Avalanche killed experienced backcountry skiers

Three skiers killed in a Washington state avalanche on Sunday were highly experienced at backcountry skiing, according to media reports, and one was the head judge of the Freeskiing World Tour, a competitive circuit for extreme skiers in the United States, Canada and South America.

The three, ski tour judge Jim Jack, Chris Rudolph and John Brenan, were among a group of a dozen or so skiers who were attempting to ski down a slope near the Stevens Pass ski area in the Cascade Mountains, about an 80-mile drive from Seattle. Among the group were staffers of both ESPN and Powder magazine, who identified the victims and gave accounts of the incident.

We checked with some of our Stevens Pass friends it was a somber day on the mountain as many knew someone in the group.

One of the points made in the CNN article

Doug Schnitzspahn, editor-in-chief of Elevation Outdoors magazine, told CNN that a kind of group-think takes over in these situations, with skiers wanting to be there with their peers.

"You think, 'All these people are either professional skiers or they knew what they're doing, they are out here,'" he said. "You're trained to make certain decisions, but it's not always humanly possible. If I had been there, I would have skied that line with those guys. That's what shakes me up."

Think about this, the editor-in-chief of Elevation Outdoors would be with these people skiing.  Is this a decision or a group-think mindset?

Identifying group-think-

• Group members stereotype non-members and label them as enemies or outsiders not worth negotiating with or worrying about
• People hesitate to air any discomfort, doubts or uncertainties they feel about the group decisions or policies, so that consensus seems unanimous
• Reluctant to shatter complacency group members do not bring information or evidence that does not conform to the groups expectations and stereotypes to the groups attention
• The group discusses only a few alternatives and reaches a decision quickly concentrating only on good points
• The group feels invulnerable leading to excessive optimism and risk taking
• The group ignores or rationalises warnings or signs that it is operating under false assumptions, making poor decisions or developing poor strategy
• There is strong pressure on group members to conform to group norms

Many disasters are caused by group-think.  Consider this when you build your data center teams.  How many data center disasters have group-think as a major cause?

My wife and I never ski back-country, because it is not worth the risk.  I don't think we have super human strength, and no technology is going to save you if something really bad happens.  Skiing fresh powder in low traffic areas may be a thrill, but other than your ego being satisfied, does it do any really good?

When we ski with our kids we are always telling them they need to ski with a buddy and be safe.  and, they are skiing faster than mom and dad now.

The NYTimes has a review.  Here are a few excerpts.

Good news.

Q.

Doesn’t that make sense, since our young adult lives are often marked by bad decisions?

A.

I think most of us think that while we make bad decisions in our 20s, we also have the idea that we were the sharpest we ever were when we were in college or graduate school. People think if I tried to go to engineering school or medical school now, I couldn’t do it. Because of these memory problems that happen in middle age, we tend to think of our brains as, on the whole, worse than in our 20s. But on the whole, they’re better.

Q.

So what’s happening in middle age that leads to these improvements?

A.

What we have by middle age is all sorts of connections and pathways that have been built up in our brain that help us. They know from studies that humans and animals do better if they have a little information about a situation before they encounter it. By middle age we’ve seen a lot. We’ve been there, done that. Our brains are primed to navigate the world better because they’ve been navigating the world better for longer.

There also are some other physical changes that they can see. We used to think we lost 30 percent of our brain cells as we age. But that’s not true. We keep them. That’s probably the most encouraging finding about the physical nature of our brain cells.

And guess what a lot of those ideas about middle age brains are myths.

Q.

What was the most surprising thing you learned about the middle-aged brain?

A.

The hope I saw from real scientists was surprising. A lot of the myths we think of in terms of middle age, myths that I grew up with, turn out to be based on almost nothing. Things like the midlife crisis or the empty nest syndrome. We’re brought up to think we’ll enter middle age and it will be kind of gloomy. But as scientists look at real people, they find out the contrary. One study of men found that well-being peaked at age 65. Over and over they find that middle age, instead of being a time of depression and decline, is actually a time of being more optimistic overall.

Maybe the media trying to sell the products to make you young were ones who convinced us middle age was bad.

I don't know about you, but I enjoy being 51 better than being 21, or 31.  41 wasn't too bad.  Oh yeh, that's when I started middle age.

Apple has confirmed it has chosen Prineville, OR as the location its next data center.  Oregon's KTVZ has the news.

Apple Confirms Prineville Data Center Plans

One Day Later, Ore. House Approves Tax Break Fix

By Ted Taylor and Barney Lerten, KTVZ.COM

POSTED: 4:10 pm PST February 21, 2012

AAAText Size

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UPDATED: 2:26 pm PST February 22, 2012

Apple Apple, the computer and tech giant, is building a large, energy-efficient data center at Maiden, N.C. -- and has now confirmed plans to build a facility in Prineville

PRINEVILLE, Ore. -- Tech giant Apple Inc. confirmed Tuesday to NewsChannel 21 that it plans to build a data center at a 160-acre parcel in Prineville it just bought from Crook County for $5.6 million, a stone’s throw from the huge facility built by Facebook.

 

A statutory warranty deed for the property off Baldwin Court was filed last week with the Crook County clerk’s office, a public document finally breaking the official silence over a long-term courtship with a company formerly known only as “Project Maverick.”

After a leak in December, the officials must have been reminded of their NDA, and how opening their mouths can jeopardize the deal.

No one in Prineville or elsewhere had been able to speak on the record about the deal previously, due to non-disclosure agreements the company has had officials sign. But the Feb. 15 filing is the first public document to identify Apple Inc. as the “Project Maverick” buyer, complete with the “1 Infinite Loop” address in Cupertino, Calif.

 

The cat started escaping from the bag in December, when The Oregonian quoted “two people with direct knowledge” who said Apple was nearing a decision on the project.

The local judge was even NDA restricted, but now that there is a public disclosure he can say a few things.

Crook County Judge Mike McCabe said Tuesday he was still bound by the non-disclosure agreement, though the filing left him a bit freer to talk.

"We just don't know what their plans are," McCabe said, adding that he's "confident it will be good for Prineville and Crook County."

"These folks have been wonderful to work with," he said. "We will look forward to a long-term relationship with them."

Asked about whether Apple might plan to "out-green" Facebook, which got some flack from Greenpeace for buying coal-generated power for its Prineville data center, McCabe said that actually, "Facebook kind of helped recruit (Apple), saying, 'You've got to come up and look at this community.'"

so, it will be hard to surf the web, and post.

But, i think my kids will like that Dad isn't on the computer as much.

Dell opens Quincy data center

Says heat exchangers will make cloud delivery even more cost efficient at its newest data center

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/02/15/dell-opens-quincy-data-center/

The official Dell press release is here.

Dell Opens New Western Technology Center in Quincy, WashingtonDate : 2/13/2012

Plano, Texas

• Extends Dell’s delivery capability and enables regionally delivered, high-value solutions, services and cloud-based delivery options around the world

 

Dell Services today opened a new technology center in Quincy, Wash., that will provide customers in North America access to cloud technologies and IT outsourcing services. The opening is part of Dell’s ongoing commitment to develop new cloud-based services, solutions and delivery options.

 

But, I want to know how big the data center is in terms of Power.  The diesel generator capacity is rated at 42 MW = 14 x 3MW Caterpillar Model C175-16.  You can make your own assumptions on the IT load that would be supported by this generator capacity.

How big is the site?  Here is a google maps snapshot.

It isn't that hard to find this information. Especially when a data center is near an elementary school and there is a lot of concern about the health risks from the diesel generator operations.

It was much more interesting to read the public documents than the official press release, but I guess I am too much of a data center geek. :-)

In a few months, it will be interesting to see some if the satellite photos are updated.

The 42 MW of diesel generators are for Phase 1.  An additional 42 MW is approved for Phase II and III.

Public disclosure of diesel permits is here.

What Retirement? Seniors Are Getting Back To Work

by YUKI NOGUCHI

At 75, many people imagine they'll be retired and spending their time playing cards or on a golf course. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of working seniors is actually on the rise. In fact, it's more than doubled since 1990.

One part that jumps out is.

Life is to Learn

...

"For me, I don't consider the age because you can learn something," he says. "Always, life is to learn."

Old people are like old machines, he says. They may work a little slower, but they're still very useful.

This is a different way to think about your data center systems.

Are you designing them to support your learning in the data center?

You are all tech savvy, and will get a good laugh.

1. AT&T customers surprised by "unlimited data" limit ‎ CBS News - 1 hour ago AT&T has some 17 million customers with "unlimited data" plans that can be subject to throttling, representing just under half of its smartphone users.

   CTV.ca

2. AT&T throttling unlimited data users starting at 2 GB per month ... ‎ Apple Insider - 3 days ago By Mikey Campbell The story of an AT&T customer having his bandwidth throttled after transferring only 2 GB of a so-called unlimited data plan has created a ... Highly Cited: ATTs moral obligation: If you throttle it, help us count it‎ Houston Chronicle (blog) AT&T explains 2GB throttling of unlimited data plans‎ SlashGear AT&T reportedly throttling “unlimited” users at 2GB‎ Geek Dslreports - O'Grady's Power Page all 19 news articles »

   SlashGear

3. AT&T Says Throttling Policy Isn't as Bad as You Think ‎ New York Times (blog) - 4 days ago Mr. Cozen, who said he has an unlimited data plan, believed it was unfair to be throttled. He pointed out that the unlimited data plan costs $30, and AT&T ... AT&T Says Throttling of Unlimited Data Users Done on Case-by-Case ...‎ Mac Rumors AT&T tries to justify 2GB data throttling threshold for unlimited ...‎ androidandme.com AT&T Throttle @ Bottle Not 2GB Data‎ Wireless and Mobile News GigaOm - Examiner.com all 6 news articles »

   New York Times (blog)

4. 'Unlimited' data has limits at AT&T ‎ USA TODAY - 6 days ago Paul Sakuma, AP AT&T smartphone customers with unlimited data plans can experience ... The tricky thing with AT&T's not-so-new policy of throttling down ... Highly Cited: AT&T Starts Throttling Unlimited Data Users after 2GB of Monthly Usage‎ Mac Rumors In-Depth: Unlimited Data Plan Isn't as Unlimited as You Think‎ DailyFinance AT&T Starts Throttling Grandfathered Unlimited Customers after 2 GB‎ Gotta Be Mobile Examiner.com - BetaNews all 43 news articles »

   USA TODAY

Starting as low as 1.5 GB of data usage users can be grouped into this problem user base for AT&T.  It seems like AT&T is throwing some of its customers under the bus.

To throw (someone) under the bus is an idiomatic phrase meaning to sacrifice another person (often a friend or ally), who is usually not deserving of such treatment, out of malice or for personal gain.

Should we cheer AT&T's efforts to limit the use of mobile devices?  That's one way to go Green.  But, not a popular one.

Or do we hear the sounds of a class action suit?

Enough said. I'm pretty sure there is a class action lawsuit sitting on the table here...

So Jim and David joined Avison Young.

Who is Avison Young?  I ran a search on Data Center Knowledge to see if Rich Miller had a post on them.  And nothing.  OK, so I am not the only one who hasn't written on Avison Young.

Your search - avison young - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

• Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
• Try different keywords.
• Try more general keywords.
• Try fewer keywords.

I asked a local friend who works in commercial real estate if he knew Avison Young.  His response, "Oh yeh, Avison is part of the top 4."  Avison is in the top 4 commercial real estate companies.  i guess being in Seattle, we are used to having lots of Canadians here, so I am not surprised there is more awareness of a Canadian company.

Avison Young about page gives background.

In a little more than 30 years we have grown to become the largest independently-owned commercial real estate services firm in Canada, and our reach now extends across the United States. It is our commitment to our clients to innovate and ensure the highest levels of quality, service and performance that build relationships and create exceptional value.

...

In early 2009, Avison Young opened its first U.S. office in Chicago, followed by new offices in Washington, DC; Lethbridge, AB and Toronto North (2009); Atlanta, Houston, Tysons Corner, VA, Boston and Guelph, ON (2010); Dallas, Los Angeles and Las Vegas (2011).

OK, Avision is huge in Canada. Relevant to the US commercial real estate market, but has very little presence in our current mindset of data center companies.

So, let's jump to parts of the press release that announces Jim and David joining Avison Young.

Industry leaders Jim Kerrigan and David Horowitz join Avison Young in Chicago

Data center and mission critical facilities experts join as Principals

Chicago, IL — Michael McKiernan, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company’s Chicago office, announced today that data center experts Jim Kerrigan and David Horowitz have joined Avison Young’s brokerage operations in Chicago.

Effective immediately, Kerrigan and Horowitz join Avison Young as Principals and will lead the company’s data center specialty efforts. They will continue to focus on assisting clients in Canada and the U.S. with their data center space needs.

I ran a search on Avison Young's Professional site on data centers.  Jim and David are in the database and when this press release goes live on Feb 13, 2012 it will have Jim and David's phone ringing.

	David Horowitz	312.273.9481	David.horowitz@avisonyoung.com	Chicago	Principal	Data Centres
	Jim Kerrigan	312.273.9480	Jim.Kerrigan@avisonyoung.com	Chicago	Principal Director	Data Centres

 

As we all know data centers break the commercial real estate thinking focused on space - as power, cooling, networking, and space for racks of equipment are the customer needs.

“More than 50% of companies run out of space due to power and cooling constrictions that could easily be avoided with the proper real estate strategy. Jim and David understand that the approach to data center planning has little to do with square footage and everything to do with the proper planning for racks and kilowatts.”

...

“To become a Principal in such a dynamic, growing company as Avison Young represents a significant opportunity for me at this point in my career,” notes Horowitz. “I look forward to continuing to work with Jim Kerrigan as we leverage the firm’s Canadian platform and utilize the experience of Earl Webb, Avison Young’s President, U.S. Operations, to help our clients with their strategic data center investments across North America.”

I had a chance to talk to Jim this weekend and he is excited to build a team that has many other experienced professionals besides Jim and David.  Here is a quote from Jim that gives you an idea of the services Jim is offering.

“The consolidation of our competitors into publicly-traded entities has eliminated options for clients seeking knowledge and advice from privately-held real estate consultancies. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of highly-trained and skilled experts who don't respond to groupthink or the need to respond to publicly-traded deadlines. A number of Canadian-based companies are looking for logical data center solutions but have not found the necessary guidance to solve their problems. We understand client concerns across Canada and the U.S. and can help create individualized solutions.”

The combination of private company. Canadian clients, and experienced data center professionals has the potential to drive change in the data center industry.  The smart will react quickly to changes.  Are you ready to change?

barton808 Barton George

Forget Networking. How to Be a Connector linkd.in/zHPrQi <- Im down with this :-)

6 Feb Favorite Retweet Reply

The article is a good one to think about.

Forget Networking. How to Be a Connector

BY ALINA TUGEND | January 29, 2012|

171

Photo courtesy of Josh Bycel

Connector Josh Bycel raised $50,000 in three weeks to fund a medical clinic at a refugee camp in Darfur.

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We all know people like them, people who seem to know everyone. They're always able to help -- or if they can't, they know someone who can. You meet them for the first time and in 15 minutes, you're talking with them like you're childhood friends. They're successful, smart and funny, with a likable touch of self-deprecation. And they're interested in everything.

How do you find a connector?  look for three traits.

Traits such as energy, insatiable curiosity and a willingness to take chances seem to be the common thread among connectors -- as well as an insistence that connecting is not the same as networking.

Do you want to be a connector?  Can you do this?

Perhaps one of the most important attributes of a connector is a willingness to help and to reach out even if there is no obvious or immediate payback.

Consider how much this article has been shared.

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