…Aynde Supportyng Caste

Finding Ponies is a Structuring Chaos Blog, which means we enjoy the chaos of adding opinions where they eventually increase order.  If you’re a student of chemistry and physics, you might get the concept.  If you’re not, just keep reading.  We have several contributors who occasionally post.  Maybe someday we’ll promote them to chief instigators again.

Steve Adams:

A veteran of the school of hard knocks, I have spent 25 years in the technology industry, with practical field experience installing local area networks for the first 8 years of my career and spending the last 17 years inside Intel doing product definition, initiative & standards, long range silicon and s/w planning – basically cat herding. I love my job because I get learn a new market and technology at least once a year if not more often.  

 Borrowing from the “This I believe” project:

 I believe life begins on the way out the office door, not the way in, that fun is the antidote for feeling old, and that we are creatures of infinite beauty and possibility. I believe sushi is a wonderful wasabi delivery system, that white chocolate isn’t chocolate, and that bland food is just wrong. I believe in the sanctity of mothers, that teenagers are evidence of God’s sense of humor, and that loving spouse is the greatest of gifts. I believe that we are free to act or to be acted upon.

Steve Wood:

After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering, I stumbled into a nearly 20 year career as an environmental engineer and manager (other than 3 glorious years where I was ACTUALLY a chemical engineer).  The majority of my job is to look at current conditions/regulations and plot the best course for the long term.   I’ve worked with the USEPA to develop regulation regarding electronics recycling, and in a previous job, was a recognized authority on electronics recycling.

Unlike the other writes here, I’m in a low tech manufacturing industry in the Midwest, but the principles are the same. 

As Fister noted, I’m a long suffering Bengals fan and I am follicly challenged (partially by choice).

One of my favorite places is sitting on that log….

John Hengeveld:

My sister once observed that there are priests and kings…

A king is responsible for the kingdom today.  The health of the peasants The wealth of the nobility…
delivering for today and doing a little for provisioning for tomorrow.  The collect, they execute,

That stand and face the applause or condemnation of the throng.

A priests job is to understand the breadth of reality and chart the long term path to righteousness and
well being.  They have to translate the will of the gods into actions that kings can take

To gain favor.

“Bro…” she said, “we are priests”. 

 Priests create value by seeing beyond the throng.  They avoid the turbulence of the moment, the fears in the crowd, the panic of the nobility.  They are commited not only to time honored principles, but also have a vision for a better way.  They succeed by connecting people to each other and to a shared vision.  Priests must be realistic about the way people really work.  Its more important to counsel sinners than saints.  Priests are grounded in reality and inspired by vision.

My hope in this blog is to serve a community of priests.  Help us share the facts we see and the visions we serve.

I was a king for a while (my “Darth Vadar period”).  I’ve been a leader in high tech for 20 years.  

I’m a priest now at Intel, and I teach corporate strategy, marketing strategy and research and applied statistics

In Portland State University’s MBA program as well as the University of Oregon Executive MBA program.

I’m a student of strategy.. I look forward to learning from the conversation.

Joe Newman:

We’re a bit confused about Joe.  He started as a commenter, and we invited him to guest-post, and then post.  For a brief, shining time he lit our blog like a shooting star… and then he was gone.  We’re keeping vigil to see if he’ll come back.

You?

Do you have an interest in adding to our chaos?  Drop us a note, or a comment, and let’s start the discussion.