Funny. We never ask 'why' when we're blessed and often times we forget to say 'thank you'. Well THANK YOU GOD for all the blessings past, especially present, and future.
All within the last three weeks....
We closed on our new house in Lathrop.
We got the old house rented out to great people.
We heard that we'll finally know about Anthony on Aug 26th.
I got a NEW JOB that will be a GREAT challenge and very financially rewarding (about time!)
It's almost overload....but I'll take it! :D
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Obama and the monkey god?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Hanuman_idol_for_Obama/articleshow/3160730.cms
So this idol weighs 15kg.
For my non-metric friends that's 15kg x 2.2lbs/kg = 33 LBS of GOLD
33lbs x 453.5924 grams/lb = 14968.5492 grams
14968.5492 grams / 373.2417216 grams/troy pound (12 troy ounces) = 40.104 troy pounds
40.104 troy pounds x 12 troy ounces = 481.25 troy ounces
481.25 troy ounces x $USD 879 (as of typing)/troy ounce = $423,018.77 USD.
That's one expensive paperweight.
So this idol weighs 15kg.
For my non-metric friends that's 15kg x 2.2lbs/kg = 33 LBS of GOLD
33lbs x 453.5924 grams/lb = 14968.5492 grams
14968.5492 grams / 373.2417216 grams/troy pound (12 troy ounces) = 40.104 troy pounds
40.104 troy pounds x 12 troy ounces = 481.25 troy ounces
481.25 troy ounces x $USD 879 (as of typing)/troy ounce = $423,018.77 USD.
That's one expensive paperweight.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Does Jesus weare Birkenstocks...with Sandals?
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/FaithMatters/story?id=5225539&page=1
OK, now this is just silly. At last count, there are at least 3 crackpots I know of who are claiming to be Jesus.
Will the reall slim Jesus, please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?
The guy in the article above, one guy who is out of Mexico, and one guy who is in Colorado, I believe.
Which...they're all wrong because the Community of Christ Church (formerly RLDS which happens to be headquartered in my home town) custom built a water slide, I mean TEMPLE, for Christ's return. I once dated a girl who was die-hard RLDS. She worked at the watersli...I MEAN temple. I let the waterslide joke slip once and well....let's just say I didn't marry HER! :)
C'mon...doesnt' this look like fun? I mean they would have to install some rails of some sort.
Bill Gates steps down this week...
As one of countless geeks, we never thought we'd live to see the day. Bill has no doubt done some incredible things over the years, in fact, I'm writing this on an XP installed laptop (thanks again, Bill!) However, it's time for a change at Microsoft.
So what do you do when you're the second most wealthy person in the world (Warren Buffet is #1)?
If it were me? Seriously? I would give give give give give. Now, I know they already give Billions away every year. I'd triple it. I would pick a third world country and attempt to fix everything wrong with it. I would seek out the working poor in this country and pay off their debt to give them a second chance. There's a lot of things I would do. Let's hope Bill doesn't just check-out and sit on top of his cash.
So what do you do when you're the second most wealthy person in the world (Warren Buffet is #1)?
If it were me? Seriously? I would give give give give give. Now, I know they already give Billions away every year. I'd triple it. I would pick a third world country and attempt to fix everything wrong with it. I would seek out the working poor in this country and pay off their debt to give them a second chance. There's a lot of things I would do. Let's hope Bill doesn't just check-out and sit on top of his cash.
George Carlin is ...... Dead.
George Carlin died yesterday. Right around the same time, a voice could be calling out from the pit of hell....
***k, there really is a God. ***k there really IS a hell. ***k, I *****d my life away.
Sorry, George. I guess we Christians really aren't that stupid after all...are we?
***k, there really is a God. ***k there really IS a hell. ***k, I *****d my life away.
Sorry, George. I guess we Christians really aren't that stupid after all...are we?
Monday, June 16, 2008
Looters...
Ok, before I begin, an editorial note. This is NOT a black/white / mocha / burgundy issue. It's a people and perception issue. I'm adopting an african american boy, so you that would like to think this is rooted in bigotry, well...you're ignert! :)
When Katrina hit, all we saw on the news was the looters, those we perceived and foolish to stay, and hour after hour after hour of devistation. However, when the tornado hit Greensburg, KS. There were no looters. Just as much damage per sq ft, but no looters. Again, the flooding in Iowa...no looters, just water.
Now living in Missouri, we have plenty of jokes for people from Kansas and Iowa, however, I'm frankly shocked that we've yet to see people floating 50" TV's down mainstreet on an inflatable air mattress.
What REALLY drives people to loot...poverty ? Survival ? Or could it be a perceived right to entitlement because the 'man gets you down'?
When Katrina hit, all we saw on the news was the looters, those we perceived and foolish to stay, and hour after hour after hour of devistation. However, when the tornado hit Greensburg, KS. There were no looters. Just as much damage per sq ft, but no looters. Again, the flooding in Iowa...no looters, just water.
Now living in Missouri, we have plenty of jokes for people from Kansas and Iowa, however, I'm frankly shocked that we've yet to see people floating 50" TV's down mainstreet on an inflatable air mattress.
What REALLY drives people to loot...poverty ? Survival ? Or could it be a perceived right to entitlement because the 'man gets you down'?
Friday, June 13, 2008
What about the people??
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gevuLY2_8vGkqkVr-Dl_P-TxGMcQD9177ERG0
Ok, so Panda's are cute. They're cuddly. They're a symbol of pride for China...but is a funeral necessary when the communist government displaces millions of people, creates an ecological and environmental nightmare, all for the sake of preparing for the Olympics by damming up major rivers and flooding away homes, villages, and towns for people who weren't even making it to begin with?
This is another reason I'm boycotting the Olympics. China is an abomination for human rights. While we are still in bed with them for trade as our most favored nation, I'll never know....oh wait, yes I do...$$$$$$.
People are more important than money.
Ok, so Panda's are cute. They're cuddly. They're a symbol of pride for China...but is a funeral necessary when the communist government displaces millions of people, creates an ecological and environmental nightmare, all for the sake of preparing for the Olympics by damming up major rivers and flooding away homes, villages, and towns for people who weren't even making it to begin with?
This is another reason I'm boycotting the Olympics. China is an abomination for human rights. While we are still in bed with them for trade as our most favored nation, I'll never know....oh wait, yes I do...$$$$$$.
People are more important than money.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
This is just retarded...
http://www.examiner.net/homepage/x889230448/Supporting-Idol-star
Basically, Blue Springs, MO wants to cash in on David Cook. You know...the scruffy bearded guy who just won that big karaoke contest on TV (American Idio...I mean Idol.)
My Favorite part of this story...
" "Mayor Ross said he had been in California recently, and when he asked people if they knew who David Cook was, most people said they did.“Then I told them I was his mayor,” he said. "
Uh...doesn't that guy live in TULSA? Soooooo...you're technically NOT his mayor....since he doesn't live in Blue Springs anymore?? DUH.
The other thing that just seems stupid to me about all this is that it's of the opinion of the city council/management that BSMO is not being 'marketed' enough. Well, what exactly DO you have to market? There's not even a Walmart there anymore! The only thing you could put on a sign 'welcoming' people to Blue Springs would be "HEY! Last stop for a step above fast food before Columbia!"
It's a bedroom community folks! There no industry, no theme park, no tacky Branson shows to pimp out,...NOTHING.
"So Mister City Councilperson. You live in Blue Springs?"
"Yes I do! And I'm proud to live there! It's a great place to live!!"
"Why is it a great place to live?"
"DON'T YOU KNOW!!!!!!!! DAVID COOK LIVED HERE WHEN HE WAS A KID!!!!!!!!!"
... crickets.
Basically, Blue Springs, MO wants to cash in on David Cook. You know...the scruffy bearded guy who just won that big karaoke contest on TV (American Idio...I mean Idol.)
My Favorite part of this story...
" "Mayor Ross said he had been in California recently, and when he asked people if they knew who David Cook was, most people said they did.“Then I told them I was his mayor,” he said. "
Uh...doesn't that guy live in TULSA? Soooooo...you're technically NOT his mayor....since he doesn't live in Blue Springs anymore?? DUH.
The other thing that just seems stupid to me about all this is that it's of the opinion of the city council/management that BSMO is not being 'marketed' enough. Well, what exactly DO you have to market? There's not even a Walmart there anymore! The only thing you could put on a sign 'welcoming' people to Blue Springs would be "HEY! Last stop for a step above fast food before Columbia!"
It's a bedroom community folks! There no industry, no theme park, no tacky Branson shows to pimp out,...NOTHING.
"So Mister City Councilperson. You live in Blue Springs?"
"Yes I do! And I'm proud to live there! It's a great place to live!!"
"Why is it a great place to live?"
"DON'T YOU KNOW!!!!!!!! DAVID COOK LIVED HERE WHEN HE WAS A KID!!!!!!!!!"
... crickets.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Hobbies...
So I thought I'd put a list together of all the hobbies that I've either had or still do...
And in no certain order...
Winemaking
Poker
Woodworking
Rock Climbing (when I was in college and MUCH thinner!)
camping
Competition BBQ cook-off's
Reading
Guitar playing
chess
scuba diving
paintball
Some things I'd like to learn:
the harmonica
stunt kiting
oil painting
robotics
And in no certain order...
Winemaking
Poker
Woodworking
Rock Climbing (when I was in college and MUCH thinner!)
camping
Competition BBQ cook-off's
Reading
Guitar playing
chess
scuba diving
paintball
Some things I'd like to learn:
the harmonica
stunt kiting
oil painting
robotics
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Mexico Navy hunts sharks after attacks...
Truth IS stranger than fiction.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2634668020080526?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Don't you think that they'd be a little more occupied with looking for DRUG SMUGGLERS, which by the way, through their cargo, attribute to a lot more deaths each year than sharks.
!?!?!?!?
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2634668020080526?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Don't you think that they'd be a little more occupied with looking for DRUG SMUGGLERS, which by the way, through their cargo, attribute to a lot more deaths each year than sharks.
!?!?!?!?
To have a friend like Melissa...
There's this friend of mine, and she's simply awesome.
We've been friends for nearly 14 years now and it's been incredible.
She's not only a good friend to me, but to everyone else she is friends with.
The most recent example of her friendship is when she shaved her head to support one of her other friends that is going through Chemo. No big deal for me...I shave my head every three weeks, but for a WOMAN to shave hers? When she's not sick? ??? ??? That's love.
I'm glad she's MY friend.
I'm also glad she's my wife.
I love you honey, and I am SO proud of you for doing this.
We've been friends for nearly 14 years now and it's been incredible.
She's not only a good friend to me, but to everyone else she is friends with.
The most recent example of her friendship is when she shaved her head to support one of her other friends that is going through Chemo. No big deal for me...I shave my head every three weeks, but for a WOMAN to shave hers? When she's not sick? ??? ??? That's love.
I'm glad she's MY friend.
I'm also glad she's my wife.
I love you honey, and I am SO proud of you for doing this.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Call a spade a spade...
And an idiot an idiot...
http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080521145247.aspx
This is nothing but a fear mongering. The cure for gas prices is to muzzle these goof balls and the commodity trades who trade gasoline futures on SPECULATION!!!!!!!!!! Folks, THAT is why gas prices are so HIGH now!!! $12 will bankrupt our economy and the world's.
http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080521145247.aspx
This is nothing but a fear mongering. The cure for gas prices is to muzzle these goof balls and the commodity trades who trade gasoline futures on SPECULATION!!!!!!!!!! Folks, THAT is why gas prices are so HIGH now!!! $12 will bankrupt our economy and the world's.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Dozens barred from highschool graduation
http://www.kctv5.com/news/16261639/detail.html
Now this is just stupid. I graduated out of the same toilet bowl shaped auditorium, as has pretty much everyone else in Jackson County, MO since the dawn of time.
I remember the beach balls that got thrown around, the clapping after each graduate's name (even though the graduation nazi's said not to do so), etc, but keeping parents and other family members from seeing their child graduate just because they're late or because they have poor dress habits? REE-TAR-DID. What if you had a flat on the way there and were late because of it and got dirt on your dress shirt, so you changed into a clean T-shirt in your gym bag in the back seat? Sheesh.
An amicable solutions would have been to re-route all late comers to the balcony. From there, they won't disrupt the ceremony unless they're purposely doing so (e.g. airhorns, shouting, etc).
I smell a lawsuit! They way I look at it....the parents who have a legitimate reason for being late or underdressed should be admitted or given a refund of their taxes that have gone into the public school system...I mean after all, they did PAY to be there, right?
Update on 5/27/2008 >> I did more reading on this and once again, I should really learn to not trust KCTV5 - Late, uninformative, unprofessional.
The REALITY of this story was that a person showed up in full gansta garb, got PO'd when turned away and KEYED A COP CAR!!!! No wonder they were taken away. As Melissa (my wife) said...even a hoochie mama can go to the thrift store and buy a skirt that doesn't show her bizniss!!
Now this is just stupid. I graduated out of the same toilet bowl shaped auditorium, as has pretty much everyone else in Jackson County, MO since the dawn of time.
I remember the beach balls that got thrown around, the clapping after each graduate's name (even though the graduation nazi's said not to do so), etc, but keeping parents and other family members from seeing their child graduate just because they're late or because they have poor dress habits? REE-TAR-DID. What if you had a flat on the way there and were late because of it and got dirt on your dress shirt, so you changed into a clean T-shirt in your gym bag in the back seat? Sheesh.
An amicable solutions would have been to re-route all late comers to the balcony. From there, they won't disrupt the ceremony unless they're purposely doing so (e.g. airhorns, shouting, etc).
I smell a lawsuit! They way I look at it....the parents who have a legitimate reason for being late or underdressed should be admitted or given a refund of their taxes that have gone into the public school system...I mean after all, they did PAY to be there, right?
Update on 5/27/2008 >> I did more reading on this and once again, I should really learn to not trust KCTV5 - Late, uninformative, unprofessional.
The REALITY of this story was that a person showed up in full gansta garb, got PO'd when turned away and KEYED A COP CAR!!!! No wonder they were taken away. As Melissa (my wife) said...even a hoochie mama can go to the thrift store and buy a skirt that doesn't show her bizniss!!
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!?!?
ROMA VICTOR!!!!My opponent dominated me by a 5:1 chip count (he had 5 chips for every one of mine) when it was down to heads up (1 on 1) play. I rallied and took him out with two pair - 6's and 2's.
The spoils of war?....a 300 pc chip set. Not the best prize in the world, however, it is my first victory or many more to come! Watch out Phil Hellmuth!!!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Father's / Birthday Wish List
Ok, so I'm somewhat ecclectic in that I really don't want ties, tools, or socks for these occassions...
Four Hour Work Week
The Earth is Flat
Plague Ship
*Misery - Steven King
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
Endurance - Earnest Shackleton / James Dobson
The Hunt for the Red October - Clancy
Chipotle Gift Card
CASH $$$ :-)
I've read all of the books after the asterisk, however, I'd like to have them back for my collection as somehow I got rid of them along the years.
Four Hour Work Week
The Earth is Flat
Plague Ship
*Misery - Steven King
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
Endurance - Earnest Shackleton / James Dobson
The Hunt for the Red October - Clancy
Chipotle Gift Card
CASH $$$ :-)
I've read all of the books after the asterisk, however, I'd like to have them back for my collection as somehow I got rid of them along the years.
Rise...
Rise by Eddie Vedder
Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow
Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
Vedder is the music world what Emmerson or Thoreau are to AP English geeks. The saying goes that there are no new ideas. No new thoughts or transcendent epiphany's...just someone else's recycled thoughts.
My favorite line in this song (which is mandolin solo by the way) is ...turning mistakes into gold. New thought?? Not to God. To me, it means going beyond making things right, but turning them into gold; something bigger and better than you could've ever imagined. I suppose I'm somewhat melancholy for my friend who've I've mentioned in the 'ranger post'. My friend has suffered a tragedy in that his wife has chosen to leave and it will now result in divorce.
Common place by today's standards.
But this is my friend. I've cried with him. I've laughed my butt off with him. He told me that he was addicted to drugs a long time ago and I held him accountable even after he was sober. I've sat in awe at some of the mind bending things this guy can do with a guitar. This past weekend, I played paintball with him and his son. Later that night, we had dinner...after he left, my wife told me they were divorcing. My heart broke.
But as the survival experts say, you've got to keep making decisions when you're lost, or you'll die. I'm proud of him for setting boundaries and protecting himself and the kids. I've no doubt that God will take this mistake and turn it into GOLD, whether it be reconciliation, a period of solitude and reflection that gives him exceeding clarity and wisdom, or a new relationship and family.
Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow
Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
Vedder is the music world what Emmerson or Thoreau are to AP English geeks. The saying goes that there are no new ideas. No new thoughts or transcendent epiphany's...just someone else's recycled thoughts.
My favorite line in this song (which is mandolin solo by the way) is ...turning mistakes into gold. New thought?? Not to God. To me, it means going beyond making things right, but turning them into gold; something bigger and better than you could've ever imagined. I suppose I'm somewhat melancholy for my friend who've I've mentioned in the 'ranger post'. My friend has suffered a tragedy in that his wife has chosen to leave and it will now result in divorce.
Common place by today's standards.
But this is my friend. I've cried with him. I've laughed my butt off with him. He told me that he was addicted to drugs a long time ago and I held him accountable even after he was sober. I've sat in awe at some of the mind bending things this guy can do with a guitar. This past weekend, I played paintball with him and his son. Later that night, we had dinner...after he left, my wife told me they were divorcing. My heart broke.
But as the survival experts say, you've got to keep making decisions when you're lost, or you'll die. I'm proud of him for setting boundaries and protecting himself and the kids. I've no doubt that God will take this mistake and turn it into GOLD, whether it be reconciliation, a period of solitude and reflection that gives him exceeding clarity and wisdom, or a new relationship and family.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
New Glasses!!
My old eye doctor had me in bi-focals for about 10 years...JERK!
I went to a new opthamologist today and he said that I do NOT need BF's!! Can't wait for them to come in.
update--- I picked up the new specs on 5/12...WOOHOO! I can SEEEEEEE!
I went to a new opthamologist today and he said that I do NOT need BF's!! Can't wait for them to come in.
update--- I picked up the new specs on 5/12...WOOHOO! I can SEEEEEEE!
2nd place...
WOOHOO!!! I played in a new poker league on Sunday night and placed 2nd! I SHOULD HAVE WON...seriously...if it weren't for two stupid lay-down's I made.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Boycott the olympics...
I'm not a sports fan. I never have been and never will be. I enjoy watching the 'big game' of whatever sport season it is (NCAA championship, superbowl, final worldseries game, etc) but I just don't find any fun in watching sports more than that. Having said that, I don't really care to watch the olympics either. Even if I did like sports, I still wouldn't watch the olympics. I pay enough patronage to China when I go to Wal-Mart.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Comments now open for everyone!
Sorry folks. I wasn't aware that blogger defaulted to only allowing those with a google/blogger ID to post comments. SO HAVE AT IT! :D
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The ring-around-the-collar manifesto...(in progress)
So I've been inspired lately to charge the gates of corporate hell with a water pistol. I've become disgusted with platitudes, corporate snake-speak, and crap spewed by people who should know better, all in the name of doing 'business'. So this list will grow as I craft my own witty sayings, or just frankly steal them from somewhere else...
1) I'm not in the entertainment industry. My job never has been nor ever will be to keep a customer 'happy'. Keeping the customer 'happy' usually means not telling them the whole truth, or trying to mitigate risk until it spirals out of control and you have no choice but to tell them they're in deep doo-doo. Though the output of my work and that of my team, and by doing the job we were hired to do, we will achieve success and the customer will be happy because of it. This one was my own. :-)
2) Your people come first, never the customer. This one contradicts the missives handed down by my current employer. I've sold my soul to the company before. Became a raging workaholic, cut off family time, all for the sake of the customer or company. I've found that by investing time in people I love and actually WANT to be around (my family, people on my team and so on) and through building these relationships, you will have a much stronger ally when more than 'good enough' is expected for an undetermined amount of time. For example, I have direct reports in Cananda, the US and India. It's by far the best team I've ever worked with. One of these guys lives in Kansas City. I regularly play poker with him and take off the 'boss hat' when doing so. It's allowed me to build a friendly relationship with him, outside of work, that shows him I'm human and that I care about him as a person. This one is not new, but is not widely adopted...but should be. Just remember...that project can't keep you warm at night!
3) The chain of command is for the military, not business. At no point in time should any employee of any company feel intimidated or that it is inappropriate to go above his boss's head or even straight up to the CEO, in the spirit of getting things done. If you've been leap-frogged by a subordinate and were uncomfortable with it, then you've either something to hide or you've not gotten done what you said you would get done. If you're an executive and you don't let 'the little people' just drop in your office when they've something on their mind or when they really need to get something taken care of, then you're failing as a leader. If you don't have time for a 5 minute conversation then I don't have time to work late so you can make 10x more than I do! Leader and Executive are NOT synonyms. -- This one is mine...but could've come from my subconcious....who read it somewhere.
4) If you don't know, SAY SO!!! I am far more disappointed by being told a half truth or someone speaking out of turn, or out of their arse than by someone who was honest and simply said "I don't know, but I'll try to find out." -- That's just common sense. I can't claim credit for it.
5) Feel free to screw up! How many times have you been told "This has to be purrrrrfect!" or "We can't afford any problems" or "There is no room for error!!" Conversely, most of the time in fact, the same people who tell you "it's ok to make mistakes, just learn from them" are the same people who scream the loudest when the first thing goes wrong. There's freedom in knowing that the world is not going to melt to its core, gravity will fail, and all life as we know it will cease to exist simply because you made a mistake. Working from a place where you are EMPOWERED and ENCOURAGED to make mistakes to find the right way of doing something is incredible. My boss allows me to screw up and I'm trying hard to get there for my team. -- This one comes from the Cow book. You really, really need to read this book!!
6) Never follow your passion, but by all means, bring it with you. -- Mike Rowe (Yes, the host of Dirty Jobs). Mike had a FANTASTIC article in Fast Company magazine in Feb 2008. If you have it, read it! If not, come by my house and you can read mine! (Thanks boss, for the magazine!). Let's face it. No one likes a zealot. They make you uncomfortable, even if they're on the same side of the issue as you are. They tend to be embarrassing, make far reaching statements and generalizations, and become the defacto mouthpiece for your position on a topic...pretty soon they're martyred by their own people just to get them to shut up! :D I've been that guy, and am trying to NOT be that guy when it comes to my job. I love my job and I love what I do, but I realize not everyone is as passionate about Software Quality Assurance as I am. (Those people who aren't must not have ever used a computer or they WOULD BE!!) Ahem.....Sorry.
7) It's not about YOU! -- See Number 6. When you violate number 6 above, you begin to wear your title on your sleeve. Who cares if you have 20 years experience, who cares if you're an 'expert', who cares if you're the smartest person on the planet, who cares if no one else can do what you do...YOU can't do it ALL or there wouldn't be a team! Everyone can be replaced. Work like you and the person to your left and right are about to be...you'll find a new understanding of team work when you can start seeing past the end of your nose.
8) Tackle the problem, not your co-worker. (a.k.a. --> We all shoot in the same direction.) -- This one is mine. When you work with really talented people, and people who are passionate about what they do (see number 6 again!!) it's VERY difficult sometimes to give each other grace for their position on a hot-button issue. The flip side of this, is that it is VERY easy to allow your positioning on the other side of the table manifest into bitterness and resentment toward your colleague. Be gracious. Give your co-worker enough rope to hang themselves, but remember to cut that same rope if the floor of the gallows is about to open! Remember...the problem at hand will go away, but odd's are, you'll still be rubbing elbows with that same co-worker after it has.
9) Bring up the problem, even if you don't have a solution. (Mine.) The title on this one will be reworked in the future to be catchy, but mostly shorter. All too often I've heard people, specifically in high-pressure management positions say "don't come to me with a problem, unless you have a solution." There are MANY times in my career when I've encountered a problem, thought about possible solutions, but none of them seemed to fit. And yes, there are ALWAYS times when you bring up a problem that the same high-pressure management type won't have an answer for either! (gasp! I know...shocking!) The act of bringing up the problem, exposes the risk and gets the mental juices flowing, even if your's are dry as the Sahara.
10) NOTHING is ever easy. Period. I came to this realization very early in my career. It sounds obvious and something you would expect everyone to know and understand, however, you'd be surprised. If you think something will be a piece of cake or a walk through the park...PUT DOWN THE FORK AND STAY AT HOME!! I've adopted the attitude that if something 'seems' easy, then I've either missed the mark when it comes to understanding the task. Back up, re-focus, and examine! No doubt you'll uncover something that you missed before.
Stay tuned on this one...it's not done yet!
1) I'm not in the entertainment industry. My job never has been nor ever will be to keep a customer 'happy'. Keeping the customer 'happy' usually means not telling them the whole truth, or trying to mitigate risk until it spirals out of control and you have no choice but to tell them they're in deep doo-doo. Though the output of my work and that of my team, and by doing the job we were hired to do, we will achieve success and the customer will be happy because of it. This one was my own. :-)
2) Your people come first, never the customer. This one contradicts the missives handed down by my current employer. I've sold my soul to the company before. Became a raging workaholic, cut off family time, all for the sake of the customer or company. I've found that by investing time in people I love and actually WANT to be around (my family, people on my team and so on) and through building these relationships, you will have a much stronger ally when more than 'good enough' is expected for an undetermined amount of time. For example, I have direct reports in Cananda, the US and India. It's by far the best team I've ever worked with. One of these guys lives in Kansas City. I regularly play poker with him and take off the 'boss hat' when doing so. It's allowed me to build a friendly relationship with him, outside of work, that shows him I'm human and that I care about him as a person. This one is not new, but is not widely adopted...but should be. Just remember...that project can't keep you warm at night!
3) The chain of command is for the military, not business. At no point in time should any employee of any company feel intimidated or that it is inappropriate to go above his boss's head or even straight up to the CEO, in the spirit of getting things done. If you've been leap-frogged by a subordinate and were uncomfortable with it, then you've either something to hide or you've not gotten done what you said you would get done. If you're an executive and you don't let 'the little people' just drop in your office when they've something on their mind or when they really need to get something taken care of, then you're failing as a leader. If you don't have time for a 5 minute conversation then I don't have time to work late so you can make 10x more than I do! Leader and Executive are NOT synonyms. -- This one is mine...but could've come from my subconcious....who read it somewhere.
4) If you don't know, SAY SO!!! I am far more disappointed by being told a half truth or someone speaking out of turn, or out of their arse than by someone who was honest and simply said "I don't know, but I'll try to find out." -- That's just common sense. I can't claim credit for it.
5) Feel free to screw up! How many times have you been told "This has to be purrrrrfect!" or "We can't afford any problems" or "There is no room for error!!" Conversely, most of the time in fact, the same people who tell you "it's ok to make mistakes, just learn from them" are the same people who scream the loudest when the first thing goes wrong. There's freedom in knowing that the world is not going to melt to its core, gravity will fail, and all life as we know it will cease to exist simply because you made a mistake. Working from a place where you are EMPOWERED and ENCOURAGED to make mistakes to find the right way of doing something is incredible. My boss allows me to screw up and I'm trying hard to get there for my team. -- This one comes from the Cow book. You really, really need to read this book!!
6) Never follow your passion, but by all means, bring it with you. -- Mike Rowe (Yes, the host of Dirty Jobs). Mike had a FANTASTIC article in Fast Company magazine in Feb 2008. If you have it, read it! If not, come by my house and you can read mine! (Thanks boss, for the magazine!). Let's face it. No one likes a zealot. They make you uncomfortable, even if they're on the same side of the issue as you are. They tend to be embarrassing, make far reaching statements and generalizations, and become the defacto mouthpiece for your position on a topic...pretty soon they're martyred by their own people just to get them to shut up! :D I've been that guy, and am trying to NOT be that guy when it comes to my job. I love my job and I love what I do, but I realize not everyone is as passionate about Software Quality Assurance as I am. (Those people who aren't must not have ever used a computer or they WOULD BE!!) Ahem.....Sorry.
7) It's not about YOU! -- See Number 6. When you violate number 6 above, you begin to wear your title on your sleeve. Who cares if you have 20 years experience, who cares if you're an 'expert', who cares if you're the smartest person on the planet, who cares if no one else can do what you do...YOU can't do it ALL or there wouldn't be a team! Everyone can be replaced. Work like you and the person to your left and right are about to be...you'll find a new understanding of team work when you can start seeing past the end of your nose.
8) Tackle the problem, not your co-worker. (a.k.a. --> We all shoot in the same direction.) -- This one is mine. When you work with really talented people, and people who are passionate about what they do (see number 6 again!!) it's VERY difficult sometimes to give each other grace for their position on a hot-button issue. The flip side of this, is that it is VERY easy to allow your positioning on the other side of the table manifest into bitterness and resentment toward your colleague. Be gracious. Give your co-worker enough rope to hang themselves, but remember to cut that same rope if the floor of the gallows is about to open! Remember...the problem at hand will go away, but odd's are, you'll still be rubbing elbows with that same co-worker after it has.
9) Bring up the problem, even if you don't have a solution. (Mine.) The title on this one will be reworked in the future to be catchy, but mostly shorter. All too often I've heard people, specifically in high-pressure management positions say "don't come to me with a problem, unless you have a solution." There are MANY times in my career when I've encountered a problem, thought about possible solutions, but none of them seemed to fit. And yes, there are ALWAYS times when you bring up a problem that the same high-pressure management type won't have an answer for either! (gasp! I know...shocking!) The act of bringing up the problem, exposes the risk and gets the mental juices flowing, even if your's are dry as the Sahara.
10) NOTHING is ever easy. Period. I came to this realization very early in my career. It sounds obvious and something you would expect everyone to know and understand, however, you'd be surprised. If you think something will be a piece of cake or a walk through the park...PUT DOWN THE FORK AND STAY AT HOME!! I've adopted the attitude that if something 'seems' easy, then I've either missed the mark when it comes to understanding the task. Back up, re-focus, and examine! No doubt you'll uncover something that you missed before.
Stay tuned on this one...it's not done yet!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
4th place is pretty cool :-D
So I usually go play (free) poker (No Limit Texas Hold 'em) on Monday nights. I've joined two poker leagues and have finally found my 'away from home' niche. The places I play at usually have two tournaments each night. I usually finish in the top 15, but on Monday this week, I got all the way to 4th, which is the best I've ever done in a live tournament. I can play online or cellphone poker and kill 'em like Doyle Brunson, but playing in person is a different story!
SO by placing in the top 4, I get to go to a qualifier tournament on Tuesday night. The top 24 out of that tournament get to play in the 'tournament of champions', and if you win that...you are given a seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. WOOHOO!! (By the way, it is a $10,000 buy in if you just want to pay for the seat yourself.)
Will I place in the top 24? uh...yeah! Will I win the tourney of champs and go to Vegas? Probably not, but it will be fun to try!
-- update on 4/30--
I was out in 15 minutes at the tournament; however, I did play tonight at Sidepockets in Lenexa, KS and placed 4th in the 7pm session and 14th in the 10pm session. :)
SO by placing in the top 4, I get to go to a qualifier tournament on Tuesday night. The top 24 out of that tournament get to play in the 'tournament of champions', and if you win that...you are given a seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. WOOHOO!! (By the way, it is a $10,000 buy in if you just want to pay for the seat yourself.)
Will I place in the top 24? uh...yeah! Will I win the tourney of champs and go to Vegas? Probably not, but it will be fun to try!
-- update on 4/30--
I was out in 15 minutes at the tournament; however, I did play tonight at Sidepockets in Lenexa, KS and placed 4th in the 7pm session and 14th in the 10pm session. :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Death to all Sacred Cows...
If you're like me (I'm sorry) and find typical business books a quick trip to snoozeville, but also have a quick wit and tell jokes that are sometimes funny only to you, check out this quick read.Sidebar: I have more than a few team members who are Hindu. If you are one of them and reading this...well, I guess I'm fired. :-)
My favorite sections were: 1) Only hire people who have done the job before. and 2) Everyone deserves a second chance.
My company, like most, have herd upon herd upon herd of sacred cows. One of my favorites is, you can't fly above economy class unless you're a director. I recently sent one of my team members to India for a month. Because he didn't have uber-director status, he couldn't get a direct flight on a slightly better (not business class by any means) class of a ticket.
If you're mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore this book will help you recognize and assassinate those sacred cows that get in the way of those of us who want to get the job done, regardless of the rules.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
a sinking ship...
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080411/eu_euro_global_economy.html?.v=3
Once we move from being the #1 currency in the world to #2...show's over for our sovreignty as a nation. Scary times, folks.
Once we move from being the #1 currency in the world to #2...show's over for our sovreignty as a nation. Scary times, folks.
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