thoughts on the business of work

i so love reading.  One of the reasons I'm in love with the internet is the ability to find so many ideas and opinions.  What's especially exciting is finding sites where the writing and ideas are well thought out, intelligent and even witty.  That, my friend, is a gold mine.

The newest site to thus far fall under that category is medium.

My first post from this site was sent by a lovely friend.
I'm nice, so I'll share it below.  it does help if you have already been following the 'tiny house' world and even better if you've found yourself imagining living in one.  Perhaps a small commune of tiny houses (that's a particular favorite idea of mine with maybe a little club house to fulfill the larger gatherings we sometimes choose to be a part of.  And of course, a craft room because there ain't no way all my craft stuff will fit in a tiny house.)
Tiny House Humor here (note language involved)

So having worked in various sized companies in corporate America and smaller companies, and working for myself... I have perhaps a different view (or perhaps the same view as everyone else... it's not something I've had much opportunity to discuss yet).

I read the following article.

Grilling the Government about the On-Demand Economy

I have thought about the 'on demand' economy and now have a term for it.  Thank you.  I tend to lean towards the opportunity for people to work for themselves and yet totally see the importance of protecting people/employees/contractors on the lower rungs of the workforce.  Not everyone is in a position to protect themselves.

I appreciate the tension between contractors and employees and am frustrated by the lack of morality that allows people to pursue the almighty $$$ over being fair and taking appropriate care of your people (contractors or employees).  I thought the laws on the definition were reasonably clear.  I don't personally think Uber drivers are employees.  However, I can see a housekeeper, who has hours and a set schedule, who comes daily/weekly could be one.  We just need to do the right thing.

Perhaps the problem is that nobody asked ME! :)

I also learned a new word.  It is an attitude I'm sad to say I have seen run rampant at many companies.  

fungible
adjective
(of good contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
"money is fungible--money that is raised for one purpose can easily be used for another"

People really aren't fungible.  There should be some of this, cross training, ability to switch roles and learn new things, but you can't swap out a 20 year veteran at a company for a 20 year old on his first job.  That experience and knowledge have value.

Upon further thought, our governments do this with earmarked funds all the time.  Remember when California voted to allow the lottery with the understanding that it would "fund education" and thus would be this boon to our state?  Well, the government just took money out of the education budget in other ways leaving education without this anticipated financial benefit.  Way to go California.  (note sarcasm if it isn't one of your languages)
 

Michael Malloy

Some people just don't cooperate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Malloy

You're welcome.

proof the world is coming to an end

 

Nicki Minaj has a clothing line for Kmart.

Word of the Week

Because the world is too serious (and because I work in corporate America and I don't necessarily fit in here) I try to add a splash of color and fun to our offices and now I'm sharing that with you.

Feel free to print and share.

everything is a pyramid scheme these days

Can I just say -- it's exhausting how many "pyramid" style opportunities are out there.  Everything is a "sign up" program!!

I commented to a coworker how great he’s been looking.  He apparently started running and has just dropped 15 lbs.  I’d like to say without even trying because all women know that men lose weight so much easier than women do.  That whole more red blood cell/lower fat/muscle ratio thing; but then I’ve tried running and I cannot honestly put that in the “not even trying” category!

So I mentioned that I’m looking for something “fun” I might actually stick with, like maybe Zumba because it seems dance related.  So he asked his fiancé and then gave me her website.  Ta da… she does coaching for Beach Body fitness and the website even says…

Sign up to be nagged into working out and eating right or make money nagging others to exercise and eat right!

OK, maybe it didn’t say nagging, but that’s how I feel about it.

btw, did I mention I sell Mary Kay? 

I just signed up for mainly personal use.  I don’t see myself having parties or anything.  I just need others to help me hit that first order so I can get the 50% discount.  I think I’ve been signed up for 2 weeks and I have received over 14 emails.  From the group leader, from MK directly, telling me of different contests (including one where I can earn dishes?? – maybe people have enough makeup so they are branching out ♥).  I had to ask to be removed from the list because I was getting overwhelmed.

My life!!

where's the webcam? are you watching me??

The conversation on the attached link is disturbingly familiar to my daily attempts to focus on real work.

Except I don't usually have conversations with weasels.  Possibly because I don't own one (live or stuffed).  I do have a little stuffed moose creatively names "Moosey" by my kids and I.  He has been with us for many many years and gets lost for long periods of time and then we find him again and everybody cheers.  We love a good reunion.

If left to my own devices, I will often "come to" and see that I have 25 or more different windows open and have no idea what time it is.  Of course, I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. :)

Last night I was home with only my son, who was busy playing video games on Xbox Live and making up super annoying voices for some of the characters in the game.  My cats were hiding upstairs because it was so bad.  I sat down with my computer and "poof" 2 hours were gone.  I didn't even turn on the TV which I normally do.  I just went into the Interwebs Land!

http://thebloggess.com/2013/05/me-and-the-internet/


things I cannot unknow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphism  I feel ill.  Seriously... pause and think before clicking, this is about ways to torture people.  (from the Weasel's list of unusual ways to die)
I need to find pictures of bunnies with pancakes on their head now.

Oh no... you can die from this???
1410: Martin of Aragon died from a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughing.^[23]
Quick, I think I need a doctor!


Going back and reading the comments I'm realizing I am so not alone!!  Half the things people posted I also thought!  Love it!!




 

Signs of wisdom..... if you look deep enough

From an email...
Thanks K

I love stuff like this.  Especially when there is no threat of some level of impending personal doom if I don't share it with 10 people.  (For the record, I automatically delete those.)

when is it too much?

What does it say about me that this bugs me?

Stars and Their Pricey Cars

I have a problem with someone affording a $200,000 car.  It seems...excessive! 
Am I wrong? 
I have to ask myself "Where is the line?"
"At what point does something cross over from OK to greedy?" 
I don't know.  But this feels wrong somehow. 
You know what comes to mind?  There are children starving in the world and he's driving a $200,000 car.  That's not (wait for it...) fair.

Yet, I tell my kids daily that life isn't fair.  We were never promised fair.  Even in the Constitution, we are given the right to the PURSUIT of happiness.  There's nothing about fairness or even a promise of happiness itself. 

So is this just jealousy on my part because I want something better?  Except, I don't personally buy things that are expensive (at least not to me).  Perhaps someone who makes significantly less money than I do thinks my spending habits are out of control.  That my living in Irvine is excessive. Where I see that I've worked hard to live someplace I like.

Yeah, I do think people should be free to pursue their dreams and work hard and earn a fair wage.  Perhaps my issue is that certain industries don't seem to have a fair wage?  Entertainment and professional sports seem out of control to me.  Yet, people are willing to pay and who am I to say they cannot spend their money on that?  I'm willing to say I love movies and TV.  I appreciate a really well written and produced show and those people should be rewarded for their talent and work.

It is interesting to me how many topics ultimately come back to God for me.  Perhaps because so many topics ultimately come back to some kind of morality and how does one measure morality without a standard?  That standard comes from God for me. 

Then I wonder, how do we fix these things?  How do we fix extreme poverty?  Why, when we know that on a global scale we have enough food for everyone do people still starve to death?  I believe it is because people can be evil, selfish, greedy, self-serving.  Because they seek to further themselves vs helping those around them.  Corruption in the countries suffering the most where there are extreme differences in what the have's have and the have not's don't.  That corruption ultimately kills.  Greed is bad.  (sorry Michael Douglas)  There is such thing as enough. (?)

However, I don't ultimately believe in socialism because people are not basically good.  We have the same problems with socialism because greedy, power hungry people want to be in charge and often are.  Those who are more motivated by such things often make their way to the top.  Which would be OK with me if they were "fair."

I don't ultimately believe in capitalism because people are not basically good.  (same argument as above with the exception that there is perhaps more opportunity for the have not's to rise)

hmmmm



I think this one is going to take some more thinking.

(don't even get me started on Congress...)

word of the week

I create a word of the week fun page for work and thought I would share them with you.  I post them in the copy room and kitchen so people have something fun to look at while waiting for something.

cajole       (kuh-JOHL ), verb

1. a: To persuade with flattery or gentle urging:  coax

1. b: To obtain from someone by gentle persuasion

2:  To deceive with soothing words or false promises

Example: 

· Brianna was able to cajole some money from her father before
leaving for the movies.

I went to a restaurant that serves "breakfast at any time". So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.  Stephen Wright

You can observe a lot by just watching.  Yogi Berra

 

appliances and marriage

This is a two-fer.
I hit my home appliance topic (see here and here) and my living together topic.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/columnist/2012/10/16/craig-wilson-dishwasher/1619899/

By the way, I tried not rinsing and my dishwasher returned concrete food particles that glistened on my dishwasher.  I think there should be a caviat that your dishwasher needs to be purchased with the last decade for this to be true.  I don't just rinse, I clean my dishes and use the dishwasher as a sanitising process because I don't like having my hands in hot water (not to mention I don't like drying the now clean dishes).  My dishwasher is an original appliance that I think the Caroline Ingals used.  I've had to replace the basket where the silverware goes and I have to purchase special crystal powder to go in each cycle to keep the hard water from destroying the inside of the washer (which had a yucky film on it) and my dishes.  However, I'm the only one that remembers to use it so I'm always checking the dishwasher and often rewashing things.  Sheesh.  This all makes me sound like one of those cool wives/mom's I always admire who run this great household and everything is clean and dinner is on the table if not at the same time, on a nightly basis.  sigh... One day I might attain such a position in life.  But since I'm guessing that will require me putting cooking and cleaning much higher on my To Do list that is ever has been... I won't be holding my breath.

stuff you need to know

What I'm Reading

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/travel/mac-users-being-fed-pricier-hotel-searches/nPfRc/

...and if you were thinking that a Cruise would probably be a great deal right now...
you're right!

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/travel/italian-cruise-ship-disaster-and-its-impact-indust/nGTx5/

I found an Alaskan cruise for less than $500 and am now attempting to work out the airfare and convincing my husband that we need a vacation.  (wish me luck)

I even asked a couple of friends if they would like to go do this on the off chance my husband says yes.


Update:
Darn... husband said no.
Any of you have luck with it!?

how to clean your washing machine

So, I posted the "outraged" idea that one now has to buy a product to clean your washing machine when said machine basically is filled repeatedly with hot soapy water.  One could easily intuit that the machine by it's very job is always clean.

Apparently, I was wrong.
http://laundry.about.com/od/washermaintenancerepair/a/cleanwasher.htm

I found that site while trying to relax last night.  Listening to a teaching with my daughter and playing on Pinterest.  Click...click...click... I do need to clean my washing machine???  Wow, who knew. 

Guess what I'm doing this weekend?

now I have to clean my washing machine?

When did this become a thing?

Clicking this button will do nothing because I am not linking to something I deem as unnecessary.
Wait, when I think about that, I may not be entirely honest there.
Still, no link.

Now, on top of having to clean my clothes in the washing machine I also have to actually clean my washing machine?

Did I miss something?
Don't I put soap and alternate hot water and even bleach into this machine which churns and activates said soap/water/bleach?!?

Now I have to clean that too?

Hmmm, considering there are dishes in my sink from 3 days ago, I'll add this to the bottom of the list.

computer virus edition: Williams & Sonoma Haters

Nothing says I'm trying to write a blog like reblogging what somebody else wrote. 
Still... I chuckled.

http://deadspin.com/5959212/the-haters-guide-to-the-williams+sonoma-catalog

computer virus edition: $1m vacuum?

Go to www.Google.com
Type in "million dollar vacuum"
Choose a link.
Laugh with me.

Or to save time... click here.

I was going to say... man, that thing better be made of GOLD... but, well, it is. 

Bloggess Indoctrination

If cursing is offensive to you, I recommend you read the disclaimer at the end first.  Just for the record, it's not my cursing... it's on another blog I link to.  I'd hate for you to be offended.

This is my Indoctrination for other blog posts I've written.  It seemed easier to do a separate post since r others, you do indeed require indoctrinating.

Note:  I really do more than just re-post Jenny's blogs.  But she's so awesome, how can I not share!!!

The indoctrination begins here...(click the towels)

continues when you buy and read this... (click the book)

and ends when this makes sense to you... 

(you can click if you want, but it's probably just what you thought it was.  A stuffed baby black unicorn.)

You're welcome!

P.S.  If by change you missed it, this is seriously worth reading.

as is this

Disclaimer:  I do not curse in this post (or really in this blog).  However, I am a fan of certain blogs and they do curse.  The nature of myself and the internet leads to many links and I would hate for you to not realize what you're getting yourself into.  Specifically here, The Bloggess curses a fair bit.  It's not the backbone of her humor (as some comedians use it) but it is liberally sprinkled throughout her site.  She is still hilarious and one of a few must read blogs on my list.  But I appreciate it isn't everyone's cup of tea.  

why I love the internet

There is a website for just about everything out there!
Case in point...

I am fat and I want to cut my hair shorter.  EVERYONE loves long hair.  So getting opinions on this is difficult because the standard response is "don't cut your hair."

So.... I decided to do what I do for most things.  I asked Google.

http://www.fatgirlsguidetoliving.com/2010/05/20/the-fat-girls-guide-to-flattering-hair-cuts-for-round-faces/