Sharpstone Blog

Straits of It: Hidden Chokepoints and Whiplash IT

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 23:51:13 -0500

🌊 The Chokepoint We Don’t See

The Strait of Hormuz is a name you have been hearing frequently over the last few months, but not one that you likely heard a lot about before the current conflict started between the United States and Iran. It is geographically a very small body of water that controls a very large portion of the flow of global energy, roughly one-fifth of global oil in 2024. When that narrow passage is disrupted, the effects do not remain local. They ripple through energy prices, financial markets, supply chains, and household budgets.

Model Thinker by Scott Page, a Book Review

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:14:48 -0500

📖 Book Overview

Title: The Model Thinker: What you need to know to make data work for you

Author: Scott E. Page

Published: 2021 (expanded edition)

Genre/Focus: Popular Science

🧠 Why I Read This

As part of my ongoing Doctoral research into Business, Accounting, and Artificial Intelligence, I sought out this book to deepen my understanding of model-driven thinking—a critical skill for modern leadership. Data models are the often-hidden underpinnings of the Information Age, and much of what people refer to as “AI” today is actually fast, layered modeling. My goal was to sharpen my ability to interpret, apply, and challenge models effectively. The Model Thinker delivered valuable tools that I am already applying in strategic decision frameworks.

April 2025 AI Models Update:Latest Developments and Trends

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:42:30 -0500

Introduction

The AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Here’s your monthly update on what’s changed, what’s emerging, and how to make the most of the tools available. I did my original post at https://sharpstone.blog/posts/ai-models-compared/ around 30 days ago and there has been a whirlwind of change since then. I decided that I would leave that post up and offer a monthly summary of new things features, updates and models to watch. The original post has good background - these will just focus on what’s new each month. I may then do a deep dive into new features or particularly compelling information as an extra post.

Choosing the Right AI Model: A Practical Comparison

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

As Simon Sinek says “Start with why”. When you know the why you are wanting to use the AI model the other questions and answers can follow relatively easy. Current AI as sophisticated as it may be - is still what is known as ’narrow’ this means they are built for specific tasks and contexts. These specific tasks and contexts may be expansive but the range of the expertise is relatively narrow. Due to the AI’s being narrow it’s necessary to be literate in the many models that are available and what they excel at vs what they are just ok at vs what they cannot do at all.

Welcome to Sharpstone.blog

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Sharpstone.blog

Hello and welcome to Sharpstone.blog! I’m Randy Haas, an IT professional with almost three decades of experience spanning the full spectrum of technology—from infrastructure to development, information security, and leadership. This site is my platform to share insights, trends, and practical advice at the intersection of technology, leadership, finance, and accounting.

My Journey

My career began in the trenches of IT infrastructure: designing networks, configuring switches and firewalls, building servers, managing databases, and planning data centers. Over time, I expanded into software development and information security consulting, honing a deep understanding of how systems—and the people who run them—work together. In recent years, I’ve led teams implementing and optimizing enterprise platforms like ServiceNow and Salesforce, blending technical expertise with strategic leadership.

Is it thinking? Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0500

I recommend reading "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans"

I just finished up "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans" by Melanie Mitchell. It was a great, quick read. I recommend it to anyone that wants a great primer on AI with or without a background in tech. Mitchell does an excellent job making complex topics approachable and sharing metaphors and examples that make AI's nuances understandable for non-specialists. Dr. Mitchell manages to explore the topics to a certain depth without drowning you in tech speak.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0500

One of the great buzzwords of the last several years has been EQ, or emotional intelligence. John Maxwell ranks this as the most important form of intelligence because it is behind our ability to connect with others. In this time of social distancing, unrest, injustice, and uncertainty about the future connecting with others is the most important thing we can be doing.

IT professionals, in particular, can reap benefits from focusing their #leadership and their teams on raising their emotional intelligence. Zoom and Webex meetings take away some of the personal touch, as our interactions tend to be hyper-focused and lose the nuances gained by a handful of interpersonal meetings during a typical workday. These nuances can be the difference between cohesiveness and a functionally competent but unengaged team.