F irst, I'd like to offer my apologies for missing yet another meeting. Last month my wife, Rebecca, had surgery out of state; she is recovering well. This month she is to have a follow up, and between the doctor's, Rebecca's, and my schedule the 4th was the best date. I certainly hope to see everyone in December.

This month I'd like to address a phrase that has become cliche - Thinking outside the box. It's a reference to creative problem solving by unconventional approaches. The trouble is that it's hard to think outside the box if you don't know what the box is.

Here's an approach I learned that gets the creative juices flowing and lifts your thinking from confines of conventional thinking: First, list some problems related to the topic under consideration. Next, list as many traditional or accepted approaches that you can think of that might have led to those problems. Finally, list concepts that are directly opposed to these accepted approaches and craft strategies to employ them.

The method is not a divining rod for pulling remedies out of thin air. It is meant to gain creative momentum and help open your mind to new, and perhaps previously unthought-of solutions.

Perhaps we could do this as a chapter for one of our technical meetings.

Play Loud!