The Little Things Count

"In the years to come, the Obama political campaign will be reviewed and scrutinized to determine how/what/when/ why... fill in the blank." OK. Not a strikingly original observation, but at least it's factually correct.

In the years to come, this campaign will indeed be scrutinized from stem to stern, with every elusive ingredient teased out and turned over as historians, sociologists, economists and pop-culture enthusiasts search earnestly to identify the tipping point that brought this candidate from "also ran" status to history maker.

Whether one is facinated by the candidate's unprecedented ability to raise funds... more than one-half billion dollars almost equally split from both small and large donors; or is awed by his success at crossing racial and cultural lines; or is enamored of his innovative use of technology... which led to the largest grassroots movement in U.S. history, with more than 13 million active email addresses now archived in the campaign database... certainly, there will be very little disagreement among scholars that the Obama presidential campaign took place amid a perfect storm that yielded an historic outcome the likes of which we may not see again in our lives.

In the years to come...there will be a lot of hard-hitting strategic analysis over the breadth of choices made all along the campaign trail.

That's good... that's great even! That means that I can leave the heavy lifting to those guys and focus my interest on a not-so-big thing that might seem a bit insignificant in retrospect, but probably isn't. What I'm talking about is the Barack Obama campaign logo.

A campaign logo may not seem like much, but remember, this was a campaign that was fed on $10 donations, so it's been proven... the little things DO count! Immensely.

Coca-Cola knows this... Nike gets it... so does McDonalds... and I'm sure that given time, the historians will get it too.

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For information about Visual Communications courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

ARTC 1302: Digital Imaging I

ARTC 1313: Digital Publishing I

ARTC 2305: Digital Imaging II

IMED 1301: Introduction to Multimedia

IMED 1316: Web Page Design I

Best Jobs in a Sluggish Economy

Top Businesses to Start in a Down Economy

Legal Zoom.com recently identified Automotive Repair Shops as one of the "top businesses to start in a down economy."

The BIG 3 may be in trouble, but if you are a hands-on person and like to know how things work, you're in luck. It appears that service technician jobs in the automotive field are plentiful and growing. While new car purchases may be down, automotive repair businesses thrive during economic downswings. For many big-ticket items, repair is far more cost-effective than buying new.

Previously known simply as car mechanics, today's automotive technicians are tasked with a wide range of increasingly sophisticated responsibilities, from handling mechanical repairs to understanding complex electrical components. Automotive repair and diagnostics require advanced knowledge and well-honed problem-solving skills. As a result, many employers are looking for trained and certified staff to keep up with the demand for new, technology-based skill sets.

The good news is that BASS is now serving up courses designed to prepare students to sit for the General Services Technician ASE Certification exam. The 19 credit hour General Service Technician Certificate program can be completed in as few as two semesters and can lead to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Automotive Technology at our sister campus, Lone Star College-North Harris.

Even if you aren't in the mode of starting your own business, career opportunities in the automotive industry are wide open. According to the America's Career InfoNet Occupation Report, the automotive technician field expected to grow by 18 percent- or by 10,250 jobs -in Texas alone by the year 2012. Sounds like a lot of opportunity to me!

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For information about Automotive Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

AUMT 1405: Intro to Automotive Technology

AUMT 1407: Automotive Electrical Systems

AUMT 1410: Automotive Brake Systems

AUMT 1416: Suspension and Steering

AUMT 2380: Cooperative Education OR

AUMT 2328: Automotive Service

Houston Tech Fest 2009

I've been looking forward to this weekend for a while and so far it's been everything that I hoped for... I've met some really cool people and feel a little smarter today than yesterday. That's not a bad accomplishment for a Saturday and it beats doing laundry, which is what I would have done today had I stayed home.

Instead, I got up with the sun and hauled myself into downtown Houston to participate in Tech Fest 2009, where I've spent the last couple of hours knocking around between workshops and talking with vendors about the latest testing tools and accessibility guidelines.

If this doesn't mean anything to you, I can relate. I'm not a techie either, at least not in the sense of being a software developer or a systems administrator. But, I'm starting to make it a point to attend more technologyconferences and workshops because I've finally admitted that when it comes to today's high tech, high touch workplace, you can't run and you can't hide, so you might as well learn to speak the language!

I think my efforts are paying off... and in some surprising ways. This afternoon, I sat in on a workshop called "Virtual World Evangalism" where I learned how people are holding real world business meetings in virtual worlds like Second-Life.

Retreats, trade shows, on-line chats, web conferences and even ropes course team-building exercises have filled my days and nights, but this was the first time I was asked to gather around a virtual bonfire near a treehouse on an island while an avatar dressed as an elf led my colleagues through a brainstorming session!

Now, I don't live under a rock, virtual or otherwise. I email, live chat, Twitter and Facebook. I'm Linked-In and I have MySpace. Although I don't own property there, I've even visited Second Life, which was created way back in 2003, a long time ago by today's tech standards.

In short, I've spent a lifetime communicating and have even been paid to do so, but frankly I was blown away at the creative ways the business community is now embracing technology as a way of bringing real people together in a real-time setting to engage in important conversations that end up having a major impact on the real world.

When wrapped in whimsical clothing, it can be easy to dismiss such cutting edge efforts as fun and games, but what early adapters advocate often morphs rather quickly into a useable product to become widely embraced by the mainstream.

In this case, our presenter ended the session with a story about how physicians are working with virtual world technology to create on-line patient consults with people who are unable to leave their homes, thereby creating an effcient and cost-effective way to bring healthcare to the home-bound.

Now, how cool is that?

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For information about Computer/ Information Technology courses offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Field of Computer Science

Information Technology

Standing in the (40 year) Gap

Like most of the rest of the world, my day came to a halt at 11am this morning as Barack Obama was sworn in as our country's first African American President. Regardless of which side of the political aisle they sit, I don't know of anyone who let today's historic event pass them by without some amount of inner reflection.

A hush fell across the campus as students, staff and faculty gathered aound televisions and computers and I-Phones and Blackberries to bear witness to the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States.

In 1968, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for daring to articulate a dream. Today, as President Barack Obama crossed the threshhold into history, Dr. King's dream of a united nation echoed across space and time, throughout the land, beyond the reflecting pool and into the eyes and ears and hearts of millions of onlookers. Today, with the world watching and with the wind at his back, Barack Obama proved that hope can overcome fear and unity of purpose can overcome conflict and discord.

A little more than 40 years ago, a man with a vision lost his life articulating a dream that so many of us today take for granted... the right to an education, the right to career advancement, the right to associate freely with others of your choosing.

A mere 8 years old when Dr. King lost his life, Barack Obama having been elected to the highest office in our land, is Dr. King's dream brought to life. Today was a day that many thought would never happen. Today was a day that was a lifetime in the making.

President Obama's inauguration speech was short, a mere 21 minutes, but it was the speech of a lifetime. And in 21 minutes, he closed the gap and opened a new chapter in history.

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For information about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Geography

Government

History

A Road Guard Greeting

I had an early morning meeting today and when I arrived on campus at around 9am, I was greeted by a team of road guards and a mile long line of cars. School is definitely back in session!

It was pretty cold out too and for a moment, I was reminded of my own college days back at the University of Minnesota. With 40,000+ students squeezed into downtown Minneapolis, you couldn't buy a parking place. It was the bus for most of us or the transit lot for those few willing to brave the frigid, wind strewn walk across the Washington Street Bridge. Whew! I really had a great time in school, but the rigor of just trying to get to class was enough to drive me toward graduating as fast I as I could.

New Parking Facility
We have a lovely campus here in The Woodlands and parking is generally not a problem as the semester goes on. But those first few days back are another story. Of course, the Lone Star College System is growing like crazy... we're the 3rd largest college system in Texas and the 20th in the country... so I'm glad to report that the college is planning a new parking facility, with the goal of having it operational some time next year.

Activities Mart
It's hard to imagine that a college system as large as ours could offer such a warm and friendly experience, but we somehow manage. That's one of the hallmarks, I think, of a community college. The classes are small so you get to know your professors and make friends, but there's enough variety that you can find just about anything you need right here on campus.

Take a look at our catalog and website and I'll bet you'll be surprised at how many courses and programs we offer. I know a lot of students have a hard time getting to campus so the school makes a real effort to offer on-line and hybrid courses, as well as night classes for those who work during the day. The BASS Divsion is now offering quite a few courses on-line.

The college also has a lot going on outside of the classroom. For people who want to get involved here on campus, but aren't sure where to start, stop by the Commons and stroll through Activities Mart, scheduled for January 27 & 28 from 11am to 2pm.

More than 30 clubs and organizations will have booths there, including those whose advisors are faculty in our Division, such as the 2nd Amendment Academy, the Computer Science Club, the Lone Star College Geomatics Society, the Veterans Student Association, and the Accounting Club. If you can't make it that day, you can always check out our activities page online. If you are a non-traditional student and are not sure that you will "fit in" to the college scene, don't let that stop you. Go ahead and give us a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

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To learn about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

It's a New Year and a New Semester!

The classrooms are quiet. It's cold and rainy out, overcast and ugly, quite frankly. It's the first day of the new semester here at Lone Star College-Montgomery and it's an absolutely perfect day to start the Business and Social Sciences Division's blog... What better excuse to spend the morning inside a warm office, just letting random thoughts fly across the keyboard? Soon our students will be jamming the hallways and I'll be lucky to find the time to Twitter, so yes, this is as good a time as any to start blogging, and it's probably better than most.

The Holidays
One of the benefits of working for a community college is that you get plenty of down time during the holiday season. A few days off for Thanksgiving and then two weeks at Christmas. That's a real help to those hosting family and friends for the holidays. I spent three weeks just planning holiday menus and then another two nights shopping. If you went to mom's house for the holidays, count your blessings and enjoy it while you can. Your turn to cook and clean will get here soon enough!

One of the other benefits of working for a community college is the different people you get to know...from all walks of life! Today, the Division hosted its welcome back lunch which was attended mostly by full-time staff and faculty. It was a lot of fun catching up with people you don't get to see very often and then sharing stories about what everyone did over the holidays...

The Marfa Lights
I told a few co-workers about a holiday trip to West Texas to see the "Marfa lights." If you haven't heard about them, they are really something! They only show up about 20-30 times a year and no one really knows what causes them. Anyway, they were on fire this past weekend and my fiance captured them on film. They are pretty cool to see and, I think, bode well for a great new year!

Adjunct Night and The Economy
Later this week, the Division will host Adjunct night and that's another favorite activity hosted by the college. Most of our adjuncts are employed in the industry that is related to their field of study. With such a variety of subject matter experts to choose from as potential dinner companions, it's hard to figure out where to sit.

This year, with so much going on with the economy, maybe one of our adjuncts will be able to shed some light on the subject. Give a new perspect...Provide some insight on the road ahead... Perhaps somebody from government, or economics, or maybe even an historian... It will be enlightening to hear a grassroots analysis from someone with boots on the ground.

Civil War Trip
Then again, we have a couple of people here, myself included, who are former military, so a war story or two usually pops up some time during the evening. That brings to mind the trip that our history professor, Dr. Craig Livingston, has scheduled for spring break. Sign up and you'll be able to March to the Sound of the Guns during a tour of the Civil War's Western Theater. The trip runs from March 9-12, 2009. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.

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For information about programs offered through the Business and Social Sciences Division:

Accounting

Business

Economics