Sunday, May 30, 2010

Consequences

In a crazy world of no accountability, no consequences, one could imagine that executives would be shifting responsibility, blaming the government, blaming the silent victims & coastal communities, seeking the cheapest way to stop the flow instead of the fastest and reporting profits in the middle of it all… but that would mean… oh, wait…

Just a thought:

Naughty children need to demonstrate that their lack of responsibility has been replaced by way of amends to behave with a sense of contrition and humility.

Clean-up considerations:

1) Start with a hay barrier for coastal areas: the technology is available, hay is available and experts are available who can direct the retrieval process and recycled the oil soaked hay into blacktop type of products.
2) Retrieve as much oil from the water as possible with a vacuum system, refine it, recycle it. Do not let it float & destroy any more than it already has. Do not hide it under the water.
3) Development of workable solutions should have begun already but… let’s begin immediately. One would think that a sort of rubber tampon or upside-down umbrella or balloon would fill the inside the oil shaft to temporarily stop the flow until the relief well could be drilled tout de suite.
4) Double-double overtime on the relief well.
5) Surely there are engineers and scientists with even more solutions. Pay them well to fix this fast.

Turn a bad situation around and develop solutions that can be made part of regular protocol because it's the long-term profitable thing to do.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

My Dog Talks

“My dog talks,” said the boy.

“Dogs don’t talk,” said the man.

“He does too and I can prove it,” said the boy.

“I’ll go with you boy, just to show you dogs don’t talk,” said the man.

“My dog asks for walks, he does,” said the boy.

The two walked over to the window on the inside of the house.

The dog walked up to the window on the outside of the house.

The dog lifted his paw & tapped on the window.

The man turned to the boy and asked, “What does that mean?”

“Ask him,” said the boy.

“What do you want?” asked the man through the glass to the dog.

“Waaah,” said the dog.

“A walk” laughed the man.

“See, it’s not hard to understand him” said the boy.

“No, it’s not…” paused the man.

“Ruff,” said the dog.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Book Review: Confessions of a Hiring Manager


Title: Confessions of a Hiring Manager: Sage Advice for Fearless Job Seekers and Career Changers in a Confused Economy
Author: J.T. Kirk
Genre: Nonfiction/Career
ISBN: 978-0981485713
Publication Date: March 2010
Pages: 238
Price: $15.00
Publisher: Kings Crown Publishing

If you’re looking for work, but haven’t had much luck, J.T. Kirk may have the answers you seek. Confessions of a Hiring Manager tells all about the hiring game with detailed strategy to get your resume to the top of the pile, interviewed and hired!

Okay, be honest with yourself. If what you were doing was working, you’d have a job now. Perhaps you need to revamp your game. And don’t you want to know what the hiring manager looks for, how they choose which people to interview? If getting a job is what you want, and you’re willing to follow directions, Confessions of a Hiring Manager provides the tactics necessary to land that job during tough times.

Start with your resume. What does it say? How is it organized? Job seekers need to learn how to write a resume for each job category and probably tweek it for each job. This is how to get the attention of a hiring manager. The manager will know that you are applying for ‘this job’ in particular instead of sending the same resume to a variety of job advertisements.

Take time to develop a strategy, you’ll save your time, energy and money if you develop a plan and stick to it. Are you in the middle of changing your career? Focus on the skills you have that will lend themselves to the job you want. Think about the best way to showcase your skills, the biggest, the best, the most necessary, these should be featured on your resume.

If your resume isn’t very good, you won’t get interviews. It’s that simple. If your resume isn’t in a logical order that focuses on the skills needed for the job you want, how will the hiring manager know you’re perfect for the job? It may be time to hire a resume writer or at least an editor to help you write a great resume.

Cover letters are more important now than ever before. If your cover letter isn’t clever or unique, you might as well pass on sending the resume too. Yes, the job market is that competitive. You must sell yourself through your cover letter. It must show that you read the ad and that you understand what the job entails. J.T. Kirk has the answers you need to write a great cover letter.

Simple manners may not be so simple anymore. J.T. Kirk tells humorous stories from the manager’s side of the desk.
Imagine: it’s 8 am and the first interview of the day is with a man with alcohol on his breath. No, he didn’t get the job. You’ll enjoy the stories and learn what’s okay and what isn’t.

Most importantly, in this market, job seekers need to be flexible. Think about part-time or temporary work that will get your foot in the door. Many companies plan to expand but want to see how a new employee gets along with everyone before they hire full-time and permanent. If you really want a chance to show a particular company that you are an asset, use the creative strategies J.T. Kirk covers.

If you’ve had trouble finding work, these are among the 10 best chapters to get you headed in the right direction. Follow the suggestions and you'll create a great resume, excellent cover letters and have a job sooner than you would if you hadn't followed the suggestions in this book.

The review copy of this book was an uncorrected proof: Not for Sale.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Galileo Galilei

The brave dream dreams then move forward to make those dreams come true. In life we are moved to make decisions: are we to play it safe, do little or nothing of significance or are we brave enough to risk being different?

One person who was different was Galileo who made logical conclusions based on what he new to be true. He extended thought out to theorize about the workings of the universe and presented it in publication much to the chagrin of the authorities.

This brave man dared to be different. He dared to speak the truth as he had come to understand it. What rewards did he reap for this?

Galileo was tried by the Inquisition. He was believed to be a heretic. Continuous pressure and threats of torture lead to his recant of his theory, only to regain his courage and publish again, outside the jurisdiction of the Inquisition.

He was the beginning of what we call: physics. In addition to his heliocentric theories, he explained the basic principle of relativity. His claim to fame in mathematics is Galileo’s paradox. His work in astronomy revolutionized how we think about planets, moons and the universe as a whole.

The Catholic Church has expressed regret for their treatment of one of the greatest scientific minds.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Relationship Ends

Ending a relationship, especially a life-long relationship, isn’t easy and usually isn’t done without thoughtful reflection. In some cases there is malingering contact that isn’t a relationship but isn’t broken off completely either.

Despite knowing this from past experiences in other relationships, there was one relationship that no matter how much I tried to let go, I found myself returning to “check-in” from time to time, sometimes months, sometimes years between checks. My obligation was often prompted by other people’s questions or stories of reconciliation after years apart. People do change, why don’t you try again? Maybe this time will be different.

Through the Years
So the magical thinking child inside of me, checked-in for a number of years wanting to make everything okay. The emotional adolescent checked-in for some time, angry at the wrongs and hoping for a change. Then finally, the spiritual adult arrived on the scene and said, ‘hey I’m just here to check-in because that’s what people do.’ The adult checking-in had no rhyme just randomly, periodically, via phone, mail, email… Still continuing to do what seemed obligatory by societal standards, though mentally and emotionally knowing nothing would change.

Grace from Above
The cosmic continuum lined up and in a series of events I found myself pulling up to where she was, standing there waiting. Must be a sign we hadn’t seen each other in fifteen years.

Revelation and Release
My appearance obviously came as a complete surprise. For the first time instead of the long standing declaration of love and care, ‘Yes, call,’ ‘Yes, this is important’; I heard, ‘No, don’t call’ and ‘No, I don’t want to see you.’

What I said was: ‘Coming here was a mistake. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

What I thought was: “Finally, the truth… Thank you.”

What happened was the simple realization that there was nothing there… and there never had been.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Writer's Group

The value of a good writer’s group is beyond description. The variety of personalities, experiences, perspectives bring a unique challenge for the organizers and the best thoughtful critique for writers.

Writing can be a lonely business. Pen & paper, typewriter or computer… technology doesn’t change the individual effort and need for concentration which usually puts a writer alone in a room or alone in their head. Either way, most writers are alone during the creative process.

Without an official editor, some writers rely on friends or family to be the first editors, the first audience. This may or may not be helpful to a writer. What is helpful in any profession is peer review. The first draft review by other writers can help a writer learn about their strengths and weaknesses and with a good writer’s group they can share their strengths and bolster their weaknesses so the final manuscript is just the way the writer wishes to present it to agents or publishers with minimal revision needed.

If you’re a writer seeking to improve your craft, join a writer’s group with other writers who are supportive and helpful.