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.

bra rant

warning... any men reading this will want to skip this week.

OMG!  There is a spider right next to me!!!!!
OK, now it is outside.  Disaster averted.  Whew.  I didn't even scream!  I'm so proud of myself.


I have been blessed/cursed with a formidable breast size.  I don't know why the makers of such things are so convinced that the only thing I want to wear is black, white, or nude colored bra's.

I go to stores like Lane Bryant and shop their bra's which, I will admit, I've had better success with than other places.  Do you know what bra's I own?  White, nude (I think they try to dress up the color by calling it "sugar"), black.

I recent found the most comfortable bra ever and for someone with a large chest this is on par with a miracle.  Most of the time by lunch I have to start talking myself out of whipping my bra off because it's just not socially acceptable.  They become so uncomfortable (bras that is).  I don't always even make it home before the sigh of relief known by every woman in America escapes from me the moment that bra is off! 

Then I found these Cushion Comfort Bra's and I am barely aware of wearing them!  Some genius added padding all around the under wire so they are way more comfortable and I don't hurt at the end of the day.  This is now the only bra I will wear.  They seem to offer colors, but they don't offer many and they sell out so quickly it's obvious they need to have more inventory on them.  The distributors probably make 5 in my size and they sell out before I even know they are there.  Plus, since they only offer a few in my size, they are never on sale which means I'm stuck paying a boat load of money for all my bras.  I'm a bargain shopper, this irks me.

At the end of the day, I suppose it doesn't "matter" what color bra I'm wearing.  Nobody but me really knows it's there.  But still! 

So my other rant is concerning my daughter.  WHY IS EVERY BRA OUT THERE A PUSH UP BRA?  I mean really?!!  Have we become such a ridiculous culture that even C or D cups are push up now?  and I don't mean lined or support I mean like "hey girls we can increase you by 2 cup sizes with this little baby, come on over and let's crank that chest up to porn star status in a jiffy."  (Do porn stars wear bras?  I guess for a minute they do.  hmmm, you know what I mean.) 

My daughter just wants a pretty bra that doesn't add to what she already has.  Support, coverage, something pretty.  Not a huge list of things needed for an undergarment.  Perhaps the makers of these bras are all overachievers and they can't stop adding features until there is nothing else they can really add.  Maybe the creators of bras actually need a support group to work on their self esteem so they can stop adding more and more and more.  Because sometimes, less is enough.

Sigh...
Maybe I should become a bra designer and then I will realize that the capitalism behind everything makes pleasing everyone a fiscal impossibility.

Any suggestions?
What is your bra rant?

My life, am I actually going to say more isn't more?  I don't think that's ever come out of my mouth before.  Not seriously anyway.

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!!

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...)