Monthly Archives: May 2011

The top 20 bad leadership traits

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Qin Tang

The leadership books I have read in the last couple of years mostly focus on the top leadership qualities or traits of great leaders. Some examples are: Personal characters (honesty, integrity, trustworthy, humility, etc.) Clear vision and purpose Strategic thinking Passion for … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Personal development | Tagged | 6 Comments

MnDOT Commissioner’s Reading Corner

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Qin Tang

My article about MnDOT Commissioner’s Reading Corner (CRC) was published in the Spring 2011 issue of the Special Libraries Association/Minnesota Chapter’s newsletter and posted online. This article provides some background info about the CRC. Most of my CRC book interview articles have been posted on this … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, CRC book interview, Photos | Tagged | 1 Comment

Grateful for libraries

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Qin Tang

A few times a month I take my kids to the local public library to return/check out books. We have done so since they were toddlers. And they both got their own library cards before they could even read themselves. I enjoy visiting library and I … Continue reading →

Tagged | 4 Comments

A book inspired by the gardens of China

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Qin Tang

I came from China. My hometown Suzhou is a well known ancient city in China with a history of 2500 years. The city is renowned for its beautiful classical gardens, pagodas, stone bridges and rivers around the city. It is, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, China, Photos | 1 Comment

Feeling down and sad?

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Qin Tang

Some day when I am feeling down and sad, I try to look for things that are positive and lighten up my mood. If I stop and look, I do find them. Yesterday I was feeling very down, as I look back, … Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Wellness, Living | Leave a comment

Walk around the capitol

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Qin Tang

Here are some photos I took while walking around the Minnesota State Capitol today. It was a gorgeous day with perfect weather for the annual walk. Blue sky, just right temperature, greenery, blooming trees, monuments on the mall, walkers, kids on field trips, … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos | Tagged , | Leave a comment

My profile in MARC record

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Qin Tang

In my professional life as a librarian, I have cataloged thousands of items – books, journals, VHSs, CDs, DVDs, websites and Kindles - on all kinds of subjects. Biographies? yes, but I have never cataloged a person directly. Today I read about … Continue reading →

Posted in Librarianship | 1 Comment

Natural lawn care service recommended

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Qin Tang

After several days of rain, the dandelions are popping up everywhere in our yard.   Personally, I don’t care if we have dandelions or not. It’s not important for me to have a perfect green, weed-free lawn. But when our yard is the only … Continue reading →

Posted in Living | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hot pot dinner

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Qin Tang

A friend called me Friday afternoon and asked: “Would you like to come to my house this evening and have hot pot dinner together? I just thought about this.” That’s what we did. My family of four went over to her … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

One-pot meals

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Qin Tang

Do you ever feel stressed out by the thought or question - ”What’s for dinner?” What do you do if you have less than an hour to prepare a nutritious and home-cooked meal? I have a solution for you – one-pot meals. Lately I have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Wellness, Living, Photos | Leave a comment

Being resourceful

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Qin Tang

Today while I was in the lady’s room washing my hands, a coworker made a comment after she noticed the way I did it. “Thanks for reminding me not to waste water.” Then we got into a little conversation on ways to save water.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Living | Tagged | 1 Comment

Joyful, prayerful and thankful

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Qin Tang

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version, ©2011) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God … Continue reading →

Posted in Living, Spirituality | Tagged | Leave a comment

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Parade

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Qin Tang

We had a beautiful sunny Saturday in Twin Cities. It felt like summer.  It was a perfect day for being outside enjoying the nice weather. I went to the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Parade in St. Paul with a friend and … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Little Teal Book of Trust – book interview

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Qin Tang

I recently interviewed Kevin Gutknecht, Mn/DOT Communications Director. We talked about the 12th book in the Commissioner’s Reading Corner Book of the Month series, Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust: How to Earn It, Grow It, and Keep It … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, CRC book interview | Leave a comment

Financial freedom

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Qin Tang

What brought me to this topic today? A blog comment I made yesterday and a blog post I read today. Yesterday while I was reading someone’s blog, I made a comment of what financial freedom means to me personally. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Living | 3 Comments

Eight R’s for a greener earth – Repair

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Qin Tang

In an article I wrote three years ago titled “Eight R’s for a greener earth,” I talked about repair as one of the eight Rs for a greener earth. Here is what I wrote: Repair This is probably the toughest one to … Continue reading →

Posted in Living | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Summer camps

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Qin Tang

Every year South Washington County School District offers some free summer programs through its Office of Equity and Integration. My two kids have participated in the Valley Branch Nature Camp and Eagle Camp in the past. This year they both are … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Turning words into pictures

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Qin Tang

If you have time and want to do something fun and creative, you can play with Wordle. Wordle is a visual way of displaying text. It’s a tool for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. They are customizable by color, … Continue reading →

Leave a comment