Now What

Over the last two weeks I had lots of time to browse the web, being that I got locked out of my hard drive at work. I found two blogs that I really got into.

Indexed is a unique and cutting edge blog that takes mathematical equations and brings them into reality based observations. Hopefully she will find a way to publish some of these into a book or calender.

Pop Candy has become one of my favorite blogs because the day after my favorite show airs, LOST and Hero's, a community of people post comments on where they think the show is going. Easily can waste a day on each show, trust me I did it.

Now onto the Oscars tonight. OK enough said because I really don't care, although Little Miss Sunshine was a great movie and hopefully takes the show by storm.

My dad wrote about the "pending doom" that was headed our way in the form of a snow storm. Total accumulations predicted last night, 7-14", actual snow amounts, 2-3", advantage mother nature.

On the job front, wow is it slim. Read an article about how the economy has created over 100,000 jobs, but as 2.5 million lose their jobs and 2.6 million are created that doesn't give a whole lot of job security, just a thought.

Note to self, pushing a grocery cart through the snow sucks, they need off road tires on those bad boys or better yet lets chain those bad boys up.

Lastly, Best Buy opened in Sheboygan to a round of applause. Yeah a round of applause, if that isn't a sign of the apocalypse I don't know what is.

Labels: random thoughts

No Rain

When I was in college with Jen we were there just as Grunge music first started to hit. The cool thing was that colleges usually got wind of really cool music before the rest of the world. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains to name a few. But one song in particular stood out throughout that time and to this day I can't help but smile when I hear it. It is Blind Melon's "No Rain".

Tragically the lead singer Shannon Moon died of a drug overdose in the mid-nineties but regardless of his personal problems Blind Melon will live on forever with No Rain and the famous bumble bee.

The really cool thing is that it is now one of Dominic's favorite songs.

Labels: Music

Wow, that was uncomfortable

Unknowing Co-Worker: "Paul don't you work here?"
Paul: "Not anymore"
Unknowing Co-Worker: "Because I can't find you on the employee list"
Paul: "Because I don't work here, never have"
Unknowing Co-Worker: "I thought you were employed here"
Paul: "yeah never was, in fact my last day is Friday. They decided not to extend my contract"
Unknowing Co-Worker: "Oh, well I wanted to put you on the list for possible money payout for being part of the Lean Team"
(Paul Staring)
Unknowing Co-Worker: "Friday huh, well......good luck to you and thanks for helping out"
Paul: "You too"

Pending Doom

Today is only Tuesday and we are already gearing up for the potential doom coming this weekend. The forecast is saying that there is a huge storm brewing and headed our way that is suppose to start Friday night. Rain, snow and sleet are all in the forecast meaning that if it warms up a little we are in for a wet rainy weekend, if the temp drops a little we are in for the storm of the winter. Either way it can't be good.

Favorite quotes I have heard since finding out I am losing my job this Friday:

Jen (while at work): "I was wondering if there are any more hours I could pick up, Paul is losing his job on the 23rd".

Assistant Manger: "Not really, all the hours are being cut, is he sending out resumes"?

Really?

More On Me

I was asked who the bearded wonder is, well just a refresher of this mysterious superhero, back in January of '05 is when he first came on the scene. Take a look and refresh your memory.

Now to more pressing issues, I have two more assessments to bring forth because apparently one didn't give them all the info on me.

External Description:
Paul believes people and relationships are the most important perspective and he enjoys forming and maintaining close affiliations with others. He focuses on giving other support, positive feedback and motivation. He doesn't mind bending the rules if he thinks it's better for the people involved.

Paul's people skills are his greatest talent. he treats each person as a unique individual.

Now for some "development opportunities" (as in "this is where Paul sucks" opportunities)

Paul could benefit from making a conscious effort to develop a stronger focus on practical tasks and activities. Following a plan will help him realize that rules, laws and policies have an important use in society.

Stay tuned for my journey through this fun time and more to come on the very popular subject of "me".

Naked

Ok quick update on my life so far because this week it took a pretty big turn. See I work for a staffing agency, this was by design in that I was promised a lot by the client. Stuff like cobra reimbursements, my hiring after 30, 60 days max and to be put on the fast track to move up in the company that is growing extreamly fast. In turn I got none of that only to be notified that my last day with the 23rd. So over the last 5 years I have gone threw 3 jobs, this can't look good on my resume, to be honest I am quite scared.

So my manager decides to send me my behavioral assessments that I took when I first started, so here I am, fully naked.

What I do good:

• Problem-solver
• Knowledge-driven ethic
• long, hard to resolve problems
• ask necessary questions in order to gain maximum amount of information
• Logical approach to problems and patience to analyze
• engages in problem solving and strategic solutions
• Profit driven and bottom-line oriented
• driven by competition, challenges and economic incentives
• is highly productive
• Keeps and ear to the revenue-clock, my own and the organization
• Pays attention to R.O.I in business or team activity
• will protect organizational or team finances as well as his own.

• Bring flexibility to the team, can say yes and when to draw the line
• project a stabilizing and realistic influence on the team.
• able to appreciate the needs of individuals with either higher or lower social/altruistic score
• ability to help and go the extra mile without a negative impact on his own responsibility and work load.
• is not an extremist, therefore is able to bring balance to the team when issues emerge

• Flexible and versatile without being a extremist
• see both sides of the position from those with higher and lower individualistic scores.
• able to mediate between the needs of the higher and lower members of the team
• take a stand with emphasis or be more quite supporting position
• able to lead or follow as asked

• Quick decisions without getting emotionally involved
• generate new ideas
• Creates solutions, sometimes more through personal attempts, calculated risks, and creativity, than by the book or established protocol
• asks lots of questions
• is able to make decisions quickly in solving problems
• Looks for creative solutions to problems

• Unpleasant surrounding will not adversely affect his productivity and creativity
• sees a wider spectrum of the picture
• not easily swayed in terms of emotional issues
• good business-sense and a good eye for that which is practical

Now what I don't do well, this is the hard part because no one ever wants to think they do anything wrong, but here it is.

• Demonstrates aloofness, especially to those not as intellectually driven.
• Prefers to wait on a project, believing that helpful information may be forthcoming if more time is allowed.
• Don't rush me from one learning experience to another. Make certain there are some practical applications.

• may have a significant motivating factor in achieving goals, may become an insatiable need
• needs to learn that not everyone is motivated by wealth or gain as not to alienate a prospect, customer or client
• May judge the efforts of others on the team by an economic scale only

• Review other values drives for a More complete look at areas for quality improvement
• Take on a more visible position within some teams
• Remember that all values positions are positions deserving respect.

• May need to take a stand on some issues related to individual agendas
• Allow space for those with higher individualistic drives to express themselves in appropriate ways
• give respect to all individualistic drives

• Don't ignore the important details
• Needs to increase patience when interacting with more rules-oriented individuals
• maintain awareness when in a disagreement with those showing a different point of view.

• Needs to be more sensitive to others needs for an aesthetically pleasant workplace
• open and receptive to the creative ideas of others
• respect differences of those with a stronger Aesthetic drive

So there I am, people can take it or leave it. I will have to say that I believe that it is accurate about 95% of the time.

Wish me luck in my job hunt adventure, the bearded wonder might have to make an appearance yet again.

Are we in this for the sport?

If anyone has never heard my bear joke let me know and I will email it over to you, but for those that have you'll understand this a little rant of mine.

On my way home from work I get a chance to listen to a lot of talk radio. My objective is to get as much info as humanly possible in 30 minutes. I jump between sports stories that live off the rumor that Randy Moss is coming to Green Bay to how "w"rex grossman is the worst quarterback in league history. But every once in a while I hit Sheboygan am radio (yeah I know..leave it alone). They were talking about the new resort Blue Harbor and how it is failing, no one is staying. I remember back to when they were trying to pass the ok to build and one of the supporters in the city counsel said it would turn Sheboygan into the next Branson. Wow that is a huge statement, now for the kicker. A developer wants to build another hotel not to far from Blue Harbor and there is some resentment from local business owners and they don't want to it built saying that Blue Harbor isn't even drawing people.

I remember telling Jen that Blue Harbor won't work and here is my reasoning why. Why do you build a hotel? To house those that are coming to Sheboygan, so ask yourself this, why come to Sheboygan? yeah I don't have an answer for that either. it is kind of like putting the cart in front of the horse isn't it? Lets build another hotel for all those people not coming to Sheboygan...now here is the punch line....we're not in this for the sport.