy and can't see because you're crying from laughing so hard...you can barely breathe. That's from an external stimuli. Now imagine having that same level of intensity from basic contact with another. We must open up our entire sensory neuron self and welcome the signals they send us; we must look forward to those signals, those physical feelings.

The next time someone gives you a hug, a kiss or a caress, don't just take that for granted. Recognize that you're experiencing the first "sense" that develops in the womb. Realize that the miracle of sensory neurons are presenting you an opportunity to feel pure pleasure, to feel wonderful, which in turn affects your entire mood and ability to enjoy life. The next time your sensory neurons are passing you information...stop, listen and enjoy as much as possible. It will only last moments, but the memory of that experience will return with almost as much impact.

Neil McDonnell

I had coffee this morning in Washington DC with an old friend. She and I were catching up on our separate lives, laughing over old pictures and talking politics. As I walked to my car I recalled how much I respected this person, but more importantly, how much I need people in my life.

It amazes me that many people get up, go to work, come home, watch television, and then go to sleep. That's their life, not just one day in the week. How can they (you?) live without all the energy interacting with friends or strangers gives them?

My friend this morning reminded me of the past through our conversations about old events. She reminded me of the present as we discussed our lives and recent events. Then she reminded me of the future by discussing world views and 2008 politics. All this happened in an hour! I walked away thinking about my entire life including the future through this one interaction with another human being.

Yesterday morning I ran with a different friend. She and I talked about jobs and career paths while taking in the back woods of Virginia for a rainy run. I came away from that with the energy to work the entire day as if I was leaving the next day on vacation. Highly productive. :)

Tonight I just came back from dinner with my wife. She my best friend and when we're not tired, we have great talks. :) She fired me up about my entrepreneurial ideas by not only believing in my efforts, but wanting me to hurry so she could be a customer. :) We talked about friends and how they affect us and why we want them in our lives.

As I get older, I'm much more relaxed about admitting that I have feelings. I feel very powerfully about many things. Probably one of the most affecting on my life though are the friends and strangers I interact with. They give me energy. They help me remember why it is so cool to be alive in 2007. They give me hope for a great future no matter what past I've had.

I encourage you to turn off the television and begin to hang out with other folks. Do so in your house with friends, do so at events or just go partying. Just hang out with folks and see how much energy you begin to feel flow into your being.

It's good to be back providing my comments. I'd love to hear yours.

Neil McDonnell

Giving a speech before a large audience can be a rewarding experience for both the speaker and the audience. Careful choices beforehand will allow you and your audience to focus on your speech content and not you. Consider these ten tips for looking good before an audience:

1. Remove all security tags, key chains, cell phones, pagers and anything else you tend to store on your body. Don't put them in your pockets either; give them to a trusted friend or host of your event. This includes name tags. Take off the name tag before speaking before large audiences (more than twenty). Name tags are for one-on-one conversations.
2. Shine your shoes. For $5 you shoes can look better than new. Visit a local Nordstrom's or a fancy hotel; they both tend to have shoe shine stands.
3. Don't button the bottom button of your suit coat. Who knows and who cares why, just don't. If you do, it looks like this is the first time you've worn a suit and those of us who know the rule might be distracted by this fashion infraction. I know, we're the shallow ones, but why take chances when you want your speech to be heard.
4. Check the back of your suit coat; often the tails are sown together with a few threads. Many folks tend to leave this thread alone and just figure suits are like that. If you're really nice, mention it to a colleague as you would their zipper down. A quick nip and that thread is gone and the suit hangs better on your body.
5. Take the time to visit a tailor and ask them to work their magic. If you just bought the suit, that store can make adjustments for you so the suit looks good on you. If you're like me and have wandering belt sizes, get your suit checked out before you give an important speech. You'd have your car checked before a long drive or winter, why wouldn't you do the same for a fashion tool?
6. Stabilize your tie. Often men will have a great tie and it lays perfect in front of the mirror, but then life happens. Movement will cause the tie to shift on the neck or point to the side. A tie tack will stop all movement and maintain a desired look. Some folks use official tie tacks or chains as decoration and a tool. I prefer to use a tie pin underneath the top end; this stops the movement, but keeps the decorations invisible.
7. Remove everything from your pockets. In fact, don't put anything in them from the start of the day. It reshapes your pockets from flat, smooth surfaces to bulging, distracting surfaces even if there's nothing in them.
8. Don't eat before a speech, even if it is a lunch keynote speech; the host will keep your meal warm. Eating before a speech has so many downsides, but visually you run into a few specific ones. The chances that you'll get something stuck in your front teeth is close to 100%. Eating means you're moving; that increases your chances of spilling something on your clothing. And don't rule out an allergic reaction to something you eat; can you imagine how hard it will be to listen to your speech if all we see is a red, swollen face?
9. Stand tall. A classic challenge for speakers is to stay still. Often you'll see a speaker swaying or pacing, lifting a foot off the stage in a tilting motion as if they're stretching. Just stand still. It seems odd, standing there as if you're in the army, but your audience can focus on the speech better. If you have stage movement that is part of your speech and adds to your point, use it. Just move on purpose or stand tall.
10. Have everything you'll need (notes, etc.) up on stage at the lectern; hopefully you won't be using notes and can give your speech from memory. When you walk up on stage after being introduced, stand there for a moment and absorb the applause. If they've stopped, just look at them for a few seconds. It gives you a chance to relax into the space, and the audience a chance to just look at a non-rushed speaker; a speaker who is looking very confident. It doesn't have to be long, just count to five by one-thousands. It seems like forever, but your heart beat will go down, you'll look relaxed and look good.

These are just ten tips in no particular order. Mark Twain said that his best impromptu speeches took months of preparation. Don't let any part of your speech (how you look) be by accident.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Neil McDonnell, speech tips

I wrote an earlier post that served as an Introduction to Project Management Knowledge Areas. In this one I'd like to explore Earned Value Management (EVM) at the higher level as well. It seems like the federal government is always discovering things that the rest of you have been doing all along. These past couple of years and heading forward, EVM and PMP are two very hot acronyms.

Earned Value Management falls under tools and techniques for monitoring and controlling project work. According to the PMBOK, "the earned value technique measures performance of the project as it moves from project initiation through project closure. The earned value management methodology also provides a means to forecast future performance based upon past performance." Think about your own projects; how are your project managers (or you) forecasting or measuring performance? Are you learning from previous projects?

EVM objectively measures project performance (comparing budgeted cost of work completed against actual cost) and progress (comparing budgeted cost of work completed against planned budget). I'm a big fan of saying you'll never know how to get where you're going unless you know where you're at today. EVM is just one technique that can be used to tell you where you're at in any given project.

Take a look at the Project Management Institute's web site for much more information on this subject. I did a search already on the site that shows case studies of EVM and other related articles you may want to research. As a PMP, I follow the PMI standards and have researched the information for this post from PMI material. I hope you find it useful and highly recommend you consider joining PMI if you're not a member already.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Neil McDonnell, PMI, PMP, Project Management Professional

Bert Decker has a great post on his blog, Create Your Communications Experience, regarding the use of black slides in your presentations. I've personally used "filler" slides before, but after reading his "Use Black Slides" post, I plan on following his lead.

Bert points out three key things you'll accomplish by using black slides:

1. Clear the Screen [which brings the focus back on you]
2. Black Out the Screen [which takes you out of the spotlight]
3. Totally Change Your Mindset [how you develop presentations in general]

Take a look at this post and others on the Create Your Communications Experience. I consider myself in the top tier of presenters, but find there's so much more to learn.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Neil McDonnell, PowerPoint, Presentations

I read a handy article in AIIM E-Doc Magazine titled Outsourcing Faux Pas by Janelle Julien. It described the common mistakes overlooked by users as they consider outsourcing their document imaging operation. Here's a small bit of it; if you find it interesting, follow this up with a visit to the AIIM web site.

Top Ten Pitfalls

1. Inadequate Security Regulations
2. Failure to Network [w/industry peers who been there]
3. Failure to Verify Vendor Expertise
4. Ignoring Your End Users
5. Scope of Work is not Defined Well Enough
6. Neglecting to Visit the Vendor
7. Not Assessing the Vendor's Reputation or Financial Strength
8. Ignorance of Legislation [and vendor's compliance]
9. Setting Low Reliability Expectations
10. Failure to Establish Standards for the Privacy and Integrity of Data

I remember reading once about a woman in India who was willing to sell medical records because she wasn't being compensated fairly. Considering the damage from full disclosure can help decide which vendor to choose. Here's an Outsourcing Vendor Checklist from the article that states the top ten list a different way:

• Tour the company's facilities
• Investigate its reputation and financial strength
• Determine its reliability in meeting schedules and in preserving the integrity, maintenance, protection, and privacy of its clients' records
• Gauge the expertise of its personnel and the quality of its work
• Get recommendations from other customers
• Investigate its services and specialties
• Consider cost and physical location

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: AIIM, Neil McDonnell

It's so cool when two rationale people are involved in the same situation. Too bad world peace can't be handled in a similar way...or can it?

My wife "dinged" another car while parking at the doctor's office this morning. She was really upset about it and felt horrible; I think some of the emotions attached to the doctor's visit spilled over to this event. Anyway, no one was there so she left a note on the car. As any of us might, she spent the day wondering what it would cost, whether the insurance would go up or if the car belonged to someone who would be very upset about the damage.

This evening Bill calls and says his wife found the note on their truck and asked what they could do for us. :) They for us? I told him the situation and mentioned we wanted to make sure we made the situation right. He leans back to his wife, "They want to make the situation right." "It's just a scratch, forget about it." Bill told me that it was a plastic piece my wife hit and it wasn't dented. He was able to wipe off the paint she had left behind and all's fine.

Here's one person making sure they take responsibility for their actions and another extending forgiveness and understanding. I wonder if world peace could be a reality if our leaders took a lesson from these two people.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: forgiveness, Neil McDonnell, world peace

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Jeffrey Shelton was murdered last night; He died this early morning on April 1, 2007. May God welcome him into heaven and may his soul rest in peace. May God comfort Jeff Shelton's wife, family, friends and fellow officers in their time of loss and grief.

Officer Jeff Shelton was 35 years old and had only served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina for six years. He, and fellow officer Sean Clark, were shot and killed in cold blood while investigating a disturbance in an East Charlotte housing complex. There is no information on the suspect (s) yet. [Update: a suspect has been caught and charged with two counts of first degree murder.]

I can not even begin to really understand what each law enforcement officer feels when they answer a call or pull someone over. When I was in the army rangers, I felt the fear of being shot at as we approached our objectives; we knew they had guns and wanted to kill us. Is this how we want our law enforcement officers to feel each hour they're on duty?

Police Officer Jeff Shelton was murdered last night. He was your cop, he was my cop, he was an American cop. We must stop the murders of our cops. Until they are safe, how can we ever, really, expect to be safe? How can we expect our children and grandchildren are safe?

Please pray for Officer Jeff Shelton's soul, and that of his partner Officer Sean Clark. May God also hear our prayers for Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, Game Warden Justin Hurst, Corporal Mark Nix, Officer Daniel Martinez, Officer Marcus Stiles, and Officer Lonnie Wells. All but one was murdered in the first three months of 2007. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Officer Jeff Shelton, Police

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Sean Clark was murdered last night; he died early this morning on April 1, 2007. May God welcome him into heaven and may his soul rest in peace. May God comfort Sean Clark's wife, family, friends and fellow officers in their time of loss and grief.

Officer Sean Clark was 34 years old and had only served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina for one year. He, and fellow officer Jeffrey Shelton, were shot and killed in cold blood while investigating a disturbance in an East Charlotte housing complex. There is no information on the suspect (s) yet. [Update: a suspect has been caught and charged with two counts of first degree murder.]

I can not even begin to really understand what each law enforcement officer feels when they answer a call or pull someone over. When I was in the army rangers, I felt the fear of being shot at as we approached our objectives; we knew they had guns and wanted to kill us. Is this how we want our law enforcement officers to feel each hour they're on duty?

Police Officer Sean Clark was murdered today. He was your cop, he was my cop, he was an American cop. We must stop the murders of our cops. Until they are safe, how can we ever, really, expect to be safe? How can we expect our children and grandchildren are safe?

Please pray for Officer Jeff Shelton's soul, and that of his partner Officer Sean Clark. May God also hear our prayers for Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, Game Warden Justin Hurst, Corporal Mark Nix, Officer Daniel Martinez, Officer Marcus Stiles, and Officer Lonnie Wells. All but one was murdered in the first three months of 2007. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Officer Sean Clark, Police

I discovered a great blog the other day...well, I didn't discover it, it's always been there; I just found it. Strange Maps provides some of the coolest maps around and gives readers a great review of the origin and meaning.

Today's map, A Cartogram of the World's Population, is particularly cool. It distorts the actual geography to reflect population information of countries around the world. The discrepancies are striking, especially when you see Australia nearly disappear, or Russia and Canada shrink to slivers of land next to their southern neighbors. Personally I hadn't realized how much larger the population of China and India were to Russia. I thought there were three "giants of Asia" over there.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Neil McDonnell, Strange Maps

I heard a great speech tonight at an Area Contest for Toastmasters International. A friend in that organization, Frank, talked about the three pillars of raising boys.

The three pillars, similar to stool legs, are vital to the successful growth and maturity of every young boy. Frank laid out the three pillars as focused in the home, neighborhood and schools. While you'll have to hear him speak on April 20th in Ashburn, VA to learn more, I wanted to point out something he said about schools.

Frank mentioned that his son goes to school and learns the subjects in the normal way; basically recitation. How would a child embrace the lessons and learn if he was taught through practical exercises. For example, rather than being taught history, he acted out history. Or my favorite, imagine if rather than being taught science, he actually did science? Frank's concern seemed to be that boys are being pushed through a system for the sake of learning without any concern as to their personal learning strengths.

Not having boys of my own, I can't relate. But, being a boy once before, I can imagine how school might have been if it was taught differently. Wonder what you all think...

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Neil McDonnell

I like the idea of having great conversations with friends and digging deeper into single questions. My only challenge is that I find myself wanting to answer questions with "because" a little too often. :)

The West Virginia University Philosophy Department started a blog to get students thinking about specific questions. It quickly became an international hit and now a regular read of mine. The blog is called The Question for obvious reasons. :) They list some great questions like "Is Winning Everything?" Well, is it? I find participating in these types of discussions lead to a better understanding of how I really feel about something.

Another site I participate on is The New Humanist. Eric Hodges leads this blog and has really got me looking forward to his next question. The reason I like his site better than The Question is that Eric only asks one question. The other site seems to end up asking ten or more which confuses the discussion. When you get time, click through and visit these two sites.

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Neil McDonnell, Philosophy, The New Humanist, The Question

All volunteer, non-profit organizations have the same main challenge: how to find guests who turn into active members. This post provides some personal examples and a checklist of the right things your organization should do in order to address this challenge.

When I say all organizations have a similar main challenge, I really do mean all; e.g. Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Toastmasters International, local museums, or your church. You see it with community groups like those and with professional associations. We all face that challenge of getting active members who will hopefully become the next leaders so we can relax a bit. Does that sound familiar?

Personally, I see this challenge in every organization I belong to including Toastmasters International and my local church. Toastmasters has close to 10,000 local clubs focused on developing communicators and leaders; yet you'll often see the same people stuck doing things or membership numbers hoovering around an unacceptable level. In my church, we have 3000 families focused on living the Gospel; yet the number of folks actually active is very low. How can these two organizations address this challenge?

The key to solving the challenge of inactive members is to bring new members in following a correct process, one that will lead them to become active members. Here's a minimum checklist your organization should have in place if you'd like to bring in and develop active members. I'm going on the assumption that you're getting guests and so your marketing efforts are successful.

1. Every guest, new parishioner, whatever, should be greeted in a warm, friendly and welcoming manner. When you see someone walking up to your organizations door, go to them and say hello. Introduce yourself. They're scared or hesitant; you can make them feel comfortable by just saying hello.

2. Once greeted, every guest should be shown how to sign the guest book. Stay right there with them as they sign the guest book, making sure all information is filled in and legible.

3. After signing a guest book, every member should be given a guest packet. This is usually just a folder with information about your organization in it, perhaps a magazine or bulletin as well. The packet absolutely must have an application and a pen. Explain the packet to them and say it is designed to answer most initial questions.

4. Introduce the guest to an experienced member of your organization and invite them to sit together. While the guest packet has data, the member can answer any questions that come up.

5. After a meeting, continue the friendliness, but ask them to join. This is very important!! You want new members. They came to your organization because they were exploring the idea of joining. Now make them feel like their time was well spent by encouraging them to apply or fill out a membership form. By asking them to join, you are telling them that they're wanted. We all want to feel wanted. NOTE No matter how many times I mention this item to organizations, they all agree to the value, but I'll watch them treat a guest great then not ask them to join. The guest goes away thinking, "I guess they don't want me to join." I know it is silly on the guest's part, but you're in the control position.

6. This part begins the "active-member" section of my list. You need to meet one-on-one with the new member within a week, two at the most. Sit down with the member and find out what they want from their membership; how do they see themselves being involved? Really understand their wants. Then explain what the organization expects from them.

7. Absolutely stress things like regular attendance, filling roles, being supportive to other members/parishioners, etc. But also stress that this is an all-volunteer organization that is dependent on you and me for leadership. Either they need to volunteer for a leadership role (which they won't) or join one of the committees and support the leaders. If you do this from day one, your new member will think it is normal and just volunteer.

8. Finally, for this list, recognition is vital. If someone shows up, thank them. If someone does what they say they'll do, thank them. If someone helps out, thank them. The only thing volunteers really want is to be appreciated. If I feel appreciated, I'll remain active and probably become more so. Show appreciation often and in any way you choose. There's a song "more than words" that basically says you don't have to tell me you love me, I already know. If you respect your members, they'll become active, eventually become leaders and you can sit back and enjoy being "just" a member yourself for a while. :)

Neil McDonnell, PMP

Labels: Membership Building Ideas, Neil McDonnell

My brother sent me an article out of San Francisco regarding legislation being pursued to track inmate whereabouts using a GPS device. The reason this really hit home is because this legislation is being pushed by Sandy Tuvera, the mother of Bryan Tuvera.

For those of you who have read my blog, you know that Bryan Tuvera's murder was my tipping point. He was murdered by an escaped convict on December 22, 2006. When you read the blog entry for Bryan Tuvera, click on the label "cops" to see all related blogs I've posted since then.

The murderer who shot and killed Bryan Tuvera should have been in a lock-up jail. At the very least, he should have been on the minimum security prison he was assigned to. But one day he just walked off the property and disappeared for a year and a half until he was spotted in San Francisco. The idea behind these GPS devices is that authorities would have known instantly if he left a designated area.

While the idea is right, I'm not sure about the tool. Why wouldn't we just insert a chip into a fatty part of the prisoner's body? I can do it with my dog or cat; the vet inserts a chip that lets the cat be identified. A more advanced version could be used that allows tracking similar to the Lowjack (sp) used for cars. For the activists in the country, I would argue that a chip is far more humane than having an ankle bracelet. From a security concern, it seems like it would be harder to remove the chip than a bracelet.

Either way, it is a start in the right direction. Sandy Tuvera is correct that we must do something to change our system to make it safe for others. I'm thankful to her for being so public, so soon after her tragic loss.

May God bless Bryan's mother Sandy Tuvera, Bryan's bride, his fellow officers and those trying to make a difference. May Bryan Tuvera rest in peace, his soul kept in God's loving embrace.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Bryan Tuvera, cops, GPS, Neil McDonnell, Police

Moncks Corner Police Department Police Officer Marcus Stiles was murdered on March 25, 2007; he died on March 26th. Please pray for his soul, for his family and for his fellow officers.

Officer Stiles was only 26 years old and served in this South Carolina police department. He was shot and killed responding to a domestic dispute; a couple fighting. A man at the house just opened fire on Stiles and his partner Officer Lonnie Wells, killing both officers. While news is still limited on these two murders, it is clear that their murderer was shot and killed by a deputy from the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

There is no answer to the "Why?" question. Let's join together to instead answer the question of how do we prevent the murders of our cops.

Please pray for the souls of Officer Marcus Stiles and Officer Lonnie Wells, and for the souls of, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, Game Warden Justin Hurst, Corporal Mark Nix, and Officer Daniel C. Martinez. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Police

Moncks Corner Police Department Police Officer Lonnie Wells was murdered on March 25, 2007. Please pray for his soul, for his family and for his fellow officers.

Officer Wells was only 40 years old and served in this South Carolina police department. He was shot and killed responding to a domestic dispute; a couple fighting. A man at the house just opened fire on Wells and his partner Officer Marcus Stiles, killing both officers. While news is still limited on these two murders, it is clear that their murderer was shot and killed by a deputy from the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

There is no answer to the "Why?" question. Let's join together to instead answer the question of how do we prevent the murders of our cops.

Please pray for the souls of Officer Lonnie Wells and Officer Marcus Stiles, and for the souls of, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, Game Warden Justin Hurst, Corporal Mark Nix, and Officer Daniel C. Martinez. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Police

Officer Daniel Martinez was murdered on March 23, 2007. Please pray for his soul, for his wife and five children, and for his fellow officers. Martinez was only 33 years old.

Officer Martinez was shot and killed while trying to help retrieve a mother's child. He was shot in the head and killed, on the door step, while his murderer shot the mother three times. I can't even believe this situation, you must read the facts. This murder was so unexpected and so violent that a "why" can never really be answered. Fortunately, Officer Martinez's murderer committed suicide and he is now God's to deal with. I mentioned this earlier this year: can you imagine the conversations at the gates to heaven when God asks what each of them what they did with their lives? Officer Daniel Martinez will answer that he served and protected his fellow citizens. His murderer will point to him and say "I took that man from his wife and five children."

Please pray for the souls of Officer Daniel C. Martinez, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, Game Warden Justin Hurst, and Corporal Mark Nix. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Police

Senior Corporal Mark Nix was murdered on March 23, 2007. Please pray for his soul, for his fiancee and family, and for his fellow officers. Nix was only 33 years old, a veteran of the Navy and getting ready to start a new family.

Corporal Nix was pursuing a suspected murderer with several other officers. When the suspect crashed his vehicle, he opened fire on the officers, killing Nix. Other officers at the scene tried to save Corporal Nix but were unsuccessful. His murderer is in custody. You and I lost another brave cop who was willing to get in harms way to take this dangerous criminal off our streets, out of our way and away from our children.

Please pray for the souls of Corporal Mark Nix, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, Officer Eugene Marshalik, and Game Warden Justin Hurst. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, Neil McDonnell, Police

What's with folks who buy a new car but refuse to pay the extra couple of hundred dollars to have mudflaps installed? Are you one of those folks who didn't see the value of mudflaps?

Take a drive on a lightly raining day like today and you'll quickly appreciate the value of mudflaps. Properly installed mudflaps minimize the amount of water, and other ground debris, from being thrown up onto the windshield of the car behind yours. On a day like today, you can tell when you're behind a car, van or SUV that has mudflaps installed; hardly anything will be thrown from the pavement to your windshield. Conversely, and you'll experience this for much of your drive, cars without mudflaps will force you to have your windshield wipers operating the entire time.

Installed mudflaps are a safety concern. You know how much harder it is to see when it's misting and ground water is being thrown up on your car by the one in front of you. The limited visibility limits reaction time which can lead to more accidents. If you're interested in a safer world, a safer drive for you and those you love, then get some mudflaps installed on your car the next time you buy a new car.

I'm not saying run right out and spend money today, but the next time you buy a car just add that feature. Safer roads can begin with that one little decision you make. Happy traveling!

Neil McDonnell

Labels: mudflaps, Neil McDonnell

While CPAs, CEOs, CFOs, etc. know all about Sarbanes-Oxley, it is imperative that the rest of us understand the impact of this legislation. I'm especially talking to Program/Project managers who find themselves responsible for budgets. And those of you who think you're just in the IT or IT services fields. Each of us must understand the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on our domain and how our familiarity with it will help our company.

Very briefly, Sarbanes-Oxley is the federal government's response to Bernie at WorldCom and Ken at Enron, as well as all their morally deficient corporate buddies in the failing companies of these past several years. Prior to SOX, as this law is known by those who like acronyms, financial information being reported by companies was suspect at best. Theoretically, SOX fixes all that by enforcing mandatory provisions and internal controls. Since you want to learn more about SOX, visit one of many sites dedicated to helping you: http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/sarbanes-oxley.htm

ITIL is becoming a common term in the government and some private sectors, especially in the last few years. I find it interesting that folks act like they're just discovering it; I was following the "ITIL Way" since 1997 when I worked with Cable & Wireless. The Brits had brought more than the Beetles apparently. Anyway, ITIL methodologies layout exactly what SOX is trying to address from a service delivery standpoint. If you're in IT or project management, you need to become very familiar with ITIL and how your IT projects can benefit from it. Partly because it just makes sense, and partly because the government (and then private sector) will demand it.

You may also notice the government mandating that contracts be led by PMP certified folks. While the feds might have acknowledged PMI's methodologies, there was never a big push to insist work was implemented following their methodologies or anyone's for that matter. Now, ITIL is being mentioned like it's a product they can implement, and PMP's are being demanded as if they'll stop wasteful spending. While I'm not sure about that, I am sure that if you are knowledgeable about ITIL and PMI's methodologies (or even certified) you'll personally be a better link in the chain...and that's all anyone can hope for these days.

Seriously, take a lunch break and learn about Sarbanes-Oxley from a high level. Hardly anyone understands it; perhaps you can take that lead in your organization.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: ITIL, Neil McDonnell, PMI, Sarbanes-Oxley; PMP

Here's a nice little article from the April 2007 issue of Catholic Digest. It's a condensed article from one in Advent & Lent Activities for Children, 23rd, 1996.

"How Rabbits Became An Easter Symbol"

"Rabbits are a sign of new life, a powerful Easter metaphor. Several factors contribute to rabbits being seen as an Easter symbol: They are extremely fertile animals, potent signs of abundant new life; they sometimes represent the moon , which relates to Easter's date being set by the moon; and, rabbits burrow underground, which is likened to Jesus in the tomb.

The connection also has pagan roots. According to pagan history, rabbits were the favorite animal of the goddess of spring, Eastre, who was thought to have placed eggs in the tall grass at the start of spring, and to have used rabbits to deliver the eggs to children.

When the German people came to the United States, they brought with them a legend of a poor woman who loved to surprise children. With no money to buy gifts, she colored eggs in rainbow colors and hid them in nests made of grass and sticks. Just as the children approached the nests, a rabbit hopped away. The children then believed that the rabbit had left the eggs as an Easter surprise."

For other great articles or learn more about this magazine, check out their web site: http://www.catholicdigest.com

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Easter, Easter Rabbit, Neil McDonnell

Game Warden Justin Hurst of the Texas Park and Wildlife Department of Texas was murdered on March 16, 2007. Please pray for his soul, for his young wife and 4 month old son as well as his parents and brother, and for his fellow officers. Hurst was only 34 years old.

Hurst was killed trying to apprehend someone suspected of illegally hunting. The suspect ran and then thought it would be better to try and kill the officers pursuing him. Now he's in jail charged with capital murder. Can any punishment make us feel better about the loss of Warden Hurst? I would suggest no, and say the only thing that could make us cope with this loss of an American law enforcement officer is to ensure we never lose another. Will you take the sixty seconds to do what it takes to make America safer?

Please pray for the souls of Game Warden Justin Hurst, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper, Officer Nicholas Pekearo, and Officer Eugene Marshalik. May their souls rest in peace and may God protect all of us.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, hurst, marshalik, Neil McDonnell, pekearo, Police, tuvera; jenks; sottile; altman; holly; dressel; plouff;carper

New York City Police Officer Nicholas T. Pekearo was murdered on March 14, 2007 in New York City. He was only 28 years old. He was unarmed, part of the Auxiliary Officers of the New York City Police Department. Please pray for his soul, his family, his fellow officers and all the young men and women of New York who think to follow in his foot steps.

His murderer was shot and killed, but that doesn't make the tragedy any less unbelievable and outrageous. Pekearo and his partner Marshalik, were pursuing someone who had just murdered a New York City resident and business employee. While chasing this murderer and attempting to ensure he does no further harm, they became the victims. Pekearo was shot six times after the murderer chased him to where he was taking cover; then the murderer shot Marshalik in the head when he found him as well.

These were two kids, two men who served and protected the American citizens. They were chased down and murdered for no other reason than they were cops. Can we possibly live another day without avenging their deaths in a way that ensures no other cops are murdered? How on earth can I, can you, can your children expect to be safe if these two cops and their colleagues are not safe? We must...we absolutely must stop the murders of our cops. It starts with you! When the time comes, will you take the sixty seconds to do what it takes to make America safer? Will you take the sixty seconds to do what it takes to make America safer for your children?

Please pray for Nicholas T. Pekearo's soul, and the souls of his partner Yevgeniy (Eugene) Marshalik, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, and Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper. May the souls of these American law enforcement officers rest in peace. May the Lord protect all law enforcement personnel.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, marshalik, pekearo, Police, tuvera; jenks; sottile; altman; holly; dressel; plouff;carper

New York City Police Officer Yevgeniy (Eugene) Marshalik was murdered on March 14, 2007 in New York City. He was only 19 years old! He was unarmed, part of the Auxiliary Officers of the New York City Police Department. Please pray for his soul, his family, his fellow officers and all the young men and women of New York who think to follow in his foot steps.

His murderer was shot and killed, but that doesn't make the tragedy any less unbelievable and outrageous. Marshalik and his partner Pekearo, were pursuing someone who had just murdered a New York City resident and business employee. While chasing this murderer and attempting to ensure he does no further harm, they became the victims. Pekearo was shot six times after the murderer chased him to where he was taking cover; then the murderer shot Marshalik in the head when he found him as well.

These were two kids, two men who served and protected the American citizens. They were chased down and murdered for no other reason than they were cops. Can we possibly live another day without avenging their deaths in a way that ensures no other cops are murdered? How on earth can I, can you, can your children expect to be safe if these two cops and their colleagues are not safe? We must...we absolutely must stop the murders of our cops. It starts with you! When the time comes, will you take the sixty seconds to do what it takes to make America safer? Will you take the sixty seconds to do what it takes to make America safer for your children?

Please pray for Yevgeniy (Eugene) Marshalik's soul, and the souls of his partner Nicholas T. Pekearo, Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly, Detective Keith Dressel, Sergeant Howard Plouff, and Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper. May the souls of these American law enforcement officers rest in peace. May the Lord protect all law enforcement personnel.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cops, marshalik, pekearo, Police, tuvera; jenks; sottile; altman; holly; dressel; plouff;carper

What are you doing with your life? Are you just living it by working a job and watching television? Perhaps you've added raising kids as well. Is that really living life to its fullest?

What's next? What could you be doing that no one else could be doing? What are you thinking that no one else is thinking? Do you know how unique you really are? God made you an individual. No one else in this world is as special as you are; has as unique thoughts as you have. What's next?

What are you doing with your life? There are so many thoughts that enter only your mind, that could make this world a better place. Are you aware of your own thoughts? Are you aware of how much better the world would be with you following the divinely inspired thoughts and ideas that enter your mind? What's next?

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Neil McDonnell

One of the benefits of my membership with Toastmasters is a monthly magazine. The articles are usually good, well thought out. Here's one from February's issue that I read with minimal reaction, but I notice many others in the area are raving about.

Don Seaton, ACG is a Chief Master Sergeant on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Currently he's serving as an Area Governor in Toastmasters. He's based his article, Team Commandments: 10 Ways to Help Your Club Succeed, off an other's article called the Team Commandments. Here's a quick listing of the ten points...find someone (or a club) near you and borrow their magazine to read more.

1. Help each other to be right, not wrong
2. Look for ways to make new ideas work, not for reasons they won't work
3. Speak positively about each other and about your organization at every opportunity
4. Help each other win, and take pride in each other's victories
5. Compliment often
6. Recognize that the customer is not an interruption to your work, but reason for it
7. Realize that "being right" is irrelevant to good service; the customer's perception is what counts
8. Maintain a positive mental outlook
9. Sacrifice for the good of the team
10. Have fun

Just typing these made me remember what I read. They are clearly transferable to many other areas of our lives.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Don Seaton, Neil McDonnell, Toastmasters

When I tell my cats to go to bed, they do. They run to a separate room we've set up for them. Like kids, they sometimes wine about going, but they clearly know what's up each night when we tell them, "Go to be."

I'm a firm believer that setting expectations clearly in the beginning is vital to a successful execution of any job. That job could be living life as a cat, a kid, an employee, a vendor or whatever. The key is to set expectations early, firmly and supportively train, and then reward proper behavior. Turns out the One Minute Manager pretty much advocates the same thing.

Just in case your curious on how to train your cat, I'll tell you. First, it takes a lot of patience, no anger at all, and a desire to succeed. It might take longer if your cat is older. If you have a special room you lock your cats up at night so they don't claw you at 4:00 AM, then tell them to "go to bed" when your ready. Then softly but firmly lift them from their lazy place in your house and push them from behind in the general direction. If they make a bee-line around you, don't get upset, treat it like a game of catch. Go catch them and set them on the path to their bed while pushing from behind to nudge them along in the right direction. It won't take long (week) before they know what's up. After that it just becomes repetition. It's pretty cool to see cats behave with the obedience of dogs. :)

Neil McDonnell

Labels: cats, Neil McDonnell

Spartanburg County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper was shot and killed on Tuesday, February 27, 2007. Please pray for his soul as well as for his wife and three daughters and Kevin's fellow officers.

Deputy Carper was only 39 years old, and had served for twelve years with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina. He was killed while making a traffic stop, but not before killing his murderer. Have you ever wondered at the way law enforcement treats you or behaves when they pull you over? Imagine being the cop, worried about you, wondering if you're just a traffic violator, or some crazy criminal about to pull a gun out. How would you feel? Let's work together to stop these murders of our cops. How can we be safe if they're not safe?

Please remember Deputy Sheriff Kevin Carper in your prayers. Remember also in your prayers Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly Detective Keith Dressel, and Sergeant Howard Plouff. May the souls of these murdered members of our law enforcement rest in peace.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Anthony John Holly, Bryan Tuvera, cops, Deputy Harold Altman, Deputy Kevin Carper, Keith Dressel, Neil McDonnell, Police, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Trooper Calvin Jenks

I'm not a fan of anonymous comments. Someone stopped by and left a negative comment regarding C.O.P.S. that I deleted. Such is the power of the moderator. Frankly, if they had left a verifiable signature, I would have left their comments with my post.

I would recommend to that poster, before they make similar comments, start your own non-profit and see if you can't make it perfect. Don't knock another person's efforts, ever. There's no honor in that.

One of the reasons I get involved in what I do is to try and make the world a better place. That sure won't happen if all I do is criticize another person or organization's efforts. If you have ideas on how to improve something, don't tell us, just make the improvements.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: C.O.P.S., Comments, Neil McDonnell

It's interesting how personal emergencies can alter schedules. My wife and I have been dealing with medical emergencies since early February with them continuing forward even now. Most of my other commitments I kept, but noticed that my blog entries stopped for a while. Frankly, I think I just wasn't in the mood to write. Now I'm back in the mood to "comment" at will.

Faith: I got to tell you, I can't understand how some folks live life without faith in God. Nancy and I wouldn't have made it through the last thirty days, or the last ten years, without God's embrace and our faith that things will get better.

Family/Friends: Boy, I'm telling you, if you aren't developing these relationships in the good times, they might not be there in the bad times. Nancy and I have received tons of support in the last thirty days from both our families and friends. One of the hardest questions to answer is "What can we do?" So many folks are generous, but the only thing we can think to ask for is someone to take on Nancy's pain. :) Since that's not happening, we rely heavily on the prayers of our friends and family. I am so thankful for all the friends we have and the support they've shown.

Employer: I'm voting for Lockheed to be listed as one of the best companies to work for in the DC area. Lockheed has been unbelievable to Nancy, as has her specific customer. Nancy hasn't been able to get to work for 3 weeks now due to the medical situation, but she feels no pressure. Everyone involved with work just keeps telling her to get better, the job will be here when she's ready. What I especially like is how many of these folks say they're praying for Nancy, not afraid to admit that God is a big part of their life. I'm not in the business of converting anyone, but it's sure nice to know that others are praying for my wife.

Staying busy: Someone asked me why I wasn't home all the time with Nancy. I told them I wanted to stay busy. Each time I go to a meeting or participate in some activity, I gain strength from those I'm around and am able to bring that strength back to our home. Besides renewing my energy and spirit, I'm able to come back to Nancy with so many stories that remind her there is life outside the house. "AOL chartered!" "Next Level 4 Teens is really helping out our local kids." "Subhash gave his Ice Breaker." Think how much healing power I have for Nancy when I can share my fascinating stories of the day...perhaps I'm helping by putting her to sleep. :) Either way, the energy is part of what helps Nancy deal with her situation.

Thanksgiving: tonight we're cooking a Thanksgiving meal. We decided why wait for November. The food is great and we're both up for turkey. If you have a pie, feel free to stop on by.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Neil McDonnell

Winston-Salem Police Sergeant Howard Plouff was shot and killed on Friday, February 23, 2007. Please pray for his soul as well as for his family and all his fellow officers.

Plouff was 41 years old and had served seventeen years with the Winston-Salem Police Department in North Carolina. He was killed while helping break up a 2:00 AM drunken brawl. His cowardly killer is still at large.

Please remember Sergeant Howard Plouff in your prayers. Remember also in your prayers Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, Officer Anthony Holly and Detective Keith Dressel. May the souls of these murdered members of our law enforcement rest in peace.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Anthony John Holly, Bryan Tuvera, cops, Deputy Harold Altman, Keith Dressel, Neil McDonnell, Police, Sergeant Howard Plouff, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Trooper Calvin Jenks

Toledo Detective Keith Dressel was shot and killed on Wednesday, February 21, 2007. Please pray for his soul, and for his wife, two children and all of his fellow officers.

Dressel was 37 years old and had served with the Toledo Police Department for 14 years. He was killed while stopping a drug deal.

Detective Dressel was shot and killed by a 15 year old boy! It is insane that a minor should think he's safe carrying a gun. Minors (and all criminally minded) should fear that the wrath of God will come down on them if they go anywhere near a gun. Adults should fear the wrath of a nation (and severe punishment) if they let a minor go near a gun. Where is our outrage?

Instead of any news story announcing this tragic loss of a servant to our nation, CNN chose to interrupt my day (via email) with "Breaking News" that Anna Nicole Smith's dead body would now be in some lawyer's custody. That's just one more bit of information in the ANS soap opera, not breaking news. We must let our media know that we consider any murder of our law enforcement officers breaking news and that we want to be alerted. We should not let ourselves be shielded from these tragic losses, these most blatant showings of disregard for life...if we let our cops be murdered, then the criminal element will think nothing of murdering us. I'll help lead us on the path to reducing the number of murdered cops through what I call the Zero Memorial. Look for more information on it in the coming weeks.

Please remember Detective Keith Dressel in your prayers. Also remember Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Deputy Harold Altman, and Officer Anthony Holly. May their souls rest in peace.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Anthony John Holly, Bryan Tuvera, cops, Deputy Harold Altman, Keith Dressel, Neil McDonnell, Police, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Trooper Calvin Jenks

I was at a meeting last night with about thirty folks and was asked about the ashes on my forehead. At least this year no one just blurted out that I had dirt on my forehead.

My favorite was a woman from China who clearly hadn't seen someone with ashes on their forehead before, and here she's noticing both my wire and me with the ashes. The reason she was my favorite is that she came right out and said that she didn't want to offend me, but what was the story behind the ashes. It was interesting responding to her since besides the two of us, one other fellow was with us and he is Hindu.

As I explained the meaning of the ashes, the three of us began to see that some sort of panel speech on this and other religious practices might prove enlightening and even interesting. I know a lot about my own Catholic religion, but am naive with regards to not just Hindu and Muslim beliefs and practices, but I'm also a little confused by all the different Christian denominations. Tolerance begins with understanding. Perhaps I could be tolerated in general if people understood me better. :)

Anyway, yesterday was Ash Wednesday and that was why I had ashes on my forehead. While you'll find tons of information on the web regarding this first day of Lent, I'll highlight a few bits that might help you understand. First, the ashes are put on my forehead at Mass by my priest who said, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Basically this means stop sinning and be good. I really do try. The ashes are a reminder of that. Second, they're also are a reminder that from dust we came and to dust we'll return. Life on this earth is short, but life eternal is...well, eternal. Finally, the ashes are left on our foreheads (unless we have an itch and wipe them off by accident which is forgiven) as a reminder of our penance and contrition, as well as God's mercy on all sinners who call on Him asking for forgiveness.

Ash Wednesday is to me what New Year's Day is to others. They use the New Year to make resolutions which basically aim at self-improvement. I use Ash Wednesday as a solid reminder that I need to get my act together. There are certain things I need to stop doing, and these days more importantly, there are things I need to start doing more of...being kind to others for example. The beauty, and there are many, of how I react to Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent is that it lasts forty six days...I very much pray that I'm a better man by Easter.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Ash Wednesday, Easter, Lent, Neil McDonnell

Glendale Police Officer Anthony John Holly was shot and killed on Monday, February 19, 2007. Please pray for his soul, and for his girlfriend, parents and five siblings who survive him, as well as for his fellow officers.

Holly was only 24 years old, serving with the Glendale Police Department in Arizona for just two years. He was killed during a traffic stop while removing a second of three passengers from the car. His murderer is in custody.

Officer Holly was a veteran of the Iraq War. This man went to war and survived, only to be shot and killed on the streets of his own country. As soldiers we know that dying for our country is a very real possibility and we accept that risk. As police officers, they expect to be in harms way so the citizenry doesn't have to be themselves; but officers shouldn't fear an armed enemy like soldiers face. We must not let this country continue in that direction. We must cry out with each murdered cop, "No more!" Only when our cops are safe can we ourselves be safe.

Please remember Officer Anthony John Holly in your prayers. And don't forget Officer Bryan Tuvera, Trooper Calvin Jenks, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile and Deputy Harold Altman. May their souls rest in peace.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Anthony John Holly, Bryan Tuvera, cops, Deputy Harold Altman, Neil McDonnell, Police, Sergeant Nicholas Sottile, Trooper Calvin Jenks

My wife and I lost our unborn baby to a miscarriage last week on the 12th and spent most of the 13th in doctor's offices and the hospital. It's interesting to see how easily that threw me off my regular routines.

I stopped writing in this blog. I stopped exercising. I stopped eating anything healthy. I stopped all sorts of other things. I didn't stop these things by decision, more just by result of events. Seems like the only thing I did right was comfort Nancy.

We put our faith in God that he'll bless us with a baby when he's ready. Until then, I need to go on living and I guess that starts with a blog entry like this.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Neil McDonnell

I was talking with a friend of mine who goes "hunting" each year. As he described the process, I compared it to my time in the Army when we'd have movement to contact. In his activity he was hunting a deer and in the Army we were hunting the enemy.

But as he described the "hunting" process he follows, it sounded a lot more like waiting. He goes out into the woods on a cold morning, climbs a tree and waits. He waits for a deer to pass within range of his weapon and then he shoots.

Where is the "hunt" in that? Am I alone here in thinking that all he (and the rest of the hunters) did was wait. Why not call it waiting? Wouldn't hunting be more like tracking? He would go out into the wood on a cold morning, face up wind (or should that be down) and begin looking for deer tracks. Once he finds them, he would quietly follow them until he sees the deer and then shoots. That seems like hunting.

Perhaps I'm thinking along the lines of fox hunting where they really do chase down their prey; you know, a bunch of big guys and loud dogs chasing that little fox. :) In America we often say "that's funny" rather than laugh. So I guess it makes sense to call it hunting rather than waiting.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: hunting, Neil McDonnell, waiting

I watched the Senator Obama announce his candidacy for U.S. President today and was very disappointed. I had sat down to watch a man who's been touted as a great speaker with great ideas. Instead I got to watch just one more politician announce his candidacy.

They (who are they) say that Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air and fresh ideas who can really fire up a crowd. Those of you who have read my blog know that I'm a ROLLOR and base my opinion in this case just on how I felt moved. I didn't feel moved. In fact, I found my mind wandering. Clearly Obama wasn't inspirational enough to hold my complete attention, let alone fire me up.

That leads me to my second point. Barack Obama proved to me today that he's just another politician like Hillary, John, Rudy, etc. As I listened to what this man hopes to accomplish (his ideas) I come to understand how inexperienced he is, and how much of a politician. Some quick examples:

Senator Obama said he has a plan to get combat troops out of Iraq by 2008 which includes getting the Sunni and Shiite to sit down and settle their differences. As I wrote before, I'm not sure how realistic a goal that is when these two factions have been fighting (with pure hatred of each other) for seventeen hundred years. Plus, he's talking about a withdrawal in 12 months; I wonder what his predictions for Iraq will be for the thirteenth month. What would have been great is if he put his plan for troop withdrawal on his web site.

The "ideas" Obama threw out that really got me thinking he's just another politician is that he's going to cure the health care problem by the end of 2012 and obliterate poverty. Poverty has been around since the time man invented wealth; how on earth would he propose to obliterate it? There's a great sales quote, "Some will, some won't, so what." One of the reasons homelessness and poverty can never be obliterated is that there will always be some folks who just choose that path...as hard as that is to believe. Perhaps the real focus should be on providing more opportunities for those citizens willing to make the journey.

As the election season goes along, I would advise you to take notice of two speakers in particular. Al Sharpten and Alan Keyes are the two most articulate men to walk on the presidential debating table. Bill Clinton is another one, but you won't see him talking about where to take this nation anymore.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Barack Obama, Neil McDonnell

I'm amazed at how excited I get when someone actually comments on one of my blog entries. :) It's sort of like sending someone a birthday gift and getting a thank you card in return; they're not required, but sure are appreciated. :)

So today's blog entry is a thank you to those of you who have commented on previous blogs. Thanks to:

Ralph, Eric, Cecilia, Brian Smith, Nic Perez and several "Anonymous"

Please keep giving me encouragement and ideas. I'd love to write some thoughts on topics of your choice.

Neil McDonnell

Labels: Neil McDonnell

Nancy and I went to the NIH this evening for a seminar on ITIL's service catalog. The basics of a Service Catalog was summed up by one of the speakers, Charlie Jones a CIO at NIH. He said you can imagine IT services being listed in the service catalog with a clear understanding of the cost and a price for that service compared to the menu at McDonald's. When you look at the menu displayed on the wall behind the registers, you see what they offer (their services) and what the price is for each item.

These folks from NIH has recently finished a 2-3 year project to implement an ITIL Service Catalog. Doing so has allowed them to provide similar and superior (than before) services to their internal customers at a far lower cost.

ITIL has been around a long time, in fact I remember implementing projects based on ITIL recommendations back in 1997. Recently though, it has become a bigger deal in the United States, especially with government agencies. Take a look at itSMF USA, the American organization for ITIL certified and interested folks. There is a lot to learn that perhaps you might find valuable.

Neil McDonnell, PMP
ITIL Foundation Certified

Labels: ITIL, Neil McDonnell, PMP, Service Catalog