Google’s release of Documents software came as no real surprise, so as I played with it this morning I was not prepared to be impressed.

I fired up my browser and went to the Google Docs website. I was asked if I would like to import my documents from Writely.com, the original Google Docs. Not having any documents stored there, I proceeded with out importing. I started a new document and tried out the different fonts, export options, printing, etc. Nothing new really, just put on the web. Wrong. Collaboration is where it is at.

I uploaded a document that a friend and I had been working on through email and invited him to be a collaborator for the document. Within minutes we were both editing the document and keeping track of our revisions in a central area. My friend and I talked and decided that we did not want to become dependent on Google for our documents but that we would definitely use them as a repository for our documents, especially if they release an API in the near future. Then, he and I can build a tool for our local collaboration that will upload a copy to the Google Docs area and keep it there for storage.

When I think Leonardo DiCaprio, I think of movies like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet, and Titanic. The last thought that crosses my mind is Leo as a south Boston mobster, but in this film he’s proven himself as an actor, at least in my opinion.

I cannot go into details about the plot of the movie without giving away a lot of the story line and possibly ruining the movie, but I can say that this one of the best mobster films I have seen in a long time. The basic premise of the movie is Jack Nicholson playing a mob boss in Boston and have a strong concern about someone in his crew ratting him out to the police. Nicholson as a mob boss is amazing. I was terrified of him and thought he might have me whacked for laughing at some of his off color humor.

There are a ton of twists and turns in this movie and just when you think you have everything figured out, a change of events takes place that completely wrecks you theory. There is also a good amount of comedy in the film, a lot of it off color and directed at Italians and other stereotypes. The use of the “F” word is fairly rampant and the amount of bloodshed reminded me of a Tarantino film. If you like mobster movies this one is for you. With a great plot, great cast, and tons of twists and turns, The Departed is a must see.

Recently a friend of mine resigned from his job. When asked by his employer what he was moving on to, he responded “Independent contractor work”. To this he received a reply of, “Well, I do not think you are going to be happy doing that. Maybe we just should not hire the best people, they keep leaving”. What?!

It is not about not hiring the best people, it is about giving the best people jobs that will keep them engaged and wanting to perform at their best. Giving the best people or very smart people menial work is something that does more harm than good. Challenging smart people is what they want. They want to have to work and giving them busy work does nothing to accomplish this.

From what I have found, smart people also have an entrepreneurial spirit, depending on their personality and want to manage projects as well as work on them. They love solving problems, both big and small, and really enjoy finding that little piece of code that makes the project that much better.

So a word to employers, if you want to keep your best people, your money makers, keep them happy. Keeping them happy involves more than a foosball table and free soda, it involves challenging work and encouragement to create innovative solutions.

Over the past four years there has been a lot of talk about mobile applications and their use in businesses and everyday life. Most of this talk has been quietly pushed aside with only a few people questioning why this “write-off” of mobile applications is occurring.

The main argument I hear for putting mobile apps in the world is “allowing people to work away from their desk”, which, loosely translated means “making people work when they aren’t being paid for it”. The last thing people need or want in this country is more worked. We are already overworked and overstressed with menial issues, why would we want to be overstressed or overworked when we leave work?

Now, I can understand if you travel a lot and need to be connected to the world, but using mobile apps to allow the bosses noose to extend to your home is just stupid. Yeah, mobile applications are cool but it just is not practical. If I am going to write a word document, I am going to sit down in front of a full screen and a full keyboard to do so. If I am away from my desk I am not going to try and write the document on a little Windows Mobile device, I would rather use a pencil and paper.

I think the whole mobility thing needs to be rethought.

There are great benefits to a centrally located airport, namely, easy access for the surrounding areas. There are downsides as well, with number one being noise. Airports are loud.

I live about four miles northeast of DFW and about seven miles north/northwest of Love Field. The kicker is that when the pattern is north-south at Love, my apartement sits directly under the 45′ entry point and/or final approach. What does this mean? Low flying jets (no more than 1,000 ft.) directly over where I live.

But wait, there’s more. I also live under the downwind leg of DFW. This means at any given time there are 3-4 jets within a mile or so of my apartment complex. The jets coming into DFW that fly the wide pattern are usually large body, long range airplanes, such as 747s, 777s, and 757s.

It is a good thing I love airplanes and can sit out on my porch all day long and watch them come and go or I would be very frustrated by the noise.

Bsitter.com, a project that Blake and I have been working on for a while now went live a couple of weeks ago. I have delayed talking about it because there were a few things in the site we were changing up and even though it was live, it was more of a live beta than anything else.

The site is still getting tweaked with features being added nightly. We have developed a rolling schedule for getting things to work and cool features and so far it has been smooth sailing.

The center feature of the site is babysitter management. This is not a central database of all the babysitters in the country. This is a management tool centered around helping parents manage their babysitting needs and helping babysitters make the most of their time. Parents and/or babysitters sign up for the site and invite more parents and/or babysitters, who are in turn added to their network. If a parent needs to go out one night during the week, they add a “job” to the system and select which babysitters (in their network) that they would like to inform. The babysitters then receive an e-mail and a text message, if they so choose, that lets them know there is a new available job. The first babysitter to accept the job gets it. If all the parent’s babysitters decline a job, the parent can request babysitters from other parents (in their network).

It is a pretty nifty system and once it gets rolling I think it will really take off.

Byron Nelson, known to many as “Lord Byron”, passed away today from natural causes.

Mr. Nelson was not just an amazing golfer but he was humble supporter of many charities. Stories about his down to earth personality and hospitality are already coming out at the golf course where Byron worked and where a tournament was named for him.

He was a great golfer and a great humanitarian.

I returned yesterday evening from a weekend getaway to Lubbock, TX. It was a quick trip to see my brother and some friends that I have not seen since I graduated. Tech’s football team beat up on Southeast Louisiana in a 62-0 victory, something I like to refer to as a glorified practice session that people paid to see.

My car has done well on two road trips now, even though I’ve noticed a few weird noises. I’ll take it in at some point and see what they say.

After reading this I started thinking about what the article was proposing should have happened after 9/11. To be honest, yes, some of these things should have happened, but others don’t seem like they would have occurred no matter who was in office.

Quick executions? Come on, they would have had to have been moved to here in Texas and even then it would have taken at least two years to execute them.

I think the turning point in Afghanistan was the assault on Tora Bora. Not enough American troops were on the ground to capture or kill bin Laden. Instead, the fighting was left up to Afghani militia and U.S. CIA advisors. The 10 Mountain Division should have been all over the area, making sure that bin Laden did not escape.

There is a lot of ignorance out there about September 11th, terrorism, the history of terrorism, and the reasoning behind it. I’m tired of it. I am tired of hearing people call this country a rogue state. I am tired of conspiracy theories about 9/11. I am tired of hearing that 9/11 is no one’s fault but Bush’s.

Please, do yourself a favor. Read. Read as much as you can. Understand what goes on around you besides the few jaded opinions of newscasters and newspapers. Look at your country from the outside. Then look at the outside. Just take the time to research for yourself.

Actually make a difference. Instead of telling people that there is a problem in Darfur, just go and help. Getting the word out is great, but it only goes as far as your lungs will allow it.

But most importantly, love the people around you.