Vanity at a cost

We all want to look good.  It is just natural.  Some of us look better than others (not including myself in the former for sure) but in general we all want to look our best.  Interestingly enough what is somebody’s best?  It is different for everyone right.  We all have different tastes and the flair for style is as wide as the nerdy engineer down the hall to the good looking marketing person in the next cube.  Why is it that the good looking people are always in sales or marketing and us average slumps are in the engineering and finance areas?  Is there some written rule that I was not aware of.

Along with looking good there is the gambit of devices to help us achieve the best that we can.  Make-up, earrings, tattoos, hairspray, curlers, blow dryers etc. etc.  At the top of the echelon is perfume.  It creates the atmosphere and sets the tone of what we want to project.  What happens when your perfume turns lethal?  At a Texas call center an innocent woman sprayed a waft of perfume and the people around her started dropping like flies.  The place had to be evacuated, several were sent to the hospital and well over a 100 complained of illness.  What in the hell are you talking about.  Is this for real or possibly the stupidest thing you have ever heard of?

We have all dealt with the office person (some male some female) who walks down the hall and you can smell them about 500 feet in advance.  The guy or girl who sprays the entire bottle on every day before they venture out of the house.  We all know them but do they make us nauseous?  They might make me a little queasy at times but I don’t think I would call 911.  Has everyone in Texas lost their mind?  It is almost as crazy as………….wait for it……………..those Catholic people.  hahaha, haven’t said that in a few blogs have I?  You know those Catholic people who dress up every Sunday and go to church or Mass.  What is it called when you dunk people in the tub of water, smashing their head below the surface?  When I was a kid I always thought it was cool to see the swimming pool right there in church until I saw the Pastor trying to drown somebody.

It is all fun and games until somebody loses an eye.  Yes, I know that is not the Catholic religion but you are missing the point.  When I say the word Catholic it is simply using the sect to represent all religions so I can make fun of them as a group.  Not that I am Atheist.  Those people creep me out.  You have to believe in something.  Who in the hell makes that toxic perfume in Texas if we don’t have a God and a Devil.  Somebody has to make the stuff smell sweet and then somebody has to pour it on so thick that you suffocate from it.  You get both sides.

Fort Worth, Texas.  If I remember Texas that well everyone wears the caked on make-up and the bottle of perfume and what about that hair.  Is there something in the water that makes every woman’s hair in Texas stand about 3 feet above her head?  Working in a call center in Texas must be like working in a whore house without sex.  You get the entire plastic facade without the pleasure.  OMG, that sounds again like Catholics.  hahahaha, does anyone get this stuff.

OK, what do you get when you combine a Texan and a Catholic?  I don’t know the answer.  I am asking the question.

When do things go too far?

What is our limit?  Do we have a limit?  Is it ok for Tony Romo to Ban Jessica Simpson from his home?  If they are broken up it seems legitimate.  Is it ok for him to post a sign stating that Jessica Simpson is not welcome in his home?  Well, that might be pushing a boundary or two it seems.  What is our limit in the world today?  We hear about the cost of obesity reaching $147 Billion a year.  Does it matter?  Can the government really tell us what to do?  Eating a dessert here and there should be my business right?  Well, the government tells me I have to wear a helmet when I drive a motorcycle.  Is that hurting anyone?  No, the biggest reason for that law is the cost of healthcare.

Do we see a correlation?  Where do we draw the line?  K-Fed is finally making the news for more than being the former spouse of Brittney Spears.  It seems that Mr. Kevin Federline has grown a little and is now being touted as the next reality star of a losing weight TV show.  Is that crossing a line?  Haven’t we all overindulged to a certain extent?  It is pretty common knowledge that Mischa Barton is a drug addict and has some serious mental issues.  She is getting out of her treatment center but it seems the biggest concern is getting her back to work, not seeing if she is healthy.  Is somebody in the limelight better off taking a break and finding another career if she has proven that she can’t handle the pressure?  Do we care?

It seems we are becoming so self centered that our society sues first and asks questions later.  I love the article on the Horizon Group Management Group.  They are suing a former tenant for posting on her Twitter account”…Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay.”  She is followed by 20 people.  Posting this message on Twitter for 20 people to read has sullied The Horizon Group’s reputation?  One of the family members who run The Horizon Group actually said “We’re a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization”.  Are you kidding me?

It almost makes you want to throw in the towel and give up.  Companies have evolved to caring very little about employees, health care costs are through the roof, unemployment is rising, CA can’t pay its bills and now to top it off it has been proven that Sun Beds can cause cancer.  Yes, you heard it here.  The recent study has shown that the frequent use of sun beds increases the chances of you catching Melanoma.  We should have probably know that anyway but just in case.  I wonder if Kim Kardashian uses a sun bed.  That skin of hers is awesome.  Can we ask her?  Now that she has some free time maybe we can get her on board as a spokesman?

If anyone knows how to contact her let me know.  So far I have not had any takers in our offers to be the Journalstone Front Woman.

The good news is you can always count on your fellow employees.  I can’t imagine working in an environment where somebody would spread false accusations about you with no basis or facts.  It would make it even worse if they raised their concerns to the senior VP’s of a company.  If people can sue over a Twitter remark can you sue your employer for disparaging your reputation without facts or a basis?  Seems like you should be able to.  Maybe today when I go to divorce court I will ask my attorney the hypothetical question and see what he says.

Ah, the joys of life.

Who can you trust?

I find it ironic who you can or cannot trust in any environment. The innocent co-worker, who smiles at you, engages you in conversations and at times will even instigate discussions in areas that are not always appropriate in the work environment. You would think you could trust them right? What about the male co-worker who you invite out for drinks? He might have a few too many but it the end it doesn’t matter right? Or does it? If he happens to be somebody who talks out of both sides of his mouth how would you know the difference until one day you find yourself in a position that you were not expecting.

The hypocrisy is interesting. People are very self serving. Do we enjoy watching others flounder in angst so much that given any opportunity we kick them just for the fun of it? Are we so enamored with the demise of our fellow man that we pause on the street just to watch somebody being pried from a crumpled car in the hopes of catching the mangled body? I have long known that corporations are inhuman. They are corporations so it goes without saying right but humans are human aren’t they? Who makes the decisions in corporations but fellow humans?

I think it stems from mediocrity. Somebody just might not understand what their job is. Somebody else might simply not comprehend what is the real difference between right and wrong. Has anyone ever been in a situation where you simply tried to do what was right and felt sandwiched between battling groups who cared nothing for what really happened. What is discrimination in the work force anymore? How do we define the difference between going for a drink and having fun with a fellow employee and feeling like big brother is watching? Big Brother might be sitting in the seat right next to you. You buy her a drink and the second she feels any sort of weakness she will turn on you instantly. Don’t worry though she will still be smiling at you when she sees you in the hall. She will still say hello, pretending like nothing really occurred.

At my age one might think that I would have learned by now, but I guess in the end I always want to see the best in people. I feel that deep down people are still decent and good hearted. The guy down the hall is somebody you should be able to enjoy having a beer with. Just be a little careful because when you are not looking the guy down the hall and the girl in the cube next to you will smile openly as they insert that knife ever so carefully in your back. They might not enjoy the twisting of the blade completely but they will do it none-the-less if it means watching somebody go down in flames.

Ahhh, the joy of life at work. I might ask if you want to go out and have a beer but I don’t do that anymore. Well, for now anyway. I am sure my disdain for socializing will not last forever. I just wonder if when it returns will all of the good and decent people be gone. From RIF’s to firings to people just quitting the workforce seems to be changing faster than one can keep up with.

The simplicity of life. Just when you thought you were out they suck you back in.

Porn Star Blues (Jazella Moore)

(Anabela Mota Janke) You can be a lot of things in life. Your vision of a career can take all kinds of twists and turns. Who knows how many different occupations you might try before landing in the field that you love? In Fort Myers Beach Florida there is just one rule. Don’t work for the city and marry a porn star. Scott Janke broke that rule. He is the city manager and he was seemingly unaware that the city council was tolerant in many things but they draw the line at having first hand contact with somebody in the porn industry.

I am sure if you go to their closets they have porn. My guess is if you asked the mayor Larry Kiker he has seen porn. He has probably even pleasured himself while watching porn. This is all just speculation. I don’t know anything for sure but my assumption is based solely on the fact of knowing old men. They love keeping things locked away in a closet somewhere but God forbid that anyone ever found out what their true fetishes are. I would normally throw in a Catholic joke here but my kindergarten teacher (who is Catholic) has questioned my reasoning on the constant berating of her religion.

I am not berating her religion but religion in general. Hmmmm, is that worse or better? Jesus, I don’t know. Not slamming the name of Jesus in the last sentence but was really asking Jesus. OK, I digress. What is up with porn? We all skirt around the edges, everyone has seen it at some point in life. Prostitution is the oldest profession for some reason right. I am not condoning anything or condemning I am just saying. Why are there thousands of porn movies made each year. Who watches this crap? Why are porn movies on every pay per view TV in every hotel in America. Is it for the sole reason that men are scared to watch it at home but can’t wait to see it once they are away from their comfy confines of the idealic fantasy we call the suburbs.

Do we really think it is only men. Why do women wear skirts that are barley covering their ass? When was the halter top invented? Who invented those shirts that have a little bra built in just so women don’t have to wear bras? Why are swimsuits the size of dental floss? Has anyone seen the underwear being sold in Target or Wal-Mart. They still have the granny panties for sure but holy shit, it is difficult finding a hanger that you can fasten that little piece of string to.

We as a society seem to love our porn but we just don’t want it coming too close to home. We like the thoughts of being bad but we don’t want anyone believing that we are bad. Are we such a contradiction that we have to fire a man for marrying somebody who is in the porn industry. Are we such hypocrites that we refuse to allow people to marry people of the same sex. You want to know why I slam religion? Do you want to know why I continually bash the Catholic institution? Fine, be careful what you ask for.

I bash religion in general and the Catholic political regime because they judge us. We are judged if we watch porn, we are judged if we are gay, we are judged if we believe in anything that might not conform to some antiquated set of rules that a Priest sitting 10 stories above reality might dictate on a whim that we should follow. I slam the hypocrisy because these same people sit at home in the darkness of their bedroom and watch shit that might make you freak out. I am not saying there are not good people in these organizations I am saying that if I want to have an abortion it should be my decision (again I am not pro or con) just let me decide.

Stop telling me what to do. If I am NOT stealing, or killing my neighbor or bombing the world trade center then get the hell off my back. Don’t point fingers at me. There is one person that has to answer for my actions and that is me. You have no right and I can guarantee you have no substance or ability to judge me.

Give this man back his job, shut the hell up. Let’s all live in tolerance of each other and then I will stop bashing the religious factions. They care nothing about me as a person but have one main goal and that is taking my money, hiring attorneys and then telling me what I can or can’t do.

Peace and love to all.

Who can you trust? (At Work)

Isn’t that always a question? Aren’t there always people who say one thing to your face and then say something completely different the second you step away? You have trusted colleagues that given a chance to move up the ladder would stab you in the back as freely as eating one of those cream filled donuts you brought in for breakfast. Is every company filled with sharks that care for nothing but their own aspirations? Let’s look at the headlines from the past few days.

Erin Andrews is filmed naked in her hotel room. Not just once but on more than one occasion. Unless she is being stalked it appears it might be a co-worker. Maybe somebody that has an irrational unhealthy attraction or maybe somebody who just wants to make a quick buck. This is somebody that Erin most likely is well acquainted (their rooms are right next door to each other) and my guess is she would never have thought to worry about them drilling a hole in the common wall to take a quick peak. If you are interested in some still shots of the video The Dirty.Com has them posted at the attached link. http://thedirty.com/2009/07/21/erin-andrews-top-25/

What about Sun Danyong the Foxconn employee who manufactures IPhones for Apple. Apparently he kept a prototype and got so stressed out when the company came after him that he jumped off the 12th floor of the building killing himself. What kind of coffee break would that be to see your co-worker plummeting to his death? The Chinese take their work seriously but please. We all want an IPhone but I am not going to jump off a building to get one. That seems a little harsh. Wonder who he called while he was on his way down. By mom, see yah later. Tell everyone the new IPhone is really cool.

Does anyone believe Andrea McNulty? If you do then you have to wonder about her co-workers. Let’s say it is true that little Ben Roethlisberger did pump some iron into Andrea, then what the hell is up with her co-workers. Her story is the head of security told her she should be thrilled to have the pleasure of taking on the little cock I mean clock that could. Apparently she was told she would lose her job if she made any trouble for the motorcycle wrecking bad boy. Maybe that spill affected his thinking and he really did believe his TV wasn’t working and just wanted to watch some porn. If you can’t see it on TV then the next best thing is to abduct a hotel employee and force her to pleasure you. Isn’t that the NFL motto? Not saying I believe her but if you do her fellow employees really suck. If nothing else you do have to love those teeth. Is that what little Ben was thinking. Like a little rabbit nibbling on a carrot.

Just think about our favorite steroid pumping bike riding Lance Armstrong. He is floating along thinking life is good and the team is working well only to look up after some heavy pumping and having difficulty seeing his teammate off in the distance. Since they are no longer talking through the cell phones maybe he should have just got off his bike and heaved it at his head. hmmmm, couldn’t have done that see he was so far out in front. Lance is not known for wanting to share the limelight so saying he was pissed off is probably an understatement.

I guess we don’t really have a lot of choice. We have to work with people right, but Holy Shit. Hey just to end it on a good note what about all those Catholic Priests you hear about. I mean if I volunteered as an Alter Boy and went out to do my daily routine only to get called in the back room I would be running home scared shitless. Nothing like having a religious enema. Talk about the epitome in doing your co-worker wrong. I don’t want something shoved up there. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

What is the saying don’t knock it till you try it. Well, just for the record I will pass on that one.

Morning Sex

There are few things that you can count on in life. Sounds depressing doesn’t it, but isn’t it true. I can count on my dog loving me unconditionally. Damn, the dog is crazy with exuberance and loves me more than a dog should. Her biggest problem is containing her emotions. I can count on my book taking forever to actually turn into a book. I think I have re-written the damn thing about 100 times at this point. I might be better off turning it into a speech. I can almost dictate the entire thing word for word.

We can always count on some big named high profile athlete being in the news for raping, killing dogs or just plain being an ass. I guess steroids shrink more than just the little guy down below. Just ask little Ben. We can always count on sex selling. How many people outside of sports had ever heard of Erin Andrews before a few days ago? A friend of mine who actually reads my blog (shut up assholes, there are at least two people reading these), told me that I should explain who it is that I am writing about. That cracked me up.

Has he ever watched sports in his life? He is coming out here in September so I think I will force him to watch a football game or some playoff baseball. He says he only has time for me at breakfast but I will have to twist he arm and change that. Yes, you know who you are damn it. Who am I talking about now buddy? Insert name here. You can count on owning a car and at some point in our life having it break down. It just happens. My girlfriend’s car is acting up and she just called to take it into the shop. She all on her own stated to the person checking her in that she felt it was an ignition switch problem. How sensual is that. Just having her say ignition switch turned me on.

You can also count on the early stirring of the male anatomy rising to attention each and every morning (except when you are hung over). It just seems to happen. I wonder how many babies are born out of morning sex. Isn’t it odd that the male body is clocked to this schedule while the woman’s body is seemingly focused on night time foreplay? Foreplay is the key. Apparently you are supposed to spend more than 30 to 60 seconds kissing and stuff. I know, I understand. I get the point already. Women are complicated and they are not switches that can just be turned on or off at the blink of an eye so to say.

Morning sex is the best. What better way to start off the day. Is there anything else that can happen in the morning that sets you in a better mood to face the monotonous grind of your daily activities? Every time I see any of my male co-workers getting out of his car in the morning with a smile I can only assume his generous partner has cordially taken care of him before he left for work. It just seems like life would be so much better, jobs would flow so much smoother, work would be so much nicer if we just took that extra 2 to 3 minutes every morning for a quickie.

What do you say people? Are you with me? Yes that even included you Catholics. You are people to by the way.

Free Food (In the Office)

What is the deal when you walk through the front door of your office building? Is there something in the stale stagnant air that instantly infiltrates your pores causing you to transform into a rabid human being. The elevator makes you froth at the mouth salivating over anything that might remotely be edible.

In our office we have instituted the Friday morning ritual of the rotating breakfast club. Somebody each Friday brings in treats for the entire office, usually consisting of donuts, bagels or muffins of some sort. There are times when people get a little more creative but for the most part the menu remains fairly consistent. It is inevitable on occasion that somebody forgets and oddly on those days the attitude of everyone on our floor erupts into a volcanic crescendo of hateful disgust. I say this knowing that I completely and totally 100% include myself in this categorization. Why is that?

Does free food seem to tastes so much better? Is the promise for a muffin in the morning so set in stone that if somebody forgets we should lynch them stapling a sign to their forward “Dunce” just to make sure the cause of our pain is emblazed on them forever? The one true garbage disposal is the office. I can take anything to work and it will be eaten. 2 year old candy. Opened bags of chips that are approaching stale. A cake that has sat for several days and needs removal. Just simply take it to work and watch it vanish as your mild manner co-workers pounce on it like an unsuspecting prey.

We used to have free lunches once every Friday in the office place. They have now gone away due to the economic explosion but were nice for a while. The food hovered between palatably acceptable and downright what in the hell is this stuff. There were times when we seemed to have runny spaghetti for 6 months in a row. Even with all of the complaining we rushed down to grab our free morsels lining up to get our portions and complaining when we were denied seconds. This is food we would never have paid for but seemed to fight over for the simple reason it was free and company sponsored.

I don’t brawl over the samples at Costco that are handed out. I don’t see people flocking to Safeway when they have some sausage samplings. Holy Shit, every ice cream place known to mankind will give you a sample and it doesn’t taste any sweeter just because it is free. It has something to do with the office. Possibly the lighting, maybe the regurgitated air or the ebb and flow of electric current emanating from the thousands of computers humming in the background. Whatever the case, the anomaly of free food in the office is one of the modern day wonders of the worlds.

If you don’t believe me try it. Take in a bag of old candy that has been in your cabinet for 5 years. Put a label on it stating its age and the unknown factor of whether it is even edible. Write in bold letters “Eat at your own Risk” and watch the pile of stale sweet edibles disappear. Predictability is what drives our instinctual reactions. We are now nothing more than programmed robots typing away at our spreadsheets praying for the scraps of distractions that might grace our otherwise monotonous days.

Please dear God allow me to eat a piece of candy today and if there is only one give me the strength to fight off my co-workers in gladiator style and reign victorious as I savor its flavor. If in the end it makes me a little nauseous that is a price I willingly pay for the distraction of the free morsel.

Taking a Second Job

I was recently approached by somebody who had the idea of taking a second job. At first the idea seemed a little funny to me but in reality what is it that I am doing? I work as a corporate FP&A director during the day and during nights/weekends I write as much as time will allow. I enjoy it immensely and gain satisfaction from the self reflection. It reminded me of when I started this website and a friend of mine reprimanded me for not acknowledging other people’s dreams as highly as I rate my own. Somebody who loves gardening should garden. They shouldn’t sit in front of a computer on their down time.

I wonder about the reasoning for taking a second job. My writing doesn’t feel like a job to me but more like a hobby that I look forward to doing. The person who approached me talked of her occupational divergence as a means to an end. She enjoys Yoga and they had informed her if she wanted to work a few hours a week that they would be happy to exchange her time for free Yoga sessions. Joining a Yoga club is not the cheapest of endeavors. I wondered to myself if the time was worth the payment.

In my own self centered way I compare it to my desires and I can’t equate the two. I love writing. I know I keep saying that but damn it I do. I don’t get paid anything. I don’t know if I will ever make any money but I also don’t really care. What are the reasons that people branch out of their comfort zone and explore other opportunities? Some people don’t have a choice. They must work a second job to make ends meet. There are countless people who will work their entire lives and will never get ahead. Others possibly like me, to explore untapped desires and fulfill a hidden dream of sorts I guess.

Some just to offset an indulgent expense they might otherwise not have savored. A simple means to work a few hours a week and pay for something that seemed too extravagant to invest in with the fruits of their main career. It got me to thinking of the hourly rate we are paid and at what point is the price becomes too high. You are expected to hold down a job and the wages you earn are a reflection of your education, history and at times luck. The 50 hours a week you are expected to labor have a price and as long as you can negotiate your rate life is good. I then wonder how people value their down time. The time that you would be relaxing or for me writing or flying a kite or having a drink or the thousands of other things that you might choose to versus having to slave away for the man.

I find that I now place a premium on these hours. They are precious and to be savored like a fine wine. If you are lucky you can taste the succulent drink daily. For me writing is a drug that I lust after as often as I can possibly inject into my daily routine. For others it might be anything that drives the inner happiness. I am not sure that I would be willing to give up this time readily for a second job unless I was forced to with no other choices at my disposal. My choice would be living with less, giving up what I had to in order to maintain my firm grip on the precious hours that were at my disposal.

I also respect the ingenuity of bartering for what you might otherwise not be able to enjoy and time is something that can be easily bartered away. As with all things there is no right or wrong answer. What might be right for me might not make sense for somebody else. Too each his own. My only thoughts are how precious time is. How fleeting life is. One day we all wake up with the inspiration of what happened. How did we get where we are. Where are the moments that we so often took for granted. I look around and feel incredibly lucky to have what I do. Three beautiful daughters and an amazing woman who happens to be everything I could ever want.

I only wish I had more time to share with them. The one thing that is truly finite.

Mondays

I wonder if there was a study done would it be scientifically proven that everyone feels a little more down on Mondays than any other day of the week. Is the consensus that nobody really likes to work or is it just that our society has evolved to a place in life where everyone’s jobs are nothing more than pushing paper. How many people actually function in necessities anymore? Can you even explain to your daughter what you do? When you describe your job of sitting in front of a computer pulling together data and reports do her eyes gloss over and you find yourself wondering what in the hell it is that defines who you are?

Does your company produce anything? If it does, is it something the world could do without? If there was a worldwide disaster tomorrow is there anything your company or you in your job could do to help? I sometimes look around at all of the essentials and get lost in the deluge of needless crap. We have banks to keep our money, trade in stocks that nobody really ever sees, people buy and sell derivatives of derivatives to a point where a company like Enron can be built and thrive without even having any form of product at all. It was just air and they made millions. Is the only goal in life to make money so you can sit back and do nothing?

Is doing nothing so appealing that we actually thrive for floundering in empty space? What is it that you do? Have you ever questioned what you have given back to your fellow man? If you were to leave this earth today what would be your legacy? Would your entire existence be centered on a spreadsheet that was filled with fictitious numbers of hopes that might not ever occur to begin with? We have our children and that is always a piece of who we are but will the world be a better place for them or will it trudge further down the road of civilization to a point where interaction with our fellow man is no longer a necessity?

What will be the next huge leap forward in technological advancement? We are seeing the demise of books replaced by electronic gadgets, the cell phones are evolving into little computing connections to the world, our TV’s are now dominate our houses, art is turning into nothing more than moving pictures on huge screens that interact with us as we move from one room to the next. Doesn’t anyone enjoy feeling the dirt sift through their hands or the warm sand on their feet as you walk on the beach? Are dogs really content being corralled into a fenced in enclosure where we segregate them into parks specifically designed for their mutual interacting enjoyment.

Could it simply be that Mondays are a little bit harder to take since they are the constant reminder of our pointless, aimless existence and how they depict the lack of originality that we deal with every day? What is it that you do? If you can’t explain it to your children then is it anything really worth explaining? They say that kids are our connection to simplicity and truth. Kids are honest and blunt in stating facts about what they see and how they feel. They haven’t yet been jaded by our cordial rules of interaction where everything needs to be placed into a tidy little wrapped package of acceptability.

If you have children sit down tonight and see if you can explain to them what it is that you do in 2o words or less. If you can’t then reflect on who you are and delve into how comfortable you feel with your input into the world. We are not all defined by our jobs but we can help define our jobs. I would challenge myself and anyone to start out this Monday with the simple goal of giving back something that might be meaningful. It might simply be saying hello to the guy sitting in the cube next to you or waving to the receptionist as you walk through the front doors of the huge concrete/glass building that was built from the profits your company made by providing nothing needful to anyone.

If we can’t change the focus of our rudderless ship I would suggest that we at least paint the damn thing some bright colors and enjoy what we can. Life is too short to be forever bound by the chains of lost identities. What is it that you do? Who are you really? If you can’t explain it to a child then you might want to spend some time working on the definition and restructuring the building blocks of necessitates that got you here in the first place.

The insanity of Simplicity

In today’s economic times, unemployment rising to double digits in several areas, pay cuts are standard at most companies, no more traveling, no free lunches, 401k matching going away, benefits being cut, free sodas being taken away etc. etc. We still need to use our common sense on what is right and what is wrong. I actually am one of the few who don’t mind all of the cuts happening across the board. I still have a job and I still make a good living. Granted I am not happy about losing money and with all of the perceived peripherals being shaved from the bottom line but I am also understanding in our company’s predicament. It is still a for profit enterprise.

The one thing I don’t get is the easily adjusted items that can be passed along to employees with no cost to the company. Our building is located in a very convenient location for viewing the annual Fourth of July fireworks celebrations. It is a tall building with incredible views that overlook the water and with the scenic background is a great place to observe the sparkle of lights as they shoot skyward from all angles. It really doesn’t get much better than this.

So with this in mind a fellow employee decided to invite her husband and two children to the building for the evening display thinking it would be a nice easy atmosphere and the kids would enjoy seeing where mommy worked. She is a conscientious employee so she decided to clear this with security beforehand. I would have just brought my brood in the building with no thought of asking anyone. When she conferred with the police task force of our building she was informed that she was only allowed two guests. She could bring her husband and one child or her two children but not all three.

OK, I might be a little slow but what the hell are you talking about. I can understand somebody saying no family allowed for liability reasons. Or you must sign a waiver or or or or, but saying you can bring only two and not three is escaping my ability to sanely grasp the situation. What can we possibly be thinking? Who came up with this random number? How can we logically tell somebody that they can bring two family members but we cannot bring a fourth. Isn’t this America where everyone has 2.++ kids anyway.

I am sure the situation will get fixed. As with most things if you push forward hard enough it almost always finds its way to a logical solution but it just shouldn’t be this hard. In the Army they used to tell me that the end goal or the intention is what really matters. If you are ordered to take a hill who in the hell cares how you take it just haul ass and get the job done. I sometimes think that in corporate America we lose sight of the intended goal. What are we trying to accomplish when we set up a policy and guidelines? What is the end goal that we have in mind?

The insanity of life is that it could be so simply if we only got out of the way and let things flow logically.