Really not feeling the writing vibe tonight, but I do want to make a quick comment regarding the tragic passing of Washington Redskin Sean Taylor this morning. When is the NFL going to really step up and be responsible for putting a serious guidance/mentoring plan in place for the young men that join the league and become instant millionaires each year? Sean's passing from a gun shot wound to the groin and subsequent "massive blood loss" due to a severed artery makes two NFL players in the span of 11 months that have been murdered. Look, I understand that every human being is largely responsible for their own well being, but in the case of young professional athletes, I think the league they play for needs to provide a lot more guidance than the standard 1-2 day Rookie Symposium that the NFL and other leagues have.
More than 25% of rookie NFL players come from lower class backgrounds, and when they sign their rookie contracts they either become millionaires overnight, or at the very least are made vastly wealthier than anyone they've ever been around in their life. How are they supposed to deal with the issues that come with that money (old "friends" looking for free money, shady agents, drugs, etc.) without some serious guidance, and who better to provide that guidance than the people that are signing the checks? I liken this situation to credit card companies or mortgage companies that enable naive people to get into financial trouble. Is it really that worth the money to destroy a life? As humans, don't we owe it to society to try and help each other out? It is possible to look out for number one while also not dropping a number two on someone else.
That's all for today.
Cheers,
TWF
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
As the World Turns
Damn, it's almost been a full week since I've logged a post in bloggerville. Luckily for my sanity, I've written a bit elsewhere, but this is the longest I've gone without a virtual post since the inception of The Office Diaries in early October. I feel like I have to reacquaint myself with an old friend. I'd ask how you are all doing, but I'm pretty sure I only get a visitor once or twice a week. If I'm missing any regular readers, I apologize.
Today was my last official day as sales manager for my wonderful company (no sarcasm in that comment...). We finally found someone to backfill for me and to get paid too little for doing too much. Actually, to use the term "we found someone" wouldn't be entirely accurate. You see, despite looks in the eye and promises from my integrity-lacking boss, I was not involved in the hiring of this person. Not even a quick phone screen.
The company I work for used to be a very special place. Not only is the business side of it interesting, but the people that worked here were great. Everyone was a former athlete, had relatively similar interests outside work, and enjoyed being in the office. Now, nobody really cares. We still have former athletes everywhere, but the "love" is gone. People don't smile as much, interact with each other, or exude any sort of positive energy. You may be thinking, "Hey pal, most companies are like that. You should be thankful you had it good for so long.", and you're right, to a certain extent. I was really lucky for a long time, but that doesn't matter to me now, nor should it. As I've said before, it's all relative. Just because most places of work aren't enjoyable places to be, doesn't mean I should be ok with the fact that my company has gone from good to bad. Anyway, to make a long story short, this is exactly the type of behavior from management that is sinking this ship like Titanic. Managers that don't know a thing about what once made the company special, and don't care about people other than themselves, are hiring more people that don't know anything about what made the company special and don't care about people other than themselves. Ignorance begets ignorance. Selfishness begets selfishness. Thuper! What's even worse about this situation is that I was promised a prominent role in picking my successor. Did that happen? Did anything remotely close to that happen? Hell no. I was lied to, pushed aside like yesterday's news, and notified of the new hire via a cheap, classless email that someone had been hired to take my place. Yep, that's corporate America. Any takers?
But wait. There is a silver lining here. The timing of this hire couldn't have been better, because the person that I am now taking over for left last Wednesday for a new job, which meant that I would have been handling all of his business and and managing 11 people until a new sales manager came in for me. Now I don't have to worry about that and I can get busy gettin' busy with my new job. Yee ha! Mr. Me is a happy man. Part of this transition means that I was able to clear my calendar of all recurring meetings today. That's approximately 20 hours per week of meetings that no longer exist on my calendar......saaaweeeet! This new found freedom allows me a heck of a lot of flexibility in my workdays, which in turn gives me the chance to go to the gym during lunch every day like I used to do before I joined the ranks of management/slavery. And trust me, I need exercise right now like I need air. To say I've put on a few pounds in the last year is like saying Chris Farley needed to lose a few pounds. I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and it's a new sensation that I'd like never to feel again.
So there's that. I suppose you could say I've mentally turned lemons into lemonade at work. I went through a bit of a rough patch, finished off by a less than professional situation, but now things are looking up. I'm a much better person because of my experience and I see great things in my future, regardless of whether or not I stay at this company. I can't wait to see what's around the corner and you can look forward to hearing all about it. And I do apologize in advance for that.
Cheers,
TWF
Today was my last official day as sales manager for my wonderful company (no sarcasm in that comment...). We finally found someone to backfill for me and to get paid too little for doing too much. Actually, to use the term "we found someone" wouldn't be entirely accurate. You see, despite looks in the eye and promises from my integrity-lacking boss, I was not involved in the hiring of this person. Not even a quick phone screen.
The company I work for used to be a very special place. Not only is the business side of it interesting, but the people that worked here were great. Everyone was a former athlete, had relatively similar interests outside work, and enjoyed being in the office. Now, nobody really cares. We still have former athletes everywhere, but the "love" is gone. People don't smile as much, interact with each other, or exude any sort of positive energy. You may be thinking, "Hey pal, most companies are like that. You should be thankful you had it good for so long.", and you're right, to a certain extent. I was really lucky for a long time, but that doesn't matter to me now, nor should it. As I've said before, it's all relative. Just because most places of work aren't enjoyable places to be, doesn't mean I should be ok with the fact that my company has gone from good to bad. Anyway, to make a long story short, this is exactly the type of behavior from management that is sinking this ship like Titanic. Managers that don't know a thing about what once made the company special, and don't care about people other than themselves, are hiring more people that don't know anything about what made the company special and don't care about people other than themselves. Ignorance begets ignorance. Selfishness begets selfishness. Thuper! What's even worse about this situation is that I was promised a prominent role in picking my successor. Did that happen? Did anything remotely close to that happen? Hell no. I was lied to, pushed aside like yesterday's news, and notified of the new hire via a cheap, classless email that someone had been hired to take my place. Yep, that's corporate America. Any takers?
But wait. There is a silver lining here. The timing of this hire couldn't have been better, because the person that I am now taking over for left last Wednesday for a new job, which meant that I would have been handling all of his business and and managing 11 people until a new sales manager came in for me. Now I don't have to worry about that and I can get busy gettin' busy with my new job. Yee ha! Mr. Me is a happy man. Part of this transition means that I was able to clear my calendar of all recurring meetings today. That's approximately 20 hours per week of meetings that no longer exist on my calendar......saaaweeeet! This new found freedom allows me a heck of a lot of flexibility in my workdays, which in turn gives me the chance to go to the gym during lunch every day like I used to do before I joined the ranks of management/slavery. And trust me, I need exercise right now like I need air. To say I've put on a few pounds in the last year is like saying Chris Farley needed to lose a few pounds. I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and it's a new sensation that I'd like never to feel again.
So there's that. I suppose you could say I've mentally turned lemons into lemonade at work. I went through a bit of a rough patch, finished off by a less than professional situation, but now things are looking up. I'm a much better person because of my experience and I see great things in my future, regardless of whether or not I stay at this company. I can't wait to see what's around the corner and you can look forward to hearing all about it. And I do apologize in advance for that.
Cheers,
TWF
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Excess...
...Is the word of the day for tomorrow. Excessive eating. Excessive love. Excessive football. Excessive drink. Excessive laziness. Excessive excess. Get the point? Thanksgiving is the only day of the year that I am able to completely throw guilt out the proverbial window, and essentially justify being a sloth.
This year, though, I have finally come to realize that Thanksgiving, and the entire holiday season, are simply wonderful times to take stock of everything that is good in life, which thankfully for me, is just about everything. I know, you're probably thinking that last statement about everything being good belies the tone of most of my posts, but as I've mentioned before, much of what I write is sarcastic, and I should make it clear that I am a very happy person. I simply use this blog as a forum to vent my frustrations in a way that doesn't generate much negative energy. Still, to change the tune for a day and write nothing by clearly positive prose, I will lay out an honest to goodness list of the things I'm thankful for. Because like I said, my life is pretty damn good and I feel like I need to put in written words what I'm grateful for. The least I can do for a universe that has given me everything is to give back a little positive energy via my blog. Enjoy your Thanksgiving peeps.
I'm thankful for:
-My wife
-My dog
-My parents
-My in-laws (not kidding)
-ALL of my family
-My health
-My job (again, not kidding)
-My car
-My clothes
-My education
-The teachers I've had in life (not just formal education teachers)
-The lessons I've learned
-My ability to walk and talk
-My ability to smile.....every day
-Sports
-Comedy
-Music
-This blog
-My spirituality
-My entire life. If there's one thing I've learned recently, I have a wonderful life and what I experience is ENTIRELY up to me. I look forward to experiencing the dream space I've known would be part of my life since birth.
Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone. I wish you nothing but the best.
Cheers,
TWF
This year, though, I have finally come to realize that Thanksgiving, and the entire holiday season, are simply wonderful times to take stock of everything that is good in life, which thankfully for me, is just about everything. I know, you're probably thinking that last statement about everything being good belies the tone of most of my posts, but as I've mentioned before, much of what I write is sarcastic, and I should make it clear that I am a very happy person. I simply use this blog as a forum to vent my frustrations in a way that doesn't generate much negative energy. Still, to change the tune for a day and write nothing by clearly positive prose, I will lay out an honest to goodness list of the things I'm thankful for. Because like I said, my life is pretty damn good and I feel like I need to put in written words what I'm grateful for. The least I can do for a universe that has given me everything is to give back a little positive energy via my blog. Enjoy your Thanksgiving peeps.
I'm thankful for:
-My wife
-My dog
-My parents
-My in-laws (not kidding)
-ALL of my family
-My health
-My job (again, not kidding)
-My car
-My clothes
-My education
-The teachers I've had in life (not just formal education teachers)
-The lessons I've learned
-My ability to walk and talk
-My ability to smile.....every day
-Sports
-Comedy
-Music
-This blog
-My spirituality
-My entire life. If there's one thing I've learned recently, I have a wonderful life and what I experience is ENTIRELY up to me. I look forward to experiencing the dream space I've known would be part of my life since birth.
Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone. I wish you nothing but the best.
Cheers,
TWF
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Human Ineraction
I interviewed someone today for an open sales position I have. Over the past few years I've interviewed quite a few people, and although I'm far from a seasoned interview vet, I do feel like I can get a pretty good read on someone within the first few minutes of meeting them. For instance, when I interview someone for a sales position I need to see that they're comfortable interacting with someone they don't know. Simple, I know, but you'd be surprised how many people try to get sales jobs when they can barely hold a conversation. If I'm interviewing for an account management position that requires strong problem solving skills, I need someone that can show me persistence, perserverance, and patience, among other things. Again, qualities that not as many candidates have as you might expect. Anyway, after having a solid amount of interviews under my belt and having quite a few other things to do throughout my day besides conduct an interview, I can sometimes become quickly uninterested when someone doesn't "wow" me in the first few minutes. I honestly don't want to sound arrogant, because that's not the feeling I'm conveying, but it's just a fact that sales candidates need to do something to stand out. When someone comes in to try and sell themself to me, I expect to be drawn in fairly quickly. If they can't convince someone like me who is trying to give them a chance, they likely won't convince someone that doesn't trust them or want to talk to them in the first place. Every once in a while, though, I'm reminded that just because someone doesn't scream "Hire me!" (figuratively, of course) in the first few minutes of an interview, doesn't mean that they don't have a wonderful personality that is very well suited for sales. Today was one of those days.
When I shook John's (not his real name) hand, I saw someone that was a little overwhelmed by the moment. We're not a huge company, but we've got between 300-400 people in our San Diego headquarters, and a fairly large office covering 3 full floors, so I could see how it would be a tad bit intimidating for an outsider. Still, I expect a certain amount of confidence from an interviewee, or at least a facade of confidence. And when John didn't show that, my mind immediately went into "what's my next appointment" mode, which, I admit, is terrible. I walked him upstairs to one of our conference rooms, exchanging small talk along the way to try and make him feel comfortable, and we proceeded to sit down and begin our talk. For the first few minutes we talked about sports and he was still a little, how should I say, stiff. I was clearly carrying the conversation and it was zero fun for either of us. But about 10 minutes into the interview, mostly sports talk to that point, an interesting thing happened: John began to open up. All of a sudden his hands were moving, he was smiling, and I sensed that he was really settling in. What started out as an awkward interpersonal communication had turned into a comfortable, free flowing conversation. We talked about his past experience, what our company is about, and most importantly, at least in terms of him showing genuine interest and intelligence, he asked a lot of questions about what the job would entail. It was truly and enjoyable experience and it wouldn't have happened had I let my mind "check out" of the conversation.
Short story, I know, but I was reminded today of a simple, yet time tested lesson of human interaction: Don't judge a book by its cover. In this situation, the "cover" wasn't what John looked like; rather, the cover was the initial energy that he put out. I'm finding that it's important to give people a little time to express themselves, in or out of the office. Some are outgoing and some are more reserved. Some are colorful and some are drab. Everyone is unique. Whether or not I get a chance to see what is special about someone depends on my willingness to learn and be patient. The more I expect positive encounters, the more I'll have them.
Cheers,
TWF
When I shook John's (not his real name) hand, I saw someone that was a little overwhelmed by the moment. We're not a huge company, but we've got between 300-400 people in our San Diego headquarters, and a fairly large office covering 3 full floors, so I could see how it would be a tad bit intimidating for an outsider. Still, I expect a certain amount of confidence from an interviewee, or at least a facade of confidence. And when John didn't show that, my mind immediately went into "what's my next appointment" mode, which, I admit, is terrible. I walked him upstairs to one of our conference rooms, exchanging small talk along the way to try and make him feel comfortable, and we proceeded to sit down and begin our talk. For the first few minutes we talked about sports and he was still a little, how should I say, stiff. I was clearly carrying the conversation and it was zero fun for either of us. But about 10 minutes into the interview, mostly sports talk to that point, an interesting thing happened: John began to open up. All of a sudden his hands were moving, he was smiling, and I sensed that he was really settling in. What started out as an awkward interpersonal communication had turned into a comfortable, free flowing conversation. We talked about his past experience, what our company is about, and most importantly, at least in terms of him showing genuine interest and intelligence, he asked a lot of questions about what the job would entail. It was truly and enjoyable experience and it wouldn't have happened had I let my mind "check out" of the conversation.
Short story, I know, but I was reminded today of a simple, yet time tested lesson of human interaction: Don't judge a book by its cover. In this situation, the "cover" wasn't what John looked like; rather, the cover was the initial energy that he put out. I'm finding that it's important to give people a little time to express themselves, in or out of the office. Some are outgoing and some are more reserved. Some are colorful and some are drab. Everyone is unique. Whether or not I get a chance to see what is special about someone depends on my willingness to learn and be patient. The more I expect positive encounters, the more I'll have them.
Cheers,
TWF
Monday, November 19, 2007
Fear and Glaciers in Tahiti and Alaska
I find myself to be a pretty safe person. And by safe I mean not very daring. Alright, to be perfectly honest, I am downright afraid of just about any activity that has obvious physical risk to it. Call me crazy, but the idea of breaking a bone or otherwise physically injuring myself doing something that screams "I will make you regret doing this. Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but you will pay for your arrogance in thinking you can take advantage of me without consequence." doesn't get my "motor" humming. I know, activities probably don't think like I just portrayed, but they might as well because that's how I think about them.
When I was younger, I was a fairly adventurous individual. I played "full contact" sports like Football and Soccer and I also surfed waves up to 10 ft., skied and snowboarded big mountains and skateboarded every day. On the surface, I may have looked like a fearless person. But there was always an underlying fear that held me back in just about any sport I took part in. Nobody really knew it, but I was pretty damn scared about getting hurt doing all those things. Nowadays, that fear has made friends with my adult logic and they're partying like it's 1999. I simply am not willing to risk life and limb for a quick rush. Period. My brain is trained to consider the worst case scenario in any given situation, so when I so much as step on a skateboard these days I'm thinking about breaking my neck. And to be candid, I'm not really bothered by my growing reluctance to put myself in potentially dangerous situations. I'm quite happy living out my life on the physically conservative side.
Still, there are a few activities today that, if I had proper experience, would be pretty enticing, for no other reason than to say I did them. I think we all have an inner voice that tells us that we don't want to be breathing our last breath only to be filled with regret towards what we didn't do in life, and some activities that are being done today would certainly do a thorough job of eliminating that feeling. For me, one of those things is tow in surfing and the other is a new one, only ever done once, called "Glacier Surfing", which entails hanging on to a jet ski in freezing cold water while waiting for a glacier to crumble enough to create a massive tsunami which you are towed into on your surfboard. Surfing a 25 ft. - 50 ft. wave is crazy enough when you're in the ocean, but when you surf a massive wave that is generated by an eroding glacier, in 30 degree water no less, you really need to have one foot in the loony bin. I'd have to imagine that if I died doing something like that I'd be pretty satisfied with how I went out. At the very least, my adrenaline would certainly be spent. Then again, my last thought could be "You freakin' idiot..." or something along those lines.
Anyway, I'm going to sign off, but before I do that I'll leave you with two pieces of video. The first is Teahupoo (pronounced Cho-Poo), Tahiti. It's one of the gnarliest waves in the world and breaks in about 2-5 feet of water. This particular wave is Laird Hamilton on what is considered one of the craziest rides ever. The second link is of two big wave surfers from Hawaii, Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala, attempting and succeeding to ride a tsunami wave ("only" about 15 ft.- 10 ft. high) created by a glacier breaking apart. Enjoy this craziness:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NcaZarxilJQ&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mKRR9RMmcIQ
TWF
When I was younger, I was a fairly adventurous individual. I played "full contact" sports like Football and Soccer and I also surfed waves up to 10 ft., skied and snowboarded big mountains and skateboarded every day. On the surface, I may have looked like a fearless person. But there was always an underlying fear that held me back in just about any sport I took part in. Nobody really knew it, but I was pretty damn scared about getting hurt doing all those things. Nowadays, that fear has made friends with my adult logic and they're partying like it's 1999. I simply am not willing to risk life and limb for a quick rush. Period. My brain is trained to consider the worst case scenario in any given situation, so when I so much as step on a skateboard these days I'm thinking about breaking my neck. And to be candid, I'm not really bothered by my growing reluctance to put myself in potentially dangerous situations. I'm quite happy living out my life on the physically conservative side.
Still, there are a few activities today that, if I had proper experience, would be pretty enticing, for no other reason than to say I did them. I think we all have an inner voice that tells us that we don't want to be breathing our last breath only to be filled with regret towards what we didn't do in life, and some activities that are being done today would certainly do a thorough job of eliminating that feeling. For me, one of those things is tow in surfing and the other is a new one, only ever done once, called "Glacier Surfing", which entails hanging on to a jet ski in freezing cold water while waiting for a glacier to crumble enough to create a massive tsunami which you are towed into on your surfboard. Surfing a 25 ft. - 50 ft. wave is crazy enough when you're in the ocean, but when you surf a massive wave that is generated by an eroding glacier, in 30 degree water no less, you really need to have one foot in the loony bin. I'd have to imagine that if I died doing something like that I'd be pretty satisfied with how I went out. At the very least, my adrenaline would certainly be spent. Then again, my last thought could be "You freakin' idiot..." or something along those lines.
Anyway, I'm going to sign off, but before I do that I'll leave you with two pieces of video. The first is Teahupoo (pronounced Cho-Poo), Tahiti. It's one of the gnarliest waves in the world and breaks in about 2-5 feet of water. This particular wave is Laird Hamilton on what is considered one of the craziest rides ever. The second link is of two big wave surfers from Hawaii, Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala, attempting and succeeding to ride a tsunami wave ("only" about 15 ft.- 10 ft. high) created by a glacier breaking apart. Enjoy this craziness:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NcaZarxilJQ&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mKRR9RMmcIQ
TWF
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Ron Paul
No writing today folks. Too busy watching football and enjoying the fact that it's already almost Friday.....damn, 4 day weeks are grand. Anyway, I wanted to leave you a few links about Ron Paul. For those of you that don't know, Ron is a Republican candidate for the 2008 presidency. Now before I lose any of you liberal readers, you should know that my beliefs are pretty far off from what most Republican politicians believe and vote on. I do not generally vote Republican. Still, from what I can tell, Ron Paul is exactly what we need in office right now: a man that we can trust and who sticks to what he believes, which is typically just plain logical. Everything I've heard him say makes sense. Feel free to disagree with me, but I encourage you to at least have a look at these links. At the very least, you'll end up with more knowledge than you probably had about this candidate before reading this. Feel free to tell me I'm crazy. At least that will show that you care, which is more than can be said about a large portion of our nation. Here you go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uyCoDbFVaJ8&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uyCoDbFVaJ8&feature=related
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Business in the Front, Party in the Back
Alright folks? Hope everyone’s doing well today. I myself feel very good. Woke up a little earlier than usual this morning to give myself a little extra time to read and reflect and now I’m feeling much better because of it. The universe is magic like that. If you give yourself some quiet time each day you’ll get answers to the questions and issues that bother you. I know I’ve said this before, and if you’re wondering why the hell I keep repeating myself it’s because I’m horrible at heeding my own advice! For me, when something is bothering me I go through a cycle. First I start getting anxious and frustrated. Then, after much unnecessary stress (typically internal as I don’t show stress very often), I realize that there is an issue I need to deal with. At this point, usually at least a few weeks or months after I should have begun this step, I give the issue the attention it needs to be worked out via quiet time (reading, writing, meditation, etc.). And voila! Almost without fail, I have the answers I need to resolve the issue. There is a catch, though, and it’s something that’s plagued me all of my life. I’m really good at figuring out what the best course of action is for any given situation, but I tend to be very slow to act on what I know needs to be done. In simple terms: problem solving = good, executing action plan = bad.
You see, figuring out how to deal with life issues is relatively simple. You identify what the root of the problem is, decide what the ideal situation would be, and the solution comes soon thereafter. But the action plan, that damn action plan, is the difficult part because it often requires significant life changes. And we, as humans, are not big fans of change. It’s ironic, because if we’re able to look at the big picture (ie., further down the road than a few months) we can see that change usually brings about nothing but good. Personal growth, new relationships, great opportunity, more money and on and on the list goes. Why, then, do we run from change like a choir boy from a priest? It’s quite funny if you really think about it. Can you imagine if there was an almighty power that was trying to orchestrate a change to help you in your life, but you just kept avoiding it? How frustrating would that he for him/her? “Stop running away damn it! I’m just trying to help you.” I can imagine parents go through this quite a bit as they raise their children. Looking back, I can think of at least a handful of situations when my parents were clearly trying to guide me away from trouble, but the only thing I wanted to do was run straight into it like an idiot.
Doing things the easy way has never been my forte, which is pretty funny considering I’m always looking for the easiest way to do something (ie., shortcut). I can't help but laugh at myself when I think of it that way. What an idiot. Throughout my entire life I’ve tried taking shortcuts in spite of the clear fact that all I’ve ever experienced tells me that shortcuts only create more problems. How's that for some genius behavior……actually, isn’t that the definition of Crazy or Insane? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Yep, that’s me. I’ll be damned. I could have saved myself a lot of pain over the years had I learned this lesson earlier. Oh well, better late than never. At least I still have most of my life in front of me and I know I’m better of because of the experiences gained.
Anyway, for those of you that are in a situation that you don’t feel happy in, job or otherwise, I found some very simple, yet direct questions on Yahoo.com this morning that can help you determine whether or not you should move on. After that, though, the action plan is up to you. The forthcoming questions were found here: http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/103837/Should-You-Stay-or-Should-You-Go. For shits and giggles, and because I’m bored silly right now, I’m going to answer these questions for you all to read.
Do you want to go to work every morning?
I almost feel like this is a trick question. Do I want to go to work every morning? Are you effing kidding me?? Of course I don’t want to go to work every morning. I want to be sitting on the patio of my multi-million dollar home on Maui, sipping a Mai Tai with my wife and dog while writing about how great life is. That’s what I want to do every morning, Mr. asshole that created this question. Thanks for reminding me how much I don’t like what I actually do have to do every morning.
How many people in the world can really say that if given the choice to do anything they want for the rest of their life, they would keep doing what they are doing? Because that’s what this question really alludes to, isn’t it? I wake up every morning wishing that I could be beamed to my previously mentioned dream space because that’s what I really want to do. Next question please….
Do you enjoy spending time with your co-workers or do they generally bug the living daylights out of you?
Well, I have a blog partially because I don’t like what I do, if that tells you anything. But to be fair, my displeasure doesn’t have much to do with the people I work with. Aside from the fact that most of my co-workers are fresh out of college and act their age, I generally get along well with them.
Does your company help you fulfill your personal mission?
Hmm, let me think……N-O! In a nutshell, my personal mission is to make as much money as I can, doing something I can stay relatively sane while doing, until I can break out on my own. I know, it sounds like something like Dirk Diggler may have said as he sank deeper into his crack hole, but it’s true. My sole career focus right now is money, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Now before I get branded a greedy bastard by you faultless folks, I should explain that I only see money as a means to an end. The “end” being freedom to roam the earth free and clear of any restraints that go along with getting my paycheck signed by someone other than me. So does the company I work for fulfill my personal mission? Not even close.
Can you picture yourself at your company in a year?
Sure, I can picture myself at this company in a year. I can also picture myself parting the Red Sea, but that doesn’t mean it’s likely to happen. If I’m still here in a year, I will be extremely surprised. Like little green men just landed in my driveway surprised. There are so many things that would have to change for me to be here in another year that I just can’t see it happening. For starters, I’d have to be making a good chunk of coin more than I am now and be A LOT happier with my day-to-day responsibilities. Most importantly, though, I don’t think I'd be being fair to myself if I stayed for another year. It’s clearly time to move on, freshen things up a bit, and reinvigorate myself. If I don’t, I’ll just be ignoring what my Self tells me is the right thing to do, and you can refer to the beginning of this post to find out how I feel about not acting on what I know is right.
That's all for today peeps. Here's a little gem of internet humor for you. I'm sure you've all seen this before (I was first made aware of it back in 1999), but like a few other sites I've shared it's a timeless classic. Enjoy....
http://mulletsgalore.com/
You see, figuring out how to deal with life issues is relatively simple. You identify what the root of the problem is, decide what the ideal situation would be, and the solution comes soon thereafter. But the action plan, that damn action plan, is the difficult part because it often requires significant life changes. And we, as humans, are not big fans of change. It’s ironic, because if we’re able to look at the big picture (ie., further down the road than a few months) we can see that change usually brings about nothing but good. Personal growth, new relationships, great opportunity, more money and on and on the list goes. Why, then, do we run from change like a choir boy from a priest? It’s quite funny if you really think about it. Can you imagine if there was an almighty power that was trying to orchestrate a change to help you in your life, but you just kept avoiding it? How frustrating would that he for him/her? “Stop running away damn it! I’m just trying to help you.” I can imagine parents go through this quite a bit as they raise their children. Looking back, I can think of at least a handful of situations when my parents were clearly trying to guide me away from trouble, but the only thing I wanted to do was run straight into it like an idiot.
Doing things the easy way has never been my forte, which is pretty funny considering I’m always looking for the easiest way to do something (ie., shortcut). I can't help but laugh at myself when I think of it that way. What an idiot. Throughout my entire life I’ve tried taking shortcuts in spite of the clear fact that all I’ve ever experienced tells me that shortcuts only create more problems. How's that for some genius behavior……actually, isn’t that the definition of Crazy or Insane? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Yep, that’s me. I’ll be damned. I could have saved myself a lot of pain over the years had I learned this lesson earlier. Oh well, better late than never. At least I still have most of my life in front of me and I know I’m better of because of the experiences gained.
Anyway, for those of you that are in a situation that you don’t feel happy in, job or otherwise, I found some very simple, yet direct questions on Yahoo.com this morning that can help you determine whether or not you should move on. After that, though, the action plan is up to you. The forthcoming questions were found here: http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/103837/Should-You-Stay-or-Should-You-Go. For shits and giggles, and because I’m bored silly right now, I’m going to answer these questions for you all to read.
Do you want to go to work every morning?
I almost feel like this is a trick question. Do I want to go to work every morning? Are you effing kidding me?? Of course I don’t want to go to work every morning. I want to be sitting on the patio of my multi-million dollar home on Maui, sipping a Mai Tai with my wife and dog while writing about how great life is. That’s what I want to do every morning, Mr. asshole that created this question. Thanks for reminding me how much I don’t like what I actually do have to do every morning.
How many people in the world can really say that if given the choice to do anything they want for the rest of their life, they would keep doing what they are doing? Because that’s what this question really alludes to, isn’t it? I wake up every morning wishing that I could be beamed to my previously mentioned dream space because that’s what I really want to do. Next question please….
Do you enjoy spending time with your co-workers or do they generally bug the living daylights out of you?
Well, I have a blog partially because I don’t like what I do, if that tells you anything. But to be fair, my displeasure doesn’t have much to do with the people I work with. Aside from the fact that most of my co-workers are fresh out of college and act their age, I generally get along well with them.
Does your company help you fulfill your personal mission?
Hmm, let me think……N-O! In a nutshell, my personal mission is to make as much money as I can, doing something I can stay relatively sane while doing, until I can break out on my own. I know, it sounds like something like Dirk Diggler may have said as he sank deeper into his crack hole, but it’s true. My sole career focus right now is money, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Now before I get branded a greedy bastard by you faultless folks, I should explain that I only see money as a means to an end. The “end” being freedom to roam the earth free and clear of any restraints that go along with getting my paycheck signed by someone other than me. So does the company I work for fulfill my personal mission? Not even close.
Can you picture yourself at your company in a year?
Sure, I can picture myself at this company in a year. I can also picture myself parting the Red Sea, but that doesn’t mean it’s likely to happen. If I’m still here in a year, I will be extremely surprised. Like little green men just landed in my driveway surprised. There are so many things that would have to change for me to be here in another year that I just can’t see it happening. For starters, I’d have to be making a good chunk of coin more than I am now and be A LOT happier with my day-to-day responsibilities. Most importantly, though, I don’t think I'd be being fair to myself if I stayed for another year. It’s clearly time to move on, freshen things up a bit, and reinvigorate myself. If I don’t, I’ll just be ignoring what my Self tells me is the right thing to do, and you can refer to the beginning of this post to find out how I feel about not acting on what I know is right.
That's all for today peeps. Here's a little gem of internet humor for you. I'm sure you've all seen this before (I was first made aware of it back in 1999), but like a few other sites I've shared it's a timeless classic. Enjoy....
http://mulletsgalore.com/
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Awards are Good, Smiles are Better
G'day folks. I have a bit of bad news for you. No, no, I'm not going anywhere, but I fear that what I have to say may make you go away: I think I'm losing my ability to wax sarcastic. That's right. Not more than a week ago, I was able to put a satirical spin on just about anything that I experienced in life, but I feel that ability slipping from my once Bunyonian (I just made that word up....blogs are cool like that.) grip. Now, I know how tiring it can be to hear someone whine, vent and spit venomous diatribes on a daily basis, but I can't help it. I'm tryin' to keep it real in the 'hood, yo, and if I pretend that my view of the world is biscuits and gravy (mmm, gravy) I'd lose my street cred. So I'm just going to continue with what I'm feeling and hope you're all still visiting The Office Diaries when the sun comes out again.
There is something I'd like to mention as a bright spot in my last week. Last Thursday, I was given a nice award by a loyal reader of mine that also happens to author the witty and entertaining blog "I Love You Too Much" (http://gulfcoastmommy.blogspot.com/). She's a mother of two and leads an entirely different existence from my own, but her writing is fantastic and I can always count on a laugh when I take a few minutes to visit her blog. Anyway, I logged in to check out her blog on Friday and realized that she had given The Office Diaries the "Friendly Site Award." Details are still sketchy as to what this award actually means, but that's not important right now. What's important is that it was one of the few times after I left the house on Friday that I flashed a genuine smile. Anything that can do that for me is g-o-o good. As I've said multiple times, this blog was/is intended as an outlet for my creative energy as I grow throughout my life, but I'd be lying if I said that I'm not thrilled that I can entertain a few people along the way. So the enigmatic "Friendly Site Award" was certainly a bright spot in my life last week and a great motivator for me to keep churning out blog posts even when I feel less than stellar. Many sincere thanks to D from "I Love You Too Much" for her compliments.
The only thing I can actually ascertain about the "Friendly Site Award" is that I'm supposed to bequeath the same award to 3 other blogs. Unfortunately, I haven't really spent enough time reading other blogs on this site to properly assess who deserves this award. Plus, I hesitate to give someone an award that I myself am not real clear on. What if I picked 3 nice folks and their blogs and called them out on my site for recognition, only to find out that that the "Friendly Site Award" is sarcastic and means something more along the lines of "Your Blog is Only Marginally Better Than What my 3-year-old Brings Home From Pre-School", or even more direct, "Your Blog Sucks...Period. Keep Your Thoughts in a Private Journal."? Then I'd feel like a moron. I can imagine coming home after a long day and logging into my blog for a little release, only to have 283 hate-filled posts from the authors and friends of the blogs I gave the award to. "You have no soul!" or "I'm mentally challenged. How could you do that to me?!" Yep,that would suck. So, until I figure out exactly what the "Friendly Site Award" means and have spent a little more time looking at other blogs I'm going to have to hold off on passing on the award. I felt like I needed to let that be known so I don't get bad blog karma for not passing on good will.
So that wasn't so bad was it? I managed to get through an entire blog without bitching too much. Perhaps things are turning around. Then again, perhaps I have a bird crap on my head on the way to work tomorrow and get hit by a bus on the way back. Like I've said before, life can be a motherfucker.....
TWF
There is something I'd like to mention as a bright spot in my last week. Last Thursday, I was given a nice award by a loyal reader of mine that also happens to author the witty and entertaining blog "I Love You Too Much" (http://gulfcoastmommy.blogspot.com/). She's a mother of two and leads an entirely different existence from my own, but her writing is fantastic and I can always count on a laugh when I take a few minutes to visit her blog. Anyway, I logged in to check out her blog on Friday and realized that she had given The Office Diaries the "Friendly Site Award." Details are still sketchy as to what this award actually means, but that's not important right now. What's important is that it was one of the few times after I left the house on Friday that I flashed a genuine smile. Anything that can do that for me is g-o-o good. As I've said multiple times, this blog was/is intended as an outlet for my creative energy as I grow throughout my life, but I'd be lying if I said that I'm not thrilled that I can entertain a few people along the way. So the enigmatic "Friendly Site Award" was certainly a bright spot in my life last week and a great motivator for me to keep churning out blog posts even when I feel less than stellar. Many sincere thanks to D from "I Love You Too Much" for her compliments.
The only thing I can actually ascertain about the "Friendly Site Award" is that I'm supposed to bequeath the same award to 3 other blogs. Unfortunately, I haven't really spent enough time reading other blogs on this site to properly assess who deserves this award. Plus, I hesitate to give someone an award that I myself am not real clear on. What if I picked 3 nice folks and their blogs and called them out on my site for recognition, only to find out that that the "Friendly Site Award" is sarcastic and means something more along the lines of "Your Blog is Only Marginally Better Than What my 3-year-old Brings Home From Pre-School", or even more direct, "Your Blog Sucks...Period. Keep Your Thoughts in a Private Journal."? Then I'd feel like a moron. I can imagine coming home after a long day and logging into my blog for a little release, only to have 283 hate-filled posts from the authors and friends of the blogs I gave the award to. "You have no soul!" or "I'm mentally challenged. How could you do that to me?!" Yep,that would suck. So, until I figure out exactly what the "Friendly Site Award" means and have spent a little more time looking at other blogs I'm going to have to hold off on passing on the award. I felt like I needed to let that be known so I don't get bad blog karma for not passing on good will.
So that wasn't so bad was it? I managed to get through an entire blog without bitching too much. Perhaps things are turning around. Then again, perhaps I have a bird crap on my head on the way to work tomorrow and get hit by a bus on the way back. Like I've said before, life can be a motherfucker.....
TWF
Friday, November 9, 2007
Vultures, Loss and Weapons in the Wild Wild West
The vultures are circling. One more soldier down and out. We recently took on a new Director of Sales and she’s doing a fine job of cleaning out all the good, tenured folks that once made this a good place to work. Like a god damn Neutron Bomb, she’s gutting the population while being careful not to touch the shell. The company will still stand and profit once she’s finished with her crusade, but the insides will hardly be recognizable. Truth no longer reigns supreme. Ego is in style and there’s only room for one.
Today's loss hurts particularly bad because it directly affects my payola. The guy that is leaving now is someone I would have been working directly with in my new position. As he prospered, so would I, but that was not to be. Now it's back to square one. What's the score and who's running the show? I need answers and a plan, and I need both real quick-like. Those who don't move with the current drown like polar bears in the open ocean looking for the next ice cap. Once strong, proud creatures, reduced to simply trying to keep their heads above water.
Fear not, my instincts scream. Stay the course and trust in the guiding spirit. Panic is the only sure way to miss the next stop. Poise is the weapon of choice. The loaded 12 gauge in the face of the beast that is change. Trust in your arsenal and don't be afraid to use it. Stay close and you'll know when it's time to shoot. And when that time comes, don't be afraid to unload every last round. That's right. Make 'em remember you were there.
Wild TFree
Today's loss hurts particularly bad because it directly affects my payola. The guy that is leaving now is someone I would have been working directly with in my new position. As he prospered, so would I, but that was not to be. Now it's back to square one. What's the score and who's running the show? I need answers and a plan, and I need both real quick-like. Those who don't move with the current drown like polar bears in the open ocean looking for the next ice cap. Once strong, proud creatures, reduced to simply trying to keep their heads above water.
Fear not, my instincts scream. Stay the course and trust in the guiding spirit. Panic is the only sure way to miss the next stop. Poise is the weapon of choice. The loaded 12 gauge in the face of the beast that is change. Trust in your arsenal and don't be afraid to use it. Stay close and you'll know when it's time to shoot. And when that time comes, don't be afraid to unload every last round. That's right. Make 'em remember you were there.
Wild TFree
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Hunter in Me
Over the last few days I’ve struggled to maintain a positive outlook in the face of such frustration about my job. Once trusted colleagues are morphing into swine. Trust is scarce. Ominous overtones hover and fill the space between these walls. Change. That’s what lurks. Change is good, but why is it always so heavy?
Generally, I’m able to laugh off spells like this because I know that the future will be full of great experiences and wonderful journeys. Sometimes, though, I’m not sure laughter is the correct response. It feels like I’m in some bizarre Twilight Zone of an existence where most people are perfectly content living out their lives as drones, others are on the hunt, while I’m constantly seeking to manifest a grander experience. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? What will I look like when I finish shedding my current “skin?” How to interact with the swine and not become prey? All are questions that require answers. And more questions.
It’s times like these when the great Hunter S. Thompson is the perfect tonic. He’s the bacon, eggs, coffee, sports page and tall glass of Chivas on a late winter morning. Total comfort. The world outside reduced to background filler. I read his work on dark days like today and I’m reminded that despite the drones and swine there is a whole different world out there, full of people that want truth and inspiration. People that aren’t satisfied with status quo and don't hunt people for sport. That’s my world; where my road leads at least. Now I just need to figure out how to get there, and stay……forever. The next turning point has been identified. The course, however, is uncharted.
One of the things I’ve learned from Hunter is that it’s OK to write about topics that make me angry, frustrated, sad or engender any other negative emotion. I’m a positive person and I tend to want to write about things that are funny. The problem with that is that life isn’t always funny and I’m not always in a mood to laugh. I’m learning that just because I’m not feeling jovial doesn’t mean that I should remove myself from the keyboard and forget about writing until my spirits are back up. After all, that would sort of defeat the purpose of me using writing as an outlet for my energy. I never did, no should I, say that writing is only my outlet for positive energy. Furthermore, I could certainly make the argument that I need writing as an outlet more when I’m not in the best mood. Sure, this blog is probably a more entertaining read when I’m cracking jokes and being sarcastic, but, dare I say, this blog isn’t entirely for the readers. Ultimately, if everyone went away and I never had another person visit this blog again, I would still faithfully type away. I think it’s actually becoming part of me, which could be good and bad, and often both at the same time. Regardless, it means something and that’s more than I can say about what I do for 10 hours every Monday-Friday.
On that note, I leave you with a few quotes from HST that fit my mood:
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours."
Hunter S. Thompson
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
Hunter S. Thompson
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Amtrak
I'm not really up to writing tonight, but I want to share a little bit of research I found regarding Amtrak to back up my claims from yesterday's post. From the sounds of some of these complaints, it sounds like I've been lucky. Nonetheless, the horrendous traffic on Southern California freeways will keep me riding the railways until I, probably inevitably, get completely pushed over the edge by Amtrak. I guarantee that when this happens, I'll look back to this post and wonder why I was such an idiot to tempt a Bush League company with an outcome that is a seemingly fate accompli, but like I said a few posts back, I'm a glutton for punishment and need to learn things the hard way....even when I have forewarning. Anyway, here you go:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/amtrak.html
Cheers,
Conductor TWF
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/amtrak.html
Cheers,
Conductor TWF
Monday, November 5, 2007
"If you want a seat, get off and get on another train!"
Alright, damnit. Today, as is the case with many a Monday, has been a pain in the ass. I saw the world in Grey, people had scowls on their faces, and everything was either annoying, depressing or infuriating. Now that the workday is over, I feel much better, but I still don't feel entirely inspired to write. I really haven't the slightest idea what I'm about to type, but we'll see how it goes. Apologies in advance if this post is terrible. Regardless of the fact that I don't have a predetermined subject, I made a promise to myself when I created this blog that I'd make at least a small post every day that my free time is not totally booked, and I'm going to honor that.
I got back from Santa Barbara late last night on the train. The trip was great all around: good food, even better conversation and an overall enjoyable time with one of my best friends and his fiancée. But the juice of this recounting doesn't lie in trite details of my stay. N-O. This story, albeit brief, is about the fantastic folks of Amtrak.
First off, has anyone here ridden Amtrak recently, particularly in California? If so, maybe you can back me up on this. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think that every disgruntled employee who ever walked the earth, regardless of their past industry, has been hired by Amtrak and told to go ahead and let off some steam. "Absolutely," the hiring manager at Amtrak must have said, "the customer is your friend....until you decide that they're not. When that decision is made is entirely up to you. Oh, and by the way, feel free to be as obnoxious and loud as you'd like. G'head....push the limits. We're not that interested in the happiness of our clients." Those comments, although obviously fictional, are a tiny, yet accurate reflection of Amtrak these days. What was once a hassle-free, peaceful way to move about the country, is now tantamount to traveling with 5 kids under the age of 10 (yes, I'm comparing the chaos of 5 kids to that of 100's of adults), plus an angry elder. The passengers are frustrated and antsy, and the conductors are aggressive at best, ranting over the loudspeaker about how the train is "standing room only, so DON'T BE SHY. IF YOU'RE SHY, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ON THIS TRAIN." Really? You're OK telling people, some of whom paid $50 to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for five hours with hundreds of other poor bastards(and without any warning that it might be that bad), that if their personality doesn't fit what you like they can get off at the next stop? Seriously? That's your customer service policy? Or how about this gem of an announcement: "If you have ANY of your personal belongings on a seat next to you, WE WILL IMMEDIATELY sell you that seat at full price AND give it to someone else." To me, that's where the conductor is just getting way the eff out of line, not to mention making illegal claims (could they really charge you for an extra seat AND proceed to give it to someone else??). I can understand that Amtrak wants to discourage riders from being weasels and "holding" extra seats just so nobody sits next to them. Those types are also the ones that cut in lines and are liable to take all kinds of other shady liberties to serve themselves in public gatherings. They should be tossed off the train if they pull that kind of crap after being properly warned, BUT that shouldn't mean Amtrak conductors should assume all riders are weasels. At one point, the conductor got on the loudspeaker, gave the normal pleasantries (read: taunting warnings) and said with some satisfaction that they had just "thrown two people off the train" (I wouldn't be surprised if they literally threw them off either) for "not obeying the rules." At that point, I was far past giving these Amtrak yahoo's the benefit of the doubt and was half expecting to be thrown off myself for something silly like putting my foot one inch past my paid business class seat zone or getting up to use the restroom....at all.
Ironically, this type of behavior by the Amtrak employees made for a train that resembled the Wild West more than it did an orderly, calm transportation service. Some people seemed to think that if the conductors were so aggro they would certainly accept some loud, obnoxious behavior from the passengers, which turned out to be an accurate assumption. Some of the loudest passengers also happened to buddy-buddy with the loudest conductors. It was not the most peaceful 5ish hours, to say the least. I can easily say that I've never seen such disregard by employees of a service company towards those they are supposedly serving. What a pathetic display. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't bad enough to cause me to drive the I405 on a Friday and Sunday for my next trip to Santa Barbara. Traffic really can be that bad here in SoCal.
So that's pretty much it. I hate to sign off after doing nothing but venting, but the train ride part of the trip was that bad. The sad part is that Amtrak is only going to get worse before it gets better. As gas prices continue to rise, more and more people will choose the train over any other form of transportation. And as our Hitleresque conductor said, "Folks, this train is run by CalTrans. They want as many people on this train as they can get. If you are in Coach, your seat says 'unreserved', which means that you are only guaranteed TRANSPORTATION, NOT A SEAT. If you want a seat, GET OFF AND GET ON ANOTHER TRAIN." I kid you not, she actually said that. At least she was being honest. If you have any similar travel stories, I'd love to hear them.
Cheers,
TWF
I got back from Santa Barbara late last night on the train. The trip was great all around: good food, even better conversation and an overall enjoyable time with one of my best friends and his fiancée. But the juice of this recounting doesn't lie in trite details of my stay. N-O. This story, albeit brief, is about the fantastic folks of Amtrak.
First off, has anyone here ridden Amtrak recently, particularly in California? If so, maybe you can back me up on this. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think that every disgruntled employee who ever walked the earth, regardless of their past industry, has been hired by Amtrak and told to go ahead and let off some steam. "Absolutely," the hiring manager at Amtrak must have said, "the customer is your friend....until you decide that they're not. When that decision is made is entirely up to you. Oh, and by the way, feel free to be as obnoxious and loud as you'd like. G'head....push the limits. We're not that interested in the happiness of our clients." Those comments, although obviously fictional, are a tiny, yet accurate reflection of Amtrak these days. What was once a hassle-free, peaceful way to move about the country, is now tantamount to traveling with 5 kids under the age of 10 (yes, I'm comparing the chaos of 5 kids to that of 100's of adults), plus an angry elder. The passengers are frustrated and antsy, and the conductors are aggressive at best, ranting over the loudspeaker about how the train is "standing room only, so DON'T BE SHY. IF YOU'RE SHY, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ON THIS TRAIN." Really? You're OK telling people, some of whom paid $50 to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for five hours with hundreds of other poor bastards(and without any warning that it might be that bad), that if their personality doesn't fit what you like they can get off at the next stop? Seriously? That's your customer service policy? Or how about this gem of an announcement: "If you have ANY of your personal belongings on a seat next to you, WE WILL IMMEDIATELY sell you that seat at full price AND give it to someone else." To me, that's where the conductor is just getting way the eff out of line, not to mention making illegal claims (could they really charge you for an extra seat AND proceed to give it to someone else??). I can understand that Amtrak wants to discourage riders from being weasels and "holding" extra seats just so nobody sits next to them. Those types are also the ones that cut in lines and are liable to take all kinds of other shady liberties to serve themselves in public gatherings. They should be tossed off the train if they pull that kind of crap after being properly warned, BUT that shouldn't mean Amtrak conductors should assume all riders are weasels. At one point, the conductor got on the loudspeaker, gave the normal pleasantries (read: taunting warnings) and said with some satisfaction that they had just "thrown two people off the train" (I wouldn't be surprised if they literally threw them off either) for "not obeying the rules." At that point, I was far past giving these Amtrak yahoo's the benefit of the doubt and was half expecting to be thrown off myself for something silly like putting my foot one inch past my paid business class seat zone or getting up to use the restroom....at all.
Ironically, this type of behavior by the Amtrak employees made for a train that resembled the Wild West more than it did an orderly, calm transportation service. Some people seemed to think that if the conductors were so aggro they would certainly accept some loud, obnoxious behavior from the passengers, which turned out to be an accurate assumption. Some of the loudest passengers also happened to buddy-buddy with the loudest conductors. It was not the most peaceful 5ish hours, to say the least. I can easily say that I've never seen such disregard by employees of a service company towards those they are supposedly serving. What a pathetic display. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't bad enough to cause me to drive the I405 on a Friday and Sunday for my next trip to Santa Barbara. Traffic really can be that bad here in SoCal.
So that's pretty much it. I hate to sign off after doing nothing but venting, but the train ride part of the trip was that bad. The sad part is that Amtrak is only going to get worse before it gets better. As gas prices continue to rise, more and more people will choose the train over any other form of transportation. And as our Hitleresque conductor said, "Folks, this train is run by CalTrans. They want as many people on this train as they can get. If you are in Coach, your seat says 'unreserved', which means that you are only guaranteed TRANSPORTATION, NOT A SEAT. If you want a seat, GET OFF AND GET ON ANOTHER TRAIN." I kid you not, she actually said that. At least she was being honest. If you have any similar travel stories, I'd love to hear them.
Cheers,
TWF
Friday, November 2, 2007
Peace and War
Off to Santa Barbara today, so I probably won’t be providing all two of you loyal readers with any material this weekend. Not that anyone will really notice, but I somehow feel compelled to give bloggerville some warning when I won’t be around. So there. You’ve been warned.
One other quick thought: I’m listening to a song called “Hands Held High” by Linkin’ Park. I’m not a big Linkin’ Park fan by any stretch of the imagination, but the lyrics of this song are pretty heavy and make you think. They talk about various things, one of them being young soldiers losing their lives fighting for our country in a war that is confusing at best. I’m not going to get into a political diatribe here, but I have to say that it’s unbelievable to think that there are soldiers, young kids really, that are dying each day for us. I know we can see it on the news and read about it in the paper, but do those forums every really drive the point home? I’m guessing that for most of us they don’t. We’re so insulated in this country that a war half way across the world almost doesn’t even exist. At least that’s how it is for me most of the time. Anyway, just wanted to throw out a reminder to be thankful for what we have. Regardless of your opinion on the war, remember that it is actually happening, and there are young men and women putting their lives at risk every day, giving up their own freedom and dying for you and your family and millions of others that they don’t even know. Would you be willing to do that? I can’t say with any certainty that I would. If you can relate to what I’m saying, download the song I mentioned above and spend 5 minutes paying your own quiet tribute to those that are risking their lives for you. It’s the least we can do.
One other quick thought: I’m listening to a song called “Hands Held High” by Linkin’ Park. I’m not a big Linkin’ Park fan by any stretch of the imagination, but the lyrics of this song are pretty heavy and make you think. They talk about various things, one of them being young soldiers losing their lives fighting for our country in a war that is confusing at best. I’m not going to get into a political diatribe here, but I have to say that it’s unbelievable to think that there are soldiers, young kids really, that are dying each day for us. I know we can see it on the news and read about it in the paper, but do those forums every really drive the point home? I’m guessing that for most of us they don’t. We’re so insulated in this country that a war half way across the world almost doesn’t even exist. At least that’s how it is for me most of the time. Anyway, just wanted to throw out a reminder to be thankful for what we have. Regardless of your opinion on the war, remember that it is actually happening, and there are young men and women putting their lives at risk every day, giving up their own freedom and dying for you and your family and millions of others that they don’t even know. Would you be willing to do that? I can’t say with any certainty that I would. If you can relate to what I’m saying, download the song I mentioned above and spend 5 minutes paying your own quiet tribute to those that are risking their lives for you. It’s the least we can do.
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