20060729

Time-and-motion study

THE STRING AND THE SPOON

A timeless lesson on how consultants can make a
difference for an organization. Last week, we took
some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed
That the waiter who took our order carried a
spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange.

When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I
noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then
I looked around saw that all the staff had spoons in
their pockets.

When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked,
"Why the spoon?"

"Well," he explained, "The restaurant's owners hired
PriceterhouseCoopers to revamp all our processes.
After several months of analysis, they concluded that
the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It
represents a drop frequency of approximately three
spoons per table per hour.

If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the
number of trips back to the kitchen and save fifteen
man-hours per shift."

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was
able to replace it with his spare. "I'll get another spoon
next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an
extra trip to get it right now."

I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a
string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking
around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same
string hanging from their flies. So before he walked
off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell
me why you have that string right there?"

"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not
everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I
mentioned also found out that we can save time
in the restroom. By tying this string to the tip of
your you-know-what, we can pull it out without
touching it and eliminate the need to wash
our hands, shortening the time spent in the rest-
room by 76.39 percent."

I asked "After you get it out, how do you put it
back?"

"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others...
but I use the spoon."

20060728

and the author is Terry who????

Okay, so someone made a typo....


(see the author on the tape)

Miller Helms Spirit Movie; Dragonlance 24

Frank Miller will adapt and direct a film based on Will Eisner's immortal comic creation, The Spirit:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9007.html
 
Kiefer Sutherland (better known as "Jack Bauer") will voice the lead role in the new animated film version of the Dragonlance novel, Dragons of the Autumn Twilight:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9008.html

20060714

John Woo Comics; Stan Lee TV

Filmmaker John Woo and top drawer comic scribe Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher etc.) are teaming up for a new series for Virgin Comics:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8976.html

Stan Lee?s LightSpeed, a live action superhero drama, will debut on the SCI FI Channel on July 26th at 9 pm (ET,PT):
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8980.html

20060712

Laurel K. Hamilton signing at B&N in LB Wed 20060712

Got there after 7, #231 got to her at just before 10, 2 books only, then back in line 2 times and done at 10:30, could have easily gotten more done, if I'd brought any more. The usual crew with their bags of books at the end of the line going thru 3 or 4 times. Hamilton was very nice, polite, looks just like her photo, jumped up to get a photo with just about every other person - which certainly added to the time in line, but she didn't really take any actual breaks, so it worked out about the same I think. Wasn't sure I was going to go, but at the end decided the fencing studio/salle was just about done anyway. Read Over the Hedge book #3 cartoons in it's entirety while in line and started a collection of short stories all the new dark fantasy women authors, Kim Harrison, Kelly Armstrong, 2 more. Run fairly well, as a line not by number which was ok, but would have liked to get a bite and come back. B&N didn't seem to care if you purchased anything, so I didn't. I'll get the new one later, cheap bastard that I am. Wish I'd had a chance to ask Alex or Debbie if they wanted a copy of the new book, could easily have gotten one... ah well.

Best of Craigslist Humor: Dear Crazy-As-Bat-Shit-Lady: The fridge doesn't come with a pedigree!

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/175240913.html

20060710

Otherwise...



Someone in the stockroom must have been rather bored, when this title came by with an incorrect ISBN.

D&D Animated; Pirates of the Caribbean 2

BCI, which has done such a great job on the He-Man DVDs, will announce the DVD release of the cult favorite D&D animated series (1983-1986) at San Diego:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8949.html
 
Disney�s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man�s Chest set all sorts of box office records in its opening weekend annihilating Spider-Man's opening weekend record total and transforming the Man of Steel's return from sterling silver to pewter:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8954.html