aamir virani

Memorex and Harry Potter

During my junior year at Clear Creek High School, I had an AP US History teacher named Ms. Cash. One of the vivid memories I have of that year is sitting in class one day while she lectured about some aspect of some event I no longer remember when she suddenly interjected with:

“I’m live not Memorex!” (or something like that)

I was the only one who snickered at the reference. Even Mrs. Cash seemed stunned, as she asked whether anyone knew what she was talking out. I was the only one who responded with a “yeah, it’s an old TV commercial“*.

At this point, she launched into a mini-rant about how you needed to understand pop culture to understand Americans and current events. That message, that pop culture both defines and explains history, has stuck with me ever since.

In the newest Esquire, Chuck Klosterman states that Harry Potter is likely the main shared experience for the majority of teens (and 20-somethings as well, right?), so he, a non-Harry Potter reader, will be clueless about culture in fifteen years as members of this age group becomes leaders in media.

Klosterman summarizes knowledge as belonging to one of three groups:

1. Information that you know you know.
2. Information that you know you don’t know.
3. Information that you don’t know you don’t know.

That third point is why Mrs. Cash’s rant sticks with me – I hate the feeling of having no idea what people are talking about or referencing. That likely explains my reading, TV, and browsing habits.

* That isn’t the commercial I remember; it’s just the first one I could find on YouTube.

Thinking about a Job Hop

I recently switched companies, moving from PowerReviews to Xobni. At some point, I’ll detail my thought process, but I think this article by Jack and Suzy Welch in BusinessWeek covers the high-level questions to consider very well.

In their November 12 column (Should You Stay or Should You Go?), the pair outline four questions to help you decide whether it’s time to leave:

• Do you dread going into work?
• Do you like working with your team?
• Do you feel like you are moving towards personal goals?
• Do you see yourself at the company in one year?

While there is a lot more to think about than just these questions, the way you answer them serves as a really good set of red flags. Not every workday will be perfect, and you’ll have projects that drag for weeks and make you feel bored, unfulfilled, and uncertain about direction. If there are no rays of sunshine or interactions with colleagues that reassure you, though, it is definitely a sign.

It’s often clear whether you’re being placed on a certain track for advancement. This is true at big and small companies, and your personal drive will dictate how fast you move up the ladder. If you just don’t feel it, though, it doesn’t really matter. The same is true if you’re being pointed at a ladder you don’t care about.

My First Earthquake

As I attempt to return to blogging after a three-year hiatus, I’ll start with something simple. I finally went through an earthquake – the 31 Oct 2007 earthquake in San Jose was a 5.6 that lasted nearly a minute.

I didn’t realize anything was going on. I was still at work, so I was completely oblivious until another guy started yelling. The quake was centered near San Jose while I was on the third floor of a building in downtown SF, so that may explain why I didn’t feel much.

Or I just don’t pay enough attention, which is likely the case.

5.6 didn’t feel so bad – I often say I will crawl back to Texas after The Big One, but this makes me feel that may not happen. Unlike Vlod, though, I didn’t find it fun.