BLINK

I am about halfway through Malcolm Gladwell's next to newest book, Blink. The premise seems to be that it is amazing how much is decided based on that first impression and your split-second decision or judgment, based on years of experience and assumptions.

I buy it to a point. Gladwell's m.o. is to string disparate research together to make his point. Not the best science, perhaps, but I do enjoy the ride, and he covers some interesting ground.

I think there is a spectrum, and everyone falls somewhere along that spectrum that ranges from the "gut reaction" decision, seemingly practiced by George W. Bush while in office, and the carefully considered opinion that is reached only by undertaking some agonizing analysis.

I think I fall closer to the "agonizing analysis" end of the range. I tend to over-think. It would be an interesting experiment, for me, to go with my "gut" for a day, or a week, and see where it leads. Maybe I have been wasting time. Certain professions demand that good split-second decisionmaking is a must. Obviously, firefighters and police need to make life and death judgments at the drop of a hat. Among the things I do for a living is community planning - which, by its very nature, follows a careful arc of gathering information and input, reaching consensus, deriving goals and objectives, and coming to some sort of prioritization. So my tendency toward "agonizing analysis" is probably well suited to the profession.

I'd guess it is good for organizations to have both the gut reactors and the agonizing analyzers on board; one type probably complements the other. On the other hand, I don't imagine they would get along all that well. Something to think about, for those of us who tend to sit around and think about stuff...

beta testing - toe in the water

I have another blog and it has hummed along for nearly a year. It has morphed into an interesting - to me - combination of pictures and words and it is a lot of fun. However, it does not seem to be the proper home for the odd rant, diatribe, screed, probing analysis, or stream-of-unconsciousness ramble, and sometimes that is what is sorely need by this blogger, bloggist, blogmeister, or whatever they call people who do this.

So out of the blue tonight, I clicked on "create a blog" and initiated this deviation from the norm that has been "Streetpolo", which I still love and enjoy.

Here is what I am thinking about this one. More words than pictures, much more. A bit more chances taken. Topics will vary widely - I simply cannot pin down any single area of interest to which I would want to be confined. Maybe some current events or socio-political observation, although there is way too much written (and even more just talked) about this discipline. Probably some chatter about music and TV from the vantage point of this 50-something, a member of a demographic for whom popular culture and the advertisers who back it don't give much truck.

Also, as things tend to get hectic for periods of time, and they draw me away, posts will be somewhat infrequent, I'm thinking. This blog will, in some respects, play second fiddle to Streetpolo. But there is hope (a big word these days) that I will return to this venue from time to time and chime in.

For now, it's a beta test. I shall see how it feels, and how much the blogosphere's gravity draws me in. We'll kick the tires, sit down behind the wheel, and see if this thing goes anywhere.