December 2

2 December
Prima giornata di freddo. Neve sulla montagna da quota 1500. Il Monte San Franco e' innevato e fa venir voglia di mettere sci e pelli e andare. Ma probabilmente non saranno piu' di dieci centimetri.
Mi inguaino nella tuta e vado a correre, stamattina fino all'imbocco della stradina sterrata. Il fiato e' migliorato.
Riscendo e mi fermo al B&B. C'e' Mario, quello con cui ho sempre interagito telefonicamente per sistemare i colleghi al B&B ma che di fatto quasi ma iho incontrato di persona.  Lui e il fratello mi servono il caffe'.
Mi ricorda ridendo un episodio di cui sono stato protagonista e che non ricordavo. Mesi fa, un giorno il centro di Assergi era pieno di vigili del fuoco e abitanti in attesa di visitare le loro case accompagnati e con casco. Improvvisamente vedono uno in tuta uscire di casa, senza nessun casco, che saluta tutti e se ne va. Dopo qualche minuto ritorna indietro, ha dimenticato qualcosa, torna in casa, riesce e risaluta. Un vigile dice e questo da dove spunta....?

Francesco Arneodo : 02 Dec 2009 10:47 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Goodbye assignments

EBE and OB assignments are ready to leave!!!!!

Francesco Arneodo : 01 Nov 2008 21:50 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Flash Cube is back

While striving to complete OB & EBE assignments in time, to find time for leisure activities is dificult but mandatory: there's no wisdom in self-destruction...Last Saturday, the jolly old Flash Cube is back onto the waters for her first race, after the thorough hull cleaning of last summer. 

We participated in the two regattas organized for the "Velandiamo" sailing fest. An the goodnews is that....we're not any longer the last!!!

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Andrea, myself, Piero (the skipper), and Gabriele.

Francesco Arneodo : 15 Oct 2008 08:53 |  Tags: Leisure |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The weeks after

...the seminar have been absolutely hectic. My goal was to maximise the efforts to complete the two assignments (EBE and OB) and to leave enough time to study and review for December exams.

The EBE one is now (almost) completed....I mean I arrived at the end, and now I'm reviewing and tuning it. The problem is that everything happens now....there's a peak of workload at the lab, and the usual workforce shortage.

So, a couple of days ago I had the nice opportunity to exercise all the skills I developed so far, by.....tightening screws on the cryostat.

Today, instead, I enjoyed an early morning shift underground.....

Francesco Arneodo : 26 Sep 2008 14:00 |  Tags: W |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

An interesting case in organisational behaviour

Franz K. was really upset after the phone call with the administration office. Placing a purchase order had never been easy, but now it has become impossible. Up to last year the procedure had been the following: first, you had to get an offer from a supplier. This offer had to be on paper, signed personally by the supplier. A fax was tolerated, but an email wasn't acceptable. Then, you had to fill in a request on a paper form, and give it to Administration. You had to go physically there, because there wasn't an internal mail service.
Then, a person of Admin had to type your order request into their closed computer system. A three-copy paper order was then issued. This had to be signed by the head of Admin and subsequently by the Director. Finally, one of the copies was sent to the supplier by ordinary mail.
All this process took normally a minimum of ten days to one month. And this procedure was only for small purchase orders. If you had to buy something more expensive than 2500€ it became more complicated.  And then, last year, a further complication came in. This was the reason for the  call from Admin:  "Hi Franz, there's a problem on the order of that new laptop", had said Joan, one of the administration clerks. "The one I filed in three weeks ago?", answered Franz, slightly uneasy. "Yes, that one....look, on your account there's no money under the code 1520110, machines and office furniture, you've got money only under 1520130, machines and equipment for research. But, as you should know, computers cannot be purchased with this code. But probably in a couple of months, with the next balance adjustment, you will be able to swap some of the money and top up your 1520130 account. But unfortunately  the order cannot be issued now. Sorry about that".
Franz put down the telephone, feeling really upset. He needed that laptop to work and frankly,  couldn't care less under which stupid code that order should have been filed.


Outline the problems facing this organisation in the short and long run and give recommendations for their solution.


A fantasy case study?
No, it’s real: it’s my organisation, the italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, which claims to be one of the world’s top research organisations in particle physics.

F.A.

Francesco Arneodo : 10 Sep 2008 20:47 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Back from Torino

Just back from Torino, after three days spent there. Managed to work piecemeal on OB TMAC and submitted it few minutes ago.

Francesco Arneodo : 14 Aug 2008 19:09 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Villa Maria Pinot Gris

I finally tried (some days ago) one of the bottles of white bought in New Zealand. Bought them hastily, while leaving  Queenstown with Chiara after a nice dinner in a kind of pub. Bought hastily but not without judgement, as the excellent guide of Michael Cooper indicates the Villa Maria Pinot Gris  East Coast private Bin as one of the 'best buy'. Indeed, at a very reasonable price (about 20 NZD), this wine  is absolutely excellent. 

A complex white,  with a rich fruit (peach?) and a  lasting final.  The only defect: I drank it alone.

Francesco Arneodo : 09 Aug 2008 23:22 |  Tags: Wine |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

OB

Today written 1500 words of OB - TMAC.

Francesco Arneodo : 09 Aug 2008 23:15 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Always on the run

Today, back from Rome. A quick visit.

On the way back, a stop at the Apple Store, which wasn't very helpful, actually.

This morning, in the not-so-quiet Roman house, I started Lesson 9, OB. The long Chapter Five of the Handy textbook.

I finished it in the night, after a hectic late afternoon at office...trying to make a PCMCIA card working on the mac....

Francesco Arneodo : 07 Aug 2008 23:05 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Wednesday morning

It would be nicer studying out on the terrace if only my village wasn't so crowded by summer visitors....Anyway, this morming I made it up to Les. 8 of OB (not yet with notes taken, though). I just got back my last AFM TMA (85%, is my tutor too good?).

Francesco Arneodo : 06 Aug 2008 12:10 |  Tags: Study |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem