August 03, 2006
Annoyed at a Banana.
I just got an utterly strange feeling of being pissed off at a Banana.
Okay, so I left Chiquita on not so good terms, which a lot of people don't understand. Many people think that I failed Chiquita, that I shirked my responsibility to Chiquita. But what about Chiquita's responsibility to me?
I stated no less than four times to no less that four different people (One Director, Two Supervisors, and One HR Professional) that I needed help in a few specific skill areas. (I'm sure it was more times, but I can cite specific times when I said this.
What came of asking for help? Nothing. I would've been happy to have been pointed in the right direction, but I didn't even get that.
So I emailed one of my previous blog entries off to the CEO, basically stating, here's some feedback that I think you might be interested in. We engaged in an in depth conversation that reached nine printed pages. I think one of the things that annoys me the most is that he stated "I have been told a few times before that there is sufficient training ... that when employees ask, typically the company tries to find ways to help."
So there is a problem. Either someone in the HR side of the organization is misinformed and therefore slightly incompetent, (Not having accurate information about the organization when your job to have information about the organization is incompetence.) or is being dishonest. Neither is good, but I hope its the former, and not the later, as the later brings in the fact that you have executives not practicing the core values of the company.
Chiquita failed me, I failed Chiquita.
Who failed worse is a matter of semantics and a point that isn't worth arguing.
The bottom line is I won't accept criticism for how I left.
Its an unfortunate mess, and no where near as tasty as a banana smoothie.
An Update (8/3/2006 at 1830 EST): A birdie has told me that the training was coming down the pipeline, which makes me feel better, but still it would've been nice if I had some idea..
August 09, 2006
Self Worth, Procrastination, and
I'm reading the book The Now Habit. (Go on click it and buy something from Amazon. I'm unemployed right now, and could use a little cash from Amazon...)
The first chapter of the book examines why we procrastinate. The book states that one of the reasons we procrastinate is that we see the task that needs completed as directly reflecting on our self worth.. This makes a helluva lotta sense.
An instance of this:
Back last summer at work one of our large west coast customers decided that they wanted us to manage their transportation. We struggled at delivering product on time. (Honestly the root cause of this was due to a choice in vendors that I didn't make, and didn't have the power to change. For the record I still make a habit of flicking off every driver from that company, and I cannot go into the State of Utah for fear of my hand cramping into a permeant birdie.)
Its one thing in my former line of work if there is a late delivery every once in a while, but when you start having problems all over the place with one customer it becomes a major problem. This had gotten to the point that this single 'ol delivery lane, which wasn't even that high of a volume, or even an important strategic customer had acquired director level attention all over the place. I wouldn't've been surprised if some director from Central America was watching the damn thing.
So, I was the operational coordinator for this melee, so I had the joy and terror of being the person ultimately responsible for getting it right. When the truck arrived on time I was relieved, when it arrived late, I honestly got really perturbed, and felt like I had failed.
So one weekend morning I got a voicemail from a coworker that the truck for that date didn't arrive, in fact the truck didn't even pick up. I felt like I had failed, and I dreaded coming into work on Monday. So I didn't. and I didn't come in on Tuesday either.
But anyone who knows anything about transportation is that one person cannot do anything in transportation except twiddle their thumbs. Supply Chains are by their very definition team efforts, one person can only do so much, and while people can be responsible for a portion of it they're only responsible in as far as they can manage others.
I was going to write about another instance, but well, its a bit too close to recent times. I could also make an argument that it was one of the direct catalysts for running away from home. (My landlady put it that way, and well it seems apt. Although it is a bit funny to say that "I ran away from home when I was twenty-five.")
I've gotta get some job apps out... I didn't get a call back yet from my interview at one of the big software developers out here...
August 15, 2006
And people think I'm crazy.
Okay, so more than one person thinks I'm a little crazy for getting in the car, with no notice, and driving to Seattle.
I'm reading All I really Need to Know I learned In Kindergarden by Robert Fulghum. (who lives in Seattle..) In it there is the story of Larry Walters, a guy who lived in Los Angeles who one day decided to tie 45 helium filled weather ballons to a lawn chair and go flying.
No, I'm not making this up. So, forgive me when I'm confused that people think I'm a bit crazy for moving to Seattle. I mean I made the necessary preparations, namely getting a map, getting food, liquids, and kitty liter, ensuring that I had the financial resources to make it, and packing a bit of stuff. Compared to Larry I think I might've overkilled my planning a bit. Fulghum details Walter's preparations:Larry has a parachute on, a CB radio, a six-pack of beer, some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a BB gun to pop some of the baloons to come down.
So yeah, I'm a little bit nuts, but I like it that way, and besides if you're not going to have some imagination and follow through on your dreams then what are you doing?
Walters put it best, when he was asked by the press why he did it, he said "You can't just sit there."
August 20, 2006
I support the right for people to practice consensual non-monogamy
I read this an article on the "Oddly enough" wire of Reuters, All my moms love me, Utah kid tells polygamist rally. I'm annoyed that the story was on the "Oddly enough" wire, which is usually reserved for more lighthearted and funny fare.
Allies are important, even if they don't fully support you or you don't fully support them.
So it is from this perspective I needed to write my position publically.
The core argument, as I see it, for gay marriage is that a government should not interfere with the affairs of adults as long as those affairs do not causing unwanted harm to another adult, or intentional harm to a minor.
Its not that far of a leap to say that I'm a supporter of consensual non-monogamy, also known as polygamy. Honestly I think in fifteen to twenty years we'll be discussing legalizing marriages between multiple people. It'll take more legal wrangling and a huge code overhaul, but honestly government should get out of the way of people.
I think the thing that annoys me most about resistance to gay marriage and consensual non-monogamy is that the resistance comes from a core belief that people should follow a collection of mores, or "life scripts" as I prefer to call them. (E.g. For guys: Be Born, Go to school, Graduate from High School, Go to College, Graduate in four years, Find a Job, Find a Girl, Marry Girl, Have 2.5 children with said Girl, Raise children, Work some more, Retire, Enjoy playing Yatzee and Shuffleboard, Die.)
One may claim that I'm over simplifying things, but I've captured the essence of the expected mores in America, that make up the root of the argument against gay marriage and consensual non-monogamy. The societal objective at work is to encourage people to follow the system of mores, if you stray from them you're looked upon a bit unfavorably. I've done a dandy job of straying from the "life-script" managing way too many years in too many colleges, a couple of boyfriends, and an impromptu move across the country. So I'm not a fan of enforcing, or even propagating life-scripts.
I think we should encourage diversity, that includes diversity in family structures.
August 25, 2006
Equality
Okay, so I'll be a YouTube whore, but for a good reason. Joss Whedon speaking very eloquently about Equality.
August 27, 2006
Bowling, Discardian...
Okay, so one of my favorite blogs is Discardian: One tip every day to help you let go of all that crap in your way. It has many helpful hints. But the general theme is to reduce the crap flowing around in your life, both physical and mental. I've found great inspiration there for cleaning up.
So, here's a new one (or maybe not really, but I think I just came up with it): Don't keep things in the physical world that are just around to help you remember things in the past.. Keep them in the virtual world, or not at all..
To that point, my high scores at bowling, so I can pitch the cheesy trophies.| Year | League | High Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1987-1988 | Midway Novice Mixed | 108 |
| 1988-1989 | Midway Novice League | 82 |
| 1989-1990 | Midway Side Slingers | 174 |
| 1990-1991 | Midway Bowling Madness | 131 |