Meh Ball

 

I love baseball. I love math. I enjoy stories by Michael Lewis. Money ball should have been a slam dunk and yet it was kind of a bore. I take consolation in the fact that it was the Twins who ended the infamous win streak. Only wish that would have happened in 30 minutes into the movie and it would have ended there.

Turning Over Your Social Media Passwords for a Job Interview?

There has been a lot talk about companies asking job interview candidates for their social media passwords. I don’t quite buy into this though. This seems extremely risky from a business point of view. The candidate could easily say you looked at my personal pictures and writing and didn’t hire me because of my orientation on this matter.

In fact prior to a job interview where this was a possibility I would almost encourage people to take a lot of pictures of them kissing someone of the same sex, join some obscure religious sects fan page and sue the company for discrimination if you didn’t get the job.

I can’t think of one reason why a company would want to absorb this type of risk, why their auditors or insurance coverage would want to allow it either.

But if it is a possibility for you I would turn the invasion of privacy into sure hire or pay day with a little reverse play.

Lovable Fool

It took me a long time to realize a few simple truths that I will share in case anyone else is finding they are in a similar spot. There is a big difference between liking someone and promoting someone. To put it in other words you can be the most liked person in the office and stay at the bottom of the org structure for as long as you let your attitude and behavior keep you there.

There was an article I read approximately 5 years ago as part of a class course study that probably changed my professional life more than anything else. Here is the article by Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel Sousa Lobo. I realized on an honest assessment from myself and the feedback of a trusted colleague that I was in the wrong box in this matrix and needed to make a few changes

If you are a lovable fool here are three things you can do to help yourself and your career.

1.) Get some training, a degree a certification something that will get some letters behind your name. It helps build competency and confidence in your abilities. It also helps others have some confidence in your abilities

2.) Shut your mouth a little more. Keep the fact that you are hung over to yourself. Weekend plans that involve binge drinking, blow-up dolls should be kept to yourself. While everybody tends to love the party guy, most people aren’t chomping at the bit to put them in P\L management positions. – Keep personal drama

3.) In this day and age of interconnectedness remember there is a difference between co-workers and friends. Kept them separate. Separate circles and sharing properties in social media apps. Even if you are friends with them in real life – still restrict them to the co-worker circles. The last thing you want is them to pull up a site in your office that has compromising pictures or access to different things that a person a cube over doesn’t – if they are a co-worker – restricted period.

You can be likable and reserved especially if you tend to have a foul mouth and a heavy hand on the vise. Just keep it separate.

It sounds simple, be professional, but sometimes the need to fit in or be liked tends to make us compromise our future enterprise prospects.

A lesson I am happy I learned when I did.

Meanwhile in the Background of my Brain

Wondering….

 

 

What is the difference between a drug and a vitamin?

 

What if he had been wearing a ski mask instead of a hood?

What other factors are going on in this neighborhood that they have armed block watch?

Would Trayvon have felt threatened if he saw someone in a hood approaching him?

For some reason those seem like important questions to me today. 

Reward Program

Dear Pet Co\Roundy’s etc why can’t you just give me a good deal when I take the time to come into your store?

You want to combine my demographic information with my purchasing habits to be able to better market to people?
This is the primary reason when ever I sign-up for a rewards program I fill out all the information as wrong as possible. I am a 90 year old woman on most of them or better yet I just go to stores that don’t require me to carry around little plastic cards on my key chain to get a good deal.

Global Warming is a Farce?

Now I see if you want to debate the impacts of global warming. I can see if you want to argue solutions to the problem or urgency of their implementation but to say that the over whelming amount of data and scientists who are studying the problem have no idea what they are talking about is dangerous and irresponsible.

The next time you hear someone say this it is time to ask a few questions.

1.) How do you think a green house works?

2.) Do you think that changing the thickness or material the greenhouse is constructed of will change the environment inside?

3.) Do you think we can accurately measure gas or air and the types of pollutants in the air?

Little experiment you can do for some extra convincing.



I think the main problem tends to be the grasping of size and relatively fragile nature of the problem. Climate change is small gradual and occurring over time. For example there is variation like this winter being a heat wave in Minnesota. Might not be due to global warming just a random occurrence. It is the overall trend that is concerning.

Yes weather patterns have changed in the past due to asteroids, volcanoes, polar shifts etc. They also had dramatic impacts on the earth. We can study these events just like we can study the impact we are having.

Rain on an Asphalt Roof

In a similar vein as yesterdays post on hot meals we had some of the first thunderstorms roll through Minneapolis of the season this past Monday night. It was very relaxing and almost tribal. I sat on my couch with all the lights out drinking a glass of wine and watching the lightening show. I was warm. I was dry. Something in that combination felt supremely powerful. There is something about living in Minnesota that I absolutely love. Although in modern time the need and skill to survive here is diminished there is something about the ability to shelter, provide, persevere and succeed in an adverse environment.



Or is it complete stupidity? I spilt on the topic every few days.

Hot Meal

Something warm in your tummy. I think there is something to the feeling of enjoyment of a hot meal. I mean when you think about it for 100,000’s of thousands of years our frail little bi-pedal species has been eking out a living eating plants and grubs or running from predators and trying to survive. Hot meals were hard to come by. You had to build a fire, be in a safe place to do so and have an abundance of resources and time to actually cook something. Most of that is still true today. Maybe something reaches across time every time I have that hot meal and lets me know everything is ok. I am in a safe place.

Improvement Outside In

It is amazing what a little home renovation can do. I have lived walking on 1970’s rolled linoleum for longer than I care to remember. Avoided spending the money to redo it under the guise if it isn’t broke why fix it. However after finally succumbing to pressure to update it I am super jacked about the result. After retiling and re-carpeting the floors I am amazed at how big of a difference it has had on my overall being.

It is amazing how much aesthetics of how something looks can have on your personal being. It looks less cluttered it is relaxing it cleaner, modern, rich. There is something about putting yourself in a rich mindset to attract further riches. I have come to fully accept that you are what you think about and in changing the appearance of my daily surroundings I can reinforce a different way of thinking that is continuing to have a compound impact on my life.

Creature of Habit

You never quite know how big of a creature of habit and routine you are until something fundamentally changes your habit or routine.

Team Shirts

As I advance in my career the focus of building teams becomes increasingly important. There is an interesting dynamic that I have been watching play out. Imagine this scenario your company is part owner of a professional sports team. In celebration of that fact three years the company bought everybody at the company official team sports jerseys. So everyone who was at the company during that time has them.

Now this company continues to have “pride” days where everybody is asked to come dressed in their team colors. (Jerseys) Now new employees have the option of buying a jersey at a moderate expense or not participating in the team events. This seems to cause considerable rifts between the employees who have a jersey and those who don’t.

Seems an obvious solution would be to buy a jersey for every new employee on some schedule for example after their 2nd annual review or something. However due to budget constraints that is not possible. Wondering if any other companies have “pride” day issue like this and how they deal with them?

 

They See Me Trolling…They Hating

Just a quick word on trolling. People be trolling ,get used to it. It is not necessarily a bad thing. Alternative viewpoints even if they are mean or sarcastic can be helpful. Anything that is of merit usually has differing perspectives. It is ok. So what if someone doesn’t like you or disagrees with you. Never mind the fact that some people need to get called out on their bull shit lest they go on believing in tooth fairies. Trolling has its place, you can choice how you respond to it. Ignore it, debunk it, etc.

 

Drive

Was it just me or was this movie awesome? This movie has some of the most gratuitous violence I have seen in a while and a great use of pause a timing to get your buttons going. The ending should have been a little darker but my guess is this was the intent of the director and a test market got to over ride it.

Founded on Christian Values \ Principles?

Here is a little experiment and civic lesson that is fun and informative. Next time you here someone spout this non-sense it is time to ask them a few questions.

Usually it takes just one.
1.) What values and principles are those?

If I am feeling like being a dick I pull up a copy of the declaration of independence and start reading through the charges against the king and asking where in the bible would I find the corresponding principle? Can they show me?

Every once and a while I encounter the joy of running into a minister or student who can take this argument a step further because let be honest the bible can justify anything. The question then becomes is this exclusively a Christian Principle? (The ones that can be found can also be found in every major religion as well as within the pages of the lord of the rings, the odyssey, etc)

If they are really good they will come up with samples and verses but fail the following test. The bible is filled with stories, recordation of events, fables and analogies but these truths preexisted Christianity. They are not even religious in nature.

Ask these questions and if you are religious you should appreciate the effort to discover this for yourself. After all you should probably know why you go to a Church and not a Mosque or Temple or visa versa.

1.) What values and principles distinguish Christianity from say Islam or Taoism?
2.) Do you have to be religious at all to live this value or Principle?

The simple answer is this countries founding has nothing to do with Christianity.

If you think you can prove otherwise after completing these simple exercises I would love to hear from you.

Unintended Benefits

Something I have noticed about getting up early and working out. I take shorter showers and use less hot water. Perhaps because I am more alert and have blood flowing I am dilly dallying less bring my show time and water usage time almost in half. 

Mastermind?

I can’t help but think of how stupid someone must be to rob a bank. Why risk going to Federal prison trying to rob the most prepared target possible with the upside potential of maybe getting away with a couple thousand dollars? It just doesn’t make sense.

If I was a criminal I would probably target places like Half Price Books or clothing consignment stores or some secondary market (excluding pawn shops) where they have to deal in cash. Seems like an easier target with less risk and probably the general take.

Oh Looks at the Bead Work

Watching the GOP field talk about which candidate is more conservative is like watching people argue over who can see the emperor’s new clothes in the finest detail. There is something sad about watching grown men argue over the merits of the tooth fairy and something fundamentally troubling that they are doing it to applause of others.

New Blog – The Fecal Platter

Here is a blog concept that would be an instant hit.

People submit photos of their bowel movements and they are analyzed by a blogger who give them a reason the fecal payload is the way it is color, length consistency etc. along with a recommendation of change in diet and a recipe to drive home the change.

I think this would be a hit because it hits all of the following.
1.) It is interactive with the audience (they submit you respond)
2.) You build up a pipeline – people will keep coming back every day wanting to see their turd on your home page.
3.) It is a little bizarre and novel. It will get people talking.
4.) It has built in niche sponsorship with companies like Metamucil or colonoscopies.
5.) You could partner with charities colon cancer etc.
6.) It is a subject that people are embarrassed to talk about driving more people to search on the internet for items like colon health.
7.) Providing recipes and advice targeted to the audience gives them positive incentive for taking the time to visit the blog.

Anyone want to turn poop into gold with me?

Ameritopia

Just finished this book and this book and would highly recommend it. The thought that swirled in my head after I finished it last night had really nothing to do with the book but rather was a philosophical conversation that should probably be addressed. The way the author presents his case showing the failing of Hobbs, More, Plato and Marx next to the ideas of , John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu and Alexis de Toqueville it became even more clear.

The question that I found myself pondering in the end didn’t have anything to do with America but rather with how does the contrast of ideas explain the presence and prominence of the Church. It seems to be a conflict of ideas but an accepted contrast of ideas for a large number of conservatives.

For example the church requires a surrendering of the individuals will to a representative who can dictate laws who has not been elected by the people. Perhaps the difference here is that the promise of utopia is delivered in some other dimension or that people genuinely have enough doubt in the basis of religion that power and influence of the church really does not impede their will?

Religion aside it was a great book and worth a read, especially for anyone who is a fan of philosophy and how an idea can change the world.

Time Reallocation

It is amazing how a little reorganization in your schedule can have such a wonderful impact. Every morning for the past 10 years I have made ironing as part of my morning routine. 10 minutes of pressing out a wrinkle free shirt and pants.

.

Now I am ironing all my clothes while watching a little TV Sunday nights and going for a 10 minute jog in the morning instead.

 

Taking my non-productive time (watching TV on Sunday nights) and turing it into productive time that is having a trickle down impact on my health. Wiin Win bitches.

 

This winter and not smoking has not bee kind to my mid section so it is a well needed change.