Here’s an interesting map. I like the layout and the x/y-axis. I’m not sure I agree with their categorizations (like labeling confusionism as a “secular-rational” group?) I’m certainly interested in the study. (by way of this blog post from the Oil Drum)

There was an article in the WSJ today about Toyota and Jim Press, their north american CEO.

 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118236836933942337.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

Late last year in a New York conference room, Mr. Press quietly listened to a pitch from Japanese advertising agency Dentsu Inc. for a campaign that used Toyota’s growing American work force as a way to deflect potential criticism over the company’s strength in the U.S. Then he politely sent the Dentsu team back to the drawing board.

“I really appreciate your efforts,” he said. But “isn’t diversity something you don’t tout publicly but something you just carry out quietly inside the company?”

http://www.evolvingexcellence.com/blog/2007/06/quietly-excelle.html

Toyota does not try to win awards as they believe the effort involved to apply for an award is also waste.  Instead of trying to win a Shingo Prize, they openly teach their methods to others.

Quiet excellence gives a sense of being deeply real and fundamentally true.  Because it usually is.

“How to Practice Hoshin Kanri” – book is How to get the right things done, by Pascal Dennis
http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=13802
Lean Production Simplified, by Pascal Dennis
http://www.amazon.com/Lean-Production-Simplified-Plain-Language-Powerful/dp/1563272628/ref=sr_1_1/102-9182053-8463339?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174688714&sr=1-1

gemba kaizen
Masaaki Imai

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/6/19/123649/857

While writing about medium wind in Alaska, I ran into information that led me to believe there were some questionable offsets involved with the project. More extensive research, including interviews with Brent Petrie of AVEC and Tom Stoddard of Native Wind, have revealed a more complicated situation, one that still doesn’t look good to me.

Interview with Christine Ervin, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, former president of the U.S. Green Building Council.

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/columns_third.cfm?NewsID=35245&pic=3 Few

…people realize that it’s the building sector — not industry or transportation — responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that this vibrant market proves that we can dramatically cut emissions sharply and reap a broad swath of economic and other benefits at the same time. Part of the solution is right in front of us. We can do this.

I downloaded a report about pavement and portland yesterday. It described what the city is doing to keep the streets maintained. I was bored by page 2.

That’s the problem with researching this new job right now – each small setback (an article that bores me to tears, an opportunity to talk with someone in the field lost) seems like a big setback. I see all the things that I’m doing not to move myself into a new career.

Gross. New career. It just sounds so adultish, and un-fun.