A few weeks ago, I borrowed a copy of Now, Discover Your Strengths from the IBM Almaden library. I found it interesting, but I was disappointed when I realized I couldn’t take the StrengthsFinder assessment, since the secret code was in the book jacket, which I didn’t have.

So I bought StrengthsFinder 2.0 so I could take the test. This evening, I sat down at my trusty Mac to take the test, entered the secret code, and ran into a dead end — the page which asked for my ethnicity offered no “Next” button.

I tried again, and got the same result. So I unlimbered the View Source Chart Firefox extension, which showed me the rendered HTML; there was an <iframe> tag with an interesting URL, so I clicked that, and found myself looking at question 1 of the assessment…complete with “Next” button.

I finished the assessment; it told me that my top theme was “Strategic,” which they describe thusly:

People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

I guess that must imply that not everyone would look at the source code of the page to figure out what’s wrong and how to proceed. It takes all kinds….

Jeff attends Kehillah Jewish High School. It’s a small, new school (he’ll be in the third graduating class), and so it’s somewhat light on traditions. No sports championships, either, unlike my high school, which was a perennial cross-country power (and a football doormat).

But today is one of those mornings which creates traditions; the school Jam Band won the K-FOX School of Rock competition last week, and today, they’re broadcasting live from the studio. So the school decided to invite everyone to come in early, including parents, to celebrate together. It’s great fun to be here with the kids, teachers, and even a few other parents (it is awfully early….).

I rarely listen to local terrestrial radio any more, because of all the commercials and the limited choice — I usually listen to XM, with occasional excursions to KKUP, a truly listener-supported and eclectic station. But local radio, even if owned by a monster like Clear Channel, can support the community — the School of Rock competition is a great example.

So thanks, K-FOX, Greg Kihn, and Kehillah!