Web Log or "Blog"

Foreclosure: The sad and maddening state of the union!

Dennis — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:10:12 GMT

Current mood: pissed off Category: News and Politics I was originally replying to a posting on abandoned animals suffering and vacated homes being torn up before the evicted party moved out. This reply stirred such emotions in me that I felt it was worthy of reporting elsewhere, so over to MySpace it goes. This pieces first title was, "A sad commentary on the human condition". When someone feels such "hatred" or anger over the loss of a living space that they must punish an otherwise defenseless animal, leave the space even more unlivable OR both! I don't know or care to know whether any friends have been foreclosed upon because it is (most likely) statistically irrelevant, and I would like to keep on thinking nobody here would ever do either of these things. What is the solution?? Why can't builders be convinced to build smaller, more modest and affordable homes? What is it going to take in this country before we stop "super-sizing" everything including homes? Do we need 10 times more families living in shelters? 20 times? Do we need MORE children showing up for school in threadbare clothes with more patches than original material? I think the situation with mortgages being 4 or more times the purchase price of the property is wrong and I have written about this before. There should be federal legislation passed limiting the profit a developers or builders can make off of the sale of a single family home! All the "excess money" that is being paid to Mortgage Corporations is THE "economic stimulus" package this country needs to truly recover and regain its position near the top of the world economy. We are talking about tens-of-thousands and in some cases hundreds-of-thousands of dollars being paid out for A SINGLE ITEM. One house. And that's not all it is going to take or cost in order to see the property "survive" through the life of its mortgage note!! From taxes, to upkeep, to expansions, repairs and renovations, all these things are additional expenses the owner is ALSO shouldering over the "life of the loan". Frankly I find the "setup" to be highly exploitative of the working class, discriminatory and ill-conceived on so many levels. It is a system of poor design, poorly functioning to the disadvantage of an entire nation and it should be overhauled or scrapped completely and redesigned from the ground up! So if it is "economic stimulus" the nation, its president or congress want, why not do something REALLY MONUMENTAL! Channel more than a measly one-time payment of $500 dollars back into the economy by freeing up the tens-of-thousands of dollars in interest getting sucked back into a corrupt and mismanaged mortgage "institution"! Let the hard working families of America spend this money to take care of their wounded relatives returning from the war on terror! Let the children of America go to college and earn the technical degrees we will so badly need in 5 to 7 years to compete against China, India and other countries generating huge numbers of degreed persons. Let people feel good about where their money is going and restore their faith in the foundations of inclusion this country was created to foster! $500 won't even put a complete set of tires on my car or allow me to buy 10 shares of stock in hardly anything! If there is anyone reading this post that has made their personal fortune by holding stock in a mortgage company, well, I hope you are happy with yourself! I don't know how you sleep at night, and I am NOT even one of the people that has been caught up in this recent financial crisis. I lost a inexpensive, worn-out townhome a few years ago (2000/01) but that was entirely my own fault and due to depending on a family member that developed mental illness during occupancy of the dwelling; different time, different cause (I hope). Every family in this country should be given a chance to integrate themselves into a "stable economy" with a reasonable mortgage payment that EARNS a predictable and predetermined value of equity in a "normal" sized dwelling. To me the present system is like taking advantage of "cheap labor" somewhere because the laborers could not afford to better educate or train themselves and make a GREATER contribution to the society around them. It is like teaching a man to fish (good) and then only allowing him to eat 5% of the edible portion of the fish caught! Eventually the person will waste away because they are not receiving an equitable portion of the "pie" for the equally back-braking effort they are contributing! That's my peace. What's yours?

In the headlines..., or "Broken News Alert" (enough already!)

Dennis — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:17:14 GMT

Give me a break already!!! Please!! I understand that Paris F-ing Hilton is cute, ditsy, EXTREMELY fortunate in the bank account department and "blonde" but, I am very, very happy she is back in jail! More to the point, and as the reason for the title of this Blog entry, Paris Hilton's tribulations are not "general" news and should be confined (along with everything her) to "E!" entertainment television, friggin' "Extra Extra" or my long loved "Entertainment Tonight"! I do not want to see endless hour upon hour of her stupid life broadcast over and over and over on Foxnews, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, or C-SPAN! Bessie bar the door - ghaaad dammit!! Phew! (My family feels pretty much the same way I do) The Sheriff of Nottingham, er, I mean Los Angeles county (whatever), Mr. Lee Baca should be censured or something for his flagrant disregard of a sitting judge's direct instructions! I do not care if Paris Hilton's hair starts falling out, she get athletes foot, breaks a nail and developes a case of severe intestinal distress; to friggin' BAD!! Hello!?! Welcome to the real world you non-working, uneducated, derrrr 'when-my-next-hair-appointment' dingbat! I hate the Simple Life and I really want to throw up on Paris right now!! The person, not the city! From the Associated Press (AP) article posted on CNN today: "It's not right!" shouted the weeping Hilton. "Mom!" she called out to Kathy Hilton, who also was in tears. No kidding girlie! Why didn't you think about the consequences of driving while intoxicated TWICE! ...Not one time but two times! Further more they write what Sheriff Baca just might think... "The sheriff later hinted at a news conference that Hilton had psychological problems, and said she would be watched in jail 'so that there isn't anything that is harmfully done to herself by herself.' " No really? Ya think!? Turn in your six-shooter and tin star pardner, your a dinkleman! (or is it Dunkleman, ehh, either one - you pick) By the way, this is The United States of America! It is a country founded on by people seeking freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness. It is not a country to be snuck into across some muddy river, given major medical coverage for free or in which ANYONE is allowed to drive around with point-oh-whatever blood alcohol like an a$$ and put other people's lives at risk! So, what's new in your corner of the world? How's life? Been anywhere interesting lately? If you drop me a line I am sure we will find something in common as I have appreciation for all things human and do not judge people for being curious about life, love or happiness! That's me! And inline with this philosophy I would actually read a book by Paris Hilton if she detailed her rise to celebri-whatever, dishes some dirt on the inner workings of her 'Real (simple) Life' family, or gave details of her trabels and adventures. I just can't stand the idea of someone making gobs of money for showing up to the opening of a club named after them X hours late and acting as if they didn't give a damn! My Rant ends here! Thank you and goodnight.

Latest words of wisdom

Dennis — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:04:12 GMT

Well, I am not sure if I have any tonight, but here are a few things... I am travelling with my wife in NV right now, so do not bother trying to reach me at home. The VT tragedy should have been preventable, so what do we need to do better? I like that someone (on MSNBC) earlier posted we need to re-examine the ways we treat each other and add in my thoughts, "or ways we sometimes ignore one another". It seems there is often very little ANYONE can do when someone is "hiding" their true feelings and "shuts down" or turns inward and denies all attempts at contact. These incidents are not about religion, gun control, lapses or shortcomings of (various) mental health care systems, or social services. They are about lack of communication, ignoring signs and sometimes accepting when people refuse to open up or reject others with replies like, "nothings wrong". Of course we should have sympathy for the victims, the "damagaed" young man that caused their deaths, and the family that raised him without catching on to the things that were wrong in his life. Practically anyone asked would recognize this as true. The important thing that should come out of this is what happens next, and I think the media's reporting on what led up to this end result is useful but, the entire series of events (and this new package) need not be "dissected" in public. I think analysis of this evidence should be left to the experts and no one else should speculate endlessly about what they think the "meaning" Cho's ramblings might be. What good does that do? People speculating in all sorts of directions without the knowledge to understand how the facts link together and why "A" does not equal "B" or EVER add up to "C". A series of events carried out by someone acting irrationally will not make sense and probably do not paint a picture of what the next troubled person will do. Let it go people. Take it for what it is and reach out to the people around you, the ones you claim to know, and the ones you should be caring about. Be accepting of differences in opinions, different perspectives on life, motivations and desires. Most of all, try not to judge people or characterize their thinking according to your standards without first attempting to understand their standards. I suspect some people reading this might think, 'I don't do that' but I think we all do that - ignore others in favor of justifying our own thoughts, beliefs and standards of living. I have posted a thought on "going green" in "Au Natural" and "naked sun" Tribes. I have been exercising my computer-oriented helpfulness at Experts-Exchange.com; trying to make the world a better place through mutual support sites. WikiPedia rules! Especially http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Nudity I ahve to close now because it is late and I have things to accomplish tomorrow. Peace to everyone!

Latest News & Opinions

Dennis — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 02:38:32 GMT

Politics: Come on! Who does this Foley character from Florida think he is kidding? There is practically no way possible he could not have realized his actions or attempted overtures would one day come to light? And if that is the case, was the entire event the plan of a twisted imagination to get 15 minutes of fame? Who in their right mind would take chances like that? The guy enters into a political career, which anyone would assume will receive a certain amount of public attention, and then he proceed to engage in questionable behavior? Also, don't tell me he has not heard the saying, "Don't type anything in e-mail you wouldn't want to read in the local newspaper the following day." This "rule" has been around for years and even the most naive computer user is well aware of it! Politics in general amazes me! People get into it because they want to work for change, improve things, or perhaps generally make a difference in the world. But what happens after the enthusiams wears out? Where does the zest for championing causes go? And why do so many end up falling back on their least desirable habits, traits and behaviors? Or is this sort of thing happening everyday in much less noticed careers as well? Having watched recent "sexual predator" sting segments on Dateline or similar early evening television, I am amazed by the stupidity of people! People with good jobs, lives full of opportunity and mostly in good social standing who throw their lives into a proverbial trash bin by, once again, falling back on their least desirable habits, traits and behaviors! All I can say is, "Oy vey!". The war in Iraq: Are the terrorists winning? Have they already achieved a sort of victory by drawing the conflict on this long and (essentially) proving their ability to ruin the most powerful nation's best attempt at "nation rebuilding"? It sure seems that way! My father strongly believe the United States must remain in Iraq until the job is finished and that Senators and Congressmen need to bite their tounges when it comes to anything Iraq related. I cannot question his position on this issue but at the same time wonder if "treading water", as it appears we are doing, is really of any help to anyone. Iraq is certainly a country in need of economic support, civil assistance, engineering support and self-defense training for its remaining people. But when Americans are "the face of the people" instead of Iraqis, who is the real target? Would as many Iraqis be killed if they were on the front lines alone? Are the terrorists pursuing their agenda in the country simply for the goal of making America's best efforts look pathetic? Would the United States government comply with the current Iraqi government if they requested our immediate withdrawal from all areas of the country? Or what about a limited withdrawal from the major cities and "urban" disaster zones? Or would we be forced to declare the government we helped install to be impotent and ineffective, and then declare martial law and commit our men and women in uniform as a FULL occupation force! I don't think anybody want to picture where that course of action would lead or what the total cost would eventually climb to. So what is the solution? How best can one government support the efforts of another without the end result seeming like a puppet show? Would it be right to take other action to draw the terrorists attention away from the badly beaten and poorly equipped Iraqi military and focus it on ourselves? Does a police office intervene in a situation just long enough to encourage the victim to defend themself and the step aside while they are further beaten, mugged and robbed? No. The job of a police force or military intervention is to "shield" the civilian population from harm and protect them at all costs. From the evening news and printed reports I have seen, we are not making progress in this regards. For all intensive purposes the terrorists and their cousins the insurrectionists are now beating up on the original vicitim AND the police who came to their aid! Ultimately that is why countries typically meet on the "field of battle" and engage each other in organized warfare governed by a "Code of Conduct" and set of moral guidelines. No, terrorists are not a "state" or a "country" but they still organize in units and conceiveably could be drawn into a one-on-one confrontation IF the party drawing them out was imaginative enough. That's all I am going to say on the matter tonight. Fundamentally there seem to be a flaws in the processes of "hunting" terrorists or sitting around and waiting for them to make the next move against some target (real or created). Bears hunt their prey, but if I'm not mistaken they CATCH their prey or give up the pursuit when it is apparent the "dinner" has eluded capture. And my childhood memories of when to fight and when to flee come back to me repeatedly. You fight when there is no way to avoid it, and you flee whenever an escape opportunity becomes clear. Perhaps it is time to let the people of Iraq resume the course of their destiny and find a future of their own making. We can certainly continue to support them but I think it is probably a mistake to stand beside them, especially when we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt they are in the sniper's cross-hairs. There are some people you can save, and some you cannot. This above all else seems to be an inevitable truth. Television characters I can't stand: Nancy Grace! Where did they find this lady and what test audience indicated she would have strong national appeal? I dislike the accent, though I am generally fond of them. I hate her haircut, and really think it would look better on someone else. And I can't stand the way she will pick the smallest detail of a case apart over and over again, and then bring on expert witnesses who do the exact SAME THING!! Court TV, or whatever, please send her back to the minor leagues so I can begin watching your channel again! I beg of you!!!

Is Iraq like the pre-civil war U.S.?

Dennis — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 02:13:20 GMT

Are the differences or disagreements between the Sunnis and the Shite (sorry if misspelled) groups in Iraq similar to those of the "north" and "south" prior to our Civil War? This thought occurred to me the other day and I could not help but wonder whether knowing more about U.S. history would prevent other countries from going through the same (or similar) problems. The Civil War in the United States cost our country many tens of thousands of lives and forever changed the politics of our country. Our war may have also set us back by decades in productivity and economic development, and the United States would assuredly be a different place if we had NOT fought among ourselves. It is unfortunate that other governments must repeat the mistakes we "westerners" have already made in the name of progress. If they could have a better sense of appreciation for the loss of life and the overall impact such times have on THE OVERALL COUNTRY, perhaps they would work harder to reconcile. As a devotee of science fiction I often wonder if someone who might have gone on to invent an incredible cure for disease or write a monumental work of literature was killed during wartime and how the ENTIRE world was affected by one death! Such a shame that we would choose actions which ignore potential and demonstrate our ignorance of individual contributions and temporal events. That's it for this train of thought. Good luck world, you need it!!

Israel

Dennis — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 03:00:32 GMT

It often seems like there should be a "simple" solution to all the troubles in the Middle East but people have a tendency to complicate matters "beyond all reason". So it makes me wonder how "adults" can teach children to "do the right thing" and be honest, obey the law, get an education and live a good life, but NOT manage to work out their differences "like Adults"? The only way the world is going to achieve lasting peace is for economies to become less seperated from each other, less isolated and stop trying to "rape" each other of a bigger percentage! I apologize to anyone that is offended by my use of that word, but I also say "deal with it!" Israel isn't the only "messed up" country in the world right now. Lets make a list: Mogadishu, Somailia Darfur, Rwanda Afghanistan Iraq Indonesia (the tsunami) There are to many place in the world where even the basic principles of "simple living" are virtually impossible to adhere to! It makes me mad and disgusted with many members of "humanity". If we look at the examples of excessive living and "high class" lifestyles and continue to think, 'well, that's okay because they can afford it' or 'they worked hard for their money and its up to them to decide how to spend it' we will ALL suffer eventually. That is what I believe. The utter disparity between the populations that HAVE and those that HAVE NOT is going to perpetuate violence and terrorism for generations to come! There almost needs to be a cultural mandate to change attitudes and compel people into community service (where the community happens to include the entire world). I am tired of hearing about countries like Israel where GOOD IDEAS like 2 years mandatory military service for EVERYONE at age 18 and Kibbutzes (sp?) get little press attention and the awful things countries do get tons of attention. Its shameful! If you love you country than you had better be willing to support it! Or its troops! Or its economy in some way! Get off your butts and get to work! (this possibly does not apply to many of my Tribe.net friends or casual readers, but there may be one or two people it WILL apply to...) The world will only become a better place for everyone if everyone cares! Each man. woman and young person has got to stand up and be heard. Whether its on an Internet Blog, community service or whatever doesn't matter. Just put down the video game controller and go do something to show someone you care about a person other than yourself. That's my thought for the evening. Good night.

Where in the World are...

Dennis — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 01:51:42 GMT

Dennis & Suzy Arrived safely in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Tuesday, June 6th. We unpacked the same evening and returned the U-Haul tow dolly the following day. The job hunt resumed shortly there after and both the wife and I agree we will not be buying anymore "stuff". No additional knick-knacks, furniture, artwork or anything until we are both working and setup in a new, long-term location! Being forced to move from Las Vegas due to 2005's financial hardships, including my being out of work for extended periods of time, really sucked! We both loved the climate in Las Vegas and most of the people were nice to know as well. We will especially miss our former neighbors from across the street, and from next door, even though we did not get to know them in-depth. I will miss the in-ground pool and the dry weather. But on other thing I know will surely change is the nature of people I met from around the area (that being Las Vegas) as compared to good 'ol Virginia. I have a feeling the people I meet through the Norfolk Tribe.net portal may be very different than those in the Las Vegas Tribes. It is just a hunch, but I let you know what I find. Suzy is going to miss her KB Home co-workers Becky, Monica and Natasha the most!! (in case they read this) We hope to return to Las Vegas one day, and possibly retire there permanently. That's all there is to tell for tonight. Thank you and good night.

Leaving Las Vegas...

Dennis — Mon, 29 May 2006 14:10:15 GMT

Yeah, now we are trying to, and not having much luck with it either! After a year of financial and physical hardship, none of which are specifically connected to BEING in Las Vegas, the wife and I are packing up and heading back to Virginia. We both gave notice at work, had a moving sale which netted around $630 and terminated our house lease. Maybe a bit prematurely on these things because now that we have sold 80% of our stuff and given another 16% to Goodwill, we cannot afford to put gas in the Tahoe in order to begin the trip! Ha ha! Another snag. Happy Memorial Day America. I served in the armed forces of our country and was ready to be deployed wherever she needed me, and now I feel as though I am fighting a war at home. A battle to survive what some would view as ordinary events of everyday life, but ones that if they occur back-to-back or in quick succession can LITERALLY sap the will to live out of you! I shattered my nose last year after donating blood plasma on a day off work and then ended up in the hospital for 11 days. While being treated the doctors found a vascular malformation in the back of my head near the "vision center" of my brain. It is officially called an "AVM" or arteriovenous malformation and they wanted to perform brain surgery to remove it within 48 hours! Say what! "Uh, NO, I don't think so!" All I had wanted to do was donate some blood plasma and make a few dollars for gas and food one day when the moving company I was working for could not use me, and 48 hours later I'm facing brain surgery!? God, you're kidding right?!?... So this past year was filled with down time, challenges, interviews, job applications and more challenges like I have never know in any other year of my life! Deciding to go the route of Gamma Knife stereo-tactic radiotherapy treatment instead of brain surgery meant a quicker, less painful recovery time so I could get back to work sooner, but leaves me with an increased risk of developing a brain tumor 15, 20 or 25 years from now. Some choice, eh? Now all we want to do is pack up and bid Las Vegas farewell because she will survive without us, and we can't even do that. Numerous clothes have been given away, keeping just the minimum needed for job interviews back east, and most of the household possession are gone because we are only taking two vehicles and our pets to Virginia. We decided to rent a tow-dolly to pull the Hyundai in order to attempt saving money on gas and use the car as a small storage trailer for our remaining possession. I did not think I would ever have to do this in life, but here it is happening for real. One step away from being homeless and sleeping in our cars, a veteran and the spouse of a former veteran, along with two dogs and a couple of cats. Happy Memorial Day America, look what I've done. We are just lucky we did not decide to move to New Orleans in the fall of 2004 when I was considering the possibility for transferring with Lockheed Martin to a C-130 aircraft overhaul contract at Barksdale AFB! Our current situation is a little better than being hit by a hurricane and having everything you own taken from you indiscriminately! If you are reading this please send out good wishes, my family could really use them right about now. Thanks.

The Day a Company Lost the Best Employee it Ever Hired

Dennis — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:52:02 GMT

The day a company lost the best employee they ever had was they day they applied their corporate guidelines to them without understanding and compassion. The day came when it was the employee's turn to be reviewed, to be assessed by their manager and to have their performance ranked against printed standards on paper rather than in comparison to their fellows. There were guidelines to be followed for such things; carefully planned and implemented by other employees hoping to have their efforts recognized as "professional", "well structured" and "clearly defined". During the employee's review "metrics" were applied, absences were tallied, and productivity was reviewed. Not taken into consideration was the employee's enjoyment of their job, their ability to smile even while falling short of some expectations, and their willingness to lend a hand to co-workers, cover a shift or put in extra effort "off the clock". The bottom line was all about how much the employee had "cost" the company, not how many times they had saved the company hundreds or thousands of dollars. In the six months leading up to the employees review, their family had dealt with one crisis after another. A parent had died, a child gotten sick, the spouse's car had failed beyond repair, and worst of all the employee was nearly bankrupt and on more than one occasion found themselves at work for an entire day without a snack or a meal to sustain their efforts. Regardless of all the challenges, the typically enthusiastic employee "bucked up" and remained vigilant towards the company's "mission statement". They serviced customers, organized information, attended training sessions and documented every detail of every task for future benefit. Some tasks were small and easily handled, while others were very "original" or rooted in mystery, but the employee now being reviewed accepted them all and gave their best effort. Some people would call this employee a "trooper" if asked, others may even go as far as to say they had become a friend, but on review day none of that was considered. The company had a long history or service and efficiency and any part of it not performing up to standards was either restructured or eliminated; this was the policy. The policy was sometimes referred to as "zero tolerance" and most employees, even management, knew it well and regarded it with both respect and suspicion. For even long-time employees with many skills and extensive knowledge of the company's business had been "let go" or "severed" from the organization they grew to care about over many days, weeks and years. These happenings were known well and rarely spoken of. In the end the employee's efforts were rewarded by a "satisfactory" rating. Somehow they had "made the cut" and one or two instances or not living up to standards mysteriously disappeared, perhaps they were misfiled or incorrectly submitted. On this day the typically enthustiastic employee was not given an increase in pay, no merit of their efforts was recognized and they returned to the workcenter the next morning to learn several others had no been so "lucky". A few seats were empty. Maybe they were transferred to another department. Lets hope so. People are not machines and we often treat our machines poorly and then complain when they let us down! Are our long-standing traditions of exclaiming, "stupid car", "damn door" or "lousey battery" shaping the way we view each other? Is our attention to "industrial engineering" failing to allow enough margin for "human factors"? Or is it simply "professional" to continue developing processes and procedures that eliminate or work around the "human factor"? How much money is being spent working against the industrial machine brought forth in a "revolution" so many years ago? And finally, does anyone have a can of compressed air I can borrow? My CPU is clogged with dust and I think my power supply is operating below peak performance.

The Day America Ruled itself to Death

Dennis — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:50:59 GMT

Rules for this... Rules for that... Speed Limit 55. No Stopping. No Parking on Street after 10 p.m. Drugs and Alcohol Not Permitted. No Smoking! Vehicles Left Unattended Will Be Towed. Don't Leave Pets in your Car! America has rules for everything! America the beautiful... While working for an employer recently I was once again subjected to learning a corporate policy handbook "on the job". I was initially brought onboard through a temporary employment agency and they explained many things beforehand about the employer for whom I would be going to work. The agency briefly explained how strictly the company's human resources policies on attendance, absence and tardiness would be enforced, but as new hires we learned much more of these requirements after being trained and sent into the work center. Can I say, "Woe is me!" Now I understand that in order to succeed in business a company has to be productive. A company's employees must be productive and that means being there when the company needs them and not making extra work for supervisors and managers to which employees report daily. But when we look closely at the history of the employee-employer relationship we see that employers have always had to deal with employees getting sick, arriving late for work, and being absent from time to time. So what has changed? Why are some employers pushing policies on their employees which almost none can fulfill? All employees will maintain a positive and upbeat attitude or be subject to reprimand! Only employees in the public relations department may comment on company activities! No gift valued over twenty dollars may be accepted by an employee! ...and the latest addition to the rule book: Employees with inadequate personal hygiene or clothes smelling of perfume or smoke may be sent home without pay immediately. It is simply no wonder to me that groups of employees are still joining together to form unions which will represent their interests, negotiate for higher pay and come to the defense of mistreated, injured or less capable in their ranks. Rules are meant to be guidelines. Guidelines are meant to guide, to show a way of doing something that teaches, to allow people to learn while doing and grow in confidence and skill together. We should not be intimidating and coercing each other with "the book" because books are written by people and people are not perfect. No company I know sells a perfect product or provides a perfect service, not at any price. When it comes to making a "state of the union address" does the president really know where the country stands? Could our country be standing closer to the brink of disaster without anyone realizing it? Welcome to twenty-first century of America! Two hundred and thirty years of liberty and progress under the banner of freedom and textbook-worthy civilization. We may not have kings and queens but we still have shoppes where people struggle under the rule of a tyrant, you can count on it! At least under democracy if we should fail we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Think Before You Procreate!

Dennis — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:06:58 GMT

I was thinking about working for less than a person is worth on the drive home today, and I wondered whether my parents had a plan for my future before they conceived me? Or if any parents do... It seems two people who do not take the time to consider what the life of the child they create will be like twenty years after they are born, are being inconsiderate and reckless. Failing to consider where the child will be if they are unable to go to college is inconsiderate. Hoping you will do "better" after they are born and possibly be able to give them a life worth having is a gamble. The odds are always in favor of things getting worse because money is not something we automaticly receive. The supply of money is limited, the demand for money in the form of bills is not. If you cannot pay for something today, what makes you think your child will be able to pay for it tomorrow? And I am not talking about "inflation" of the economy. And what if something happens to you before they attend college? What is your "backup plan"? If it is a life insurance plan, you had better keep those payments current. Children need a home to live in and they may need a home to inherit! Free education is only worth what you put into it and paid for education is not that much better! As a person thinking about "multiplying" consider how much it takes to pay for your existence everyday, and then double or triple that amount. Can you afford it? No? Then you had better be able to afford a box on condoms or other birth control. Having a child is NOT a "right" it is a responsibility! If a child comes into your life before you are ready to support it, nurture it and pay for it for at least eighteen years, please begin thinking about letting someone else raise it in WEEK ONE! That's my rant for today! I hope it makes an impression on someone.

New Job Training Day Five through Ten

Dennis — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 06:59:14 GMT

(...and beyond) Training continued at a steady pace and I have to admit it was great to see a company invest this much time and effort into a group of new hires! We all received 80 hours of PAID classroom instruction, hands-on practice with applications, role-playing (the typical least favorite) and "call shadowing" where we listened to previously trained Technicians handle actual calls. Kelly Services in Las Vegas is the company to contact if this sounds like a job you should be doing. Contact me and I can provide additional information and a contact number for the site / contract representative. Pay starts at over $11 an hour and successful Technicians may be hired directly by the company after 90 days. Personally I am still looking for a job that pays even better, but I am happy to have this one for now. The equipment is up to date and reliable; a significant departure from my previous experience at Verizon Online where I monitored customer service calls and scored representatives' performance for thirteen months. After three to six months in this job I should be fully refreshed in the technologies of a large scale corporate enterprise and all the neccesssary methods to support it. The only negative comments I have about the Call Center are it boring appearance, lack of effective team communication (email and an old fashioned whiteboard simply does not accomplish the job), and an apparently extremely strict scheduling standard (breaks and lunches). Perhaps the latter of these is a necessary evil until a full crop of new Technicians is "trained in", comfortable and known to their supervisors, coaches and mentors. There have been so many articles about innovative office spaces with mobile desks, creative architecture and some employees having the ability to work outdoors that I cannot help but wonder if this call center's performance would be increased by such methods.

New Job - Training Day Three & Four

Dennis — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:14:15 GMT

We past most of the time learning about employer specific Escalation Procedures and remote computer assistance using a program called NetOp. There isn't very much about this job I would call "interesting" so far, it just seems like another JOB. So by the end of Day Three I find myself wondering why this employer is asking so little of us and paying so little as well? Is the center where I will be working simply an alternative to sending the jobs overseas? Could hiring people to work in Las Vegas actually be comparable to the expenses of hiring them in India? There may be room for advancement within the company, but not much as far as I can tell in the particular location where I will be working. There are many new hires coming onboard through temporary agencies and I have been told they are looking to add a hundred more, or possibly higher. But the surrounding are dull, the break area is typical at best, and the outside break area looks like a prison yard. There isn't anything appealing about any of it, and that is why I spelled out "J O B" in the middle of the first paragraph! God! I have got to find something that pays better! I don't know what the formula for success is but I have to find it! Urgently! If anyone has any ideas please post them to me here. Good night. Take care.

New Job - Training Day Two

Dennis — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 19:44:12 GMT

I don't know if I was tired or just having a "moment" but day two seemed much less interesting than Day One. I did stay up for a few hours at the end of Day One, at home, watching television and going online. That was probably a mistake because I had errands to run the next morning that could not wait. Training Day Two continued my exposure to the systems I will support and the role I will play within the business. It all seems so "tiny" to me, but I suppose that is after having worked in such Critical and Key roles in other organizations. Why must people be forced to take a step "back" in their careers after they have "been there, done that". There is a certain amount of difficulty in becoming the student again after having been the teacher, the mentor and the coach. Am I wrong? I fully understand that life is a learning process and we never stop learning, but at the same time it is hard for a "graduate" to stuff themselves back into that tiny desk they once occupied. The one with the shelf underneath the seat and the writing area that was scaled down so small also. Readers: I guess this is one of the reasons you should NOT give up on school early and rush into the workforce. Don't be so eager to limit your options and begin earning money. Education is like playing the lottery, the longer you paly the greater the chances of a HUGE payout! (except for those rare and special cases with movie stars and exceptional athletes) We are fortunate to have the military as a career option because in the military your progress and learning is tracked for your ENTIRE career. You have complete control over the number of classes you attend, how well you do in them, and continually climbing the ladder of life. (unless you should get injure or wounded in combat - a calculated risk but no more so than driving the streets every day) I spent a lot of time organizing my notes and trying to type everything into my "format" on Training Day Two. I probably should have been paying more attention to what the class leaders was saying but in the end I still scored a 91% on the assessment and only missed parts of two questions. That's good. I will report back on what Training Day Three holds tomorrow. (there is no training on weekends)

Immigration

Dennis — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:33:04 GMT

Political protests regarding immigration law reform are a further example of the problems caused by illegal immigrants. The right to protest and demonstrate in public is (or should be) a right reserved for citizens of the United States of America, not invaders. If you are not here legally, then you should not be protected by the laws of this country. You have "human rights" but that does not mean you have the same "civil rights" as a lawful citizen. The rights of citizens are either "inherited" from previous generations or "earned" through learning and effort. Furthermore, to the people claiming this country was founded by immigrants and that immigrants efforts are what made this country what it is, you are correct! The PREVIOUS immigrants are also the ones who LEGALLY immigrated, LEGALLY became citizens, and then voted to elect legislators, appoint judges and pass the current laws regarding immigration and citizenship! They did it, not us. The previous generations not the current generation. So when you are protesting, perhaps you should take time to learn the history and origin of the laws being protested! Laws are established to prevent "abuse" of the rights of others, the rights of property owners, and the rights of LEGAL residents of this country. If you own a store and want to close that store during certain hours in order for your employees to go home and rest, you would. Why? Because in order to successfully operate that store your employees need rest so they are ready, willing and able to work each day. And the same principle is true for our country, its borders (or "doors") cannot remain open twenty-four hours a day! If people continued to enter your store even after the time you wanted to close it, no one would ever rest. Your employees would never rest and the store would eventually fail. It would be forced to close by the constant demands of an endless stream of customers. Laws protect business owners. Lawyers defend their right to do business. Laws protect citizens. Legislators protect their right to the benefits of a democratic country. In either situation a judge may be required to decide who has ths strongest case. Now compare this imaginary store to the United States of America... There must be limits to the "number of customers" the country as a business can accomodate, or even to the number of employees it can "hire" (or admit). The borders of our country are not unlimited and endless and neither are its resources. Each citizen or group of citizens collectively known as a "family" must contribute at certain levels in the form of TAXES and PRODUCTIVITY in order to keep the country operating, otherwise it will fail. The country must make decisions regarding the number of people it "hires" to be part of its business. The business of democracy. There is no choice in this matter, it is a simple business or economics principle. If an "employee" or citizen is unable to meet a minimum level of productivity and therefore does NOT contribute to the success of the country (to its health), they should be fired! They should be allowed to go and work for other companies (other countries) with lower demands of its citizens (the employees). They should be sent out of "the store" and told to "apply again" next time a position becomes available. Companies know the costs of operating their businesses. Do our legislators understand the costs of operating this country?? Many companies are sending work abroad to countries where employees can be paid less for accomplishing the same work formerly done here. As in my example above, a worker incapable of meeting the needs of the company's operations here is FREE to travel to and live in another country where the costs of living are less. The freedoms, rights, benefits and protections of that country may be less also, but I say, "You get what you pay for!" The legal way to get legislation ammended or changed is through dedication and effort. Each citizen has the right to take a pen in their hand, write down their wishes and send them to their elected officials. Each "citizen", not each squatter! Not each trespasser. A trespasser is someone with NO RIGHT to be where they are, or someone who goes uninvited onto property owned by another person! The founders of this country and their descendants are the "owners" of this country. The people who have been here for MORE THAN one generation. For that matter I personally do not believe simply being born in this country should automatically make you a citizen and entitle you to all the rights and protections of a citizen. Newborn infants have done nothing to earn such rights, and if they are born to "non-citizen parents" they are NOT entitled to attend school, receive welfare and receive social services such as medicare and medicaid. I understand they may not have "chosen" to be born in this country, but where di their parents meet and decide to create a baby? If not here, why should THIS country suddenly be responsible for them? It should not.

New Job - Training Day One

Dennis — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:45:06 GMT

Introduced to the company for which I will be working, its history, evolution and dependence on technology as a key to profitability. Also introduced to the basic applications I will be helping people out with, the HelpDesk system for tracking my services and their issues, and given a brief glimpse of the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of computer applications I will potentially encounter. Over the next two weeks I will try and make daily entries to provide details on this company in order to encourage people to join me (or it) in Las Vegas. I hope I will be able to portray everything they do in a positive light because it is a REALLY huge company and represents a great opportunity for anyone looking to relocate and begin (or continue) a technical career. Come to think of it, technology is not the only thing which makes many businesses possible, even when it is a critical part of the day to day operations. People are often more fundemental to the success of companies than the products they sell. So why do some companies spend MORE TIME and MORE MONEY maintaining their equipment than caring for their employees? Is it because employees tend to "burn out" or "wear out" faster? Or is it because employees can change allegiance and go to work for the competition so easily? Well, who's fault is that? If a great employer would negotiate with me and sign me to a multi-year contract, as some valued sports athletes and executives receive, then maybe I would be loyal to them above all else. But when an employee can be tossed out the door like yesterday's recyclables, why should they bother investing extra faith and effort in the employer? Where's the mutual love? We are more than machines! On another note: I was happy to see the news story on Unclaimed.org the other night where a guy who worked for an original Lowe's hardware store from the time they opened was presented with a certificate entitling him to over 14,000 shares of today's Lowe's stock! Apparently he was a Vietnam veteran, worked for Lowe's back when they were just getting started and somehow he lost track of or didn't realize he had stock benefits. Fast forward to recent times... He is a disabled veteran living modestly on a fixed income and gets presented with a stock certificate entitling him to OVER $950,000.00 worth of Lowe's stock! No that's what I call having "My ship come in!" (Thanks grandma for engraving this saying on my mind!) I guess some people should never give up hope and realize you just do not know what tomorrow will bring! Mr. former Lowe's employee didn't, and he was here to receive his long overdue benefit. More soon.

Employment interviewing

Dennis — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:31:31 GMT

Why does employment interviewing have to be such a one-way street? Okay, I understand not being the ideal candidate for a particular job position. But why do interviewers have to mislead their candidates or leave them in the "dark" when in comes to interview results? Wouldn't it be more helpful to the prospective employee to know what they did wrong? Even if it is only in the eyes of one particular interviewer, it could be tremendously helpful to the aspiring job candidate to know they came across as "insufficiently qualified" or "insecure in a specific skill". If one of those things is the only weakness the candidate had, then they could work on it in preparation for the next interview. Or, perhaps they could hire a coach of some sort to work with them on interviewing skills. I know all of these things sound expensive, but so does sending out hundreds of resumes with cover letters and driving all over the place for interviews that don't "pan out". It just seems to me that there is something wrong with the current system, and although my observations here may not be correct, at least I am making them. I am offering to you one possible method by which any of us could improve our chances at landing the "perfect job". If you have a different opinion, or would like to offer reasons why employers cannot provide this level of feedback to prospective employees, please write me. If you are involved in human resources and/or recruiting and have an insight into this, I would enjoy reading your thoughts as well. It may not be the job of a recruiter or hiring screener to evaluate candidates so throughly, but at the same time I can't help wondering how much better (and happier) the world would be if we were supporting each other in this way.

Where's the work?

Dennis — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 05:53:36 GMT

I spent at least two hours tonight searching for any "immediate hire", "work tonight", "pizza delivery" or "cash paid daily" job listings and was REALLY disappointed! It sucks when someone like me wants to get to work, get paid, and bring home "the bacon" but simply can't seem to connect with the right person. What's a person to do? Stand on the street corner with a sign reading, "Able bodied, bills piling up. Will work for best offer?" It has gotten to the point where I have to question the whole employment system in the United States. Honestly! Most employers want to "fill seats" with the least expensive person they can find because it is good for their bottom line. But at the same time, if you ask them, they will say 'Oh no, we are willing to pay MORE for a qualified person (or the "right candidate").' Come on? Is there such a thing? Nobody is perfect, and everybody has strengths and weaknesses. So what does it take to be the "right candidate"? I believe the system is the single biggest factor to unemployment in the United States. People are only partly to blame for low productivity. I will grant the following: * Laziness - People working often choose to do the least they can in order to get paid. (I've seen it.) * Life suckers - People who are excited about starting a new job get the life sucked out of them by others with bad attitudes or "roadblocks" to overcoming old methods (things that might cause some other department to loose a tiny, tiny percentage of its workload). * Territorialism - Once established, as mentioned above, the work of my department is the work of my department. Don't try and take it! Don't figure out a more productive way to accomplish something! If we (being upper management) want to know how to improve operations, we will hire an Outside Consultant. (that shifts the burden of responsibility off of the shoulders of anyone the workers share their space with) * Attitudes - Since when did we become so self-enamored? I mean, I may think I have good ideas but I am always willing to be flexible and consider other peoples' points of view. And yet I have seen many managers who only want tasks done their way, at their pace, and under their ultimate all-knowing control. Are business schools teaching people how to be "God-like" when they finally get a managerial position? Overbearing? Pompous? and Egotistical? Gawd! No wonder so many people are trying out for "Survivor" and "American Idol", because they are FED UP with working for someone else and want independence or freedom to set their own schedule. Do their own thing. Or do whatever it is they are really good at and ALSO get paid a living wage for it. (wait, don't get me started on the salaries of Executives, Athletes and Celebrities!) Okay. That's it for now. I just wish there were less complex options available for people to pursue. Straight dope, no hidden agendas, one-for-one tasks for money jobs. Come in, work, get paid. I don't even think we need to over-complicate things with benefits, 401Ks, "Flexible Spending Accounts" and other mysterious and confusing deductions. Frickin' give me a break!! I just want a paycheck!